o -/- / /| / / | / | /| / | /| / |/ |/ |/ |/-| / /_| / / _ _ | | /|||\ /_ /| / \__/ /-|||_\ /_ / |/ Bestiary By aaxe Version 4.0 Copyright Information --------------------------- Copyright 2004, aaxe This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Just contact me via GameFAQs if you wish to reuse this material. History --------- Version 4.0, 08-24-2004 - Began work on Enemy Strategies. Moved Hurricane Pack info to other document. Version 3.5, 08-23-2004 - Added Correct Fiend names (Thanks, Sour_Tofu). Version 3.0, 07-27-2004 - Added Hurricane Pack Disclaimer. Version 2.5, 06-29-2004 - Various corrections. Added Ninja Gaiden Download information. Added Bastet and Ogre Fiends. Version 2.0, 06-05-2004 - Added Timely Boss Strategies. Version 1.5, 04-27-2004 - Various corrections. Version 1.0, 04-23-2004 - Added strategies. Version 0.5, 04-16-2004 - Initial release. Table of Contents ----------------- 1. Introduction 2. Classifications a. Humans b. Fauna c. Machina e. Lesser Fiends 1. Undead 2. Humanoid 3. Serpentine f. Greater Fiends g. Dragons h. Deities 3. Ratings 4. Bestiary a. Regular Enemies b. Bosses 5. Timely Strategies a. Sub Bosses 1. Chapter 1 - Ninja Practice Room 2. Chapter 2 - Samurai Cavalry 3. Chapter 4 - Black Spider Ninja Clan 4. Chapter 5 - Gallas 5. Chapter 8 - Military Supply Base Main Gate 6. Chapter 9 - Tank Battalion 7. Chapter 9 - Communications Tower 8. Chapter 10 - Inazuma Worm 9. Chapter 10 - Inazuma Worm Pair 10. Chapter 12 - Inferno Worm 11. Chapter 12 - Ice Fiend 12. Chapter 15 - The Core b. Bosses 1. Chapter 1 - Murai 2. Chapter 2 - Hatamoto 3. Chapter 3 - Dynamo 4. Chapter 5 - Tentacle Fiend 5. Chapter 6 - Zombie Dragon 6. Chapter 7 - Alma 7. Chapter 9 - Attack Helicopter 8. Chapter 10 - Zombie Drake 9. Chapter 11 - Doku's Corporeal Form 10. Chapter 12 - Smougan the Flame Dragon 11. Chapter 13 - Alma Awakened 12. Chapter 14 - Doku's Spiritual Form 13. Chapter 15 - Supreme Fiend Gogohn 14. Chapter 15 - Vigoor's Angelic Feminine Form 15. Chapter 15 - Vigoor's Devilish Masculine Form 16. Chapter 16 - Dark Disciple 6. Hurricane Pack 7. Credits --Introduction-- Ninja Gaiden's character roster is fairly robust. The character design in this game is consistently good from the first Chapter to the final battle. The cast is very diverse, and little to no repetition in character design is committed in the game. That being said, there is a natural evolution of the Fiendish creatures in this game as there are character traits that are shared between characters. The most noteworthy of these are the Serpentine Fiends and the Humanoid Fiends. The humanoid Fiends progress in complexity from the brown and fairly simple Lesser Fiend up to the grotesque Alma Awakened and Feminine Emperor forms. They share common attributes as disjointed heads and feet, cranial winglets, spontaneous levitation and supreme acrobatic ability. Unfortunately, there is no official source of every character's name. This can make conversations about specific encounters tedious. The only official names have been gathered from interviews with Itagaki and the manual itself: Alma, Lord Doku, Supreme Fiend Gogohn, Holy Vigoor Emperor, Gurdu (and his Deity offspring), Gamov, Rachel, Ayane, Murai, Dark Disciple, Tentacle Fiend, Zombie Dragon, Smougan the Flame Dragon, Dynamo, SATs, the Shadow Ninja Clan, Gallas Ghuls, and the Black Spider Clan Ninjas (their individual names as well). Any name listed in this guide other than these listed names is strictly of my own creation. Please note, that this document only supplies very brief strategies. This document will outline the pre-Hurricane Pack versions of the enemies. --Classifications-- The game delineates between several classes of character in this game. These classes can be summed up as humans, fauna, undead, Fiends, Greater Fiends, Dragons and Deities. There are very distinct differences between these types of creatures. Humans ------ The humans are composed of the Shadow Ninja Clan, Spider Ninja Clan, SATs, Vigoorian Military and possibly Doku's Samurai. The defining characteristic to a human in this game is the presence of a soul and their characteristic of mortality. A character with a supernatural ability does not necessarily make them non-human. Examples - Ryu, Rachel, Black Spider Ninjas, Soldiers, etc. Fauna ----- The game is populated by various creatures that belong to the animal kingdom. While some of the members of this group are fairly ghastly, I classify these creatures as Fauna. The more monstrous variety show no distinct Fiendish traits, so I'll still classify them as Fauna. Examples - Pill Bugs, Cyclops Wasps, Bats, Crows, etc. Machina ------- Those characters or enemies that have no possession of self-awareness are designated as Machina. The Sentries, Tanks, Helicopters, and whatnot populate this group. Obviously, some of these Machina are operated by humans. Examples - Fire Posts, Sentries, Gun Turrets Lesser Fiends ------------- There is a significant back story to the Fiends. In summary, the Fiends are the descendants of the Ancient Tribes, and they are sentient, conniving creatures. However, they lack a soul. They take on all manner of shapes, appearances and severity although there are common themes among their stature. Basically, there seem to be three types of Lesser Fiends in the game: Undead, Humanoid and Serpentine. 1. Abominations - Halfway through the game, Ryu happens upon the Underground Cemetery and awakens the denizens therein. Since the appearance of these creatures predates the large emergence of the Fiends for the most part, I'll classify these creatures as the Undead. It can be argued that the Undead are simply Fiends themselves, however, as stated in the Book of Vigoor. The official names of these creatures are Ghuls and Ghul Archers. Other examples include the Fiends that take no humanoid shape in the game, whatsoever. 2. Humanoid - These Fiends differ greatly in appearance, but share a common theme. They have no feet and float above the ground, somewhat. They are highly acrobatic and possess teleportation ability. The most severe and evolved of these forms resemble the Emperor's first form such that they have disembodies heads that sprout winglets. 3. Serpentine - Fiends of this type exhibit dragon-like qualities. Since the Dragons in this game arose from the Serpent Deity, we'll refer to them as Serpentine. They are bipedal as well, but they have huge, reptilian frames and possess tails. Some varieties of this class possess damaging breath abilities and can be considered evolved versions of the regular Gallas. Greater Fiends -------------- There are only three of these creatures in the game: Doku, Alma and Gogohn. Unlike their Lesser brethren, they possess a soul. Examples - Doku, Alma and the Supreme Fiend Gogohn Dragons ------- There are at least two varieties of Dragons in this game. One type we never really see but are alluded to by the story. They consist of the Thirteen Dragons created by the Serpent Deity and that fought Vigoor. The youngest of these Dragons becomes the Dark Dragon of which the Dark Dragon Blade is carved. You can see the remains of these creatures at the pinnacle of the Core, such that their bones appear almost metallic, and the Dark Disciple is capable of summoning one in the final battle. The lesser variety of these creatures are encountered several times in the game. The Zombie Dragon appears to be the remains of a great creature, and the Smougan the Flame Dragon itself is a still living beast until Ryu smites him. The abomination in the Inner Sanctum appears to exhibit dragon-like qualities as well, so we'll place it in this category as well. Examples - Smougan the Flame Dragon and the 13 Dragons born from the Serpent Deity, the youngest of which becomes the Dark Dragon Deities ------- There are many Deities composing the Mythos of this game. There is Gurdu which was the most omnipresent of the group. He split into four Deities which are represented by the Statues that Ryu collects to activate the Core. There is Vigoor who is the Ancestor of all Evil Deities, and there are his Deity offspring. You battle a rebirth of Vigoor in Chapter 14. Examples - Gurdu, his quartered pieces, Vigoor and his Spawn of Evil Deities --Ratings-- The ratings for constitution will be derived from blows from the True Dragon Sword or Unlabored Flawlessness. The strikes used will be a single X slash, Crimson Slash (X,X,X), Izuna Drop, Flying Dragon Falling Slash and Flying Swallow along with a single shuriken throw. The constitution ratings are as follows: Frail - One shuriken will kill this character. Very Low - This character can be killed with one Flying Swallow attack. Low - A single Flying Swallow followed by one Crimson Slash combo will kill this creature. Normal - Multiple Flying Swallow techniques and a single Crimson Slash will be needed for a victory. Durable - These creatures are able to withstand multiple Flying Dragon Falling Slash combos from the Unlabored Flawlessness. Hardened - These creatures and characters possess boss level constitution and require significant effort to kill. The difficulty rating is determined by the enemies' combat abilities at the time Ryu encounters them. Otherwise, most enemies would be listed as easy. The difficulty ratings are as follows: Harmless - These characters pose no threat to Ryu whatsoever. Ryu must actively attempt to be killed by them. Easy - Ryu's combat abilities far outshine this classification of enemy. Normal - This classification poses the first threat to Ryu. Formidable - These enemies are difficult to kill and are capable of easily dispatching Ryu. Deadly - Deadly characters can kill Ryu one or two attacks and are extremely resistant to damage. --Bestiary-- This section will include the name, class, description, location, constitution, difficulty, abilities and discussion of each creature or character in the game. I'm most familiar with the abilities of these characters on the Very Hard difficulty level, so I will comment as such. I will update this from time to time when official names become available. Keep in mind that almost every enemy becomes very easy once you have acquired the Unlabored Flawlessness. I won't post strategies as it is difficult to die if you keep your health low with the UF. Regular Enemies --------------- Name: Shadow Clan Lesser Ninja Class: Human Description: A ninja dressed in a brown shozoku, armed with a Katana and shuriken Location: Chapter 1, The Way of the Ninja Constitution: Very Low Difficulty: Easy Abilities: shuriken, Blocking, Reverse Wind, Violent Wind, 3 hit combos Discussion: Singularly, these enemies pose no threat, but in packs of three or more, they can be a little troublesome. They tend to form ranks where one will reside on the periphery of the group and assault Ryu with shuriken to break his combos and Essence gathering. Strategy: It's very easy to vanquish these enemies. Simply remove yourself from the center and attack using the walls. Name: Shadow Clan Ninja Class: Human Description: A ninja dressed in a white shozoku, armed with a Katana and shuriken Location: Chapter 1, The Way of the Ninja Constitution: Low Difficulty: Normal Abilities: shuriken, Blocking, Reverse Wind, Helmet Splitter, Violent Gale, 3 hit Combos, 5 hit Combos, Wall Running Discussion: These enemies pose a much greater threat, such that their abilities are similar to Ryu's at that stage in the game. They tend to forgo ranks altogether and instead wait for opportunities to strike Ryu. They will interrupt most charge moves with shuriken and can wall run outside of Ryu's vicinity to hit him with a Helmet Splitter. Strategy: It's best to concentrate on these enemies first as they most usually drop Blue Essence that you can use for Ultimate Attacks. They are most vulnerable after their five hit combos. Name: Bat Class: Fauna Description: A purple bat Location: Most Chapters Constitution: Frail Difficulty: Harmless Abilities: flight, bite Discussion: Bats provide very little threat. It takes an inordinate amount of bites to kill Ryu, while a single shuriken will kill a bat. They are mostly used in game to heal and gain Essence. Strategy: None. Although, you can use the respawn points as Yellow Essence collection points. Kill two with shuriken and then unleash Gathering Clouds with the Flail an the Armlet of Benediction for maximum Essence collection. Name: Crow Class: Fauna Description: A black crow Location: Chapters 1 and 13, The Way of the Ninja and Fiendish Awakening Constitution: Frail Difficulty: Harmless Abilities: Flight Discussion: Crows provide no threat whatsoever. They do not possess an attack ability. A single shuriken will kill a crow, and they are mostly used in game to signify death. Strategy: None Name: Samurai Foot Soldier Class: Human Description: A samurai foot soldier completely covered in the traditional samurai yoroi, including mask; wields a katana Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Normal Abilities: extreme blocking, counter attacking, Blade of the Undefeatable, 3 hit combos, horizontal slash, vertical slash Discussion: These enemies must have their guard broken before they can be struck. Their training is such that they will block almost any normal strike, while a comrade will take the opportunity to attack Ryu. Strategy: Their guard must be broken to inflict damage. Therefore, use Divine Cicada or any other combo listed in the Advanced Combo FAQ as Guard Crush to initiate a Guard Break then attack. Name: Mage Class: Human Description: A magic user that floats above the ground; wields two Sai Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Difficult Abilities: teleportation, limited Flight, projectile Magic, 3 hit Combos, 7 hit combos Discussion: These enemies can be troublesome such that it is difficult to hit them outright. They will teleport around Ryu waiting to attack and then immediately disappear if not struck. They can also cast green fireballs at Ryu with extreme accuracy. Strategy: To defeat them, attack immediately after their combo is finished as they put their Sai away. You can also kill them with one arrow while they're preparing their Fireball. They can also be struck normally during this period. Name: Mounted Samurai Archer Class: Human Description: A samurai outfitted in yoroi, including mask, riding an armored steed; wields a bow Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village Constitution: Durable/Normal Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: arrow resistant armor, archery, Horse Kick, Horse Trample Discussion: The Mounted Archer accompanies the Spearman and is notoriously difficult to kill. The horse has extremely high constitution, but the Archer can be shot with arrows to dismount him. Once the rider is knocked from his mount, he unsheathes his katana and becomes a typical Samurai Foot Soldier. Strategy: Wait in the blind corner of the clearing and set up the two horsemen to attack you at the same time. When the Archer passes, slash his horse once and immediately go into First Person bow mode and fire at his flank or top of his head. You can only get one or two arrows off before he's ready to fire again. If you have a chance to fire at him from the front, aim for the horse's neck, and it will not be deflected by armor. Name: Mounted Samurai Spearman Class: Human Description: A samurai foot soldier completely covered in the traditional samurai yoroi, including mask, armed with a spear Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village Constitution: Durable/Normal Difficulty: Normal Abilities: arrow resistant armor, Spear Impalement, Spear Thrust, Horse Kick, Horse Trample, Overhead Spear Twirl, Lateral Spear Twirl Discussion: The Mounted Spearman is very fast and is able to diversely use his spear to harm Ryu. Like his mounted brethren, he, too, can be knocked from his horse. Strategy: Use Mounted Samurai Archer Strategy. You don't need to slash the horse, though. Simply shoot him as he rides away from you and towards you. Name: SAT (Special Attack Team) Soldier Class: Human Description: A soldier wearing gray soldier outfit with face mask, wields a stun baton Location: Chapters 3, 4 and 5, The Skies of Vengeance, Imperial City Infiltration and The City of Fiends Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Normal Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Firearm, Stun Baton, Throat Slice Discussion: SATs possess the ability to slit Ryu's throat and kick him away for significant damage. Additionally, periphery SATs will lay down suppressive fire upon Ryu. Strategy: These enemies represent the first group of assailants that can attack Ryu through his block single handedly. Don't block excessively, and try to use moves that can setup a launch. You should get a Level 2 Dragon Sword as soon as you can at this point for Flying Swallow. Name: SAT Riot Guard Class: Human Description: A soldier wearing black soldier outfit with face mask; wields a stun baton and a riot shield Location: Chapters 3, 4 and 5, The Skies of Vengeance, Imperial City Infiltration and The City of Fiends Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Normal Abilities: extreme Blocking, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Firearm, Stun Baton, Knee Bash, Shield Bash Discussion: The Riot Guards can stun Ryu with their Shield Bash as well as utilizing the standard attacks employed by the standard MSATs. They possess a knee combo as well. Strategy: See SAT Soldier Strategy Name: SAT Grenadier Class: Human Description: A soldier wearing blue soldier outfit with face mask; wields a stun baton and a grenade launcher Location: Chapters 4 and 5, Imperial City Infiltration and The City of Fiends Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Grenade Launcher, Stun Baton, Throw Discussion: This heavy infantry soldier wields a grenade launcher and uses it to pelt Ryu with grenades at a distance. You can either close the distance, and he will throw the gun away, or you can knock it out of his hands. Strategy: Attack him before any other SAT as you will be showered with grenades. You can knock the Grenade Launcher out of his hand with a Azure or Scarlet Dragon. Name: Black Spider Clan Ninja Class: Human Description: A ninja dressed in a blackish, green shozoku, armed with a Ninja-to and Incendiary shuriken Location: Many Chapters, Usually Tairon and Dworku Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Blocking, extreme mobility, Reverse Wind, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Violent Gale, Windmill Slash, Shark Attack, Incendiary Shuriken, Wall Running, Helmet Splitter, throw Discussion: The Black Spider Clan pursues Ryu throughout the game and pose a significant threat even at late stages of the game. They possess many tactics that even Ryu cannot master. Additionally, they will take every opportunity to skewer Ryu with an Incendiary Shuriken. Strategy: Perfect your Counter Attack technique, and the Black Spider Clan will prove a much lesser threat. Additionally, avoid Flying Swallow and the Guillotine throw, as that will only set them up for opportunities to hit you with Incendiary shuriken. They dodge Flying Swallow outright. If you Roll or do a Combo Ender right before the Shuriken explodes, you'll take no damage. Name: Gallas Class: Serpentine Fiend Description: A red, dragon-like biped with large black horns and a long tail Location: Many Chapters, Tairon, Dworku, The Core Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant hide, 2 hit Combo, Rush, Jumping Rush, Tail Swipe, Bite, Head butt Discussion: These Fiends are very large and have a very high constitution. They can ram Ryu and lunge at him. Gallas have a tail swipe, and every move that they have can break Ryu's guard. They're bite is extremely damaging as well. Strategy: Hopefully, you'll have Unlabored Flawlessness by this point. Flying Dragon Falling Slash will make you almost immune to them as it stuns them perfectly, and they'll stand up to be hit by the aerial attacks of the combo. However, Ryu does not possess an attack that will interrupt the Bite animation, so watch out. You can cheaply do Divine Cicada off of a wall and then immediately Wind Path off of them onto a wall and repeat. This will interrupt even their Bite. Name: Monk Fiend Class: Abomination Description: A large, skeletal creature composed of arms and a spinal column that is armed with a gigantic magical scythe Location: Chapters 6 and 7, The Monastery and The Hidden Underground Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: extreme mobility, Spine Swing, Lunge, 2 hit Combo, teleportation, Ritual, Glyphless Ritual, Overhead Scythe Twirl, Lateral Scythe Twirl Discussion: Monk Fiends are first encountered on the Monastery Altar where they throw off their disguises to reveal their truly heinous form. They have a wide array of magical and melee attacks and are always accompanied by Lesser Fiends. Strategy: The Monk Fiend's most troublesome attack is the magic attack that he'll do off screen. He'll twirl his Scythe above his head, and you will instantly be Block Stunned. If you don't move immediately, you'll be damaged greatly. This is different than the Ritual he casts as there is no floor indication of this move. Additionally, they cannot be hit out of either of their Teleportation Attacks, so simply block and Counter Attack. Flying Swallow will also decimate this enemy. Name: Ghul Class: Abomination Description: A huge, skeletal, humanoid creature that is armed with either a gigantic war ax or mace Location: Chapters 6 and 7, The Monastery and The Hidden Underground Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Normal Abilities: shuriken/armor resistant hide, Kiss of Death, 360 Swing, horizontal swing, vertical swing Discussion: Ghuls are very large and have a very high constitution. You can Haze Straight Slash or Flying Swallow them to remove pieces their bodies and prevent them from chewing on you. Strategy: Deal with any Archer Ghuls first. Then either Haze Straight Slash or Flying Swallow them immediately, so they won't be able to do their Kiss of Death. There is a way to reliably launch these creatures, by hitting them with 2 consecutive Azure Dragons. They will be launched into the air, and you can finish your Blade of Nirrti. Unfortunately, you have to use Azure Dragon only. Scarlet Dragon will not launch. Name: Archer Ghul Class: Undead Fiend Description: A huge, skeletal, humanoid creature that is armed with a gigantic bow and arrow Location: Chapters 6 and 7, The Monastery and The Hidden Underground Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: shuriken/armor resistant hide, Volley Discussion: Ghuls are very large and have a very high constitution. They will constantly pelt Ryu with man-sized arrows that can break Ryu's guard and launch him. Strategy: Deal with these Ghuls before you attack anything else. Once they attempt to arm their bow, they cannot be interrupted. So, Reverse Wind out of the way. Then hit with your most destructive combo. Also, see Ghul. Name: Cyclops Wasp Class: Fauna Description: A large, buzzing insect like creature with a single eye, possess a single stinger Location: Chapters 6, 7 and 13, The Monastery, The Hidden Underground and Fiendish Awakening Constitution: Very Low Difficulty: Normal Abilities: flight, Sting Discussion: Cyclops Wasps are always found in swarms and can repeatedly sting Ryu. Strategy: Use the Flails to kill two of them, and then repeatedly perform Gathering Clouds. Name: Ice Gallas Class: Serpentine Fiend Description: A brown, dragon like biped with large horns completely covering its body and long tail Location: Many Chapters, The Caverns, Dworku, The Core Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: 2 Hit Combo, Rolling Rush, Jumping Rush, Tail Swipe, Bite, Head butt, Ice Breath Discussion: These Fiends have an even higher constitution than the regular Gallas. Additionally, they possess breath attacks and a severely damaging rolling attack. Strategy: See Gallas Strategy. The biggest difference with these Fiends is that they can damage you greatly from off screen. Use Flying Dragon Falling Slash, and immediately roll away upon its completion. Unfortunately, not even Earth Splitter will kill these Fiends outright. Name: Flame Gallas Class: Serpentine Fiend Description: A brown, dragon like biped with large horns completely covering its body and a long tail Location: Many Chapters, The Caverns, Dworku, The Core Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: 2 Hit Combo, Rolling Rush, Jumping Rush, Tail Swipe, Bite, Head butt, Fire Breath Discussion: These Fiends have an even higher constitution than the regular Gallas. Additionally, they possess breath attacks and a severely damaging rolling attack. Strategy: See Ice Gallas Strategy. Name: Lesser Imp Fiend Class: Humanoid Fiend Description: A brown, humanoid creature with talons for arms and a misshapen head Location: Many Chapters after Tairon Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Normal Abilities: extreme mobility, burrowing, 2 hit Combo, horizontal slash, running slash, Reverse Wind, Backflips Discussion: These are the 2nd Fiends that you encounter in the Dworku Monastery courtyard. They attack in packs, but as long as you block and counter attack, you can manage the threat. They are sometimes accompanied by their more evolved brethren. Strategy: They do not possess the ability to break Ryu's guard, so simply Counter Attack with a two-handed weapon to kill them, as they are VERY acrobatic and difficult to actually hit with Flying Swallow or regular quick strikes. Name: Imp Fiend Class: Humanoid Fiend Description: A purple, humanoid creature with three talons for hands and a misshapen, flaming head, and no feet Location: Many Chapters after Tairon Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: extreme mobility, burrowing, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, 4 hit launching combo, horizontal slash, vertical leap attack, running slash, Helmet Splitter, Backflips, Burrow Surprise Discussion: These Fiends resemble those that Ryu encounters in the Dworku Monastery courtyard. They attack in packs, and are much more capable of inflicting damage. They have a fairly diverse array of attacks with even the ability to strike Ryu in the air. Strategy: See Lesser Fiend Strategy. The only thing that makes these creatures more dangerous than the Lesser Fiends is the fact that they can easily launch Ryu and hit him out of the air. Name: Evolved Imp Fiend Class: Humanoid Fiend Description: A huge, purple monstrosity with a disconnected head, cranial winglets, gigantic claws and jewels stumps for feet Location: Chapters 14 and 15, Vengeful Spirit and The Core Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: Blocking, 2 hit Bayonet Combo, 3 Hit Bayonet Combo, Grenades, Bayonet Impale and Detonation, Suppressive Fire, Concentrated Fire, Counter Attack, Vertical Bayonet Slash Discussion: Evolved Fiends are arguably the most dangerous enemy in the game including some bosses. They are at least as agile as Ryu while being two to three times his size. Their arsenal rivals most bosses and are usually accompanied by Phantom Fish or other Evolved Fiends. Strategy: These Fiends are possibly the most difficult enemy in the game. Their repertoire is vast and deadly. Additionally, you'll never fight these things singularly. Whatever the case is, never stop moving, and limit your use of moves that cause recovery (i.e. Flying Swallow, Cremator). If you've dispatched their underlings, you can cheaply do Divine Cicada off of a wall and then immediately Wind Path off of them onto a wall and repeat. This won't work though if one has tunneled and is waiting for you to screw up. They cannot be stunned by Cremator, either. Name: Vigoorian Soldier Class: Human Description: A soldier wearing brownish-green war armor with face mask wielding an combination automatic rifle/grenade launcher Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: 3 Hit Bayonet Combo, Grenades, Bayonet Impale and Detonation, Suppressive Fire, Concentrated Fire Discussion: This heavily armored soldier wields an M16 complete with Bayonet and grenade launcher. They use it to pelt Ryu with bullets at a distance. They can even increase their fire rate by hardening their stance, and they love to setup cross fires. They will also launch grenades, and can impale Ryu on their weapons shortly before detonating him. Strategy: Soldiers like to setup crossfires, but fortunately, these guys are very susceptible to Flying Swallow and launching. You have to be a bit tricky in your placement, though, as their bayonet moves are slightly faster than Ryu's. They have no answer to the Windmill Shuriken either. Unfortunately, they will Counter Attack incessantly. Name: Vigoorian Heavy Infantry Class: Human Description: A soldier wearing brownish-green war armor with face mask wielding a RPG Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: RPG Launcher Discussion: This heavily armored soldier wields an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). They are extremely patient and accurate especially in teams of two. The explosion from the RPG damages Ryu greatly and will launch his body away. Strategy: I wish you had access to a True Dragon Nuclear Warhead for these POS's. You will have to be very random in your Roll Jumping to not get hit with the RPG. Fortunately, you can shoot it out of the air with an arrow if you're quick. If you're going to Flying Swallow do it to them, and not around them. You can also see when the are primed as their launcher will actually have a rocket attached. You can watch them commit this action before they fight you. Name: Machine Gun Turret Class: Machina Description: A gun turret with four barrels manned by a Vigoorian Soldier Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Normal Abilities: Concentrated Fire Discussion: While turrets can't be destroyed, their operators can be killed quite easily. Strategy: With the Strong Bow, it only takes two hits to kill them. Name: Carrier Gun Turret Class: Machina Description: A gun turret on top of the Armored Personnel Carriers with two barrels and a grenade launcher Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base Constitution: Low Difficulty: Normal Abilities: Concentrated Fire, Grenade Launcher Discussion: These turrets can be destroyed by Ryu's projectiles. Strategy: If you can see them in the distance, use arrows to destroy them. If you are already in range, dispatch them with the Windmill Shuriken in 3 hits. Name: Sentry Class: Machina Description: A small helicopter with a blue laser gun. Location: Chapters 9 and 11, Military Supply Base and The Path to Zarkhan Constitution: Frail Difficulty: Normal Abilities: Laser Attack Discussion: Sentries patrol several areas and can launch Ryu with their Laser Attacks. They can be destroyed with one hit from most arrows and the Windmill Shuriken. Strategy: You can quickly dispatch these enemies in the places that they appear. In one location, you have a limitless supply of arrows, so take them out in first person. In the moat, simply exit the water as soon as possible and use the Windmill Shuriken. Sometimes, you'll have to use the DS, though. Name: Fiendish SAT Soldier Class: Human Description: The remnant of a mutated MSAT Soldier, pink with an exposed chest and talon lined head Location: Chapters 8 and 9, Tairon Under Alert and Military Supply Base Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: blocking, extreme mobility, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Throw, Stun Slash, Helmet Splitter, Fireball Discussion: This creature is a mutated SAT that is extremely agile and well equipped. They can even launch fireballs at Ryu and will throw him at any opportunity. They are physically faster than Ryu as well. Strategy: Movement is key in this fight, as is the reserved use of recovery moves. Launch and Izuna Drop these Fiends as much as possible. Once the Soldier is low on health or all alone, it will resort to a constant bombardment of Fireballs. Name: Pill bugs Class: Fauna Description: A large, green arthropod with talons all over its body Location: Chapters 10 and 13, The Aqueduct and Fiendish Awakening Constitution: Very Low Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: jump, lunge, tackle Discussion: Pill bugs appear in groups of five or more. They can prove to be very troublesome, as they'll usually leap at Ryu all at the same time. Once attached, they will knock him to the ground and continue to feed on him. Strategy: While it only takes a few hits to kill them, you have to fight them in groups of six or more at a time. Additionally, you usually have to fight at least 40 in a row. Stay on the walls, and don't be afraid to burn up your Firewheels. However, you are not totally immune to their attacks with Firewheel. You need to continuously move in this battle. Name: Fiendish Vigoorian Soldier Class: Humanoid Fiend Description: The remnant of a mutated Vigoorian Soldier, huge purple and possess a gigantic bayonet Location: Chapter 11, The Path to Zarkhan Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Bayonet Impale and Detonation, Bayonet Swipe, Bayonet Lunge, 3 hit Combo Discussion: This huge Fiend is the mutation of a Vigoorian Soldier. They attack much like Zombie Fiends, but have the ability to impale Ryu in the ground and detonate a grenade on top of him. They are one of the most hardened enemies in the game. Strategy: See Zombie Fiend Strategy. The only difference here is that I think it's impossible to decapitate these menaces. They have the most health of any normal enemy in the game, and cannot be launched (although they can be knocked down). When you kill one, make sure you use the Essence for an UT. Name: Reptile Fish Class: Fauna Description: A huge, reptilian, aquatic creature with two appendages used to capture prey Location: Chapter 11, The Path to Zarkhan Constitution: Normal Difficulty: Very Low Abilities: Bite, Swipe Discussion: These large aquatic beasts swim in the moats of Zarkhan. Once Ryu is equipped with the Harpoon Gun, these creatures pose little threat. Strategy: Once you have the Harpoon Gun they pose no threat on any difficulty. Name: Lesser Phantom Fish Class: Fiend Description: A translucent, floating fish phantasm Location: Chapters 14 and 15, Vengeful Spirit and The Core Constitution: Frail Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Bite, Tackle Discussion: Lesser Phantom Fish appear in schools and can all attack Ryu at the same time. They must be struck before they attach to Ryu, or they will have to be knocked off. They inflict little damage singularly. Strategy: These fish pose quite a problem to most players initially, but are fairly easy once you figure out how to beat them. If you continue to jump and slash, and not combo, you can continuously keep them from attaching. Additionally, they release all manner of Essence very regularly, so you can burn some Firewheels on these pests. If you slip up, though, you can expect to lose a lot of health while you attempt to shake them off. Name: Phantom Fish Class: Fiend Description: A larger, translucent, floating fish phantasm Location: Chapters 14 and 15, Vengeful Spirit and The Core Constitution: Frail Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: Bite, Tackle Discussion: Larger Phantom Fish appear in schools and can all attack Ryu at the same time. They must be struck before they attach to Ryu, or they will have to be knocked off. They normal damage singularly and will kill Ryu outright in schools. Strategy: See Phantom Fish Strategy Bosses ------ To see the most expedient (yet maybe not most colorful) strategies. See http://www.master-ninja.com/ng. I'll put my own thoughts here. Again, this section will not contain UF strategies as most of these enemies fall very easily to a low health UF combo. Name: Murai, Shadow Ninja Clan Leader Class: Human Description: An extremely muscular ninja dressed in a white gi who fights with nunchaku Location: Chapter 1, The Way of the Ninja Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: shuriken reflect, Blocking, Counter Attacking, Reverse Wind, Back Flip, Auspicious Phoenix, 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Flip Toss, Throw and Kick, Reverse Kick Discussion: Murai is a formidable opponent who takes very little damage during the fight. He is extremely defensive and doesn't leave a lot of opportunity for striking. He can attack with single strikes, combos, counter attacks and throws. He can also defend against most of Ryu's arsenal even going so far as to reflect his shuriken back at him. Strategy: If you stay in the distance where Murai will tend to flip or Auspicious Crane, you can use short combos on him. This fight is all about patience given your sparse movelist at this stage in the game. You can also be somewhat successful offensively with using combos that begin with Windmill Slash. Murai doesn't seem to Counter Attack this move very much, and I can get a very high ratio of Weapon Locking with it. Name: Hatamoto Class: Fiend Description: A warrior wearing a demonic yoroi, including mask, armed with a huge war staff, with a severely disfigured steed Location: Chapter 2, The Hayabusa Ninja Village Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, Spear Impalement, Spear Thrust, Horse Kick, Horse Trample, Overhead Spear Twirl, Lateral Spear Twirl Discussion: This warrior is accompanied by many mages, and while his abilities are not so different from his mounted underlings, he does inflict much more damage upon Ryu. Additionally, he cannot be knocked from his steed. Strategy: Using a bow here is very useful as you are guaranteed a kill on the Mages if they are in their Fireball animation. Additionally, once you've dispatched all of them, Hatamoto is susceptible to them as well. Every time you kill a Mage, try to use the Essence for a UT. Name: Dynamo Class: Human/Machina Description: A severely corpulent, cybernetic soldier with a gigantic, electrical cannon grafted onto his left arm Location: Chapter 3, The Skies of Vengeance Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Normal Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Lightning Volley, Concentrated Lightning Volley, Electrocution, Electrical Shield, Roundhouse Smash Discussion: This rotund soldier has a fair amount of offensive options. And, he laughs maniacally throughout the fight. Strategy: He can be defeated with combinations of the Flying Swallow and Violent Gale during his charging times. Dynamo is also very susceptible to Windmill Slash combos. Name: Tentacle Fiend Class: Fiend Description: A gigantic mass of eyeballs, flesh, tentacles and talons Location: Chapters 5, 7 and 15, Dworku, Hidden Underground and The Core Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Normal Abilities: Tentacle Swipe, Fireballs, Tentacle Poke, Tentacle Flail, Leg Grab Discussion: While this Fiend appears troublesome, it is in fact fairly easy to kill. It will continually launch fireballs onto the ground and lash out in all manners with its tentacles. It can also shield itself with its Tentacle Flail as well. Strategy: Flying Swallow the Tentacles, but watch out for the Tentacle Flail. The spot in the fight where you are the least vulnerable to the tentacles and fireballs is right in front of it. Make sure that you kill the tentacles quickly after one another to setup a Storm of the Heavenly Dragon Gleam Name: Zombie Dragon Class: Undead, Dragon Description: The remains of a gigantic dragon, only the bones and cartilage are left Location: Chapter 6, The Monastery Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Spinal Shot, Lower Tail Swipe, Upper Tail Swipe, Stomp, Swipe, Bite Discussion: The Zombie Dragon fills up the entire Cavern and positions itself on the ledges. Ryu must attack the limbs of the creature while avoiding it's melee and projectile attacks. If it happens to bite Ryu, he will attempt to eat him. Strategy: You can Flying Swallow the limbs pretty incessantly with Red-Hot Iron Brand. Just make sure to not tack on the Dragon Emperor Kick, as its recovery will make you vulnerable. Watch out for the Stomps and Swipes, and the tail will swipe twice unless its moving to base another leg. There is a sweet spot to the right of where the Dragon places its feet that can be used to duck under the Upper Tail Swipe. Name: Alma Class: Greater Fiend Description: A large, pink Fiend with tentacle hair, cranial winglets and a large globe in her abdomen Location: Chapter 7, The Hidden Underground Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: 2 hit Combo, 3 hit Combo, Bubble Drop, Firewheel, Column Toss, Leg Toss, Strafing Run, Leg Toss, Divebomb Discussion: Alma's first form is arguably Ryu's greatest challenge in the game. Alma's agility makes her mostly impervious to Ryu's entire arsenal. Ryu must adopt a purely defensive strategy with Alma to defeat her. Strategy: You pretty much have to stay in the danger zone in this fight to provoke her to do something you can retaliate against. That is, you need to stay close enough to her for her to do her melee attacks more frequently. She is VERY hard to hit with Flying Swallow, so only do it if she has to recover from a fail Drop Kick or combo. She is also vulnerable right when she starts to summon her pink fireballs. If you can't hit her out of it, prepare to perfectly Roll Jump. To my knowledge, no one has discovered a 100% reliable way of damaging her. She can dodge Flying Swallow at any time (even during attacks). Name: Tank Class: Machina Description: A tank supplied with a mounted machine gunner Location: Chapter 9, The Military Supply Base Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Normal Abilities: Cannon Blast, Suppressive Fire, Steamroll Discussion: The Tank Battalion consists of two of these vehicles. Ryu can defeat it with a combination of Explosive Arrows and Armor-piercing Arrows. Strategy: Dodge the initial blast and quickly make the Mounted Machine Gunner retreat by firing an explosive arrow in his vicinity. Then setup station next to the treads, and pummel the tank with first person arrows. It will drive around you. Name: Attack Helicopter Class: Machina Description: A Hind-type attack helicopter, equipped with a gatlin gun, heat-seeking missiles and Incendiary Bombs Location: Chapter 9, The Military Supply Base Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Suppressive Fire, Concentrated Fire, Strafing Run, Bombing Run, Missile Volleys Discussion: While this Helicopter is invulnerable during Ryu's first run-in with it, Ryu proves a greater challenge the second time. He possesses enough ordinance to surgically destroy the aircraft. Strategy: You have to be a pretty good shot with first person bow for this fight. Use Roll Jumping to avoid the missiles, but you have to be fairly precise with its implementation. Always run at 90 degrees to the attack vector. When the helicopter goes under the bridge, you'll have the hardest time dodging the missiles due to proximity. Use armor piercing arrows here and refill your quiver from the bins on each side of the bridge. Name: Inazuma Worm Class: Fauna Description: A huge worm with rows of fangs and electrical conductive abilities Location: Chapter 10, The Aqueduct Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Normal/Deadly Abilities: Slap, Lightning Shot, Environment Charge, Bite, Coil Discussion: Singularly, the Inazuma Worm is fairly easy to deal with, but in pairs, the Worms can be quite destructive. You have limited options in the caves in which you encounter them. Explosive Arrows and ground combos (when they miss moves) are Ryu's only recourses. Strategy: Singularly, this creature is not too much of a problem. Roll at the last second to avoid the Lightning Balls, and immediately fire of an Explosive Arrow. You can use the cavern walls to Bird Flip and Y attack with the two-handed weapons. When two worms are out, stay in the forward right side area, and roll out of the way of the Slaps. If both Worms are going to fire projectiles, use a Ninpo to get them to retreat. Name: Zombie Drake Class: Undead, Dragon Description: A huge, decaying biped with large wing-like bone structures and a cylindrical head Location: Chapter 10, The Aqueduct Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Laser immolation, Wing Sweep, Stomp, Chomp, Gust, Leap Discussion: This huge creature can easily navigate its own cavern and can rack up huge damage on Ryu. Strategy: Ryu can attack its legs, and the creature will lower its head while stunned. I tend to use two-handed weapons for this fight along with explosive arrows. You can setup a pretty reliable loop attacking his legs and then rolling away when it does its little jump. Name: Lord Doku Class: Greater Fiend Description: A large samurai warrior, possibly without physical shape, only exists as a purple flame inside armor, wields Kitetsu Location: Chapter 11, The Path to Zarkhan Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, Shockwave, Stab of Extinction, Dead Soul Bind, Ice Breath, Haze Straight Slash, various Combos, horizontal Slash, vertical Slash, Spin Slash, Weapon Lock Discussion: Ryu's revenge on Doku for the murder of his entire village is brought most easily through the use of the Dabilahro or Unlabored Flawlessness. Strategy: Use Murai Strategy. You have to stay in the danger zone here, too, to get him to do something you can retaliate against. Use small combos. Name: Ice Fiend Class: Fauna Description: A white and pink abomination with two huge arms and rows of fangs Location: Chapters 12 and 15, The Caverns, The Core Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Normal Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant hide, Stomp, Flip, Chew, Ice Shot, Stationary Ice Geyser, Chasing Ice Geyser, Swing, Jab Combos Discussion: This disgusting creature can utilize its massive bulk and command over the ice element to destroy Ryu. However, its bulk also proves to be helpful to Ryu as the creature is not terribly mobile. Strategy: This creature has possibly the largest amount of health in the game. Fortunately, most of its attacks are terribly telegraphed. Therefore, it's easy to avoid them and attack its backside. His range is deceptive, though, so watch out for his jabs and grabs. Name: Inferno Worm Class: Fauna Description: A huge worm with rows of fangs and fire control abilities Location: Chapter 12, The Caverns Constitution: Durable Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Slap, Fire Ring, Bite Discussion: Since this creature never occurs in pairs, Ryu can dispatch it reasonably. The Fire Ring it shoots can be jumped through. Strategy: Arm your Explosive Arrows and jump through the Fire Rings. After each Ring, you can quickly get off a shot. Bird Flip off of the side wall and do the Y move for whatever weapon you like whenever it attempts to slap you. Name: Smougan the Flame Dragon Class: Dragon Description: A gigantic, golden Dragon with four legs and massive wings Location: Chapter 12, The Caverns Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: Flame Wing, Fire Breath, Fireball, Bite, Platform Raise Discussion: This magnificent creature is capable of nearly devouring Ryu along with utilizing its fiery arsenal. Strategy: I prefer to stay on the top center platform as the Dragon won't waste time shooting fireballs and will frequently attempt to bite. It's pretty easy to avoid this, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to hit it after it misses. You can also Wind Path off of its head and inflict significant damage during the unique animation. Name: Alma Awakened Class: Greater Fiend Description: A large, grotesque, purple and black arachnid transformation with huge winglets covering her body and a large globe in her abdomen Location: Chapter 13, Fiendish Awakening Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, extreme mobility, Twirl, 2 hit Combo, Globe Fireball, Firewheel, Column Toss, Leg Cradle, Strafing Run, Talon Strike Discussion: Alma Awakened is a little less challenging to Ryu in this encounter due to the fact that he has constructed the True Dragon Sword at this point. Strategy: You can continually pursue Alma now and effectively hit her with Flying Swallows now. Whenever she comes in to attack physically, you can quickly do a Dragon Gleam to avoid damage. Name: Doku's Spirit Form Class: Greater Fiend Description: A spiritually, translucent representation of Doku's physical form Location: Chapter 14, Vengeful Spirit Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: shuriken/arrow resistant armor, flight, extreme mobility, extreme reach, 2 hit Combo, 7 hit Combo, Soul Bind, Distance Soul Bind, Haze Straight Slash, horizontal slash, vertical slash, Spin Slash Discussion: Several of Doku's abilities have been substantially upgraded for this fight. But, he proves as fallible as his corporeal form eventually. Strategy: Wait for Doku to do a Haze Straight Slash and then roll and do a Blade of Nirrti. Many of his other moves such as his Arm Throw and long combo provide ample opportunity to retaliate as well. Name: Supreme Fiend Gogohn Class: Greater Fiend Description: A great, green monstrosity with bat like wings, huge arms, cloven feet and three eyes Location: Chapter 15, The Core Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: Wing Dive, Fireballs, Swoop Strike, Overhand Strike, Fiend Summon, Lasso Throw, Dash Strike Discussion: The final of the Greater Fiends that Ryu can dispatch is a very worthy adversary. Along with having to deal with Gogohn himself, Ryu must battle every Fiend that Gogohn summons as well. Strategy: You can continually run after Gogohn and continually do an Air Destruction Slash. This will interrupt everything but the Spinning Torpedo attack he does. While it takes little damage off, you will be able to defeat Gogohn very easily if you're consistent with your Roll Jumping to pursue him. Name: Vigoor's First Form Class: Deity Description: The largest creature with which Ryu must contend, a gigantic living statue that resembles Alma to a point Location: Chapter 15, The Core Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Formidable Abilities: Blocking, multiple Laser Ray configurations, multiple Swipes Discussion: Ryu levitates up to this creature using a platform of bedrock. Ryu can attack the jewels on its chest and shoulders to affect damage. Strategy: Equip the TDS and attack the teal orbs on Vigoor's chest and shoulders. There are two types of Laser series. One series will consist of many pairs of two parallel lasers that move laterally around the body. You can move up and down into the gaps between the lasers. The second type moves diagonally all around Vigoor. There are sweet spots where you can sit and not be touched by these lasers. They are conveniently to the lower left and right of Vigoor's chest and parallel to the orbs on its shoulders. Vigoor will also swipe at you with its hands. Once you inflict enough damage on a set of orbs, the camera will pan out showing Vigoor wince in pain. You can still maneuver and attack during this animation. Name: Vigoor's Second Form Class: Deity Description: A humongous mountain of skulls and skeletal arms Location: Chapter 15, The Core qConstitution: Hardened Difficulty: Deadly Abilities: Skull Flurry, Bite, Pounce Discussion: Ryu's adversary, Vigoor, in his true form is truly hideous. However, since Vigoor's only weapon (the skulls themselves) can be destroyed for damage, Ryu can dispatch this God as easily as the rest of his adversaries. Strategy: Unload all of your projectiles against it starting with Explosive Arrows, since you won't be needing them anymore. Equip the Flail. And continually do Dragon and Phoenix as they attack. Do not finish the combo, though, as you will be hit with huge lag on the last X. This is a use of the combo breaking technique listed in my advanced combo FAQ. You need to be ready to stop the combo at any time to avoid the big skull. When Vigoor jumps onto the platform, simply roll underneath him and attack his legs. Name: The Dark Disciple Class: Deity Description: Murai takes a demonic form with purple skin, black tears, and huge talon hands Location: Chapter 16, The Dark Dragon Blade Constitution: Hardened Difficulty: Normal Abilities: Various Dark Dragon Blade Combos, Impalement, Shuriken Toss, Shuriken Shield, Dark Dragon Summon, Torpedo Discussion: At this point in the game, Ryu is ridiculously powerful. Murai doesn't hold up well to Ryu's Flying Swallow onslaught. Strategy: Continuously Flying Swallow him. He does not have an effective defense against this. --Timely Boss and Sub Boss Strategies-- I'll probably be updating this FAQ with strategies for beating the bosses in the time allotted. Most of these strategies will work on Very Hard. Shinobier from the Master Ninja website (see credits) contributed greatly to this section. Unfortunately, for those in the Tournament, the times are reduced in Normal, so some of the regular enemy timings are extremely difficulty to achieve. Keep in mind that most of these encounters after Alma become very easy with proper use of a powered up Unlabored Flawlessness. Sub Bosses ---------- 1. Chapter 1 Sub Boss - Ninja Practice Room The best strategy is to setup a Haze Straight Slash as soon as you enter the room to hit the White Ninja Captain. Then immediately setup a Divine Cicada Slash. This will usually release a health, so you can use that to setup an Ultimate Technique Loop. That is, you will constantly be doing the auto-combo and then re-charging. 2. Chapter 2 Sub Boss - Samurai Cavalry Use the bow in First Person to knock the horsemen off, and then kill them with Divine Cicada. Always try to be on the opposite end of the field as they are. This is one of the more difficult fights to do quickly on Very Hard. The trick is to get the archer and the spearman to pass you at the same time, so you can strike the archer's horse. This will make the horse rear back, and you can easily get a first-person bowshot off. It takes two or three to knock the samurai off of the horse. If you have two spearmen in the area, this is extremely easy. Just set them up to attack you at the same time, and you can easily shoot them in the back as they both run away. Additionally, there is a corner on the right-hand side of the area from which the archer can't shoot you through half of his lap. You can utilize this to your advantage. 3. Chapter 4 Sub Boss - Black Spider Ninja Clan There are two groups of these guys that I consider Sub Bosses. The best trick for taking these guys out is to continually reposition, so the one that tries to distance and throw shuriken is repeatedly brought back into the group. If you do get stuck with one, hold block right before it explodes, and the damage you take will be lessened considerably. Also, you won't be thrown across the screen. Obviously, don't stand there and block or you'll get hit with another one. Do it precisely. Also, you can farm the Essence from a previous Encounter to make these Encounters easier. 4. Chapter 5 Sub Boss - Gallas You have to concentrate on one only for this to work. Try to get him near a wall and away from the other two and destroy him. He will release enough Essence for an Ultimate Technique, which you can use on the other two. You must roll or jump to avoid their Bite-throw. You are pretty invulnerable using air combos against single Gallas. 5. Chapter 8 Sub Boss - Military Supply Base Main Gate Get the Strong Bow BEFORE you come into this area. You can take out the turret guys in four shots total. Additionally, the bazooka guy in the window falls after two, but you have to be quick on the draw. 6. Chapter 9 Sub Boss - Tank Battalion Roll Jump to avoid the cannon and always move to the opposite side of the tank where the cannon stops. You can force the gunner to duck into the tank with one explosive arrow, and then switch to armor piercing and hammer the front or back of the tank. 7. Chapter 9 Sub Boss - Communications Tower You get 120 seconds to kill everybody on the roof including the re-spawning guys on the tower. It's possible, and you have to pretty much stay in First Person bow mode and shoot the missiles out of the air. Then go over to the bin on the side of the roof to refill your quiver. 8. Chapter 10 Sub Boss - Inazuma Worm This is an easy fight if you have a fully upgraded War Hammer. If you bait the Worm to try to grab you (i.e. stay in the middle of the platform), you can put the hurt on. You can also hit the Boss in his hole with regular shuriken and the Windmill even though the damage is negligible. Magic is useless, as he'll retreat. Raging Thunder (wall run, Bird Flip, Y) will take this Boss out quickly. Every time he goes for the "D!ck Slap," immediately start the sequence, and you'll be fine. Roll to avoid the lighting balls and then immediately use an arrow or incendiary shuriken. You have just enough time to dodge. Explosive arrows are good for when he charges the water. 9. Chapter 10 Sub Boss - Inazuma Worm Pair The difference with this fight is that there are no walls that you can Bird Flip off of. So, just stay out of the middle and right side of the platform. Unload all of your arrows on the rightmost and stay in that corner, since you won't have to worry about being eaten. You can roll to avoid every swipe in this little pocket, too. The biggest problem is when they're both doing the lighting balls but at different times. You'll pretty much need to pull a Ninpo to get them to retreat. 10. Chapter 12 Sub Boss - Inferno Worm This might be the easiest of the Worm Sub Bosses. Do the typical Bird Flipping off of the wall. You can now hit him with your weapon when he charges the magma in front of you. Bait him to come in for a grab, as he is most vulnerable to combos then. If he shoots its projectile, simply jump straight up, through it, and immediately hit him with an arrow. You'll have just enough time to jump again. 11. Chapter 12 Sub Boss - Ice Fiend Use a two-handed weapon to deal with this Fiend. He is terribly slow, so the longer two-handed combos will do nicely. But be careful not to finish them, as the recovery time will get you bitten, stomped or iced. Watch out for his punches, because they are deceptively long range. 12. Chapter 15 Sub Boss - The Core This whole level is basically one big Sub Boss encounter. Two-handed weapons are the rule of the day here, and you'll absolutely have to use some Ultimate Techniques. So, concentrate your efforts on one enemy at a time. Fortunately, it's very easy to isolate enemies on either side of the central pillar of every room. The 3rd and 4th floor contain the worst enemies in the game. They are the fully developed humanoid Fiend Forms. They are about as quick as Ryu and have a ridiculous amount of moves. The worst is the move where they burrow like their smaller cousins. When they do this, DO NOT DO A MOVE THAT CAUSES RECOVERY. They will grab you and suck you down onto the previous level, so you'll have to start the fight all over. That is, don't do a Flying Swallow or Divine Cicada. If you do, you'll have to hope that you can Roll Jump before they grab you. Bosses ------ 1. Chapter 1 Boss - Murai Oddly enough, this fight can be pretty random as far as the time in which you succeed. The best way to hit him is to sit in the zone where he will charge you. As soon as he does, you can roll out of the way and get free hits. He cannot block these. However, if you do get struck and register block stun, he will be able to recover in time. Also, if you time the Divine Cicada Slash (wall run, Flying Bird Flip, then Y) to interrupt a combo, it will do good damage. Make sure you roll away after every successful combo. Do not just stand there and block. Lastly, disregard the health in the pot in the corner. You can pick it up in the next chapter. (And it's not even there on difficulty levels other than Normal). 2. Chapter 2 Boss - Samurai Cavalry Captain You can repeatedly use Firewheel here, as the Mages will sometimes release red Ki. I would damage the Captain as much as possible, and then work on the Mages to get your kill combo up. You can use the bow at a distance pretty reliably against the Captain's flank, too. Also, the level doesn't end when you exactly when you kill the Captain, so you can use your Devil Elixirs afterwards. If you kill the mages with at least some sort of combo, they'll usually release a health or Ki. Use this as an Ultimate Technique coupled with a Firewheel to decimate the Captain. 3. Chapter 3 Boss - Dynamo This is a pretty fun battle. Make sure that you buy Level 2 Dragon Sword and Inferno from Muramasa before you do this fight, as Flying Swallow will decimate him. Unfortunately, it doesn't work as well on Very Hard, so you can use Violent Gale, instead. Also, hit him with some Infernos up close so you can get the area effect damage, and the fireball damage. I don't think he can avoid this attack. Don't stand in his vicinity for any amount of time, or you'll get thrown. The level ends immediately with his death, so make sure that you replenish you Ki (if you want the 100,000). If not, it will be replenished automatically for the next level. 4. Chapter 5 Boss - Tentacle Fiend Flying Swallow the tentacles until they drop. They release a Health and a Ki. Use one that's dropped, but make sure you use the other one for an Ultimate Technique. After the tentacles begin to grow back (and it's invincible), use the Inferno Ninpo since it takes so long to charge. It will go off right as the tentacles are vulnerable again. If you don't want to waste Ninpo, you can wait right in front of the beast where the fireballs won't land. 5. Chapter 6 Boss - Zombie Dragon I use the flails to take out the legs as much as possible. The Flying Swallow move is called Iron Brand, and it hits multiple times if you jam on X. Just watch out for the bite. He'll raise his foot when he tries to stomp, and do the bite. 6. Chapter 7 Boss - Alma Good luck. I haven't found a good strategy to beating her in the time limit. I think that as far as difficulty is concerned, she is the most random of the bosses. Sometimes you can nail her over and over again in the air with Flying Swallow, but then sometimes, you won't ever touch her. Thankfully, it's not necessary to get the time bonus on her. It's easier to knock her down when she's busy doing something (summoning Purple Flames, Diving, etc.). But just Roll Jump when she throws the columns. It may sound crazy, but the most guaranteed hit I can get on her is after her failed Bubble Throw (the one with the purple column). If you avoid it, you can usually land a Flying Swallow (which knocks down). 7. Chapter 9 Boss - Attack Helicopter There are infinite explosive and armor piercing bins on opposite sides of the catwalk. You need to utilize both First Person and regular bow aiming to beat this fight quickly. Keep in mind that Ryu tries to lead targets in 3rd person bow, so a lot of times, you'll need to account for it. Secondly, you can still move Ryu and shoot during the cut-scenes where the helicopter goes under the bridge. Waste him. Watch out for the bombing run, too. You can keep him from dropping them, somehow, but I haven't figured out specifically how to do it. It has to do with not staying stationary, obviously. 8. Chapter 10 Boss - Zombie Drake The Level 3 Ice Ninpo destroys him if you stick it in his crotch. Attack his legs up close, and use Explosive arrows from a distance. Do half combos on the legs, and roll away when he stomps. Then immediately roll back. One side of the arena allows you to get behind him, and you can air combo him until he jumps away, but it's more time efficient to attack his legs to get his head to come down. He'll take a lot of damage to combos in the head. 9. Chapter 11 Boss - Doku's Corporeal Form Approach this boss fight like fighting Murai. You can't beat the clock if he grabs you, because he heals himself with it. Retry. 10. Chapter 12 Boss - Smougan the Flame Dragon Roll to avoid the Flame Wing attack, shoot the head with arrows, and wait for the head to come down. Then, attack it with the War Hammer or Dabilahro. I stay up on the platforms, but it's probably just as good to stay on the ground. He'll try to bite a lot if you're up on the platforms, but he won't spit fireballs at you. 11. Chapter 13 Boss - Alma Awakened Use Alma's Strategy, although this time she seems much easier. You can use Gleaming Blade when she comes in for the grab. 12. Chapter 14 Boss - Doku's Spiritual Form Bait him to do his single charge move, then use Blade of Nirrti on him. 13. Chapter 15 Boss - Supreme Fiend Gogohn This fight has multiple encounters. If you have the Unlabored Flawlessness, you can use it to insta-kill the purple Fiends. Otherwise, use the other two-handed weapons. Gogohn will summon the Tentacle and Ice Fiends back from the Underworld. Use the previous strategies on them. Use Alma's strategy on Gogohn himself. Avoid his servant for the most part, as you'll never really be able to setup an Ultimate Technique. They're good for regenerating health though. When he throws his fireballs, use the Roll Jump. Roll when he attempts his spinning dive-bomb. You have to be precise on when you roll, or you will take significant damage. When he does this is pretty random, but he'll emit a very unique sound when he's about to do it. The one thing to take into account, though, is to roll away after his recovery, or he'll throw you. If you are quick, you can continually interrupt whatever he tries to do by following him around with Roll Jumps and simply doing a Blade of the Empty Air (jump + X) attack. This will interrupt his fireballs, Fiend Summon and melee attacks. What's best is that you can continually do it by following him around. It's only a very small amount of damage, but at least once, I was able to kill him without being hit. He'll block Flying Swallow forever, but the Blade of the Empty Air will interrupt everything he does aside from the Spinning Dive-bomb. 14. Chapter 15 Boss - Vigoor's Angelic Feminine Form Do not use the UF on either of Vigoor's forms. For the first form, the True Dragon Sword should be used. Ryu can control the platform he creates by moving around Vigoor, up and down and towards and away from the Boss. You can control altitude by holding L trigger and moving up and down. It's pretty easy to avoid her lasers, but on Very Hard, they are very quick. So, you need to be able to distinguish what pattern is coming as soon as the lasers appear. Attack the blue spheres on her chest and legs, and if you destroy them, it will stop whatever she's doing. Ice Storm works well, but Inferno is the most damaging to her. When the lasers move diagonally, you'll need to be in a safe spot. These are to the left and right of her chest, and parallel to her shoulders. You should continually slashing her jewel spheres. It's actually more time conscious to pull of an Inferno Ninpo when she does a laser series that isn't diagonal. 15. Chapter 15 Boss - Vigoor's Devilish Masculine Form Do not use the UF on either of Vigoor's forms. For the second form, the Vigoorian Flail should be used. If you have any arrows or incendiary shuriken left, use them all to destroy the skulls. Equip the Flails and use them as they come racing at you, but don't do full flail combos. If you do, you'll get stuck with the ending animation and get hammered by the skulls. This is especially important when the big skull comes in for the bite. You damage Vigoor with each regular skull you destroy. When the big skull comes in for the bite, do a Ninpo. If he jumps on the platform you're on, simply roll under him and use Ice Storm if you have it. If not, simply attack his limbs, and you'll be fine. 16. Chapter 16 Boss - Dark Disciple I didn't have a problem with this boss. Use the strategy from Chapter 1 for this one, but augment it greatly with Flying Swallow. Watch out for his shuriken tosses, though. The unsealed DDB he wields totally negates Ninpo, as well. Overall, he's very easy and this is to account for the fact that Ryu is extremely powerful by this point in the story. If you can perform Flying Swallow perfectly back to back, you will never be hit, as Murai's stun animation is as long as Ryu's recovery. --Hurricane Pack Disclaimer-- The Ninja Gaiden download content is now available for the 2nd round of the Master Ninja Tournament. It has become evident that the engine has fundamentally changed from the scoring, to the fighting, to the character lists, to the moves themselves. As such, I have created Hurricane Pack sections in most of the FAQ's, since all of this information will always be valid given that the Ninja Gaiden game disc remains. --Credits-- There hasn't been a reliable source of enemy names presented, yet. So, this information is only composed of names found in the game itself, Itagaki interviews, information granted by Sour_Tofu and the game's manual. All other sources are considered unofficial. Many of the boss strategies come from Shinobier's vids. Check out his site at http://www.master-ninja.com/ng Tecmo Team Ninja Microsoft GameFAQ's