List of Ninja Gaiden characters

This is a list of video game characters in the Ninja Gaiden video game series, the hero of which has been always the ninja Ryu Hayabusa. As the universe of the Ninja Gaiden series was expanded in 2004 with the release of Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox, this list will have two sections, one for the original trilogy on the NES, and another for the continued universe since 2004.

Ryu Hayabusa

Main article: Ryu Hayabusa

Ryu Hayabusa (リュウ・ハヤブサ/隼 龍 Hayabusa Ryū?) is the protagonist of the Ninja Gaiden video game series as well as a player character in the Dead or Alive series by Team Ninja and Tecmo. According to the game canon, Ryu (lit. "dragon") Hayabusa ("falcon") is a ninja and the leader of the Hayabusa Clan (隼一族 Hayabusa-ichizoku?) that has spiritual, physical and magical ties to ancient dragons. He is often regarded as the most popular ninja character to be ever featured in video games.

The NES trilogy

The NES trilogy chronicles how Ryu and Irene meet up, and their conflicts with the Jaquio and rogue elements of the CIA.

Irene Lew

Main article: Irene Lew

Irene Lew (アイリーン・ルゥ) is the heroine in the NES trilogy, serving as Ryu's romantic interest. She is an agent of the CIA's Secret Auxiliary Unit, working under the codename "Sea Swallow".

Irene's first encounter with Ryu is in Ninja Gaiden, where she shoots and captures him with a tranquilizer dart. She gives him the Shadow demon statue, and is later taken hostage by the Jaquio in order to force Ryu to hand over the statue. Although Ryu complies, the Jaquio keeps Irene to be sacrificed, and drops Ryu into a pit. However, Ryu manages to find a way out and defeats the Jaquio, escaping the collapsing temple with Irene. As the two fall in love, Irene disobeys an order from Foster to kill Ryu.

Ken Hayabusa

Ken Hayabusa, named Jô Hayabusa (ジョウ・ハヤブサ) in the Japanese version, is Ryu's father. He appears only in the first NES game, Ninja Gaiden. At the beginning of the story, he engages Bloody Malth in a duel and is defeated. He has left a letter entrusting the family heirloom to his son, Ryu, and telling him to go to America to find Doctor Walter Smith if he fails to return home. Presumed dead, he is later revealed to be alive, under the Jaquio's control as "the masked devil". Ken manages to break free of the spell thanks to Ryu destroying the device controlling his mind. However he sacrifices himself to protect his son, by taking one of the Jaquio's energy bolts aimed at the latter. As the temple collapses from the Demon's defeat, Ken slowly succumbs to his injuries. With his dying breath, Ken tells his son that the time has come to carry on without him, and tells him to be ever brave. Proud of his son, Ken dies in the arms of his distraught son.

Robert T. Sturgeon

Robert T. Sturgeon, is a United States Army Special Forces operative who aids Ryu throughout Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, constantly revealing information about Ashtar. At the start, he informs Ryu of Irene's abduction and whereabouts, setting off the latter's quest. He shadows Ryu, and distracts Ashtar from finishing off Ryu in a sneak attack. After Ashtar is defeated, he escorts Irene while Ryu sets out to a nearby altar. However they are attacked by the Jaquio, and Robert is left injured. He informs Ryu of Irene's capture and makes a stand to hold off the tribesmen of Chaos while Ryu goes off to finish the Jaquio. Robert is last seen mortally wounded, while holding off the demons who're after Ryu. His final fate at the end is not revealed in the game, but he is shown to have survived by his presence in the anime OVA which occurs after the game.

Robert also makes an appearance in the Original Video Animation based on the video game series, again working with Ryu in his battle against evil. He also makes a short cameo in Ninja Gaiden 3 (2012) as a pilot who helps Ryu jump onto another jet in midair before wishing him good luck.

The Jaquio and the Malice Four

The Jaquio (邪鬼王, Jakiō, lit. "Wicked Demon King"; Jaquió is also archaic Spanish for "he has left") is the name taken on by Guardia de Mieux. He is the antagonist for the first two NES games, and is served by the Malice Four in the first game. His title is translated as the Devildoer for the PC Engine version of the first game.

In Ninja Gaiden, he seeks to acquire the two demon statues which the evil power of the Demon Jashin was confined in. He plans to bring Jashin to this world with the statues, thereby gaining enough power to control the world. His minions steals the Light demon statue from Walter Smith, and Ryu is forced to hand over the Shadow demon statue. However the Jaquio is unable to personally witness the fulfillment of his dream as he dies at the hands of Ryu before the Demon Jashin is brought back to the world.

However, despite Jaquio being slain by Ryu in Ninja Gaiden, the also defeated spirit of Jashin returns and transfer his power into Jaquio's corpse, bringing him back to life in Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos one year later. Being resurrected, Jaquio intends to use Irene's soul to lure the demons out of the dark world, while using Ryu's soul to open the Gate of Darkness. However, Ryu defeats him a second time, and the Jaquio ironically becomes the sacrifice needed to open The Gate of Darkness, when his blood touches The Sword of Chaos. The reason being is that The Dark Sword of Chaos was created from the bone of Jashin himself.

The Jaquio's evil network is controlled by his hand-picked Malice Four: Barbarian, Bomberhead, Basaquer and Bloody Malth. The Barbarian is an armored axeman slow in both mind and body, while Bomberhead was recruited for his control of the streets of New York. Basaquer is a totally ruthless, deadly fighter who tends to stay in the air. Malth, their leader, is the only Malice Four who plays a part in the story. He is the one who defeated Ken Hayabusa at the start of the game, and reveals to Ryu that Ken is still alive and will be the last thing Ryu ever sees if he goes on.

Ashtar and the Chaos Tribesmen

Ashtar, the Emperor of Darkness (兇魔天帝アシュター, Kyōma Tentei Ashutā, lit. "Cruel Demon Divine Emperor Ashtar"), appears to be the antagonist of Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and to have been the mastermind behind the events of the first game. He is the leader of a demonic tribe from the world of Chaos, and wields the titular Sword of Chaos, which is claimed to have been grown from the bone of the Demon. Ashtar plans to open the Gate of Darkness to the world of Chaos, thereby inheriting enough power to rule the world. This requires him to kill someone with an immortal bloodline which turns out to be Ryu. To achieve this, he intends first power up his Sword with souls including Irene's, and then kill Ryu to open the Gate. However, he underestimates Ryu and is defeated by him.

Ashtar sends several of his Chaos Tribesmen against Ryu throughout the game. Among them there is Dando (ダムド), who is a combination of the spirits of Vikings lost at sea, and the lizard Funky Dynamite are creations of his sorcery. Dynamite is further enhanced by cybernetics that give it flight and attacks with missiles. Naga Sotuva is a dinosaur, twisted by Chaos to become a nightmarish creature. Baron Spider (クモ男爵), the leader of the Chaos Tribesmen is a reject of society picked up by Ashtar. Through a laboratory accident, he became a half-man, half-spider mutant, and is able to summon giant tarantulas.

The Demon Jashin

Also known as the Dark God of Destruction. A very powerful, but very grotesque demon that caused a lot of bloodshed and chaos on the Earth many centuries ago. Eventually the Dark God was defeated by Ryu's ancestor, but could not be killed. Ryu's ancestor, "SHINOBI" choose to seal Jashin's power and body into two separate demon statues - one representing "Light" and the other representing "Shadow." He then placed the statues within an Amazonian temple in South America. It is prophesized that whoever releases the power of Jashin during the lunar eclipse will be able to cover the world in complete darkness once again. This is the primary goal of Jaquio.

A. Foster

A. Foster holds a powerful position in the CIA's Secret Auxiliary Unit and is Irene's immediate boss. In Ninja Gaiden, he coerces Ryu to retrieve the demon statues and to help in defeating the Jacquio's forces. However, he later reveals his true intentions after the Jaquio's defeat when he orders Irene to kill Ryu and bring the statues to him. He returns in Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom as a conspirator behind the "Biohazard" plan, his goal being to create a race of super beings. Although he was named as the one responsible for Irene's death, he is unaware of doing so. He is interested in creating a BIO-NOID out of Ryu's body to improve the project. However he is betrayed by his co-conspirator, Clancy who makes use of Ryu to get rid of him. Foster is ripped to pieces by raw energy as he tries to follow Clancy into the subspace.

H.P. Clancy

H.P. Clancy is a young man who works closely with Foster during Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. Both men are responsible for building Castle Rock Fortress, over the ruins of the Jaquio's fallen temple. After Ryu slayed Jashin, a continuous supply of life energy is found within the ruins. When Clancy and Foster discovered this, they built the fortress to harvest the life energy as an energy source, and used it on humans for experiments. Clancy soon betrays Foster, desiring for total control of the ruins. He lures Ryu into coming and defeating Foster, thereby achieving his aim. Clancy reveals there is a dimensional warship inside the ruins, which he intends to use to destroy the world and reshape it as he sees fit. He expresses hatred toward humanity, and their warlike tendencies. In the end, he merges with the warship but is still defeated by Ryu.

BIO-NOIDS

Foster and Clancy have created BIO-NOIDs by infusing life energy into living subjects, thereby creating super-humans. The Four Great Beasts Commanders are BIO-NOIDs designed after the four elements of fire, air, water, and earth. With the exception of the Mantis Warrior, they were individually given a copy of one of Ryu's Ninpo attributes.

Mantis Warrior is the beast commander of fire. In reality, he is a robot equipped with arm sabers and uses a hidden flamethrower in its chest to burn Ryu. Despite having sabers equipped on both arms, he has never used them - due to never being programmed with any close combat skills. This weakness, combined with his slow mobility, thereby makes him the lowest rank of the beast commanders. The Night Diver is he beast commander of the sky. Being an android equipped with a jet propulsion pack, he is able to fly freely through the sky. He attacks Ryu by using his own copy of the "Fire Dragon Balls" Art. He is third rank of the beast commanders. The Great Kogane was created by the element of water. He is a Lizard Bio-noid who can split his body and attacks Ryu with his own "Art of the Shuriken" Ninpo. The Sand Eater was created with the element of earth. He is the considered the most powerful, as well as leader of the beasts. He has the ability to dig and travel swiftly through the ground, and was gifted with a copy of Ryu's "Art of the Fire Wheel" Ninpo.

The Doppelganger is a BIO-NOID who can be considered an antagonist in the story. Imbued with Ryu's appearance and skills, the Doppelganger caused Irene to fall off the cliff at the start of the game. When Ryu first encounters him at the perimeters of Castle Rock fortress, the Doppelganger simply taunts and defeats the latter, sparring him as per Foster's orders. He admits to causing Irene's death and challenges Ryu to meet him within the Fortress. When Ryu reaches Foster, the Doppelganger jumps down to confront him. It transforms itself into a large superhuman beast whose skin is bullet-proof but is of no use against Ryu's sword. The defeated Doppelganger appears again in subspace, and is destroyed by Ryu.

Ninja Gaiden (2004)

The story of the 2004 version of Ninja Gaiden is a prequel to the NES trilogy and is set in the same fictional universe as the Dead or Alive fighting game series as well. Ryu is a ninja whose clan has guarded an evil blade known as the Dark Dragon since man's prehistory. When the blade is stolen, he becomes embroiled in the ages-long battle between good and evil, seeking vengeance against those who destroyed his village and clan. After accomplishing his quest, Ryu begins to rebuild the Hayabusa Ninja Clan.

Rachel

Main article: Rachel (Ninja Gaiden)

The Holy Vigoor Emperor

The Holy Vigoor Emperor (神聖皇帝) is the main antagonist of the first game in the relaunch. According to in-game literature, the Emperor is said to be the omniprescent ruler of the Vigoor Empire. He sends Doku and his minions to steal the Dark Dragon Blade from the Hayabusa ninja clan. He intends to unite with the Blade to bring the Fiends to a new level of power. He seals himself off in his own realm with the Blade at the top of his palace. It initially appears as an idyllic, lush plain but dispels away to reveal a hellish volcanic cavern. His first form is enormously tall and angelic in appearance. His second form however is a mountain of skulls on legs. His existence fuels the blood curse of the Fiends, and with his death at Ryu's hands, the curse on Ryu is lifted.

Ayane

Main article: Ayane (Dead or Alive)

Murai and the Shadow Clan

Voiced by: Banjō Ginga (Japanese), Neil Ross (English)

Murai (ムライ) is the leader of the Shadow Clan (composed of brown garbed lesser ninjas, and their superiors, the white garbed greater ninjas), and Ryu's uncle from his mother's side. Despite helping Ryu by providing the identity of the Hayabusa village raiders, Murai is actually the mastermind behind the whole ordeal. He intends to let Ryu slaughter thousands to unseal and empower the Dark Dragon Blade with souls. Murai follows Ryu through the Holy Vigoor Empire in his identity as the Dark Disciple (黒使大兄), wearing a black hat, mask and long robe, altering his voice at the same time. He claims the empowered Dark Dragon Blade for his own at the end. Ryu defeats him, and sends him plummeting down to the deep chasm below. In executing this task, they beset Ryu at every turn of Tairon to prevent him from recovering the Blade. Their expedition forces in Tairon are whittled down to nothing by Ryu and the Fiends at the end of the game, though the player can read the chronicles of their tasks through diaries picked up from their bodies. It is later revealed that the master of the clan has told his minions that he desires the Blade to grind it to brew herbal tea, and one of the fallen ninjas expresses disbelief in this desire.

Marbus

Voiced by: Yukitoshi Hori (Japanese), Fred Tatasciore (English) (Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2)

Marbus (マルバス重鬼卿) is the protector of the Holy Vigoor Emperor and one of the three Greater Fiends. He tries to prevent Ryu from meeting the emperor by summoning out minions against him. He can even resurrect and enhance the power of bosses slain by Ryu. After Ryu overcomes the odds, Marbus takes him on personally, throwing out pillars of flame and summoning Fiends to no avail, and soon meets his demise.

Doku

Voiced by: Kōji Totani (Japanese), Charles Dennis (English)

Doku (ドーク重鬼卿) is the Greater Fiend that attacks the Hayabusa village with his samurai horde including the red samurai Masakado (赤武者), taking away the Dark Dragon Blade while leaving only the dead and flames behind. He is also the Lord of Greater Fiends. When his physical body is defeated by Ryu, he escapes in his spirit form and tries to awaken Alma by sacrificing Rachel who was subdued by the Twin Fiend sisters doing his bidding. The sacrificial ritual is foiled again by Ryu, with even Alma going against Doku. Doku sets up a showdown with Ryu in the labyrinth but is defeated for the last time. With his last breath, he places the blood curse on Ryu, which starts to turn the latter into a Fiend.

Alma

Alma (アルマ重鬼卿) is the twin sister of Rachel. She was transformed by Doku into a Greater Fiend through a curse of her blood, but retains her soul. She is defeated by Ryu in the monastery, and left vulnerable. Rachel attempts to kill the weakened Alma, but is unable to force herself to do so. Doku later attempts to awaken her full power with a ritual sacrifice of her sister. The start of the ritual begins to transform her, but Ryu defeats her newly awakened state and rushes off to stop the ritual. Alma at this time regains her mind and outraces Ryu, taking the blow meant for her sister. She reverts to human form in her sister's arms. The two sisters are finally able to look into each other's eyes in human form.

Gamov

Voiced by: Hisao Egawa (Japanese), Robin Atkin Downes (English)

Gamov (ガモフ) is a bespectacled, green hat and coat wearing spy, who constantly shadows Ryu as the latter ventures through the Holy Vigoor Empire. Throughout the game, he sets up Vigoor military forces against Ryu and observes their battles. He claims to know a lot about Rachel and the Dark Dragon Blade. He has a fight with Rachel in Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Though working in cahoots with the Dark Disciple, he is decapitated by the latter with the Dark Dragon Blade at the end.

Fiends

According to in-game backstory, Fiends are the results of the mixed bloodlines of the "Ancient Tribes," who were apparently the earliest forms of life on the earth. They possess powers beyond the normal person and are immortal soulless evil beings. As descendants of the ancient twin Fiend sisters, Nicchae (ニケ重鬼卿) the Goddess of Destruction, and Ishtaros (イシュタロス重鬼卿), the Goddess of Creation, most of the Fiends exist as humans until they are awakened.

Fiends come in many varieties, the most common of all are the Shadows. They are classed into four types, and are named for their ability to phase into their shadows, moving without fear of damage along the ground. The brown Shadow Fiends (魔神シャドウ) are the least powerful, their feet fading away into nothingness. The pink Flare Shadows (魔神フレアシャドウ) are stronger, and named for the flames on top of their head. The Crow Shadows (魔神クロウシャドウ) have spikes for feet, eyeballs at the major joints of their limbs, and feared for their sliding attacks. The largest Shadows are the one-eyed Ariochs (魔神アリオク), black-carapaced Fiends taller than a human, and can shoot a laser beam from their single eye.

Among the strongest Fiends are the Dino Fiends (魔神ディノ), Triceratops skull mask wearing four eyed giants who crushes all with their heavy clubs. The Bast Fiends (魔神キャット), female humanoid cats, are swift and deadly, pouncing on the slightest mistake. The great sword-wielding Nightmare Fiends (魔神ナイトメア) exude an aura of might. Able to throw fireballs and lay down exploding runes, they are a menace at all ranges. There are also weak Fiends, like the Girtablilu (水棲魔神ギルタブル), mermen who can only float around and fire globules of water, and the Phantoms (ファントム), flaming blue globes which simply charge into their targets. There are Fiends taking on forms of mythical creatures like Paz Zuu (魔神パズ・ズー) who is an enormous skeletal roc-like Fiend, and several dragon-like Fiends. The two horned Gallas (魔神ガルラ) stand twice the height of a human, but in terms of strength, they lose out to the beefier Gobdecks (魔神ゴブデック) who are slightly larger and sport spikes running down their backs. The most powerful dragon-like Fiend is Smaugan, the Lava Dragon (溶岩龍スマウガン), a boss in this game.

The most sinister Fiends are the Doppelganger Fiends (魔神ドッペルゲンガー) which can assume and copy the abilities of a warrior just by observation. They can perform almost all of Ryu's attacks, techniques, and even ninpo spells. They typically come dressed as Ryu in his Dragon Muscle Suit - black suit with red veins, a helmet with skeletal ribs over it, and golden blades on each of the forearms. It has also been seen wearing the Dark Dragon suit - totally black with tiny scales, a helmet with the features of a dragon, and a red scarf.

Vigoor Military

The Vigoor military force comprises MSATs (Mechanized Special Attack Team), MVAPs (the soldiers deployed on motorbikes or sidecars), and their cybernatic equivalents. The MSATs wear the outfits typical of SWAT forces and are the equivalent of rapid deployment forces. They come armed with a variety of knives, pistols, grenade launchers, and rocket launchers. The Vigoor soldiers wear breastplates and helmets with a laser guiding eyepiece. They are equipped with an assault rifle with a bayonet or a rocket launcher. The military's elite have undergone cybernatic enhancements. Vehicle-wise, the military include armoured personnel carriers (APCs), main battle tanks and attack helicopters. There are also the FL-2000 series of mini-copters which can independently fly around and attack with lasers, guns, or rockets. Heading these forces are Generals Dynamo (ダイナモ) and Alternator (オルタネーター); the two are large, rotund, cybernatically enhanced men wielding plasma guns.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword

Momiji

Main article: Momiji (Ninja Gaiden)

Obaba

Voiced by: Hiroko Emori (Japanese), Kate Higgins (English)

Obaba is the old leader of the Black Spider Clan. Her objective is to take the Eye of the Dragon away from the Hayabusa Ninja Clan and give it to Ishtaros, the ancient Greater Fiend. First, she sends her ninjas and the Dragon Fiend to kidnap Momiji. Then, as she interrogates her about the whereabouts of the Eye of the Dragon, she realizes that Momiji has fused the jewel into her soul, thus she cannot kill her. During her meeting with Ishtaros, she gives Momiji to her and in exchange, Ishtaros gives her power that is more than she imagined and it transforms her into a powerful Fiend. She is later killed by Ryu.

Ishtaros

An Ancient Greater Fiend, Ishtaros seeks to rid the world of the Dragon Lineage. She heavily despises the Lineage and the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. Her true motive is to gather all eight Dragonstones in order to resurrect the Fiends. When she gathers all of the Dragonstones, she becomes more powerful than Ryu; until Ryu receives the Eye of the Dragon that is. She is later killed by him.

Nicchae

Another Ancient Greater Fiend, her mission is to resurrect the Holy Vigoor Emperor and The Fiends and take over the entire world. Nicchae attempts to do so using the Dark Dragon stones fused with Ishtaros, but fails and, after she is defeated by Ryu, is absorbed into the cocoon encasing her sister, accepting her fate.

Sanji

Voiced by: Rika Komatsu (Japanese), Tara Strong (Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2), Wendee Lee (Ninja Gaiden 3) (English)

A young Ninja in training of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. Like the other kids in the village, he looks up to Ryu and aspires to be a Master Ninja just like him. He also looks sees Momiji as an older sister.

Ninja Gaiden II (2008)

Joe Hayabusa

Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto (Japanese), Keone Young (English)

The father of Ryu Hayabusa, Jô has returned from training in distant lands to resume his duties as the leader of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan, only to be injured in one of his many battles against the forces of evil. He lays in rest at his home in the Castle of the Dragon, unaware that the evil shadow of the Black Spider Clan slowly descends upon his village. When Ryu arrives in the village after rescuing Sonia, Jô is shown fighting Genshin, the leader of the Black Spider Ninja Clan.

Genshin

Voiced by: Ryūzaburō Ōtomo (Japanese), Neil Kaplan (English)

Overlord of the Black Spider Ninja Clan, Genshin's lust for power is matched only by his hatred of Ryu Hayabusa and his bloodline. Hoping to gain an upper hand in the struggle for Ninja superiority, Genshin enters into an uneasy allegiance with the Fiends. He will stop at nothing to destroy Ryu and put an end to this centuries-old feud once and for all. His younger brother was killed by Murai. He was killed in Chapter 17 "Poisoned Blood" after battling Ryu in his resurrected form as a fiend. Genshin is the secondary antagonist of the game.

Sonia

Voiced by: Mariko Suzuki (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (Ninja Gaiden 2), Amanda Troop (Dead or Alive: Dimensions, Ninja Gaiden 3) (English)

She apparently works for the CIA and is looking for Ryu, due to the Archfiend's revival, as well as a demon statue that his clan protects. Sonia informs Ryu on the situation once she is rescued by him, and tells him the Hayabusa Village is in danger because it harbors the demon statue. She is captured by the Fiends on multiple occasions and subsequently rescued by Ryu. Her true identity as Irene Lew was long teased with Itagaki hinting that Sonia may not be her real name. Her identity as Irene Lew was later confirmed when she appeared in Dead or Alive Dimensions.

Elizébet

Voiced by: Hiromi Tsuru (Japanese), Grey DeLisle (English)

Ruler of Blood and Queen of the Greater Fiends, Elizébet is the main antagonist of Ninja Gaiden II. She is tasked with retrieving an important ancient artifact from the ancestral village of Ryu Hayabusa, setting into motion a sequence of events that will threaten the very existence of the human race. While initially appearing as a beautiful woman dressed in dark red leather, she later transforms into her true Fiend form—a succubus with butterfly-like wings, a long tail, and a visible spine in place of her belly. Ryu defeats her in Chapter 10 and kills her with the Dragon Sword and Genshin's Sword in after the death of Genshin and he turns solidified, her body turning black and breaking instantly.

Volf

Voiced by: Daisuke Gōri (Japanese), Daran Norris (English)

Ruler of Storms and one of the Four Greater Fiends, Volf is a vicious warrior who seeks an opponent worthy of himself. His Lycanthrope underlings have taken over the canal-lined streets of the tranquil Aqua Capital, as he sits in his throne in the castle above. He appears as a massive, four-armed werewolf. He was confronted and defeated by Ryu in Volf's Arena and was killed when Ryu came into the underworld and Volf turned completely solidified after his death.

Muramasa

Voiced by: Takeshi Aono (Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden 2), Bin Shimada (Ninja Gaiden 3) (Japanese), Michael Bell (Ninja Gaiden), Paul Eiding (Ninja Gaiden 2, Ninja Gaiden 3) (English)

A legendary blacksmith who first appeared in Ninja Gaiden (2004), and then in Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. In the game, he is not just a blacksmith but an accomplished swordsman as well.

Fun fact: Muramasa in Ninja Gaiden 2 is not the only time that Takeshi Aono and Paul Eiding shared a role, for Aono voiced Colonel Roy Campbell in the Japanese versions of the Metal Gear Solid games, while Eiding voiced him in the western versions.

Alexei

Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (Japanese), Robin Atkin Downes (English)

One of the Four Greater Fiends and Ruler of Lightning, Alexei attempts to turn New York into a Fiend infested city with torrential storms and lightning. He waits for Ryu perched atop the Statue of Liberty. He is one of the more humanoid Fiends, and is described as "graceful" in the game. He appears as a larger-than-life, almost effeminate man with pale skin, horns, and diaphonous wings. Ryu defeats him in New York and kills him in order to rescue Sonia from his clutches, Alexei then dies, explodes, leaving nothing more than feathers behind.

Zedonius

Voiced by: Hidekatsu Shibata (Japanese), Steve Blum (English)

Ruler of Flames and last of the Four Greater Fiends to be awaken, he claims to have bestowed fire upon the humanity centuries ago. He has a habit of calling humans "apes" and "monkeys". His appearance adheres more closely to the Western image of devils. As such, he has a bat-like form, with red eyes, red skin, large teeth, and leathery wings. Ryu defeats him in Moscow to save the city and encounters him again in the underworld, where Ryu kills him.

Shadow Ninjas

Rasetsu is one of the Black Spider ninjas of the Dark Sect. He is one of the commanders of the Black Spider Ninjas and can turn into a big fiend spider like creature with metal blade legs. He is killed in Tokyo, when Ryu tries to rescue Sonia. Gyuki is another of the commanders of the Black Spider Ninja Dark Sect, whose skin colour is different from Rasetsu's.

Dagra Dai

Voiced by: Shōzō Iizuka (Japanese), Peter Renaday (English)

Originally a human philosopher, Dagra Dai gazed into the eyes of the Archfiend Vazdah, causing him to develop a third eye and become a Fiend himself. Dagra is the second main antagonist of Ninja Gaiden II, now known as the Infernal High Priest, he commands the Four Greater Fiends to retrieve the Demon Statue necessary for his master's resurrection. Initially manifested as a gnarled, bearded old man, he transforms into his true Fiend form upon encountering Ryu. In this form, he retains his humanoid shape, but his skin becomes maggot-like, and he sprouts small tentacles from his head, and four large ones from his back that are wielded as weapons in the subsequent battle. He himself commits suicide when he agrees to sacrifice his life for the Archfiend. Tecmo has recently put a patch that makes it nearly impossible to fight him without having the game crash.

Vazdah

One of the original Archfiends, Vazdah was put into a deep slumber by the Dragons thousands of years ago. Now, the Four Greater Fiends and the Infernal High Priest are attempting to resurrect him. He has two primary forms in the game—a fetal form and a fully resurrected form. His fetal form is a grotesque monstrosity hundreds of feet tall, with eight segmented legs like that of a spider, a long tail, and a skull-like head from which one blood-red eye is hanging out. Vazdah's "mature" form closely resembles that of Zedonius, as he is humanoid, demon-like in appearance, and possesses wings and an affinity for fire. However, Vazdah is many times larger than Zedonius.

Ninja Gaiden III (2012)

Cliff Higgins

Voiced by: Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese), Jonathan Lipow (English)

Clifford "Cliff" Higgins is introduced as a special scientist working for the Japanese Self Defense Forces. However, at about halfway through the game, it is revealed that he is actually one of the game's antagonists, who secretly works for the Lords of Alchemy.

Mizuki McCloud

Voiced by: Yūko Kaida (Japanese), Ali Hillis (English)

Mizuki is a JSDF Agent along with her senior partner Ken Ishigami, requesting Ryu Hayabusa's cooperation on assisting against terrorist attacks in London, England. Her niece and later the adopted daughter is named Canna.

Regent of the Mask

Voiced by: Kenyu Horiuchi (Japanese), James Brinkley (English)

The Regent of the Mask is introduced as Ryu's main rival in the story. At first he is thought to be the main antagonist, but nearing the story's conclusion when his identity is revealed as Theodore Higgins, it turns out he was being used against his will to carry out the LOA's plans. He naturally rebels and aids Ryu toward the end. As Regent of the Mask, he curses Ryu with the "Grip of Murder" after their first duel, but when he returns to his senses (as Theodore), he undoes the "Grip of Murder" in their third (technically fourth) and final duel by sacrificing himself for the greater good.

Hayate

Main article: Hayate (Dead or Alive)

Ryu Hayabusa's best friend since childhood, as well as Kasumi's brother and Ayane's stepbrother, and a major character in the Dead or Alive series since Dead or Alive 3. He is only mentioned by name in Ninja Gaiden 3, when Ayane gives Ryu a sword that belongs to Hayate at his request.

Kasumi

Main article: Kasumi (Dead or Alive)