Simon Cress
Two legendary figures come to mind when thinking of Japanese history—the samurai and the ninja. The samurai endured far beyond the peak of the ninja (shinobi). From the mid-14thcentury, ninjas used spycraft and subterfuge to influence and alter the political landscape of Japan. Then, daimyō Oda Nobunaga, intent on reuniting Japan, had the main orders of ninjas exterminated in the late 16th century.
Ninjas lived on beyond Nobunaga, and the legends of these masters of the shadows live on to this day. Now, we see ninjas popping up all over pop culture. They’re instantly recognizable and always stir intrigue from their skills and inherently adventurous nature. While we can experience the shinobi across many mediums – which we’ll delve into – one of the richest veins for ninja stories is, undoubtedly, in manga.
Ninja is a Hot Topic Right Now
Ninjas are well-known for their stealth abilities, espionage, ambush skills, use of traps and illusions, and ninjutsu martial arts. So, whenever we see them pop up, even if it’s without prior warning, we know exactly what they’re about. One of the most popular Japan-set pieces of media right now is Shōgun.
With the reoccurrence of various ninja themes, we can see plenty of online slots based on these clandestine characters. One of these is Shinobi Spirit, which was highly rated in a casino news and reviews platform in July 2023. Featuring hidden shinobi powers and a Shinobi Bonus, it delves into the mystical world of ninja legends to create a powerful main character. Here, the ninja is praised and even revered.
In the hit game Ghost of Tsushima, it’s seen as shameful—but very useful—to turn to the ways of the shinobi. This angle, turning from samurai to ninja, makes for a great character story, and you can enter combat and dangerous situations as either of the two. You can be honourable or sneaky, and both are very entertaining.
Plenty of Shinobi in Manga
Ninjas feature prominently across many manga genres, although Naruto is the biggest and most popular of these. As an indication of its popularity, a fan poll on the favourite character garnered over 4.6 million votes in a single month.
The story is about facing adversity as a team while undergoing ninja training and embarking on dangerous missions. Perhaps the best ninja manga grounded on historical facts is Path of the Assassin. Running from 1978 to 1984, it’s the story of a master ninja who seeks to rise to become the unifying shōgun of Japan.
It’s a particularly gritty portrayal of the ninja arts, how they went about manipulating politics, and what it means to have power. Basilisk also offers a superb take on the struggles between two rival ninja clans, and Azumi follows a female assassin during the Sengoku period.
For the best shinobi stories, you can’t go wrong with these legendary manga series!
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