I don’t think I have to preface this with much.
Ninjas are cool. They’re ninjas. What more should I say?
Well… that’s the point isn’t it?
There should be more to say. Ninjas, especially in superhero comics, are often allowed to languish on their surface level appeal. That they are inherently cool!
But they can be more!
With this in mind I’d like to take several ninja clans from comics and games and take them apart. Show which aspects serve them the best, so you can see how the archetypical ninja can be enriched with a few twists here and there.
The core of this Shinobi Dissection will be the Foot and Hand Clans, of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Marvel Universes respectively. Before I dive into the Foot compared to the Hand, I'd like to introduce 2 other Ninja clans into this equation. Those being the Arashikage Clan of GI Joe and Hisomu Clan from Mark of the Ninja!
What these two clans did to the basic ninja archetype was add the aforementioned twists.
The Arashikage exist in a... very odd sci fi universe, so must adapt. There's a level of intrigue with their own silent language, which is a pull from the many bespoke rituals and shit the actual ninjas would use. But also, the main entry ways we have to this world is via 2 fascinating and badass characters locked in a rivalry:
That of Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes!
Their sibling rivalry thus contextualises any instance of Snake Eyes vs Storm Shadow or Snake Eyes vs Ninjas as a more personal affair. Their falling out is externalised into literal life or death combat, where anything but a stalemate is tragic…
But so is their continuing war.
The Hisomu Clan from Klei Studios' Mark of the Ninja, meanwhile twist in another way…
They are far fewer in number. I believe there's only a handful, barely a room’s worth. But what we learn from the master Azai is that the Marked Ninja, your player character... Has been chosen to bare a burden of the ink, Magical and poisonous, it will corrode your being BUT It will sharpen your mind, senses and skills beyond anything anyone can muster. The game's enemies are a mega corporation, toting a private militant police force.
This is another aspect these two clan excel at: Facing the ninja with something interesting.
Karajan (the head of the corporation) has guns and an army. Resources and men flow like a river. The Ninjas are outmatched, but never outplayed.
The Joes vs Cobra, meanwhile gains an added personal edge with the inclusion of Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes' rivalry and the aforementioned asymmetry.
With this firmly cemented, the idea of adding twists to a base… Let’s begin our exploration of the Foot and the Hand.
However, before any real digging can be done, it is prudent to acknowledge that the Hand is the progenitor of American Comic Ninjas and the Foot is their parody. But, as Hot Fuzz has shown us, the parody can be better than its influences.
The Foot, in my mind, have one towering boon over the Hand.
Shredder, Oroko Sakai himself
Shredder is a great character. He's the most early Frank Miller character early Frank Miller never wrote! And he is crucial to the Foot's success.
Why? Well… he's an actual character. And as the undisputed leader of the clan, the Foot soldiers are an extension of his character. Which make them interesting. What they want is what he wants. Truly they’re still cannon fodder, there to allow the Turtles to kick ass.
But you have a character to latch onto. They have character by extension. Its not much, but its tangible.
As for Shredder himself, he is a true classic villain. With ties to Splinter, the mystical sides of that universe, as well as the criminal underbelly. He deserves to be respected as why his imitation works better than their source.
The Hand…
Have no such anchor.
They are a listless horde.
Some may counter, what about the Beast?
Well what about him?
The Beast is the demonic head of the Hand, but is largely a big gaping toad on a throne. Nothing more than a placeholder for evil. He’s a literal demon.
No… we can do better.
Looking at the previous clans, we should identify their twist. Beyond being straight ninjas, they have 2 main traits.
The secret ninja war and their resurrection abilities.
I’d like to posit some changes to these twists, because frankly, they don’t add all that much to the faction.
First off, the ancient war with the Chaste is not all that intriguing. We, as an audience, have no investment in it. Its this centuries spanning war, with seemingly… no consequence. But you could inject some consequence by altering the perspective, shifting around the framing.
Ninjas lie.
What don’t we know?
Well, here’s an idea…
Have Stick be part of the Hand.
That way we have an in to this world via Daredevil, this man who trained and abused Matt wants to pull him back into this dark and murky war that he managed to escape.
The Chaste could be one faction in a much more complex war.
Actually, let’s add to this idea of complexity. Why not have the Hand be led by 5 leaders? Five Fingers. That way we can complicate the Ninja War with each leader vying for power in their own terrible immoral way.
Now the second thing, the resurrection techniques. This is an odd duck, because its cool on paper but… it usually robs the impact of any Hand encounter.
Kill them, it’ll be fine, they’ll be up by morning.
Lean into that!
Undead ninjas? Or worse, ninjas with no fear of death?
That’s a tough foe!
And is something interesting for us, as an audience, to consume!
In summary,
What is needed to make ninjas in a fictional setting interesting is a simple twist. Set them up against a foe that they must adapt to. Add an interesting wrinkle to their legend. Create pathos via a genuine human connection to your characters.
Whatever you chose, just make it fun and make it interesting.
Thank you for reading.