The much-awaited newest entry in the Ninja Gaiden series is out, and it won the hearts of hack-and-slash fans worldwide. The best thing about the game may be how it lets players use all sorts of weapons, giving Ninja Gaiden 4 an identity of its own. But how do the weapons stack up against each other?
Whether it’s the iconic True Dragon Sword or the DLC’s Jakotsumon, we’re ranking all of the weapons in Ninja Gaiden 4 from best to worst.
True Dragon Sword
Those who have played the rest of the 3D Ninja Gaiden games will be all too familiar with the True Dragon Sword. While players don’t get the chance to use it all too much in Ninja Gaiden 3, it’s awesome nonetheless. This weapon is understandably exclusive to Ryu, who is unlocked after playing more than half of the game.
Usability aside, this sword is extremely powerful and balanced right out of the box. Players are able to use the same devastating attacks that the previous games allowed Ryu to use. Pair all of this with the fact that this weapon can make quick work of hordes of enemies, while also being excellent for single-target bosses, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to call the True Dragon Sword the best weapon in Ninja Gaiden 4.
Dark Dragon Blade
The Dark Dragon Blade is basically the True Dragon Sword, but for Yakumo. The weapon is extremely easy to use, while also being versatile. It doesn’t matter if you’re cutting down multiple enemies or just one, because this weapon offers more than enough options.
The Dark Dragon Blade is Yakumo’s best weapon, primarily because of its serious damage output. While it isn’t as flashy as the other weapons, it gets the job done quickly and easily. Most players will likely find themselves using this for the late-game challenges that Ninja Gaiden 4 offers.
Solitaire
The Solitaire is the first weapon that The Two Masters DLC adds to Ninja Gaiden 4. This double-bladed war sythe is arguably the best weapon for clearing mobs of enemies. This is because of the weapon’s wide sweeping attacks and extremely fast movement, which doesn’t allow enemies to counter.
While not as insurprisingly powerful as the Dark Dragon Blade, the Solitaire’s fast movement and smooth combo flow can make some players like it more. The charged attacks are also relatively safe when timed right, giving players more flexibility during combat.
Kage-Hiruko
When it comes to versatility, it’s hard to beat the Kage-Hiruko. Being the only weapon with ranged and melee combat, this weapon’s crowd-control abilities are top-notch. It ensures that players with all sorts of playing styles can comfortably use it without having to switch up their habits too much.
Most other weapons in Ninja Gaiden 4 only work in certain situations. That situation can be against waves of enemies or a single high-health boss. However, the Kage-Hiruko can work against anything Yakumo is up against.
Magatsuhi
The Magatsuhi does a lot of things right. It has excellent crowd control that can stun enemies long enough for you to chain combos. It also has a large attack range that you can utilize to save yourself from being taken down while executing its admittedly slow combos.
While the Magatsuhi’s damage is decent, its grounded playing style isn’t as effective as most other weapons. Not to mention, the Bloodraven hammer form may hit extremely hard, but is so slow that many enemies may return the damage tenfold.
Jakotsumon
The Jakotsumon is the second DLC weapon in Ninja Gaiden 4. This time, the weapon is for Ryu, giving him an extra weapon after binding him to just the True Dragon Sword in the base game. These Serpent Gauntlets have chain extensions that let players unleash fast and aggressive combos.
Having multiple ways to strike rapidly and quickly close gaps, the Jakotsumon is much faster than his sword. It demands players to play more aggressively if they want to make good use of the weapon, which is perfect for most.
Takeminakata
Takeminakata are Yakumo’s starting twin-blades. While they’re fairly balanced in terms of speed and damage, they don’t have enough to stand out, especially when compared to most other weapons. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since the Takeminakata are primarily used as tutorial weapons to help players get a feel of the combat.
Where the Takeminakata lacks in uniqueness, it makes up for it in reliability. Regardless of the enemy, players should be able to use these swords to win in most situations. However, it’ll be much easier to use a better weapon almost every time.
Yatousen
The Yatousen is definitely the worst weapon in Ninja Gaiden 4, and for a good number of reasons. Firstly, the weapon only focuses on single-target thrust attacks. While this makes it decent for single enemies, that isn’t enough when facing hordes of enemies, especially because the base damage is somewhat poor compared to other weapons.
To top all of this off, this weapon’s Bloodraven form has a major flaw. Dealing full damage requires Yakumo to stand still for a while. This wouldn’t be an issue, but Ninja Gaiden 4’s combat is fairly fast, especially in harder modes.
