Ninja Arts (秘伝忍法, Hiden Ninpō), also known as Secret Ninja Arts, are the secret shinobi techniques that exhibit a paranormal power by embodying a creature imagined within the mind. Secret Ninja Arts require a Secret Ninja Art Scroll to execute.
Overview[]
As mentioned before, Secret Ninja Arts are secret shinobi techniques that exhibit a paranormal power by embodying a creature imagined within the mind.
When you summon, it can be anything you want. It doesn't matter if it's a real or imaginary creature. However, the summoning is greatly affected by the person's innate characteristics or in other words "compatibility." This is also the reason why some shinobi can summon more than one creature. If you try to something at random, chances are the summoning will be a failure.
Sometimes, one's family line has a bearing on one's summoning beast. The trend is particularly strong in families where there are more than one generation of practicing shinobi. To use Secret Ninja Arts you need a Secret Ninja Art scroll which all shinobi carry around with them.
Secret Ninja Arts can be through the use of weapons or fighting styles, elemental affinities, summoning ninja animals, and many others, but not limited to only one thing, as one can attain the ability to combine the types, like an affinity imbued weapon.
Five Elements Theory[]
All things are composed of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. These elements are crucial in mastering shinobi techniques.
Categories[]
Shinobi Transformation[]
A Ninja Art which transforms the user into their Shinobi Form, increasing their abilities and allowing access to their other Secret Ninja Arts. This uses a single scroll from your Ninja Arts gauge.
Secret Ninja Art[]
A powerful attack or ability that costs a single scroll from your Ninja Arts gauge.
Super Secret Ninja Art[]
A Super Secret Ninja Art is a stronger form of Secret Ninja Art.
Ultimate Secret Ninja Art[]
An Ultimate Secret Ninja Art (絶・秘伝忍法, Zetsu Hiden Ninpō) is a high-level Secret Ninja Art. It can only be mastered by doing battle with opposing forces (Good and Evil). It serves as a way for a shinobi to manifest their full potential.
It costs between three and five scrolls from your Ninja Art gauge, and in Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus it has the additional requirement of the user being at critical health.
Aerial Ninja Art[]
A type of Secret Ninja Art that can be executed in the air and costs a single scroll from your Ninja Art gauge. These are only available in the 3DS games.
Stacked Secret Ninja Art[]
A Secret Ninja Art that two shinobi activate in tandem. By combining their powers, two shinobi can achieve greater results than they could individually. They require three scrolls from both users of the Ninja Art.
This is only available in Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson.
Secret Fusion Ninja Art[]
A Secret Fusion Ninja Art (合わせ秘伝忍法, Awase Hiden Ninpō) is a Secret Ninja Art that two shinobi activate in tandem. Much more powerful than a Stacked Secret Ninja Art, it can only be activated when two shinobi are perfectly in sync. These are the special team attacks compared to the Stacked Secret Ninja Art's generic ones. They require three scrolls from both users of the Ninja Art.
This is only available in Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson.
Anathematic Ninja Art[]
This is a category of Forbidden Techniques (usually contained in a Super-Secret Ninja Art Scroll) that are highly dangerous and not to be used.
Largely these are not available for use to players. However, as a result of Miyabi using the forbidden Blood Riot Ninja Art, she has access to her Abyssal form, which you can use in gameplay.
Applications[]
- Weapon: Those who practice use of specific weapons can use them as part of the art. (i.e. Yomi's Niflheim)
- Affinity: Those who use raw elemental (or non-elemental) energy as an attack.
- Summon: Those who use the abilities of their summon to aid them in their assault by summoning the creature itself. (i.e. Asuka's Toad Summoning, Yumi's White Widow.)
- Self: Those who use themselves as part of the art and temporarily gain new abilities and potentially altered fighting styles. Some may even take on characteristics of their summon creature. (i.e. Homura's Crimson Lotus, Miyabi's Paradiso of the Abyss.)
Limitations[]
Secret Ninja Arts can only be preformed while in a transformed state. I.E Shinobi Transformation or Frantic and, and cannot be used in the normal clothed state.
Games[]
In the games, the Secret Ninja Arts are used to clear out crowds of enemies, or deal large amounts of damage to bosses. There are several levels and types of Secret Ninja Arts in the games.
3DS Main Series[]
- Secret Ninja Arts (秘伝忍法)- Base Level. Requires one bar of meter.
- Super Secret Ninja Arts (超秘伝忍法)- Requires 2 bars.
- Aerial Secret Arts (空中秘伝忍法)- Requires one bar. Must be preformed in the air.
- Secret Fusion Ninja Arts: Requires 3 scrolls from both shinobi. Their damage output depends on the characters' mutual Affection.[1]
PlayStation Sub-series (VERSUS)[]
In the VERSUS sub-series for PlayStation and the Burst Re:Newal remake, there are Secret Ninja Arts and Ultimate Secret Ninja Arts. There a three levels to Ninja Arts, each taking precedence over the lower level art (i.e. A Secret Ninja Art 1 will be canceled out by a Secret Ninja Art 2 while an Ultimate Secret Ninja Art can cancel out both Secret Ninja Arts 1 and 2).
Secret Ninja Arts each take a fixed amount of scrolls to execute:
- Secret Ninja Art 1□ (秘伝忍法□): One Scroll
- Secret Ninja Art 2△ (秘伝忍法△): Two Scrolls
- Ultimate Secret Ninja Art ○ (絶・秘伝忍法○): Three to Five Scrolls, depending on game