These weapons will forever be synonymous with ninjas and ninja culture. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most dangerous weapons associated with ninjas.
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00:00Ninjutsu employs explosive powders as weapons.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most dangerous weapons associated with ninjas.
00:11Look, Kenny, there's something even you can afford, a ninja shuriken for $1.99.
00:16Number 20, bow and arrow.
00:18There, look.
00:23A lot of different people have used bows and arrows over the years, and for many different reasons.
00:27Hunting is one that immediately comes to mind, but this weapon was also utilized by the ninja as a means of both self-defense and offense.
00:35The bows crafted for these deadly agents were sometimes smaller than average in order to be better concealed and carried around during missions.
00:42Ninjas would often utilize bows and arrows for long-distance assassination attempts or for sharpshooting during battle.
00:48One thing's for sure, however.
00:50This common weapon was almost certainly made more deadly when in the trained hands of these experts.
00:54Stop it!
00:55Hurry! Stop it before he gets away!
00:58Let me pass!
01:00I'm warning you!
01:01Number 19, Tanto.
01:02This Tanto represents the dragon.
01:05Strong.
01:06Fierce.
01:07Intelligent.
01:08This small, short-range sword was held primarily by the samurai classes throughout the era of feudal Japan.
01:14However, ninjas were also known to utilize Tanto at times, particularly when a sneak attack or infiltration attempt had failed.
01:20The edge of the Tanto wasn't primarily designed for slashing, although it could be used in this fashion.
01:26And this short sword was intended for the close-quarter stabbing of an opponent or enemy.
01:35Additionally, there are various subclasses of Tanto, including variations like the Yoroi Doshi, which could pierce armor,
01:42and the Yari Tanto, which could be mounted upon spearheads.
01:46Number 18, Tessen, aka Japanese War Fan.
01:50You might have heard of the existence of the Tessen Iron Bands before, but do you know what they were for or how you fight with them?
01:57The Tessen was another unique Japanese invention of war and battle that was carried by both samurai and ninja warriors over the years.
02:04These small, easily concealed Japanese war fans were often used to carry signals on the battlefield from commanders to their troops.
02:11However, the varied materials used to make these fans could also make them deadly weapons.
02:16Specifically, certain Tessens could have been forged in iron or steel, with sharpened edges that essentially made them cutting tools.
02:23There's even a name for the art of fighting with the Japanese war fan, Tessen Jutsu.
02:28By using a Tessen, you can lock the opponent's wrist easier, and again, the corners will do more damage.
02:33Number 17, Ashiko.
02:35We've been selling the ninja hand claws and foot spikes and grappling hooks for a long time.
02:41How legitimate are they actually at climbing?
02:45A ninja often has to be versatile, both in battle and with infiltration.
02:49Ashiko were heavy, spiked cleats that were used by ninja to traverse icy surfaces, or for climbing difficult terrain.
02:56The pointed, sharpened nature of the Ashiko meant that they could also be incorporated into battle as well.
03:02Specifically, their iron design meant that a ninja that was wearing a pair of Ashiko could also use them to trample enemies underfoot.
03:09I could see these being a very effective weapon at the bottom of your foot.
03:13Granted, their unwieldiness made this something of a last-ditch option for a ninja, but this doesn't make the killing power of a heavy pair of Ashiko any less impressive, or valuable.
03:23Number 16, Naginata.
03:24I've never faced a Naginata.
03:26A bit old-fashioned, but no better weapon when outnumbered in battle.
03:31Don't worry, we can start slow.
03:33One common misconception about the ninjas is that they always utilized either small or compact weapons among their arsenal.
03:39The truth is that ninjas often employed a myriad of weapons, and studied an equally varied amount of martial arts in order to master said weapons.
03:47The Naginata was a polearm, and differed from the common spear in that it could also slash and hook enemies in battle, in addition to being thrust and stabbed.
03:56As you can see, it's got a very long shaft and a very long reach.
04:01It could be used to deliver wide, sweeping cuts to the opponent.
04:04The Naginata was a common weapon in ancient Japan, utilized by both nobility and common classes alike.
04:11As a result, it wasn't the sole property of the ninjas, but these weapons probably took on a whole new meaning once placed within their hands.
04:19Number 15, Stealth.
04:20What are the three most important traits of the ninja?
04:24Speed.
04:28Stealth.
04:29Whoever said that a weapon needed a blade or a curved edge to be effective?
04:32The ability to disappear and blend in with one's surroundings was integral to the life and career of a ninja.
04:38As a result, the art of stealth was one of the most important weapons a ninja could possess.
04:43This was doubly true since it was this reputation for covert, sensitive operations and subterfuge that made ninjas so in demand to begin with.
04:51The best and most valuable ninja assassins proved their mettle as warriors and spies, meaning that stealth was absolutely important when it came to ninja training.
05:00Ninja understands that invisibility is a matter of patience and agility.
05:04Number 14, Poison.
05:06This weapon, a special poison was put onto the points of it.
05:10It won't kill you instantly, but it will surely in a day, and once it has begun, nothing can stop it.
05:16Call this next entry something of a mirror image to our previous mention of stealth.
05:20A ninja who was employed to deliver poison to a target or enemy needed to ensure that this toxin could be dispelled in a manner that was efficient.
05:28This meant a ninja should not only possess a knowledge of medicine, chemistry, and basic pharmaceutical science,
05:33but that they should also decide upon which is the best method to get the poison from point A to point B.
05:39This could be achieved via a blade or a blow dart or, a la classic James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice, a poison string.
05:46Ninjas also often employed poison in order to neutralize guard animals on an enemy's premises.
05:52That's a poison broadhead, which last I heard was illegal.
05:56Number 13, Caltrups.
05:57Here they come!
05:59Wait, I know! I have some Caltrups!
06:01Those are just what the doctor ordered! Let me have some!
06:04It's perhaps one of the most wince-inducing and inhumane weapons around,
06:08and it's not only the ninjas that utilize them either.
06:12We're talking about Caltrups.
06:13Very basic land spikes with a very basic and very effective way of dealing damage.
06:18They're usually triangular in shape, with a sturdy base that ensures a sharpened point is raised up against oncoming cavalry.
06:25Horses, elephants, and camels alike have all felt the Caltrups sting,
06:29while the comparatively soft feet of human adversaries were almost certain to suffer should they be unfortunate enough to encounter these weapons of war.
06:36And they're little, they're little twisted pieces of metal, um, that if you sprinkled on the ground, they would totally slow down an attacker.
06:47Number 12, Kaginawa.
06:48We're coming, April! Don't go anywhere!
06:52Where could I possibly go?
06:54Ah!
06:57If there's been one constant thus far in this list, it's how the ninjas could often, quite easily in fact, turn almost anything into a weapon.
07:04This also applies to the Kaginawa, or grappling hook.
07:08These tough metal hooks attached with rope are just that, climbing tools used to scale walls or traverse difficult distances.
07:15However, a Kaginawa could also be utilized as a melee weapon, one that could be swung to create distance between a ninja and their enemy.
07:23Samurai and others would also employ Kaginawa throughout history,
07:26utilizing the same offense-defense approach when it came to bringing these grappling hooks with them into battle.
07:31I'm starting to like this hook.
07:35Number 11, Katana.
07:41The list of blades utilized by ninja warriors over the years seems endless.
07:46And it's true that they often were trained to convert just about any stolen, gifted, or abandoned sword into a personalized blade for their own use.
07:53The katana were often used by samurai warriors, but also found themselves placed into the hands of ninja, who put their sharp cutting blades to deadly use.
08:03A resourceful ninja might cut or shorten the blade of a katana in order to conceal it on a mission.
08:08This was due to the katana's reputation as a longsword, which wasn't always the most practical for a ninja to employ.
08:15Still, if these blades are good enough for Leonardo, they're good enough for us.
08:18The katana, a royal samurai weapon for those with courage and keen skill.
08:25Number 10, Tekokagi.
08:26We've all seen how much damage an angry Canadian mutant can do with metal claws.
08:30I thought I was just an animal with claws.
08:34Now, imagine them, or something similar anyhow, in the hands of a highly trained and highly skilled ninja.
08:40Originally, they were harvesting tools used by farmers, but ninjas saw their devastating potential.
08:45Tekokagi were good defensively and could easily block incoming attacks, and were used to ensnare an opponent's sword to disarm them.
08:52They also allowed for natural hand movements, which meant a ninja could move faster and easily deal damage.
08:58Anyone who came across a ninja armed with these bad boys was in for a world of trouble.
09:07Vega, where were we?
09:09Number 9, Kusarifundo.
09:11This weighted chain may be simple, but it was a wholly effective weapon.
09:15It was mainly used in defensive maneuvers by entangling opponents in a variety of ways, and disarming an opponent.
09:22It was also good at causing a great deal of pain, as being whipped or strangled by a chain does not exactly tickle,
09:28and the weight was used to hit pressure points.
09:30I can loop this instantly.
09:32I just throw it right over his arm, and with the chain, this starts to dig in like a saw into the arm and the ligaments and tendons.
09:39The Kusarifundo were easily concealed, so they were essential for ninjas who didn't want to attract too much attention.
09:45They were especially popular in Japan during the times when people were not allowed to carry swords,
09:50so ninjas used Kusarifundo to help level the playing field.
09:54This little Kusarifundo here is amazing.
09:57Number 8, Bow.
09:58Oh man, a stick?
10:00Here is one of the first weapons a ninja learns to yield, and one that has been used since written history began.
10:07The bow staff may look innocent, but the 6-foot-tall staff was a great defensive tool,
10:12and was especially deadly in the hands of a ninja.
10:15When not being used in combat, it could even be used as a walking stick.
10:19The ninja were not the only ones to yield the bow staff.
10:22It was also very common for monks and pilgrims to carry it too.
10:25It became popular in the 1600s when commoners were banned from owning weapons.
10:30They improvised and turned farm tools into a version of the bow staff that would become part of Japanese martial arts.
10:36Okay, give me what you got.
10:39Number 7, Kakute.
10:41Well, good evening.
10:43Perhaps you'd like to have this as well.
10:44What is it?
10:45Let me show you.
10:46More than just a fashion statement,
10:48these battle rings were primarily designed to grab and hold onto an opponent,
10:53and to hit his or her pressure points.
10:55The rings were usually worn on the middle finger or thumb,
10:58with the blades pointed toward the palm.
11:00They were easy to hide and were favored by the kunoichi,
11:03or female ninjas that relied on hidden weapons and focused on hand-to-hand combat.
11:08A kunoichi could use a Kakute on an opponent's neck in a stealth attack,
11:12and the point could be laced with poison to ensure it was deadly.
11:15Some girls like mace.
11:17I prefer a little low-grade joke of venom.
11:20Ninjas sometimes wear multiple Kakute so their punches will do more damage,
11:24in a manner that's similar to brass knuckles, but even more painful.
11:28Number 6.
11:29Kama
11:30But because of the unique shape of the Kama's blade,
11:32you can do it with one hand.
11:34The Kama can be described as the sinister curved blade of the Grim Reaper
11:38meeting the efficiency of the ninja,
11:40which makes it truly a weapon forged in nightmares.
11:43Kamas were originally used to cut grass and reap crops,
11:47but when commoners were banned from owning weapons,
11:49they had to improvise, just like they did with the Bo Staff.
11:52The Kama was good defensively,
11:54but if a ninja wanted to go on an all-out offensive attack,
11:57two Kama's were better than one.
11:59Basically, a ninja would arc and slash with his Kama's
12:02while running towards his opponent.
12:04Scary, deadly, and efficient.
12:06You might recognize the Kama from Battle Royale,
12:09since it was assigned to Mitsuko,
12:11one of the more enthusiastic killers in the film.
12:13Number 5.
12:21Fukia
12:21So we've got exposure.
12:23The next test is accuracy.
12:24Okay, let's make blowguns and blow darts.
12:26Okay.
12:27Imagine this.
12:27You are innocently walking through a forest,
12:29and suddenly you feel a sharp pinch in your neck,
12:32and then nothing.
12:33You wake up a few hours later wondering,
12:35what the hell was that?
12:36Well, you have been hit by a dart shot from a fukia,
12:39the blowgun favored by the ninja.
12:41The fukia of the past was a very simple bamboo tube
12:44that could also be used as a snorkel,
12:46so a ninja could hide and breathe underwater.
12:49It was a perfect stealth weapon since it was small,
12:51easy to conceal, and quiet.
12:53If not being used to distract,
12:55the dart tips were covered in a strong poison,
12:57so a ninja could quickly take out an enemy
12:59before he or she had the chance to raise the alarm.
13:02Fukia
13:03Remember the Kamaa and the Kusarifundo?
13:19Well, ninjas decided to take each one of these a step further
13:22by putting them together.
13:24There were different tactics available to the wielder of a Kusarigama.
13:27The ninja could use the chain to ensnare the opponent
13:30and then use the sickle as a follow-up move.
13:33The ninja could also swing the sickle by the chain like a deadly lasso,
13:36effectively keeping distance between themselves and their opponents.
13:39The Kusarigama definitely gets style points
13:42for being an efficient deadly weapon.
13:44You definitely wouldn't want to face off against someone with one.
13:51Number 3, Kunai
13:52The Kunai started out as an innocent gardening tool,
14:00but since they could be cheaply made and were found all over,
14:03ninjas turned them into a useful weapon.
14:05Kunai had many uses for a ninja on the prowl.
14:08They could be thrown for long-range combat,
14:10used in short-range combat,
14:11and could be used as a climbing tool.
14:13Kunai take a lot of skill to wield.
14:16Ninjas would have to train tirelessly to master the art,
14:19and even though Lee Christmas makes it look easy,
14:22we would not recommend Kunai throwing it home.
14:24I now pronounce you
14:26man and knife.
14:30Number 2, Mitsubishi
14:32You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent.
14:36No, this isn't the car brand,
14:37but the pepper spray of the shinobi world.
14:40Mitsubishi was a powder that was used to blind an opponent,
14:43giving the ninja time to flee or even kill.
14:45The powder could be composed of flour, ashes, pepper, sand, dust,
14:50and or other things you wouldn't want in your eyes.
14:52There were a few ways of delivering Mitsubishi.
14:55A popular method was storing the powder in a hollowed egg that was wrapped in paper.
14:59The egg would then be crushed and the powder dispersed.
15:01Another method included a box with a blowing hole and outlet.
15:05Alternately, ninjas could also keep the powder in the sheath of their sword
15:09so they would be ready for any surprise attacks that might come their way.
15:12That's it?
15:13I'm calling this.
15:14It's ninja vanish time!
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15:33Number 1, Shuriken
15:34No ninja arsenal is complete without a shuriken.
15:38The term shuriken refers to a variety of throwing weapons.
15:40The word shuriken literally translates to sword hidden in user's hand.
15:45The shuriken that has become most associated with the ninja is the hira shuriken,
15:50which resembles a star and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
15:54White bats.
15:55Lost the wind.
15:56That's frightened me.
15:57It's time my enemy shared my dread.
16:00Shuriken were used as a distraction tool, forcing an enemy to dodge while giving the ninja an opportunity to strike.
16:06That being said, a fully trained ninja could do some serious damage with a well-aimed shuriken
16:12and have the potential to be deadly.
16:14Not tired. He's already slept.
16:16What is it, Danny?
16:18Real gangsters?
16:19You're just this.
16:20Bro, them devilish gang sounds in the air. Stop keeping it up.
16:22What's your all-time favorite ninja weapon?
16:25Let us know in the comments.
16:26Get over here!
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16:38We'll see you next time.