Ninja (job)

The Ninja , sometimes abbreviated as NIN , is a recurring job class in the Final Fantasy series. Originally appearing as an upgraded class in the first Final Fantasy, it has since become a series staple in titles that feature the job system as a core gameplay mechanic. Ninjas tend to be agile fighters that specialize in dual wielding short swords and throwing shurikens.
The Ninja almost always serves as one of the later jobs players unlock, sometimes serving as a stronger version of the Thief job. A common variant of the Ninja is the recurring Assassin job.
==Profile==
Ninjas are characterized by wearing cowls that cover their mouths and head, and lightweight armor. Their weapons include ninja blades, katana, and throwing weapons. Physically they are strong and have high Speed, but their HP and Defense are low. Their special ability is Throw, which lets them throw weapons including shuriken and magical scrolls to do high damage, but in most cases, the item thrown is consumed.
In some installments, Ninjas wield specialized Ninjutsu abilities. They usually have methods of nullifying physical attacks by creating illusions, and can equip two weapons at once.
Ninjas are often related to the Thief class, and usually are an improvement or branch of that class. Their roles revolve around being more debilitating through inflicting great damage with their fast speed and evasion, and by crippling opponents by weakening and inflicting status effects on them.
==Appearances==
===Final Fantasy===
The Ninja is the upgrade to the Thief class. The Ninja can equip many more weapons and armor than the Thief and can also cast lower-level Black Magic spells.
===Final Fantasy III===
The Ninja is a job gained in the hidden land of Eureka in the NES version, and from the Earth Crystal in the 3D versions. Ninjas can deal massive damage by throwing weapons and specialized projectiles at the enemy. In the 3D versions, Ninja is weaker than in the original version to be equal to other jobs.
===Final Fantasy IV===
Edge is the Ninja prince of Eblan, a nation of legendary Ninja. Edge was the first named Ninja, and the first to have access to Ninjutsu magic. As a Ninja, Edge also has access to the Throw ability, allowing him to hurl weapons and shurikens at enemies, damaging them. He can also Dual Wield katanas, allowing him to do much greater damage.
====Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-====
Edge returns as a Ninja and he retains all of his skills from the previous game. Both Gekkou and Zangetsu make a small cameo appearance, but both are non-playable characters.
====Final Fantasy IV: The After Years====
Edge is a party member, retaining many of his original Ninjutsu skills. Zangetsu, Izayoi, Gekkou, and Tsukinowa are disciples of Edge known as the "Eblan Four", and are also Ninjas. Despite her insistence she is no different then the males, Izayoi is classed as "Kunoichi", a word that is used in modern day to refer to female ninja.
===Final Fantasy V===
The Ninja job is granted to the party from a Fire Crystal shard. It possesses the ability to Throw Items at opponents and to affect encounters and escapes in battle. Ninjas also appear as enemies.
===Final Fantasy VII===
Yuffie is a Ninja who doubles as a Thief. Yuffie was born in the nation of Wutai, which has a long history of Ninja teachings. She also comes equipped with the Throw Materia.
===Final Fantasy XI===
Ninja (NIN) is an advanced job available to level 30 players who complete a subquest. They are one of the most popular "tanking" classes, and can dual-wield and use Ninjutsu skills.
===Final Fantasy XII===
In the Zodiac versions, the Shikari uses daggers and ninja swords, as well as some White Magick and Technicks.
===Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings===
Ninjas are a class available to sky pirates. Their special abilities let them attack by combining elemental affinities with status effects.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
Ninjas (NIN) are a specialization of the , focused on dual wielding knives and daggers performing elemental Ninjutsu by weaving together various mudras in specific combinations.
===Final Fantasy Tactics===
Ninjas are the fastest class, but they have low Defense. They can use the Throw ability and dual-wield swords.
===Final Fantasy Tactics Advance===
Ninja is a hume job. They are one of the most praised jobs as their Speed growth and Attack power are outstanding. Ninjas wield katanas and can master veils to hinder the opponent by inflicting status ailments. Ninja's downside is that its veils are weak, despite the Ninja's favorable Magic growth. The Ninja can be seen as a counterpart to the Assassin, a viera job.
====Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift====
Ninja is a job exclusive to humes. It has an emphasis on speed and inflicting status effects. The Ninja is able to Dual Wield weapons in combat, greatly increasing his Attack power.
The Nightfall class used by Ewen is essentially a Ninja class as well, using the same Ninjutsu skill set and learning them from the same weapons.
===Final Fantasy Tactics S===
===Final Fantasy Type-0===
Class Ninth Moogle of the Cranberry Knights represents the Ninja class.
===Final Fantasy Mystic Quest===
Tristam can be considered a Ninja, even though there is no job mentioned. He does possess characteristics of a Ninja; such as his main weapon is Ninja Star, wears armor called Black Robe which resembles a Black Garb. Enemy Ninjas also appear.
===Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light===
Ninja is a crown obtained by defeating Krinjh in Moonsand Ruins.
The Ninja's special ability makes random encounters less frequent. This is useful when progressing through dungeons, but the player cannot turn it off. The Ninja is a powerful warrior that excels in using swords. The Ninja's battle skills allow them to raise their evasion and make them harder to hit.
===Final Fantasy Dimensions===
Jinnai is a Ninja, and the Warriors of Darkness receive the job class from him in his Chapter, "Honor Among Thieves".
===Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)===
In the Duel Colosseum, when selected, the Ninja job card will protect the player from losing medals or card luck upon losing a battle. Ninja is also one of the Onion Knight's two EX Modes.
====Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy====
The Ninja job card appears in the Labyrinth mode, and prevents the loss of card luck after defeat.
The Ninja is also an advance job that can be selected for a character in the player's party for Quick Battle, Friend Cards, or wireless matches. It requires the powers of the Monk, Thief and Warrior to be combined to be unlocked, and grants the character a full Assist Gauge at the start of battle, and lowers the rate at which the gauge depletes.
====Dissidia Final Fantasy NT====
===Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin===
Ninja is an Expert Job available after unlocking the corresponding nodes in the Thief and Samurai Job Trees. In addition, it is available to Jed after clearing the "Ebon Memories: The Power-Hungry" side mission.
Ninja is a versatile utility job that specializes in debilitating enemies through status ailments and agile attacks. It serves as an evolution of the Thief job through its quick attack style that clears break gauges and the usage of the daggers and knuckles. The Ninja also borrows from the Samurai with the katana's slow but heavy-hitting combos and greater MP recovery from normal attacks. The passives they receive further rewards a sneaky playstyle with increased damage and break damage on Afflicted enemies and faster accumulation on enemies.
===Pictlogica Final Fantasy===
===Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade===
The Ninja is a job available after obtaining a level 10 Dancer and a level 10 Monk. The preferred weapons for the job are katana and throwing weapons. The job specializes in both strength and agility abilities. The job is involved in the requirements to unlock the Assassin job.
===Final Fantasy Artniks===
The Ninja appears as a character card.
===Final Fantasy All the Bravest===
The Ninja is a character available to the party, he uses the Shuriken ability during battle. He unlocks at level 30.
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
Ninja appears as a recruitable character. He is unlocked in Chaos Shrine of Yore, Part 2 on Classic as the First Time Reward.
===Final Fantasy Explorers===
Ninja is a job unlocked in the 3★ Quest, "Aptitude Exam: Ninja & Bard". The Ninja is a high mobility damager and tank. It can initially equip dual ninjato, katanas and knuckles; after mastery dual daggers can be equipped.
===Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon===
The Ninja appears as an advanced job for Chocobo.
===Final Fantasy Trading Card Game===
The Ninja job appears in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as multiple Forward and Backup cards of different elements. The cards depict Refia, Luneth, Arc, and Ingus from Final Fantasy III, Galuf and Faris from Final Fantasy V, the Ninja job from Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, and Final Fantasy Explorers, a Galka, an Elvaan, and a Hume from Final Fantasy XI, and a Hyur from Final Fantasy XIV.
RefiaNinja TCG.png|Ninja [1-065C] Chapter series card.
LunethNinja TCG.png|Ninja [1-066C] Chapter series card.
NinjaClass-TradingCard.jpg|Ninja [2-011C] Chapter series card.
NinjaFemale TCG.png|Ninja [2-075C] Chapter series card.
NinjaMale TCG.png|Ninja [2-076C] Chapter series card.
3-092 Ninja Faris.jpg|Ninja [3-092C] Chapter series card.
4-065C.jpg|Ninja [4-065C] Chapter series card.
IngusNinja2 TCG.png|Ninja [5-114C]/[13-157C] Chapter series card.
Ninja TCG.png|Ninja [8-009C] Chapter series card.
Ninja XI TCG.png|Ninja [8-039C] Chapter series card.
Ninja2 XI TCG.png|Ninja [10-052C] Chapter series card.
Ninja3 XI TCG.png|Ninja [11-052C] Chapter series card.
Ninja Explorers TCG.png|Ninja [14-092C] Chapter series card.
Ninja XIV TCG.png|Ninja [15-103C] Chapter series card.
Ninja 1-078C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [1-078C] Opus series card.
Ninja 2-013C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [2-013C] Opus series card.
Ninja 2-061C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [2-061C] Opus series card.
Ninja 2-114C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [2-114C] Opus series card.
Ninja 2-115C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [2-115C] Opus series card.
Ninja 3-090C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [3-090C] Opus series card.
Ninja 4-108C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [4-108C] Opus series card.
Ninja 5-017C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [5-017C] Opus series card.
Ninja 5-065C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [5-065C] Opus series card.
Ninja 6-097C from FFTCG Opus.jpg|Ninja [6-097C] Opus series card.
===Final Fantasy Portal App===
Ninja from Final Fantasy III 3D remake appears as a Triple Triad card.
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
===Mario Hoops 3-on-3===
The Ninja appears as a secret character Ninja's special shot is Leaf Veil. He shares a similar appearance to the Ninja class from the first Final Fantasy.
===Mario Sports Mix===
Ninja is a character unlocked by clearing Star Road once. He is also in Star Ship battle.
===Knights of the Crystals===
The Ninja appears on a silver card.
Knightsofthecrystals-NinjaMale.png|Ninja (male).
Knightsofthecrystals-NinjaFemale.png|Ninja (female).
===Mana series===
The recurring enemy Ninja appears familiar to Final Fantasy's depiction of the Ninja job class, first appearing in Final Fantasy Adventure. In gameplay, Ninjas are considered mid to high tier enemies that are encountered deep into the game, capable of using shuriken to attack foes from long distances, and have access to magic. In Secret of Mana, other powerful variants such as the Darkstalker and the Ninja Master appear, utilizing Saber spells to add more dangerous effects to their attacks like freezing allies into snowmen and petrification.
Within Trials of Mana, Ninja enemies and its two palette swaps; Ninja Master and Nightblade appear, and are considered enemy embodiment of the Thief's Dark job class path. The former thieves guild turned Kingdom of Nevarl is also considered a nation state that majors in the class in representation, utilizing their thievery born expertise in trickery and deception to overwhelm and conquer other nations by applying it with the arts of war and combat.
The Ninja job class itself is a more offensive focused route that specializes in drawing out the more lethal capabilities of the Thief's speed and agility with an emphasis on more damaging techniques, including Ninjutsu inspired spells to simultaneously damage and debilitate foes. Its Level 2 Tech is the Silhouette Slice, a technique that uses evasive feigning to front a double series of intense slashes as the foe is open. As an intermediate class, the Ninja can progress into either the Dark-Light path as a Ninja Master, that fully realizes the potential of the basic Ninja class, or the Darkmost class of the Nightblade, which becomes a more enfeebling flexibly supportive class to wipe out enemies quicker. As according to in-world lore:
===Minna to BIOHAZARD Clan Master===
As a crossover collaboration with Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, the Resident Evil smartphone card battle RPG Minna to BIOHAZARD Clan Master boasts character HUNK as a Ninja. This is likely in correlation with how HUNK is an elite member of the Umbrella Security Service, and is regarded with much renown due to being the constant and sole survivor of the paramilitary group's extremely harrowing and deathly missions regarding the company's experiments into biological warfare.
===Bravely series===
The Ninja job appears in Bravely Default, Bravely Second: End Layer and Bravely Default: Praying Brage. The job uses ninjutsu that increases evasion or changes whom enemies target. With their innate ability dual wield, they can deal high amounts of damage by using two weapons without penalty, while using Ninjutsu to to avoid or redirect enemy blows.
BDFF Ninja.png|Ringabel and Edea as Ninjas in Bravely Default.
BS Magnolia Ninja.png|Magnolia as a Ninja in Bravely Second: End Layer.
BDPB Ninja2 Small.png|Bravely Default: Praying Brage
==Gallery==
FF3-Ninja.png|Main cast of Final Fantasy III as Ninjas.
Ninja Job from FFV SD art.png|Main cast of Final Fantasy V as Ninjas.
Bartz Ninja from FFV SD art.png|Bartz from Final Fantasy V as a Ninja.
FFXI-Hume-Ninja.jpg|A Elvaan Ninja in Final Fantasy XI.
Hume Ninja RW.png|Hume Ninja in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.
FFXIVARR_Ninja.png|A Hyur Ninja in Final Fantasy XIV.
FFT Ninja.jpg|Ninjas in Final Fantasy Tactics.
Ffta-h-ninja.jpg|human Ninja in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
TA2-HumeNinja.jpg|Hume Ninja in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.
FFTS Ninja SR Portrait.png|Hume Ninja portrait in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFTS Ninja SR Icon.png|Hume Ninja icon in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFTS Ninja Sprite.png|Hume Ninja sprite in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
Ninja Dissidia.png|Onion Knight as a Ninja in Dissidia Final Fantasy.
Tristan2.jpg|Tristan is a Ninja in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.
NinjaArt.png|Brandt as a Ninja in The 4 Heroes of Light.
Ffl-char-jinnai.png|Jinnai, a Ninja in Final Fantasy Dimensions.
FFD - Ninja.png|Ninja job in Final Fantasy Dimensions.
FFAB Ninja Male.png|A male Ninja in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade.
FFAB Ninja Female.png|A female Ninja in Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade.
FF3 Ninja (Luneth) R L Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
FF3 Ninja L Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
FF5A Ninja N F Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
Ninja ATB.png|Final Fantasy All the Bravest.
FFRK_Ninja.png|Final Fantasy Record Keeper.
PFF Ninja M.png|Male Ninja in Pictlogica Final Fantasy.
PFF Ninja F.png|Female Ninja in Pictlogica Final Fantasy.
Chocobo Ninja.png|Chocobo as a Ninja in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.
FFE_Ninja.png|A Ninja in Final Fantasy Explorers.
==Etymology==
de:Ninja (Beruf)
es:Ninja (Trabajo)
it:Ninja (classe)
 
Category:Recurring jobs