10 most interesting ninja anime

Under the Ninja, which features a hidden ninja in modern Japan, fans may want to revisit some of the best anime about ninjas these days. In feudal Japan, these stealthy, deadly men were used to infiltrate, spy, and even assassinate. For this task they are trained in ninjutsu: the art of ensuring that one’s presence is unknown.

In the centuries since then, ninjas have taken on a sensational image, with many differences from their historical counterparts. Secret arts and superhuman secret techniques are common to these stories and often borrow the name ninjutsu, Naruto being the simplest example. The most interesting stories skillfully combine the most fascinating elements of both.

10 Naruto

2002-2017 – Available on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Hoopla, Peacock, Roku, Pluto TV.

Perhaps the most famous anime about ninjas, Naruto and Naruto Shippuden show the world of shinobi ten years after the last terrible world war. Naruto Uzumaki is one of the Five Great Villages ninja who trains hard to become the best. In the program’s best story arcs, he never gave up on his dream of becoming a village leader and hero.

Blinking techniques, genetically inherited superpowers, and even aliens are things the historical ninja could never imagine. However, their purpose as soldiers, spies, and assassins is consistent with the ninja’s original role. Naruto’s determination to bring peace to the shinobi world goes against the general purpose of shinobi, and while he is willing to kill if necessary, he is never required to do so.

9 Default is yes

2008 – Available on Crunchyroll.

Another take on the modern world ninja, Nabari no Ou centers around the legendary secret technique Shinrabanshou. Unfortunately for the careless Miharu Rokuju, the scroll it contained was sealed inside. He still couldn’t care less, but the problem was that he was now the target of the ninja clans, looking to steal the Shinrabanshu by any means necessary.

Miharu grew up unaware of the ninja around him, including his teacher, classmates, and even his own family. All too familiar to live in the shadows, constantly watching their backs for enemy action, and getting into deadly or near-killable situations. While powerful techniques are important to them, they are also proficient with simple weapons such as kunai blades.

1993 – Available on Main Video.

Traditionally, the samurai served under the lord; A lone warrior, a samurai without a master, who wanders alone is called a ronin. Like ninja, ronin were considered low and dishonorable, and were often used as mercenaries. Jubei Kibagami, like Ronin, strives to protect his honor, giving up money to do the right thing and risking his life to protect an innocent woman.

Although Jubei is technically a samurai, whose skill is clearly demonstrated by his masterful swordsmanship, he is normally referred to as a ninja. In one of the best ninja movies ever, all are pitted against the demonic Kimon Ninja, who has supernatural powers. These, of course, were no match for Jubei’s martial arts and determination.

7 Rekha’s flame

1997-1998 – Available on Crunchyroll, Peacock, Roku, Tubi, Pluto TV, Freevee.

Reika Hanabishi has always been obsessed with ninjas. His ability to produce flames from his right hand is sure to make them cooler than him. But when his new friend Yanagi Sakoshita is nearly killed by a mysterious ninja, he realizes that he must do everything he can to get out of schoolyard fights and become stronger.

As Rekka hones his martial arts skills and blasts his flames, he doesn’t just fight in spectacular action scenes. He discovers that he may be a ninja, from a powerful clan from the Sengoku period (mid-1400s to early 1600s), killed by Oda Nobunaga, a famous Japanese historical figure featured in many anime.

6 A red shade of masked ninja

1967 – Available on Plex.

Red Shadow mixes a ninja story with the ever-popular tokusatsu genre. Japan’s Sengoku period is also known as the Warring States period for its perpetually violent political struggles. In the midst of this chaos, the three ninja Akakage, Aokage and Shirokage protect Japan from kaiju and warlords in the name of peace and justice.

Mitsuteru Yokoyama ran the original manga from 1966 to 1967, and Toei picked it up right from the anime adaptation, aired from 1967 to 1968. The series was popular enough to get a reboot in 1987 and two live-action film adaptations in 1969. and 2001.

5 Katanagatari

2010 – Available on Plex.

Charged by her shogun to recover Kiki Shikizaki’s twelve deviant blades, Togame Shichika enlists Yasuri’s help in her mission. Since Shichika owns a swordless fighting style, not everyone will be tempted to steal a blade for himself like Togame tried to recruit. An emotional man who prides himself on fighting for love, Shichika is happy to leave his home and help Togam.

Historical ninja aren’t given to awesome swordplay, but that’s not why Maniwa’s ninja corps rival Shichika and Togame’s Deviant Blades. They all want to sell it for money and wealth. While the real ninja try to dress like normal people to blend in, the maniwa go beyond the head-to-toe black robes and wear colorful and striking costumes.

4 Shinobi no Itoki

2022 – Available on Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video.

For centuries, the two most famous schools of ninjutsu were established in the Iga and Kuga regions of Japan. Many anime use the premise of the bitter rivalry between these different disciplines to drive their plots. Shinobi no Ittoki is among the newest ninja shows to do just that.

All his life, Itoki Sakuraba has been constantly sheltered, but he doesn’t know from what. He finally finds his answer in high school, after a girl asks him to kill him once they’re alone. As the secret heir of the Iga clan, Itoki must train hard to fend off many more Kuga killers after his head.

3 Ninja Assassin

2015 – Available on Funimation, Crunchyroll, Tubi

In this dystopian future, technology is great, but ninja souls have been terrorizing the people of Neo-Saitama for hundreds of years. Kenji Fujikido should have read the city’s crime statistics before leading his family there: they were soon killed by the Sukai Syndicate. In his grief, Kenji is captured by Naraku’s ninja soul, which he uses to take revenge on the Syndicate.

Among the many ninja anime, it is unique in its cyberpunk style, doing what Studio Trigger does best. There are no heroic ninjas in this show, the evil ninjas are killers and every evil soul is tormenting humanity. Kenji fights with martial arts, shuriken, and other weapons and is good at infiltrating fortresses, making him more of a ninja than a yakuza-like syndicate.

2 Basilisk

2005 – Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation

Legendary shinobi Hattori Hanzou and shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu join the Iga and Kuga clans as larger-than-life historical figures made into anime. A truce between Hanzu clans was broken to decide which of Joshua’s grandsons would succeed him. Now, the clans eagerly send each other’s successor warriors to fight to the death for them.

This is a very bad time to fall in love with the heir of an enemy clan. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Genosuke and Oboro as their engagement with the truce between both clans. As a deadly rivalry rages on, while one of the best revenge plots in anime plays out behind the scenes, the lovers must fight to keep their relationships and families alive.

1 Blood Reign: Yoma’s Curse

1989 – Available on Roku.

In feudal Japan, the Takeda clan was one of the most prominent samurai families. But there is no such story in their extensive history. Maru and Hikage are shinobi loyal to Takeda, until one night the head of the family is killed by a demon and Hikage disappears.

Maru’s mission begins with the other clans fearing Takeda’s vulnerability and saying, “Find and kill Hikage.” But as the entire country is threatened by the forces spawned by Hell, the history of the Reign of Blood is vaster than any shinobi could ever imagine. The actions of shinobi are not in vain: the pain and anger of each soul slain in close combat fuels the brutal Yumas, allowing them to create even more chaos and death.

Ninja anime often borrows from real-life roots to tell stories that can be very interesting about an event and its impact on Japanese history. Because of this, the creators put their own spin on these stories, creating from the rest the ghostly powers, supernatural elements and unique character designs. The most interesting ninja anime includes both true classics and modern-day masterpieces.