Ninjas continue to appear in movies, TV shows, games, comics, and more. This has led to countless myths about these mystical warriors.
Ninjas continue to appear in movies, TV shows, games, comics, and more. This has led to countless
myths about these mystical warriors.
But what was being a ninja REALLY like? Keep
reading as we slice into this sneaky topic!
1
Hand signs being associated with ninjas predates Naruto. They derive from esoteric Buddhist practices that were associated with ninjutsu. -u/jurble
2
'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' was released in the UK as 'Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles' due to the man who led the British Board of Film Classification dislike of Ninjas and violence. -u/Status-Victory
3
Two men, Jinichi Kawakami and Masaaki Hatsumi, claim to be the last living descendants of authentic ninjutsu—in other words, they are the world’s last true ninjas. In 2012, both men stated they would not be choosing an heir, thus likely dooming the ninja to extinction. -u/flyingbyson
4
Snake Eyes, one of the 16 original G.I. Joe action figures, was designed to save Hasbro money. As a ninja, the character was completely molded from black plastic, even given a mask to prevent detailing a face. The figure wasn't even painted, but became one of the most popular G.I. Joe figures. -u/SlothSpeed
5
Japan is Experiencing a Ninja Shortage as Martial Arts Groups Struggle to Find Qualified Ninjas to Fill Tourist Demand for "Ninja Shows." -u/lorkalz
6
“Ninja" and "shinobi" are not two different words, but the same word read in two different ways. -u/Soulothar
7
Japan utilized Ninjas during WWII. -u/Hektik352
8
Ishikawa Goemon was a Japanese ninja who was a Robin Hood-like figure and was sentenced to death by being boiled alive along with his infant son. -u/JimmyPopinFresh
9
There is no historical evidence to suggest that Ninjas used throwing stars as throwing stars. They were certainly carried but there is nothing in written record which suggests they were used as a throwing weapon. -deleted user
10
Frog summoning ninjas are a rather old part of Japanese mythology. (As are snail and snake summoning ninjas). -deleted user
11
Ninja were required to learn the crafts of several civilian jobs in order to more easily infiltrate enemy positions. -u/jonnyah
12
After actor David Carradine's death by auto-erotic asphyxiation, his lawyer and loved ones spread the story that he was killed by a secret ninja society, in order to silence Carradine before he "uncovered" them. -u/dogrio345
13
When the Prince Charles Cinema in London got tired of disruptive moviegoers, they hired "ninjas" to wear black morph suits and wait in the back of the theater to scare anyone who is talking or texting. -u/azsportsfan
14
Ninjas would carry crickets or cicadas to disguise their sound when they needed. -u/heardyoumeow
15
The fukiya (吹き矢) is the Japanese blowgun used by ninjas originally. The ninja would have had to use special darts with poisoned tips in order for it to work, and fired from a concealed location. Most likely, it was used similarly to the shuriken (throwing star), as a distraction. -deleted user
16
Only the very lowest ranked ninjas actually did fieldwork and went on missions. Higher ranked ninjas, generally recruited from the upper classes, tended to keep their hands clean and acted as administrators taking contracts and meeting with clients. -u/MetaAbra
17
Bruce Lee's cause of death is highly debated upon, the official reason being an allergic reaction to a compound in a painkiller while hypothesized reasons include murder by ninjas, heatstroke and cannabis. -u/halcyoncrystal
18
Uesugi Kenshin was a Daimyo in Feudal Japan with a controversial death. One account claims that he was assassinated when a ninja hiding in his latrine killed him when he went to relieve himself. -u/verostein
19
In 1998, there was an outbreak of mass hysteria in East Java, Indonesia, in which the local population believed they were being targeted by sorcerers known as the 'ninja', who were blamed for mysterious killings of religious leaders. Over 250 people were lynched in the surrounding area. -u/Bloke22
20
A 74 year old Japanese man, dressed as a ninja and possessing great physical ability, carried out 254 break-ins worth $260,000 before he was caught by police. -u/senbei1
21
In feudal Japan lords purposely built homes with squeaky floors as a defensive measure against ninjas. -u/jjps16
22
Ninjas never wore black. The darkest color they ever wore was blue (during nighttime). Mostly they wore the inconspicuous clothing of peasants, merchants, traveling priests, etc. -u/tannya7903
23
Japan is running out of Ninjas. -u/ben_zeen
24
Ninjas didn't wear black masks. The mask associated with ninjas is actually an amalgamation of how a thief dressed in Japan. Ninjas also didn't use shuriken (throwing stars), these were used by Samurai swordsmen. -u/BillieJoHodge
25
Ninjas avoided garlic or any pungent food to prevent their body odor from being detected by the enemy when hiding. -u/maygamer96
