History

The Ninja first appeared in Build 124.0. He is the first class to use the katana weapon, and the first class to possess an ability that has two separate functions, speed and damage, based on how the ability key is used. The katana has an attack range shorter than that of a dagger, effectively making Ninja a melee class. Build X10.3 saw the damage and range of tiered katana buffed, making Ninja a much more viable class. Unlocking it requires attaining level 20 with both [Rogue](/wiki/rogue) and [Warrior](/wiki/warrior). See his stat gains, caps and averages here.

Stats and Equipment

With a cap of 70 in both attack and dexterity, Ninja can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. A speed cap of 60 allows him to move fast for a melee class even without his ability, and a wisdom cap of 70 gives him relatively quick mana regeneration. However, Ninja possesses a vitality cap of only 40, as well as the average defense cap of 25. This makes Ninja relatively frail, especially since he is the only melee class to wear [leather](/wiki/leather-armors) instead of [heavy armor](/wiki/heavy-armors). Ninja's equipment choices emphasize high DPS, speed, and skillful dodging techniques. The Ninja's weapon of choice is the [katana](/wiki/katanas). Katana are essentially swords with lower damage per shot but a longer range and, more importantly, the ability to pierce. The piercing ability of katana make them very effective against closely clustered enemies and bosses that surround themselves with minions or other projectile-absorbing objects. The drawback to the katana is that its range, while longer than tiered swords, might still be too short for some to comfortably get close to dangerous enemies. The multiple options of katana available allow Ninja to fulfill a variety of roles and situations.

The Muramasa and Masamune are the best tiered katana, dealing high damage to multiple enemies with the Ninja's naturally high attack and dexterity stat caps. With a range of 4.75 tiles, Ninja can stand a decent distance from enemies while still doing heavy damage.

The Ray Katana is an untiered katana that has a 6.12 tile range, allowing Ninja to fight from much farther away than tiered katana allow. However, the bump in range comes with a price of significantly lower (albeit consistent) damage output than most other katana. It drops from the [Eye of the Dragon](/wiki/rock-dragon).

The [Doku No Ken](/wiki/doku-no-ken) is probably the most practical katana that a Ninja can use. This katana has a range of 5.2 tiles and a 120% rate of fire. Its DPS curve follows the Masamune very closely; it has a slightly higher DPS than Masamune against enemies below 40 defense, but thereafter loses its edge by a similarly small margin. Its increased range effectively makes it an upgrade over tiered katana. The shots fired from the Doku travel in a wavy pattern similar to a staff's shots, which for some players makes it more difficult to land hits. The shots "true up" at the middle and end of their lifetime, allowing you to attack at maximum range without drawback. It can be found in [the Crawling Depths](/wiki/the-crawling-depths). ![Void Blade](https://static.drips.pw/rotmg/wiki/Untiered/Void%20Blade.png) The [Void Blade](/wiki/void-blade) is an odd katana that can be found in the [Toxic Sewers](/wiki/toxic-sewers). In a similar vein to the [Wand of the Bulwark](/wiki/wand-of-the-bulwark), it has a slow rate of fire but high per-shot damage. Its DPS is higher than all tiered katana as well as the Doku. However, the catch to this powerful DPS is that this katana has a range of 0. The projectiles fired by this katana float in place for roughly 4.2 seconds before disappearing, and any enemy that runs into it will take massive damage (although one shot will not hit the same enemy twice). This katana is very effective against enemies with certain predictable movement patterns, such as fast chaser enemies. It has the potential to make short work of certain dungeon bosses such as [Limon the Sprite Goddess](/wiki/limon-the-sprite-goddess), and it can also kill many godlands and quest enemies in a single hit! In short, if you can manage to exploit enemy movement patterns and stack projectiles for maximum damage, this is a great swapout.

The [Sullen Blade](/wiki/sullen-blade) is a unique katana that fires 3 projectiles in an arc pattern, similar to that of tiered bows. It potentially has the most DPS of all katana. However, it possesses a very short range of 3.75 tiles (it can only land all three shots up to 1.37 tiles) and lacks the ability to pierce. It has the edge in DPS over the Void Blade up to about 40 defense. Its high DPS can come to use in situations that allow the Ninja to get close enough to fully utilize the Sullen Blade's power, such as event chests or the [Mysterious Crystal](/wiki/mysterious-crystal) (but do be wary of the Crystal's quiet nova). This katana is dropped by [Feargus](/wiki/feargus-the-demented).

Ability

The Ninja's ability, the [star](/wiki/stars), provides two functions based on how the ability key is used. When the key is held down, every star grants the Speedy status, raising your speed by 50% and draining 10MP per second, as well as disabling mana regeneration from wisdom. When the ability button is released, Ninja throws the star in the direction the cursor is aimed. A star will be thrown *every time the ability key is released,* so long as mana is available for it. The speedy of higher-tiered stars is not any more efficient than the lower tiers. In fact, using a higher tiered star solely for speedy is less mana efficient, especially if the ability key is cycled frequently. Most stars have a long enough range that they can snipe certain bosses, such as [Dr. Terrible](/wiki/dr-terrible), without activating them. Unlike most quivers, most stars do not pierce enemies, so aim carefully.

The case for the [Basic Star](/wiki/basic-star) and [Four-Point Star](/wiki/four-point-star) is to maximize mana efficiency while extensively using the speedy. Ninja should equip this when speed is important and damage is not a priority. Another reason to carry a low tier star is to spam the ability and abuse the 10-15 tile range, allowing the Ninja to easily attain soulbound damage on difficult-to-approach bosses such as Wine Cellar Oryx.

The Wind Circle is noteworthy for having a faster speed than any other star. With a range of 17 tiles, it also has one of, if not *the,* longest ranges of any weapon or ability usable by the player in the entire game. Its faster projectile speed makes it slightly easier to hit enemies.

The Ice Star and Doom Circle are the best tiered stars; they have the highest damage output, a range of 15 tiles, and cost the most MP per throw. These stars are useful when the power of the ability is the top priority. The Doom Circle in particular has the most efficient damage output of all stars, the Ice Star being a close second.

The [Midnight Star](/wiki/midnight-star) is a rare UT star. This star can paralyze an enemy for 4 seconds, longer than any other ability is capable of. This can make it useful while rushing or fighting bosses. However, its damage is significantly lower than tiered stars, matching the damage per mana efficiency of the basic star. This *could* be used as a primary star, but only if you are comfortable with it and can use this star to its full potential. This star drops from the [Ivory Wyvern](/wiki/ivory-wyvern). ![Kageboshi](http://i.imgur.com/hjpl1lO.png) The [Kageboshi](/wiki/kageboshi) is another UT star that drops from the [Jade and Garnet Statues](/wiki/jade-and-garnet-statues). This star is the only one with the ability to pierce enemies, giving it the potential to be very powerful against many enemies at once. However, its damage against singular targets is significantly lower than that of most tiered stars, and its range of 8.4 tiles is also the shortest of all stars. Because of the significant drop in damage, it is only worthwhile to use this star if you can consistently hit more than one target with it.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The Ninja is a swift and lethal class. His power rivals that of [Wizard](/wiki/wizard) and [Archer](/wiki/archer), and becomes superior against high defense enemies. In the hands of a skilled player, Ninja can be one of the quickest and most powerful classes in the game. The speed boost he possesses can be activated at will, giving him a rushing flexibility exclusive to the class. The stars also allow Ninja to strike enemies well beyond the range of any other weapon. His weaknesses are having a short range weapon, being fragile due to his leather armor, and his low health regeneration for a melee class. Like any melee class, a freshly leveled Ninja might struggle to farm godlands or complete events compared to non-melee classes, largely due to the short range of katana. The range advantage over swords does ease some of the range anxiety, which is especially helpful on a leather class. A Ninja can overcome his disadvantages using his ludicrous speed to evade projectiles, and his high power to defeat enemies quickly. As with any class, his low vitality can be supplemented by a decent healing pet.

Group Role

Ninja's ability to rush and quickly take out smaller enemies can be a benefit to a group of players. Similar to a dagger class using the Bone Dagger or a bow class, taking minions out quickly allows other players who cannot pierce enemies to deal damage. He can also rush dungeons far quicker than any class other than possibly the Rogue or Trickster, allowing a group to complete a difficult dungeon such as a Tomb of the Ancients much more quickly. Maxed mana, wisdom and speed will greatly aid you in any rushes you may take part in. Ninja is well-known for his extended speed boosts while rushing dungeons, attaining the highest sustained speed in the game with the proper equipment. If a Ninja has the Midnight Star, he can also fulfill the role of paralyzing enemies normally taken by Archer.

Event and Dungeon Bosses

While his low defense hinders his ability to defeat Skull Shrines and Cube Gods that a Warrior would have no trouble with, he can easily get his damage in and escape, throwing the star as a last attack. His entire style with these two bosses is to hit and run, similarly to the Assassin. Against the Rock Dragon, he is excellent for bringing the Dragon's Body Segments down, but it's difficult to get damage in during the eye phase. Pentaracts are even easier than normal with a good Ninja; the speedy boost allows you to get damage in on multiple towers far quicker than other classes. Hermit Gods can be taken down quicker, but you have to watch out for being chain-paralyzed; you cannot take as many hits as other melees. His short range and high power allows for precision against Tomb bosses, and his piercing allows you to get damage in during minion and artifact phases. His high power allows you to kill weaker bosses in record time; only a few other classes are capable of producing the DPS Ninja is capable of.

Summary

The Ninja is a very effective class if you want to kill things quickly and have an itchy trigger finger on your ability key. If you want a powerful piercing melee class that can also rush dungeons quickly, and you can manage the lack of armor or healing abilities, then the Ninja is for you.

Do note that the following class guides/opinions were largely written before the X10.3 update.

Israphial's two cents

People look down on this class, but to me... It's amazing. When the UT katanas get re-released it'll be useful in even more situations. I was fortunate to have a Ray katana before everything went SB, and it makes the class even cooler. Of course, my primary weapon is the T12 katana, but Ray has it's uses. I find it very useful when facing down large groups of gods or when I'm in a madlab. It's also quite good for abysses. Anyways, yes, Ninja is definitely worth maxing. I have experience with every melee class, and I have decided that Ninja is superior to *all* of them. It's caps are already waaay high, especially its attack and dexterity, which gives it its famous DPS. It's vitality is perfectly balanced for the class, and if you have a high-leveled healing pet, it's quite indestructible. The ability is pretty cool. People say that shurikens should pierce, but in my opinion, that's not necessary. On top of that, Ninja can also Speedy, which is useful for getting to events such as Hermits, before anybody else does. It also is amazingly useful when rushing. I have an 8/8 Ninja, wearing one of my two katanas, a Spectral Cloth Armor (for the extra att), a Doom Circle, and a Pyramid ring. I prefer Pyra because all 3 of the stats it boosts benefit Ninja greatly. With all of this equipment on, and maxed life, I top out at 820 hp, which is AMAZING for a class which is built like this. Here's a rating. Events: 7/10 You have to go deep to get a lot of damage in on a Cube God or Skullshrine, which puts you in a lot of danger. Godlands: 8/10, 10/10 if you have Ray Katana Ninja's high DPS allows you to go in deep on gods and kill them before they even get to fire. If you have a Ray, you don't even have to get close to the gods. Because ninja's katana can pierce, it is an excellent class for handling multiple gods at once. Tomb: 9/10 Ninja's speedy ability allows you to blow through multiple rooms in seconds, if you're rushing. Ninja's high DPS also allows you to easily get Soulbound damage on the three Ancients. I usually 3/3 in every tomb I do. Ocean Trench: 8/10 The speedy ability allows you to rush easily, but when you get to Thessal, you'd better get your damage in quickly, because in her later phases, it's incredibly hard to get deep enough to hit her. Wine Cellars: 6/10 Though Ninja can Speedy to Oryx quickly, getting deep enough to get damage in may be hard. However, if you see an opening, fire your shuriken in there. 2 Doom Circle shots on O2 guarantees loot. Survivability: 8/10 Due to having to go deep to get in range, you have to be a good dodger to play this class. If you can dodge and shoot properly, and know your limits, this class is very easy to pick up and play. Just remember, you are a leather class. Being a heavy hitter _does not make you immortal._ Overall: 9/10 Ninja is an excellent all-around class and is very enjoyable. It takes some getting used to, but if you keep working on it and perfecting your ninja playstyle, you'll find out that this class is a very fun class to play.

PlasmaRoar's Recommendation

I'll admit, I was one of those people who looked down on ninja due to popular opinion... But upon reading Israphial's words, I decided to try and max one. It was effing insane. Good insane. Its DPS once maxed is one of the highest. It can literally rip through monsters. I've seen it get sb against several of other meeles without using Shuriken. Blowing past Warriors with helm boost while on speed boost is exhilarating. But here is the catch: you need to be able to dodge and aim at the same time. If you don't dodge your Ninja won't last very long. I recommend maxing as its full potential can only be brought out by maxing. Even if pricey, I recommend Doom Circle as it is essential in looting. Try it before you hate it.

WillsGT's advice on whether or not to make a Ninja

W/O Doku No Ken I currently have a 7/8 Ninja that I have amassed over 1.1k fame with. My experience with the Ninja class is mixed. When not maxed, Ninjas are most likely among the worst, if not THE worst, class in the game. DO NOT make one if you don't have another class to max the Ninja or if you don't already have the pots to max one 4/8 or better. Better yet, don't even bother making one if you are looking for a class that is among the best, because the Ninja is no where close to being useful/outclassing other melees in RotMG. Ninja is a fun class because it is hard to use, and nothing else. W/ Doku No Ken A 7/8 Ninja w/ Doku No Ken in my opinion EASILY outclasses all dagger classes in the game. It has more DPS than a Trickster w/ CDirk, and more range as well. Don't be discouraged by the bullet movement, because really it helps you most of the time more than hurts you. Ninja w/ Doku is quite possibly one of the most lethal setups in RotMG. While the classes that can deal more damage than Ninja per second (Warrior, Wizard, and Archer if you think you can sit on things with a 3-shot bow to get 200 more DPS than Ninja does from 5.2 tiles w/ a Doku) also have more useful abilities, they all are less speedy, with Wizard being the slowest class in the game along with Priest and Necromancer who both have healing capabilities whilst Wizard does not. While an Archer can wear Coral Silk, so can Ninja and Ninja maxes out 10 speed higher than Archer anyways. While Warriors can boost and have a speedy effect for 6 seconds, Ninjas can have basically infinite speedy with a high level MP heal pet (Around 70) and again, max at a higher speed (60 vs. 50) than Warrior. In summary, Ninja is one of the best all-around classes in the game in terms of DPS, SB damage, (Piercing enemies is a HUGE advantage) and rushing. The only weakness a Ninja has is its inability to do damage from long range or its inability to tank things when it has a shorter range weapon. If you have great dodging skills and a Doku, I HIGHLY recommend making a Ninja. ###A Strange Thing About the Ninja... A strange thing with ninjas for me are that if they're quieted, they're still able to use the Speed boost from the shuriken from pressing the space bar, so even if you can't chuck the star from no mana, you're still able to use the speedy. Run into a [Sprite God's boomerang quiet shot](/wiki/sprite-god) and test it yourself with a ninja. It does come in handy while you're fighting a Sprite God and many other gods come in and swarm you, take the hit from the Sprite God boomerang and press the space button and escape to safety.

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