Dragon Sword

Lv1-3 Lv4 Dragon Sword Type Melee Weapon Power 3/5 Speed 3/5 Range 3/5 Location Chapter 1: The Way of the Ninja History A Japanese Sword handed down in the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. It is carved from a dragon's fang. Max Upgrade Lv4 True Dragon Sword Type Melee Weapon Power 4/5 Speed 3/5 Range 3/5 Location Chapter 13: The Fiendish Awakening History The legendary ultimate form of the Dragon Sword, achieved by fitting the Dragon's Eye into it.

For the Ninja Gaiden II iteration, see Dragon Sword.
For the Ninja Gaiden 3 iteration, see Dragon Sword.

The Dragon Sword is a Melee Weapon in Ninja Gaiden (Xbox), Ninja Gaiden Black, Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus.

Location

• Chapter 1: The Way of the Ninja
  • Starting equipment.

Upgrades

In the Blacksmith section of Muramasa's Shop, you may spend Yellow Essence to upgrade your Melee Weapons:

Level	Cost	Availability
Lv2	3000	Chapter 3
Lv3	5000	Chapter 7
Lv4	N/A	Chapter 13

Overview

• Pros:
  • Balanced and versatile.
  • Quick and deadly combos.
  • Strongest of all light weapons.

• Cons:
  • Short range may prove problematic at times.

Techniques

Name	Notation		Note	Level
Crimson Slash	Xbox	X X X
	PlayStation	☐☐☐
	Nintendo	Y Y Y
Dragon Tear	Xbox	X X X Y		Lv4
	PlayStation	☐☐☐△
	Nintendo	Y Y Y X
Tiger Roar	Xbox	X X Y
	PlayStation	☐☐△
	Nintendo	Y Y X
Fang of the Wolf	Xbox	X X Y Y		Lv2
	PlayStation	☐☐△△
	Nintendo	Y Y X X
Blade of the Dragon's Tail	Xbox	X X Y Y Y		Lv3
	PlayStation	☐☐△△△
	Nintendo	Y Y X X X
Fiend's Bane Kick	Xbox	X X → X X
	PlayStation	☐☐→☐☐
	Nintendo	Y Y → Y Y
Early Winter Rain	Xbox	X X → X Y
	PlayStation	☐☐→☐△
	Nintendo	Y Y → Y X
Blade of Nirrti	Xbox	X Y X X X X	Drop	Lv2
	PlayStation	☐△☐☐☐☐
	Nintendo	Y X Y Y Y Y
Izuna Drop	Xbox	X Y X X X Y	Throw	Scroll
	PlayStation	☐△☐☐☐△
	Nintendo	Y X Y Y Y X
Windmill Slash	Xbox	→ X
	PlayStation	→☐
	Nintendo	→ Y
Blade of the Undefeatable	Xbox	Y
	PlayStation	△
	Nintendo	X
Haze Straight Slash	Xbox	Hold Y, Release
	PlayStation	Hold △, Release
	Nintendo	Hold X, Release
Extinction Straight Slash	Xbox	Hold Y, Release (Essence)
	PlayStation	Hold △, Release (Essence)
	Nintendo	Hold X, Release (Essence)
Hundred Wing Blade	Xbox	Hold Y, Release (Essence Max)
	PlayStation	Hold △, Release (Essence Max)
	Nintendo	Hold X, Release (Essence Max)
Storm of the Heavenly Dragon	Xbox	Hold Y, Release (Essence Max)		Lv4
	PlayStation	Hold △, Release (Essence Max)
	Nintendo	Hold X, Release (Essence Max)
Azure Dragon	Xbox	→ Y	Air
	PlayStation	→△
	Nintendo	→ X
Scarlet Dragon	Xbox	→ Hold Y, Release
	PlayStation	→ Hold △, Release
	Nintendo	→ Hold X, Release
Blade of the Twin Dragons	Xbox	→ Hold Y, Release Y Y		Lv4
	PlayStation	→ Hold △, Release △△
	Nintendo	→ Hold X, Release X X
Violent Wind	Xbox	While running X
	PlayStation	While running ☐
	Nintendo	While running Y
Violent Gale	Xbox	While running X X		Lv2
	PlayStation	While running ☐☐
	Nintendo	While running Y Y
Thunderclap Kick	Xbox	While running Y
	PlayStation	While running △
	Nintendo	While running X
Flying Crane	Xbox	↻ Y		Lv2
	PlayStation	↻△
	Nintendo	↻ X
Gleaming Blade	Xbox	↻ Hold Y, Release		Lv3
	PlayStation	↻ Hold △, Release
	Nintendo	↻ Hold X, Release
Roaring Gleam	Xbox	↻ Hold Y, Release (Essence)		Lv3
	PlayStation	↻ Hold △, Release (Essence)
	Nintendo	↻ Hold X, Release (Essence)
Annihilating Gleam	Xbox	↻ Hold Y, Release (Essence Max)		Lv3
	PlayStation	↻ Hold △, Release (Essence Max)
	Nintendo	↻ Hold X, Release (Essence Max)
True Dragon Gleam	Xbox	↻ Hold Y, Release (Essence Max)		Lv4
	PlayStation	↻ Hold △, Release (Essence Max)
	Nintendo	↻ Hold X, Release (Essence Max)
Gleaming Cross	Xbox	While blocking Y		Scroll
	PlayStation	While blocking △
	Nintendo	While blocking X
Fiend's Bane Kick	Xbox	While blocking X X		Scroll
	PlayStation	While blocking ☐☐
	Nintendo	While blocking Y Y
Fiend Sealer	Xbox	Next to a downed enemy Y
	PlayStation	Next to a downed enemy △
	Nintendo	Next to a downed enemy X
Blade of the Empty Air	Xbox	While jumping straight up X	Air
	PlayStation	While jumping straight up ☐
	Nintendo	While jumping straight up Y
Helm Splitter	Xbox	While jumping straight up Y	Drop
	PlayStation	While jumping straight up △
	Nintendo	While jumping straight up X
Blade of Nirrti	Xbox	While jumping straight up X X X X	Drop	Lv2
	PlayStation	While jumping straight up ☐☐☐☐
	Nintendo	While jumping straight up Y Y Y Y
Izuna Drop	Xbox	While jumping straight up X X X Y	Throw	Scroll
	PlayStation	While jumping straight up ☐☐☐△
	Nintendo	While jumping straight up Y Y Y X
Air Destruction Slash	Xbox	While jumping forward X
	PlayStation	While jumping forward ☐
	Nintendo	While jumping forward Y
Falling Dragon Blade	Xbox	While jumping forward Y	Drop
	PlayStation	While jumping forward △
	Nintendo	While jumping forward X
Flying Swallow	Xbox	While jumping towards an enemy Y		Lv2
	PlayStation	While jumping towards an enemy △
	Nintendo	While jumping towards an enemy X
Guillotine Throw	Xbox	Near an enemy X + A	Throw	Scroll
	PlayStation	Near an enemy ☐ + X
	Nintendo	Near an enemy Y + B
Cicada Slash	Xbox	While on a wall X or Y	Drop
	PlayStation	While on a wall ☐ or △
	Nintendo	While on a wall Y or X
Flying Swallow	Xbox	While wall running X or Y		Lv2
	PlayStation	While wall running ☐ or △
	Nintendo	While wall running Y or X
Divine Cicada Slash	Xbox	During a Flying Bird Flip X or Y	Drop
	PlayStation	During a Flying Bird Flip ☐ or △
	Nintendo	During a Flying Bird Flip Y or X
Wave Reverser	Xbox	While floating on the surface X X or Y Y
	PlayStation	While floating on the surface ☐☐ or △△
	Nintendo	While floating on the surface Y Y or X X
Ripple Slash	Xbox	While swimming on the surface X or Y
	PlayStation	While swimming on the surface ☐ or △
	Nintendo	While swimming on the surface Y or X
Floating Blade	Xbox	While underwater X X
	PlayStation	While underwater ☐☐
	Nintendo	While underwater Y Y
Gleaming Water Dragon	Xbox	While underwater Y
	PlayStation	While underwater △
	Nintendo	While underwater X
Reverse Wind	Xbox	L + →
	PlayStation	L1 + →
	Nintendo	L + →
Wind Path	Xbox	While jumping near an enemy A
	PlayStation	While jumping near an enemy X
	Nintendo	While jumping near an enemy B
Wind Run	Xbox	X + A
	PlayStation	☐ + X
	Nintendo	Y + B
Flying Bird Flip	Xbox	While on a wall A
	PlayStation	While on a wall X
	Nintendo	While on a wall B

Strategy

The primary strength of this weapon resides in its aerial combos that let Hayabusa strike outside of his enemies reach: from the get go, the Quick Attack into Azure Dragon (Forward Strong Attack), Blade of the Empty Air (While jumping straight up — Quick Attack) and Helm Splitter (While jumping straight up — Strong Attack) finisher is the quickest tactic to take down Weak enemies; and even if a foe survives it, they will be left downed and open to either a Fiend Sealer (Next to a downed enemy — Strong Attack) or to being launched again through Azure Dragon. You can guarantee a hit-confirm on the first attack by chaining Wind Run (Quick Attack + Jump) into Wind Path (While jumping near an enemy — Jump) to safely land behind an enemy.

Another strong variant is to land from the Azure Dragon into a Haze Straight Slash (Hold Strong Attack, Release) or Extinction Straight Slash (With Essence — Hold Strong Attack, Release); assuming not other foes are nearby, even without other Essence orbs around, there is always enough time to charge an Extinction Straight Slash into a Hundred Wing Blade (With Maximum Essence — Hold Strong Attack, Release) Level 2 Ultimate Technique on a downed enemy.

From Level 2 onward, however, the Izuna Drop (Quick, Strong, Quick, Quick, Quick, Strong Attack) Throw becomes by far the most powerful tool in the weapon's arsenal, even generating a sizeable Area of Effect that deals splash damage to surrounding foes with its final slam.

The Windmill Slash (Forward Quick Attack) not only grants Hayabusa a lengthy invulnerability, it can also replace the starting Quick Attack of any combo string and, by holding down on Forward, be chained into Violent Gale (While running — Quick, Quick Attack), a move that often connects multiple times for massive damage.

Tiger Roar (Quick, Quick, Strong Attack), Crimson Dragon (Forward Hold Strong Attack, Release) and the third attack of Fiend's Bane Kick (Quick, Quick, Forward Quick, Quick Attack) — a stab that deals massive Hit-stun — can have their recovery cancelled by a Shuriken toss for faster defense or evasion, but it is also noteworthy that the latter technique has a chance to deal substantial extra damage with its final kick, if the enemy is knocked against a wall.

While Gleaming Cross (While blocking — Strong Attack) can be a convenient manoeuvre when surrounded, the first counter attack of Fiend's Bane Kick (While blocking — Quick, Quick Attack) is generally the best option, as the foe gets launched into the air, making them vulnerable to an Azure Dragon into the shorter Izuna Drop (While jumping straight up — Quick, Quick, Quick, Strong Attack) variant.

Notes

• The Blade of Twin Dragons technique isn't present in the original Ninja Gaiden release.
• A Quick Attack naturally transitions into Crimson Dragon without the need to give any directional input, and it follows the same principle for Blade of the Twin Dragons (Forward Hold Strong, Release Strong, Strong Attack).
• The damage of the Kick techniques of Early Winter Rain and both variants of Fiend's Bane Kick can be boosted by 40% with The Armlet of Potency.
• Early Winter Rain can stunlock Samurai Cavalry with the right timing.
• Dragon Tear can be used to reliably loop Ishtaros, Greater Fiend.
• Due to its Super Armor, Haze Straight Slash can safely counter Murai's Throw attacks after landing from an Azure Dragon, if the move connected.
  • Does not work in Ninja Gaiden Sigma or Sigma Plus due to the attack not being armored in those version.
• Extinction Straight Slash and its multi-hit properties are particularly effective against the Fiend Doppleganger (Dragon Sword) and the Thunderbolt Worm.
• Violent Gale is effective against Dynamo, Fiend Hydracubus and Ishtaros.
• The Blade of Empty Air can be followed by Shuriken, Incendiary Shuriken or Windmill Shuriken.
• The Air Destruction Slash (While jumping forward — Quick Attack) is useful to either take down Mist Fish by leaping forward and back repeatedly or to simply get past them, and it's also effective at downing Monastery Guardians.
• The Flying Swallow (While jumping towards an enemy — Strong Attack) can prove deadly against launched or downed enemies, however it's important to consider its recovery amid crowded fights.
  • Flying Swallow has an even longer recovery in the original Ninja Gaiden release.
• Wind Run into Guillotine Throw (Near an enemy — Quick Attack + Jump) is a rather effective strategy to down enemies.
  • Guillotine Throw has a lengthy recovery in the original Ninja Gaiden release.

Gallery