Flare Shadow

Flare Shadow
Personal Status
Titles	Shadow-dwelling Killer
Race	Fiend
Professional Status
Affiliation	Fiends
Rank	Assault Shock Warrior
Behind the Scenes
Appearances	Ninja Gaiden Ninja Gaiden II Ninja Gaiden 3 Ninja Gaiden 4

Flare Shadow (フレアシャドウ Furea Shadō) are Shadow Fiends named after the flame on top of their head. They are more durable and stronger than the Lesser Shadows. Like all Shadow Fiends they attack in large groups in the role of assault melee combatant, supporting other ranged and heavy fiends. They are very intelligent usually attacking in teams and formation.

Description

A one-eyed fiend that emits flames from its head and feet. Although not one of the stronger varieties of fiends, it still poses a significant threat to mankind.

The "shadow" part of its name comes from its ability to sink into the shadows, allowing it to ambush unsuspecting targets. Regardless of the specific light conditions, this creature can freely travel through virtually any shadow, making it a versatile and fearsome predator.

It has impressive physical capabilities, and its varied attacks are known to often be fatal. They are believed to exist in great numbers in the underworld, making them an ever-present threat to the human world.

Battle

The Flare Shadow is an agile creature, capable of moving swiftly in the battleground. It'll always be fought in numbers, often attempting to flank the player. Unlike the Lesser Shadow Demon, this foe poses a larger threat, with some few attacks being unblockable and being more aggressive in general.

Its primary attack is a three-hit combo with its appendages, with the final hit breaking the player's guard. Another attack is an a quick uppercut, which also breaks guard; if it connects, the player is launched up in the air, and the Flare Shadow will follow it up with a drop kick that will launch the player away. It can also use a close range attack where it pushes its claws forward, dealing a two hits and briefly flinching the player.

When far away from the player, Lesser Shadow Demon may close the gap with two different attacks. The first one is a jumping attack where it descends with its appendage. The second one is where it dives underground in its shadow form, becoming invulnerable; when emerging, it'll use a quick attack with its claws, which breaks guard.

Strategy

It is important to watch for vulnerable openings to attack, even though they are harder to hit than its lesser counterpart, so try to kill one and use its essence to chain together Ultimate Techniques. Wall attacks are useful to add more power into the attacks that will increase the chance of decapitating them.

The Dragon Sword, as usual, is the most flexible weapon the game, and is reliable to strike the demons with Izuna Drop. The Vigoorian Flail and Lunar Staff, on the other hand can easily deal with them thanks to their high attack speed and multiple hits, allowing the player to often hit various Shadow Demons at once. The Dabilahro and Unlabored Flawlessness, on the other hand, can one hit-kill the Demons with their counter attack or forward + Y; chaining their Ultimate Attacks is also an effective way to quickly dispatch them.

History

Ninja Gaiden/Black/Sigma: Like all demonic fiends, Flare Shadows originate from the demon world. Under their creator deity Vigoor, the fiends invaded and ruled the human world in the ancient age of myth and legend, but were ultimately defeated and banished from the human realm. The ancient age of myth ended and stories about them were lost in time. In the modern age the Dark Dragon Blade Incident occurred and with his power increasing, Vigoor was able to lift the banishment, allowing demonic fiends into the human world again. These demonic fiends were aided by monstrous fiends such as Galla that originate from the human world but cursed into fiends by the mighty power of Vigoor. However the theft and massacre to get the Dark Dragon Blade did not go unnoticed, and it's sole surviving guardian Ryu Hayabusa had infiltrated Tairon to track the Evil Blade down.

The hundreds of Flare Shadow clashed against Ryu Hayabusa in the Aqueducts and Underground Sanctuary, much noticeably in the Peristyle Hallway section where over a hundred of them attempted to kill the Dragon Ninja. Ryu would later enter Hell to slay hundreds of these fiends to retrieve the Life of a Thousand Gods lost in hell. Unable to stop Ryu who had slain hundreds if not thousands of their Shadow Fiend brethren, many more would flood into the human realm converging to try and kill the Super Ninja as he makes his way to the Zarkhan Palace, slaying many more as he made his way towards the Core and then in hell where they were summoned by Marbus to kill Ryu. Their invasion of the human world ended with the defeat of Vigoor, leading them to be banished to the Demon realm again.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword: Six months later the Shadow Fiends would get a second shot at Ryu Hayabusa, as Ishtaros & Nicchae attempted to revive Vigoor and the dawn of the age in which Fiends ruled over the humans once again. They would attempt to slay the Dragon Ninja where ever he may roam, from the revived Monastery, Underground Sanctuary to the Gates of Hell. Ultimately the attempt of the Fiends to rule over the humans once again would be foiled by Ryu Hayabusa as he slayed their armies and defeat their many Fiendish Deity after Deity.

Ninja Gaiden II/Sigma II: When Mt. Fuji begins to erupt, it unleashes the fiends back into the human world once again. This time, however, Lesser Shadow Demons are replaced altogether by the superior Flare Shadows. This makes their role less important as now they are practically the fodder of the fiends, usually teamed up with larger Lycanthrope warewolves or Gaja. They are still formidable opponents, though, and should not be underestimated. These shadows have darker bodies, are more resilient and have new moves like a throw when coming out of they shadow form and their own flying swallow.  The stronger version of this enemy type has crystals growing from its joints.

Ninja Gaiden 3/Razor's Edge: While they do not appear in Story Mode, they appear alongside with some Van Gelf in some Ninja Trials. In Razor's Edge, however, they appear in the Story Mode at higher difficulties.

Ninja Gaiden 4: The Flare Shadows first start appearing during Ryu's story part in Chapter 15: Fanged Gate. After that they start often appearing more often and in the last chapters they are usually accompanied by Van Gelfs.

Gallery

NG1: Flare Shadow

NG4: Flare Shadow

NG4: Flare Shadow