Kitetsu

Kitetsu
Type	Melee Weapon
Power	3/5
Speed	3/5
Range	4/5
Location	Chapter 12: The Caverns
History	The weapon used by Doku, it is a cursed Japanese sword that feeds on the souls of those it slays.
Max Upgrade	LV.3

The Kitetsu (妖刀鬼徹, Cursed Sword Demon Piercer) is a Melee Weapon in Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden Black, Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus.

Location

• Chapter 12: The Caverns
  • In the Zarkhan stadium.

Upgrades

Ninja Gaiden

• This weapon cannot be upgraded.

Ninja Gaiden Black, Sigma, Sigma Plus

Level	Cost	Availability
LV.2	4000	Chapter 12
LV.3	6000	Chapter 12

Techniques

Name	Notation		Note	Level
Dark Rain	Xbox	X X X
	PlayStation	☐☐☐
	Nintendo	Y Y Y
Stab of Overpowering Evil	Xbox	X X Y
	PlayStation	☐☐△
	Nintendo	Y Y X
Crazed Bones Slash	Xbox	X X → X
	PlayStation	☐☐→☐
	Nintendo	Y Y → Y
Dead Soul Bind	Xbox	X X → X X	Throw
	PlayStation	☐☐→☐☐
	Nintendo	Y Y → Y Y
Soul Eraser	Xbox	X X → X Y
	PlayStation	☐☐→☐△
	Nintendo	Y Y → Y X
Soul Eraser	Xbox	X X → X Y Y Y		Lv3
	PlayStation	☐☐→☐△△△
	Nintendo	Y Y → Y X X X
Soul Eraser	Xbox	During a Dead Soul Bind Y
	PlayStation	During a Dead Soul Bind △
	Nintendo	During a Dead Soul Bind X
Soul Eraser	Xbox	During a Dead Soul Bind Y Y Y		Lv3
	PlayStation	During a Dead Soul Bind △△△
	Nintendo	During a Dead Soul Bind X X X
Blade of Nirrti	Xbox	X Y X X X X	Drop
	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
Stab of Extinction	Xbox	Y
	PlayStation	△
	Nintendo	X
Haze Straight Slash	Xbox	Hold Y, Release
	PlayStation	Hold △, Release
	Nintendo	Hold X, Release
Exctinction Straight Slash	Xbox	Hold Y, Release (Essence)
	PlayStation	Hold △, Release (Essence)
	Nintendo	Hold X, Release (Essence)
Bassara	Xbox	Hold Y, Release (Essence Max)
	PlayStation	Hold △, Release (Essence Max)
	Nintendo	Hold X, Release (Essence Max)
Crazed Bone Slash	Xbox	→ X
	PlayStation	→☐
	Nintendo	→ Y
Dead Soul Bind	Xbox	→ X X	Throw
	PlayStation	→☐☐
	Nintendo	→ Y Y
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		Lv3
	PlayStation	→ Hold △, Release △△
	Nintendo	→ Hold X, Release X X
Beheaded Demon	Xbox	While running X X
	PlayStation	While running ☐☐
	Nintendo	While running Y Y
Thunderclap Kick	Xbox	While running Y
	PlayStation	While running △
	Nintendo	While running X
Hundred Curses Slash	Xbox	↻ Y
	PlayStation	↻△
	Nintendo	↻ X
Fiend's Bane Kick	Xbox	While blocking X X		Scroll
	PlayStation	While blocking ☐☐
	Nintendo	While blocking Y Y
Gleaming Cross	Xbox	While blocking Y		Scroll
	PlayStation	While blocking △
	Nintendo	While blocking X
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
	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		Lv.2
	PlayStation	While jumping towards an enemy △
	Nintendo	While jumping towards an enemy X
Guillotine Throw	Xbox	X + A	Throw	Scroll
	PlayStation	☐ + X
	Nintendo	Y + B
Cicada Slash	Xbox	While on a wall X or Y
	PlayStation	While on a wall ☐ or △
	Nintendo	While on a wall Y or X
Flying Swallow	Xbox	While wall running X or Y		Lv.2
	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

The Kitetsu is capable of being split into a pair of twin swords as shown during a running attack

Overview

• Pros:
  • Longer range than the Dragon Sword.
  • Can heal Hayabusa with its Throw Techniques.

• Cons:
  • Weaker than the True Dragon Sword.
  • Throw Techniques fail against most Bosses.
  • Slowly drains Hayabusa's Health.

Strategy

The Kitetsu shares the same strategies of the Dragon Sword with their identical Techniques.

The Stab of Extinction and the final hit of the Stab of Overpowering Evil (Quick, Quick, Strong Attack) can push enemies toward Hayabusa in a downed state, leaving them open to a Fiend Sealer (Near a downed enemy — Strong Attack) or an Azure Dragon (Forward Strong Attack) launch into an Izuna Drop (While jumping straight up — Quick, Quick, Quick, Strong Attack) or Combo Meter extenders.

Since the second attack of Beheaded Demon (While running — Quick, Quick Attack) knocks foes far away, it has a chance to inflict extra damage if they hit a wall.

While Hayabusa is invincible during the Health-regenerating portion of Dead Soul Bind (Forward Quick, Quick Attack), it's vital to hit confirm the first portion, as the attack often fails to stun armored enemies. If the whole move lands, however, weaker foes will be left downed. It's most efficient against Fiend Gahrula, Fiend Dino and Fiend Arioch.

Every single strike of Soul Eraser (During a Dead Soul Bind — Strong, Strong, Strong Attack) grants Hayabusa invulnerability and can be used at the end of Dead Soul Bind to cancel the lengthy recovery into offense.

Notes

• In Ninja Gaiden Black it is possible to cancel the blade's vampiric effect on Ryu by upgrading the weapon to Level 3, while in Sigma the blade does not drain Ryu's health at all.

• The life-draining effect of the Kitetsu doesn't kill Ryu right away. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes for the blade to completely drain his health.
  • It is possible to cancel this effect by equipping the Armlet of Tranquility.

• The Dead Soul Bind attack is capable of draining the health of enemies and healing Ryu, however this cannot be used on boss characters (Except Doku himself, but only when you get the upper-hand during a sword-clash). During this animation, Ryu is rendered invincible.

• The Kitetsu can actually be split into 2 separate swords. This is most clearly seen during its Ultimate Technique, Basara, where Ryu splits the sword into two, launches a flurry of slashes, then spins the swords.
  • It is believed that this was the base concept for the creation of the Dual Katanas, Dragon's Claw and Tiger's Fang.

• The only moves Ryu and Doku share are Dead Soul Bind and Stab of Extinction.

• Kitetsu is translated as "Ogre Steel" and is a popular name for a sword tainted by demonic aura and bloodthirst.

• In Ninja Gaiden Sigma, if you perform Kitetsu's UT while it's in Level 1 or 2, Ryu instead performs Dragon Sword's UT.