Tonfa

Tonfa
Type	Melee Weapon
Details	A powerful martial-arts weapon originating from Okinawa.
Statistics
Strength	Medium
Speed	High
Range	Low
Max. Level	3
First Appearance
Debut	Ninja Gaiden II

The Tonfa (トンファー, Tonfa^?) is a melee weapon in Ninja Gaiden II, obtained in Chapter 7: The Flying Fortress Daedalus. It also appears in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus, and Ninja Gaiden II: Black, acquired in Chapter 7: The Lycanthropes' Castle.

Details

The Tonfa is a representative weapon of the ancient Ryukyu
martial arts, developed in what are now the islands of Okinawa.
Although Tonfa have a short reach, they are extremely fast and
can be used for both offense and defense. This versatility has led
Western countries to adapt Tonfa into police nightsticks.

The striking surfaces of these particular Tonfa have been plated
with high-density, super-hard tungsten carbide to enhance impact
damage while maintaining their compact size. Because the Tonfa
lack blades, they are incapable of cutting attacks, but they make
up for this in their ability to pulverize human flesh. These specially-
modified Tonfa are so much heavier than typical Tonfa that only the
most talented martial artists are even capable of spinning them.

Acquisition

• NGII
• NGS2 — NGS2P — NGII:B

• Chapter 7: The Flying Fortress Daedalus
  • On the corpse of a ninja down the ladder just past the second Save Point.

• Chapter 7: The Lycanthropes' Castle
  • In the container that appears within the armory room, when all Gaja are killed.

Upgrades

• NGII — NGII:B
• NGS2 — NGS2P

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

Difficulty	Level 2	Level 3
Path of the Acolyte	10000	20000
Path of the Warrior	10000	30000
Path of the Mentor	15000	35000
Path of the Master Ninja	20000	40000

• You may only upgrade melee weapons at any Muramasa's Shop marked with a blue lantern.

• Only one weapon may be upgraded at a time.

• Upgrading weapons does not cost Yellow Essence.

Overview

• Pros:
  • Fast, multi-hit attacks with discreet dismember properties.
  • Allows to transition Techniques in between moves and combos.
  • Lv1 Ultimate Technique deals massive damage.

• Cons:
  • Short range and low hit-stun.
  • Inefficient aerial combos.
  • Long wind-up on Obliteration Technique against de-armed foes.

Techniques

Despite Heavenly Justice (During combo — Jump or Block + Move) not being chainable with their full string, it can be used at any other point of the following combos:

• Demon Devourer: Forward Quick, Strong, Strong Attack.
• Stone Breaker: While jumping forward — Strong, Strong Attack.
• Stone Breaker: While wall running — Quick, Strong Attack or Strong, Strong Attack.

• NGII
• NGS2 — NGS2P — NGII:B

Name	Input	Heavenly Justice	Note	Level
Great Edge		✔
Ivory Flower			AIR
Falling Petals Flowing Water
Izuna Drop
One Thousand Blossoms
Fluttering Peacock		✔
Blooming Iris			AIR
Flower Garland Drop		✔
Cypress Column
Cradled Moon			AIR
Crimson Edge		✔
Demons' Staves		✔
Demons' Diamonds		✔
Demon Tears Kick
Demon Devourer
Iron Wheel		✔
Storm of the Four Winds
Vermilion Fan
Spring Wind
Uncontrollable Bloom
Fleeting Blossoms		✔
Turning Wheel	While running	✔
Roaring Flames	While running	✔
Overlapping Flames
Heavenly Justice	During combo
Justice of Heaven Kick	During Heavenly Justice
Broken Lantern	During Heavenly Justice
First Storm	While blocking	✔
One Thousand Lotuses	While blocking	✔
Bloom of Revenge	Next to downed enemy	✔
Ivory Flower	While jumping		AIR
Falling Petals Flowing Water	While jumping
Izuna Drop	While jumping
Oblivion Blossom	While jumping
Eight Leaves	While jumping forward
Stone Breaker	While jumping forward
Guillotine Throw	While jumping near enemy
Stone Breaker	While wall running
Fluttering Crane	On wall
Demon Exorcism	On wall	✔
Demon Devourer	On wall
Crimson Fang	On wall
Fleeting Blossoms	On wall	✔
Fluttering Phoenix	During Flying Bird Flip
Demon Exorcism	During Flying Bird Flip	✔
Demon Devourer	During Flying Bird Flip
Crimson Fang	During Flying Bird Flip
Fleeting Blossoms	During Flying Bird Flip	✔
Drowing Moon	While running on water		AIR
Floodgate Crush	While running on water
Demon Thistle	At water surface
Drowing Moon	At water surface		AIR
Crimson Lily	Underwater
Scale Scraper	Underwater
Reverse Wind
Wind Path	While jumping near enemy
Wind Run
Flying Bird Flip	On wall
Calm Water Run	While running on water
Calm Water Break	While running on water

Name	Notation		Heavenly Justice	Note	Level
Great Edge	Xbox		✔
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Ivory Flower	Xbox			AIR
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Falling Petals Flowing Water	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Falling Petals Flowing Water	Xbox			THROW
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
One Thousand Blossoms	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Fluttering Peacock	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Blooming Iris	Xbox			AIR
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Flower Garland Drop	Xbox		✔	THROW
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Cypress Column	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Cradled Moon	Xbox			AIR
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Crimson Edge	Xbox		✔
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Demons' Staves	Xbox		✔
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Demons' Diamonds	Xbox		✔
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Demon Tears Kick	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Demon Devourer	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Iron Wheel	Xbox		✔
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Storm of the Four Winds	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Vermilion Fan	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Spring Wind	Xbox	Essence
	PlayStation	Essence
	Nintendo	Essence
Uncontrollable Bloom	Xbox	Essence Full
	PlayStation	Essence Full
	Nintendo	Essence Full
Fleeting Blossoms	Xbox		✔
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Turning Wheel	Xbox	While running	✔
	PlayStation	While running
	Nintendo	While running
Roaring Flames	Xbox	While running	✔
	PlayStation	While running
	Nintendo	While running
Overlapping Flames	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Heavenly Justice	Xbox	During combo or
	PlayStation	During combo or
	Nintendo	During combo or
Justice of Heaven Kick	Xbox	During Heavenly Justice
	PlayStation	During Heavenly Justice
	Nintendo	During Heavenly Justice
Broken Lantern	Xbox	During Heavenly Justice
	PlayStation	During Heavenly Justice
	Nintendo	During Heavenly Justice
First Storm	Xbox	While blocking	✔
	PlayStation	While blocking
	Nintendo	While blocking
One Thousand Lotuses	Xbox	While blocking	✔
	PlayStation	While blocking
	Nintendo	While blocking
Bloom of Revenge	Xbox	Next to downed enemy	✔
	PlayStation	Next to downed enemy
	Nintendo	Next to downed enemy
Ivory Flower	Xbox	While jumping		AIR
	PlayStation	While jumping
	Nintendo	While jumping
Falling Petals Flowing Water	Xbox	While jumping
	PlayStation	While jumping
	Nintendo	While jumping
Izuna Drop	Xbox	While jumping		THROW
	PlayStation	While jumping
	Nintendo	While jumping
Oblivion Blossom	Xbox	While jumping
	PlayStation	While jumping
	Nintendo	While jumping
Eight Leaves	Xbox	While jumping forward
	PlayStation	While jumping forward
	Nintendo	While jumping forward
Stone Breaker	Xbox	While jumping forward
	PlayStation	While jumping forward
	Nintendo	While jumping forward
Guillotine Throw	Xbox	While jumping near enemy		THROW
	PlayStation	While jumping near enemy
	Nintendo	While jumping near enemy
Stone Breaker	Xbox	While wall running or
	PlayStation	While wall running or
	Nintendo	While wall running or
Fluttering Crane	Xbox	On wall or
	PlayStation	On wall or
	Nintendo	On wall or
Demon Exorcism	Xbox	On wall	✔
	PlayStation	On wall
	Nintendo	On wall
Demon Devourer	Xbox	On wall
	PlayStation	On wall
	Nintendo	On wall
Crimson Fang	Xbox	On wall
	PlayStation	On wall
	Nintendo	On wall
Fleeting Blossoms	Xbox	On wall	✔
	PlayStation	On wall
	Nintendo	On wall
Fluttering Phoenix	Xbox	During Flying Bird Flip or
	PlayStation	During Flying Bird Flip or
	Nintendo	During Flying Bird Flip or
Demon Exorcism	Xbox	During Flying Bird Flip	✔
	PlayStation	During Flying Bird Flip
	Nintendo	During Flying Bird Flip
Demon Devourer	Xbox	During Flying Bird Flip
	PlayStation	During Flying Bird Flip
	Nintendo	During Flying Bird Flip
Crimson Fang	Xbox	During Flying Bird Flip
	PlayStation	During Flying Bird Flip
	Nintendo	During Flying Bird Flip
Fleeting Blossoms	Xbox	During Flying Bird Flip	✔
	PlayStation	During Flying Bird Flip
	Nintendo	During Flying Bird Flip
Drowing Moon	Xbox	While running on water		AIR
	PlayStation	While running on water
	Nintendo	While running on water
Floodgate Crush	Xbox	While running on water
	PlayStation	While running on water
	Nintendo	While running on water
Demon Thistle	Xbox	At water surface
	PlayStation	At water surface
	Nintendo	At water surface
Drowing Moon	Xbox	At water surface		AIR
	PlayStation	At water surface
	Nintendo	At water surface
Crimson Lily	Xbox	Underwater
	PlayStation	Underwater
	Nintendo	Underwater
Scale Scraper	Xbox	Underwater
	PlayStation	Underwater
	Nintendo	Underwater
Reverse Wind	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Wind Path	Xbox	While jumping near enemy
	PlayStation	While jumping near enemy
	Nintendo	While jumping near enemy
Wind Run	Xbox
	PlayStation
	Nintendo
Flying Bird Flip	Xbox	On wall
	PlayStation	On wall
	Nintendo	On wall
Calm Water Run	Xbox	While running on water
	PlayStation	While running on water
	Nintendo	While running on water
Reverse Wind	Xbox	While running on water
	PlayStation	While running on water
	Nintendo	While running on water

Strategy

During regular combat, Fleeting Blossoms (→ Strong, Strong Attack) and the (While blocking — Strong Attack) Counter are the most efficient Techniques of the Tonfa, due to their speed and high dismember rate. To compensate for their short range, use moves like One Thousand Blossoms (Quick, Quick, Strong, Strong, Strong Attack) and Fluttering Peacock (Quick, Quick, → Strong Attack) that boast significant forward momentum.

The Uncontrollable Bloom (Hold Strong Attack, Release with Full Essence) Ultimate Technique shreds through enemy hordes due to its triple-target properties, and Spring Wind (Hold Strong Attack, Release with Essence) is enough to kill stronger enemies, such as the Hybrid Ogre Soldiers and Arch Van Gelves to cite a few, even with the weapon left unupgraded at Level 1.

An unique and powerful tool at disposal of the Tonfa is Heavenly Justice (During combo — Jump or Left Bumper + Left Analogue Stick), which acts like Reverse Wind (Left Bumper + Left Analogue Stick), granting temporary nvulnerability while also allowing to both cancel a combo faster and transition into others: it can essentially stop most strings and chain into any offensive or defensive option of Hayabusa's Technique list. It's also useful to get closer to opponents missing an arm to prevent whiffing the long wind-up of that type of Obliteration Technique (Near injured enemy — Strong Attack).

Since Overlapping Flames (↻ Strong Attack) offers ample invulnerability shortly after its start-up and inflicts multiple hits, chain it after an on-landing Wind Run (Jump + Quick Attack) or Heavenly Justice (During combo — Jump or Left Bumper + Left Analogue Stick) to decimate enemies: against both forms of Genshin, hit-confirm (→ Strong Attack) into Fleeting Blossoms (→ Strong, Strong Attack), then dash torwards him via Heavenly Justice (During combo — Jump or Left Bumper + Left Analogue Stick) and buffer Overlapping Flames (↻ Strong Attack) mid-dodge to inflict devastating damage to his health.

Like the Lunar Staff, Tonfa deal blunt damage, making it particularly effective against Biometal Fiends, against which a short string of a couple of Quick Attacks will either dismember them, as it is the case for Marionettes, or outright insta-kill them, for the Executors.

Trivia

• Completing Ninja Gaiden II on any difficulty level using only this as a melee weapon unlocks the "Tonfa Master" Achievement.
• Defeating 1000 enemies in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus with this weapon unlocks the "Vigoorian Flail Master" Achievement/Trophy.
• Alongside the Vigoorian Flail, the Tonfa is a good candidate to unlock the "Feat of a Hundred Slashes" Trophy/Achievement.
• While the shorter Izuna Drop (While jumping — Quick, Quick, Quick, Strong Attack) does work on Gaja, the longer variant (Quick, Quick, Quick, Strong, Quick, Quick, Quick, Strong Attack) tend to miss after the launcher.