Ninja Gaidenfans are disappointed with series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa’s treatment in the franchise’s latest entries, including the upcomingNinja Gaiden: Rageboundgame from Dotemu and The Game Kitchen. 2025 is a very notable year for theNinja Gaidenfranchise, as Koei Tecmo dubs it the “Year of the Ninja,” thanks to multiple new releases for the series.
During Microsoft’s Xbox Developer Direct in January 2025, Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja and PlatinumGames surprisedNinja Gaidenfans withthe reveal ofNinja Gaiden 4, which stars the new protagonist Yakumo from the Raven clan alongside Ryu. AlthoughNinja Gaiden 4is planned for release on October 21, fans still have plenty of Ninja Gaiden games to enjoy before the fourth numbered title’s release. These games include the already releasedNinja Gaiden 2 Blackand the upcomingNinja Gaiden: Ragebound, with the latter launching on July 31 for PC and consoles. However, fans aren’t happy with how Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja have treated the franchise’s iconic protagonist over the past decade leading up toNinja Gaiden 4’srelease later this year.
Reddit user ThatSharkFromJaws is not happy with the past three installments ofNinja Gaidenfeaturing Ryu as a side character instead of a central protagonist. Most notably, ThatSharkFromJaws and otherNinja Gaidenfans trace Ryu’s treatment as a side character back to 2014’sYaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, which starred the titular protagonist Yaiba. Following the release ofYaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, theNinja Gaidenfranchise took a considerable hiatus until the release ofNinja Gaiden: Master Collectionin 2021, followed bythe release ofNinja Gaiden 2 Blackin 2025. Both of these titles offer definitive versions of Ryu’s games, but fans are upset and frustrated thatNinja Gaiden: Ragebounddoesn’t appear to focus on Ryu after nearly a decade without all-newNinja Gaidengames. Others aren’t pleased thatNinja Gaiden 4could potentially place most of its focus on Yakumo, despite Ryu being one of the game’s two protagonists.
Ninja Gaiden Fans Aren’t Happy About Ryu Hayabusa Being a Side Character in the Franchise’s Releases Over the Years
However, someNinja Gaidenfans, including Reddit users Arandui and PotatoIceCreem, aren’t as disappointed with Ryu’s absence from the spotlight over the years. Some Reddit users believeNinja Gaidengames likeNinja Gaiden: RageboundandYaiba: Ninja Gaiden Zshould experiment with new protagonists and different gameplay mechanics compared to the mainline entries. A few fans are still cautious aboutNinja Gaiden 4, with some drawing comparisons withDevil May Cry 4, which featured protagonist Nero instead of Dante in roughly over half of the game’s story missions.
