| Ninja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/tribal cards) | |
| Statistics |
22 cards
as of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths 36.4%  45.5%  18.2% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Ninja" | |
Ninja is a creature type and class. All ninjas are blue, black, or both.
Description
Ninjas, also called Shinobi, are masters of both stealth and armed combat who may find employment as spies, warriors, mercenaries, assassins; they are famed for their versatility.[1][2][3] Secretive in the extreme, some ninja practice magic that further enhances their abilities of infiltration. Some ninja come together in clans, though many others are solitary rogues.
The ninjutsu ability and its variant commander ninjutsu are exclusive to ninjas.
History
Until 2017 the only sets featuring Ninjas were Betrayers of Kamigawa and Planechase 2012 (in the Night of the Ninja deck). They reappeared in the silver-bordered Unstable[4] and in Commander 2018 (Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow).
According to Mark Rosewater, it was likely that Ninjas would also return to black border.[5] That came true when they appeared in Modern Horizons.[6][7] This set featured Ninjas from several planes and with several creature types (including Vampire, Illusion, and Spirit), with many of them also featuring the ninjutsu ability.[8] Additionally, this set broke the trend in black-border where all Ninjas had Ninjutsu, with Phantom Ninja having a Ninjutsu-enabling ability and Throatseeker with a Ninjutsu-benefitting ability.
Notable Ninjas
Kamigawa
- Black-Nose
- Higure, a legendary ninja said to have many lesser ninja in his employ.[9][10]
- Ink-Eyes: a female nezumi, serving the dark forces on Kamigawa.[11]
- Yuriko
Pirates vs. Ninjas
Duel Decks: Pirates vs. Ninjas was a joke Duel Deck set for April Fools' Day 2008.[12] The set has not been released as a product.
Tokens
| Token Name | Color | Type Line | P/T | Text Box | Source | Printings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ninja | Blue | Creature — Ninja | 1/1 | This creature can't be blocked | ||
| Mist-Syndicate Naga | Blue | Creature — Snake Ninja | 3/1 | Ninjutsu  Whenever Mist-Syndicate Naga deals combat damage to a player, create a token that’s a copy of Mist-Syndicate Naga. |
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 10, 2005). "When Ninjas Attack". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 32, 2005). "Ninjas & Pirates & Myrs… Oh My!". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Alex Smith (March 07, 2005). "Truth in Fantasy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 01, 2017). "With regards to Ninja's". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (January 24, 2018). "Can you tell me how likely ninjas are to return to Black border? (With or without ninjutsu).". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Dan Musser (May 24, 2019). "Fallen Shinobi". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Cynthia Sheppard (May 22, 2019). "A Sliver of Direction". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Ethan Fleischer (May 31, 2019). "Mark Rosewater strongly advocated that we free Ninjas from ninjutsu!". Twitter.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (January 11, 2005). "Sketches: Higure, the Still Wind". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Alexander O. Smith (February 02, 2005), "The Sound of Crickets", magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Jay Moldenhauer-Salazar (January 05, 2005), "A Servant’s Mission", magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (April 1, 2008). "A Special Product Announcement". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
