Dragon Sword (Ninja Gaiden)

The Dragon Sword is a fictional melee weapon used by the ninja Ryu Hayabusa in the arcade, NES, and Microsoft Xbox game series Ninja Gaiden. It is the first weapon that the player will be given in all of the games, and is considered to be the most well rounded of all available.

=History of the Sword= The sword itself is built from a katana design, supposedly made from a dragon's fang, which is where it inherits its power. It has been handed down in the Hayabusa Ninja Clan for many centuries, and is always weilded by the leader of the clan.

=Game Appearances=

Arcade and NES Appearances
On the arcade version of the game, Ryu fought primarily with his bare hands and only used the sword when a powerup was gained. In the NES trilogy, the sword, although becoming the primary weapon of Ryu, still played a small part storywise, and did not affect the game that much.

Xbox Appearances
In Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Black on the Xbox console, the sword has an extensive list of combo moves which can be executed, and with each level that the sword is upgraded to, more moves are unlocked. Many characters who see the sword comment on it, from those on your side, such as Murai to the enemies, such as Doku.

Towards the end of the game, Ryu is instructed by the shopkeeper and wiseman Muramasa to find a specific dragon's eyeball, and insert it into the hilt of the sword to unlock the true power of it. Ryu finds the eyeball and inserts it, making the blade glow. This act changes the name of the sword to the True Dragon Sword, and unlocks a series of new moves for the sword, making it even more powerful.