The difference between ninjas and assassins
Is there a difference between a ninja and an assassin or are they the same thing? I mean for example they both stick to the shadows and they both do cool stunts and have basically the same weapons. All thats really different is that they dress differently. So what is the difference?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by GuN Shinobi on -
Well yes..... but wouldn't that make them the same? Or different?
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Permalink Reply by GuN Shinobi on
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so assassins are in a group of their own? and in order to become an assassin a ninja must be skilled in the ninja arts?
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Permalink Reply by blackandbluedemon on -
*rolls eyes*
assassins are people skilled in any type of killing that are hired to kill people.
Ninjas are assassins who are very skilled specifically in one or several martial arts.
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Permalink Reply by blackandbluedemon on
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Yep, like many assassins use guns. ..Ninjas don't use guns....
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Permalink Reply by Krystie on -
assassins creen was a good game
but ninja creed would be a billion times awesomer
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Permalink Reply by Zage Mereel on -
All Ninjas are Assassins but not all Assassins are Ninjas.
E.G:
Assassins generally work for the highest bidder, offering their services to one for an exchange of money, unless it's a personal issue.
Ninja on the other hand carry out their assassinations on the behest of the "Council of Ninjas" or some other similar ruling body, and generally aren't up for hire.
As for the weapons and uniforms:
Most modern-day assassins will attest that a good Sniper Rifle or cleverly planted explosive will get the job done. They use untraceable weapons and prefer to be nowhere near their target when it is eliminated. However, if they must, their aim is to blend in with their surroundings via looking and acting like an innocent bystander, making their garb the norm of wherever location they are currently working.
Ninja, on the other hand, utilize various bladed and blunt-edged weapons that must be very near their target to eliminate it, or else they don't use weapons at all and rely on their martial arts (known as "Ninjitsu" or "Ninjutsu") to complete the assignment. Their uniform follows a standard configuration and is designed for the utmost stealth and intrusion capabilites, so as they can avoid detection.
Simply put: get in, eliminate the target, get out silently and without confrontation.
Just a quick breakdown there for ya ; )
~~ Zage Mereel,
Warrior, Wit and Superior Intellect
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Permalink Reply by Prognatus Ex Cruoris on -
I have a few of historical correction, if you don't care about history please disreguard the following statements.
An assassin historically is was a member of a group of people that broke from the Ismā'īlī sect Shī'a Muslims in 1090AD. The reason for the split was a disagreement about of leadership in the ruling Fatimide dynasty in Cairo. After losing the disagreement and being forced from egypt and marked as Infidels. They setup fortifided settlements in the surrounding areas under the command of a man named Hassan-i-Sabah. After establishing the settlements they began sending dedicated murderers after important leaders of rival factions who were perpared to die in the completion of thier task. It is thought that the term assassin either means follower of Al-Hassan or from the word haššāšīn whicch means user of Hashish(Marajuana) which their enemies believed they injested prior to attacking. This second term although sounding more likely phonetically, is less likely as drug use of any kind was considered a horribly sinful crime by muslim society at the time, even by the order itself so it is unlikely that they use Hashish at all.
A ninja was someone who was someone specially trained in a variety of unorthodox arts of war. The methods used by a ninja included assassination, espionage, and a variety of martial arts. The true origins of ninja society in unknown but what is known is that often a group, or clan, of ninjas would serve a lord and would accept payment and land for the clan in exchange for the use of members of the clan as spies, scouts and hired murderers for the lord that they serve. Because of their unorthodox methods and specialized training, rumors began to appear propogating the idea that ninjas had supernatural powers or were in fact demons posing as humans. For the most part it is understood that ninjas did nothing to disuade this idea and it is hypothsized that they infact created rumors and lies while in public in order to produce more fear and furthur undermine an opposing city to their lord.
And a slight correction about how they dress, historically Ninjas wore clothes to blend into the surroundings of their target ofter posing as a new servent to a target lord, or a shop keeper in order to gain the trust of those around them, sometimes for days or even weeks before striking and then disappearing. The uniform black or other dark colored clothing comes from Kubuki theater in which prop-handlers wore all black in order to blend in with the usual black backdrop used in Kubuki. Ninja characters in Kubuki plays would act a prop-handlers until they would strike at another character in the play, representing that they are invisible until they attack.
The term assassin in modern times has come to mean murderer for hire, and the term ninja has com to mean practitioner of ninjutsu which is thought to be the most common martial art practiced by early ninja.
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Permalink Reply by Zage Mereel on
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Thank you for your insight Prognatus Ex Cruoris.
Or should I call you, "Born of Bloodshed". Please inform me if I interpreted that wrong.
I found that very interesting. HISTORY ROCKS!!!!
And if I might add something to that, no one actually knows the true history of the Ninja, as it is mixed with myths and legend and lore. It is nearly impossible to separate the fact and the fiction in this case.
What you wrote is only one theory of the Ninja.
At least one other is that they did not serve the warlords at all, but were peasants who fought the warlords for their liberation.
Another is that they were mercenaries for hire to the highest bidder, though I think that very unlikely.
The mention I made of the "Council of Ninjas" was referring to an "askaninja" episode, wherein TheNinja refrerres to it.
Their "uniforms" when not undercover, were generally of a very dark yellow, - red, or - blue coloration. The dark yellow for camoflouge purposes, as it hid them well in bamboo and other native plants, and the dark red and - blue for infiltration of a stronghold, as it is a proven fact that these colors meld with shadows better than black and are less noticeable.
~~Zage Mereel,
Warrior, Wit and Superior Intellect
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Permalink Reply by Prognatus Ex Cruoris on
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First of all, nice work on translating my name. I tried to decipher your name before posting this, but could find no translation so I'll assume that it is completely original.
Secondly, if anyone reading this thread has an aversion to history or an allergy to it please refrain from reading what follows in this post. Now that I am no long liable for any injuries this post may cause.
It is true what you said about the history of the Ninja, I was just going with one of the most widely supported theories about them. What I should have said was that they were theorized to be peasents or an order of warrior monks who were believed to have practiced unorthodox arts of war. I also left out, to save on space, the reasons why the theory I had posted believes ninjas served under a feudal lord who was contacted by the head(or heads if they in fact developed a council) of the clan in order to recieve tasks as well as provide information. The reason many believe this is the fact that Japan had very little land, and during the time that it is believed that ninjas existed all habitable land was owned by lords, that presided over lords, that presided over lords, etc. Because of this it is suggested that a ninja clan would offer to serve a lord, most often against another lord, in exchange for workable(farmable) land where they could establish a village where they could support the clan.
If you use the peasent origin theory it was most often the lord they already were the serfs of who they offered their services to in exchange for more farmable land, proper weapons and/or better fortification. Although it is also theorized that this might not always be the case as it is true that power corrupts and there is no doubt that some of these lord were tyrannical, and it is believed that if this was the case it was likely that the ninja clan would instead offer their services to a lord who was an enemy of their current one in exchange for a larger piece of their current lord's land after the victory of the lord to whom they offered their services.
The reason it is believed, under this theory, that a ninja clan did not own its own land is that records exist that show the mapping of the controlled territories going back hundreds of years. Ninja are only first heard of about 500 to 600 years ago(If I remember correctly), predominately in Iga and Koga.(Sadly I had to check wikipedia in order to remember to two regions with the most activity, I'm so ashamed) and Durring this period of time no land is unclaimed and if one of the less famous lords that not much is known about was a ninja, he would always have another lord above him unless he was a daimyo(one of the most powerful and famous lords) and all of them are well known enough that it is unlikely that one of them was a ninja of if one was one it conflicts with the theory that they were peasents or had a governing council.
Thus the reason for the theory that I posted.
I would also like to thank you for posting about what you meant by uniforms, so many people automatically jump to black and that color is just not true or logical as you stated above. The only reason I brought this up was that when you refered to their "uniforms" I thought that you like everyone else meant the black outfit that is always used in the media, and I wanted to explain the origin of the black outfit so as to stop any nay-sayers prior to their inquiry. Although other colors were also used but not as often, and for the most part these were only used on scouting or outright infitration missions in order to take a position among the staff. other wise they would either be disguised as a servent, as I already stated, if still on their mission, or in their normal clothing while in thier home village wereing whatever they usually would whatever it may be.
Thank you for your input above.
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Permalink Reply by Zage Mereel on
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Thank you, Prognatus.
I took Latin one year. Have to admit, I didn't learn it very well, though.
I translated your name via the internet.
Yes, my name is an original.
It actually stems from, "Jaster Mereel". A legendary Mandalorian warrior from the "Star Wars" saga, of which I am a fan. I will not go into the Mandalorians here, as it would take too much space and time and is not wanted on this thread concerning Ninja and Assassins.
Once again, thank you for your comments, as I enjoy reading them.
It is obvious to me that you are quite an authority on this matter and I do not challenge you regarding it.
I think that your theory of the Ninja is one of the most likely cases, and one that has much historical accuracy to back it up. That is also the theory that I tend to go with. I just thought that other theories should be clarified for the poster of this thread and others reading it.
I commend you on your knowledge of the history on Ninja uniforms, as it is true and this is a lesser known fact.
Once again, thank you for your comments above, as it adds great clarity to the mystery-shrouded Ninja.
~~Zage Mereel,
Warrior, Wit and Superior Intellect
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