Next to the Samurai, the Ninja is one of the most well-known archetypes of Japanese storytelling.
These ancient peasant warriors rose to fame in Japan during the 15th century as an alternative to Samurai.
They didn’t have to worry about sullying their honor and could simply skulk around in the shadows, poison their enemies, and set fire to their castles without spilling a drop of blood.
Though their abilities were always the stuff of legends, more recent Ninja-themed media such as Naruto has elevated them to mystical warriors capable of wielding arcane magic in the form of Ninja arts.
And regardless of what kind of Ninja you’re after, there are plenty of great mods to bring some of their unique bad-assery into Skyrim.
There are no “Ninjas” in Skyrim – but if there were, they’d come from Akavir.
The Akaviri are a mysterious race inspired by ancient Japanese culture.
There’s little-to-no information about them other than the fact they’re powerful and mysterious. But their influence is evident in the Emperor’s personal protectors – the Blades.
Vardens’ Akaviri Race takes a lot of inspiration from Ninjas specifically.
Among its special abilities, there’s Akaviri Blood (which makes them 50% resistant to poison), and Assassin’s Subterfuge, which helps the caster escape danger by becoming invisible, silent, and able to see in the dark.
If you’re making a Ninja in Skyrim, they’ve got to be an Akaviri.
There are many dark yet discreet clothing sets in Skyrim. And the modding scene can work wonders for a Ninja, but something is missing to give your build that Oriental edge.
Here’s an excellent addition to your Skyrim wardrobe that will turn any roguish attire into authentic Ninja garb: the Wa Mask set by creator Higeyosi.
These bad-ass Japanese masks come in several traditional designs you might have seen in anime, manga, or Japanese video games.
These include the red-nosed Tengu, the crow-like Karasu Tengu, black and white Kitsune foxes, and a demonic Hannya mask.
Once you’ve got your Wa mask-clad Akaviri Ninja, you need a worthy follower to take on your adventures.
After all, I don’t think Lydia has the necessary training for skulking around in the shadows without suddenly becoming enraged and charging your target.
On the other hand, Momiji has trained all her life as part of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan.
On top of her warrior training, she has strong spiritual powers – and she looks incredible in any of the many Ninja outfits creator JackGa included with the mod.
If Momiji isn’t your cup of traditionally-brewed green tea, here’s an outfit that’ll turn any lady into a bad-ass sexy Ninja in no time.
The Grand Scarlet Kunoichi set may not be discreet, but it looks phenomenal.
And it’ll give your character or a follower the look of a mystical Ninja with arcane powers – or a sexy spy ready to use her charms to get close to a target before striking.
No Ninja is ready for battle without a worthy Japanese blade that’ll cut through armor and flesh as delicately as the Ninja cuts through the enemy’s defenses.
There are some pretty good options in the vanilla game. But if you’re looking for a mod that’ll supercharge your Ninja armory, Katana Crafting by Lautasantenni is a must-have.
This mod includes short Tanto and Wakizashi blades that won’t burden your Ninja as they climb on ceilings or crawl through tight spaces, as well as Katanas and Dai-Katanas to defend themselves when push comes to shove.
What I like the most about this specific Katana pack is that you can craft them in every weapon style available in the vanilla game, including Steel, Dwarven, Elven, Ebony, Stahlrim, Glass, Daedric, and Dragonbone!
If you liked the two-handed Dai-Katanas from the previous mod, you’ll love these custom attack animations by Pickelsturn.
It’s simply not immersive to see your Japanese Ninja warrior swing his Dai-Katana precisely the same as the average Nord swings any big sword.
With this mod, both their stance and slashes will match their elegant weapon.
The slashes are faster and more precise, and heavy attacks no longer show your character “charging” their swing, which only makes sense with heavier blades.
Getting your character to look like a Ninja is one thing.
But what about fighting like a Ninja?
It’s not enough to swing your Katana in a realistic fashion.
Ninja fight like lightning, with swift moves, skillful parries, and mystical techniques that let them narrowly escape death.
This Sekiro Combat mod by Inpa replaces many aspects of Skyrim’s somewhat uninspired combat to resemble that of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which focuses on one-on-one duels where parrying, staggering, and posture play a vital role.
Kittytail’s Shinobi Tools is by far the most creative and immersive Skyrim mod for Ninjas.
It’s not about the size of the mod or how flashy it is, but about how much it can elevate your Ninja roleplay.
Sure, you could’ve just learned some Destruction spells and used your imagination.
But having non-magic craftable Ninja tools is just extraordinary.
These tools include two types of firecrackers with stunning effects, special Shuriken that stagger your opponents, and even a secret Ninja technique that lets you vanish in a mist of feathers that distract your opponent while you skulk away to safety.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
