Ninja Gaiden 4 ending explained

This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Ninja Gaiden 4

There were no brand new ones between 2015 and 2024 Ninja Gaiden games to try. This drought ended with discharge Ninja Gaiden 2 BlackNinja Gaiden: Rageboundand Ninja Gaiden 4 in 2025. Many fans are no doubt wondering if these games, in particular Ninja Gaiden 4they ultimately signal the franchise's return to gaming prominence. The jury is still out, but in my opinion, each new release is only as strong as its ending.

Ninja Gaiden 4 it definitely has a well-defined ending to follow its excellent action gameplay. Overall, the story isn't the main appeal of this game, but it does provide a lot to chew on for lore fans. Spoilers begin in the next paragraph.

The past in Ninja Gaiden 4

Ninja Gaiden 4 has several flashback chapters at the end of the game, these being the ones where the beloved protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is playable, but for the sake of clarity it's worth explaining this first. IN Ninja Gaiden 4 In the timeline, Ryu has killed the Dark Dragon twice, but these deaths are never permanent. Every time he kills it, it just comes back, so somewhere along the way the decision was made to seal it in Tokyo. This splits the Dark Dragon into two: his bodywhich is visible all over Tokyo, and his soulwhich resides in the priestess Seori. The body creates rotting rain around Tokyo, making it almost unlivable except for the toughest warriors and devils.

Archfiend Achilles used Seori to attempt a resurrection, which Ryu foiled. To ensure that she cannot be revived, Ryu and Seori create elaborate seals spread throughout the world. Each of these seals has a sacred weapon to keep the seal intact, and Ryu and Seori bind to the demon area to prevent anyone from breaking the seal. Ryu and his ally Kagashi are then seen building and expanding the power of the Divine Dragon Order (DDO), with one of these seals existing on top of his mansion. Seori tries to find a way to undo all the damage she inadvertently caused by playing into Achilles' hand. Achilles is believed to be defeated at this time.

Present in Ninja Gaiden 4

Years later, the present, which begins in Ninja Gaiden 4Yakumo and a small crew of Raven Clan ninjas attempt to infiltrate the DDO headquarters, kill the Dark Dragon priestess, and thus end the Dark Dragon. It's because of a prophecy that says the head ninja of the Raven clan can kill the Dark Dragon forever.

The exact wording means that only after the death of the priestess can the Raven clan ninja “purify” the Dark Dragon. He believes that Seori is a captive of the DDO, but it seems more likely that she was just visiting, as her relationship with Ryu is good, even if the players don't know it right away. However, Seori stays by Yakumo's hand as she says that she doesn't fully understand the prophecy and that they would need her help to remove the seals to free the Dark Dragon (to purify/completely kill it once and for all).

The Raven Clan is a rival of the Hayabusa Clan and has often been seen as the second. This creates some resentment between the clans, as well as between Yakumo and Ryu.

From there, Yakumo, the Raven Clan, and Seori work to undo the four seals (which Seori and Ryu created years ago). Yakumo is in charge of everything, with everyone believing that he is the one capable of clearing the Dark Dragon. Yakumo and Seori are joined by several important characters:

Umi – specialist in communication
Bully – Martial arts master
Misaki – The newest member of the Raven clan and a trusted advisor

After agreeing to work with Seori, the players work to find and undo each Dark Dragon seal. Yakumo leads the way by clearing each area of demons and enemies, aided by Tyrant's training pods and Umi's communication. Meanwhile, Misaki escorts Seori to every location when it is safe to do so. There are some important stories along the way:

Yakumo confronts Ryu, with the latter and Ayane investigating Yakumo. This scene would suggest that Ryu is trying to save Seori and stop Yakumo from freeing the Dark Dragon.
Seori is kidnapped by the Devil, whom Yakumo must rescue. This sequence particularly emphasizes the growing relationship between Yakumo and Seori.

Fourth Seal of the Dark Dragon

After breaking the first three dark dragon seals, Yakumo and the gang return to DDO headquarters for the final seal. Yakumo fights his way through, defeating Kagashi along the way, who is billed as the most powerful member of DDO (as his title also suggests). Along the way, players are treated to a cutscene of Seori talking to Ryu, where she asks him to entrust Yakum with a special Dark Dragon item. then and only then Ryu finds him worthy. This cutscene is slightly confusing in terms of the timeline, but when it happens doesn't matter. It could mean she ran away from Mizaki for a short time to talk to Ryu, or it could have happened when the group was at DDO HQ early in the game. In the case of the latter, this means that Ryu was fully informed and testing Yakumo the whole time. This would also explain why Ryu doesn't chase Yakumo during the trip.

Yakumo meets Mizaki and Seori at the final seal, and when Seori performs a ritual to reveal the Dark Dragon's soul within her, she asks Yakumo to kill her. Yakumo hesitates, torn between his duties as the ninja master of the Raven Clan and as someone who has feelings for Seori. Mizaki instead stabs Seori at this point, revealing that he is actually Achilles. This frees the Dark Dragon, with Yakumo fighting and killing Achilles immediately afterwards. Yakumo then takes Seori in her arms as she talks about her mistakes and how she's not really ready to die, and Yakumo cries as the Dark Dragon flies over Tokyo.

At this point in the game, players step into the shoes of Ryu and play flashbacks of him and Seori setting up the seals. Returning to the present, Ryu rushes to the exit atop DDO HQ. The game then returns the player to Yakum's perspective.

Angered by Seori's death, he rushes to the exit and faces Ryu once more. The two engage in battle, where Ryu deems Yakuma worthy. Ryu then gives Yakumo a final parting gift from Seori (earlier cutscene) – the Dark Dragon Jewel – which transforms into the Dark Dragon Blade. Part of the Dark Dragon itself, this blade has the ability to kill the Dark Dragon in the hands of the Raven Clan ninjas due to their cursed bloodline.

The Dark Dragon's End in Ninja Gaiden 4

On the roof of DDO HQ, Yakumo confronts and defeats the Dark Dragon. In the second phase of the boss battle, the Dark Dragon takes on Yakumo's form, which Yakumo then defeats as well. Then, as the credits roll, players can run around a Tokyo that's breathing fresh air for the first time in years, free of the Dark Dragon's poisonous effects. Like Tokio, Yakumo freed himself and his clan from the bloodline curse by defeating the Dark Dragon. Without Ryu and Seori, he may not have had the ability to defeat the dragon, but their teachings (and loss in Seori's case) make the world a better place. Yakumo and Seori don't get a happy, romantic ending, but thanks to each other, they achieve what they set out to do.