Line #46 VideoGame/Tenchu


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tenchu.jpg]]
2
3	->''Live By Honor. Kill By Stealth.''
4
5	Tenchu is a series of [[StealthBasedGame stealth based games]] originally developed by Acquire and later K2 LLC and Creator/FromSoftware that features a {{ninja}} duo from the Azuma clan. The original game from 1998 was the first 3D stealth game, beating ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' to the market by 7 months; ''Stealth Assassins'' sold over a million units and spawned several sequels across various consoles that expand its story. The story starts with a demonic sorcerer named Mei-Oh trying to take over the land of Lord Gohda whom the two ninja of the Azuma clan, Rikimaru and Ayame serve.
6
7	Stealth gameplay is the standard fare for the genre- sneaking, assassinating people while they are unaware, and so on. What sets it apart is the setting, which is feudal Japan. Tools available to the player are all stock Ninja tools, though the open nature of the levels and their multi-purpose uses means that experimentation can be both rewarding and fun. In addition, getting spotted isn't really a big deal, as the player characters can actually fight back rather well even if they're spotted. This is also one of the few games that actually somewhat discourage a PacifistRun, with bonuses being rewarded to players that assassinate every enemy in the level. All of this comes together to form a rather arcadey stealth game, facilitated by the games multiple unlocks and short run times.
8
9	Aside from the games listed further below, the Tenchu franchise also include these titles:
10	* ''Tenchu: Time of the Assassins'' (2005), a [[Platform/PlayStationPortable PSP]] game set after ''Wrath of Heaven''. Includes the largest selection of playable characters to date and the return of the LevelEditor (with online-sharing capabilities).
11	* ''Tenchu: Dark Secret'' (2006), a Platform/NintendoDS game set after the second game. Deals with the titular ninjas trying to protect a DamselInDistress from an EvilOverlord who wants to cause HellOnEarth. Plays from a top-down perspective and has more focus on setting traps and gathering resources.
12	* ''Tenchu Z'' (2006), a Platform/Xbox360 game that serves as a [[TimeSkip distant sequel]] set some unknown time after the other games. Rikimaru is now an {{NPC}} and ''your'' teacher, since you can create the protagonist. Only game in the series to make use of a [[VirtualPaperDoll character creation]] system. Also the only one where Ayame has missed the cut.
13	* ''Tenchu: Shadow Assault'' (2008), a downloadable game. An [[GaidenGame unrelated]] [[GenreShift puzzle]] [[PuzzleGame game]] that borrows the series' setting and characters.
14
15	!! This video game contains the following tropes:
16
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	[[folder:''In General'']]
20	* ActionGirl: Ayame, Rin, and the female playable character from ''Tenchu Z''. They are all highly-trained ninja that can kill their targets in the blink of an eye.
21	* AnachronicOrder: ''Tenchu 2'', ''Tenchu DS'', ''Tenchu 1'', ''Fatal Shadows'', ''Tenchu 3'', ''Time of the Assassins'', ''Shadow Assassin'', and some unknown years after, ''Tenchu Z''.
22	* AnotherSideAnotherStory: ''Tenchu 2'' and ''3'' include a third secret character whose story runs parallel with that of Rikimaru and Ayame.
23	* AristocratsAreEvil: Everyone except Lord Gohda appears to be this. A common sight in most games is that of a corrupt merchant selling out the daughters of his debtors to a corrupt minister of Gohda's realm.
24	* ArtificialStupidity: Guards will panic if they spot a body and chase you if you get spotted, but inevitably reset back to their patterns if they can't find you for upwards to half a minute. Then they'll just march over the bodies they spotted before like they were never there. The guards (and in ''Z'', even the boss fights) will also happily march to the edge of water, even lining up to try to get you no matter how many times [[SuperDrowningSkills you knock them into the drink]]. And then there's cases like using the wall cover or hanging ''just'' off a ledge where by all means you should get spotted, but a guard will just walk right on by none the wiser.
25	* BackStab: The series' iconic stealth kills.
26	* BearsAreBadNews: A recurring enemy in the series. They are usually simply {{Giant Mook}}s found in cave/forest-type stages, although ''Fatal Shadows'' presents one as a boss, which was later made playable in ''Time of the Assassins''.
27	* BigBad:
28	** ''Tenchu: Stealth Assassins'' has [[{{Satan}} Lord Mei-Oh]], seeking to plunge the land into chaos and death.
29	** ''Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins'' has [[AmbitionIsEvil Lady Kagami of the Burning Dawn]], a ninja seeking to free herself and her group from the shadows of servitude.
30	** ''Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven'' has the [[EvilSorcerer Dark Wizard Tenrai]], seeking to increase his powers for his own ambitions.
31	** ''Tenchu: Fatal Shadows'' has [[BlackSheep Jyuzou of the Kuroya]], seeking to break free of the traditional life of a ninja and is responsible for burning down Rin's village.
32	** ''Tenchu: Time of the Assassins'' has [[ArchEnemy Onikage]] as the BigBad in all characters' stories [[VillainProtagonist except his own]] and Tesshu's; whose old friend Jinai takes the role.
33	** ''Tenchu: Dark Secret'' has [[AristocratsAreEvil Lord Kagemasa of Hakkaku]] [[spoiler:who is [[DemonicPossession possessed by the demon Kubira]]]]; and plots to open the gateway to the underworld so demons may take over the land of the living.
34	** ''Tenchu: Shadow Assassins'' has [[DragonAscendant Onikage]] pulling the strings of everyone once again to destroy the house of Gohda and the Azuma ninja.
35	* BilingualBonus: Tenchu means "Divine Punishment", which is what you dish out.
36	%%* BrilliantButLazy: Ayame can easily master techniques, but gets bored with training.
37	* {{Bowdlerise}}: In the UK the games were modified to comply with contemporary laws about depicting ninja weapons. This meant that shurikens were replaced with kunai throwing knives; these would be the versions released in mainland Europe too.
38	* CaptainErsatz:
39	** Tesshu is a blatant homage to the ''[[Series/{{Hissatsu}} Hissatsu]]'' [[Series/{{Hissatsu}} series]], as he's inspired by the earliest protagonists, acupuncturist Fujieda Baian and bonesetter Nenbutsu no Tetsu. His exclusive weapons, the Bamboo Gun and the hanging wire, are also iconic weapons from the series.
40	** Wang Xiaohai from ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'' is based on Mongolman from ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}''
41	** Tachibana Jubei from ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'' is an obvious ersatz of UsefulNotes/YagyuJubei.
42	** Tajima from ''Wrath of Heaven'' is an homage to Unosuke, the ''BigBad from Film/{{Yojimbo}}''.
43	** Creator/MasashiKishimoto of ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' fame has openly admitted that Kakashi is based off of Rikimaru. Orochimaru resembles Onikage, too.
44	* CaptainObvious: The Mooks tend to be this.
45	--> ''I'm dying... Ohhhhh... I'm dying...''
46	* ChildSoldier: Rikimaru and Ayame were trained from a young age to become Azuma Ninjas, and undertook their first missions when they were 18 and 14 years old, respectively.
47	* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: AI boss characters tend to have unlimited ninja items while you can only carry limited amount of items; Onikage has unlimited healing potions, Lady Kagami has unlimited shuriken/kunai and hand grenades, and many other bosses have unlimited smoke bombs.
48	* CoolBigSis: Ayame acts like this to Gohda's daughter, Princess Kiku.
49	* CoolSword: Izayoi. Specially in ''Tenchu 3'', where its magical properties are first shown.
50	* CorruptBureaucrat: A very common Tenchu enemy.
51	-->''[[OncePerEpisode Execute the]] [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney Corrupt Merchant]] [[FatBastard Echigoya]]''
52	* DamselInDistress: Kiku gets kidnapped [[OncePerEpisode once in each main game]].
53	* DeadCharacterWalking: Original has a player-accessible DebugMode that can cause all sorts of amusing glitches when abused: If you jump into a BottomlessPit and then use the debug menu to teleport back to the beginning of the level after you drop to 0 HP, you'll be essentially invincible and all enemy attacks go through you. However, this also gives you the same SuperDrowningSkills the enemies suffer from, but thanks to the debug menu, you can teleport yourself out of the water as well and revive yourself on command: depending on how long you let your character drown before you revive them, their lower torso [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe might disappear entirely]] or they might turn completely invisible with only their weapon floating in the air.
54	* DeadpanSnarker: Ayame provides plenty of sass to her enemies before she kills them.
55	* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Since the games are set around 16th-century feudal Japan, the characters have values that are rather old fashioned or sexist from a modern point of view. In ''Stealth Assassins'' for example, if Rikimaru was sent to assassinate a corrupt Minister who's taking bribes, the Minister accepts his fate and asks Rikimaru to help him commit Seppuku. But if Ayame is the one to the assassinate him, the Minister is offended that a woman was sent to kill him and fights back. Even the protagonists are guilty of this with Rikimaru expressing [[StayInTheKitchen that women shouldn't be warriors]] despite the fact that [[{{Hypocrite}} his partner Ayame is one]].
56	* DeviousDaggers: Ayame wields a pair of kodachi/daggers, and boy can she use them.
57	* DiedStandingUp: Occurs multiple times throughout the series;
58	** [[TheBigGuy Genbu]] from ''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'' dies on his feet after being mortally wounded by Ayame during the climax. He drops his dual clubs to signify his the moment of his death.
59	** [[TheBrute Ganda]] from ''Wrath of Heaven'' dies this way.
60	** [[BigBad Jyuzou]] from ''Fatal Shadows'' dies after being run through by [[TheHero Rin]].
61	* DualWielding: Ayame wields a pair of daggers as her weapons. Occasionally enemies or bosses also appear wielding two weapons, usually katanas.
62	* ExtremityExtremist: Onikage is all about kicks, only using his hands for special grabs in ''Wrath of Heaven'' and sometimes blocking.
63	* FinishingMove: The Stealth Kills function like this. The final skill in ''Tenchu 3'' being a cinematic OneHitKill may also count.
64	* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Saw a dead teammate over there? They stay alert... for all of 1 minute before resuming patrol as if nothing ever happened. Worse if using an animal-sound mimicking item/skill, which will make the guards relax after hearing a cow, chicken or dog and ''assuming those were the culprits''!
65	* GunsAreWorthless: Played straight with enemy guns, which are slow and easy to avoid, even if they have unlimited ammo and infinite reach. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with the player's Bamboo Gun which, while sluggish and hard to aim, packs the strength of a ''bazooka'' and can heavily damage, or even kill, most things in one shot.
66	* HighPressureBlood: And plenty of it!
67	%%* HighlyVisibleNinja
68	* InvisibilityCloak: An unlockable item in ''Tenchu 2'', ''Wrath of Heavens'' and ''Fatal Shadows''.
69	%%* KatanasAreJustBetter
70	* LevelEditor: ''Tenchu 2'' introduced one which allowed players to create and save stages using one of 10 predetermined sets, based on game stages. The mode was originally in ''Shinobi Gaisen'' and is brought back in ''Time of the Assassins''.
71	* MasterOfDisguise: An unlockable item in the earlier games. It allowed one to transform into a mook or innocent civilian for a short amount of time, or after delivering a kill. It and the InvisibilityCloak have the same effect with the difference that while the invisibility lasts for a shorter amount of time and you can only carry 1, it allows multiple kills for its duration while the disguise item lasts longer and you can carry up to 3 of them, but it wears off instantly if you kill someone with it active.
72	* {{Ninja}}: Ninja in this game are not suited to open hand-to-hand combat like the Samurai are, but are the undisputed masters of the stealth kill.
73	* NinjaLog: The Ninja Rebirth item, which resurrects the player if they are killed when equipped.
74	* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Ninja Pirate Animal Demon.
75	* NintendoHard: These games aren't necessarily complex in their stealth mechanics, but the combat mechanics are intentionally terrible so you can't just brute force missions usually - and a good number of targets turn into boss fights which can be quite difficult to deal with as a result. And if that wasn't enough, try going for Grandmaster rankings, which require as many stealth kills as possible without killing civilians or, on harder difficulties, getting spotted a single time (bosses obviously not withstanding). And you ''need'' to keep hitting this rank to get some of the better items that can help mitigate said bosses as well as help with more Grandmaster rankings. It's that kind of series.
76	* OffWithHisHead: Totally random but happens frequently in the first game if an enemy is killed with a jump slash.
77	* OneSteveLimit: Averted, though in different games. There are two characters named Nasu: a [[AristocratsAreEvil corrupt aristocrat]] in Wrath of Heavens, and a DirtyOldMan that [[CovertPervert doubles as a massage giver]] in Fatal Shadows. There are also up to three Echigoya characters in various games, and they're all corrupt merchants with a thing for harassing geishas.
78	* {{Pirate}}: The Baoliusung Gang from part 2 are a Chinese gang of pirates, while the foreign pirates from the first game are the more traditional kind.
79	* RankInflation: Thug, Novice, Ninja, Master Ninja, Grand Master from the first game. Later titles have different rank names but follow a similar type of escalation.
80	* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Among the Echigoya clan's extensive rap sheet is rendering the daughters of their clients into prostitution if they fail to pay their debts.
81	* RemixedLevel:
82	** One of Tenchu's main features is that the levels play different depending on which character you choose, either through differing enemy placements or having different objectives.
83	** ''Tenchu 2'' features new takes on the StormTheCastle and mountain stage from the first game, the latter even with the same Tengu enemies!
84	** ''Fatal Shadows'' brings in a mostly-complete recreation of the 3rd/cave level and 4th/checkpoint level from the first game, although many areas in the latter are closed off and split into two different missions.
85	%%* {{Rival}}: A SmugSnake to boot, that purple kicking bastard.
86	* RuleOfCool: Some of the stealth kills are ''ridiculously'' complicated. Ayame does things that make pro wrestling finishers look basic.
87	* ScarsAreForever: Rikimaru sports a scar over his right eye, and it's awesome. He got it in ''Tenchu 2'' at the start of the timeline, and still has it in ''Z'', set some unknown years after the last released entry.
88	* SecretCharacter: Each game in the series (bar the first game) has a third unlockable character.
89	** Time of the Assassins has 5 different characters to play in story mode, and many more for use in the LevelEditor.
90	* ShoutOut: The dark tone and the focus on assassinations, especially of [[CorruptBureaucrat corrupt bureaucrats]] and [[AristocratsAreEvil evil aristocrats]], is reminiscent of the ''[[Series/{{Hissatsu}} Hissatsu]]'' [[Series/{{Hissatsu}} series]]. This is especially blatant with Tesshu, who seems directly taken from the series.
91	* SimultaneousArcs:
92	** Rikimaru, Ayame and Tatsumaru's stories in ''Tenchu 2'' happen at the same period of time, and they complement each other entirely so one has to play all three to completion to see the full picture.
93	** ''Fatal Shadows'' works similarly, although there's a single story mode with Ayame and Rin taking turns each mission, the former dealing with foreign enemies of Gohda and the latter with getting revenge for her DoomedHometown.
94	** Averted in ''Tenchu 3'', where the three playable characters' stories are entirely independent and tell very different stories with the same bad guys.
95	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Go(h)da.
96	* SpiritualSuccessor: Found in the ''VideoGame/{{Shinobido}}'' series, designed by Acquire after they lost the license to Creator/FromSoftware. While significantly different in core design, as the ''Shinobido'' series is more open-ended between faction allegiances, skills and gear as well as MultipleEndings, a number of similarities and elements to the ''Tenchu'' games remain such as the focus on stealth kills and using the Ki meter for awareness of nearby foes.
97	* StormingTheCastle: Gohda castle has been stormed or infiltrated numerous times.
98	* SuperDrowningSkills: Averted for the player, as every single character can swim and even dive (albeit [[OxygenMeter not indefinitely]]) as well as use a bamboo stick to hide beneath the water surface while keeping an air supply. Played straight for every enemy, however - if they so much as sink a foot into water, they'll instantly drown. Even funnier, ''Tenchu Z'' lets this happen to two major plot bosses if you're stubborn enough to try.
99	** It can also be done in the very first game, because most boss fights let you move around the entire level while fighting your opponent. If you feel like knocking Onikage off the roof of Goda's castle so you can drown him in the river that runs outside the castle wall, you can.
100	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: ''Tenchu Z'' counts kills you personally commit, even if by an item trap you laid around. However, it's entirely possible to non-lethally knock out civilians and then nudge them into [[SuperDrowningSkills water]]. No consequence, because their death wasn't caused by a direct action!
101	* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Killing non combatants and allies (even if they die because they stomp on caltrops you have scattered) will inflict severe penalty on your score.
102	* WhatMeasureIsAMook: The player can often hear the mooks [[EnemyChatter utter some lines]] while hiding in the Shadows. That includes lines such as "The doctor said I should stay away from dangerous business for a while" (said by a ninja of all people) and "I need to cut down on my drinking, or my wife will be mad at me again". Though that might not be intentional. You could feel sorry for mooks getting murdered seconds after saying "I'm sure tonight will be completely uneventful".
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:''Stealth Assassins'']]
106
107	--> Released in 1998 for Platform/PlayStation
108
109	''Tenchu: Stealth Assassins'' (''Rittai Ninja Katsugeki: Tenchu'') is the first game in the series, focused on an apparent series of unrelated missions carried out by Rikimaru/Ayame by orders of Lord Gohda. Half-way through, [[TheHeavy Onikage]] makes his appearances and the protagonists are descend into [[BonusLevelOfHell hell itself]] to save Gohda's daughter from Onikage's master, [[{{Satan}} Lord Mei-Oh]]. The original Japanese version was in an unfinished state with clunky controls and graphics, so the western version was [[RegionalBonus reworked, while adding two new stages and three alternate enemy layouts]]. Eventually the Japanese market got an UpdatedRerelease under the subtitle ''Shinobi Gaisen'', which included all the upgrades plus a brand-new LevelEditor. Later in 1999 ''Tenchu: Shinobi Hyakusen'' was released, a [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] [[MissionPackSequel Mission Pack]] made of 100 fan-submitted levels created with Shinobi Gaisen's LevelEditor.
110
111	* AnArmAndALeg: Performing a non-cinematic stealth kill will often take off an arm of the hapless mook you killed. Some versions of the game allow decapitations too.
112	* ArtificialStupidity: In the original Japanese release dead bodies are effectively "out of play". Guards and civilians can walk down a blood-soaked street littered with corpses without being alarmed. The international release would change things up by having guards investigate any discovered bodies [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy before returning to their usual patrols like nothing happened]].
113	* BilingualDialogue: Ayame understands Captain Balmer's Spanish, but she always responds in her native tongue.
114	* BreathWeapon: The fire-eater scroll allows Rikimaru/Ayame to release a potent fire breath at enemies, whereas the skinny, big-headed cultists in Stage 6 have it as a natural ability.
115	* {{Cult}}: The Manji is a cult of deranged, deformed people under the (apparent) influence of a mysterious rock. The sudden appearance of Onikage after killing their leader and fire-breathing enemies also found in Mei-Oh's lair implies Lord Mei-Oh may have a hand in that.
116	* DebugRoom: A Debug Mode can be accessed in game which allows for all sort of crazy things like controlling enemies/bosses/civilians/animals, creating your own layouts with enemy patterns and behaviors (and saving it on a Memory Card) and even assign an enemy/boss to the 2nd controller and play co-op!
117	* DualBoss: The first boss in the original Japan release is a fight against the weak merchant Echigoya and his bodyguard. The international release would change this by making the bodyguard a mid-boss while Echigoya runs off to another part of the map.
118	* DullSurprise: The voice acting is known for being very wooden when the dialogue isn't suffering from {{Engrish}}.
119	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: From the guards being unable to react to any dead bodies (Original Japanese release only), to certain control and design elements that were improved upon in the sequels, it can be tough for some fans to come back to the first game after playing the later ones.
120	* EvilWeapon: Mei-Oh's sword, Shichishito. Besides being a somewhat EmpathicWeapon with cursed powers, it also has [[ShockAndAwe electric attacks]].
121	* FlowerFromTheMountaintop: Mission 8's goal is to obtain a flower grown at the very top of a mountain to cure Princess Kiku.
122	* GratuitousSpanish: Balmer, the foreign pirate. The English version is not ''that'' bad (though the thick Cuban accent certainly doesn't help), but the Japanese original on the other hand...
123	--> <[[BlindIdiotTranslation It looks like you've died. I kill you now!]]>
124	* MadLibsCatchphrase: Ayame has the BondOneLiner "you won't ___ where you're going."
125	* OutsideGenreFoe: Mei-Oh, a HumanoidAbomination from another world with a sword that shoots lightning, who comes pretty much out of nowhere in a game that until this point was grounded in reality. His name literally translates to "King of Hell".
126	* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Ayame tells the ''King of Hell'' that she's not impressed with him, after backflipping into Hellmouth. She actually says, "SHUT UP AND TELL ME WHERE KIKU IS!"
127	--> '''Rikimaru:''' Your guards are dead. And ''you'' are next.
128	* {{Seppuku}}: One of the missions involves executing a corrupt minister, but if the player is using Rikimaru, he will plead with the minister to take the honorable route and perform seppuku, which he will and Rikimaru will assist by decapitating him. If the player chooses Ayame, she will insult and agitate the minister until he lashes out, resulting in a boss battle.
129	* SoundtrackDissonance: Features really quite pleasant and soothing classical guitar BGM, while you drop onto hapless mooks and decapitate them.
130	* StayInTheKitchen: Whereas Minister Kataohka will honorably commit seppuku if Rikimaru confronts him, he'll challenge Ayame, stating that he will "not allow a woman to scold (him)".
131	* StormingTheCastle: Mission 9 is set in Gohda's own castle, now taken over by Onikage and his demon ninja. The Azuma Ninja thus has to infiltrate it and reach the top to defeat him.
132	* {{Stripperiffic}}: The secret armor for Ayame, accessible only via a secret code on the item screen.
133	* SuperDrowningSkills: Enemies can't swim, but Rikimaru and Ayame can. This gives the player a major advantage they can exploit.
134	* TeleportSpam: Mei-Oh. Hoo-boy does he love teleporting around...
135	* UpdatedRerelease: When the game was brought over for an international audience, 2 new levels were added, controls and AI were improved. The result was more difficult than the original release but was more stable and consistent. This was later released back in Japan by the name of ''Tenchu: Shinobi Gaisen''.
136	* WarmupBoss: Echigoya is reeeeeally slow at both moving and shooting, telegraphs every attack he makes and has a rather mediocre life bar. Sasaki (Echigoya's personal bodyguard) will never block or jump while the player can block his attacks.[[note]]In the original Japanese version of Tenchu, the player must face both Echigoya and Sasaki at the same time in the same room, requiring the player to be careful despite the weakness of both boss characters. The translated EU/US version and the updated version ''Shinobi Gaisen'' and ''Shinobi Hyakusen'' made things easier by having the player fought Sasaki and Echigoya in two separated rooms.[[/note]]
137	* WorthyOpponent: Senjuro Akechi considers Rikimaru this, and laments that they stand as enemies loyal to their lords before battle. Face him with Ayame, though, and he'll express anger and disbelief both at his sister's defeat and his own. [[RunningGag Again]], this is 16th-century Japan.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:''Birth of the Stealth Assassins'']]
141
142	--> Released in 2000 for Platform/PlayStation
143
144	''Tenchu 2: Birth of the Stealth Assassins'' is a {{Prequel}} to the first, focus on the two characters' graduation into ninjas and their first assignments serving Gohda. Introduced the LevelEditor mode (originally used in ''Shinobi Gaisen'') and includes a [[SecretCharacter third secret character]].
145
146	* AMillionIsAStatistic: Suzaku dismisses Rikimaru's shock at the Burning Dawns evil plan potentially killing countless innocent lives with this;
147	-->'''Suzaku''': "We live in an age of war. People die every day."
148	* AmnesiacDissonance: Tatsumaru loses his memory and helps the Burning Dawn massacre his own clan. [[spoiler:He regains his memory but chooses to remain one of the bad guys out of guilt.]]
149	* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler: Suzaku is revived atop the wreckage of the Burning Dawn fleet, once he's revealed to be Onikage.]]
150	* BareFistedMonk: Wang Xaohai, a Chinese pirate expert in hand-to-hand combat.
151	* BigStupidDooDooHead: As a child, we learn that Ayame was not very creative with insulting her enemies; such as saying Boron smells or Genbu is a big idiot.
152	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Rikimaru & Ayame are the only Azuma ninja left, but thanks to their efforts Gohda castle stands strong]].
153	* BreakTheCutie: Both Rikimaru and Ayame go through this, [[spoiler: seeing their friend Tatsumaru betray them, kill their master/father figure and renounce them to join Kagami in her attack against Gohda. Ayame really gets the worse of it, as she had a crush on Tatsumaru.]]
154	* CherryBlossoms: The stage set in the Cherry Tree Hill has a huge tree and the whole area covered in blossoms.
155	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The soldier mooks in the first part of the game wear different colors to indicate who they serve. Green=Motohide, Purple=Toda, Blue=Gohda.
156	* CoolBoat: The Fire Demon.
157	* CrackOhMyBack: Urano Takehito will ocassionally stop his attack due to his bad back, being a really old man.
158	%%* DarkerAndEdgier
159	* DigitalBikini: Of the "original outfit too risque" variety. Compare Ayame's [[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/5/5/1/32551.jpg Japanese]] costume to her [[https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/5/4/9/32549.jpg US]] one.
160	* DoomedHometown: The Azuma village, although it doesn't happen until near the end of the story.
161	* DraggedByTheCollar: One of the new abilities added to your ninja's skill-set is the ability to drag bodies and hide them from view.
162	* DragonWithAnAgenda: Kagami served Lord Toda as head of his ninja group, but betrayed him in order to pursue her own dreams.
163	* EvilCounterpart: Lord Toda for Lord Gohda (both lord over their lands, but Gohda is benevolent while Toda is power-hungry) and the Burning Dawn for the Azuma ninja (both are ninja groups serving their lords, but the Azuma are completely loyal to Gohda whereas the Burning Dawn betrayed Toda for their own needs).
164	* EvilFeelsGood: Subverted; underneath all her evil laughter and gloating, Kagami feels terrible for the innocent deaths she caused, as evidenced by her brief breakdown in the quarantined village. However, she believes it is too late for her to abandon her cause, for the sake of her followers and all those who died for her, making her all the more tragic.
165	* FallenHero: Tatsumaru.
166	* ForgivenessRequiresDeath: Poor Tatsumaru.
167	* TheFourGods: The Lords of the Burning Dawn are named after them.
168	* GenocideFromTheInside: [[spoiler:Suffering from AmnesiacDissonance and having become a Lord of the Burning Dawn, Tatsumaru wipes out his own clan, leaving few survivors besides Rikimaru and Ayame.]]
169	* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: Demon Mountain.
170	* IslandBase: Kubon island, hideout of the Baoliusung Gang.
171	* JustYouAndMeAndMyGUARDS: Toda calls forth two soldiers right before his boss battle with Tatsumaru.
172	* LightIsNotGood: The Burning Dawn have rejected the life of darkness and embraced the light.
173	%%* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler: Suzaku]].
174	* MidSeasonTwist: It's in the 6th or 7th missions that Rikimaru & Ayame discover Tatsumaru's amnesia.
175	* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Genbu refuses to stop fighting as he feels he owes Kagami for all she did for him.
176	* NapoleonComplex: Byakko is supremely arrogant for someone so short.
177	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Zigzagged. Rikimaru's refusal to finish off Tatsumaru lead to the latter gaining a cheap shot that blinded him in one eye. On the other hand, his act of mercy also lead Lady Kagami to spare his life in return.
178	* NotSoSafeHarbor: The Secret Harbor, which is taken over by the Burning Dawn before Rikimaru leads Gohda's army to take it back from them.
179	* PantheraAwesome: Byakko's pet tiger Chiro, who assists him in fighting Rikimaru and Ayame.
180	* PassingTheTorch: Master Shiunsai passes down the Izayoi to Tatsumaru, and with it, leadership of the Azuma clan...[[spoiler: This turns out to be a TenMinuteRetirement, as Tatsumaru makes a FaceHeelTurn shortly after.]]
181	** [[spoiler:Ayame later gives Izayoi to Rikimaru after Tatsumaru dies]].
182	* PreAsskickingOneLiner: Rikimaru makes one before every boss battle.
183	* TheReveal / TheStinger: [[spoiler:Suzaku is Onikage]].
184	* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: Tohda kills Motohide after he kidnaps Kiku.
185	* SssssnakeTalk: Suzaku hisses in his speech. Also done with [[AnimalMotifs The Snake]], a mini-boss who fights Ayame in the Quarantine village.
186	* SmokeOut: Parodied by Genbu, he drops a smoke bomb to escape from Ayame after their initial fight, only to get stuck in a window. [[DestinationDefenestration Ayame frees him of his predicament with a swift kick.]] He tries a similar tactic on Kubon Island only to disguise himself as a rock in plain sight. Ayame tosses a grenade into his alleged hiding spot and sends him running.
187	* SoftReset: By holding Start+Select.
188	%%* StarCrossedLovers: Tatsumaru ♥ Kagami.
189	* {{Stripperiffic}}: Lady Kagami's outfit doeesn't leave much to the imagination.
190	* SwordCane: Master Shiunsai wields one with incredible speed for someone so old.
191	* SwordOverHead: Lord Gohda is engaged in a sword fight with his uncle, who has led a revolt against him. Being the good and noble lord Gohda hesitates after disarming him, and lowers his weapon. [[NoNonsenseNemesis His uncle then shoots him.]] It is then that the player controlled Rikimaru steps in, cuing a boss fight. After the fight, the trope occurs again, with Rikimaru poised over the uncle. Being a ninja, Rikimaru slashes, but Gohda leaps in and takes the slash to his back. The uncle, touched by this, proceeds to scamper off and kill Gohda's wife and kidnap his daughter. Nice guy.
192	** Later, during the battle against [[spoiler: Tatsumaru]], Rikimaru hesitates to strike down [[spoiler: his former friend]], who takes the opportunity to slash Rikimaru's face, scarring him for the rest of the series.
193	* ThreateningShark: There's one in the water during the Secret Harbor missions. Amusingly it counts against your mission score if it spots you like it would any other enemy.
194	* VisionaryVillain: Kagami's dream is to build "a world ruled by the ninja". In other words, her dream is to destroy the noble system in Japan so ninja can be freed from their obligation to serve the nobles and obtain the rights to live their own lives without hiding in darkness "like a thief".
195	* YouHaveFailedMe: Suzaku kills Yukihotaru after she loses to Rikimaru.
196	* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler: Shiunsai reflects on how Tatsumaru killing him was fate after he killed his father.]] Slightly subverted in that he never knew it, so it was not personal.
197	[[/folder]]
198
199	[[folder:''Wrath of Heaven/Return from Darkness'']]
200
201	--> Released in 2003 for Platform/PlayStation2 (as ''Wrath of Heaven''); 2004 for Platform/{{Xbox}} (as ''Return from Darkness''); 2009 for Platform/PlayStationPortable (as ''Tenchu 3 Portable'', Japan only)
202
203	''Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven'' is a direct sequel starting where the first game left off. Each character has their own individual and independent storyline, which are quite different and contradictory between them. They all center on a new BigBad, the dark wizard Tenrai, and his attempt to take over Gohda's land by either claiming Lord Mei-Oh's power (Rikimaru's story) or a set of three {{MacGuffin}}s (Ayame's). The first entry in Platform/PlayStation2, ''Wrath of Heaven'' refined the gameplay of the first two and introduced several new features, including a set of ninja skills to unlock, extra weapons beyond the basic ones and the ability to wield enemy weapons. It also included a set of co-op missions and a Versus Mode with several of the bosses playable. It later got an UpdatedRerelease for Platform/{{Xbox}} titled ''Tenchu: Return from Darkness'', with added stages and online capabilities.
204
205	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The special "Through the Portal" mission puts Rikimaru in a modern time setting against a CorruptCorporateExecutive [[spoiler:who's also a cyborg]].
206	* AIBreaker: If an enemy that has spotted you ends up in a hole they can't walk out of and has not lost track of you, they'll jump out. The problem is that they'll do this while still making a beeline for your position, and being that they're completely defenseless while in the air this leaves them wide open to getting smacked back into the hole where the process can be repeated until they're disposed of. Not terribly useful at its face in a game where getting caught is a bad thing, but as it turns out the arena for Tesshu's last two bosses is such that this can be mercilessly exploited, trivializing them if you picked up a spear on the way there.
207	* ArtificialStupidity: Intentional, but still exaggerated. The Decoy Whistle (which Tesshu also has variant of built into his abilities) makes an animal noise, which will immediately cause alert enemies/civilians to go from their !? (actively looking to you) state to a normal state. Where this gets silly is that it works unconditionally, even if they're currently looking at a body; and in the sheer insanity of how ''effective'' it is, with guards calming down after hearing a cow or cat sound as if the animal in question is the only logical culprit for the clearly-slashed-apart-with-a-katana corpse they are looking at!
208	* AsianRuneChant: As a method for learning new moves.
209	* BackFromTheDead: Rikimaru returns from his apparent death at the end of the original ''Tenchu''[[note]]Although, according to the bonus stage, he was actually trapped in another world/the future[[/note]]. Tenrai has the power of resurrection and all members of the Group of Six (most notably [[spoiler: Tatsumaru]]) are this.
210	* BadassNormal: Tesshu is just a thug-for-hire, but can go toe-to-toe with the ninja main characters.
211	* BodyHorror: In Ayame's story, [[BigBad Tenrai's]] OneWingedAngel form is an incomplete transformation into [[ScaledUp a giant snake]]. Aside from his more serpent-like facial features, the flesh from his arms is falling off leaving exposed bones surrounded by partially melted skin.
212	* BrutalBonusLevel: "Through The Portal", where half the mooks are armed with fast firing pistols and the TrueFinalBoss is the hardest to beat in the entire game.
213	* CallBack: The instigating mission with assassinating Echigoya is a call back to the first mission of ''Stealth Assassins''. Both games involve killing a merchant named Echigoya, Ayame will taunt Echigoya and his partner by saying "You have been bad boys", and Echigoya's bodyguard will deliver a PreAsskickingOneLiner "Looks like you picked the wrong party to crash".
214	* ClockworkCreature: The specialty of Dr. Kimaira is his wooden robot army.
215	* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: Alert enemies are capable of blocking attacks even if you're directly behind them. They'll just do an instant 180 turn and bam, blocked. They're also very much capable of grabbing you in the middle of an attack string if they feel like it, giving them quite a bit in common with unfair fighting game opponents.
216	* CorruptChurch: Surprisingly they are corrupt ''Buddhists''. Don't see that often.
217	* DeadlyDoctor: Tesshu works as a doctor by day, but during the night he's an assassin for hire.
218	* DiedStandingUp: Ganda in Ayame's story.
219	* DirtyCop: The mooks Rikimaru kills in the bonus mission "Through The Portal".
220	* DisneyDeath: After defeating Onikage in his third mission, the real Onikage will cut Rikimaru's throat, as the Onikage who was killed was a body double. After Onikage attempts to summon [[GreaterScopeVillain Lord Mei-Oh]] from the portal, the real Rikimaru emerges instead. The Rikimaru who you had been playing as up to this point was his shadow, and a fight between the real Onikage and Rikimaru begins.
221	* DonutMessWithACop: Upon being stealth killed, the obese cops from "Through the portal" will mutter "I need Donuts, Donuts... from hellnut..."
222	* EagleLand: "Through The Portal" is a firm Type 2: It's set in an office building in a city where smog blots out the sky, the mooks consist entirely of morbidly obese {{Dirty Cop}}s, and the final boss is a blond-haired CorruptCorporateExecutive.
223	* FatBastard: The Mooks from the bonus mission "Through the Portal" are all obese cops who can be overheard complaining about their weight.
224	* FollowTheMoney: Some of the mooks Tesshu kills carry gold.
225	* GagDub: The B-side audio option, detailing Rikimaru's quest for the secret invention [[spoiler:(toilet paper)]], Ayame's battle against a shady modeling agency, and Tesshu's adventures as a homosexual.
226	* GuideDangIt: It's possible to skip Stealth Kill animations by pressing the Circle Button. This is actually extremely helpful considering that the world does not freeze during these animations, so it's a distinct possibility that you'll end up sighted from letting them play through. Does the game itself or its manual mention that you can do this? Nope!
227	* IncendiaryExponent: A PowerUp ki attack of Tesshu gives him a fiery aura, and each punch sets enemies on fire.
228	* InnocentInnuendo: Ayame hears Tajima telling one of the kidnapped villagers "What a nice pair you have, now let me show you mine!" They are, of course, playing poker.
229	* JustYouAndMeAndMyGuards: The second boss in both Rikimaru and Ayame's paths calls for guards to back him up. Played with in that while Rikimaru has to fight the boss with his guards, Ayame proceeds to slaughter them during the cutscene, leaving the boss to be just her and him.
230	* MadScientist: Dr. Kimaira.
231	* MagicalEye: [[spoiler:Rikimaru's Dohjutsu. Sealed in his right eye by Shiunsai because he "was not ready at the time", it allowed him to overcome Tenrai's evil power]]. Worth noting it seems to have been RetGone afterwards, as no further mention of this ability is ever made.
232	* MasterOfDisguise: Hyakubake, a member of Tenrai's group with this ability. He faces Rikimaru as Ayame and viceverse in their respective storylines.
233	* MurderInc: The Muzen (Tesshu).
234	* OneWingedAngel: After defeating [[FinalBoss Tenrai]] in his human form, he will use the power of Mei-Oh to transform into an Oni (Rikimaru's story) or the two power stones in his possession to become [[ScaledUp a serpent like monstrosity]] (Ayame's story).
235	* PlayingPossum: It's possible to feign death but doing so causes you to slowly lose health as you bleed, so it's possible to ''actually'' die.
236	* PoisonedWeapons: A special hidden weapon for Ayame, the Dokuto, which poisons with every strike. Suffice to say that this effectively ''completely cripples'' the enemy/boss in question, who will be stunned every second for each slash he receives.
237	* PoisonousPerson: Tenrai's OneWingedAngel form in Ayame's story is this, a serpent-like monstrosity who can poison with a mere touch and is immune to poison himself, rendering the above-mentioned Dokuto worthless.
238	* SillinessSwitch: The B-side dialogue option.
239	* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: If Rikimaru is killed by the DirtyCop mooks in ''Through the Portal'', they will taunt his corpse saying "That's what you get, bitch!"
240	* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Explains how Rikimaru survived the end of the first game.
241	* UselessUsefulSpell: Ninja Mind Control. Its stated effect is that it will cause an enemy who is struck with it to attack other enemies for a period of time. While the description is upfront that it doesn't work on bosses, what it neglects to specify is that it also does not work on normal enemies in boss encounters, meaning it's ineffective against Nasu's guards in Rikimaru's Stage 1 or against the zombie horde in his Stage 6 (nevermind that it's not unlocked in the first place until Stage 8), which immediately means it serves no purpose unless you've been spotted within the stage. The problems don't stop there, however, as the attack required to activate the effect is also incredibly slow and short ranged, meaning that it's universally easier to just dispatch the enemies yourself than to try to hit one of them with it, and even if you land the hit the duration is so short that the affected enemy will probably only even attempt one or two hits before it wears off. Another useless one is Ayame's Wrath of Heaven. Both Rikimaru and Ayame's Wrath of Heaven is an attack with a long wind-up that reduces their health to 1, regardless of if it lands or not. Problem being is that whereas Rikimaru's version is a OneHitKill that will dispose of bosses just as easily as anything else provided they're stunned first, Ayame's is not and in fact simply doesn't do enough damage to justify its use in any situation. It's a pity too, considering that she has two stages which begin with a boss fight where something like Rikimaru's Wrath of Heaven might be highly desired when going through the second and third layouts of each stage, whereas Rikimaru has none.
242	* YouAreTheTranslatedForeignWord: The subtitle "The Wrath of Heaven" is somewhat redundant as that is what the translation of the word "Tenchu" is.
243	[[/folder]]
244
245	[[folder:''Fatal Shadows'']]
246
247	--> Released in 2004 for Platform/PlayStation2; 2010 for Platform/PlayStationPortable (as ''Tenchu Kurenai Portable'', Japan only)
248
249	''Tenchu: Fatal Shadows'' is an {{Interquel}} set between the first and third game, focusing on Ayame's mission in enemy territory and the exploits of a former ninja, Rin, looking for the ones who burned down her [[HiddenElfVillage secret ninja village]]. It's very similar gameplay-wise to ''Wrath of Heavens'' and features a few small new additions, such as enemy-based Stealth Kills.
250
251	* ArrangedMarriage: [[spoiler:Jyuzou reveals to Rin that he was betrothed to her before he left the Hagakure to found the Kuroya. Rin doesn't take it well.]]
252	* BlindWeaponmaster: Nasu the masseuse carries a hidden sword in his cane. Being a FatBastard fighting inside a small arena helps his combat chances.
253	* CallBack: Bougetsu cave is revisited from the first game. You can overhear some mooks say that the cave used to be owned by "some big guy"; referring to Goo; the boss of that level.
254	* CallForward: Tesshu and Zennosuke's entire appearance is this.
255	* TheCameo: Tesshu and his boss Zennosuke appear in one of Rin's chapters.
256	* CuttingOffTheBranches: The gallery bio for Kumagorou the bear establishes him as the son of the bear who fought alongside Goo in ''Tenchu: Stealth Assassins'', and Ayame was the one who killed his father; this confirms that Ayame was the one to rescue Rikimaru from the bandits in the first games third mission.
257	* DoomedHometown: Hagakure village is the home of Rin, and is burned down by the Kuroya at the start of the game.
258	* DragonTheirFeet: If Ayame failed to kill Ranzou after his TimeLimitBoss fight, he will attempt to stealth kill Ayame during the ending cutscene after [[FinalBoss Jyuzou]] has been killed.
259	* DualBoss: Futaba and her twin brother Hitoha are fought together in chapter 10. Killing one of them will cause the surviving twin to change their fighting style against Rin.
260	* DualWielding: Exaggerated with Shinogi, he fights Ayame using ''three'' swords, carrying one of them [[CutlassBetweenTheTeeth between his teeth]].
261	* EyepatchOfPower: BigBad Jyuzou sports a patch over his right eye and is the leader of the Kuroya, as well as the final boss.
262	* HandCannon: Rin can obtain a one hit wonder ''bamboo'' gun. Suffice to say that a well-aimed shot deals a lot of damage if not directly OneHitKill.
263	* InstrumentOfMurder: Shou from the Kuroya fights with a shamisen concealing a ''freakin' machine gun''.
264	* MercyKill: Jyuzou comforts and stabs the mortally wounded Shou after Rin bests him in battle.
265	* MultiMookMelee: Red Blade mode, which lets one select a specific stage/mook variety to fight until death. It also includes a BossRush option.
266	* MurderInc: The Beniya and the Kuroya.
267	* ParasolOfPain: [[BigBad Jyuzou]] has as main weapon a sword hidden within an umbrella, which he uses in a battohjutsu style.
268	* SkippableBoss: Nasu can be stealth killed if Rin finds the hidden room underneath his massage parlor, bypassing his boss fight entirely.
269	* TimeLimitBoss: Ranzou has to be defeated in 90 seconds if you want to kill him then and there, otherwise he will knock down Ayame and flee.
270	* WarmupBoss: Tatsukichi is pathetically slow and loves informing you when she's about to attack. [[NeverHurtAnInnocent Not to mention grabbing her ends the fight with a quick neck smack]].
271	* WhereIWasBornAndRazed: Futaba and Hitoha were natives of Hagakure village who aided the Kuroya in destroying their hometown. [[spoiler:It is later revealed that Jyuzou was next in line to become leader of the Hagakure, but chose to raze the village instead due to his disdain for the traditional ninja lifestyle.]]
272	* YouHaveFailedMe: Jyuzou kills his lover Tatsukichi if you spare her life.
273	[[/folder]]
274
275	[[folder:''Shadow Assassins'']]
276
277	--> Released in 2008 for Platform/{{Wii}}; 2009 for Platform/PlayStationPortable
278
279	''Tenchu: Shadow Assassins'' finally continued forward with the plot. Got an UnexpectedGameplayChange, with fights represented in [[PointOfView first person]].
280
281	* DemonicPossession: Implied in the end that [[spoiler:Onikage has possessed Ayame]].
282	* DragonAscendant: Onikage takes centre stage as the BigBad of this game after serving as TheDragon to most of the previous antagonists.
283	* InNameOnly: The play style is barely like the other games at all-- While stealth is key, combat amounts to "''If'' you have a sword, play a minigame, if you don't have a sword, don't get seen again, or it's game over." [[note]] This only applies to the harder difficulties. On Normal, you can get caught and escape multiple times without dying. [[/note]]
284	%%** Perhaps it's subjective, but the sword fighting mini game on Wii is so ABSURDLY difficult that you might as well just press restart. You get under a second between the indication of the sword's direction and the time in which you have to block, if you get hit once you lose, even on early levels enemies seem to have an unreasonable amount of health, and if you don't block exactly perfectly more than a couple of times your sword breaks and you also lose. NintendoHard doesn't begin to describe it.
285	%%* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler: Kiku]].
286	%%* KillUsBoth
287	* TheMole: Someone within Gohda castle appears to be acting as one for the BigBad.
288	* WhatTheHellHero: Rikimaru [[spoiler:is forced to stab through Princess Kiku to get to [[TheDragon Onikage]], who was holding her hostage. Princess Kiku more or less orders Rikimaru to do it]], but it's implied Rikimaru is now no different from his mortal nemesis.

Context VideoGame / Tenchu