Line #93 Main/PiratesVersusNinjas


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4	[[quoteright:349:[[Creator/AntarcticPress https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pirates_vs_ninjas_2.png]]]]
5
6	->'''Cheetah Lee:''' ''[reading from Bruce's message in a bottle]'' "Cheetah Lee, you'll never stop me this time. I've combined two ancient enemies into one unstoppable force. XOXOXO, Bruce."\
7	'''Gordon:''' He couldn't possibly mean...\
8	'''Cheetah Lee:''' Cats and Dogs?\
9	'''Gordon:''' No, Bruce tried that one years ago.\
10	'''Cheetah Lee:''' Dinosaurs and Laser-Penguins?\
11	'''Gordon:''' They disarmed.\
12	'''Cheetah Lee:''' So it must be Ninjas...\
13	'''Gordon:''' ...and Pirates.
14	-->-- ''WebVideo/NinjaTheMissionForce'', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB008h_0Bo0 The Clones of Bruce]]"
15
16	{{Pirates}} are cool, and so are {{ninja}}s, so pirates ''fighting'' ninjas must be ''awesome!''
17
18	In the nerd fiction of the late [[UsefulNotes/TurnOfTheMillennium noughties]] and the early [[UsefulNotes/TheNewTens New Tens]], pirates' [[{{Archenemy}} most hated enemies]] usually seemed to be ninjas, and vice-versa. The fact that real life Caribbean pirates and Japanese ninjas didn't even live in the same ''time period'', much less the same hemisphere, is irrelevant thanks to the RuleOfCool. That being said the idea of a ninja/pirate matchup is not really ''that'' absurd; while they would have never met a stereotypical Caribbean pirate, ninjas ''did'' coexist in the same region and time period with a different stripe of pirate, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wokou Wokou]], and [[TruthInTelevision it is not out of the realm of possibility there were conflicts between the two professions]]. In fact, some bands of ninja actually operated as pirates themselves on the side. Go figure.
19
20	Compare also NinjaPirateZombieRobot and ElvesVersusDwarves (though the Pirates are more likely to be the Dwarves).
21
22	A SubTrope of CoolVersusAwesome. May be involved in a CavemenVersusAstronautsDebate. As noted above, this was a trope largely associated with the internet from around 2007-2012, and is, if not a wholly DiscreditedTrope today, at least a somewhat dated one, and could be on its way to being a ForgottenTrope.
23
24	----
25	!!Examples:
26
27	[[foldercontrol]]
28
29	[[folder:Advertising]]
30	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2EXiN26OZA This 2011 ad for Juicy Drop Pop]] has a pirate vs. ninja fight it out using said product. The [[spoiler: ninja]] wins.
31	* [[https://youtu.be/5tMDgD9If68 Inverted in this 2018 advert]] for Ride/LEGOLAND where [[EnemyMine a Ninja and Pirate]] team up to fight a [[TentacledTerror Giant Octopus]] (all three are [[BuiltWithLEGO made out of LEGO bricks]]).
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
35	* In the ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' episode "Bogus Booty", Mugen (who isn't a stereotypical pirate but has done some "pirating") squares off against some ninjas.
36	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance must battle against the forces of the Beasts Pirates and the corrupted Wano government led by Orochi. On both sides of the conflict, there are pirates and ninjas facing off against each other.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Card Games]]
40	* [[http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/arcana/1559 Duel Decks: Pirates vs. Ninjas]] was announced on AprilFoolsDay 2008 as part of [=WotC=]'s tradition of running prank articles on the official ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' website.
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Comic Books]]
44	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics:'' Given a nod in "Pirate Plunder Panic" when the Chaotix run into a bunch of pirates. Vector asks Espio, a ninja, how he feels about this. Espio refuses to comment.
45
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Fan Works]]
49	* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h62BhY-jBJE this short 2011 film]] entitled simply, ''Pirates vs. Ninjas'', a lone pirate and ninja battle over a chest of gold.
50	* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmSeX-gghpo Treachery and a Dead Man's Promise]]'' features pirates vs. ''time traveling'' ninjas.
51	* [[http://www.kuriositas.com/2012/01/ninja-vs-pirate.html This animated short]] called ''Ninja vs. Pirate'' features a ninja vs. a pirate InSpace (It crosses into NinjaPirateZombieRobot territory as well, as the pirate is a cyborg and his henchmen are robots.)
52	* ''Fanfic/CodeGeassAwesomeOfTheRebellion'' introduces a Pirate Geass and a Ninja Geass, used by [[TheHero Awesome]] and [[TheRival Zaber]], respectively. Awesome specifically got the Pirate Geass because it was the only thing that could rival the Ninja Geass.
53	* ''Fanfic/GrowthThroughChaos'' plays with this. It's more like Pirates vs. Pirates AND Ninja, since [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Kakashi and his genin]] join with [[Manga/OnePiece the Straw Hat Pirates]] and fight alongside them, mostly against other pirates.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
57	* ''Film/TheGamersDorknessRising'' had a short sequence in which Pirates battled pizza-delivering Ninjas... in the Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast offices. [[TabletopGame/NinjaBurger This game]] ''[[SincerityMode actually exists.]]''
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
61	* An episode of ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' has all three core members of ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'' turn up, demanding their powers back. The episode is actually called ''Pirates vs Ninjas''.
62	* ''Series/DeadliestWarrior'' {{averted\|Trope}} and {{defied\|Trope}} this trope. While the aim was to solve rivalries like this, they didn't do this one, though both pirate and ninja were featured (Ninja vs. Spartan and Pirate vs. Knight: the Ninja lost, as it turns out the Spartan shield is truly something to behold -- with the spear being none too shabby either -- while the Pirate beat the Knight, as firearms gave a decisive advantage).
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Music]]
66	* Music/{{Alestorm}}:
67	** "Back Through Time" has pirates going back in time to fight vikings. They also mention having fought ninja in passing.
68	** "Death Throes of the Terrorsquid" also mentions that pirates defeated vikings and slain ninjas.
69	* Music/{{The Fold}}:
70	** "Bring on the Pirates"
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
74	* {{Defied\|Trope}} by Pirates and Ninjas Are Totally Awesome, the first {{tag team}} title holders of New Zealand's Impact Pro Wrestling.
75	* Leva Bates showed up for her SHINE match against one half of the Canadian Ninjas, Portia Perez, dressed as [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Captain Jack Sparrow]].
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
79	* The "Brown Islands" setting in the ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRoleplayingGame'' sets up the possibility of a pirate-ninja clash. Some FlavorText in the second edition of the game features an angst-ridden ninja who has been assigned to infiltrate pirate society...
80	-->''The problem was, his lengthy immersion in the attitudes of his new shipmates had caused him to develop doubts about the practicality of his previous training – despite the fact that his upbringing and grasp of subtlety made him fully aware of the ludicrousness of his shipmates’ behaviour. So now, although he could both scream while hurling a throwing star and go “Yah!” while wielding a cutlass, he couldn’t quite keep a straight face while doing either. He didn’t fit in anywhere.''
81	* As mentioned above, in ''TabletopGame/NinjaBurger'' one of the obstacles is rival food delivery company Pirate Pizza.
82	* Pirates and Ninjas are two of the factions in ''TabletopGame/SmashUp'', a card game where the players combine two decks representing a faction like "Aliens" or "Dinosaurs" and [[CoolVersusAwesome fight it out against another player's combination]]. So you could have Pirates and Tricksters vs. Ninjas and Aliens, or [[EnemyMine Pirates and Ninjas]] vs. Dinosaurs and Robots.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Video Games]]
86	* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters XI'' has B. Jenet, a {{Pirate}} girl vs. Mai Shuranui, a {{Ninja}} girl, which is quite possibly the hottest CatFight in gaming.
87	* ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds'' and ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' both have an ongoing conflict between Pirates and Ninjas... [[FantasyKitchenSink Amongst other supernatural things]].
88	* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow2'' has the "Fuzz" Activity, a side quest where you're a Cop on a reality TV show, and you have to stop randomly generated crimes. One of them is to "Break up the Fight of the Century," which when you arrive at the checkpoint turns out to be a gang of pirates fighting a gang of ninjas.
89	--> ''"Attention all cars, this is dispatch, we have Pirates vs Ninjas, repeat, Pirates vs Ninjas."''
90	* On one quest in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' ("Our Mortal Enemies") where you've infiltrated a pirate band, the pirates send you on a mission to attack their mortal enemies... ninjas!
91	* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'' [[HilariousInHindSight released in 1992]] {{averted\|Trope}} this trope. One of the game's classes is the Ninja Based Dread Fighter, and yet all of the default characters, and {{Mooks}} of the class in the game are stereotypical pirates complete with {{eyepatch\|OfPower}}es.
92	* A Google search reveals ''multiple'' Flash games on the theme.
93	* There is a game for Platform/NintendoWii called "Pirates Vs Ninjas Dodgeball".
94	* The first ''VideoGame/{{Tenchu}}'' game has a mission ('Destroy The Foreign Pirates' on USA and Europe version, 'Invasion Of The Southern Barbarian Pirates' on Japanese version) where your ninjas are to destroy a band of bloodthirsty pirates who sailed in from Europe.
95	* Creator/{{Atari}}'s 1989 game ''Skull & Crossbones'' is the UrExample; it allowed the players to play as pirates fighting against ninjas.
96	* Crossover Shonen Jump fighting games featuring Naruto and One Piece characters, such as Battle Stadium D.O.N, Jump Super/Ultimate Stars, J-Stars Victory Vs and Jump Force. The Naruto characters are ninjas, and the One Piece characters are pirates, soooooo.......
97	* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' usually uses this trope to hype on the announcements of certain Champions. So far they have 2 pirates, Gangplank and Miss Fortune (the latter is more like Pirate Hunter rather than true pirate, however) and 4 ninjas, Shen, Kennen, Akali and Zed (the last one is evil). While they do not interact much in the lore, there was once an event about the Noxus attacking Ionia, where the ninjas were stationed. Both Gangplank and Miss Fortune were included in the Noxus pool of champions, whereas the ninjas minus Zed (who wasn't announced yet when the event took place) were included in the Ionia pool of champions. The result: [[spoiler:Ionia wins, thus the Ninjas win.]]
98	* The Pirate and Imperial stories in ''VideoGame/LEGOBattles'' have a Ninja clan teaming up with the Imperials after the Pirate's Islander allies captured their Ninja Master. The presence of these rather out of place ninjas in this setting was most definitely an excuse for this trope to happen.
99	* ''[[Videogame/ChivalryMedievalWarfare Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior]]'' allows you to play as ninjas and pirates (out of 6 classes), so you could easily settle this debate with your friends.
100	* In the ''Videogame/{{Scribblenauts}}'' games, spawning a pirate and a ninja close to each other will cause them to fight. In ''Scribblenauts Unlimited,'' this is required to get one of the starite shards.
101	* A Website/{{Neopets}} Games Master Challenge used this exact theme. The Ninjas came out on top in the end.
102	* The first ''VideoGame/Splatoon1'' had the Halloween 2015 American Splatfest themed after this. The event's introduction called out the sheer silliness of this "rivalry".
103	-->'''Callie:''' It's time to settle a rivalry as old as time itself!\
104	'''Marie:''' Yeah! Wait... What?
105	* The third ''VideoGame/FancyPantsAdventures'' game involves Fancy Pants Man fighting his way through a pirate ship, which eventually gets invaded by the pirates' sworn enemies, an army of miniature ninjas.
106	* ''VideoGame/CastleCrashers'' includes some [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Pirate Ninjas]] as enemies in one level.
107	* Likewise, the ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' DLC campaign ''Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty'' also includes some [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Pirate Ninjas]] as enemies.
108	* A mission in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' capitalizes on this trope. One of the earliest missions of the Dark Brotherhood, a guild of assassins that specialize in stealth and who typically wear ninja-like skin-tight black garbs, is to sneak aboard a pirate ship and kill the captain.
109	* In ''[=PewDiePie's=] Tuber Simulator'', a Pirate vs. Ninja themed event was held on early 2017 April, which had Pirates and Ninjas accessories for sale. Players can use the furniture and accessories to decorate their rooms.
110	* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', some of the Ninja job quests pit you against Limsa Lominsa's resident pirates. On one occasion, they've even picked up on some basic ninjutsu from a traitor, making them ninja pirates.
111	* ''VideoGame/ReturnOfTheDarkSorcerer'' creates an EasternRPG version with [[Franchise/FinalFantasy Moogles]] vs. [[Franchise/{{Disgaea}} Prinnies]].
112	* Referenced in ''New Videogame/{{Style Boutique}} 2: Fashion Forward'': Throughout the game, Eliza auditions for various genre movies in detailed home-made costumes. She appears dressed as a ninja in Maple Drive, and after failing to get the part, reappears on the beach dressed as a pirate, where she says that "Pirates are cooler than ninjas, anyway".
113	* ''VisualNovel/IkemenSengoku'': Time-traveling astrophysics student-turned-ninja Sasuke's route has a climactic fight between him and mad pirate Motonari Mouri on the deck of his ship. Sasuke, [[AscendedFanboy being Sasuke]], lampshades this:
114	-->'''Sasuke:''' I believe it's time to settle the fated battle between pirates and ninja once and for all -- luckily, fate's on my side.
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Web Animation]]
118	* This trope is a major plot point of ''WebAnimation/HowToKillAMockingbird'', where Boo Radley's pirate crew has to battle armies of ninjas in order to uncover the secret to killing the mockingbird.
119	* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' features a match-up between Sanji the pirate cook from ''Manga/OnePiece'' and Rock Lee from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', [[SeriousBusiness over a plate of curry that Sanji made and Lee criticized]]. [[spoiler:Sanji wins.]]
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Web Comics]]
123	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0121.html This comic]] references the Pirates Vs. Ninjas debate.
124	-->'''Haley:''' Ah, Ninja vs. Pirate, the age-old debate.\
125	'''Belkar:''' And by "age-old" she means "showed up on the internet like two years ago, at most."
126	* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' has Pintsize (the [=AnthroPC=]--a PC/robot) [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=49 steal Faye's panties and pretend he's an Underwear Ninja]]. Faye responds by [[http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=50 sticking a bra 'round her head like a pirate eyepatch]], thus becoming, in Pintsize's words, "A Bra Pirate! The nemesis of all Underwear Ninja." Marten's response? To paraphrase, "WTF?"
127	* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'':
128	** According to the doctor, pirates and ninjas originally became rivals ''because the ninjas thought it would be funny.''
129	** The [=McNinja=] clan of ninja got its start when a pirate band attacked Ireland in winter and the villagers counterattacked using frozen four-leaf clovers as shuriken. A ninja who happened to witness this decided they had potential and trained them.
130	* The "Ninjas vs. Pirates" wallpaper from the ''WebComic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'' download page is a uniquely Amberish take on the subject. There's actually a funny story behind it...
131	* Saudi Arabia and Somalia's fight in ''WebComic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'', considering that Somalia is a pirate, and Saudi Arabia is a 'ninja'[[note]]Earlier Denmark had mistaken Saudi Arabia's burka for a ninja outfit. Somalia, of course, [[RuthlessModernPirates actually is a pirate]].[[/note]]
132	* Subverted in ''Webcomic/SeventySeas'', the ragtag crew of Privateers includes a ninja, ten-year old Nikol Mimagi. Who has some disagreements with the others, particularly concerning HonorBeforeReason (or just a child rebelling against adoptive parent, considering her age and how Serra tends to treat her), but she doesn't particularly have anything against pirates.
133	* Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate has decimated the local ninjas in Kellwood, though he hasn't properly been a pirate for a few hundred years he does still talk like one during fights.
134	* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' Captain Hawkins' [[ReformedCriminal recovering]] SkyPirates end up fighting a group of Smoke Knights over possession of Tarvek. The fight ends when they are forced to team up against Martellus' spark hound knights and his personal assassin when that group interrupts their fight looking to kill Tarvek.
135	* In the ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive NP'' story "Tedd Video Game Opinions", when Tedd is saying that outfits in video games that let you infiltrate a certain faction should ''also'' give you negative reactions from that faction's enemies, the illustration shows [[https://www.egscomics.com/egsnp/teddgameopinions-021 a character in pirate costume running from ninjas]]. {{Lampshaded}} in TheRant:
136	-->That's still a thing, right? Debates about pirates Vs ninjas? Yes? No?\
137	\
138	You see, kids, back in the olden memes...
139	* Ray Friesen's ''Pirate Penguin vs Ninja Chicken'' is based on this trope, combining it with FunnyAnimals.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Web Original]]
143	* The {{Trope Maker\|s}} is ''Website/RealUltimatePower'', which pitched the concept as a parody movie script. It soon took on a life of its own, now appearing in vastly varying media.
144	* Website/{{Wikipedia}} has [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_versus_Ninjas a page about the phenomenon]], discussing the debate over "who would win."
145	* ''Website/KnowYourMeme'' also has [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pirates-vs-ninjas a page about it,]] describing its origins.
146	* ''[[http://monkeyseed.deviantart.com/art/Pirates-versus-Ninja-86473646 Pirates versus Ninja]]'' by [=MonkeySeed=] on Website/DeviantART has {{chibi}} pirates and ninjas fighting it out.
147	* The epic Website/AlternateHistoryDotCom timeline ''Literature/LookToTheWest'', having established much earlier that Russian adventurism in Japan has led to ''Nindzhyas'' in the Tsar's service, naturally has them fight in the Crimea. And since the Turks have conscripted Barbary pirates from the recently reconquered Algiers...
148	[[/folder]]
149
150	[[folder:Web Videos]]
151	* [[EvilCounterpart The Darkness]] of ''WebVideo/StupidMarioBrothers'' invokes this trope on purpose by recruiting Pirates against Ganondorf's Ninjas.
152	* Averted in Creator/PurpleEyesWTF's video ''Pirates and/or Ninjas''. Despite heated debate in a crossover between Naruto from Creator/LittleKuriboh's ''Ninjabridge'' series and Luffy from the video author's show ''WebVideo/NonePiece'', the characters come to terms with each other in a way only a video made by [=PurpleEyesWTF=] can.
153	* Several episodes of the web series ''WebVideo/AskANinja'' reference the pirate/ninja feud.
154	** ''Ask A Ninja'' [[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5542014 was actually asked to do a review]] of ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' for Creator/{{NPR}}'s ''All Things Considered''.
155	** There was for a time a "response" web series called "Ask a Pirate."
156	* In a FourthWallMailSlot segment of ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries'' "Q&A" (#6 with Fitz), the final question was "pirates, or ninjas?" Lizzie and Fitz end up having a friendly argument about who would win in a fight. See it [[http://youtu.be/PBkSS9Pv9yg?t=3m5s here.]]
157	* In the ''WebVideo/NinjaTheMissionForce'' episode "The Clones of Bruce", Bruce hires pirates (ancient enemies of the Ninja) to smuggle a piece of the map to Ninja Island. At the end of the episode, Bruce sends out one of his minions -- [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Pirate Ninja]] -- to kill Cheetah Lee.
158	->'''Cheetah Lee:''' Wait, are you a pirate or a ninja?\
159	'''Pirate Ninja:''' Yes.\
160	'''Cheetah Lee:''' I don't think you can be both.\
161	'''Pirate Ninja:''' Bigot! I will kill you for trying to make me choose sides.
162	[[/folder]]
163
164
165	[[folder:Western Animation]]
166	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ninjago}}'':
167	** An episode of the animated TV series is named after this trope. The Mega Weapon resurrects the pirates that the flying ship "Destiny's Bounty" used to belong to, and they start attacking Ninjago City. The ninjas (along with Nya in the Samurai X mech) manage to stop them and send them to jail.
168	** The sixth season, Skybound, uses this theme again with the SkyPirates variation. The ninjas' main opponent is Nadakhan, who is captain of "Misfortune's Keep" and a [[JackassGenie wish-granting Djinn]].
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Real Life]]
172	* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wokou Wokou]] (East Asian pirates) mentioned above show this trope could be TruthInTelevision to a certain extent. However, Wokou would hardly have been the primary enemies of ninja; they were spies and assassins, not privateers, so conflict between the two professions would probably not have been common. Not to mention that some ninja moonlighted as Wokou, so the whole "you can't be both idea" is just straight-up fiction.
173	* In 1613, a Japanese diplomatic mission was sent to Spain through Mexico; along the way, [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover a samurai fought a Spanish colonial soldier witnessed by a grandson of an Aztec nobleman]]. If you really, really want a historically-grounded excuse for a ninja to meet a classic Caribbean pirate, this is probably your best bet.
174	* The direct action conservationist group [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Shepherd_Conservation_Society Sea Shepherd]] have been called pirates by whalers, and they actually fly a flag with crossed trident and crook under a skull. On the other hand, Sea Shepherd has described some Japanese security guards being "[[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-06/ninja-sea-sheperd/3761852 dressed like ninjas]]".
175	[[/folder]]

Context Main / PiratesVersusNinjas