The Ninja Gaiden community has expressed growing dissatisfaction with how franchise icon Ryu Hayabusa has been handled in recent series installments. This discontent comes despite 2025 being declared the "Year of the Ninja" by Koei Tecmo, featuring multiple new releases for the beloved action franchise.

The recent Xbox Developer Direct in January 2025 brought both excitement and concern with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4. While fans welcomed the return of the series, many were surprised to learn the game would feature a new protagonist, Yakumo from the Raven clan, sharing the spotlight with Ryu. Scheduled for release on October 21, this installment follows other 2025 releases including Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and the upcoming Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (launching July 31).

Community members like Reddit user ThatSharkFromJaws have voiced strong opinions about Ryu's reduced role, tracing this trend back to 2014's Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. The franchise's extended hiatus following that title, broken only by the 2021 Master Collection re-release and 2025's Ninja Gaiden 2 Black remaster, has left fans particularly sensitive to changes in the series' direction.

Key concerns among the fanbase include:

• Ryu's secondary status in recent titles like Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z and the upcoming Ragebound
• Potential imbalance between Ryu and Yakumo in Ninja Gaiden 4
• The decade-long absence of new mainline Ninja Gaiden games featuring Ryu as the sole protagonist

However, not all fans share these concerns. Some community members, including Reddit users Arandui and PotatoIceCreem, welcome experimentation with new protagonists and gameplay styles in spin-off titles. Comparisons have been drawn to Devil May Cry 4's successful introduction of Nero alongside series veteran Dante.

Ninja Gaiden 4 promises substantial content for both protagonists, with the game launching day one on Xbox Game Pass. This accessibility may help ease fan concerns by allowing them to quickly experience how the new dynamic between Ryu and Yakumo plays out.