People call many of the MK characters for ninjas because they cannot grasp who really is a ninja and who isn't. There's only one ninja in MK, and that's Scorpion. The rest aren't ninjas.

Although, Skarlet appears very ninja-like, even more so than Scorpion, so maybe we'll have two actual ninjas in the game this time around.

However, Sub-Zero, Noob, Ermac, Rain, Reiko, Kitana, Jade, Reptile, Mileena and Tanya are NOT ninjas, nor are any of the other characters.

People just look at how a character is dressed and jumps to conclusions "because it's easier to define a character that way". Yeah, people would rather be lazy about the terms rather than using the correct ones.

So that's why.

they are ninjas.

They call her that because she dresses like Kitana, wears yellow and has a mask.

What's that?

She doesn't have a mask?

Shit, I guess people are idiots.

Wrong.

Shes probably thought of as a 'ninja' because in MK4 she had a leotard design, which si characteristic of the ninja gals in MK2 and UMK3/MKT. Also others think the fact that Khameleon in MKA got one of Tanya's moves is reason to consider her to be a 'ninja'.

But as others have said they arent ninja concept/story wise.

As far as I'm concerned 'ninja' is just another word for pallette swap in the MK universe lol

And I hate that. I can understand why people would use that term, as said, even Ed Boon does so, but I really dislike it when people use such an incorrect term. Looking like a ninja does not make a ninja.

1. She's an assassin.
2. she wears a yellow leotard.
3. She was originally a palatte swap of Kitana, who was dropped from MK4 for more variety.
4. There was a glitch in MKT where if you morph into Jade with Shang Tsung in some series of morphs, Jade assumes shang's palatte (i.e. becomes a yellow female ninja with dark skin.)

No she's not. As far as we know, Tanya has never worked as an assassin.

And I have NEVER heard about that glitch before. Can anyone confirm this?

Check out the glitches section in UMK3 on Mksecrets. They literally show us all of the different glitches you can perform or the game performs when you do certain moves.

http://mkw.mortalkombatonline.com/mkd/tanya/bio1.jpg


The tone of the first few sentences implies that she basically killed people who defied the deadly alliance. Text book definition of assassination. She was their secret service hit(wo)man.

Haha, I never knew this. That's kinda cool.



She was an ENFORCER! Not an assassin. Killing people doesn't mean you are an assassin. And nowhere does it say she secretly killed them. She could might as well have been an executioner, killing those who imposed against the Deadly Alliance infront of everyone else to make an example to others.

Ignoring retcons, there's plenty of ninja references. For example, Sub-Zero in MK1

The actual name or identity of this warrior is unknown. However, based on the markings of his uniform, it is believed he belongs to the Lin Kuei, a legendary clan of chinese ninja.

MK3

But unlike the ninja of old, his pursuers comes as machines.

Classic Sub in UMK3

It's believed this secretive member of the Lin Kuei, a legendary clan of Chinese "ninjas", has returned to again attempt an assassination of Shang Tsung.

Smoke in MK3

Smoke, unit LK-7T2, is the third prototype cyber-ninja built by the Lin Kuei.

Cyrax in MK3

Cyrax is unit LK-4D4, The second of three prototype Cybernetic Ninjas built by the Lin Kuei.

Sektor in MK3

Sektor is actually the code name for unit LK-9T9. He was the first of three Prototype Cybernetic Ninjas built by the Lin Kuei.

Sub Zero in DA

After defeating the Deadly Alliance, Sub-Zero returned to the new temple of the Lin Kuei with the severely injured ninja Frost.

Cyrax in DA

The cyborg ninja Cyrax had regained his soul with the aid of Special Forces agents Sonya Blade and Jackson Briggs.

Basically what I'm getting at is that Scorpion is NOT the only ninja by standards of the game. Anyone in the Lin Kuei (Sektor, Cyrax, Sub Zero, Frost, and Smoke) is a ninja and referred to as such in all the MK games up to the last one with a story, MKD. By extension you could also claim that Noob Saibot is a ninja. The only way you could claim SZ isn't a ninja is by saying he started over when he left the Lin Kuei. Then again, he took on Frost, who is referred to as a ninja, so that would indicate that SZ is still a ninja as well.

So it's hardly laziness when the game itself refers to the characters as ninjas.

"A ninja (忍è€...?) or shinobi (忍ã3?) was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations.[1] The ninja, using covert methods of waging war, were contrasted with the samurai, who had strict rules about honor and combat.[2]"

The only thing that makes Sub-Zero, Noob, Ermac, Kitana, Jade, Reptile, and Mileena not fit the category is that they're not from feudal japan...

wait a second...neither is Scorpion! he's born in the 1960s (or if you accept a sliding scale timeline, the late 1970s.) That's not feudal japan! I guess Scorpion isn't a ninja either, by the strictest definition.

All kidding aside, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Noob, Kitana, Jade, Mileena (pre-retcon in MK 2011), Cyrax, Sektor, and Smoke all fit the basic definition of a ninja. All are known assassins (though some turned away from that practice) who presumably have the skill set mentioned.

Ermac is sort of debatable. Judging by MKD's Konquest, Ermac was sent out on missions by Shao Kahn. It seems that assassination would be the primary goal of these missions; after all, this is Mortal Kombat.

Tanya I can also see as being semi-debatable. I still see her as performing an assassin's role for the deadly alliance. She is definitely a character in the vein of Kitana, Mileena, and Jade. If you want to call her a ninja, a palatte swap, or an edenian swim suit model etc, so be it...but she is the same classification as the other three.

Rain is the only character who looks like a ninja who fits none of the standards that go along with being a ninja. He's no more a ninja than Taven would be if Taven doned a mask.

In the future I will use the term "assassins" maybe even "masked assassins" to avoid incurring your wrath, but the truth is, the term ninja works for almost all of the characters it's applied to.

When you put it that way... You're right. Scorpion isn't a ninja either. That explains why he is so sucky at being one.

So fine...MK has no ninjas.

Okay, well, in spite of everyone getting all technical. Even if you say, "There are seven male ninjas and three female ninjas" as seen in UMK3.
Tanya still wouldn't fall into that category. Yes, she has her trademark color, but she never wore a veil or a mask. And while you might say, "Nobody cares, they call her a ninja anyway," that's still bullshit.
Because think about Reiko. He's as much a ninja as Tanya. He has his color, and his uniform closely resembled that of the classic MK ninjas.
Still, nobody refers to him as the "Burgundy Male Ninja", why? Because he has no mask, and never did. So Tanya shouldn't be pigeon holed like that either.

Khameleon having one of Tanya's moves in MKA is proof that Midway considers Tanya the Yellow female Ninja.

No, that just means that they are sharing a move.

Jade and Johnny Cage both have a dash kick, does that mean Cage is a ninja or Jade is a movie star? NO!

Sonya and Kitana shared the Square Wave Punch, does that mean that Kitana is a soldier and Sonya is a princess? NO!

Do you see where I am going with this?

1st of all : They call them ninjas because they are pallette swap with a mask. Does that make sense ? No.

2nd of all : Tanya in MK4 was a pallette swap of Kitana who didn't make it to the game. Use a gameshark and you can play as a blue tanya = Kitana. Since she is unofficially a pallette swap of a '''''''ninja'''''' and has a new color theme, they call her a ninja.

She's not a ninja though, she's into black magic according to the storyline. But she's like one of 6 ''pallette swaps''

Blue = Kitana
Pink/Purple = Mileena
Green = Jade
Grey = Khameleon
Yellow = Tanya
Red = Skarlet

I think one of the reasons why Tanya is referred to as the yellow ninja is because of the similair design to the other female "ninjas"

And I think its safe to assume that if Tanya was in UMK 3 she would have most likely been a yellow palette swap of Kitana. While she was never a real palette swap she still has that vibe about her

Considering the fact that the Team gave Khameleon a moves from each of the original leotard gals, and Tanya does raise suspicions.

You forgot about



Kitana was mind controlled by Onaga, so it's safe to say she was a soldier...

Tanya is not a ninja. End of story.