Quick TakeArticle at a glance
- Critics agreed the combat lands: Metacritic scored the game 88 at launch, the highest of any Shinobi release since the franchise began in 1987.
- Joe Musashi's progression splits into three skill trees — Combat, Stealth, and Tools — and your first several skill points won't stretch across all three.
- If you'd rather see how it stacks up against other ninja franchises first, our ranking of the best ninja games is a good starting point.
The best Shinobi: Art of Vengeance combat moves to unlock first are Shinobi Execution, Kunai Burst, Rising Strike, Launch Kick, and the Dive Kick/Aerial Spin pairing — five moves across the Combat and Tools skill trees that work together instead of overlapping, unlike several later purchases the Training Room lets you test before you spend a single skill point. Critics agreed the combat lands: Metacritic scored the game 88 at launch, the highest of any Shinobi release since the franchise began in 1987. Current as of launch, September 24, 2026.
Three Skill Trees, One Early Budget
Joe Musashi’s progression splits into three skill trees — Combat, Stealth, and Tools — and your first several skill points won’t stretch across all three. The five moves below are ranked by how much they open up early combat specifically, not by raw damage, because a move that only shines against bosses you haven’t reached yet isn’t worth your first points.
This is Joe’s first starring role since the character last got a full sequel, and it’s a much deeper combat system than the side-scrolling original Sega’s Shinobi Wiki documents from the series’ arcade era — worth knowing if you’re coming to this for series history rather than just the new game. If you’d rather see how it stacks up against other ninja franchises first, our ranking of the best ninja games is a good starting point.
1. Shinobi Execution
Hold L1/LB, then press R1/RB once an enemy’s Execution Gauge is full, and Joe kills them instantly regardless of remaining health. It’s ranked first because the game ties so much else to it: several other Combat moves and Ninpo skills exist specifically to fill an enemy’s Execution Gauge faster, so buying this move first is what makes those follow-up purchases worth taking.
2. Kunai Burst
Press Circle/B after a combo hit to throw a volley of kunai, on the ground or mid-air. Each hit drastically builds the same Execution Gauge Shinobi Execution consumes, and it’s cheap on resources since kunai are plentiful in every level — there’s no reason to hoard them for later.
3. Rising Strike
Press Heavy Attack after two aerial Light Attacks to launch an enemy upward. It’s the move that saves runs against Elite Squad fights and larger groups, since it pulls one enemy out of a crowd and into a juggle you control instead of letting the fight surround you.
4. Launch Kick
Press Heavy Attack right after a dash to knock an enemy airborne and start a juggle. It’s ranked above most ground combos for a simple reason: aerial combat in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is safer than fighting on the ground, where multiple enemies can flank you mid-string.
5. Dive Kick and Aerial Spin
Dive Kick (Heavy Attack while airborne) and its follow-up Aerial Spin (Heavy Attack right after) work as a pair: Dive Kick hits hard and doubles as an escape from a bad position, and Aerial Spin keeps the combo going instead of leaving you exposed on landing.
| Move | Skill Tree | Best Used Against |
|---|---|---|
| Shinobi Execution | Combat | Any staggered enemy — the finisher everything else builds toward |
| Kunai Burst | Tools | Groups and armored enemies you need to stagger fast |
| Rising Strike | Combat | Elite Squad fights and multi-enemy encounters |
| Launch Kick | Combat | Situations where ground combat risks being flanked |
| Dive Kick / Aerial Spin | Combat | Escaping a bad position while still dealing damage |
The Two Ninpo Skills Worth Prioritizing
Once you have skill points left over for Ninpo, Shisui Ninjutsu (full health restoration) and Karyu Ninjutsu (an area-wide fire effect) are the two worth buying first. Shisui is the priority against bosses and armored units, where a mistimed hit can otherwise end a run; Karyu is strong against normal enemy groups but does noticeably less against anything armored, so save it for open rooms rather than Elite Squad fights.
Combat Habits That Matter More Than Any Single Move
A few habits do as much work as the moves themselves. Kill projectile enemies — gunners, shuriken-throwing ninjas, snipers, and drones — before anything else in a crowd, since they chip away health from range while you’re busy with melee threats. Dash-canceling (tap the dash button right after a hit connects) extends combos and lets you redirect a finisher onto a different target, but it doesn’t work on enemy attacks that flash purple or blue — those need a dodge or an upward evade instead. And pushing enemies into environmental hazards like spikes or exposed wiring is an instant kill that costs you no health at all, which makes it one of the strongest tools against Elite Squads specifically.
The game’s Training Room lets you test any purchased move risk-free before a real fight, which is the fastest way to confirm a combo string works the way a guide says it does before you commit to it against a boss. If you’re coming from another 2026 action game with a similar new-hero-learning-curve problem, our Onimusha: Way of the Sword beginner’s guide covers a lot of the same footing-and-armor logic.
Two Purchases Worth Saving For Later
The Piercing Kunai amulet and the purchasable Super Kick and Cannon Punch Finisher moves are all genuinely strong against armored enemies specifically, but none of them help in the early hours the way the five moves above do. Piercing Kunai in particular only pays off once your kunai capacity passes roughly 20, which takes several levels of upgrades to reach — a pattern GameRant’s own moves breakdown and Prima Games’ combat tips both independently confirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best first skill to buy in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance?
Shinobi Execution. It’s the move several other Combat skills and Ninpo abilities are built to feed into, so buying it first makes every later Execution Gauge-filling purchase worth taking.
Should I save my kunai for tough enemies in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance?
No. Kunai are plentiful in every level, and using Kunai Burst freely to build the Execution Gauge is more valuable than hoarding them for a specific fight.
How do I deal with armored enemies in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance?
Heavy attack strings damage armor faster than charging a single heavy attack, and Bomb Ninpo cracks armor while knocking enemies airborne for a follow-up finisher. Karyu Ninjutsu’s fire effect is noticeably weaker against armor, so save it for unarmored groups instead.
What do purple and blue enemy attacks mean in Shinobi: Art of Vengeance?
They mark attacks that can’t be interrupted with a dash-cancel. You need to dodge or use an upward evade against them instead of trying to combo through.
Is Shinobi: Art of Vengeance’s Training Room worth using?
Yes. It lets you test any purchased combat move against training dummies before you rely on it in a real fight, which is the fastest way to confirm a combo string actually works the way it’s described.
