Ninjas are primarily known for being assassins, jumping from rooftop to rooftop as they stealthily home in on their prey before landing a handful of shurikens to their head. Besides leaving people with lethal migraines, these shadowy mercenaries served other roles as well and in this article we’ll look at some of those roles.

Espionage - Ninja were mostly hired by daimyos, territorial warlords of feudal Japan, and often served as agents of espionage. This was generally their chief role among all others and could entail anything from obtaining passwords and enemy communiqués to gathering intel such as building fortifications, enemy patrol routes, and more.

Assassination - Of course, the role the ninja was MOST known for was the art of assassination and it was an art they excelled at. Employing a deadly arsenal of weaponry ranging from shurikens, swords, and even poisons, ninjas were the Picassos of killing.

Sabotage - Perhaps not a role most associate with ninjas, this was a role practiced nonetheless and often to great success. Primarily taking the form of arson, ninjas were often hired to target castles and camps, allowing the invading army to attack while the enemy was busy attempting to quell the fires.

It’s the end of the day so I’m keeping it short and sweet with this article. If you take anything from this article, it’s that ninjas weren’t just hired swords but rather vital and valuable tools for gaining information and even softening up an enemy compound with a little fire.