Ninja Log: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

 

The trope comes from ninja legends and has probably originated from ninja using various objects to check the area for ambushes, pretty similar to how some western characters use a helmet on a stick to trick enemy snipers. A less pleasant version of the trope involves disguising a captured mook to look roughly like the hero and pushing him into the room where ambush is expected.

 

 

 

* ''[[Ninja Scroll]] The Series'': In one of the episodes an experienced ninja uses a stray cat in this manner. In another, the geezer Dakuon uses a log that happens to be stuffed full of lit dynamite.

* ''[[Naruto]]'' is one of the more well-known examples. It overuses the "substitution jutsu" left and right, often showing a character's death in slow-mo, when it's ''painfully'' obvious they aren't going to die so easily. This could be [[Justified Trope|justified]] since most of the main characters live in what translates to "The Village Hidden In The Leaves". Trees are ''everywhere''. Most ninja travel faster leaping through trees than they do running. Although rare, characters are occasionally seen using other things as well, like mud, shadow clones, and on one occasion, a giant plush frog.

** Played with again later, where Sakura runs into this fight using only the "Log Substitution" technique (and making it painfully obvious via hand signs that she's using it). After three or four times getting attacked and swapping herself for a log, she ''doesn't'' use the technique, but still does the hand signs for it, taking two kunai to the arms in the process. Her opponent, assuming she's swapped again, turns away, and doesn't realize she didn't swap out until he has a kunai in one arm and Sakura's teeth in the other.

* ''[[Berserk]]'' of all places, even though ninja haven't shown up, Guts uses this tactic despite being one of the tallest human characters. At one point actually attaching his armor to a log and throwing it at Wyald. Wyald of course falls for it, since immediately before this he's distracted by what he believes to be Guts hiding behind a tree, it's really just a body Guts hung up there for that reason.

* Trafalgar Law in [[One Piece]] has this as one of the many uses of his switching power.

* Edward and Alphonse Elric in ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' frequently create decoy versions of themselves, usually complete with stuck-out tongues to taunt their enemies after tricking them. The decoys are usually created with alchemical transmutation of dirt, walls, or other bits of the surrounding environment. Sometimes Ed even adds his trademark red jacket.

* In the hentai series ''[[La Blue Girl]]'', Miko uses this trick by replacing herself with random rubble. It's one of her few jutsus that aren't totally perverted.

* Ataru Moroboshi from ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'' uses these all the time, mostly to evade [[The Rival|Mendô]]. He's also fond of exclaiming "[[Lampshade Hanging|Ninja vanish]]!" and zipping all over the place with unprecedented speed and agility.

* Corvo from ''Monster Collection'' manga, being the setting's equivalent to ninja, does it with a chair and some of his clothes.

* Used recursively in the anime of ''[[Samurai Deeper Kyo]]''. One ninja stabs another in the back, only to have him turn into a log. The ninja who was stabbed then ambushes the first ninja, only to have him turn into a pile of dry leaves. This goes on for a while.

* Used, oddly enough, in ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' by Han'nya after grabbing his fellow ninja Beshimi. Since the story doesn't have any mystical elements, he had to have carried the giant log through the air just so he could replace it with Beshimi.

* Slight variance of this trope in ''[[Asu no Yoichi]]''. Tsubasa uses teddy bears instead of a log, but otherwise plays this trope straight. The lady she uses this on, Angela, is always surprised when this happens.

* In episode 118 of ''[[Fairy Tail]]'', Lisanna tries to attack Kain Hikaru. Kain quickly uses a property of his [[Voodoo Doll]] to teleport away and teleport Elfman in his place, leaving Elfman to take the hit instead.

 

 

* ''[[The Punisher]]'': Frank Castle favours the least pleasant version, often spray-painting his trademark skull on the chest of the unfortunate mook.

* In ''[[V for Vendetta]]'', V pulls this trick at one point, dressing one of a television station's employees up as himself, and leaving him to be shot while making his escape.

* Used at least once by the Neko Ninja Chizu in ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]''.

 

 

== Fan Works ==

* In ''[[Naruto the Abridged Series|Naruto Abridged]]'', the log is an actual character, serving as Sasuke's nemesis.

* Ki Tamaida of ''[[Dark Heart High]]'' uses this a few times. Most frequently, to avoid getting in trouble for cutting class to meet someone.

* One of the funnier moments from the ''Dream Tournament'' fanfic series involved this. In a crossover between different fighting games, Andy Bogard unleashes his best move against one of the ''Samurai Shodown'' ninjas, with this as the unfortunate result. "I Choretsudan'ed a LOG?"

* The film adaptation of ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' has V dressing up a large number of employees at Evey's television station in copies of his costume. Thus, when the police burst into the room where he was broadcasting, they find a crowd of apparent Vs.

* The film adaptation of ''[[Ninja Hattori Kun]]'', a more plausible trick is used on two occasions, with a character leaving their clothes behind as a decoy.

 

 

== Literature ==

* Saigo in Eric Lustbader's novel ''The Ninja'' uses this trick.

* In ''[[Incarnations of Immortality|On a Pale Horse]]'', Zane uses his cloak to distract a giant preying mantis so that he can jump it.

 

* ''[[Power Rangers Ninja Storm]]'': They leave their uniforms behind. These are probably spares as they are never left naked.

** The ''[[Ninja Sentai Kakuranger]]'' did this [[Fleeting Demographic Rule|eight years earlier]], but it (mostly) didn't show up in ''Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers'' adaptation because Saban dropped the ninja element. The regular Earth rangers did do it fairly often in their Ninja Ranger forms, though.

 

 

== Tabletop Games ==

* ''[[Mutants and Masterminds]]'': The "Mecha and Manga" supplement offers the Substitution power to allow anime-based superheros to perform this trick.

 

 

* ''[[Bloody Roar]]'': Bakuryu the weremole ninja uses the log version.

** Kohryu the Iron Mole in later games also plays with this version of the trope, using a steel construction girder instead of a log to fit his metal theme

* In ''[[Beat Blades Haruka]]'', if Narika has to abort an infiltration attempt, she teleports out and leaves a log behind. Neither Haruka nor Subaru do this, however.

* The opening of ''[[Sengoku Basara|Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes]]'' has Sasuke using this technique to diguise a rock as his master Shingen, which gets attacked by rival ninja Kasuga and her clones.

** Specifically, the hologram looks exactly like the player, right down to the weapon they're holding, and it possesses a motion tracker signature. Upon activation, the hologram runs in a straight line towards a spot directed by the player. Even with both the player and the hologram visible, the distraction can provide just enough time for a killing shot.

* In ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', the (Night Elf) Talrendis Scouts in Azshara have Forest Step, which is exactly this.

* Used in a strange way in ''[[Trio the Punch]]'': each time Kamakura the ninja (one of the player characters) takes a hit, he briefly turns into a log, but this is only a visual effect that doesn't actually prevent the damage from the hit. (Unless maybe it's supposed to be a visual representation of [[Mercy Invincibility]]?)

* At least once in the [[Kirby]] series Ninja Kirby has been able to swap himself with a log. Though normally he opts to swap out and dissapear with an explosion.

== Web Comics ==

* ''[[Penny Arcade (Webcomic)|Penny Arcade]]'' [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/2/16/ parodies this] by having Gabe switch himself with a log to escape awkward social encounters.

** Belkar [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0270.html pulls this out it first], during his fight with Miko Miyazaki.

** Haley does it in [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0608.html this strip] , prompting the response "Damn it! I was hoping to kill her and here [[The Ditz|she had to go and turn herself into a dummy made of flour sacks!]]"

** Blackwing, V's raven familiar, also performs this [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0797.html by sacrificing a feather].

* In ''[[A Modest Destiny]]'', the "Escape Dummy", as he calls it, is Maxim's trademark trick.

 

== Western Animation ==

* ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'': Boris Badenov regularly carries around a cardboard cutout of himself, just in case the moon men wanted to [[Harmless Freezing|schrooch]] him. The heroes don't attack it, though, and actually stand guard the twelve hours it takes to unfreeze somebody once scrooched, not wanting him to get away.

* Zuko does this in one episode of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''. A Dai Li agent is out on his evening patrol, when suddenly Zuko runs past him, shoving him out of the way before disappearing down an alley. The agent follows him, and turns the corner to see him just... standing there. Confident that his opponent is too terrified of him to put up a fight, he hurls his gloves (made of stone) at the figure, and it falls to the ground. Then the real Zuko puts a blade to his throat.

** A panther lunges at Batman, and somehow it gets tangled in an empty cape.

** In ''Mask Of The Phantasm'', the police open fire on Batman, only it's just his cape draped over a road barricade.

* In ''[[Static Shock]]'', Static uses an electrified pile of money to distract Rubber Band Man, and actually explains the tactic! "Kawarimi- ancient ninja art of misdirection. All you need is a get up some idiot can mistake you for, and some idiot."

** This was actually taken from the second issue of the ''Static'' comic book, in which Static fashions a decoy of himself out of some debris, his coat, and trash can lid hoverboard. He uses this to bait a villain named Tarmac, and the dialogue is almost word-for-word.

[[Category:Ninja Tropes]]

[[Category:Combat Tropes]]