Yellow Essence
Yellow Essence is used as currency (money) in all of the modern games in the series except for Ninja Gaiden 3:Razor's Edge, where it was replaced with Karma. They can also be used to charge Ultimate Techniques (UT) faster, as when Ryu holds down the strong attack button he will absorb them in and achieve UT states faster. Like other essence, one can hold down the block button to move around without absorbing the essence.
Yellow Essence as currency[]
NG1: Yellow Essence guide
Yellow Essence can be used as currency in Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)/Black/Sigma/Sigma Plus, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and Ninja Gaiden II/Sigma 2/Sigma 2 Plus when buying items from Muramasa's shop.
Note that different enemies drop different amounts of yellow essence, and the method with which you kill an enemy will affect the amount of essence dropped by them.
- Three times normal essence amount will be dropped when you kill an enemy with a blue level 1 Ultimate Technique (also known as Essence Technique or ET).
- Seven times normal essence amount will be dropped when you kill an enemy with a maximum red level 2 Ultimate Technique (UT)
- Killing an enemy with a combo of at least 20 will increase the amount of yellow essence dropped.
- Equipping certain accessories, such as the Armlet of Benediction, will increase the amount of yellow essence absorbed.
- When sucking in yellow essence by charging for an Ultimate Technique, Ryu will only collect 20% of any Yellow Essence absorbed in this manner.
Yellow Essence to charge Ultimate Techniques[]
If there is Essence floating around, Ryu can hold down the strong attack button to suck in the essence and almost immediately be able to charge a Level 1 Ultimate Technique and eventually a Level 2 Ultimate Technique. As killing an enemy with a Level 2 Ultimate Technique will award seven times the normal amount of essence, and kill enemy much more easily, this is quite useful.
- If Ryu sucks in a single yellow essence, Ryu will immediately be able to execute a blue level 1 Ultimate Technique (also known as Essence Technique or ET).
- If Ryu sucks in at least two yellow essence, or one red or blue essence, he will be able to do a maximum red level 2 Ultimate Technique (UT).
- It is also recommended to perform an ET or UT by holding down the strong attack button, just after landing from a jump, to reduce charge time needed. This is sometimes referred to as "ultimate guidance" or an "on-land charge".
Trivia[]
- In Ninja Gaiden Sigma, if Ryu goes to Muramasa's shop and hits Muramasa with a projectile, the old man will drop yellow essence. However if you hit Muramasa too many times (rumored to be ten times), then Muramasa will die and you will get a "game over" screen.