List of Sasuke stages

Sasuke is a Japanese sports entertainment television special that airs on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) between Japanese television drama seasons, and consists of a competition in which 100 competitors attempt to complete four obstacle course stages. Each 3-hour special covers an entire competition, and there have been 29 specials, approximately one new special per season, since September 26, 1997. In the United States, Sasuke is televised under the name Ninja Warrior on the G4 channel, airing in 30-minute episodes. In the United Kingdom, it is also known as Ninja Warrior; also airing in 30-minute episodes on the Challenge channel. NBC has plans to partner with G4 and air Ninja Warrior on their network, making it the first time a large broadcasting company to air a Japanese show from the U.S.

While some obstacles officially have Japanese names (for instance, the Warped Wall is officially called the Soritatsu Kabe), all obstacle names have been translated to English for the purpose of this article.

Stages

First Stage

One hundred participants are given the opportunity to attempt the First Stage, a course which primarily tests one's speed. The object is to hit the buzzer at the end of the course before the allotted time expires. If a competitor goes out of bounds or comes into contact with the water in any of the pits below the course, he is disqualified from the competition.

Typically, 85 to 90 of the 100 original entrants are eliminated in this stage. However, in the 4th competition, a record 37 of the original 100 competitors made it past the first stage. After the 4th, 17th, 24th, and 27th competition, the first stage was thoroughly redesigned to be much more difficult and prevent large numbers of people from moving on. In fact, a G4 special inside the making of the 18th Sasuke competition revealed that the redesign of the first stage for the 18th competition was done with the intention of seeing all 100 challengers fail it. This did not happen, however, and that has only spurred the production team on to make this and all stages to follow even harder.

That goal was almost met in the 19th competition, where much to everyone's surprise, only two competitors cleared the first stage (neither of the two being Sasuke All-Stars), a record in Sasuke history. (The only time something similar has happened was in the first Kunoichi, where again, only two competitors cleared the first stage.) Executive producer Ushio Higuchi said in interviews later that even he was surprised at the results, anticipating that around 10 to 12 people would survive in spite of the production team's attempts at making the first stage unbeatable.

Comp #	First Stage Obstacles											Time Limit
1	Barrel Climb	Spinning Log		Rapid Descent		Hill Climb	Balance Bridge	Log Drop	Free Climbing	+	Wall Climb	70s
2	Barrel Climb	Spinning Log		Rapid Descent		Hill Climb	Balance Bridge	Log Drop	Free Climbing	+	Wall Climb	60s
3	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Rapid Descent		Hill Climb		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	60s
4	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Rapid Descent		Hill Climb		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	60s
5	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	75s
6	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	75s
7	Barrel Climb	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	75s
8	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Big Boulder	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	77s
9	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Big Boulder	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	77s
10	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Dance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Swing	+	Rope Climb	80s
11	Quintuple Step	Rolling Log		Balance Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Swing	+	Rope Climb	85s
12	Hill Climb	Rolling Log		Plank Bridge	Jump Hang		Warped Wall		Tarzan Swing	+	Rope Climb	85s
13	Prism See-Saw (Prism Tilt)	Rolling Log		Bridge Of Blades	Jump Hang		Crooked Wall	Warped Wall	Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	80s
14	Cone Jump	Butterfly Wall	Rolling Log	Bridge Of Blades	Jump Hang		Crooked Wall	Warped Wall	Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	103s
15	Hurdle Jump	Butterfly Wall	Rolling Log	Bridge of Blades	Jump Hang		Crooked Wall	Warped Wall	Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	95s
16	Sextuple Step	Rolling Log		Bridge Of Blades	Jump Hang	Rope Reverse	Reverse Fly	Warped Wall	Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	100s/105s
17	Sextuple Step	Log Slope	Rolling Log	Bridge of Blades	Circle Slider	Jump Hang	Warped Wall		Tarzan Jump	+	Rope Climb	85s
18	Rope Glider	Log Grip		Pole Maze	Jumping Spider	Bungee Bridge	Great Wall	Flying Chute	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	130s
19	Sextuple Step	Log Grip		Pole Maze	Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Flying Chute	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	115s
20	Sextuple Step	Log Grip		Pole Maze	Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Flying Chute	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	120s
21	Sextuple Step	Log Grip		Pole Maze	Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Flying Chute	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	120s
22	Sextuple Step	Circle Hammer	Log Grip		Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Slider Jump	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder,	120s
23	Twelve Timbers	Curtain Slider	Log Grip		Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Slider Jump	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	120s
24	Twelve Timbers	X-Bridge	Log Grip		Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Slider Jump	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	120s
25	Dome Steps	Rolling Log	Jump Hang		Bridge Jump	Log Grip	Warped Wall	Circle Slider	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	115s
26	Step Slider	Hazard Swing	Rolling Escargot		Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Giant Swing	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	130s
27	Step Slider	Rolling Escargot		Giant Swing	Jumping Spider	Half Pipe Attack	Warped Wall	Spin Bridge	Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	125s
28	Quintuple Step	Rolling Escargot		Spin Bridge	Jump Hang Kai		Double Warped Wall		Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	105s
29	Long Jump	Log Grip		Hedgehog	Jump Hang Kai		Double Warped Wall		Tarzan Rope	+	Rope Ladder	105s
30	Long Jump	Log Grip		Hedgehog	Jump Hang Kai		Double Warped Wall		Tarzan Rope	Lumberjack Climb		105s
31	Long Jump	Log Grip		Hedgehog	Jump Hang Kai		Double Great Wall		Tarzan Rope	Lumberjack Climb		110s

+ — This obstacle is an immediate successor to the previous obstacle, without any way to recuperate between them.

^1 Although the names of the obstacles were different from the second tournament, the obstacles were still the same.

^2 TBS officially considers that they are two different obstacles as their two names "フリークライミング"(Free Climbing) and "壁登り"(Wall Climb) are separately shown on the screen in Japanese version (Sasuke #1) and also in the Sasuke Mania Official Site. However, Ninja Warrior has referred to the Free Climbing/Wall Climb combination as the "Mountain Climb" in subtitles.

^3 This Hill Climb is completely different from the one that would later become the Warped Wall after the 4th Competition.

^4 On Ninja Warrior, the "Prism See-Saw" is called the "Prism Tilt" in subtitles. But the Japanese announcer calls it the "Prism See-Saw."

^5 On Ninja Warrior, the "Cross Bridge" is called the "Bridge of Blades" in subtitles. But the Japanese announcer calls it the "Cross Bridge."

^6 Although referred to as the Jump Hang, The obstacle in the 13th competition consisted of many ropes hanging vertically, completely different from the rope net used in all other competitions. Some call it the "Rope Hang," but that name is erroneous.

^7 The Rope Ladder's name and obstacle symbol was not shown in Ninja Warrior's obstacle chart in the 18th due to lack of room for TV screening. However, in the 19th they had the Rope Ladder and NOT the Tarzan Rope. The Japanese announcer still calls the last two obstacles by their official names.

^8 As of the 22nd competition, G4 has referred to the Tarzan Rope/Rope Ladder combination as the "Final Climb".

^9 On Ninja Warrior, The X-Bridge is called the Bridge of Blades in subtitles just like the Cross Bridge.

Second Stage

Those with enough skill to complete stage one then take on an even more grueling set of obstacles in stage two. 283 competitors have reached the Second Stage. Like stage one, the obstacles alter throughout the competitions, but all hold to the same principle: if the competitor makes a single mistake they fall into the water below. The obstacles determine the time limit, and it is usually between 50 and 100 seconds.

Unlike the First Stage, which has always required the competitors to hit a buzzer at the end of the course to stop the clock and pass the course, the Second Stage did not have a buzzer at its end until the 8th Competition. Before then, the competitors simply walked through an open gate to stop the clock. From the 8th Competition onward, the buzzer opens the gate. If the competitor busts open the gate without hitting the button, they are disqualified. In addition, the course judges can hold the gates closed if a competitor committed a foul earlier in the Second Stage that would result in their disqualification, such as using the Chain Reaction gloves on the Spider Walk as Mr. "SASUKE" Katsumi Yamada had done in the 12th competition.

On average, 10 to 15 competitors attempt the Second Stage on each competition. A record 37 competitors attempted the Second Stage during the 4th Competition. Also during the 4th Competition, a record 11 competitors cleared the Second Stage. During the 5th Competition, however, only three men made it to the Second Stage due to new, tougher obstacles in the First Stage. In the 19th Competition, neither of the two qualified competitors cleared the circuit (a fall and a timeout on the Salmon Ladder), marking the earliest end of a SASUKE competition.

Comp #	Second Stage Obstacles								Time Limit
1	Spider Walk	+	Moving Walls	+	Spider Climb	Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50 s
2	Spider Walk	+	Moving Walls	+	Spider Climb	Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50 s
3	Spider Walk	+	Moving Walls	+	Spider Climb	Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50 s
4	Spider Walk	+	Moving Walls	+	Spider Climb	Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50 s
5	Tackle Machine	Spider Walk				Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50 s
6	Narrow	Spider Walk				Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	50 s
7	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	90 s
8	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	100 s
9	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Hammer Dodge	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	80 s
10	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	85 s
11	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	80 s
12	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	70 s
13	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Conveyor Belt	Wall Lift	70 s
14	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	67 s
15	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	65 s
16	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Delta Bridge	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	66 s
17	Chain Reaction	Brick Climb		Spider Walk		Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	65 s
18	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder		+	Stick Slider	Net Bridge	Metal Spin	Shoulder Walk	95 s
19	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder		+	Stick Slider	Skywalk	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	80 s
20	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder		+	Stick Slider	Swing Ladder	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	90 s
21	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder		+	Stick Slider	Swing Ladder	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	80 s
22	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder		+	Stick Slider	Swing Ladder	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	80 s
23	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder		+	Stick Slider	Unstable Bridge	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	70 s
24	Downhill Jump	Salmon Ladder		+	Unstable Bridge	Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	85 s
25	Slider Drop	Double Salmon Ladder		+	Unstable Bridge	Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	95 s
26	Slider Drop	Double Salmon Ladder		+	Unstable Bridge	Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	95 s
27	Slider Drop	Double Salmon Ladder		+	Unstable Bridge	Balance Tank	Metal Spin	Wall Lift	90 s
28	Cross Slider	Swap Salmon Ladder		+	Unstable Bridge	Spider Walk	Backstream	Passing Wall	135 s
29	Cross Slider	Swap Salmon Ladder		+	Unstable Bridge	Spider Walk	Backstream	Passing Wall	90 s
30	Cross Slider	Swap Salmon Ladder		+	Unstable Bridge	Spider Walk	Backstream	Wall Lift	110 s
31	Cross Slider	Swap Salmon Ladder		+	New Obstacle	Spider Walk	Backstream	Wall Lift	115 s

+ — This obstacle is an immediate successor to the previous obstacle, without any way to recuperate between them.

^10 The Moving Walls and Spider Climb are actually included in the Spider Walk, but TBS officially considers that they are three different areas as their three names "スパイダーウォーク"(Spider Walk), "動く壁"(Moving Walls) and "スパイダークライム"(Spider Climb) are separately shown on the screen in Japanese version (Sasuke #1) and also in the Sasuke Mania Official Site. Ninja Warrior just sees them as a single obstacle and call that as "Spider Walk".

^11 The onscreen Japanese graphics "五連ハンマー" reveal this obstacle's real name as "Five Continuous Hammers". On Ninja Warrior, this obstacle is referred to as the Hammer Dodge.

^12 In those competition there are two "Moving Walls" in the Spider Walk, but TBS officially does not make them as an independent obstacle and just considered the whole Spider Walk as one obstacle only.

^13 After the 27th tournament, there was 1 bridge (with 4 chains) instead of 2.

Third Stage

The third stage has no time limit, allowing contestants to go at their own pace. Contestants are allowed a few seconds of rest between obstacles during which they can apply "sticky spray" to improve their grip. While the first two stages focus on speed and agility, this course almost exclusively tests one's upper body strength and stamina.

Out of 3,000 total competitors and 283 Second Stage competitors, 139 have attempted the Third Stage. The Third Stage is so grueling that, on average, someone passes it only every other competition. Only 22 individuals have ever passed it, and only five have passed it more than once, namely Akira Omori, Shingo Yamamoto, Makoto Nagano, Yuuji Urushihara and Ryo Matachi.

Comp #	Third Stage Obstacles
1	Pillar Path	Propeller Bars				Pincushion
2	Pillar Path	Propeller Bars		Chain Swing		Pipe Slider
3	Super Vault	Propeller Bars		Chain Swing		Pipe Slider
4	Super Vault	Propeller Bars		Arm Bike	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
5	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
6	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
7	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
8	Propeller Bars	Body Prop		Arm Bike	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
9	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
10	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
11	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
12	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Globe Grasp	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
13	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliffhanger	Pipe Slider
14	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
15	Rumbling Dice	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
16	Arm Ring	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
17	Arm Ring	Body Prop		Curtain Cling	Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars	Devil's Swing		+	Pipe Slider
18	Arm Ring	+	Arm Bike	Curtain Swing	Shin-Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Climbing Bars	+	Spider Flip	Final Ring
19	Arm Ring	Globe Grasp		Devil Steps	Shin-Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Sending Climber	+	Spider Flip	Final Ring
20	Arm Rings	Globe Grasp		Devil Steps	Shin-Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Sending Climber	+	Spider Flip	Final Ring
21	Arm Rings	Globe Grasp		Devil Steps	Shin-Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Ascending Climb	+	Spider Flip	Gliding Ring
22	Arm Rings	Globe Grasp		Devil Steps	Shin-Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Ascending Climb	+	Spider Flip	Gliding Ring
23	Arm Rings	Globe Grasp		Devil Steps	Shin-Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Ascending Climb	+	Spider Flip	Gliding Ring
24	Arm Rings	Rope Junction		Devil Steps	Shin-Cliffhanger	Jumping Bars	+	Ascending Climb	+	Spider Flip	Gliding Ring
25	Roulette Cylinder	+	Door Knob Grasper	Floating Boards	Ultimate Cliffhanger	Swing Circle			+	Bungee Rope Climb	Flying Bar
26	Roulette Cylinder	+	Door Knob Grasper	Cycle Road	Ultimate Cliffhanger	Swing Circle			+	Bungee Rope Climb	Flying Bar
27	Arm Bike	Flying Bar		Ultimate Cliffhanger		Jumping Rings	+	Chain See-Saw	+	Bungee Rope Climb	Bar Glider
28	Rumbling Dice	Iron Paddler		Crazy Cliffhanger		Curtain Cling	Vertical Limit		Pipe Slider
29	Rumbling Dice	Iron Paddler		Crazy Cliffhanger		Curtain Cling	Vertical Limit		Pipe Slider
30	Rumbling Dice	Iron Paddler		Drum Hopper	Crazy Cliffhanger		Vertical Limit		Pipe Slider
31	Arm Rings	Iron Paddler		Drum Hopper	Crazy Cliffhanger		Vertical Limit		Pipe Slider

+ — This obstacle is an immediate successor to the previous obstacle, without any way to recuperate between them.

^15 On Ninja Warrior, the "Pole Bridge" is called the "Pillar Path" in subtitles. But the English version and the Japanese announcer calls them the "Pole Bridge."

^16 The onscreen Japanese graphics (針山) reveal this obstacle's real name as "Pincushion"; on Ninja Warrior, it's called "Eye of the Needle."

^17 The onscreen Japanese graphics (ハングムーブ) reveal this obstacle's real name as "Hang Move"; on Ninja Warrior, it's called "Chain Swing".

^18 Ninja Warrior calls the "Pole Jump" the "Super Vault."

^19 On Ninja Warrior, the "Climbing Bars" are called the "Bridge of Destiny" in subtitles. But the English version and the Japanese announcer calls them the "Climbing Bars," one of the many gairaigo (words borrowed from English) used to describe Sasuke obstacles.

^20 In the 19th and 20th this Obstacle was the Sending Climber, but in the 21st they changed the obstacle and the name to Hang Climbing. G4 calls it Ascending Climb.

^21 On Ninja Warrior, the "Lamp Grasper" is called the "Globe Grasp" in subtitles. But the Japanese announcer calls them the "Lamp Grasper."

^22 The Kudari Lamp Grasper is also called the Descending Lamp Grasper. G4 continues to call it the "Globe Grasp."

Final Stage

To date, the Final Stage has known six forms. Each of these share a single, common goal: to scale the tower and reach the button at the top before time expires. If the competitor does not reach the top platform in time, the rope is cut and the competitor falls (they are caught by a safety line). Starting from the 18th competition, the rope is no longer cut. Reaching the top is referred to as kanzenseiha (完全制覇), translated roughly as "complete domination", and rendered on Ninja Warrior as "total victory". The Final Stage's time limit is between 30 and 45 seconds.

Of all the competitors to attempt to claim victory, only 24 have been admitted to the final stage, and only five of them have gotten there more than once (Akira Omori in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd competitions, Shingo Yamamoto in the 3rd and 7th, Makoto Nagano in the 11th, 12th, 13th, his victory in the 17th competition and in the 23rd competition, Yuuji Urushihara in the 22nd and his victories in the 24th competition and 27 and Ryo Matachi in the 27th competition and 30). Currently there are only three victors: Kazuhiko Akiyama defeated Sasuke in the 4th Competition, Makoto Nagano in the 17th, and Yuuji Urushihara in the 24th and in the 27th.

The original Final Stage consisted of climbing a 15 meter (49 ft) rope. The contestant must start climbing from a seated position.

The second version of the Final Stage was unveiled in the 7th Competition, when Shingo Yamamoto became the first to attempt it. The height of the tower was increased to 22.5 metres (74 ft). It consists of a 12.5 metres (41 ft) Spider Climb followed by a 10 metres (33 ft) Rope Climb. After 15 seconds, the walls of the Spider Climb spread apart. This ensnared Yordan Yovtchev during the 8th Competition, when he failed to complete the Spider Climb before it began spreading, and fell off the tower.

The third version of the Final Stage was revealed in the 22nd competition, when Yuuji Urushihara was the first to try it. The height of the tower remained mostly the same as the second version of the Final Stage, but two new obstacles are used: a 13 metres (43 ft) "Heavenly Ladder" and a 10 metres (33 ft) "G Rope." The time limit has been increased to 45 seconds, then reduced to 40 seconds in the 23rd competition. Competitors are not dropped due to the Heavenly Ladder being in the way.

The fourth version of the Final Stage was revealed in the 27th competition, when Ryo Matachi was the first to attempt it. The height of the tower was reduced to 20 meters and consisted of a 20 meter (66 ft) Rope Climb similar to the first version of the Final Stage, but with a 5 meter height difference. The time limit stayed at 40 seconds. Unlike the first version of the Final Stage, competitors started at a standing position instead of a seated position.

The fifth version of the final stage was briefly seen in Stage 3 and in a trailer of SASUKE RISING. Its design was similar to that of the 4th Version of the Final Stage consisting of a rope climb. Unlike its predecessor, this version is 4M taller, and the competitors would have likely climbed up the rope in a seated position. The time limit would have likely been 35 seconds, as Urushihara may have cleared this particular version by 1 second left. It was used for only 1 tournament.

For the sixth version, with the removal of the previous version of the final stage, it was not unusual to see a change similar to that of the 18-24 version from the Metal Ladder to the Heavenly Ladder. The previous final stage consisting of a rope climb was thrown out all together and the return of the 7-17 final stage took its place. The spider walls seem to take up less this time, and the rope climb appears to take up more space. Nevertheless, the height of the tower has once again increased, this time to 24M. The Spider Climb (スパイダークライム) appears to be the same as its predecessor, at 12.5M, while the Rope Climb (綱登り) was slightly modified in length at 11.5M from that of its original predecessor, at 10M. The time limit is likely to stay the same at 30 seconds, though a 35 second Final Stage is not out of the question.

The prize for completing the Final Stage was ¥2,000,000 (about US). The prize has now increased to ¥4,000,000 (about US) since the completion of the 17th tournament. In the 24th tournament a Nissan Fuga was also a prize if anyone could complete the final stage.

Typically, only one or two people make it to the Final Stage, if any make it at all. However, both the 3rd and 24th competitions saw a record 5 competitors attempt the Final Stage. After the 4th competition, though, the Final Stage was only achieved on average every other tournament.

Comp #	Final Stage Obstacles		Total Height	Time Limit
1 - 4	15m Rope Climb [15m]		15 metres (49 ft)	30 s
5 - 17	Spider Climb [12.5m] (Final Stage Version)	Final Rope [10m]	22.5 metres (74 ft)	30 s
18 - 22	Heavenly Ladder [13m]	G Rope [10m]	23 metres (75 ft)	45 s
23 - 24				40 s
25 - 27	20m Rope Climb [20m]		20 metres (66 ft)	40 s
28	23m Rope Climb [23m]		23 metres (75 ft)	35 s
29 - 30	Spider Climb [12m]	G Rope [12m]	24 metres (79 ft)	30 s

^23 According to the Sasuke Mania Official Site, the official Japanese names for the ropes in 1st-4th, 5th-17th, and 25th-27th are "15m綱登り", "10m綱登り" and "20m綱登り" respectively, in which "綱登り" means "Rope Climb". Ninja Warrior just simply calls them as, without the length of the ropes, the "Rope Climb" only.

^24 If the "Spider Climb" is not completed in fifteen seconds, the walls start to slide back, making it harder to traverse, and finally impossible if not completed soon after.

Obstacles

First Stage obstacles

Barrel Climb (1st - 7th Competitions)

The competitor must jump over a small pit onto a staircase of logs that each freely rotate on a lateral axis, then climb up to the next obstacle.

Quintuple Steps (8th - 11th; 28th Competitions)

The competitor must jump across 4 platforms that are angled 45° degrees toward the center of a water pit, and then jump to the platform at the end. The platforms are positioned right and left, across the length of the pit. They are each 60 centimeters (1 ft, 11.62 in) wide, and the total length of the obstacle is 6.2 meters (20 ft 4.09 in).

Hill Climb (12th Competition)

The competitor must cross over two small hills which at a 60° incline.

Prism Tilt (13th Competition)

The competitor must jump over a small pit onto a large triangle which is supported by an axis in the center. The weight on one side of the triangle will tilt it into the water below, so it must be crossed quickly.

Cone Jump (14th Competition)

The competitor must cross two large cones that are rotating and jump to the next platform to reach the next obstacle.

Hurdle Jump (15th Competition)

The competitor must cross three pits, while also clearing the bungee-rope hurdles located at the end of each intermediate platform (excluding starting and landing platforms). The first platform is shaped like an opening quarter-pipe, the second is flat and inclined to about 30°, and the landing platform is inclined to about 45°.

Sextuple Steps (16th - 17th; 19th - 22nd Competitions)

Essentially the same as the Quintuple Steps, but with 5 intermediate platforms instead of 4.

• The first obstacle in the 18th competition was the Rope Glider, but this proved to be too dangerous, thus the Sextuple Steps was reprieved

Rope Glider (18th Competition)

The competitor must hold onto a rope as it slides down a track, and then let go to land on a mat floating in the water. Due to many injuries in the 18th tournament, the obstacle was rendered dangerous and has since been removed from the competition.

Duodectuple Steps (23rd - 24th Competitions)

Essentially the same as the Quintiple Step and Sextuple Step, but with 11 intermediate platforms instead of 4 or 5. To add difficulty, each step is at a slightly different angle. Called the 12 timbers in subtitles.

Dome Steps (25th Competition)

It is nearly identical to the Sextuple Step, except that the steps are rounded.

Step Slider (26th - 27th Competitions)

Unlike the other Step obstacles, the Step Slider requires a different strategy. The first part of the obstacle is just like the Quintuple Steps but the competitor must then jump for a rope that slides down a track, it is basically a combination of the Quintuple Steps and the Bridge Jump.

Long Jump (29th - 30th competitions)

The competitor must run down a long platform and try to clear a massive gap to the platform on the other side. The platform has a pit of sand and is slightly angled to prevent injury. The Sand-pit platform is closer for women and older competitors.

Butterfly Wall (14th - 15th Competitions)

The competitor must jump and grab onto a vertical wall that spins around a central vertical axis to reach the platform on the other side.

Spinning Log (1st - 2nd Competitions)

The competitor must cross a horizontal log parallel to the course that freely rotates around its longitudinal axis. The log is about 3 meters long and 20 cm in diameter.

Log Slope (17th Competition)

A modification of the Spinning Log, the log is now on an incline of about 15°, and the exit ground is placed above the log. It is also positioned like a platform rather than a balance beam and requires an additional climb to a platform leading to the next obstacle.

Rolling Log (3rd - 17th; 25th Competitions)

The competitor must straddle and cling to a log 40 centimeters (15.75 in) in diameter before kicking the ground to begin its roll down a 15° decline. Starting from the 13th competition, two drops were added to the supporting rails in order to jar the competitor and make it harder to continue straddling on the log. The log is also notorious for coming off the tracks or halting its spin midway. This obstacle is 1 of 3 in SASUKE 25 to return in its original design.

Log Grip (18th - 25th; 29th - Current Competitions)

The competitor must hold onto a vertical log with their arms and legs while it slides down a track to the next platform. The log contains small indentations to provide some grip. The track is similar to the one previously used for the Rolling Log, but the drops are bigger and the track is longer. In addition, the drops are closer together, almost eliminating a chance to recover from the previous drop. It returned in the 29th competition. Instead of a cylindrical log with divots in it, there are two yellow bars on the back to grab on to.

Circle Hammer (22nd Competition)

Vaguely similar to the second stage's Metal Spin, the competitor must grab onto a rope that's suspended from a circular frame that's angled downward and land on a platform at the end of the track.It can spin freely on the track making the competitors have to force it to the platform.

Curtain Slider (23rd Competition)

The competitor grabs on a curtain-like material, and slides down a track, the sheet can also move freely on the track making it more difficult and tricky as well.

Hazard Swing (26th Competition)

The competitor must hold onto a swing and swing to the platform where a bar can be grabbed onto.

Rapid Descent (1st - 4th Competitions)

Exactly the Barrel Climb in reverse, the competitor must jump over a large gap and not slide too deep in. This is the only obstacle in the 1st competition not to have an original name and was considered the first "Ninja Killer" by G4.

Balance Bridge(1st - 7th; 11th Competitions)

The Balance Bridge is a large board that freely rotates along an axis parallel to the course. Along with this, there is a piece along the axis that protrudes perpendicular to the bridge. When the Balance Bridge was reused in the 11th competition, the axis was further to the left, the protruding piece went along the whole board, and there was a second protruding piece added perpendicular to the first on the right side halfway across the obstacle.

Big Boulder (8th - 9th Competitions)

The competitor must jump onto a very large boulder-like sphere floating freely in water and leap across to the other side.

Dance Bridge (10th Competition)

The competitor must traverse a bridge made of 12 individual boards that each spin individually on three lengthwise axes, and then jump to the next platform.

Plank Bridge (12th Competition)

The entrant must jump off a piece of wood similar to a gangplank to the other side. The board is un-anchored, and falls as the contestant runs across it.

Cross Bridge (13th - 17th Competitions)

Like the other bridges, the Cross Bridge rotates freely around a central lengthwise axis. It has four sections, two on each side, with each section 45° from horizontal. Called the Bridge of Blades in subtitiles.

X Bridge (24th Competition)

Similar to the Cross Bridge in the 13th competition but has 6 blades instead of 4.

Pole Maze (18th - 21st Competitions)

The competitor must grab a pole leaning against the first platform, and swing to the other side. The pole is anchored in the middle of the water pit, and the top of the pole must be guided through a track above. In the 19th Competition, the maze was lengthened and changed to make the obstacle harder to navigate.

Rolling Escargot (26th - 28th Competitions)

The competitor must hold onto six handholds on the right side of a wheel that slowly spins down an angled downwards track onto a mat. The track is similar to the one used for the Rolling Log, but the track is narrower and is angled to the left. In the 27th competition, the footholds were changed to stop unfair slipping.

Hedgehog (29th - 30th Competitions)

A new obstacle to SASUKE, it made its debut in the 29th competition. It's a cylindrical obstacle, bearing resemblance to the Spinning Log and Log Slope. It is the first motorzed obstacle since the Cone Jump. Competitors must cross the obstacle by running across it, and avoiding the columns that come off of it.

Circle Slider (17th; 25th Competitions)

The competitor must jump from a springboard and grab onto a large hoop on a long declining track that they must slide across. At the end, the hoop hits a large object on the top of the track, and the competitor must use the momentum built up on the descent to swing to a platform. In the 25th competition the run before the springboard was lengthened and the hoop was placed much higher than the 17th competition's version.

Jump Hang (5th - 17th; 25th Competitions)

The competitor must leap forward off a trampoline to grasp the underside of a declining cargo net, then either climb over or underneath it, taking care not to touch the water below the obstacle if they choose the latter. This is 1 of 3 obstacles in SASUKE 25 that have returned to the course.

• In the 13th Competition, instead of the cargo net, there were many vertically hanging ropes to grab onto.

Jump Hang Kai (28th - Current Competitions)

The competitor must leap forward off a trampoline to grasp the side of a declining cargo net. However, unlike the Jump Hang, there are two nets parallel to each other. The competitor must then cross the obstacle by traversing the net sideways, similar to the Net Bridge, a former obstacle in the 2nd stage.

Jumping Spider (18th - 24th; 26th - 27th Competitions)

A combination of the Jump Hang and the Spider Walk from the First (Jump Hang) and Second (Spider Walk) Stage, the competitor must jump from a trampoline into a shaft of parallel walls that they must traverse by wedging themselves in between and crawling through. In the 19th Competition, the runway before the trampoline was shortened making the competitor jump diagonally forward, instead of simply jumping up to the walls.

Bridge Jump (25th Competition)

The Bridge Jump consists of three wooden boards hung from the scaffolding above fashioned like swings that the entrant must run across. At the end of the third swing, the competitor must jump for a rope, which slides down a track onto a landing platform.

Bungee Bridge (18th Competition)

The competitor must cross a bridge of 4 pieces with a gap between each. The pieces are made of many thin strips of a stretchy material so they provide little support and very unstable ground.

Rope Reverse (16th Competition)

The competitor must take a rope and swing off the side of a high platform. When the rope swings back, the competitor must swing and jump onto another platform below. There is a bungee line that limits the rope's movement.

Reverse Fly (16th Competition)

The competitor must jump into a large vertical trampoline, slightly angled, and then land back on a platform adjacent to the one they jumped from. A wall divides the two platforms.

Crooked Wall (13th - 15th Competitions)

The competitor must run up a twisted, concave wall and jump off the side to grab a rope that then descends and leaves the competitor onto the path to the next obstacle. The wall is curved more on one side than the other. The rope is called the Seesaw Rope, however it is not considered its own obstacle.

Halfpipe Attack (19th - 24th; 26th - 27th Competitions)

In a fashion quite similar to the Crooked Wall, the competitor must run up across a vertical half-pipe. Then, they must make a leap from the half-pipe about halfway through to reach a rope to swing themselves onto a narrow landing pad. A deceptively simple obstacle, many have grasped the rope successfully only to botch the landing. In the 27th competition, the platform was changed to increase the difficulty of the landing by making the platform smaller and adding a log as the path to the next obstacle. The change proved dangerous after American Drew Drechsel injured his knee after one foot landed on the platform and the other foot landing on the log.

Hill Climb (1st - 4th Competitions)

The competitor must climb a large wall of similar height to the Warped Wall, but flat and at a 60° angle.

Warped Wall (5th - 17th; 19th - 27th Competitions)

The competitor must scale a concave quarter-pipe by running up and grabbing the top of the wall. From the 5th to the 17th tournaments, the wall was 5 meters (16 ft 4.85 in) high. In the 19th tournament, the height was raised to 5 meters and 20 centimeters (17ft). Starting in the 13th competition, for contestants under the age of 17 and over the age of 50, as well as female contestants, a portion of the wall could be taken off of the top, making the wall about a foot shorter.

Great Wall (18th Competition)

A combination of the Warped Wall and the Crooked Wall, the Great Wall is taller than the Warped Wall, but also adds a rope hanging over the edge for contestants to grab and climb over with.

Double Warped Wall (28th - 30th competition)

Exactly like the Warped Wall, except there are two warped walls instead of one. The first wall is shorter than the second wall and the second wall is equivalent to the Shin-SASUKE version.

Flying Chute (18th - 21st Competitions)

The competitor must slide down a giant chute and then grab onto a horizontal rope suspended some distance away from the chute. They must then transfer from that rope to a cargo net directly under the chute, and then to the path behind the net. In the 19th competition the rope was placed higher and further away from the chute, making it much more difficult. However, in the 20th tournament, the rope was lowered and replaced with a thicker one.

Slider Jump (22nd - 24th Competitions)

Basically a combination of two previous obstacles, the Stick Slider and Jump Hang, the competitor must slide down a track while hanging from a pipe. When at the end of the track, the competitor must jump from the pipe and grab onto a cargo net and either climb over or under the net.

Giant Swing (26th - 27th Competitions)

The competitor must jump from a springboard to grab onto a rigid-arm trapeze bar and use it to grab onto a net just like the one used for the Slider Jump, this net must be either climbed over or under. In the 27th competition, the net was replaced with an angled platform that competitors had to land on and clear by walking to the right and was the 3rd obstacle instead of the 7th obstacle.

Spin Bridge (27th - 28th Competitions)

Taken from the Cannonball Run on Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course, The competitor must walk across a bridge of four large cannonballs that are suspended by ropes on each side so they spin when walked over.

Log Drop (1st - 2nd Competitions)

The competitor must hold onto a vertical log, which is fixed on the ground, and slide down to the mat on the bottom.

Tarzan Rope/Tarzan Swing (10th - 12th Competitions)

The competitor must cross a series of 5 elastic, vertically hanging ropes to the Rope Climb. It was decreased to 4 ropes starting in the 12th Competition. This was often referred as the "path to the rope climb". G4's version cuts the rope climb symbol after this obstacle.

Free Climbing → Wall Climb/Mountain Climb (1st - 2nd Competitions)

The competitor must climb a wall with hand- and footholds to reach the buzzer at the top. The first section of the wall (Free Climbing) is on a conveyor belt that moves slowly downwards as the contestants climb, and the second one (Wall Climb) is a fixed wall.

Tarzan Jump (3rd - 9th; 13th - 17th Competitions)

The competitor must use a rope to swing to a wall to the rope climb.

Rope Climb (3rd - 17th Competitions)

The competitor must climb up the wall with the rope to press the buzzer before time expires. In the 10th-12th competitions the rope rested against the finish tower, so the contestants were required to traverse the Tarzan Rope to reach the obstacle.

Tarzan Rope → Rope Ladder (18th - 30th Competitions)

The competitor must take a rope and swing to a vertical cargo net, then climb up the net and cross a short bridge to press the buzzer before time expires.

Lumberjack Climb (30th Competition)

This obstacle was introduced in the 30th competition as the brand new last obstacle. Like the Rope Ladder this obstacle also does not use the rope but uses the hands and feet similar to the Spider Flip.

Second Stage obstacles

Spider Walk (1st - 17th; 28th - Current Competitions)

There have been four different versions of this obstacle to date. In the first four competitions, it was the first and longest obstacle with 8 sets of panels, sometimes taking as much as half of the allotted time. The obstacle required the competitor to traverse the 1.2m-width space between two parallel walls without touching the ground. The third set is called the "Moving Wall" which is a segment moving up and down, usually requiring a shift in direction. The sixth to eighth set are the ascending portion called "Spider Climb". In the 5th and 6th Competition, it was shortened to five large sets of panels, each of which moved independently of the others. In the version used from the 7th to the 17th Competition, the competitor had to travel up, across, and down two parallel walls in an upside-down "J" shape. In the 28th Competition, the walls were almost exactly identical to the set of panels used in the Jumping Spider, with a small extension at the end. The two versions used in the 1st-6th tournaments ended at a pole referred to as the "Fireman's Pole". A can of adhesive spray is available at the start of the obstacle. Bare hands must be used or the contestant will be disqualified.

Note: In the 1st-3rd competitions, throughout the entire obstacle there were only mats to fall on. In the 4th competition, the first half was water, and the second half was padded with mats. From the 5th to 17th competitions, the area under the entire obstacle was filled with water.

Moving Walls (1st - 4th Competitions)

From the 1st to 4th Competition it is the third set of the panels in the Spider Walk. This set of the walls is automatically moving up and down slowly.

Note: In 5th and 6th competition, there are two sets of the panels (the second and fourth set) moving up and down in the Spider Walk, but TBS officially does not make them an independent obstacle or call them the "Moving Walls", but just considers the whole Spider Walk as one obstacle only.

Spider Climb (Stage 2 Version) (1st - 4th Competitions)

From the 1st to 4th Competition it is the sixth to eighth set of the panels with the ascending portion in the Spider Walk.

Note: this area is not related to the "Spider Climb" that was found in the 5th-17th competitions' Final Stage.

Tackle Machine (5th Competition)

The competitor must push a 50kg weight down a tunnel to reach the exit to the next obstacle the spider walk.

Narrow (6th Competition)

The competitor must cross two sections of ledge on a wall, with water below. The second section has two short strips sticking out of the wall at about knee height to increase the difficulty. The competitors that faced it ran through it quickly and thought it should be replaced.

Chain Reaction (7th - 17th Competitions)

The competitor must ride two perpendicular zip-lines over a pit of water, switching between them in midair. Each zipline has a chain hanging from it by a single point. Competitors must grasp the chain on the first zip-line, ride to where the first chain slams into the scaffold, then switch to the next chain in midair, and ride the second zip-line to the end of the obstacle. During the switch, competitors may kick off a nearby solid wall. The first swing is 9.5 meters, and the second is 7.5 meters. Competitors are required to wear gloves (for safety reasons) when holding the chains, which they must remove prior to reaching the Spider Walk, or they are disqualified.

Downhill Jump (18th - 24th Competitions)

The competitor must slide down a track standing on an snowboard-like object, and then jump to a rope on a track, which then swings towards a mat which the competitor must jump onto. Kunoichi's Super Jump is similar to this. In the 19th Competition, G4 dubbed this obstacle as the Super Jump. The angle of this track has been variable in each tournament; the slope was gentlest was in the 18th tournament (35°), increased in the 19th and 20th (55°), and reduced in the 21st (40°), in the 22nd it was 50°.

Slider Drop (25th - 27th Competitions)

It was introduced as the first obstacle of Stage Two in SASUKE 25. It is essentially a modified version of the Stick Slider. The competitor must jump up and latch onto a bar. He must then slide the bar down a track, which has one drop. At the end of the track, the competitor can let go and fall onto a landing pad.

Cross Slider (28th - Current Competitions)

The competitor must prop their arms against two connected pads that slide down a track onto the mats below.

Brick Climb (7th - 17th Competitions)

The competitor must climb a wall with bricks protruding from it. The wall is approximately 3.5 meters high.

Salmon Ladder (18th - 24th Competitions)

The competitor must grab a bar which is resting on two parallel walls. The walls have seven sets of notches for the bar to rest on, with the gap between the last two sets larger than the previous ones. The bar is not bound to the wall in any way. Once the competitor's feet leave the mat, the landing mat from the Downhill Jump is taken away. The competitor must use his momentum to climb, raising the bar from notch to notch until to the top. In Sasuke 18-23, competitors go into the Stick Slider. In Sasuke 24, after climbing up the final set, they go directly into the Unstable Bridge.

Double-Salmon Ladder (25th - 27th Competitions)

This version of the Salmon Ladder consists of two sets of parallel walls, each with five rungs. Now, competitors now have to climb the first set from the back. After turning their body around, they have to transfer to another set of parallel walls with rungs by jumping from the first wall set to the second. After climbing up the second wall set, they go directly into the Unstable Bridge.

Swap Salmon Ladder (28th - Current Competitions)

Like the Double Salmon Ladder, it consists of two parallel wall sets, however both are an equal distance away from the water. The sets of four rungs on each wall are arguably too large to scale vertically, so therefore competitors must turn their body around and transfer to a slightly higher ledge on the opposite set of walls, and do so until he/she reaches the top.

Stick Slider (18th - 23rd Competitions)

After reaching the final notch of Salmon Ladder, the competitor must land the bar onto two declining tracks in a "V" shape. Finally, he must drop from the bar onto a mat below. In the 21st Competition, the bar was longer, and the Stick Slider was angled less steeply. Small weights were also added to both ends of the bar to prevent the bar from falling off the Stick Slider, but this arguably also increased the difficulty of the Salmon Ladder.

Hammer Dodge (1st - 9th Competitions)

The competitor must walk across a thin plank, avoiding the 5 large hammers swinging back and forth. In some competitions, the competitor was disqualified for coming into contact with the hammers in any way, while in others, the competitor just had to complete the obstacle without falling.

Balance Tank (10th - 15th; 17th; 24th - 27th Competitions)

The competitor must balance atop a large rolling barrel and ride the barrel to a platform across a distance of 5.4 meters. In the 24th Competition, it is brought back but a rope is added at the end of the obstacle so that the competition must climb a little to the platform when he completed the ride of the barrel.

Delta Bridge/Grip Hang (16th Competition)

The competitor must hang onto two outward-facing ledges and cross a small gap.

Net Bridge (18th Competition)

The competitor must climb across a cargo net to reach the next platform.

Skywalk (19th Competition)

Little is known about this obstacle since no competitor has had the chance to attempt it. It appears, from a similar obstacle in the Sasuke 21 trials, that the competitor must use only a long narrow ledge and a wall for support to climb across a large gap. Its function is likely similar to the Cliff Hanger.

Swing Ladder (20th - 22nd Competitions)

A set of monkey bars must be crossed by the competitors. The monkey bars are set on a tilting mount on the scaffolding above, and swing substantially when competitors traverse it. It is quite similar to KUNOICHI's "Climbing Bars".

Unstable Bridge (23rd - Current Competitions)

Competitors are required to cross two boards that hang on the scaffolding above, both can swing freely as the competitor crosses them making it more difficult and strenuous at the same time, also the second board is suspended on two chains, one on each edge making it more unstable and harder to cross, similar to the Delta Bridge as competitors must hang from both edges while crossing the boards. In the 28th Competition, the second board was removed.

Reverse Conveyor (1st - 13th Competitions)

The competitor must crawl though a small tunnel with a conveyor belt going the opposite direction. It is 90cm wide and 6.3 meters long, and travels at a speed of 20km/h.

Metal Spin (14th - 27th Competitions)

An array of chains dangle from a horizontal wheel that freely spins, resembling a chandelier, over a water hazard. The competitor must jump to grasp one of the chains, spinning the wheel to the other side. Starting in the 15th competition, the chains were replaced with plastic bungee chains, requiring a strong grip to prevent the chains from slipping out of their hands.

Backstream (28th - Current Competitions)

Usually, if any competitor touches the water, they are disqualified. But, this is the first ever obstacle in Sasuke where you are not disqualified if you touch the water. In this obstacle, competitors must swim in a large tank of water. To slow competitors, there are jets at the opposite end to make you swim against the flow of the water, similar to the Reverse Conveyor. Once finished, the competitor must get out by using the ladder to get to the next obstacle.

Wall Lift (1st - 17th; 19th - 27th; 30th Competitions )

The competitor must lift three heavy walls and cross under them to advance. This obstacle has been in 26 out of 27 seasons, (all except the 18th, where the Shoulder Walk was used). Initially, the walls were 20kg (44 pounds), 30kg (66 pounds), 40kg (88 pounds). Later, they were increased to 30kg, (66 pounds) 40kg (88 pounds), and 50kg (110 pounds). It was replaced by the Shoulder Walk in the 18th competition, but then returned in the next competition, where it was shown that the walls were changed from steel to wood. In the 21st competition, the walls were raised slightly off the ground to prevent injury to the competitors.

Shoulder Walk (18th Competition)

The competitor must cross two bridges carrying a bar on his shoulders that has two weighted chambers hanging from each end of the bar, weighing 40kg (88 pounds) in total. The bridges have a small gap between them, and the second bridge is offset to the left.

Passing Walls (28th - 29th Competitions)

Essentially a modification to the Wall Lifting, competitors must first lift one wall that has two handholds in it weighing 30kg, (66 pounds)then must push a second wall apart like a sliding door, the weight of which is unknown. The final wall is identical to that of the last wall of the original Wall Lifting.

Third Stage obstacles

Pole Bridge/Pillar Path (1st - 2nd Competitions)

The competitor must walk across a path of unstable columns.

Pole Jump/Super Vault (3rd - 4th Competitions)

The competitor must vault over a body of water with an un-anchored pole. Kunoichi's Super Vault is virtually identical to this obstacle, except it is two poles instead of 1.

Propeller Bars (1st - 8th Competitions)

The competitor must cross a series of 3 horizontal, slowly-spinning bars anchored to the top of the course. After Sasuke 4, it was the first obstacle of stage three

Pincushion/Needle Climb (1st Competition)

The competitor must cross a patch of large, thin, flexible poles that protrude up from the ground, by using arms and legs. It was used only in the 1st competition as the last obstacle of the third stage. It was also the only obstacle that never had a symbol on G4.

Rumbling Dice (9th - 15th; 28th - 30th Competitions)

A box frame made of four monkey bars connected by two steel squares, one at each corner and about 30cm apart from each other, which is placed on two bars that traverse a 5m water pit, this obstacle must be overcome by rolling the box frame across the pit by grabbing the top monkey bar in front and pulling it down repeatedly.

Arm Rings (16th - 24th; 31st - Current Competitions)

The competitor hangs from two rings on different-shaped sliding horizontal poles and must negotiate several separate rises and dips on each track.

Roulette Cylinder (25th - 26th Competitions)

It is similar to the Rumbling Dice, only the Roulette Cylinder's track is shorter and instead of a box the competitor must negotiate a cylinder with bars coming out of it. This leads directly into another new obstacle, the Doorknob Grasper. In the 26th competition two drops were implemented into the track to make it harder.

Iron Paddler (28th - Current Competitions)

The competitor must grasp a bar with two dips in it for handholds and roll it along their waists down a 5 meter track. Due to the position in which it must be attempted, it is specifically designed to strain the triceps.

Hang Move/Chain Swing (2nd - 3rd Competitions)

The competitor must cross a series of 6 hanging chains about 2.5m long, each of which has a wooden foothold at the bottom.

Arm Bike (4th - 8th; 18th; 27th Competitions)

On this obstacle, the competitor must use his arms to propel himself across the gap, pedaling in a way similar to how feet pedal on a bicycle. This obstacle was used from the 4th Competition until the 8th, then returned in the 18th Competition as an immediate successor to the Arm Rings, with no platform to rest on between them, and once again returned in the 27th competition as the first obstacle in the Third Stage. Also, along with Cliff Hanger, Arm Bike is the only other obstacle that is available in both 5th, 18th, and 27th competitions. In these competitions, the stages are much harder than previous competition.

Body Prop (5th - 17th Competitions)

Much like the Spider Walk, the competitor must traverse an expanse of two walls that are 5 meters long. However, the walls are further apart, so he must position both hands on one side and both feet on the other. Along the way there are gaps in both walls, requiring the competitor to alter his hand and foot positioning as necessary.

Lamp Grasper (9th - 12th Competitions)

The competitor crosses a pool of water by grabbing onto a series of small glowing blue spheres attached to the scaffolding above.

Note: G4 calls this obstacle the "Globe Grasp".

Descending Lamp Grasper (19th - 23rd Competitions)

A modification of the "Lamp Grasper" obstacle. In this version of the obstacle, the scaffolding is slightly declined, requiring the competitor to reach downward to each successive sphere.

Note: This obstacle is officially called the "Downward Globe Grasp." G4, however, continues to call it the "Globe Grasp".

Doorknob Grasper (25th - 26th Competitions)

Inspired by Levi's method of conquering the Downward Lamp Grasper, the Doorknob Grasper consists of four knobs protruding from a wall. The competitor must transfer from the cylinder to the first knob and so on. Each of the knobs spin to a certain point when grasped.

Rope Junction (24th Competition)

The competitor must swing from 6 ropes. All of the ropes are the same height, except the third and sixth ropes, which are longer than the other ropes.

Flying Bar/Bar Jumper (25th - 27th Competitions)

It is a combination of the Jumping Bars and the Pipe Slider where the competitor must hold onto a pipe and cross three small rungs with large gaps in between them, essentially making it a horizontal version of the Salmon Ladder. When first introduced, it was the final obstacle and had five rungs instead, with much larger gaps between the rungs.

Curtain Cling (13th - 17th; 28th - Current Competitions)

The competitor must grapple across a hanging curtain 5.4 meters wide to reach the other side. The curtain is about 3m (9 ft 10.11 in) in height.

Curtain Swing (18th Competition)

Four small curtains 1 meter (3 ft 3.37 in) long are hung diagonally, and the bottom of each is within arm's reach. The entrant must swing from one to the next to get across.

Devil Steps (19th - 24th Competitions)

This obstacle is a set of ascending and descending stairs, but instead of walking across over them, the challenger must climb under the steps to reach the next obstacle.

Floating Boards (25th Competition)

The obstacle consists of five boards hanging from the scaffolding above. The competitor must cling onto the first board, transfer to the next and so on.

Cycle Road (26th Competition)

This obstacle replaced the Floating Boards in the 26th competition. It consists of four bicycle wheels with the 1st and 3rd wheels higher than the 2nd and 4th wheels. Competitors cross Cycle Road by hanging from the wheels, that turn freely when hanging from, to complete the obstacle.

Drum Hopper (30th - Current Competitions)

This obstacle was introduced in the 30th competition. It consists of 10 "drums", with 2 parallel rows of 5 drums each. The competitors have to support their body on one pair of parallel drums and hop to the next pair and so on, hence the name.

Cliff Hanger (4th Competition)

The competitor must traverse three narrow ledges only large enough to be supported by the fingertips (1 inch wide). Since its introduction in the 4th tournament, there have been five different versions, two of them renamed. Also, along with Arm Bike, Cliff Hanger is the only other obstacle that is available in both 4th and 18th competitions. In these competitions, the stages are much harder than previous competition.The original obstacle had the three ledges at the same height, all the same length at 1.2m (3 ft 11.24 in) each, with 15cm (5.91 in) gaps between them.

Dropout Cliffhanger (5th -8th Competitions)

In the following competition, the third ledge was raised 30 cm (11.81 in).

Cliffhanger (9th - 17th Competitions)

For the 9th competition to the 17th, the first ledge was lengthened to about 2.4m (7 ft 10.48 in), the second ledge was raised to the original height of the third, and the third was lowered 45 cm. (17.71 in)

Shin-Cliff Hanger (18th - 24th Competitions)

A modification of the Cliff Hanger.The second ledge was shortened to about 77cm (30.31 in) and inclined to an angle of about 12°, making the gap between the second and third bars 1m (3 ft 3.37 in) horizontally. As a small compensation for the added difficulty, the first half of the last bar is larger, making it slightly easier to grab onto after the jump. Since the 19th competition, a diagonal sheet of metal has been added to prevent grabbing the top of the third ledge, as Makoto Nagano did in the 18th competition.

Ultimate Cliff Hanger (25th - 27th Competitions)

Another modification of the Cliff Hanger obstacle introduced in the 25th competition. This version consists of six ledges instead of three. The first three ledges are positioned above each other. The first and second ledges incline upward at an angle of approximately 30° to the right and left respectively. In addition, the wall that the ledges are mounted on is inclined backwards as well to increase the difficulty. The third and fourth ledge are in same height and positioned above the first two ledges, this changed in the 26th tournament when the third ledge was placed lower than the fourth ledge to make it easier. The fourth ledge is half shorter than the third.. From the third to sixth ledges require the competitor to hop to the next ledge. The fifth ledge is placed lower-right from the fourth and is 15cm in length, making it difficult to even fit both of a competitor's hands. The sixth ledge is placed lower-right from the fifth and is similar to the fourth in length. No competitor was able to complete the obstacle until the 27th tournament.

Crazy Cliff Hanger (28th - Current Competitions)

The 4th variation of the Cliff Hanger obstacle introduced in the 28th competition. This version is similar to the cliff hanger in the 9-17th competitions. However the third ledge is a lot smaller (similar to the 5th ledge of the Ultimate Cliff Hanger) than what the old Cliff Hanger's 3rd ledge was. Then the competitor must gain momentum and jump from the 3rd ledge to the 4th ledge which is behind them, similar to the Spider Flip. Unlike the last ledges of the Shin-Cliff and Ultimate Cliff Hangers, the width of the final ledge of the Crazy Cliff Hanger remains the same as the other ledges making the transfer harder.

Jumping Bars (14th - 24th Competitions)

Competitors must jump a series of bars, each one about 5 feet in front of and 1 foot below the previous one. In the 16th tournament, the first bar was positioned further away from the resting platform to allow competitors to have more leg room when gathering up momentum. The number of bars were also reduced from 6 to 4. Since the 18th tournament, the first bar was positioned still further from the platform, necessitating competitors to jump to the first bar.

Jumping Rings (25th - 27th Competitions)

Essentially a modification of the Jumping Bars, but with rings instead consists of four rings hanging from the scaffolding above. The competitor must jump from one ring to the next, similar to the Jumping Bars, however, the rings are placed on short tracks enabling them to move freely. In the 27th competition, it was modified by being shorter, except there are two rings instead of four. The rings were also the same level, as opposed to the descending pattern to the first version.

Chain See-Saw (27th Competition)

Debuting as the fourth obstacle in the 27th competition, this obstacle consists of two sets chains that hang from a wheel that is perpendicular to the Third Stage. The chain is wrapped around the wheel so that both ends of the chain hang below; they are also padded, making it similar to a pulley system. Competitors must jump from each set of chains while keeping the weight distribution even so the chains don't spread too far apart.

Climbing Bars/Bridge of Destiny (14th - 18th Competitions)

Competitors must climb across an inclined set of monkey bars. Since its introduction it has been preceded by the Jumping Bars, and the two drain what little stamina the competitor has left. In the 18th competition the ladder was made shorter to make room for the Spider Flip.

Sending Climber/Hang Climbing/Ascending Climb (19th - 24th Competitions)

It is an acutely angled wall scattered with modern wall climbing artifacts. It is positioned between the Jumping Bars and the Spider Flip with no resting platforms. In the 21st competition, Ascending Climb was revised to Hang Climbing, with larger wall climbing artifacts and a shorter distance from the Jumping Bars.

Bungee Rope Climb/Ascending Ropes (25th - 27th Competitions)

The Bungee Rope Climb is a variant of the old Rope Junction with elasticized ropes fashioned like steps, there are 4 ropes.

Devil's Swing (14th - 17th Competitions)

Competitors must swing from a trapeze bar suspended from the scaffolding and to the Pipe Slider. There is a risk of getting the suspension chains stuck on the green rest bar behind the obstacle, and also a risk of grabbing the Pipe Slider, only to release it and have the pipe roll away on the track.

Vertical Limit (28th - Current Competitions)

The competitor must hang underneath from a 1 inch ledge and cross the obstacle in order to grab the green resting bars at the end.

Pipe Slider (2nd - 17th; 28th - Current Competitions)

Introduced in the 2nd tournament and used until the 17th, this obstacle is historically the last obstacle on the course. The entrant must hang from a pipe and, by undulating his body, move the pipe across a track to the other side. There have been two versions of this obstacle. In the earlier version, there would be two sections, the first continuing in the same direction as rest of stage three, and the second perpendicular to the rest of the stage, with a resting bar in between. From the 4th competition on, competitors were required to swing off the pipe to the finish mat, due to the addition of a gap between the end of the track to the finishing mat. In the 14th competition, the first track was eliminated and replaced with the Jumping Bars and Climbing Bars. Once the competitor reached the green bar, he was required to use the Devil's Swing to reach the Pipe Slider track, and slide down to the end. The gap between the Pipe Slider and the finishing mat was also increased by another 2 ft. To date, 14 competitors have failed at this final gap.

Spider Flip (18th - 24th Competitions)

This obstacle replaces the Devil's Swing in the 18th competition. It was taken from the "Heartbreaker" on Viking: The Ultimate Obstacle Course. A ledge, much like an I-beam girder where there is a lip to hold onto on either side, must be climbed from underneath. At the end of the first ledge, there is another ledge, aligned perpendicular to the first, that must also be scaled. Once the competitor has done this successfully, he may rest on a small foothold before jumping backwards 2 meters to land onto another setup symmetrical to the first. He then must climb back down and across to the resting bar before the Gliding Ring.

Final Ring/Gliding Ring (18th - 24th Competitions)

This obstacle replaced the Pipe Slider in the 18th competition. Its appearance is similar to the Circle Slider, a first stage obstacle from Sasuke 17 and later Sasuke 25. However, the track is shorter and the ring is smaller. Its function is similar to the Pipe Slider, where the competitor needs to guide the ring to the end position and swing off the ring over a fairly large gap onto the finishing platform to reach the final stage. There is only one track holding the ring, and the ring's final position also seems to be at the same height as the gap, making the jump needed for success quite difficult. In the 21st Competition, this obstacle was named the Gliding Ring but an error in design made it too similar to the Pipe Slider, requiring competitors to force the ring down the track. This error was fixed in 22nd Competition however, as the competitor easily glided down along the track.

Note: In the 21st competition, the gap between the ring and the finish pad was announced as being 1 meter in length. However, it is very likely that the gap is in fact larger than this, and it has been suggested that 1 meter was an estimate by the announcer in lieu of the precise measurements.

Bar Glider (27th Competition)

The Bar Glider is basically a modified version of the Pipe Slider, except the second half of the track is elevated higher than the first half. Competitors must hang from the bar and, by undulating his body, move the pipe across a track to the other side. When they get to the end of the first half, they must use their momentum to get high enough to land on the second half of the track and jump to the end of the track.

References

• "Sasuke Mania Official Site" (in Japanese). Monster 9.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)

External links

• 11th SASUKE 2003 (Sasuke 2003 Springs) - Tokyo Broadcasting System (in Japanese)
• SASUKE 2007 (Sasuke 2007 Autumn) - Tokyo Broadcasting System (in Japanese)
• 2007春 (Sasuke 2007 Spring) - Tokyo Broadcasting System (in Japanese)
• SASUKE2006秋 (Sasuke 2006 Autumn) - Tokyo Broadcasting System (in Japanese)
• SASUKE2005・(Sasuke 2005 Winter) - Tokyo Broadcasting System (in Japanese)
• Diagrams of the 11th course with measurements - Tokyo Broadcasting System (in Japanese)
• SASUKE - Fansite with Stage Pictures and Videos
• Ninja Warrior on Challenge
• Ninja Warrior on G4
• Myspace Ninja Warrior\Sasuke Fan Page - A Myspace Fan Page
• Sasuke All-Star Fans - Sasuke Webjam fan site
• SASUKE CENTRAL - SASUKE fansite
• Ninja Warrior Fan SIte

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This article "List of Sasuke stages" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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