Ninja Murasaki

Ninja Murasaki (ムラサキ曹長 Murasaki Sōchō, lit. "Sergeant Major Murasaki") is a cunning and flamboyant ninja serving as a member of the Red Ribbon Army. He acts as the second-in-command of Muscle Tower under General White.

Names	Ninja Murasaki (ムラサキ曹長 Murasaki Sōchō, lit. "Sergeant Major Murasaki") Agent Purple Master Sergeant Murasaki Ninja Purple Messenger of Death Sergeant Major Purple
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Occupation	Ninja
Origin	Dragon Ball Chapter 58: "The Flexing of Muscle Tower"|マッスルタワーの|Massuru Tawā no Kyōfu|lit. "The Terror of Muscle Tower" January 21, 1986 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 1986 #08)
Alignment	Evil
Age	35
Created By	Akira Toriyama
Height	172 cm (5ft 8in)
Weight	61 kg (135 lbs)

Appearance

Murasaki is of average height and has a long, angular face. His black hair is styled into a ponytail secured with a white cloth bandage. He wears a traditional shinobi shozoku, consisting of a dark purple kimono layered over a fishnet undershirt, matching dark purple pants (likely hakama), and a sky-blue sash. His footwear includes white tabi socks and straw waraji sandals. He carries a sword strapped to his back, completing his ninja ensemble.

Personality

Ninja Murasaki exudes confidence in his skills, firmly believing that his ninja techniques are unbeatable. However, when confronted with a genuine challenge, his bravado quickly crumbles, revealing a cowardly side that often resorts to sneaky and underhanded tactics to gain the upper hand.

Murasaki is also depicted as a pervert. He is shown harboring inappropriate interests, such as ogling pictures of General White's sisters during what was supposed to be a professional task. This behavior is further evidenced by a stash of adult magazines hidden in his hut, which Goku inadvertently discovers while searching for him.

Biography

Dragon Ball

Red Ribbon Army Saga

Ninja Murasaki is introduced watching Goku's battle with Major Metallitron alongside General White. Both are astonished when Metallitron's battery runs out mid-fight. Following this, White assigns Murasaki the task of eliminating Goku on the next floor.

Murasaki proves resourceful and cunning but also clumsy and prone to farcical mistakes. During their duel, he employs various ninja techniques, though Goku counters each with his characteristic ingenuity:

• Kunai Throw: Murasaki attempts to distract Goku with kunai, only for Goku to deflect them with a rock.
• Speed Illusion: Murasaki dashes back and forth to confuse Goku but accidentally drops a photo of General White's sisters, embarrassing himself in front of both Goku and White.
• Hiding Tactics: He tries to disappear using a smoke bomb but foolishly hides behind an American flag with the wrong side exposed. Later, he attempts to hide under a hollow rock and even uses a reed to breathe underwater, but these efforts fail due to his own missteps.
• Caltrops and Spikes: Murasaki scatters caltrops, temporarily slowing Goku. However, Goku counters by wearing geta sandals and continues chasing him with ease.

Growing desperate, Murasaki wields his sword in an aerial dive at Goku. However, Goku counters with his Power Pole, accidentally causing it to lodge painfully in Murasaki, leading to comedic agony. Enraged, Murasaki throws a chakram, which momentarily knocks Goku unconscious, though Goku quickly recovers.

In a final attempt to defeat Goku, Murasaki introduces his “Five Murasakis,” later revealed to be his four identical brothers. Each brother uses a different weapon, including a handgun, a blowgun, a kusarigama, and a sword. Despite their combined efforts, Goku defeats them all, knocking out Murasaki's brothers in the process.

As a last resort, Murasaki activates Android 8, commanding the gentle android to attack Goku. When Android 8 refuses, Murasaki threatens to detonate the bomb implanted in the android, but Goku destroys the remote before Murasaki can act. Furious, Murasaki attacks but is knocked unconscious by Goku, who slams him down a staircase, leaving him incapacitated.

In the manga, Murasaki is not seen again and is presumed either killed by the impact of Goku’s attack or fleeing Muscle Tower.

In the anime, Murasaki survives the destruction of Muscle Tower. He pursues Goku, Suno, and Android 8 to Dr. Flappe’s house, disguising himself poorly as a bear along the way. Attempting to steal Goku's Dragon Balls (mistaking them for lunch), Murasaki flees on Dr. Flappe’s snowmobile. Goku causes an avalanche with a Kamehameha, stopping him. Murasaki survives but inadvertently triggers Android 8’s bomb, which explodes on his face, seemingly ending his story for good.

Powers and Statistics

Tier: Unknown physically. 8-C with weapons

Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Limited Acrobatics, Ninja Master, Weapon Mastery (Has mastery of kunai, shuriken, katana, and makibishi) Stealth Mastery (As a ninja, he can hide quickly to attack, using his environment to camouflage under a rock or the reverse side of a flag), Water Walking (Via Amenbo No Jutsu. He uses a pair of circular shoes to walk on water), Smoke Manipulation (Via Smoke Grenades), Camouflage (Via Kakuremi No Jutsu. Can use his environment to hide under a rock or camouflage part of the tree using the reverse side of a flag), Limited Underwater Breathing (Type 3; Via Suiton no Jutsu. He uses a reed as a tube)

Attack Potency: Unknown physically (No match for Goku at all). Building level+ with weapons (Could hurt Goku)

Speed: Superhuman, with Supersonic+ combat speed (Kept up with Goku)

Lifting Strength: Unknown

Striking Strength: Unknown

Durability: Unknown (He and each of his brothers were one-shotted by Goku)

Stamina: Superhuman

Range: Standard melee range. Extended melee range with his sword. Tens of meters with kunai knives

Standard Equipment:

• Sasanishiki: A short katana Murasaki wields proficiently in combat.
• Murasaki-Style Ninja Suit: A traditional ninja outfit featured in Dragon Ball Xenoverse.
• Caltrop: Small spiked devices used to hinder foes.
• Smoke Bomb: Generates a cloud of smoke to obscure vision and surprise opponents.
• Boomerang Shuriken: A curved metal shuriken that returns when thrown.
• Android Bomb Detonator: A remote control designed to trigger the bomb within Android 8.

Intelligence: Average

Weaknesses: Overconfident

Attack and Techniques

• Ninja Speed: Exceptional running speed and agility, allowing high jumps and rapid movement.
• Camouflage Technique: Uses surroundings to blend in and hide from opponents.
• Overturn Mat Trick: Shields against attacks by flipping tatami mats as a defensive measure.
• Water Technique: Conceals underwater while using a reed to breathe.
• Water Strider Technique: Employs mizugumo to walk on water's surface, showcasing extraordinary balance.
• Ninja Mist Shuriken: Throws shuriken or kunai to inflict damage on opponents.
• Shurikenjutsu (手裏剣術): Mastery of shuriken-throwing techniques, including Ninja Mist Shuriken.
• Caltrops (Makibishi): Scatters caltrops to impede or slow down enemies.
• Boomerang Shuriken: Throws a curved shuriken that returns like a boomerang.
• Art of Division: Summons his brothers to assist in combat by declaring "Copy Technique!" or "Separate!"
• Flight: Demonstrated in Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission 2.
• Wild Sense: Utilized in Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure to evade and counter opponents.
• Ninja Fire: Engulfs his sword in flames for an attack, featured in Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo.
• Ninja Water: Conjures a water stream that freezes mid-attack, from Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo.
• Sword Slash: Executes a three-slash combo with his Sasanishiki katana, though it leaves him vulnerable after the final strike.

Trivia

• Name Meaning: "Murasaki" translates to "purple," "violet," or "lavender" in Japanese. This connection is mirrored in the German dub, where his name is "Lila," a shade of purple.
• Trivia on Name Usage: Ninja Murasaki is Akira Toriyama's second character to bear the name "Murasaki," the first being Murasaki Kimidori from Dr. Slump.
• Continuity Error: Murasaki's sword is visibly broken by Goku's Power Pole during their battle, yet inexplicably reappears intact in later scenes, such as when he threatens Dr. Flappe.
• Filler vs. Canon Death: Murasaki's death differs between the manga and filler episodes. A special Jump magazine confirms he resides in the world of the dead, solidifying his demise in the series' canon.
• Live-Action Appearance: Murasaki is the sole member of the Red Ribbon Army to feature in a live-action adaptation. However, in the movie's continuity, he is not affiliated with the Red Ribbon Army.