Shuriken Star

Shuriken star is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that were generally for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing. They are sharpened hand-held blades made from a variety of everyday items such as needles, nails, and knives, as well as coins, washers, and other flat plates of metal. Shuriken were mainly a supplemental weapon to the more commonly used katana (sword) or yari (spear) in a warrior's arsenal, though they often played a pivotal tactical role in battle. The art of wielding the shuriken is known as shuriken-jutsu, and was mainly taught as a minor part of the martial arts curriculum of many famous schools, such as Yagyu Ryu, Katori Shinto Ryu, Itto Ryu, Kukishin Ryu, and Togakure Ryu. In the modern western world, shuriken can often be purchased online as collector's items, but in some countries owners must possess a certificate for possession of knives.

Shuriken are commonly known in the West as "death stars", "throwing stars", "Ninja stars" or "Ninja throwing stars". However, the shuriken took many different shapes and designs during the time that they were used.

The major varieties of Shuriken are the Bo Shuriken (, Stick Shuriken) and the Hira Shuriken (, Flat Shuriken), or Shaken (, also read as Kurumaken, Wheel Shuriken).

Contrary to popular belief (video games, Hollywood, anime, etc.), shuriken were not primarily intended as a killing weapon, but rather as a secondary weapon that sometimes played a role supportive to a warrior's main weapon, usually the sword or spear[citation needed]. Shuriken were primarily used to cause either nuisance or distraction, both being tactics to gain an advantage in battle. Targets were primarily the eyes, face, hands, or the feet, the areas most exposed by a samurai's armor.

Shuriken, especially hira-shuriken, were also used in other novel ways - they might be embedded in the ground, injuring those who stepped on them, or wrapped in fuse to be lit and thrown to cause fire. They can also be used as a handheld striking weapon in close combat.

There are reports of shuriken being coated with poison intended either for a throwing target or for whoever may pick them up when left in a conspicuous place. Other reports indicate that shuriken may have been buried in dirt or animal feces and allowed to rust and harbor the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani - if the point penetrated a victim deeply enough the bacteria would be transferred into the wound, causing a then-incurable tetanus infection.

Shuriken are a simple weapon, but their historical value, thanks to their wide variety of uses and the ready availability of material from which they could be made, has increased. Unlike katana and other bladed weapons, antique shuriken are not often well preserved, largely due to their original status as throwaway weapons.

Shuriken are popularly believed to have been used by Japanese ninja. They can be seen in a wide range of modern media set in both modern and ancient settings. They have been used by comic book characters such as Batman, Anarky, Elektra, Miho and Bullseye; video games such as Mortal Kombat: Deception, Ninja Gaiden, Tenchu, Shadow Warrior and The Revenge of Shinobi; anime series such as the ninja of Naruto, Jezmine from Conan the Adventurer; and films such as 3 Ninjas. While shuriken are almost always associated with ninja and to a lesser extent other thieves and assassins, they are sometimes seen as wholly separate from that context: for instance, Vancha March, a vampire-warrior from Darren Shan's novels uses shuriken as his only weapon of choice. In Painkiller, the electrodriver gun shoots shuriken and lightning, it is even possible to fire electrified shuriken. Occasionally, the use of shuriken does not even involve a human throwing them: In the PC game Tyrian 2000, for example, there is a secret mode which features guns that fire shuriken, and in the Nintendo64 game Jet Force Gemini there are shuriken that home in on targets.

[edit] In film and television

* In the 2002 Japanese Super Sentai series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger and its American counterpart the 2003 Power Rangers series Power Rangers: Ninja Storm, the sixth and final Ranger to appear was Tenkuu Ninja Shurikenger (known in Power Rangers: Ninja Storm as the Green Samurai Ranger). The symbol on Shurikenger's Shinobi Medal and the Green Samurai Ranger's Power Disc was a green eight-point hira-shuriken. Also in Hurricaneger, the Hurricanegers fired shuriken from their Hurricane Gyro henshin devices, where in Ninja Storm, they are replaced with lasers instead.

* In the anime Naruto, shuriken are many of the characters' primary weapon, along with kunai.

* In Gamera tai daiakuju Giron (1969) aka Attack of the Monsters (Gamera vs. Guiron), Guiron fires four-point shuriken from the sides of his head. In You Only Live Twice, the character Tiger Tanaka saves James Bond from being killed by Blofeld's gun by means of a throwing star.

* In the film Alien vs. Predator, the predator disc changed from an actual disc into a shuriken-style throwing star.

* In the film Hot Rod, during a fight scene between Rod and his father, the latter throws a shuriken at Rod that gets embedded in his chest.

* In the South Park episode "Good Times with Weapons," Kenny is depicted wielding a pair of shuriken, and maiming Butters with them.

* The character Mai, from the television show Avatar: The Last Airbender seems to be an expert in shurikenjutsu. She has been shown using both bo-shuriken and hiro-shuriken.

[edit] In games

* In Sega's iconic ninja game, Shinobi (arcade game), Joe Musashi's primary weapon is the shuriken.

* In the GamesWorkshop tabletop board game Warhammer 40,000, the Eldar race use guns that shoot razor-sharp rounded shuriken.

* In Ninja Gaiden 2, shuriken can be used as a secondary weapon.

* In Dynasty Warriors 6, Lü Bu wields a weapon which is similar to a shuriken.

* In a few games of the Final Fantasy series, shuriken are purchasable weapons that are thrown at enemies.

* World of Warcraft has throwing knives, some of which look and are thrown like shuriken, usually used by Rogues.

* In Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX, Phantom and Model P/Px use shuriken as a weapon. Phantom's signature move is the ability to create a giant shuriken and ride on it, granting him the ability to fly. In ZX, Model P/Px can use the shuriken as a sort of protective boomerang that not only goes forward, but circles around the character for a brief time before disappearing.

* In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the player can buy and wield "throwing stars" made out of various materials.

* In Final Fantasy VII, Yuffie uses shuriken as her primary weapon, along with a variety of other throwing and improvised weapons.

* In Mortal Kombat, Noob Saibot uses shuriken as throwing weapons.

* There are several varieties of shuriken in Champions: Return to Arms; though most names are fictional, such as "Holy Stars", and "Flying Death."

* Ninja Kirby, as portrayed in Kirby: Squeak Squad, throws shuriken as one of his attacks.[1]

* In Rogue Galaxy, Zegram, one of the main characters, uses various shuriken as his secondary weapon.

[edit] In English-language literature

* In Midnight: A Gangster Love Story by Sister Souljah, the eponymous protagonist's visit to an apple orchard in upstate New York culminates with an unrealistic visit to a nearby blacksmith's shop, where he asks to have a shuriken made to his specifications.

* In The Day of the Triffids, triffid guns shoot small shuriken that cut off triffid's stingers.

[edit] In music

* French hip-hop emcee Shurik'n is named after shuriken.

Modern shuriken, unlike historical ones, are most often made of stainless steel. They are commercially available in many knife shops in Europe and North America, although they are illegal in many states, countries, and provinces, such as the U.S. state of California.[2]