Part of the appeal of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound isn’t just the old-school side-scrolling combat the Ninja Gaiden series was originally known for.
Yes, it’s a blast to play, but the real treat is mastering the game. It’s one thing to beat the game’s story within a handful of hours, but chances are you’re going to want to keep coming back for more to improve your rank with each stage.
Upon finishing a level in Ragebound, you’ll be taken to a screen that tells you how you’ve done. You see, it’s not just about making it out alive, but doing it in style.
Our guide on how to get S rank in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound will cover what you need to obtain S rank, as well as some helpful tips to make it all possible.
How to Get S Rank in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
On the surface, obtaining S rank in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound seems like a daunting task.
The game itself is already difficult; now you have to play perfectly? That seems impossible, right? Wrong.
In all honesty, obtaining S rank on a level is less about playing flawlessly and more about completing specific objectives that the game is asking you to do.
You can pull this up from the pause menu and press “Y” on your Xbox controller, or “Triangle” on your PlayStation DualSense. This will list every objective needed, as indicated in the image above.
They will include the following:
- Three level-specific challenges to complete.
- Obtaining all collectibles, which include a various number of skulls and scarabs, no more than three of each.
- Completing the level in the required, albeit unlisted, amount of time.
- Killing the required, albeit unlisted, amount of enemies, as well as obtaining an impressive kill combo.
The last two are unknown, but the more enemies you kill, the better your rank.
When in doubt, kill as many enemies as possible, as quickly as you can. Remember that you want to be as efficient as possible, so the more kills you get in the least amount of time, all while completing every objective and obtaining every collectible, will help you unlock that S rank.
Tips on Obtaining S Rank in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
Thankfully, there are more tools at your disposal to obtain an S rank other than simply “getting good.”
Don’t get me wrong; playing well is a great way to make sure you can achieve that S rank, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. There are various talismans you can equip that can make the job easier:
|
Talisman |
Effect |
|---|---|
|
Traveler’s Blessing |
Upon reaching a checkpoint, health is restored completely, providing a brief respite in the journey. |
|
Blood Frenzy |
Bearer recovers health each time an enemy is defeated during a kill streak greater than 3. |
|
No Rest for the Wicked |
Death brings the bearer back to the beginning of the stage. Rank increased by 1. |
|
Perilousness |
Damage received is tripled. Rank is increased by 1. |
|
Unworthy |
Checkpoints do not recover health. Rank increased by 1. |
|
Scarcity |
Health orbs are removed from levels. Rank increased by 1. |
Combining Unworthy, which makes checkpoints unable to recover health, with Traveler’s Blessing, which buffs the amount of health you get back at a checkpoint, is a bad idea. Don’t do it.
One thing to consider is that the four talismans that increase your rank have a major drawback. Sometimes, you’re able to compensate easily. With No Rest for the Wicked, for example, some stages have an objective of not dying. Therefore, its drawback is irrelevant; if you die, you can’t get S rank anyway.
You can also stack each talisman based on how you play. If you’re skilled at dodging or parrying attacks, then taking triple damage isn’t that much of a drawback. The same can be said of the lack of health orbs in a level.
Beyond that, don’t be afraid to experiment and practice on each stage. You won’t get S rank the first time you play a level, so use that to your advantage to learn the ins and outs of where everything is and how to complete every objective.
How To Obtain S+ and S++ Ranks in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
For those looking for an extra challenge, there are two “hidden” ranks above S: S+ and S++.
To enable these, you have to equip one or two Talismans that increase your rank but come with a drawback. Complete the level with these, and you’ll be able to obtain the highest rank possible.
Oh, and if you try to cheat the system by enabling the triple damage taken Talisman while setting the game’s incoming damage to 0%, that’s not going to work. You’ll still take damage.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Released
-
July 31, 2025
- Number of Players
-
Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
-
Unknown
- PC Release Date
-
July 31, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
-
July 31, 2025
