The Rambunctious Rise of American Ninja Warrior
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR -- "Las Vegas Finals" -- Pictured: (l-r) Brian Arnold, Drew Drechsel, Ethan Swanson, Adam Rayl, Flip Rodriquez, Thomas Stillings, Jessie Graff, Neil Craver, Grant McCartney, Najee Richardson, Joe Moravsky, Daniel Gil, Chris Wilczewski, Michael Torres, Nicholas Coolridge, Josh Levin, Jake Murray -- (Photo by: David Becker/NBC)
Image Courtesy of Geek Mom.
By Sam Bergstrom
Before I started watching basketball, baseball, or football, American Ninja Warrior (ANW) was my jam. In this action-packed reality sports competition, contestants have to traverse through obstacle courses that force them to use their strength, speed, agility, and intelligence to overcome them. If the contestants make it through all the obstacles, they receive the bliss of hitting a big red buzzer. If they fall off an obstacle, though, they have to face a pool of water beneath them. In its prime years of 2009-2019, ANW garnered much attention because of its wholehearted yet fierce entertainment.
While the show has reached peak popularity in America, many forget that ANW’s roots stem from a show called Sasuke, which is “Ninja Warrior” in Japanese. Sasuke took place in Tokyo starting in 1997. In this show, 100 Japanese competitors would take on four subsequent obstacle courses: Stages 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Stage 1 was all about agility and speed, as you raced through nine obstacles against a timer. If you fell into the water or ran out of time, your day was done. On Stage 2, you also looked to beat the clock, but were required to use more strength and aerial skill through six obstacles. Stage 3 had no clock, and tested your fortitude as you underwent eight grueling grip strength-based obstacles. If you got past these three stages, you would have a chance to scale Stage 4, otherwise known as Mt. Midoriyama. This meant climbing a 75-80 foot high rope and hitting the buzzer on top in under 30-45 seconds (depending on the year) to win a grand cash prize.
From 2009-2011, American Ninja Warrior partnered with Sasuke to give Americans a chance to compete on the big stage in Tokyo. Contestants aged 21+ from all over the U.S. first came to Los Angeles, California, to take on a 6-obstacle qualifying course. The final obstacle of this course was the famous warped wall, an obstacle that has remained part of the show ever since. The top 30 ninjas who made it far enough and fast enough advanced to the semifinals, where they ran an extended version of the qualifying course.
The top 15 semi-final finishers then journeyed off to a four-day-long boot camp in the scorching hot desert of California. In boot camp, ninjas underwent rigorous and competitive training to prove they were worthy to compete on Sasuke. After face-to-face and team elimination competitions, only 10 ninjas earned a trip to Tokyo.
Entering season 4 in 2012, American Ninja Warrior took things to a new level. Instead of giving ten ninjas the chance to compete on Sasuke, they allowed ninjas to strive for glory on American soil. Rather than being based strictly in Los Angeles, qualifying and semi-final courses were expanded to six different regions in the U.S., allowing more ninjas from around the country to take on a wide array of obstacles.
Instead of a trip to Tokyo, ANW created the National Finals, which took place—and still does—in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top 100 competitors from all six regions came to Vegas and tested their luck in the National Finals. Conquer all 4 stages, and you not only become an American Ninja Warrior, but also $500,000 richer. Essentially, ANW recreated the four stages of Sasuke, but made them more modern and eye-popping. They also made the water a lot cleaner than the muddy pools from the Tokyo courses. As a tribute to Sasuke, the Stage 4 rope climb remained called “Mount Midoriyama.”
From 2012 to 2014, this format proved to be entertaining and uniquely American. Contestants came from all different backgrounds to show the world they had what it took to rise to the top. Between electricians, mailmen, teachers, rock climbers, stuntmen, stockbrokers, and firefighters, anyone could become a ninja! In season 4, Brent Steffenson became the first American to conquer the ultimate cliffhanger, an obstacle that rattled Americans for years on Stage 3 of the Sasuke course; America was officially making waves in the ninja game.
Seasons 6 and 7 proved to be revolutionary years for ANW. In season 6, Kacy Catanzaro emphatically became the first woman to complete a qualifying and semi-finals course. Her viral run importantly inspired women across the country to compete on the show alongside men. In Season 7, rock climber Isaac Caldiero and cameraman Geoff Brittan became the first Americans to clear Stage 3 during the season 7 National Finals. Calidero took home the $1 million grand prize after ascending up the 75-foot Mt. Midoyiama rope faster than Brittan. Caldiero not only became a ninja icon but also paved a path of newfound popularity for the show.
An increase in obstacle difficulty created a dry spell in National Finals success from seasons 8-10. However, the tides turned in a huge way during season 11 in 2019. Worship leader Daniel Gil and Ninja Gym Manager Drew Dreschel both booked trips to Mt. Midoryiama. Dreschel was a fan favorite ninja veteran and perhaps the most dedicated competitor on the show. The “Real Life Ninja” famously flipped his sleep schedule to train as a ninja at night and sleep during the day. In his race up the monstrous Mt. Midoriyama, Gil ran out of time about 70 feet up.
On the other hand, Dreschel etched his name into history, scaling the 75-foot rope in 27.46 seconds. After becoming the second champ in ANW history, Dreschel’s career took an unpredictable and tumultuous turn. Little did fans know, but Dreschel’s career crash would lead to the show’s demoralizing decline. Keep it posted for my next article: “The Drastic Downfall of American Ninja Warrior” to find out more.
