Joe Musashi

Joe Mushashi (ジョー・ムサシ, Jō Musashi) is the original Shinobi used in the first five game and became a hidden costume for Shinobi (2002). He, as Hotsuma did, belonged to a branch of the Oboro called the Oboro School of Ninjutsu. He was skilled in the art of Ninjutsu and throwing shuriken and he used a sword called Hazy-Moon.

Videogame appearance
Joe Musashi is the protagonist of Shinobi (1987-89), The Revenge of Shinobi (1989), The G.G. Shinobi (1991), Shinobi II: The Silent Fury (1992), and Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (1993). Revenge introduced his girlfriend Naoko, who was the daughter of Musashi's master.

Musashi is an unlockable secret character in the 2002 Shinobi, the 2011's Shinobi 3D, and the 2003's Nightshade (also known as Kunoichi). Outside of the Shinobi series, he is also a playable character in the upcoming racing game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, where he is using a quad bike.

In addition, the heroes of Shadow Dancer (1989), Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (1990) and The Cyber Shinobi (1990) are his descendants - the son Hayate and the grandson also named Joe, while the protagonist of Shinobi 3D is his father Jiro. The original Joe Musashi himself is starring in the English versions of the Shadow Dancer games.

When debuting in the Shinobi series, Musashi was designed with a costume that would be described by IGN as "thoroughly traditional", whereas Sega would coordinate later characters with a post-modern aesthetic. His primary weapons in most games are shuriken or kunai-like throwing knives and he also has a sword named Hazy Moon (朧月, Oborotsugi?) that he can charge for a powerful special attack.|[7] In addition, he also possesses various ninjitsu skill techniques and jutsu spells.