Inverse Law of Ninja explained.

[Gorefiend]

But that one is still nameless, faceless, and dressed to match the rest of the horde, while the other one has a face, a name, and unique clothing. How can you expect it to be a fair fight?

Also note, that last ninja usually has the most useful, damaging, or near-damaging attack of the entire group.

[PyrosNine]

Originally Posted by Gorefiend

But that one is still nameless, faceless, and dressed to match the rest of the horde, while the other one has a face, a name, and unique clothing. How can you expect it to be a fair fight?

Also note, that last ninja usually has the most useful, damaging, or near-damaging attack of the entire group.

I figure that when you've watched the rest of your clan get their asses handed to them in a bloody ninja massacre, you tend to prep up something for when it's your turn. You get a good idea of what NOT to do, and if chakra is involved, you have enough time to charge your Rasengan, Chidori, Giant Toad of doom, superninja form, etc while waiting.

You may or may not spend the time betwixt the opponent's slaughtering of your brethren dying your ninja garb blue, green, or purple, or simply taking your hood off.

Also, another thing i recently thought of, is that normally the "evil" ninjas attacking are of a dark and seedy clan, which are grabbing for power. What if they, unlike Ryu's clan, just let any old jerk wear black and hurl kunai? They would get a ninja army to do their bidding, yet none of them would have the training that is poured with years of discipline into that one ninja boy.

Furthermore, why is it Kunoichi in videogames are so damned annoying as opponents?

[Bells]

To make a horde of ninjas invencible, you would have to walk in a bunch of ninjas named Jack, without masks and each one using a unique color ( Not "salmon" ou "Maroon grey" ). Then, when facing a huge horde of Foes or just one powerfull enemy, you and your friends would have to fight it one at a time.

And while one of these ninjas fight all their enemies, the ninja's friends would be taunting him, making fun of his moves or throwing Accorns at him, thus evoking the underdog spirit that makes every ninja invencible when alone.

Plus, Orphans that saw their families get killed are overall stronger

Remember: Childhood Trauma = Ninja power

[Gorefiend]

It might be helpful for that other ninja to try to cheat their way into the name, face, or dress bonuses, but they never do, now do they? It seems the bonuses are decided at the beginning of the battle, when they are quite nameless and faceless and dressed to match.

And, yes, the orphan trauma bonus is just cheap. Actually, one could argue any trauma (lost childhood, lost family (at any stage), veteran of a bloody war, or even repentance from evil acts working for the bad guy) confers a really, really huge bonus to ninja fighting skills.

[Telephalsion]

Any ninja that does a drastic change of behaviour during the fight increases his/her chance of winning. If the ninja constantly taunts his foe, then stops and grows silent, he'll probably bust out some real killing.
The opposite also applies.

EDIT: Atleast I think so, I need to find some better evidence than when Naruto just shuts the hell up.

About the childhood trauma, if there's too much trauma one becomes mad, but does madness equals less ninja power?

[Bells]

No, madness = "Quirky powerfull ninja guy that gets killed fast to improve Hype over the main villain"

[TopHatAssassin]

I would think madness equals more ninja power, in a berserk-fury, rampaging-across-the-battlefield, killing-anything-that-moves way. Or that psychotic type of power, wherein the accumulated trauma is so great that the victim's mind just completely snaps and they kill purely for entertainment purposes.

[Aerozord]

Berserkers have no self preservation instinct, which can be a huge weakness if you know how to use it.

Originally Posted by Gorefiend

But that one is still nameless, faceless, and dressed to match the rest of the horde, while the other one has a face, a name, and unique clothing. How can you expect it to be a fair fight?

Also note, that last ninja usually has the most useful, damaging, or near-damaging attack of the entire group.

now they are battle worn, thus unique since its no longer ninja guy, its now battle damaged ninja guy. And lets not forget the survival of the fittest, to have survived he has to be stronger. Finally, he gets the "my entire clan was destroyed" emo power boost.

[Bells]

Originally Posted by Aerozord

Finally, he gets the "my entire clan was destroyed" emo power boost.

Or the "My entire clan WILL be destroyed if i dont beat you and your unbeatable odds" Double Cheese bonus

[Gorefiend]

Those bonuses don't beat the accumulated bonuses of being faced, named, uniquely dressed (no, having everyone else that wore the same style dress die doesn't make the last man standing uniquely dressed) AND having trauma, as well as possibly a named weapon. In fact, those bonuses (Ah! I have to do this or else I will have failed in my mission/my clan/group will have ended, plus the loss of the ILoN impediment) are just enough to put that last guy in the playing field, which is why the last ninja from among a horde of them is almost always the only one to do any real damage to the other side.

Now, if that last ninja takes his mask off, introduces himself, and walks around, sizing up the situation, we're in a whole other playing field. Even worse if this ninja is of opposite sex to the expected one (if the entire horde was male and this one is female, of if the entire horde was female and this one is male (though this latter bonus is less great)).