Fuuma Shuriken



A shuriken (throwing star) which is really, really big. Fuuma literally translates as "wind demon". Mostly used by Ninjas for thematic purposes, despite it having lost the quality which made it useful to them in the first place. Can sometimes be folded for easier storage.

Sometimes overlaps with Precision-Guided Boomerang.

A Sub-Trope of Impossibly Cool Weapon.

Anime and Manga

 * Kaede from Negima has probably the biggest one (comparative size to the wielder) on record. If you took each blade of this cross-shaped weapon and stuck them on hilts, you'd have four BFS'. The outrageous size is offset by the fact that she can use it as a shield, but she also tends to pull it from Highlanderspace. There are notes in some side material that indicate that the individual blades do indeed break apart for easier storage, but it's still way too big to hide like she does.
 * That was only true in the past. She now has an artifact that is basically Hammerspace.
 * A number of characters in Naruto have the folding version of this. Notably, the "ridiculously conspicuous" part of the trope is subverted by the Shadow Shuriken Jutsu, which is the throwing of a second shuriken at your opponent in the part of their line of sight blocked by the first one.
 * Naruto goes Sasuke one better. He can actually create a Fuuma Shuriken out of wind energy, the Futōn: Rasenshuriken (Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken). And still hide a second one in the shadow of the first. Yeah, that's right, he can hide wind in the shadow of wind. Although he initially couldn't throw it at all, and now only can in Sage Mode.
 * Shurimon of Digimon Adventure 02 has four for hands and feet, with an even larger fifth for good measure. His are actually attached for easy retrieval.
 * Tsubaki from Soul Eater can transform into one.
 * The improvised shuriken in the final battle of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, apart from, are pretty large in proportion to the mechs throwing them.
 * In the Mai-HiME manga, Akira's Element is an enormous shuriken that can be taken apart into two giant kunai-like weapons. In the anime, it's a smaller, dagger-like thing.
 * Volfogg can combine his two bladed boomerangs (Silver Moon) into one (Silver Cross).
 * In Yaiba, two of these appear, but oddly not in the hands of the eponymous ninja Kotaro, but wielded by Goemon Ishikawa instead.
 * Ivan/Origami Cyclone in Tiger & Bunny has one of these as part of his hero costume. Doesn't see much use, but in the last episode he

Comics

 * Miho's manji shuriken in Sin City isn't as big as the ones detailed here but it's certainly too large to be realistically practical.

Films

 * The Showa Gamera kaiju Guiron is has a pair of giant shurikens in its head that it controls with psychokinesis.
 * The Glaive from Krull.

Live-Action TV

 * The Gelnewts from Kamen Rider Ryuki (as well as Kamen Rider Dragon Knight) use these.
 * In the Megazord of Power Rangers Ninja Storm, if one component is a helicopter, there's a 50-50 chance of the propellers being used as a thrown weapon... and returning!
 * The same is true for the Japanese original, Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger, where the Tenkuujin becomes a Fuuma Shuriken to be used by the Senpuujin.
 * A smaller version from Super Sentai: ShinkenYellow from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger has one, called Land Slicer, as her personal weapon.
 * By extension, Emily, the Yellow Samurai Ranger of Power Rangers Samurai, uses the same weapon as ShinkenYellow, though hers is called the Earth Slicer.
 * Also popped up in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger and consequently the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Red Saruder/the Red Shogunzord wielded one.

Toys

 * Date Masamune Gundam from SD Sengokuden Bushin Kourin Hen has a Bifurcated Weapon version of this. Its four blades become a sheathed sword, a flail, a claw and a rifle. The circular pieces holding them together convert into water-walking sandals. It is exactly as awesome as it sounds.

Video Games

 * Sarutobi Sasuke dual-wields these in Sengoku Basara.
 * It also stars Fuuma Kotaro, who can be considered a Trope Namer (and whose shuriken is much bigger than Sasuke's). Although he doesn't use the shuriken outside the games.
 * The Fuuma from various Final Fantasy games.
 * Yuffie from Final Fantasy 7 uses these. Her ultimate weapon is explicitly called this in the original version of the game, but it's translated as Conformer. She retains it in her Kingdom Hearts appearances, as an undeflectable homing weapon.
 * Axel from Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days can use a pair of these as well, now called Conformers because, well, there's 2 of them. There doesn't seem to be much of an ingame resemblance between the 2 though.
 * Edge from Final Fantasy IV can throw these, along with swords, spears, knives, etc. The Fuma Shuriken has one of the highest Attack ratings of any weapon, exceeded only by the one-off Knife (999!), Lightbringer (246), & Abel's Lance (230).
 * Phantom in Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX uses them, but also throws sets of regular kunais.
 * Shadow Man in Mega Man 3 uses one, and like Ryu's, it's a boomerang.
 * Gyroman's Gyro Blade acts like this, and it can make a 90 degree turn once.
 * The Ninja Gaiden series has the signature Windmill shuriken.
 * Timing your jumps to avoid its return makes it an orbiting weapon that costs no more Mana than one shot.
 * The Shuriken Ninja from Gotcha Force has a just slightly larger than usual shuriken permanantly fixed to its back. However, since he's the size of an action figure, it's huge by comparison.
 * One of the weapon styles in Soul Calibur 3 incorporates a fuuma shuriken for a few special attacks.
 * Lu Bu of Dynasty Warriors wields a version of this since the sixth game that seems to be part Bifurcated Weapon.
 * Avernum 2 introduces these as the primary ranged weapon of the Vahnatai (although it refers to them as "razordisks.") They're uncommon, expensive, and non-reusable, but they make up for it with incredible base damage.
 * In Dwarf Fortress Adventure Mode, a large serrated disc left around an abandoned Fortress (usually used for traps) can be picked up and throw around like one of these.
 * Kubikiri Basara from Samurai Shodown is armed with a large three-bladed shuriken connected to his gauntlet with a long chain, allowing him to catch it back when its thrown.
 * Grand Chase has the pet Ninkoro who attacks with one of these. Later the resident Ninja, Lass, also gained it as a optional Special Attack, oddly named "Hornet Sting" for whatever reason.
 * Gotcha Force features the aptly-named Shuriken Ninja, who has one of these strapped to his back. He uses it in two ways - if using his standard melee combo, he somersaults and hits with it a few times as the last hit of the combo. If you use his special dashing attack, he flings himself in a horizontal line, spinning the entire time. The latter is useful asd a rapid multi-hit combo and as it's somehow immune to gravity while spinning.
 * The second character in Kung Fu Chivalry for the Mac has this for a special attack.
 * One of the Ninja class' two primary weapons in Ragnarok Online. It can be thrown with the powerful Throw Fuuma Shuriken skill, or used a melee weapon.

Western Animation
"Despite the fact that the detective agency has a ninja who throws three-foot wide shuriken, money has been scarce."
 * Espio has big shuriken. Very big, almost as large as him. Some of the official profiles for the Chaotix even hang a lampshade on it;


 * In Challenge of the Go Bots, Cop-Tur could use his rotors this way.