GAME TRANSLATE · SNES GUIDE
Kenyuu Densetsu Yaiba
Characters & Combat
Who joins and when, every special move and how to input it, how EXP and levels work, and the stats of every boss.
The game never explains its numbers. Everything below was read from the game’s code and tables, and the move inputs, EXP rules and level-ups were tested in the patched game.
The party
Yaiba is always player 1. Rai is player 2 in a 2-player game and never appears as a computer-controlled partner. Everyone else is called out with L, one at a time; Kagetora and Shonosuke the vulture are in the same rotation (Shonosuke will not come indoors, in castles or in the final dungeons). Partners who join late start at the level shown and catch up through the EXP share.
| Name | Role | Joins | Lv | Weapon | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yaiba | Player 1 | start | 1 | BAMBOO SWORD → RAIJIN SWORD | CYCLONE SWORD, THUNDER SLASH, PINWHEEL |
| Rai | Player 2 only | start | 1 | BAMBOO SWORD → TOSHIN SWORD | SPIN SLASH, DOWN THRUST, GROUND WAVE |
| Sayaka | Healer | start (Part 1) | 2 | none | heals with the orbs you own |
| Fuu | Healer | Mt. Tengu path (Part 2) | 3 | none | heals with the orbs you own |
| Musashi | Fighter | Musashi’s house (Part 2) | 7 | PLAIN WAKIZASHI | DUAL SLASH |
| Gerozaemon | Fighter (axe) | Mt. Tengu hut (Part 2) | 8 | PLAIN AXE | TONGUE ATTACK |
| Kojiro | Fighter | Onimaru Castle Town (Part 4) | 11 | DRYING POLE | TSUBAMEGAESHI |
| Jubei | Fighter | Niigata town (Part 12) | 12 | PLAIN SWORD | WIND BLADE |
Fighters have more HP (150 + 10 per level) but no MP. Healers and the two heroes start at 100 HP + 10 per level. The four fighters’ moves are used by the computer when their order is DEADLY BLOW.
Special moves
Moves unlock by level and need the right sword; they show up on the status screen once learned. The power multiplies ATTACK before the enemy’s DEFENSE is subtracted, so a ×2 move does far more than twice the damage of a normal hit against a tough boss, and gives as much more EXP.
| Move | Who | Learn | Sword | Input (TYPE A) | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CYCLONE SWORD | Yaiba | Lv 3 | RAIJIN or TOSHIN | Hold Y about 1 second, release while on the ground | ×1.5 |
| THUNDER SLASH | Yaiba | Lv 5 | RAIJIN only | Jump (B), then press Y + B together in mid-air | ×2 |
| PINWHEEL | Yaiba | Lv 7 | RAIJIN or TOSHIN | Hold Y about 1 second, jump while holding, release in the air | ×1.75 |
| SPIN SLASH | Rai | Lv 3 | TOSHIN or RAIJIN | As CYCLONE SWORD | ×1.5 |
| DOWN THRUST | Rai | Lv 4 | TOSHIN | Press B + Y together on the ground | ×2 |
| GROUND WAVE | Rai | Lv 8 | TOSHIN | Press Y + X together: a shock wave along the ground | shot, power 150 |
⏱️ The hold
“Hold about 1 second” is exact: the sword starts to glow after 20 frames, and the move fires if you held for at least 59 frames (just under a second). Release at 58 and you only get a normal swing.
⚡ THUNDER SLASH is the levelling move
×2 attack on a fast input. Combine it with the POWER ORB (attack ×2 for about 10 seconds) and every hit is worth several times a normal one, in damage and EXP.
GROUND WAVE is missing from the 2004 walkthrough. Its EXP goes to player 2.
EXP and levels
- EXP = damage. Each hit gives EXP equal to the damage it deals (ATTACK − DEFENSE). It is not limited by the HP the enemy has left: hitting a 10-HP enemy for 40 gives 40 EXP.
- Orbs give no EXP, and neither do thrown objects. The POWER ORB doubles your attack, and the EXP with it.
- One level per hit. If one huge hit is worth several levels, you get one now and the rest on later hits.
- Level-ups do not refill HP or MP.
- The EXP share: every party member except Yaiba, Rai and the partner you have out gets 21/64 (about a third) of each EXP gain, or 21/128 in a 2-player game. Knocked-out members get nothing.
- The cap is level 99 at 999,999 EXP.
| Level | Total EXP |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1,000 |
| 3 | 2,200 |
| 5 | 5,200 |
| 7 | 9,000 |
| 10 | 16,200 |
| 15 | 32,200 |
| 20 | 53,200 |
| 25 | 79,200 |
| 30 | 110,200 |
| 35 | 146,200 |
| 40 | 187,200 |
| 50 | 284,200 |
| 60 | 397,200 |
| 70 | 511,200 |
| 80 | 628,600 |
| 90 | 757,800 |
| 99 | 999,999 |
Stat growth
Base values by level, before equipment. The fourth column is Yaiba with the RAIJIN SWORD and FINE CLOTHES.
| Lv | Yaiba/Rai HP / MP | Yaiba ATK / DEF (base) | Yaiba ATK / DEF (Raijin + Fine) | Healer MP | Fighter HP | Jubei/Kojiro/Musashi ATK / DEF | Gerozaemon ATK / DEF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 / 0 | 20 / 10 | 27 / 15 | 40 | 150 | 50 / 10 | 42 / 11 |
| 10 | 190 / 90 | 29 / 12 | 40 / 18 | 130 | 240 | 59 / 12 | 51 / 15 |
| 20 | 290 / 190 | 39 / 14 | 54 / 21 | 230 | 340 | 69 / 14 | 61 / 20 |
| 30 | 390 / 255 | 49 / 17 | 68 / 25 | 330 | 440 | 79 / 17 | 71 / 25 |
| 40 | 490 / 305 | 59 / 19 | 82 / 28 | 430 | 540 | 89 / 19 | 81 / 30 |
| 50 | 590 / 355 | 69 / 22 | 96 / 33 | 530 | 640 | 99 / 22 | 91 / 35 |
| 60 | 690 / 405 | 79 / 24 | 110 / 36 | 630 | 740 | 109 / 24 | 101 / 40 |
| 70 | 790 / 455 | 89 / 27 | 124 / 40 | 730 | 840 | 118 / 27 | 112 / 45 |
| 80 | 890 / 505 | 99 / 29 | 138 / 43 | 830 | 940 | 119 / 29 | 111 / 50 |
| 99 | 999 / 600 | 126 / 34 | 176 / 51 | 999 | 999 | 138 / 34 | 130 / 60 |
Healers have the same HP as Yaiba. Yaiba and Rai have no MP until level 2 and reach 200 MP at level 21.
Partner orders
The ORDERS screen in the START menu sets how a called-out fighter behaves:
| Order | What the partner does |
|---|---|
| NO RETREAT | normal attacks |
| DEADLY BLOW | uses their special move (attack ×1.5) |
| CAUTIOUSLY | attacks while above half HP, guards below that |
| STAY SAFE | guards, and only strikes back after being hit for a while |
DISTANCE sets how close the partner follows you. Healers ignore the orders and only heal.
Every boss
HP, ATTACK and DEFENSE straight from the game’s enemy table (several also read live in battle). Your damage per hit is your ATTACK minus the DEFENSE shown; theirs is their ATTACK minus your DEFENSE.
| Boss | Stats | Where | Part |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onimaru (school) | 8000 HP ATK 45 DEF 50 | Home town, in front of the school | Part 1 |
| Frog Man (Geroda Gerozaemon) | 1000 HP ATK 42 DEF 11 | Mt. Tengu summit | Part 2 |
| Snake Man | 1500 HP ATK 35 DEF 22 | Outside the hut on Mt. Tengu | Part 2 |
| Spider Man | 2500 HP ATK 45 DEF 25 | Spider Man's airship | Part 3 |
| Slug Man | 2000 HP per body part ATK 45 DEF 25 | S Town lake | Part 3 |
| Bat Guy | 3000 HP ATK 55 DEF 30 | C City, top of Bat Guy's hideout | Part 3 |
| Sasaki Kojiro | 3000 HP ATK 55 DEF 30 | Onimaru Castle Town | Part 4 |
| Bat Guy (revived) | 3000 HP ATK 55 DEF 30 | Castle top bridge | Part 4 |
| Yakitori-kun | 2000 HP ATK 40 DEF 20 | Underground lake | Part 4 |
| Chameleon Bonaparte | 2500 HP ATK 40 DEF 30 | Castle forest floor | Part 4 |
| Dry Dry | 3000 HP ATK 45 DEF 35 | Dry Dry's floor | Part 4 |
| Tortoise Europa | 3500 HP ATK 55 DEF 30 | Tortoise Europa's floor | Part 4 |
| Fuma Kotaro | 5000 HP ATK 65 DEF 40 | Mt. Tsurugi, Kotaro's cave (tanuki statue) | Part 6 |
| Matsuo Basho | 6000 HP ATK 65 DEF 40 | Aomori, the old temple | Part 7 |
| Miyoshi Seikai Nyudo (octopus) | 4000 HP per part (body and 4 tentacles) ATK 55 DEF 40 | Lake Biwa, by the bridge | Part 8 |
| Ishikawa Goemon (Nara) | 1000 HP ATK 70 DEF 50 | Nara temple | Part 9 |
| Ishikawa Goemon (castle) | 6000 HP ATK 70 DEF 50 | Osaka Onimaru Castle, under the hole | Part 9 |
| Amakusa Shiro Tokisada | 4500 HP ATK 70 DEF 40 | Mt. Aso crater | Part 10 |
| Benkei | 6000 HP ATK 75 DEF 40 | Hokkaido, the bridge | Part 11 |
| Bee Man | 3500 HP ATK 70 DEF 40 | Niigata, outside the Orb shop | Part 12 |
| Water Flea Man (Hachibei) | 4000 HP ATK 65 DEF 40 | The Dark World, north end | Part 12 |
| Onimaru (final) | 8000 HP ATK 100 DEF 50 | Dragon God's Fortress | Part 15 |
The three Oni who sneak into Sayaka’s house (Mantis Man, Starfish Man, Sea Cucumber) are not a real fight.
Where to level up
🧟 Niigata station (best)
The undead samurai there (500 HP, DEFENSE 15) keep chasing you after their HP reaches 0, and every hit still gives full EXP. Gather a few, cast the POWER ORB and THUNDER SLASH them for as long as you like. See Part 12.
🌲 Early game
Before Niigata, THUNDER SLASH on anything with low DEFENSE. Your allies level with you through the EXP share, so there is no need to train them separately.
Credits & sources
Written for Game Translate from our own decode of the game while translating it: the event script, the chest and shop tables, the item, level and boss tables, and runs of the patched game in an emulator. The maps were rendered from the game’s own map data. Structure and the suggested levels were cross-checked against the 2004 GameFAQs walkthrough by vrapong (v1.2), the first English guide to this game. Thanks to its author for charting Yaiba long before a translation existed.
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