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The Cliffhanger (クリフハンガー) is one of the longest-enduring, most iconic, and most brutal obstacles in SASUKE's Third Stage to date.

Competitors must traverse a series of narrow ledges that are 3 centimeters (1.18 inches) wide, enough to support only the fingertips. Since its introduction in SASUKE 4, it has had eight different versions, with Takahashi Kenji and Urushihara Yuuji attempting the most versions at five.

First and Second Versions[]

The first version of the Cliffhanger appeared in SASUKE 4 and was formally known as the Choku Senkei Cliffhanger (直線型クリフハンガー), literally Cliffhanger Straight Version. In this version, all three ledges were placed at the same height, and each ledge was 1.2 metres (3.94 feet) long. There were 50-centimeter (1.64-foot) long gaps between the ledges to make the transitions to each ledge more difficult.

It proved to be a very brutal addition to the stage, as it eliminated five out of ten competitors that attempted the obstacle. Among the five competitors that failed were Kane Kosugi and Yamada Katsumi, the two favorites to achieve Kanzenseiha during the tournament.

Akiyama Kazuhiko attempting Cliffhanger in SASUKE 4

Akiyama Kazuhiko attempting Cliffhanger in SASUKE 4

Following Akiyama Kazuhiko's Kanzenseiha in SASUKE 4, much of Stage Three was made more difficult. As part of these modifications, the second version of the Cliffhanger, formally known as the Dansagata Cliffhanger (段差型クリフハンガー) or Cliffhanger Dansa (クリフハンガー段差), literally Cliffhanger Dropout Section, was introduced, appearing from SASUKE 5 to SASUKE 8. The only modification from the previous version was that the third ledge was raised by 30 centimeters (1 foot), creating a step that had to be crossed (Dansa means "step" in Japanese). The horizontal length of the gaps remained the same. Interestingly, the obstacle was initially named in SASUKE 5 as Cliffhanger (Kai) 「クリフハンガー (改)」. For unknown reasons, it was reverted to the original naming in the next tournament. The successor version adopted the name afterwards.

Yamamoto Shingo attempting Cliffhanger Dansa in SASUKE 5

Yamamoto Shingo attempting modified Cliffhanger
in SASUKE 5

Yamamoto Shingo was the only competitor to attempt and clear this version more than once, doing so in SASUKE 5 and 7. This version claimed at least one victim in SASUKE 6 and 7. However, in both SASUKE 5 and 8, the obstacle had a 100% clear rate (and in the former it was only attempted by Yamamoto Shingo), making it the first version to have a 100% clear rate on multiple tournaments.

This version was notable for being the first version to have been replaced without the impetus of a Kanzenseiha, as it was replaced by Cliffhanger Kai in SASUKE 9. This was likely because only three out of nine competitors failed this version despite the producers wishing it would be a harder version of the original Cliffhanger.

Third Version[]

The third version of the Cliffhanger is the Cliffhanger Kai (クリフハンガー改), literally Altered Cliffhanger, appearing from SASUKE 9 to SASUKE 17. The first ledge was doubled in length to 2.4 metres (7.87 feet, although, it was originally 1.2 metres in the blueprint), the second ledge was raised by 30 centimeters (1 foot), and the third ledge was lowered by 45 cm (1.48 feet). The horizontal length of the gaps remained at 50 cm (1.64 ft).

This version of the Cliffhanger has the most appearances without any modification. From SASUKE 14 onwards, the obstacle marked the halfway point on Stage Three, and clearing it was a major accomplishment.

Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger Kai's blueprint, which initially showed all three ledges being the same length, rather than the first ledge being longer than the other two

Similar to the Lamp Grasper, which was introduced in the same tournament, the distance of the obstacle to the finish platform varied from one tournament to another:

  • In SASUKE 9, the platform was very far from the third ledge, so competitors were forced to traverse the entire length of the ledge before dismounting.
  • In SASUKE 10, 11, and 13 to 17, the platform was placed slightly underneath the third ledge, so competitors could dismount after traversing around three-quarters of the third ledge's length.
  • In SASUKE 12, the platform was placed slightly after the second gap, so competitors could dismount after touching the third ledge.

This version was more deadly compared to the previous version, as it took out at least one competitor in eight out of nine tournaments; SASUKE 9 was the only tournament to have a 100% clear rate as only one competitor, Nagano Makoto, attempted and cleared it.

Following Nagano Makoto's Kanzenseiha, the Cliffhanger Kai was replaced by the Shin-Cliffhanger in SASUKE 18.

Fourth Version[]

The fourth version of the Cliffhanger is the Shin-Cliffhanger (新クリフハンガー), literally New Cliffhanger, appearing from SASUKE 18 to SASUKE 24. The second ledge was shortened to 77 centimeters (2.53 feet) and was set at a 12° incline. The length of the second gap was also increased to about 1 metre (3.28 feet). A small portion at the beginning of the third ledge was increased to 6 centimeters (2.36 inches) wide, and all of the ledges were beveled to increase difficulty. Because of these modifications, competitors were forced to make a lateral lache when transitioning from the second ledge to the third ledge, catching the thicker portion of the latter.

Cliffhanger4

The Shin-Cliffhanger (top) compared to the Cliffhanger Kai (bottom), shown via the introduction of Stage 3 in SASUKE 18

Nagano Makoto's Shin-Cliffhanger DQ in SASUKE 18

Nagano Makoto attempting Shin-Cliffhanger in SASUKE 18, but disqualify himself after grabbing the top of the obstacle

When first attempted in SASUKE 18, Nagano Makoto disqualified himself when he accidentally tapped the top part of the third ledge's frame. Although he was granted a second chance due to him being the first to attempt this version, he refused to accept the offer. Starting from SASUKE 19, metal blocks were installed along the frames of the first and third ledges starting to prevent such a case from occurring again.

Seeing Nagano's failure before him, Nagasaki Shunsuke tried to reach out to the third ledge without making a lache, but he was unable to overcome the gap, and it seemed impossible for the competitors to clear the gap without making that lache. However, in SASUKE 23 and 24, Takahashi Kenji became the only competitor to cross the gap without making a lache; notably having failed it in SASUKE 18 by trying and failing to make the lache.

The Shin-Cliffhanger remained the version with the most tournaments before a clear, as the first clear happened in SASUKE 21 by Takeda Toshihiro (who went on to beat this version again in SASUKE 23 and 24, making him the only competitor to clear this version more than twice), a wait of four tournaments (albeit going unattempted in SASUKE 19 due to everyone having failed by the Salmon Ladder). In SASUKE 23 and 24, it became much easier as competitors began to understand how to approach the obstacle. With Levi Meeuwenberg failing it in SASUKE 23, that made him the only competitor to fail this version twice after doing so previously in SASUKE 20, and also the only competitor to fail the first transition of the obstacle. With a 100% clear rate in SASUKE 21 and 24, it became the second version to have a 100% clear rate on multiple tournaments.

Due to Urushihara Yuuji's Kanzenseiha, the Shin-Cliffhanger was replaced by Ultimate Cliffhanger in SASUKE 25.

Fifth Version[]

The fifth version of the Cliffhanger is the Ultimate Cliffhanger (アルティメットクリフハンガー), appearing from SASUKE 25 to SASUKE 27. A major overhaul was conducted compared to the previous version, as this version had six ledges instead of three, making it the biggest version in terms of length, size, and number of ledges; the original set of ledge frames were replaced by a massive wall that was flat at the top and angled halfway down vertically. Competitors had to make their way across and up the first three ledges, then make a large transition to the fourth. They then had to lache to the fifth ledge and again to the sixth, which they had to traverse before dismounting to the landing platform. The length of the ledges and the gaps are as follows:

  • The first ledge is 2 metres (6.56 feet) long and set at a 24° incline, requiring competitors to climb diagonally to their right.
  • Competitors then had to overcome a 20-centimeter (7.87-inch) vertical gap and transfer to the second ledge, which is 2 metres long and set at a 12° decline, requiring competitors to climb diagonally to their left.
  • After that, competitors had to overcome a 60-centimeter (2-foot) vertical gap and traverse the third ledge to their right, which is 3.2 metres (10.5 feet) long and all ledges from this point are completely horizontal.
  • From there, competitors had to overcome a 90-centimeter (3-foot) horizontal gap and transfer to the fourth ledge, which is 1.2 metres (3.94 feet) long, and traverse it to their right.
  • Next, competitors had to lache to the fifth ledge, which is 15 centimeters (5.91 inches) long, the smallest ledge among all.
  • Finally, competitors had to lache again to the sixth ledge, which is 2 metres long, and traverse it to the right, requiring competitors to jump from the fifth ledge to grab it, before the competitors traverse to their right.

In its debut, the Ultimate Cliffhanger was unbelievably difficult, as all four competitors who attempted it failed before any could even reach the third ledge, with Hashimoto Kōji and Lee En-Chih getting the closest. It was speculated that both of them failed due to not reaching the end of the second ledge before attempting the transfer, which increased the distance they had to overcome and made the transition more difficult. The cold temperatures at the time also seemed to factor into everyone's attempts; Okuyama Yoshiyuki notably had to blow on his hands to warm them up prior to attempting the obstacle, only to immediately fail on the first ledge.

In SASUKE 26, the third ledge was lowered to make the transition from the angled ledges easier, but the transition to the fourth ledge became much harder. To compensate for what would have been a 1.2-metre gap between the third and fourth ledges, the third ledge was lengthened slightly to decrease the gap. Also, a large sheet of metal was placed at the base of the obstacle in order to hide the metal supports that were visible in SASUKE 25.

In Lee En-Chih and Okuyama Yoshiyuki's second attempts, both made it to the end of the fourth ledge but failed while building momentum to swing to the small fifth ledge. Two American competitors, Brent Steffensen and David Campbell, were also able to attempt the obstacle, but both of them failed while trying to make the transition to the fourth ledge.

In SASUKE 27, the sixth ledge was made lower which made the transfer to the ledge easier, but that also made the dismount harder. The obstacle was also relocated to become the third obstacle in the tournament, as opposed to the fourth position that the original Cliffhanger had held since its introduction. This change proved to be critical, as Hashimoto Kōji, eventual finalist Matachi Ryo, and eventual two-time Champion Urushihara Yuuji all cleared the obstacle. Kouji did so in his second attempt, Ryo did so on his first Third Stage appearance, and both Ryo and Yuuji did so in their first attempts at the obstacle. David Campbell nearly completed the obstacle, but he lost his grip gave way on the final ledge just before he could reach the finish platform. This made him one of five victims in this tournament, and the other four were James McGrath, Ryan Stratis, Paul Kasemir, and Nagano Makoto (the only member of SASUKE All-Stars to attempt Ultimate Cliffhanger).

The obstacle also eliminated every American competitor who attempted it in SASUKE 26 and SASUKE 27, it had earned its status as one of the most brutal obstacles for the American competitors.

Due to Urushihara Yuuji's second Kanzenseiha, it was replaced by Crazy Cliffhanger in SASUKE 28.

Sixth Version[]

The sixth version of the Cliffhanger is the Crazy Cliffhanger (クレイジークリフハンガー), appearing from SASUKE 28 to SASUKE 31. Another major overhaul was done compared to the previous version, this time in reverse, as the Crazy Cliffhanger was scaled down to only four ledges instead of the six previously used, returning to the ledge-frame style of the first four versions. The first three ledges were structured almost identical to Cliffhanger Kai; the only difference was that the third ledge was at the same height as the first ledge, and was also shortened to a point where the competitors couldn't reach the landing platform from it. Opposite the third ledge was another frame with a fourth ledge that was 1.2 metres (3.94 feet) long.

Once competitors made it to the third ledge, they must make a backwards lache motion to the fourth ledge (similar to Spider Flip), which they must traverse going from right to left. Though mentioned since SASUKE 28, the distance of the third to the opposing fourth ledge was shown on-screen to be 1.8 metres (5.91 feet) in SASUKE 31. However, unlike Shin-Cliffhanger and Ultimate Cliffhanger, the fourth ledge was equally wide compared to the other ledges, making the transition more difficult.

Crazycliff2

The distance between the third and fourth ledges as seen in SASUKE 28 Navi

Morimoto CrazyCliffhanger Clear

Morimoto Yūsuke attempting Crazy Cliffhanger in SASUKE 29

Furthermore, following its original replacement of the Ultimate Cliffhanger, this version was originally placed as the third obstacle. When the Drum Hopper was introduced in SASUKE 30, the Crazy Cliffhanger was relocated to the fourth obstacle.

While grip and upper body strength played an important role in every Cliffhanger version, this version seemed to be based more on the weight of the competitors, rather than technique or stamina, due to the style of the last ledge transition. Also, unlike the Shin-Cliffhanger, competitors never truly mastered the jump. This was largely due to the unpredictable difficulty of landing the jump, as competitors would succeed in doing the transition but lacked enough grip to hold onto the ledge. Even in its fourth and final appearance in SASUKE 31, only two out of eight competitors cleared it.

In SASUKE 31, Drew Drechsel attempted the obstacle using an unconventional jump method in which he turned to face the fourth ledge before attempting the jump. The conventional method involved competitors facing the third ledge and turning their bodies 180 degrees mid-air before they caught the third ledge. While he succeeded, he was told that he was disqualified. After some arguments with the producers, he was granted a second chance, in which he attempted the jump using the conventional method that ended in failure. This tournament also saw Asa Kazuma's fourth consecutive failure at this version being the only competitor who failed the obstacle throughout its appearance and never be able to clear, Kanno Hitoshi finally clearing it at his fourth consecutive attempt (and being just the fifth competitor to clear), and Morimoto Yūsuke being the only competitor to clear this version twice (after previously doing so in SASUKE 29).

This version had eighteen failures, setting the record at the time for the highest number of failures on any Cliffhanger version in SASUKE, even beating Cliffhanger Kai that appeared in over twice many as tournaments with seventeen failures.

Despite the high knock-out rate, due to Morimoto Yūsuke's Kanzenseiha in SASUKE 31, it was replaced with Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger in SASUKE 32.

Seventh Version[]

The seventh version of Cliffhanger is Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger (ウルトラクレイジークリフハンガー), appearing from SASUKE 32 to SASUKE 36. It was first revealed via the Director of SASUKE Inui Masato’s Twitter account, then in the Navi of SASUKE 32. Compared to the previous version, there are major differences, with the number of ledges being reduced to three. However, competitors now have to make two 1.8-metre transitions similar to Crazy Cliffhanger. In addition, the second ledge curved inwards to increase the difficulty, and the third ledge was a moving ledge that moves vertically by 90 cm (2.95 ft). This is the first instance of a mechanical ledge introduced in any version of Cliffhanger. It was also tied together with Vertical Limit Kai without any break originally to make the second half of Third Stage more difficult as a whole.

Jessie Graff attempting Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger in SASUKE 34

Jessie Graff attempting Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger in SASUKE 34

Similar to Crazy Cliffhanger, this version was also based more on the weight of the competitor rather than technique or stamina due to the style of the ledge transitions. The timing was also crucial due to the transition to the moving ledge, making it very unpredictable. However, unlike the past three versions of Cliffhanger, this obstacle was successfully cleared in its introductory tournament, with Drew Drechsel managing to become the first competitor to clear it (although he failed Vertical Limit Kai almost immediately).

Unfortunately, no one managed to clear it in the next tournament, as Drew Drechsel, the only competitor to attempt it in that tournament, performed the transition to the moving ledge one second too late (with the moving ledge starting to move up as he tried to make the transition), thus falling to the water. The number of attempts during the first two tournaments were also noticeably lesser than the previous versions due to the lethality of Flying Bar in the first half of Third Stage.

However, a larger number of competitors took on the obstacle in SASUKE 34 that it was proven itself a force to be reckoned with, eliminating a whopping six competitors out of seven, including Kawaguchi Tomohiro, Drew Drechsel (who failed the second transition yet again, this time one second too early), and Jessie Graff (who was the first woman to attempt Third Stage in SASUKE history). Only Morimoto Yūsuke was able to clear it in that tournament albeit he failed Vertical Limit Kai shortly after starting.

However, in SASUKE 35, three competitors were able to clear the obstacle, namely Drew Drechsel (who became the first competitor to clear this version twice), Kawaguchi Tomohiro (who became the second competitor to clear Crazy Cliffhanger and Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger), and Morimoto Yūsuke (who became the only competitor to clear both Crazy Cliffhanger and Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger twice). Due to the green resting bar that was provided starting from this tournament, Morimoto would later clear Third Stage.

In SASUKE 36, three more competitors were able to clear the obstacle on their first attempts, namely Tada Tatsuya (who became the fourth competitor to clear this version, impressively doing so in his first Third Stage's appearance), Matachi Ryo (who became the third competitor to clear Crazy Cliffhanger and Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger, doing so in a very memorable attempt as he made a one-hand save when attempting the jump), and Urushihara Yuuji (who become the oldest competitor to clear any Cliffhanger version at age of 40 years old at the time). Morimoto once again cleared it in this tournament, becoming the only competitor to clear Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger three times in a row. Similar to the previous tournament, Morimoto would become the only competitor to clear Third Stage.

While the focus in this version was usually the second transition, some competitors also failed to clear the first transition, namely Satō Jun (SASUKE 32, 34, and 35), Hioki Masashi, Jessie Graff (both SASUKE 34), and Kawaguchi Tomohiro (SASUKE 36). In addition, Ragivaru Anastase (SASUKE 34) was notable for being the only competitor to lose his grip on the first ledge. Possibly due to this version gradually having more successes as the tournaments progressed, Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger was replaced by Cliffhanger Dimension in SASUKE 37, making this the second version to have been replaced without the impetus of a Kanzenseiha.

Eighth Version[]

The eighth and current version of Cliffhanger is Cliffhanger Dimension (クリフハンガーディメンション), being introduced in SASUKE 37. It again received major modifications compared to the previous version, with the second ledge now moving vertically, with its halfway curvature reduced, while the third ledge was embedded on a Plexiglas board that moves horizontally by 90cm. However, in SASUKE 38, the second ledge moved by 1 metre, an increment of 10 cm from its debut tournament.

This version of the Cliffhanger, similar to Crazy Cliffhanger and Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger, is also based more on the weight of the competitor rather than technique or stamina due to the style of the ledge transitions. The timing is also crucial due to the transition to the moving ledge, making it very unpredictable. Competitors would sometimes glance at the moving ledge prior to transition for precise timing.

Tada Tatsuya attempting Cliffhanger Dimension in SASUKE 37

Tada Tatsuya attempting Cliffhanger Dimension in SASUKE 37

Likewise with Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger, this version was successfully cleared in its introductory tournament, this time by Tada Tatsuya. This was due to the fact that, poor weather resulted in the motors of the ledges malfunctioning. As a result, the ledges were stopped and adjusted to its respective height and distance around 1.8 metres, rendering the obstacle less difficult and brutal. This also eliminated the need to glance prior to transition to the moving ledge. However, based on René Casselly's testimonial, he mentioned in a post-tournament interview that the ledges were halted due to the fact that the production team wanted at least one clear on Third Stage so that the live Final Stage could go ahead. Despite that, it was still proven to be a threat, as only three of the eight competitors could clear it, with the third competitor being Urushihara Yuuji, who beat his own record as the oldest competitor to clear any Cliffhanger version at the age of 41 years old at that time.

In SASUKE 38, however, the motors of the obstacle were finally fully functional, showing its true lethality. Both ledges move at different speed, making the transition even more difficult than it was before. This was proven by Tada Tatsuya, who failed the second transition despite clearing the obstacle in the previous tournament. However, controversy arose prior to Tada's run, as Yamamoto Yoshiyuki, who was the first to attempt Cliffhanger Dimension in this tournament, actually cleared both transitions, but, possibly due to some liquid that was not wiped cleanly, he slipped at the third ledge. Despite that, Morimoto Yūsuke would later be the fourth competitor to clear this version. He would go on to not just clear Third Stage, but also achieve his second Kanzenseiha.

In SASUKE 39, the obstacle returned with its original specifications, becoming the first version not replaced with an impetus of an Kanzenseiha. During the tournament, due to the modifications in the previous obstacles, fewer competitors attempted the obstacle compared to the previous two tournaments, not unlike its predecessor. Tada Tatsuya became the only competitor to clear the obstacle in the tournament while Kajihara Hayate and Hioki Masashi both failed the first transition of the obstacle.

In 2022, the original producer of SASUKE, Ushio Higuchi created a show named "Ninjathlon" designed as an obstacle course racing competition in which various SASUKE obstacles were incorporated such as the Spider Walk, Cliffhanger, and Warped Wall. With this, Higuchi filed numerous copyright to other various obstacles such as Rope Maze, Jumping Bars, Unstable Bridge, and the aforementioned three obstacles. With the usage of the name Cliffhanger in Ninjathlon and the filing of copyrights from Higuchi, this led to a copyright dispute between Ninjathlon and SASUKE with regards to the name of the obstacle. In response to this dispute, from SASUKE 40 onwards, the obstacle was shortened to the Cliff Dimension (クリフディメンション). Despite the name change, this obstacle stayed the same as the previous tournament.

As a lot of competitors gradually accustomed with the jump, Yamamoto Yoshiyuki, Tada Tatsuya, Yamamoto Keitaro, Urushihara Yuuji, and Morimoto Yusuke cleared the obstacle, the most number of clears achieved, while Sato Jun failed the first transition and both Kajihara Hayate and Araki Naoyuki fell on the second transition. This is the third instance for Urushihara Yuuji, who beat his own record as the oldest competitor to clear any Cliffhanger version at the age of 44 years old and achieved this record by clearing the same version.

However, the obstacle once again proved to be an absolute menace in SASUKE 41 as more than half of the competitors failed, eliminated ten out of fourteen competitors who attempted it such as René Casselly (who failed on the Crazy Cliffhanger in Ninja Warrior Germany 8), Urushihara Yuuji (who conquered it the previous tournament) and Yamamoto Yoshiyuki despite the brilliant performance by those competitors in a prior tournament, solidifying its reputation as a feared obstacle. The third ledge was allegedly slowed down to increase the difficulty of the second transition as seven out of ten failures occurred there. Perhaps due to this, all four competitors who defeated this obstacle failed the obstacle right after, the Vertical Limit Burst.

The Cliff Dimension made an appearance in the SASUKE World Cup 1. It proved to be more formidable than before as out of eleven attempts, only Morimoto Yūsuke was able to conquer the obstacle; Zak Stolz, Iwamoto Hikaru, Jessie Graff, Saxon Johnstone, and Ashlin Herbert all failed the first transition while Joe Moravsky, Kawaguchi Tomohiro, Yamamoto Yoshiyuki, Daniel Gil, and Urushihara Yuuji all failed the second transition. With the exception of Yamamoto, Gil, Urushihara, and Morimoto, everyone else had never attempted the obstacle. The success rate out of everyone who attempted it during the Sasuke World Cup marks the first time that the percentage rate is below 10%.

The Cliff Dimension currently holds the record of thirty-three failures, which beats the Crazy Cliffhanger for the highest number of fails on any Cliffhanger version to date. Not only that, but it also holds the record for eliminating the greatest number of competitors in a single tournament.

KUNOICHI Appearances[]

Cliffhanger (クリフハンガー) appeared in KUNOICHI 2017 Spring, originally used as the sixth obstacle of BLUE Stage (Second Stage), however, it was relocated in KUNOICHI 2017 Summer as the fourth obstacle of BLACK Stage (Third Stage).

It was a toned-down version of the original Cliffhanger, featuring only two ledges (as it seemed like the first gap was removed to merge the first two ledges as one, making it longer compared to the other ledge) and both ledges were increased to 4.5 cm (1.77 in) in thickness. To compensate the toned-down difficulty, the gap between the ledges was increased to 60 cm. Also, the current logo of KUNOICHI was plastered below the first ledge.

However, due to the dominance of Sponge Bridge in the tournament, it was only attempted by Izumi Hikari, who was able to clear it easily.

Izumi Hikari attempting Cliffhanger in KUNOICHI 2017 Spring

Izumi Hikari attempting Cliffhanger in KUNOICHI 2017 Spring

Cliffhanger (KUNOICHI 2017 Summer)

Modified Cliffhanger in KUNOICHI 2017 Summer

Watanabe Kana attempting Cliffhanger in KUNOICHI 2017 Summer

Watanabe Kana attempting modified Cliffhanger in KUNOICHI 2017 Summer

For unknown reasons, it was modified in the next tournament, decreasing the thickness of the ledges to 4 cm (1.57 in). Also, the second ledge was raised about 7 cm (2.76 in), making it seemed like a toned-down version of the modified Cliffhanger.

It was attempted by three competitors, with AYA being the only one who failed, while Watanabe Kana and Izumi Hikari (making her the only competitor to attempt both versions of Cliffhanger used in KUNOICHI) easily cleared it and went to Pipe Slider.

However, in the following tournament, it was replaced by Planet Bridge.

Other Appearances[]

Cliffhanger[]

Australian Ninja Warrior[]

AusNW3 Swinging Cliff Hanger

Australian Ninja Warrior 3's Swinging Cliff Hanger

Aunw3 swinging cliffhanger ledge

Close inspection of the ledges on Swinging Cliff Hanger

A variation of the Cliffhanger, called the Swinging Cliff Hanger, appeared as the fourth obstacle in Stage One on Australian Ninja Warrior 3.

The obstacle featured two ledges; each was attached to a swinging board (similar to the one used on the Swinging Peg Board). Competitors must use a dangling rope to reach the first ledge, after traversing it, competitors must build enough swing and momentum to make the transition to the second ledge, and then build enough swing and momentum from the second ledge to make the dismount to the landing platform. Contrary to the original design, the ledges now have an 'L' shape (or a lip), akin to those later used in Wall to Wall and Hopscotch.

Ninja Israel[]

First Version[]
NWI2 Swinging Cliffhanger

Ninja Israel 2's Swinging Cliffhanger in Heat 2 and Heat 7

The Swinging Cliffhanger, locally called מתלה האצבעות המתנדנד (literally The Swinging Finger Rack) appeared on Ninja Warrior Israel 2 as the fifth obstacle in Heat 2 and Heat 7, and was very similar to the version in Australian Ninja Warrior 3.

Second Version[]
NWI2 Swinging Cliffhanger to Sideways Hang Climbing

Ninja Israel 2's Swinging Cliffhanger to Sideway Hang Climbing in Stage One

Later on the same season, the Swinging Cliffhanger appeared as the fourth obstacle in Stage One. The obstacle only contained one swinging ledge and next to it is a climbing wall, similar to the one used in Hang Climbing, except that it was tilted at an angle of approximately 100°.

Third Version[]
NWI5 Tipping Point

Ninja Israel 5's Tipping Point to Cliffhanger

On Ninja Warrior Israel 5, the Cliffhanger appeared as the sixth obstacle in Heat 3, Heat 9 and Heat 11, and the obstacle was preceded by the Tipping Point with no rest. This obstacle contained two ledges, but the second ledge was placed lower than the first ledge, making the obstacle seem like a reverse version of the Cliffhanger in KUNOICHI 2017 Summer. Also, the obstacle's wall was now composed of Plexiglas.

However, due to the Tipping Point and the Cliffhanger succeeding it bring combined and counted as one obstacle, the obstacle was very brutal, as no one cleared it in Heat 3 and Heat 9, due to most competitors failing at the Tipping Point portion, with only Eyal Haiman failing the transition to the first ledge. In Heat 11, Shawn Guetta was the first competitor to beat the obstacle.

Cliffhanger Kai[]

American Ninja Warrior[]

ANW5 Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 5's Cliffhanger in Venice Beach

The Cliffhanger Kai (simply called Cliffhanger) appeared as the ninth obstacle on American Ninja Warrior 5 during Venice Beach finals, with three 2-inch (5.08-centimeter) deep ledges. It eliminated 6 out of 12 competitors who attempted it (likely due to fatigue after completing the previous obstacle, the Rope Maze), including Brian Kretsch, Dan Mast, Lance Pekus, Jesse La Flair, and Justin Walker.

A similarly made obstacle to this one was used as part of American Ninja Warrior 12's for the second and third rounds of the finals' playoff bracket of the Power Tower, which was then redesigned for American Ninja Warrior 14's Power Tower.

SASUKE Vietnam[]

Ảnh chụp màn hình (43)

SASUKE Vietnam 2's Cliffhanger Kai

On the first two seasons of SASUKE Vietnam, the Cliffhanger Kai, locally called Treo Người Trên Vách (literally Hanging on the Wall) or Đu Người Trên Vách (literally Swinging on the Wall) on SASUKE Vietnam 2 appeared as the fifth obstacle in Stage Three. However, unlike in SASUKE, after reaching the end of the third ledge, competitors must grab a resting bar, as an intermediary to the next obstacle (the Pipe Slider).

On SASUKE Vietnam 1, due to the unfamiliarity to the obstacle, it eliminated four out of five competitors who attempted it (including Nguyễn Phước Huynh, Đỗ Văn Quang, Nguyễn Đức Thọ and Lê Văn Đại). Lê Văn Thực was the first competitor to beat the obstacle.

On SASUKE Vietnam 2, it was notable for eliminating some top competitors like Nguyễn Đức Thọ, Trần Văn Anh, and Brian Kretsch. Nevertheless, 14 out of 23 competitors were able to complete the obstacle.

With the total victories of Lê Văn Thực, Nguyễn Phước Huynh, and David Campbell on SASUKE Vietnam 2, the Cliffhanger Kai was replaced by the Crazy Cliffhanger in the next season, following the tradition in which the course would be modified after a total victory was achieved.

Ninja Warrior Austria[]

Nwat2 cliffhanger first three ledges

Ninja Warrior Austria 2's Cliffhanger

A modified version of Cliffhanger Kai appeared in Ninja Warrior Austria 2, as the first obstacle of Stage Three. It consisted of four ledges. With the second and fourth placed on the same, higher level than the first and third.

Nwat3 cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Austria 3's Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger Kai returned the following year in Ninja Warrior Austria 3, once again as the first obstacle of Stage Three, with no change in its layout.

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

NWP4 Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Poland 4's Cliffhanger

A modified version of Cliffhanger Kai, locally called Wspinaczka (literally Climbing) appeared in Ninja Warrior Poland 4 as the sixth obstacle of Stage Two. Compared to its previous iteration in the past three seasons where it is similar in vain with the Ultimate Cliffhanger, this obstacle involved four hanging ledges all with varying heights and lengths. The second ledge is higher compared to the previous ledge, while the fourth ledge, while lower in height than the second ledge is farther in reach compared to previous ledges. During this season, out of the three competitors who attempted the obstacle, only Igor Fojcik cleared the obstacle.

Then on Ninja Warrior Poland 5, the Cliffhanger appeared in the same place as in the previous season. Of the two competitors who made it to this stage, only Igor Fojcik finished the obstacle again in the same way as last season.

Despite the obstacle's decent knock-out rate, it was replaced by Crazy Cliffhanger in Ninja Warrior Poland 6, making this the second Cliffhanger version to have been replaced without the impetus of a Total Victory in Ninja Warrior Poland history.

Ninja Israel Junior[]

NWIJ Crazy Cliffhanger

Ninja Israel Junior's Cliffhanger

On Ninja Warrior Israel Junior, a modified version of Cliffhanger Kai, locally called הלוחות הקשוחים (literally Hard Boards) appeared as the first obstacle in the Final Stage. The obstacle featured fourth ledges, which the third ledge was placed higher than other three ledges. Two competitors attempted the Cliffhanger, but only Geva Levin cleared it, later cleared the Rope Climb and becoming the first and only Total Victory of this season.

As a side note, the obstacle is a simplier version of the Crazy Cliffhanger in the first two seasons of Ninja Israel, since the fifth ledge (the opposite ledge) was removed.

American Ninja Warrior Junior[]

Crazycliffhangeranwjr2

American Ninja Warrior Junior 2's Crazy Cliffhanger

The Cliffhanger (called as Crazy Cliffhanger) appeared as the third obstacle for Bracket 3, kids aged 13-14, for American Ninja Warrior Junior 2, which was very similar to the one used in Ninja Warrior Israel Junior, except that the second and third ledge were placed same height, the gap between each ledges was smaller, and, despite the name being identical to another Cliffhanger variant, it is closer to Cliffhanger Kai in function. Shockingly, Kai Beckstrand, the obstacle's sole victim that tournament, fell on it against his race with runner-up Kaden Lebsack.

Shin-Cliffhanger[]

SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia[]

SNWI Cliffhanger

SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia's Cliffhanger in Final Stage

On SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia, the Shin-Cliffhanger (simply called as the Cliffhanger) appeared as the fourth obstacle during Final Stage. Similar to the one used from SASUKE 19 to SASUKE 24, a red sheet was installed to the top of the first and third ledges to avoid future disqualifications similar to Nagano Makoto in SASUKE 18. Among the 10 competitors who attempted it, six of them could complete it, while the other four competitors failed to make the transition to the third ledge.

Despite the obstacle's decent knock-out rate, it was replaced by Ultimate Cliffhanger in the next season due to the course renewal.

Ultimate Cliffhanger[]

American Ninja Warrior[]

Precursors[]

Prior to the existence of the Las Vegas national finals, on American Ninja Warrior 3, a toned-down version of the Ultimate Cliffhanger was used as the first obstacle in the Day 1 Team Relay in the Boot Camp Finals, and later as the third obstacle in the Day 4 Team Relay.

It had a similar specification as the one used on SASUKE 26, now with two tiny ledges placed after the fourth ledge instead of just one. Also, the fifth ledge onwards were additionally supported from underneath instead of being simply bolted on, making them slightly harder to grip. Competitors simply have to grab the red area of the final ledge to complete the obstacle.

First Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger ANW4

American Ninja Warrior 4's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 4, the Ultimate Cliffhanger appeared as the fourth obstacle in Stage Three, with the same specification from SASUKE 26-27. It was revealed here that the obstacle spanned 32 feet (9.75 meters) across. Brent Steffensen, who failed there in SASUKE 26, became the first American to beat the Ultimate Cliffhanger.

On American Ninja Warrior 5, Brian Arnold became the second American to beat the Ultimate Cliffhanger, and nearly beat Stage Three.

During USA vs. Japan, Paul Kasemir (who failed on this obstacle in SASUKE 27) from Team USA became the third American to beat the Ultimate Cliffhanger, also nearly beating Stage Three. On the other hand, Kanno Hitoshi from Team Japan failed to make the transition to the fifth ledge.

ANW5 Ultimate Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 5's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

ANW6 Ultimate Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 6's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 6, the ledges were made much thicker. Instead of being 1.18 inches (3 centimeters) as they had been in SASUKE and two previous American Ninja Warrior seasons, they were increased to 2.25 inches (5.715 centimeters) in thickness (later seasons have the ledge thickness decreased to 2 inches/5.08 centimeters), making the obstacle much easier. Also, the fourth ledge was made longer, making the gap between the third and fourth ledge smaller. As a result, Joe Moravsky became the fourth American to beat the Ultimate Cliffhanger and just the third to complete it on American Ninja Warrior's regular season.

During USA vs. The World, all seven competitors who attempted the obstacle were able to complete it.

Second Version[]
ANW7 Ultimate Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 7's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 7, the obstacle was heavily modified:

  • The first three ledges were positioned identically from the previous season, but now had gaps in between them.
  • The fourth and fifth ledges remained the same, with the fourth ledge placed much higher.
  • After the fifth ledge, there were two ledges, which were placed equally high as the fifth ledge, and it was now impossible to reach the landing mat from the seventh ledge.
  • Instead, similar to the Crazy Cliffhanger, competitors would have to jump 6 feet from the seventh ledge to the final ledge at the hanging board, facing opposite to the main wall, which was 2 inches wide as opposed to only 1 inch. And from there, they were able to reach the landing platform.

However, unlike the Crazy Cliffhanger, competitors were allowed, and even recommended, to face the final ledge when making the transition (as the controversial rule was not established). Even so, the obstacle caused havoc, as half of the remaining competitors in Stage Three were eliminated on this obstacle, including Joe Moravsky (who had completed the obstacle on the previous season), who chose the Crazy Cliffhanger technique for leap transition to the final ledge. Despite that, four competitors were able to complete this obstacle, which was the largest number of the Ultimate Cliffhanger's completion during American Ninja Warrior's regular season until American Ninja Warrior 11, where a large number of competitors attempted it due to the sheer amount of Stage Two clears on that season. As a result, Ian Dory, Isaac Caldiero, Drew Drechsel, and Geoff Britten became the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth Americans to beat it, with seven Americans completed it on American Ninja Warrior's regular season.

During USA vs. The World 2, the obstacle took out two competitors: Alexander Mars from Team Europe and Joe Moravsky from Team USA (who failed on this version for the second time). On the other hand, Ian Dory, Matachi Ryo, Stefano Ghisolfi, Morimoto Yūsuke, Sean McColl, and Isaac Caldiero could complete it.

Third Version[]
ANW8 Ultimate Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 8's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

Gil uch anw8

Daniel Gil attempting Ultimate Cliffhanger in American Ninja Warrior 8 in Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 8, with total victories of Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero on the previous season, the obstacle was once again modified:

  • The first four ledges were the same as the Ultimate Cliffhanger from American Ninja Warrior 7, with the fourth ledge placed slightly higher.
  • Under the fourth ledge, there was a small ledge as a foothold, in order to ease the ledge transition to the first hanging board, making this transition similar to the Spider Flip.
  • After that, competitors must make a transition to the next ledge (second hanging board).
  • And finally, they must transit back to the final ledge opposite to the hanging board, and dismount to the landing platform.

This version of Ultimate Cliffhanger was similar to the Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger and Cliffhanger Dimension, with two ledge transitions across the water. Also, the design of the wall in the obstacle was similar to the wall used in the Half Pipe Attack on American Ninja Warrior 6, albeit the color and location of the design. Only Drew Drechsel completed the obstacle, while Daniel Gil failed the transition to the second hanging board.

During USA vs. The World 3, the obstacle shockingly took out three highly-skilled rock climbers (Stefano Ghisolfi from Team Europe, David Saikin from Team Latin America, and Brian Arnold from Team USA), and all of them competed on the same heat of Stage Three, in which:

  • Stefano Ghisolfi failed to make the transition to the fourth ledge,
  • David Saikin failed to make the transition to the second hanging board, and
  • Brian Arnold completed all the ledges, but failed to make the dismount to the landing platform.

However, since Stefano Ghisolfi completed the previous obstacle (the Floating Boards) faster than David Saikin and Brian Arnold, he won the 3 points for Team Europe.

On the other hand, Josh Levin from Team USA became the ninth American to beat the obstacle. Also, Santiago de Alba, Alexander Mars (who failed on this obstacle during the previous tournament), Diego Gonzalez, Sean McColl, and Drew Drechsel could complete it as well.

UCCANW9

Joe Moravsky was about to attempt the first transition of the Ultimate Cliffhanger during American Ninja Warrior 9's Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 9, the same version of the Ultimate Cliffhanger from the previous season appeared, with a minor modification for the ledges at the two hanging boards. Only Joe Moravsky could complete the obstacle, even using the Crazy Cliffhanger technique on the transition to the final ledge (which he failed to complete on American Ninja Warrior 7), while Sean Bryan and Najee Richardson failed on the transition to the fourth ledge and the second hanging board respectively.

During USA vs. The World 4, the Ultimate Cliffhanger became much brutal than ever, as the obstacle eliminated every competitor who attempted it. Among the five competitors who attempted the obstacle, three of them failed to make the transition to the second hanging board (Drew Drechsel, Sergio Verdasco, and Alexander Mars), while the other two competitors failed to make the transition to the fourth ledge (Sebastian Prieto and Joe Moravsky).

Fourth Version[]
ANW10 Ultimate Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 10's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 10, several changes were made to the Ultimate Cliffhanger:

  • The obstacle's wall was now transparent, so the audience can see the competitor,
  • There were more ledges and some minor changes for the ledges' placement (for instance, the second and third horizontal ledge has a 2-foot/60.96-cemtimeter height difference), and
  • The two hanging boards were now much closer to each other, compared to the past two American Ninja Warrior seasons.
Uch anw10 top

Drew Drechsel on the hanging boards of Ultimate Cliffhanger in American Ninja Warrior 10, viewed from above

This time, the obstacle became more brutal once again, as among the two competitors who attempted the obstacle, both of them failed to complete it: Sean Bryan and Drew Drechsel. Those two were also the only competitors who advanced to Stage Three. Because of this, the decision of who became the Last Man Standing of the season was determined by the competitor who completed the previous obstacle (the Crazy Clocks) in the fastest time. Since Drew Drechsel was the competitor to do so, he was then declared as the Last Man Standing of the season and won the US$100,000 cash prize. This is noted to be the only version of the Ultimate Cliffhanger that was not completed in the regular season since the inception of the National Finals in Las Vegas on American Ninja Warrior 4.

During USA vs. The World 5, Drew Drechsel from Team USA became the first to complete it this year. On the other hand, Ben Polson from Team Australia fell halfway through the obstacle.

Fifth Version[]
ANW 11's Ultimate Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 11's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 11, the modification of the Ultimate Cliffhanger used on American Ninja Warrior 7 returned, with competitors having to do one ledge transition instead of two. The Plexiglas remained from the previous season, albeit with a visual design which made some parts of the glass opaque. Compared with the previous season:

  • The foothold was removed.
  • Some minor changes for the ledges' placement, albeit some of them were retained.
  • Instead of transiting to another set of Plexiglas, competitors must transit to the first hanging board, either due to an error in design, or as a way to emulate the wall design from past versions. The way that this is designed makes it harder to transition to the second hanging board.
  • All of the hanging boards were placed lower and shortened, each only had one ledge.
  • Once competitors were in the first hanging board, they would do the ledge transition to the second hanging board which is opposite the first.
  • The length of the second hanging board was very short, with the ledge being similar to the fifth ledge on the original Ultimate Cliffhanger.
  • Competitors had to make the dismount from the third hanging board.

A total of seventeen competitors attempted this version, and due to these changes, only six competitors failed on it. A unique way to fail on the obstacle was presented when three competitors (Hunter Guerard, Michael Torres, Ethan Swanson), both were running out of stamina and couldn't make a successful dismount from the third hanging board (somewhat similar to what happened with Brian Arnold during USA vs. The World 3). The three others, two failed on the jump to the second hanging board (Chris DiGangi, Casey Suchocki), and Mathis Owhadi failed on the transition to the third hanging board. With that in mind, eleven competitors completed the obstacle, which broke the record of the most completion during American Ninja Warrior's regular season on American Ninja Warrior 7 (at four competitors). As the result, Lucas Reale, Tyler Gillett, Karsten Williams, Tyler Smith, Seth Rogers, Kevin Carbone, Karson Voiles, Adam Rayl, and Daniel Gil (who failed on this obstacle on American Ninja Warrior 8) became the tenth to eighteenth Americans respectively to beat it, with the fact that sixteen Americans completed it on American Ninja Warrior's regular season.

During USA vs. The World 6, all three competitors who attempted the obstacle were able to complete it.

Ultimate Cliffhanger - ANW13 - Stage 3

American Ninja Warrior 13's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

On American Ninja Warrior 13, the same version of the Ultimate Cliffhanger from its previous recent appearance appeared, with minor modifications on the Plexiglas design being similar to American Ninja Warrior 10. Only Kyle Soderman would fail on the obstacle, while Vance Walker, Austin Gray, and Kaden Lebsack would become the nineteenth to twenty-first Americans respectively to beat it.

On American Ninja Warrior 14, the same version returned. This time, ten competitors attempted the obstacle and only Flip Rodriguez would fail on the obstacle, while Jay Lewis, Ethan Bartnicki, Matt D'Amico, Cameron Baumgartner, R.J. Roman, Josiah Pippel, and Nate Hansen would become the twenty-second to twenty-eighth Americans respectively to beat it.

Ultimate Cliffhanger (ANW15)

American Ninja Warrior 15's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

It was used again on American Ninja Warrior 15. This time, all 14 competitors who reached Stage Three attempted it. It only took out Jonathan Bange and Kyle Soderman (who failed on this obstacle for the second time), while Enzo Wilson, Nacssa Garemore, Elijah Browning, Caleb Bergstrom, Hans Hertz, Jera Boyd, and Noah Meunier would become the twenty-ninth to thirty-fifth Americans respectively to beat it. Nevertheless, twelve competitors completed the obstacle in this season.

Ultimate Cliffhanger (ANW16)

American Ninja Warrior 16's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Stage Three

It was used again on American Ninja Warrior 16. This time, 14 competitiors, made it to the obstacle (with the only exception being Cal Plohoros). It only took out Kyle Soderman during this season (making him the first ninja to fail the Ultimate Cliffhanger three times), while Kai Beckstrand, Sean Bryan (who had previously failed it twice before), Sam Folsom, and Jackson Twait became the thirty-sixth to thirty-ninth Americans respectively to beat it. Nevertheless, thirteen competitors completed the obstacle in this season, which broke the record of the most completion during American Ninja Warrior's regular season on American Ninja Warrior 15 by one.

Ninja Warrior UK[]

First Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior UK 1

Ninja Warrior UK 1's Ultimate Cliffhanger

The Ultimate Cliffhanger appeared as the seventh obstacle of Stage Two in Ninja Warrior UK. There were still six ledges, and some details like the small ledge was kept. However, compared to the SASUKE version, there was no vertically angled ledge, and all the ledges had been rearranged to focus more on long transitions both up and down. No one could attempt this version.

Second Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior UK 2

Parts of modified Ultimate Cliffhanger were shown during the introduction of Stage 2 in Ninja Warrior UK 2

Then, this obstacle returned at second obstacle of Stage Three in Ninja Warrior UK 2. Since no one was able to complete Stage Two, like many other obstacles of Stage Three, there was no introduction for the Ultimate Cliffhanger shown. However, parts of the Ultimate Cliffhanger could be seen during the introduction of Stage Two, and while retaining the strategy of the large up and down transition, there were new challenges such as the horizontally-angled ledges from the Shin-Cliffhanger, as well as modifications of ledges' placement.

Ninja Warrior Sweden[]

First Version[]
Ninja Warrior Sweden's Ultimate Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Sweden 1's Ultimate Cliffhanger

AlexanderMarsFinal

Ninja Warrior Sweden 1's Ultimate Cliffhanger (second half)

The Ultimate Cliffhanger (unofficially called as Miska Cliffhanger) appeared as the sixth and final obstacle of Stage Two in Ninja Warrior Sweden, making it as the first version to be placed at the end of the stage. It was very similar to the Ninja Warrior UK version, however, a rope is placed at the beginning of the obstacle, the fourth ledge was removed, and the final ledge was made downward. Only Alexander Mars could attempt this version, but he failed the large drop transition.

Second Version[]
NWSweden 2-Third Stage-Obstacle-Ultimate Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Sweden 2's Ultimate Cliffhanger

Then, this obstacle returned as the sixth obstacle of Stage Two, but it wasn't the final obstacle, due to the Flying Bar placed afterward. This time, the placement of the ledges was changed to be similar to Ninja Warrior UK 2 version. Two competitors, David Johansson and André Sihm, attempted this version, but no one could complete it.

Ninja Warrior Austria[]

Nwat1 uch

Ninja Warrior Austria 1's Ultimate Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior Austria, the Ultimate Cliffhanger appeared as the second obstacle of Stage Three. It was identical to the first version in Ninja Warrior Germany. The only person who attempted it failed the transition from the fourth to fifth ledge.

Ninja Warrior Germany[]

First Version[]
NWG-Obstacle-Ultimate Cliffhanger 1

Ninja Warrior Germany 1's Ultimate Cliffhanger (Fingerleisten)

In the first season of Ninja Warrior Germany, the Ultimate Cliffhanger served as the second obstacle of the Third Stage, and also as the third to last obstacle of the entire Finals course of said season. Continuing the trend started by Ninja Warrior UK 2 and Ninja Warrior Sweden 2, this version focused on horizontally angled ledges and large transitions, however in a different layout.

This particular iteration of the Ultimate Cliffhanger however never got attempted, with the Last Man Standing of said season, Oliver Edelmann, failing the fourth obstacle of the Second Stage, the Unstable Bridge.

Second Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior Germany 3

Ninja Warrior Germany 2 and 3's Ultimate Cliffhanger

Ultimate Cliffhanger - Transition - Ninja Warrior Germany 3

The final transition of Ultimate Cliffhanger in Ninja Warrior Germany 2 and 3

Ninja Warrior Germany 2 introduced another new set of layout for ledges for the Ultimate Cliffhanger, with the final three ledges were mainly based from the third to the fifth ledge in American Ninja Warrior 8 to 10 version. However, as no foothold was placed below the fifth ledge, competitors would use the wall below or even place their legs on the previous ledge, making the final transition easier. It was attempted for the first time by two competitors in Season 2 but no one could complete it; however, only one of four failed in Season 3. With the Final Stage attempt of Alexander Wurm in Ninja Warrior Germany 3, it would be modified on the next season.

Third Version[]
Nwgr4 uch

Ninja Warrior Germany 4's Ultimate Cliffhanger (viewed from side)

In Ninja Warrior Germany 4, the ledges were rearranged to be a bit easier; however, the final ledge on the first main part was placed much lower, resulting in much harder way to use the legs to support the transition. On the other sides, another ledge was added and placed perpendicular to all previous ledges. Out of the four competitors who attempted this Cliffhanger, Max Prinz & Benjamin Reichmann failed it, while Moritz Hans & Alexander Wurm went on to clear it.

Ninja Warrior France[]

First Version[]
Nwfr ultimate cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior France 1's Ultimate Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior France 1, the Ultimate Cliffhanger (Le Mur des Titans, literally The Wall of Titans) appeared as the second obstacle during the untimed part of Stage Two. Valentis Dubois was the only person to attempt and complete the obstacle.

Second Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior France 2

Ninja Warrior France 2's Ultimate Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior France 2, the Ultimate Cliffhanger appeared as the first obstacle during the untimed part of Stage Two. This version had the same configuration with its appearance on Ninja Warrior Germany 2. However, no one failed this obstacle.

Third Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior France 3

Ninja Warrior France 3's Ultimate Cliffhanger

Then in Ninja Warrior France 3, the Ultimate Cliffhanger was updated, now with another ledge placed opposite was added at the end, making it similar to the version used in Ninja Warrior Germany 2 and Ninja Warrior Germany 3. Jean Tezenas du Montcel and Thomas Hubener were the only two to attempted this version, but only Jean Tezenas du Montcel completed it.

Fourth Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior France 4

Ninja Warrior France 4's Ultimate Cliffhanger

For unknown reason, the Ultimate Cliffhanger in Ninja Warrior France 4 was reverted back to the one used in Ninja Warrior France 2, albeit with a small ledge added between the fifth and sixth ledge. Despite that, it still wiped out three out of seven competitors who attempted it, including Thomas Dudoué and Charles Poujade.

Fifth Version[]
Ultimate Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior France 5

Ninja Warrior France 5's Ultimate Cliffhanger

After four years of using the European design, the Ultimate Cliffhanger from Ninja Warrior France 5 was changed to similar to the American Ninja Warrior 11's Plexiglas layout, except there was less ledges there. In Ninja Warrior France 5, five competitors attempted this version, two failed at the transition to the first hanging board, including once again Charles Poujade. However, no competitors failed there in Ninja Warrior France 6.

The same version appeared again in Ninja Warrior France 7 and out of the 13 competitors who attempted it, only two failed. It appeared again in Ninja Warrior France 8, with all nine competitors clearing it on their attempts.

It also appeared during the Ninja Warrior France: Clash of Nations as the first obstacle of Stage Three. It was slightly easier as out of thirteen attempts, it only eliminated Barclay Stockett (who struggled due to her height).

SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia[]

SNWI2017 Ultimate Cliffhanger

SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia 2017's Ultimate Cliffhanger in Final Stage

On SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia 2, the Ultimate Cliffhanger appeared as the fifth and penultimate obstacle during Final Stage, with the following specification:

  • The obstacle's wall was the same as American Ninja Warrior 7 version of the Ultimate Cliffhanger, except there was no leap transition to the final ledge at the hanging board.
  • There were seven ledges, with the first five ledges were similar to the first five ledges from SASUKE 26-27 version of the Ultimate Cliffhanger, and the last two ledges were similar to the last two ledges (excluding the final ledge at the hanging board) from American Ninja Warrior 7 version of the Ultimate Cliffhanger.
  • After reaching the end of the seventh ledge, competitors must grab the resting bars, as an intermediary to the sixth and final obstacle, the Flying Bar (similar to the Cliffhanger Kai in the first two seasons of SASUKE Vietnam, then the Crazy Cliffhanger from SASUKE Vietnam 3 to SASUKE Vietnam 5).

Among the two competitors who attempted the obstacle (Yosua Laskaman Zalukhu and Angga Cahya), both of them could complete it. Also, during SASUKE Ninja Warrior Indonesia: International Competition, no competitor failed on this obstacle.

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

CliffhangerNinjaWarriorPl

Ninja Warrior Poland 1's Ultimate Cliffhanger

The Zwis z Klifu, later Wspinaczka (Ninja Warrior Poland's official names for the Ultimate Cliffhanger) has appeared in the first three seasons of the Ninja Warrior Poland, as:

The layout of ledges there was quite different from the version had been used in Ninja Warrior France and Ninja Warrior Germany. In fact, the layout was brought from the Ninja Warrior Russia 2, except with a seventh ledge added in the end.

In Ninja Warrior Poland, the obstacle was unattempted. But in Ninja Warrior Poland 2, the obstacle was very easy, as all four competitors cleared it. But in Ninja Warrior Poland 3, the obstacle was very brutal, as it eliminated 3 out of 5 competitors it.

However, the obstacle was replaced by Cliffhanger in Ninja Warrior Poland 4 despite of its decent knock-out rate in the previous season, making this the first Cliffhanger version to have been replaced without the impetus of a Total Victory.

Ninja Warrior Turkey[]

UCH TK

Ninja Warrior Turkey's Ultimate Cliffhanger

The Ultimate Cliffhanger appeared in Ninja Warrior Turkey, as the second and final obstacle of Stage 3, but it remained unattempted. It uses the same wall used on Ninja Warrior Sweden, as it did not look like a rock-climbing wall like the original SASUKE version, but the ledges themselves are configured to be similar to the one used on Ninja Warrior UK.

Ninja Warrior Denmark[]

Uch denmark

Ninja Warrior Denmark's Ultimate Cliffhanger

On Ninja Warrior Denmark, the Ultimate Cliffhanger appeared in Stage 3 as the second obstacle. This time, it looked identical to the Ultimate Cliffhanger used on Ninja Warrior UK.

Ninja Israel[]

NWI5Ultimate

Ninja Israel 5's Ultimate Cliffhanger

With the total victories of Yuval Shemla and Yogev Malka in Ninja Warrior Israel 4, starting on Ninja Warrior Israel 5, The Ultimate Cliffhanger, locally called חומת אצבעות הברזל (literally The Iron Finger Wall) appeared as the second obstacle in Stage Three, replacing Crazy Cliffhanger. The obstacle was very similar to the one used on Ninja Warrior France 5, except that there was a rope added at the end.

Due to the sheer brutality of the First Stage, only two competitors (Yogev Malka and Shneor Sameach) were able to attempt and clear it.

Crazy Cliffhanger[]

Unless otherwise specified, most versions (except SASUKE Vietnam) would not have the controversial rule established for this obstacle.

American Ninja Warrior[]

First version[]
ANW6 Crazy Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 6's Crazy Cliffhanger in St. Louis

The Crazy Cliffhanger appeared on American Ninja Warrior 6, as the ninth obstacle during St. Louis finals. This version is a total of 22 feet (6.71 meters) long, with ledges 2.25 inches (5.715 centimeters) deep. However, unlike in SASUKE, instead of three ledges going to the right then having to jump to the other side, there was one ledge going to the right and two small ledges to help getting to the other ledge. This version of the Crazy Cliffhanger was proven to be much easier than in SASUKE, as among the 12 competitors who attempted the obstacle, only three of them failed to complete it.

Second version[]
ANW7 Crazy Cliffhanger

American Ninja Warrior 7's Crazy Cliffhanger in Houston

Then, the Crazy Cliffhanger returned on American Ninja Warrior 7, as the ninth obstacle during Houston finals. This time, the obstacle looked almost similar to the Crazy Cliffhanger from SASUKE, but the number of ledges was increased from four to six, with the first five ledges being on one side, and the sixth ledge being on the opposing side. The ledges also differ in shape, with the first three ledges being traditionally rectangular, and the last three ledges having a bulbous shape. The first four ledges start out being 1 foot (30 centimeters) apart from each other, followed by a 3-foot (91 cm) vertical drop from the fourth to the fifth ledge. Just like with the Ultimate Cliffhanger, each ledge was 2 inches (5.08 cm) wide.

Competitors could also face the opposing ledge when making the transition (unlike in SASUKE, where competitors were not allowed to do it). The distance between the fifth and sixth ledges was 4 feet (1.22 meters), narrow enough for competitors to simply reach around and grab the sixth ledge. Among the five competitors who attempted the obstacle, only two of them could complete it (Jeremiah Morgan and Sam Sann).

Ninja Warrior UK[]

NWUK4 Crazy Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior UK 4's Crazy Cliffhanger

Nwuk5 crazy cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior UK 5's Crazy Cliffhanger

The Crazy Cliffhanger appeared as the first obstacle during the finals' Stage 3 on Ninja Warrior UK 3 and Ninja Warrior UK 4, which was very similar to the one used during American Ninja Warrior 7's Houston finals (except there were five ledges instead of six, with the first four ledges being on one side and the fifth ledge being on the opposing side). And all the ledges were of the shape of the last ledge of ANW7's Crazy Cliffhanger.

On Ninja Warrior UK 3, two competitors (Cain Clarke and Jonny Urszuly) attempted the obstacle, but none of them could complete it. With Jonny Urszuly making the furthest to the obstacle than Cain Clarke, he then earned the title as the "Last Man Standing" on that season.

On Ninja Warrior UK 4, five competitors attempted the obstacle, and Deren Perez and Tim Shieff became the first 2 competitors to complete it.

Ninja Warrior UK 5 also saw 2 competitors completed the Crazy Cliffhanger: Ali Hay and Tim Champion (who would later become the first ever competitor in Ninja Warrior UK history to achieve total victory and earn the title of the first "Ninja Warrior UK" on that season).

Australian Ninja Warrior[]

First Version[]
AusNW2 Crazy Cliffhanger

Australian Ninja Warrior 2's Crazy Cliffhanger

The Crazy Cliffhanger appeared on the first three seasons, as the sixth obstacle in Stage Two on Australian Ninja Warrior, and the third obstacle in Stage Three on Australian Ninja Warrior 2 and Australian Ninja Warrior 3, with the structure was similar to the Ninja Warrior UK version.

During the first two seasons, the obstacle was unattempted. On Australian Ninja Warrior 3, the obstacle was attempted for the first time ever by four competitors (Josh O'Sullivan, Bryson Klein, Daniel Mason, and Charlie Robbins) and all of them could complete it.

Second Version[]
Aus4 crazy cliffhanger

Australian Ninja Warrior 4's Crazy Cliffhanger

On Australian Ninja Warrior 4, several changes were made to the Crazy Cliffhanger, which now still being the third obstacle of Stage Three. The obstacle still featured five ledges. But this time, the third and fourth ledges were placed opposite the first, second, and fifth ledges, making it similar to the Ultimate Cliffhanger used from American Ninja Warrior 8 onwards, the Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger, and the Cliffhanger Dimension (all versions of the Cliffhanger featured two transitions across the water). Despite those changes, no competitor fell on the obstacle once again. In that season, only Matthew Bowles was to fail in obstacles after that, failing on the very last obstacle, like Adam Rayl, before Mount Midoriyama. Only Ben Polson, Charlie Robbins, and Zak Stolz were successful to finish Stage Three and go up Mount Midoriyama.

Third Version[]
Crazy Cliffhanger to Rope AuNW5

Australian Ninja Warrior 5's Crazy Cliffhanger to Rope

On Australian Ninja Warrior 5, the obstacle received minor changes. The position of the obstacle is now the sixth and final obstacle of Stage Two, making it as the second version to be placed at the end of the stage. It still featured five ledges but the first, fourth and fifth ledges were placed on the other side of the obstacle. The first ledge placed on an angle in a way that competitors can reach the second ledge without requiring the transition, however the second ledge itself was near enough to the starting platform that some competitors like Charlie Robbins made a standing jump and skipped the first ledge entirely. After reaching the final ledge, competitors must climb up a rope to reach for the buzzer. This addition renamed the obstacle to Crazy Cliffhanger to Rope. Only four competitors attempted this obstacle, and two of them failed, which were Rob Patterson and Mike Snow. In Mike Snow's second attempt, he actually fell at the Rope Climb part, when he gassed out of both time and stamina.

Fourth Version[]
Aunw6 crazy cliffhanger herbert

Australian Ninja Warrior 6's Crazy Cliffhanger

During Australian Ninja Warrior 6, the Crazy Cliffhanger returned to Stage Three, as the third obstacle. This time around, there were only four boards, with the second and third boards were on the other side, requiring two transitions again. The first board was placed at an angle, just like last season. The transition between the third and fourth boards was much more difficult, no longer a perpendicular transition, requiring an angled leap. As a result, it eliminated three out of four competitors that attempted it, including Ashlin Herbert, ending his best season, Saxon Johnstone, and Jake Baker.

Ninja Warrior Germany[]

First Version[]
Crazy Cliffhanger - Ninja Warrior Germany 5

Ninja Warrior Germany 5's Crazy Cliffhanger

The Crazy Cliffhanger (Fingerleisten, literally Finger Ledges) appeared as the third obstacle of Third Stage in Ninja Warrior Germany 5. It featured four ledges, with the final two ledges was positioned perpendicular with the first two ledges. Competitors had to make an outward curve from the second ledge to the third ledge, and then jump to the fourth ledge. Only one failure occurred out of four competitors who attempted this version.

Second Version[]
NWGER6 - Stage 3 - Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Germany 6's Crazy Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior Germany 6, the final two ledges were now placed parallel to the first two ledges. This time, three competitors failed out of five attempts.

Third Version[]
NWG 7-First Stage-Obstacle-Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Germany 7's modified Crazy Cliffhanger (Fingerleisten)

In Ninja Warrior Germany 7, a new version of the Crazy Cliffhanger appeared as the seventh and penultimate obstacle in the First Stage, and marking the first time in the history of the regular Ninja Warrior Germany seasons that the Cliffhanger did not appear in the Third Stage. It was heavily modified, compared to all of the past iterations of the Cliffhanger in Ninja Warrior Germany:

  • There were five ledges present, installed on five different hanging boards and were varying both in heights and lengths.
  • The second ledge was placed lower than the first ledge, creating a drop transition.
  • The third ledge was not only placed higher than the second ledge, but the the distance between the second and the third ledge was also greater than the distance between the first and the second ledge, which forced the competitors to perform a great upwards transition.
  • The fourth ledge was opposite the third ledge, which meant that the competitors were required to either reach the fourth ledge in a similar fashion to the conventional Crazy Cliffhanger transition, with the difference being that the competitors could simply reach over to the fourth ledge, due to fact that the distance between the third and the fourth ledge was minor, and did not have to jump or face the fourth ledge and then reach over to it.
  • The fifth ledge was opposite the fourth ledge, which meant that the competitors were required to repeat the process that they have done on the transition from the third to the fourth ledge.
  • In addition to that, the fifth ledge had a greater length than all the other ledges.

In addition to all of that, the Crazy Cliffhanger was preceded by the Salmon Ladder, with there only being a laché bar between those two obstacles.

The obstacle proved to be incredibly brutal, which was mainly due to the placement of the obstacle itself and also due to the majorly strict time limit of the First Stage, which forced many competitors to reduce their rest before this obstacle.

Four Nations Special Version[]
NWG FNSP 3-Third Stage-Obstacle-Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Germany: Four Nation Special 3's modified Crazy Cliffhanger (Fingerleisten)

In the Ninja Warrior Germany: Four Nations Special 3, a new iteration of the Crazy Cliffhanger appeared, serving as the fifth and penultimate obstacle of the Third Stage of said special. Just as the Crazy Cliffhanger iteration of Ninja Warrior Germany 7, this particular iteration of the Cliffhanger, although, still consisting of five ledges, was once again heavily modified compared to all of the past iterations of the Cliffhanger in Ninja Warrior Germany:

  • The second ledge was placed a little bit higher than the first ledge and also far away from the first ledge, creating a huge diagonal distance between those two ledges.
    • In addition to that, the second ledge was longer than the first ledge.
  • From the third ledge and onwards, every singular ledge was placed perpendicular to the first two ledges.
  • The third ledge was also placed far away from the second ledge, so that the participants were required to create a lot of sideways momentum, in order to laché from one ledge to the other ledge.
  • The fourth ledge was placed slightly lower than the third ledge and was also placed very close to the third ledge.
  • The fifth and final ledge was opposite the fourth ledge, however unlike the Crazy Cliffhanger iteration of Ninja Warrior Germany 7, the distance between the fourth and the fifth ledge was so great that the competitors were required to perform a laché.
  • After that, the competitors would have to climb onto the resting bar positioned next to the fifth ledge.

In addition to all of that, this Crazy Cliffhanger was preceded by the Time Bomb, with there only being a laché bar between those two obstacles.

Fourth Version[]
NWG 8-Third Stage-Obstacle-Cliffhanger 3

Ninja Warrior Germany 8's Crazy Cliffhanger 3.0 (Fingerleisten 3.0)

In Ninja Warrior Germany 8, a new version of the Crazy Cliffhanger, locally called Fingerleisten 3.0 (literally Finger Ledges 3.0) and also known as Cliffhanger 3.0, appeared as the sixth and final obstacle in the Third Stage. This time, the Cliffhanger was yet again heavily modified compared to all of the past Cliffhanger versions that appeared in Ninja Warrior Germany:

  • This time, there were six ledges present, installed on six different hanging boards and varying both in heights and lengths,
  • The first two ledges were placed opposite each other, and the distance between these ledges was so great that competitors were required to perform a laché (competitors here were allowed to use both Crazy Cliffhanger jump methods) from the first ledge to the second ledge,
    • The second ledge was the only ledge of this Cliffhanger that was installed on a transparent panel.
  • The third ledge was similar to the third ledge of Wall to Wall, and was placed perpendicular to the first two ledges, so competitors had to make an inward curve from the second ledge to the third ledge,
    • However, as opposed to the original Wall to Wall ledge, this ledge was already fully extended and would not drop once the competitors applied their weight onto it.
  • The fourth ledge was a long ledge, and was placed slightly above the level of the third ledge,
  • The fifth ledge was placed so that there would be a great horizontal gap between it and the fourth ledge, meaning that the participants were required to create a lot of sideways momentum to jump from one ledge to the other ledge,
  • The sixth ledge was placed perpendicular to the three preceding ledges and was far away from the fifth ledge, so competitors were once again required to create a lot of sideways momentum to perform a sideways laché from the fifth ledge to the sixth ledge,
  • And at the end of the obstacle, competitors had to dismount from the sixth ledge to the landing platform.

This obstacle was very difficult as out of four athletes (Philipp Göthert, Jona Schöne, Sandro Scheibler and René Casselly) who attempted it, only Philipp Göthert managed to clear this obstacle, and subsequently the entire Third Stage.

Ninja Warrior Arabia[]

Cch nwa

Ninja Warrior Arabia's Cliff Hanger

In Ninja Warrior Arabia, the Crazy Cliffhanger (simply stylized as Cliff Hanger) appeared as the seventh obstacle in Stage Three, which was was very similar to the Ninja Warrior UK version.

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

NWP6 Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Poland 6's Crazy Cliffhanger

The Crazy Cliffhanger (still locally called Wspinaczka until Ninja Warrior Poland 9) appeared in Ninja Warrior Poland 6 as the sixth obstacle in Stage Two. It consisted of five ledges, with the second and third ledges were perpendicular to the first and fourth ledges. Competitors must make an outward curve to get from the first ledge to the second and jump to the third parallel. Out of seven attempts at this obstacle, four competitors failed, with Wiktor Wójcik and Michał Grochoła completing all ledges on the obstacle, but both were disqualified for grabbing the frame holding the ledges as gravity pulled them backwards.

NWP7 Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Poland 7's Crazy Cliffhanger

The Crazy Cliffhanger returned in Ninja Warrior Poland 7. This time, only two competitors failed this obstacle: Grzegorz Matyszewski and most shockingly, Paweł Murawski, Last Man Standing from last season. In addition, Wiktor Wójcik and Michał Grochola, who were disqualified on this obstacle last season, successfully completed it this season.

NWP8 Crazy Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Poland 8's Crazy Cliffhanger

The Crazy Cliffhanger later returned again in Ninja Warrior Poland 8 and this time, no one failed the obstacle for the first time since season 2 taking into account all versions of the Cliffhanger.

NWP9 Crazy Cliffhanger

Ninja Warrior Poland 9's Crazy Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior Poland 9, the Crazy Cliffhanger, this time locally called Szalona Wspinaczka (literally Crazy Climbing) returned, once again as the sixth obstacle in Stage Two. It knocked out two competitors: Grzegorz Matyszewski (who had conquered it the previous season) and Adam Suchożebrski.

Ninja Israel[]

First Version[]
NWI-Third Stage-Obstacle-Cliffhanger

Ninja Israel's Crazy Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior Israel, the Crazy Cliffhanger, locally called as מתלה אצבעות הברזל (literally The Iron Finger Rack) appeared as the first obstacle in Stage Three in Ninja Warrior Israel. It was very similar to the Ninja Warrior UK version. It wasn't particularly dangerous, as with four competitors that attempted the obstacle, only Matan Bello failed on it.

NWI2 Crazy Cliffhanger

Ninja Israel 2's Crazy Cliffhanger

Then, in Ninja Warrior Israel 2, the Crazy Cliffhanger moved as the second obstacle in Stage Three starting from this season. However, the obstacle was very easy once again, as only Gil Marantz attempted and cleared this obstacle. Due to the low knock-out rate, the producers later decided to modify the Crazy Cliffhanger on the next season.

Second Version[]
NWI3 Crazy Cliffhanger

Ninja Israel 3's modified Crazy Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior Israel 3, a new version of the Crazy Cliffhanger was introduced. Compared to the previous version, the new version still has five ledges, but:

  • The second ledge was opposite the first ledge,
  • From the third ledge and onwards, every ledge was placed perpendicular to the first two ledges,
  • The fourth ledge was a blind ledge, a feature not seen in any other SASUKE/Ninja Warrior international format; competitors must make a small blind transition to reach the fourth ledge, and
  • The fifth and final ledge was opposite the fourth ledge.

This time, the obstacle was harder; of the eight competitors that attempted this obstacle, it eliminated three competitors: Omer Mayer, Roi Ben Yakar and Philipp Anufriev.

NWI4 Crazy Cliffhanger

Ninja Israel 4's modified Crazy Cliffhanger

In Ninja Warrior Israel 4, the Crazy Cliffhanger was modified slightly, in which the gap between the second ledge and the third ledge was shorter. All three competitors who attempted it (Yogev Malka, Ishay Halfon and Yuval Shemla) cleared it.

After the total victories of Yuval Shemla and Yogev Malka, the obstacle was replaced by the Ultimate Cliffhanger on Ninja Warrior Israel 5, following the tradition in which the course would be modified after a total victory was achieved.

SASUKE Vietnam[]

First Version[]
Ảnh chụp màn hình (42)

SASUKE Vietnam 3's Crazy Cliffhanger

With the total victories of Lê Văn Thực, Nguyễn Phước Huynh, and David Campbell on SASUKE Vietnam 2, starting on SASUKE Vietnam 3, a new version of the Cliffhanger was introduced in order to replace the Cliffhanger Kai from the past two SASUKE Vietnam seasons. It was the Crazy Cliffhanger, locally called Treo Người Trên Vách Kép or simply Vách Kép (literally Double Wall) and appeared as the fifth obstacle in Stage 3. The obstacle had a similar specification from the SASUKE version, but with a few obvious differences:

  • The concept of the numbering for the Wall Lifting was applied, with the ledges being labeled with the numbers 1 to 4.
  • The third ledge was made longer than the one used in SASUKE.
4th ledge Crazy VN

The fourth ledge of the Crazy Cliffhanger from SASUKE Vietnam 3 to SASUKE Vietnam 5. Notice that it was thinner than the one in SASUKE.

  • The fourth ledge is placed higher than the one used in SASUKE. Due to this, a stone pattern sheet was installed above the frames of the fourth ledge to prevent competitors accidentally grabbing the top of the fourth ledge's frame, similar to the Shin-Cliffhanger from SASUKE 19 to SASUKE 24.
  • It is known that to make the obstacle harder, the fourth ledge was made thinner than the one used on the Crazy Cliffhanger in SASUKE, making this Crazy transition more difficult than any other, although this change was not mentioned during the actual broadcast due to the relative novelty of this obstacle to this SASUKE format.
  • After reaching the end of fourth ledge, competitors had to grab a resting bar, as an intermediary to reach the next obstacle (the Flying Bar).

Given that none of the competitors attempts at the obstacle involve turning to face the final ledge, it is assumed that the controversial rule for this obstacle is enforced.

As a result, the obstacle was extremely brutal, as Mat Redho was the first victim in this modification due to failing the leap transition to the final ledge.

In SASUKE Vietnam 5, the same version in SASUKE Vietnam 3 appeared as the sixth obstacle on Stage Three. Due to the difficulties from the returning obstacles, Pipe Slider and Hang Climbing, no competitor reached this obstacle. This marked the first time that no competitor could attempt the Cliffhanger in SASUKE Vietnam history.

Second Version[]
Screenshot 2019-02-03-18-32-19

SASUKE Vietnam 4's Crazy Cliffhanger

In SASUKE Vietnam 4, the obstacle was slightly modified. The surrounding frame at the end of the third ledge was painted red, indicating where competitors were allowed to make the leap transition to the fourth ledge. Three competitors (Đỗ Văn Quang, Nguyễn Doãn Thọ, and Mat Redho) attempted the obstacle, but all of them failed the leap transition to the fourth ledge, meaning that the Flying Bar was once again left unattempted.

Despite no competitor completing the Crazy Cliffhanger during the regular season so far, some competitors had completed the Crazy Cliffhanger on SASUKE Vietnam's international competition like SASUKE Vietnam: International Competition 2018 or SASUKE Vietnam: All-Stars Competition 2019.

Trivia[]

  • The original idea from the iconic Cliffhanger came from Yamada Katsumi. One day in 1999, when Inui Masato went to Hyogo Prefecture, where Yamada lives, to take pictures of him practicing, he was holding onto the outside frame of the training gym door and doing pull-ups. Inui thought it would be interesting to do it sideways instead of doing pull-ups.
  • Four versions of the Cliffhanger have had a 0% percent completion rate. Ironically on every version except the Crazy Cliffhanger, it had a 0% percent completion rate twice in its appearances. While the Shin-Cliffhanger and the Ultimate Cliffhanger are the only two to do so in back-to-back tournaments and in their first two.

Competitors' Success Rate[]

  • All results based on the TBS/NBC/Polsat/RTL/Keshet 12/VTV3 broadcast and external information found.

SASUKE[]

Cliffhanger
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
4 5 10 50%
5 1 1 100%
6 1 2 50%
7 1 3 33.33%
8 3 3 100%
Total 11 19 57.90%
Cliffhanger Kai
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
9 1 1 100%
10 1 2 50%
11 2 4 50%
12 5 9 55.56%
13 2 3 66.67%
14 2 5 40%
15 3 4 75%
16 3 7 42.86%
17 3 4 75%
Total 22 39 56.41%
Shin-Cliffhanger
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
18 0 3 0%
19 0 0 N/A
20 0 1 0%
21 2 2 100%
22 2 4 50%
23 5 6 83.33%
24 7 7 100%
Total 16 23 69.57%
Ultimate Cliffhanger
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
25 0 4 0%
26 0 4 0%
27 3 8 37.5%
Total 3 16 18.75%
Crazy Cliffhanger
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
28 0 3 0%
29 1 4 25%
30 3 9 33.33%
31 2 8 25%
Total 6 24 25%
Ultra Crazy Cliffhanger
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
32 1 3 33.33%
33 0 1 0%
34 1 7 14.29%
35 3 4 75%
36 4 8 50%
Total 9 23 39.13%
Cliffhanger Dimension
SASUKE Clears Attempts Percentage
37 3 8 37.5%
38 1 4 25%
39 1 3 33.33%
40 5 8 62.50%
41 4 14 28.57%
World Cup 1 1 11 9.09%
Total 15 48 31.25%

KUNOICHI[]

Cliffhanger
KUNOICHI Clears Attempts Percentage
2017 Spring 1 1 100%
2017 Summer 2 3 66.67%
Total 3 4 75%

American Ninja Warrior[]

Ultimate Cliffhanger
ANW Clears Attempts Percentage
ANW4 1 1 100%
ANW5 1 1 100%
ANW6 1 1 100%
ANW7 4 8 50%
ANW8 1 2 50%
ANW9 1 3 33.33%
ANW10 0 2 0%
ANW11 11 17 64.71%
ANW13 3 4 75%
ANW14 9 10 90%
ANW15 12 14 85.71%
ANW16 13 14 92.86%
USA vs. Japan 4 5 80%
USA vs. The World 7 7 100%
USA vs. The World 2 6 8 75%
USA vs. The World 3 6 9 66.67%
USA vs. The World 4 0 5 0%
USA vs. The World 5 1 2 50%
USA vs. The World 6 3 3 100%
Total 84 116 72.41%
Crazy Cliffhanger
ANW Clears Attempts Percentage
ANW6 9 12 75%
ANW7 2 5 40%
Total 11 17 64.71%

Ninja Warrior Poland[]

Ultimate Cliffhanger
NWP Clears Attempts Percentage
NWP 0 0 N/A
NWP2 4 4 100%
NWP3 2 5 40%
Total 6 9 66.67%
Cliffhanger Kai
NWP Clears Attempts Percentage
NWP4 1 3 33.33%
NWP5 1 2 50%
Total 2 5 40%
Crazy Cliffhanger
NWP Clears Attempts Percentage
NWP6 3 7 42.86%
NWP7 5 7 71.43%
NWP8 7 7 100%
NWP9 4 6 66.67%
Total 19 27 70.37%

Ninja Warrior Germany[]

Ultimate Cliffhanger
NWG Clears Attempts Percentage
NWG1 0 0 N/A
NWG2 0 2 0%
NWG3 3 4 75%
NWG4 2 4 50%
Total 5 10 50%
Crazy Cliffhanger
NWG Clears Attempts Percentage
NWG5 3 4 75%
NWG6 2 5 40%
NWG7 8 26 30.76%
NWG: FNS3 5 5 100%
NWG8 1 4 25%
Total 19 44 43.18%

Ninja Israel[]

Swinging Cliffhanger / Cliffhanger
NWI Clears Attempts Percentage
NWI2 (Heat 2) 6 9 66.67%
NWI2 (Heat 7) 6 8 75%
NWI2 (Final) 26 27 96.3%
NWI5 (Heat 3) 0 0 N/A
NWI5 (Heat 9) 0 1 0%
NWI5 (Heat 11) 1 1 100%
Total 39 46 84.78%
Crazy Cliffhanger
NWI Clears Attempts Percentage
NWI1 3 4 75%
NWI2 1 1 100%
NWI3 5 8 62.5%
NWI4 3 3 100%
Total 12 16 75%
Ultimate Cliffhanger
NWI Clears Attempts Percentage
NWI5 2 2 100%
Total 2 2 100%

SASUKE Vietnam[]

Cliffhanger Kai
SASUKE Vietnam Clears Attempts Percentage
1 1 5 20%
2 14 23 60.87%
Total 15 28 53.57%
Crazy Cliffhanger
SASUKE Vietnam Clears Attempts Percentage
3 0 1 0%
4 0 3 0%
5 0 0 N/A
Total 0 4 0%

Ninja Warrior France[]

Cliffhanger
Ninja Warrior France Clears Attempts Percentage
1 1 1 100%
2 3 3 100%
3 1 2 50%
Total 5 6 83.33%
Ultimate Cliffhanger
Ninja Warrior France Clears Attempts Percentage
4 4 7 57.14%
5 3 5 60%
6 6 6 100%
7 11 13 84.61%
8 9 9 100%
NWF: CON 12 13 92.30%
Total 45 53 84.90%

Gallery[]

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