American Ninja Warrior 11's Grim Sweeper in Stage Two
The Grim Sweeper is an obstacle, firstly introduced on American Ninja Warrior 11 as the fifth obstacle in Stage Two, replacing the Wingnut Alley from the past two seasons.
It featured three giant blades, shaped like a blade of a scythe, as well as bearing similar resemblance of a karambit knife.
Competitors must grab the first blade and transit to each subsequent blade. Each blade rotated in order to transit in between the blades and moved slower than the propeller for the Propeller Bar.
In contrast to the Wingnut Alley, the obstacle was proven to be incredibly easy, as it only took out Mathis Owhadi on his first attempt (who ended up completing it on his second attempt, thanks to the Safety Pass that he earned during Oklahoma City finals), though several competitors showed signs of struggling. However, during USA vs. The World 6, the obstacle shockingly eliminated Karsten Williams from Team USA.
On American Ninja Warrior 13, the obstacle is replaced by the slightly harder Epic Air Surfer.
Other Appearances[]
Ninja Warrior Germany[]
Ninja Warrior Germany 5's Grim Sweeper
On Ninja Warrior Germany 5, the Grim Sweeper appeared as the ninth and final obstacle in the finals's Stage 1. Unlike American Ninja Warrior, after grabbing the last blade, competitors must make a transition to the Cargo Net, which they must climb to complete both the obstacle and the entire course by hitting the buzzer.
Ninja Warrior Germany 6's Grim Sweeper
On Ninja Warrior Germany 6, Grim Sweeper appeared as the fifth obstacle of Stage 1. The cargo climb at the end had been removed. It shockingly eliminated Oliver Edelmann from the competition.
Ninja Warrior France[]
Ninja Warrior France 5's Grim Sweeper
Ninja Warrior France 5's Grim Sweeper (side view)
Les Trois Griffes (literally The Three Claws), Ninja Warrior France's official name for the Grim Sweeper would appear as the third obstacle of Qualification 2 in Ninja Warrior France 5. It is paired with Doorknob Arch as part of Route B of the Crossroads. Due to limited space constraints that the course has compared to the American version, the blades of the obstacle would be smaller in size. No trampoline was given at the starting platform.
Ninja Warrior France 6's Grim Sweeper
Grim Sweeper later reappeared as the third obstacle of Qualification 2 in Ninja Warrior France 6. It is paired with the Beehive as part of Route A of the Crossroads. The obstacle would now feature a rope at the start of the obstacle which will aid competitors to a platform to which they can reach the first blade.
Ninja Israel[]
Not to be confused with Propeller Untei, which appeared as a Third Stage obstacle from SASUKE 1 to SASUKE 8.
Ninja Israel 5's Grim Sweeper
להבי המדחף (literally Propeller Blades), Ninja Israel's official name of the Grim Sweeper, first appeared on Ninja Warrior Israel 5 as the fourth obstacle in Heat 3, Heat 9 and Heat 11. The obstacle had a similar configuration to the one used in Ninja Warrior France 6.
The obstacle was very brutal in Heat 3, as it eliminated two out of six competitors who attempted it, including Noam Avikasis and Yuval Harel. However, an incident happened for Yuval Harel, when he injured his leg while dismounting from the third blade. This made Harel lose the chance to have a Repechage Heat against Avikasis, despite making it to the Grim Sweeper faster.
While the obstacle was brutal in the first heat that it appeared, in Heat 9 and Heat 11, the obstacle was very easy, as no competitors failed on it (possibly due to the staff modifying the obstacle to avoid an incident similar to Yuval Harel in Heat 3).
Trivia[]
- The name is a pun off of the personification of death, the "Grim Reaper".
- This obstacle had a similar concept to the Propeller Bar, except the Grim Sweeper featured three giant blades instead of just one. This made it function similarly to Propeller Untei.
- Ironically, the Grim Sweeper was given the local name of Propeller Blades in its appearance in Ninja Israel 5.
- This obstacle effectively ended the trend that the fifth obstacle of Stage Two was a modified obstacle from the city qualifiers/city finals course. However, it continued with the introduction of the Epic Air Surfer.
Competitors' Success Rate[]
- All results based on the NBC/Keshet 12 broadcast and external information found.
American Ninja Warrior[]
| ANW | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANW11 | 22 | 23 | 95.65% |
| USA vs. The World 6 | 2 | 3 | 66.67% |
| Total | 24 | 26 | 92.31% |
Ninja Israel[]
| NWI | Clears | Attempts | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWI5 (Heat 3) | 4 | 6 | 66.67% |
| NWI5 (Heat 9) | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| NWI5 (Heat 11) | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| Total | 20 | 22 | 90.91% |