What is the Difference Between a Ninja and a Samurai?

The ninja and the samurai were both incredible warriors in feudal Japan, but how were they different?

The biggest difference between the ninja and the samurai is how they chose to do battle.  Samurai warriors were known to fight very honorably.  They approached a battle head-on and fought out in the open for everyone to see.  Ninjas in contrast were all about stealth.

One really interesting aspect about ninjas that many don't know is that they actually weren't known to wear black outfits with hoods covering their faces.  If you look back at the historical evidence, you will actually find out that ninjas tended to either wear disguises or dress like everyday people.  For instance, because a typical ninja mission may have consisted of infiltrated a city and assassinating an upper rank individual, ninjas would have tended to try to blend into the crowd by wearing either everyday clothing or a disguise like a monk robe.

Both ninjas and samurai warriors were known for their expertise in swordplay, but a ninja typically carried a broader range of weapons like shuriken, caltrops, and kusari gama.

Hopefully this has taught you a little bit about the differences between samurai and ninja.  If you have any information you would like to add to this discussion, please leave it in the comments below.