5 Ninja Warrior things we’re looking forward to in 2018

As 2018 sprawls before us on the calendar, we’re feeling pretty optimistic. It’s shaping up to look like an epic year for Ninja Warrior fans. Here are just five of the many Ninja Warrior things we all have to look forward to this year!

1.) American Ninja Warrior season 10

American Ninja Warrior is turning a decade old in 2018. It feels both like a long time coming, and like it snuck up out of nowhere. Regardless, it’s hard to deny that something feels a little magical about the upcoming tenth season.

It feels like multiple elements set in motion over the past years are poised to culminate very soon. The athletes, the obstacles, the fans. Something has us expecting big things from 2018’s show.

Ryan Tuttle/NBC

2.) New age limit

Playing off what we said above, the new age limit has us excited. The last few seasons have given us extremely talented rookies who trained for years for their chance. By lowering the age limit to 19, American Ninja Warrior just opened the gates to talented Ninjas who thought they had two or three more years to wait.

That means they’re coming in strong, excited, and ready to pour their energy into becoming our new American Ninja Warrior heroes. We’re about to get a deluge of new Ninjas to cheer for.

3.) Ninja vs Ninja

Team Ninja Warrior was a well-liked show that was pure competition. Teams of three Ninjas raced side-by-side on the course. It gave fans a look at skills the Ninjas didn’t necessarily need to showcase on American Ninja Warrior: All-out speed, team strategy, and a desire to win over another competitor.

The silence around the show after the second season aired on the USA Network frightened fans. But that quiet period was just being used to re-tool the show. It burst back into the spotlight with the announcement that the show was now Ninja vs Ninja, with a sleek new look befitting of its dramatic match ups.

The show will debut in Spring of 2018.

4.) USA vs the World and the All-Stars Skills Competition

While we haven’t heard any confirmed air dates on these annual specials, we’ve got our hopes up they will be making a return.

In the USA vs the World competition that aired in 2017, Jessie Graff became the first woman to defeat Stage Two of the National Finals. Team USA pulled out a win in the third heat against Team Europe.

In the All-Stars episode, Team Kristine reigned supreme. Jon Alexis Jr. beat a 19 foot Warped Wall and Karsten Williams snagged the Super Salmon Ladder title away from Mike Bernardo.

Basically, these shows never fail to showcase the best of these incredible athletes.

5.) American Ninja Warrior Experience

This touring event, debuting in February, aims to give more people than ever access to American Ninja Warrior. Some of the show’s most well-known competitors will run a course in front of thousands for cash prizes. But even more interesting is the fact that there’s a chance someone you’ve never heard of will beat them. The event allows amateurs to qualify to run in the same bracket as the professionals.

This takes down a wall that has existed between local competitions and the American Ninja Warrior brand. It leaves the door open for an unknown to bump a legend out of the top ranks, with the official American Ninja Warrior name backing up the results.

What Ninja Warrior moment are you most looking forward to in 2018?