Second Stage (American Ninja Warrior) (2024)

The Second Stage, more commonly referred to as Stage Two, is the second of four courses at the National Finals of American Ninja Warrior. In order to advance to Stage Three, competitors must complete every obstacle within the time limit. The time limit varies widely from season to season, from as low as 1:45 in American Ninja Warrior 4, to as high as 4:30 in American Ninja Warrior 10, to being completely omitted in American Ninja Warrior 15. While the earlier versions of the stage were similar to that of SASUKE, which tested speed and precision with elements of upper-body and grip strength, Stage Two has changed considerably, with greater emphasis on endurance, upper-body, and making large, dynamic moves.

Overview[]

Stage Two is far more brutal than Stage One- while it has originally been a test of speed, precision, and some upper body, it has since switched to upper body and endurance, with timing still being a necessity. More recently, explosiveness and precision have become crucial to clearing the course. In the past, no one single group of people have had the advantage, whether that be parkour athletes, gymnasts, or even rock climbers. Competitors needed to be skilled in all areas of athletics: no single physical ability- speed, upper-body, endurance, or even grip strength- could allow one to beat the course. Rather, someone had to be well-rounded to beat the brutal stage that tested everything. Even as the focus switched to upper body and endurance, the dynamic obstacles meant that people who were gifted in all areas of athletics could clear. However, the advantage has been granted to people who have easy access to a ninja gym. The stage consists of 6 obstacles, all built over a huge pool of water with only mats resting on metal trusses offering respite.

Competitors[]

Only those who cleared Stage One could take on Stage Two. Many of those competitors had more lower-body training, and the less upper-body intensive nature of earlier seasons meant that competitors would not suffer unreasonably. Even as the stage became more upper-body and endurance-intensive, so did competitors' skillsets.

Over the 10 seasons in which the National Finals have taken place in Las Vegas, an average of 27 people attempt Stage Two every season, and an average of 6 clear. Those numbers fluctuate every season as a result of how many competitors clear Stage One; the number of attempts range from a high of 41 in American Ninja Warrior 9 to a low of 17 in American Ninja Warrior 8, while the number of clears range from a high of 21 in American Ninja Warrior 11 to a low of 1 in American Ninja Warrior 4.

Female Competitors[]

Only three women in American Ninja Warrior history have ever taken on Stage Two in the regular season, and all three have failed to complete it. Jessie Graff became the first to do so in American Ninja Warrior 8, making it all the way to the Wave Runner. Allyssa Beird became the second in American Ninja Warrior 9, making it all the way to the Criss-Cross Salmon Ladder, while Jesse Labreck made it all the way to the Double Salmon Ladder in American Ninja Warrior 13. Even though no woman has completed Stage Two in the regular season, Graff and Labreck managed to do so in American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 3 and American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 5 respectively. Furthermore, Katie Bone became the third female competitor and first female teen to achieve that feat in American Ninja Warrior: Women's Championship 3.

Teen Competitors[]

Teenage competitors often perform on par with the adult competitors- almost every teen competitor has at least made it past the second obstacle, and continue to go far on the course. Most that fail do so for the same reasons as other competitors- gassing out or losing grip. However, the teens are expected to do well, as their lighter build and better lache abilities compared to the adult competitors suit them well for the contemporary Stage Two model. In American Ninja Warrior 13, nine teens took on Stage Two, and two of them- Vance Walker and Kaden Lebsack- cleared. Elijah Browning and Josiah Pippel came close to doing so, making it all the way to the Falling Shelves. On American Ninja Warrior 14, the teens had considerably better results- out of ten who took on the course, five cleared: Lebsack, Pippel, Jay Lewis, Max Feinberg, and Ethan Bartnicki. On American Ninja Warrior 15, eight out of 14 competitors were teens: Walker, Bartnicki, Browning, Enzo DeFerrari Wilson, Jera Boyd, Noah Meunier, Hans Hertz, and Nacssa Garemore.

Skills/Obstacle Overview[]

Stage Two consists of six obstacles that test upper-body strength, endurance, and speed. Compared to Stage One, which has obstacles built over individual pools of water and metal runways that connect the obstacles together, Stage Two is built over one huge pool of water, and the mats/landing platforms are built over large metal structures. In addition, pyrotechnics surround the obstacles, with regular blazing fire in the air and adding a more exciting element to the stage.

Obstacle 1 has traditionally required competitors to ride something down a long track while still maintaining their grip. However, as the show has progressed, the obstacle has switched its focus to being more upper-body-intensive, requiring competitors to use their strength and precision to lock and unlock different apparatuses in place, similar to the previous obstacle iteration. On the other hand, Obstacle 2 has always been some variation of the Salmon Ladder. Obstacle 3 originally required competitors to make their way across two boards using only their upper body, but from American Ninja Warrior 11 onwards, it has been a modified version of an obstacle from the Qualifying or City Finals/Semifinals rounds. Obstacle 4 has required competitors to jump and take a leap of faith onto a rotating or swinging apparatus and time their jump to a rope wall (A rope in the case of the Balance Tank), while Obstacle 5 requires competitors to make large moves, whether that be laches, jumping a bar or board across tracks, or jumping to a chain. This obstacle is known to be brutal. Finally, Obstacle 6 was normally a variation on the Wall Lifting, meant to size up the clock and be a final march to victory, but with the course renewal of American Ninja Warrior 13, it has changed completely to a supersized version of the Falling Shelves.

Looking at the various obstacles of Stage Two, five main eras of the show can be determined, which are different from those of Stage One:

• American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 5, which placed a heavy focus on speed and precision,
• American Ninja Warrior 6 to American Ninja Warrior 7, in which the show began distincting itself from SASUKE and adding more upper-body intensive, time-consuming obstacles,
• American Ninja Warrior 9 to American Ninja Warrior 10, which put the heaviest focus on large laches, upper body strength, and endurance at the expense of speed,
• American Ninja Warrior 13 to American Ninja Warrior 14, which places a good balance between speed, laches, pure upper-body strength, endurance, and precision,
• American Ninja Warrior 15 to the present, which prioritizes speed, precision, and explosiveness while sacrificing upper body and endurance.

American Ninja Warrior 8 and American Ninja Warrior 11 do not belong to any of the above eras:

• The former was a transition period between American Ninja Warrior 7 and American Ninja Warrior 9, in which the stage visibly shifted toward a more endurance and upper body-based course without throwing in huge moves.
• The latter is an anomaly, as the producers' desire for a Kanzenseiha led to a course renewal that threw out the previous aspects of American Ninja Warrior 10's Stage Two.

Course Layout[]

The first version of Stage Two, which appeared in American Ninja Warrior 4, was modeled after SASUKE 27's Second Stage:

• Competitors would walk up a flight of stairs, wait for a pair of metal gates to open, andfind themselves standing on a metal platform many feet above the water to start the first obstacle, the Slider Drop. Like SASUKE, the timer would count down once the starting tones ended, even if competitors had not touched the first obstacle.
• After completing the obstacle, competitors would walk across a series of floating mats, turn to their right and attempt the next two obstacles, the Double Salmon Ladder and Unstable Bridge, in a straight line. The mats would also retract from underneath competitors' feet once they grabbed on to the bar of the Double Salmon Ladder.
• Then, they would turn to their right and take on the Balance Tank.
• After that, they would turn to their left and face the Metal Spin.
• Finally, they would turn to their left once again, run across the Wall Lift, and hit a buzzer that would open a set of metal gates and signal completion.

As with Stage One, the actual layout of Stage Two has evolved with the show:

• In American Ninja Warrior 5, competitors would drop down to a single floating mat after completing the first obstacle, which would slowly float toward the Double Salmon Ladder.
• In American Ninja Warrior 7, the course would turn slightly to their left after the Double Salmon Ladder, and the remaining four obstacles were all arranged in a straight line.
• In American Ninja Warrior 8, the floating mats were removed replaced with a series of lache bars that curved to competitors' right anda pair of footrests. Furthermore, competitors had to turn slightly to their left after completing the fifth obstacle, the Double Wedge. Finally, with the addition of a wall hop at the end of Wall Flip, the metal gates at the end of the stage were removed.
• In American Ninja Warrior 9, Stage Two's layout changed most visibly:
  • The chances began even before the first obstacle: the metal gates at the starting platform were removed, and the stairs were replaced with ramps.
  • Once competitors finished the first obstacle, Giant Ring Swing, they had to step to their right to take on Criss-Cross Salmon Ladder, and they would have to face slightly to their right to attempt the third obstacle, the Wave Runner.
  • Then, competitors had to step to their right and onto a raised runway to take on the fourth obstacle, Swing Surfer.
  • After that, they had to turn to their left to face Wingnut Alley.
  • The curving of the course in between Wingnut Alley and Wall Flip was kept the same.

• In American Ninja Warrior 10, the orientation of the third obstacle, Déjà Vu, remained the same, but the lache bar that preceded that obstacle actually required competitors to face slightly to their left. In addition, after completing Wingnut Alley, rather than walking down a series of steps, competitors had to walk up a series of steps so that they could take on the Water Walls, which was hosted in an above-ground tank rather than an underground pool.
• In American Ninja Warrior 11, with Wingnut Alley replaced by the Grim Sweeper, competitors no longer had to face their left before attempting it.
• In American Ninja Warrior 13, competitors no longer had to walk up a ramp and step on a starting platform high above the water to begin the first obstacle: the starting platform resembled those from previous stages, and competitors started the course just above the water. The first obstacle, Striding Steps, led into the second, Double Salmon Ladder, without any break. Furthermore, the final four obstacles were all placed in a straight line.
• In American Ninja Warrior 15, the entire course was placed in a straight line. The most striking change was the runway between the third and fourth obstacles: instead of stepping to their right, competitors would just run straight.

Course History[]

American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 5[]

The first time that Mt. Midoriyama was brought to American soil was American Ninja Warrior 4, identical to that of SASUKE 27. The combination of brutal obstacles, a green competitor field, and technical difficulties took out almost the entire field, and only Brent Steffensen cleared the course.

American Ninja Warrior 5 brought a couple changes to increase the number of clears- the Slider Drop was replaced with the Hang Slider, which tested only timing and body control, and the time limit was increased from 105 seconds (1:45) to 125 seconds (2:05). This time, 7 out of 21 competitors cleared the course. That field included rookies (Idoko Abuh, Casey Finley, and Joe Moravsky), top competitors (James McGrath and Travis Rosen), and lesser-known veterans (Travis Weinand and the Last Ninja Standing that tournament, Brian Arnold).

American Ninja Warrior 6 to American Ninja Warrior 7[]

This era marked Stage Two's first shift from a speed-based course to one that was more upper-body intensive. In American Ninja Warrior 6, two major changes were made:

• Hang Slider was replaced with Rope Jungle, which tested upper-body and grip strength, timing, and mental focus: competitors needed to plot out their course beforehand and had to be ready to adapt should their plan did not work.
• Balance Tank was replaced with Butterfly Wall, which required competitors to make a long run-up and jump to a rotating wall and time their jump to a rope wall that they must climb up.

Both obstacles created important precedents for later obstacles: Rope Jungle paved the way for a megasized first obstacle that tested upper-body and grip, while the Butterfly Wall inspired obstacles that tested long run-ups, jumps, and timing. Out of 18 competitors, only Elet Hall and Joe Moravsky could complete the course.

Unlike Stages One and Three, Stage Two changed very little in American Ninja Warrior 7- the only major change was the replacement of the iconic Metal Spin with the brutal Roulette Row and the increased time limit from 125 seconds (2:05) to 150 seconds (2:30). While Roulette Row tested primarily timing and lache ability, it was considered to be a more upper-body intensive obstacle. This, combined with the newer Rope Jungle and Butterfly, the other strength-based obstacles that were staples since American Ninja Warrior 4, and a higher time limit, truly led to Stage Two becoming less of a speed stage and more of an upper-body stage. Out of 37 competitors, 8 could clear the course: Joe Moravsky (who also cleared it in the past two seasons), Kevin Bull, Ian Dory, Drew Drechsel, Jeremiah Morgan, Abel Gonzalez, and the two people who would later successfully climb Stage Four: Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero.

American Ninja Warrior 8[]

American Ninja Warrior 8 was the first season that fully embraced the upper-body skills that Stage Two required with the Kanzenseina of the previous year. Out of its five new obstacles, two were super-sized versions of obstacles from the Qualifiers and City Finals Rounds:

• Giant Ring Swing came from the Ring Swing in the Oklahoma City region.
• Double Wedge came from The Wedge, first seen in Los Angeles City Finals.

The other three new obstacles were more redesigned versions of previous obstacles on Stage Two:

• Down Up Salmon Ladder was a variation of the Double Salmon Ladder.
• Wave Runner was a fusion of the Hourglass Drop and Unstable Bridge.
• Wall Flip was modified Wall Lift. Some fans disliked the change, but some didn't mind either obstacle.

The only returning obstacle was the Butterfly Wall, and the time limit was increased from 150 seconds (2:30) to 210 seconds (3:30). Even though the obstacles were incredibly upper-body intensive, they mostly required competitors to take smaller, more precise steps rather than large, dynamic moves. Out of the 17 who attempted the course, only Daniel Gil and Drew Drechsel could complete it.

American Ninja Warrior 9 to American Ninja Warrior 10[]

American Ninja Warrior 9's Stage Two marked a major turning point in the stage's history: while previous versions focused on making smaller moves, this season brought in obstacles that required competitors to be aggressive in their approach. Three new obstacles were introduced, though they were all redesigned versions of previous obstacles:

• The Down Up Salmon Ladder was replaced with the Criss Cross Salmon Ladder.
• The Butterfly Wall was replaced with the Swing Surfer (similar to the Tick Tock).
• The Double Wedge was replaced with the Wingnut Alley (supersized version of the Wingnuts).

The time limit for this stage was 240 seconds (4:00). Being the most grip-and-upper-body-intensive Stage Two yet, it also became the most disastrous, eliminating a whopping 38 competitors out of 41. Sean Bryan, Najee Richardson, and Joe Moravsky were able to clear the stage. 60% of the field was eliminated by Wingnut Alley, and only 3 competitors could complete the obstacle and later the entire stage. Accuracy and precision wasn't essential on that obstacle, but good grip and lache ability were.

American Ninja Warrior 10's Stage Two required even more upper-body and grip strength. It also had the highest time limit to date, with a time limit of 270 seconds (4:30). Three new obstacles were introduced, including one with a concept never before seen:

• Epic Catch & Release, a supersized version of Catch & Release.
• Déjà Vu, which came from the obstacle design challenge.
• Water Walls, the first obstacle that took place under water and not above water.

Epic Catch & Release proved to be a major time and energy waster for many competitors. This resulted in many casualties on Déjà Vu, which required extreme precision. Wingnut Alley once again resulted in the most casualties on the stage, and some of the competitors failed there on the previous season. The Water Walls was responsible for the first ever time out on Stage Two (which went to Najee Richardson). Drew Drechsel and Sean Bryan were able to complete the course.

American Ninja Warrior 11[]

Following the extreme casualties on the two previous seasons, American Ninja Warrior 11's Stage Two was almost completely renewed despite the lack of a kanzenseiha; as the producers wanted to see another Total Victory, they made numerous changes to the stage:

• Epic Catch & Release was replaced with Giant Walk the Plank, which was a supersized version of Walk the Plank.
• Criss Cross Salmon Ladder was replaced with the Extension Ladder, which harkened back to the Double Salmon Ladder.
• Déjà Vu was replaced with Snap Back, which was first seen in the Oklahoma City Finals.
• The rope wall on Swing Surfer was replaced with an angled wall with ledges embedded in it.
• Wingnut Alley was replaced with Grim Sweeper.

The entire course was considerably less upper-body intensive, but placed a greater emphasis on agility and endurance. As such, the time limit was decreased to 180 seconds (3:00). Because the course was so much easier, a whopping 21 out of 28 competitors cleared. The field had the greatest variety of competitors, including veterans such as Joe Moravsky and Daniel Gil who had cleared the stage before; top names such as Adam Rayl, Josh Salinas, and Ethan Swanson who had made it far but never completed the stage; and unknown competitors such as Tyler Smith and Seth Rogers whose strengths played well into this new format.

This renewal caused a stir of controversy among viewers. While some were excited to see such a large number of competitors advance to Stage Three, many thought that these numbers didn't reflect a growing athletic ability, but rather the ability of the producers to "rig" a course to artificially increase or decrease the number of competitors who advanced. There was a small minority who went as far as to say that some of these competitors didn't deserve to move on to Stage Three, as the only reason they were able to was because the course was nerfed. Still, most agree that the course was too easy and threw away many previous aspects of Stage Two.

American Ninja Warrior 13 to American Ninja Warrior 14[]

American Ninja Warrior 13 brought again yet another course renewal, this time creating a balance between agility, upper-body strength, precision, and grip strength. The entire course featured obstacles that were never seen on Stage Two before, but all were either modified or supersized versions of returning obstacles:

• Giant Walk the Plank was replaced with the Striding Steps, which was a staple of the All Star Competitions but was never a part of official competitions up to this point.
• Extension Ladder was replaced with a renewed Double Salmon Ladder, which placed a heavier emphasis on precision; although it featured fewer moves, it came with the caveat of having open cradles at the top of each ladder
• Snap Back was replaced with a modified V Formation, which had an angled pole as a medium to reach the obstacle
• Swing Surfer was replaced with Hammer Drop, which tested whole-body grip strength over timing
• Grim Sweeper was replaced with the Epic Air Surfer, which was a supersized version of the Air Surfer.
• Water Walls was replaced with a supersized version of the Falling Shelves.

Each individual obstacle not only tested a mix of upper-body and precision, but the first and last obstacles set a new precedent for the course; the Striding Steps lacked anything that tested upper-body strength, but balance and speed were paramount. On the other hand, the Falling Shelves marked the first time in which the final obstacle did not require ninjas to move walls; it was a lache-based obstacle, and competitors could actually fail instead of timing out. The time limit was also increased to 210 seconds (3:30). Out of the 27 competitors who attempted the course, only 4 could complete it: Vance Walker, Kyle Soderman, Austin Gray, and Kaden Lebsack.

The course- and season as a whole- was beset by a legend of a "Stage Three Curse"- none of the 21 competitors who completed Stage Two in American Ninja Warrior 11 could do so on this season. However, the four competitors who could complete the course were either teens or greener competitors. This marked a shift in the dominance of competitors; while older, more established veterans began declining, the teens and younger competitors would quickly dominate the course.

American Ninja Warrior 14 didn't bring too many changes to the course, likely due to the mix of a desire for another kanzenseiha and an even distribution of falls throughout the course. Still, a couple of obstacles were changed:

• V Formation was replaced by a modified Piston Plunge, which placed a heavier emphasis on upper-body strength and laches.
• Epic Air Surfer was replaced by the Hornet's Nest (a supersized version of the Beehive), which was a lache obstacle.

Because these new obstacles were more time-consuming, the time limit was increased to 240 seconds (4:00). 11 out of 25 competitors cleared the stage. They included top veterans (Flip Rodriguez, Josh Levin, R.J. Roman, Nate Hansen) teenagers (Kaden Lebsack, Josiah Pippel, Jay Lewis, Max Feinberg, and Ethan Bartnicki), and lesser-known competitors (Cameron Baumgartner and Matt D'Amico). The statistics of those who cleared truly demonstrated a dominance of younger competitors:

• Every competitor, with the exception of Flip Rodriguez, was younger than 30 years old and had 5 years or less of experience.
• Out of those competitor, 5 were teens (18 or younger)
• Only R.J. Roman and Josiah Pippel attempted Stage Two in the regular competition before and failed. (Levin did attempt it in American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 3 while Rodriguez attempted it in the American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special and American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 2).

Stage Two also returned during the third ever Women’s Championship where we saw six women take on the dangerous Stage Two course with no time limit, making it similar to Stage Three.

The six women each had amazing runs through the course. Only Megan Rowe failed the Double Salmon Ladder while Jesse Labreck, Addy Herman, Isabella Wakeham, and Abby Clark failed Hornet’s Nest while Katie Bone was the only one to complete the course showing how the teens are dominating the competition.

American Ninja Warrior 15-[]

American Ninja Warrior 15 brought in perhaps the most controversial change in American Ninja Warrior history: changing the format of Stage Two from a time-based course to a head-to-head race. With 24 competitors at minimum attempting the course, they were seeded in 12 matchups (#1 vs. #24, #2 vs. #23, etc.), and the winner (whoever hit the buzzer/advanced the farthest the fastest) would advance to Stage Three. These changes meant that a competitor did not have to hit a buzzer to advance, but someone who hit a buzzer but lost their race risked elimination. Finally, the top four losers were seeded in a Runoffs/Wildcard race, in which the top two winners would advance to Stage Three.

As a result of this format change, some minor changes were made to the obstacles in order to be friendly to that format:

• Striding Steps and Double Salmon Ladder were made easier so that competitors could focus on speed rather than precision.
• Piston Plunge was replaced with Jawbreakers, which emphasized precision but permitted competitors to be explosive.
• Hammer Drop was replaced with the returning Swing Surfer, which was faster and required less upper-body strength.
• Hornets' Nest was replaced with Epic Air Surfer, which was faster and allowed competitors to link moves.

Second Stage Obstacles[]

Competitor's Success Rate[]

• All results based on the NBC broadcast and external information found.