Third Stage (American Ninja Warrior) (2024)

The Third Stage, more commonly referred to as Stage Three or Stage 3, is the third of the four courses at the National Finals of American Ninja Warrior. To advance to Stage Four, competitors must complete every obstacle. It is considered to be the ultimate test of upper-body strength, grip, and endurance. In fact, it is so brutal that it is the only untimed stage of the National Finals. While the stage has added obstacles that required competitors to make large laches, have excellent body control, or use their lower body, the stage's emphasis on upper body, grip, and endurance has always remained constant.

Overview[]

Stage Three is the most brutal of all four of the stages. Its early iterations required competitors to make smaller moves and use their hands to hang from the obstacles for long periods of time. As the stage developed, later obstacles required more grip strength, more dynamic moves, and better technique. Only those that had exceptional upper body, endurance, and grip strength even stood a chance at clearing the course. However, as the course evolved, pure grip and upper-body strength weren't the only skills necessary to clear the course; technique, planning, laches, and even lower-body strength also became important.

Even though very few people have taken on Stage Three and even fewer managed to attempt the later obstacles, the international competitons (better known as the USA vs. the World specials) provided a better insight on the brutality of the actual obstacles. As such, they will be included in the course history, but as part of the seasons they aired after.

Competitors[]

Only the competitors who could clear both Stage One and Stage Two were allowed to take on Stage Three. The stage is so elusive that it has only seen a total of 73 attempts by 54 different competitors. Those who were able to clear the agility-heavy Stage One and upper body-heavy Stage Two often did not have exceptional upper-body strength, so those lucky few were often stopped short at the early obstacles of Stage Three. However, as Stage Two became more upper-body-intensive and competitors modified their training to fit Stage Three, a wider range of people were able to attempt the stage.

Because of how upper-body intensive Stage Three is, rock climbers have always had a significant advantage over the rest of the field. As the obstacles separated itself from traditional rock climbing and began to require their own techniques, people who had access to a ninja gym and the time to spend much of their days training also stood a chance at clearing the stage. Because the contemporary model places more of an emphasis on lache ability, teenagers, who have the best strength-to-weight ratio, also make it very far into the course.

Female Competitors[]

No woman has every attempted Stage Three in the regular season, simply because of the brutality of the previous stage. Despite this lack of female competitors, there has been some speculation on who could clear the stage if given a chance. Jesse Labreck is considered to stand the best chance of hitting a buzzer. In addition, Australia's Olivia Vivian and Austria's Stefanie Noppinger have also been speculated to make it far on the stage. After the introduction of teenagers, people have also looked to Addy Herman, Katie Bone, and Isabella Wakeham to make it far on Stage Three.

However, there have been a handful of attempts in the off-season. Jessie Graff and Meagan Martin became the first women to take on the stage in the American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special. Neither were able to advance past the Ultimate Cliffhanger. In the subsequent specials, Graff and Labreck have performed consistently well for Team Kristine and Team Matt, respectively. Graff has always attempted the first three obstacles and provide a solid start for her team, while Labreck has always completed the last two obstacles and closed out the run for her team. In addition, Michelle Warnky-Buurma and Allyssa Beird have attempted the stage on American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 5.

Teenage Competitors[]

Only 11 teenage competitors have ever attempted Stage Three: Vance Walker and Kaden Lebsack both did so on American Ninja Warrior 13 while Lebsack (on his second appearance), Jay Lewis, Josiah Pippel, Max Feinberg, and Ethan Bartnicki all did so on American Ninja Warrior 14 while Enzo DeFerrari Wilson, Nacssa Garemore, Elijah Browning, Hans Hertz, and Noah Meunier. They have all made it very far on the course; in fact, all of them except Feinberg have cleared the Ultimate Cliffhanger. They are best suited for the contemporary Stage Three model, which tests lower-body strength and laches in addition to upper-body strength, grip, and endurance. Out of those competitors, Lebsack, Lewis, Pippel, Garemore, Hertz, Meunier, and Walker have all cleared the difficult stage.

Course Layout[]

Generally, Stage Three consists of eight obstacles, all built over a large pool of water. Similar to Stage Two, the landing mats that came after certain obstacles were suspended over the water only by a metal beam. Those landing pads were also very small, so ninjas had to be extra careful not to overshoot or undershoot their dismounts. The mats also came after the second, third and fourth obstacles. The first obstacle would lead into the second without any chance for rest, but the repositioning of the Floating Boards as the first obstacle in American Ninja Warrior 9 made it impossible to lead directly into the second obstacle, so the producers added another resting mat after the first obstacle.

After clearing the Ultimate Cliffhanger, ninjas would have no chance to rest in between obstacles, as the next three obstacles all led into each other without any resting mat. The only opportunity for rest came right before the final obstacle- the Flying Bar- as ninjas could sit on a hanging bar. The USA vs. the World specials added a hanging bar right after the sixth obstacle that ninjas could wrap their legs around to rest their hands, but not sit on. Eventually, another hanging bar that competitors could sit on was added right after the Pipe Dream on American Ninja Warrior 11.

The first obstacle has varied considerably over time; competitors would have to push an apparatus across a track, swing across hanging objects, or use their hands and feet to cross hanging boards. The second has generally required competitors to hang from different handles for long periods of time and either use their upper body to move across them or remove the handles from their slots and place them into different slots. The third obstacle has traditionally been the Floating Boards, which requires competitors to use their hands and feet to traverse four hanging boards. Once it was moved to the first obstacle, an obstacle in the third position has changed over time; it had since been a modified eight obstacle from City Finals.

The fourth obstacle has always been the Ultimate Cliffhanger, although it has been modified over time. The fifth has traditionally been more agility-based, but was switched to the Curved Body Prop for a few seasons. The sixth obstacle requires competitors to utilize their hands and feet, as has the seventh obstacle. However, its emphasis has switched to exceptional upper-body and grip strength as well as body control. The eighth obstacle had always been the Flying Bar up until American Ninja Warrior 15, where it was replaced with Road Signs, which maintains a pattern of the final obstacle being about making powerful moves while also attempting to drain the last bits of strength a competitor had.

While Stage Three has almost always had eight obstacles, there have been a couple of exceptions:

• American Ninja Warrior 8: Competitors had to use a mini-tramp and two hanging bars to reach the Keylock Hang, which was in the second obstacle position. However, the hanging bars were not considered to be their own obstacle.
• American Ninja Warrior 11-: With the introduction of the Pipe Dream, which was considered as one obstacle but took up the fifth and sixth positions, Stage Three had only seven obstacles.

Course History[]

Just like Stage One and Stage Two, distinct eras of Stage Three can be determined by looking at the different obstacles. So far, there are four main eras:

• American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 5, in which the course had obstacles identical to SASUKE
• American Ninja Warrior 6 to American Ninja Warrior 7, in which the course introduced brand-new and modified obstacles
• American Ninja Warrior 8 to American Ninja Warrior 10, in which the course was the most difficult and most grip-intensive
• American Ninja Warrior 11, American Ninja Warrior 13, and American Ninja Warrior 14, in which the course put a greater emphasis on lower-body strength and lache ability.
• American Ninja Warrior 15 to the present, in which the obstacles continued moving towards body control and lache

American Ninja Warrior 4 to American Ninja Warrior 5[]

Unlike Stage One and Stage Two, Stage Three was not a near-fascimile of its SASUKE 27 counterpart. Instead, it took obstacles from both the Shin-SASUKE and SASUKE Ultimate courses:

• The first half of the stage was nearly identical to that of SASUKE 25, with minor modifications to the Floating Boards and Ultimate Cliffhanger.
• The fifth obstacle was the Bungee Rope Climb, which also came from the SASUKE Ultimate era.
• The sixth and seventh obstacles were the Hang Climb and Spider Flip respectively, which were obstacles from Shin-Sasuke's Third Stage.
• The final obstacle was the same as that from SASUKE 25 and SASUKE 26: the Flying Bar.

Only Brent Steffensen attempted the stage, and he became the first American to clear the Ultimate Cliffhanger. He later gassed out on the Hang Climb. His run was monumental at the time; he showed that the Ultimate Cliffhanger- a major impediment to both American and Japanese competitors- could be beaten. The obstacle to beat was moved to the Hang Climb, which, interestingly enough, proved little trouble in SASUKE.

As only Steffensen attempted Stage Three that season, the course was unchanged for American Ninja Warrior 5. This time, seven competitors attempted the course: rookie competitors Idoko Abuh, Casey Finley, and Joe Moravsky; the lesser-known Travis Weinand and Brian Arnold; and top veterans Travis Rosen and James McGrath. The first half of the stage was brutal; Abuh and Finley failed the Roulette Cylinder, Weinand failed the Doorknob Grasper, and Moravsky, Rosen, and McGrath all failed the Floating Boards. Only Arnold could clear the Ultimate Cliffhanger. He was also able to complete the Hang Climb and Spider Flip, ultimately losing his grip on the Flying Bar. He was the Last Ninja Standing that tournament. His run proved that Stage Three wasn't insurmountable, and that people- especially rock climbers- stood a good shot at clearing it.

While the regular season painted a picture of an unforgiving early half of Stage Three, the first-ever American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. Japan competition showed a different story. The most important factor that must be taken into account was the competitor makeup. Both Team USA and Team Japan brought top competitors, all of whom boasted considerable upper-body strength. As such, they fared better on the course. No one failed either of the first two obstacles. In fact, people failed one of four obstacles: Floating Boards, Ultimate Cliffhanger, Hang Climb, or Flying Bar. These four would prove to be the most brutal obstacles throughout their tenures on Stage Three.

American Ninja Warrior 6 to American Ninja Warrior 7[]

American Ninja Warrior 6 as a whole was characterized by the show's first major attempt to introduce new, original obstacles. Stage Three was no exception to that, although the new obstacles were actually modified from existing obstacles rather than completely brand-new:

• Roulette Cylinder was replaced with the Cannonball Incline, which was a modified Cannonball Alley, first featured on the Venice Beach City Finals.
• Doorknob Grasper was modified, featuring five spinning doorknobs arranged in an inverted V-shape.
• Bungee Rope Climb was replaced with the Propeller Bar, which was a heavily modified Propeller Untei.

Each new obstacle tested a different set of skills: Cannonball Incline prioritized hand placement and lower body, while the Propeller Bar tested overall technique and agility. However, they were just as challenging as their predecessors. Only Elet Hall and Joe Moravsky attempted Stage Three, with Hall failing the Floating Boards and Moravsky falling at the Hang Climb.

In USA vs the World, the course was shown to be tough for all competitors. Cannonball Incline, Hang Climb, and Ultimate Cliffhanger continued taking out competitors. However, this tournament also saw three Stage 3 clears: Morimoto Yūsuke became the first to conquer it, followed by Stefano Ghisolfi. Brian Arnold became the first American ninja to do it.

As part of a significant jump in difficulty that marked American Ninja Warrior 7, Stage 3 introduced several changes and modifications to individual obstacles:

• Cannonball Incline was replaced with the Psycho Chainsaw, which tested pure upper-body strength and endurance.
• Propeller Bar was replaced with a modified Pole Grasper, which more heavily tested upper-body strength.
• Spider Flip was replaced with Area 51, which tested both upper and lower body strength and precision.

In addition to the new obstacles, the Ultimate Cliffhanger was given its first major modification; a hanging board was placed opposite of the final ledge. After reaching that ledge, competitors had to make a Crazy Cliffhanger jump to the hanging board, traverse it going from right to left, and dismount the obstacle. The gaps between ledges were also increased, indicating a shift towards large, dynamic movement.

A then-record eight competitors advanced to Stage Three that season. That field largely excluded the most famous competitors of the past, consisting of promising young competitors: Kevin Bull, Abel Gonzalez, Jeremiah Morgan, Ian Dory, Isaac Caldiero, and Geoff Britten. However, established veterans Joe Moravsky and Drew Drechsel took their shots at the course. The Ultimate Cliffhanger showed its true potential, as half of the competitors- Gonzalez, Bull, Morgan, and Moravsky- failed to beat it. Drechsel gassed out at the Hang Climb while Dory failed the Flying Bar. Only Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten could clear all eight obstacles.

The American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 2 competition continued the same trends as those of the regular season. Both Alexander Mars and Joe Moravsky failed the Ultimate Cliffhanger, while Ian Dory and Stefano Ghisolfi failed the Flying Bar. Interestingly, Kawaguchi Tomohiro and Matachi Ryo failed the Doorknob Grasper and Area 51, respectively. Morimoto Yūsuke, Sean McColl, and Isaac Caldiero were all able to clear the course.

American Ninja Warrior 8 to American Ninja Warrior 10[]

After the kanzenseihas of Geoff Britten and Isaac Caldiero, the entire National Finals course underwent a course renewal. Stage Three was not exempt from this change, although it was more modest compared to the other two stages.

• Psycho Chainsaw, which was originally supposed to return for a second season, was taken out at the last minute and replaced with a mini-tramp and two hanging bars. These bars were not given a name and were used only as a medium for competitors to reach the real first obstacle.
• Doorknob Grasper was replaced with Keylock Hang, which tested grip and precision.
• The Pole Grasper was replaced with the Curved Body Prop, which tested whole-body strength, but especially core strength.
• Area 51 was replaced with a modified Walking Bar, which eliminated a need for lower body strength and emphasizing upper body, grip, and body control.

In addition to the new obstacles, the Ultimate Cliffhanger was heavily modified. For this season, the small fifth ledge was removed. In its place stood a hanging board opposite of and a small foothold under the fourth ledge. After traversing that ledge, competitors must make a 180-degree jump to the hanging board, which they must traverse going from right to left. They must then make a 6-foot lateral lache to the second hanging board, traverse that, and lache back to the final ledge on the original wall.

The new obstacles set important precedents for not only later obstacles in their positions, but for the stage as a whole. The introduction of Curved Body Prop indicated that the course shifted away from testing agility in any form. The Walking Bar, as well as any obstacle in the seventh position, no longer tested lower-body strength. Because there was no suitable obstacle in the first position, the Keylock Hang became the first obstacle. For this season, there were only seven obstacles on Stage Three.

Only Drew Drechsel and Daniel Gil attempted Stage Three. Gil failed the Ultimate Cliffhanger while Drechsel failed the Hang Climb for the second year in a row.

The course in American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 3 was also brutal, although more people made it past the Ultimate Cliffhanger. In fact, out of 9 competitors, only 3 fell at that obstacle. The new obstacles, Curved Body Prop and Walking Bar, were a true challenge. Only Josh Levin and Drew Drechsel could clear the course. The competitive field consisted almost entirely of top veterans and rock climbers, which lended itself to such a large success rate.

American Ninja Warrior 9 brought yet another course renewal, replacing about half of the obstacles on Stage Three:

• The Floating Boards was moved to the first position, bringing back the standard eight obstacles on Stage Three.
• A modified Nail Clipper was brought in to the now-vacant third position. It tested grip strength and technique.
• The Hang Climb was replaced with Peg Cloud, which tested upper-body strength, lower-body strength, and technique more intensely.
• The Walking Bar was replaced with Time Bomb, which also tested upper-body strength and body control.

Only Najee Richardson, Sean Bryan, and Joe Moravsky attempted Stage Three that season. While Bryan and Richardson both failed the Ultimate Cliffhanger, Moravsky made it all the way to the Time Bomb before missing the first transition and losing his grip. It is generally believed that had he completed that transition, he would have been able to complete the obstacle and Stage Three as a whole.

The Ultimate Cliffhanger was even more brutal during American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 4. Out of 6 competitors who attempted the stage that tournament, five managed to make it to the Ultimate Cliffhanger, and every single one of them failed it.

Many people hoped for better results in American Ninja Warrior 10. The course underwent yet another change:

• The Keylock Hang was replaced with En Garde, which tested precision but also required speed and explosive moves to clear.
• The Nail Clipper was replaced with a modified Crazy Clocks, which tested powerful moves and long laches over pure grip and upper-body strength.
• Time Bomb was replaced with a modified Cane Lane, which tested upper-body strength and body control.

The Ultimate Cliffhanger was once again modified; ever since its introduction to the American course in American Ninja Warrior 4, it consisted of a large wall with large ledges embedded into it. However, its latest incarnation featured a series of Plexiglass walls and many smaller ledges attached to the walls. This marked a drastic shift from the aesthetics of previous seasons, and the first indication of a "modern" American Ninja Warrior show. Some ledges were modified while the distance between the two hanging boards was shortened, so competitors no longer had to make a lateral lache- they could simply reach out and grab the second board. This incarnation, while reducing the need for the dynamic movement, focused more on endurance and grip.

In addition to the new obstacles, a new rule was implemented: if no one could clear Stage Three, the person who went the furthest the fastest would win a $100,000 prize for being the Last Man Standing. The metric for determining "the furthest the fastest" was the same as that of the City Qualifiers and Finals rounds: if multiple people failed the same obstacle, the person who cleared the previous obstacle in the fastest time would be the Last Man Standing.

Only Sean Bryan and Drew Drechsel attempted Stage Three, and shockingly, both of them failed the lache of the Ultimate Cliffhanger. This was likely because of the new Last Man Standing rule; because both of them wanted to clear the obstacles as fast as possible, they rushed through the first three obstacles and were gassed once they made it to the Ultimate Cliffhanger. Had they spent more time resting, they likely would have cleared that obstacle and made it deeper into the course. The new obstacles, which placed more of an emphasis on explosive moves and speed, was likely an indication of the producers' desire to see more ninjas make it farther into the course. It also demonstrated a shift in the skills needed on the show. Pure athletic ability wasn't the only thing key to success; speed was also necessary. If the producers wanted to see more success on the course, they had backfired.

The results of American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 5 weren't much better. Only three competitors attempted Stage Three: Drechsel, Ben Polson, and Katie McDonnell. McDonnell failed early at the En Garde, while Polson gassed out at the Ultimate Cliffhanger. Drechsel, however, was able to avenge his previous defeat at the Ultimate Cliffhanger. Because he once again rushed, he gassed out at Cane Lane. Although virtually everyone anticipated another heat (as was standard for previous competitions), Team Europe's poor performance mathematically eliminated them and the need for another heat.

While the normal season and international competition demonstrated that the Ultimate Cliffhanger was nearly insurmountable, the American Ninja Warrior: All Stars Special 4 was a very different story. For the past two tournaments (excluding the first All Stars special, which did not feature a team relay format), every team was able to clear both the first leg of the course and the Ultimate Cliffhanger. However, both Team Matt's Lance Pekus and Team Akbar's Grant McCartney failed to finish their heats- both fell on En Garde. Because of a new rule change which allowed the next competitor to start their leg if the previous competitor failed, the runs continued, and the rest of the team were able to finish their heats.

American Ninja Warrior 11, 13, 14[]

Due to the producers wanting to see another Kanzenseiha, the course was heavily changed again in American Ninja Warrior 11:

• After seven seasons on Stage Three in American Ninja Warrior, the Floating Boards was replaced with the Grip & Tip, which tested upper-body and grip strength, and required powerful moves to clear
• En Garde was replaced with the Iron Summit, which returned the concept of a relatively static obstacle that tests upper-body, grip, and precision.
• Both Curved Body Prop and Peg Cloud were replaced with the Pipe Dream, which tested lache ability, agility, and lower-body strength.
• Cane Lane was modified. Instead of two zig-zag tracks that were similar in length and shape, the obstacle now had a long curved track and a short, straight track.

The Ultimate Cliffhanger was once again modified, but its latest change was also its most controversial: this new version almost entirely reverted to its American Ninja Warrior 7 counterpart. Competitors had to traverse the Cliffhanger walls all the way to the final ledge, make a Crazy Cliffhanger jump to another hanging board, and dismount the obstacle. To this end, the foothold and first hanging board was removed, more ledges were added to the Plexiglass walls, and the only hanging board was split into two smaller boards.

The course as a whole was actually nerfed to allow competitors to make it deeper into the course. While quite a few viewers balked at the changes, some enjoyed seeing the new obstacles.

A record 21 competitors attempted Stage Three that year. That field consisted big names such as Joe Moravsky, Daniel Gil, Adam Rayl, Ryan Stratis, Ethan Swanson, and Drew Drechsel; capable veterans such as Michael Torres, Chris DiGangi, Hunter Guerard, Karsten Williams, Nate Burkhalter, Casey Suchocki, Kevin Carbone, Karson Voiles, and Josh Salinas; promising young guns such as Lucas Reale, R.J. Roman, Tyler Gillett, and Mathis Owhadi; and relatively unknown competitors Tyler Smith and Seth Rogers.

Every obstacle had at least one fail, but the Ultimate Cliffhanger was the most brutal; out of 17 competitors who attempted it, six failed: Swanson, Torres, DiGangi, Guerard, Suchocki, and Owhadi. Cane Lane also proved to be a significant problem, as Moravsky, Carbone, Voiles, Gillett, and Rogers all failed that obstacle.

This season also brought one of the most interesting fails: Adam Rayl made it all the way to the end of Cane Lane before losing his grip and falling into the water below. However, since he touched the resting bar at the end of the obstacle before he fell, he technically completed the obstacle and failed the Flying Bar. As such, Rayl's official result that season was that he failed the Flying Bar despite having not actually attempted it. In the end, only Drechsel and Gil could complete the entire course.

The course was also shown to be nearly impossible during the American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World 6. Team Australia's Matt Tsang and Team Europe's Magnus Midtbo made it past the Ultimate Cliffhanger but fell on Pipe Dream. Drew Drechsel was the only one out of the three who could conquer it and the whole course once again.

After the brutality of that season and a one-year hiatus from the National Finals, American Ninja Warrior 13 brought a modestly modified Stage Three:

• Iron Summit was replaced with the Stalactites, which tested upper-body and grip but emphasized precision and body control.
• Crazy Clocks was replaced with a modified Up for Grabs, which tested lache ability over upper-body strength.
• Cane Lane was replaced with Eyeglass Alley, which tested grip and upper-body strength alongside body control.

Because of the brutality of Stage Two, only four competitors attempted Stage Three: Vance Walker, Austin Gray, Kyle Soderman, and Kaden Lebsack. Walker and Lebsack were the first two teens to attempt Stage Three, doing so at 16 and 15 respectively. Soderman lost his grip at the Ultimate Cliffhanger, and Walker and Gray gassed out at Eyeglass Alley. Lebsack was the only person to clear every obstacle, advancing to Stage Four. He actually set multiple records that day: he became the youngest person, first teenage competitor to clear Stage Three, and become the Last Ninja Standing- a four-in-one performance.

American Ninja Warrior 14 brought a couple of new obstacles to the course:

• Grip & Tip was replaced with Patriot Pass, with tested agility and overall technique, with remnants of upper-body strength and grip.
• Up for Grabs was replaced with Chop It Up, which tested lache ability and grip.

A total of 11 competitors- the third most in American Ninja Warrior history- took on the course. They included top competitors such as Josh Levin, R.J. Roman, and Flip Rodriguez; teenage competitors such as Kaden Lebsack, Josiah Pippel, Jay Lewis, Max Feinberg, and Ethan Bartnicki; emerging veterans Cam Baumgartner and Nate Hansen, and the only non-teenage rookie to clear Stage Two that season, Matt D'Amico. Overall, the competitors did quite well. The only person to fail the Ultimate Cliffhanger was Rodriguez, and the only competitor to fail before that obstacle was Feinberg, who failed Chop It Up. Only Baumgartner and Bartnicki couldn't make it past Pipe Dream, and Hansen advanced all the way to Eyeglass Alley. Even D'Amico made it all the way to the Flying Bar before falling, putting up the third-best rookie performance in American Ninja Warrior history. In the end, five people cleared the course: Jay Lewis, Josh Levin, R.J. Roman, Josiah Pippel, and Kaden Lebsack. Each person who cleared represented a particular era of American Ninja Warrior as well as a certain group of people:

• Josh Levin is a rock climber, like early veterans such as Paul Kasemir, Brian Arnold, Ian Dory, and Isaac Caldiero. They were the primary group of people who was expected to have significant success on the show. Even though pure upper-body and grip strength weren't the only skills necessary to make it far in the show in recent seasons, Levin was still able to adapt.
• R.J. Roman had easy access to a Ninja gym, just like Drew Drechsel, Daniel Gil, and Joe Moravsky. The fact that he could spend countless hours training for the show allowed him to develop the skills necessary to complete the obstacles specific to this one sport.
• Kaden Lebsack, Jay Lewis, and Josiah Pippel were all teenagers. People in this demographic had excellent strength-to-weight ratios, which suited them for the contemporary model of American Ninja Warrior, and often had fewer responsibilities and more time to train at Ninja gyms.

American Ninja Warrior 15-[]

While most obstacles on American Ninja Warrior 15 were the same as the previous season, the course introduced some new obstacles on the course that more intensely tested the skills required on previous seasons:

• Chop It Up was replaced with Slam Dunk, which combines upper body, precision, and laches into one obstacle.
• Eyeglass Alley was replaced with Pressure Cooker, which is a brutal test of upper body, grip, precision, and body control.
• After 10 seasons on Stage 3 plus two seasons on a shared course with SASUKE, Flying Bar was replaced with Road Signs, which is a final march necessitating lache, lower body strength, grip, hand placement, technique, and endurance.

These obstacles all attempted to appeal to the larger Ninja community: Pressure Cooker was inspired by Operation, which requires trainees to stick upside-down canes into small hanging slots. Similarly, Road Signs originated in local Ninja gyms.

A total of fourteen ninjas made it to Stage 3, the second most in American Ninja Warrior history. The circ*mstances of the new season must be considered: because Stage 2 consisted of 12 races plus two Runoffs, 14 competitors were expected to advance to Stage Three. This included top veterans Austin Gray, Daniel Gil, Kyle Soderman, and R.J. Roman; established teenage ninjas Enzo DeFerrari Wilson, Elijah Browning, Ethan Bartnicki, Vance Walker, and Jera Boyd; teenage rookies Hans Hertz, Nacssa Garemore, and Noah Meunier and previous unknown ninjas Caleb Bergstrom and Jonathan Bange. These fourteen ninjas made it deep into the course. Only Kyle Soderman (who failed it for the second time) and Jonathan Bange failed the Ultimate Cliffhanger, while Wilson, Browning, Boyd, and Gray gassed out at Road Signs. Hertz, Garemore, Gil, Bartnicki, Meunier, Walker, Bergstrom, and Roman all cleared Stage 3.

Third Stage Obstacles[]

Competitor's Success Rate[]

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