Biggest dark horse competitor across all SASUKE?

[tns8597]

Who do you think is the biggest dark horse of any competitor throughout SASUKE’s history?

[Ninja Relaxer]

The man, the legend -- Mr. Octopus. His breakout run in Sasuke 26 showed that he was a top competitor. He even bettered established favorites like Kanno, Shingo, and Kongu. If he had continued to compete, he would have undoubtedly achieved kanzenseiha eventually.

[zoran]

Jul 30, 2020 16:55:49 GMT -5 Ninja Relaxer said:

The man, the legend -- Mr. Octopus. His breakout run in Sasuke 26 showed that he was a top competitor. He even bettered established favorites like Kanno, Shingo, and Kongu. If he had continued to compete, he would have undoubtedly achieved kanzenseiha eventually.

He tied with them though.

[tns8597]

Meh, I think that was because the first two obstacles were insanely easy and then they were just plunged into the rolling escargot which was a new obstacle and required a whole new level of technique. Anyone could’ve gotten through the step slider and swing thingy.

[ChiBiJKT48]

Nagasaki Shunsuke. The first and original Shin-Sedai. Shame he didn't compete more during Shin-SASUKE.

[tns8597]

I would've gone with Kong personally; until SASUKE 19 the guy was a relative unknown and competed very sporadically yet would always make it deep into Stage 3 and have the fastest Stage 2 times. Especially SASUKE 18 where he came third in the 1200m trial race, and was only one of three to make it to Stage 3, with the other two being the grand champion and the other finalist from 17.

What especially brands him as a dark horse for me is how he was probably the No. 1 candidate for All-Star status that never got it, because it was very much a case of 'right competitor, wrong time'. He took a hiatus at the time the All-Stars were developing, yet could've easily been one due to his persistence and consistency. His track record is very comparable to that of Shingo or Takeda, perhaps even better as he went further in a much harder era of the show. Like the All-Stars, he's also so characterful with his skinhead and his red outfit with tabi boots, as well as his screams everytime he clears. It makes him such an oddball, but arguably more bearable than Asa. Also, his level of raw strength is next to none. I can never get over how he crushes the Wall Lifting, and how it took him about 2 seconds to get through the Iron Paddler in 29 compared to 2 minutes for Morimoto.

As it stands, despite his outlandish personality and prolific competitor profile, he constantly gets digested and never gets the screen time he deserves. 

[GlobalNinjaFan]

Shinya Kishimoto, without question. Out of nowhere, he becomes just the 2nd-3rd person in history to clear the Crazy Cliffhanger, a near unbeatable obstacle. One phenomenal result, with absolutely nothing else of note before or after. A true dark horse.

[BigT]

I think Asaoka Hiroyuki is a contender. He made it to pipe slider in Sasuke 4, then failed jump hang 3 times like Akiyama and took a break for 2 tournaments, only to clear possibly the most difficult version in Sasuke 10 and be one of only 4 competitors that made it to 3rd stage. He took half a year off his job to train intensely for Sasuke and made it to final stage in Sasuke 12. Then he made just two more appearances and disappeared forever.

[ChiBiJKT48]

Jul 31, 2020 8:23:07 GMT -5 tns8597 said:

Especially SASUKE 18 where he came third in the 1200m trial race

I guess this is because of G4's broadcasting that said the higher position you get in the race, the better the number.

He didn't finish third, it was Kojima Daisuke, who take #99 *never got to see his run, so I assume he did terrible*. He just happen to pick the highest number available after the Top Three finish, which is #98.

And, see also with Nagano Makoto. He wore #96. Then, according to information G4 give, Nagano finish fifth in the race, right? Wrong. Nagano didn't even make it to Top 50. And he originally pick a number somewhere in #50s range. Then, where that #96 came from? TBS force him to take it. #90s were taken by so many *including Morimoto Yusuke who definitely finish faster than Nagasaki Shunsuke, but slower than Takahashi Kenji, as in the interview with Arsenette, he said that he saw #97 as the highest number available and consider taking it, but eventually take more lower #91*, and after Nagasaki take #97, the producers had enough and told others to take other lower numbers to let Nagano still in the #90s range, as he was the Grand Champion and it will be silly to have Grand Champion in #50s range.

This is why #95 and #96 were still there even though Shiratori Bunpei *finish seconds after Nagano, but seen to take number right before Nagano did because of situation I mentioned above* and Nagano didn't finish Top 50.

[tns8597]

I defo thought about Asaoka especially given his Final Stage attempt. He also always seemed to get low numbers despite his performances, like getting 58 in S11 after reaching Stage 3, and getting 80 in the tournament he competed in after his final attempt. Defo underrated.

Kishimoto I didn’t really consider because if anything his performances have been disappointing. He was well known to have made insane versions of the Cliffhanger and has displayed huge strength, but except for SASUKE 30 he’s always fallen disappointingly early.

I didn’t know that about the race, but it Kong chose 98 then he must’ve come pretty close to the top. Also, another reason I chose Kong is because he’s one of the best all-rounders we’ve seen, with insane brute strength as well as speed (hence why he was so good at Stage 2). I haven’t really seen that combination from many other competitors, besides maybe Drew.

Okuyama is someone else I considered. Probably the strongest competitor behind Yuuji obviously during what was arguably a very steep difficulty curved era.

[ChiBiJKT48]

Also the one that people don't really remember since most of his runs got digested: Kobayashi Masaaki. Man went to Third Stage in first three tournaments in arguably the hardest First Stage during the second era.

[tns8597]

He’s a good one as well, also how he came third only behind Takeda and Nagano in the Sasuke 13 trials.

I think because that era was centred so much around the All-Stars; anyone else was pushed to the sidelines even if they were strong.

So it’s the same for Shinji Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Asaoka, Koji Yamada etc

They were always the ones to get digested because digesting All-Stars in the majority of cases back then was sacrilege.

[LusitaniaAngel313]

Has anyone said Masashi Hioki yet? I always saw him as a dark horse as he just shows up in 25 out of nowhere but gets a very high number. That's a luxury he doesn't get. He continues to struggle until 29 and then he would clear stage 1 every time (save for 32) after that. People say he's like fine wine, getting better with age. I guess we'll see him face the vertical limit soon.

[tns8597]

Hioki I guess is a good one; I think that's mainly because he gets quite low numbers though.

I know the number thing might appear menial, but it does almost brand him as an outcast because his runs are never shown in tandem with similarly skilled guys who get in the high 90s (excluding Darvish obviously). It's almost as though his limelight is in a separate portion of the show, so it's easy to forget how consistent he's been given that everyone only really pays attention during the last runs of each stage.

The trade-off of being shown much earlier on is that he's often one of the first clears so always gets good screen-time and doesn't succumb to being digested constantly like Drew and Sato are.

[azn]

In the early days I would say Ken Hasagawa and Eichii Miura, obviously they would succumb to the newer obstacles post 4 but in tournaments 1-4 they looked like they were going to be dominant, especially since both had legit chances to clear the slider, both ironically being 0-2 I believe. Travis Allen Schraeder also is one in my eyes, his breakout in the 4th tournament was insane, especially since he would later fade hard afterwards.

As for modern times I'd say Wakky, I still can't believe he has 3 first stage clears, especially in 29 cause he got disqualified thanks to "that" salmon ladder. Tada pre 37 cause he looked like the last person to reach as far as he did, and Naoya Tajima, yes he was a shin sedai but he is also the one that I, in my eyes, seems to be more of a forgotten gem, if it wasn't for that slip in 24, and more importantly, just go M.I.A.

[BigT]

To be honest, Travis Allen Schraeder was impressive in Sasuke 5 as well. If he didn't get tangled up in Jump Hang, he would've cleared redesigned first stage. Such a shame he didn't compete anymore and many people don't remember him. But I think he would've been too heavy for body prop and cliffhanger though.

[tns8597]

I wouldn't say Wakky given that he was given quite a lot of screen time due to his celebrity status, but I did remember being surprised when he came 6th in SASUKE 28 (he went the furthest of any competitor who didn't clear).

Dark horse for me is someone who does very well but often doesn't get the credit they deserve, either through being digested or cut and/or through getting lower numbers implying that their successes haven't been recognised.

Tajima is quite a good one I forgot completely as well (perhaps an omen to how forgotten he was); I think he could've done quite well if only he'd kept at it. His Stage 3 run was incredible up to his mistake.

My top 5 dark horses would probably be:
- Kongu
- The 2 Kobayashis
- Okuyama
- Asaoka 

I never really considered anyone in the early era of the show because reaching the Third and Final Stages in your first try back then was nothing special, and the course was much easier. It's all relative to the difficulty and demographic of the competitors at the time imo.