Numbers I would choose for SASUKE 40

[CustomKing57]

Especially since I don’t want to make a predictions list this time:

#3901 Katsumi Yamada
#3914 Rinne Sugeta
#3930 Shunsuke Nagasaki
#3931 Hitoshi Kanno
#3936 Daisuke Matsuda
#3944 Yusuke Goto
#3947-3949 RAMPAGE OF EXILE TRIBE
#3955-3956 Black Tigers
#3963 Masashi Hioki
#3971 Koji Saikawa
#3974 Shingo Yamamoto
#3979 Tomohiro Mutou
#3980 Ryoichi Tsukada
#3981 Kenji Darvish
#3982 Ayano Oshima
#3983 Naoyuki Araki
#3985 Yusuke Suzuki
#3987 Tomohiro Kawaguchi
#3989 Hayate Kajihara
#3990 Takeru
#3991 Ryo Matachi
#3992 Hikaru Iwamoto
#3993 Keitaro Yamamoto
#3994 Jessie Graff
#3995 Jun Sato
#3996 Yuuji Urushihara
#3997 Tatsuya Tada
#3998 Rene Casselly
#3999 Yusuke Morimoto
#4000 Makoto Nagano

[dakohosu]

Yeah these are the numbers I'd like to see rather than predictions, given that numbers have been so sporadic recently it's so hard to predict. That said, these are still semi-realistic such as giving the Black Tigers and Hioki lower numbers.

#4000: Morimoto
#3999: Urushihara
#3998: Nagano
#3997: Rene (I'm purely putting him this high because he won Ninja Warrior Germany, otherwise I would've put Tada ahead of him)
#3996: Tada
#3995: Sato
#3994: Ryo (given that he's resurged and is a 2-time finalist)
#3993: Kajihara (I know he's a celebrity but he did come in second place in 39 so I'm bumping him up)
#3992: Keitaro
#3991: Kawaguchi
#3990: Suzuki
#3989: Mutou
#3988: Snow Man
#3987: ABC-Z
#3986: Darvish
#3985: Takeru
#3984: Araki
#3983: Shingo
#3982: Oshima
#3981: Can Yutaka
#3973: Kanno
#3972: Shunsuke
#3971: Hioki

Anything below this I'd disperse the rest of the competitors evenly throughout the field. I liked how they did this in 39 because too many celebrities back to back failing over and over again tends to get really boring; a few big names early on can liven up the first half of Stage 1 and keep the hardcore fans engaged.

Some other comments:

- I've bumped Darvish down because I think three consecutive Stage 1 fails (albeit two of them under unfair conditions) is sufficient and I never understood why they picked him of all the other celebrities to put in the high 90s. If it was his performances then that no longer applies tbh, so I've grouped him with the other celebrities. I also bumped Kawaguchi down as well for the same reason; I put him at #91 given that he's a fan favourite, otherwise I would've grouped him with Kanno and Shunsuke in the 'dying stars' bracket of the 70s. I know he and Darvish are still going to get mid-to-high 90s but oh well.

- You'll also notice that Yamada is absent from this list, because I've think he should run directly after his Black Tigers. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve a high number given that he's Mr. SASUKE, but it just seems odd that he runs completely separately from his proteges, and also I felt that in both 38 and 39, his run served as a massive immersion breaker in what should be the most nail-biting part of Stage 1. We go from shocking fails and clears to an insanely slow and drawn out run. I still love the fact that Yamada competes and for fun this time but yeah, I'd rather he doesn't run so late.

- I just really hope they don't put some random athletes in the 90s like they've done recently, as again it serves as an immersion breaker and they always end up getting digested anyway (#95 this time got cut completely...). I'd honestly rather even have Darvish or ABC-Z occupy those positions because they're at least more well-known and popular on a fan basis and have a much higher chance of clearing.

[m4tt3r0x]

Combination of what I'd expect/want. I consider Inui's editing techniques largely in these with how he tends to group those he's alright with fastforwarding:

4000 Yusuke Morimoto
3999 Yuuji Urushihara
3998 Nagano Makoto
3997 Katsumi Yamada
3996 Tomohiro Kawaguchi
3995 Jessie Graff
3994 Tada Tatsuya
3993 Sato Jun
3992 Rene Casselly*
3991 Darvish Kenji
3990 Takeru
3989 Some high class athlete
3988 Snow Man
3987 ABC-Z
3986 Morimoto Keitaro
3985 Ryo Matachi
3984 Shingo Yamamoto
3983-3980 3 Foreigners 1 Athlete
3979 Suzuki Yusuke
3978 Kan Yutaka
3977 Araki Naoyuki
3976 Kanno Hitoshi
3975 Shunsuke Nagasaki
3970 Ayano
3960 Hioki Masashi
3955 Isa Yoshinori
3950 Yoshiyuki Yamamoto
Rinne + Other Johnny's Junior
2 Shirtless dudes
3 Rampage

*As tns mentioned I would consider moving Rene up as I forgot he won Ninja Warrior Germany, but I wrote this list before reading that and am too lazy to change it now. I would prefer he still be under Tada in Japan and I would not expect him to go above Jessie under Inui anyway.

Only reason I put Ryo and Keitaro in the 80s was because I can't imagine them placing any higher than all the people listed.

[sasukefinnja]

#3901 Shingo Yamamoto (Yes! You read it right)
#3902 Katsuhide Torisawa
#3910 Koji Saikawa
#3920 Hideki Ajima
#3930 Sugeta Rinne
#3940 Yusuke Goto
#3946-#3949 Akko Army
#3950 Yoshinori Isa
#3951 Black Tiger #1
#3952 Yoshiyuki Yamamoto
#3960 Tomohiro Mutou
#3970 Masashi Hioki
#3971-#3973 Exile Tribe Banzai Ninjas or whatever they were...
#3977 Shunsuke Nagasaki
#3978 Hitoshi Kanno
#3979 Tomohiro Kawaguchi
#3980 Hayate Kajihara
#3983 Can Yutaka
#3984 Ayano Oshima
#3985 Naoyuki Araki
#3986 Yusuke Suzuki
#3987 Ryoichi Tsukada
#3988 Hikaru Iwamoto
#3989 Keitaro Yamamoto
#3990 Ryo Matachi
#3991 Sportsman
#3992 Sportsman
#3993 Jun Sato
#3994 Tatsuya Tada
#3995 Kenji Darvish (He's always higher than he should be)
#3996 Rene Casselly
#3997 Katsumi Yamada (too high)
#3998 Makoto Nagano
#3999 Yuuji Urushihara
#4000 Yusuke Morimoto

[hoseasasuke]

I'd say have Nagano be the last competitor to run the First Stage one final time, as he is presumably going to be gone for good after 40. Then Morimoto at 3999, Yuuji at 3998, Tada at 3997 if he consents to having a higher number, Rene at 3996, Sato at 3995, Jessie at 3994, Ryo at 3993, Keitaro at 3992, then Kawaguchi at 3991. If Tada does not want to have a higher number then put him at 3991, move Kawaguchi to 3990, then have Rene, Sato, Jessie, Ryo, and Keitaro move up 1 spot. If Rene and Jessie are still not allowed to compete then move Sato to 3997, Ryo to 3996, Keitaro to 3995, Tada to 3994, Kawaguchi to 3993, then have Kajihara move up to 3992 and then have Suzuki move up to 3991.

[dakohosu]

I have a feeling Yamada's going to be given #3997 again; I'd rather he didn't as his run doesn't really fit with the excitement of the last 10 runs, but yeah....

[Zach Smith]

Shingo should be 4000

[yomerengues]

Morimoto #3901 and Torisawa #4000
Just kidding

[zoran]

I would want Yuuji to get 4000 to represent the 4 champions. I know Yamada wasn't a champion but Akiyama is firmly out and he came closer than anyone in the beginning era, to kanzaning.

[dakohosu]

Yuuji wouldn't want to get #4000. The times he wore #100 wreaked havoc on his performances like in Sasuke 26 (hence why he never got the number after then despite winning a second time), so getting #4000 of all numbers is definitely not a pressure he'd want to bear. Besides, there's always been this running theme of ordering the champions by when they achieved their respective wins. So #3998-4000 should be Nagano, Yuuji, and Morimoto, especially as Yusuke can clearly deal with the pressure of being the final runner much better than Yuuji did.

As mentioned given that Yamada was the closest thing to a champion in the first era and Akiyama's absent, it's probably likely he'll run just before the three champions wearing #3997. I'd personally prefer it if he just ran right after his Black Tigers like he used to though. It seems more fitting and also having Yamada go at an absolute snail's pace in the middle of all the exciting Stage 1 runs just isn't cohesive imo; ngl as much I understand that he deserves the number due to his impact on the show, in both Sasuke 38 and 39 I just tuned out or even went to the toilet during Yamada's run lol.