Anyone who says "pirates" will be stabbed in the back.![]()
Ninja is associated with a specific skill set. It's like a class. They use stealth a certain way, fight a certain way, and dress a certain way.
Pirates? More of a profession. It's like calling bandits a class. Anyone can be a bandit. Pirates are bandits of the sea. Pirates have existed in many cultures and still exist today. It's not just swashbuckling.
In fact, in some lores, ninja are pirates from the east who trade against the law of an eastern empire.
Would it be better if we framed the question in 3.5 and called it Swashbucklers vs. Ninjas?
Stream - I'll see your pirate and raise you a ninja: