The following article is for the canon timeline in the Dead or Alive series and other game series related to it.
Original timeline (1996 - 2004)[]
Based on the information found in Ryu Hayabusa's bio in the manual for the original Dead or Alive, the Dead or Alive series takes place after the original Ninja Gaiden series.
Ninja Gaiden Shadow
three years later
Ninja Gaiden (NES version)
unknown amount of time later
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom
unknown amount of time later (one year after the first game)
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive 2
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive 3
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
unknown amount of time later
Modern timeline (2004 - present)[]
After the release of the 2004 Xbox title Ninja Gaiden, the Ninja Gaiden series was revamped and the original games were made redundant in the story.
With Ayane being fourteen-years-old in the game, Ninja Gaiden takes place two years before the original Dead or Alive.
Ninja Gaiden (Xbox version)/Black/Sigma (Sigma Plus)
six months later
Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
six months later
The Vampire War
directly after The Vampire War
Ninja Gaiden II/Sigma 2/Sigma 2 Plus
one year later
Dead or Alive
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive 2/Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive 3
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive 4
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive Xtreme 2/Dead or Alive Paradise
unknown amount of time later
Ninja Gaiden 3/Razor's Edge
two years after Dead or Alive 4
Dead or Alive 5/Ultimate/Last Round
unknown amount of time later
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive Xtreme 3/Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Scarlet
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive 6
unknown amount of time later
Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation
unknown amount of time later