Ronin Clash Royale: Parry Damage, Counters & How to Unlock – BrawlOne

Ronin just became Clash Royale's first brand-new card in almost a year, and he's already reshaping how players think about melee matchups. If you're seeing him wreck your Mega Knight or wondering why your Prince keeps dying to a card that never even hit it directly, here's exactly how Ronin works, what beats him, and every way to add him to your Collection.

What Is Ronin in Clash Royale?

Ronin is a 5 Elixir Legendary troop unlocked from Serenity Peak (Arena 14). He's a single-target, ground-targeting melee troop with solid HP and damage on his own, but his real identity comes from a mechanic Clash Royale has never used before. He arrived July 6, 2026 as the centerpiece of Season 85, "Honor & Exile," marking the first entirely new card since Vines launched back in September 2025. You can read Supercell's official season announcement for the full patch details.

Ronin's Parry Damage Ability Explained

Every few seconds, Ronin enters a brief parry stance. If a ground melee troop hits him during that window, he blocks the hit entirely and reflects roughly double that damage straight back at the attacker, along with a short stun that doesn't reset their targeting. This recharges passively no matter what Ronin is doing — walking, already fighting, or even frozen — so he can trigger it multiple times against the same troop in a single engagement. The catch: Parry Damage only activates against ground melee attacks, which is exactly what makes his counters and best matchups so specific.

Best Counters to Ronin

Ronin has clear weaknesses once you know where to look:

• Air troops bypass him completely — Minions, Mega Minion, and Flying Machine can't be parried since Parry Damage only affects ground attacks
• Bats and Phoenix are immune to the parry specifically, despite being melee troops, making them a clean, positive-Elixir trade against him
• Swarms bait him cheaply — Skeletons, Goblins, and Spirits only lose one unit to a parry instead of the whole group, since Ronin can only punish a single target at a time
• Fast, low-damage attackers wear him down before he can parry twice — Lumberjack, Golden Knight, Monk, and Berserker all hit quickly enough that Ronin takes real damage between his parry windows

What Ronin Beats: His Strongest Matchups

Flip those weaknesses around and Ronin becomes one of the best answers in the game to slow, high-damage ground melee troops. He's especially strong against P.E.K.K.A, Mega Knight, Giant Skeleton, Prince, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Boss Bandit, Elite Barbarians, Royal Ghost, and Night Witch — troops that hit hard but infrequently are exactly what his reflected damage punishes hardest. Pairing him with Ice Wizard is an early favorite combo: the slow lets Ronin land more parries while your push develops behind him. For deck ideas built around this kind of defensive core, check our best decks hub and the full card database.

How to Unlock Ronin

Ronin is not available in chests this season, so you'll need one of three routes:

• Complete The Road to Ronin, his dedicated unlock event
• Choose him as a reward on the Upgraded Pass Royale track
• Collect enough Snippets in the Album Event — completing the full album also earns 15x Ronin Cards plus two themed cosmetics

He releases at 1 Star Level, with 5,000 Star Points needed to unlock his golden card frame.

Ronin in Merge Tactics

Ronin also crossed over into Merge Tactics, Clash Royale's auto-battler spin-off, as a playable Ruler starting July 13. His ability there, Double Edge, works more like a trap than a direct attack — you place it to punish enemy pathing rather than triggering a passive stat buff. He's earnable only through Starsteel Road progression this season, with no shortcut skin available.

Other Season 85 Changes Worth Knowing

Ronin isn't the only thing new this season. A Choice Chest now lets you pick your reward from a pool instead of getting a fixed item, and C.H.A.O.S Mode returns with fresh modifiers and another Secret Badge to chase. The same patch also nerfs several Hero and Evolution cards — including Hero Magic Archer, whose teleport range and Triple Shot range both got cut down — alongside a rework to Hero Tombstone's ability and a buff to Ram Rider. You can read the full balance patch notes directly from Supercell.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ronin's ability in Clash Royale?

Parry Damage — every few seconds, Ronin blocks one ground melee attack and reflects roughly double that damage back at the attacker, plus a brief stun.

How do you unlock Ronin?

Through the Road to Ronin unlock event, as an Upgraded Pass Royale reward, or by completing the Album Event. He is not available in chests this season.

What counters Ronin?

Air troops like Minions and Flying Machine, swarm units like Skeletons and Goblins, and fast-hitting troops like Lumberjack or Monk. Bats and Phoenix are also immune to his parry despite being melee.

Is Ronin available in chests?

No. This season, Ronin can only be earned through the Road to Ronin event, the Upgraded Pass Royale track, or the Album Event.

What season is Ronin part of?

Season 85, called "Honor & Exile," which launched July 6, 2026.

Does Ronin work in Merge Tactics?

Yes. He joined as a playable Ruler on July 13, with a trap-based ability called Double Edge, earnable through Starsteel Road progression.