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American Ninja Warrior 2023 Finals Recap: Who Is Advancing?

Which Ninja will claim the crown?

By Jessica White

The Season 15 American Ninja Warrior Finals are upon us, and the stakes have never been higher. As the competing Ninjas face four nail-biting stages in Las Vegas, the competition has reached new heights. 

How to Watch

Watch the Season 16 premiere of American Ninja Warrior Monday, June 3 at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.

The Season 15 Qualifiers Rounds were an exciting kick-off to the action, featuring an exciting lineup of seasoned and first-time Ninjas. Everyone had their eyes set on the $1 million prize, forcing the competing Ninjas to rise to the challenge like never before.

Besides the new and beloved obstacles, the Season 15 Ninjas were also tasked with facing several changes to the game. For the first time, the Season 15 Semi-Finals featured a side-by-side and head-to-head race between Ninjas to secure their spot in the Finals. Every Ninja arriving at the Las Vegas Finals fought for their right to proceed.

Matt Iseman, Zuri Hall, and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila appear on American Ninja Warrior.

Stage 2 of the Las Vegas Finals also boasts these intense head-to-head races between Ninjas. But first, Ninjas must successfully tackle Stage 1 in under 2:50 minutes - no simple task. 

Below, find every Ninja who has been slated to continue to Stage 2 so far.

RELATED: The Winner of American Ninja Warrior Season 14 Is...

Ninjas advancing to Stage 2 of the American Ninja Warrior Las Vegas Finals

LEAK: Vance Walker's Return to Vegas Threatened by the Jumping Spider | American Ninja Warrior | NBC

The first night of the ANW Finals was a whirlwind watch as Ninjas faced eight sky-high obstacles. Ninjas faced exciting obstacles like Slide Surfer, Three Ring Circus, Giant Rollercoaster, Jumping Spider, The Gambler (new to Season 15), Warped Wall, Dipping Birds, and the brand-new Thread the Needle obstacle. The 2:50 time limit left no room for error for the Season 15 Ninjas. 

Below, see which Season 15 Ninjas are advancing and the match-ups for Stage 2! Check back here next week to see who is heading to Stage 3.

Noah Meunier vs. Alex Romer 

Alex Romer competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Luke Dillon vs. Enzo DeFerrari Wilson

Hans Hertz vs. Flip Rodriguez

Nacssa Garemore vs. Jackson Twait

Josiah Pippel competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Josiah Pippel vs. Austin Gray

Ben Behrends vs. RJ Roman

Ben Behrends competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Evan Andrews vs. Jonathan Bange

Joe Moravsky vs. Jera Boyd

Jera Boyd competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Elijah Browning vs. Kaden Lebsack

Caleb Bergstrom competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Caleb Bergstrom vs. Kyle Soderman

Ethan Bartnicki competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Ethan Bartnicki vs. Vance Walker

Vance Walker competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Isaiah Thomas vs. Daniel Gil

Ninjas advancing to Stage 3 of the American Ninja Warrior Las Vegas Finals

Teenage Ninjas Dominate Head-to-Head Races in Semifinals | American Ninja Warrior | NBC

Season 15 of ANW has been bringing the heat, and the head-to-head races in Stage 2 of the Las Vegas Finals didn't give Ninjas much of a breather. Not only did Ninjas have to successfully tackle the nail-biting Striding Steps, Double Salmon Ladder, Jawbreakers, Swing Surfer, Epic Air Surfer, and Falling Shelves obstacles, they had to finish faster than their competition. It will all come to a head during the ANW Season 15 finale when we see the Ninjas duke it out against Stage 3 and Stage 4 and finally unveil the $1 million winner. 

Below, find every Ninja advancing to Stage 3. Check back next week to see which Ninja became the Last Ninja Standing! 

Noah Meunier

Completed Course (01:14.52)

Nacssa Garemore

Completed Course (01:18.33)

Caleb Bergstrom

Completed Course (01:24.89)

Elijah Browning

Completed Course (01:32.27)

Kaden Lebsack's First-Ever Fall Against Elijah Browning | American Ninja Warrior | NBC

Hans Hertz

Completed Course (01:51.35)

RJ Roman 

Complete Course (02:01.35)

Jera Boyd 

Completed Course (02:10.23)

Austin Gray 

Completed Course (02:53.29)

Vance Walker and Ethan Bartnicki's Nail-Biting Finish | American Ninja Warrior | NBC

Ethan Bartnicki  

Falling Shelves (01:04.90)

Daniel Gil 

Falling Shelves (01:25.36)

Jonathan Bange 

Falling Shelves (02:35.01)

Enzo DeFerrari Wilson 

Epic Air Surfer (00:51.29)

Vance Walker (Runoff Winner)

Completed Course (01:30.89)

Kyle Soderman (Runoff Winner)

Falling Shelves (02:08.07)

Stage 3 Results from the American Ninja Warrior Las Vegas Finals

R.J. Roman Conquers Stage 3 with Speed and Precision | American Ninja Warrior | NBC

Stage 3 left no room for error for the Season 15 Ninjas, who were tasked with conquering the harrowing Patriot Pass, Stalactites, Slam Dunk, Ultimate Cliffhanger, Pipe Dream, Pressure Cooker, and Road Signs obstacles. Of the competing Ninjas, a record-breaking eight athletes completed every challenge to successfully stake their claim at Stage 4 — the historically humbling Mt. Midoriyama.

Check out the Stage 3 results, below: 

R.J. Roman 

Completed Course (05:28.23)

Caleb Bergstrom

Completed Course (05:40.09)

Noah Meunier 

Completed Course (05:47.48)

Noah Meunier competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Nacssa Garemore 

Completed Course (05:53.12)

Ethan Bartnicki 

Completed Course (07:02.64)

Ethan Bartnicki competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Vance Walker

Completed Course (07:12.97)

Hans Hertz 

Completed Course (07:20.95)

Daniel Gil 

Completed Course (07:28.67)

Elijah Browning 

Road Signs (05:32.94)

Caleb Bergstrom competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Austin Gray

Road Signs (05:45.69)

Jera Boyd 

Road Signs (06:11.93)

Enzo DeFerrari Wilson  

Road Signs 06:19.61

Kyle Soderman 

Ultimate Cliffhanger (01:29.84)

Kyle Soderman competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Jonathan Bange 

Ultimate Cliffhanger (01:38.09)

Which Ninjas scaled Mt. Midoriyama in Stage 4 of Season 15?

Season 15 made history after an impressive lineup of eight Ninjas made their way to Stage 4 to scale the esteemed Mt. Midoriyama, a 75-foot rope climb that must be scaled within a whopping 30-second time limit to achieve Total Victory. R.J. Roman, Caleb Bergstrom, Noah Meunier, Nacssa Garemore, Ethan Bartnicki, Vance Walker, Hans Hertz, and Daniel Gil set their sights on the fast-paced climb, with the audience on the edge of their seats with each passing Ninja who failed to make it to the top in time. Everything changed for Gil after he managed to achieve Total Victory after scaling Mt. Midoriyama with a final time of 00:27.99. However, the $1 million winner and Champion of Season 15 went to another Total Victory achiever with an additional second on his side. 

Kyle Soderman competing on American Ninja Warrior.

Who won Season 15 of American Ninja Warrior?

With a final time of 00:26.75 to scale Mt. Midoriyama, Vance Walker was crowned the Season 15 Champion of American Ninja Warrior. Ninjas achieving Total Victory is always a special event for the competition, and this year we saw not one but two powerhouse Ninjas accomplish the difficult feat. Walker delivered an incredible performance throughout each stage of Season 15, so the 18-year-old's win couldn't have been more deserved.

Vance Walker Beats Stage 4 and Wins $1 Million | American Ninja Warrior | NBC

"Oh my gosh, I have been working so hard for this," Walker told Zuri Hall following his victory announcement. "Like even climbing the tower was just the biggest dream of mine and just getting to be here and being on Stage 4. [I] can't even explain it. I was literally told I wouldn't be able to walk when I was a kid. Like, just keep going. Like, no matter what people say, if you keep working on your dreams, there's nothing holding you back."

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