Theif being useful in the game is a debate that causes a big riff in the game. Some people claim they are the all awesome and that blackbelts are worthless. Some claim that the black belt is more useful. I personally find the BB better. There's never been a fight on the NES version that I've failed to run from without a theif by the second turn. The magic he learns is completely unnecessary. Just a novelty to make people think he's cool. The katana for a theif is a fairly strong sword, but nowhere near the damage producing capabilities of a bare-handed BB. A lot of people whine about how much a BB dies, but that all comes down to playing style. Mine never dies and I keep him in the second slot below my Knight.
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