Raiden (Metal Gear)
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, real name , is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
's ''
Metal Gear is a series of techno-thriller stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operativ ...
'' series of
action-adventure The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
stealth video games. Created by
Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer and writer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for action/adventure cinema and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hired ...
and designed by
Yoji Shinkawa is a Japanese artist. He is best known as the lead character and mecha designer for the ''Metal Gear'' franchise. He has collaborated with Hideo Kojima on each of his games. Biography Shinkawa was born in Hiroshima on 25 December 1971. He bega ...
, Raiden was introduced in the series as the main
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
of the 2001 game '' Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty''. In ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', he appears to be a member of the U.S. special operations unit
FOXHOUND A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, a keen sense of smell, and their bark, energy, drive, and speed. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usually on hor ...
and is participating in his first mission against terrorists. Despite coming across as a young rookie, he is later revealed to have been a
child soldier Children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as people under the age of 18) have been recruited for participation in military operations and campaigns throughout history and in many cultures. Children in the military, includ ...
in his native
Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
. Raiden also appears as a supporting character in the 2008 game '' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'', in which he is assisting the series' main protagonist Solid Snake in his fight against
Revolver Ocelot Revolver "Shalashaska" Ocelot is a recurring fictional character in Konami's ''Metal Gear'' video game series. Throughout the series, he takes on a variety of roles: the archenemy of Solid Snake, the best friend of Naked Snake, the right-hand ma ...
's forces. He is also the main character of the 2013 game '' Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'', in which he is dealing with his past and his present life as a combatant who faces enemies from
private military companies A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...
. Raiden, who was inspired by the
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
stories and a fan's letter wanting a younger character to be featured in the series, originated from Kojima's desire to see Snake from a different point of view. His inclusion in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' was kept secret from gamers before his debut; despite some players' reactions, the staff liked the character. To appeal to fans of the series who initially disliked him, the character was redesigned for ''Metal Gear Solid 4''. He was again redesigned for both the cancelled game ''Metal Gear Solid: Rising'' and its reboot ''Revengeance'' to portray a darker side of his character. Raiden is voiced by
Kenyu Horiuchi is a Japanese voice actor. In 2002 he founded his own voice acting management office, Kenyu Office. He is best known for dubbing over Brad Pitt (Horiuchi met Pitt at Japan's Premiere of '' Bullet Train''), Charlie Sheen, Ben Stiller, Ben Affleck ...
in Japanese and
Quinton Flynn Quinton Flynn is an American voice actor and comedian, who has provided the English voices of video game characters such as Raiden in the ''Metal Gear'' series, Marcus Damon in ''Digimon Data Squad'', Lea and Axel in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' seri ...
in English. Raiden's debut role as the protagonist of ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' was controversial, due to his unexpected substitution for the established hero Snake. Some critics defended the character, stating that fans were merely angered by Snake's removal and that Raiden was appealing. Despite the initial mixed reception, Raiden has been praised for his role in the game, as well as his later ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' redesign and more for his role and design in ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance''.


Character design


Initial concept

According to series creator
Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer and writer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for action/adventure cinema and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hired ...
, the decision to make a new character to replace Solid Snake for most of '' Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty'' stemmed from the developer's desire to develop Snake from a third-person perspective. Kojima stated that Raiden's character and his perception by the audience were important to the overall feel of the story. The idea of having a second main character was inspired by the
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
short stories and novels in which the narrator is
Dr. Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle fe ...
rather than Holmes. Kojima said Snake was the game's protagonist rather than Raiden. Yoshikazu Matsuhana, assistant director for the project, was uncertain about this decision; he considered Raiden a "weak-looking character" but decided to follow Kojima. The codename "Raiden" was based on that of the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden, a historical combat aircraft of the
Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The was the Naval aviation, air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired their first air ...
. It was initially planned to be written in
katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
as "ライデン", but was changed to the
kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
form "雷電" because of a resemblance to
Bin Laden Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (10 March 1957 – 2 May 2011) was a Saudi-born extremist militant who founded al-Qaeda and served as its leader from 1988 until his death in 2011. Ideologically a pan-Islamist, his group is designated a ...
's "Laden" in katakana, "ラーディン". His full name was going to be "Raiden Brannigan" but the idea was scrapped. The romantic relationship between Raiden and Rosemary was inspired by Kojima's experiences; their names, Jack and Rose, are a reference to Leonardo DiCaprio and
Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...
's lead characters in the film ''
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''. In ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', Raiden is considered to be a representation of the player through the experiences between the player and the character during the game. Kojima received much fan mail; one letter from a girl stated she did not want to play a game with an old man. Kojima took this into consideration; he and his team designed Raiden to be more appealing to women. Designer
Yoji Shinkawa is a Japanese artist. He is best known as the lead character and mecha designer for the ''Metal Gear'' franchise. He has collaborated with Hideo Kojima on each of his games. Biography Shinkawa was born in Hiroshima on 25 December 1971. He bega ...
said he and the other character designers took much inspiration for Raiden's appearance from the ''
bishōnen (; also transliterated ) is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth (boy)" and describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man of androgynous beauty. This word originated from the Tang dynasty ...
'' archetype. Because Raiden was a new character, the staff designed him carefully, giving him white hair to symbolize his introduction. Shinkawa also said Raiden had an overall feminine appearance. His outfit—the Skull Suit—was difficult to design until the staff decided on a "bonelike" concept. Shinkawa wanted to make Raiden sexually appealing, emphasizing the tightness of his clothing. The design of Raiden's aqua-mask was inspired by ancient mystical
ninjutsu , sometimes used interchangeably with the modern term , is the martial art strategy and tactics of unconventional warfare, guerrilla warfare and espionage purportedly practised by the ninja. ''Ninjutsu'' was a separate discipline in some tradit ...
, where the ninja bites a scroll in the mouth during magic transformations. Raiden's final duel with the boss Solidus Snake was revised in the making of the game. Originally, to defeat Solidus, Raiden must cut off both his mechanical snake-like arms, then he must attack Solidus' back and sever the backbone vertebra connection, rendering Solidus no longer mobile. Following this, Raiden would finish Solidus by decapitating him similar to samurai fashion. The scene was rejected and instead, Raiden would slice Solidus' stomach, another idea taken from samurais. However, this concept was also scrapped to simply Raiden slicing Solidus' vertebral column with the boss falling from the area to give the idea he could not accept his defeat.
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
kept Raiden's starring role in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' secret until the game's North American release; the company replaced Raiden with Snake in teaser trailers and other preview materials. Although Raiden appeared in several preview trailers in his scuba gear, his presence was not emphasized. The surprise to fans that Raiden was not Snake was admitted by Kojima to have been inspired by the plot twist of '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' where the titular character played by
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
was not a villain in that movie. Raiden's appearance in the game was announced to the Japanese press on the day of the game's release in North America. Due to the negative response to Raiden's role in the game, Kojima said in the retrospective that the team failed to properly show the character.


Further development

Raiden's new design for ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' was a response to the criticism that only his face remained in his cybernetic body. Shinkawa was surprised by the way he illustrated Raiden. The staff noted that Raiden's debut in the game's trailer received notably positive responses; several video-game magazines promoted the game with Raiden's screenshots. Shinkawa stated Raiden was remade as a darker hero to appeal to the Western fanbase. Seeing
Gray Fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littora ...
as one of his favorite characters, Shinkawa made Raiden be an archetype of such character, making Raiden a cyborg-like him. Kojima echoed similar comments, indicating he wanted to expand the character with another game. In designing him, Shinkawa wanted to convey both Raiden's beauty and sorrow in his cybernetic body. He was given the ability to wield swords with his own legs, giving the players the impression he was a ninja. Raiden's first fight against
Vamp The VaMP driverless car was one of the first truly autonomous cars Dynamic Vision for Perc ...
in the game caused-motion and voice actors difficulty because of carefully planned movements performed by the two fighters. The staff was satisfied with the outcome, considering it one of the best battles in the game. Two actors were selected for the motion capture of Raiden; one did most of his appearances while another did his action sequences. Raiden's fights in ''Guns of the Patriots'' were made to assist the weaker Solid Snake and appealed to previous fans of the series who disliked the character. Because Raiden became a more active character in ''Guns of the Patriots'', Kojima expressed a desire in him returning in a future character as playable. When '' Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'' was known as ''Metal Gear Solid: Rising'', former producer Shigenobu Matsuyama hinted that Raiden's past as a child soldier would be elaborated upon and his weaknesses as a human would be explored. Matsuyama wanted Raiden to have as strong a role in the game as in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', leading him to become its main character. Director Mineshi Kimura wanted Raiden to be able to move the way he did in the ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' trailers, wanting to show "the stealth of the sword, and the strength of not even losing to the gun, and the fear and power you have with this blade". Matsuyama said they would focus on Raiden's strong will and physical strength so he would be enjoyable to control. Raiden's design was changed during the game's development, leading to different promotional images of him. Following the game's reboot into a spin-off, developers stated that while Raiden "has grown up" in comparison to previous ''Metal Gear'' games, he is still conflicted with his life as a child soldier in the
First Liberian Civil War The First Liberian Civil War lasted from 1989 to 1997. President Samuel Doe had established a regime in 1980 but totalitarianism and corruption led to unpopularity and the withdrawal of support from the United States by the late 1980s. The Nat ...
, leading him to become a "dark hero". Shinkawa designed Raiden's new body to emphasize his dark heroism, contrasting with his ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' persona. Shinkawa later discussed with Platinum Games' Kenji Saito about including his quasi-human look. Raiden's loss of an eye also represents his transformation across the story while also comparing him with the previous antagonist Solidus Snake. Tamari also explained that the cybernetic functions Raiden has were based on research led by the
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. In response to complaints that ''Rising'' appeared to contradict Raiden's ending in ''Guns of the Patriots'', the Kojima Productions staff said the game would explain what happened with Raiden's life. While Steven Armstrong was the game's final antagonist, the character of Jetstream Sam was developed to be Raiden's rival, something Shinkawa and fellow designer Kenichirou Yoshimura worked together to make both of them contrast each other through their visual appearances. The team in charge of ''Revengeance'' depicted Raiden as a more mature character than in his previous appearances; they said his swordplay is not based on any samurai and that Raiden's cybernetic body includes heels because they enable his style of swordplay, where he wields weapons with his feet. When developing the game's, the team thought of Raiden's revenge against his enemies, which resulted in the title "Reveangeance". Writer Etsu Tamari expressed joy in the final product and expected that in the future, the team could make another game focused on Raiden. In a further analysis of how to write Raiden in ''Revengeance'', Tamari stated he needed a new character that would bring him support in the form of the dog-like robot named Bladewolf; Similar to how Snake guides Raiden in ''Sons of Liberty'', the mature Raiden acts like a mentor to Bladewolf across the story resulting in his character arc. Writer Etsu Tamari wanted to portray Raiden as a more mature person who wishes to take Snake's footsteps.
Atsushi Inaba is a Japanese video game producer and businessman. He was the former CEO and producer of the Capcom subsidiary Clover Studio, who developed the games ''Viewtiful Joe'', ''Ōkami'', and ''God Hand''. He is currently the head producer at the develo ...
wanted the gameplay of ''Revengeance'' fit Raiden's style of characterization, resulting in the use of parries rather than defense. Inaba felt honored to work in ''Revengeance'' due to how he was able to see a more mature version of the character to the point of wishing for a sequel. Raiden is first depicted as a white-haired adult who uses a protective suit known as a for his missions in ''Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty''. In ''Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'' Raiden's entire body below the upper jaw is replaced with a prototype cybernetic body. His original cybernetic body is replaced with a black one that also covers the left eye for ''Revengeance''. Although proficient at all types of weaponry, Raiden specializes in wielding swords that resonate at high frequencies for the last fights in ''Sons of Liberty'', and during ''Guns of the Patriots'' and ''Revengeance''.


Personality

In his first appearance, Raiden is a rookie agent who is inexperienced as a result of training only in
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...
. He later reveals, however, that he was a child soldier known as who killed several enemies in a civil war and is ashamed of his past. This affects Raiden's personality; he begins to believe he is only useful on the battlefield and his relationship with his girlfriend
Rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native plant, native to the Mediterranean Region, Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was kn ...
would not work. Manipulation by the Patriots causes him to believe he has no free will. Solid Snake encourages Raiden to ignore what people tell him and to become self-reliant when problem-solving. His original personality was that of a "creep or a weirdo" who licked bird excrement, but this was discarded by the staff. Kojima Productions compared the experiences and ways of thinking of Raiden and Solid Snake. During the game's climax, Raiden stays handcuffed until his final fight against Solidus Snake; Snake escapes from his handcuffs to follow
Revolver Ocelot Revolver "Shalashaska" Ocelot is a recurring fictional character in Konami's ''Metal Gear'' video game series. Throughout the series, he takes on a variety of roles: the archenemy of Solid Snake, the best friend of Naked Snake, the right-hand ma ...
, emphasizing Raiden's lack of freedom. Hideo Kojima compared Raiden and Snake with
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and
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
, respectively; the former was taken from his home and his nature changes upon meeting Rosemary, whereas the latter will continue fighting against mankind's menaces. Defeating Solidus, Snake encourages Raiden to trust himself and believe in his own choices. This is further addressed by the staff's motivation to make a new sequel to ''Metal Gear'' without Kojima. Kojima also likened Raiden with
John Rambo John James Rambo (born July 6, 1947) is a fictional character in the ''Rambo'' franchise. He first appeared in the 1972 novel '' First Blood'' by David Morrell, but later became more famous as the protagonist of the film series, in which he was ...
from the ''
Rambo Rambo is a surname with Norwegian (Vestfold) and Swedish origins. It possibly originated with '' ramn'' + '' bo'', meaning "raven's nest". It has variants in French (''Rambeau'', ''Rambaut'', and ''Rimbaud'') and German (''Rambow''). It is now best ...
'' series because both characters always find themselves taking part in battles despite their desire for a peaceful resolution. Raiden himself believes that he is destined to fight based on his upbringing during ''Revengeance'' while also following the concept of '' katsujinken'' in which samurai kill in order to protect the weak.


Portrayal

In the Japanese versions of the games, Raiden has been voiced by
Kenyu Horiuchi is a Japanese voice actor. In 2002 he founded his own voice acting management office, Kenyu Office. He is best known for dubbing over Brad Pitt (Horiuchi met Pitt at Japan's Premiere of '' Bullet Train''), Charlie Sheen, Ben Stiller, Ben Affleck ...
, who first saw him as an attractive young man whose actions in ''Son of Liberty'' were challenging for his identity. Horiuchi was impressed by the characterization shown across the game, believing him to fit with other members featured in the game. Kojima liked Horiuchi's work, believing Raiden became popular in Japan in part because of his performance, something which he felt the character lacked in Western regions. could understand the character's pain; despite becoming a cyborg, Raiden still acts like a human. Horiuchi took a liking to Raiden's spin-off game, ''Revengeance'', as he acted as the lead for the first time but was still glad that he got meet new actors who appeared in the game, most notably the actor behind Doktor. The actors also liked the inclusion of Raiden's sidekick, LQ-84i (later renamed Bladewolf), as they believe that ninjas like Raiden obligatory need dogs as allies. Another relationship the actors liked was Raiden's exchanges with Courtney due to few female characters being present in the game but felt they made the characters get along properly. Horiuchi felt confident in being in doing Raiden's voice as the lead, believing his thirty years of experience made him suitable for the role. Casting director Kris Zimmerman chose
Quinton Flynn Quinton Flynn is an American voice actor and comedian, who has provided the English voices of video game characters such as Raiden in the ''Metal Gear'' series, Marcus Damon in ''Digimon Data Squad'', Lea and Axel in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' seri ...
, with whom she had previously worked, to voice Raiden in the series' English adaptation. Flynn remembers having a long time to develop the character and being instructed by Zimmerman to use an older voice from a character he previously voiced. Flynn said Raiden was one of his favorite video-game voice characters and noted a difference between his roles in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' and ''Metal Gear Solid 4''; Flynn was pleased with working alongside
David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the film ''X-Men'' and co-w ...
whom he often interacted while recording the game. The English voice recording was overlooked by Scott Dolph, who reported back saying the English voice for Raiden was more neutral than the original Japanese voice. For ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' Flynn used a deeper voice to match the cyborg Raiden in contrast to the original, youthful Raiden of ''Metal Gear Solid 2''. Flynn said the voice he used was "grizzled, yeah—but different enough from the style of Snake". During development of ''Metal Gear Solid: Rising'', Flynn was not informed about the work despite Raiden being in the trailer. As a result, Flynn kept low hopes in regards to the idea of being cast. Addressing ''Guns of the Patriots''s Raiden as more aggressive than the original one, Flynn stated his favorite take on the character was ''Revengeance''s as it there he acted as a "blend" between the two incarnations. He felt honored for taking the role of Raiden again, having received a "Behind The Voice Actors" award for his work. In 2015, Flynn stated he was pleased with Raiden's role in ''Reveangence'' and that he would have liked a new sequel Raiden as the lead. Internal problems between Kojima Productions and Konami, however, left Flynn worried there might not be another game in the series.


Appearances


'' Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty''

'' Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty'' introduces the player to Raiden in the Plant chapter; Jack is introduced as a newly recruited, virtual reality-trained member of
FOXHOUND A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, a keen sense of smell, and their bark, energy, drive, and speed. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usually on hor ...
with no live-combat experience before his current mission. He is assisted via
Codec A codec is a device or computer program that encodes or decodes a data stream or signal. ''Codec'' is a portmanteau of coder/decoder. In electronic communications, an endec is a device that acts as both an encoder and a decoder on a signal or da ...
by his commanding officer the Colonel and his girlfriend Rosemary. Raiden's initial objective is to rescue several hostages from a terrorist group known as the Sons of Liberty. During his mission, Raiden is helped by mercenary Solid Snake and spy Olga Gurlukovich. As the story progresses, Jack is revealed to be a former child soldier who fought for the Sons of Liberty leader Solidus Snake during the
First Liberian Civil War The First Liberian Civil War lasted from 1989 to 1997. President Samuel Doe had established a regime in 1980 but totalitarianism and corruption led to unpopularity and the withdrawal of support from the United States by the late 1980s. The Nat ...
. After the war's end, Raiden was given a normal life and tried to forget his past. It is revealed that a clandestine organization known as The Patriots is controlling his actions and his commanding officer is revealed as their computer-generated
Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
(AI). One of their spies becomes Raiden's girlfriend and the two fall in love. Raiden defeats Solidus after the Patriots' AIs tell him his death would also trigger those of Olga's child and Rosemary, the latter of whom is revealed to have been pregnant with Raiden's child during the mission. He later reunites with Rosemary, and both decide to stay together to raise their unborn child.


'' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots''

'' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'' (set five years after ''Metal Gear Solid 2'') features Raiden after rescuing Olga's daughter Sunny from the Patriots, and searching the corpse of the mercenary Big Boss for
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in exchange. The trauma of his breakup with Rosemary and the apparent miscarriage of his child have made Raiden believe he belongs on the battlefield. Raiden is fitted with a cybernetic
exoskeleton An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the ...
as a result of the Patriots' machinations; he helps Solid Snake in the fight against Liquid Ocelot, wanting to obtain the Patriots' powers. However, he is wounded by Vamp in a fight. With his blood having been replaced with a military substitute called that requires regular maintenance, Raiden is treated by Sunny and Doctor Naomi Hunter. Following his recovery, Raiden goes back to Snake, killing Vamp and stays in Ocelot's ship ''Outer Haven'' to protect Snake as he shuts down the Patriots' AIs. In an epilogue, Rosemary tells Raiden their child was not miscarried; her marriage to Roy Campbell was a hoax to protect her and their son from the Patriots. Upon hearing this news, Raiden reconciles with Rosemary.


'' Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance''

Raiden returns as the main character in '' Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'', which is set four years after ''Metal Gear Solid 4''. He is a member of the
private military company A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as "security contractors" or "private military ...
(PMC) Maverick Security in multiple tasks while raising money for his family. They are attacked by a group of terrorists called Desperado Enforcement LLC that kill his protectee, N'mani, and leave Raiden near to death with mercenary Jetstream Sam taking a liking to his fighting style. He is given a new cybernetic body by the elder scientist Wilhelm "Doktor" Voight and starts working with Maverick to fight Desperado. Raiden fights Desperado's LQ-84i, an AI placed in a robot who works for Desperado but Raiden takes pity on it and has Doktor restore it under the name of Blade Wolf who assists him. Raiden's vengeful obsession with Desperado becomes personal when he discovers during a mission to Mexico that Desperado and World Marshal Inc have kidnapped many children, surgically removed their brains to place into cybernetic bodies, and were planning to subject them to VR training modeled on his own. Raiden then resigns from Maverick to pursue and retrieve the children's
brain case In human anatomy, the neurocranium, also known as the braincase, brainpan, or brain-pan is the upper and back part of the skull, which forms a protective case around the brain. In the human skull, the neurocranium includes the calvaria or skul ...
s from World Marshal in Colorado, embracing his sadistic persona "Jack the Ripper" due to his constant struggles with Sam and Desperado's cyborg Monsoon. Raiden defeats Desperado and learns that Steven Armstrong was using PMCs to distract him as he attempts to create a new
War on Terror The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international Counterterrorism, counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campa ...
. When Blade Wolf passes Raiden's sword of the late Sam, Raiden stops Armstrong's actions and decides not to return to Maverick and travels to the
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to battle World Marshal mercenaries.


Other appearances

Raiden does not appear in '' Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'' but he is parodied throughout the game by debuting character Raikov. Raiden appears in a series of comical scenes in an early promotional trailer for ''Guns of the Patriots'', in which he fights for control of the franchise with Solid Snake. A sequel to the trailer titled "Metal Gear Raiden: Snake Eraser" was produced; Raiden travels to the past to assassinate Big Boss but fails comically. In the trailer's English version, Raiden is voiced by
Charlie Schlatter Charles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter (born May 1, 1966) is an American actor who has appeared in several films and television series. He is perhaps best known for playing Dr. Jesse Travis, the resident student of Dr. Mark Sloan (played by Dick Van ...
(the voice actor for Raikov) rather than Quinton Flynn. Raiden's ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' version appears in the '' Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus'' expansion pack as an unlockable character. His ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' incarnation appears as a playable character in ''
Metal Gear Online ''Metal Gear Online'' was a stealth third-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was an online multiplayer spin-off of the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. The starter pack of ''Online'' was available worldwide bundled with '' Metal ...
''. In '' Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes'', Raiden stars in a non-canonical mission titled "Jamais Vu". Having time-traveled to the past, he infiltrates Camp Omega under orders from MSF. His aim is to incapacitate a group of soldiers known as the "body snatchers", a reference to the android replicators in Kojima's video game '' Snatcher''. His appearance in this game is modeled on that in ''Metal Gear Rising''. The ''Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty'' 2007
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
adaptation by Alex Garner retells Raiden's story with few changes. His relationship with Solidus is explored when he remembers his past; when Solidus is about to kill him, Raiden is saved by Snake. The game's novelization by
Raymond Benson Raymond Benson (born September 6, 1955) is an American author best known for being the author of the James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973. In primary scho ...
makes minor modifications to Raiden's history, except for the moment he receives Olga's sword, resulting in a change to his battle psyche. When Raiden kills Solidus he cuts the rope on
Federal Hall National Memorial Federal Hall is a historic building at 26 Wall Street in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City. The current Greek Revival–style building, completed in 1842 as the Custom House, is operated by the National Park Service as a nati ...
's flagpole, causing an American flag to cover his enemy's body. This scene was deleted from the original game due to the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
. Outside the ''Metal Gear'' series, Raiden appears in the video game ''
LittleBigPlanet ''LittleBigPlanet'' (stylized as ''LittleBIGPlanet''; abbreviated ''LBP'') is a puzzle platform video game series created and produced by British developer Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Most games in the series ...
'' as a sticker and a playable sack-boy character in the ''Metal Gear Solid 4''
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
. He is an unlockable character in ''
Evolution Skateboarding ''Evolution Skateboarding'' is a sports video game released by Konami for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in 2002. It includes several popular skateboarders such as Rick McCrank, Arto Saari, Kerry Getz, and Danny Way. There is also a create-a-skat ...
''. He also appears in ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 List of crossovers in video games, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the Super Smash Bros., ''Super Smash ...
'' and ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...
'' as a collectible sticker and spirit respectively, and in '' Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'' as an alternative skin for
Ezio Auditore da Firenze Ezio Auditore da Firenze () is a fictional character in the video game series ''Assassin's Creed'', an Italian master assassin who serves as the protagonist of the series' games set during the Italian Renaissance. His life and career as an assas ...
. Raiden is playable in the video games ''
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale ''PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale'' is a 2012 crossover fighting video game developed by SuperBot Entertainment, in conjunction with Bluepoint Games, and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It features various characters drawn from dif ...
'' and ''
Super Bomberman R is an action- maze game developed by Konami and HexaDrive. The game was first released worldwide as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch in March 2017, and later for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in June 2018. Part of the '' ...
'' using his ''Metal Gear Rising'' design. The
webseries A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single i ...
''
Mega64 ''Mega64'' is a webseries, video production company and comedy troupe created by Rocco Botte, Derrick Acosta, and Shawn Chatfield, in 2003. Originally conceived to be a public-access television show, the original five episodes produced were later ...
'' includes a parody of Raiden's story in ''Revengeance''; the character struggles against his darker persona while making breakfast.


Reception


Critical reaction

Raiden's replacement of fan favorite Solid Snake in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' proved controversial; ''
GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', ''Edge'' and '' Computer ...
'' considered the replacement a reason to dislike the series. The same site criticized Raiden's role in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' several times and called his inclusion one of the worst aspects of the game. Snake's voice actor,
David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the film ''X-Men'' and co-w ...
, was also surprised by the inclusion of Raiden in ''Sons of Liberty'' believing his character was meant to be the returning protagonist. In 2004, ''GameAxis Unwired'' published a fake interview in which Hideo Kojima expressed regret for creating the character. While calling ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' one of the biggest disappointments in video-game history, ''
UGO Networks UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States. History The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
'' Marissa Meli cited Raiden's debut as a key problem with the game. The book ''Playing with Videogames'' states that Raiden's inclusion was intended to surprise ''Metal Gear'' fans who, instead of playing as Snake, played as his opposite. Writer James Newman commented that fans' reactions were highly negative; they acted as though Kojima had betrayed their expectations. He compared Raiden to the controversial ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' character
Jar Jar Binks Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character of the Gungan race from the ''Star Wars'' saga created by George Lucas. Jar Jar appears throughout the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy – as a major character in '' Episode I: The Phantom Menace'', with a ...
. Newman considered trailers for ''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'' in which Raiden is mocked to be Konami's comic response to fans' disapproval. ''
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
''s Tom Bramwell enjoyed Raiden's role, commenting that his interactions with the other characters also helped expand Solid Snake's character. Raiden's introduction was given an award for "Biggest Surprise" by ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' in 2001, while Dave Meikleham from ''GamesRadar'' listed his appearance as one of the biggest plot twists in a video game because the trailers did not show him. Meikleham also called Raiden a "surprisingly likeable character" and found his dynamic with Solid Snake appealing. Before joining
Kojima Productions Kojima Productions Co., Ltd. is a Japanese Video game developer, video game development studio founded in 2015 by video game designer Hideo Kojima, creator of the ''Metal Gear'' series. It is the spiritual successor to a production team inside K ...
, Ryan Payton stated that he was not disappointed by Raiden's introduction and liked the fact the ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' team kept his identity secret. Raiden's English voice actor
Quinton Flynn Quinton Flynn is an American voice actor and comedian, who has provided the English voices of video game characters such as Raiden in the ''Metal Gear'' series, Marcus Damon in ''Digimon Data Squad'', Lea and Axel in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' seri ...
was surprised by fans' response to the character but said it attracted new fans to the series. Flynn thought fans were angry at the idea that Raiden would replace Snake for all subsequent games. Raiden's relationship with Rosemary was listed as the most awkward part of the ''Metal Gear'' series by ''
1UP.com ''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
'', with writer Scott Sharkey speculating about Hideo Kojima's life because he said the relationship is autobiographical. In retrospective, Raiden was found by many writers to look like the late singer
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
whom Kojima showed tributes across the franchise. Response to the character in subsequent games was mainly positive. ''GamePro''s Pattrick Shaw analyzed his new design for ''Metal Gear Solid 4''; he said Raiden "was in one hell of a fight". Raiden's redesign has been praised for reducing his androgynous appearance, thus making him more appealing. ''
UGO Networks UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States. History The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
'' placed Raiden's design in that game at 18th on its 2011 list of "the most stylin' alternate costumes", but Gavin Mackenzie from ''PLAY'' listed it seventh on his list of inappropriate outfits, stating that the costume was "cool" but had unnecessary accessories. It has also been compared with
Gray Fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littora ...
's cybernetic-ninja design in ''
Metal Gear Solid is a series of techno-thriller stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operat ...
''. GameSpot staff stated that Raiden "is definitely the inheritor of the quasi-unkillable Cyborg Ninja inheritance" when he made his first appearance in a ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' trailer. ''GameSpot'' applauded his actions in the trailer, calling it "wordlessly awesome" and comparing his stunts with those in the film '' Casshan: Robot Hunter''. Dave Meikleham of ''GamesRadar'' wrote an article titled "Why ''Metal Gear Solid: Rising'' 'Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance''will make you love Raiden", writing that fans who disliked the character would find him appealing in the game. Raiden's role and development in ''Revengeance'' were found to be appealing, with GameSpot's Peter Brown praising his violent attitude that made him an outstanding anti-hero, whereas ''
GameTrailers ''GameTrailers'' (''GT'') was an American video gaming website created by Geoffrey R. Grotz and Brandon Jones in 2002. The website specialized in multimedia content, including trailers and gameplay footage of upcoming and recently released v ...
'' wrote that Raiden contrasted with his ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' persona that was criticized in 2001. '' The Escapist'' said Raiden was now worthy of his own game based on his characterization. ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
'' said that while Raiden's actions provide a departure from the stealth games, his actions were referred as "outlandish and ridiculous". The detail given to Raiden's past was also praised. ''IGN'' wrote that fans of ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' would enjoy the game more because Raiden can replicate his moves from that game's cutscenes in gameplay. ''Eurogamer'' said a major change in Raiden's characterization is ''Revengeance'', referring to him as a "the ultimate cyborg and also the ultimate killer" based on his darker persona that is explored in combat. The idea of Raiden primarily using his sword to counterattack firepower was found appealing by ''Complex'' due to how ''Revengeance'' explores the soldier as a melee fighter. Flynn's performance earned mixed response due to the tones he gives Raiden when interacting with allies and enemies.


Popularity

''
PLAY Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...
'' editor Nick Jones listed the scene in which Raiden is nude as his fourth-favorite moment of the franchise, calling it the "one of the funniest moments in gaming history". Lisa Foiles of '' The Escapist'' included him on her 2014 list of top five katana wielders, writing "this is not a popularity contest and Raiden qualifies" even in ''MGS2'' where "he was whiny, an emo, and kind of a bitch". Raiden proved to be more popular in Japan; according to
Yoji Shinkawa is a Japanese artist. He is best known as the lead character and mecha designer for the ''Metal Gear'' franchise. He has collaborated with Hideo Kojima on each of his games. Biography Shinkawa was born in Hiroshima on 25 December 1971. He bega ...
this was because he matched the stereotype of the
manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
hero. ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
'' placed him on "The Snubbed List" of the best characters of the 2000s in response to his new design because it made fans like the idea of a new ''Metal Gear'' game solely focused on Raiden. In a 2010 ''
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' readers' poll, Raiden was voted the 42nd most-popular video game character. ''
GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' called Raiden's encounter with Vamp in this game one of the "most memorable cinematics" of the series because of his change of fighting style from his debut as he "redeems his girlish image", while ''
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' listed it as the 80th best moment in video-game history for similar reasons. In 2013, ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' ranked Raiden as the 12th-greatest soldier in video games, "even as he's not as cool as Solid Snake", while ''GamesRadar'' called ''Revengeance'' "perhaps the greatest cyborg ninja game of all time". ''
PLAY Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...
'' ranked Raiden as the second-top ninja in games.''PLAY'' 232, page 34. While surpassed by Solid Snake, ''GamesRadar'' listed Raiden as the second-best video game hero of all time. In 2012,
manga artist A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...
Hiro Mashima is a Japanese manga artist. He gained success with his first serial ''Rave Master'', published in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1999 to 2005. His best-selling work, ''Fairy Tail'', published in the same magazine from 2006 to 2017, ...
drew an illustration of Raiden in anticipation of the series' following games. He mentioned having had difficulties illustrating the character. Following ''Metal Gear Solid 4''s release, Raiden also appeared in more lists. IGN's Jesse Schedeen listed Raiden as one of the "gaming icons" and
most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
s of 2009, in response to his role in an upcoming ''Metal Gear'' title. ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
'' listed Raiden as one of the most sexually appealing video game characters, calling him disappointing to some but to others "a pin-up forever". In promoting ''Revengeance'', Raiden's design by Shinkawa was used in presence in London, Leeds and Liverpool during 2013. Voice actor
Reuben Langdon Reuben Christopher Langdon (born July 19, 1975) is an American stuntman and voice actor. He has provided the voice and motion-capture acting, motion capture for video game characters including Dante (Devil May Cry), Dante in the ''Devil May Cry' ...
described Raiden as a character he always wanted to play as, most notably on ''
Super Smash Bros. ''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...
''


Analysis

Raiden's role in ''Metal Gear Solid 2'' has been analyzed by several writers, who said he is intended to represent the player. Early in the game, when Raiden's
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...
training is mentioned, the game shows scenes from the previous game ''
Metal Gear Solid is a series of techno-thriller stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operat ...
'' in which the player takes control of Solid Snake. Raiden's interactions with veteran Solid Snake identify the former as "a ''Metal Gear'' fan". As the game progresses it is stated that Raiden "has become Snake", having developed skills similar to those he gained from taking part in the Big Shell's fights that resemble ''Metal Gear Solid''s Shadow Moses Island. The recurring plot twist involving Raiden's life and the people with whom he often interacts have been praised as being early post-truth content in a video game. Raiden's interaction with the Patriots was also analyzing the way the digital era became relevant over a decade after ''Sons of Liberty'' was released. Raiden's development in ''Sons of Liberty'' were becomes a stronger soldier for imitating Snake's role in ''Metal Gear Solid'' was retold in ''The Phantom Pain'' when the player learns their character,
Venom Snake Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
, is not the famous Big Boss but instead a doctor who was hypnotized into being a double of the mercenary across the video game. Later in the game, a character tells Raiden to "turn off the console", which confuses both Raiden and the player; this was first interpreted as a
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
-breaking joke but the game's climax goes deeper into Raiden's connection with the player. When his superiors force Raiden to kill the game's antagonist, Solidus Snake, the designers tell the player to finish the game. Both the player and Raiden take different paths at the game's end; the player is told not to waste time playing games while Raiden's character is expanded with his decision to move on with his life, rejecting his previous identity by discarding the
dog tag Dog tag is an informal but common term for a specific type of identification tag worn by military personnel. The tags' primary use is for the identification of casualties; they have information about the individual written on them, including i ...
s the player wore in the beginning. Upon the revelation of Raiden's new design as a cyborg ninja, writers said he distanced himself from his previous appearance that imitated Solid Snake. Raiden's increasingly masculine redesigns following his debut were noted be a leaning to Western heroes in gaming despite Raiden retaining his original characterization by Todd Harper in the book ''Queerness in Play''. ''IGN'' also said Raiden becomes a different type of game hero with a new, direct fighting style. being instead compared with the lead characters from ''
Devil May Cry is a series of action-adventure games created by Hideki Kamiya. It is primarily developed and published by Capcom. The series centers on the demon hunter Dante and his efforts to thwart various demon invasions of Earth. Its gameplay consists o ...
'' and ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been po ...
'' favorably due to how they fight. Raiden finding conviction with his inner past persona during ''Revengeance'' was noted to go with the ideas of enjoying the hack and slash mechanics provided the developers as Raiden has kill enemies while also being able to face properly all of enemies who share values with him during cutscenes.


See also

* List of ''Metal Gear'' characters *
Ninja in popular culture In the history of Japan, ninja (also known as shinobi) operated as spies, assassins, or thieves; they formed their own caste outside the usual feudal social categories such as lords, samurai, and serfs. Ninja often appear as stock characters in ...


References


Further reading

* * {{Metal Gear Adoptee characters in video games Amputee characters in video games Characters designed by Yoji Shinkawa Fictional criminals in video games Cyborg characters in video games Fictional African-American people Fictional characters missing an eye Fictional characters with disfigurements Fictional characters with dissociative identity disorder Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder Fictional child soldiers Fictional patricides Fictional United States Army Delta Force personnel Fictional First Liberian Civil War veterans Fictional immigrants to the United States Fictional Liberian people Fictional mass murderers Fictional private military members Fictional special forces personnel Fictional super soldiers Fictional swordfighters in video games Konami protagonists Male characters in video games Fictional mercenaries in video games Metal Gear characters Fictional military personnel in video games Ninja characters in video games Orphan characters in video games Fictional secret agents and spies in video games Fictional soldiers in video games Video game characters introduced in 2001 Video game characters who can move at superhuman speeds Video game characters with accelerated healing Video game characters with superhuman strength Video game characters with electric or magnetic abilities Vigilante characters in video games 2001 controversies Video game controversies