Raiden

Verified Timeline

In Their Own Story

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. 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. His romantic relationship with Rosemary was inspired by Kojima's experiences; their names, Jack and Rose, are a reference to Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's lead characters in the film Titanic. 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 samurai. 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.

Reader's Guide

Codename: Raiden | Real Name: Jack | Role: Main player character in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty; supporting character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots; main character in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Raiden's arc begins in Metal Gear Solid 2 as a member of FOXHOUND on his first mission against terrorists. He is later revealed to have been a child soldier in Liberia, earning the nickname "Jack the Ripper." In Metal Gear Solid 4, Raiden assists Solid Snake against Revolver Ocelot's forces. His design for Metal Gear Solid 4 was a response to criticism that only his face remained in his cybernetic body. Shinkawa wanted to convey both Raiden's beauty and sorrow in his cybernetic body. Raiden was given the ability to wield swords with his own legs, giving players the impression he was a ninja. His first fight against Vamp 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. In Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Raiden deals with his past and his present life as a combatant who faces enemies from private military companies. 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, leading him to become a "hero with a dark past."

Did You Know?

• Raiden's codename was based on the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden, a combat aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service.
• His full name was originally going to be 'Raiden Brannigan' but the idea was scrapped.
• Raiden's inclusion in Metal Gear Solid 2 was kept secret from gamers before his debut; Konami replaced Raiden with Snake in teaser trailers and other preview materials.
• The surprise that Raiden was not Snake was inspired by the plot twist of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where the titular character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger was not a villain.
• Raiden is voiced by Kenyu Horiuchi in Japanese and Quinton Flynn in English.