Affiliations
Army of the Devil
Force XXI
FOXHOUND
The Patriots
Philanthropy
Paradise Lost Army
Current status
Alive (as of 2014)
Born
c. 1980s[1]
Eye color
Blue
Hair color
light blond, later ash gray-blond
Ethnicity
Caucasian
Notable family
Parents
Solidus Snake (adoptive father)
Rosemary (lover)
John (son)
Personality and Traits
Due to his participation in the Liberian Civil War, Raiden was one of the few Force XXI VR subjects to possess actual combat experience. When he first infiltrated the Big Shell, Raiden appeared to be a young and "inexperienced" agent of a "reformed" FOXHOUND unit, occasionally prone to emotional outbursts. When the memories of his time as a child soldier began to resurface, he gained somewhat of a low opinion of himself, especially in comparison to Solid Snake's accomplishments. Although he immensely respected Solid Snake, there were instances where it had its rough spots during the Big Shell Incident, such as when he learned that Snake and Otacon lied to him about whether they knew about the Big Shell being a great big conspiracy, as well as a remark Snake made that got him angered enough to make explosive insults about Snake, not realizing that Snake was next to Otacon during the conversation, resulting in him hearing every word of it, and when Snake "betrayed" Raiden at Arsenal Gear to lessen security onboard, and was especially irritated that Snake didn't warn him beforehand.
Raiden shares some similarities with his Cyborg Ninja predecessor, Gray Fox; both had been child soldiers who were given nicknames due to their brutality; they both ended up being taken from a rehab center by a group that was implied to have connections to the current organization in power (in Gray Fox's case, the CIA and the Philosophers, in Raiden's case, an NGO group and the Patriots) before being experimented in a way that was implied to also have resulted in surpressed memories; they both underwent cybernetic experimentation by the Patriots, and used technologically advanced blades; and they both saved Solid Snake from a Metal Gear (Fox with REX, and Raiden with Outer Haven). Raiden was also similar to Gray Fox's adopted sister, Naomi, in that he was adopted by the same person who murdered his parents. Raiden is the only known Cyborg Ninja to have survived, and also the only one who hasn't fought Solid Snake.
By the time of Liquid Ocelot's Insurrection, Raiden had changed considerably; the trauma of his break-up with Rose and the "miscarriage" of their unborn son, combined with rigorous training and his torture at the hands of the Patriots, changed Raiden from an inexperienced rookie to a cold and virtually emotionless soldier, who seemingly doesn't care about his own life; for instance, in his fight with Vamp in South America, he freely admitted to Vamp that he didn't fear death. Raiden's only real display of emotion occurred after the death of Big Mama; Snake told Raiden that he (Snake) has no future, while Raiden has a family; at this, Raiden grabbed Snake, shouting that he too has nothing. Nonetheless, due to his past experiences with Snake, he was completely loyal to the legendary soldier and citing his personal views about Snake by asking him to "not leave me alone." Upon discovering the truth about Rose's "marriage" to Campbell, Raiden seemed to regain some of his old self.
The little that was seen of Raiden's character in the Revengeance trailer implies that he had also become somewhat blood-thirsty as well as wanting justice by the time of the events of Revengeance.[6]
Raiden used to smoke at one point in his life but had quit by the time of the Big Shell Incident.[7]
At some point, Raiden received barcode tattoos all over his body. They are noticeable when he woke up in Arsenal Gear.
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