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Raven (レイヴン Reivun?) is a fictional character in the Tekken fighting game series. Raven was introduced in Tekken 5 as one of the three new characters (the other two being Asuka Kazama and Feng Wei) and has returned for all subsequent games except Tekken 7, where he was replaced by his superior, Master Raven. He is a secret intelligence officer for the United Nations, and is a member of the Raven Unit.

Biography

Raven is a secret intelligence agent who is part of the United NationsRaven Unit. He is a subordinate of Master Raven and Victor Chevalier. The Raven Unit was founded when Victor felt the world was on the brink of being taken over by the Mishima Zaibatsu.[2]

Raven was observing Hon-Maru, where members of the Mishima family had been fighting, when G Corporation attacked. Aware that Heihachi Mishima was present in the building when it exploded, Raven reported his supposed death to his unit. He would go on to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 to gather intel on who was behind the event, given that Heihachi could not have been the one who arranged it.[3]

Later, Raven discovered that Heihachi had survived the explosion at Hon-Maru. They fought briefly, but Raven was ordered back to headquarters and forced to retreat.[4]

As war escalated between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, Raven was deployed and began aiding Lars Alexandersson, the leader of a rebel army, and Alisa Bosconovitch, an android accompanying him. He provided intel initially,[5] and then assisted Lars and Alisa in infiltrating the Mishima Zaibatsu’s central tower by holding off NANCY-MI847J so that they could proceed and confront the Zaibatsu's leader, Jin Kazama.[6] Raven caught up with Lars in the central tower, finding him alone. On discovering that Alisa had her original programming triggered by Jin, Raven considered her to have become a notable threat, given the information she had gathered on her journey with Lars.[7]

Raven and Lars traveled to a temple in the desert in pursuit of Jin. On their way, they met Zafina, who shared intel with them.[8] Raven and Lars entered the temple, where they encountered Kazuya Mishima, the leader of G Corporation and Lars’s half-brother.[9] After Lars defeated Kazuya, he and Raven reached a chamber wherein they found Azazel, an ancient demon intending on eliminating humanity. Lars defeated Azazel and he and Raven left the temple.[10]

Outside the temple, Raven and Lars encountered and fought Jin and Alisa again.[11] Following defeat, Alisa shut down[12] and Jin divulged his intentions for instigating the war. Azazel emerged again, and Jin dealt it a blow that appeared to kill them both.[13] Raven and Lars left the scene in a car, discussing whether Jin had intended for things to end the way they did.[14] Later, Raven returned to the remains of the temple to meet with a UN team who had found Jin in the sand, unconscious but alive.[15]

Anticipating more chaos on the horizon, Raven resolved to push himself past his limits. He put in a request to train further and was granted six months in which to do so. He mastered a new art, ‘Shadow Clone’, just as he received orders to return to the field.[16]

Personality

Raven is an enigmatic figure about whom little is known. Like all secret agents of the United Nations, his country of origin, real name, and age are all undisclosed. He is distant and business-like in all his associations. Even after allying with Lars Alexandersson in Tekken 6, he explains to him afterwards that it was an alliance of convenience that extends no further than the business he has now concluded. He also reiterates this side of himself in his Tekken 5 and Tekken 6 win quote: "It's just business. Do not take it personally." He is described as 'ruthless' and rarely let's his emotions come into his decisions. He is cool and level-headed, as shown when calls in for back-up and additional orders if confronted with unexpected situations. Some of this cool leaves him however when confronted with those with whom he has a personal grudge, such as Sergei Dragunov, towards whom he displays some anger.

Appearance

Raven is a muscular man with brown skin, brown eyes, and blonde hair, styled in a very short crew cut and with streaks shaved out of it, revealing strips of his bare scalp. He has a large X-shaped scar across his face, with the lines crossing between his eyes. He also bears a black tattoo resembling a stylized kanji for death ( shi?) on his left shoulder. He typically wears close-fitting combat gear in a monochrome palette, thematically linked to popular depictions of ninja.

Outfits

Main article: Raven/Outfits

Story

Tekken 5

Tekken_5_Raven_Interludes

Tekken 5 Raven Interludes

Manual, NTSC
An international intelligence agent considered highly skilled and iron-hearted, codename RAVEN. Apart from a scar in the shape of an "X" on his face, his details, including age and nationality, are unknown. Raven entered the fifth tournament to find out who or what was behind the event.[17]

Manual, PAL
Codenamed Raven, this international intelligence agent is considered highly skilled and iron-hearted. Apart from a scar in the shape of an "X" on his face, his details, including age and nationality, are unknown. Raven entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 to find out who or what was behind the event, but does he know more than those he reports in to?[18]

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Manual, PAL
Raven is known as one of world's [sic] most skilled and ruthless agents. Other than the x-shaped scar on his face, little is known about him.[19]

Official Strategy Guide
Raven is known as one of the most skilled and ruthless agents in a certain government intelligence agency. Other than the X-shaped scar on his face, little is known about him.

While on a mission to investigate connections between Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, he witnessed Heihachi Mishima being assaulted by a deployment of JACKs, and the explosion that ensued when the JACKs self-destructed. Afterward, news reached Raven that the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 would be held. Raven decided to enter, in order to gather intel about the tournament and the motives of those behind it.[20]

Prologue
Codename: Raven. A ruthless member of an international spy agency. Little is known about him other than the X on his face. On a mission to look into the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, he witnessed Heihachi Mishima swarmed by JACKs. Later, he hears that someone would hold The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5. Raven infiltrates the tournament to find out more.[3]

Tekken_5_-_Raven_ending_-_HQ

Tekken 5 - Raven ending - HQ

Raven's ending

Ending Description
Jinpachi is defeated and Raven calls in to his superiors, informing them, "Mission Complete, returning to HQ." He then scales a vertical cliff face athletically and lands on top of a stealth aircraft which flies him away from the scene.

Tekken 6

Official Strategy Guide
After infiltrating The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, Raven found Heihachi, who many believed was dead, and engaged him in combat. Before the fight ended, Raven was ordered back to headquarters and retreated.

As the world was trying to recover from the devious work of the Mishima Zaibatsu, the conflict between that organization and the G Corporation escalated. It appeared to be only a matter of time before this discord turned into a large-scale encounter. Raven infiltrated The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 in order to stop further carnage.[21]

Prologue
After infiltrating The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, Raven found Heihachi, who many believed was dead, and engaged him in combat. Before the fight was over, Raven was ordered back to headquarters and forced to retreat.

As the world was caught up in disorder due to the work of the Mishima Zaibatsu, the conflict between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation escalated and it appeared to be only a matter of time before it turned into a large-scale encounter. Raven infiltrates The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 in order to stop such an encounter before it occurs.[4]

Prologue Version 2
After The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, Raven encounters Heihachi Mishima, who was presumed to be dead... They began to fight.

Before a winner could be decided, Raven received orders to return to headquarters, and he had to withdraw from battle.

After that encounter, the battle between both the Mishima Zaibatsu and G-Corporation intensified. In order to prevent any further losses, Raven is sent to investigate the Mishima Zaibatsu once again via The King of Iron Fist Tournament 6.[citation needed]

Tekken_6_Raven_Ending_Scene_HD

Tekken 6 Raven Ending Scene HD

T6 ending

Ending Description
Dragunov and his men are seen carrying Azazel's body out of the tomb. Suddenly, Raven arrives riding a jet harrier plane. He forms his hand signs, (Rin, Pyoh, Toh, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen), jumps from the plane and throws a kunai, slicing the temple's walls. He lands on top of Azazel's body and takes the orb from Azazel's chest. Dragunov then attempts to shoot him along with his men firing rapid gunshots but Raven manages to avoid them and jumps on the harrier plane which departs soon after, leaving Dragunov with an empty look on his face.

Summary of In-Game Events
Raven acts as a spy throughout the story, aiding Lars Alexandersson by silently observing him and passing information to Yggdrasil and Lars's second-in-command, Tougou. Raven gets involved personally when Lars and Alisa Bosconovitch are confronted by the Mishima Zaibatsu's robot, NANCY-MI847J. Raven defeats NANCY and meets up with Lars, only to find him grieved by the loss of Alisa, who has been turned against him by Jin Kazama. Raven then accompanies Lars to the Middle East, where they help Zafina and then, using the information she provides, locate the temple of Azazel. Raven helps Lars defeat Azazel and they then escape the temple together as it collapses. While leaving the desert in a jeep and taking Alisa’s body to be repaired by Lee in Violet Systems, Raven tells Lars how he wonders if Jin really wanted it to end this way. At Violet Systems, before Raven leaves Lars, it is revealed that he was given a Tekken Force badge by Lars’ late friend Tougou, so that he could give it to Lars in case of Tougou's death. After Jin sacrifices himself to finally defeat Azazel, Raven and his UN forces find Jin's body out in the desert. The Devil Gene mark is still on his arm. Raven orders his soldiers to recover the body and take it with them.

Tekken 7

Raven appears briefly in a flashback where he and his men find the comatose body of Jin in the desert. He was later present in the UN helicopter carrying Jin that gets blown up by Jin's haywire devil powers afterward.

Master Raven mentions in her Character Episode that Raven needs to be retrained, and Tekken 8 confirms his survival after the helicopter crash.

Tekken 8

TEKKEN_8_—_Raven_Reveal_&_Gameplay_Trailer

TEKKEN 8 — Raven Reveal & Gameplay Trailer

Abridged Profile
Raven is a secret intelligence agent, part of an independent unit under the UN who has engaged in multiple missions to prevent conflicts worldwide, and he is a master of espionage that utilizes ninjutsu. He ventured into training to prepare for his increasingly dangerous duties, where he mastered the art of shadow cloning. That is when he received an order summoning him to a new battle.[22]

Official Website Profile (English)
Codename: Raven. An agent and ninjutsu master, he is tasked with special ops missions for the UN's independent forces. Raven has engaged in missions all over the world, utilizing his ninjutsu to put a stop to conflicts before they even begin. However, the brutal power struggle between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corp threatens to bring the entire globe to its knees, and Raven only sees more chaos on the horizon.

To face the challenges that lie ahead, he must continue to push past his limits. With this in mind, Raven sets out to train with his ninjutsu master once more. While the top brass admires Raven's resolve and accepts his request to go train, their approval comes with a condition: they will only cover his absence for half a year. Aiming to maximize his results in a limited time frame, Raven decides to focus on honing the arts he already excels at.

Months pass, and he masters a new art, "Shadow Clone," just as he receives orders to return. Thus, Raven leaves the training grounds behind, anticipating the new battle that awaits him.[16]

Tekken_8_-_Raven_Character_Episode_Ending

Tekken 8 - Raven Character Episode Ending

Character Episode Prologue

Ending Description

Summary of In-Game Events
Following Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima's clash in New York, Kazuya announces an eighth tournament. Raven informs Victor Chevalier of this, and Victor instructs Raven to evacuate civilians rather than attempting a counterattack.

Upon seeing Kazuya's Devil form, Victor surmises that Heihachi's intention had always been to stop forces such as Kazuya from bringing destruction to the world. Raven tells Victor that Heihachi Mishima is dead, but there is still one man who carry his bloodline and ambition is currently resisting against Kazuya, as a human, referring to Lars Alexandersson. This allows Victor to form a joint operation with Yggdrasil and aid Jin.

Raven appears alongside Victor during the finals of Kazuya's tournament in Italy, where the UN and Yggdrasil launch a joint assault on the tournament to evacuate the spectators and attempt to stop Kazuya. After this confrontation, Kazuya retreats to instead launch an attack on Yakushima, where Jin fled in order to regain control of his Devil power. Raven joins in with UN soldiers, Yggdrasil, and those allied with Yggdrasil in order to fight on the Yakushima battlefield.

In the good ending, Raven can be seen along with Victor leading lines of UN soldiers.

Other Appearances

Tekken (2010 Film)

Raven appeared in the 2010 live-action movie. He is portrayed by Darrin Dewitt Henson.

Street Fighter X Tekken

Raven appeared as a playable character in Street Fighter X Tekken. His tag partner is Yoshimitsu. When Raven is modded, his eyes can be seen.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Raven appeared as a playable character in Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Profile:
A secret agent who belongs to a certain international intelligence group. He strives to prevent a full-on clash between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, whose tensions have grown high recently.

"Don't take it personal. I'm just doing my job."[23]

Tekken_Tag_Tournament_2_-_'Raven_Ending'_TRUE-HD_QUALITY

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - 'Raven Ending' TRUE-HD QUALITY

Ending Description
Raven comes in front of Yoshimitsu, who is riding on a horse. Yoshimitsu then jumps off and prepares for battle as Raven comes at him with his blades. Yoshimitsu successfully dodges the attacks and flips backwards to distance himself. Raven immediately wastes no time in attacking him relentlessly. Yoshimitsu still manages to dodge them. His blades go up against his sword. Yoshimitsu distracts him by slashing a tree branch then starts flying above him using his sword. He comes back to assault him but Raven blocks it. He tries to counter his block with a slash, but Yoshimitsu vanishes and appears behind him.

He then makes sharp slashes in the air and darts branch-like arrows at Raven, which he evades. There are two coming at his face when Raven disappears as soon as they hit the ground. Yoshimitsu lands on the ground ready to slice through him, when Raven suddenly appears behind him. He duplicates himself as he stands there, he actually heavily assaults Yoshimitsu, creating an illusion. Yoshimitsu, now weakened, turns around only to be struck by Raven. With Yoshimitsu defeated, he returns to his mission. He then darts through the forest with the screen ending with black feathers.

Special Alliance Partners:

Gameplay

Raven is one of the trickiest and hard to use characters in the series. Most of his attacks are really unsafe, so he's best used as a defensive/runaway character: he has an incredible ability to reverse and parry attacks, and also has the ability to backflip out of the situation. To complement his capability to set the pace of a match, Raven has some good poke and pressure options. As with other tricky characters, gaining familiarity to his moveset is the key to use him effectively.

In Tekken 8, Raven has new moves at his disposal. Some of these moves involve him utilizing multiple shadow clones, similar to his Alter Ego move from Tekken 6 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Fighting Style

Raven fights using Ninjutsu.

Moves

Quotes

Character Relationships

  • Master Raven - His superior. The both work for the United Nations.
  • Victor Chevalier - His mentor and superior. Victor founded and trained The Raven Unit.
  • Sergei Dragunov - His enemy in both Tekken 5 and Tekken 6, it is implied that there is a longstanding rivalry between the two, and that Dragunov may be responsible for the scar on Raven's face.[24]. This rivalry likely extends to their organizations, since Master Raven is also a rival to Dragunov.
  • Yoshimitsu - Raven faced him in Tekken 5. Raven thinks that him being a ninja is laughable. When the two are seen interacting, the usually stoic Raven can often be seen visibly irritated. Yoshimitsu hires his help in Street Fighter X Tekken (non-canon).
  • Heihachi Mishima - His opponent after he was discovered to still be alive after Tekken 5. Raven did not finish the fight and pulled out on orders from HQ.
  • Lars Alexandersson - Raven is first seen following him and Alisa in Tekken 6's Scenario Campaign. He helps Lars and Alisa by fighting NANCY-MI847J on their behalf. Raven later replaces Alisa as Lars's partner when Jin takes control of her. The two are likely at odds in Tekken 7, where Lars attacked United Nations forces in order to rescue Jin, but as of the events of Tekken 8, the two join forces once again to stop Kazuya.
  • Jin Kazama - One of his targets in Tekken 6. Raven was ordered to investigate him as part of the UN's investigation into the MFG after their war with G Corporation intensified. He finds Jin unconscious in a desert after the story of Tekken 6. Raven and his men then try to transport Jin in a helicopter, but Jin escapes in his devil form, destroying the helicopter Raven was in. In Tekken 8, Raven allies with Lars and by extension aids Jin in his quest to stop Kazuya from bringing destruction and chaos to the world. His friend and protege in the 2010 film (non-canon).
  • Zafina - As conveyed through her dialogue in Tekken 6 Scenario Campaign, they seem to share a history together, with both having helped each other in professional matters numerous times in the past.[25] Raven and Lars also help her defeat a group of Tekken Force soldiers in Scenario Campaign.
  • Tougou - They were in some sort of contact before Tougou's death. Tougou entrusted Raven with Lars' tag so that he could return it to him in case Tougou died before Lars could accept it back.
  • Alisa Bosconovitch - Initially his ally in Tekken 6, she is briefly his enemy after she is forced to defend Jin. They become allies once again in Tekken 8 in order to defeat Kazuya.
  • NANCY-MI847J - Destroyed by Raven in Tekken 6 Scenario Campaign story.
  • Kazuya Mishima - Part of his objective and enemy since Tekken 6 and its Scenario Campaign.
  • Azazel - Raven and Lars defeated Azazel after they were briefed about his existence by Zafina in Scenario Campaign.
  • Asuka Kazama - His opponent in the Tekken 5 demo (non-canon).
  • Eddy Gordo - Defeated him in the 2010 film (non-canon).
  • Kunimitsu - His partner in the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 opening (non-canon).

Trivia

General:

  • Raven has a tattoo on his upper left shoulder that resembles a stylized kanji for death ( shi?). This symbol is also found on his superior, Master Raven's shoulder in the same place, and on the armor of Raven's troops at the end of Tekken 6. The symbol thus likely represents the raven class of secret agents working for the United Nations, and their associated assigned forces.
  • Originally, Raven's biographies kept secret what organization he worked for. It was hinted at in various places in Tekken 6 however, and confirmed outright in Tekken 7 that he and his superior, Master Raven, are both secret intelligence operatives for the United Nations.
  • It was stated on the European Tekken 6 site for a time that Raven is from Canada. However, in later versions of the site, his nationality is stated as unknown.[26]
  • The hand signs that Raven performs are part of the Kuji-in, a Japanese Buddhist Tantric technique said to be also practiced by ninjas.
  • Raven resembles Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes' characters, Simon Phoenix from Demolition Man (blonde hair) and the Marvel Comics character Blade from the Blade film series in terms of shades, personality, tattoo and costume. The "I'll see you in hell" win pose is a reference to Blade's "catch you later" point and walk.
    • When Namco was asked about the similarities being intentional, they stated that they simply wanted a true ninjutsu practitioner and a "cool black guy" for a character, and that the similarities were purely coincidental.
  • Raven was voiced by Jack Merluzzi in Tekken 5 but in Tekken 6 however, his voice actor changed to DC Douglas. The reason of the change has not been stated.

Tekken 5:

  • Raven makes his first appearance in the opening movie for Tekken 5, as he witnesses the attack on Hon-Maru by the Jack-4s while on a mission to look into the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation, as well as the subsequent explosion. It seems that he is the first one to report of Heihachi Mishima's supposed death.
  • Raven's sub-boss is Heihachi Mishima.
  • He acts as the sub-boss for both Nina Williams and Yoshimitsu. He also has a special interlude should the latter lose, where he tries and fails to teach Yoshimitsu the Kuji-in signs.[27]
    • There was also a cut interlude showing Yoshimitsu attempting to teach Raven the Kabuki pose he uses, but Raven similarly fails at the attempt.

Tekken 6:

  • Raven is one of the two characters that does not fight Azazel in the "Arena" mode. The other is Marshall Law. This is because Sergei Dragunov and his men encountered Azazel first in Raven's ending. Raven's final boss is instead Jin Kazama.
    • His Arena Mode opponents are the following, in order of stage: Jack-6, Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama.
  • Raven acts as the boss of the Secret Underground Passage during the Scenario Campaign.
  • Raven's first item move has him combine a large shuriken which he will throw towards his opponent. His second item move has him throw down a smoke bomb before performing Death From Above.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2:

  • His ending takes place in the same forest as Kunimitsu's ending. Oddly enough, Yoshimitsu is riding on a horse in both endings.
  • Raven's item move has him pull out a talisman before using it to breathe fire.
  • He has a special winpose with Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu where he will perform his hand poses with his partner.
  • He has a special tag throw with Yoshimitsu where Raven performs Undertaker to launch the opponent, but Yoshimitsu teleports in and slashes the opponent's throat with his sword.
  • He has a special tag throw with Kunimitsu where Raven again performs Undertaker send the opponent into the air, and Kunimitsu arrives with her Rising Knee.

Tekken 8

  • Prior to his official reveal, Raven was among the characters found within the game's files during the Closed Network Test on July 2023. Additionally, a day prior to both his and Azucena's official trailers, the Bandai Namco EU website accidentally posted their arrival early.

Other:

Gallery

Main article: Raven/Gallery

References

  1. ^ a b In-game Tekken 8 profile
  2. ^ [Chevalier's Official English Website Profile].
  3. ^ a b Tekken 5 In-Game Prologue.
  4. ^ a b Tekken 6 In-Game Prologue.
  5. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Raven.
  6. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 24: Unexpected Help.
  7. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 26: Unfinished Business.
  8. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Zafina and Tekken Force.
  9. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Kazuya Mishima.
  10. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 28: Defying Fate.
  11. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 29: A Cold Reception.
  12. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 30: System Shutdown.
  13. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 31: The Truth.
  14. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 32: The Aftermath.
  15. ^ Lars Alexandersson Scenario Campaign Dialogues - Cutscene 35: Beneath The Sand.
  16. ^ a b Official Tekken 8 Profile
  17. ^ Tekken 5 Manual, p34.
  18. ^ Tekken 4 PAL Manual, p.16.
  19. ^ Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection PlayStation PAL Manual.
  20. ^ Tekken 5 Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2004), p.176.
  21. ^ Tekken 6 Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games (2009), p.238; transcribed on Tekken Zaibatsu.
  22. ^ Kohei Ikeda, "Tekken 8 game director reveals details on new and returning characters Joining the Roster: Azucena and Raven."
  23. ^ Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U profile.
  24. ^ Raven/Scenario Campaign Dialogues#Sergei Dragunov
  25. ^ Zafina/Scenario Campaign Dialogues#Raven. Although Zafina's playthrough is non-canonical, her comments expand on and explain her canonical relationship to Raven, visible in the canonical playthrough of the game.
  26. ^ This website has reproduced other unreliable information in the past, including claiming that Zafina was Indian, something that has decisively been refuted as untrue by Harada.
  27. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O__qQimxCww

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