Raiden
Raiden
| Biological Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Human | ||||
| Gender | Male | ||||
| Status | Alive | ||||
| Height | 300+ cm (9’10″+) | ||||
| Weight | 400+ kg (882 lbs+) | ||||
| Debut | |||||
| Webcomic | Chapter 106 | ||||
| Manga | Chapter 184 |
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| Status | |||||
| Occupation | Neo Hero Super Sumo Yokozuna (Formerly) |
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| Affiliation | Neo Heroes | ||||
| Portrayal | |||||
| Japanese Voice |
Makoto Furukawa |
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| English Voice | Max Mittelman | ||||
| Abilities | |||||
| Abilities | Superhuman Physical Prowess | ||||
Appearance
Raiden is an exceptionally large and muscular man, with a towering physique that reflects his years of sumo training. He has black hair styled in the traditional chonmage topknot, commonly worn by sumo wrestlers, and dark, intense eyes. Raiden’s attire consists of the standard rikishi (sumo wrestler) appearance, including a white fundoshi (loincloth), which is typical of professional sumo wrestlers. His imposing stature and muscular build are key features that make him easily recognizable.
Raiden’s extended appearance.
Personality
Raiden is a confident and determined individual, firmly standing by his principles. He chose not to join the Hero Association, opting instead to work with the Neo Heroes, as he believed in their approach and mission more. His confidence in his strength is reflected in his prideful demeanor, boasting about his legendary reputation and even challenging Superalloy Darkshine to a sparring match. Much like Darkshine, Raiden seeks the exhilaration of fighting strong opponents, but his disappointment was clear when he noticed that Darkshine’s confidence seemed shaken, leading Raiden to internally question whether Darkshine was past his prime.
Raiden holds a firm belief that strength gained through intense training is superior to strength achieved through scientific enhancements, feeling that such modifications limit a person’s true potential. However, this conviction leads to a harsher side of Raiden, particularly towards criminals, as he has shown a willingness to forcibly convert criminals into mind-controlled cyborgs as a form of punishment and rehabilitation. After his encounter with Puri-Puri Prisoner, however, Raiden began to reconsider this stance. Through their battle, Raiden came to recognize Puri-Puri Prisoner as a true hero, and this newfound respect led him to reconsider his views on reformative justice, showing that Raiden is open to changing his perspective when confronted with someone who proves his assumptions wrong.
In everyday life, Saitama is lazy and indifferent, often lounging around, playing video games, or reading manga. He frequents simple food stalls and doesn’t fuss over his meals. One of the recurring jokes is his inability to remember people’s names and faces, as seen when he forgot Speed-o’-Sound Sonic’s name or failed to recall Tanktop Tiger. He also tends to mispronounce people’s names, much to their annoyance. Saitama isn’t bothered by insults, usually ignoring them and suggesting the person insulting him needs a hobby, though he does get defensive when people comment on his lack of hair. He also dislikes his hero name, “Caped Baldy,” and continues to call himself simply “Saitama.”
Raiden is also known for his strong convictions, demonstrating a willingness to defy his leader’s orders if they conflict with what he believes is right. This integrity showcases his commitment to doing what he thinks is just, even at the risk of conflict within the Neo Heroes.
History
Raiden’s career as a professional Super Sumo wrestler is marked by an extraordinary accomplishment—winning 700 consecutive matches, earning him the prestigious title of Super Sumo Yokozuna. This achievement solidified his place in history as the strongest wrestler to ever compete in the sport. His talent for sumo wrestling and natural combat abilities were evident even from childhood. As a prodigy, Raiden never lost a single fight or sports competition, even when facing adult competitors, showcasing his raw strength and potential early on.
Throughout his career, Raiden caught the attention of the Hero Association, which repeatedly approached him with offers to join their ranks as an S-Class Hero. However, Raiden consistently declined their recruitment efforts, refusing to be part of the organization despite the prestige and resources they could offer. His choice to remain independent and later align himself with the Neo Heroes reflected his personal convictions and his belief in a different path to heroism and strength.
Plot
Neo Heroes Saga
Raiden’s encounter with Darkshine.
Neo Heroes Introduction Arc
Raiden is once again approached by a Hero Association scout with yet another offer to join their ranks, but he turns them down, as he always had. This time, Raiden reveals to the scout that he has already contracted with the newly-founded Neo Heroes, opting to lend his strength to this new organization instead of the Hero Association.
Ninjas Arc
During a Neo Heroes meeting, Raiden is appointed to the esteemed position of Neo Leader. At the meeting, he encounters Superalloy Darkshine and inquires if the former S-Class hero has genuinely retired from battle. Raiden acknowledges Darkshine’s impressive reputation as the man with “diamond muscles,” whose strength is said to exceed that of all living beings. He then challenges Darkshine to a brief grapple to test his strength.
However, sensing Darkshine’s hesitation and nervousness, Raiden halts the match. Internally, he wonders whether Darkshine is past his prime. Shortly afterward, when Mars Leo, another Neo Hero, begins rampaging to demonstrate his power, Raiden shows concern for Darkshine’s safety and advises him to move aside to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Neo Heroes Uprising Arc
During a monster invasion, Raiden showcases his immense power by effortlessly defeating monsters. He palm strikes one monster to death and stomps another, killing both with ease. Raiden, however, expresses doubts about the necessity of the Neo Heroes’ Battle Suits, arguing that they are unnecessary for someone with his level of strength.
Later, Raiden is seen testing one of the Neo Heroes’ battle suits. While doing so, he recalls his previous battle with Puri-Puri Prisoner. Despite landing several heavy blows without suffering any injuries, Raiden was ultimately unable to incapacitate the S-Class hero due to the latter’s ability to suppress pain. During that fight, Raiden realized that Puri-Puri Prisoner’s focus was not on the battle but on protecting the prisoners he vowed to defend, which led Raiden to acknowledge the hero’s sense of justice, despite its unusual nature. Raiden walked away from the fight, resolved to inform his leader that Puri-Puri Prisoner was indeed a true hero.
Returning to the present, Raiden reflects on the power of an S-Class hero like Puri-Puri Prisoner, noting how remarkable it is that someone with such strength is still considered the weakest in the S-Class rankings. He also contemplates how even a powerful hero like Darkshine can have their spirit worn down by repeatedly confronting evil. As a sumo wrestler, Raiden affirms that his own spirit must remain indomitable, even in the face of overwhelming adversaries.
Abilities and Powers
Raiden is renowned for his extraordinary strength, often described as possessing a “strength that surpasses knowledge.” This remarkable power has drawn the attention of the Hero Association, which has repeatedly attempted to recruit him as an S-Class Hero. His immense physical abilities give him a reputation that places him beyond the capabilities of most biological beings, allowing him to overwhelm opponents with ease. On one occasion, Raiden nonchalantly swatted a large monster to death with a single bare-handed strike while on vacation, showcasing his casual mastery of raw strength.
According to McCoy, Raiden ranks at the pinnacle of battle prowess, and the Neo Heroes have assessed his combat capabilities as being superior to many of the Hero Association’s S-Class heroes. Raiden briefly engaged in a grapple with the former S-Class hero Superalloy Darkshine, although Darkshine was not at his peak physical and mental state during their encounter.
Raiden also fought against Puri-Puri Prisoner, covering the latter in blood and bruises, while Raiden himself remained relatively unharmed. However, Puri-Puri Prisoner’s new technique, combined with his ability to suppress pain, allowed him to withstand the damage dealt by Raiden. Despite his confidence in his ability to defeat Puri-Puri Prisoner, Raiden ultimately chose to withdraw out of respect for his opponent’s resolve.
Although Raiden initially hesitated to use the Neo Heroes’ strength-augmenting suit, he eventually embraced it, further amplifying his already overwhelming power. With the suit, Raiden can easily create massive craters in reinforced concrete and generate tremors through an entire skyscraper simply by walking.
Raiden tests his strength against Superalloy Darkshine.
Physical Abilities
Immense Strength: Raiden’s physical prowess is nearly unmatched. During his brief grapple with Superalloy Darkshine, the latter became visibly nervous and began to sweat, despite not being in peak condition at the time. Raiden has demonstrated his raw strength in various ways, such as decapitating a monster with a casual palm strike and splitting another monster in half by merely stepping on it. His strength also allowed him to damage Puri-Puri Prisoner during their fight, although he was unable to incapacitate the hero, leading to a mutual withdrawal.
Fighting Style
Sumo Wrestling: Raiden is a master of sumo wrestling and holds the title of Super Sumo champion. Super Sumo, a variation of the traditional sumo style, requires participants to be over 300 cm tall and weigh at least 400 kg. Raiden’s mastery of sumo is demonstrated through his undefeated record of 700 consecutive wins. Many of his techniques revolve around powerful palm strikes rather than traditional punches, making use of the sumo style’s emphasis on pushing and striking.
Giant Heavy Cannon (巨重砲, Kyojūhō): Raiden uses a devastating palm strike to attack his opponent with overwhelming force. This technique was first seen when he used it against Puri-Puri Prisoner.
Thousand Spot Giant Heavy Cannon (千斑巨重砲, Senhan Kyojūhō): Another powerful palm strike variation used by Raiden, demonstrating his mastery of sumo techniques tailored for combat.
Trivia
- Raiden is likely inspired by the famous historical sumo wrestler Raiden Tameemon (雷電爲右衞門), one of the greatest rikishi in Japanese history.
- His palm strike technique, Thousand Spot Giant Heavy Cannon, is a direct homage to E. Honda’s Thousand Hands technique from the popular video game Street Fighter.