, real name , is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of Konami's Metal Gear series of action-adventure stealth video games. Created by Hideo Kojima and designed by Yoji Shinkawa, Raiden was introduced in the series as the main player character 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 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 in his native Liberia. 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'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. Raiden, who was inspired by the Sherlock Holmes 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 in Japanese and Quinton Flynn 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, the decision to make a new character to replace Solid Snake for most of Metal Gear Solid 2: