LogFAQs > #895837307

I think the moment where I really started to take a closer look at Raiden is one line where, after shooting down the Harrier, he flat-out tells Snake that if he could he would be "Out of here in a second". Raiden does not want to be on the Big Shell, cleaning up the mess that Solidus and co. made, but he was never given the choice. This concept of choice and free will was repeatedly expanded on and I found it all pretty engrossing. Raiden was raised from a young age to be an unthinking weapon, so he never had a choice in whether or not he became a killer - let alone one so vicious that he was dubbed Jack the Ripper. Raiden fell in love with Rose, but it was a relationship based on lies as she tailored herself to be his ideal woman, so that was barely a choice either. He was sent to the Big Shell against his wishes, then fed misinformation, then fed further misinformation that was phrased as the 'truth' because the previous information was admitted to be a lie. From the moment he was born, Raiden was not allowed to think for himself or be his own person. For me, the bit that ties it all together is when Rose mentions that his room resembles a threadbare dungeon with no personal furnishings whatsoever. Raiden has no self. He's not allowed to have a self.

The poor guy gets jerked around by literally everyone in MGS2 (except the Emmerich siblings because they're too good for this world). Probably the most demoralizing line in the game is how, after Raiden has a heartfelt conversation with Snake about passing on your legacy, the GW AI directly tells Raiden that his newfound philosophy is just "something Snake told him" and that he's still not thinking for himself. It's not until Raiden throws away his dog tags in the ending cutscene that it really feels like he's freed himself from at least some of the shackles the world put on him, and it's an extremely powerful moment (in an understated sort of way). MGS2 Raiden is a fascinating character with an arc I've revisited many times. He's not as effortlessly cool as Snake is but I still liked him a lot and was really hoping for things to get better for him.

Then MGS4 happened. Raiden in MGS4 is okay, but it doesn't really feel like him. Kojima was trying too hard to make him cool. That's the exact opposite opinion of a lot of people but hey, my list my rules! There's something to be said about Raiden - the human raised to an unthinking weapon - willingly becoming a weapon so he could protect those he cares about, but whatever statement that could have made is sidelined in favor of more ninja flips. Still, his scene with Rose at the end is one of my favorites in the series and "I am lightning, the rain transformed" is the best worst line I've ever heard in my life, so I still liked him.
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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.