Ayane

Ayane (あやね, Ayane) is a Japanese kunoichi of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan, and the current master of the clan's Hajin Mon Sect, who stars in the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden video game series.

Starting as a training dummy in the port of the original Dead or Alive, Ayane has been a main playable character in Dead or Alive since the  remake. In Ninja Gaiden, Ayane acts as help for Ryu Hayabusa by giving him hints and clues, as well as becoming a playable character in certain special editions.

Conceived when Ayame was raped by Raidou, Ayane is the younger half-sister, and cousin, of both Hayate and Kasumi. Although mistreated in her youth, Ayane has worked hard to become one of the most powerful shinobi of her clan.

History
Ayane was conceived when her mother Ayame, the wife of clan leader Shiden, was raped by Raidou; Shiden's younger brother and the progenitor of the Mugen Tenshin's troubles. Due to her dishonourable birth, the village took a great dislike towards Ayane, naming her "the cursed child" and turned her into an outcast. As Ayame didn't want to raise her due to the great shame she had, Ayane was taken in by Genra, the leader of the clan's Hajin Mon sect, and wasn't told who her true family was.

Unaware of the circumstances of her birth, she and Kasumi - the "princess" of the Mugen Tenshin village - played together as best friends, although neither of them knew that they were half-sisters. When Genra proposed that Ayane assisted him in his duties before the clan’s masters, Ayane met Hayate and the two started to form a close bond. From a young age, Ayane was trained to became a shinobi of the shadows, helping the clan from afar.

Later, Ayane learned the truth of her conception: she was taken to a private room where Ayame shamefully admitted everything to her; that she was her daughter, an heir to the clan’s head family and the younger half-sister to both Hayate and Kasumi. Driven by her mother’s shame and her own anger at being outcast, Ayane devoted herself to honing her Hajin Mon abilities beyond any other shinobi in the clan to prove that even she, the lowly "cursed child", could become something great. Her friendship with Kasumi withered because of jealousy; Ayane couldn't stand that Kasumi was spoiled as the "princess", while she was the daughter her family gave away.

Ninja Gaiden
At the age of 14, Ayane had already become highly skilled in the art of ninjutsu and had come to be an important asset for Master Murai of the Shadow Ninja Clan as an information courier.

It was during one of her trips that she noticed something amiss and discovered the Hayabusa Village under attack. Running to the Shadow Ninja Clan to inform Murai, she encountered Ryu Hayabusa, who was also paying a visit to the Master. Informing the two of the attack resulted in Ryu rushing to his village and being slain by the Greater Fiend, Doku. After being restored by the clan’s animal spirit, Ryu embarked on a quest of vengeance for his clan. Ayane embarked to support him by providing Ryu with information, hints and items whenever possible.

Ninja Gaiden II
Later on, once again assisting Ryu, Ayane was seen assisting in the aftermath of the latest attack on the Hayabusa Village. Eventually, she was tasked with locating and retrieving the Eye of the Dragon jewel in order to empower the Dragon Sword, wielded by Ryu. To do this, she had to defeat the ressurected Fiend and Black Spider Ninja Clan leader, Obaba. Ayane came out victorious and took the Eye of the Dragon, leaving Obaba for dead. She met up with Ryu and gave him the Eye of the Dragon. Ryu then merged the sword with the Jewel, transforming it into the True Dragon Sword.

Dead or Alive
Two years later, Raidou returned to the Mugen Tenshin Village in search of the Torn Sky Blast. Ayane confronted him but was quickly defeated. After Raidou's rampage, Hayate was left grievously injured, inciting Kasumi to leave the clan on a quest for vengeance. Leaving the clan marked her as a "Runaway Shinobi" and a clan traitor, so Ayane was ordered to track down and kill Kasumi in order to secure their clan’s secrecy.



Dead or Alive 2
Having tracked Kasumi to the second Dead or Alive Tournament, Ayane entered as a combatant in the hopes of confronting her half-sister in battle. Though she didn’t manage to kill Kasumi, she did encounter an amnesiac but apparently healthy Hayate - who had been living by the name of "Ein" - and assisted in his gradual regaining of memory. During the tournament, Ayane was also confronted by Helena Douglas, who believed that the shinobi was the one who killed her mother, Maria. Ayane neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, choosing to simply taunt the woman instead.

Dead or Alive 3
Following the disappearance of Genra, Ayane learned that he was taken by the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee and was transformed in a monstrous experiment known as Omega, as well as learning the purpose of the latest tournament: to act as a proving ground for Omega’s abilities. Now the most powerful practitioner of the Mugen Tenshin Clan, Ayane accompanied Hayate - now the 18th leader of the clan - and Ryu in defeating Omega in the tournament.

After many battles, which included matches against both Hayate and Kasumi, Ayane emerged to defeat and kill Omega in hand-to-hand combat. As a tribute to foster father, she gave Genra a funeral pyre as well as keeping his weapon, a double-blade energy sword, and his mask as mementos. With his death, she became the new Hajin Mon master of the Mugen Tenshin clan.

Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
Ayane was invited to Zack Island, believing that she will be taking part in the fourth tournament. However, upon arrival, the tournament was discovered to be a hoax created by Zack, and Ayane was stuck for two weeks on the island resort. To pass the time, she teamed up with other girls and participated in volleyball contests, games and shopping.



Dead or Alive 4
The fourth tournament served as an opportunity for vengeance by the Mugen Tenshin clan, who had suffered at the hands of DOATEC’s experiments, so Ayane once again accompanied Hayate and Ryu in embarking on DOATEC’s destruction. During the battle, Ayane acted to delay Kasumi in stopping Hayate from attacking DOATEC and engaged Christie in combat in order to allow Ryu to go after his targets.

Ayane was also primarily responsible for the destruction of the DOATEC Tritower, conjuring a powerful Art of the Raging Mountain God spell that resulted in the destruction of the complex’s middle floors. Despite being ordered to kill Kasumi, at the end she stopped her half-sister from running into the burning tritower after a suicidal Helena. It's unknown if Ayane did it to allow Helena to carry out her actions or to keep Kasumi from getting killed herself.

Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
Although the exact purpose is unknown, Ayane followed Kasumi to the resurrected New Zack Island, and participated in the holiday activities. It is unclear whether she followed Kasumi in order to attempt another assassination, whether they were friends now, or if she too wished to see Hayate, following the rumour that he was staying on the island.

Appearance
Also see: Ayane's Outfit Catalogues Ayane is of average height with a slender body, and despite being the youngest girl in the Dead or Alive series, she bears the second biggest bust out of all the women, falling just 2 centimeters behind Tina Armstrong. Her face is round, with a small button-nose and wide eyes. Her appearance is one of the most distinctive out of the fighters, due to her reddish-pink eyes and straight purple hair, which is cut to the nape of her neck, has a front fringe and is tied back with her favorite dark-purple bandana.

Her outfits are normally purple in color and have a feminine look about them, baring patterns and prints such as flowers and butterflies. Her swimsuit collections in the Dead or Alive Xtreme series are noted to be more "innocent" in appearance compared to the other women's collections, with lots of one-pieces and summer clothes rather then thongs and exposing, erotic suits. Ayane's most iconic costume is a dark-purple, strapless dress with a pink butterfly printed on the skirt, complete with matching pull-on sleeves, stockings, heeled boots, and a giant red or orange bow tied around her waist.

In Ninja Gaiden - more noticable in Ninja Gaiden II and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, Ayane appears more grown-up then her Dead or Alive self: her face is longer, with sharper, angled features. Her older, mature appearance in Ninja Gaiden is odd, as this series takes place before Dead or Alive, so Ayane would have been 14-15 at the time.

Personality
Mostly due to the way she was treated as a child, Ayane possesses a detached, cynical outlook on life, and is completely driven by the desire to prove to herself and others that she is better than those that condemned her. As a result, she turned into a determined, strong, secretive and deadly young woman, earning her the nickname "Female Tengu". She does have a tendency to talk down to people - mostly with Kasumi - and acting antagonistic, possibly again due to her experiences growing up. It should be noted that she despises anything or anyone reminding her of the past.

However, despite her cruel behaviour, she isn’t entirely cold and heartless. She does form working relationships with those around her, and even loving, emotional attachments, such as her admiration for Hayate and her father-daughter relationship with Genra. Like most of the other shinobi in the series, she is devoted to what she believes in and follows the code of her clan with all her heart, willing to take on tasks for her village even if it means she could die doing so.

Etymology
The kanji used to spell Ayane's name (綾音) means "Design Sound". The term can be used to describe something that is build perfectly for its purpose. This could relate to Ayane as she is seen as a skilled, naturally-born kunoichi.

Kasumi
Ayane and Kasumi are half-sisters and cousins; sharing the same biological mother, with Ayane's father also being Kasumi's paternal uncle. As children they were close friends, and despite the village's negative views of Ayane, they enjoyed playing together, even sharing the same hairstyle. However, after learning the circumstances of her birth, Ayane became jealous of Kasumi, because Ayane was treated like the demon child of the village while Kasumi was treated like a princess. Ayane was able to express her deep hatred toward Kasumi when she was sent to kill her for leaving the village. She also tries to keep Kasumi away from Hayate.

However, this envy and hatred may have abated now that their circumstances have changed; with Ayane the Hajin Mon Master of the Mugen Tenshin clan and Kasumi the runaway shinobi, desperate for attention. This may have been why she stopped Kasumi from entering the burning DOATEC building seconds before it exploded, despite her previous mission to kill her.

In Xtreme 2, Ayane and Kasumi began to develop a more friendly relationship with each other.

Hayate
Although Hayate and - of a time - Ayane didn't know that they are half-siblings, the connection between them is strong, albeit somewhat ambiguous. As children, Hayate was one of the few people who did not treat Ayane as a social pariah. This, combined with the man's skill, resolve and position in the clan, led Ayane to admire Hayate greatly.

Ayane's exact feelings for Hayate are a matter of debate; her respect for him is obvious, and the friendship/familial bond the two share is apparent, however, whether or not Ayane is in love with Hayate, as some have come to believe, is uncertain - The song played during her Dead or Alive 4 ending seems to suggest that she does harbor love for him. Regardless of their exact relationship, the two remain at each other's side, looking out for and protecting one another's backs.

Genra
Since no one cared for Ayane, Genra took her in as if she was his own daughter. As the master of the Hajin Mon style, Genra trained Ayane in that style of Mugen Tenshin ninjutsu. As a result, Genra was both her father figure and ninjutsu master. After his capture and transformation into Omega, Ayane felt obligated to end her foster father’s suffering and embarked to defeat him. He was cremated in a funeral pyre preceded over by Ayane, where she wept for the only person who cared enough to take her in.

Ryu Hayabusa
Ryu and Ayane have worked together on many occasions. She regards Ryu with respect and has formed a working relationship with the master shinobi.

Parents
Raidou, Ayane's biological father, raped her biological mother Ayame, resulting in the girl's birth. Ayane shows deep hatred towards Raidou as he was the cause of her "cursed birth" and her life as an outcast. She failed to get revenge on Raidou, as Kasumi was the one who defeated and killed him in the first tournament in vengeance for Hayate, who Raidou had grievously injured.

Ayane also has a deep hatred for her mother, Ayame, for being ashamed of her and making her an outcast, while treating Kasumi as a princess of the clan.

Dead or Alive
Throughout the Dead or Alive series, Ayane has been amongst the fastest characters in terms of move execution. While as fast as Kasumi, Ayane’s attacks do twice as much damage. However, although she is powerful, Ayane is a very hard character to master. This is mostly due to how her moves require practice to execute flawlessly and efficiently. One wrong move could leave her wide open to attack. As such, she is definitely not suited for beginners.

Before using Ayane, it is recommended to practice with Kasumi first, as she is a more balanced character while still pertaining the same speedy attack style. When she is mastered, however, Ayane’s spinning attacks can be a great asset in a duel, making her difficult to predict and be countered by the opponent. She is a deadly character in the right hands.

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Dead or Alive Xtreme
Due to her cold personality, building relations with Ayane can be difficult, and it is noted that giving her lots of presents will not solely guarantee that she'll partner with someone. Due to this, she is possibly one of the most difficult girls to befriend. It is best to avoid socializing with her in the mornings, as she is not in the best of moods at that time. If playing as Kasumi, Ayane will not want to be partners with her too easily. Ayane herself may have a hard time to get a partner, but ironically enough, she can easily get Kasumi as her partner.

When playing as Ayane in beach volleyball, she is most effective as a supporting player much like Kasumi, as her technique and jump stats provide excellent coverage in this position. Due to her weak defense, she is best placed mid-field so it will be easier for her to cover more ground. An ideal partner for her would be Hitomi, who while not as fast, is far stronger then Ayane, and can play head-on spikes while Ayane defends. Another good partner would be Kasumi; while both are not the strongest, they are fast, and good at aiming the ball. In this case, Kasumi would do best to defend, while Ayane spikes.
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 * Jump - 5/5
 * Speed - 2/5
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Ninja Gaiden
Largely acting as a supporting character in Ninja Gaiden, Ayane becomes playable in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 where she possesses her own storyline. She also becomes available in the co-op and multiplayer modes.

With a shorter attack range than Ryu, Ayane is equipped with a pair of Fuma Kodachi, explosive kunai and the "Art of the Raging Mountain God" ninpo, and as such is a fast and deadly opponent. She possesses much of the same moves as Ryu, including the "Izuna Drop", however her weapon range is shorter due to her smaller swords.


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Dead or Alive Ultimate
Ayane also appears in the remake of Dead or Alive 2 included with the compilation collection, Dead or Alive Ultimate. In Ultimate, she has a total of twenty costumes, in which eighteen need to be unlocked by replaying as her in Story Mode or Time Attack Mode - costumes 3 through 7 can be unlocked on easy mode, 8 through 14 on normal mode, and 15 through 20 on hard mode.

DOA: Dead or Alive
In the film DOA: Dead or Alive - loosely based on the video game series - Ayane is portrayed by Natassia Malthe, and therefore appears much older than in the video game, not to mention possessing a complete change in ethnicity.

In this movie, Ayane is not Kasumi and Hayate’s half-sister but is the lover to the latter. She is assigned the task of killing Kasumi for abandoning the village and as a result follows her to the Dead or Alive Tournament where during the contest she finds Hayate, who was previously thought to be dead. At the end of the movie, she saves Hayate from a potentially lethal fall. Her character was portrayed similarly to her video game self in the sense that they are both somewhat focused on their objective and avoid personal interaction.



Dead or Alive Paradise
Ayane is a playable character in the Dead or Alive Xtreme spin-off, Dead or Alive Paradise. Like other Xtreme titles before it, the game features the girls of the series enjoying a two-week vacation on a tropical island, playing volleyball and exchanging gifts with one another.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions
Ayane is set to appear in the up-and-coming Dead or Alive game, Dead or Alive: Dimensions, in development for the. Her role in the game is currently unclear; however, during the trailer, she is seen fighting along side Hayate against a "demonic-looking" Raidou.



ZEN Pinball Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ayane appears as part of this specialized pinball series for the.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
Ayane makes a guest appearance in the version of , offering quests to the player. If the player completes all of her challenges, they earn the right to wield her Fuma Kodachi in battle.

Outfit Usages
Ayane's signature purple butterfly dress is an unlockable costume in . The same dress also appears in  as an alternate costume for Mayu, one of the game’s two protagonists.

Musical Themes

 * Aya - Dead or Alive
 * Tehu Tehu - Dead or Alive 2
 * Prismatic Butterfly - Dead or Alive 3
 * Firelight Holly - Dead or Alive 3 Ending Theme
 * Shade - Dead or Alive 4
 * Unbroken Chains - Dead or Alive 4 Ending Theme

Trivia

 * Ayane appears as a combatant in the fan-made CG movie series Dead Fantasy where fighters of the Dead or Alive series battle cast members from the Final Fantasy franchise. She fights with the dual-blade energy sword that belonged to Genra and utilizes her Hajin Mon style and ninpo magic to battle the Final Fantasy cast. She is set to have a one-on-one battle with Rikku of Final Fantasy X in a future episode.
 * Ayane also features in a related music video, Dead Fantasy - Gee, dancing with other girls from Dead Fantasy to  by.
 * Ayane’s 6th outfit in Dead or Alive Ultimate pays homage to Millenia from , another of Tecmo’s game series.
 * Throughout the series, Ayane's main tag-partner has been Hayate/Ein.
 * She also has tag moves with Bass, Gen Fu, Jann Lee, Kasumi, Kokoro and Ryu.
 * The reason why Ayane, Kasumi, Kokoro and Eliot do not have listed ages in the western versions of the Dead or Alive games is because they are under 18 years old. Tecmo decided to give them undefined ages to avoid the risk of a moral backlash from western audiences.
 * In the Ninja Gaiden series, Ayane frequently announces herself with one of her purple iris kunai. She also seems to sometimes appear in a flurry of purple iris petals, much like Kasumi does with pink sakura petals.
 * Tomonobu Itagaki ensured that those players selecting the Ninja Dog difficulty in Ninja Gaiden BLACK would be subjected to gentle mockery by the game; players on this difficulty setting would have Ryu demerited from Master Ninja to a station below Ayane. Ayane would then offer help in the way of stat increasing equipment, additional healing items, free items from Muramasa's shop and the games' title screen would change from an image of Ryu to an image of Ayane.
 * In Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, one of Ayane's alternate costumes pays homage to Sun Shang Xiang from the Dynasty Warriors franchise.
 * IGN featured Ayane in their "Videogame Babe of the Day" series in 2006. She was also voted #7 in Fandomania's "Top 10 Fictional Ninjas" list.