Ayane

Ayane (Japanese: 綾音) is a kunoichi of the Mugen Tenshin clan and the current master of the clan's Hajinmon sect. She was the winner of the third Dead or Alive Tournament. She is the youngest girl and the second youngest character in the series.

She made her debut in the 1998 remake of the first Dead or Alive as an unlockable character. Since then, she has become one of the main protagonists of Dead or Alive (particularly for Dead or Alive 3) and has become one of the series' most popular characters. As such, she has made many appearances outside of Dead or Alive, most notably in the Ninja Gaiden series.

Conceived when Ayame was raped by Raidou, Ayane is the 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.

Childhood
Ayane was conceived when her mother Ayame, the wife of clan leader Shiden, was raped by Raidou; Shiden's older brother and the progenitor of the Mugen Tenshin's troubles. Due to her dishonorable birth, the village took a great fear and dislike towards Ayane, naming her "the cursed child" and turned her into an outcast. For some unknown reason, Ayane was not raised by her mother but was taken in by Genra, the leader of the clan's Hajinmon sect and wasn't told who her true family was.

Unaware of the circumstances of her birth, Ayane and Kasumi became best friends while they were children, 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 become a shinobi of the shadows, helping the clan from afar.

Later, Ayane learned the truth of her conception when Ayame admitted that she was her biological daughter and the half-sibiling cousin to both Hayate and Kasumi. Driven by her own anger at being cast out, Ayane devoted herself to honing her Hajinmon abilities beyond any other shinobi in the clan to prove that even she, the lowly "cursed child," could become something great. Ayane was consumed with jealousy over the fact that Kasumi was treated like a princess while she was treated as an outcast, so their childhood friendship withered even into their adolescence.

Raidou's return and the First Tournament
When Ayane was 16, Raidou returned to the Mugen Tenshin Village to "steal" the technique the Torn Sky Blast. Ayane confronted him but was quickly defeated. After Raidou's rampage, Hayate was left grievously injured, which caused him to fall into a coma, leaving Kasumi to become the new heir for the title of clan leader. Ayane was not happy about Kasumi's new role but as Kasumi didn't know how Hayate was injured because Shiden had kept her in the dark, Ayane told her the truth.

Learning the facts about Hayate's injuries caused Kasumi to leave the clan on a quest for vengeance. Leaving the clan without permission marked her as a nukenin ("missing shinobi") and a clan traitor, so Ayane was ordered to track down and kill Kasumi in order to secure their clan’s secrecy.

Ayane managed to stop Kasumi before she even made it over the bridge out of the village but Kasumi was saved from death when Christie and Bayman, two workers of the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee, appeared on a helicopter and took Kasumi away, leaving Ayane fuming.

A few days after Kasumi arrived on the Freedom Survivor for the first Dead or Alive World Combat Championship, Ayane appeared on the ship, too, with an invitation to join the tournament in order to kill Kasumi, as well as to kill Raidou to avenge Hayate. The girls soon discover that Raidou was working for Fame Douglas, the head of DOATEC, but when Ayane tried to attack him, Raidou easily overpowered her. Before the girls could do anything else, Fame stopped them and told them if they wanted to fight Raidou they had to make it to the final round of the tournament.

Although both girls made it to the last few rounds, Ayane was defeated by her older sister, meaning Kasumi had the chance to take down Raidou. After Raidou was killed, Kasumi was kidnapped by DOATEC, prompting Ryu Hayabusa to find her. Although Ayane hated the idea, she didn't argue with Hayabusa and returned to her village for the time being.

Searching for Hayate and the Second Tournament
One night, some time after the first tournament, Kasumi α, a clone created by DOATEC from Kasumi's DNA, managed to get into the Mugen Tenshin village and broke into Hayate's room, who was still in a coma. Ayane found her and, believing it was the real Kasumi, attacked her, but the clone cast a ninpo spell, showing Ayane a vision of the deadly Bankotsubo (simply known as "Tengu") coming into the human world after the barrier to the world of the tengu was broken. When Ayane awoke, both Alpha and Hayate were missing, so Genra ordered Ayane to find Hayabusa so she could help him save Hayate.

Ayane found Hayabusa while he and his partner Irene Lew were saving Kasumi from DOATEC, after they'd discovered her location. However, after Kasumi learned Hayate was still with DOATEC, she ran off to find him, so Hayabusa sent Ayane after her as a result. Ayane tracked her sister down but was defeated in battle and allowed Kasumi to escape, even though Ayane tried to take her down with a ninpo spell.

One point during the second tournament, Ayane was also confronted by Helena Douglas, who believed that the shinobi was the one who killed her mother, Maria. Although she was not the killer, Ayane neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, choosing to simply taunt the woman instead.

Before returning to Hayabusa, Ayane was brainwashed by Genra, who turned out to be working for DOATEC and was really the one behind the tengu's release. Ayane was set upon Hayabusa and Hayate, and she tried to attack the men alongside Kasumi α. They were both defeated in the end. After the fight, Ayane returned to normal and was happy to find that Hayate was okay, although both Kasumi and Kasumi α had gone.

The Third Tournament
With Genra now a traitor, the Mugen Tenshin clan planned to take him down and kill him. Although Genra was her foster father, Ayane went along with the clan's goal. However, when Hayate wanted to find Kasumi, she resisted, as she still saw Kasumi as a traitor.

Her outburst in protest earned Ayane a slap from Hayate, and she began to believe her brother didn't love her anymore. Heartbroken, she tried to commit suicide but was stopped when Ayame found her. Her mother tried to convince her that Hayate wouldn't stay mad at her, but Ayane thought that Hayate only cared about Kasumi. After her mother told her that their family bonds were stronger than the shinobi code and asked the girl to save her sister, Ayane went with Hayate to look for Genra and Kasumi.

The two shinobi tracked Kasumi to Kyoto, although when Ayane tried to follow her, Kokoro, a girl who tried to help Kasumi, wouldn't tell Ayane which way Kasumi had gone. Ayane tried to beat the information out of Kokoro, but when Hayate arrived, Kokoro took the opportunity to run away.

During the tournament while on the Freedom Survivor, Ayane met Hitomi, the girl who helped Hayate when he escaped from DOATEC, but she became enraged when Hitomi assumed Ayane was Kasumi and challenged the girl to a fight. It seemed that both girls were equally matched, and Hayate finally told Hitomi that they were shinobi.

Ayane and Hayate also met up with Gen Fu and his student Eliot in China, and they engaged in a friendly tag match under Gen Fu's request, to let Eliot experience other fighting styles. Ayane got annoyed by the boy's negative attitude about himself, giving Eliot a slap and a reprimand but, much to her surprise, Eliot thanked her for the experience.

Ayane managed to come face-to-face with Kasumi again but claimed she was focused on taking down Genra. She didn't try to kill her big sister and said Kasumi could see Hayate but not before she gave her a beating for her troubles. Once she was back on the Freedom Survivor, Ayane argued with Hayate on who should kill Genra. Hayate felt it was his duty as the new clan leader but Ayane, as Genra's foster daughter, felt it was her duty. In the end, after a fight, they agreed to take him down together. Their talk about Genra attracted the attention of Brad Wong, who thought they were talking about a drink with the same name for which he'd been searching. However, when he saw Ayane he took a liking to her and tried coming on to her but was quickly stopped by Hayate.

Some time later, as Hayate and Hayabusa fought against each other to see who has the better shinobi, Ayane and Irene watched them. However, Ayane had to stop the fight when Irene was kidnapped by Christie. Ayane tried to help Hayabusa save Irene but Hayate stopped her, realizing Christie was acting as a decoy for Genra. Enraged that Ayane would turn against him after raising her, Genra opened a portal to Hellfire and attacked Hayate and Ayane in his Omega form. The two were overpowered by Genra but, with the help of Hayabusa, they cast a dual ninpo spell and killed Genra. Back at the village, Ayane preformed a funeral pyre for her foster father, and kept his tokkosho as a memento. After Genra's death, she inherited the title of leader of the Hajinmon sect.

The Fourth Tournament and the Fall of DOATEC
The fourth tournament served as an opportunity for vengeance by the Mugen Tenshin clan, who had suffered at the hands of DOATEC’s experiments. Ayane once again accompanied Hayate and Hayabusa to embark 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 Hayabusa 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, before she and Hayate managed to escape.

In the end Ayane 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 herself killed.

Dealings with DOATEC and the Attack on the MIST Laboratory
Two years after the fourth tournament, Hayate leads a dealing with DOATEC's new president, Helena Douglas. Infiltrating the Freedom Survivor with her half-brother, Ayane spots Kasumi leaving the ship. Hayate orders her to follow her and discover her true intentions, sensing something was amiss about her. Ayane tracks her sister across the globe for a few days and bumps into Hitomi in South America. Hitomi asks if she's entering the fifth tournament but Ayane told her that she isn't, while chastising her choice of clothing for training. The two women battle it out for a bit and Ayane departs.

A few days later in China, she runs into Eliot and Brad Wong, the latter who starts to hit on her again, much to the kunoichi's annoyance. Just as she was about to slap him for being so ungentlemanly towards her, Eliot flips Brad over and blocks her slap. Ayane tells him that he has improved since their last bout. Eliot happily asks if she's entering the tournament, to which she replies "We'll see" with a smile. She defeats Eliot, telling him he's supposed to watch his opponent better. A few days later in the Arctic, she sees Kasumi standing over a defeated Bayman. She runs over to her but Kasumi teleports away, leaving her to contend with Bayman's interference. Although victorious, she is greatly annoyed at everyone getting in her way.

Sometime later, Ayane and Hayate are brought to the Freedom Survivor by Zack, where they and Hayabusa talk with Helena about Donovan. They learn from her that Donovan is leading a new organization known as MIST and his Alpha plan is at Phase 4: producing super soldiers and selling them to powerful militaries around the world for profit. Realizing that Donovan needs to be stopped, the three ninja infiltrate the oil rig, where his secret lab is located. There, Ayane and Hayate seemingly kill Kasumi, who later turns out to be an Alpha clone who believed herself to be the original. With the help of Bayman, they infiltrate the lab where they encounter Rig. He captures Hayate and Ayane is forced to flee. She returns to Hayabusa, who sends his falcon to summon the real Kasumi from Japan to join the battle. After they rescue Hayate, they defeat Alpha-152 and destroy the lab.

Back on the Freedom Survivor, Ayane gets her kunai back from Kasumi. Then she, Hayate, and Hayabusa watch as Kasumi leaves to find and defeat Donovan.

Appearance

 * See also: Ayane's costumes

Ayane is of petite height with a slender and athletic body and, despite being the youngest girl in the Dead or Alive series, she bears one of the largest busts out of all the women. Originally, she was designed with a round face, with a small button-nose and wide eyes. In Dead or Alive 5, her face is now oval-shaped and her eyes have been slightly narrowed but she doesn't appear too different from her former design.

Her appearance is one of the most distinctive out of the fighters, due to her red eyes and straight purple hair, which is cut to the nape of her neck, with a front fringe, and is tied back with her favorite dark-purple bandana. In the first Dead or Alive, some of her costumes showed her with strawberry-blonde hair and in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round some of her costumes (all of them referencing characters from other franchises) change her hair to blonde, light purple, dark blue or light blue.

Her outfits are normally purple in color and have a feminine look about them, bearing patterns and prints such as flowers and butterflies. 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 obi bow tied around her waist. Other recurring costumes for Ayane include a purple shozoku, a school uniform, and the training dummy costume, originally from the Sega Saturn version of the first Dead or Alive.

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, mysterious, and deadly young woman, earning her the nickname "Female Tengu." She does have a tendency to talk down to people - mostly to Kasumi - and act antagonistically, possibly again due to her experiences growing up. It should be noted that she despises anyone or anything reminding her of the past.

However, despite her cruel behavior, 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. However, these relationships are so important and meaningful to her that they seem to be her only emotional support and her reason for living. For example, after losing Genra and Hayate becoming angry with her, making Ayane think he hated her, she tried to commit suicide. This quick decision to take her life at the thought of losing Hayate's love might be a sign of a more emotionally unstable side to Ayane. She is sharp and very quiet most of the time.

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 any task 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 built perfectly for its purpose. This could relate to Ayane as she is seen as a skilled, naturally-born kunoichi.

Kasumi
Ayane and Kasumi are both half-sisters and cousins; sharing the same biological mother, with Ayane's father also being Kasumi's paternal uncle. Kasumi's mother, Ayame, was raped by Raidou, thus conceiving Ayane. As children they were close friends and, despite the village's negative views of Ayane, they enjoyed playing together, even sharing the same hairstyle. Due to her age, she never realized why the other villagers treated her so badly. However, after learning the circumstances of her birth, Ayane became intensely bitter and jealous of Kasumi because Ayane was treated like the "demon child" of the village while Kasumi was treated like a princess and had years receiving all of Hayate's affection. Ayane was not aware that Kasumi, like herself, had also been kept in the dark about Ayane's origins and had no idea that her purple-haired playmate was indeed her half-sister until it was too late. When Kasumi ran away to avenge Hayate, Ayane was finally able to express her now deep hatred toward Kasumi when she was sent to kill her for leaving the village. Subsequently, she also tried to keep Kasumi away from Hayate as much as possible to add to Kasumi's pain of having to be separated from her beloved brother.

It seems the hatred was one-sided from Ayane, In Dead or Alive: Dimensions, when Ayane attacks Raidou and is easily knocked down, Kasumi rushes to her aid and helps her up, though Ayane seemed hardly affected by this. Also, Kasumi was never intentionally mean or cruel to Ayane, and only fought her when it was absolutely necessary; in some games, before fighting Ayane, Kasumi may ask, "Why?", questioning the reasons for their battle.

However, over time, her envy and hatred of Kasumi slowly abated since their circumstances have changed. Due to the events of Dead or Alive 3 and Genra's passing, Ayane became the new Hajinmon master of the Mugen Tenshin clan, respected and feared alike, and Kasumi was the nukenin - the outcast of the village. During the fourth tournament, Ayane merely delayed Kasumi enough for Hayate to get a head start on their plan to take down DOATEC, rather than trying to kill her. This fading animosity may have also been why she stopped Kasumi from entering the burning DOATEC building to try and save Helena. In Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, Kasumi and Ayane seem to have started to develop a more friendly relationship with each other.

In Dead or Alive 5, when Ayane and Hayate are about to fight Alpha-152, Ayane stops Kasumi from joining the battle by throwing a kunai at her feet. Kasumi quietly grants Ayane's silent request to fight alongside Hayate. Ayane may have known that Kasumi would not able to finish the battle by her own hand if she was to join at that particular time, as Hayate, Ayane, and Hayabusa seem to have weakened Alpha by the time the building had began to burn.

At the end of the ordeal, In Dead or Alive 5, Kasumi and Ayane are seemingly at peace, as both sisters finally smile at each other instead of killing each other. Kasumi returns Ayane's kunai with a word of thanks before she sets off to track down Donovan.

In Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, Ayane is tasked with saving Tsumugi Katashina – who has a similar background to her – from hostile ghosts. Afterwards, she tells Tsumugi that she must be strong and kind to her half-sister, suggesting Ayane has reflected on her own relationship with Kasumi and wants to improve things between them.

Hayate
Although Hayate and Ayane didn't know that they were half-siblings for the first few years of their lives, 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 and to become fiercely loyal to him, a fact made clear by her calling him "Master Hayate". Her loyalty to Hayate is so extreme that she at one point nearly committed suicide when she thought she had failed him and hence had lost his trust.

Ayane's exact feelings for Hayate are a matter of debate. Her respect for him is obvious, and the friendship and bond the two share is apparent. However, whether or not she is romantically in love with her half-brother, as some fans have speculated since the release of Dead or Alive 2, is unknown; nowhere is this stated or even heavily hinted at within the series's mythos, and any supposed evidence of this assertion could just as easily be evidence of an altogether different form of affection.

Regardless of their exact relationship, the two remain at each other's side, looking out for and protecting one another. Once Hayate gained his memory back following the events of Dead or Alive 2, he and Ayane have been on multiple missions together: defeating Genra (with the help of Ryu Hayabusa) in Dead or Alive 3, destroying DOATEC in Dead or Alive 4, and fighting MIST and Kasumi Alpha in Dead or Alive 5.

In tag battle, they are considered main partners since Dead or Alive 3, sharing two tag team animations, calling for each other when tagging, and have opening and winning sequences.

Eliot
At first, Ayane did not seem fond of Eliot. The ninja was annoyed by the young boy's negative attitude and lack of self confidence, resulting in her giving him a slap and a reprimand. However, much to her surprise, he thanked her for the advice and discipline.

In Dead or Alive 5, Eliot recognizes Ayane at the point Brad teases him and flirts with her. After blocking her slap (which was targeted at Brad) while simultaneously knocking Brad over, Eliot impressed her with his improvement and taking control of the situation. Eliot was hoping to see Ayane in the tournament, but it is uncertain if they've met after that. During this time, Ayane was far calmer and much less biting than their previous encounter. Despite sharing Hayate's lack of regard for the actual DOA tournament, when Elliot asks her if she was participating, she gives a coy 'We'll see...' as her response. She now seems to have some sort of respect for Eliot as a fighter, as he admires her for her great fighting abilities. In Tag Mode Eliot maintains calling for her when she tags, but now with the addition of an opening and winning sequence to the pair.

Hitomi
Their relationship is complicated. Hitomi possibly holds Ayane at a higher esteem, acknowledging their martial arts skills are equal and that Ayane is Hayate's younger sister. The complication lies more in Ayane's perception, but Ayane is warming up to Hitomi due to Hayate's fondness of her.

While working on the Freedom Survivor as a waitress, she reunites with Ein and meets Ayane. When Hitomi asks her if she's Kasumi, the ninja is angered by Hitomi's mistaking her for a sibling whom she has "bad blood" with and fights Hitomi. After the fight, Ayane is surprised that Hitomi's karate is equal to her ninjitsu. In Dead or Alive 5, Ayane recognizes her in the wild. Hitomi claims to be practicing, but Ayane ponders and then chastises her choice of clothing for training before the two fight.

In Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, they have gained a complicated unity. They now share an opening and winning sequence in their tag battles based on their meeting during the story. Their interactions clearly point out Ayane's denial in accepting Hitomi as her fighting equal, but nonetheless, they co-operate in battle. Hitomi, in spite of her honesty, seems to appear victim to Ayane's cynical attitude: in their opening sequence, Hitomi asks if she is training for the tournament, to which Ayane remarks "Don't make me laugh", although this does not faze Hitomi in the least. In the winning sequence, Hitomi bows and thanks her for being her tag partner, to which Ayane remarks that she has to improve her skills, which doesn't seem to faze Hitomi either. Ayane's remark is possibly based on Hitomi becoming runner up in the tournament and some denial in accepting her as equal in fighting ability.

Genra
Since no one cared for Ayane, Genra took her in as if she was his own daughter. As the master of the Hajinmon 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 betrayal of the clan, Ayane felt it was her responsibility and decided to go after Genra, though she did agree to do it with Hayate and Hayabusa's help. He was cremated in a funeral pyre preceded over by Ayane, where she wept for the only person to take her in.

Ryu Hayabusa
Hayabusa and Ayane have worked together on many occasions; five if counting the Tengu affair in the second Dead or Alive tournament, the Omega affair, and the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan’s attack on DOATEC. Since the Dark Dragon Blade incident, the two seemed to have formed a friendly working relationship, with each recognizing the other’s skills and capabilities. She regards Hayabusa with respect and has formed a working relationship with the Dragon Ninja.

Raidou
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 and because he gravely injured Hayate. 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. Interestingly, when Raidou calls Ayane "daughter" when they meet before the first tournament began, Ayane replied with a bitter "my father died long ago!", meaning she doesn't accept Raidou as her father and has disowned him, so he is "dead to her."

Ayame
Ayane does not show hatred towards her mother Ayame, although she gave her away and didn't admit she was her mother until years after Ayane's birth. It's possible because Ayame regretted turning her back on her daughter that it might not have been what she wanted to do; maybe she was forced to give Ayane up by her husband, who did not acknowledge Ayane in the slightest. During a scene in Dead or Alive: Dimensions, the two of them share a tender moment in which Ayame comforts her upset daughter and Ayane calls Ayame "Mother", probably for the first time in her life.

Irene Lew
Ayane and Irene have a complicated relationship to say the least. In Dead or Alive: Dimensions, Ayane was shown to get along with Irene on a professional level; even wondering with Hayate what her relationship status was with Hayabusa. However, it is shown that the two have met before in Ninja Gaiden III: Razor's Edge, implying that Ayane may be suspicious of Irene's motives.

Honoka
As seen in Tag Mode, they seem to know each other. Although Ayane herself seems unaware that Honoka might have a connection to the kunoichi's evil father, Raidou. Their win scene has Ayane replying with "Are you serious?" when Honoka asked if the former was "some kind of ninja."

Nyotengu
Although it is not clear their connection, Nyotengu and Ayane do act as tag partners and share an exclusive intro and victory pose in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round. However, their victory animation implies that she was somewhat irritated with Nyotengu, largely due to the latter blowing her off and claiming victory for herself, as well as ironically standing in front of her after she said no one stands in the way of her objectives.

Mai Shiranui
It is unknown whether the two kunoichi have met each other, but Mai can call Ayane's name during a Tag Battle.

Helena Douglas
When first meeting each other during the second tournament, she and Helena viciously attacked each other, due to the latter mistaking her for her mother's murderer, which wasn't helped by the fact that Ayane neither confirmed nor denied whether she had any involvement in killing her.

Dead or Alive

 * See also: Ayane's command lists

Throughout the Dead or Alive series, Ayane has been amongst the fastest characters in terms of move execution; her lack of the ability to teleport in battle compared to the other three shinobi is countered with her speed. While as fast as Kasumi, Ayane’s attacks often do more damage and, most significantly, she has a whole set of moves to use while her back is turned, which heightens her unpredictability and extends her combo potential. However, although she is powerful and has relatively simple commands, Ayane can be hard to master due to how her moves require practice and care to execute safely and effectively. Her back-facing stance, although it can make her even more unpredictable, can also leave her extremely vulnerable if not used with caution. Many of her more powerful moves have quite long recovery time frames, which can also leave her vulnerable to counterattacks. 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 retaining the same speedy, combo-based 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 can "juggle" enemies to great effect and her quick speed can make her excellent at intercepting opponents as well, especially slower ones. She is a deadly character in the right hands.

Dead or Alive Xtreme
Due to her cold personality, building relationships with Ayane can be difficult and it is noted that giving her lots of presents will not solely guarantee 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 getting 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 than Ayane, and can play head-on spikes while Ayane defends. Another good partner would be Kasumi; while neither are the strongest, they are both fast, and good at aiming the ball. In this case, Kasumi would do best to defend, while Ayane spikes.

Unlocking Ayane
To unlock Ayane in the PlayStation remake of Dead or Alive, the player must unlock all of the costumes for each character, including Raidou.

Dead or Alive series

 * Dead or Alive (PlayStation) (unlockable, 1998)
 * Dead or Alive++ (playable, 1998)
 * Dead or Alive 2 (playable, 1999 - 2000)
 * DOA2: Hardcore (playable, 2000)
 * Dead or Alive 3 (playable, 2001 - 2002)
 * Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (playable, 2003)
 * Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate (playable, 2004 - 2005)
 * Dead or Alive 4 (playable, 2005 - 2006)
 * Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (playable, 2006)
 * Dead or Alive Paradise (playable, 2010)
 * Dead or Alive Dimensions (playable, 2011)
 * Dead or Alive 5 (playable, 2012)
 * Dead or Alive 5+ (playable, 2013)
 * Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (playable, 2013)
 * Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Arcade (playable, 2013)
 * Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (playable, 2015)
 * Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 (playable, 2016)

DOA: Dead or Alive
In the 2006 feature film DOA: Dead or Alive - loosely based on the video game series - Ayane is portrayed by Natassia Malthe, and as such appears much older than in the video game, not to mention possessing a complete change in ethnicity; Ayane is Japanese, while Malthe is Norwegian–Malaysian.

In the 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 and tries to kill her without being spotted by others.

During the contest she finds Hayate, who was previously thought to be dead. At the end of the movie, Ayane 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 act cold towards others.

Ninja Gaiden
Ayane has appeared as an active support to Hayabusa Hayabusa in the reboot series of Ninja Gaiden. Although largely acting as a supporting character in the 2004 title Ninja Gaiden, and its remake Ninja Gaiden Sigma, giving Hayabusa aid and hints about his quest and missions, Ayane becomes playable in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, the remake of the 2008 title Ninja Gaiden II, where she possesses her own chapter in the story. She also becomes available in the co-op and multiplayer modes. Ayane also returns in Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge as a playable character having 2 missions of her own. She is also a playable character in the Ninja Trials and Chapter Challenge modes. Her physical appearance is identical to her appearance in Dead or Alive 5.

With a shorter attack range than Hayabusa, 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. The fastest in speed out of the available characters, she possesses much of the same moves as Hayabusa, including the ''"Izuna Drop." ''However, her weapon range is shorter due to her shorter swords.

Ayane appears in ZEN Pinball: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 as part of the deco of the specialized pinball machine download based around Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the ZEN Pinball series for the. She is also featured on the game's logo alongside Hayabusa.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
Ayane makes a guest appearance in the version of Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce. She is an NPC that offers three different quests to the player. If the player manages to complete all of the challenges she gives them, they earn the right to wield her Fuma Kodachi in battle. Its attack pattern is similar to the Dual Dagger move-set that appears in the game, but with its own unique special attacks taken straight from Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

Warriors Orochi 3
Ayane appears in the Koei hack-and-slash game Warriors Orochi 3 (Musou Orochi 2 in Japan) as a playable character, representing the Dead or Alive series, though her physical appearance is based off her Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 interpretation. She is one of five guest characters for the title, along with Ryu Hayabusa, Joan of Arc, Achilles and Nemea.

In-game, Ayane first appears in the Battle of Hasedō which - due to time-space tampering - has parts of Seaside Paradise from Dead or Alive 4 replacing parts of the battlefield. Her theme in this game is a remix of Tehu Tehu, her Dead or Alive 2 theme.

Senran Kagura: Estival Versus
Ayane will be appearing as one of four paid DLC characters for the game, and will be the one representing Dead or Alive (the other three representing Battle Vixens).

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
Ayane makes an appearance as a playable guest character in the Wii U Fatal Frame game Maiden of Black Water at the request of Nintendo. Players must complete the games main storyline in order to unlock her bonus chapters that take place during the events of the game outside of the main story.

Ayane is hired to investigate the disappearance of a young woman by the name of Tsumugi, who was last seen headed towards Mt. Hikami, a place known for people to go too with the intent of suicide. When Ayane arrives on scene she she uses an enchanted bracelet, that creates a glowing purple string that allows her to follow Tsumugis trail and find her. She begins investigating the last place where Tsumugi was seen as shown by the bracelet, before being attacked by a hostile ghost. She attempts to fight them off with her Fuma Kodachi, however her weapons have no effect on the dead. She is then jumped by a mass group of spirits, before the scene fades to black. Ayane is then seen crawling away from the scene, wounded and unable to stand, stating that her standard battle tactics will not work in this situation.

She is later seen in a room, assumably healed, and is being given enchanted tattoos to protect her, and help prevent her from being noticed by the spirits. She is also being given a Spirit Stone Flashlight to help her combat the spirits, much like how players do with the Camera Obscura in the Fatal Frame series. From there it is a race for Ayane to save Tsumugi, while trying to stay alive in the process.

Senran Kagura Estival Versus
Ayane appears as a playable DLC character in Senran Kagura Estival Versus for the PS4 and Playstation Vita.

Outfit usages
Ayane's signature purple butterfly dress is an unlockable costume for Kooh in the golfing game Super Swing Golf: Season 2 for the Wii. The dress appears in the "director's cut" edition of the 2004 survival horror title Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly for the Xbox as well, as an alternative costume for Mayu Amakura, one of the games' two protagonists.

Ayane's Ninja Gaiden design also appears as special costume DLC for PS3 owners of Dynasty Warriors: Online to place on their character.

Dead Fantasy
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 tokkosho that belonged to Genra and utilizes her Hajinmon style and ninpo arts to battle the Final Fantasy cast.

She is set to have a one-on-one battle with her "main rival" Rikku of Final Fantasy Xin the upcoming Dead Fantasy VI. Throughout both Dead Fantasy I and II, she and Kasumi fight Yuna before she is aided by Rikku, who quickly steals her Tokkosho as she is dealing a final blow towards Yuna. Ayane is knocked by Rikku into the portal that Rinoa had created and both are transported into an underground cavern which leads on to their fight in Dead Fantasy VI.

In both previews of Dead Fantasy VI, Ayane is seen clashing with Rikku whilst Rikku's sphere changes multiple times against her. The last preview shows Ayane wielding her Fuma Kodachi twin blades instead of Tokkosho to fight Rikku in her special dressphere, The Machina Maw. With Monty Oum's untimely death, the future of the series is uncertain.

Ayane also features in a related music video, Dead Fantasy - Gee, dancing with other girls from Dead Fantasy to the song Gee by Girls' Generation, dressed in her gym kit from Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate and she plays the role of one of the members of Girls Generation, Choi Sooyoung.

Fighting quotes

 * Dead or Alive
 * Dead or Alive 2/DOA2: Hardcore
 * Dead or Alive 3
 * Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate
 * Dead or Alive 4
 * Dead or Alive Dimensions
 * Dead or Alive 5
 * Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate
 * Dead or Alive 5 Last Round

Music themes
The following are the music themes used for Ayane throughout the series.

Gallery

 * See: Ayane gallery

Trivia

 * Ayane has been portrayed by the most actors of any character in the series, with a total of six actresses who have played the role to date.
 * Many fans of the series consider Ayane a tsundere character, due to her personality and her relationship with the other characters.
 * Ayane's favorite accessory is the purple bandana which she always wears on her head.
 * In the Dead or Alive Xtreme sub-series and since Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate for the main series, the bandana can be removed.
 * Throughout the series, Ayane's hobby in the Japanese versions has been stated as "エステ" (esute), which is an abbreviation of "エステティックサロン " (lit. "aesthetic salon"). In Japan, are popular establishments where men and women go to receive a variety of non-surgical beauty treatments.
 * In the English versions of the games, her hobby is often translated as either "aesthetics" or "beauty treatments".
 * In the Japanese versions of the Xtreme games, Ayane's favorite color is stated as "紫紺" (lit. "purple-dark blue"). In the English versions, the color was translated as "dark purple".
 * The reason Ayane, Eliot, Kasumi, and Kokoro do not have listed ages in western versions of the Dead or Alive games from the original Dead or Alive to Dead or Alive 4 is because they were under 18 years old. Tecmo decided to give them undefined ages to avoid the risk of a moral backlash from western countries.
 * In the West, it was believed for many years that Ayane was the training dummy in the Sega Saturn version of Dead or Alive, due to her later having the dummy's bodysuit as a recurring costume in later games.
 * In actuality, the dummy is named "Toreko", as stated in the game's official guide.
 * Ayane was the first character to use ninpo (ninja magic), even before Hayabusa in Ninja Gaiden. In Dead or Alive 2, she would use ninpo in an alternate story mode cutscene if the player wins against Kasumi and is twice the starting distance from her before the cutscene plays. The part of the cutscene where Ayane performs the technique also plays during the opening segment. The incantation for the blast has still to be revealed as it doesn't show even when the subtitles have been turned on. Some kanji in red appear and disappear behind Ayane as she says the words of the blast. The translation for them is unknown or if they're the words for the attack.
 * Ayane originally was to have a tag intro with Marie Rose, but it was later removed for unknown reasons.
 * In the original treatment of Dead or Alive 5 by Itagaki, Ayane was to reunite with Kasumi in a Snowy field, with Kasumi initially thinking Ayane was coming to try and kill her, and protested that they just stopped DOATEC and that everything was over, only for Ayane to reveal the face of a soldier she had killed and revealed that she was actually coming to warn Kasumi that DOATEC's still around, and that their village was destroyed by the DOATEC-Asia group. Ayane then collapsed into Kasumi's arms, although not before telling Kasumi that Ayane will kill Miyako. However, this story treatment got rejected when Dead or Alive 5 changed hands.
 * In DOA: Dead or Alive, Ayane is the only Dead or Alive character in the movie who wasn't invited to DOA Island nor the DOA Tournament.
 * 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.