Ryu Hayabusa

Ryu Hayabusa (リュウ・ハヤブサ, Ryū Hayabusa) is a superior shinobi, and the star of the Ninja Gaiden series. He first appeared in the original Ninja Gaiden but later appeared as a consistent character in the Dead or Alive series, which sparked a renewal of the Ninja Gaiden franchise as well.

A member of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan’s head family, Ryu often takes on the leadership responsibilities of the clan and the protection of the Dragon Sword while his father Jô Hayabusa trains in the mountains.

The First Tournament
Hearing that Kasumi had run away from her village to seek vengeance for Hayate, Ryu tracked her to the Dead or Alive Tournament, where he joined the tournament as a participant in order to keep an eye on her. When Raidou and Kasumi had a Ninpo energy duel using the Torn Sky Blast, Ryu threw a kunai into the genetically altered rogue ninja's arm, distracting him long enough for Kasumi to kill him with the Ninpo. But as soon as the dust cleared from the following explosion, Ryu discovers that Kasumi had been captured and leaves to find her.

The Second Tournament
Ryu entered the second Dead or Alive tournament in order to confront and defeat the renegade Tengu Gohyakumine Bankotsubo, who had somehow managed to escape into the Human Dimension from the Tengu World. After getting close to DOATEC scientist Lisa and taking her ID card, Ryu meets with Irene and infiltrates the DOATEC Germany lab in the Black Forest of Germany. There he finds Kasumi and rescues her from Lisa and Kasumi's clone Kasumi Alpha.

Thanks to the data he retrieved from the lab, he and Irene piece together the connection between Raidou's inhuman strength and Alpha. To both of their surprise, the Epsilon Project resurrected Hayate from his comatose state. Kasumi tries to go after Hayate despite Ryu's stand against it and Ryu is left with no choice but to send Ayane after her.

Meanwhile, Ryu tries to warn the other competitors about the danger of DOATEC but finds them unwilling to backdown so he proceeds to knock them out of the contest. Eventually he meets Ein, who is actually the missing Hayate suffering from amnesia. After Ryu defeats him and restores some sembolance of his memory, Ryu sets off to face the Tengu of Destruction himself before he could cause anymore damage. Ryu bests the mad Tengu in hand to hand combat, killing him and preventing his madness from spreading.

Ryu reunites with Hayate and Kasumi and, with encouragement, the two battle as siblings, reviving Hayate's memory in the process. But all was not well yet, as their reunion was interrupted by Genra of the Hajin Mon sect. Genra reveals himself as the one who broke the barrier and summoned Bankotsubo and then sicks Ayane, possesed by Genra's Genjutsu to fight the two shinobi masters. Alpha joins the fight but the two emerge the victors. Ryu then introduces Hayate to Irene and fills his best friend in on the DOATEC issue.

The Third Tournament
Ryu sits on the roof of Azuchi on a moonlit night. He says that Hayate couldn't possibly defeat Genra but Hayate tells him he doesn't know Genra at all. Ryu tests Hayate to see if he remembers everything. Hayate appears to beat him, only to realize Ryu used the Kawarimi (変わり身substitution) technique to trick him at the last second. Ryu tells him that he and Hayate can settle their bout in the third tournament.

Later Hayate and Ryu restart their fight. Ryu initially plays around with Hayate and then he fights him seriously. Things heat up extremely when the two use their strongest Ninpo techniques but the fight is interupted by Ayane, who alerts Ryu to Irene's kidnapping by Christie. After defeating the assassin, Ryu realizes that it was a diversion and rushes to Hellfire to save his friends. As Genra, in his monstrous Omega form, prepares to deal the fatal blow to Hayate and Ayane, Ryu throws a kunai into his helmet and slashes him with the sacred Hayabusa ninja clan relic the Dragon Sword. Using all the strength he can, he buys time for the two Tenjin Ninja to use a dual Ninpo to end the fight, killing Genra in the process as Ryu rolls to safety.

The Fourth Tournament
Invited to participate in a group offensive, Ryu joins Hayate, Kasumi, and Ayane to stop DOATEC during the fourth tournament. Ryu and Ayane come across Christie, who was trying to stop the ninjas from destroying the DOATEC Tritower. However, her attempt fails and the building falls from the detonator Helena Douglas set off. Ryu also saves Kasumi from being shot by Helena and later encourages her to fight her clone Alpha-152, which he thought was her fight alone.

Attack on the MIST Laboratory
Ryu meets with Hayate at Ryugaku-ji Temple and criticizes him for not being able to handle a nukenin, calling him a failure as the 18th Master of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan and infuriating the Wind Ninja to battle him. Ryu defeats him, telling that he musn't act hastily on emotion and go carefully. A few hours later in Tokyo, Ryu listens to Lisa Hamilton talking on her cell phone and learns about Donovan's new organization: MIST. Ryu confronts Lisa and chastises her for continuing her heinous experiments, but she tells him that as a scientist, it is her duty to make important discoveries. An angered Ryu scoffs at this, saying that her "discoveries" have only brought about suffering for his friends and brought him to his own cursed karma as a Dragon Ninja, prompting him to do battle with her and win the fight. The next day, in New York, Zack, working for the newly reformed DOATEC, pleads with Ryu to go see Helena for a meeting in her ship. The Dragon Ninja says that he'll see her when his business is finished, refusing to get into the helicopter and provoking Zack to fight against him. Ryu emerges victorious.

Later, he reaches the Freedom Survivor and reunites with Hayate and Ayane. They learn from Helena that MIST was most likely inside DOATEC before and that Donovan's Alpha plan is at Phase 4: to create super soldiers that have the fighting capabilities of the ninja and sell them to countries with powerful militaries to make a profit. Knowing that they need to stop Donovan, the three ninja head for the oil rig, where Helena believes it to be where he's conducting his experiments. After Hayate and Ayane kill Kasumi's clone, Ryu watches her death, commenting that she still had a life like any other, no matter how cruel it was, and ask himself why Donovan is trying to reunite his friends for a dangerous mission. When Hayate is captured by Rig and Ayane reports to Ryu about it, the Dragon Ninja sends his falcon to deliver a message to the real Kasumi, who is waiting back in Japan with Muramasa on a hidden village and prompts her to join the battle. After she infiltrates the lab and Lisa rescues Hayate, the four ninja destroy the lab and defeat Alpha-152.

Afterwards, Ryu, Hayate, and Ayane watch on the Freedom Survivor as Kasumi leaves to defeat Donovan.

Appearance
Also see: Ryu's Outfit Catalogues

Ryu is the epitome of a present day ninja: his Legendary Black Falcon outfit's sleek design is similar to that of the modern special ops agent, while the tabi boots, ninja head piece, mask, scarf, and shin/forearm guards are reminiscent of the ancient ninja warrior. His classic Ryuken outfit sports a traditional ninja uniform with a slight 80s twist. The Hayabusa clan standard purple ninja uniform Ryu initially wears is the most traditional of his ninja attire.

Physically Ryu Hayabusa is a young man in his mid 20s, standing at 5'10", and weighing in at 172 lbs. He is in peak physical condition with a muscular build. As a ninja, most of his costumes and attire conceal his face, revealing only his eyes, one of his most distinctive features. Ryu's eyes feature dragon green coloration with a slight golden hue and an Asian shaped epicanthic fold. This golden hue feature is more prominent when accompanied by his wardrobe, which is composed of mostly dark colors, something that points out even more of his peculiar eyes and gives him an intimidating appearance.

Underneath the ninja mask and hood reveals a youthful face and long brown hair that is usually tied back in a ponytail, a completely opposite appearance to what many would expect, given his deadly skills and calculative, savage brutality in battle.

Personality
Ryu has the demeanor and wisdom of a man far older than himself, due to his prolific lineage and mantle of station as a respected ninja. His exploits have given him an attitude far removed from most others and he understands things in more abstract and philosophical terms. Much like Gen Fu and Eliot, he adopts a tranquil nature; free flowing most of the time but unforgiving and crushing when roused. Through the Dead or Alive tournament, he has extricated himself from many of the subplots involving other characters, concentrating instead purely on the larger goals that present themselves.

He is Hayate's best friend and an ally of Kasumi and Ayane. He and his ninja brethren have been direct players in the defeat of every major threat in the D.O.A. tournaments, himself defeating the rogue Tengu in single combat during the second tournament. Ryu has befriended several people from the DOA tournaments, notably Jann Lee, with whom he shares a mutual respect.

Etymology
The kanji used to spell Ryu's name (龍) means "Dragon." Ryu's surname "Hayabusa" (隼) means "Peregrine Falcon."

Hayate
Ryu and Hayate are good friends. They are both the same rank and intelligence and are as close as brothers. Ryu is very protective of his friends so he watches over Hayate, too. In Dead or Alive 3, Ryu decides to destroy Genra to keep Hayate safe. At Hayate's request, Ryu watches over his younger sister Kasumi, hence why he is always by her side.

Ayane
Ryu and Ayane have worked together on two separate 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.

Kasumi
As a family friend, Ryu is a good friend to Kasumi as he watches over her and tries to protect her from harm during Hayate’s recovery/absence. Her strong-willed nature does prove to make this difficult at times, however, such as when she entered the Dead or Alive tournament, forcing Ryu to also enter if he was to continue keeping an eye on her. He tries to stop her in Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive 2 but fails. He doesn't see her in Dead or Alive 3 but in Dead or Alive 4, Ryu saves her from Helena. In Dead or Alive 5, it is presumed that Ryu is the one who has Muramasa watch over Kasumi to keep her safe before the battle against Alpha-152 in the MIST laboratory.

Jann Lee
Though Ryu has befriended several people from the Dead or Alive tournaments, Jann Lee is notable since the Tengu incident onwards due to their gradual recognition and respect for each other’s abilities despite Jann Lee being a civilian. They have formed something of a friendly rivalry.

Irene Lew (NES Game)
Irene's first encounter with Ryu is in the original Ninja Gaiden, where she shoots and captures him with a tranquilizer dart. She gives him the Shadow demon statue and is later taken hostage by the Jaquio in order to force Ryu to hand over the statue. Although Ryu complies, the Jaquio keeps Irene to be sacrificed and drops Ryu into a pit. However, Ryu manages to find a way out and defeats the Jaquio, escaping the collapsing temple with Irene. As the two fall in love, Irene disobeys an order from Foster to kill Ryu. They eventually married. In the current reboot of Ninja Gaiden, she went under the alias "Sonia," assigned to assist Ryu in keeping the Necromantale order from reviving an ancient demon his ancestors sealed away. In Ninja Gaiden III, she is mentioned when she sends a communication to the location of the LOA group's Black Narwhal vessel, under the signature "Sea Swallow." Ryu instantly recognized it because Irene told him that was her codename.

Muramasa
Muramasa is one of Ryu's valuable allies because he provides weapons, upgrades and supplies for the ninja. Whenever he needs help, the ninja can always count on Muramasa.

Dead or Alive
Ryu is generally considered the top-tier character, both due to canon and gameplay. His reaction, execution time, and throws are all above-average, making him a balanced character and his mix-up game is excellent. Additionally, Hayabusa's Izuna-Otoshi combo throw is one of the most effective in the game, garnering an average 80 points of damage. His mix-ups and "surprise" (like his Asuka-Gaeshi) attacks keep many players guessing which angle or height he will strike from.

Dead or Alive Series

 * Dead or Alive (1996 - 1998)
 * Dead or Alive 2 (1999 - 2000)
 * Dead or Alive 3 (2001 - 2002)
 * Dead or Alive Ultimate (2004 - 2005)
 * Dead or Alive 4 (2005 - 2006)
 * Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Mentioned, 2006)
 * Dead or Alive Paradise (Mentioned, 2010)
 * Dead or Alive: Dimensions (2011)
 * Dead or Alive 5 (2012)

DOA: Dead or Alive
Ryu appears in the 2006 movie DOA: Dead or Alive, portrayed by Kane Kosugi, where he performs a role similar to the games. In the movie, Ryu is shown as a faithful friend to Kasumi and Hayate. He breaks the news of Hayate's supposed death to Kasumi and begs her not to leave the village. After she does so, he follows her and after a brief confrontation on the plane, Kasumi accepts his help. He fights Eliot early on and wins. Near the end of the movie, he encounters Bayman trying to leave the island with the money and fights him. He is the only male character who makes it to the semi-finals. Throughout the movie, Ryu and Kasumi have shown to have romantic feelings for each other.

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

Musou Orochi 2 (Warriors Orochi 3)
Ryu also appears in the Tecmo Koei hack-'n-slash game Musou Orochi 2 (Warriors Orochi 3) as a playable character, representing the Ninja Gaiden series. He is one of five guest characters, staring alongside Joan of Arc, Achilles, Ayane, and Nemea. Ryu appears in his own stage that depicts Kyoto as it is seen in the beginning of Ninja Gaiden 2 merged with a historical Japanese battleground known as Anegawa.

According to comments from Team Ninja developers, he arrives in the dimensional realm before the events of Ninja Gaiden III.

ZEN Pinball Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ryu appears as part of the deco of this specialized pinball series for the PlayStation Network and also features on its logo.

Outfit Usages
The style of Ryu’s shinobi outfit appears as an unlockable SPARTAN armor type in Halo 3 known as "Hayabusa." Used in multiplayer, the armor is unlocked by collecting thirteen skulls for the helmet, nine skulls for the shoulder armor, and five skulls for the chest armor.

Furthermore, if the 1000 gamerpoints are obtained from the Halo 3 achievements, a replica of the Dragon Sword can be obtained. However, it cannot be used as a weapon, only acting as an addition to the armor.

His suit also appears as an optional costume in . Parts of Ryu's Ninja Gaiden outfit also appears as special costume DLC for PS3 owners of Dynasty Warriors: Online for their character.

Dead Fantasy
Ryu 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. He uses the Dragon Sword and fights alongside Momiji. They are set to have a battle with their "main rivals" - Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII and Kairi and Naminé from Kingdom Hearts- in a future episode.

Musical Themes

 * Blade of "Ryu" - Dead or Alive (Ultimate 1)
 * Blade of "Ryu" ~mr. Tom Mix~ - Dead or Alive (1998)
 * The Shooted - Dead or Alive 2 (Ultimate 2) and Dead or Alive: Dimensions
 * Look Ahead - Dead or Alive 3
 * Hunting Time - Dead or Alive 3 Ending Theme
 * Hunter's Moon - Dead or Alive 4
 * Brave Heart - Dead or Alive 4 Ending Theme

Trivia

 * In the original Dead or Alive, Ryu was supposed to be a new character named Kamui but one of the staff members suggested featuring Ryu Hayabusa and his persona was added to the roster.
 * Ryu's eyes became green, contrary to the brown eyes from Ninja Gaiden (NES). Itagaki revealed in the interview with Famitsu that this change was made because "the green eyes looked cool on Ryu."
 * Along with Jann Lee with Leifang, and Ayane with Hayate (since Hayate was Ein in Dead or Alive 2), Ryu and Kasumi have been default tag partners throughout the series.