Ein

Ein (アイン, Ein) is the "alter ego" of Hayate and a character from the Dead or Alive series, who he first debuted as in Dead or Alive 2. After being used as a test subject by the Dead or Alive Tournament Executive Committee for Project Epsilon, he was abandoned and was left with amnesia as a after-effect of the tests he was put under.

Luckily, he was found by Hitomi and trained in the art of karate with her, going by the name of "Ein." By entering the second Dead or Alive Tournament, he was able to regain his lost memories and became Hayate once again.

Although Hayate is no longer Ein, this persona as become a recurring unlockable character in the rest of the Dead or Alive games following his first appearence.

History
Before the events of Dead or Alive 2, Hayate was captured by DOATEC and became their subeject for Project Epsilon, created by Victor Donovan. The project was suppose to turn him into a superhuman-like creature, but it failed and Hayate had lost his memories. Later on, Lisa released him; it's unknown if she did this for Hayate's sake or to just go against the company.

Hayate was later found in the of Germany by Hitomi and her father, and they took him in. Since he didn't know his name, they named him "Ein". Alongside Hitomi, he worked in the family's dojo and mastered karate in a short period of time. Wanting to find out who he was and where he came from, "Ein" entered the second Dead or Alive Tournament on a journey of self-discovery.

Dead or Alive 2
Along the way in the tournament, Ein meets up with Ryu Hayabusa and Ayane, who both wonder if he is really Hayate, and Helena Douglas, who talks about the failed Project Espilon, which confused Ein. He finally meets up with Kasumi, Hayate's younger sister, and after fighting her, he remembers who he really is: Hayate, the shinobi of the wind. Hayate then returns to his normal life once more.

Appearance
Ein appears in all Dead or Alive series, in or Dead or Alive series he still wears his red leather pants and his Karate suit. In Dead or Alive 3 and 4 he can be unlocked, but however he cannot be used in Story Mode.

Also see: Ein's Outfit Catalogues

Personality
Ein's personality is somewhat similar to Hayate as he seems to be reserved, but quiet. However, Ein also seems ignorant at times; he would rather fight than converse to find out answers.

Like most fighters in the series, he is skilled and dedicated to his style, with a great understanding of martial arts even though his conscious memory did not return - If he was not, Hitomi would not have sought him out in order to help rebuild her father’s dojo. Most times, especially in Dead or Alive Ultimate, Ein prefers to just fight than talk with his opponent. In his spare time, Ein practices breaking bottles with his hand by slicing the tops of them off in a demonstration of skill and entertainment.

Etymology
The name "Ein" likely comes from "eins", the German word for "one" or "first".

Gameplay
Being the predecessor to Hitomi, Ein is a medium-damage strike character with excellent high-position combos (F, Y or Tsubauchi). He's best played from an aggressive standpoint, where he can position himself close to the enemy. However, a weakness shared between the two is the slight "wind-up" timeframe needed prior to the execution of attacks.

Other Appearances
In Dead or Alive 3, he is unlocked by completing all of the character's story modes, then playing as Hayate on Survival Mode, getting at least three wins then entering "EIN" on the scoreboard. He is easily unlocked in Dead or Alive 4 by just completing Hitomi's story.

Dead or Alive Ultimate
Ein also appears in the remake of Dead or Alive 2 included with the compilation collection, Dead or Alive Ultimate.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions
Ein is set to appear in the up-and-coming Dead or Alive game, Dead or Alive: Dimensions, in development for the. His role in the game is currently unclear.

Musical Themes

 * Vigaku - Dead or Alive 2 and Dead or Alive 4

Trivia

 * Ein's main tag partners throughout the series are:
 * Ayane in Dead or Alive 2
 * Hitomi in Dead or Alive: Dimensions.