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. She first appeared as a training dummy in the port of the original Dead or Alive, but became a regular playable character in the  remake.

She also appears in the Ninja Gaiden series, acting 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.

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 dishonourable birth, the village took a great 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 Hajin Mon sect, and wasn't told who her true family was.

Unaware of the circumstances of her birth, she and Kasumi played together as 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 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, full of shame, admitted everything to her; that she was her daughter, and the younger half-sister to both Hayate and Kasumi.

Driven by 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 got all of their brother's attaction as they were growing up, and it caused a rift in their relationship.



Work as a Messenger
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.

Recovering the Eye of the Dragon
A year later, 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.

Raidou's Return and The First Tournament
When Ayane was 16, Raidou returned to the Mugen Tenshin Village to "steal" the technique to use 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 as next-of-kin to Shiden, but as Kasumi didn't know how Hayate was injured because her father kept her in the dark, Ayane told her the truth.

Learning the facts about Hayate's injuries inciting Kasumi to leave the clan on a quest for vengeance. Leaving the clan without promission 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. She 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 a invertation to join the tournament, in order to kill Kasumi, as well as to kill Radiou and avenge Hayate too. The girls soon discover that Raidou was working for Fame Douglas, the head of DOATEC, but when Ayane tried to attack him, Radiou 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 rounds of the tournament.

Although both girl make 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 to find her. Although Ayane hated the idea, she didn't argue with Ryu and returned to her village.

Searching for Hayate and The Second Tournament
One night, some time after the first tournament, Kasumi Alpha, 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, tried to get her but the clone casted a ninpo spell, showing Ayane a vision of the deadly tengu Gohyakumine Bankotsubo 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 her to find Ryu for his aid to save Hayate.

Ayane found Ryu, while he and his partner Irene Lew were saving Kasumi from DOATEC, after they finally found her. However, after Kasumi learnt that Hayate was with DOATEC, she ran off to find him, so Ryu sent Ayane after her. She tracked her sister down, but was defeated in battle and Kasumi escaped, even when 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 Ryu, Ayane was brainwashed by Genra, who turned out to be working for DOATEC, and was set upon Ryu and Hayate, who was now found and well again, even after being Ein. Along with Kasumi Alpha, she tried to attack the men, but they were both defeated. After the fight, Ayane returned to normal and was happy to find that Hayate was fine, although both Kasumi and Alpha had gone.

The Third Tournament
With Genra turned enemy, the Mugen Tenshin clan planned to take him down and kill him. Although he was her foster daughter, Ayane went along with the clan's goal, but when Hayate wanted to find Kasumi, she fought against it as she still saw Kasumi as a traitor. Her outburst earned Ayane a slap from Hayate, and that made she believe her brother didn't love her anymore. Heartbroken, she tried to commit suicide, but was stop when Ayame found her. Her mother tried to convice her that Hayate couldn'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 then 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 down Kasumi to Kyoto, although when Ayane tried to follow her, Kokoro, a girl who tried to help Kasumi, didn't tell her which way she went. She tried to beat the infomation out of Kokoro, but the girl ran away.

During the tournament, Ayane met Hitomi on the Freedom Surviver, the girl who helped Hayate when he got away from DOATEC, but was enraged by her when Hitomi assumed she was Kasumi. 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 negetive attitude about himself, and gave him a slap and a talk down, but much to her suprice, Eliot thanked her for the experience

Ayane managed to come face-to-face with Kasumi again, but claiming that she was focused on taking dowm Genra, she didn't try to kill her big sister, and said she could see Hayate, but did give her a beating. Back on the Freedom Surviver, Ayane argued with Hayate because 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, they agreed to take him down together. They talk of Genra attracted the attention of Brad Wong, who though they were talking about a drink with the same name that he was looking for. When he saw Ayane however, he took a liking to her and tried coming on to her, but he was quickly stopped by Hayate. Some time later, as Hayate and Ryu fought against each other, Ayane and Irene watched them, but Ayane had to stop the fight when Irene was kidnapped by Christie. Ayane tried to help Ryu save Irene, but Hayate stopped her, realising 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 in the end, with the help of Ryu, they casted a duel ninpo spell and killed Genra. Back at the village, Ayane preformed a funeral prye for her foster father, and kept his sword as a momento. After Genra's death, she inherited the title of leader of the Hajin Mon 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, 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.

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 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 anyone or anything 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. However, these relationships are so important and meaningful to her, they do seem to be acting as emotional support for her and her reason for living; after losing Genra, Hayate got angry at her which made Ayane think he hated her, and tried to commit suicide over it. This quick decision to take her life because of Hayate might be signs of a more emotional unstable side of Ayane.

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 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 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. 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.

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.

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, 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. Intrestingly, when Raidou calls Ayane "daughter" when they meet before the first tournament began, Ayane replyed with a bitter "my father died long ago!" This outburst could mean that Ayane doesn't know that Raidou is her father, and was told her father had died years previous, or it could be a more metaphorical statement; Ayane doesn't accept Radiou as her father and disowned him, so he is "dead to her".

However, 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 regreted turning her back on her daughter, and it might not what she wanted to do, and was forced to give her up. During a scene in Dead or Alive: Dimensions, the two of them engage in a tender, calm conversation in which Ayame conforts her upset daugther, and Ayane calls Ayame "Mother".

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.

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.

Dead or Alive Series

 * Dead or Alive (1998)
 * Dead or Alive 2 (1999 - 2000)
 * Dead or Alive 3 (2001-2002)
 * Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (2003)
 * Dead or Alive Ultimate (2004 - 2005)
 * Dead or Alive 4 (2005 - 2006)
 * Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (2006)
 * Dead or Alive Paradise (2010)
 * Dead or Alive: Dimensions (2011)

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 acts cold towards others.

Ninja Gaiden
Ayane has appears as a active support to Ryu 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 Ryu 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.

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. The fastest in speed out of the available characters, she possesses much of the same moves as Ryu, including the "Izuna Drop", however her weapon range is shorter due to her smaller swords.

ZEN Pinball: Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
Ayane's appears as part of the deco of specialized pinball machine download based around Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the ZEN Pinball series for the.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
Along with Ryu and Momiji from Ninja Gaiden, Ayane makes a guest appearance in the version of , offering special side-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 for Kooh in the golfing game  for the. The same dress also appears in the 2004 survival horror  for the, as an alternate costume for Mayu Amakura, one of the game’s two protagonists.

Dead Fantasy
''Also see: Ayane on Dead Fantasy Wiki  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 her "main rival" 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 the song  by, dressed in her gym kit from Dead or Alive Utimate.

Musical Themes

 * Aya - Dead or Alive
 * Tehu Tehu - Dead or Alive 2 and Dead or Alive: Dimensions
 * 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’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.
 * 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.
 * 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.