- "Justice will prevail! Or something."
- —Leifang in Dead or Alive 6
Leifang (simplified Chinese: 丽凤, traditional Chinese: 麗鳳[6], pinyin: Lìfèng), spelled Lei Fang (レイ・ファン[3]) in the first Dead or Alive, is a college student and taiji quan prodigy from the Dead or Alive series, who made her debut in the original Dead or Alive.
Throughout the series, she seeks to fight Jann Lee, who is thought to have saved her life at one stage in her past, to prove herself to him that she too is a strong individual. However, Leifang has lost to Jann Lee in almost every tournament, except the 4th one, where she finally defeated him.
History[]
Early life[]
Leifang was born into an affluent family in China. Six years before the first tournament, Leifang was saved from a group of thugs by a martial artist, Jann Lee. Although she was very grateful for being saved, she felt that she could have handled the situation herself. After that incident, she mastered the art of taiji quan and sought to prove her strength to Jann Lee.
Leifang in Dead or Alive
The First Tournament[]
Leifang joined the first Dead or Alive Tournament in order to fight Jann Lee, to prove her worth to him. During the tournament she faces him. However, she is defeated by him. This doesn't dampen her spirits, however, and she goes on to train for the next tournament.
The Second Tournament[]
Leifang in Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate
During her matches of the second tournament, she meets a woman of higher wealth and status, Helena Douglas. She gives her a look of curiosity, but hidden with envy as she continues ascending in the glass elevator. She both envies and admires Helena.
She forms a philosophical rivalry with Tina Armstrong, who believes that the meaning of power comes from physical strength. Tina lifts a boulder and shouts "This is power, Leifang!" and throws it right at her feet. Leifang disagreed, and simply demonstrated that power originated from the mind, and was channeled into and through the rest of the body. With that same boulder at her feet, Leifang leans over it saying, "You don't know anything about power." and demolishes the rock with a single palm strike. Tina herself was astonished by Leifang's inner strength and lets off a whistle.
When she finally faced Jann Lee, she tells him while demonstrating taiji quan that her martial art was perfected and that she was ready for their battle to "live in his world". However, Leifang loses again, resulting in Jann Lee retorting, "This isn't the place for you" thinking she is not ready.
The Third Tournament[]
Now known to many as a young genius of taiji quan, Leifang continues to train to defeat Jann Lee. She enters the third Dead or Alive tournament, telling herself; "This time... This time, I am going to beat him!" She once again fights her way to Jann Lee. Leifang manages to get to Jann Lee at Freedom Survivor but her fight request is denied in a brutal manner and she ends up encountering Hitomi, whom she is rival with at first impression. When she finally reaches him, telling him it was time for her to defeat “the dragon” within him, despite her best efforts, Leifang once again loses the fight.
After the tournament is over, she returns home. While out in the city, she rescues a young boy from being kidnapped, easily defeating the kidnappers with her martial art skills, and reflecting upon the time when she was saved by Jann Lee.
Zack Island[]
She was later given an invitation for a supposed Dead or Alive tournament that was going to be held at Zack Island. However, she discovered alongside the rest of the prior participants that it was a hoax, but decided to make the best of their situation for the two weeks on the island.
The Fourth Tournament[]
Leifang enters the tournament to once again fight Jann Lee. She is defeated by Hitomi in a match over a simple cabbage, but they befriend each other sometime afterwards. She later defeats Bass Armstrong after he began attacking bystanders over losing his money at the casino. After these matches, she finally reaches Jann Lee, who is not really surprised to see her. The two face off in the DOATEC Tritower, which begins to fall apart due to the attack by the Mugen Tenshin Ninja Clan. However, the two start their match anyway. Leifang finally accomplished her goal and defeated Jann Lee.
After the tournament, Leifang returns home again. While traveling on the train, she becomes involved in an embarrassing incident; when the train suddenly stops, an old man falls over and grabs her breasts. Humiliated and enraged, and despite it being an accident, Leifang kicks the man through a window, out of the now moving train into a lake below the bridge. The other passengers applaud her stunt, but Leifang thinks that they are mocking her because the buttons on her shirt came undone, and she tries to cover herself.
Leifang makes an appearance in Jann Lee's story mode, finding Alpha-152. She gets ready to fight the clone, but it bursts out of its tube and attacks her, not giving her a chance to get up and fight. As the Alpha-152 throws her, Jann Lee quickly appears and catches her. She tries to get up to fight, but Jann Lee doesn't allow her to.
New Zack Island[]
Leifang went to the island simply for the vacation. She was the only girl to not have another reason to go, or any complication stopping her from going.
The Fifth Tournament[]
Upon hearing about the fifth Dead or Alive Tournament, Leifang reunites with Hitomi and the two of them set off a journey to train together. While training at a circus that's still under construction, the pair has a friendly sparring match against Brad Wong and Eliot. They are then invited to the tournament by Zack, who does so humorously by launching himself into the air with the human cannon.
Later, Leifang and Hitomi travel to South America to continue their training. There, they spot Jann Lee being recruited by Zack into joining the tournament. Knowing that she has to prepare herself to fight him again, Leifang has a sparring match against Hitomi to improve her skills. After the fight, the two of them go their own ways, promising each other to meet again at the tournament.
Leifang travels to New York, following Jann Lee to a martial art gym. While trying to spy on him, she bumps into Mila and spars with her to train more. Leifang finds Jann Lee on a train and follows him. Suddenly, the train becomes unsteady and Leifang stumbles. As she tries to rebalance herself, an old man (who appears to be the same one from her Dead or Alive 4 ending) falls towards her. However, Jann Lee steps in between, protecting Leifang from another embarrassing moment. After he tells her that it's not right to spy on people, the two of them prepare to fight. However, before they can fight, the train loses its balance and is thrown off its track, resulting in Leifang landing on top of Jann Lee. After the crash when they both come round, they both stare at each other, but are reluctant to get up.
At the tournament, Leifang is defeated by Jann Lee in the quarterfinals, marking her fourth loss against him.
The Sixth Tournament[]
Whilst practicing her taiji quan, Leifang is approached by Nyotengu, who asks her if she wants to become even stronger and says if she can beat her, she can teach her something good. Leifang wins the ensuing fight and Nyotengu is impressed by her strength. However, Nyotengu proceeds to offer only vague half-whispered statements and flies off laughing before even finishing her sentence. Leifang takes from Nyotengu's vague sayings that she is strong enough.
Later, Leifang and Hitomi search a ship and find treasure. Previously, they made a deal that when they found it, they would fight and the winner would take the treasure. Hitomi ensures they keep to the deal and initiates the challenge, which Leifang wins. As she celebrates the victory with the treasure over her head, a giant tentacled creature grabs it and carries it away to her dismay. The creature attacks them and the girls jump off the ship.
Leifang subsequently finds Jann Lee walking the streets of China and stops him with his picture on the front page of a magazine, saying "You're busy. Do you really think you're going to beat me like that?" Jann Lee takes it as a challenge and Leifang nonchalantly says he is not even a challenge. She wins, and wonders how he intends on going to the tournament with his kung fu so lacking. Jann Lee silences her and leaves disappointedly, to which Leifang shows some signs of regret and concern.
Later, as Marie Rose and Honoka examine the danger zone floor, Leifang happens upon them and informs them that the floor explodes, before triggering it with a powerful stomping motion as a demonstration, impressing Honoka (and nearly setting Marie Rose on fire). Honoka claps and recognizes her fighting style as taiji quan. Leifang deems her something of an "airhead" but that she looks strong enough to challenge to a fight, which Honoka accepts. Leifang is defeated and the girls venture onwards.
Leifang fights Jann Lee in the tournament, confident that she will win this time too; however, she is defeated and Jann Lee advances to the semi-finals. At first, she seems disappointed, but perks up upon realizing that he has kept up with his training. She watches Jann Lee as he leaves, his mind seemingly elsewhere.
Arrival on the Venus Island[]
Leifang abruptly arrived at the Venus Islands to simply relax and take a break from her training. After arriving on the Venus Islands, she was initially annoyed at how no one was picking her up, though she quickly changed her attitude upon meeting the Owner of the island and realizing there was a mixup about the date she was expected to arrive. She went on to participate in the local Venus Festival.
Endings[]
Character[]
Appearance[]
Leifang has been commonly seen in cheongsam gowns and braided hair since Dead or Alive++.
- See also: Leifang's costumes
While Leifang has always had a slender and petite build of average height, with a very girly, youthful appearance, pale skin, dark brown eyes, and a small face, her appearance has changed considerably since the first Dead or Alive. In the first game, her hair was short and tied back in a high ponytail, which made her look somewhat tomboyish. Since Dead or Alive 2, her facial features have become rounder and softer. Her hair has also become much longer. It is normally tied in two braids, looped round, and pinned on either side of her head. Other hairstyles that Leifang can have include a ponytail, pigtails, or her hair down. Her hair color has changed often in the series, particularly in the various iterations of the first game where her hair takes on numerous shades of black, brown, blue and even purple. Promotional artwork for Dead or Alive 2 even depicted her hair as having a shade of green. However, she is most commonly depicted with dark brown hair.
Her outfits have also become more feminine; in the original game, her clothes consisted of trousers, shorts, and flat shoes with simple detailing. Later, she started to sport high-heels and long, formal-looking, body-hugging cheongsams or qipao. They are often embroidered with Chinese-inspired patterns of birds and flowers. Most of her wardrobe consists of her simply wearing them in different colors.
However, in recent installments, she can wear more cosmopolitan outfits, such as long skirts and tank tops to loose shirts and blazers. In Dead or Alive 5, her overall design had been altered. Her hair only reaches to her mid-back and her cheongsams have become shorter in length. Aside from loose hair and braids, in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate, she can now wear her hair in twin pigtails, which is a hairstyle seen in her Dead or Alive 3 ending. Even the outfit she wore in the ending can be unlocked as well.
In Last Round she can wear her hair in a new unique style: she wears most of it loose with the sides braided back in a ponytail, and she now has side locks slightly shorter than the rest of her hair, as well as her fringe slightly adjusted. Her hair is changed to her original black color in a few DLC such as her Aquaplus one, and she even wears Chinese chignon twin buns in her Mandarin DLC that's quite similar to her single bun from previous entries in the series.
In Dead or Alive 6, Leifang was now seen accessorized with white ox-horns. Her outfit is a yellow and white Chinese-style midriff with a black trim which also shows her waist and black ribbons in each sides at the edge of her folded sleeves, a matching white and yellow trousers with black designs and black sneakers with white and yellow designs and cream soles. She also wears black fingerless gloves with a yellow trim and red bands in each sides.
Personality[]
Leifang is kind-hearted, spunky, intelligent, and cheerful young woman with a wonderful spirit. Practicing martial arts has given her a strong dedication to self-improvement, both mentally and physically. She hopes that by honing her own skills, she can eventually help others to do the same. At the same time, her young age and general inexperience with the world around her can sometimes keep her from fully thinking things through.
Along with a strong motivation for self-improvement, Leifang is also somewhat prideful and becomes angry if she feels she is being taken advantage of or being looked down upon. Such as the case when she told Hitomi to stay out of her affairs between her and Jann Lee. This may be the core reason for her fixation and need to prove herself to Jann Lee after he rescued her. In spite of all this, she is usually friendly and compassionate to other people. However, she has proven to have an uncontrollable and violent temper at times, generally in response to being touched inappropriately, even if under accidental circumstances.
She proves to be a just young woman as she saved a child from abduction in the her Dead or Alive 3 epilogue (similar to how she was saved by Jann Lee), even taking down a knife-wielding opponent. She also stands up to Bass when he bullies people after losing in the casino during the Dead or Alive 4 tournament. Due to her determination to prevail over Jann Lee, she seems to have disregarded how much she has achieved through her constant training and perfection in martial arts. Leifang also never gives up and she will continue toward her goal until she succeeds, showing her strong willpower and tenacity.
In Dead or Alive 5, she is also sometimes childish and is very prideful and peppy, even making a surprised giggle when knocked over ledges in some stages. But Leifang is also very serious during her training and to her matches, especially to a strong opponent. In Dead or Alive 6, Leifang is even more serious than before, declaring to her opponent that the fight is hers. When matched up against guest characters, she will also eagerly engage her foe wanting to see which one of them is stronger.
Etymology[]
Leifang's name is a Japanese pinyin-style reading of the Chinese name "Lì Fèng" (Cantonese: Lai6 Fung6), with the pinyin and English reading being pronounced as "Lee-fuhng". The characters in her name, 麗 (lì) meaning "lovely", "beautiful" or "elegant", and 鳳 (fèng) meaning "phoenix" (a male holy bird to be exact, as there are three different Asian readings for it). Altogether, Leifang's name means "Beautiful Phoenix", relating to her beauty, and her desire to fulfill formidable aspirations (like beating Jann Lee and earning his respect as a fighter, and possible love as well). Interestingly, in Chinese culture the phoenix is traditionally considered complimentary to the dragon (which is associated with Jann Lee in the series).
Relationships[]
Jann Lee[]
Jann Lee & Leifang in Tag Battle
Jann Lee is Leifang's primary rival, target, and obsession. Ever since Jann Lee saved her from a group of thugs, she has aimed to perfect her fighting skills so that she could prove herself to him.
Double Dragon Knuckle Team-up
In Dead or Alive 5, Leifang persistently follows Jann Lee, while secretly training with Hitomi to keep her skills sharp enough to beat him. At one point, she almost encounters him, which results in her pursuing him onto a train. A potentially embarrassing and somewhat familiar occurrence following a sudden acute movement of the train is averted quickly thanks to Jann Lee: An older man almost relies on Leifang's breasts to regain balance, but Jann Lee steps in at the last minute. After another sharp movement of the train, Leifang falls on top of Jann Lee, and the two stare at each other in embarrassment. Her embarrassment may have caused her to lose her match with Jann Lee in the fifth tournament.
According to the trivia section of Dead or Alive 6, the entries "Valentine's Day" and "Challenge Letter" hint that Leifang may hold romantic feelings towards Jann Lee. However, it's also implied in the entry "Manly Men" that she doesn't know his tastes that well, as she is implied to have given him the box of chocolates that he subsequently passes to Diego due to not liking sweets.
Hitomi[]
Hitomi and Leifang victory pose similar to Hitomi's powerup stance after tag battle
Both being young, quirky, somewhat naïve and baring cheerful personalities, they can be playful with each other one minute, such as during their visits to Zack Island, and then become engaged in a heated battle next over something as trivial as a cabbage. Their relationship is somewhat of rivals and best friends. In Dead or Alive 3, she showed some animosity towards Hitomi, telling her to stay out of her affairs with Jann Lee despite Hitomi showing care for her, implying that they have a fierce rivalry. After Dead or Alive 3, Hitomi and Leifang became fast friends due to their keenness in martial arts and closeness in age.
Hitomi and Leifang performing a tag move
In Dead or Alive 4, they have a fierce battle over cabbage, but they become closer after the tournament is over. Their vacation, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, shows how much closer they are becoming as Hitomi allows Leifang to hand feed her strawberries, Leifang allows Hitomi to take glamour shots of her, and the two girls sit together in a tree eating ice cream.
By the events of Dead or Alive 5, they have become close friends, as well as martial arts rivals. In Tag Battle, they feature tag team grapples as well as opening sequences symbolizing their union. They train together and later spy on Jann Lee as he is initially rejecting Zack's tournament invitation. They have another battle for the sake of preparing for the tournament. After the battle is over, they wish each other good luck in their training and go their separate ways.
Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation also revealed that, aside from their rivalry regarding fighting, they also had a rivalry regarding cuisines, which is implied to have been jumpstarted when the Owner was forced to give a draw regarding a rivalry festival on their cooking skills. Their rivalry came to a head when trying to decide the menu arrangements for the then-upcoming first anniversary of the Venus Island's opening, where Leifang and Hitomi argued about which specific menu choices should be served (wanting Chinese food and Western-style meals to be served, respectively), before ultimately coming to a compromise by serving both meals as well as Japanese food after Momiji attempted to negotiate with them.
According to the trivia entries of Dead or Alive 6, Leifang and Hitomi are "sworn allies" or best of friends, and even made valentine's day chocolates for their mutual loved ones (who are implied to be Jann Lee and Hayate, respectively).
Tina Armstrong[]
Tina and Leifang sitting together after a successful victory
Stemming from a disagreement on the philosophy of martial power. Tina and Leifang have since become rivals of a sort, if not for any other reason than for their difference in opinions. Despite the rivalry, the two do seem to respect one another. Their tag team poses, team-ups and calling each other's name to back each other, however, show potential in the two resolving their differences and in fact having strengths the other doesn't have.
During the Second Dead or Alive tournament, before they battle, Tina shouts, "This is power, Leifang!" She lifts a boulder and throws it right at Leifang's feet. Leifang gives a look of determination and tells Tina, "You don't know anything about power." Leifang leans over the boulder and demolishes the boulder with a single palm. Tina, herself, is impressed by how much power Leifang truly yields and whistles long and lowly due to it.
In Dead or Alive 5, it appears they are now friends and respect one another but they still consider themselves as rivals.
Helena Douglas[]
Helena & Leifang's elegance in winning a tag battle
Leifang and Helena were both born in wealthy families. Leifang was jealous when Helena announced she had entered the Second tournament, saying that the tournament doesn't need another "spoiled little princess". However she seems to be friendly with Helena. During Dead or Alive 2 tournament, they share a cut scene before their battle where Leifang is shown looking with curiosity and seemingly enviously towards Helena as she goes up in a glass elevator.
After their battle in either Dead or Alive 2 or 3 tournaments, if Leifang wins she will friendly hold out her hand in an elegant way and say, "Let's meet again for the next dance." If Helena wins, she will showcase her elegant Kung Fu and remark, "This is perfect harmony." In Tag Battle, Leifang and Helena have some of the most graceful tag team-up moves seen due to their fluid Kung Fu styles. In winning a Tag Battle, they will both hold out their hands in an elegant way inviting their opponents "for another dance".
In Dead or Alive 5 Tag Battle, They maintain their tag alliance from the previous tournaments. Helena will call out for Leifang, but it is not reciprocated by Leifang when she tags for her.
She seemed to get along in a friendly manner in Xtreme Venus Vacation during their interaction at the Tamabata festival.
Eliot[]
Eliot initiates a tag-throw before mirroring Leifang's signature back-strike to crush them.
In the Dead or Alive 4 tournament, Leifang and Eliot become acquainted due to their youth and determination in studying Kung Fu. They maintain a secondary tag alliance in Dead or Alive 5. Eliot clearly has respect and admiration for Leifang as he will call her name when tagging in during team battle. Leifang seems to be a bit oblivious to Eliot's attention as she does not have a personal call once tagging him in.
Misaki[]
When meeting Misaki, the latter was initially nervous when meeting her, mostly because she heard from the Owner that Leifang has a frightening temper, although Leifang proceeded to set her straight about how she only gets angry regarding "unfair" elements and actually is calm most of the time (and also implies that the Owner's reference to a fiery temper was from an earlier incident that occurred when he was sick). She also was genuinely impressed with her wish of wanting the vacation to last forever over riches and fame during the Tamabata event. Leifang also talked Misaki into wearing a revealing outfit in order to have her undergo "special training" to have her get over Misaki's insecurities about showing her body off.
Luna[]
She and Luna acted as rivals during the Goddess Game due to it being part of a movie that she was making, although the aftermath indicated that they were fairly friendly to each other outside of the game. She later trained Luna to behave like Jiang Shi in accordance with their costumes for Halloween, alongside Marie Rose, although Luna ended up doing her usual twist on the jump. Luna also proceeded to warn her about the sesame dumpling offered by the Owner as being a trap due to that being a way to dispatch Jiang Shi in the past.
Tamaki[]
Although the two have yet to directly interact on-screen in Xtreme Venus Vacation, Leifang and Tamaki are familiar with each other, with Leifang in particular accepting a particularly revealing wardrobe as a condition for helping Misaki with "special training" to get over her insecurities, much to Misaki's chagrin.
Kasumi[]
Not much known about their relationship to each other in the main series, although they are quite acquainted to each other in Dead Or Alive Xtreme 1 and 2 and can easily become friends and partners in the game. In addition, in Xtreme Venus Vacation, their interactions indicated that they were very familiar with each other and act as long-standing friends, with Kasumi freely explaining the circumstances behind her arrival on the island.
Ayane[]
Although she and Ayane didn't seem to have any direct interactions prior to Xtreme Venus Vacation, she implies that she was familiar with the latter in that game, as she notes that Ayane "hasn't changed" regarding her more sarcastic remarks to her.
Lisa[]
They have a natural rapport in the original Dead or Alive Xtreme baring one musical note. During Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, Leifang and Lisa can be seen growing a natural rapport. Leifang will joke with Lisa in good spirits amongst introduction, as well as sharing exclusive cut scenes with their interactions on certain parts of the island.
Marie Rose[]
She seemed to be familiar with Marie Rose and had an overall friendly relationship with her, as she addresses her in a more casual manner when planning the Leifang Goddess Games festival, and also acting as her partner during the event. She later trained Marie Rose to behave like Jiang Shi in accordance with their costumes for Halloween, alongside Luna, although Marie didn't quite understand how to jump in the manner of Jiang Shi.
Momiji[]
In Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation, Momiji had to quell an argument between Hitomi and Leifang regarding what to serve as the meal for the first anniversary of the Venus Islands' opening (as they wanted Western-style meals and Chinese food to be served, respectively), ultimately reaching a compromise by suggesting they serve both as well as Japanese food (the latter being Momiji's own preferred food option). Momiji also was paired up with Leifang to host the festivities for Setsubun, the former mentoring the latter on what the holiday entails, although she did end up horrified when Leifang beat up a "demon" (heavily implied to be the Owner) rather than cast beans at it to drive it off (the latter of which was considered customary for the holiday).
Tsukushi[]
Tsukushi attempted to draw Leifang in secret in order to get source material for her manga, though Leifang noticed her presence. She was pleased with how she drew her, but nevertheless gave constructive criticism of certain backgrounds. She then offered to help Tsukushi out by having Tsukushi be photographed by her to act as source material, to which Tsukushi reluctantly obliged.
Koharu[]
Koharu met Leifang as well as Hitomi in person shortly after the latter party did three laps around the island. However, she already knew their names and faces by that time by having studied up on them, citing that as being an important skillset for acting as a landlady of an inn someday. Leifang also told her not to be so formal with her fellow venuses when she initially addressed them with "-Sama", with her taking Leifang's advice to heart. Leifang also offered to teach Koharu how to prepare Chinese dishes, with Koharu agreeing mostly because the hot spring inn that her family owned was also getting foreign customers and thus knowledge on foreign as well as Japanese cuisines will ultimately be necessary in the near future. She also watched with some amusement Leifang and Hitomi's argument after the latter implied that Leifang tended to add too much spice, as well as expressed gladness at gaining "older sisters."
Shandy[]
Owner[]
Leifang had a casual friendship with the Owner, although she generally was a bit haughty with him. It was also implied that she didn't know who the Owner was prior to arriving at the island, as she tried to ask someone for directions to where the owner could be found, only to learn the person she asked was the owner. She also prepared some spicy Chinese porridge in an attempt at nursing the owner back to health when he came down with a cold, although after she tripped, she beat him up due to him accidentally groping her, although she immediately regretted it after seeing the results, and implied that she blacked out when she did that. It's also implied that it was this incident that the Owner mentioned to Misaki that led the latter to initially fear Leifang.
Gameplay[]
Dead or Alive[]
- See also: Leifang's command lists
Leifang is a very technical character, focusing on powerful holds and parry maneuvers to expose the enemy for counterattacks, having ample parries that quickly give her momentum to start her combos, and she also has numerous holds as well as expert holds that have a variety of attributes, such as: dealing higher damage than normal, leaving her foe vulnerable to a guaranteed combo, and interacting with danger zones. This makes her well-suited for players who are good at predicting their enemy's attacks, however, she also has an excellent air-juggling game and due to her varying attack string levels, can be very difficult to counter against as she has deceptive low attacks and safe mids and highs. Her kicks, similar to Gen Fu's, are also excellent combo starters and have excellent execution and recovery time frames. She also has numerous strikes that can parry her foe's attacks, allowing her attack to successfully connect for a counter, and in later games she has offensive holds that can easily shut down faster fighters, including a combo hold that can deal heavy damage when not escaped as it can send opponents into walls or floor hazards depending on the ending command used.
While she is very formidable, Leifang must be played carefully as reckless holds and parries can quickly lead to her being punished for hi counter throw damage. Her tracking is also not great and her base damage is low, mostly requiring counters and combos to deal substantial damage. Mastering Leifang can be quite a task, but when used by a knowledgeable player who's comfortable with her moves and the game mechanics, as well as what her opponents have to counter her style, she can be very difficult to even strike if used properly. Her style thrives on being able to easily shut down and keep characters who are very strike heavy afraid to attack as she can easily parry to brush aside their attacks. She also has decent throws for punishing whiffed holds, including a combo that can send the foe flying into a nearby wall, and even a reset type throw that can be continued into a swift knockdown.
Dead or Alive 5 gives her more options from her sabaki stance, a special move that counters all high and mid punches. She can also cancel into her sabaki from numerous strings as a way to deter opponents from quickly striking her, although this makes her vulnerable to hi counter throw punishment like her regular holds. Dead or Alive 6 retains these refinements with the addition of a new low parry that replaces an older move and it can also be used from her sabaki, acting as a way to punish low jabs that could easily stop pressure from this stance. She's gained new attack strings too, and a couple of attacks have been given new inputs to make way for new moves and strings, giving her more to work with.
She is most compatible in tag-team battle with Helena Douglas and Jann Lee; Helena, for their combination of intricate combo techniques and Jann Lee because he possesses speed and power in striking while Leifang balances with good holds and throws.
Stats[]
The following are Leifang's official stats as listed in the games.
| Game | Strike | Throw | Hold | Power | Speed | Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead or Alive 5 (5+) | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Dead or Alive 5 Last Round |
3/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
Leifang in Dead or Alive Xtreme 2
Dead or Alive Xtreme[]
Leifang is very easy to befriend, because she likes everyone, although she seems not to like Tina Armstrong as much due to their rivalry during Dead or Alive 2; this can be changed with a few good gifts. Leifang herself can befriend almost everyone, too. In Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3: Scarlet, she is a bit tricky to befriend. If she is not your starting partner, her friendship notes will slowly decrease as each day passes, even to her friends Kasumi, Hitomi, and Helena. If the player wants to partner up with Leifang, it is recommended to befriend her and give her gifts she likes at nighttime as soon as possible before her 2 friendship notes turns to 1.
In beach volleyball, like Kasumi, Leifang is not the strongest character in terms of power, resulting in poor spikes, and a high chance of being knocked down by stronger players. However, she can quickly get back on her feet after a fall. She also has good technique, jump and defense stats, thus making her an ideal defensive character in returning the ball and counter-attacking. She is best suited as playing defense for Kokoro, as both girls are nearly well-balanced, and Kokoro has the strength Leifang lacks, but needs the technique the other has.
In Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation, she is classified as a TEC-type character.
Stats[]
The following are Leifang's official stats as listed in the manuals for both Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball and Xtreme 2.
| Power/Strength | Technique | Defense | Jump | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
Appearances[]
Dead or Alive series[]
- Dead or Alive games (playable, 1996-98)
- Dead or Alive 2 games (playable, 1999-2000)
- DOA2: Hardcore games (playable, 2000)
- Dead or Alive 3 (playable, 2001-02)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (playable, 2003)
- Dead or Alive Ultimate games (playable, 2004-05)
- Dead or Alive 4 (playable, 2005-06)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (playable, 2006)
- Dead or Alive Paradise (playable, 2010)
- Dead or Alive Dimensions (playable, 2011)
- Dead or Alive 5 (5+) (playable, 2012-13)
- 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)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation]] (playable, 2017)
- Dead or Alive 6 (playable, 2019)
- Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 Scarlet (playable, 2019)
[]
DOA: Dead or Alive[]
Leifang was played by Ying Wang in the movie, DOA: Dead or Alive. She makes several appearances in the beginning of the movie, until she got knocked out by Gen Fu. She also can be seen far away in the beach scene.
Non-Dead or Alive media[]
Destiny Child[]
Leifang alongside Ayane were teased to appear in the app game Destiny Child as part of the second collaboration between that game and Xtreme Venus Vacation.
Shinobi Masters: Senran Kagura New Link[]
Although Leifang herself doesn't appear in any of the DOA-related collaborations, the second collaboration between DOAXVV and New Link utilizes her swimsuit for some of the characters in the SK franchise. In addition, Leifang makes a brief cameo in the boot up introduction sequence between Tamaki, Senko and Gekkou.
Fighting quotes[]
- Dead or Alive/Dead or Alive 1 Ultimate
- 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
- Dead or Alive 6
Music themes[]
The following are the music themes used for Leifang throughout the series.
Note that both the Dead or Alive++ and Dimensions themes have no official names.
| Theme | Game appearances |
|---|---|
| "The Fist of TAIKYOKU Blows up" | Dead or Alive (arcade, 1996) Dead or Alive (Sega Saturn, 1997; Arcade Mode) Dead or Alive 1 Ultimate (Arcade Mode) Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (optional theme) |
| "Concentration" | Dead or Alive (PlayStation, 1998; Tournament Mode) Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (optional theme) |
| "Lei Fang's theme" | Dead or Alive++ |
| "Grand style" | Dead or Alive 2 and DOA2: Hardcore games Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate Dead or Alive Online Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (optional theme) Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (optional theme) |
| "Mayflower" | Dead or Alive 3 Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (optional theme) Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (optional theme) |
| "Leifang (or Grand Style) Remix" | Dead or Alive 2 Ultimate (Ray House; as "Leifang Remix") Dead or Alive 4 (Crash Club; as "Grand Style Remix") |
| "Flowerbed" | Dead or Alive 4 Dead or Alive 5+ Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (default theme) Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Arcade Dead or Alive 5 Last Round (default theme) |
| "Leifang's theme" | Dead or Alive Dimensions |
| "Eye To Eye" | Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Scarlet |
Gallery[]
- See: Leifang gallery
Trivia[]
- Leifang compared to Ling Xiaoyu in the Tekken series, as Leifang has pigtail hair option similar to Xiaoyu, both are Chinese characters and voiced by Japanese voice actress Yumi Tōma.
- The taijiquan style Leifang practices is a mixture of the Yang and Chen styles.
- In the early sketches for the original game, Leifang's name was Long Lihua (龍麗華) and her fighting style is Chinese kung fu (中国拳法).
- Leifang is the first character to wear glasses in the series, starting in Dead or Alive 4.
- In Dead or Alive 4, Leifang's loose hair style is unique since she's the only girl with a loose hair option that has her only tuck one side of her hair behind her ear, in comparison to Kasumi who tucks both sides behind her ears and the other characters with loose flowing hair who don't. Her DOA2: Hardcore gallery contains a picture where she wore her hair down in the same style.
- Leifang has the most costumes and color swaps in the series.
- Leifang appears to have an affinity or liking for panda bears, as she has several costumes including her signature panda hoodie outfit that has it as a recurring motif.
- IGN featured Leifang in their "Videogame Babe of the Day" series in 2006.
- Leifang was also featured in the Electronic Gaming Monthly-exclusive poster promoting Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.
- Leifang is briefly seen in the 2002 film One Hour Photo. In the scene, the son Jake Yorkin (portrayed by Dylan Smith) is playing the DOA2: Hardcore in his bedroom, the television screen shows Leifang and Jann Lee fighting in the Aerial Gardens.
- Out of all the characters in the series, Leifang has had the most hairstyles, with her hairstyles being a bun, a ponytail, Chinese braids, pigtails, her hair down, her hair down (short hair) seen in the CG Gallery in Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore, and her new hairstyle in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round.
- In her Dead or Alive 4 ending and Dead or Alive Xtreme 2, she is seen reading novels. It is implied that she loves to read novels. The item "Romance Novel" in Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 and 3: Scarlet is one of her "Like Items"
- In Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Scarlet, it is implied that Leifang is very fond of music as she is capable of playing 4 musical instruments in the game (Erhu, Recorder, Silver Trumpet and the Golden Trumpet) very well and she doesn't have any dislike preferences on any musical instruments in the game. However, she just can't read music so the sheet music item isn't a good item to buy her for Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.
- In some installments of the series, Leifang has the Chinese characters "方麗鳳" written on the back of her panties.[7] The characters translate to Fāng Lìfèng (in Pinyin) or Fong1 Lai6 Fung6 (in Jyutping). Itagaki confirmed it was her full name during a visit to Taiwan.[8]
- Although Leifang did not make it into Xtreme 3 itself due to failing to make the top nine, she was later included in the PC version, Venus Vacation on the July 5 2018 update for the DMM version and the September 25 2019 update for the Singapore Steam version, in both instances as an add-on character. According to Famitsu, this was because she had been heavily requested by fans.[9]
- Sakuta D in Famitsu's coverage of the game's second anniversary reiterated this reason, and also explained that her inclusion was also partly motivated by the then-recent announcement at E3 for Dead or Alive 6.[10]
- On a similar note, her canon relationship with Jann Lee was cited by Sakuta D. during the game's third anniversary to be part of the reason why they were reluctant to start adding more of the cut girls at that time, despite their being highly requested.[11] This was given an indirect reference in her ring episode "I can't leave you alone" where she gets all flustered upon realizing the Owner gave her a promise ring before grudgingly accepting it under the condition that "there are multiple forms of bonds."
- In the Steam version of the episode "Long Time No See!", there was a brief scene taken from Leifang's opening episode as well as her wishing she could be there forever before stating "2 months earlier" and cutting to the beginning of the episode in the DMM version. This was presumably added in to the Steam version to compensate for it being released two months past the intended release date of the event due to the Tanabata event. On a similar note, the Steam version of the overall episode arc itself has her simply stating she's observing the "Star Festival" without directly naming Tanabata for presumably the same reason.
- According to the girl order in the game code, Leifang is identified as "LEI".[12]
- Leifang helming the wishing upon a star event episode arc involving the Tanabata festival was most likely a reference to how Tanabata, while a Japanese holiday, had its roots from the Chinese due to the myth behind the festival (a prince of the star Hikoboshi and a princess of the star Orihime meeting in the Milky Way galaxy) originating in China.[13]
- On a similar note, Leifang's acting as one of the major characters for PyonPyon or Treat references how Jiangshi (the basis for the SSRs in that event, originally for the Steam version) originated in China.
- When logging in to the game with Leifang as the main partner on New Year's, Leifang will sometimes say that she celebrates her New Year's Day on a different date and express hope that the Owner will celebrate with her during that time, referencing Chinese New Year.
- Sakuta D in Famitsu's coverage of the game's second anniversary reiterated this reason, and also explained that her inclusion was also partly motivated by the then-recent announcement at E3 for Dead or Alive 6.[10]
- Based on the "Paradise Magic Show" advert in the Gambler's Paradise section, Leifang apparently does magic tricks as an activity.
- In the Singapore Steam version for Xtreme Venus Vacation, she is one of only two characters to have her birthday occur after being released from the paywall, the only other being Luna.
- In the DMM version of Xtreme Venus Vacation, Leifang has the most paid SSRs during her debut period, having four (not counting the various birthday suits). They are Five-Color Brilliance, Yinyang Taichi Cheongsam (based on her signature black party dress), Flying Phoenix Cheongsam (based on her default outfit in Dead or Alive 5) and Sandwich. Of them, only Sandwich has not appeared under any capacity for Leifang in the Singapore Steam version (while Flying Phoenix Cheongsam hasn't appeared in her debut event proper, it did eventually debut as one of the two paid SSR swimwear during Sayuri's teaser gacha alongside the latter's then-Steam-exclusive Transparent Beauty Cheongsam).
- In Dead or Alive 5, Leifang's signature black party dress (called "Yinyang Taichi Cheongsam" according to Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation) is used as a DLC costume for both Lisa and Helena, with Helena wearing hers in a recolored white. Nyotengu also received a recolored version of her default Chinese Cheongsam dress as part of a pre-order exclusive costume pack for Last Round.
- The scene where Leifang watches Helena in an elevator was originally meant to have Tina do the action in the 1998 tech demo.[14]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/doa5/lastround/top.html
- ↑ http://deadoralive.wikia.com/wiki/File:DOAP_Calendar_Apr.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YbcSngvIOk
- ↑ http://deadoralive.wikia.com/wiki/File:DOAP_Guide_Fang.jpg
- ↑ https://www.siliconera.com/dead-or-alive-xtreme-venus-vacation-director-on-series-characters/
- ↑ http://www.gamecity.com.tw/doa5/chara08.html
- ↑ https://zh.moegirl.org/File:Jkf19t.jpg
- ↑ http://walpurgis.info/page-3606
- ↑ https://www.famitsu.com/news/201807/03160241.html
- ↑ Famitsu 2nd anniversary DOAXVV coverage, page 103
- ↑ https://www.siliconera.com/dead-or-alive-xtreme-venus-vacation-director-on-series-characters/
- ↑ File:FON-NAG-CRI code source.png
- ↑ https://youtu.be/z3vNwsLeFxA?t=41
- ↑ Dead or Alive History -Team Ninja Freaks-
[]
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Characters | |
| Playable | Kasumi • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Leifang • Christie • Lisa • Tina Armstrong • Ayane |
| Non-playable characters | Niki • Zack |
| Terms | |
| Games | Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Poker • Pool Hopping • Roulette • Slot Machines |
| Other terms | Gift Giving • Swimsuits • Zack Dollars |
| Locations | |
| Zack Island Accessory Shop • Bass Island • Casino • Hotel • Jungle • Niki Beach • Poolside • Private Beach • Radio Station • Sports Shop • Zack of All Trades | |
| Music | |
| "Brazilian Sugar" • "Bitchism" • "Come On Over (All I Want Is You)" • "Do It" • "Fe Real" • "Give Me A Reason" • "How Crazy Are You?" • "If It Don't Fit" • "Is This Love" • "I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend" • "Jesse Hold On" • "Me Gusta" • "Move It Like This" • "Lovin' You" • "Pegaito" • "Sweet And Deadly" • "The Kids Don't Like It" • "This Is It" • "Turn It Up" | |
| Archives | |
| Costumes • Item Collection Datasheet • Merchandise • Promotional Artwork and Wallpapers • Swimsuit Merchandise | |
| v · e · d |
|---|
| Characters |
| Main characters |
| Supporting characters Ayane • Ryu Hayabusa • Max • Victor Donovan •
Weatherby • Zack • Bass Armstrong • Hayate • Bayman • Leon |
| Minor characters Brad Wong • Eliot • Fame Douglas • Gen Fu • Hitomi • Jann Lee • Leifang • Pirates |
| Terms |
| Acupuncture • Central Intelligence Agency • Dead or Alive World Combat Championship • DOATEC • Donovan's Glasses ID Bracelet • Katana • Nanobots • Needle • Ninja • Nunchaku • Runaway Shinobi • Shuriken • Volleyball |
| Other terms Character Relationships |
| Locations |
| Ishikari Mountains • South China Sea • Hong Kong • DOA Island • Buddha • Waterwheel • Bamboo Forest • Forbidden Square • Gray Steps • Lab Complex • DOA Compound • Tina's Yacht • Ninja Clan |
| Music |
| DOA: Dead or Alive Original Soundtrack |
| Archives |
| Promotional Artwork |
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Characters | |
| Playable | Kasumi • Tina Armstrong • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Leifang • Christie • Lisa • Kokoro • Ayane |
| Unlockable | Rio |
| Non-playable characters | Niki • Zack |
| Terms | |
| Games | Beach Flags • Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Butt Battle • Poker • Pool Hopping • Slot Machines |
| Other terms | Bijin Tokei • Gift Giving • Girls Guide • Pole Dancing • Precious Memories • Private Paradise • Swimsuits • Venus Clips • Zack Dollars |
| Locations | |
| New Zack Island Accessory Shop • Bass Island • Brilliant Jungle • Hotel • Niki Beach • Poolside • Radio Station • Sports Shop • Tranquil Beach • Zack of All Trades | |
| Music | |
| Dead or Alive Paradise Kossori Namaroku Voice & Soundtrack CD "Paradise!!" • "Sensational Fantasy" • "Beach Bomb" • "Coconut Groove" • "Nitro Funk" • "Violet Eyed Beauty" • "Rewind!" • "Curiosity" • "Boogie Circuit" | |
| Archives | |
| Costumes • Item Collection Datasheet • Promotional Artwork and Wallpapers | |
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Kasumi • Momiji • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Marie Rose • Honoka • Nyotengu • Kokoro • Ayane • Misaki (DLC) • Leifang (DLC) • Zack (NPC) |
| Terms | |
| Games | Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Butt Battle • Poker • Pool Hopping • Tug-of-War • Beach Flags • Rock Climbing • Roulette |
| Other terms | Gift Giving • Pictorial Scenes • Pole Dancing • Stats • Swimsuits • Virtual Pictorial • Zack Dollars • Girl Mode • Owner Mode |
| Locations | |
| New Zack Island Casino • Hotel • Niki Beach • Pool and Poolside • Sports Shop • Tranquil Beach • Zack of All Trades | |
| Archives | |
| Achievements • Costumes • Downloadable Content • Item Collection Datasheet • Merchandise • Promotional Artwork and Wallpapers • Transcripts | |
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Starting Characters | Kasumi • Momiji • Hitomi • Helena Douglas • Marie Rose • Honoka • Nyotengu • Kokoro • Ayane • Misaki |
| Post-launch Characters | Luna • Tamaki • Fiona • Leifang • Nagisa • Kanna • Monica • Sayuri • Patty • Tsukushi • Lobelia • Nanami • Elise • Koharu • Tina Armstrong • Amy • Shandy • Yukino • Shizuku • Reika • Meg |
| Minigames | Beach Volleyball • Blackjack • Butt Battle • Pool Hopping • Rock Climbing • Roulette |
| Terms | Gift Giving • Pictorial Scenes • Stats • Swimsuits • Virtual Pictorial • Zack Dollars • Girl Mode • Owner Mode |
| Venus Islands Locations | New Zack Island • Hotel (Owner's Room) • Casino • Nikki Beach • Pool and Poolside • Private Beach • Jungle • Bass Island • Accessory Shop |
| Transcripts | Year One • Year Two • Year Three • Year Four • Year Five • Year Six • Extra Episodes |
| Miscellaneous | Soundtrack • Costumes • Item Collection Datasheet • Collaborations • Merchandise (Official 4-koma Manga) • Nagisa True Colors Webmanga |