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Raiden (ライデン, Raiden) is a Super Sumo champion, formerly holding the rank of yokozuna. He works as a hero for the Neo Heroes.

Appearance[]

Raiden is an extremely large and muscular man with black hair and dark eyes. He sports the traditional rikishi appearance, complete with a white fundoshi and a chonmage topknot haircut.

Personality[]

Raiden is adamant about not joining the current Hero Association, opting instead to contract with the Neo Heroes.

Confident in his strength, Raiden boasts of his legendary reputation and even challenges Superalloy Darkshine to a sparring match. Like Darkshine, he craves the thrill of battling strong opponents, but after witnessing Darkshine's anxiety during their encounter, he internally questioned whether Darkshine had passed his prime, which disappointed him.

However, Raiden also possesses an honorable and compassionate side. He called off the spar when he realized Darkshine wasn’t in peak fighting condition, not wanting to intimidate him. Additionally, he expressed concern for Darkshine's safety, urging him to move aside when Mars Leo was rampaging.

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He believes that achieving great strength through rigorous training surpasses any scientific enhancements to the human body, as he feels such modifications hinder the innate potential of individuals.

Nonetheless, he exhibits a cruel attitude towards criminals, opting to forcibly convert them into mind-controlled cyborgs rather than pursuing more humane methods of rehabilitation. However, after battling Puri-Puri Prisoner, he seems to have had a change of heart, recognizing him as a true hero and committing to a more open-minded approach to reformative justice. Raiden also holds firm convictions, demonstrating a willingness to directly defy his leader's orders when he believes they aren't just.

History[]

During his career as a professional Super Sumo wrestler, Raiden achieved an astonishing feat by winning 700 consecutive matches, earning the title of Super Sumo Yokozuna and establishing himself as the strongest wrestler in history. As a child, he was a natural prodigy, never having lost a single fight or sports competition, even when competing against adults.[2]

Due to his remarkable strength, he was approached multiple times by scouts from the Hero Association, who sought to recruit him as a professional S-Class Hero. However, he declined all their offers.

Plot[]

Neo Heroes Saga[]

Neo Heroes Introduction Arc[]

Raiden was once again approached by a Hero Association scout with yet another offer to join their ranks, but the yokozuna yet again refused their offer. This time Raiden revealed to the scout that he was already contracted with the newly-founded Neo Heroes.

Ninjas Arc[]

Raiden meets Darkshine

Raiden meeting Darkshine

Later, Raiden is seen at a Neo Heroes meeting, having been appointed to the esteemed position of Neo Leader. He approaches Darkshine and asks whether he has genuinely retired from battle. Raiden states that Darkshine's reputation is well-established in his industry, known as the man with diamond muscles whose strength exceeds that of not only hominidae but also all living beings. He claims that he too is often discussed in similar terms, before briefly grappling with Darkshine to test his strength. However, upon sensing Darkshine's nervousness, he stops the grapple and wonders internally if the former S-Class hero has passed his prime. Shortly thereafter, as Mars Leo rampages and throws punches to showcase his power, he expresses concern for Darkshine, advising him to step aside.

Warning Expand to see original webcomic information. Beware of spoiler content.

Neo Heroes Uprising Arc[]

During a monster invasion, Raiden saves another hero by palm striking a monster and stepping on another, killing them both. He then questions the power of the Neo Heroes Battle Suits, stating that they're not necessary for someone like him.

Raiden is later seen testing a battle suit, during which he recalls why he wears one. He remembers his fight with Puri-Puri Prisoner, where he landed several heavy blows without sustaining any damage, yet he was unable to incapacitate the S-Class hero due to the latter's pain suppression abilities. Eventually realizing that Puri-Puri Prisoner prioritizes protecting his prisoners over fighting back, Raiden comes to understand that he is a hero despite his odd sense of justice. He then walks away, stating he will inform his leader that Puri-Puri Prisoner is indeed a hero. Returning to the present, Raiden reflects on his discovery of an S-Class hero's power, yet he questions how someone as strong as Puri-Puri Prisoner could be regarded as the weakest of the S-Class. He also contemplates how Darkshine's spirit can become worn down from fighting evil, affirming that as a sumo, his spirit will remain unyielding. Now equipped with his battle suit, he feels prepared for any challenge.

Abilities and Powers[]

Raiden is known to have a "strength that surpasses knowledge," which has led the Hero Association to repeatedly invite him to become an S-Class Hero. His formidable strength has earned him a reputation for possessing a physique that transcends the typical human form, granting him an overwhelming advantage over all biological beings. On one occasion, while on vacation, Raiden casually swatted a large monster to death with his bare hand.

According to McCoy, Raiden ranks at the pinnacle of battle prowess.[2] The Neo Heroes' assessment of him suggests that his combat ability exceeds that of the Hero Association's S-Class heroes. Raiden briefly engaged in a grapple with Darkshine, although the former S-Class hero was not in proper fighting condition at the time.

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Raiden was able to exchange blows with Puri-Puri Prisoner, covering his body in blood and bruises while he remained unharmed. However, due to Puri-Puri Prisoner's new technique and pain suppression, he was able to withstand the damage inflicted by Raiden. Although Raiden was confident in his ability to defeat Puri-Puri Prisoner, he chose to withdraw out of respect for his opponent's determination.

Despite his initial hesitance, Raiden is now using on the Neo Heroes strength augmenting suit. With this suit, he can effortlessly put huge craters into reinforced concrete, and make footsteps with enough force to cause tremors throughout an entire skyscraper.

Physical Abilities[]

Raiden tests Darkshine's strength

Raiden tests his strength against Superalloy Darkshine.

Immense Strength: Raiden possesses remarkable strength. He briefly grappled with Darkshine, causing the former S-Class hero to feel nervous and sweat, although it is important to note that Darkshine was not in the best mindset during this encounter.[3]

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His remarkable strength is shown when he decapitates a monster with just a casual palm strike and splits another monster in half by merely stepping on it.[4] He was also able to damage Puri-Puri Prisoner in their fight, though he was ultimately unable to incapacitate the hero and both of them eventually stood down.

Fighting Style[]

Sumo Wrestling: Raiden is a master sumo wrestler and the champion of Super Sumo, a style that requires participants to be over 300 cm tall and weigh at least 400 kg. Since starting his career as a Super Sumo wrestler, he has fought 700 matches without a single loss, showcasing his exceptional skill in the art of sumo. Many of Raiden's techniques involve palm strikes rather than conventional punches.

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  • Giant Heavy Cannon (巨重砲, Kyojūhō): Raiden attacks with a heavy front palm strike. It is first used against Puri-Puri Prisoner.
    • Thousand Spot Giant Heavy Cannon(千斑巨重砲, Senhan Kyojūhō): [5]

Major Battles[]

Participants Chapter(s) Episode(s) Result
Raiden vs. Superalloy Darkshine Webcomic Chapter 125 None Raiden stops after noticing Darkshine's nervousness
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Participants Chapter(s) Episode(s) Result
Raiden vs. Puri-Puri Prisoner Webcomic Chapter 136 None Interrupted

Trivia[]

  • Raiden is likely a reference to the famous sumo wrestler Raiden Tameemon (雷電爲右衞門).
Warning Expand to see original webcomic information. Beware of spoiler content.
  • His palm strike technique is based on E.Honda's thousands hands technique from Street Fighter.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 One-Punch Man Webcomic; Chapter 125, page 5
  2. 2.0 2.1 One-Punch Man Webcomic; Chapter 125
  3. One-Punch Man Webcomic; Chapter 125, page 5-6
  4. One-Punch Man Webcomic; Chapter 126, page 12
  5. One-Punch Man Webcomic; Chapter 144, page 7-8
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