Ryu Hayabusa
| Ryu Hayabusa | |
|---|---|
| Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive character | |
Ryu Hayabusa in Dead or Alive 6 | |
| First game | Ninja Gaiden (1988) |
| Created by | Hideo Yoshizawa |
| Voiced by |
|
| Portrayed by | Kane Kosugi |
| In-universe information | |
| Fighting style | Hayabusa Ninjutsu |
| Origin | Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
Ryu Hayabusa (Japanese: リュウ・ハヤブサ/隼 龍, Hepburn: Hayabusa Ryū) is a fictional character and the protagonist of Koei Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden action game series. He is a human-dragon hybrid who wields an ancestral weapon called the Dragon Sword, and is the leader of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. One of Tecmo's most enduring characters, Ryu has also appeared as a player character in the Dead or Alive fighting game franchise by Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja where he serves as the protagonist in Dead or Alive 2 and one of the staple characters of the series, having appeared in every main series entry. Ryu is featured on official series merchandise as well as in the feature film DOA: Dead or Alive, and has made many crossover appearances in other games.
He has received favorable reception from critics and audiences, and is considered to be one of the most iconic examples of a ninja character in video games as handful of critics have ranked him as the most iconic ninja in gaming.