Rachel

Rachel is a fiend hunter from the Holy Vigoor Empire. She is the lead female character of Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden Sigma, and is something of a tragic heroine. While she is not present in Ninja Gaiden II, she is featured as a playable character in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

Description: Species: Human/Fiend Nationality: Vigoor Empire Gender: Female Height: 172 cm (5' 8") Relatives: Alma (sister)

Bio: Rachel and her twin sister Alma are afflicted with a blood curse that turns humans into fiends. By the events of Ninja Gaiden, the curse has consumed Alma. Believing there is no cure for their condition, Rachel seeks Alma through much of Ninja Gaiden in order to kill her to redeem her soul.

Personality: Rachel at first appears to Ryu as a ruthless and strong hunter who wonders if Ryu is strong enough to stand up against the fiends, for that matter she acts alone making her way through the Vigoor empire until she explains her story to Ryu, who saves her life afterwards.

As the story continues Rachel starts to trust Ryu, giving some information on how to reach Doku, but keeping her strong attitude and tough demeanor.

However at heart Rachel is more sensitive and emotional, giving up to her feeling towards her sister Alma, despite her being a fiend. She chooses not to finish her off, revealing her weakness to the enemy.

By the end of Ryu's journey Rachel appears to be less of a hot head and more caring, as she rushed to a volcano to save Ryu and standing aside of Ryu when Murai reveals his treason.

Appearance: Rachel is a fairly tall woman with pale skin, platinum blonde hair, and a curvaceous figure. She is usually seen wearing a skin-tight black leather leotard that is compressed and cut in ways that reveal her midriff and large breasts. She also wears black thigh-high boots with various belts and knee arsenals, on her left arm she has a red layered Spike shoulder guard.

Rachel has also worn a number of different clothes and costumes which include the following...

-A navy blue blazer with a white collar and the Team Ninja logo, a matching miniskirt, red high heels, a pendant necklace, a pair of dangle earrings, and a pair of glasses.

-A white crop top with denim hot pants that have suspenders, leather boots, a pair of leather gloves, a sash around her left bicep, a choker, a pair of earrings, and a rose tattoo on her abdomen.

-A black-and-white, "sexy" American football uniform with the text "TECMO BOWL" and the number 4.

-A black dress with a collar and red belt, sheer fabric jacket, a pair of stockings, red high heels, anklets on her left ankle, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings.

-A gold-and-black cheerleading uniform (with "I'm a Fighter" written across her chest) as well as wristbands, leg warmers, and sneakers.

-A Japanese-style school gym uniform which includes navy blue athletic bloomers, a pair of socks, and white sneakers. The uniform has a name tag on the chest with レイチェル (the katakana for "Rachel") written across it.

-A police-themed blue-and-black leotard with a leather corset and metal pauldrons, garter belt stockings, a pair of high heels, leather gloves, a police cap, and handcuffs attached to the waist.

Abilities: Rachel's blood curse endows her with superhuman strength and an innate ability to sense the presence of fiends. She is not very agile, however, and depends mainly on her strength to deliver slow-but-devastating blows to her opponents. In Ninja Gaiden her signature weapon is a War Hammer, but in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 she replaces the War Hammer with the Inferno Hammer and gains the Type 666 Heavy Machine Gun. As a hunter of Fiends, you'd need to have top-notch reflexes, and Rachel fits the description, being able to block, dodge, or counter the devastating attacks of Fiends with relative ease. Rachel is skilled in the Magical Arts, making use of two spells: the Blades of Oroborous, and Magic of the Raging Aphrodite.

Appearances: In the Vigoor capital of Tairon, Ryu Hayabusa finds a diary on the body of a slain Black Spider Clan ninja named Suke that tells of a "mysterious female hunter." The diary speaks of a woman he witnessed crushing fiends without effort, stating that she is as beautiful as she is deadly. So captivating was she that even in his last moments, the dying ninja is compelled to write of his desire to see her one more time.

Rachel's first encounter with Ryu occurs when he is preparing to engage a fiend threatening the fleeing patrons of Han's Bar. She defeats the fiend with a single swing before Ryu even has a chance to strike, and then speaks with Ryu atop the establishment. She introduces herself as a fiend hunter and reveals that she has as much desire to defeat the dark fiendish samurai Doku as Ryu. Her exact reasons, however, are left unsaid as she quickly departs to engage more fiends heard in the distance.

In Chapter 5 she investigates the Dworku Monastery to learn the true nature of the fiends. She later meets Ryu, watching as he defeats a horde of fiends. She states that she thought once her blood was pure, and that the only way for humans who have been turned to fiends to be released from the blood curse is death. She is captured here by a giant fiend, but soon saved by Ryu. After the battle Rachel reveals to Ryu the hidden underground passage bellow the temple and stays with Ayane to recover from her ordeal.

In Chapter 8, Rachel leaves to search for Alma. While closing in on her sister, she is confronted by Gamov. When she senses Alma's close proximity, Rachel flees.

In Chapter 14, after Doku informs her and Ryu about the Fiendish Awakening, she follows the fiend's spirit through the torn fabric of space and time. She then fights Ishtaros and Nicchae. Despite her best efforts, she is defeated and held captive again.

In Chapter 17, Doku used Rachel as a sacrifice for Alma's awakening. After Ryu defeated the fiend, Doku was about to kill Rachel, but Alma quickly rushed in and protected her sister, taking the fatal blow. The fiend hunter watched helplessly as her sister died in her arms.

In the final chapter, Rachel helps Ryu escape the Underworld and witnesses the battle between him and Murai, who was wielding the Dark Dragon Blade.

After Ryu and Sonia left Manhattan, Marbus, the former guardian of the Vigoor Emperor, takes over with the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty, resulting in a Fiend infestation. Rachel appears, and grows weary of the repetitiveness of it all. Knowing something else was amiss after seeing Marbus in the sky, she braves through the hellish night slaying Fiend after Fiend until she confronts Marbus on a sky scraper. She tells the Archfiend of the Underworld to go back to Hell, but he refuses and attacks her. Using her powers and her skills as a Demon Hunter, Rachel defeated Marbus, taking off his other horn and killing him. As the sun comes out she says "Night has lifted, dawn has come." as the Goddess of Liberty reappears, in her rightful place.

Quotes: "Night has lifted. Dawn has come."