Character pages for the ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'' video game series.
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!!Characters by order of first appearance
[[index]]
* ''Characters/Rayman1'' [[note]]Betilla the Fairy, The Magician, Mr. Dark, Bad Rayman, Electoons[[/note]]
* ''Characters/Rayman2TheGreatEscape'' [[note]]Globox, Ly the Fairy, Murfy, Admiral Razorbeard, Robo-Pirates, Polokus (The Bubble Dreamer), Clark, The Guardians, The General, Jano/The Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams, Teensies, Lums, The Grolgoth[[/note]]
* ''Characters/Rayman3HoodlumHavoc'' [[note]]André, Reflux, Begoniax, Razoff, The Hoodlums[[/note]]
* ''Characters/RaymanOriginsLegends'' [[note]]Teensy Queen, Mister Death, Raymesis, The Nymphs, Holly Luya, Edith Up, Annetta Fish, Helena Handbasket, Fée de la Mort/Big Mama/Voodoo Mamma, Wendy Weather, The Kings, Carnivora, The Mocking Bird, El Stomacho, Creveton, Barbara[[/note]]
* ''Characters/RaymanPartyGames'' [[note]]Henchman 1000, Tily, Razorwife, Dark Rayman, Dark Globox, Globette, Raving Rabbids[[/note]]
** ''Characters/MarioPlusRabbidsSparksOfHope''
* ''Characters/RaymanTheAnimatedSeries'' [[note]]Betina, Lac-Mac, Cookie, Flips, Rigatoni, Inspector Grub[[/note]]
[[/index]]

!!The Title Character

[[folder:Rayman]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rayman.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise: ''Rayman 1'', ''Rayman 2'', ''Origins'' and ''Legends'', and ''Rayman 3''.]]

!!!'''Voiced by (French):''' Fabrice Melquiot (''Rayman Dictées''), Michel Mella (''Rayman Maternelle'' and ''Rayman CP''), Pierre Alain de Garrigues (singing voice in ''Rayman Maternelle'' and ''Rayman CP'', Raymanian voice track in ''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape''), Creator/EmmanuelGarijo (''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape'', ''Rayman: The Animated Series'', ''VideoGame/Rayman3HoodlumHavoc''), Sébastien Mineo (''VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsSparksOfHope''), Guillaume Darnault (''WesternAnimation/CaptainLaserhawkABloodDragonRemix'')
!!!'''Voiced by (English):''' Steve Perkinson (''VideoGame/Rayman1'', ''Rayman Junior'' and ''Languages with Rayman''), Creator/BillyWest (''Rayman: The Animated Series''), Creator/DavidGasman (''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape'', ''VideoGame/RaymanM'', ''VideoGame/Rayman3HoodlumHavoc'', ''VideoGame/RavingRabbids'' games, ''VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsSparksOfHope''), Doug Rand (''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'' and ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends''), Creator/DavidMenkin (''WesternAnimation/CaptainLaserhawkABloodDragonRemix'')

The limbless hero of the Glade of Dreams, and the eponymous protagonist of the series, always raring for a fresh adventure to save the world.
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* AchillesHeel: Rayman's FloatingLimbs may be good for long-range combat and grant him additional agility, but if he somehow loses them he's essentially helpless until he retrieves them again. During the first section of ''Hoodlum Havoc'', Rayman could do little more than a weak kick after Globox accidentally stole his hands, and in the first level of the GBA version of ''Raving Rabbids'' he's practically defenseless.
* AdventureDuo: With Globox.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: While it's never directly stated what he is, he does look ''vaguely'' human. That is, until you compare him to the human princesses in later games, which don't look like him at all.
* AnimeHair: Rayman's signature 'do predominantly consists of two -- in his first appearances, three -- big rabbit ear-like bangs that always remain separate... and that he can spin like helicopter blades to glide.
* ArtEvolution: With every passing game, his design changes with the art style.
* BadassesWearBandanas: He wears one in the mobile game ''Rayman Adventures''.
* BagOfSpilling: Often loses his abilities from past games. This is actually justified in ''Rayman 2'', in which it's explicitly said that the destruction of the Heart Of The World caused the loss of most of, if not all of, his powers, and averted in ''Rayman 3'', where still retains his core powers from ''1'' and ''2'', and ''Rayman Legends'', in which he keeps his full skillset from ''Rayman Origins''.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: He may be goofy and manic, especially in the [=UbiArt=] games, but he's still perfectly capable of knuckling down when push comes to shove.
* BigEater: He eats fruits, rhythmically, like no tomorrow.
* BigGuyLittleGuy: Rayman is the little guy to Globox's big guy.
* BloodKnight: Not in the first few games, but ''Origins'' onwards replaces his fairly standard heroic personality in favor of one that, while still [[IdiotHero heroic in]] [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} his own way]], loves beating up bad guys.
* BornAsAnAdult: As shown in the early trailers of ''Origins'', Rayman looked no different when he was first created by Betilla than how he looks in the other games (well, aside from the different artstyle). Then again, this backstory comes from an early version of the game, so it may or may not still be canon.
* BrooklynRage: Downplayed example. In the animated series, Rayman has a Brooklyn accent -- courtesy of Creator/BillyWest -- but is otherwise the same level-headed hero he is in the games of the time.
* ButtMonkey: Is subject to no small number of indignities in the ''Rabbids'' games, where the Rabbids ''delight'' in making him their plaything.
* CartoonCreature: You look at him and try guessing what he is. [[VideoGame/RaymanOrigins A man? A vegetable? A thingamajig?]]
* CharacterDevelopment: The creators of ''Rayman Origins'' were originally going to give him this to show how he became the hero he is today, but their plans were severely derailed (see {{Manchild}} for more information).
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In ''Rayman 2'', he has a fairly standard [[NiceGuy heroic personality]], while ''Rayman 3'' gives him more of a [[TookALevelInSmartass sarcastic and cocky edge]]. ''Sparks of Hope'' leans into a happy medium between the two; selfless and courageous, but slightly egotistical and cautious of his foes.
* ChivalrousPervert: Sometimes displays traits of this, such as the (dubiously canon) animation test where he sings 'Sex Bomb', or the teaser trailer for Origins where he blows up Betilla's skirt with his hair ([[IncestSubtext immediately after she created him]], at that).
* ConjoinedEyes: From ''Rayman 3'' onward.
* CostumeEvolution: Trades his scarf for a drawstring hood as of ''Hoodlum Havoc'', which has remained an integral part of his design ever since.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: In the ''Origins'' continuity, he's kind of an airhead, but when evil shows up, he can, and more often that not will, lay down a ''beating''.
* DeadpanSnarker: Rayman gains a bit of a dry wit in ''Hoodlum Havoc'' and ''Hoodlums' Revenge'', and occasionally gets some amusing quips in.
-->'''Murfy:''' Hey Rayman, I think we are almost at the end of the level!
-->'''Rayman:''' Really? [[CaptainObvious Maybe that's why there's this big "Exit" sign here]].
* DemotedToExtra: In the original ''Rayman Raving Rabbids'' game, he was plot-critical and the only playable character. In the second game, he's still playable, but you can play as a Rabbid and Rayman's story doesn't get resolved. In ''TV Party'', he only appears in cutscenes. He's missing entirely in the succeeding ''Raving Rabbids'' games, as from ''Rabbids Go Home'' onward, his series and the Rabbids' series were separated.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference:
** His initial appearance in the first game gave him giant, bulbous SphereEyes. ''Rayman 2'' shrinks them down immensely, and ''Rayman 3'' onward gives him completely flat ConjoinedEyes. His ''Sparks of Hope'' design restores the sphere eyes.
** Rayman wore a neck bandana for ''Rayman 1'' and ''2'', as well as the games associated with them. Starting with ''Rayman 3'', his outfit was modernized and changed to be a hoodie.
* EnergyBall: In some games -- most notably ''Rayman 2'' -- Rayman has an ability known as the Magic Fist, which lets him generate bouncy spheres of energy in his hands to throw at enemies. He also later gains the ability to [[ChargedAttack charge them up]] to make them bigger and more destructive.
* FloatingLimbs: TropeCodifier. The real-life reason is because his arms and legs were too difficult to animate in the early 1990s. The in-universe reason (as of ''VideoGame/RaymanOrigins'') is because the nymphs that were tasked with creating him dropped some Lums while running away from Zombie Chickens.
* FragileSpeedster: In ''Origins'' and ''Legends'', he is very agile, but can be defeated by taking only a single hit or two. In earlier installments, due to having a health bar, he was more of a LightningBruiser.
* GoodMorningCrono: In most titles, Rayman is usually first seen snoozing or otherwise lazing about before being forced into action. Even his very first appearance in a game (in the intro cutscene to the original ''Rayman'') had him chilling in a hammock on the beach.
-->'''Magician:''' They definitely need a hero, don't cha think? RAAAYMAAAN TO THE REEESCUUUE!
-->'''Rayman:''' (''gives a lazy thumbs-up without moving from his hammock'') No problem.
* {{Goth}}: One of his alternate costumes in the first two ''Rabbids'' games dresses him up as a goth, wearing an all-black ensemble and having noticeably paler skin.
* GuileHero: Exclusive to ''WesternAnimation/RaymanTheAnimatedSeries'', as he relies more on his wits than his powers in order to get his friends and himself out of trouble.
* HeliCritter: Thanks to his below-mentioned hair that he can spin super-fast, Rayman can use it to glide or fly. Interestingly, ''Hoodlums' Revenge'' has [[ContinuitySnarl Rayman mention that he's been able to do it all his life]], but he was actually granted it as a mid-game superpower by Betilla the Fairy in the original ''Rayman''.
* HelicopterHair: Rayman's other main defining trait is his hair, which he can spin like a helicopter rotor to either glide through the air or outright fly with certain power-ups.
* TheHero: The main character of all the games -- except for ''VideoGame/RavingRabbids'', where he takes a backseat to the Rabbids themselves -- and the only character playable in all of them.
* HeroicBSOD: During the DownerBeginning to ''Rayman 2'', Rayman has been captured by Admiral Razorbeard's Robo-Pirates -- having recently [[DePower lost his superpowers]] from when they blew up the Heart of the World -- and is quietly despairing in his cell by the time Globox gets thrown in with him. However, when Globox gives him a Silver Lum to escape, [[HesBack Rayman returns to form]].
* HeroicComedicSociopath: In ''Origins'' and ''Legends'', where he's much more of a mischievous loon who, while still heroic in a different way, loves a good fight and beating up villains. Notably, he and the rest of his friends have no issue with inflicting various AmusingInjuries on each other.
* HeroicMime: A {{downplayed|Trope}} example in ''Hoodlum Havoc'', leaning more towards TheQuietOne: Rayman makes all sorts of grunts and such, and occasionally says "Yay me!" and "Yes!" after winning more difficult fights in gameplay, but during scripted dialogue, you will only hear him actually talk a grand total of ''six times'' in the game; two of which are in the video cutscenes.
* HesBack: A major part of ''Rayman 2''. The majority of his HeroicBSOD isn't really shown, however, and only implied by the game's manual; the game proper starts right before his return to form when Globox gives him a Silver Lum to restore his Magic Fist, or his Telescopic Fist in ''Rayman Revolution''.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: He and Globox are rarely seen apart.
* IconicOutfit: Rayman's outfit never changed between games. It includes a purple sleeveless shirt with an "O" emblem and a red scarf -- swapped out with a drawstring hood starting from his redesign in ''Rayman 3'' -- white gloves and yellow and white-trimmed sneakers.
* IdiotHero: In the [=UbiArt=] games, implied to be as a result of his age and/or having lost several crucial parts of himself -- most notably, his limbs -- when he was first created by the Nymphs.
* TheLeader: In the animated series, he's usually the one coming up with the plans for the group and organising them. Generally acts as this in the [=UbiArt=] games also.
* LightningBruiser: He is very agile, his fist attacks are quite powerful, and in most games -- especially ''Rayman 2'' and ''3'' -- he is shown to survive normally deadly hazards like falling from very high places on solid ground without as much as a scratch. Due to game mechanics, however, he's shown to be more of a FragileSpeedster in ''Origins'' and ''Legends''.
* LongRangeFighter: While other platform heroes tend to employ GoombaStomp, SpinAttack or GoodOldFisticuffs to deal with enemies, Rayman quite literally [[VisualPun throws]] his hands to punch bad guys from a distance (or shoots {{Energy Ball}}s at them in 2). He does gain an [[EmergencyWeapon an emergency melee attack]] in 3 though, in the form of a roundhouse kick to strike enemies that get too close for comfort.
* {{Manchild}}: The original idea for ''Rayman Origins'' was to show his evolution from immature buffoon to the hero he is today. This got severely derailed during its development; and so in that continuity, he's a fun psychopath who likes bashing enemies' faces... and [[HeroicComedicSociopath sometimes his own friends']].
* {{Mascot}}: Shares this role with the Rabbids for Creator/{{Ubisoft}} and Unicef.
* MeaningfulName: Rayman is a variation of "Raymond" meaning "wise guardian", reflecting his level-headedness guardianship of the Glade of Dreams. Not so much in the ''Origins'' continuity though, where [[{{Manchild}} he's more of a lovable loon]] with an impetuous and comically-violent streak.
* MegatonPunch: Rayman's go-to method of attack are his floating fists, which he can use to punch with incredible force. Often, he can outright send enemies flying with a single blow.
* {{Metalhead}}: The musical levels in ''Legends'', which are mostly rock-based, show him headbanging and platforming through them without missing a single beat. When he comes back in ''Sparks of Hope'', he brings his guitar with him and can still belt out a tune with the best of them.
* MosesInTheBulrushes: In his ''Rayman 2'' backstory; he was found by fishermen off the coast of the Glade, with no-one knowing how he got there. Collecting all of the Yellow Lums expands on this, revealing that Rayman was in fact the only being in the Glade of Dreams ''not'' to have been dreamed up by [[PhysicalGod Polokus]], and that he's the only one who can receive powers from the Fairies.
-->'''The Knowledge Of The World:''' Some say you are the Chosen One of all the Gods. Who knows...?
* MultipleChoicePast: As evidenced by all the {{retcon}}s, it's hard to tell which version of his genesis is the ''real'' one. At this rate, it's probably easier to just pick your favorite.
* MysteriousPast: The first ''Rayman'' implied that he was already an established character in his world. It wasn't until ''Rayman 2'' that his past was to be explored. In the game, it claims he was found washed up on the beach by a fisherman on the Sea of Lums, that he's the only being who can receive superpowers from Silver Lums, and unlike every other living creature in the Glade of Dreams, was ''not'' dreamt up by Polokus. ''Rayman Origins'' states that he was created by the fairies to combat the First Bad Dream. The Platform/PlaystationVita version also tells us that he was bald and had a wife, who left him after orange hair-like creatures latched on to his head; which also explains his HelicopterHair.
* NiceGuy: A selfless and bold hero who'll go through hell and back to protect his friends and world.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Rayman is at least a hundred years old by the time of ''Legends'', maybe even older if his various origins are taken into account.
* PalsWithJesus: He's a good friend of the Bubble Dreamer -- aka, [[PhysicalGod Polokus]] -- in ''Origins'' and ''Legends''.
* PintSizedPowerhouse: His general height is a little inconsistent, but he appears somewhere between 3 and 4 feet tall. Averted in ''Sparks of Hope'' where he's a more reasonable height due to Rabbid Peach and Mario being a lot shorter than him.
* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to Globox's Blue, at least in the early games.
* {{Retcon}}: His backstory [[MultipleChoicePast seems to change with every game]]:
** [[VideoGame/Rayman1 He was a native to the Glade of Dreams and was part of a species just like him.]]
** [[VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape He was found by a fisherman, is the only being who wasn't dreamt up by Polokus, and the only one who can use Silver Lums.]] It's generally implied that this carries into ''Rayman 3''.
** [[VideoGame/RaymanOrigins He was created by the fairies to fight the first nightmares of Polokus.]] He also [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking used to be bald and had a wife]]... but only in the PS Vita version, for some reason.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Does a hilarious one in the opening for ''Origins'', when he realizes he's holding a living skull. [[ReactiveContinuousScream This gets everyone else screaming.]]
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: In the third game, he's the Manly Man to Globox's Sensitive Guy.
* SpinAttack: His running attack animation is this in ''Origins'' and ''Legends'', as well as the iOS games ''Jungle Run'', ''Fiesta Run'', and ''Rayman Adventures''.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: His role as the lead character in ''[[VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsSparksOfHope Rayman & the Phantom Show]]'' has him doing this with the Rabbids, at least at first. He seems apprehensive to even approach Rabbid Mario and Peach considering his history with their species; not helped by Rabbid Peach immediately pulling her gun on him when they first meet. He does, however, [[FireForgedFriends develop a genuine bond with them through their battles together]].
* TemporaryBulkChange: In ''Origins'' and ''Legends'', Rayman can briefly increase the size of his hands and feet to perform superpowered punches, kicks and two-fisted spin attacks with.
* TookALevelInSmartass: Is noticeably more snarky and gains a bit of an arrogant streak in ''Hoodlum Havoc'' compared to ''Rayman 2'', but he's still as selfless as ever deep down.
* UselessProtagonist: Is reduced to little more than a ButtMonkey in the ''Rabbids'' games: he fails to save the baby Globoxes in the first, plays no role in actually stopping their invasion in the second (to the point where he accidentally ''contributes'' to it), and has to deal with them being trapped in his TV for most of ''TV Party''.
* WouldHitAGirl: Had no problem beating up undead grannies in ''Origins'', and as of ''Legends'', you could, if you so choose, have Rayman give Barbara (or one of the other princesses) a good whack or two.
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