Characters / Rainbow Six Siege Operators - Year Five

Rainbow Six Siege Characters
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REU

Iana

Nienke "Iana" Meijer

"All systems are complementary, if you know how to connect them."

^{Click here to see Iana's Elite Skin Unit Designation Iana}

Voiced by: Clare McConnell (EN)
Date of Birth: August 27
Age: 35
Team: Attackers
Squad: Ghosteyes

A Dutch astronaut and once-aspiring fighter pilot, Iana's Gemini Replicator allows her to create and send out a fully remote controllable holographic doppelganger of herself to scout out enemy positions and gadgets and deceive them for a short time. The hologram also runs on a cooldown whenever its destroyed or recalled before being able to be used again.

For tropes applicable to her counterpart in Rainbow Six Extraction, see Rainbow Six Extraction REACT.

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• Albinos Are Freaks: Iana's albinism made her a bit of a social outcast, but it didn't stop her from becoming a renowned engineer, astronaut, and Rainbow Operator - all to better serve humanity.
• Artistic License – Military: Her ARX200 (an ARX160 chambered in 7.62 NATO) is erroneously classified and referred to as an Assault Rifle even though the more correct term would be a Battle Rifle.
• Badass Normal: While she did graduate from the Dutch Royal Military Academy, Iana's professional background is practically unrelated to the military or law enforcement, private or otherwise. In fact, she has no combat experience and little (if any) firearms training whatsoever, prior to being recruited into Team Rainbow.
• Bold Explorer: At her core, Iana is an intrepid explorer who wants to reach new horizons: an attitude that Harry likens to the brave circumnavigators of yore. Despite being a member of Team Rainbow, Iana still intends to return to space - she is particularly eyeing the 'Expedition 67' trip to the International Space Station.
• Doppelgänger Spin: The Gemini Replicator is basically a more advanced, cooldown-based version of Alibi's Prismas. But unlike the Prismas, the Replicator completely copies Iana's loadout and appearance, and the resulting decoy also moves and sounds like her. However, Iana has to control her decoy manually, thus leaving her defenseless without support, and the decoy itself is easily destroyed by gunfire, certain Defender gadgets, and the like. She can also quickly exit her Gemini before it fully deploys and send herself in, potentially getting free shots on opponents who heard the decoy generate and ignore the "hologram".
• Dream-Crushing Handicap: Iana was rejected from the Dutch Royal Air Force due to her poor eyesight caused by her albinism.
• Glamour Failure: Iana's holographic decoy does not light up in thermal cameras like Maestro's Evil Eyes, making them a particularly effective counter to her. It also does not trigger traps nor is slowed down by Clash's CCE shield.
• Guest Fighter: She appears in Arknights as a playable Specialist operator.
• Handicapped Badass: Iana was rejected from the Royal Netherlands Air Force due to her poor eyesight, which is a problem faced by many people suffering from albinism. She has to wear contact lenses to correct her sight, which was also apparently integrated into her Gemini projector as a means of transmitting her hologram's camera feed back to her while she's controlling it.
• Hard Light: Her Gemini projections are a bit confusing about this.
  • They are described as "holograms", which by technical definition means they are not hard light, and they also don't trigger traps like actual operators could.
  • At the same time, they also have actual substance, since they seem to have weight, and are solid enough to be able to capture bullets that are shot at them, such that objects and other players standing behind them will usually not be hit by the projectiles traveling through nothingness. Additionally, them moving around still makes noise and displace debris like Iana should. The only thing they can't seem to take after their owner is the ability to rappel.
• Hologram Projection Imperfection: While normally the Gemini Replicator is a perfect duplicate of Iana's model, Mute jammers and barbed wire will cause the hologram to flicker. It is still good practice to shoot it to deny Iana intel.
• Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Unlike other operators' gadgets, Iana has effectively infinite Geminis limited only by a cooldown. This makes her a good counter to Aruni, who is based around wasting Attacker gadgets to prevent entry.
• No-Sell: While vulnerable to jamming, the Gemini is immune to getting hijacked by Mozzie's pests.
• Sci-Fi Bob Haircut: This is her default hairstyle, which matches her equally sci-fi-looking uniform. It is also prominently featured in her ability and Operator icons.
• Shout-Out: Iana's Elite Skin is one for NieR: Automata, dressing her up as 2B and with her own Pod and katana for the victory animation.
• Technicolor Eyes: Her eyes are yellow and start glowing when she uses her Gemini Replicator. It's explained that she uses special contacts to both improve her eyesight and act as an interface for the Replicator.
• What the Hell Is That Accent?: Despite coming from the western coast of the Netherlands, her accent sounds conspicuously German and sometimes dips into something vaguely Russian.

Unaffiliated

Oryx

Saif "Oryx" Al Hadid

"Sometimes, the only way out is through."

Voiced by: JB Blanc (EN)
Date of Birth: July 3
Age: 45
Team: Defenders
Squad: Redhammer

A mysterious and incredibly strong Jordanian who spent 15 years off the grid, Oryx's Remah Dash ability allows him to knock down enemies and burst through soft surfaces. Oryx's robust physique also allows him to jump up to open hatches and climb them.

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• Badass Normal: While personally trained by Kaid, Oryx was never an official member of the GIGR. Oryx doesn't have a high-tech gadget or advanced weaponry; his body is all that he needs. The trope is a bit downplayed, though, as he is still an unusually strong Operator even by Rainbow's standards.
• The Big Guy: By far the bulkiest of all the operators introduced so far (130 kg), beating out even the previous record holder Gridlock (103 kg) by a fair margin. Combined with his muscular physique, this probably explains why he is able to knock even Gridlock or Montagne down.
• Charles Atlas Superpower: Finka is perplexed by Oryx's physique and endurance, which likely resulted from years upon years of grueling training, allowing him to perform nigh-superhuman feats with his body. Aside from his Remah Dash, Oryx can also jump onto hatches from below without relying on another gadget.
• Company Cross References: His pictured default skin would look barely out of place in an early Assassin's Creed game.
• Dark and Troubled Past: There are very few records about Oryx's childhood and even less about what happened in the 15-plus years he went off-grid (though Harry's report states that Oryx spent this time bouncing between different prisons). All that is certain about him is that he showed up one day at Kaid's Fortress, trained as a recruit, and eventually became his right-hand man.
• Dash Attack: In addition to giving Oryx a speed boost, the Remah Dash allows him to tackle opposing Attackers—even shielded operators like Montagne—and smash through barricades and un-reinforced walls. On the downside, he takes 5 damage if he breaches a wall, and he can be stopped by Gridlock's Trax Stingers and Nomad's Airjab grenades.
• Dynamic Entry: This guy can give Sledge a run for his money, as Oryx uses his whole body to smash through soft surfaces. He can do this on barricades without a problem, but smashing through unreinforced walls will damage him a bit. Its due to this ability that has fans nicknaming him 'kool aid man' and yes shouting "OH YEAH!" while smashing through walls is mandatory.
• Grievous Harm with a Body: His own body, which he uses as a man-sized battering ram with his Remah Dash. Slightly subverted in that it does no damage if Oryx bumrushes into an Attacker, but they do get knocked back a fair distance which will hurt them for 5 points if they bang into a wall or solid object. Additionally, this maneuver is very handy against Shield operators like Blitz and Montagne, as being hit with a Dash will still knock them down, leaving them vulnerable to being shot at.
• Lightning Bruiser: He sure moves fast for a big, hulking guy. In-game, Oryx is a Medium Speed Operator, but his Remah Dash briefly makes him even faster than the likes of Ash and Ela.
• Manly Facial Hair: His thick chinstrap beard accentuates his already extremely masculine physique and makes him even more menacing.
• Mechanically Unusual Fighter: The Remah Dash comes in charges that slowly accumulate over time, similar to Lesion and Wamai, but are effectively infinite like Iana. Unlike them, Oryx's ability can directly hurt him, and may even deplete his health if he's not careful with it. He's also one of the very few characters who can leap up unto hatches, giving him a lot of vertical play.
• Number Two: He's Kaid's unofficial second-in-command who maintains his fortress while he's absent and acts as a trusted advisor while they are together.
• Punched Across the Room: Any Attacker that gets in the way of his Remah Dash will be knocked down, temporarily making them vulnerable. Not even the likes of Montagne will be immune to it, which makes Oryx a decent counter to shield users.
• Sleeves Are for Wimps: As one of the more brutish and rugged-looking Operators, this is basically a given.
• Spring Jump: Downplayed. Oryx can jump up to open hatches, whereas other Operators can only perform short hops. From there, he can hold onto the ledge to look around, then lift himself up or drop back down at his leisure. Roof hatches, however, are off limits.

NIGHTHAVEN

Ace

Håvard "Ace" Haugland

"The perfect shot, like the perfect rescue, is all about the framing."

^{Click here to see Ace's Elite Skin Altruistic Ego}

Voiced by: Kyle Gatehouse (EN)
Date of Birth: March 15
Age: 33
Team: Attackers
Squad: Nighthaven

A theatrical and impulsive Norwegian Army paramedic, Ace can throw S.E.L.M.A. Aqua Breachers which use hydraulic pressure to demolish soft and reinforced surfaces and deployable shields in a grenade-shaped package.

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• Alliterative Name: Håvard Haugland
• Attention Whore: Ace has an impulsive need to gain recognition in everything he does. He uses social media to document his heroic exploits and has apparently amassed quite a following because of it. Tellingly, his Bio page even showcases him taking a selfie with a woman he just rescued as they're being airlifted.
• Cool Mask: Downplayed. While many operators wear balaclavas, his is pulled up to make his mouth and nose visible.
• Elites Are More Glamorous: Prior to joining NIGHTHAVEN, Ace served as a medic in the Norwegian Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK) which is renowned as one of the most elite special forces units in Europe.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Although prone to bouts of narcissism, Ace is a genuinely altruistic individual who puts himself in the frontline to save lives. Some of his Year 6 headgears also reveal bits of his head, showing that he's blonde underneath his helmet.
• Making a Splash: The S.E.L.M.A. Aqua Breacher uses water pressure and tiny charges to punch through surfaces. The lack of raw explosive power is intentional, as the device is originally designed to help rescue workers reach victims trapped behind rubble.
• Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Ace is the fourth hard-breacher added to the game with the ability to open three vault-size holes in walls or open one reinforced hatch and one wall. His holes aren't as big as Thermite's, he can't destroy multiple hatches like Hibana, nor is he completely unstoppable like Maverick, but he can rapidly deploy his SELMAs and tear down multiple walls and even deployable shields in quick succession.
• The Medic: Paramedic to be more precise, but close enough. Ace is one of a handful of Operators explicitly stated to have medical training - in fact, he originally studied to become a pediatric surgeon. However, this trait has no effect in his gameplay or loadout.
• Narcissist: Ace has shades of it, as while he does care about saving lives he is also concerned about the publicity he is to gain from it. Harry even notes that Ace is quite obsessed with how people perceive him and he strives to maintain a positive self-image, regardless of the cost to himself.
• Private Military Contractor: Ace rescued Kali during a joint UN operation in Somalia. As thanks, she offered him a spot in NIGHTHAVEN with promises of fame and prestige - an offer he promptly accepted.
• Red Is Heroic: Wears a red rescue suit, befitting his heroic first responder persona.

Aruni

Apha "Aruni" Tawanroong

"In every conflict, it’s the children who are made to suffer, even after the fighting has stopped."

Voiced by: Sumalee Montano (EN)
Date of Birth: August 9
Age: 42
Team: Defenders
Squad: Nighthaven

An ex-Royal Thai Police detective who lost her left arm and leg in an operation gone wrong, Aruni can deploy indestructible Surya Laser Gates, laser grid gates that can be applied to walls, windows, doorways, and hatches which will do 30 damage to Attackers and destroy projectiles and drones. After being triggered, the gadget goes on a cooldown before needing to be reactivated by shooting the gate's generator. Her melee instead uses her prosthetic arm to destroy hatches/barricades with one hit or punch holes in soft surfaces to create openings.

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• Action Pet: Her pet pouched rat, Hero, is trained in explosives disposal and also serves as her Living Emotional Crutch.
• All Your Powers Combined: Her laser gates can be seen as a combination of restricting Attackers' movement like Castle, damaging them like Kapkan, and destroying throwable utility like Jager.
• An Arm and a Leg: She and Thermite once teamed up for a mission in Bangkok, only to nearly die in an explosion that took out her left arm and leg. Not wanting to see her talents go to waste, Kali offered her a job in NIGHTHAVEN a few years later, plus access to state-of-the-art prosthetics to help her function normally again.
• Arm Cannon: Her laser gates are launched onto surfaces from a mount on her prosthetic arm.
• Artistic License – Military: The P10 RONI that she shares with Mozzie isn't technically an SMG, as it is in actuality a pistol modified for automatic fire and fitted inside a carbine kit^note One that wasn't even made for it to begin with. While RONI kits for the CZ P-09 do exist, the in-game model is the version designed for Glock pistols, and parts of its frame even blocks the slide release of the CZ inside it..
• Cowboy Cop: Aruni had this reputation when she was still in the Royal Thai Police, as she frequently discarded proper procedure in favor of results, more so whenever speed and time were critical.
• Fashionable Asymmetry: To facilitate the use of her prosthetics, Aruni's shirt and pants both have the left sleeve and leg cut off, respectively.
• Friendly Fireproof: Zig-zagged with her Surya gates. While they won't hurt fellow Defenders (and the Hostage, which can end up benefiting Attackers in that specific mode) who try to cross them like they would Attackers, team gadgets don't receive such protection, and will be destroyed if tossed past an active gate. On the flip side, the Surya emitters themselves are indestructible, and when they are ready to reactivate, they open into a target for Defenders to shoot.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Subverted. While she does have a hideous scar across her left cheek fit for a villain, Aruni is undeniably one of the more altruistic members of NIGHTHAVEN and Team Rainbow.
• The Heart: Aruni is described as such for NIGHTHAVEN, as she uses their resources not for personal gain but to genuinely help people, especially those from conflict-stricken countries like hers.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: The laser gates are meant to restrict Attackers' movement and drain their utility while allowing Defenders free passage by deactivating when they are nearby, something the Attackers can use to determine their positions. Defenders can throw their own utility to break the gate and prevent their position from being given away.
• Laser Hallway: Her gadget in a nutshell. The Surya Gates can be placed on doors, windows, hatches and walls, damaging any Attacker foolish enough to cross them and destroying their utilities. However, they enter a thirty-second cooldown after being triggered and can only be reactivated by shooting the gadget's generator at the top.
• Necessary Drawback: Her ability to one-hit barricades/hatches and punch giant holes in walls mean she can't make sneaky kill-holes in them without wasting bullets.
• No-Sell: Not Aruni herself, but her Surya gates. The Surya emitters themselves are completely indestructible and can't be taken out regardless of the Attackers' firepower. Not even trying to break the walls or hatches they're mounted on will do, as hatch and door frames are indestructible as well, and soft walls have unbreakable inner beams that can't be broken by anything. Unless retrieved by Aruni herself, who is then killed before she can redeploy more, there is no way to permanently eliminate an installed Surya no matter what you do.
• Older Than They Look: At 42, Aruni is one of the older members of Rainbow, though her character design looks remarkably youthful by comparison, even with scars. At first glance, one could be excused for assuming she's in her mid-30s at best, especially judging by the looks of her in-game model.
• Power Fist: Her prosthetic hand also functions as a melee weapon, which she can use to take out enemies, destroy barricades in one hit or to punch large holes into soft surfaces.
• Private Military Contractor: A more sympathetic example, as she joined NIGHTHAVEN for the chance to live normally again. She also donates much of her pay to charities and prefers to live a frugal lifestyle.
• Red Is Heroic: Her default uniform colors her prosthetics salmon red, and is one of the more moral members of NIGHTHAVEN.

ITF

Melusi

Thandiwe "Melusi" Ndlovu

"Understanding is the only tool that vanquishes ignorance."

^{Click here to see Melusi's Elite Skin Umvikeli}

Voiced by: Sibongile Mlambo (EN)
Date of Birth: June 16
Age: 32
Team: Defenders
Squad: Wolfguard

A former South African soldier turned-leader of an anti-poaching task force, Melusi deploys Banshee Sonic Defenses, devices that emit a deafening noise to actively slow down enemies who are caught in its radius.

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• All Your Powers Combined: Her Banshees are effectively a deployable, non-damaging version of Clash's CCE Shield, functioning as super barbed wire and a proximity alarm in one bullet-proof package.
• Animal Lover: Hence why she is called 'Melusi', which means 'shepherd' in the Zulu language. Her love for animals is so strong that she created the Inkaba Task Force Anti-Poaching Unit so she can use her military training to protect them.
• Attack Its Weak Point: When an Attacker enters the Banshee's radius, it takes a second for it to open up and become vulnerable to bullets, allowing them to destroy it if they have no other means of doing so.
• Dreadlock Warrior: By default, Melusi sports a cornrow hairstyle.
• Expy: The Inkaba Task Force is based on the real life "Black Mambas" Anti-Poaching Unit, an all-female paramilitary organization that protects wild animals in South Africa from illegal hunting.
• Hell Is That Noise: In-universe, the Banshee emits low-frequency sound that is both destabilizing and creates a sensation similar to encountering a ghost.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With one Elna Gardiner, whom Melusi grew up with in a game reserve. Both of them share a strong passion for protecting South Africa's endangered wildlife and they dedicated their entire careers to it: Elna as a renowned veterinarian and Melusi as the leader of a volunteer anti-poaching unit.
• Nerf: Melusi has a strong kit and has received several nerfs.
  • Her T-5 SMG was swapped with Oryx's MP5 to lower her DPS.
  • In Y6S2, her Banshees open up and lose their bulletproof properties when an Attacker walks into them, making them easier to destroy and less frustrating to deal with.
• Sonic Stunner: The Banshee Device generates a strong sound wave that disorients and slows down enemies that come in range. The Device is also housed in a bulletproof chassis, forcing Attackers to use explosives, melee attacks, and other means to neutralize it if they don't want to walk into it.
• South Africans with Surface-to-Air Missiles: Melusi was formerly a paratrooper in the South African National Defense Force.

ROS

Zero

Samuel Leo "Zero" Fisher

"Prepare, execute, vanish."

^{Click here to see Zero's Elite Skin Third Echelon}

Voiced by: Jeff Teravainen (EN)
Date of Birth: August 8
Age: 63
Team: Attackers
Squad: Ghosteyes

A legendary black ops agent and the first member of the newly formed Rainbow Operational Staff, Zero is equipped with the ARGUS Launcher, which can fire two-way cameras capable of burrowing into reinforced surfaces and firing a single shot laser to damage enemies or their gadgets.

For tropes pertaining to his pre-Rainbow career, go here.

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• All Your Powers Combined: The ARGUS combines the extremely flexible intelligence-gathering ability of Valkyrie with the precision utility destruction of Twitch.
• The Dreaded: Zero's reputation is utterly indisputable and his overwhelming amount of black ops and military experience makes him this even among Team Rainbow. He takes Echo, Smoke, Oryx, and Mira apart like they're amateurs because, relative to him, they are - he's been on the field since most of the other Operators were still in diapers, if not before some of them were even born.
• Gangsta Style: He wields his 5.7 USG slighted canted in the Center Axis Recoil style. He holds it straight when aiming down sights.
• Goggles Do Nothing: His trifocal goggles, which are a staple of the Splinter Cell games, literally do nothing for him this time around. Instead, he hangs them on his backpack or wears them over his head as a headgear option, but he otherwise relies on the ARGUS Launcher as his main gadget.
• Guest Fighter: In a sense. While Rainbow Six and Splinter Cell both bear the Tom Clancy name, and several other games under that banner have crossed over with one another,^note most commonly Ghost Recon, which Splinter Cell had crossovers with three times - the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube versions of Ghost Recon 2 is set during the same conflict that flares up halfway through Chaos Theory, and Sam shows up in DLC missions for both Wildlands and Breakpoint neither ever really seemed to interact with one another, barring one case in Vegas 2 that appeared to be nothing more than a Mythology Gag, until Year 5 Season 3.
• Living Legend: He clearly gives off this vibe to the rest of Rainbow, thanks to his decades' worth of military and black ops experience, most of which is kept off the books. Nearly everyone in the Team views his inclusion with a mix of awe and dread, and with good reason, seeing that he can mop the floor with them on his own.
• Must Have Caffeine: Seems to have developed a fondness for coffee, if background materials are anything to go by. In his Psychological Profile, Zero jokingly asked Harry if coffee is one of the perks of working with Rainbow.
• Meaningful Name: His codename is short for "Rainbow Zero", a reference to his position as a member of Rainbow's leadership, all of whom are directly subordinated only to Rainbow Six, which is currently Harry.
• Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Put simply, Zero is an Attacker who puts up cameras and uses them to spy on Defenders instead of the other way around.
• Not the Intended Use: As ARGUS cameras can be intercepted by Jager, Wamai, and Aruni's gadgets, some players don't even bother using them to gather intel and simply throw them into grenade catchers to burn them out.
• Old Soldier: At 63, Zero is now the oldest member of Team Rainbow, surpassing Kaid by five years. A sign of this age is he's developing arthritis, which he manages with the help of Finka's nanobots.
• Recognizable by Sound: Once deployed, an ARGUS camera will emit the same high-pitched "boot up" sound as Sam's famous goggles, which can tip off Defenders to its location.
• Sigil Spam: His goggles's trifocal motif is repeated on his backpack and shoulder patch in addition to the backstrap of his goggles.
• Sinister Surveillance: Similar to Valkyrie, ARGUS cameras are able to provide a lot of information and even sabotage for the Attackers.
• Shout-Out: His current characterization brings to mind Old Snake, being an aging Stealth Expert who needs nanomachines to help him keep up with a new generation of soldiers. Unlike Snake, though, Fisher reached his older years naturally and only needs the nanomachines to handle a minor issue (arthritis). His Elite Skin portrays him at his prime during Splinter Cell (2002).
• Weapon Specialization: In lieu of the original, and now out-of-production, model of the FN Five-SeveN he used in the original trilogy, he uses the current-production MK2 model of the same pistol instead, fitted with a non-removable suppressor, distinguishing it from the same weapon used by Nøkk and the FBI-SWAT Operators. His primary options are either the SC-3000K assault rifle, rechambered from 5.56x45 to .300 Blackout, or the MP7 submachine gun, referencing Splinter Cell: Conviction where the weapon was a pre-order bonus.

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