"I won't rest until the Claw is dead."
- Ray to Van
Ray Lundgren is the older brother of Joshua and an Armor Rider. Like Van, he is seeking revenge on the Claw for the murder of his wife.
Appearance
Ray is a young, tall man with blond hair and blue eyes. His hair is usually worn in a high ponytail. His main outfit is a blue and white coat under a red scarf. He wears a black bodysuit underneath this with white boots. His costume allows him to conceal many weapons, including guns in his shoes.
History
For an episode-by-episode summary, see Ray: Series History
Ray is a withdrawn and ruthless Armor pilot whose wife, Shino, was killed by the Man with the claw hand. He first appears in episode 4 at the last minute, making his main appearance in episode 5 but is opposed at first to Van. Like Van, he travels to find the Man with the claw hand and exact his revenge by killing him. Unlike Van he has far fewer qualms over who dies by interfering with him, something Van despises and is easily provoked by. However, according to Joshua, he apparently was completely different in behavior prior to his wife's death. Later in the series he reveals that he seeks to kill the Claw and then die too in order to meet Shino again. Like Van, he also abstains from alcohol, drinking water instead, though drinks it in a sake cup.
Near the end of the series his eyes are injured and his vision is blurred. His vision remains blurred until he is killed on episode 24 while he tries to kill the Claw Man, his gunshots becoming more erratic with his deteriorating vision. His final shot temporarily derails the Claw's plans by lodging itself in the timer used by the Claw Man to activate his plan. He is then killed by security vehicles and falls down the steps. He is seen in his last scene in a sort of dream sequence where Shino is still alive and he remarks on the 'strange dream' he had before being reunited with her.
His rivalry with Van stems from the fact that both of them want to kill the Claw. Later in the series, they work together, although they show little concern for each other, even when engaged in combat with enemies.
Ray's primary weapon is a katana-shaped gun with a large magazine where the blade would be. He holds it just ahead of the hilt and spins a disc on the chamber to fire streams of bullets. He has several hidden weapons, such as the heels of his shoes. One acts as a very small hand held gun, while the other provides a way of summoning, remote-controlling, and self-destructing Volkan.
In many ways he is both very similar and opposite to Van. They both use Armors their wives worked on, completely dedicated to kill the Claw because he killed their wives, and are weak to alcohol. Where they are opposite is where Van wears a more western style, Ray wears more of a samurai style, Van uses a sword that looks like a gun, and Ray uses a gun that looks like a sword, Van focuses more on close combat where Ray fights with long distance, and finally Van summons his Armor from the sky where Ray summons his from the ground.
Personality
Somewhat cold and distant, Ray seems almost emotionless at times, often speaking in a monotone and rarely showing emotions. His coldness stems from a deep sadness at losing his wife Shino to The Claw. He is shown to harbor a deep yet understandable rage towards the Claw, and ruthlessly tries to kill him on several occasions. He cares greatly for his little brother, although tries to convince Joshua to stay out of his way to prevent him from getting hurt.
Ray's quest for vengeance makes him dangerous to be around, as he has little concern for others who get in the way. He seems to think the ends justifies the means, and causes a lot of collateral damage across the series. He is responsible for destroying the town of B-5-10 as well as the Kingdom of Bokini with his armor, Volkien. He also destroys Priscilla's Hoverbase in order to defeat Saudade.
Battle Information
Ray's main offensive skill comes from his use of firearms. His signature is a Pistol with a long, katana-like sheath. This is actually the ammo magazine for the gun, and at such a length provides Ray with a large amount of bullets. Ray also uses numerous hidden guns concealed in his clothes. He is able to pull a small pistol from his shoe, and can fire shots from his heel.
During combat, Ray will use his guns to overwhelm opponents with a shower of bullets. His aim is incredibly accurate. He is also shown to be very agile, able to keep up with Van and his sword.
Is armor, Volkein uses numerous firearms too, including dual pistols and a pulse cannon. The pulse cannon is so powerful that it can destroy or severely damage other armors.
Relationships
Family/Allies/Romantic
- Shino: Ray's late wife is the motivation in his pursuit of The Claw. The Claw asked Ray and Shino to join his vision to reformat the world. When they refused, The Claw attacked and killed Shino. Ray was devastated, and swore to avenge her death. All he had left of her is Volkein, the armor she developed. He uses her armor to combat the numerous opponents he faces over the series. He later reveals to Joshua that he thinks of himself as a coward for running away from his sadness at Shino's loss, and hope in that avenging her, he can finally come to peace over hear death.
- Joshua: Ray's little brother. Joshua initially spends much of his time trying to convince Ray to give up his quest for vengeance. Ray knows that Joshua means well, but usually tells him to go home, as he doesn't want Joshua involved in the dangers he has to face. Regardless, Joshua continues to pursue Ray, joining up with Van and Wendy to pursue The Claw, knowing that Ray is after him too. Ray accidentally shoots Joshua, who blocks a shot at The Claw at Zonnet. Joshua reveals it's because he doesn't want Ray to become a monster, and this seems to shock Ray. When he meets Joshua again later, Joshua realizes all he can do is support Ray's decision, whatever it is. Ultimately, Ray cares deeply for his brother, and is thankful for Joshua supporting him.
- Van: Ray and Van are similar in a lot of ways. Both of them lost their wives to The Claw, and both are seeking revenge. Despite this, they develop a rivalry when they first meet, as the both want to be the one to kill The Claw. Ray tracks Van for sometime, noting he has more resources at his fingertips. The pair collaborate on many occasions, mainly using each other to find leads on The Claw. Ultimately, while they share a mutual rivalry, they seem to respect each other, being able to understand each other's motivations.
- Carmen: Carmen hires Ray to act as a bodyguard for Elle Driver in B-5-10. Initially, Carmen was using Ray for her own gain, but realizes Ray's ultimate goals of revenge make him dangerous to be around. She seems to consider Ray a "lunatic" considering his penchant for collateral damage. Much later, Carmen asks Ray to help them launch Van into space, which he reluctantly agrees to. Like others, Ray will use Carmen if any leads to The Claw are on the line.
- Yukiko: When Ray and Yukiko first meet, She picks up on the fact that his sight is injured. She slaps him around the face to show him that his independent pursuit of The Claw is foolish in his injured state. He is initially angry at her, but is calmed by Joshua. After Ray joins the group, Yukiko brings him a meal, noting he looks healthier after staying with them for a while. She tells him that in his healthier state, he could accomplish anything. Ray seems to tolerate her, and is subtlety thankful for her reminding him he can't do everything on his own.
- El Dorado Five: The El Dorado Five are very accommodating to Ray, considering him an ally. Although Ray claims he doesn't need help, he eventually works with them. The El Dorado share some banter with Ray, although Ray thinks they are somewhat foolish. Despite that, he trusts that they are capable fighters and entrusts them to defend the rear while he goes on ahead.
Antagonistic
- The Claw: Ray seek revenge on The Claw for killing Shino. In the past, The Claw wanted Ray and Shino to join his dream to reformat the world. When they refused, The Claw killed Shino. After this, Ray pursues The Claw across the Endless Illusion, following any leads he can. He is fueled with such a deep hatred for the man, that anytime he comes across him, Ray is overcome with a seething rage. Ray can become so consumed with anger that he is actually dangerous for others to be around. He attempts to kill The Claw at Zonnet, but fails. Much later, Ray confronts The Claw during the beginning of his Birthday System. Ray seems to come to an understanding that destroying The Claw's dream and making him suffer is more satisfying that killing him, so shoots at The Birthday System, causing it to malfunction. Although Ray is then shot and falls to his death, the last thing he sees is The Claw's horrified face, giving Ray a sense of catharsis.
- Fasalina: Ray has a brief encounter with Fasalina at Zonnet, where Fasalina defends The Claw from his attack. She is successful in stopping Ray from harming The Claw and then they escape. Later on The Claw's island, Fasalina uses Dahlia to knock Volkein's pulse cannon of course. She also destroys Volkein's arms, giving Ray a personal vendetta against Fasalina. She later brings and army of 1-0-1's to stop Ray and co's advance. Ray regards her with disgust, calling her The Claw's whore. The two have a brutal battle, in which they both severely damage each other's armors. Fasalina criticizes Ray for pursing revenge, but Ray counters that in blindly following The Claw and causing suffering, Fasalina has lost her own humanity. He ultimately destroys Dahlia, leaving Fasalina unconscious, allowing him to confront The Claw.
- Carossa: Although he only comes across Carossa once, their confrontation is devastating. Ray notes that Carossa and Melissa are likely from B-5-10, and that the Carossa project was a success. When he realizes that the twin's won't cooperate, Ray uses his pulse cannon to shoot them, with Melissa blocking the blast to protect Carossa. In his grief over her death, Carossa launches a vicious attack at Ray. Although Ray manages to shoot him down too, Carossa's hits Volkein, causing Ray to become injured. Carossa's attack leaves Ray with damaged vision, which effects him for the rest of his adventure.
- Melissa: Ray's attack on Carossa is deflected by Melissa, but she dies in the process. Although she tries to get Carossa to stop fighting, her death causes him to launch an attack at Ray in his grief. It is later revealed that Melissa sent information to their base regarding Ray's pulse cannon, allowing Fasalina to stop Ray shooting down Saudade, and she later destroys it.
- Michael: Ray and Michael briefly interact in Zonnet, where Michael uses Saudade to blast Volkein away, while helping The Claw and Fasalina escape. Much later, Ray spots Saudade and Michael on The Claw's island, and attempts to shoot them down, knowing that Saudade is important to The Claw's plan. However, he fails when Fasalina knocks the cannon off course.
Gallery
