Hayate (Japanese: 疾風) is a shinobi and the eighteenth master of the Mugen Tenshin clan. He is the eldest and only son of Shiden and Ayame, making him Kasumi's older brother, Ayane's older half-brother and cousin, and Honoka's cousin. He is also friends and allies with Ryu Hayabusa. Although he was first mentioned in the first Dead or Alive in 1996, Hayate's official debut appearance was in the 1999 title Dead or Alive 2 as Ein; an amnesiac karateka. He regained his memory during the second game and finally appeared as himself in 2001 for Dead or Alive 3 as a main character, and has become one of the main protagonists of Dead or Alive ever since.