"PLAY" editor Nick Jones listed the scene in which Raiden is nude as his fourth-favorite moment of the franchise, calling it the "one of the funniest moments in gaming history". Lisa Foiles of "The Escapist" included him on her 2014 list of top five katana wielders, writing "this is not a popularity contest and Raiden qualifies" even in "MGS2" where "he was whiny, an emo, and kind of a bitch". Raiden proved to be more popular in Japan; according to Yoji Shinkawa this was because he matched the stereotype of the manga hero.