Designing Rayton, the iconic rabbit protagonist in F.I.S.T.

It all came from the basic idea that an outstanding, iconic protagonist helps players love and remember a game, and we believe Rayton, the rabbit in F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, is a great example of that. We’d like to share what we tried to express when we designed him.

When we first started to create the world of F.I.S.T., we tried to design a human protagonist, but soon we realized that no human character would be as universal and acceptable for everyone as an animal character.

Compared to cats or dogs, a rabbit with two long ears has a more recognizable shape in a side-scrolling platformer. And more importantly, people imagine rabbits as a kind of weak and vulnerable creature, so when a rabbit becomes a silent veteran wielding a giant mechanical fist, a significant conflict comes out, and Rayton comes out.

But why a fist? Swords or blades would definitely be cool, but a fist contains a rage that you want to vent on the enemies in your way, especially since it’s so disproportionately big.

In the story, this mechanical fist was removed from Rayton’s armor from a war six years ago. We designed Rayton wielding one fist instead of two because the imbalance and incomplete shape would be an external symbol of his psychological trauma from losing that war.

Along with the fist, the drill and the whip are the other two unique weapons that Rayton will obtain during his journey. Each has its own advantages, covering various damage, range, or special abilities for exploring the map.

There are also some other designs to make the character vivid. For example, Rayton will drink carrot juice to recover when he is injured, and he really loves it. But never drink too much or you can’t ignore the change.

F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch will be released on PS5 and PS4 on September 7 for $29.99, and PlayStation Plus members can save 10% when they pre-order at PlayStation Store!