Blade Wolf

"Every cyborg's a person. People are different"

- Bladewolf

The IF Prototype LQ-84i K-9000, (IF standing for "Interface") also known as the Bladewolf, was a quadrupedal robot with a learning optical neuro-AI and a prototype verbal interface, resembling Crying Wolf's beast form. Known weapons systems included a chainsaw attached to its back that could be used to cut opponents, springloaded HF knives, a rail gun, as well as extendable claws. Its tail also acted as a manipulator arm similar to that of the Gekko units.

Blueprints for LQ-84i were downloaded into Raiden, an agent for the PMSC Maverick Security Consulting, Inc., during or prior to being severely injured in a mission. Maverick later recovered the cluster file via Raiden's arm, although they not only had to input a password to bypass the encryption process, but also enact an override system in the process.

History
LQ-84i was built to defend Abkhazia from enemy attacks, in a world where AI tech was perfected in the early 1970s. Apparently its directive was to "ensure freedom" in the country. However, when the country fell in a coup d'état in 2018, the AI was reprogrammed to do the biddings of Desperado Enforcement LLC. LQ-84i was forced to obey their orders lest its AI memory be wiped but still retained its original order to fight for freedom.

Eventually, after Raiden was redeployed by Maverick with a new cyborg outfit to Abkhazia, LQ-84i ambushed Raiden and attempted to cut him down with its chainsaw arm, but Raiden successfully parried it. Upon being questioned about its identity and its purpose, LQ-84i identified itself and revealed that it was to kill Raiden under Desperado's orders. However, it also insists that it was sentient "beyond human comprehension," and also reluctant to carry out the order, but it cannot disobey the order due to Desperado threatening to wipe its AI if it did. Raiden expressed doubts about its superior intellect, and tried to test it by asking it about the meaning of life. Upon learning of its orders to kill him, he then taunted it by claiming that there's no point to having a superior intellect if the LQ-84i can't use it. They then battled. During their fight, LQ-84i attacked Raiden with its chainsaw and by attempting to pounce him. In addition, it occasionally retreated onto a high ledge and summonned cyborgs and Gekko, and remained there until Raiden defeated them.

Raiden managed to subdue it and destroy the robot. However, the AI called Raiden via Codec to relay its last words about freedom. Raiden was somewhat bemused about it understanding freedom. Nonetheless, its conflicted programming convinced Raiden to deliver what was left of the mech to Maverick, where he had Doktor make some adjustments to the mech in addition to repairing it; namely by disabling its AI wipe and its remote piloting program, thus also allowing it to not have to worry about Desperado punishing it for its failure. As a result, it accompanied him on some missions, primarily reconnaissance, to some of the members' hesitance.

During one mission into Mexico, Bladewolf, after driving off with the black convertible while Raiden infiltrated the sewer system,  reported to Raiden the presence of Desperado-aligned cyborgs in the sewers and to exercise caution. He later reported the presence of catwalks nearby and suggested that he could hide from the cyborgs using them. At an unknown point, Bladewolf also explains to Raiden that every cyborg was a person, and that "people are different," after Raiden stated that he thought the Desperado cyborgs, unlike Bladewolf, actually had a "fair choice" to serve Desperado.

Bladewolf eventually bore witness to Raiden and Sam's final duel in the badlands.

Weapons systems
While under its forced servitude under Desperado, the Bladewolf, then known as the LQ-84i, had a variety of blade-type weaponry. These included at least six spring-loaded knives that can be flung at an enemy at a quick rate. These knives, upon being launched, are also superheated to the extent that they can sear through metallic surfaces, indicating that they were a knife variant of the HF blade. In addition, it also had a chainsaw attached to its back, with a cutting ability strong enough to cut through stone as well as single handedly cause most of an entire building to collapse, as evidenced by its use against Raiden before formally introducing itself. He can also use the chainsaw to cut into an enemy's heart, seriously wounding most individuals. It also had sharp claws, which it could use to grip and pin down enemies. Similar to Gekko, the Bladewolf's tail also acted as a manipulator arm, which it would utilize to grab its chainsaw and use it. Blueprints that Raiden somehow managed to uncover prior to his mission into Africa also indicated that his creators at least initially intended to outfit him with a man-portable railgun system.

After its reconstruction into the Bladewolf, its weaponry remained largely the same, although its chainsaw was removed, and it likewise possessed knife-like blades attached to its forelegs.

Behind the scenes


The Bladewolf first appeared in promotional artwork in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance next to Raiden, back when the game was titled Metal Gear Solid: Rising and when it took place between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4. Its similarities to Crying Wolf, as well as the original time frame, led to speculation as to whether she was to aid Raiden somehow.



The Bladewolf's name was given by a corrupted encrypted blueprint uploaded onto the "Make It Right: decryption" viral marketing website for Rising, by inputting the password "FOXALIVE." The password was also hinted at in the Facebook post informing the user of the upload, with the elements Fluorine, Osmium, Xenon, Arsenic, Lutetium, Iodine, Vanadium, and Europium.

The Bladewolf eventually appeared in the expanded version of the E3 trailer at Gamescom nearing the end of the trailer, where it encountered Raiden and attempted to kill him, as well as seen accompanying him in a flooded tunnel as the trailer ends. The trailer identified it as an IF Prototype LQ-84I, as well as the K-9000 in two separate scenes.

In the Japanese version of Metal Gear Rising, the Bladewolf will be voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya. In the English and international versions, it will be voiced by Michael Beattie.

The boss fight was later showcased at the Tokyo Game Show, and was likewise included in the Metal Gear Rising demo that was prepackaged with Zone of the Enders: HD Collection.

Bladewolf was confirmed to be an important character in the KP report podcast session 167. Platinum Games director Kenji Saito states that Bladewolf will be "more of a support role ... he moves forward without Raiden to gather intelligence for him. He won't be in battle situations, but he will gather map information and recon that Raiden will be able to use."

According to the Official UK PlayStation Magazine, the Bladewolf was similar in characterization and role to Gray Fox.