| Leifang | |
|---|---|
| Dead or Alive character | |
 Leifang in Dead or Alive 5 | |
| First appearance | Dead or Alive (1996) |
| Created by | Tomonobu Itagaki[1] |
| Voiced by |
|
| Portrayed by | Ying Wang (film)[4] |
| In-universe information | |
| Fighting style | Tai chi |
| Origin | China |
| Nationality | Chinese |
Leifang (Japanese: レイファン, Hepburn: Reifan), originally stylized as Lei Fang, is a character in the Dead or Alive fighting game series by Koei Tecmo. Introduced in the original 1996 video game Dead or Alive, she has since appeared in every subsequent game as well as spinoff titles and media related to the franchise such as the Dead or Alive Xtreme series. Leifang was created by Tomonobu Itagaki, who snuck a rough version of her character into test builds of the game available to the public. She is a Tai Chi martial arts prodigy, competing in the franchise's tournaments to prove her superiority over fellow combatant Jann Lee after he had previously rescued her.
One of the Dead or Alive series' more popular characters, she has received positive reception since her debut for her characterization in the series as an optimistic and strong character, as well as for the beauty of her design and variety of outfits. She additionally received praise as both a portrayal of female characters in fighting games and portrayal of Chinese cultural aspects within them, namely for her application of Tai Chi as a fighting style in light of the liberties fighting games take with martial arts, but also how her culture is represented through her hairstyles and dresses.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
freaks146was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Lei Fang Voices (Dead or Alive)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
- ^ "Cassandra Morris". Kawaii Kon. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Screen World: The Films of 2006. Vol. 58. Applause. May 15, 2010. p. 230. ISBN 9781557837295.