TV-Series
Description
Raizer Phoenix, also romanized as Riser Phenex, is a character in the High School DxD anime and light novel series. He is the third son and youngest child of the Phenex clan, one of the most respected noble families of the Underworld, and the older brother of Ravel Phenex. The Phenex family possesses hereditary abilities equivalent to those of the legendary phoenix, and Raizer fully embodies these traits.
As a member of the Phenex clan, Raizer inherited the power of the immortal bird, granting him immortality and instantaneous regeneration. Any damage inflicted on his body heals immediately, which makes him practically impossible to defeat through ordinary means. His blood is said to grant eternal youth and immortality, and his tears possess the ability to heal all injuries and illnesses. Because of his noble lineage and inherited power, he holds a high status among devils and carries himself with great confidence.
The central event of his background is his arranged engagement to Rias Gremory, a marriage contract made between the leaders of the Phenex and Gremory clans. Raizer had expected to take Rias as his wife and add her to his household. His all-female peerage consists of fourteen members, including his Queen Yuberuna, who is known as the Bomb Princess and specializes in explosion magic, along with Rooks, Knights, Bishops, and Pawns who serve him in Rating Games and in battle.
In personality, Raizer is arrogant, aggressive, and self-assured, with a playboy demeanor and a condescending attitude toward those he considers beneath him, especially humans. He has a holier-than-thou disposition, openly belittles the low birth of others, and made improper advances on Rias. He also deliberately provoked Issei Hyoudou, such as by kissing two of his own servants in front of him, demonstrating a taunting and cruel streak. His confidence rests largely on his hereditary immortality, which leads him to dismiss threats and opponents as beneath his notice.
His primary motivation in his early appearances is to claim Rias as his bride according to the arranged marriage and to assert the superiority of his clan and his own standing. He treats the marriage as both a duty and a prize, and he is unwilling to accept rejection. When the engagement is challenged, he insists on settling the matter through a Rating Game, where devils formally settle disputes through combat between peerages.
Raizer serves as the main antagonist of the second story arc of the series. When Issei objects to the engagement, Raizer has one of his Pawns, Mira, defeat Issei in a single blow. Rias then agrees to a Rating Game with Raizer as the opposing King to settle the marriage question and to retaliate for the attack on Issei. During the game, Raizer gains the upper hand and defeats Rias's team by attacking Issei repeatedly until Rias surrenders. Later, at what was meant to be the wedding ceremony, Issei defeats Raizer by combining his Balance Breaker with the Boosted Gear to amplify the effects of holy water and a cross, sacred items that bypass Raizer's phoenix regeneration. This defeat forces Raizer to withdraw from the engagement.
His relationship with Rias is formal and adversarial; he regards her as a possession to be won and later as a defeated rival. His rivalry with Issei is the driving conflict of his arc, and despite their initial hostility, the two later develop a more complex dynamic that includes grudging respect. He also has a caring connection to his younger sister Ravel, who was a member of his peerage but did not participate in combat. After Raizer's defeat by Issei, Ravel transfers to her mother's peerage and eventually joins Issei's peerage, and Raizer gradually comes to accept these changes. His own peerage members, especially his Queen Yuberuna, remain loyal to him.
Over the course of the story, Raizer experiences notable development. After his initial defeat, he falls into a period of seclusion and develops a phobia of dragons. In a later story, he is brought by Issei to a snowy mountain in an attempt to overcome this fear, and he gradually recovers, helped in part by his enduring flirtatious nature. He later gains a rematch with Issei and performs respectably, holding his own even though Issei has become considerably stronger and can maintain his Balance Breaker for much longer periods than before. His later appearances show a somewhat reformed figure who remains proud but is capable of cooperation, friendly competition, and participation in major conflicts alongside other devils.
Raizer's defining ability is the phoenix-based immortality and instant regeneration inherited from his clan. He can recover from almost any injury immediately, making him extremely difficult to kill. His blood can confer eternal youth and immortality, and his tears can heal all injuries and illnesses, properties shared by the Phenex lineage. He also commands a full peerage and fights as a King in Rating Games. His principal weakness is exposure to holy or sacred objects, which can overcome his regenerative immortality, as demonstrated when Issei defeated him using amplified holy water and a cross.
As a member of the Phenex clan, Raizer inherited the power of the immortal bird, granting him immortality and instantaneous regeneration. Any damage inflicted on his body heals immediately, which makes him practically impossible to defeat through ordinary means. His blood is said to grant eternal youth and immortality, and his tears possess the ability to heal all injuries and illnesses. Because of his noble lineage and inherited power, he holds a high status among devils and carries himself with great confidence.
The central event of his background is his arranged engagement to Rias Gremory, a marriage contract made between the leaders of the Phenex and Gremory clans. Raizer had expected to take Rias as his wife and add her to his household. His all-female peerage consists of fourteen members, including his Queen Yuberuna, who is known as the Bomb Princess and specializes in explosion magic, along with Rooks, Knights, Bishops, and Pawns who serve him in Rating Games and in battle.
In personality, Raizer is arrogant, aggressive, and self-assured, with a playboy demeanor and a condescending attitude toward those he considers beneath him, especially humans. He has a holier-than-thou disposition, openly belittles the low birth of others, and made improper advances on Rias. He also deliberately provoked Issei Hyoudou, such as by kissing two of his own servants in front of him, demonstrating a taunting and cruel streak. His confidence rests largely on his hereditary immortality, which leads him to dismiss threats and opponents as beneath his notice.
His primary motivation in his early appearances is to claim Rias as his bride according to the arranged marriage and to assert the superiority of his clan and his own standing. He treats the marriage as both a duty and a prize, and he is unwilling to accept rejection. When the engagement is challenged, he insists on settling the matter through a Rating Game, where devils formally settle disputes through combat between peerages.
Raizer serves as the main antagonist of the second story arc of the series. When Issei objects to the engagement, Raizer has one of his Pawns, Mira, defeat Issei in a single blow. Rias then agrees to a Rating Game with Raizer as the opposing King to settle the marriage question and to retaliate for the attack on Issei. During the game, Raizer gains the upper hand and defeats Rias's team by attacking Issei repeatedly until Rias surrenders. Later, at what was meant to be the wedding ceremony, Issei defeats Raizer by combining his Balance Breaker with the Boosted Gear to amplify the effects of holy water and a cross, sacred items that bypass Raizer's phoenix regeneration. This defeat forces Raizer to withdraw from the engagement.
His relationship with Rias is formal and adversarial; he regards her as a possession to be won and later as a defeated rival. His rivalry with Issei is the driving conflict of his arc, and despite their initial hostility, the two later develop a more complex dynamic that includes grudging respect. He also has a caring connection to his younger sister Ravel, who was a member of his peerage but did not participate in combat. After Raizer's defeat by Issei, Ravel transfers to her mother's peerage and eventually joins Issei's peerage, and Raizer gradually comes to accept these changes. His own peerage members, especially his Queen Yuberuna, remain loyal to him.
Over the course of the story, Raizer experiences notable development. After his initial defeat, he falls into a period of seclusion and develops a phobia of dragons. In a later story, he is brought by Issei to a snowy mountain in an attempt to overcome this fear, and he gradually recovers, helped in part by his enduring flirtatious nature. He later gains a rematch with Issei and performs respectably, holding his own even though Issei has become considerably stronger and can maintain his Balance Breaker for much longer periods than before. His later appearances show a somewhat reformed figure who remains proud but is capable of cooperation, friendly competition, and participation in major conflicts alongside other devils.
Raizer's defining ability is the phoenix-based immortality and instant regeneration inherited from his clan. He can recover from almost any injury immediately, making him extremely difficult to kill. His blood can confer eternal youth and immortality, and his tears can heal all injuries and illnesses, properties shared by the Phenex lineage. He also commands a full peerage and fights as a King in Rating Games. His principal weakness is exposure to holy or sacred objects, which can overcome his regenerative immortality, as demonstrated when Issei defeated him using amplified holy water and a cross.