Raiden Shuga is a supporting character in the anime 86 and the deputy commander of the Spearhead Squadron, holding the rank of First Lieutenant. His personal name is Wehrwolf, a German term meaning werewolf. Raiden belongs to the Black Iron ethnicity, one of the groups treated as expendable within the story's conflict, and he has about four years of experience fighting on the Eastern Front as a Processor. Before joining the Spearhead Squadron, he led the Second Platoon with the rank of Second Lieutenant. As a child, he was sheltered for a number of years, together with friends, by an elderly woman of the Alba ethnicity, an experience that gave him a relatively calm and steady temperament, a broader education than many of his fellow Eighty-Six, and a strong habit of caring for others. He is tall and heavily built, with short dark grey hair, mint green eyes, and scars over his right eyebrow and left cheek.

Raiden has a blunt and direct manner and can be foul-mouthed, a trait noticed by the squadron's handler, but beneath his rough exterior he is practical, emotionally perceptive, and deeply caring. He is regarded as the older brother figure of the Spearhead Squadron, and he is sometimes jokingly called its mother because he cooks, sews, and constantly checks that everyone is all right. He is a skilled cook and often prepares meals for the unit, and he learned to sew alongside Shin so that he could mend his own clothes. While Shin leads the squadron tactically, Raiden is the one who leads it emotionally, keeping the unit grounded when despair, anger, or reckless loyalty threatens to tear it apart.

Raiden's primary motivation is the protection of his comrades. He prioritizes the survival of his friends over personal glory, orders, or military protocol, and he is willing to disobey orders if following them would endanger the people he cares about. He also acts as a steadying influence on Shin, whose self-destructive tendencies on the battlefield are a constant concern. More than simply following Shin, Raiden supports him as a trusted second, offering realistic judgment and stepping in to take command when necessary. In the larger military structure, he serves as the operations commander of the Eighty-Sixth Strike Package and its first armored group should Shin be deemed unfit to lead.

In combat, Raiden is an elite Processor who works best as an all-rounder focused on suppressive fire. He recognizes that he cannot match the offensive piloting skill of Shin or Theoto, so he takes on a supporting role, using heavy barrages to halt the enemy's advance, guard the flanks of his more aggressive teammates, and clear a path for them to attack. This makes him the protector of the squadron's offensive fighters rather than the one who seeks out the most spectacular engagements. His platoon is typically positioned in the middle guard, and he also contributes squad discipline and a talent for battlefield triage. After the squadron receives newer machines in the Federacy, he continues in the same fire-support style, equipping machine guns alongside his main cannon.

Raiden's most important relationship is with Shin. He is the member of the Spearhead Squadron who has known Shin the longest, having spent about three years with him before the squadron was formed, and he is the closest to him. The two share an easy, long-standing bond, and Raiden acts as Shin's right hand, covering his weaknesses and being the first person to talk sense back into him when Shin slips into his more dangerous, self-destructive states. His friendship with Shin is also reflected in his personal name, which comes from how aggressively he clashed with Shin when they first met, like a wolf biting at him. Raiden is similarly close to the other surviving members of the unit, including Theoto, Anju, and Kurena, and he looks after them like a guardian.

Over the course of the story, Raiden develops from a rougher, more confrontational youth into a calm and dependable leader. The harsh realities of war test his protective instincts and his loyalty, but they also deepen his bonds with his comrades. When the surviving members of the squadron are given a special reconnaissance mission, Raiden chooses to accompany Shin rather than stay behind, and he continues to serve as deputy commander of the Eighty-Sixth Independent Mobile Strike Group in the later part of the anime. His steady presence, practical judgment, and unwavering dedication to the people around him make him a central pillar of the squadron, providing the emotional stability that allows the rest of the unit to keep fighting.