Jim Raynor

James Eugene "Jim" Raynor is the main protagonist of the Starcraft games.

Jim was a marshal on a backwater planet where he was forced to destroy the Confederate outpost (called, appropriately enough, Backwater Station) after it got Zerg-infested, earning the ire of Edmund Duke and a stay in prison. After being rescued by Arcturus Mengsk, he joined the Sons of Korhal, helping his new leader to destroy the Confederacy while it was occupied with the Zerg and Protoss, seduce Edmund Duke to their side, and be on the side of justice. Raynor realizes the mistake he's made too late: Mengsk is a power-hungry madman who cares only for his own gain; even revenge for his slain parents doesn't particularly matter to him. Mengsk sacrifices Kerrigan to the Zerg and Raynor finally leaves. He encounters Infested Kerrigan, and despite his pleas, she won't come back to the good side. He instead joins Tassadar, and ultimately has a direct hand in the destruction of the Overmind.

Of course, his role didn't end there: the UED invades, and while Raynor is initially unimportant, the now-freed Kerrigan enlists his and Zeratul's help in defeating the forces of Earth and a new, burgeoning Overmind that will enslave her again. He helps, knowing it's a bad idea, and indeed it was: Kerrigan becomes the undisputed queen of the Zerg, Raynor swears to be the one to kill her, and now the only major forces that don't have Raynor on the hit list are factions of Protoss belonging to Zeratul and Selendis.

He returns in Starcraft II, leading Raynor's Raiders, a resistance group fighting the Dominion. He has become cynical and bitter in the intervening four years since the Brood War, partly as a result of Mengsk and the Dominion painting Raynor as a terrorist.

Appearance
Jim is a gruff-looking man with a black hair and facial hair, and has brown eyes. He wears a black leather tactical vest over a white t-shirt, blue pants with numerous belt around his waist, black fingerless gauntlet glove and black, armored boots.

Personality
Raynor is simple, honest, direct and passionate. He does what is right, even if it's the more difficult choice. He won't go looking for trouble, but he won't run if it comes looking for him.

Raynor's sincerity and sense of honor are able to win him rapport from all walks of life from the lowest terran to powerful political figures like Prince Valerian and General Warfield. It is also what allowed him to form very close friendships with important protoss figures such as Tassadar, Zeratul and Fenix. Fenix even declared Raynor to be "as valiant as any Templar." This and his aid in their conflict won him the respect of the protoss society. Even the elusive Nerazim considered Raynor a brother to them.

Raynor's musical preferences lie in country rock. As a teen, he wasn't fond of classical music. He doesn't hate easily, but when he does so, it's intense. His favorite drink is Scotty Bolger's Old No. 8 Whiskey, though it took some time to grow on him. Raynor is uncomfortable with formal wear, prefering casual clothes, but with rarely dress up for a formal occasion when necessary.

Abilities
Raynor developed good leadership and excellent tactical acumen through practical experience; a lack of formal training allowed him to avoid the preconceived notions of "accepted" knowledge. Rather than plan in depth, Raynor is an excellent improviser able to achieve victory by using what is on hand. Zeratul recognized Raynor to be highly resourceful, while Selendis saw Raynor to be a cunning commander. Even a tactical genius like Arcturus Mengsk considered Raynor a grave threat. He has a casual confidence in command that inspires others to follow him.

Ariel Hanson commented that Raynor's knowledge of the protoss and zerg exceeds that of many other terrans, even "experts."

Raynor is competent in the operation of ground vehicles, able to operate "just about anything", as well as being an able pilot. In addition, Raynor was highly proficient with a revolver.

Trivia

 * Raynor has a B blood type.


 * A statue of Raynor was present at BlizzCon 2013.


 * In a poll conducted by Blizzard Entertainment, Raynor was voted as "the most interesting man in the Koprulu sector".


 * A pixilated version of Jim Raynor's armor appears in the Blizzard Entertainment game Overwatch as a symbol above the arcade in the map Hollywood. This pixilated Raynor is also available as an in-game spray named "GL HF". A portrait of Jim Raynor's helmet is also available.


 * In the 2013–2018 period, Raynor's page was the most viewed terran character article on the wiki alongside Nova Terra. However, this figure only remains true if one cuts out Sarah Kerrigan and Alexei Stukov, who both had far more page views.