Hien

Along with Mao Mao, Hien is one of the icons of the Sonic Wings series, and the two of them are the only playable characters to appear in every game. Hien is a mysterious and impassive ninja who serves Project Blue under the commander of its Japan branch, Gozen. Hien has little patience for the goofy antics of some of his fellow pilots. However, he does show a slight fondness for Mao Mao, even though he often calls her a baby and tells her she whines too much.

Hien is a young Japanese man. Only his brown eyes and a little of his black hair are visible, and he has an X-shaped scar on his forehead. In all six games, Hien wears a black helmet with a red throwing star on the side and the kanji 忍 on top, the first character in 忍者 which means "ninja" (also known as shinobi). Hien always wears black ninja attire with a red scarf.

The manual for Sonic Wings Assault states that even though Hien has appeared in so many games he is still a mysterious character, "as expected of a ninja." The kanji that make up his name, 緋炎, translate to "Scarlet Flame" in English.

Sonic Wings[]

In single-player mode, Hien has very little personality. The text between missions consists solely of descriptions of missions assigned to him by Gozen. After the final boss battle, Hien reports in to Gozen and receives orders to continue fighting.

In two-player mode, Hien fights with Mao Mao. At times, he loses his calm demeanor by growing impatient with her complaining. The scene after the final boss battle reveals that the events of the game were only a movie in which the pair starred.

Sonic Wings 2[]

Mystery Fighter
On the order of the emperor(!), the Aero-Ninja is back. He amplifies his ninja skills with an energy-booster and uses it to drop devastating bombs.
-Aerofighters 2 English game manual

Unlike other returning characters, Hien has not changed his outfit since the first Sonic Wings, although his FSX has a new look. He continues to be unmovable for the most part, although he is a bit bewildered by some of his strange new fighting partners. In single-player mode, Hien receives and responds to orders from an unseen commander, who proves after the final boss battle to be Gozen. Just as Hien is about to take a rest from his efforts, a subordinate ninja informs him that he has yet another mission.

In two-player mode, Hien can be paired with any of the other pilots:

Angela: Hien does not get along well with Angela; they each find the other to be cocky, and in the English version, despite Hien's efforts to understand "punk," Angela loses patience with him. Still, there's something Angela does like about Hien; after the final boss battle, Angela pulls off her clothes (revealing herself to be a man in this ending) and demands that Hien accept her/his affection. Hien does not oblige. A rough translation of this scene from the Japanese version is in the gallery below.
Arthur: Arthur is surprised to see a flying ninja, but Hien is even more surprised to see a baby fighter pilot. Arthur tries to make friends, but Hien is not especially interested, declaring that "ninjas have no friends." However, by the end of the final boss battle, Hien decides that Arthur did well enough to become a ninja himself. Arthur isn't so sure.
Cincia and Ellen: Cincia isn't quite serious enough for Hien's tastes, but he does admire her and Ellen's fighting abilities. After the final boss battle, Hien disappears, and Ellen decides to become a female ninja... much to Cincia's embarrassment.
Mecha-Keaton: Keaton and Hien get along well enough, although Hien does seem a bit impatient with Keaton's lack of seriousness about the situation, particularly when Keaton's more interested in hula dancing in Hawaii than in defeating the boss there. Still, they work well together and shown a genuine concern for one another. After the final boss battle, they both report to Gozen, Hien's commander. Gozen is for some reason incensed that Hien received help from a robot, leaving his pupil speechless.
Mao Mao: Mao Mao, as always, has a crush on Hien, but he rebukes her for trying to date instead of attending to their mission. Likewise, throughout their battles together, he constantly reminds her to be more serious. Still, he does seem to secretly like her, and when her plane crashes after the final boss battle, he rescues her by catching her and parachuting down to earth with a kite on his back.
Silver: Hien is impatient with Silver, just like he is with everyone else, and he's rather critical of Silver's age. However, he's eventually impressed with the captain's fighting, and the two end up with a mutual respect for each other. After the final boss battle, Hien asks Silver to continue fighting with him, but Silver refuses. He and Flint end up sitting in a bar, alone except for the bartender.
Whity: Hien is understandably surprised to meet a talking dolphin. Whity isn't serious enough for Hien's tastes, and he finds Hien amusing but too serious. However, Hien is eventually impressed by Whity's bravery. When their planes crash after the final boss battle, Hien rides to shore on Whity's back.

Sonic Wings 3[]

Hien is again taking radioed orders from Gozen, who asks him to pursue and identify the enemy. They lose radio contact briefly; then Gozen tells Hien that he is no longer fighting on Earth. After the final boss battle, Hien reports to Gozen and asks if it is "just to destroy a world" (apparently the alien planet to which the enemy had taken Hien) in order to perfect the Earth. Gozen declares that such a question is a sign of weakness.

In two-player mode, Hien is paired with Mao Mao. Hien is a little more tolerant of her than usual, even telling her she looks cute in her costume; however, he also tells her not to be a pain. After the final boss battle, Mao Mao tells Hien she wants to know what he really looks like. He obliges by taking off his mask to reveal first Mecha-Keaton then a log, leading Mao Mao to realize that he can change his appearance at will.

Sonic Wings Special/Sonic Wings Limited[]

Hiensws — Hien in Sonic Wings Special and Limited.

Hien reappears in Special without any noticeable changes; he is again paired with Mao Mao in two-player mode.

One-Player Mode Endings:

Boss battle with Pandora or Gurabura: Hien returns to his commander, Gozen, who praises Hien's work and tells him to go home to rest.
Boss battle with Lar or Do-ni Kai: As in his single-player ending from Sonic Wings 2, Hien returns to Gozen who allows him to rest-- this time in a steam bath. However, Hien's break is again interrupted by the other ninja who tells him there is a new mission.
Boss battle with Balbi or Osaru: Hien reports to Gozen who again blasts off in an ending similar to the two-player ending with Mecha-Keaton in Sonic Wings 2. However, this time Gozen is pleased with Hien's work.

Two-Player Mode Endings:

Boss battle with Pandora or Gurabura: As in their two-player ending in Sonic Wings, Hien and Mao Mao appear in a movie, credited in the cast along with the game's bosses.
Boss battle with Lar or Do-ni Kai: The ending for Sonic Wings 2 is repeated, with Hien rescuing Mao Mao from her burning plane.
Boss battle with Balbi or Osaru: Mao Mao is walking in the rain, lost in thought about Hien. She runs into a man who teases her for thinking too hard; as he walks away, she realizes that his voice sounds awfully familiar. . . .

Sonic Wings Assault[]

Hien in Sonic Wings Assault.

Project Blue Japan Branch at the foot of Mt. Fuji. There, a man called "Gozen" (「御前」) was in command. Enemies landed one after another in various parts of Japan, but Gozen judged that all of them were diversions, and he was conserving his main forces. And then...

Tokyo, finished!

"Hien! An enemy has appeared in Tokyo. Defeat it!"

"Yes sir!"

Fluttering their jet-black wings, the ninja squadrons took off one after another: Hien and his men. He ordered them to eliminate the enemy's rear guard, and he headed for the main force by himself. Soon, the submerged Tokyo came into view below him. And the gang that caused it...

"How dare you! I won't forgive you!"

The next battle will be the toughest one ever. But don't worry, he is man who reliably carries out even the toughest of missions. That is Hien.

—Sonic Wings Assault game manual

Hien returns in Assault, again ordered to defeat Fata Morgana by Gozen, the head of Project Blue's Japan branch. The game manual describes Hien as "dependable," and states that when acting as wingman, he'll let the player attack the enemy while acting as an escort behind them.

Hien speaks primarily in Japanese even in the English version of the game. He is voiced by Masaki Aizawa in both versions.