Storm Shadow (G.I. Joe)

Storm Shadow
G.I. Joe character
Storm Shadow as a Cobra agent (Promotional artwork of 1st figure package ©Hasbro 2007)
First appearance	1984 2000
Voiced by	Keone Young (Sunbow) Ty Olsson (Spy Troops and Valor vs. Venom) Tom Wayland (Sigma 6) Eric Bauza (Resolute) Andrew Kishino (Renegades)
Affiliation	Cobra
Specialty	Ninja
File name	Arashikage, Thomas (Tommy) S.
Birth place	Fresno, California
Primary MOS	Assassin Sabotage
Secondary MOS	Intelligence
Subgroups	Cobra Urban Strike Cobra Ninja Strike Force

Storm Shadow
G.I. Joe character
Storm Shadow as a G.I. Joe agent (Promotional artwork of second figure package ©Hasbro 2007)
First appearance	1988
Voiced by	Scott McNeil (DiC)
Affiliation	G.I. Joe
Specialty	Ninja
File name	Arashikage, Thomas (Tommy) S.
Birth place	San Francisco, California
Primary MOS	Covert operations
Secondary MOS	Martial arts instructor
Subgroups	Ninja Force Shadow Ninjas

Storm Shadow is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is best known as the Cobra Commander's ninja bodyguard, and for his history with fellow ninja Snake Eyes. Throughout their history, he has changed sides several times; conflicted in loyalties between Cobra, G.I. Joe, and his blood brother, Snake Eyes. Storm Shadow is one of the most prominent characters in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise, and has appeared in every series since its inception. He is portrayed by Lee Byung-hun in the 2009 live-action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and the 2013 sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

In his original A Real American Hero incarnation, Storm Shadow's real name is Thomas S. Arashikage (トーマス・嵐影) (Arashi meaning "Storm" and kage meaning "shadow" in Japanese), a Japanese American. Storm Shadow served in the U.S. Army special operations group along with Snake Eyes, and later invited him to train as a ninja with his family in Japan. The duo have been everything to one another from the bitterest of enemies, to the most loyal of friends, who would fight and die for one another.

Storm Shadow can trace his family history through thirty generations of assassins. He is an 8th degree black belt in several martial arts, and can endure unimaginable amounts of hardship and pain. Storm Shadow moves with blinding speed, can scale sheer walls with bare hands and feet, and is an expert with a long bow, katana, throwing stars and nunchaku sticks. He usually wears a white uniform and mask. When out of his uniform, he is shown to be Japanese, with black hair and dark eyes.

In 2007, the character's creator, Larry Hama, revealed an alternate name for the character, Tomisaburo Arashikage (嵐影富三郎), in the solo series Storm Shadow. His tattoo is a hexagram of the I Ching named 既濟 (jì jì), or "Already Fording".