[1] Clotworthy also stated that if a StarCraft film was produced, he believed Clive Owen would be the perfect choice to play Raynor due to his "being dangerous".

[5] Despite an often laid back and sarcastic demeanor,[6] Raynor is described in the novel Liberty's Crusade as a decent and honorable man who is well liked by those under his command.

His assertion to kill Sarah Kerrigan—the series' main antagonist—despite his former love for her early in the story arc is one of the sacrifices that in Clotworthy's eyes makes Raynor a "true hero in the purest sense of the word".

He is later shown in StarCraft II as a physically strong yet casually dressed character, wearing his combat gear over his normal clothes,[11] which are further described in the novels as well-worn and rough in appearance.

[14] Unlike other characters, Raynor is not seen wearing a uniform at any point during the series, with the rare exceptions of when he is encased in marine combat armour.

Raynor is a marshall on the Confederate fringe colony of Mar Sara, where he is attempting to defend the population from an expanding Zerg infestation.

As the Confederacy abandons Mar Sara to its fate, Arcturus Mengsk and his rebel Sons of Korhal arrive to evacuate the colony.

The Raiders and Fenix's forces remain on Aiur as a rearguard while the surviving Protoss evacuate their homeworld, now devastated and overrun by the Zerg, for the dark templar world of Shakuras.

[21] Raynor is later contacted by Kerrigan, who convinces them to join with her against the United Earth Directorate (UED), which has arrived to pacify the sector by any means necessary.

Although the Hyperion escapes the planet, Fenix is killed in the attack; an outraged Raynor vows that Kerrigan will die by his hands.

He returns to Mar Sara, where he is approached by a former associate, Tychus Findlay, with a business proposition to acquire Xel'Naga artifacts for a research group, the Moebius Foundation.

To prove his point he leaves a Protoss memory device, through which Raynor sees Zeratul's journey following an ancient prophecy and the vision of an alternate timeline's future.

However, Mengsk later contacts Kerrigan and reveals that Raynor is still alive and under his custody, using him as a leverage to have her keep the Zerg swarm, now reunited under her command, away from Dominion Territory.

He is later given a psionic call by Kerrigan to aid her and Artanis in a joint Terran Dominion/Zerg Swarm/Protoss invasion of the Void, a realm accessed from the Xel'Naga homeworld of Ulnar, to permanently kill Amon.

He is one of many StarCraft heroes that are available in the game, and features a unique skillset including a heroic ability to summon the Hyperion to fire upon the battleground he is on.

Since he lacks any form of innate escape mechanism, like teleports or dashes, knowing when to take a fight and when to retreat is crucial to achieve good results when playing this hero.

[27] His son exhibited psychic potential and consequently is conscripted for the Confederate ghost program, where the intense training ultimately kills him.

The article also puts forward the case that "it would be difficult not to admire Raynor, if for no other reason than his persistence" in the face of abandonment, isolation and betrayal.

[33] In 2012, GamesRadar ranked him as the 80th "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, commenting: "He embodies the concept of the greater good and is willing to put it all on the line to protect others.