Razputin Aquato

Razputin Aquato is the main protagonist of the Psychonauts series. A young acrobat in a family circus, he ran away from home to join the Psychonauts, and in doing so, saved the world (or at least thwarted the attempts of those trying to take over the world) on multiple occasions.

Appearance
Razputin is a 4'4" human boy with yellow skin (with the skin around his eyes and on his nose being a slightly darker red-orange shade), green eyes, and burgundy hair. His head is large and rectangular and he stands approximately three heads tall, with a fit body, spindly limbs, and larger hands and feet.

In every game, he wears his signature aviator hat and goggles. The hat is light brown with red stripes, and some light brown and dark brown accents. His goggles are silver with dark brown straps and red lenses, the latter of which glow when he prepares to enter a mind. A small part of his bangs sticks out of the right side of his helmet.

Psychonauts
In the original Psychonauts, Raz's appearance is more angular, and his eyes often tend to squint.

The outfit he wears for the majority of the first game includes a brown leather jacket, a striped green turtleneck, brown leather gloves, brown pants with light brown cuffs, and brown shoes. He also wears a single-strap brown backpack with yellow stripes and a red strap. Throughout the game, his merit badges are added to this backpack in a diamond-shaped pattern.

While in Black Velvetopia, Raz's costume undergoes a change unique to this level. While the clothing items themselves are the same, their colors and patterns change to a glowing black velvet style identical to the rest of the level. Raz's helmet, goggle straps, jacket, and pants become black with glowing red-orange patterns; his goggles turn golden with purple lenses; his turtleneck and gloves become teal with black stripes, his shoes are black with glowing green patterns; and his backpack is black with glowing red patterns.

At the end of Psychonauts, Raz dons the official Psychonauts outfit. The outfit is identical to Agent Ford Cruller's, being a green turtleneck onesie with vertical black stripes and a Psychonauts badge on the left breast. He wears green gloves and shoes with this suit, and it is the only part of the game in which he does not wear his helmet.

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin and Psychonauts 2


In the announcement trailer for Psychonauts 2 (released before the midquel) Raz was given a makeover, featuring slightly darker clothing, orange skin, more ragged bangs, a rounder face with smaller eyes, and darker clothing, also with new straps added to his aviator helmet. This model was only seen in announcement trailer shown at E3 in 2015.

In the midquel Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, he was given yet another makeover, this one bringing him closer to how he looked in the first game, albeit with a slightly softened appearance and more detailed clothing, keeping the straps on his aviator helmet. He has also changed back into his original outfit, though his Psychonaut outfit can be found on the jet. As the game is played in VR and shown from Razputin's perspective and he must use Clairvoyance in order to move around, he is never shown with his eyes open. As well, he is modeled to have a more serious expression by default, as he is concentrated on using his powers whenever he can be seen in the game.



Psychonauts 2 also features a slight redesign, with Razputin's eyes being opened wider rather than squinting most of the time. In this game, Razputin also wears a number of new outfits, starting with the business suit he wears at the start of the game in Loboto's Labyrinth. The jacket, pants, and tie are neon blue with a white collared shirt beneath the jacket, and gray shoes. He does not wear gloves, and at the start of the level he does not wear his helmet, though he does put it on after the opening cutscene. After this, he wears his original outfit once again, though it can be worn again after the scavenger hunt is completed.

Later in the game, Raz's clothes are stolen by the interns, and he is shown wearing green-and-white horizontal-striped circus skivvies, which feature a tear in the top left of the collar and a blue and orange patch on the right side. This outfit is worn until he is given a new one, though it returns in Lucrecia's Lament and can be worn again after the scavenger hunt is completed.

After this, Sasha Nein provides him with one of his old outfits. This outfit consists of an oversized tan trenchcoat, a sea green turtleneck with the cuffs rolled over the tops of the overcoat's sleeves, blue jean pants with the bottom cuffs rolled up, leather gloves, light brown shoes, and a new brown shoulder bag featuring a green and yellow pattern on the back. Like with his previous backpack, this bag displays his merit badges arranged in a diamond-shaped pattern. Raz keeps his signature helmet and goggles. This outfit is worn for the majority of the game.

Personality
Razputin is outgoing, optimistic, and caring, but isn't afraid to get snarky with kids his age or people he feels comfortable around. As a psychic child, he adores the Psychonauts and obsessively reads the True Psychic Tales magazine, memorizing many details the periodical presents as fact. He has also shown interest in reading other books related to psychic powers, such as Cassie O'Pia's Mindswarm book. He idolizes the Psychonauts and specific figures within the organization, such as Ford Cruller, Sasha Nein, Milla Vodello, and the Psychic 7.

Though he is usually friendly and kind, he also does not take anything from bullies. Rather than being intimidated by Bobby Zilch, for example, he throws the snark and insults Bobby gives him right back, and even steals Bobby's dance.

While confident in most situations, Raz feels slightly more out of his element when he arrives at the Motherlobe and is stripped of his Psychonaut status. As a result, he acts slightly less confident around the other interns and some of his superiors, at least at the start.

Notable Psi-Powers and Skills
Clairvoyance

When most of his companions are incapacitated by psilirium poisoning and while under the effects of this himself within the Rhombus of Ruin, Razputin finds himself still able to use clairvoyance. In the VR game, he is able to use this ability to move his astral projection from creature to creature in order to navigate the Rhombus. He is able to do this without the help of his companions, who later lend him their own powers.

Zoolepathy

Razputin is shown to be able to talk to a select few animals. Notably he is able to communicate with Lili's pet rat Harold and the squirrel that takes up residence in the Pelican. It is not known to what extent he is able to understand these animals, as the player is not provided with a translation of their language. While he does talk to other animals, these are the only non-psychic ones he seems to have any back-and-forth conversation with.

Mind-Reading

Razputin is capable of passively reading the minds of others. He is not shown to use it consciously in the way Sasha Nein is able to.

Mental Projection

When Razputin uses mental projection, he creates an archetype with a seeming mind and voice of its own. Appearing in the same style as Raz's sketches, the Raz Archetype is hyperactive, childish, and prideful, and thinks that Raz is its clone.

Psi-Poke

Razputin is able to use psi-poke even while under the effects of psilirium without the help of his companions.

Hydrokinesis (implied)

Razputin seems to have inherited this power from his family. The power manifests as a hand that rises up out of the water, which Raz believed for most of his life was the "Hand of Galochio," part of a curse that was supposed to doom his family to die in water. While this hand initially would grab at him repeatedly before dragging him into the water, its behavior changed upon the defeat of Maligula. Now it helps Raz stay above the water, allowing him to balance on one of its fingers before taking him back to shore.



Non-Psychic Abilities

Having been raised in the circus, Razputin is skilled in the art of acrobatics, enabling him to climb ropes and ladders, walk tightropes, perform a variety of flips, swing from the trapeze, and balance on a ball.

Razputin is also a skilled artist, illustrating his entries to True Psychic Tales as well as doodling in his notes.

Major Relationships
Augustus Aquato

Augustus is Razputin's father. Initially the two had a rocky relationship, with Augustus, upon recognizing his son's psychic powers, tried to protect him by distracting Raz from practicing his powers by giving him more and more work to do in their circus. Augustus impressed on Raz the idea that their family had been cursed by psychics who had murdered his grandfather (Augustus's father). Raz misinterpreted his father's intentions, believing his father hated psychics, and by extension, him, even going as far as to believe that his dad wanted to kill him. This culminated in Raz's running away from home to seek out Whispering Rock. After Augustus entered Raz's mind and saw his son's mental image of him in Meat Circus, Augustus clarified his intentions to Raz, and the two worked together to take down the Two-Headed Dad Monster. After this, Razputin and Augustus grew closer, and Augustus grew proud of his son's powers and ability to help others.

Sasha Nein

Sasha was initially one of Razputin's counselors and teachers (specifically teaching him psi-blast), and later a superior within the Psychonauts organization. As Sasha is world-famous, Razputin idolized him before meeting him in person, and continued to idolize him throughout his time in camp and even after he was accepted into the Psychonauts. Raz and Sasha share a comfortable relationship as fellow agents, though still with a student/teacher element. Raz is not afraid to be snarky to Sasha, and Sasha is not afraid to reprimand Raz when he steps out of line.

Milla Vodello

Milla was initially one of Razputin's counselors and teachers (specifically teaching him levitation), and later a superior within the Psychonauts organization. As Milla is world-famous, Razputin idolized her before meeting her in person, and continued to idolize her throughout his time at camp and even after he was accepted into the Psychonauts. Milla is affectionate toward Raz, calling him her queridinho, but is also not afraid to threaten him when he acts out of line.

Morceau Oleander

Oleander was initially one of Razputin's counselors and teachers (specifically teaching him basic techniques like psi-punch), and later a superior within the Psychonauts organization. Before meeting Oleander, Razputin felt a kinship with him based on what Oleander had written in the Whispering Rock pamphlet, while Oleander saw Raz's powerful mind as a key piece to his world domination plan. Throughout his time at Whispering Rock, Raz would report to Oleander any finding he had, often imitating Oleander's military speak, up until he learned that Oleander was behind the kidnapping and subsequent de-braining of the kids around camp. For a brief time after this the two became enemies, up until their minds melded together to from the Meat Circus. Within this world Raz met Oleander's inner child, and discovered that they both shared similar issues with their fathers. After helping Oleander with his unresolved trauma, Oleander and Raz took on a more amicable relationship. Oleander even swam out to help Raz confront Loboto in the Rhombus of Ruin. Though while the two are friendly with each other, Raz feels some unease over Oleander's obsession with weapons.

Ford Cruller

Ford was initially one of Razputin's counselors and teachers (teaching him a number of different psychic abilities). Raz idolized Ford before even meeting him, having read about him extensively in True Psychic Tales. Ford and Raz developed a close relationship in Whispering Rock, with Ford entrusting Raz to help save the camp, and making himself a "psychic stowaway" in Raz's head, so Raz was able to call upon him with a piece of bacon. Ford considered Raz worthy of being a Psychonaut even before he bestowed the title upon him. Throughout the events of Psychonauts 2 however, Raz's perception of Ford gradually shifted as he learned the truth about his mentor. He felt confused, angry, and hurt by Ford's actions, though he still agreed to help him. Now, while Raz still talks to Ford in a friendly manner, he does not fully know how to feel about him, saying he'll figure it out when he's not ten.

Lucrecia Mux

Lucy was, for most of Raz's life, his grandmother. Though she struggled with memory issues, she still loved Raz (considering him her "second favorite grandson"), and Raz loved her, often looking out for her to make sure she was safe and comfortable. Lucy would also look after Raz in her own way, repeatedly warning him to "stay away from the water." Lucy also trusted Raz enough, when she had a moment of barely remembering her true identity, to give him the Whispering Rock pamphlet and urge him to go there in hopes he would be able to help her. After learning Lucy's true identity as his great aunt who had murdered his grandparents, however, Raz was furious, but eventually agreed to help her. When Lucy finally regained her memories, she told Raz she still sees him as family.

Lili Zanotto

Lili was at first one of Raz's fellow campers. She was immediately smitten with Raz, going weak in the knees. Though she put up a tough exterior, inwardly she thought of Raz as cute and wished he would kiss her. Raz, meanwhile, initially didn't see Lili as much different from the other campers and was confused when Bobby referred to him as Lili's "boyfriend," and even more confused when he passively read Lili's thoughts of affection toward him. But he gradually became more affectionate toward her, and ultimately the two accepted the titles of "boyfriend" and "girlfriend." They have also partnered together on multiple missions to great success.

Caligosto Loboto

Dr. Loboto was initially one of Raz's enemies, seeking to steal his brain as he had the other campers', and Raz saw him as nothing more than a villain, joining in Mr. Pokeylope's plot to defeat him. Later, Loboto captured Raz in the Rhombus of Ruin in another attempt to steal his brain (this time for an unknown client). Unable to take Loboto down with his psilirium-weakened powers, Raz entered Loboto's mind instead. He felt sympathetic toward the doctor's pleas for help and helped him take down his inner monster and restore his moral compass. While doing so, he reacted with horror upon finding that Loboto had been born psychic, and that his parents had feared and ultimately lobotomized their son. Afterward, he encouraged Loboto, saying it wasn't too late to make things right, though expressed disbelief when Loboto went on to blow up the hidden base. Upon entering his mind again in Psychonauts 2, Loboto recognized that he and Raz had had "a moment" and hoped Raz might help him. Loboto believes he and Raz have a truce, and trusted Raz to believe he was a "changed man" and to not tell anyone when he escaped.

Bobby Zilch

Bobby was one of Raz's fellow campers. He strongly disliked Raz and frequently insulted, threatened, and pushed him. Raz would typically throw these insults back and never saw Bobby as a threat. He managed to beat Bobby in a race toward the end of Basic Braining, stealing Bobby's mocking dance as he did so, and later beat Bobby in a race at Milla's Dance Party. Later when Bobby was de-brained, Raz set out to help him as he had all the other kids, though he did tell Bobby afterward that he thought he was better than him, to which Bobby told him he was wrong, and that he should "have fun dying." Though Raz has spoken very little about Bobby since camp, he does still occasionally perform Bobby's dance.

Norma Natividad

Norma was one of Razputin's fellow interns and later became one of his fellow Junior Psychonauts. She immediately disliked Raz and was the first to set off the process of hazing him, personally withholding his clothes until he completed her intern project for her. Once news about the mole broke out, she immediately suspected Raz. Norma was one of the interns who pressured Raz into tweaking Hollis's mind so they could go on the Luctopus mission. She spent a great deal of time trying to prove Raz was the mole, pretending to be nice to his father in order to get information on him, and even following Raz to Green Needle Gulch and spying on him, eventually kicking off the events that led to Raz and Lili uncovering the mole's identity. Norma did ultimately help Raz defeat Maligula, and returned his clothes when he completed her assignment. She and Raz still dislike each other.

Backstory
Razputin was the third child born to the Aquatos, and was trained in acrobatics alongside his other siblings, and also taught about the family curse, in which they were cursed to die in water. Born a psychic, he practiced his powers in secret with his sister Frazie. While his sister eventually quit, Raz kept practicing in private. He devoured issues of True Psychic Tales, learning about the Psychonauts through them and finding a growing desire within him to join them.

His father Augustus noticed his son's interests and trained him even harder in acrobatics in an attempt to keep him distracted. Raz took this the wrong way, thinking his father hated him and wanted him dead. But his father was not the only one to notice his powers--his grandmother Nona, actually his great aunt Lucy, had taken note, and, in a fleeting moment of clarity, disguised herself as a mysterious stranger and gave Raz a pamphlet for Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp in hopes he would be able to help her. Raz was ecstatic about the prospect of going to the camp, but Augustus, terrified this could bring harm to his son, tore up the pamphlet.

This was the last straw for Raz, who hopped on Sugarcube (the "world's smallest pony" that was part of their act) and ran away from home. He eventually let Sugarcube return home while he hitchhiked on a truck, which drove him out to Whispering Rock, where he broke into the camp.

Psychonauts
Razputin Aquato is the protagonist of Psychonauts. At the start of the game he broke into Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp, eager to learn how to become a Psychonaut before his father caught up with him. The counselors let him stay at the camp for the time being, though warned him that he could only stay until his parents arrived.

Raz participated in a few of the basic classes at camp and trained under Ford, getting to know the campers all the while, but when Sasha used Raz to experiment with the brain tumbler, Raz experienced visions showing Doctor Loboto stealing Dogen's brain, and said brain being used to power a brain tank. All the while, he found multiple campers missing their brains, and talked things over with Lili, both of them coming to the conclusion that Oleander was behind this. Eventually, however, all the campers lost their brains, the counselors went missing, and Lili was captured by the Hideous Hulking Lungfish of Lake Oblongata, so Raz teamed up with Ford (helping remotely via a strip of bacon) to get the kids' brains back.

Raz fought the lungfish and delved into her mind, eventually freeing her of Oleander's influence. The lungfish, Linda, then took him to Thorney Towers, which he broke into by inadvertently activating the hypnotism Oleander planted in Boyd's brain. He then went into the brains of Fred, Gloria, and Edgar, obtaining different items from each to create a Dr. Loboto costume in order to fool Crispin and take the elevator up into the tower. As he ascended, collecting the campers' discarded brains along the way, Sheegor tried to ward him off, but he made it to Loboto's lab at the top. There he found a brainless Sasha and Milla, and Lili being prepared to be de-brained. After rescuing Mr. Pokeylope the turtle, he used the turtle's brain to attack Loboto and knock him out of the tower, and was then able to rescue Lili and the others, just in time for Oleander to arrive.

After the tower exploded, Raz fought with Oleander, whose brain had wound up in a full-sized brain tank. But when he tried to retrieve the coach's brain, the tank spewed sneezing powder in his face, causing Raz to also be de-brained, and his mindscape to be tangled up with Oleander's. Raz navigated the newly-formed Meat Circus, confronting Oleander's childhood trauma as well as his own. While fighting a warped mental vision of his father, Raz encountered the real Augustus, who managed to break into the warped mindscape and set things right with his son. When faced with a horrible amalgamation of both the mental versions of his own father and Oleander's father, Raz teamed up with Augustus to take them down, and finally untangle their brains.

An unknown time after these events, camp wrapped up, and Raz was given the title of Psychonaut. Before he could leave, however, Sasha and Milla received word that Lili's father, Truman, had been kidnapped, and that they were going to leave on a mission to rescue him. Raz, encouraged by his father, joined them on the mission.

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin
Razputin Aquato is the protagonist of Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin. He flew with Sasha, Milla, Oleander, and Lili on the jet as they searched for Truman to no avail. While testing out his powers on the jet, Raz uncovered the music box that had belonged to Lili's grandma. Using clairvoyance on it, Raz was able to locate Truman and pinpoint his location in the abandoned, underwater Psychonauts base, Charlie Psycho Delta, in the Rhombus of Ruin. He passed out after this, and awoke to find the plane crashing.

After awakening in the same chamber Truman was trapped in, Raz found himself strapped to a chair, and immediately set out to explore the base using clairvoyance. Through this, he was able to find Milla, Lili, Sasha, and Oleander, the former three experiencing psilirium poisoning from being too close to the nearby deposit. More resistant to the crystal's harmful waves, Raz was able to help snap his companions out of their delusions, and also found a mermaid costume that enabled Oleander to swim. Shortly after this, they collectively realized just who was holding them captive, shocking Raz out of his astral projection and back into his body.

Shortly after coming to, Raz found himself face-to-face with Loboto, who planned to steal his brain for an unknown client. Oleander provided Raz with a psycho-portal, which he then used to enter into Loboto's mind and help him recover his moral compass. With this restored, Loboto freed his prisoners, only to turn around and start the base's self-destruct sequence. Once again using clairvoyance, Raz was able to get the jet started just in time for everyone to escape the base before it exploded.

Psychonauts 2
Razputin Aquato is the protagonist of Psychonauts 2. He started off recapping his adventure so far in a True Psychic Tales submission before going into Loboto's mind with Sasha, Milla, Oleander, and Lili, hoping to uncover the identity of Loboto's client. While they ultimately fail, Raz discovers that Loboto's client threatened him with Maligula, a malevolent figure that was supposedly killed two decades prior. They also realized that Loboto must have had help on the inside, meaning that there was a mole in the Psychonauts.

Upon arriving at the Motherlobe, Raz met the second head, Hollis, who did not trust Ford's judgment of him and demoted Raz to intern. Raz met up with his fellow interns, who hazed him by stealing his clothes and locking him in the closet. He managed to escape to Sasha's lab, where Sasha provided him with a new outfit. After this, Raz received his mentor assignment: a non-psychic mailman named Nick Johnsmith. However, Raz discovers Nick's brainless body in a package in the mailroom, and on it, a key to the Lady Lucktopus casino. Hollis forbids him to join Sasha and Milla on the mission to investigate the lead, and Raz, egged on by his fellow interns, attempts to change Hollis's mind via mental connection, accidentally giving her a gambling addiction in the process.

Once at the casino, Raz re-entered Hollis's mind to fix his mistake, and was reprimanded by Hollis for altering her mind without her consent. But they completed the mission, with Raz breaking into the hotel room and uncovering plans to resurrect Maligula, some of which involved manipulating Lili in some way. Back at the Motherlobe, Truman briefly awoke, begging Raz to find Ford and "fix" him. Raz did so by using a piece of bacon to summon Ford as he had before, and entered his mind, learning a little bit about the Psychic Six before being dementistrated.

After this, Raz found Ford split into three different personalities across the Motherlobe. His family also arrived at the Motherlobe and set up camp in the Questionable Area outside. Raz then took the time to explore the areas surrounding the base and figure out how to gain entry into the places Ford's different personalities resided. He found a brain in Otto's workshop that turned out to be Helmut Fullbear, and put said brain in Nick's body in order to gain access to Ford in the mailroom. He helped Compton in the psychoisolation chamber in order to gain access to Ford in the bowling alley, and was able to get into Ford's barber shop unopposed.

After reuniting the fragments of Ford's mind, Raz uncovered the secrets buried within. Horrified by what he had learned, Raz ran off to find his family, only to be stopped by Ford. While furious at his mentor's actions, Raz agreed to help, and the two went to Green Needle Gulch, where they found Raz's Great Aunt, Lucrecia. In order to help Ford with his plan to stop Maligula, Raz tracked down Cassie and Bob, helping them, and they in turn helped remove obstacles from the astralathe. Once the Psychic 7 were reunited, they began the process of using the astralathe on Lucy, with Ford and Raz diving into her mind. There, Raz uncovered her buried memories, and began to help Ford stop Maligula, only to find himself forcibly yanked from Lucy's mind.

Upon finding Truman acting strangely, Raz and Lili dove into his mind to investigate, finding that it was not Truman's brain, but the brain of Nick Johnsmith, AKA Gristol Malik, the mole who had hired Loboto to swap their brains. Raz exited the mind and ran to his family, just in time for Maligula to awaken. With the help of his family's acrobatics, Raz was flung into the water cyclone Maligula had created, and entered her mind, where with the help of Lucy and the interns, he put a stop to Maligula once and for all. After this, he and the other interns were awarded the title of Junior Psychonauts.

Behind the Scenes
NOTE: The following information is not canon.

Razputin was not the first choice for the game's playable character; rather, the first iteration of the game's protagonist was D'artagnan, or Dart. Dart was deemed unsuitable for the role, however, and was replaced with Raz.

Unlike the other campers, Raz was not given a Campster account, but he was given a MySpace page. The page was sparce, with only three photos, a brief "about me" blurb, his star sign (Capricorn), and some of his interests and favorite books.

Cameo Appearances

 * Brutal Legend - Raz appears in a parody of Mount Rushmore.
 * Bit Trip Runner 2 - Raz appears as a playable character.
 * A Hat in Time - Raz appears as a chalk outline. His hat is also wearable in a mod made by the developers.
 * Alice: Madness Returns - Raz appears as an oversized skeleton.
 * Costume Quest 2  - An NPC wears a Raz costume.
 * Dino Run - Raz's face appears as a mask.
 * Riverbond - Raz's appearance is used as an alternate skin.