Raiden



"Thunder take you."

- Raiden's Mortal Kombat (2011) Battle Cry

Raiden is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He is one of the few original characters, debuting in the first Mortal Kombat arcade game.

About Raiden
Raiden is the eternal God of Thunder and former protector of Earthrealm. After the second defeat of Shinnok, he ascended to the status of Elder God. Being a god, he possesses many supernatural abilities, such as the ability to teleport, control lightning and fly. As a god, he is used to thinking in terms of eternity rather than normal human lifespans, and as such he has a radically different outlook on life.

Appearance
Although being formless and ethereal, Raiden often takes form on mortal planes. As such, he appears as a fully-grown man wearing predominately white robes and a blue vest, his face usually shadowed by a straw hat. The effect is enhanced by his glowing blue eyes that radiate with electricity and long white hair, befitting of his god-like status. Most of his outfits are finished by a flowing blue cape. Lastly, his power is so great that he constantly radiates with lightning energy, electricity constantly dancing and crackling around his being. In Deception and Armageddon, his visage is warped by Onaga's malevolent aura when he sacrifices himself, reforming as a dark warrior dressed in black robes and dark armor, his eyes changed from a soothing blue to a belligerent red. His cape was changed to a subdued red and appears tattered at the end. Due to the events of Mortal Kombat (2011), this change was rendered null.

Storyline
When Earthrealm was young, Raiden was its protector. He fought the rogue Elder God Shinnok, who wished to rule it, in a war that threatened to destroy Earthrealm itself. One of the casualties of the war was the Saurian civilization (of which Reptile was a member), forcing the remaining survivors to emigrate to another world, which they named Zaterra.

With the aid of the Elder Gods, Raiden managed to defeat Shinnok. Stripping him of his amulet (the source of his Elder God powers), he banished the evil Elder God to the Netherrealm, and placed his powerful amulet in a secret location- a Temple of the Elements he constructed in the mountains of Nepal. He assigned four gods to guard the amulet — the gods of Wind (Fujin), Fire, Earth and Water.

When the elder Sub-Zero stole Shinnok's amulet for Quan Chi millions of years later, Raiden appeared before the Lin Kuei warrior, and told him to enter the Netherrealm and steal it back, lest Shinnok use it to free himself. Raiden was unable to do it himself, as he would lose all of his powers in the Netherrealm. Sub-Zero did as requested, for the time being, removing Shinnok as a threat.

Some time later, Shang Tsung invited Raiden to participate in Mortal Kombat. Aware of the threat posed by this tournament to the future of Earthrealm, Raiden took the form of a human to compete.

One year later, Raiden found that he had no choice but to accept Shang Tsung's offer of Mortal Kombat in Outworld. Knowing full well the treachery of Shang Tsung and brutality of Shao Kahn, he warned the surviving members of the Shaolin tournament and disappeared alone to the Outworld.

After the Earthrealm warriors' victory, Raiden had to scramble to protect his warriors' souls when Shao Kahn reached across the realms and reclaimed his resurrected Queen Sindel. With the safety of his champions ensured, Raiden wished to fight alongside them, but was unable to due to the merger between Earthrealm and Outworld. The Outworld menace now ruled Earthrealm, and Raiden had no choice but to give up his godhood in order to fight. Following Liu Kang's defeat of Shao Kahn, he reclaimed his status as both a god and Earthrealm's protector.

Raiden and his warriors again entered battle when Shinnok escaped the Netherrealm to once more wage war against the gods. Shinnok's attack caught the Elder Gods off-guard and killed many of the gods of Earthrealm. However, this time the war would also be fought by mortals; with Liu Kang uniting Earthrealm's warriors under the banner of the troubled Thunder god, Raiden's Forces of Light emerged successful. Now granted the status of Elder God, he turned over his position as Earthrealm's protector to Fujin.

As an Elder God, Raiden could not interfere when Shang Tsung and Quan Chi killed Liu Kang many years later. Disgusted at his peers for their refusal to intervene, he renounced his position as an Elder, gathering his warriors to stop the Deadly Alliance. This time, disaster struck the heroes. The Earthrealm warriors were all slain in battle with the Tarkatan horde and in a desperate measure, he confronted Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in front of the Soulnado, but was defeated.

He returned to his feet when Onaga, the Dragon King, entered the chamber, and stood beside Tsung and Quan Chi as they attacked Onaga. When he saw that their attacks barely slowed Onaga down, Raiden released his godly essence, the effect of which was a single, massive explosion. It obliterated the Dragon King's tomb, snuffed out the Soulnado, apparently destroyed the Deadly Alliance and Raiden himself, but did not harm Onaga. Raiden's essence soon gathered again in the Earthrealm, where, because his essence was corrupted because of Onaga, he had now became furious with the way Earthrealm's inhabitants had treated their own realm. He became even more enraged when he learned that Shujinko had foolishly unleashed the Dragon King by attaining the Kamidogu of various realms for him. With that, his patience exhausted, Raiden then decided he was going to punish those who placed Earthrealm in harm's way.

Raiden's shift in attitude comes to a head when he tried to brutally slay Shujinko for his errors, but Shujinko was able to survive Raiden's attack, surprisingly Raiden turned his attention away from Shujinko and towards Liu Kang's corpse.

Removing Liu Kang's body from its grave, Raiden took it to an underground temple that belonged to an ancient sect of necromancers called the Houan, whom he had destroyed centuries earlier. Binding Kang's body with enchanted shackles the Houan had used to control their revived undead, Raiden spoke the enchantments etched into the temple's walls that revived his former ally, infusing it with a thunderclap of lightning. The corpse of Liu Kang was now the enforcer of Raiden's will, and he sent it on a mission to wreak havoc on those he believed did harm to Earthrealm. This caught the attention of Shinnok, who appeared before Raiden and offered him an alliance. If Raiden were to assist him in whatever he wanted, Shinnok would try to ensure the safety of Earthrealm. Raiden was well aware of Shinnok's deceptive nature, but he accepted the offer in an attempt to secretly uncover Shinnok's plans.

His story is further expanded in the Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, when Taven encounters him. He informs Taven that he had struck a deal with Shao Kahn, agreeing to let the Emperor of Outworld conquer and rule all other realms, so long as Earthrealm was left alone. In return, Raiden agreed to hunt and eliminate Taven for Kahn, so that he could claim Blaze's godlike power for himself. Raiden confronts Taven as Kahn, Onaga, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi escape into a portal leading to Edenia. He is unsuccessful however, as he is defeated by Taven, and left unconscious on the ground. Taven, while still being in shock and disbelief at Raiden's actions, leaves and follows the villains through the portal.

Unbeknown to Raiden, however, Fujin had become aware of his change of attitude and outlook and had decided to do something about it. Teaming up with Liu Kang's former ally, Kung Lao, he intended to defeat Raiden and Liu Kang and try to restore them, aware that they may have to destroy them if unsuccessful.

In the aftermath of Armageddon, with all other kombatants already dead, Raiden engages Shao Kahn in one last desperate effort atop the Pyramid of Argus. Kahn easily over-powered the thunder god, shattering his amulet. In desperation, Raiden decided to try and use the broken shards to send a mental message to his past self - "he must win", just as Shao Kahn delivers the killing blow.

Raiden of the past receives the first fragments of the message in a series of disjointed images, at the opening ceremony of the first Mortal Kombat tournament on Shang Tsung's island. He attempts to use these memory flashes to influence events and prevent Armageddon, although his interventions prove to have unexpected and nearly disastrous consequences. Examples of this include saving the Lin Kuei ninja Smoke from capture and automation, only for the younger Sub-Zero to instead suffer the same fate, and in encouraging Kung Lao to fight and defeat Shao Kahn's generals at the end of the second tournament in Outworld, only for Shao Kahn to kill Kung Lao in cold blood.

Raiden's most fateful intervention in previously-established events came at the apex of Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm, where he came to believe that 'he must win' in fact relates to Shao Kahn - he actually has to be allowed to merge the two realms, as only then can the Elder Gods intervene. This puts Raiden in direct confrontation with Liu Kang, who has become disillusioned with the mounting body count as a direct result of Raiden's actions. Raiden is forced to defeat Liu Kang in combat to prevent him from interfering, resulting in Liu Kang's death when Raiden's electricity reacts with Liu Kang's fireball and incinerates him.

Shao Kahn is allowed to enter Earthrealm, and an emotionally-shattered Raiden concedes ultimate defeat, as Kahn proceeds to dominate Raiden in almost exactly the same manner as the Armageddon aftermath. Only this time, the Elder Gods finally intervene and restore Raiden's strength. He and Shao Kahn engage in a final battle, with Raiden emerging victorious and Shao Kahn destroyed by the Elder Gods. Together with the surviving Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, Raiden leaves to tend to the fallen warriors and begin to rebuild Earthrealm.

Biographies

 * Mortal Kombat: "The name Raiden is actually that of a deity know as the Thunder God. It is rumored he received a personal invitation by Shang Tsung himself and took the form of a human to compete in the Tournament."


 * Mortal Kombat 2: "Watching events unfold from high above, the thunder god realizes the grim intentions of Shao Kahn. After warning the remaining members of the Shaolin Tournament, Raiden soon disappears. He is believed to have ventured into the Outworld alone."


 * Mortal Kombat Trilogy: "As Earth's sworn protector, Raiden finds himself banished in the merger between Earth and Outworld. When the Elder Gods refuse to assist him in aiding the Earth, he is forced to take matters into his own hands. He transforms himself into a mortal warrior to fight alongside his human comrades - this time risking his place in the pantheon of gods and giving up his own immortality."


 * Mortal Kombat 4: "The God of Thunder returns to Earth after the defeat of Shao Kahn, but finds a new threat when Shinnok's forces, led by Quan Chi attack the Elder Gods. With the heavens in disarray Raiden exists as one of the last Gods of Earth. He must come to the aid of his elders and put an end to his evil villainous reign of his ancient enemy."


 * Deadly Alliance: "The Elder Gods were fully aware of the potential damage the alliance between Quan Chi and Shang Tsung posed to the stability of the realms. Yet even with this foresight they all stood firm on their decision not to interfere. All, that is, except for one - Raiden. The former Thunder God pleaded with his fellow Elder Gods to take action, but they refused. Disgusted, Raiden relinquished his Elder God status and returned to Earth realm to gather support against the coming storm. Raiden returned to Earthrealm to reunite with his comrades and inform them of the impending threat from the Deadly Alliance. Those that accepted his call to arms were instructed to meet him on Shang Tsung's old island fortress, located in the Lost Sea. Once there, Raiden explained in detail the dire situation that faced not only Outworld, but Earthrealm as well. He then Shang Tsung's Nethership from the ocean depths and with it transported them all to a celestial portal known only to sorcerers and deities. They emerged to Outworld ready for battle."Raiden_alt.jpg


 * Deception: "I was well aware of Onaga, the former ruler of Outworld. Shao Kahn had been his adviser until he poisoned the Dragon King and stole Outworld for himself. But Onaga had somehow returned, more powerful than before. His power seemed augmented by a force previously exhibited only by the Elder Gods. Even the might of the Deadly Alliance combined with my own could not defeat him. I did the only thing I could: I released my godlike essence in an attempt to destroy them all. By the time my energies reformed in Earthrealm, I was aware of all that had transpired. I became disgusted with the doings of mortals. It was Shujinko's vanity and desire for glory that had led to the return of the Dragon King. I will no longer allow the will of men to determine the fate of this realm. They will fight for it, or I will destroy them. All will fear the new God of Thunder."


 * Bio Kard: "As a last resort against the Dragon King's advance, Raiden sacrificed himself by releasing his godlike essence, thereby creating an intense ethereal blast. The Dragon King was unaffected and continues to threaten the realms."


 * Armageddon: "No longer will I entrust the safety of Earthrealm to the free will of mankind. The time has come to take matters into my own hands. Centuries ago I defeated an ancient sect of necromancers, the Houan. Though their members subsequently were scattered to the winds, their ancient underground temple still existed, abandoned and unused for ages. On the stone walls within were etched enchantments that would revive the dead. Strewn about were the enchanted chains of binding the Houan would use to control their undead. I laid the corpse of Liu Kang on a ceremonial altar and bound it with the shackles. Reciting the unholy enchantments, I brought to life the body of my former ally and infused it with a thunderclap of lightning. The corpse of Liu Kang would be no mere zombie; it would serve as my ultimate enforcer. Satisfied, I then set free this abomination to wreak havoc on those who have done harm to Earthrealm. Though I tried to conceal my activities, my use of the dark energies did not go unnoticed. Shinnok appeared before me and proposed an alliance. He would help secure the protection of Earthrealm in return for my aid in some undisclosed plot. I am no fool. I know well the treachery of this former Elder God. I accepted his offer and will complete this task, but only to discover his true objective. Until then, I will use Shinnok to serve my own ends."


 * MK vs DCU: "Raiden: God of Thunder, Protector of Earthrealm. Ageless and wise beyond measure, he is the defender who rallies Earthrealm's mortals to fight against the forces of evil. When his brother, Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld, finally invaded Earthrealm, only Raiden and his Forces of Light stood between slavery and freedom. As Earthrealm merged with Outworld, Raiden held the line and fought back against the emperor, defeating him and freeing Earthrealm. It seemed that peace was finally achieved, but the battle for Earthrealm had only just begun."


 * Mortal Kombat (2011): "Raiden is the God of Thunder and Protector of Earthrealm. Ageless and wise beyond measure, he leads Earthrealm's mortals in the endless battle against the forces of darkness. When Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld, threatened to merge his realm with Earthrealm, an overwhelmed Raiden implored the Elder Gods to give Earthrealm a fighting chance. Thus the Mortal Kombat tournament was created. For millennia Shao Kahn has been kept at bay, but nine consecutive losses to Goro have eroded hope that Earthrealm can be saved. Determined to prevent Armageddon, Raiden tirelessly quests to find a champion worthy of Mortal Kombat."

Alignment
Good, although recently, he has been depicted as an angry and vengeful god who, in his game ending, killed Shujinko for endangering Earthrealm (in others words he's tired of humans putting the world in frequent danger, and he wants Earthrealm to stay safe). Interestingly, his MK1 ending also humorously depicted him inviting other gods to compete in Mortal Kombat, and it resulted in the destruction of Earth (however, this was before his role as a mentor to the heroes had been established).

It's worth noting that in production art unlockable in the "Krypt" in Mortal Kombat: Deception, the new Raiden design used after the revival of Onaga (black and generally darker in appearance than in previous games), is described as belonging to "Dark Raiden." Additionally, during an encounter with Shujinko in Konquest mode, the new "dark" Raiden offers to train him and warns him that he's "not the Thunder God you once knew."

In MK 2011, Raiden appears in his original form, although his "Dark Raiden" outfit is his alternate costume.

Trademarks

 * His conical, straw Chinese coolie (harvester) hat, one of Raiden's most recognizable features.


 * Has electricity running across his body in MK, MK4 / Gold, and MK: Deadly Alliance.


 * He became notorious for yelling randomly while performing his Torpedo move in MKII. Fans originally believed that he was yelling Japanese phrases. Interestingly, others thought that he was actually speaking English, and thus Raiden's phrases were misinterpreted as "Get back in the car!", "Gimme ma money!", or even "Your mother's from L.A.!" Midway soon revealed that Raiden was merely speaking gibberish and not actual Japanese or English words. This was featured in the VH1 program I Love 1992, when one of the cast thought Raiden said "Santa Monica!" (Raiden was voiced by Midway employee Jon Hey in the first two games.)


 * A saya (katana scabbard) appears on one of Raiden's secondary costumes. However, he is never seen using the sword.


 * Glowing white, occasionally blue (then red in MKD and MKA) eyes. (In Mortal Kombat: Conquest he had deep blue eyes). Now, glowing white in Mortal Kombat (2011 video game).

Powers and abilities
Raiden is the god of thunder and lightning, and as such, he is immensely powerful and has complete control over electricity. He usually keeps behind the scenes in the games and rarely fights, although one notable exception was in Deception, where he fought both Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, and was able to hold his own for most of the fight. Using the element of lightning, Raiden can fire torrents of lightning or concentrated blasts. He also has the ability to fly, which he uses to fling himself at an opponent and shove them into a wall. He also has the ability to teleport to another destination by transforming his body into an ethereal state. Despite his godly status, he is not indestructible and has limits, though it is unlikely he can ever truly be killed. Raiden, like any other god, will have his powers taken away should he enter a domain not native to him, with Outworld being the most prominent example of this. His powers can return to him once he returns however. It is also because of his godly status that he is forbidden to directly participate in any Mortal Kombat tournaments unless he takes on a mortal form.

Signature moves
thumb|300px|right|Raiden's first fatality in MKD.
 * Teleport: At will Raiden would vanish and reappear behind his opponent. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:A, MKvs.DCU, MK 2011)
 * Electricity: Raiden sends a bolt of lightning flying at his opponent. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:DA, MK:D, MK:A, MKvs.DCU, MK 2011)
 * Torpedo: Raiden flies at his opponent and pushes them against the wall. In MK2011, the move is named Electric fly. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:A, MKvs.DCU, MK 2011)
 * Air Torpedo: Raiden could use his Torpedo while in the air too. In MK 2011, the move is named Electric fly. (MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:A, MK VS DCU, MK 2011)
 * Shocker: Raiden grabs his opponent and electrocutes them. (MKII, MKT, MKvs.DCU, MK 2011)
 * Reverse Electricity: Raiden sends a bolt of lightning in the other direction hitting an opponent from behind. (MKT, MK 2011)
 * Electric Slide: Raiden slides across the floor and hits his opponent with his shoulder, electrocuting them in the process. (MK:DA)
 * Shocking Touch: Raiden grabs his opponent and holds them in the air while electrocuting them, then punches them to the ground. (MK:DA, MK:D, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * X-Ray Move: Electric Brainwash: Raiden teleports behind the opponent and elbows their back damaging their spine, heart, and ribs. Raiden then teleports in front of them to karate chop their skull. Raiden finally sends a bolt of electricity through his opponents head. (MK 2011)

Fatalities

 * Electric Decapitation: Raiden sends a surge of electricity into his opponent's head and it explodes. In the Super Nintendo version of MK, the electricity reduces them to a pile of ash and a skull. (MK, MKT)
 * Invisible Electrocution: In the Game Boy version of Mortal Kombat, Raiden teleports into the ground and rises as a mass of electricity. He then proceeds to cover and shock his opponent, electricuting them to death. (MK)
 * Explosive Uppercut: Raiden crouches down and sends a vicious electrically-charged uppercut to his opponent blowing them into pieces. (MKII, MKT)
 * Electrocution I: Raiden grabs his opponent, holds them a few feet off the ground, and sends electricity into their body which causes them to explode. In MKII, if performed against an Earthrealm warrior, he will electrocute them to death, yet they won´t explode. (MKII, MKT)
 * Electrocution II: Raiden lodges his hands into his opponent's chest, lifts them over his head, and sends surges of electricity into their body making them explode. (MK4, MK:DA)
 * Electrocution III: Raiden charges electricity into his hand and grabs his opponent, sending it through their body. The electric shock burns off all the opponent's flesh, leaving behind their burning skeleton. (MKvs.DCU)
 * Staff Shock: Raiden calls for his staff, lodges the end into his opponent's chest, lifts them up and shocks them until they're dead. This was also Raiden's first in-game use of a staff (MK4).
 * Godly Essence: Raiden charges up a ball of energy similar to the intro of Mortal Kombat: Deception. He then fires it at his opponent thus blowing him and his opponent into pieces. (MK:D)
 * Lightning Strike: Raiden calls down lighting until it strikes his hand and he fires lighting out of his other, shocking his opponent until his opponent blow up. (MK:D)
 * Electric Slam: Raiden grabs the opponent, zaps them for a bit, then flies up in the air with them. A couple seconds later, the opponent falls back down and lands headfirst in the ground. (MKvs.DCU)
 * Just A Scratch: Raiden electrocutes his opponent's arms off, then electrocutes his/her legs as well. He then grabs his opponent and slams his/her head onto the ground, crushing it. (MK:2011)
 * Transplant: Raiden teleports behind the opponent and rips out the brain and an organ from the torso. He then casts lightning on them and puts them back in place. The head starts to glow and blows up. Then the torso blows up. (MK 2011)thumb|300px|right

Other finishers

 * Friendship: Raiden generates a miniature version of himself named Kidd Thunder. (MKII, MKT)
 * Animality: Raiden turns into an electric eel and electrocutes his opponent until they explode. (MKT)
 * Fergality: After inputting a code on the Sega Genesis version of MKII, Raiden would turn the enemy into a smoking version of one of the staff members who worked on that port who was said to be named Fergus McGovern. (MKII)
 * Hara-Kiri: Self Electrocution: Raiden charges himself with electricity until he explodes. (MK:D)thumb|300px|right
 * Babality: Raiden lifts his hands up and lighting appears from it until a thunderbolt almost strikes him, making him crawl into a ball, thus causing him to cry in fear. (MK 2011)

Endings
Mortal Kombat: (Non-canonical) "Raiden's victory comes as no surprise to him. He was never impressed by Shang Tsung's inferior sorcery, Goro's brute force, or the challenge of the other contestants. He quickly becomes bored with his mortal competition and soon invites other Gods to participate in the contest. The Ensuing battles rage on for years. And the wars result in our world's final destruction. Have a Nice Day."

Mortal Kombat 2: (Non-canonical) "Familiar with Shang Tsung's lies and Shao Kahn's brutality-- Raiden accepts their challenge to compete in an Outworld tournament. He is well aware of their scheme to unbalance the furies and invade the Earthrealm. Raiden vows to use all his might to end their treachery. Winning the tournament, Raiden destroys Shao Kahn and all his minions. He also destroys the dimensional gates which would have been their passageway to the Earth realm."

Mortal Kombat Trilogy: (Non-canonical) "When Outworld and Earth merge, Raiden finds himself battling Shao Kahn without the assistance of the Elder Gods. The Thunder God must transform into a mortal in order to exist in the merged realms. When he does this, he puts his own immortality as risk. But Rayden has always found ways of fouling Kahn's plots. He guides the chosen Earth warriors into battle against the Outworld emperor's armies, then finally faces Kahn himself. The powerful beings fight until the very core of the Earth is shaken, and Raiden emerges victorious."

thumb|325px|right Mortal Kombat 4:

(Raiden is ascending through the skies. He stops before the visage of an Elder God)

''Elder God: Raiden... For many ages, you have protected the Earthrealm from the forces of evil. You have earned your place among us. With your ascension into the Pantheon of Elder Gods, you must choose your successor as the new Protector of Earth.''

''Raiden: With the aid of Earth's mortals, I have once again managed to defeat Shinnok and his minions. I choose Fujin. He will guide the mortals of Earth as they move into the next millennia.''

Deadly Alliance: (Non-canonical) "Once again, the threat to Earthrealm has been vanquished. The Deadly Alliance is no more. What dangers lie in the future, I can no longer foresee. Perhaps the Dragon King will, in fact, return. Perhaps the depths of the Netherrealm will spew forth a legion of Oni. Even the Vampire people pose a threat to peace now that Outworld is in chaos. But one thing is certain... Earthrealm must be protected. I have abandoned my status as Elder God to aid these mortals... an act defiant of the Heavens. I will instead remain here on Earth... as GOD OF THUNDER."

Deception: (Non-canonical) (In the words of Raiden) "My patience for mortals has worn thin. If I am to protect Earthrealm, I must punish those who would threaten it. The fool Shujinko had let himself be deceived into believing that he worked for a greater good. He was in fact an unknowing tool of a greater evil - one that had almost caused the destruction of Earthrealm. That Shujinko undid his mistake and destroyed the Dragon King is of no importance. Those who place Earthrealm in harm's way will pay with their lives."

Armageddon: (Non-canonical) "The thunder god, Raiden, overpowered Blaze and absorbed the energy intended to transform the sons of Argus. His strength enhanced beyond that of other gods, Raiden became a deity of unimaginable power. Releasing his fury upon the realms, he destroyed them all. None would threaten Earthrealm again."

MK vs DCU: (Non-canonical) "As the inter-dimensional conflict ended, Raiden returned to Earthrealm, only to discover that exposure to his homeworld's sun weakened him greatly. The sorcerer Quan Chi offered Raiden a jade-colored stone that would replenish his power - in return for his sworn allegiance. Where Quan Chi acquired this stone is a mystery. Raiden must now decide between servitude to an evil sorcerer... or mortality."

Mortal Kombat (2011): "Shao Kahn was gone, but the scars of the merging of realms remained. Remnants of the invasion force roamed freely and had to be dealt with. But Earthrealm is vast and Raiden is but one being. He recruited four warriors, one for each direction of the wind, and divided his soul, placing one part in each of them. Through these new heroes Raiden can kombat the forces of darkness in four places at once."

Mortal Kombat
In the first Mortal Kombat movie, Raiden is portrayed by Christopher Lambert and remains the guiding god of thunder, bent on doing all within his power to help the warriors of Earth gain victory. According to the movie, Raiden is forbidden from directly interfering in the tournament of Mortal Kombat. Raiden also possesses a sense of humor which the other characters seem not to share, often prompting him to apologize after making dry remarks.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
In the critically-panned 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Raiden is portrayed by James Remar and is revealed to be low in the hierarchy of the gods, as he must seek their guidance when the emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn, begins his invasion of Earthrealm. Raiden had a tattoo of a dragon on his right shoulder blade that was given to those who carried his family's bloodline. (It also allowed its bearers to travel between realms.) Shao Kahn also carried this same tattoo, and was revealed to be Raiden's brother while Shinnok was Raiden's father. (This is a non-canon event created specifically for the film that was likely a failed attempt by the screenwriters to shock viewers.) Mileena and Cyrax sported temporary versions that flew off when they were defeated. Many fans dismissed this as just another example of how far-fetched Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was from the games. Raiden does not have his movie tattoo in either Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance or Mortal Kombat: Deception; this can be seen on his alternative outfits as both have one of his shoulders bare, and in the games, his status among the Elder Gods varies so much it could be said he had attained the power to traverse realms at some point and never needed such a mystical tool.

Lambert is rumored to reprise the role of Raiden in the upcoming second sequel Mortal Kombat: Devastation

Animation
Clancy Brown provided the voice of Raiden in the 1996 animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. Raiden also appeared in the animated film Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins

Mortal Kombat: Conquest
Jeffrey Meek played an oddly, less-serious yet still wise Raiden in the live-action series Mortal Kombat: Conquest.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy
Canadian actor Ryan Robbins will portray Raiden in Mortal Kombat: Legacy.

Trivia

 * Raiden's MK Vs DC Universe ending implies that he has become like Ultraman (Earth-3's Superman) where his powers are inverted (e.g. Kryptonite fuels his powers, Yellow Sun Radiation weakens them).


 * Raiden's Fatality in the original MK, in which he obliterated his opponent's head with a lightning strike, was drastically altered in the Super NES version due to Nintendo's strict no-blood policy at the time. The decapitation was changed to the opponent's turning into a gray pile of dust.


 * Raiden's name is spelled Raiden in the arcade iterations of the Mortal Kombat games, and both Deadly Alliance and Deception. On the other home versions, his name is spelled Rayden. This was allegedly because of copyright issues as a shoot 'em up was named Raiden, or possibly to keep from confusing of Raiden from the Fatal Fury series, who was seen as a large wrestler. The console versions up until Mortal Kombat 4 changed the name to Rayden.


 * Raiden's name is written as 雷電 in both Traditional Chinese and Japanese and 雷电 in Simplified Chinese. It's pronounced as "raiden" (phonetically) in Japanese and "léidiàn" (Pinyin) in Mandarin Chinese. This is simply the Chinese word for "thunder and lightning" that was borrowed in Japanese together with the Chinese characters. The first character (雷) in this word means "thunder", the second one (電/电) now mostly means "electricity" (in ancient times it meant "lightning").


 * Raiden was modeled after the character "Lightning" from the 1986 John Carpenter movie Big Trouble in Little China.


 * Originally, Raiden was not going to be in Deception, and the opening of Deception explained why Raiden would not be in the game. However, this changed after fan complaints, and Raiden remained in the game; the character who would have replaced him, Fujin, makes only a cameo appearance in the Prison stage, and in the Orderrealm during Konquest. Despite this, logically Fujin is still the protector of Earthrealm, as appointed in MK4.


 * In MK3 and UMK3 for both the arcade and home versions, Nightwolf's Friendship had him transform into Raiden and an arcade machine of MKII drop down with two quotes, "Yes, But I Can Do a Raiden Transformation" or "I've Never Seen a Kano Transformation" (despite not actually turning into Kano). This Friendship was omitted in the Nintendo 64 version of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, due to the fact that Raiden was in that game with the same MKII sprite.


 * Raiden was originally going to use his staff as a weapon in MKII, but Midway were forced to omit it due to memory constraints.


 * Of all the Kombat Kode symbols shown in MK3, Raiden's symbol was the eighth to appear if player press the right buttons seven time or in reverse by holding the joystick Up and press the right buttons three times.


 * In the Super Nintendo version of the first MK, by killing the final opponent in the third Endurance Match with Raiden using his Shock to the Head fatality will make Goro appear grey just like the ashes when he defeated the opponent.


 * Raiden's popularity as a "thunder god" and the way fans reacted to him when he made his debut ultimately lead to the creation of other gods such as Fujin (the "wind god"). While they had their own uniqueness, Raiden was still considered to be the most popular of all the gods in the series.


 * He also appeared as a secret character in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, NFL Blitz and NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, as well as a cameo appearance in a pinball machine, Bally's 1994 World Cup Championship, in a bonus round.


 * To unlock Raiden in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict the player had to complete all the challenges. Two of the challenges are called "Unreal Combat". The challenges involved 3 people at once though rather than their traditional 2. Also all 3 people used staff weapons for their melee weapons.


 * In the non-canon Malibu Comics three-issue miniseries Rayden and Kano, Raiden has two female servants named Wynd and Rayne. In Malibu's Blood and Thunder storyline, Raiden did not take part in the MK tournament, claiming that he was not allowed to compete.


 * In the television show Mortal Kombat: Conquest is the only portrayal of Raiden as sort of "laid back" god, where he seems like a normal human (or guardian over Kung Lao) rather than an immortal being.


 * Raiden and Sheeva don't get along in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, he was to partake in an extensive fight scene with Sheeva (Marjean Holden). Despite being in the shooting script (and subsequent novel adaptation), it was cut from the film; Raiden instead fights a pair of Reptile clones while Sheeva instead meets her demise by being crushed by a falling cage.


 * Even though Raiden has been portrayed by Midway employee and martial artist Carlos Pesina in all the original games AND all sprites, Raiden's versus screen image in Mortal Kombat Trilogy is portrayed by Sal Divita, whom is also responsible for Nightwolf, all three cybernetic ninjas (Smoke, Sektor, and Cyrax) and also played Scorpion in a live action clip in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.
 * In Deception, Raiden's ending is the only ending to be narrated by himself.
 * Raiden is the first 'god' character to appear in a versus fighting game as well as the first playable.


 * In his profile from the Brady Games' Official MK4 Fighters Companion strategy guide, Raiden's favorite food is "nuclear buffalo wings".


 * It is interesting to note, that both Clancy Brown and Christopher Lambert have portrayed Raiden, because both actors starred in the film Highlander.


 * Interestingly enough when Shao Kahn killed Raiden in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation his dragon Tattoo did not fly off when he died when all of the others with tattoos did. He explains this in the movie, as Cyrax and Mileena's are temporary, as they are not in Raiden's bloodline.


 * Raijin Thunderkeg, a character hero from DotA, is possibly based on Raiden because both of them are divine beings of electricity and the storms, have power over lightning and thunder, wear certain hats, and must take a mortal form to participate a battle.
 * In Mortal Kombat (2011) Nightwolf refers to Raiden as Haokah, the Lakota Indian thunder god.

Original Timeline

 * Assigned Fujin as well as the Water, Earth and Fire Gods to protect Shinnok's amulet.
 * Sends the Elder Sub-Zero to steal back the amulet he gave to Quan Chi.
 * Mentor and ally of Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Sub-Zero, Jax, Kung Lao, and Kitana.
 * Arch nemesis of Shinnok.
 * Arch enemy of Shao Kahn.
 * Invited by Shang Tsung to fight in the first Mortal Kombat tournament.
 * Entered Shao Kahn's Outworld tournament.
 * Protected the Earth warriors souls from Shao Kahn before MK3.
 * Was elevated to Elder God status and appointed Fujin (his friend and ally) as the new Protector of Earthrealm in MK4/MKG.
 * Renounced of his status of Elder God for recruit Johnny Cage, Jax, Sonya, Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, and Frost to fight the Deadly Alliance.
 * Recruited Shujinko also to fight the Deadly Alliance but was unable to because he was arrested by Hotaru.
 * Defeated by the Deadly Alliance.
 * Sacrificed himself to destroy Onaga but failed.
 * Revived Liu Kang's body.
 * Trained Shujinko in order to stop Onaga.
 * Sided with Shao Kahn and his minions.
 * Tried to stop Taven from completing his quest but was defeated by him.
 * Joined the Forces of Light in the final battle of Armageddon.
 * Fought Shao Kahn after Armageddon and was defeated by him.
 * Sent a message to his early self to prevent the future of Armageddon, before being killed by Shao Kahn.

Alternate Timeline

 * Receives the message from his future self and attempts to change the course of action.
 * Through his decisions, almost causes an early Armageddon.
 * He defeated Jax, Stryker, Kabal, Kitana, Nightwolf, and Kung Lao, who were under Quan Chi's control.
 * He discovers that he must win refers to Shao Kahn.
 * Defeated Liu Kang who tried to interfere between him and Shao Khan.
 * Seemingly Kills Liu Kang by accidentally burning him with electricity.
 * He along with the Elder Gods destroy Shao Kahn, and prevent the reality of a future Armageddon.
 * Teleported to the Elder Gods to try to have Liu Kang revived.

Movie series

 * Son of Shinnok.
 * Brother of Shao Kahn.
 * Mentor of Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Jax, and Kitana.
 * Killed by Shao Kahn.
 * Revived by the Elder Gods.
 * Ascended to Elder God status, joining the pantheon.

Gallery
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