Dairou

"For all the good I had done, the event that had come to define me was that one moment of chaos."

- Dairou's Mortal Kombat: Deception biography

Dairou is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series, who made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deception.

About Dairou
Dairou's conception began in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance but he didn't make the cut. He is a former Seidan guard, who was imprisoned for killing the man who murdered his family, who after escaping prison Dairou went rogue and decided to work as a mercenary. He takes assignments where he can find them, whether they are noble or not.

Storyline
Dairou was once a highly respected Seidan Guardsman, much like Hotaru, but he was imprisoned when he attacked and killed the man who he was led to believe murdered his family. In Deception's Konquest mode, Dairou was hired to free Shujinko from prison, a task he successfully completed.

During the return of the Dragon King, Onaga, he was hired by Darrius to steal the constitution of Seido and to kill Hotaru. It is unknown if he succeeded or not, however both he and Hotaru returned in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, siding with the Forces of Darkness. A battle wich led to his death.

Biographies

 * thumb|right|250px|Dairou's Bio KardDeception: "I was once a member of the Seidan Guard. I believed in the power of Order and lived by this strict codes of my superiors. I had saved many lives during my years of service. But when I killed an assailant in a fit of rage. I was arrested and sentenced to a life of incarceration. For all the good I had done, the event that had come to define me was that one moment of Chaos. I eventually escaped during a riot incited by the resistance. I emerged from the prison a changed man. No longer would I follow orders of the Seidan. Neither could I bring myself to give in to Chaos. I opted to serve myself. I became a mercenary, a warrior for hire, and have become revered in Orderrealm's secret underground. My neutrality has been put to the test, however, as my current contract is to find and kill my former guardsman, Hotaru."
 * Armageddon Bio Kard: "After his family was murdered, Dairou's hunger for revenge allowed him to be tricked into killing an innocent man. Now the former Seidan guardsman works alone as a mercenary. He takes assignments where he can find them, whether they are noble or not."

Powers and abilities
Dairou is a stealthy fighter, choosing not to rely on powerful projectiles but rather on pop-up abilities and strategy. He can slam his body on the ground to send the opponent flying, setting them up for a juggle. He can also switch places with his opponent, which can be extremely useful if Dairou has his back to a death trap.

Signature Moves

 * Tombstone Drop: Dairou falls flat on his back, causing his opponent to fly into the air, leaving a possibility for a juggling combo. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Stealthy Shadows: Dairou instantly switches positions with his opponent, leaving a puff of yellow smoke in both places. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Iron Leg: Dairou blasts a three-pronged energy star from his leg. (MK:D, MK:A)

Fatalities

 * Stretch and Slam: Dairou knocks the opponent down while holding their arms and rests a foot on their spine. From there, Dairou begins pulling violently against the limbs and then releases, sending the opponent into the ground with full force, causing them to explode. (MK:D)
 * Eye Stab: Dairou tears out two ribs from the opponent's chest and stabs them in the eyeballs with them. This fatality made #8 on Screwattacks Greatest MK Fatalities of all time. (MK:D)

Other finishers

 * Hara-Kiri: Backbreaker: Dairou twists his body around, which results in the destruction of his spine as his body lays on the floor, horribly bent. (MK:D)

Endings

 * Dairouend1.jpgDairouend2.jpgDeception: (Non-canonical) "Normally Dairou took no risks and ambushed those he had been hired to kill. But in this case, he felt compelled to announce his intentions to kill his fellow Guardsman, Hotaru. There still must have been some code of honor left in his cynical heart. Hotaru was defeated... but before he could reveal who had commissioned the attack, Hotaru drew his dying breath."


 * Armageddon: (Non-canonical) "The fire of Blaze enveloped Dairou and formed around him a golden suit of armor. Enraged, Shao Kahn attacked, but the armor scorched his body with every blow. Dairou defeated the emperor and claimed Outworld for himself. Under his rule, Outworld once again became the majestic realm it had been in ages past. Convinced of his good nature, Edenia and Earthrealm forged an alliance with Dairou that would ensure peace and stability forever."

Character Relationships

 * Once a member of the Seidan Guard.
 * His family was killed by an unknown assassin, then he killed an innocent person and sentenced to a life of incarceration.
 * Was freed from his cell by Darrius and worked for him.
 * Hired by Damashi/Onaga to free Shujinko from his cell.
 * Hired by Darrius to kill Hotaru.
 * Joined the Forces of Darkness in the last battle in Armageddon.

Trivia
In General Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Mortal Kombat: Deception
 * He's unaware that Darrius, who hired him to kill Hotaru, was also the one who hired an assassin to murder Dairou's family.
 * In a Top 10 list hosted by Screwattack.com, Dairou's Eye Stab was placed at #8 of the best fatalities in the Mortal Kombat series.
 * Dairou was going to appear in this game as a samurai fighter hired by Shang Tsung, but was cut due to time constraints.
 * There were two concept arts of him found in the krypt.
 * He borrowed the Wing Chun fighting style that Mavado had, the Escrima fighting style that Quan Chi had, and the weapon moves that Kung Lao had in Deadly Alliance.
 * According to Ed Boon, Dairou's Tombstone Drop is one of the most powerful moves in Deception, and Ed Boon's favorite of Dairou's moves.
 * He makes an appearance in Konquest mode where he assassinates the guards and frees Shujinko. He also makes other appearances in Konquest Mode as well.

Gallery
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