Raiden is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. Raiden (雷電) is Japanese for thunder and lightning; it may refer to: In video games: Raiden (series), a series of scrolling shooter arcade games. ... Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. ... Mortal Kombat II (also referred to as MKII) is an arcade game and the second title in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Johnny Cage performing his shadow kick while Raiden sends a lighting bolt Mortal Kombat Trilogy is a fighting game developed and produced by Midway. ... Mortal Kombat 4 (1997) was the last game in the Mortal Kombat series to have an arcade version. ... Mortal Kombat Gold is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series. ... Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a video game developed and produced by Midway. ... Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a video game developed and produced by Midway. ... Mortal Kombat: Deception is the latest game in the controversial and bloody Mortal Kombat video game series by Midway. ... Mortal Kombat: Deception is the latest game in the controversial and bloody Mortal Kombat video game series by Midway. ... The Heavens are a realm in the Mortal Kombat video game series. ... This page discusses the multiple species and/or subspecies/races found in the Mortal Kombat game universe. ... This page discusses the multiple species and/or subspecies/races found in the Mortal Kombat game universe. ... Nánquán (Chinese: 南拳; literally southern fist) refers to those Chinese martial arts that originate south of the Yangtze River, including Hung Kuen, Choy Lee Fut, and Wing Chun. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A reproduction of a spiked war hammer A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat, the design of which resembles the hammer. ... Gun event at the 10th All China Games The Chinese word Gun (Chinese: ; pinyin: gùn) refers to a long Chinese staff weapon used in Chinese martial arts. ... Carlos Pesina is an employee of Midway, who is most recognized as the actor who played Raiden in Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy. ... Christopher Lambert (born March 29, 1957 as Christophe Guy Denis Lambert) is an American-born French actor. ... William James Remar (b. ... Jeffrey Meek as Jonathon Raven, Jeffrey William Meek (born on February 11, 1959) is a renowned TV and film artist. ... Clarence J. Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fictional character. ... For other uses, see Mortal Kombat. ... Screenshot of The King of Fighters XI (2005, SNK Playmore). ...

About Raiden

The thunder god of the MK universe is also a protector of Earthrealm. Raiden is a wise and powerful force. Often, he leads the forces of good against those of evil. Raiden has played a pivotal role in the Mortal Kombat games and storyline and will likely remain a key player in the future. Since he is a thunder-god, Raiden commands many supernatural abilities such as the ability to teleport, control lightning, and fly. As an immortal, he thinks in terms of eternity rather than normal human lifespans and his memories date back to the beginning of time itself. It is unlikely that Raiden can ever be truly killed. Even if his mortal form is destroyed, Raiden will rematerialize some time afterward. Earthrealm (Mortal Kombat: Deception) In the Mortal Kombat video game series, Earthrealm is the name that is most frequently used for Earth. ... For other uses, see Mortal Kombat. ... Teleportation is the movement of objects or elementary particles from one place to another, more or less instantaneously, without traveling through space. ... Lightning over Oradea in Romania For information on lightning precautions, see Lightning safety. ... Look up immortal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existing for an infinite, i. ... Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Because of this, he's the most powerful fighter in the MK Series, although Liu Kang is most of the time the favorite.

Storyline

When Earthrealm was young, Raiden was its protector. He fought the rogue Elder God Shinnok, who wished to overthrow his fellow gods, 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. The Elder Gods are fictional entities in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Shinnok is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Earthrealm (Mortal Kombat: Deception) In the Mortal Kombat video game series, Earthrealm is the name that is most frequently used for Earth. ... This page discusses the multiple species and/or subspecies/races found in the Mortal Kombat game universe. ... Reptile is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... In the Mortal Kombat universe, Zaterra is a realm occupied by the Saurian race (also known as Raptors). ...

With the aid of the Elder gods, Raiden managed to defeat Shinnok and banished him to the Netherealm and secured the amulet in a secret location- a Temple of the Elements tucked away in the highest mountains of Nepal. Raiden charged four gods with guarding the amulet- the gods of Wind (Fujin), Fire, Earth and Water. The map of the Netherealm used in Mortal Kombat: Deception The Netherealm is a fictional world in the Mortal Kombat video game series. ... Fujin is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

When the elder Sub-Zero stole Shinnok's amulet from the temple for Quan Chi millions of years later, Raiden appeared before the Lin Kuei warrior, and instructed him to enter the Netherealm and steal it back, lest Shinnok use it to free himself. Raiden could not himself enter as his powers would dissipate in the Netherealm. Sub-Zero's mission into the Netherealm was a success and Shinnok was, for the time, no longer a threat. Though it was later revealed that the sorcerer Quan Chi had given Shinnok a false amulet, Raiden never realized it, and Quan Chi would remain in possession of the true amulet for the following years. Noob Saibot is a fictional character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Quan Chi is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Some time later, Shang Tsung invited many of the warriors of Earthrealm to participate in Mortal Kombat on his island. Aware of the danger that Shang Tsung and his tournament poised to the future of Earth, Raiden assumed mortal form and fought in Mortal Kombat as well. He is also the only one to have witnessed Sub-Zero's death at the hands of the hellspawn ninja spectre Scorpion. Shang Tsung (last name pronounced sung or soong) is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Noob Saibot is a fictional character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Scorpion is a video game character appearing in the Mortal Kombat video game series. ...

One year later, after Liu Kang's triumph in the tournament, Raiden found that he had no choice but to accept Shang Tsung's challenge of Mortal Kombat in Outworld. However, again aided by Liu Kang and the warriors of Earthrealm, Raiden prevailed over Shang Tsung's treachery and Shao Kahn's brutality. For the artist, see Liu Kang (artist). ... Outworld (Mortal Kombat: Deception) Outworld is a realm in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Shao Kahn is a fictional boss and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Unknown to him, however, was the fact the Outworld tournament was only a distraction from another way to enter Earthrealm: resurrecting Shao Kahn's queen, Sindel, in Earthrealm to allow him entrance to the realm in order to reclaim his Queen, and start the invasion in the process. Sindel (or Queen Sindel by title) is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Despite Shao Kahn taking every soul on Earth as his own, Raiden was able to protect the soul of Liu Kang and other warriors from Earth. At first unable to participate due to the merger of both realms, after the Elder Gods refused to assist him Raiden decides to sacrifice his own immortality, turning himself into a mortal in order to help his chosen warriors against Shao Kahn. In the end, Raiden and the warriors of Earthrealm were able to defeat Shao Kahn and his minions in Mortal Kombat, repelling the invasion back into Outworld and restoring Earth (and his status) to its rightful state.

Some time after the invasion was driven back into Outworld, Shinnok, with the aid of the vile sorcerer Quan Chi, again sought to rise from the Netherealm and conquer the realms. However, this time the war would also be fought by mortals; with Liu Kang uniting Earth's warriors at the side of the 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 Sonya and Cage were all slain in battle with the Tarkatan horde. Kitana and Jax was slain by Quan Chi, and Kung Lao slain by Shang Tsung. In a desperate measure, he confronted Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in front of the Soulnado. Raiden fought spectacularly, almost winning. Shang Tsung cheated, however, and struck Raiden with a soul from the Soulnado, allowing Quan Chi to attack. The two sorcerers then proceeded to strike him down. Raiden was defeated... The Deadly Alliance is a group of characters from the fighting game Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. ...

Raiden (MK: Deadly Alliance)

He returned to his feet when Onaga, the Dragon King, entered the chamber, and put his differences aside with Tsung and Quan Chi and helped them as they attacked Onaga. When he saw that their attacks barely slowed Onaga down, Raiden released his godly essence, in an enormous explosion. It obliterated the Dragon King's tomb, snuffed out the Soulnado, and killed both members of the Deadly Alliance, but did little damage to Onaga. After doing battle with the Deadly Alliance in the ether, Raiden's essence soon gathered again in the Earthrealm, where he had now become 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 decided he was going to take matters into his own hands. Image File history File links A promotional screenshot of Raiden from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. ... Image File history File links A promotional screenshot of Raiden from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. ... Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a video game developed and produced by Midway. ... Onaga is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Shujinko is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

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 the Thunder God's will, and Raiden sent it on a mission to wreak havoc on those he believed did harm to Earthrealm. This caught the attention of Shinnok, and the former Elder God appeared before Raiden, offering 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 his alliance so he could discover Shinnok's plans.^[1]

Then he entered the llandri grand tournament in a attempt to recruit warriors to prepare for the coming storm (Armageddon) while in the realm of unreal.

His story is further expanded in the Konquest mode of Armageddon, when Taven (the mode's main character) encounters him. He informs Taven that he had struck a deal with Shao Kahn, agreeing to let the Emperor 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. Taven is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

In Raiden's ending, he becomes extremely powerful after defeating Blaze. To make sure no other realm will possibly threaten Earthrealm again, he destroys them all.^[2]

Combat characteristics

Signature moves

• Static Teleport: At will Raiden vanishes and reappears behind the opponent. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
• Lightning Bolt: Raiden sends bolts of lightning flying at the opponent. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:DA, MK:D, MK:SM, MK:U, MK:A)
• Flying Thunder God: Raiden flies at his opponent and pushes them against the wall. Raiden can also do the move on the air, although not in the first game and Armageddon. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
• Shocking Touch: Raiden grabs the opponent, holds them in the air and electrocutes them. On Deception and Armageddon, he ends the move punching the enemy away. (MKII, MKT, MK:DA, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)

Recurring fatalities

• Electric Decapitation: Raiden sends a surge of electricity into the opponent's head and it explodes. (MK, MKT)
• Explosive Uppercut: The god crouches down and sends a vicious electric charged uppercut to the opponent blowing him/her into millions of pieces. (MKII, MKT)
• Electrocution: Raiden grabs his opponent, holds him/her a few feet off the ground, and sends electricity into their body making them explode. (MKII, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:DA,MKD)

Appearance

In the Japanese religion Shinto, from which the character is derived, Raiden (also known as Raijin) is usually portrayed as a small, red-skinned demon that beats a drum to create thunder. However his appearance in here looks more like a Taoist god presented in the Chinese temples. Even his attire looks like that of the Chinese god of thunder. Shinto ) is the native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... Raijin ) is a god of thunder and lightning in Japanese mythology. ... Thunder is the sound made by lightning. ...

In Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, it states that Raiden is 7 feet tall. His sprite, however, appears to be the same height as the rest of the fighters. His coolie hat is his most recognizable feature. The Chinese character for thunder, 雷, is visible on most of his costumes. A saya (katana scabbard) appears on Raiden's secondary costumes in Deadly Alliance, Deception and Armageddon. However, he is never seen using the sword. Raiden has electricity running across his body in MK, MK4 / Gold, and MK: Deadly Alliance. He has glowing white, occasionally blue eyes (In Mortal Kombat: Konquest he had deep blue). However, in Deception and Armageddon, he has red eyes. A wide, round hat of Chinese origin. ... A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword or other large blade. ... For other uses, see Katana (disambiguation). ...

Raiden was voiced by Midway employee Jon Hey in the first two games. He became notorious for yelling randomly while performing his Torpedo move. Fans originally believed that he was yelling in Japanese, while others believed it to be mangled English. Midway soon revealed that Raiden was merely speaking gibberish and not actual Japanese or English phrases, but many continued to insist that Raiden was actually saying weird stuff like "Johnny bought a car," or "Look out, here I come." This was featured in the VH1 program I Love 1992, when one of the cast thought Raiden was saying "Santa Monica." This tradition was also revived for all of Raiden's supermoves in Armageddon. VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division... 3rd episode of VH1 nostalgia series I Love the 90s Topics Covered The poster for the 1992 classic smash film, Waynes World. ...

Appearances in other media

Film

Raiden in the first Mortal Kombat film (1995), played by Christopher Lambert.

In the first Mortal Kombat movie, Raiden 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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Mortal Kombat is a 1995 action movie, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. ... Christopher Lambert (born March 29, 1957 as Christophe Guy Denis Lambert) is an American-born French actor. ... Mortal Kombat is a 1995 action movie, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. ... This article is about motion pictures. ...

In the critically-panned 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Raiden 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 an 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. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) was directed by John R. Leonetti. ... For other uses, see Tattoo (disambiguation). ... Mileena is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Cyrax is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Raiden is portrayed by Christopher Lambert in the first movie and by James Remar in the second (with Ray Park playing the martial arts double). There was a planned fight scene he was to have with Sheeva (Marjean Holden) in Annihilation. 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. Christopher Lambert (born March 29, 1957 as Christophe Guy Denis Lambert) is an American-born French actor. ... William James Remar (b. ... Raymond Park (born August 23, 1974), better known as Ray Park, is a British stunt man and actor. ... Marjean Holden is an American actress, notable for her role as Dr. Sarah Chambers in the short-lived sci-fi series Crusade. ...

Television

Jeffrey Meek played Raiden in the live-action series Mortal Kombat: Conquest. Unlike his film and game incarnations, this Raiden is far more upbeat, with a sarcastic personality making him less aloof toward humans. He was Kung Lao's mentor since childhood, and constantly reminds the young warrior of his duty to find new fighters to protect Earthrealm and to prepare for the next Mortal Kombat tournament. Raiden is a repertoire of information about other realms and the enemies of the three protagonists, and often offers advice for dealing with personal conflicts unrelated to their mission. Raiden often appears at the beginning of an event to explain the situation, and at its conclusion to provide insight or life lessons. Taja derides this characteristic as making the Thunder God useless when most needed, but Raiden is careful to emphasize that he cannot interfere with human endeavours involving Mortal Kombat; they must make their own choices. He can no greater predict the future than humanity, even while a god. In the series' cliffhanger finale, Raiden was foiled by Shao Kahn into entering Outworld, leaving Earthrealm, Kung Lao, and his friends helpless to defend themselves from his rampaging Shadow Priests. With all of his major foes dead, Shao Kahn forced Raiden to his knees as he commenced an assault on all of the realms. As the series was not renewed, this incredible conflict was left unresolved. Jeffrey Meek as Jonathon Raven, Jeffrey William Meek (born on February 11, 1959) is a renowned TV and film artist. ... Kung Lao is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Taja is a character featured in the television show Mortal Kombat: Conquest. ...

Clancy Brown provided Raiden's voice in the 1996 animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. Raiden's role as a guide for the Earthrealm's warrior is maintained in the cartoon series. He and Sheeva don't get along very well, though it was never stated why. This Raiden also has the sarcasm of his Conquest counterpart, clashing with Sonya and/or Jax several times in the series. Clarence J. Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ... Sheeva is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Comic books

Raiden appears in the Malibu Comics series as the guide and mentor of Earthrealm warriors. Unlike its stated background, he doesn't compete in the first tournament, since he is not allowed to due to his status. Raiden and Shang Tsung are portrayed as bitter enemies, having constant verbal assaults and proper fights, commonly ending in draw. He also can't interfere in mortal affairs, as shown when Johnny Cage was to answer the last question of the Tao The Zan. Malibu Comics was a comic book publisher in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. ...

Raiden appeared as the star of a 3-issues miniseries alongside Kano, entitled Raiden & Kano. In this miniseries, Raiden has a plan to tip the balance of good and evil towards good. It is stated that, while the other Gods remains out of mortal affairs, Raiden never remains silent, and always tries to give the good side an advantage in the eternal struggle. Raiden saved Kano's life, and attempted to give him the sword "Menguadora", which draws power from an evil man turned to the side of good. Raiden hoped Kano would slay Shao Kahn using the sword's power, but he ultimately betrays him and gives the sword to Shao Kahn in exchange for godlike powers, leaving Raiden to realize that his actions would never tip the balance of good and evil.

During the last Tournament Edition issue, Raiden commanded the group of good fighters in Shao Kahn's tournament. He ultimately sacrificed himself to save the team from an ambush from Kano, Kintaro, Goro and Smoke.

Gaming information

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. In the same game, by killing the final opponent in the third Endurance Match with Raiden using his fatality will make Goro appear with a glitchy grey-colored body, just like the ashes when he defeated the opponent. The European SNES design is identical to the Super Famicom. ...

Raiden was originally going to use his staff as a weapon in MKII, but Midway was forced to omit it due to memory constraints.^[3]

In MK3 and Ultimate MK3 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 changed in the Nintendo 64 version of Mortal Kombat Trilogy because Raiden was in that game with the same MKII sprite. According to Epic Games' official Unreal Championship 2 website, Raiden participated in the Liandri Tournament in order to recruit the finest champions in order to combat some unknown devastation that will occur throughout the various realms. Because he had already achieved Elder God status at that time and could not intervene, he was forced to renounce that position in order in enter the Tournament. The similarities between his storyline here and that of MK: Deception's are all too apparent, as both games are from Midway. Also, Raiden is the only character in the game that doesn't use dual pistols - he fires his trademark lightning bolts instead (which somehow look similar in design to Nahkti Scorpions). Johnny Cage giving Raiden an autographed picture for his Friendship in Mortal Kombat II Cyrax performing the Charleston dance as his Friendship for Kano in Mortal Kombat 3 A Friendship is a finishing move introduced in Mortal Kombat II in order to soften the violence and the controversy that surrounded... Epic Games, also known as Epic and formerly as Epic MegaGames, is a computer game development company based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. ...

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 MKT is portrayed by Sal Divita, who is also responsible for Nightwolf and all three cybernetic ninjas (Smoke, Sektor, and Cyrax). Nightwolf is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Smoke is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Sektor is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Ever since it was revealed in Mortal Kombat: Deception that the One Being was influencing Onaga's actions, it's been heavily rumored among fans that, when Raiden released his essence in an attempt to kill the Dragon King, he also became corrupted by the One Being's influence. This seems to be supported by Midway in Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon; Raiden is referred to as "Dark" or "Evil Raiden" in his alternate costume and concept renders found in Deception, and Liu Kang's Armageddon ending refers to him defeating a Raiden that had been "corrupted by his suicide" to become Earthrealm's protector god. Raiden's behavior has also become more erratic and uncharacteristic; he becomes increasingly aggressive in his protection of Earth, attempting to kill Shujinko for unknowingly reviving Onaga, allowing Shao Kahn free reign to conquer all other realms in exchange for his sparing of Earthrealm in Armageddon's Konquest mode, destroying all other realms to prevent them from being a danger to Earth in his Armageddon ending, and even forging an (albeit shaky) partnership with Shinnok despite the two being known enemies. He even openly claims to "not be the same Thunder God you knew" when the player (as Shujinko) interacts with him in Deception's Konquest mode. Interestingly enough, this new Raiden is somewhat similar to Midway's original Raiden concept; a god angered by mortals, participating in Mortal Kombat to prove the gods are superior to humans in kombat. In his Mortal Kombat 1 ending, Raiden wins Mortal Kombat, but it is not enough for him. He invites other gods to participate in the tournament, which ends up destroying the planet (This ending is non-canon, as there would have not been any more MK games if it were). Mortal Kombat: Deception is the latest game in the controversial and bloody Mortal Kombat video game series by Midway. ... The One Being is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Midway Games (NYSE: MWY) is an American video game publisher. ... Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway, released in arcades in 1992. ...

According to Raiden's Konquest Mode in MKDA, Raiden has mastered all of more than 750 documented varieties of Jujutsu. Jujutsu is Raiden's secondary fighting style.

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. Fujin is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

He appears as a secret character in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, NFL Blitz and NBA Jam: Tournament Edition. Raiden also makes a cameo appearance in a pinball machine, Bally's 1994 World Cup Championship, in a bonus round. A secret character (not to be confused with an unseen character) is usually a playable character (although not always) in a video game that can only be played (or in some cases fought) by completing some task in the game. ... Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict is a first-person shooter video game based on the Unreal series of games. ... NFL Blitz was a football game series based on the NFL by Midway until 2005 when the NFL signed an exclusive licensing deal with EA Sports. ... NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game created by Midway in 1993. ...

For Deception and Armageddon, although promotional renders featured Raiden's primary costume from Deadly Alliance (it is even seen at an early character select screen design), it is not found anywhere in the final game.

Name

Raiden's name is spelled Raiden in the original arcade iterations of the Mortal Kombat games, and in every game released since Mortal Kombat 4. The console ports released up until MK4, along with both movies and the Malibu comic book series, changed the name to 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. For the video/computer game genre, see Shoot em up. ... Raiden ) is a 1990 scrolling shooter arcade game that was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. ... Raiden (ライデン, pronounced /raiden/, not /REIden/) is a video game character from the Fatal Fury series of fighting games. ... Fatal Fury , Legend of the Hungry Wolf) is a fighting game series developed by SNK for the Neo-Geo system. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• In an interview for Raiden's character card in Deception, Ed Boon said that the hat that Carlos Pesina wore to portray Raiden in the earlier Mortal Kombat games was destroyed. This happened when Carlos was performing falls during production.
• One of his taunts from UC2 has him mocking another Mortal Kombat character, Johnny Cage - "You fight like Johnny Cage!"
• Fujin claims in his Mortal Kombat Armageddon bio that, if Raiden had indeed released his essence to stop Onaga, when his essence reformed, he would've essentially become 'reborn' as a new, neutral Thunder God, with none of his past memories or personality. As this obviously didn't happen, it is unknown if Fujin had merely been mistaken in his comment, or if something (such as whatever transformed him into his current 'Dark' personality) interfered with this process. This quote could also be a reference to Fujin's own failed attempt to stop someone (Sub-Zero) from gaining Shinnok's amulet in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.
• Raiden's appearance and mastery of electricity appears to have been inspired by the villain "Lightning" from the John Carpenter film Big Trouble in Little China. As if referencing the influence, Lightning's prominently large straw hat is available alongside Raiden's smaller hat as usable parts in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's Kreate-a-Fighter mode.
• Despite being a good character in the original MK, Raiden's ending is a negative one. His newly-established Mortal Kombat tournament, with his fellow gods as competitors, results in the destruction of the Earth.
• In the Armageddon mini-game Motor Kombat, Raiden's Appearance is similar to his Deadly Alliance costume, however, in the Deception mini-games, he uses his dark costume as the costume he wears. Also, when performing Raiden's Motor Kombat special, he uses his quotes from Mortal Kombat 2 instead of his Deception voiceovers.
• In MK4, Raiden states in the opening monologue that he was responsible for the death of an entire civilization during his war with Shinnok. At first, it was assumed by many fans that he was speaking of the Saurians, who are hinted in Khameleon's Trilogy and Reptile's MK4 bios to have fled Earthrealm for Zaterra at the time. However, with the recently revealed existence of the Houan, this theory has been questioned.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Ed Boon, on a G4TV interview Ed Boon (born March 30, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois), along with John Tobias is a co-creator of the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Carlos Pesina is an employee of Midway, who is most recognized as the actor who played Raiden in Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy. ... For the Modernist composer, see John Cage. ... Sub-Zero is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, film score composer and occasional actor. ... Big Trouble in Little China (also known as John Carpenters Big Trouble in Little China) is a 1986 comedy/action film, directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall, set in San Franciscos Chinatown. ...

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