Raiden (Mortal Kombat)
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- Rayden redirects here. For other meanings of the name Raiden, see Raiden (disambiguation).
{{Mortal Kombat character
| name = Raiden
| image = Image:RaidenMKSM.jpg
| age = Immortal
| height = 7' (213 cm)
| weight = 230 lbs (105 kg)
| origin = Heaven
| appearances = Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat 2
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Mythologies: Sub-Zero
Mortal Kombat 4
Mortal Kombat Gold
Mortal Kombat Advance
MK: Deadly Alliance
MK: Tournament Edition
MK: Deception
MK: Shaolin Monks
| race = Thunder God (at one time an Elder God)
| allies = Liu Kang
Kung Lao
Fujin
Johnny Cage
Sonya Blade
Jax
Sub-Zero
| enemies = Shao Kahn
Shinnok
Shang Tsung
Quan Chi
Onaga
| weapons = Hammer (MK4)
Staff (MK:DA and MK:D)
| fighting-styles = Nan Chuan
Jujutsu
| alignment = Good
| portrayers = Carlos Pesina (MK, MKII, MKT)
Michael Garvey (MKM:SZ)
Christopher Lambert (first movie, third movie)
James Remar (second movie)
}}
Raiden (also Rayden), is a video game character who appears in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. His creation was inspired by Raiden, the Japanese god of thunder and lightning.
Contents |
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.
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. Finally, Raiden managed to trap Shinnok in the Netherealm, and placed his powerful amulet in a secret location. In the process, however, he was forced to destroy the Zaterran civilization, forcing the remaining survivors to immigrate to another world.
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 Netherealm 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 Netherealm. 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. He met Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Johnny Cage, whom he mentored during the tournament. His advice gave Liu Kang the edge against Shang Tsung, and he was the only witness to Scorpion's retributive murder of Sub-Zero.
One year later, Raiden found that he had no choice but to accept Shang Tsung's offer of Mortal Kombat in 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 alsongside them, but the Elder Gods informed him that Earthrealm and Outworld were indistinct at that point. Raiden had to give up his godhood in order to fight, and reclaimed his status when Shao Kahn's forces were forced back.
Raiden and his warriors again entered battle when Shinnok escaped the Netherealm to once more wage war against the gods. Johnny Cage, who was killed during Kahn's invasion, begged Raiden for the chance to return to Earthrealm from the Heavens, and he managed to give the actor that chance. Raiden's forces emerged successful, banishing Shinnok and his legions to the Netherealm a second time. 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. Renouncing his position, he gathered his warriors to stop the Deadly Alliance. This time, his plan proved to be a major disaster. The Earthrealm warriors were all slain. In a desperate measure, he confronted Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in front of the Soulnado, but was defeated. Image:Raiden's Ending Deadly Alliance.PNG 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 concentrated all of his power into a single 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 he became angry with the way Earthrealm's inhabitants had treated their own realm. He became even more frustrated when he learned that Shujinko had foolishly unleashed the Dragon King by attaining the Kamidogu of various realms for him. With that, Raiden then decided he was going to punish those who placed Earthrealm in harm's way. Image:Raydenx.jpg
Possible Future
Raiden's shift in attitude comes to a head in his Deception game ending. He is seen brutally slaying Shujinko for his error. Whether this event becomes part of Mortal Kombat canon will be determined in the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, where both Raiden and Shujinko are confirmed to return.
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).Image:Raiden's Ending Deception.PNG 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 appeareance than in previous games) is described as belonging to "Evil 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."
Trademarks
- His Chinese harvester hat, one of Raiden's most recognizable features.
- Has electricity running across his body.
- Is notorious for yelling Japanese-like gibberish while performing his trademark "torpedo" move. Interestingly, one of his gibberish phrases sounds like "Johnny bought a car!", or even "why'd you pull my hair?", "JerryMcGuire", "better than Jackie Chan" or "someone's upside down!". It has been officially confirmed his phrases mean nothing, though.
- Wears costumes that give him a larger appearance (he's actually a muscular guy).
- A saya (katana scabbard) appears on one of Raiden's secondary costumes. However, he is never seen using the sword.
- Glowing white, occasionally blue (now red) eyes. (In Mortal Kombat: Conquest he had deep blue eyes).
Memorable Moves
- Teleport: At will Raiden would vanish and reappear behind his opponent. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MK Gold, MKD)
- Electricity: Raiden would send bolts of lightning flying at his opponent. (MK, MKII, MKT)
- Torpedo: Raiden would fly at his opponent like Superman and push them against the wall. (MK, MKII, MKT, MK4, MK Gold, MKD)
- Air Torpedo: Raiden could use his Torpedo while in the air too. (MKII, MKT, MK4, MK Gold, MKD)
- Shocker: Raiden would grab his opponent and electrocute them. (MKII, MKT)
- Reverse Electricity: Raiden would send a bolt of lightning the other direction hitting an opponent from behind. (MKT)
- Lightning Ball: Sending a fireball composed of electricity at his opponent besides a bolt of lightning. (MK4, MK Gold, MKDA, MKD)
- Electric Slide: Raiden would slide across the floor and hit his opponent with his shoulder also electrocuting them in the process. (MKDA)
- Shocking Touch: Raiden would grab his opponent and hold them in the air and electrocute them and then he would punch them. (MKDA, MKD)
- Electric Kick: Similar to the Shocking Touch, Raiden would do the same thing only end with a kick to the opponent. This was Raiden's special throw. (MKDA, MKD)
Fatalities
Image:Electrocution Deadly Alliance.PNG
- Godly Essence: Raiden charges up a ball of energy just like the intro of Mortal Kombat: Deception, he then fires it at his opponent thus blowing him and his opponent into a million pieces (this fatality mirrors the game's opening movie) (MKD).
- Electric Head: Raiden sends a surge of electricity into his opponent's head and it explodes (MK, MKT PSX).
- Explosive Uppercut: The god crouches down and sends a vicious electric charged uppercut to his opponent blowing him/her into millions of pieces (MKII, MKT).
- Electrocution I: 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).
- Electrocution II: Raiden lodges his hands into his opponent's chest, lifts him/her over his head, and sends surges of electricity into their body making them blacken and explode (MKDA).
- 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).
- Lightning Strike: Raiden calls down lighting until it strikes his hand and he fires lighting out of his other, shocking his opponent until they blow up (MKD).
Other Finishers
- Kidd Thunder: Raiden generates a mini version of himself that laughs. (MKII, MKT)
- Electric Eel: Raiden turns into an electric eel and electrocutes his opponent until they explode into pieces. (MKT)
- Fergality: After inputing a code on the genesis version of MKII, Raiden will turn the enemy into a smoking version of one of the MKII members. (MKII)
- Brutality: Probably the easiest to perform, Raiden goes brutal on his foe, using uppercuts mostly and using a one last uppercut to make his opponent explode. (MKT)
Movie storyline
Image:Christopher Lambert Mortal Kombat.PNG 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 seems not to share, often prompting him to apologize after making dry remarks.
In the second movie, 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 on his back right-hand shoulder of a dragon that was given to those who carried his family's bloodline. It allowed the wearing to travel between realms. Shao Kahn also carried this same tattoo and was Raiden's brother (this was likely a failed attempt to shock those watching) while Shinnok was Raiden's father. It should be noted this relationship with Shinnok and Shao Kahn has never been declared official in the actual games themselves, denied or confirmed. Most fans dismiss this as just another example of how far-fetched Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was from the games. Mileena and Cyrax also featured wearing the same tattoo, but only temporary versions that flew off when they were defeated. 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. But the Dragon tattoo is only used in the films, 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.
Raiden is portrayed by Christopher Lambert in the first movie and by James Remar in the second. On the TV, Clancy Brown provided Raiden's voice in the animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm and Jeffrey Meek played Rayden in the live-action series Mortal Kombat: Conquest. Christopher Lambert will play Raiden once again in the soon to come Mortal Kombat: Devastation.
Trivia
- 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 was modeled after the character "Lightning" from the 1986 John Carpenter movie Big Trouble in Little China.
- In the original Mortal Kombat game, Raiden was actually written as an evil character. His story was that he entered the tournament to prove that his godly abilities were greater than any of the human's strengths. In his ending, he was shown to have destroyed the world.
- 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, there is some strong indication that Fujin is still the protector of Earthrealm.
- 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." This Friendship was drop when MK Trilogy hit consoles because of the fact that Raiden was in that game with the same MKII sprite.
- Of all the symbols shown in MK3's vs. Kombat Kode, 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 NES 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 appeared 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.
Image:Raiden The Liandri Conflict.PNG
- He also appeared as a secret character in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, and NFL Blitz. In UC 2, one of his taunts is "You fight like Johnny Cage!"
- Raiden's attitude has apparently changed greatly since the fall of the Deadly Alliance and the rise of the Dragon King. While he once approached his position as protector of Earthrealm with benevolence, he now seems to have become bitter, brutally punishing any person who, purposefully or not, threatens Earthrealm. He is disgusted at how poorly Earthrealm has defended itself.
- Some fans have theorized that Raiden's drastic change in attitude, shown in Deception, may have been a result of his essence becoming contaminated by the influence of the enigmatic One Being. The Being may have been controlling Onaga, Shujinko, and Shao Kahn as well, in order to merge the Kamidogu, and with them, all realms so that it may return. How this change in Raiden would be beneficial to the Being is as yet unknown, though many speculate it serves only to further distract the forces of good from realizing the One Being's plans and forging a plan to stop it. This is purely speculation, however.
- In the non-canon Malibu comic Raiden and Kano, Raiden has two female servants named Wynd and Rayne.
- In the South Park episode Good Times with Weapons, Kenny McCormick's ninja form is based on Raiden.
- Raiden and Sheeva don't get along in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm.