Rayden

For other meanings of the name Raiden, see Raiden (disambiguation).

Game 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 civilisation, which emigrated to another world.

Related Topics:
Shinnok - Netherealm

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When Sub-Zero stole Shinnok's amulet for Quan Chi millions of years later, Raiden appeared to Sub-Zero and told him to enter the Netherealm and steal it back, lest Shinnok free himself. Raiden couldn't go himself, as he would lose all of his powers in the Netherealm. Sometime 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.

Related Topics:
Sub-Zero - Quan Chi - Shang Tsung - Liu Kang - Sonya Blade - Johnny Cage - Scorpion

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One year later, Raiden found that he had no choice but to accept Shang Tsung's offer of Mortal Kombat in Outworld. With his tremendous powers only dampened in Outworld, Raiden managed to vaporize the Shokan warrior Kintaro in kombat. After the Earthrealm victory, Raiden had to scramble to protect the Earthrealm warriors' souls when Shao Kahn reached across the realms and reclaimed his resurrected Queen Sindel. After protecting the souls, Raiden wished to fight for Earthrealm, 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.

Related Topics:
Outworld - Kintaro - Shao Kahn - Sindel

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Raiden and his warriors again entered battle when Shinnok escaped the Netherealm. Johnny Cage, who was killed in the previous wars, begged Raiden for the chance to return to Earthrealm from Heavens, and he managed to give Cage that chance. Raiden's warriors forced Shinnok back into the Netherealm, along with Quan Chi, and Raiden earned the status of Elder God. As an Elder God, Raiden could not interfere when Shang Tsung and Quan Chi killed Liu Kang as the Deadly Alliance, so he renounced it and 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.

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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 obliterated the Deadly Alliance and Raiden himself, but did not harm Onaga. Raiden's essences 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. As harsh and unkind as it may sound, it served Raiden a discplinary purpose to impose on the ones he was going to protect. It is the opinion of fans, however, that this drastic change in attitude was a reult of Raiden's essence becoming contaminated by the influence of the enigmatic One Being, who is revealed to have been controlling not only Onaga, but Shujinko and Shao Khan 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 One Being is as yet unknown, though many specualte it serves only to further distract the forces of good from realizing the One Being's plans and forging a plan to stop it.

Related Topics:
Onaga - Shujinko - One Being

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