Behold, the Thunder God! Mortal Kombat has an interesting cast of characters that range from normal humans, original species like the Zatarreans and Shokans, and gods that hold amazing power. Raiden is one of the first characters to ever appear in Midway’s Mortal Kombat, which was released in 1992. He is ⛄one of the most iconic characters in the franchise, as well as one of the most important.

He acts as a guide to Liu Kang and Kung Lao, who he sees as his own sons. And of course, he is responsible for protecting Earthrealm from any danger. With his l💜ightning powers, he is sure to electrify his enemies and take care of his enemies. Despite being an Earthrealm god, he has shown compassion and empathy, making him a relatable and strong character. Since he is immortal, he tends to think differently compared to the Earthrealmers he watches over.

When push comes to shove, he will do anything to make sure Earthrealm is safe from the other realms’ threats. Raiden’s fatalities are electrifying, no pun intended. He has appeared on the big screen, small screen, and in other types🔯 of media like 💫comic books and a few web series. Even though Raiden seems like a serious and ethereal character, there is more to him than being a powerful character.

Think you know some facts about this Mortal Kombat character? Let thunder take you, because here are some mind-blowing facts about the Thunder God Raiden you probably do not know abou♈t!

25 His Side Of The Stor🦄y

Mortal Kombat (2011) was the game that saved the franchise from ending. The gameplay went back to the classics, as fighting mechanics were flawless. The arcade was also a bla𓆉st to go through, along with other bonus🌌 content to enjoy such as the Kyrpt and three hundred levels of the Challenge Tower. What was the most surprising addition was an actual story mode.

In the story, Raiden is considered to be the main protagonist.

While you do not get to play as him until the last chapter, Raiden is 💦the centerpiece in the story since he has a goal to prevent Earthrealm from being invaded by Outworld after losing nine consecutive t🌜imes. He went through so many sacrifices that it made feel so bad for him. Netherrealm Studios picked the right character as the main lead!

24 🐬Interesting Foreshadowing

Ever since Scorpion appeared in Injustice: Gods Among Us as DLC, we were wondering which character would appear in the sequel. Low and behold, Sub-Zero and Raiden made it as DLC in Injustice 2. It was a given for Sub-Zero since he is very popular, but a lot of people wanted Raiden in too, so he ♋was lucky to get in.

Even the DC characters referenced his arrival.

If you have Black Adam and The Joker fight and end up in a clash, the latter will ask Black Adam, “Meet that other lightning guy?” Then Black Adam would say, “With the 🔯bamboo hat? Yes.” Not only was it a nice Easter egg, but the fact that the Raiden would eventually appear made the reference overall exciting.

23 ♕ Still Cool Without A Weapon

Now you think Raiden would be too cool to have a weapon since he is already the god of thunder. We thought so too until it was announced that he would have had his own weapon to use in Mortal Kombat II. Unfortunatelꦕy, that did not make the cut in the game.

Due to memory constraints, it was scrapped.

Later on, in the other games, however, Raiden would be able to use his staff. It is his main weapon in the games Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception, and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. The Elder Gods gave it to him as a gift, and it has been use🏅ful iꦑn numerous occasions.

22 🔯 Gave Birth To Another God

Okay, Raiden might not have literally given birth to another god, but because of his high popularity in the games, it eventually led to the creation of Fujin, the Earthrealm God of Wind. These two are one of the🧸 coolest duos in the franchise, just like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, Kitana and Mileena✱, you name it.

When it comes to his character, he is vastly different from Raiden, but that does not mean he does not show concern for Earthrealm. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, he pretty much took over as the leader for Earthrealm and wanted to turn Raiden and Liu Kang back to normal in the process. Like Raiden, Fujin is based on the Shinto god of wind with the same name. Now, can we have him be playable in the next Mortal Kombat game?

21 ♔ Playing God

It is crazy to think that playing a god-like character is possible. Playing as Raiden sounded like a cheap way to play a fighting game, but thankfully, he is just like any other playable character in the Mortal Kombat series. In fact, Raiden is probably one of the fi𒁃r💙st instances of having a playable god in a fighting game.

Depending on the game, Raiden might not even be the most overpowered character. In Mortal Kombat (2011), for example, Goro is the true definition of an overpowered character. You only get to play as him in the Challenge Tower, but his moves are just so stron🧜g that they can take away half the health bar in an instant. Raiden might not have that kind of power, but he is still very strong in his own way.

20 𒀰 Cool ♍Cameos

Video game characters making appearances in games completely different from theirs are very common. That is how Super Smash Bros. came to be with it being a crossover of Nintendo characters fighting till one stands above all else. Mortal Kombat also has its ไfair share of characters making appearances in other video games.

Raiden has appeared in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, NFL Blitz, and NBA Jam: Tournament Edition. Just recently, Raiden appeared as a DLC character in Injustice 2, and it was an awesome addition to the game. Who knows where else Raiden will make a cameo appearance in for video games, but whenever that day comes, that will make Mortal Kombat fans very happy.

19 The Choice Is His 🌌

Most of the video games Mortal Kombat has brought to the fans are really great. However, there are some duds that are left to never be mentioned again. The game in question is Midway’s final Mortal Kombat game titled Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. It is not that terrible, but it is a letdown due to its T rati♚ng❀.

Now to the real subject for this entry. Raiden’s arcade ending is pretty grim. He is the opposite of S𝐆uperman when he went back to Earthrealm. The sun is his weakness,𒊎 but kryptonite is his strength. Quan Chi decided to help the Thunder God out, but at a great cost: he must serve the Netherrealm sorcerer.

The real question is: what would Raiden do? He cannot let the people of Earthrealm down, but at the same time, he is getting weaker thanks to the sun. It is ꦛhis choice after all…

18 🍬 Ah, Censorship

Who remembers the classic Super Nintendo days? The games that came out in that era were incredible, such as Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Donkey Kong Country. Later on, Mortꦗal Kombat would have a port for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It sounded great because those who do not have a Sega ❀or live near an arcade would be able to play the buzzing fighting game.

Oh, hi there, “Family Friendly” Policy.

Because of the said policy, the SNES version of Mortal Kombat was censored greatly. Raiden’s fatality changed drastically, making his opponents turn to ash instead of electrifying his opponents. It eve🌌n made the secret boss Goro turn gray due to the changes made into the programming. How times have changed since then…

17 Crashing The Party 🔜

Since Raiden is an important character in Mortal Kombat, you bet that he will make an appearance in most of the characters’ endings. Mortal Kombat (2011) is the one whe✱re he made the most appearances, that being eight endings, including his own. He does give the respective characters their own spotlight, but he has some involvement in the characters’ endings.

In Sub-Zero’s ending, Raiden told the former the truth about his clan. Liu Kang challenged Raiden in a duel to become the new Earthrealm god. Raiden was with Kung Lao, who turned out to be the reincarnation of the Great Kung Lao. Johnny Cage went to Seido thanks to Raiden to help him train. Even Kratos from God of War go🐭t an arcade ending with Raiden appearing in it!

16 History Repeats🗹 Itself 🌠

Raiden might seem angelic and heavenly given his status as the Thunder God, but there were two instances where he became dark. In the first timeline, Onaga's presence, as well as🅘 the Elder Gods’ passivity changed his standards when it comes to protecting Earthrealm. The fact that the Elder Gods would only interfere if their power was threatened is a good reason why Raiden went dark. They did not do anything other than just🎃 watch.

The second timeline is more understandable. During Mortal Kombat X, Shinnok corrupted the Jinsei Chamber where Raiden regenerates. Once Cassie Cage defeated Shinnok, a seriously injured Raiden had to cleanse the Jinsei so that Earthrealm’s power would not be influenced by evil. Because of that, some of the corruptness was brought into Raiden as he restored it. If Mortal Kombat 11 comes by, we will be looking forw♋ard to seeing how Raiden acts in it.