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"I am of truth and light. I protect Earthrealm." ― Raiden

"There are fates worse than death." ― Dark Raiden

Raiden is the God of Thunder and Protector of Earthrealm, as assigned by the Elder Gods.

Background[]

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. 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.

With the aid of the Elder Gods, Raiden managed to defeat Shinnok. Stripping him of his amulet (the source of his Elder God powers), he banished the evil Elder God to the Netherrealm and placed his powerful amulet in a secret location- a Temple of the Elements he constructed in the mountains of Nepal. He assigned four gods to guard the amulet: the gods of Wind, Fire, Earth and Water.

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 Netherrealm 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 Netherrealm. Sub-Zero did as requested, for the time being, removing Shinnok as a threat.

Sometime later, Shang Tsung invited Raiden to participate in Mortal Kombat. Aware of the threat posed by this tournament to the future of Earthrealm, Raiden took the form of a human to compete.

Stats[]

Attack Potency: At least City level (Controlled and summoned storms multiple times.) | At least Multi-Solar System to Universal+ (As a God appointed by the Elder Gods, should be somewhat comparable to Blaze, who was stated as being capable of destroying all of reality. At the very least, Earthrealm was stated to contain a solar system, although all the realms together were mentioned to be a full universe. Fought Shao Kahn, who canonically defeated Blaze.)

Speed: Relativistic to Lightspeed (Kept up with Quan Chi and Shang Tsung at the same time, the former of whom dodged his lightning, which moves at Relativistic speeds. Can contend with and react to attacks from Kotal Kahn, one of which involves him redirecting a beam of sunlight.) | At least Relativistic to Lightspeed, likely higher (Should not be any slower than his Restricted self.)

Durability: At least City level (Should be equal to his Attack Potency. Took punishment from a group of Revenant Kombatants and stood up to fight back.) | At least Multi-Solar System to Universal+

Hax: Resistance to Soul Manipulation (The souls of his chosen warriors, as well as his own, were immune to Shao Kahn's soul absorption, which worked on almost all of the Earth's inhabitants.), Power Nullification (Nullified Sub-Zero's Ice Blast.), Reality Warping (Created a temple to hold Shinnok's amulet.), Resistance to Time and Fate Manipulation (His power allowed Fire God Liu Kang to completely ignore Kronika's Hourglass turning back time, whereas his allies were wound back as well. Is immune to paradoxes since, as an Immortal, Raiden exists outside of the normal rules of time. Countered Kronika's will of having him kill Liu Kang, which previously occurred in countless timelines, while also managing to defeat Shinnok, for whom Kronika had a completely different destiny, and later Kronika herself.) Petrification (Turned Shao Kahn into stone with his lightning.),  Non-Corporeal (Raiden's true form is that of pure energy.).

Intelligence: High. Is a wise mentor and a skilled leader, having lead Earthrealm forces to fight the armies of Darkness multiple times. 

Stamina: Unlimited. His form is that of pure ethereal energy, making it impossible for him to tire out.

Powers, Techniques, and Equipment[]

Powers[]

  • Master Martial Artist: Raiden is an expert hand-to-hand combatant, as expected from a veteran Mortal Kombat fighter. Can keep up with Earthrealm's greatest warriors in combat, including Liu Kang and briefly held his own against Shang Tsung and Quan Chi at once.
    • Jujutsu: Raiden's arguably best martial art. Uses hand and foot strikes, throws, joint-locks and ground fighting. Raiden mastered all of its 750 styles.
    • Nan Chuan
    • Judo: A martial art focusing on throws and takedowns to pin down or otherwise immobilize the opponent. Incorporates joint locks and chokes.
    • Tae Kwon Do: A martial art that focuses mainly on kicks. Can be used for both offense and defense. Develops force, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina. Trains both the body and mind.
  • Electrokinesis: Due to being a Thunder God, Raiden can create and control natural lightning. Can fire lightning from his hands and summon it from clouds if they are present, although he can also summon them. Can transfer lightning through objects such as knives or even wood. Can fire a flash of light that blinds his enemies and acts as a distraction. Can create Static Traps, which are lines of electricity connected by two balls of lightning.
    • Healing: Using electricity-like energy, Raiden can heal the wounds of others as well as his own. Using this, he healed a massive hole in Fujin's stomach.
  • Flight: Self-explanatory. Raiden can fly above ground and travel at speeds that make him seem like a blur.
  • Weather Manipulation: Raiden's other signature ability as a Thunder God. Can summon massive storms, masses of clouds and gusts of wind to send his opponents flying.
  • Teleportation: Raiden can appear and reappear wherever and whenever he wishes by temporarily transforming into his ethereal form. Can transform even between realms and create portals.
  • Godly Powers: Raiden's true form is that of pure ethereal energy. Thus, Raiden can resurrect himself some time after he is killed, although his energy is susceptible to being corrupted. Can see inside the souls of others and he uses this to judge whether they are good or evil, as well as their potential for either. Can release his godly energy as a form of a massive explosion, but this is considered a Suicide Attack as it kills Raiden in the process.

Techniques[]

  • Teleport: Allows Raiden to teleport behind or in front of the opponent.
  • Electricity/Lightning: Raiden fires a bolt of electricity at the opponent. Can be used to rapid-fire.
  • Torpedo/Electric Fly: Raiden charges himself with electricity and flies at the opponent, ramming into them and pushing them against a wall.
  • Shocking Touch/Electrocute: Raiden lifts the opponent with electricity, shocking them constantly. After a few moments, he can either punch them to the ground or choose for the electric blast to send them flying.
  • Vicinity Blast: Raiden produces a short-range electric blast that knocks the enemy back. This can also be used to produce the blast all around Raiden, hitting the opponent no matter their position (as long as they're close enough).
  • Reverse Electricity: Raiden fires a bolt of electricity behind himself, which soon hits the foe from behind.
  • Electric Slide: Raiden slides across the floor and hits his opponent with his shoulder, electrocuting them in the process.
  • Rising Thunder: Raiden flies upward, attacking the enemy with an electricity-charged uppercut.
  • X-Ray - Shock Therapy [1]: Raiden's Mortal Kombat 9 X-Ray. Raiden stuns the opponent with an electric blast and teleports behind them. He attacks the victim's spine with his elbow, shattering it before teleporting back in front of the target. As he does so, he performs a karate chop down at the opponent's skull, breaking it. Finally, he charges a ball of electricity in his hand, which knocks the enemy back.
  • X-Ray - Shock Therapy [2]: Raiden's Mortal Kombat X X-Ray. Raiden stuns the opponent with an electric blast before sending them skyward with a lightning strike. He flies after them, grabbing them by the spine and electrocuting their skeleton as he reaches them. As he stops, he summons another lightning bolt to send the victim flying downward. They hit the ground and bounce off of it, allowing Raiden to teleport under them and ram his knee into their spine, breaking it in two.
  • Brutalities: Finishing moves performed before the opponent's health reaches zero.
    • Super Shocker: Raiden uses the Shocking Touch attack, the enemy's head exploding from the electric discharge.
    • Dark Force: Raiden grabs the opponent by their throat and knocks them to the ground, shocking them with electricity and causing the top half of their body to fly off and their legs to lose connection.
    • Overload: Raiden sends an electric blast, which knocks the opponent off their feet. He then teleports behind the foe and replicates the attack. The latter blast causes the enemy to be cut in two.
    • Inside You: Raiden performs the Electric Fly attack and throws the foe behind himself before the move ends. He teleports and the victim starts emitting electricity from their body and screaming in pain. Soon, they explode and Raiden appears in their position.
    • Power Outage: As the opponent is zapped by a Static Trap, the electricity that attacks them causes their limbs to fly off.
  • Fatalities: A signature of the Mortal Kombat series. Violent finishing moves performed after the opponent is unable to continue fighting.
    • Electric Decapitation: Raiden discharges a wave of electricity, which blows up the opponent's head. This same move is capable of obliterating the enemy's body, turning them into a pile of ash and a skull.
    • Invisible Electrocution: Raiden transforms into sentient electricity, shocking his enemy to death.
    • Explosive Uppercut: Raiden crouches, charging his fist with electricity before delivering a devastating uppercut that causes the victim's body to violently explode.
    • Electrocution (MKII, MKT): Raiden lifts the opponent off the ground and sends electricity through their body, making them shortly explode.
    • Electrocution (MKvsDCU): Raiden grabs the opponent by the throat and starts shocking them. Soon, he calls down a lightning bolt on them, which turns them into a skeleton.
    • Staff Shock: Raiden summons his staff, using it to stab and lift the opponent into the air, surging electricity through it and shocking the victim until their demise. Their body slides down the weapon before Raiden slams it to the ground.
    • Godly Essence: Raiden charges a ball of energy in his hands before using it to fire lightning at the opponent. This blows up both the target and Raiden himself. Although this is similar, it is nowhere near as powerful as Raiden's suicide attack used against Onaga
    • Lightning Strike: Raiden calls down a lightning bolt so that it hits his open palm, firing electricity from his other hand. He continues this until the opponent's body explodes.
    • Just a Scratch: Raiden charges two bolts of lightning and fires them at the victim's arms, ripping them off. He replicates this and sends flying the enemy's legs, making the leftovers drop to the ground. Raiden then grabs the opponent and slams them head-first into the ground, destroying their head.
    • Transplant: Raiden teleports behind his opponent and rips out their heart and brain, charging them with electricity using two lightning bolts from the sky before placing them back. He starts manipulating the energy within the organs, causing the brain to detonate (destroying the head) and the heart to follow suit (obliterating the torso).
    • Bug Eyes: Raiden grabs his opponent by the head, sending an electric discharge through it. The victim drops to their knees and their eyes soon pop out of their sockets. Because of the electric charge, the enemy's head is sent flying into the sky, shortly before Raiden fires lightning at it from his hands, blowing it up.
    • Conducting Rod: Raiden summons his staff before firing an electric blast at the enemy's legs, ripping them off. Before they can properly register what just happened, Raiden charges at them with the staff, leaping into the air and stabbing them downward through their mouth. He floats back to the ground and summons a lightning strike, conducting the energy through his staff and ensuring the opponent is dead.

Equipment[]

  • Raiden's Amulet: An amulet created by the Elder Gods and given to Raiden as a gift. It allows Raiden to send visions to his past self, which cracks the Amulet of his past version. The closer it gets to the future it seeks to change, the Amulet becomes more and more damaged. If that future is changed, it is fixed.
  • War Hammer: An ancient and powerful weapon. Stronger than his Staff, but is much heavier and slower.
  • Raiden's Staff: Raiden's preferred melee weapon granted to him by the Elder Gods. Capable of transmitting shocks from Raiden himself.
  • Kamidogu of Order: A dagger imbued with a portion of the One Being's power. After sacrificing his own blood to the Blood Code, Raiden becomes more powerful, at the cost of becoming overwhelmingly bloodlusted. A single cut caused Raiden to see visions of the Kombatants across all realms and created an explosion that wounded Fujin.

Key[]

Restricted | Unrestricted

Minor Feats[]

Attack Potency/Strength[]

  • Flew straight through a stone bridge.
  • Comparable to Sub-Zero, who punched through 10 stone tablets and can destroy robots with his bare hands.
  • Threw Goro over his head.
  • Supported a plane as it descended.

Speed/Reactions[]

  • Comparable to Reptile, who dodged bullets.
  • Comparable to Sub-Zero, who avoided rockets.
  • Scales to Baraka, who can attack fast enough to make his arms leave afterimages.
  • Can fly fast enough to appear as a blur.
  • Caught a knife thrown by Kano.

Durability/Endurance[]

  • Comparable to Kenshi, who survived a blast from Scorpion's fireball.
  • Barely survived an attack from the combined force of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.
  • Survived being blasted through a stone door by Shinnok.
  • Unaffected by a stab to the chest.
  • Survived being slammed into a pillar by Shao Kahn, breaking said pillar in the process.
  • Unfazed by the cold of the Arctic Circle.
  • Withstood a beating from five opponents at once.

Skill/Intelligence[]

  • During the first war against the Elder God Shinnok, almost wiped out the Saurian race.
  • Defeated the Houan, an ancient sect of necromancers.
  • Defeated Baraka and D'Vorah alongside a group of Tarkatan soldiers in order to rescue a group of Shaolin Monks.
  • Ascended to the role of an Elder God.
  • Relinquished his position as an Elder God to assist Earthrealm's warriors in the defense against Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, the Deadly Alliance.
  • Resurrected Liu Kang as his zombie-like enforcer after he was killed by the Deadly Alliance.
  • Took part in the Battle of Armageddon and, alongside Shao Kahn, was the last one standing in the battle.
  • After he received visions from his future self, managed to stop Shao Kahn from achieving victory and Armageddon from happening.
  • Assisted in the defense of the Wu Shu Academy from a Tarkatan army.
  • Killed Motaro.
  • Defeated Scorpion and the Revenant versions of Jax, Stryker, Kabal, Kitana, Nightwolf and Kung Lao, three at a time
  • Defeated Liu Kang, accidentally killing him in the process.
  • While empowered by the Elder Gods, defeated Shao Kahn once and for all.
  • Alongside Fujin, managed to briefly stop an assault of Netherrealm demons on the Sky Temple.
  • Matched Quan Chi and the Revenant Stryker, Kabal and Sindel before Shinnok's arrival.
  • Accidentally reversed Quan Chi's spell, returning Jax, Sub-Zero and Scorpion to their human forms.
  • Defeated Revenant Smoke, Sindel, Kitana, Kung Lao and Liu Kang at the same time before engaging the last two again in single combat one after another.
  • Purified Earthrealm's life force at the cost of becoming a corrupted version of himself.

Powerscaling[]

  • Other Kombatants (Raiden is one of the most powerful fighters in Mortal Kombat and there is no doubt that he should be comparable to others in his verse. This is especially true in his Unrestricted form, which is easily above everyone else, with the exception of Shujinko, Onaga and Shao Kahn.)

Weaknesses[]

  • Cannot release his Unrestricted power when fighting mortal beings.
  • His Godly energy can be corrupted.
  • Loses his powers in realms not native to him.

Sources[]

Versus Compendium's Conclusions[]

Notable Wins:

  • None

Notable Losses:

  • None

Inconclusive Matches:

  • None
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