10 Most Popular Mortal Kombat Characters

10. Raiden

First Appearance: Mortal Kombat

The Thunder God of Earthrealm, Raiden acts as the protector of Earthrealm on behalf of the Elder Gods. He has appeared in all games of the franchise except for Mortal Kombat 3; however he was later added to the updated compilation: Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Raiden is often central to the plot of the games and his unique thunder powers make him popular with fans.

It was Raiden who assigned Liu Kang the title of Champion of Earthrealm, having him participate in the first Mortal Kombat so as to halt the invasion by Outworld. He is often seen as the leader of Earthrealms heroes, gathering up the other defenders to protect them from the threats of the other realms.

Raiden is responsible for the creation of the rebooted timeline, as it is he who sends a message back through time after Shao Kahn wins the battle of Armageddon in the 2006 game Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.

Raiden has been a consistent draw to fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise since its inception, with him often being a powerful force on the roster of the games. His powerful electric attacks stand out as well as moves like his ‘Torpedo’, in which Raiden flies horizontally across the screen, slamming his opponent into the wall. The stoic thunder god often brings fans back time and again.