Raiden has been an icon of the series since its arcade inception, but fans who discovered Mortal Kombat through home ports to popular gaming consoles, the 1995 feature film, or other licensed media of the nineties, came to know the thunder god by a slightly different name -- and it seems one of his co-creators was not happy with the change!

"Rayden" was the phonetically appropriate alternate spelling adopted by Acclaim Entertainment -- responsible for distributing the games to Sega, Nintendo, and other consoles -- and other multimedia licensors, such as Threshold Entertainment, who produced MK films, live-action television, and cartoons.

The change famously avoided potential conflict with 1990 Tecmo scrolling shoot 'em up Raiden, while also bringing the character's name in line with common pronunciation distinct from its origins in Japanese mythology.

For series co-creator Ed Boon, the alteration was always "overly cautious" and the developer ultimately rejected requests to align arcade versions with the tweak. He described his "hate" for the alternate in a recent tweet responding to MK Online affiliate tabmok99's fan video on the subject (embedded below).

The multimedia exposure of the "Rayden" spelling meant it far outnumbered its arcade inspiration, but with Mortal Kombat 4 [pictured below] and subsequent installments, the source material has become the dominant example, reinstating the character's name as originally intended and rendering "Rayden" a curiosity of the past.

Its been almost thirty years since Carlos Pesina embodied the thunderer for the original game. Watch how his iconic headwear caused difficulties in archival footage from filming sessions recently unearthed from Ed Boon's personal collection.

Did Raiden's name ever cause any confusion for you? Did you mistake him for Fatal Fury or Metal Gear characters? Share your thoughts in the comments below and go deeper into retro in the 2D Kombat Klassics forum as we count down to the 30th Anniversary of Mortal Kombat!