Just my opinion, but I felt I'd share it.

Anyway, as we all know, the usual main hero (Liu Kang) was killed in the game's opening movie, so thus who was the main hero this game? Some say Kung Lao, but after seeing Deception's story, I doubt that, I think the actual main hero was Raiden. Now this has got to be the only game where the main hero is arguable, but I feel that it's Raiden.

Raiden does a lot more than any other hero in the game, he defies the Elder Gods and relinquishes his status as one, he returns to Earth and gathers Earth's warriors to help them fight.

Basically I feel a major part of Raiden's story comes from his anger with the Elder Gods, sure Kung Lao and Kitana are hell bent on taking revenge for Liu Kang, but I think Raiden was probably extremely horrified and angered since he actually witnessed the event, perhaps he blamed himself for not being able to save Liu?

So next we hear, he is the one that leads the good guys into battle with the Deadly Alliance, now I don't know where Raiden supposedly was when Kung Lao and Kitana got their asses kicked, (anyone have a theory to that?) but he couldn't help Sonya, Johnny Cage and Jax as they were supposedly killed by Tarkatan, now I don't know how you guys would do the heroes' deaths, but my theory is that after beating Kung Lao and Kitana, the Deadly Alliance dragged them outside and got them into headlocks, telling Raiden to surrender otherwise they'll kill them.

Of course, Raiden can't do that and challenges them to Mortal Kombat, but Shang Tsung and Quan Chi kill Kung Lao and Kitana. So we all know that Raiden fights the Deadly Alliance, almost wins but can't quite, but then teams up with them in order to stop the Dragon King, it's a futile attack, but Raiden issues forth a sacrifice play that has no little effect.

So here's some more into why I think Raiden's the main hero: Now if you think Kung Lao's the main hero of this game, that's ok, but I just don't see it now, whose was the one that was the last guy to take the Deadly Alliance on?: Raiden. Whose the one that led Earth's warriors into battle: Raiden (although he probably does that in every game before that but still...)

I think that Liu Kang's death was just meant to be a shock and give him a rest for a bit, I doubt it was intended to be permenant, to be honest with you, I don't think the MK Team ever intended for Kung Lao to succeed Liu Kang (don't rant about this please) With Liu Kang's death being such a big part of MK:DA's story, they needed someone to be super pissed off and want to avenge him and Kung Lao fit that part the best. I do agree that maybe it would've been better to wait until MK: Armageddon for Liu Kang's return, but oh well...

Also just for the sake of it, I don't see how Kung Lao wanted to kill Shang Tsung despite it not being the Shaolin way makes him more "hardcore" than Liu Kang, it's no different than when Liu Kang fought Shao Kahn after Kung Lao (apparently) died in MK3. He had the same intentions and until we found out otherwise in MK:DA, it was generally believed that Shao Kahn had died. (I don't know if it was ever explained how the Edenians found out that he still lived but...)

So anyway that's just my opinion, but I strongly believe that the true main hero of MK:DA was Raiden and not anybody else.