Raiden is definitely immortal. He comes back after blowing himself up in the Deception opening sequence simply because he was a god, so he never really dies. He never fought in the first few tournaments, as you said, just guided the Mortals to beating Shang Tsung. But for some reason in the later games, he is more than a teacher, he is a fighter as well (don't say because of his corruption, because it starts before he blows himself up).

So in the Deception opening sequence, if you recall, he is "defying the Elder God's wishes" by challenging Shang Tsung and Quan Chi to Mortal Kombat. This is probably due to the Elder Gods not wanting deities competing in MORTAL Kombat, but he did it anyway to destroy the Deadly Alliance, but he fails.

He is definitely immortal though, since he is a god. When the tournaments were corrupted and the whole thing of Mortal Kombat wasn't an official fight between realms, then he started to fight, since he could not fight according to the Elder Gods in the first tournaments. But now that none of the tournaments are really official, just everyone fighting everyone, he fights. That's my theory anyways.

ThePredator151 would be the best person to discuss this with. He's the biggest Raiden nut around.

You're right. What you said is exactly what i was trying to say and tell them, but you worded it better lol. I appreciate it man. I might contact ThePredator151 if i need any more info, thanks again.

So, in short, do you think what i told them was mostly correct?

Absolutely man. You obviously have a wide knowledge of the MK universe.

And yet he's in no compition with the biggest Shao Kahn nut around.

Anyways this makes sense. Good argument and good MK knowledge.

Ok Awesome, thanks a lot man, I really appreciate it. You definitely have great knowledge about the MK universe as well.

If you ever wanna talk MK debates with me, just PM me, or make another thread like this man.

It depends on which game.

In MK1 and MK2, he took a mortal form in order to compete in the tournaments. MORTAL Kombat, therefore, mortals compete. Says so right in his bio.

In MKIII, Raiden took a mortal form again because he was forbidden by the Elder Gods to interfere with the war between Earth and Outworld.

Now from MK4 and on, I think Raiden has not taken a mortal form when he fights because he's not been restricted to.

Raiden is eternal.

Meaning that he is without beginning or end. And existing outside of time.

During Mortal Kombat, he relinquishes his eternal, celestial form...to a human, immortal form. There's little to no difference in terminology but, it basically equates to him being subject to the death of his mortal form (if he's beaten in a fight), and not the celestial form = spirit.

So far, he cannont be killed, but he can be beaten. He attended MK1 under these circumstances. MK2 was another contest...MK3 was not, MK4 was not but, Raiden is there as a direct opposition to Shinnok. MK4 is sort of "a Raiden game" or, a game about Raiden mainly. MKDA is not a contest, MKD is. MKA is not a contest even though everybody and their mom is in that game....I think that's how that goes. Great fan source.

Let go of the movie interpretation totally. It's not accurate at all. In the canon, he's not weakened by being on other realms or anything. BUT I suspect, that in MKD's intro, he once again had to give up his celestial form in order to compete against the two sorcerers. Which is why we saw him loose, and get right back up.

I think that after he got back up, and when he sacrifices himself, he is in his celestial form - i.e. "able to continue living on, and sacrifice himself." i...e.."After the contest of Mortal Kombat had ended.

No. He's definitely not Mortal when he fights anymore. I am referring to the Deception opening sequence here, where Raiden fights the Deadly Alliance. When the Deadly Alliance are delivering the final blow, and Raiden is suspended in mid-air by Quan Chi, Shujinko says: "But the combined might of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi proved to be overwhelming... even for a Thunder God". This obviously meant that he was still immortal when he fights, hence, he came back as Dark Raiden.

will do man, thanks again!

I agree. But explain another thing to me. I've never COMPLETELY understood what happened to cause him to come back as "Dark Raiden." I always thought that Raiden could've possibly been overwhelmed by hate and anger for Shujinko for gathering the Kamidogu and resurrecting the Dragon King. With the combined might of the deadly alliance, and the fact that everything went badly for Earthrealm...even the thunder god Raiden couldn't withstand it all. And since he's immortal and eternal, none of this killed him, he just came back overwhelmed by all things evil.

But that was my first initial thought and i've never fully figured out why lol.

Someone help me out,

Thanks.

Sorry i sort of posted twice but i messed up when i tried to quote MK-4-LIFE lol

Well the common theory that I have come accustomed to is that when Shang Tsung, Quan Chi and Raiden got blown up, their souls fought in the ether. The theory is that Raiden's soul itself was corrupted by this, or so I've heard.

Ah ic...yeah i can see that lol. But what exactly do you mean by "ether?"

Well, this means the upper regions of space; the clear sky; the heavens So basically it means they fought in the afterlife.

Ohh ok ic. Well that definitely explains Raiden since he's a God and all... but if all 3 of them fought in the Ether...then how did Quan-Chi and Shang Tsung make it out? They're mortal aren't they?

Sorry if i ask a lot of questions about this, just trying to make sure i get all this straight.

Well Shang Tsung came back because he made an oath to Shao Kahn centuries earlier that he would serve Kahn for all eternity. See Shang Tsung's Armageddon biography for further details.

I'm not quite sure about Quan Chi. I assume it was something similar to this but with Shinnok rather than Shao Kahn... or perhaps he was just sent to the Netherealm (Hell) for the afterlife. Or even his ties with the Brotherhood of the Shadow could have had something to do with it.

What happened to cause him to come back as dark Raiden is speculation. But it is a strong speculation however. It's taking an inference "that he could have been tainted" made in Fujins MKA bio, and coupling it with a fact that was established in Shang Tsungs MKA Bio; that "Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi did fight in the EtherRealm". Shang Tsungs bio has the only confirmed fact about this matter, while Fujin's bio has a speculation (a not proven to be true, thought process) in it.

So you see, the speculation is a combination of those statements, and ultimately arrives at the conclusion that: "Since Raiden, Quan Chi, and Shang Tsung were fighting in the EtherRealm, and the two sorcerers are evil characters...Raiden "must have" been effected by the souls of the evil characters."

That^ is not entirely true.

The thing that doesn't match up with that speculation, is that neither Quan Chi, or Shang Tsung are effected in any way, by their souls mingling together with Raidens. Him being the God out of the three, you'd think they'd at least suffer some sort of consequence from the encounter too.
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About the EtherRealm. I think, it's just a fancy way to say "an alternate plain of existence". Or to go even futher "Purgatory"....and even futher than that? "The funnel//portal that is dedicated to transferring only souls around the MK universe". Like Scorpion to hell over and over ect...but that's speculation on my part. Hasn't been clarified in the canon anywhere.
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Shang Tsung was pulled out by Shao Kahn. Seems as though once you dedicate yourself to Shao Kahn, this includes whatever your soul does as well. Shao Kahn seems to have a special "hold"(if you will) on those who proclaim loyalty to him. I take it like "signing your soul over to the devil".

Quan Chi has not been factually explained as to how he got out of the battle with Raiden and Shang Tsung.

What happened to cause him to come back as dark Raiden is speculation. But it is a strong speculation however. It's taking an inference "that he could have been tainted" made in Fujins MKA bio, and coupling it with a fact that was established in Shang Tsungs MKA Bio; that "Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi did fight in the EtherRealm". Shang Tsungs bio has the only confirmed fact about this matter, while Fujin's bio has a speculation (a not proven to be true, thought process) in it.

So you see, the speculation is a combination of those statements, and ultimately arrives at the conclusion that: "Since Raiden, Quan Chi, and Shang Tsung were fighting in the EtherRealm, and the two sorcerers are evil characters...Raiden "must have" been effected by the souls of the evil characters."

That^ is not entirely true.

The thing that doesn't match up with that speculation, is that neither Quan Chi, or Shang Tsung are effected in any way, by their souls mingling together with Raidens. Him being the God out of the three, you'd think they'd at least suffer some sort of consequence from the encounter too.
======----------========----------=======
About the EtherRealm. I think, it's just a fancy way to say "an alternate plain of existence". Or to go even futher "Purgatory"....and even futher than that? "The funnel//portal that is dedicated to transferring only souls around the MK universe". Like Scorpion to hell over and over ect...but that's speculation on my part. Hasn't been clarified in the canon anywhere.
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Shang Tsung was pulled out by Shao Kahn. Seems as though once you dedicate yourself to Shao Kahn, this includes whatever your soul does as well. Shao Kahn seems to have a special "hold"(if you will) on those who proclaim loyalty to him. I take it like "signing your soul over to the devil".

Quan Chi has not been factually explained as to how he got out of the battle with Raiden and Shang Tsung.

Ahh i see...Thank you for all that info! I think i completely understand now about the ether and the reasons of how the three warriors were pulled out of the ether...but Quan-Chi's excuse is making me speculate as well. You make a good point about how Shang and Quan-Chi escaped with their souls in normal condition...that's something to think about.

I appreciate all the info from MK-4-LIFE and ThePredator151 for all the info...thanks again.