Alongside Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat is arguably the most iconic fighting franchise in gaming. Ever since taking arcades by storm in 1992, Midway's brutal series has enamored gamers and angered parents. Naturally, as a member of the original roster, Raiden is among the license's most historic fighters, and he has gone to appear in practically every game since the first.
Longevity is a plus, but the God of Thunder's appeal amounts to far more than just familiarity. Wearing a straw hat and usually quite unassuming clothes, Raiden's design is instantly recognizable, while his significance in Mortal Kombat's lore makes him hard to ignore. As such, it is not surprising that many cosplayers have brought the (former) Elder God to life.
10 A Light Touch
Cosplay by Kirchos.
Kirchos is a photographer who tends to specialize in gaming and pop culture. Along with this stunning Raiden and plenty of others, he has also created a brilliant Geralt from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and a truly terrifying rendition of the Predator.
As a deity, Raiden exudes authority from every fiber of his being. While he is generally quite level-headed, Raiden comes across as something more than human at every instance. This cosplay captures the character's unearthly nature.
9 Electrifying
Well, Raiden is not known as the God of Thunder for nothing. Exerting full control over lightning, Raiden has arguably the most visually striking moveset out of all of Mortal Kombat's characters. Besides intimidating opponents, Raiden can adapt his electricity for both offensive and defensive moves.
Despite shooting electricity out of his hands, Blackkryptonian2.0's Raiden's facial expression reveals a character who is completely calm and in command. That is Raiden.
8 Fight!
While J9lives took on the role of Scorpion, Moxxishenanigans stepped into Raiden's white shoes. Over the years, Mortal Kombat has developed quite a substantial (and often ludicrous) story that makes the most out of its expansive cast. That said, at its heart, Mortal Kombat is purely about its core fighting. The story is just something extra.
Appearing as perhaps the franchise's two most legendary characters, J9lives and Moxxishenanigans distilled Mortal Kombat to its arcade essence.
7 Dressed To Impress
Cosplay by Kayley Marie and uploaded by VideoGameStupid.
Photographed by VideoGameStupid at Otakon 2017, Kayley Marie's Raiden is the first of a few genderbend cosplays included on this list. Like unofficial art pieces, cosplay provides the opportunity for fans to deviate from the status quo. NetherRealm Studios is unlikely to ever experiment with the established genders of its cast, with Ashrah being as close to a female Raiden as the franchise is destined to get.
If Marie's Raiden is anything to go by, a Goddess of Thunder could be a pretty neat skin to include in a future Mortal Kombat.
6 The Power Of A God
Raiden is a master of his element. Besides keeping an eye on the god's attacks, opponents also have to be cautious of their surroundings as the character can summon lightning right out of the sky.
As executed in Mortal Kombat 11, Raiden can order the heavens to send lightning his way usually while an enemy is in the middle. T.h.e.invasion's diagonal pose is a perfect recreation of this difficult to hit but powerful attack.
5 Samurai Raiden
Technically speaking, Raiden has no connection to Japan, at least, when it comes to Mortal Kombat's lore. However, the character's design is clearly inspired by Asian culture; to be specific, Asian culture as imagined by John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China.
Is it a leap to imagine a samurai version of Raiden? Honestly, the answer is a resounding no. In fact, the dignity associated with samurai complements Raiden swimmingly.
4 Thunder Goddess
Photographed by lienad.photo, Rin's Raiden is a majestic creation that presents the Mortal Kombat fighter in a unique light. Putting aside the genderbend aspect of the photo, this Raiden seems at peace, a state rarely afforded to the protector of Earthrealm in the games.
Even with all his vast power, Raiden is constantly pushed to his limit as he tries to prevent Armageddon and stop threats imposed by the likes of Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung. He never gets an opportunity to just sit in a field and enjoy a moment to himself.
3 Weather With You
Cosplay by Voldreth.
There is something endlessly endearing about Voldreth's cosplay. Inspired by Raiden's Mortal Kombat X alternate costume that paid homage to his look in the original Mortal Kombat, this cosplay photo serves as a tribute to the entire series. As great as the franchise has been following 2011's reboot, the early '90s entries are still revered as classics of the fighting genre.
The special effects are also a nice touch and, to be frank, would not look too out of place in the Mortal Kombat live-action films.
2 Hammer Fists
Even though Raiden primarily fights with a staff, he did use a hammer for a handful of '90s games and the live-action Conquest series. Perhaps as a reference to this obscure weapon, Mortal Kombat X gave Raiden a new attack called Hammer Fists, although no weapons were involved besides Raiden's deadly hands.
Backdropped by a gorgeous vista, Lothcosplay's Raiden is in the middle of striking a powerful blow capable of causing foes to bounce off the floor.
1 Fatality
Scorpion might be Mortal Kombat's poster boy, but Raiden is arguably more important to the franchise's lore. Furthermore, when it comes to simply looking awesome, Raiden can give any character a run for their money.
Nerdycurve did an excellent job of reimagining the God of Thunder. The costume is obviously fantastic, but it is those glowing white eyes that take the cake. Raiden has arrived.