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Mythology Raijin is the derivation from the God Raiden. Raijin is the god of thunder and lightenin in Japanese mythology. His name comes form the Japanese words rai which means thunder and den which means lightning or jin which means god. He is depicted as a demon which beats drums to create thunder.In folklore he is considered to be the reason for the failure of the Mongols to invade Japan in 1274, as he is said to create a storm, the kamikaze taht hindered their progress. His companion is the demon Raiju. He is also credited for eating the bellybuttons or bellies of children. In artwork he is often sitting together with Fujin who is the wind god. In Pop Culture Raiden entered the Western culture in the video fighting game, Mortal Kombat, in which a character which was based on Raiden appeared. However, the characters name is prounounced reiden instead of the Japanese raiden. In Final Fantasy VI, the esper called Odin can be "upgraded" to be called Raiden. The name Raiden has also been used for the main character in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and in the sequel Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. His facial illness makes a cameo appearance (in the forms of a disguise and a very minor character).
Raiden is also the name of the "Mutan Apes" in Shadow Hearts: Covenant. In the game he is possessed by Raijin and transforms into a beastly demon.
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