Rain: MK11's Latest Character's Dark Origins

When it was announced that Rain and Mileena would be joining the cast of Mortal Kombat 11, there was a deluge of emotion from fans excited at this piece of news. This was, of course, understandable as Mortal Kombat 11 has long been accused of complacency as new content has not been regularly added. This gave fans of the fighting game the feeling that they were getting left behind by some of their competitors.

What hurt even more was the reluctance of NRS to give any hints, news, or information regarding possible additions to the game. Things came to a head when the hashtag #DearNRS started to trend on Twitter as fans made their displeasure known. Finally, their calls were answered, and a new trailer featuring Mileena and Rain.

Mileena is something of a divisive character, as there are people who completely hate her guts while others wouldn't hear a bad word said about her. As for Rain, he isn't the most popular character on the Mortal Kombat roster, but he does have a dedicated following that is immensely excited for his addition.

But what are the origins of Rain? Where is he from, and why is he considered as a traitor? These are some of the questions we are here to answer. But, before that, I thought it might be fun to talk a little about his conceptualization. Rain was created as a troll for Mortal Kombat 3 by Ed Boon. Soon it became clear that the character could not be unlocked, but he was brought into the roster in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (console version). Along with Noob Saibot, Rain was something of a fan favorite, especially with his ability to kick opponents off the screen only for them to appear on the other side. Unfortunately, that would be the last time he would be seen for a while until his return as a DLC character in Mortal Kombat (2011). Along with his appearance, Rain was also given an edited storyline, which paints him as more of a villain.

His iconic purple color palette is a nod to his royal heritage and has even gone on to affect other games, including Skullgirls, where one of the characters, Fukua, has a color palette inspired by Rain.

The 'original' Rain origins

In earlier iterations of the game, Rain was the child of Argus, the most powerful Edenian god. But, at a very early age, Rain was sent away to live with a mortal who was also a general of the Edenian army. Due to this, Rain was kept in the dark about his roots. Rain would eventually learn the truth, which gave him the confidence to gather forces to take over all the realms and rule over them.

Before that, Rain would suffer through unimaginable tragedy after his home is attacked by Shao Khan, and his mortal father was killed. Rain then had to be smuggled and hidden away to avoid death or capture. However, he would eventually be discovered, and he made the painful choice to join forces with Shao Khan to avoid death, thereby betraying his homeland. He became an assassin and did the bidding of the man who was his sworn enemy. Shao Khan would not be his master forever and was defeated; at this point, Rain went back into hiding where he remained.

Rain's rebooted storyline

When Rain appeared again in Mortal Kombat (2011), he was rocking a new backstory where he played a more active role in his life events. In the new storyline, Rain is still the son of Argus and is sent away to live with a mortal. However, this time, he witnessed firsthand the decimation of his hometown by Shao Khan's forces. His father was even killed by Shao Kahn personally. Just like with his other story, Rain was smuggled away to safety and was raised by the Edenian resistance. Here, he was taught to fight, and he grew up to become a capable warrior and skilled brawler. Unfortunately, he also grew a bit of a large head in the process and was not the easiest person to work with. While he served the Edenian resistance with distinction for many years, he grew more and more discontent with his role.

Convinced that he deserved his own army, he tried to gain more power but was constantly denied. As his discontent grew, his traitorous side also reared its head. Therefore, he betrayed his own people and went into the employ of Shao Khan, his father's murderer. He did this under the promise that he would be given control of his own army. He reigned as the big boss for over 10,000 years.

What next for Rain?

So, what is likely to be the way forward for Rain in the latest Mortal Kombat game? We are currently in the dark as to what the Eredian prince is up to. But, from the way he was dressed in the trailer, it is safe to say that he has fully embraced his god-like heritage. I reckon he will be focused on gathering an army that can take over the other realms. As his story highlighted, Rain is a power-hungry character with an inflated sense of self; therefore, there is no way he will not be focused on gaining control in one form or the other.

His powers have always been incredible, and it is likely that he might have even gotten better over time.

Fans of the character can expect him, along with Mileena and Rambo, to hit their consoles from the 17th of November, where they will be available for both PS4 and 5 users. One of the most exciting things about the DLC announcement is that the game will be playable on the new console, which means that enthusiasts don't have to worry about waiting for the new Mortal Kombat game before experiencing it with the improved features of the PS5.