As Ragnarok rolls past its dramatic 4th round, humanity continues to send out its most fearsome fighters to go toe-to-toe with the gods, looking in Round 5 to the man of infinite muscles, Raiden Tameemon, to bring home a victory against Shiva, the God of Destruction. It’s a match-up of brawlers, playing out like a round of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, but does Raiden defeat Shiva by the final bell? Here’s your answer.
*It goes without saying, heavy spoilers lie ahead.*
Raiden’s Fight with Shiva Explained
Despite his seemingly limitless strength finally being unleashed, Raiden falls to Shiva in a round that surely takes the prize for “most punches thrown.” The 11 minute and 16 second round is not without its drama, as limbs and mutual admiration litter the arena by the end.
Raiden, a sumo wrestling genetic anomaly whose full strength is kept in check by a set of muscles known as the 100 Seals, unleashes his true potential with the help of the Divine Weapon granted by the 3rd Valkyrie, Thrud: a sumo belt that keeps his body from crushing itself while also granting complete muscular control.
In his heightened form, Raiden crushes one of Shivas arms, and severs another two using the deadly palm thrust, known as Yatagarasu. On the ropes and sporting only one arm, Shiva unveils his ultimate secret technique, Tandava Karma, which sets his body ablaze and grants him increased strength and speed.
How Did Shiva Best Raiden with a Kick?
A final, desperate clash ensues in which both fighters, slowly chipping away at their own bodies through their powerful techniques, use their strongest attacks on one another. Raiden throws his palm thrust once again, but Shiva counters with a lethal, spinning heel kick known as Deva Loka. The kick lands squarely on Raiden’s fist and rips the sumo legend’s arm in half (lengthwise, like a Subway sandwich) thanks to Shiva’s heightened state, effectively ending the duel.
As Raiden stands nearly defeated, he thanks Shiva for giving him a battle in which he can let his strength completely free. In turn, the 4-armed (now 1-armed) warrior praises Raiden for his will and fighting prowess, before performing a final spinning heel kick that takes the muscled wrestler’s head clean off.
That’s the answer to whether or not Raiden beats Shiva in Record of Ragnarok. Go catch the entire incredible second season, available now for streaming on Netflix, and be sure to check out more of our anime content at the links below.
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