Dairou was supposed to appear in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance but he didn't make the final cut. He is a former Seidan guard, who was imprisoned for killing the man who murdered his family. After escaping prison Dairou went rogue and decided to work as a mercenary. He takes assignments where he can find them, whether they are noble or not.
He has very little hair with red markings on the top of his head running down the middle; the backside of his head has hair growing with a very long ponytail swinging behind him as he moves. A portion of his clothes are metal, while the other half is cloth; it is brown in color however. He wears a thick belt with a circular belt buckle. He wears all black pants with brown and gold boots.
For his Alternate Costume, Dairou's hair is pulled back into a ponytail; he has the same red markings on his face as well. He wears a brown and gold sleeveless shirt. Two straps run up under his underarms to his neck. His arms are bare except for brown arm and wrist guards. In the middle of his chest is a golden medallion. He wears a red sash that hangs in front of his legs as he fights. Three tassels, one to his left and right, and one hanging down behind him, flow swiftly as the fight wears on. He wears tight brown pants with gold and brown shin guards over gold and light brown boots.
Dairou was once a highly respected Seidan Guardsman, much like Hotaru, but he was imprisoned when he attacked and killed the man who he was led to believe murdered his family. In Deception's Konquest mode, Dairou was hired to free Shujinko from prison, a task he successfully completed.
During the return of the Dragon King, Onaga , he was hired by Darrius to steal the constitution of Seido and to kill Hotaru. It is unknown if he succeeded or not, however both he and Hotaru returned in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, siding with the Forces of Darkness. A battle which led to his death.
Deception:"I was once a member of the Seidan Guard. I believed in the power of Order and lived by this strict codes of my superiors. I had saved many lives during my years of service. But when I killed an assailant in a fit of rage. I was arrested and sentenced to a life of incarceration. For all the good I had done, the event that had come to define me was that one moment of Chaos. I eventually escaped during a riot incited by the resistance. I emerged from the prison a changed man. No longer would I follow orders of the Seidan. Neither could I bring myself to give in to Chaos. I opted to serve myself. I became a mercenary, a warrior for hire, and have become revered in Orderrealm's secret underground. My neutrality has been put to the test, however, as my current contract is to find and kill my former guardsman, Hotaru."
Armageddon Bio Kard:"After his family was murdered, Dairou's hunger for revenge allowed him to be tricked into killing an innocent man. Now the former Seidan guardsman works alone as a mercenary. He takes assignments where he can find them, whether they are noble or not."
Dairou is a stealthy fighter, choosing not to rely on powerful projectiles but rather on pop-up abilities and strategy. He can slam his body on the ground to send the opponent flying, setting them up for a juggle. He can also switch places with his opponent, which can be extremely useful if Dairou has his back to a death trap.
Stretch and Slam: Dairou knocks the opponent down while holding their arms and rests a foot on their spine. From there, Dairou begins pulling violently against the limbs and then releases, sending the opponent into the ground with full force, causing them to explode. (MK:D)
Eye Stab: Dairou tears out two ribs from the opponent's chest and stabs them in the eyeballs with them. (MK:D)
Deception: (Non-Canonical)"Normally Dairou took no risks and ambushed those he had been hired to kill. But in this case, he felt compelled to announce his intentions to kill his fellow Guardsman, Hotaru. There still must have been some code of honor left in his cynical heart. Hotaru was defeated... but before he could reveal who had commissioned the attack, Hotaru drew his dying breath."
Armageddon: (Non-Canonical)"The fire of Blaze enveloped Dairou and formed around him a golden suit of armor. Enraged, Shao Kahn attacked, but the armor scorched his body with every blow. Dairou defeated the emperor and claimed Outworld for himself. Under his rule, Outworld once again became the majestic realm it had been in ages past. Convinced of his good nature, Edenia and Earthrealm forged an alliance with Dairou that would ensure peace and stability forever."
He's unaware that Darrius, who hired him to kill Hotaru, was also the one who hired an assassin to murder Dairou's family.
In a Top 10 list hosted by Screwattack.com, Dairou's Eye Stab was placed at #8 of the best Fatalities in the Mortal Kombat series.
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
Dairou was going to appear in this game as a samurai fighter hired by Shang Tsung, but was cut due to time constraints.
Mortal Kombat: Deception
He borrowed the Wing Chun fighting style that Mavado had, the Escrima fighting style that Quan Chi had, and the weapon moves that Kung Lao had in Deadly Alliance.
According to Ed Boon, Dairou's Tombstone Drop is one of the most powerful moves in Deception, and Ed Boon's favorite of Dairou's moves.