This is a list of playable characters from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series and the games in which they appear. The series takes place in a fictional universe composed of six realms, which were created by the Elder Gods. The Elder Gods created a fighting tournament called Mortal Kombat to reduce the wars between the realms. The first Mortal Kombat game introduces a tournament in which the Earthrealm can be destroyed if it loses once again.
The Earthrealm warriors manage to defeat the champion Goro and the host Shang Tsung, but this leads Tsung to search for other ways to destroy Earthrealm. Since then, every game features a new villain who wishes to conquer the realms, breaking the rules of Mortal Kombat. By Mortal Kombat: Deception, most of the playable characters had been killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, but by Mortal Kombat: Armageddon all of them return.
In Mortal Kombat II, Baraka is the leader of the horde known as the Tarkatan Clan and working for Shao Kahn and is responsible for leading the attack against Liu Kang's Shaolin temples. He helps Kahn in making Earthrealm come to Outworld in order to start a tournament against them, but they would later be defeated. During Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Baraka has no affiliation but by Mortal Kombat Gold, he joins forces with the sorcerer Quan Chi and the army of Shinnok to conquer Edenia, but they are defeated by Earthrealm warriors. At the time of Mortal Kombat: Deception, Baraka allies with the risen Dragon King (Onaga), in whose strength he has great faith. Freeing Mileena from her prison, Baraka recruits her to Onaga's ranks. Baraka is later killed by Kung Lao in battle. Baraka also appears as a boss in Shaolin Monks which retells the story from MK II. In Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Baraka supports the Mortal Kombat universe.
Baraka's "Lift'em-up" Fatality in Mortal Kombat Trilogy was given the 3rd place "That's Gotta Hurt" Award in Nintendo Power Awards '96.[1]
Kintaro is a tiger-striped Shokan who joins Kahn's forces in order to avenge Goro's death, debuted in MKII as the sub-boss from the game. He challenges Liu Kang in combat during the second tournament but loses. In MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode, he is seen as an illusion in the Netherrealm working in an attempt to overthrow Shinnok's rule, which is only a test for Taven. Shang Tsung's third Fatality in MKII saw him transform into Kintaro before punching his opponent's upper torso off his body. Kintaro is killed twice in the series, first by Raiden in MKII and then in Armageddon.
Kintaro was inspired by the Japanese mythology character Kintarō and initially conceived for MKII as an anthropomorphic bipedal tiger complete with a fur-lined costume, but the concept was scrapped due to the difficulty of creating such a complicated outfit.[2] He is the lone character from the first three games who has not appeared in any film or television adaptations of the series.
Chameleon debuts in the PlayStation version (and later Sega Saturn, and PC versions) of MK Trilogy as a male ninja with partial transparency. He imitates all moves, including special moves, from other male ninja characters (in the Nintendo 64 version, he is replaced by Khameleon, a female counterpart who is a separate character). The game simply referred to him as "one of Shao Kahn's deadliest warriors."[3] In MK: Armageddon, his backstory states that he was present at events dating to Liu Kang's victory in the first Mortal Kombat tournament, biding his time while watching events unfold. There is no information to suggest that he is from the same race of raptors as Reptile and Khameleon.
Ermac is an entity composed of legions of dead souls created by Shang Tsung, most likely out of souls he had previously taken; because of this, Ermac refers to himself in the plural form. Ermac served as one of Shao Kahn's greatest warriors, taking even more souls for his collection, and stays secretively in the shadows of the last Earthrealm Mortal Kombat tournament, which Liu Kang won. He is also noted for participating in the invasion of Earthrealm. On one mission for Shao Kahn in the Netherrealm, Ermac becomes acquainted with Shujinko. However, after Shao Kahn's defeat and subsequent loss of power, Ermac remains under Kahn's control and wanders Outworld without instructions. During the events of MK: Deadly Alliance, Kenshi finds the wandering Ermac and frees him from Kahn's control. Ermac's newfound freedom enables him to choose his own destiny, and he decides to repent for his earlier ways and become a force for good. After making this decision, Ermac meets Liu Kang, who is not only in need of another ally, but also of assistance in freeing his enslaved comrades. Seizing the opportunity to atone for the evil he committed in Kahn's name, Ermac helps Liu Kang, and the pair successfully free Liu's allies from Onaga's control. In his ending in Mortal Kombat: Deception, Shujinko describes Ermac as being capable of battling all five by himself with relative ease. MK 2011 reveals that one of the souls within him is of King Jerrod, Sindel's husband and Kitana's father.
Although widely believed to be a 'secret character', Ermac's name actually means "Error Macro". In the original game, he would be encountered in a secret area and would appear as a graphically corrupted "Scorpion" with the name "Ermac". Due to this misconception, he was later ret-conned into an actual character and added to the Mortal Kombat canon.
Ermac was ranked eight on the list of Top 10 Old School Mortal Kombat Characters by Game Revolution in 2003.[4]
Kabal debuted in MK3 as a member of the Black Dragon who had survived an attack from Kahn's extermination squads, and was left disfigured and kept alive by artificial respirators. He temporarily leaves behind his life of crime with the Black Dragon and becomes a force for good. Between MK3 and MK: Deadly Alliance, Kabal is wounded severely in battle by Mavado, a leading member of the rival Red Dragon who stole his hookswords and kept them both for himself. Havik visits Kabal at the brink of death and restores him, and then instructs him to revive the Black Dragon as a force of anarchy and decay. He fights Mavado again, defeats him and retrieves his hookswords. Kabal then also recruits Kira and Kobra, and all three join Havik on Outworld in MK: Deception. He toughens his charges by testing them in combat against Onaga's enemies. In Armageddon's Konquest mode, Taven refuses his offer of membership in the Black Dragon before defeating Kabal in combat. In the 2011 reboot, Kabal was a former Black Dragon member who reformed and now worked with Stryker as a cop. During an encounter with Kintaro, Kabal was severely burnt but was rescued by Kano. However, from that day on he had to wear artificial respirators as his lungs were severely damaged and could not be repaired. This version of Kabal is strongly aligned with the forces of good and joined the Defenders of Earthrealm, following his MK3 incarnation. It also revealed the origin of Kabal's superspeed as being attributed to the influence of Outworld magic. Kabal is killed with most of allies by Sindel.
Khameleon has been described her (in biographies and ending screens in MK Trilogy) as the last female of the Saurians (Reptile's race, also known as the Raptors),[5] who were originally from Earthrealm but were either killed or driven out following a great war.[6] Raiden alludes to this in the introductions to MK4 and MK Gold, though not mentioning Khameleon by name.[7][8] They find a new home in the realm of Zaterra, but are soon discovered by Shao Kahn. After defeating them in Mortal Kombat, Kahn drives the Raptors to near-extinction and merges the realm with Outworld.[6] Khameleon informs Reptile that Kahn is responsible for their race's extinction,[6] but Reptile falls under Kahn's influence once again and turns against Khameleon. Having failed in her attempts to kill Kahn, she wanders the realms while contemplating revenge against him.[9] During the events of MK: Armageddon (Khameleon became selectable in the Nintendo Wii version of MK: Armageddon[10]), she learns of the battle that would occur in Edenia and the gift of ultimate power that would be granted to the victor. Khameleon seeks to attain this power for herself, to keep it away from Kahn while exacting revenge on him for his actions against her race.[9] In the 2011 reboot a female grey ninja appears in the story mode in Khameleon's MKT outfit.
Motaro first appeared in the series as the sub-boss from MK3. He is from a race of Centaurians (a race of centaur-like creatures with Capricornus-like horns and a long metallic rat-like tail) Motaro's kind have come into conflict with the Shokan. Kahn favors the Centaurians and aids them in the defeat and subjugation of the Shokan race. Khan appoints Motaro to head extermination squads dispatched to Earthrealm to vanquish Earth's chosen warriors. After Sonya's defeat of Kano during the events of MKT, Sheeva supposedly kills Motaro. However, he returns in Armageddon, but since then the Centaurians have been put under a curse by the Shokan, turning him and the rest of his race into a bipedal race of Minotaur. In the 2011 reboot, Motaro is killed during the invasion by Raiden, who foresaw Johnny Cage's death at his hands.
Ed Boon called Motaro one of the oddest shaped Mortal Kombat characters.[11] The bipedal version of Motaro was ranked as number one worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12] Same year, he was ranked as fifth goofiest Mortal Kombat character by Topless Robot.[13]
Nightwolf debuts in MK3 as a Native American shaman who is also one of the chosen warriors of Earthrealm during Shao Kahn's invasion. In MK: Deception, he uses the "Sin Eater" method (absorbing the sins of his tribe) to defeat Onaga, although he must fight alone to protect his allies. In doing so, he separates Reptile from Onaga and banishes the latter to the Netherrealm. Nightwolf then returns with his allies to assist them in battle against Shinnok and his forces. Eventually, Nightwolf was found by Kitana and the spirit of Liu Kang. Still drained after using his shamanistic powers on Onaga, Nightwolf used what magic he could to relieve Kitana of her burden, and takes responsibility for Liu Kang's spirit.[9] In the 2011 reboot, Nightwolf is responsible for destroying Shao Kahn's Soulnado and is one of the few Earthrealm warriors to survive Sindel's initial onslaught. Ultimately, Nightwolf sacrifices himself to destroy Sindel.
In 2008, GamesRadar featured him as on the list of "The Top 7 Native American stereotypes" (representing "The Warrior" stereotype), concluding that "while this pro-Indian sentiment is certainly heartwarming, much of Nightwolf’s character is wide of the mark".[14]
Rain is an Edenian who was smuggled away during Shao Kahn's invasion while his adopted father stayed behind to perform his duties as a general in the Edenian army and was killed. Thousands of years later, Rain mysteriously returned during the invasion of Earthrealm and chose to side with Shao Kahn in the conquest of Earthrealm, either out of fear, cowardice, or ulterior motives. During the events of Armageddon, Rain learned of his true Edenian heritage from Quan Chi who informed Rain that he is actually a direct descendant to Argus, the protector god of Edenia. Rain then started to refer to himself as a prince of the realm, but he still chooses to fight on the side of evil, although he no longer serves Shao Kahn. Rain confronted Taven in Arctika, but he is beaten in battle, eventually escaping in a watery portal. In Rain's Armageddon ending, it is revealed that he is actually the half-brother of Taven and Daegon, being the son of Argus. Imbued with the power of Blaze after defeating him, Rain becomes a full god, and Argus proclaims him as the new Protector of Edenia. However, Rain instead uses this power to enslave the realm.[15]
The character's name and outfit color were inspired by Prince's Purple Rain, according to Ed Boon.[16]
Sheeva first appeared in MK3 as a Shokan who served as Sindel's personal protector. She is insulted at Kahn's appointment of the centaur Motaro to lead his extermination squads during his invasion of Earthrealm, since the Shokan and the Centaurs are mortal enemies. After Kahn's defeat by the Earth warriors, Sheeva kills Motaro outside of Kano's cell. Kano offers her assistance in assassinating Kahn if Sheeva frees him, but Kano betrays her and informs Kahn of her plot, leading Kahn to stab her from behind with a sword. Sheeva also appears as a playable character in MK: Armageddon, and an apparition of her is fought by Taven. Sheeva, whose name was derived from Shiva, a Hindu deity of destruction, was introduced into the series due to fan requests for a playable version of Goro.[17] While she has Goro's offensive moves, she is female so that she would be smaller in size and therefore the same height as the other fighters.
Sheeva was ranked as seventh goofiest Mortal Kombat character by Topless Robot in 2011.[13]
Sindel was the queen of Edenia before Shao Kahn merged the realm with Outworld. Unwilling to serve under his rule after Kahn kills her husband King Jerrod during battle, she takes her own life. In order to merge Earthrealm and Outworld and thus start an invasion, Kahn (with the assistance of Shang Tsung) revives her on Earth, turning her into his loyalist queen with no memory of her past. After Kahn's defeat, Sindel's daughter, Kitana, tells her mother about her true past, causing Sindel to rebel against Kahn. With Edenia no longer part of Outworld, Sindel takes her rightful place on the throne. However, the forces of Shinnok soon storm the palace, capturing her, but Shinnok is then defeated by Earth warriors saving the peaceful realm. Edenia is again invaded, this time by the Dragon King, Onaga, who had resurrected Kitana and her slain Earthrealm allies and placed them under his control. Sindel is once again confined inside her own prison, this time guarded by her own daughter, but is freed by Jade. In the 2011 reboot, Sindel plays a more antagonistic role unaware of her true past. She kills several Earthrealm warriors, until she is destroyed by Nightwolf.
While MK3 was in production, she was nicknamed "Muchacha" and "The Bride" by the programmers before her official name was determined.
Sindel was ranked as third goofiest Mortal Kombat character by Topless Robot in 2011.[13]
Sergeant Kurtis Stryker (or simply Stryker) first appeared in MK3 as the leader of a police riot control team when Outworld's portal opened over a large (unspecified) American city.[18] Kahn takes all human souls save for those of the chosen warriors. Stryker is initially ignorant of why he had been spared until he receives a vision from Raiden, instructing him to meet up with the other combatants and learn about the importance of his survival.[19] Stryker and the other Earth warriors assisted in liberating Earthrealm from Kahn's clutches.[17] He did not appear in another original entry in the series again until MK: Armageddon, in which his character design was overhauled. Stryker is killed by Sindel in the 2011 reboot.
In 2011, Stryker was ranked as number one goofiest Mortal Kombat character by Topless Robot,[13] and as the third worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12] Same year, 1UP.com also placed Stryker at the top of their list "The Top Ten Times Mortal Kombat Went Wrong", citing his Mortal Kombat 3 design and movelist.[20]
Fujin is the Wind God who makes his first appearance in the spin-off game Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero as one of the four guardians assigned by Raiden to protect Shinnok's amulet[21] and is the first of the gods that the elder Sub-Zero beats in order to acquire it.[22] He remains inactive until the events of Mortal Kombat 4, joining Raiden in his battle against Shinnok, assisting the Earthrealm forces in raiding Shao Kahn's palace.[23] After Shinnok's defeat, Fujin became a new god for Earthrealm given by Raiden.[24] Fujin's bio for MK: Armageddon states that he witnesses Raiden's transformation uncertain of what has caused the change. He and Kung Lao joined forces to bring their former comrades Raiden and Liu Kang under control, with the God of Thunder becoming "as ruthless as Shao Kahn" and Liu Kang's corpse selectively slaying various people. Fujin's bio states that if no way was found to normalize the two corrupted warriors, both he and Kung Lao would be forced to finish them. During Armageddon, it is revealed that Fujin has been a friend of Taven's family, and realizes their father Argus sent them on a quest. Fujin searches for both brothers, hoping to prevent their progress and learn the true purpose of their quest.[9] Fujin reappears in Armageddon's Konquest mode, confronting Taven outside of the Red Dragon Clan's headquarters.[25] They battle, but in the end Taven emerges victorious, allowing him to continue his journey but feeling regret at having had to do this to a friend.
Quan Chi is a sorcerer who convinces the elder Sub-Zero to retrieve Shinnok's amulet for him to give to his lord. Unknown to the fallen Elder God however, Quan Chi replaced the amulet with a useless imitation. Shortly afterwards, Sub-Zero, ordered to reclaim the amulet by Raiden, confronted Quan Chi, and defeated him with assistance from Sareena. Several years later, believing he needed a powerful warrior, Quan Chi resurrected Scorpion and tricked him into believing that this younger Sub-Zero had killed his family and clan. Scorpion's rage enabled him to defeat the Lin Kuei warrior, but Quan Chi admitted to the crime. Enraged, Scorpion grabbed him, and the both of them were sent to the depths of the Netherrealm. Quan Chi manages to trick the Oni Drahmin and Moloch into attacking Scorpion so that he can escape from Netherrealm. A portal led Quan Chi alone to the tomb containing the mummified remains of the long forgotten Dragon King. Imagining the individual who could assist him in his aims, he journeyed to Shang Tsung's palace. Together, they would achieve absolute domination of all realms, forming the Deadly Alliance. Yet before they could enact their plans, they had to eliminate the two who could oppose them: Shao Kahn and Liu Kang. Returning to Outworld, the forces of Earthrealm, led by Raiden, attacked. Their attack was in vain, as each was killed by the sorcerers and their Tarkatan hordes. With all their enemies defeated, they turned on each other. Quan Chi emerged victorious, but Onaga, the Dragon King, entered the chamber. Tsung awakened, as did Raiden, and together, the three attempted to stop him. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Quan Chi is revealed to have teleported before the final blast; he now wishes to acquire the ultimate godlike power granted from defeating the elemental Blaze. To that end, he has formed an uneasy alliance with fellow villains Onaga, Shang Tsung, and Shao Kahn.
Kia is one of Quan Chi's three personal assassins in Shinnok's Fortress along with Sareena and Jataaka. They each protected a crystal which, when combined together, allowed access to a teleportation device that sent the elder Sub-Zero to Quan Chi's throne room. Kia fights using razor-sharp boomerang blades. She was defeated by the elder Sub-Zero. Along with Sareena and Jataaka, she makes a reappearance in Mortal Kombat: Armageddons Konquest mode, still serving Quan Chi. Together they battle Taven in the Red Dragon's lair who killed both her and Jataaka. After her death, her demon soul descended to the Netherealm.
Jataaka is one of Quan Chi's three personal assassins in Shinnok's Fortress along with Sareena and Kia. They each protected a crystal which, when combined together, allowed access to a teleportation device that sent the elder Sub-Zero to Quan Chi's throne room. Jataaka fights using a laser sword from which she can fire blue bolts of energy. She was defeated by the elder Sub-Zero. Jataaka, along with Sareena and Kia, makes a reappearance in Mortal Kombat: Armageddons Konquest mode, still serving Quan Chi. Together they battle Taven in the Red Dragon's lair who killed both her and Kia. After her death her demon soul descended to the Netherealm.
Sareena is one of Quan Chi's three personal assassins ordered to kill Sub-Zero before he reached Quan Chi. In Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, she is "fractionally faster and a more accomplished fighter than her fellow assassins."[26] After being spared by Sub-Zero, she assists him in defeating Quan Chi. After expressing her desire to escape the Netherrealm with him, she is shot in the back by Shinnok. As it is later revealed in Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition the attack destroyed her human form and that her essence was then banished as punishment for her betrayal. After years of torture, Sareena escapes the Netherrealm in her human appearance before MK: Deadly Alliance, during which she encounters the younger Sub-Zero; the brother of the one she met before. Feeling he owed her for helping his brother, Sub-Zero grants her sanctuary with the Lin Kuei back on Earthrealm. In MK: Armageddon Sareena follows Sub-Zero into the Netherrealm, saving him from being killed by Noob Saibot and Smoke. After the battle, Sareena loses her human form and returns to her true demon self. She is later ambushed by Quan Chi, who returns her to human form and convinces her to join him, despite her resistance. In MK: Armageddon Konquest, Sareena, Kia and Jataaka are ordered by Quan Chi to kill Taven, but all three assassins are defeated by Taven.[9] She also appears in Mortal Kombat (2011) as one of the fighters in the Pit background, usually facing of against Daegon or Frost.
Shinnok is a former Elder God who desired to rule Earthrealm and thus acquire immense power by creating a powerful amulet. In the war against his fellow gods, he came into direct conflict with Raiden, who, along with the Elder Gods, defeats Shinnok and strips him of his amulet. Trapped in the Netherrealm, he encounters a sorcerer, Quan Chi, who agrees to help Shinnok overthrow Lucifer, thus becoming ruler of the Netherrealm. During his time in the Netherrealm, Shinnok built a massive army and a fanatical cult of demons called the Brotherhood of Shadow, dedicated to worshiping him. Some time after Shao Kahn's defeat, Shinnok puts into motion his plot to escape the Netherrealm. Despite invading the Heavens and killing many gods, Raiden and his warriors manage to penetrate Shinnok's defenses, and Shinnok himself is defeated by the Shaolin monk Liu Kang. In MK: Armageddons Konquest mode, Shinnok is encountered by Taven in the Netherrealm, where he had been a friend of Taven and his family for many years. Taven rescues him from Li Mei, and then helps Shinnok regain control of his spire from an army of demons wishing to overthrow him. The demons in the spire are later revealed to have been apparitions, forming a test for Taven that Daegon had passed earlier. In MK: Armageddon, Shinnok appears to make alliances with other characters as well, but only as a part of a plan to conquer the realms, including with Raiden, though the thunder god intends only to discover Shinnok's plans, and Onaga, who Shinnok had offered to free from the Netherrealm in exchange for his servitude. In his Armageddon storyline, Shinnok sends a false duplicate of himself to accompany Daegon to the pyramid. Shinnok is revealed as Quan Chi's master at the end of Mortal Kombat (2011) and is alluded to have a significant role in future installments.
Debuting as a playable character in Mortal Kombat 4, Jarek was the brutish and short-tempered second-in-command of the Black Dragon clan. In the games, he initially utilized special moves and Fatalities popularized by Kano, his teacher. Jarek's lack of originality caused him to be labeled as a somewhat uninspired character by the series' fanbase. He would later gain a unique moveset in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. His storyline in MK4 stated that he claimed to be the last member of the Black Dragon and was chased by Sonya for crimes against humanity. Captured, he decided to join her and Earth warriors to help eliminate Shinnok. After Shinnok's defeat, Sonya convinces Jarek to return to the Special Forces with her, but he refuses and tries to save himself by killing Sonya. Jax interferes and drops Jarek off the cliff. In MK: Armageddon, Jarek's bio explains that he survives, using his weapon to climb to the top. Badly injured, he thinks that his death would help him regain enough strength for revenge while traveling the realms searching for the ancient texts that would show him a Fatality worthy of his betrayer. Impressing Quan Chi after witnessing his new skills, he invites Jarek to join the Forces of Darkness in order to get his revenge. Jarek was unable to take his revenge, however, as he perished in the final battle. As with most of the warriors, he dies in battle. Jarek made his first chronological appearance in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces as a boss, where he and other Black Dragon members were freed from a United States Special Forces detention facility by Kano, who had proposed to reform the Black Dragon clan but in reality, Kano merely wished to use them as pawns to slow down any Special Forces agents who may have pursued him in his quest to obtain an artifact called the Eye of Chitian.
His biography screen explains that Kai is a former member of the secretive White Lotus Society. He met Liu Kang who happened to be in the USA at the time, recruiting to train a new generation of Shaolin warriors. During the events of Mortal Kombat 4, Liu Kang and Kai join the Earth warriors in Edenia to assist Raiden in his battle against Shinnok.[27] He then reappears in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as a playable character, where he dies in battle.
His backstory in Armageddon describes Meat as a horrific experiment created by Shang Tsung. He escapes the sorcerer's clutches before he could be completed.[15] The official strategy guide for the game describes Meat as being "a fun character who assists Shinnok", although this relationship is not mentioned in the game's story.[28]
Meat initially served as a "skin", created by art director Tony Goskie, for each fighter in Mortal Kombat 4.[29] The name "Meat" was simply a designation given to the model so it could be used in the game. It was later decided to make him a playable character as part of an Easter egg.[29] Players first learned of the character's given name after "Meat lives!" appeared on Ed Boon's website promoting Mortal Kombat 4's 3rd arcade revision.[30] Strategy guides also referred to the character as "Meat", subsequently making it an official moniker.[8][31] Meat next appeared in the Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception, establishing him in the series' canonical storyline. During the character's video in IGN's MK Fighter of the Wiik series, Mortal Kombat art director Steve Beran humorously states that Meat has a cousin named "Skully", who is just a skeleton with no muscle or tissue, lamenting that he never made it into the game.[29]
Meat was ranked as fourth worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12] Same year, he was also ranked as second goofiest Mortal Kombat character by Topless Robot.[13]
Reiko is a general for the armies from Shinnok, Shao Kahn and the Brotherhood of Shadow.[31] During the time of Mortal Kombat 4, Shinnok is defeated and Reiko disappears,[32] later emerging in Shao Kahn's army.[17] Reiko apparently has great aspirations to one day replace the emperor. Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode states that he likes to sneak into Kahn's chamber room and wear his helmet.[33] In MK: Armageddons Konquest mode, Taven encounters Reiko in his war room in Shao Kahn's fortress. Reiko tries to get Taven to join Kahn's army, impressed by his skills in combat, but Taven was not fazed by Reiko's impression as he only intends to kill Quan Chi and defeats Reiko.
Tanya is a slender, gloomy female from Edenia. Introduced as a relative innocent, she quickly turns out to be corrupted by evil, as evidenced in her worship of Shinnok and her later service to both the Deadly Alliance and Onaga. She seems to view herself as more of a survivor rather than anything else, justifying her choices as being the "right decisions". During this time, she attempts to lure Liu Kang into a trap, but the attempt does not succeed, and Shinnok's power base is soon destroyed. With her master gone, and herself a wanted traitor in Edenia (having earned in particular the wrath of Jade), Tanya flees to Outworld. Years later, Tanya resurfaces in the Deadly Alliance's ranks as an enforcer. She imposes Shang Tsung and Quan Chi's will upon the denizens of Outworld. When the Deadly Alliance is killed, Tanya is found, however, by Baraka, who gives her the choice of serving the newly resurrected Onaga or death. She joins the ranks of the Dragon King, who was searching for ancient incantations that would enable him to fuse the Kamidogu into one, and thus acquire incredible power. Believing that such information still existed in Edenia, Tanya brings Onaga to her native realm. Tanya survives a Tarkatan attack caused by Jade, but does not survive the final battle in Armageddon. Tanya could be considered to be the single most untrustworthy character in the series. She betrays Liu Kang in her Mortal Kombat 4 ending. She has betrayed her entire home realm of Edenia, and important key characters in the realm such as Sindel, Jade and Kitana. In her Deception ending, she fulfills her duties to Onaga, but promptly seizes an opportunity to kill him as he is distracted with his victory. She succeeds, killing Onaga and becoming the most powerful being in the realms. Tanya can be seen chained in the "Khan's Coliseum" stage in Mortal Kombat (2011).
Blaze makes his first appearance in Mortal Kombat II, visible only as a burning figure on a bridge in the Pit II stage background, fighting a character fans had nicknamed Hornbuckle.[29][34] In MK: Deadly Alliance his biography screen reveals that he is an elemental who had been pursuing a quest until he was attacked on a bridge by an ancient sect. The group of holy men, described as still serving the dead Dragon King, capture Blaze using magic and bind him to the task of protecting the last Great Dragon egg. After the egg hatches, Blaze is able to resume his past mission.[35] It is said that Blaze was created to oversee the strength of all of the fighters in the realms. Upon being freed from the egg incubation chamber, Blaze discovers that, in his absence, the power and numbers of these fighters had become too great and that Daegon had already been revived.[36] He then plans to bring all the fighters together in one final battle, where the actions of the two brothers would end up determining their fates and prevent Armageddon.[37] Sensing that something evil from the Netherrealm was influencing Daegon, Blaze decides to travel there in order to find its source.[9] In Armageddon's Konquest mode, Blaze appears confronting both Taven and Daegon. When Taven defeats Daegon, Blaze prepares to face Taven. When he had been enslaved by Onaga's Holy Men, the spell used on him corrupted his mission. Blaze is finally defeated by Taven, but his victory fails to stop the coming Armageddon.
Bo' Rai Cho is a native of Outworld who has trained many warriors. Since he is originally from Outworld, he never enters the Mortal Kombat tournament as it would have meant competing on the behalf of Outworld and thus the brutal emperor Shao Kahn. Upon hearing that Liu Kang has been murdered by the Deadly Alliance, he takes Kung Lao under his wing. While a group of Earthrealm warriors prepares for a frontal assault on the Deadly Alliance, Bo' Rai Cho secretly enters the palace and escapes with the body of Li Mei. He regroups with the other Earthrealm warriors led by Raiden and retreats to safety rather than joining the attack. His back story is that he has trained warriors for centuries to compete in the tournaments. After many failures, success finally came when he trained the legendary Liu Kang, who defeated Shang Tsung and became champion of the Earthrealm tournament. He makes a cameo appearance at the end of the 2011 Mortal Kombat, where he trains Shang Tsung as new protector against the corrupt god, Liu Kang. The character's name is a play on the Spanish word "borracho", which in English means "drunk". He is usually depicted intoxicated and carrying a canister of alcohol. His fighting moves consist of drunken style fighting mixed with vulgar actions such as vomiting on the ground to make the opponent slip and getting up by flatulating.
Bo' Rai Cho was ranked as tenth worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12]
Drahmin makes his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance as one of two Oni, demons of the fifth plane of the Netherrealm. The mask he wears is an artifact called the Face of Kun-Lo. Wearing it allows him to control his rage and fight with his disciplined Netherrealm style. Removing it causes him to go into Oni style where he loses his focus and attacks with murderous insanity. Centuries ago, he was a cruel human warlord in Outworld. For his crimes, he was exiled to the Netherrealm where his body and soul were to be tortured for all eternity. The two Oni known as Moloch and Drahmin are allies. During the time of the Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung fears treachery from his new ally, Quan Chi. He hires Drahmin and Moloch to protect him. Quan Chi also hires Drahmin and Moloch. Scorpion finds the palace where Shang Tsung and Quan Chi are. In a desperate attempt to defeat Quan Chi he breaks in, but is stopped by the Oni. They soon defeat him and throw him into the portal to the Heavens. Scorpion's body is then ripped apart by the purity of that realm. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Konquest mode, Drahmin again battles Taven in the Netherrealm but loses. Shinnok reveals later on Taven was merely tested by illusions, causing uncertainty if Drahmin was really in hell. The real Drahmin dies during the final battle in Armageddon. The original name for Drahmin was going to be Amon, after a biblical demon in keeping with the tradition of Moloch. It was changed during preproduction of Deadly Alliance.
Frost was discovered by Sub-Zero. Impressed by her skills, including abilities almost exactly like his, Sub-Zero takes her as his protégé. Sub-Zero was unable to teach her humility. The MK Deadly Alliance Konquest mode reveals that Sonya had a brief fight with Frost. Desiring to become Grand Master of the clan herself, she immobilizes Sub-Zero with a freezing blast and tears the Dragon Medallion (an artifact which enhanced Sub-Zero's abilities, as well as the symbol of Lin Kuei leadership) from his chest. Without the strength and discipline required to control the medallion's power, she is consumed by her own freezing ability. Sub-Zero buries her next to the ancestors of Cryomancers in Outworld, forgiving her. In MK: Unchained, Frost was awakened and realized she was still in Outworld, believing that Sub-Zero had taken the Dragon Medallion from her. She returned to the Lin Kuei temple in Earthrealm with the intention of killing only Sub-Zero, but killed many of his clansmen and became delusional to the point of seeing him everywhere. Sub-Zero then froze her and placed her body in a shrine deep in the temple. Frost remained frozen until MK: Armageddon Konquest mode, when Taven entered the Lin Kuei temple; he breaks open the block of ice and releases her. At first, she thinks that he is Sub-Zero and battles him; afterward she realizes Taven is not Sub-Zero and runs off embarrassed. Frost appears in the background of "The Pit" stage as one of several characters who appear through cameos in Mortal Kombat (2011).
Hsu Hao is of prime importance for the events on Earthrealm leading up to MK4. Mavado orders him to act as a Chinese Secret Militant for the Special Forces and aid them in completely destroying the Black Dragon clan. Hsu Hao carries out his instructions without question and helps the Special Forces for years until the entire Black Dragon clan is seemingly eradicated after Jarek's death. Mavado then instructs him to destroy their underground base and with it, their only means of inter-realm travel. He arms a miniature nuclear weapon and just escapes through the portal before it detonates. As a result of his betrayal, his former superior at the Special Forces, Jax, has a score to settle with him. Mavado then sends Hsu Hao to kill Shang Tsung under orders from Quan Chi. On his way to Tsung's palace he is cornered and killed when Jax rips out his artificial heart.
Li Mei made her debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Her village was forced into slavery to help construct Shang Tsung's palace around the Soulnado, which had been a long-time legend of her people. In attacking Kano, she gains the attention of Quan Chi, who promises her freedom if she wins a tournament. Around this time she befriends Shujinko, captured by Kano during his 40 year quest for the Kamidogu. Shujinko offers to train her even though he feels that her chances in the Deadly Alliance's tournament are slim. She later journeys to a nearby forest where she is attacked by Moloch and Drahmin. She escaped through the trees as Shang Tsung came and formed an alliance with the Oni. Her ending in Deadly Alliance depicted her winning Quan Chi's tournament and "earning" the right to be imprisoned forever in one of the Dragon King's soldiers' bodies. In Deception Bo' Rai Cho rescues her from this fate. However, he is apparently only partially successful, and Li Mei takes on some aspects of these ancient warriors. It is revealed that, upon the return of the Dragon King, she is to be his queen. Her ending results in her willfully becoming the Dragon Queen. In MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Li Mei fights Shinnok in the Netherrealm. She begins to gain the upper hand on him until Taven (who is unaware that Shinnok had turned evil) appears and makes her go away. Shinnok later reveals that this was all created as a test for Taven. Lei Mei can be seen chained in Kahn's arena in the MK reboot.
Mavado's influence in the games' storyline began before the events of MK4. Since the Red Dragon's top priority is the extermination of the Black Dragon while still desiring to keep their existence secret,[38] they decide to use the Special Forces for their own purposes. To that end, Mavado instructs his subordinate, Hsu Hao, to infiltrate the Outer World Investigation Agency and help them in tracking down and killing the last members of the Black Dragon, a mission Hsu Hao performs to great success.[39] After Mortal Kombat 4, Mavado is hired by the Deadly Alliance to fend off Kenshi, in return acquiring the opportunity to be given the last Black Dragon member, Kano, at the time a general in the service of the Deadly Alliance.[38] They also request that the Red Dragon destroy the Outer World Investigation Agency's techno-portals to prevent the Special Forces from being able to travel to Outworld. During the events of MK:DA, Mavado accomplishes these tasks. He instructs Hsu Hao to destroy the Outer World Investigation Agency's underground portal facility,[39] shortly before traveling to Outworld himself through a secret inter-realm portal located in the Lost Sea.[38] Mavado tracks down and defeats Kenshi,[40] allowing him to fight Kano; however, Mavado captures Kano and has his Red Dragon minions bring him to their headquarters. Shortly before MK:D, Kabal returns fully recuperated from his stay in Chaosrealm and seemingly kills Mavado, retrieving his hookswords.[41] In MK:As Konquest mode, Mavado reports to Daegon in the Red Dragon's lair that the clan has located Blaze. Daegon then orders him to kill his brother Taven but he fails.
Originally introduced in MK:DA as a secret character, Mokap is a motion-capture actor with a vast knowledge of martial arts and fighting styles. He continually finds himself inexplicably transported to and wrapped up in the battles, simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.[42] Mokap's Deadly Alliance bio reveals that he is a former martial arts teacher on the North Side of Chicago. One day he was called upon by Johnny Cage to do some motion capture work for his new movie and became the primary martial arts talent for motion capture in this film. Mokap was flown to Hollywood to begin his first session.[43] It is unknown how Mokap participated in the events of Deadly Alliance. Although he fights on the side of good, he does not appear to affect on the outcome of the battle. Some time after this, Mokap gained some telekinetic powers, although the source of these powers was not explained. Mokap returns in MK: Armageddon, again fighting for the side of Earthrealm and for his life.[42] Mokap also made two brief appearances in Mortal Kombat: Deception Konquest mode.
Mokap's name is short for motion capture (with the "C" being replaced by a "K" as per Mortal Kombat tradition), as in the devices used by the actors to capture the movements of characters. The character had been added late in Deadly Alliance's development, so he lacked many character-specific features such as his own fighting styles, a weapon stance, and a Fatality.[42][44] However, he is slightly compensated with three fighting styles instead of two (just like Blaze). Mokap is a tribute to Carlos Pesina, the actor who played Raiden early in the series.[42]
Mokap ("a f-ing guy with balls on his body") was ranked as second worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12]
Moloch is the only known ally of his Oni counterpart, Drahmin. Unlike Drahmin however, distorted and consumed by rage as he may be, Moloch has most likely always been a demon from the Netherrealm. The sorcerer Quan Chi confronts Moloch and Drahmin with an offer to free them from the Netherrealm if they protect him from the ninja spectre Scorpion. It is no surprise to Moloch that Drahmin accepts the offer and so they smash Scorpion whenever he came near Quan Chi. He appears as the sub-boss to MK:DA. Like many bosses, he is immune to being thrown and most projectile attacks.
Nitara, the only vampire in the Mortal Kombat series, spends a long time trying to find a mysterious orb that binds her realm to Outworld before actually discovering its location. The orb, however, was inaccessible to her, submerged under molten lava. At one point she tricks the Outer World Investigation Agency agent Cyrax into retrieving the orb after sending Reptile to attack him. Nitara smashes the orb into pieces on the floor, separating her realm from Outworld at last. The ordeal knocks her unconscious, but when she awakens, she is home.[45] She then makes it her mission to protect the realm's fragile stability.[34] During the events of MK: Armageddon, mass genocides of her people begin to occur in her realm. Nitara is sent by her people's elders to a crater in Edenia to find a prophesied force of great power that could destroy the murderer's blade. While traveling there, she comes upon the demon Ashrah, the blade's possessor. To protect the rest of her race, Nitara lures Ashrah out of her realm and continues to Edenia, planning to bring her attacker to the Edenian weapon where it may be used against her.
Nitara's character in Konquest Mode makes many references to different classic heavy metal bands and songs, such as Def Leppard (which is where her primary style, "Leopard" is derived from), Journey, KISS (also used to describe her alternate costume in Armageddon), Guns n' Roses and Scorpions.
Ashrah, a demon from the Netherrealm with the appearance of an elegant and humble woman, dressed in a white outfit with a large hat attached with a veil covering the back of her head. She was once a member of Quan Chi's Brotherhood of Shadow, which worshiped the fallen Elder God Shinnok. One day, Ashrah refuses to carry out one of Quan Chi's orders. In response, he sends her sister to kill her. While escaping in the Netherrealm, she finds a holy sword known as a "Kriss" that cleanses her spirit of evil with each kill. What she does not know is that the blade is actually the "Datusha", a mystical vampire-slaying weapon that corrupts its wielder with the false belief that they are using it to fight vampires and other demons. She searches for Noob Saibot, whom she considers to be a powerful demon, because doing so would enable her to complete her ascension. Ashrah's MK: Armageddon bio explains that, after slaying a multitude of demons in the Netherrealm, she transcends that plane of hell and emerges in an unfamiliar realm, surrounded by celestial beings. The celestial beings make her into their chosen warrior - who would ascend, becoming "an angel of light", once she uses the weapon to "consume the darkness". After submitting to their will, Ashrah is transported to Vaeternus to start slaying the vampire race, whom she sees as vile beings. She is defeated by Nitara, but then escapes to Edenia seeking Blaze's power in order to destroy Nitara and gain ascension. She also assumes that destroying Ermac would help her gain ascension, because his powers are common in the Neatherrealm even though he is a force of good. Ever since they met, Ashrah has always despised, and may be envious, of Ermac.[9]
Dairou was once a highly respected Seidan guardsman, much like Hotaru, but he is imprisoned when he kills the man who he was led to believe murdered his family. He eventually escapes from prison during a riot caused by the resistance led by Darrius. After escaping, he no longer follows the Seiden law and becomes a mercenary. In Deceptions Konquest mode, Dairou is hired to free Shujinko from prison. In the present, he has been hired by Darrius to steal the constitution of Seido and to kill Hotaru. It is unknown if Dairou really did kill Hotaru, but both returned in Armageddon.
Darrius made his debut appearance in MK:Deception. A former Seidan Guardsman who became disillusioned with the oppressive nature of Seido, the Realm of Order, Darrius leads a resistance movement which seeks to overthrow Orderrealm's senate. He takes advantage of the strict laws of Orderrealm to manipulate individuals into joining his movement. One tactic is to have a Guardsman's (apparently Dairou) family murdered, to drive him to retaliate and be expelled from the Guard. They are then ripe for induction. During Deception, he hires fellow former guardsman Dairou to steal the Seidan government's Declaration of Order, a scroll depicting its laws.
Darrius was ranked as sixth worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12]
Havik is a cleric from Chaosrealm. Neither good or evil, his ambitions are to spread discord and he allies himself with those who can further his ends, regardless of their goals. He is a frequent troublemaker in Orderrealm, where he forms an alliance with the revolutionary Darrius, and is heralded as a hero by the populace of the Chaosrealm. He opposes the Dragon King, Onaga, who rules by diktat. Along the way, he encounters a severely wounded Kabal, who has just been defeated by the Red Dragon Mavado. Healing Kabal's injuries, Havik manages to convince Kabal to restore the former glory that the Black Dragon clan once possessed in the name of anomie. He did this in order to promote chaos in Earthrealm. Havik, along with Kabal and his new Black Dragon recruits, Kira and Kobra, ventured into Outworld. There, Havik revealed his plans: lure the heroes into a battle with Onaga, and, once the Dragon King had been defeated, take down or distract the victors of the battle long enough so that Havik could consume Onaga's heart. This would grant him Onaga's ability to resurrect the dead. Havik lures the heroes to the Dragon King as planned and thus put his schemes into motion.
Havik was originally designed as an alternate outfit for Noob Saibot, but was then given a storyline of his own.
Hotaru is a general from Seido, the Realm of Order, and devotes himself to preserving law and order at any cost. So much so that he could be described as a zealot. Hotaru is neutral (equivalent to Havik, who spreads discord and chaos) because he preserves law and order for those of a higher authority whether good, neutral or evil (most notably Onaga, the Dragon King) regardless of their intentions. He first appears halfway through Mortal Kombat: Deception Konquest mode, when Shujinko requires his help. Hotaru then ventures into Outworld to confront Shao Kahn's Tarkatan armies who are laying siege to the walled city of Lei Chen to complete the task Shujinko paid him for. When Shujinko visits him for another task, Hotaru jails him for breaking curfew. Shujinko grows old in Hotaru's jail cells for years, then is broken out by Dairou. Hotaru thinks Shujinko killed the two guards and escaped. They then battle and Shujinko emerges victorious, leaving his old friend lying on the ground. Years later, however, the forces of Hotaru were under the command of Onaga. Believing that this newly resurrected ruler would bring order to the universe, Hotaru helps Onaga's hordes in their attacks and pursues those who would stand against them, such as Sub-Zero. At the time of Deception, Hotaru has set out to bring the Lin Kuei Grandmaster to justice before Onaga. He is, however, unaware that a bounty has been placed on his head. In the past, Hotaru had served as a guardsman for Dairou while he was incarcerated. Dairou now is under contract to murder Hotaru.
Hotaru's corpse can be seen briefly during the story mode intro sequence in Mortal Kombat (2011) in the aftermath of the Armageddon battle.
In the mountains of Afghanistan, Kira disguises herself as a man, and sells weapons to terrorist organizations. During one such transaction in a cave, her gender is revealed, and she has no choice but to fight her way out. Emerging victorious, she encounters Kabal, who was waiting outside to behold the victor. He decides to reconstitute the Black Dragon, and as Kira's cold and calculated moves remind him of the Red Dragon, the organization from which the Black Dragon split. Since the Black Dragon did not have this presence, Kabal offers to make Kira his first recruit. Accepting, Kira devotes herself to her new organization. She then goes with Kabal to New York City to recruit Kobra. According to Kira's MK: Deception ending, Kabal makes her fight Kobra to the death as a test; Kira wins. However, both return in Armageddon.
Kobra is a young warrior from New York City. He's also a wanderer who wants to use his martial arts in a real fight. The thrill and excitement of fighting starts to consume him, and he starts killing opponents. Eventually, he is arrested, having no clue as to how many lives he had destroyed. Kabal and Kira had found out about him and come to induct him into the new Black Dragon syndicate. After killing the officers and escaping, Kabal takes Kira and Kobra to Outworld, where they work for Havik, the cleric of Chaos. He appears in MK:Armageddon's Konquest mode, as Taven's first combatant, protecting a bridge with Kira in the Botan Jungle that Taven needs to cross. Kira abandons Kobra as he starts battling the newcomer, eventually escaping after he fails to stop him. According to Kira's MK: Deception ending, Kabal makes Kira fight Kobra to the death as a test; Kira wins. Kobra somehow returns in Armageddon.
Kobra ("generic white guy") was ranked as fifth worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12]
Monster was originally set as Scorpion's "knight costume" but, Ed Boon felt that it wouldn't fit with Scorpion's character. So they made Monster a character all his own with although he wasn't playable he spoke to Shujinko of the true Champion of the Elder Gods.
A millennium ago, Onaga, also known as The Dragon King, was the ruler of Outworld. Shao Kahn, one of his chief advisors, had him poisoned and took control of Outworld. Onaga actually was able to retain consciousness from beyond the grave. Quite some time before Liu Kang's victory over Shang Tsung at the Mortal Kombat tournament, Onaga communicated through death to Shujinko through an avatar named Damashi (which translates as "Deceiver" or "Deception"). He persuaded Shujinko to embark on a quest to unite the Kamidogu from the six realms, claiming he was carrying out the will of the Elder Gods. When the dragon egg hatches, the egg transfers its energy into Reptile, which fulfills the prophecy of Onaga's return. The Dragon King, as such, uses the transformed body of Reptile as a host. After defeating Quan Chi, Shang Tsung and Raiden, Onaga revives the Earth warriors as his pawns. He forms an alliance with the Tarkatan horde to keep Edenia's army at bay while he searches for the spells that would allow him to fuse the Kamidogu together and grant him supreme power. However, Shujinko defeats Onaga, leaving Onaga with only Shinnok's amulet as his sole form of protection. Then Nightwolf seals Onaga's soul within the realm, separating it from Reptile's body. Some time later, Onaga is approached by Shinnok in the Netherrealm. Shinnok offers to restore Onaga's rule over Outworld if Onaga helps Daegon defeat Blaze and gain godlike power. He is released from his bondage and returned to his own body. In MK: Armageddon Konquest mode, he is seen joining an alliance with Quan Chi, Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn for their plans to destroy Blaze that took place in Edenia.
As a young teenager in Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception, Shujinko is trained by Master Bo' Rai Cho in the art of Kombat. Soon, Shujinko encounters Damashi, who claims to be an emissary of the Elder Gods and tells Shujinko to embark on a quest searching for a Kamidogu from each of six realms. To enable Shujinko to do his bidding, Damashi gives him the ability to absorb fighting styles and special attack patterns of warriors he encounters with great ease. Shujinko's mission takes him more than forty years to complete. Afterward, Damashi reveals himself to be none other than the Dragon King, Onaga, speaking to Shujinko from beyond death. For this, Shujinko assumes full responsibility, and embarks on a desperate quest to destroy Onaga, believing himself the only warrior capable of doing so. After defeating Onaga, Shujinko becomes known as the hero of Outworld. Some time later, Shujinko deliberately allows himself to be captured by Mileena to get closer to Shao Kahn, Onaga, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi, whom he plans to defeat. Shujinko also appears in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as a much older figure.
Shujinko was ranked as eight worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011.[12]
The main antagonist of MK: Armageddon Konquest mode, Edenian half-god Daegon is the evil younger brother of Taven, and the second son of the Edenian protector god Argus and the prophet Delia. When Delia foretold the future of the realms as Armageddon, Argus had his sons put into incubation guarded by two dragons. They would be awakened one day to fight Blaze and save the realms from Armageddon. Daegon awoke prematurely due to an error by his guardian dragon. Daegon became unbalanced by the early awakening, and killed his parents after learning the true nature of the quest, forming the Red Dragon Clan. The quest required that both brothers accept a weapon from their father (the Drakeswords) and their armor from their mother. Taven and Daegon eventually reach Edenia, where Daegon is defeated and killed in battle, allowing Taven to fight Blaze.
Taven made his first appearance in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as the game's hero. He is an Edenian half-god and the first son of Argus, the Protector of Edenia, and Delia, a powerful sorceress who has the ability to see into the future. Taven's ability is mainly to control fire, much like his younger brother Daegon. Taven is featured as the main character in Armageddon's Konquest mode. The Konquest Mode revolves around a contest between Taven and his brother Daegon set by their father to save the realms from Armageddon by defeating a creature named Blaze. They are sent to Earthrealm and are kept in incubation by two dragons, until Blaze calls for them to be awakened and the quest to begin. The victor would succeed his father's place, becoming a full god and Protector of Edenia. When Taven is released by his dragon, he finds that Daegon had been awakened centuries ago, killed their parents and formed the Red Dragon clan, in order to locate Blaze sooner, as well as to eliminate Taven. Eventually, Taven defeats Daegon in battle and confronts Blaze. After defeating Blaze, Blaze's powers surged through Taven and he became a full god. In the end, however, because Blaze's design has been corrupted by Onaga's holy men, his victory over Blaze resulted in none of the fighters dying or losing their powers, but instead increasing the powers of the combatants, potentially "exacerbating" the onset of Armageddon. As a result, Taven made it his duty as a new god to delay Armageddon until a solution could be found.
In Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, 11 of the DC Universe characters first appeared, including Superman, Batman, Catwoman, Flash, Joker, Green Lantern, Deathstroke, Lex Luthor, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman and an unlockable character Darkseid.
In MK vs. DC, Shao Kahn and Darkseid accidentally merged as the result of Superman destroying Darkseid's Mother Box and Raiden electro-blasting Shao Kahn at the same time. Dark Kahn, as the resulting being was called, started feeding off the rage of the heroes and kombatants in order to become more powerful. Dark Kahn was eventually returned to Darkseid and Shao Kahn.
Cyber Sub-Zero first appeared in Mortal Kombat 3 as Cyrax's hidden costume. Also referred as Cyber Zero by players; he is a cyborg version of the younger Sub-Zero, known as Unit LK-520 (a numerical play on his name 5 for S, 2 for Z, and 0 for O, or "Zero" itself). In the Story Mode he is taken by the Lin Kuei and transformed instead of Smoke. He is later killed by Sindel.
Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise appeared as Mortal Kombat's fourth downloadable character on August 9, 2011.[46] Unlike in the films, he uses claws on both of his hands in the game for gameplay mechanics.
Kratos is an exclusive playable guest character in Mortal Kombat for the PlayStation 3 version. He has his own special moves, Fatalities, and God of War-styled arena.[47] Most of his moves are based on the attacks he uses in God of War III.
Skarlet is a warrior created by Shao Kahn using sorcery and the blood of countless warriors, only released by Shao Kahn as a last resort. Her sole purpose is to discover Quan Chi's true reason for attendance at the Mortal Kombat tournament.
Skarlet originated as a rumored character in Mortal Kombat II. During the game when choosing Kitana and Mileena, the palette swap would turn to red instead of blue (Kitana) or purple (Mileena) and so create an unnamed red female ninja. Netherrealm Studios confirmed that the name of the character had been decided to be Skarlet,[48][49] and in March 2011, she was announced as one of Mortal Kombat's first two downloadable characters.[50] She uses kodachi swords and kunai knives. She was released for download on June 21, 2011.
These characters were created by fans and sources other than Midway.
Belokk was originally slated for Mortal Kombat Gold but was cut from the final release.[51][52] He was created by Eurocom and, according to Ed Boon, was removed from the game as the developers did not have time to complete him.[53] Nevertheless, Eurocom accidentally sent information about the game with Belokk in it to Game Informer, and as a result, six screenshots of him were leaked to the public in a preview, upon special request.[54]
Well after the home ports of MKII by Probe and Sculptured Software were released, rumors of extra hidden characters started to swirl around these and the original arcade versions despite the fact that all the secrets of the game were known by that time. In all versions of MKII, the background of the Pit II stage depicts palette swaps of Liu Kang - one shrouded in flames and the other wearing black and green pants - as the source of many of these false rumors and were eventually given the names Blaze and Hornbuckle respectively by gamers. Hornbuckle was never named anywhere in Midway's plans because her name is derived from Leanne Hornbuckle of Sculptured Software, who added Hornbuckle Who? to the dozens of other cryptic messages in red text that would appear upon defeating Shao Kahn. The Hornbuckle Who? phrase is exclusive to the SNES port - Sculptured Software added it as a joke to see if fans read the end-game credits.
Nimbus Terrafaux was rumored to be a playable character (a kickboxer) in the first Mortal Kombat game as an unlockable secret character. It was later revealed as a creation of Electronic Gaming Monthly as part of an April Fool's Day joke,[55] though Ed Boon had originally hinted at the character in an interview with the magazine. The magazine then intentionally published false information on this character, complete with doctored screenshots and a fabricated story-line.
Nimbus Terrafaux was named as the series' best hidden character by Game Revolution in 2003.[4]
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