Characters of theMortal Kombatseries

This is a list ofplayableandBoss charactersfrom theMortal Kombatfighting gamefranchise and the games in which they appear. Created byEd BoonandJohn Tobias,the series depicts conflicts between various realms. Most characters fight on behalf of their realm, with the primary heroes defendingEarthrealmagainst conquering villains from Outworld and the Netherrealm. Early installments feature the characters participating in the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament to decide their realm's fate. In later installments, Earthrealm is often invaded by force.

Sixty of theMortal Kombatfranchise's characters featured inArmageddon(2006)

A total of 77 playable fighters have been featured in the series, in addition to unplayable Boss es and guest characters. Much of the franchise's mainstays were introduced during the first three games. Nearly all of the characters have been killed at a point in the story, but have rarely stayed dead.

Introduced inMortal Kombat(1992)

See also:Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)

Goro

Portrayed by:Tom Woodruff Jr.(1995 film)

Voiced by: Herman Sanchez (MK4); Ken Lally (2011 game);Vic Chao(MKX,MK1);Kevin Michael Richardson(1995 film,Scorpion's Revenge);Ron Feinberg(The Journey Begins);Angus Sampson(2021 film)

Goro is the sub- Boss of the firstMortal Kombatgame. He is a Shokan, a half-human, half-dragon race distinguished by his four arms and enormous size. He became Grand Champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament after defeating theGreat Kung Lao,and held the title for the next 500 years as part of evil sorcererShang Tsung's plan to manipulate the tournament in order to achieve Outworld emperorShao Kahn's goal of dominance of Earthrealm. However, these plans were thwarted when the Earthrealm warriorLiu Kangdefeated both Goro and Shang Tsung, allowing Earthrealm to regain control of the tournament. Goro disappeared thereafter and was believed to be dead. InMortal Kombat II,Goro is succeeded by another member of his race,Kintaro,and is not seen again until the 1996 compilation gameMortal Kombat Trilogy,in which all the characters from the first three series games were playable. Goro was initially omitted fromMortal Kombat 4(1997), but was included as a sub- Boss in the home versions of the game.

In the training mode ofMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance(2002), Goro is mortally wounded and presumed dead. In the 2004 follow-up gameMortal Kombat: Deception,he has been saved from death by Shao Kahn, with the promise of returning his fellow Shokan to their former glory and the banishment of their archenemies, the Centaurs, in exchange for his allegiance, and resumes his place at Shao Kahn's side. Goro was not playable in either game. He is a Boss character in the 2005beat 'em uptitleMortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.In the 2011Mortal Kombatseries reboot, Goro resumes his role as the sub- Boss of the Shaolin Tournament from the first game, and is again defeated by Liu Kang in the story mode. He is playable in the 2015 titleMortal Kombat X(2015) as a bonus pre-order character, again serving as a sub- Boss in the game's arcade-ladder mode. InMortal Kombat 11(2019), Goro's corpse appears in the story mode and in his "Lair" stage during gameplay. Goro appears inMortal Kombat 1as an assist character, or "Kameo Fighter", and via a minor appearance in the story mode as a member of General Shao's army.

Goro's original design was as a two-armed humanoid character namedRokuro,a member of "a race of demon warriors" who would join the tournament "to restore the pride and respect of his race".Series creatorsEd BoonandJohn Tobiasdrew design inspiration from thestop motionadventure films ofRay Harryhausen,especially his depiction ofKaliinThe Golden Voyage of Sinbadin redesigning Goro with four arms.He was originally named "Gongoro" before his final name was determined, and was constructed as a stop-motion clay figurine that eventually fell apart after excessive use in capturing its movements for the game.

Goro has a prominent role inMalibu Comics'Mortal Kombatseries that followed the events of the first game, and was the subject of the 1994 three-issue miniseriesGoro: Prince of Pain.In the 2015DC ComicsMortal Kombat Xprequel series, he is featured in a subplot that shows him fighting and being maimed by Kotal Kahn in a battle for the Outworld throne.Goro is the reigning champion in the 1995 filmMortal Kombatthat follows the events of the original game, and was a life-sizedanimatronicmodel that cost over $1 million to construct and required over a dozen puppeteers to operate.Goro again reprised his role as the defending tournament champion in the 2020 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revengethat retold the events of the original game, but was a supporting villain in the 2021 live-action reboot filmMortal Kombat,in which he was computer-generated.

Goro has received positive critical reception for his formidableness as a Boss character in the games,but his cinematic portrayals, particularly in the 2021 film, have been negatively received.Michael Kennedy ofScreen Rantcommented in 2021, "While the puppetry used to bring Goro to life [in the 1995 film] had its limitations, Goro played a vital role in the story, serving as a major roadblock to thunder god Raiden's defense of Earthrealm. While he returned inMortal Kombat2021, his inclusion felt more like an afterthought than anything. "

Johnny Cage

Main article:Johnny Cage

Kano

Portrayed by: Richard Divizio (MK—MK3); Sorin Brouwers (MKvsDC,MK9); Derek Pratt (MK11);Trevor Goddard(1995 film);Darren Shahlavi(Legacy);Josh Lawson(2021 film)

Voiced by: David Allen (2000–2006);Michael McConnohie(2008–2015);JB Blanc(MK11);Michael Des Barres(Defenders of the Realm);Robin Atkin Downes(Scorpion's Revenge);David Wenham(Snow Blind)

Kano is first depicted in theMortal Kombatcanonas a Japanese-born American (Australianin later games.) who was the leader of the Black Dragon criminal empire and a wanted man in thirty-five countries.He enters the Shaolin tournament in the originalMortal KombatGame after hearing rumors that tournament hostShang Tsung's palace was filled with gold and other riches, with the intention of looting it for the Black Dragon. However, he is fervently pursued by U.S. Special Forces officerSonya Blade,who holds a personal grudge against Kano that was left unspecified in the game's storyline. He evades capture by leaping onto Shang Tsung'sjunkbound for the tournament. When Sonya tracks him onto the private island, she is captured and forced to compete. She and Kano are among the competition's few survivors, and during the final battle between Shang Tsung and Shaolin monkLiu Kang,Sonya reluctantly teams up with Kano to fight off the Shokan PrinceGoro.During their battle, the island immediately self-destructs following Shang Tsung's defeat, trapping Kano and Sonya in the otherworldly dimension Outworld.Kano is unplayable inMortal Kombat II(1993), in which he and Sonya are both captured and chained on display in Outworld emperorShao Kahn's arena.

InMortal Kombat 3(1995), Kano escapes the Special Forces' clutches once again, and convinces Shao Kahn to spare his soul at the outset of the tyrant's invasion of Earth on the grounds that he can teach his armies how to use Earthrealm weaponry.

Kano was omitted fromMortal Kombat 4in favor of new characterJarek,but returns inMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance(2002). He and Sheeva hatch a plan to assassinate Shao Kahn, but Kano turns on her by preventing the attack. As a reward, he is promoted to general of Outworld's reduced army and manages to repel PrincessKitanaand her Edenian-Shokan army. However, after a weakened Kahn is killed by the titular Deadly Alliance of Shang Tsung andQuan Chi,Kano declares his allegiance to them. He is assigned to oversee the enslavement of a small village that constructs a temple overOnaga's tomb to house a Soulnado. During its construction, Kano is assaulted byLi Mei,but Quan Chi intervenes, as the Alliance had made a deal with the Red Dragon leaderMavadoto eliminate the swordsmanKenshiin exchange for the opportunity to fight and defeat Kano.

Kano appears in the 2000 spin-offplatform gameMortal Kombat: Special Forces,in which he is not playable but is featured in the storyline, freeing fellow Black Dragon cohorts No Face, Tasia, Jarek, andTremorfrom a Special Forces security facility under the pretense that they would reform the organization, though he really intended to use them as pawns to slow down any Special Forces agents who might pursue him. They kill an entire Special Forces unit during the prison break before Kano heads to Outworld, where he recovers the Eye of Chitian, an artifact through which he would acquire incredible power. While Special Forces MajorJax Briggsgets ahold of the object first and transports himself and Kano back to Earthrealm, the latter soon escapes custody.

Kano joins the then-entire playable roster inMortal Kombat: Armageddon(2006). In the game's training mode, the demigodTavenfinds him being held prisoner by the Red Dragon Clan. Before escaping their facilities, Kano explains to Taven that the Red Dragon had been experimenting on him and their clansmen in an effort to create genetically engineered dragons and human-dragon hybrids. He is one of elevenMortal Kombatcharacters representing theMortal Kombatfranchise in the 2008 crossover fighting gameMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.

In the 2011Mortal Kombatreboot that retells the stories of the first three games, Kano is the Black Dragon leader who tricked the Special Forces by acting as an informant and deliberately feeding them falseintelligencethat led to the deaths of many of Sonya and Jax's comrades, establishing their vendetta against him. During the events of the first Shaolin tournament, Kano battles Sonya following her fight with the pompous actorJohnny Cage,but he is defeated.While Kano is later beaten by Sonya again after Shang Tsung presents him to her as a challenge, the tournament host forbids her from arresting him.Following this, Kano becomes Shao Kahn's arms supplier, giving his armies Earthrealm weaponry for his impending invasion.AfterKabal,a reformed Black Dragon member turnedSWATofficer, is severely burned byKintaro,Kano takes him away to restore his health alongside Shang Tsung and outfit him with a respirator, mask, and hookswords in spite of his former ally's defection. However, Kabal is mortified by his condition and furious at Kano for siding against Earthrealm, so he bests him in combat and forces him to take him to Shao Kahn before knocking Kano out. Kano later joins Goro and Kintaro in holding a group of soldiers hostage before being frozen by the cyborgSub-Zero.However, Kano manages to free himself and informs his allyNoob Saibotthat Sub-Zero broke free of his controller,Sektor.

InMortal Kombat X,Kano infiltrates the Shaolin Temple and steals the fallen Elder GodShinnok's amulet for Shao Kahn's daughter,Mileena,to assist in a civil war against Outworld's new ruler, Kotal Kahn. He attempts to distract the new Kahn while Mileena sets up an ambush, but Kotal realizes Kano is going to betray him and defeats the criminal. After he defeats Mileena, Kano retreats to Earthrealm. He infiltrates an Outworld refugee camp but is caught by Kenshi and Sonya, who take him into custody.

InMortal Kombat 11(2019), Kano aligns himself with the keeper of timeKronika.To assist her further by fi xing and mass-producing Sektor, she brings in a younger version of Kano.The two Kanos attack the Special Forces base and kidnap younger versions of Johnny and Sonya to force them to fight for the Black Dragon's entertainment before Sonya's daughterCassie Cagerescues them. Sonya kills the younger Kano, erasing the present version from existence.

Kano was the final fighter added to the first game, with his role as the enemy of the female character Sonya.He was initially namedKao,and his faceplate came from being shot while escaping Sonya in an early plannedSpecial Forces game.Kano's bionic metal faceplate was inspired byArnold Schwarzenegger'scharacterinThe Terminator,with the infrared eye added digitally.

Liu Kang

Main article:Liu Kang

Raiden

Main article:Raiden (Mortal Kombat)

Reptile

Main article:Reptile (Mortal Kombat)

Scorpion

Main article:Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)

Shang Tsung

Main article:Shang Tsung

Sonya Blade

Main article:Sonya Blade

Sub-Zero

Main article:Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)

Introduced inMortal Kombat II

See also:Mortal Kombat II

Baraka

Portrayed by: Richard Divizio (MKII); Sean Okerberg (MKvsDCU); Dennis Keiffer (Annihilation);Lateef Crowder(Rebirth); Fraser Aitcheson (Legacy); CJ Bloomfield (Mortal Kombat 2)

Voiced by: Dan Forden (MKG); Eric Wackerfuss (MK:D); Dan Washington (MKvsDCU); Bob Carter (MK9);Greg Eagles(MKX);Steve Blum(2019-present)

Baraka is a member of a lowly Outworld race called the Tarkatans, who are known for their violent and unpredictable behavior and characterized by long gnashing teeth and a set of forearm-implanted retractable blades. He spearheads the attack onLiu Kang's Shaolin temple following the conclusion of the first Mortal Kombat tournament, which in turn lures Liu Kang into Outworld to seek vengeance. InMortal Kombat Trilogy,he is a member ofShao Kahn's forces that takes part in the invasion of Earthrealm.Baraka is not playable in the next fighting installment,Mortal Kombat 4(1997), but was added to the roster of the 2000Sega Dreamcast-exclusive upgradeMortal Kombat Gold,in whichQuan Chioffers him a chance to rule the Outworld realm of Edenia by his side if he agrees to join the fallen Elder God Shinnok's army. While Baraka accepts, he secretly plans to betray his new masters. InMortal Kombat: Deception,Baraka and the remainder of his Tarkatan (formerly "Nomad" ) race ally themselves with the arisen Dragon King Onaga, and recruits the mutant cloneMileenainto Onaga's ranks in order to pose as Kitana. While Baraka is playable along with the entire series roster inMortal Kombat: Armageddon(2006), he was not among the seventeen characters therein who received an official biography by Midway and he played no part in the game's storyline.

Baraka is a recurring foe in the story mode of 2011Mortal Kombatreboot, in which the events of the first three games are retold, and he is defeated byJohnny Cage,Cyrax,Jax,andJade.In the retold storyline ofMortal Kombat II,he leads his Tarkatan armies in an invasion of Earthrealm. He is not playable inMortal Kombat X,but appears in the game's story mode when his fellow Tarkatans aidD'Vorahin loading captive Shaolin monks before they are confronted and defeated by Raiden, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao. In a flashback sequence, Baraka serves under then-Outworld ruler Mileena alongside D'Vorah, but during a meeting with the Osh-TekkKotal Kahn,Baraka is killed after D'Vorah betrays Mileena. InMortal Kombat 11,a past version of Baraka is brought to the present by the keeper of timeKronika.After learning of his death and Kotal Kahn rendering the Tarkatans to near-extinction, he initially allies himself with Kronika and a similarly time-displaced Shao Kahn.However, Kitana convinces him to aid her in rescuing Kotal, and he and the Tarkatans take part in Kitana's battle against Shao Kahn and in the final battle against Kronika.

In the new third timeline depicted in 2023Mortal Kombat 1,he was once a well-respected Outworld merchant prior to becoming a leader of the Tarkatans, a species of mutated individuals who are exposed to the mysterious Tarkat virus and outcast to a disarrayed Outworld colony.

The character was first conceived byMortal Kombatco-creatorJohn Tobiasas a "savage barbarian demon warrior" who was initially planned to be in the firstMortal Kombatgame.He was visualized forMKIIwith aNosferatumask adorned with silver-painted false fingernails serving as his teeth, while his arm blades were constructed from silver cardboard.

Baraka appears briefly in the 1997 feature filmMortal Kombat Annihilation,played by stuntman Dennis Keiffer. He has no dialogue and is killed in a fight scene with Liu Kang, and is only identified by name in the closing credits.In the 2010 short filmMortal Kombat: Rebirth,Baraka is played by martial artistLateef Crowderand depicted in the film's alternate modern setting as a psychotic formerplastic surgeonnamed "Dr. Alan Zane", who surgically attaches a pair of long metal blades to his forearms. He later kills Jax's undercover operative,Johnny Cage,in a fight.These changes were not carried over into the 2011 web seriesMortal Kombat: Legacy,in which he was played by Fraser Aitcheson and was reverted to his original Outworld origins.Baraka makes a brief appearance in the 2021 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge,in which he has no dialogue and is killed in a fight against Cage. CJ Bloomfield will play the character in the feature filmMortal Kombat 2.

In 2009, Baraka ranked third onGameDaily's list of the "top ten ugliest game characters".Dan Ryckert ofGame Informer,in 2010, noted him among the characters wanted for the 2011 reboot game, as he felt that "people love Baraka" yet noted his absence in subsequent releases since his series debut.Baraka has otherwise received positive reception from gaming media outlets for his characterand Fatalities.

Jade

Main article:Jade (Mortal Kombat)

Jax

Main article:Jax (Mortal Kombat)

Kintaro

Voiced by:Rhasaan Orange(2011 game),Dave B. Mitchell(Battle of the Realms)

Kintaro is the sub- Boss for bothMortal Kombat IIand also in the2011 reboot.He is also the penultimate Boss of Mortal KombatShaolin Monks.A Shokan, he shares his species' four arms and imposing size, but is distinguished by histiger-like stripes. Kintaro participates inShao Kahn's attempt to conquer Earthrealm during the second game's tournament, in which he is defeated byLiu Kang.In the reboot, he is defeated byKung Laoduring the tournament. The reboot also establishes him as being responsible for Kabal's injuries. In the 2015Mortal Kombat Xprequel comic, Kintaro is killed bySonya Bladewhile she is under Havik's control.

The character was astop-motionclay figure whose design was inspired by theJapanese mythologicalcharacterKintarō.He was initially conceived forMKIIas an anthropomorphic fur-lined bipedal tiger, but the concept was scrapped due to the difficulty of creating such a complicated outfit.According to series co-creatorJohn Tobias,Kintaro was redesigned as a "Goro spinoff"who was possibly a Shokan general, but not royalty.

Kintaro appears in the animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms,voiced byDave B. Mitchell.

Kintaro has received a middling reception due to his minor role in the series and is often unfavorably compared to Goro;UGO Networksopined in 2012 that Kintaro "serves no real purpose except for being a reskinned Goro whose sole purpose is to avenge the aforementioned's death" in the conclusion of the original game.Game Informer,in 2021, rated him 56th among the series' 76 playable characters: "Kintaro’s arrival wasn’t as impactful as Goro's since the Shokan Boss thing had already been done before. NetherRealm also seems content with giving him more and more feline attributes in place of a personality."Den of Geekwrote that he "has virtually no story to speak of outside of the [MK9] retcon ".His "Reverse Rip" from the reboot was rated 35th byPrima Gamesin their 2014 list of the series' top fifty Fatalities.

Kitana

Main article:Kitana

Kung Lao

Main article:Kung Lao

Mileena

Main article:Mileena

Noob Saibot

Portrayed by:Daniel Pesina(MKII); John Turk (UMK3,MK4); Lawrence Kern (2011 game,MK11);J. J. Perry(Annihilation); Kimball Uddin (Conquest),Joe Taslim(Mortal Kombat 2)

Voiced by:Ed Boon(MK:D);Jamieson Price(2011 game);Sean Chiplock(MK11);Kaiji Tang(MK1)

Noob Saibot is an undead wraith from the Netherrealm and a member of a cult called the Brotherhood of the Shadow who worships a fallen Elder God, later revealed to beShinnok.InMortal Kombat: Deception,he discovers, reactivates, and reprograms the cyborg ninjaSmoke,intending to use his body as the basis for an undead cyborg army. In his ending, he is revealed to be a resurrectedBi-Han,who previously operated asSub-Zerobefore he was killed byScorpion.InMortal Kombat(2011), Saibot is resurrected off-screen by Quan Chi and Shao Kahn. While defending the former's "Soulnado", Saibot is defeated by his brother and new Sub-Zero Kuai Liang and presumed dead after being pulled into the Soulnado. InMortal Kombat 11,Saibot resurfaces as a servant ofKronika,having gained increased power. In the new timeline depicted inMortal Kombat 1's DLC expansionKhaos Reigns(2024), Bi-Han is captured by Titan Havik, who converts him into Saibot.

The character's name comes from the last names ofMortal Kombat's creators,Ed BoonandJohn Tobias,spelled backwards. Saibot first appeared inMortal Kombat II(MKII) as a non-playable hidden character and a solid-blackpalette swapof the game's other male ninja characters, whom players could fight after winning fifty straight matches. Spurred by the positive reaction to the hidden characterReptilefrom the first game, Boon added Saibot toMKIIwithout Tobias' knowledge, though Tobias would later create the character's initial backstory as a Netherrealm wraith.

He makes a cameo appearance inMortal Kombat Annihilation,played byJ. J. Perry,and in a self-titled episode ofMortal Kombat: Conquest,played by martial artist Kimball Uddin.

Noob Saibot has received positive critical reception,and particularly for his "Make a Wish" Fatality from the 2011 reboot game.In July 2011,The Daily Show'sJon Stewartplayed a video of the finisher while explaining theU.S. Supreme Court's ruling that theESRBcould regulate video games without government intervention.

Shao Kahn

Main article:Shao Kahn

Smoke

Portrayed by:Daniel Pesina(MKII); John Turk (UMK3); Noah Fleder (MK1); Ridley Tsui (Annihilation)

Voiced by:Ed Boon(MKII,UMK3,MK:A); Ken Lally (2011 game);Andrew Bowen(MKX);Jeremy Ratchford(Defenders of the Realm);Matthew Mercer(Battle of the Realms);Yuri Lowenthal(MK1)

Smoke debuted inMortal Kombat II(MKII) as a non-playable hidden character who emanates smoke from his body and randomly appears at the start of a match to provide vague clues on how to find and fight him, for which specific requirements had to be met by players. Appearing as an unlockable playable character inMortal Kombat 3(MK3), he is stated to be a Lin Kuei assassin who works withKuai Liang / Sub-Zero.After their clan starts turning their best warriors into cyborgs, Smoke attempts to join Kuai Liang in leaving the Lin Kuei. However, the former is captured, converted, and forced to hunt the latter against his will. With Kuai Liang's help, Smoke discovers he still retains his soul and aids him in defeating Lin Kuei cyborgsCyraxandSektor,only to be captured byShao Kahn's forces. During the events ofMortal Kombat: Deception,Smoke is reactivated and reprogrammed byNoob Saibotinto serving him as his ally and template for an army of cyber-demons. InMortal Kombat: Armageddon,Smoke helps Saibot stage an assault on a Lin Kuei temple in Arctika until he is defeated byTaven.

InMortal Kombat(2011), during whichRaidencreates a new timeline while attempting to avert the events ofArmageddon,Smoke is rewritten to becomeTomas Vrbada,aCzechmember of the Lin Kuei who can transform into his namesake. As a child, he was kidnapped by a cult who sought to sacrifice him to a demon, only for Smoke to become anenenraand slay the cultists.In the present, Smoke is chosen by Raiden to help him stop Shao Kahn from taking over Earthrealm. Though Raiden saves Smoke from becoming a cyborg, Kuai Liang is converted in his place before Smoke is killed by Shao Kahn's queenSindel.Following this, Smoke is resurrected byQuan Chias an undead revenant, a role he fulfills while making a minor non-playable appearance inMortal Kombat X(MKX). Additionally, the downloadable playable character Triborg possesses a form based on Smoke's cyborg form.

InMortal Kombat 1(MK1), in which Fire GodLiu Kangcreates a third new timeline, Tomas / Smoke is rewritten once more to become an adoptive brother to Bi-Han / Sub-Zero and Kuai Liang /Scorpionafter Smoke's family was killed for accidentally trespassing on Lin Kuei grounds. Though he lacks supernatural abilities, Smoke is skilled in practical magic. After Bi-Han betrays them to join forces withShang Tsung,Smoke joins Kuai Liang in breaking off to found the Shirai Ryu clan to oppose him.

Smoke, based on hisMK3portrayal, appears in theMortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realmepisode "Old Friends Never Die". He appears inMortal Kombat Annihilation,in which he is killed in battle by Liu Kang.

Smoke has received mostly positive reception,while his "Earth Detonation" Fatality fromMK3has been noted by critics for its outlandish nature.

Introduced inMortal Kombat 3and updates

See also:Mortal Kombat 3,Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,andMortal Kombat Trilogy

Chameleon

Portrayed by: John Turk (MKT)

Voiced by:Ed Boon(MKT)

Chameleon is a mysterious warrior who possesses the abilities of all the franchise' male ninjas. He is distinguished by his partially transparent appearance and an outfit that constantly changes its colors. Chameleon appeared in thePlayStation,Sega Saturn,andPCversions ofMortal Kombat Trilogywith no biography or ending; he is instead only referred to as "one of Shao Kahn's deadliest warriors".HisArmageddonending is also vague, revealing only that he had sought to become Mortal Kombat champion since the events of the first game.

The character was ranked 32nd inUGO's 2012 selection of the top fifty series characters, who wrote "They say copying is a form of flattery, so Chameleon makes our list."Complexrated him tenth in their 2011 selection of the series' ten "most underrated characters",butIGN's Mitchell Saltzman listed Chameleon and Khameleon as two of the worstMortal Kombatcharacters. "Unlike all of the other ninja palette swaps that eventually gained their own identity and playstyle, both Chameleons... feel more like gimmicks than anything."

Cyrax

Portrayed by: Sal Divita (MK3,UMK3);Shane Warren Jones(Legacy)

Voiced by:Rhasaan Orange(2011 game);Ike Amadi(MK11);Artt Butler(Battle of the Realms);Enuka Okuma(MK1)

Cyrax is an assassin andBotswananmember of the Lin Kuei clan who agreed to become a cyborg. First appearing inMortal Kombat 3,he and fellow cyborg Sektor are tasked with finding and killing former memberKuai Liang.Amidst Outworld emperorShao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm however, Cyrax is captured by Kuai Liang, who reprograms him to help him defeat Shao.InMortal Kombat Gold(2000), Cyrax experiences flashbacks of his former life asSonya BladeandJax Briggsbring him to the Outer World Investigation Agency (OIA) headquarters to restore his humanity. In return, Cyrax joins the agency as a scout.InMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance,Cyrax encounters the vampireNitara,who offers to help him return to Earthrealm in exchange for his assistance in findingOnaga's egg.

InMortal Kombat(2011), followingRaiden's alterations to the timeline, Cyrax is rewritten to become a humanTswanamember of the Lin Kuei who relies on hischiand opposes the "Cyber Initiative". Nonetheless, he is captured and forcibly converted off-screen.He and Sektor later capture Kuai Liang and take him to be converted as well before aligning themselves with Shao Kahn and assisting him in his invasion of Earthrealm, only to be defeated byNightwolf.As ofMortal Kombat 11,Cyrax joined forces withKronikato help Sektor bolster her forces with more cyborgs. However, Kuai Liang andHanzo Hasashidefeat Cyrax, causing him to realize what happened to him, then convince him to help them stop her instead. Though Kuai Liang promises to help restore him, Cyrax chooses to sacrifice himself to destroy Sektor's cyber factory.

Two incarnations of Cyrax appear inMortal Kombat 1.The original appears as an assist character, or "Kameo Fighter", while a female incarnation appears as a downloadable playable character via theKhaos ReignsDLC. After Fire GodLiu Kangcreates another new timeline while stopping Kronika, Cyrax was rewritten once more to become aNigerienLin Kuei clanswoman and Sektor's apprentice who wears apowered suitdeveloped by the latter. Initially believing her grandmaster Bi-Han's deception, she later discovers his corrupt nature and defects to the Shirai Ryu.

The original Cyrax appears in theMortal Kombat: Legacyepisode "Cyrax & Sektor", played byShane Warren Jones.

According to John Tobias, Cyrax and the cyber ninjas were inspired by thePredatorandBoba Fett.

The original Cyrax was included inGamesRadar's 2011 list of "gaming's most malicious machines",andComplexranked him the fourth-coolest robot in video games in 2012.His episode ofLegacywas well received,but critical reaction to his Fatalities has been mixed.

Ermac

Main article:Ermac

Kabal

Portrayed by: Richard Divizio (MK3,UMK3andMKT); Carlos Pesina (MK:D, MK:A); Daniel Nelson (2021 film)

Voiced by: Jarod Pranno (MK:A);David Lodge(2011 game); Jonathan Cahill (MK11);Kevin Michael Richardson(Defenders of the Realm);Damon Herriman(2021 film);Keith Silverstein(Snow Blind)

Kabal is a former member ofKano's Black Dragon crime syndicate and one ofRaiden's champions in defending Earthrealm who was attacked, maimed, and scarred byShao Kahn's extermination squads. As a result, Kabal was forced to wear a respirator to survive and left the Black Dragon. Following an appearance as a non-playable character (NPC) inMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance,Kabal returns inMortal Kombat: Deception,in which he is tasked byHavikwith restoring the Black Dragon. In pursuit of this, he recruits arms dealerKiraand martial artist turned killerKobra.InMortal Kombat: Armageddon,Kabal confronts the demigodTavenand offers the latter membership into the Black Dragon, but is defeated.

InMortal Kombat(2011), after Raiden alters the timeline to avert the events ofArmageddon,Kabal is rewritten to become a former Black Dragon member who became aNYPDriot control officer partnered withKurtis Stryker.Amidst Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm, Kabal is grievously injured byKintaroand kidnapped by Kano, who nurses him back to health with help from the sorcererShang Tsungand outfits him with a respirator due to his lungs being damaged beyond repair. Kabal eventually escapes to join Raiden and his champions in defending Earthrealm, only to be killed by Shao's queen,Sindeland converted by the necromancerQuan Chiinto one of his undead revenant slaves. In this state, Kabal makes minor appearances inMortal Kombat X,in which he appears as an NPC, andMortal Kombat 11,which additionally features a young time-displaced Kabal who had yet to leave the Black Dragon.

Kabal appears in theMortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realmepisode "Amends", which is based on hisMK3backstory; the script forMortal Kombat Annihilationbefore he was cut during production;Mortal Kombat(2021) as one of Shang Tsung's champions before he is killed byLiu Kang;andMortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blindas a member of the Black Dragon.

Kabal was originally nicknamed "Sandman" during production ofMK3before his name was determined.According toMortal Kombatco-creatorJohn Tobias,Kabal's overall design was inspired by theTusken RaidersfromStar Warswhile his mask's circular lenses were inspired by 1940s-style aviator goggles.Tobias, however, expressed his dissatisfaction with Kabal's original design in a 2012 interview.

Kabal has received mostly positive critical reception,but received notoriety for being overpowered inMK3,while response to his Fatalities throughout his series appearances has been mixed.

Khameleon

Portrayed by: Becky Gable (MKT)

Voiced by: Johanna Añonuevo (Armageddon),Courtenay Taylor(MK1)

Khameleon is a Zaterran who possesses the abilities of the franchise's female ninjas. She is the last known female of her race. She was introduced in theNintendo 64version ofMortal Kombat Trilogy.Due to Shao Kahn's role in her race's near extinction, Khameleon seeks revenge against him. Khameleon was the franchise's only previously playable character excluded in the original release ofArmageddon,but was added to theWiiversion.Series art director Steve Beran acknowledged that she was included inArmageddondue to heavy fan demand.

In the new timeline depicted inMortal Kombat 1,Khameleon is a Saurian and the first of her kind to join the Umgadi, warrior priestesses who guard Outworld's royal family.Additionally, she also appears as a downloadable assist character, or "Kameo Fighter".

The character placed 33rd in UGO's selection of the top fifty series characters,butIGN's Mitchell Saltzman listed Khameleon with Chameleon among the series' worst. "Unlike all of the other ninja palette swaps that eventually gained their own identity and playstyle, both Chameleons... feel more like gimmicks than anything."

Motaro

Portrayed by:Deron McBee(Annihilation)

Motaro is aCentaurianfrom Outworld who possesses immense strength, the ability to teleport, fire energy blasts from his tail, and deflect incoming projectiles. First appearing as a sub- Boss inMortal Kombat 3and its updates, he leads Shao Kahn's extermination squads during his invasion of Earthrealm.Motaro returns inMortal Kombat: Armageddonas aminotaurdue to a curse on his species placed by the Shokan.

Motaro makes minor non-speaking appearances inMortal Kombat(2011) andMortal Kombat 1(MK1), with the former seeing him being killed by Raiden and the latter seeing him serve as a member of General Shao's rebellion.Additionally, Motaro appears as an unlockable assist character, or "Kameo Fighter", in MK1 and his quadrupedal physique was restored for both games.

Motaro has also appeared inMortal Kombat Annihilation,Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm,andMortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge.

John Tobiassaid that Motaro was inspired by aMicronautstoy figure of Baron Karza, which could be turned into a centaur by combining the toy with a horse figure packaged alongside it.Described byEd Boonas one of the "oddest shaped"Mortal Kombatcharacters, Motaro was nearly excluded fromArmageddondue to the developers' difficulty of compensating for his unique half-horse body shape.With fans desiring to see the character return, the developers removed Motaro's hind legs to allow him in the game.

Motaro placed 31st inUGO's 2012 ranking of the top fiftyMortal Kombatcharacters, noting him being a tough sub- Boss to defeat.Den of Geek ranked Motaro 42nd in their 2015 rating of the franchise's then-64 playable characters.Marcus Stewart ofGame Informerrated Motaro 57th in his 2021 ranking of the 76 playable series characters. "You'd think a centaur would be a cooler character, but Motaro hasn't made a ton of noise since his '90s heyday."The bipedal version of Motaro was criticized by Robert Naytor of Hardcore Gaming 101 andScrewAttack,with the former considering his four legs "the one cool thing he had going for him" and the latter stating that he had lost his most defining trait.

Nightwolf

Main article:Nightwolf

Rain

Portrayed by: John Turk (MKT); Tyrone Wiggins (Annihilation); Percy Brown (Conquest)

Voiced by:Rino Romano(Defenders of the Realm);Andrew Bowen(MKX);Dempsey Pappion (MK11);Noshir Dalal (MK1)

First appearing as a non-player character (NPC) inUltimate Mortal Kombat 3'sattract modebefore becoming a playable character in the home version ofUMK3and the compilation titleMortal Kombat Trilogy(1996), Rain is an Edenian prince who had been smuggled from his homeland amidst Outworld emperor Shao Kahn's takeover. Millennia later, the former resurfaces during Shao's invasion of Earthrealm to join him.Following a minor appearance inMortal Kombat: Deception's (2004) training mode, Rain returns inMortal Kombat: Armageddon(2006),in which he learns from Outworld sorcererQuan Chithat he is a direct descendant of Argus, Edenia's protector god and half-sibling ofTavenandDaegon,both of whom were favored by their father to assume his mantle as Edenia's protector.He later confronts the former, only to be defeated.

Returning as a downloadable playable character inMortal Kombat(2011),Raidenalters the timeline to avert the events ofArmageddon.Due to this, Rain is stated to have been orphaned at a young age during Shao Kahn's invasion of Edenia and raised by Edenian resistance fighters. Growing up, he developed a reputation as an exceptional yet arrogant warrior before betraying his comrades after being refused leadership of the resistance. This caught Shao's attention, who offered Rain a place in his army in exchange for his services.Appearing as an NPC inMortal Kombat X(2015), Rain served as advisor to Shao's successorMileenabefore she was overthrown byKotal Kahn.In the present, Rain attempts to help Mileena reassume the throne, but is thwarted byD'Vorah.Following this, Rain returns as a downloadable playable character once more inMortal Kombat 11.In his ending, he discovers his father Argus betrayed his birth mother Amara by faking his death, leading to her committing suicide while Rain was sold to another family. Swearing vengeance, he leaves his stepmother Delia to suffer a similar fate as Amara.

Rain appears as a playable character inMortal Kombat 1.While creating a second new timeline, Fire GodLiu Kangremoved Rain's divinity and made himZeffeero,an ambitious sorcerer who went on to become High Mage of Outworld's royal court.After aiding in Quan Chi,Shang Tsung,and General Shao's failed attempt to conquer Outworld and Earthrealm,Rain goes into hiding and allies himself withHavik,who has him destroy Orderrealm's capital, Seido. Wracked with guilt over what he did, Rain subsequently turns himself in to Empress Mileena.Additionally, an alternate timeline variant of Rain who became emperor of Outworld and marriedTanyaappears in theKhaos ReignsDLC.

Rain was inspired by the 1984PrincesongPurple Rain,along withMKco-creator Ed Boon, a longtime fan of the musician, also jokingly wondering what color palette had not yet been used for the series' ninja characters at the timeUltimate Mortal Kombat 3was in production.AfterMK Trilogy,the character was given his own distinct designs in future appearances.

Rain has received mixed to negative critical reception for his origins and his Fatalities.UGOranked him 28th out of the series' top 50 characters in 2012.His later appearances were better received;Den of Geekranked Rain 36th in his 2015 rating of the 64 series characters due to hisMK9ending and the expansion of his backstory inArmageddonas "a power-hungry jerk who believed that he was owed everything."GamesRadar+noted his purple palette in the 2011 reboot as "a nice, rarely used color for male fighting game characters", while "his moves are so weird and confounding that they make every match a constant guessing game."Bleeding Coolconsidered Rain'sMK11appearance as his best to date due to his evolved moveset.

Sektor

Portrayed by: Sal Divita (MK3,UMK3);Peter Shinkoda(Legacy)

Voiced by:Andrew Kishino(2011 game);Dave B. Mitchell(MK11,Battle of the Realms);Erika Ishii(MK1)

Sektor is an assassin and member of the Lin Kuei clan who agreed to became a cyborg. First appearing inMortal Kombat 3,he and fellow cyborg Cyrax are tasked with finding and killing former memberKuai Liang.Returning as a hidden character inMortal Kombat Gold,Sektor comes to view the Lin Kuei's grandmaster as inferior and kills him, but is defeated by Kuai Liang before he can claim the title and flees to Japan to form his own clan of cyborg ninjas.Following this, Sektor makes a minor appearance inMortal Kombat: Armageddon.

InMortal Kombat(2011), afterRaidenalters the timeline to avert the events ofArmageddon,Sektor initially appears as a human Chinese member of the Lin Kuei who fervently supports the impending Cyber Lin Kuei initiative. After becoming a cyborg, he captures Kuai Liang to convert him as well before aligning himself with Outworld emperor Shao Kahn and assisting in his invasion of Earthrealm, only to be defeated byNightwolf.As ofMortal Kombat X,Sektor was killed. While studying his memories, Kuai Liang discovers the former contributed to the Shirai Ryu clan's destruction and the feud between Kuai Liang andHanzo Hasashi.Furthermore, the downloadable playable characterTriborgsports a variation based on Sektor.

InMortal Kombat 11,a time-displaced Sektor was recruited byKronikato help bolster her forces. To fulfill this task, he kidnapped several Lin Kuei clansmen and forcibly converted them into cyborgs until Kuai Liang, Hasashi, and Cyrax destroy his factory.Nonetheless, Kronika's forces recover Sektor's body and use him to complete the cyborg army before sacrificing them to destroy the Special Forces' base.

Two incarnations of Sektor appear inMortal Kombat 1,with the original appearing as an assist character, or "Kameo Fighter", while a female incarnation appears as a downloadable playable character via theKhaos ReignsDLC. After Fire GodLiu Kangcreates another new timeline while stopping Kronika, Sektor was rewritten to become the daughter of the Lin Kuei's master armorer, Longwei, and one of its leading warriors, Madam Bo. Growing up, Sektor would go on to become Longwei's apprentice, later successor, in addition to being a warrior. In the present, Sektor advises the Lin Kuei's grandmaster, Bi-Han, to bolster their forces with machinery. This would lead to her developing twopowered suitsfor the clan's use and becoming one of his most trusted advisors and lover. In theKhaos ReignsDLC, she joins the Lin Kuei in ambushing the Shirai Ryu to test the suits, only to be captured.When TitanHavik's forces attack their timeline, capture Bi-Han, and convert him intoNoob Saibot,Sektor reluctantly joins forces with Scorpion and Cyrax to rescue him.Once Havik is defeated, Bi-Han is captured by Liu Kang, who allows Sektor to leave and become the Lin Kuei's acting grandmaster while he works to cure Bi-Han.In her ending, Sektor rescues Bi-Han and vows revenge on Liu Kang, believing he had no intention of curing the former.

The original Sektor appears in theMortal Kombat: Legacyepisode "Cyrax & Sektor", played byPeter Shinkoda;plays a minor role inDC Comics'Mortal Kombat X: Blood Tiescomic miniseries;and appears inMortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms(2021).

Sektor was nicknamed "Ketchup" during production ofMK3before his official name was determined, while the robot ninjas' designs were inspired byBoba Fettand thePredator.He has been lauded by gaming media outlets for his Fatalities over the course of theMortal Kombatseries.UGOplaced him 26th in their 2012 list of their top fifty series characters.

Sheeva

Portrayed by:Marjean Holden(Annihilation)

Voiced by:Dawnn Lewis(Defenders of the Realm); Lori McClain (Armageddon);Lani Minella(2011 game);Vanessa Marshall(MK11)

Sheeva is a Shokan warrior likeGoroand Kintaro, and is the series' lone female representative of the four-armed race. She has a long-standing rivalry with Motaro, as the Shokan and his race of Centaurians are bitter enemies. She debuts inMK3as Queen Sindel's appointed bodyguard and protector following Shao Kahn's invasion of Earth. She is not playable in the series again untilMortal Kombat: Armageddon,in which the then-entire series roster is playable. In the 2011 reboot that retells the continuity of the first three games, she is immediately playable and plays a minor role in the game's story mode as Kahn's bodyguard and jailer. InMortal Kombat 11,Sheeva was a late addition to the roster as downloadable content as part of the game'sAftermathexpansion pack. She additionally has a more significant role in the series for the first time, as she aids a time-travelingShang Tsungin retrievingKronika's Crown of Souls soLiu Kangcan restore history after exploiting her blood oath to Sindel. Sheeva assists in reviving Sindel so she can join them as well, but upon learning of her treachery Sheeva attempts to stop her but is defeated.

The character's name was derived fromShiva,the Hindu deity of destruction. She was added to the game due to fan requests for a playable version of Goro, like whom she was created as astop motion-animated clay figurine.Series co-creatorJohn Tobiasopted for a female version of the character as she would be physically smaller in size and thus take up less room on the screen.She was omitted from the home versions ofUltimate Mortal Kombat 3due to memory constraints.

Sheeva (voiced byDawnn Lewis) had a recurring role in the 1996 animated seriesMortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm.In the 1997 filmMortal Kombat Annihilation,she was played byMarjean Holdenin a minor role with her only action sequence being a brief scuffle with Motaro, though the film acknowledges her then-current role in the games as Sindel's personal protector. In the 2015Mortal Kombat X: Blood Tiesprequel comic miniseries produced byDC Comics,Sheeva is crowned by Kintaro as the current leader of the Shokan in a peaceful treaty with Kotal Kahn, following the death of previous rule King Gorbak. Sheeva mourns Kintaro's death after Sonya — possessed byHavik— kills him in battle.

Reception of the character has been mixed. WhileWirtualna Polskafeatured Sheeva among gaming's top ten female villains in 2011,she placed a middling 28th inUGO's 2012 ranking of their top fiftyMortal Kombatcharacters,and 47th inDen of Geek's 2019 ranking of the series' 77 playable characters.Game Informer,in 2010, stated that "despite a somewhat cool ground-pound move [inMK3], she was an addition to the series that never really served a purpose or did anything particularly noteworthy. "However, her Fatalities over the course of her appearances have been fairly well received.

Sindel

Portrayed by: Lia Montelongo (MK3);Musetta Vander(Annihilation); Beatrice Ilg (Legacy); Ana Thu Nguyen (Mortal Kombat 2)

Voiced by: Laura Boton (MK:D);Lani Minella(MK2011);Kelly Hu(MKX); Mara Junot (2019–present)

Sindel debuts as a playable character inMortal Kombat 3(MK3) as the queen of Edenia alongside her daughter, PrincessKitana,before their kingdom lost ten consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments, leading to Shao Kahn invading them to forcibly merge their realms. After he killed her husband King Jerrod and adopted the then-infant Kitana, Sindel committed suicide to avoid becoming hisconsort.Years later however, Shao and Shang Tsung resurrect her without her memories and brainwash her to assist in the former's invasion of Earthrealm. After Earthrealm's defenders defeat Shao, Kitana convinces Sindel of her true past, turning her against Shao.

Sindel appears as a non-playable character (NPC) inMortal Kombat 4(MK4), in which her subject Tanya betrays Edenia and allowsShinnok's Netherrealm forces to invade her palace. Kitana escapes, but Sindel is imprisoned in her dungeon until Shinnok's forces are defeated. Following this, she sends Kitana to form an alliance with the Shokan armies and lead them into battle against a weakened Shao while Sindel stays behind to restore Edenia. Returning as a playable character inMortal Kombat: Deception(MK:D), Edenia is invaded byOnaga,who killed, resurrected, and brainwashed Sindel, among others, before imprisoning her until she is freed byJade.Sindel appears as a playable character inMortal Kombat: Armageddon,though she does not play a role in the story mode.

InMortal Kombat(2011), due toRaidenaltering the timeline and changing the events of the franchise's first three games, Sindel is instead resurrected byQuan Chiand receives Shang Tsung's powers before she kills most of Earthrealm's warriors and Kitana beforeNightwolfsacrifices himself to kill her. Quan Chi subsequently converts the dead warriors into his undead revenant servants, a role Sindel fulfills while making a minor appearance as a NPC inMortal Kombat X.

Sindel appears as a downloadable playable character inMortal Kombat 11(MK11) via theAftermathexpansion pack, in which her history isretconned.When Shao invaded Edenia, she willingly sided and married him, killed Jerrod herself for his perceived weakness, and claimed Shao did so to appease her subjects. Quan Chi, believing she was distracting Shao, later killed her and staged it as a suicide before using her soul to temporarily stop Shao from invading Earthrealm. In the present, Shang Tsung captures her revenant and revives her to help him stealKronika's Crown of Souls.Sindel agrees while also reconsolidating her power with Shao before betraying and defeating Kitana and Earthrealm's forces.After helping Shang Tsung breach Kronika's keep however, the sorcerer in turn betrays Sindel and Shao, absorbing their souls in retaliation for killing him to empower Sindel.

Sindel appears as a playable character inMortal Kombat 1.After Fire GodLiu Kangcreated a second new timeline while stopping Kronika, Sindel is rewritten to become the firm yet fair empress of Outworld and biological mother of Kitana andMileena,the latter of whom is set to inherit her throne, who maintains the Mortal Kombat tournaments alongside Liu Kang in the late Jerrod's memory. Though she is a just ruler, Sindel is strict in preparing Mileena to succeed her and becomes more determined to protect her realm and the throne following Jerrod's death. She also employs Shang Tsung to help with Mileena's Tarkat disease,unaware that he and General Shao are conspiring against her and encouraging her to turn against Earthrealm until they are exposed by Liu Kang and Earthrealm's warriors.Sindel is later reunited with Jerrod after Quan Chi uses his soul, among others, to createErmacand the former gains control of the body, before she is killed by her counterpart from Titan Shang Tsung's timeline. Before she dies, she entrusts Mileena with Outworld's throne before Jerrod preserves her soul within Ermac,where the pair work together to fight off the other souls and maintain control of the body.

During production ofMK3,Sindel was nicknamed "The Bride" and "Muchacha" by the developers before her official name was determined.She was played by actress Lia Montelongo, who was nineteen years old at the time.

Sindel appears as a supporting character inMortal Kombat Annihilation,portrayed byMusetta Vander.In addition to her original trilogy backstory and role, she is also named the new general of Shao Kahn's extermination squads following her resurrection and brainwashing.Amidst Earthrealm's warriors' final battle with Shao, Kitana defeats and spares Sindel. After Liu Kang defeats Shao, the latter's curse on Sindel is broken. She also appears in theMortal Kombat Legacyepisode "Kitana and Mileena - Part 1", portrayed by Beatrice Ilg, and will appear in the upcomingMortal Kombat 2,portrayed by Ana Thu Nguyen.

Sindel has been positively received for her role in the gamesand her Fatalities,but herMK11retcon was met with heavy fan criticism,while her portrayal inAnnihilationhas been ridiculed.

Stryker

Portrayed by: Michael O'Brien (MK3); Lawrence Kern (MK 2011);Tahmoh Penikett(Legacy); Eric Jacobus (Legacy II)

Voiced by:Ron Perlman(Defenders of the Realm);Matthew Mercer(MK 2011,Battle of the Realms)

Kurtis Stryker is a coastNYPDriot controlofficer selected by Raiden to help defend Earthrealm against invading forces from Outworld. One of the franchise's few characters who does not possess any special powers, he employs modern weaponry such as explosives, firearms, tasers and nightsticks for his special moves and Fatalities. During the events ofMK3,he was the leader of the riot control brigade when Outworld's portal opened overNew York City.Stryker attempted to keep order among the populace in the ensuing chaos, but soon all human souls were usurped byShao Kahnwith the exception of those that belonged to Raiden's chosen warriors, including himself. Initially ignorant of why he was spared, he entered the fray with the intention of avenging the lives of the innocent that he had vowed to protect and serve. Along with the other warriors, he assisted in liberating Earthrealm from Shao Kahn's clutches. His next playable appearance is inMK Armageddon,in which he is still oblivious as to why he was chosen by the Elder Gods. In the Battle of Armageddon, he fights Mileena, Kabal and Kano, yet he is ultimately slain along with the other combatants. In the 2011 series reboot, Stryker is Kabal'sSWATteam leader who joins Raiden and his followers in repelling the Outworld invasion. He is later killed, along with most of the Earthrealm heroes, by Sindel and subsequently resurrected byQuan Chiand forced to fight Raiden, in a losing effort. He makes brief nonplayable appearances inMortal Kombat XandMortal Kombat 11as an undead revenant fighting for Quan Chi and Shinnok.

A character named "Kurtis Stryker" was originally slated to appear in the firstMortal Kombat,but the idea was dropped in place of a female fighter (Sonya Blade). The character would appear inMortal Kombat IIrenamedJax,and Stryker was finally made an original character inMK3.Stryker was originally conceived by the developers as a SWAT-type character with several additional weapons, but the game's memory limitations prevented this. He appeared inArmageddonwith a complete redesign into a much more futuristic-looking character, armed with two back-mounted knives that were never used.

Stryker has made several appearances in alternate series media, starting as a featured character (voiced byRon Perlman) in the 1996 animated seriesMortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm.He appeared in the premiere episode of the 2011 first season of the web seriesMortal Kombat: Legacyas a SWAT leader under Jax's command, and had a recurring role in the 2013 second season. In the 2021 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms,he represents Earthrealm in the tournament, defeating Baraka in battle but losing to Shang Tsung, after which he is magically manipulated into killing himself by the sorcerer.

The character has received negative reception for his "common man" presence in the otherworldly atmosphere of theMortal Kombatseries.However,Den of Geekranked Stryker 21st in their 2015 rating of the franchise's 64 playable characters, citing his sucker-punching of Mileena inArmageddon'sopening cinematic sequence and Perlman's portrayal in the animated series, in addition to "really [becoming] something worth caring about in the reboot, where he came off as a likeable, disgruntled smart-ass."Robert Naytor of Hardcore Gaming 101 praised Stryker in the reboot as being "so badass" and "the closest thing you'll get to beingJohn McClanein a fighting game. "

Introduced inMortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero

See also:Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero

Fujin

Portrayed by: Anthony Marquez (MKM:SZ); Nic Toussaint (MKX)

Voiced by: Herman Sanchez (MK4), David Horachek (MK:A),Troy Baker(MKX),Matthew Yang King(MK11)

Fujin is the god of wind based on theJapanese deity of the same name.He first appears as an unnamed Boss inMythologies: Sub-Zero,in which he unsuccessfully guards Shinnok's amulet from Sub-Zero.He makes his playable debut inMortal Kombat 4and succeeds Raiden as Earthrealm's protector when Raiden becomes an Elder God.Fujin returns inArmageddonand is defeated by Taven after attempting to prevent him from continuing his quest.In the rebooted timeline, Fujin appears inMortal Kombat X's story mode fighting the Netherrealm's forces alongside Raiden, but is not playable until his inclusion in theAftermathexpansion forMortal Kombat 11,in which he, Shang Tsung, and Nightwolf try to save their universe by obtaining Kronika's crown. Fujin is ultimately betrayed by Shang Tsung, who drains his soul, but keeps him alive to continue draining his powers for eternity. In Shang Tsung's ending, Fujin and Raiden become his servants.

Fujin placed 40th inUGO's 2012 listing of the top 50 series characters.In 2014, Prima Games included Fujin among their twenty "cheapest" characters in the series due to having acrossbowas his primary weapon inMortal Kombat 4.For his later appearances, the crossbow could only be used for special attacks.

Quan Chi

Portrayed by: Richard Divizio (MKM:SZ,MK4); Carlos Pesina (MK:D,MK:A);Adoni Maropis(Conquest);Michael Rogers(Legacy);Damon Herriman(MK 2021sequel)

Voiced by: Herman Sanchez (MK4, MK:A);Nigel Casey(MK:D); Ronald M. Banks (MK vs DC,2011 game,MKX);Nick Chinlund(Defenders of the Realm);Darin De Paul(Scorpion's Revenge); Sean T. Krishnan (MK1)

Quan Chi is a nefarious free-roaming sorcerer who is one of theMortal Kombatseries' main villains. He is first seen inMK Mythologieswhen he hires both Sub-Zero and his rival Scorpion to find a map leading to the amulet in hopes that they would meet in combat; indeed, Sub-Zero kills Scorpion in battle, after which Quan Chi eliminates Scorpion's Shirai Ryu clan and sends Sub-Zero to find the amulet, which is later revealed to be a fake while Quan Chi kept the real one for himself. After reviving Scorpion as an undead revenant, Quan Chi tells him that Sub-Zero was responsible for the deaths of his clan and family. He makes his playable debut inMortal Kombat 4,in which he joins forces with disgraced Elder God Shinnok, who had been banished to the Netherealm by the thunder god Raiden after centuries of warring, in ruling the realm. He is the title character along withShang TsunginMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance(2002), in which he brokers a deal with Shang Tsung for his assistance in reviving the army ofOnaga(the game's final Boss ) in exchange for souls that would preserve Shang Tsung's youth, then eliminate evil Outworld emperor Shao Kahn and the perennial Mortal Kombat champion Liu Kang. They kill Raiden's Earthrealm defenders, but the partnership dissolves when Shang Tsung attempts to steal Shinnok's amulet to take control of Onaga's army for himself. In his futile attempt to stop Onaga, Raiden sacrifices himself by triggering a violent explosion and seemingly killing the Deadly Alliance as well. InMortal Kombat: Armageddon(2006), Quan Chi attempts to acquire the godlike power of the elementalBlaze.During the battle royal among the combatants on the Pyramid of Argus in the game's opening cinematic sequence, Quan Chi wounds Kenshi in battle before Shang Tsung (disguised asErmac) throws him off the pyramid. In the game's training mode, Quan Chi suggests that he, Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, and Onaga work together to defeat the forces of good, but is secretly serving as a double agent for Shinnok.

Quan Chi was the lone playable character from the three-dimensional series of games included in the immediate roster of the 2011Mortal Kombatreboot. In the game's story mode, Quan Chi is present at the Shaolin Tournament from the outset, with the resurrected Scorpion serving as his personal assassin. They join forces in the tournament to face the Shaolin monkLiu Kang,but both are defeated. During the second tournament in Shao Kahn's Outworld arena, Quan Chi and Shang Tsung join forces againstKung Laobut are defeated. In the retold events ofMortal Kombat 3therein, Quan Chi revives the deceased QueenSindelin order to enable Shao Kahn to invade Earthrealm, after having resurrected the dead elder Sub-Zero — killed by Scorpion in the first tournament — asNoob Saibotto assist him in his plans. He later constructs a Soulnado to take every soul on Earth, but his plans are thwarted byNightwolf.After Sindel massacres the Earthrealm warriors assembled to stop Shao Kahn's takeover, Raiden seeks cooperation between Earth and the Netherealm by offering Quan Chi their souls as compensation, but Quan Chi has transformed them into his revenant slaves. However, he inadvertently causes Shao Kahn's downfall when he reveals the Elder Gods are obligated to stop the tyrant for failing to honor Mortal Kombat's rules. Raiden kills Shao Kahn and halts his invasion, but Quan Chi makes preparations for Shinnok's invasion, leading Netherrealm's forces in attacking the weakened Earthrealm and Outworld. InMortal Kombat X(2015), Quan Chi uses the Earthrealm revenants to aid him in retrieving Shinnok's amulet over the course of two years. Though he succeeds in doing so with the aid ofD'Vorah,he is decapitated by the resurrected Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion) once he learns the sorcerer conspired with the Lin Kuei ninjaSektorto kill the Shirai Ryu.

InMortal Kombat 1,Quan Chi appears as a DLC character, but makes frequent appearances in the story. In Liu Kang's new timeline, Quan Chi led a meaningless life in the mines before being contacted by "Damashi", who helps him learn his sorcerer abilities.He begins working with Shang Tsung and General Shao to deceive Empress Sindel into turning against Earthrealm and preparing a coup to overthrow her. While creating Ermac, Quan Chi attempts to prepare a soul stealer to unleash on Earthrealm before he is stopped by Ashrah. One of the souls that escapes the contraptions attacks him, resulting in his skin turning white.After discovering that Damashi is Titan Shang Tsung, who is intent on killing everyone in the timeline, Quan Chi and Shang Tsung assist Liu Kang in stopping him. During the final battle, Titan Shang Tsung summons a Titan Quan Chi to assist him, but both ultimately lose.

According toMKco-creatorJohn Tobias,Quan Chi was created as a replacement for Shang Tsung as the main sorcerer character of the series.NetherRealm Studioscharacter artist Solomon Gaitan initially referenced actorYul Brynnerwhen digitally sculpting Quan Chi's facial features forMortal Kombat X.Gaitan said that series art director Steve Beran "wanted me to mergeBela LugosiandBoris Karloff's features "during the design process, in addition to researchingvultures:"I wanted him to feel like he was in a permanent state of lurking and stalking; waiting for death to happen."

Quan Chi made hisMortal Kombatseries debut in one episode of the 1996 animated seriesMortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm,and was voiced byNick Chinlund.The character appeared in four episodes of the 1998 television seriesMortal Kombat: Conquest,and in the 2011 web seriesMortal Kombat: Legacy,Quan Chi appears at the climax of a two-part episode featuring Sub-Zero and Scorpion. In the 2020 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge,Quan Chi serves as one of the two main antagonists along with Shang Tsung, and resurrects Hanzo Hasashi to turn him into Scorpion and employ him as his servant for eternity.Damon Herrimanwill play Quan Chi in the upcoming feature filmMortal Kombat 2.

Quan Chi has received mainly positive critical reception for his role in the games,thoughDestructoidcommented in 2015: "Quan Chi is a dark sorcerer shitbag that nobody likes, both in the fandom and in the series' narrative [for] unsuccessfully scheming behind the back of whatever master he is currently serving like an incompetent, baldStarscream."However,Topless Robotcited Quan Chi inDefenders of the Realmas "the only contribution to [the] franchise that this series made."Reception to his Fatalities has been divisive, with his "Leg Beatdown" fromMK4rated among the series' best,and the "Neck Stretch" fromDeadly Allianceamong the worst,a sentiment shared by theMKseries' developers.

Sareena

Portrayed by: Lia Montelongo (MKM:SZ)

Voiced by:Danielle Nicolet(MKX), Mara Junot (MK1),Jennifer Grey(Cage Match)

Sareena is a demon from the Netherrealm. She debuts inMythologies: Sub-Zeroas an assassin assigned by Quan Chi to kill Sub-Zero.After being spared by him, she assists him in defeating Quan Chi but is killed by Shinnok. Sareena returns as a playable character in theTournament Editionport ofMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance,which reveals Shinnok's attack banished her to a lower plane of the Netherrealm. Escaping through a portal, she is offered asylum in Earthrealm by the younger Sub-Zero. However, the training mode ofArmageddonsees her again serving Quan Chi, leading to her being defeated by Taven.Following a background cameo in the2011 reboot,Sareena appears in the story mode ofMortal Kombat X,in which she assists the Special Forces in battling the Netherrealm's forces. InMortal Kombat 1,she appears as an assist-based Kameo fighter, where she is able to switch between a human-like appearance and her true, demonic form. She also appears in Ashrah's Klassic Towers ending, in which Ashrah rescues her from Quan Chi's control.

Sareena appears as one of the main antagonists of the 2023 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Cage Matchvoiced byJennifer Grey.She initially appears as a fictionalized version of Grey herself that Johnny Cage attempts to find in Los Angeles to shootNinja Mimewith, only to reveal she had been cut off from the Neatherrealm for decades and helped set up Cage's film career with her allies from the Brotherhood of Shadows after she discovered he possessed the "blood of the gods" needed to open a portal to the Neatherrealm and summon Shinnok. While Cage fights Shinnok, she faces off against her former ally Ashrah and unleashes her true demonic form in the process. With help from Cage's assistant Chuck Golden, Ashrah is able to kill and defeat her.

Sareena was ranked 26th onDen of Geek's 2015 rating of the series' 64 playable characters, for being "Sub-Zero's one moment of humanity snowballing into something meaningful".

Shinnok

Portrayed by: Gary Wingert (MKM:SZ); Carlos Pesina (MK:A); Chris Bashen (MKX);Reiner Schöne(Annihilation)

Voiced by: John Tobias (MK4, MKG); Knute Horwitz (MK:A); Ken Lally (2011 game);Troy Baker(MKX,MK11);Robin Atkin Downes(Battle of the Realms,Cage Match)

One of the franchise's primary villains, Shinnok debuted as the Boss ofMK Mythologiesand made his first playable appearance in the main series withMortal Kombat 4in 1997. He appears inMK4as both a playable character and the final Boss ofMortal Kombat 4andMortal Kombat X(2015). He is a banished former Elder God who invades and annexes the realm of Edenia with the aid ofQuan Chi's forces and the traitorous Edenian Tanya before declaring war against the Elder Gods, specifically Raiden for his punishment, but his mission fails after he is defeated by perennial Mortal Kombat championLiu Kang.Shinnok's next selectable appearance is along with the then-entire series roster inMortal Kombat: Armageddon(2006), and he features in the game's training mode as having been a longtime friend of the game's main protagonist Taven, who is under the impression that Shinnok is still a force of good as he rescues him from an attack by Li Mei. Shinnok also makes a brief appearance alongside the forces of evil in thebattle royalin the opening cinematic sequence against the other combatants at the Pyramid of Argus, when he summons giant subterranean skeletal hands that pin Raiden to the ground before he is struck with a lightning blast.

Shinnok only appears in the closing of the story mode of the 2011Mortal Kombatreboot,but is the main villain ofMortal Kombat X.At the start of the story mode, he is sealed inside his own magical amulet, which is possessed over the next twenty-five years by many other characters until Quan Chi is beheaded by Scorpion, freeing Shinnok from inside the amulet. With the aid of D'Vorah and the undead Earthrealm warriors from the previous game, Shinnok invades the Sky Temple, where he subdues Raiden and corrupts the Jinsei (the source of Earthrealm's life force) until a Special Forces unit led by the game's protagonistCassie Cagearrives to battle the transformed Shinnok (now known as "Corrupted Shinnok" ) and the revenant army. After Cassie is victorious over Shinnok, Raiden then purifies the Jinsei, which strips Shinnok of his powers. Shinnok returns in the prologue ofMortal Kombat 11(2019), in which he is tortured and decapitated by Raiden after the events ofMKX.His severed head is visited by new Boss characterKronika,the Keeper of Time, who expresses sadness at his current state. The game's story mode reveals that Shinnok is actually Kronika's son, as well the brother of fellow Elder GodCetrion.

Shinnok's likeness inMortal Kombat 4was based on that of series art director Steve Beran, and likeShang Tsungin the digitizedMortal Kombatgames, he was able to mimic the special moves of his opponents, but the graphical limitations of Midway's then-new3D softwareprevented him from physically transforming into the characters. Series co-creator and programmerEd Boonadmitted in turn that he felt Shinnok was not imposing enough as a final Boss inMK4due to his having no special moves of his own. He was playable inMKXupon completion of the story mode.

Shinnok appears in the 1997 filmMortal Kombat Annihilation,played byReiner Schöneand depicted as the father of bothShao Kahnand Raiden. He is not identified by name onscreen until the film's conclusion. The character appeared in the 2021 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realmsand 2023'sMortal Kombat Legends: Cage Matchand was voiced byRobin Atkin Downes.

Critical reception has been mainly negative due to his perceived weak stature as a final Boss in the series,though his Fatalities have been better received.Den of Geekranked Shinnok 35th in their 2015 rating of the series' 73 playable characters, critical of how he was "just a lazy Shang Tsung" inMK4,while "it wasn't untilArmageddonandMortal Kombat 9that they were able to make him seem like an actual threat, "and further adding that inMKX,he "was pretty fun as a hybrid of EmperorPalpatineandLoki."

Introduced inMortal Kombat 4

See also:Mortal Kombat 4andMortal Kombat Gold

Jarek

Performed by: Mark Myers (MK4)

Voiced by: Jon Hey (MK4), James Freeman-Hargis (MK:A)

Jarek is a member of the Black Dragon clan. Established as the last known member of the Black Dragon, he possesses Kano's special moves and Fatalities. He helps defend Earthrealm against Shinnok, but falls off a cliff in the aftermath when the Special Forces attempt to arrest him. InArmageddon,Jarek is revealed to have survived and develops an obsession with killing all of his opponents.Jarek also appears as one of the Boss es inSpecial Forces(2000), in which he is defeated by Jax. In theMortal Kombat Xprequel comic, he is imprisoned in Outworld by Kotal Kahn.

The character makes an appearance in the 2022 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind.

Modeled after Midway character artist Hernan Sanchez,Jarek received a tepid reception for his similarities to Kano. The endings featuring him inMortal Kombat 4have also been maligned for their voice acting and dialogue.

Kai

Portrayed by: Kimball Uddin (MK4)

Voiced by:Ed Boon(MK4)

Kai is a Shaolin Monk and member of the White Lotus Society who is one of the chosen warriors defending Earthrealm from Shinnok.Afterwards, he goes on quest for self-enlightenment, although he returns inArmageddon.

According to Ed Boon, Kai was developed as an "African American character who was very nimble like Liu Kang" with vertical fireball projectiles. He was also the first character to perform a handstand during gameplay, which was intended to be his main fighting style inArmageddon,but Boon stated this was prevented by time limitations.

Kai came in at 47th onUGO's 2012 list of the top 50Mortal Kombatcharacters. Robert Naytor of Hardcore Gaming 101 said, "With all his projectile moves, he's basically the black Liu Kang".

Meat

Meat was originally askincreated by art director Tony Goskie that would depict each fighter inMortal Kombat 4as a bloodied corpse.After being established as a canonical character inDeception's Konquest mode, he received a backstory and unique special moves inArmageddon.HisArmageddonending reveals that he is an experiment created by Shang Tsung who escaped the sorcerer's clutches before he could be completed.Prima Games' strategy guide forArmageddonalso states that Meat assists Shinnok, although this relationship is not established in the game.

Meat placed 49th in UGO's 2012 listing of the top fiftyMKcharacters, noting that he became a fan favorite for his "ridiculously gruesome moves". Conversely,ScrewAttackranked Meat fourth in its2011 ranking of the series' ten worst charactersfor being "a generic [character] model" without flesh.Ryan Aston ofTopless Robotplaced Meat second in his selection of eight characters "that are goofy even byMortal Kombatstandards, "calling him" a gory riff "onSoulcaliburcharacterCharadeand his storyline "a truly flimsy excuse for his existence".

Reiko

Portrayed by: Jim Helsinger (Conquest),Nathan Jones(2021 film)

Voiced by:Ed Boon(MK:D), David Beron (MK:A),Robin Atkin Downes(Battle of the Realms),Derek Phillips(MK1)

Reiko is a general who has served Shinnok and Shao Kahn.He first appears assisting Shinnok's invasion inMortal Kombat 4,whileArmageddondepicts him under Shao Kahn's command. After making a background cameo in the2011 reboot,he appears in theMortal Kombat Xprequel comics, in which he becomes a blood god before being betrayed and killed by Havik.

The character was added toMortal Kombat 4to replace Noob Saibot after the developers found the game had too many ninja characters. While his original ending simply depicted him walking through a portal, Reiko's FMV ending showed him wearing the helmet of Shao Kahn. This led to speculation that Reiko was Shao Kahn, which was dispelled when the Konquest mode ofDeceptionrevealed that Reiko would sneak into Shao Kahn's throne room to wear his helmet. In an interview,John Tobiasstated Reiko was intended to be a reincarnation of Shao Kahn, but this story would be disregarded in later installments.Nevertheless, Reiko's appearance and special moves inArmageddonwould be stylized after Shao Kahn.

Reiko was played by Jim Helsinger in the 1998 television seriesMortal Kombat: Conquest,where he is one of Shao Kahn's generals. Reiko also appeared in the 2021Mortal Kombatfilm, portrayed byNathan Jones,as one of the Outworld champions. In the 2021 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms,he is voiced byRobin Atkin Downes.In the 2023 gameMortal Kombat 1,he is voiced byDerek Phillips.

Reiko placed 42nd on UGO's 2012 list of the top 50Mortal Kombatcharacters. Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek rated Reiko last in his 2015 ranking of the series' playable characters for what he considered the wasted potential of his storyline in regards to his connection to Shao Kahn.WhatCulture ranked him fourteenth in their 2015 selection of the series' twenty worst characters for "having zero individuality".

Tanya

Performed by: Lia Montelongo (MK4)

Voiced by: Rosalind Dugas (MK4), Beth Melewski (MK:D),Jennifer Hale(MKX), Cherise Boothe (MK1)

Tanya is an Edenian who often acts out of self-preservation. DuringMortal Kombat 4(MK4) andMortal Kombat: Deception,she betrayed Edenia to join Shinnok and Onaga respectively. InMortal Kombat X(MKX),she joins Mileena's rebellion against Kotal Kahn with the intention of liberating Edenia from Outworld, only to be defeated by D'Vorah and spared at Cassie Cage's behest. In Mileena's ending inMortal Kombat 11(MK11), she and Tanya are revealed to be lovers.

In the new timeline depicted inMortal Kombat 1(MK1), Tanya is the leader of the Umgadi, a group of warrior priestesses that guard Outworld's royal family, having become one of its most trusted members after Emperor Jerrod was murdered on her predecessor Li Mei's watch and she quit in disgrace. Additionally, Tanya is Princess Mileena's girlfriend despite the Umgadi's rules forbidding relationships.After Jerrod is restored through Ermac and reveals Li Mei was not responsible for his death, Tanya investigates the incident and discovers the Umgadi's Matron Superiors were the true culprits and framed Li Mei. The newly crowned Empress Mileena subsequently puts Tanya in charge of reforming the Umgadi.

Named afterEd Boon's sister Tania, Tanya was created to replace Kitana inMK4.She placed 34th on UGO's 2012 list of the top 50MKcharacters.Complexnamed Tanya seventh in their 2011 selection of the top ten underratedMKcharacters, calling her "the traitor of all traitors in the series, switching her allegiance more times than we can count".Conversely, Den of Geek rated her 68th in their 2015 ranking of the franchise's 73 player characters for being "a one-dimensional villain whose only quality is betrayal".

Introduced inMortal Kombat: Special Forces

See also:Mortal Kombat: Special Forces

Tremor

Voiced by:Fred Tatasciore(MKX), Imari Williams (Snow Blind)

Tremor is a ninja member of the Black Dragon clan. As implied by his name, he is able to manipulate the Earth with his immense strength. He is initially depicted as a brown-clad ninja, but would be redesigned to have a body made out of rocks. Originally intended as a playable character forMortal Kombat Trilogy,Tremor instead debuted as a Boss inSpecial Forces,in which he is defeated by Jax. He made his playable debut as a downloadable character inMortal Kombat X,although he has no involvement in the story.In theMortal Kombat Xprequel comic, it is revealed Tremor was imprisoned in Outworld by Kotal Kahn.

Introduced inMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

See also:Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

Blaze

Voiced by: Simeon Norfleet (MK:A)

Blaze is a fire elemental created to monitor the warriors of the realms. He appears as a hidden character who is forced to protect the last known dragon egg by Onaga's followers. After the egg hatches, completing Onaga's resurrection, Blaze is able to continue monitoring the warriors and discovers they have become too powerful for the realms in his absence. He serves as the final Boss ofMortal Kombat: Armageddon,in which he brings all the fighters together for a final battle. As part of his mission to prevent an impending Armageddon, Blaze has Taven face him in a fight intended to either kill all the warriors or strip them of their powers. The story mode of the2011 rebootreveals Blaze was instead defeated by Shao Kahn, prompting Raiden's efforts to change the timeline.

Prior to becoming to becoming a playable character, Blaze originated in the background ofMortal Kombat II's Pit II stage as aLiu Kangpalette swap covered in flames and facing off against another Liu Kang palette swap.The character was nicknamed "Torch" by fans, but due to the risk of copyright infringement on theMarvelcharacterHuman Torch,Midway officially named him Blaze.In reference to his original role, he has made cameo appearances inShaolin Monks,the 2011 reboot,Mortal Kombat X,andMortal Kombat 11.

The character placed 37th onUGO's 2012 list of the top 50Mortal Kombatcharacters, which remarked, "Although [guarding the Dragon Egg] doesn't sound like the job of a badass, you'll change your mind once you see Blaze steamrolling his way towards you".

Bo' Rai Cho

Voiced by: Carlos Pesina (MK:DA,MK:D,MK:A);Steve Blum(MKX)

Bo' Rai Cho is a martial arts master skilled in the style ofdrunken bo xing.His attacks mostly center around his weight and bodily functions. An Outworld native, but an opponent of Shao Kahn's tyranny, he trained Liu Kang and many other Earthrealm warriors for the Mortal Kombat tournament as his participation would be on the behalf of Shao Kahn. Bo' Rai Cho trains Kung Lao after he learns of Liu Kang's death, and inDeception,he rescues Li Mei from having her soul trapped inside one of the corpses of Onaga's army. Bo' Rai Cho is later tricked by Mileena, posing as Kitana, into leading Kitana's army to certain defeat against Baraka's forces, but Bo' Rai Cho emerges victorious with the help of Liu Kang. He returns inMortal Kombat X,in which he is attacked by Shinnok.

The character's name is a play on "borracho", the Spanish word for "drunk". According to Herman Sanchez, Bo' Rai Cho was created becauseEd Boonsought to have a "slob" fighter, while John Vogel found that he filled the "master" role for the franchise.

Reception to Bo' Rai Cho has been generally negative for his appearance and gross-out nature.Den of Geekranked him 55th in their rating of the series' 73 characters, calling Bo' Rai Cho "aShaw BrothersBoogerman,and the gag wears thin after the third time you use his puke attack ".Robert Naytor of Hardcore Gaming 101 unfavorably compared him toVirtua FightercharacterShun Dias "a big, fat guy" who is utilized to "throw up and fart a lot".ScrewAttackrated him tenth in their 2011 list of the series' 10 worst characters, noting that his in-game weapon was plain wooden staff.The character was listed as the eighth-worstMortal Kombatcharacter by Mitchell Saltzman of IGN, who opined, "Bo' Rai Cho feels like a mess of ideas all sloppily thrown together to create a character of contradictions."However, Bo' Rai Cho placed 37th on UGO's 2012 list of the top 50MKcharacters, which called hiscomic reliefrole "a breath of fresh air. Or, in his case, a belch of fresh air".Complexnamed him one of the series' most underrated characters in 2011.

Drahmin

Voiced by: Rich Carle (MK:D)

Drahmin is a demonic Oni who resides in the Netherrealm. He and Moloch are hired by Quan Chi to protect him against Scorpion in exchange for freedom from the Netherrealm, but after Quan Chi betrays them, they align themselves with Shang Tsung to help him counter Quan Chi's treachery. While in Shang Tsung's palace, Drahmin and Moloch encounter Scorpion, who they defeat by throwing into the palace's Soulnado. Drahmin returns in theMortal Kombat Xprequel comic, in which he is killed by Quan Chi.

Ed Boon described Drahmin as one of the most difficult characters to program because specific code had to be written to prevent Drahmin's arm-mounted club from switching sides whenever the character turned around during gameplay.Den of Geek rated him 47th in their 2015 ranking of the 64 series characters, describing him as "a collection of cool concepts that doesn't make for much of a sum" whereas "Moloch does a lot more with less".

Frost

Voiced by: Christine Rios (MK:A);Kelly Hu(MKX); Sara Cravens (MK11)

Frost is a Lin Kuei warrior who possesses the ability to control ice. She was trained directly by Sub-Zero due to the similarities between them and the potential he saw in her, but her skills were compounded by her arrogant nature. When Sub-Zero has her accompany him to help battle Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, Frost steals his Dragon Medallion and becomes frozen by her own powers. Frost is revealed to have survived in theUnchainedport ofDeception,in which Sub-Zero traps her in a block of ice after she attempts to kill him. She is freed by Taven in the Konquest mode ofMortal Kombat: Armageddon,but attacks him after mistaking him for Sub-Zero and is defeated. Frost returns as a playable character inMortal Kombat 11,which depicts her receiving cybernetic enhancements. Aligning herself with Kronika by leading the Cyber Lin Kuei against Earthrealm's heroes, she is defeated by Raiden, who shuts down the cyborgs by deactivating her link to them. Frost returns inMortal Kombat 1as a kameo fighter.

The character was the first designed by Herman Sanchez forDeadly Alliance.She was placed eighth inComplex's selection of the series' ten most underrated characters in 2011.Den of Geek placed Frost 37th in their 2015 ranking of the series' 73 player characters, calling her addition "a nice touch" to Sub-Zero's rebuilding of the Lin Kuei.

Hsu Hao

Hsu Hao is a member of the Red Dragon clan distinguished by his cybernetic heart. After infiltrating the Special Forces, Hsu Hao destroys their Outerworld Investigation Agency branch with a nuclear device. He is eventually found by Jax, who kills him by ripping out his cybernetic heart. Despite this, he returns inArmageddon.Hsu Hao also appears in theMortal Kombat Xcomic prequel, in which he is killed by Scorpion.

During development, the character was called Kublai Khan after theMongolian emperor of the same name.Steve Beran described him as "the anti-Jax" whose cybernetic heart was the result of experiments performed on him by the Chinese army. According toEd Boon,Hsu Hao had a number of different iterations, with his "Hand Clap" special move inspired by superhero comics.

Hsu Hao is widely regarded as one of the worst characters in theMortal Kombatfranchise. Den of Geek's 2015 ranking of the series' 73 characters placed him as the second-worst.Robert Naytor of Hardcore Gaming 101 described the character as "a slightly racist take at aVillage Person".Naming him the series' worst character in 2014,Destructoidnoted that "in a game that was littered with lackluster new additions, he was without a doubt the runt of that litter".This negative reception is also present in the development team, with John Vogel intending his death inDeadly Allianceto be canon and Boon making him the first character officially omitted from theMortal Kombat Xplayable character roster.In reference to the negative reception, one of Erron Black's pre-match introductions inMortal Kombat 11depicts him tossing aside Hsu Hao's severed head. However, Hsu Hao was included inthe Joker'sMK11ending, in which they join forces with Havik andMileenain attacking Orderrealm.

Kenshi

Main article:Kenshi (Mortal Kombat)

Li Mei

Voiced by: Lina Chern (MK:D);Tara Strong(MKX);Kelly Hu(MK1);Grey DeLisle(Battle of the Realms)

Li Mei is an Outworld native from a small village who was forced into a tournament by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi with the promise that her victory would free her village. However, upon winning the tournament, Shang Tsung attempts to place her soul into the corpse of one of Onaga's soldiers. InMortal Kombat: Deception,she was saved by Bo' Rai Cho, but her contact with the corpse causes her to feel a connection with Onaga. Following a cameo appearance inMortal Kombat X,Li Mei returns as a playable character inMortal Kombat 1,in which she is depicted as the First Constable of Outworld's capitol Sun Do who once served Empress Sindel and led her royal guard, the Umgadi, until Emperor Jerrod was murdered.

Reception to Li Mei has been mixed, with criticism directed towards herDeceptiondesign. Den of Geek rated her 57th in their 2015 ranking of the series' entire 73-character roster, feeling she was "only distinguished by her ridiculous outfit of a bandana and underwear".Joe Pring of WhatCulture rated Li Mei sixth in his 2015 selection of the twenty worstMortal Kombatcharacters for "[wearing] a bandana while dancing around in metal-plated underwear", which he stated "deserves to be ridiculed".

Mavado

Voiced by: Alex Brandon (MK:A)

Mavado is a high-ranking member of the Red Dragon clan. As his clan's top priority is the elimination of the Black Dragon, he aligns himself with Quan Chi and Shang Tsung when they promise to hand over Kano to him for his services. He also defeats Kenshi on their behest.Deceptionreveals Mavado was killed by Kabal after an unsuccessful attempt on Kabal's life, but he returns inArmageddon,continuing to serve the Red Dragon. Mavado has a minor role in theMortal Kombat Xcomic prequel, in which he is killed byCassie Cage.

Originally named "Malvado", the Spanish word for "evil",Steve Beran conceived amatador-style look for the character,but the idea was nixed due to the belief that it did not fit in with theMortal Kombatuniverse.He is the first character in the series to use a physical object for a body-propel special attack, which he performs by shooting twobungee cordsinto the ground and slingshotting himself feet-first to dropkick his opponent.This attack was incorporated into his "Boot Thrust" Fatality.

Robert Workman of GamePlayBook ranked him eighth in his 2010 selection of the worstMKcharacters, describing his Fatality as "stupid",but Den of Geek, placed him 39th in their 2015 ranking of the series' 73 characters "for his bungee hook attacks" and taking Kabal's weapons after killing him.

Mokap

Voiced by: Dusan Brown (Cage Match)

Mokap is amotion captureactor with an extensive martial arts background. He debuted as a hidden character inDeadly Alliance,but has no involvement with the story; his biography follows Johnny Cage's non-canonical ending of aDeadly Alliancefilm being created. Mokap also has a limited role in the conflict ofArmageddon,in which his involvement is said to be by mistake.

Named after the contraction formotion capture,Mokap is based on Midway graphic artist Carlos Pesina, who provided the motion capture work forDeadly Alliance.Pesina admitted it was "pretty flattering" being included in the game, but also remarked it was "weird" seeing Fatalities performed on him.

Mokap is featured inMortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match,as an African-American man named Charles "Chuck" Golden. In the film, Golden is depicted as Johnny Cage's loyal assistant who idolizes him. He works with Cage to investigate Jennifer's disappearance before the two ally themselves with Ashrah to stop Shinnok from conquering Earthrealm. After they succeed, Golden attempts to follow in Cage's footsteps, eventually becoming his double in video games and nicknames himself "Mokap."

Reception to Mokap has been mostly negative. Den of Geek rated him 55th in their 2015 ranking of the series characters, stating that he "didn't really work well as a comedy character because the game did little to differentiate the characters in terms of personality".In their ranking of the 10 worst characters,ScrewAttackplaced Mokap second because "nobody wants to play as a dude with balls on his body".

Moloch

Voiced by: Bob Ladewig (MK:D)

Moloch is the sub- Boss ofDeadly Alliance.An Oni demon of immense size and strength, he and Drahmin are hired by Quan Chi to protect him against Scorpion in exchange for freedom from the Netherrealm. After Quan Chi betrays them by leaving them behind, Moloch and Drahmin align themselves with Shang Tsung to help him counter Quan Chi's treachery. They also defeat Scorpion by throwing him into the Soulnado at Shang Tsung's palace. Moloch also appears in theMortal Kombat Xprequel comic, in which Quan Chi has him killed by therevenantKitana. In reference to his comic death, Quan Chi is seen holding Moloch's severed head during hisMortal Kombat Xpre-match introductions.

Designed by Allen Ditzig, Moloch's concept changed little from his finalized design.Den of Geek rated him 21st in their 2015 ranking of the series' 64 characters, praising his sub- Boss role and possessing "some utter brutality that hadn't been felt in aMortal KombatBoss since Kintaro ".Bryan Dawson of Prima Games named Moloch in his 2014 selection of the "cheapest"Mortal Kombatcharacters for his playable version inArmageddonhaving "a near infinite combo limited only by the size of the stage" and "ridiculous reach with most of his special moves".

Nitara

Portrayed by:Megan Fox(MK1,voice/model);Cristina Vee(MK1,battle grunts);Mel Jarnson (2021 film)

Nitara is avampirefrom the realm of Vaeternus who seeks to destroy the orb that binds her realm to Outworld. As the orb is inside of a lava pit that Cyrax is able to enter, Nitara orchestrates a series of events to force Cyrax into helping her in exchange for passage back to Earthrealm.She ultimately succeeds in destroying the orb with Cyrax's assistance, freeing Vaeternus.Her biography inArmageddonstates that Nitara leaves Vaeternus for Edenia in an effort to prevent her species from being exterminated by Ashrah, although this is not established during the game.

In the rebooted timeline ofMortal Kombat 1,Nitara has a minor role in the game's story mode, in which she allies herself with Quan Chi to conquer Earthrealm in order to prevent mass starvation of her people after they overfed on Vaeternus' creatures. An alternate Nitara appears as the second Boss in Invasion Mode, where she hails from a timeline conquered by Vaternians that sought to feed on other worlds. After her defeat, Liu Kang recruited another Nitara variant who used her powers for good to cure his allies infected by her evil counterpart.

The character was designed by Luis Mangubat, and a male vampire counterpart was also planned forDeadly Alliancebut the developers were unable to add him to the game in time.Megan Fox,who voiced Nitara inMK1,described the character as "evil but she's also good. She's trying to save her people. I really like her. She's a vampire which obviously resonates for whatever reason."

Nitara was played by Mel Jarnson in the 2021 feature filmMortal Kombat,in which she briefly appears as one of Shang Tsung's Outworld champions before she is killed by Kung Lao.

UGO ranked Nitara 46th on their 2012 list of the top fifty series characters.In 2011,Complexnamed her one of the series' most underrated characters, stating that "Buffywould get her ass handed to her by this chick ".However, Fox's voicework inMK1was criticized by fans as "lifeless and boring".

Introduced inMortal Kombat: Deception

See also:Mortal Kombat: Deception

Ashrah

Voiced by: Johanna Añonuevo (MK:D,MK:A);Kelly Hu(Cage Match);Susan Eisenberg(MK1)

Ashrah is a demon from the Netherrealm who discovers a magical sword that cleanses her soul when she uses it to kill demons. As having a purified soul will allow her to escape the Netherrealm, Ashrah plots to kill Noob Saibot to complete her redemption. HerArmageddonbiography reveals that after leaving the Netherrealm, she is tasked with killing the vampires in Vaeternus.Ashrah returns inMortal Kombat 1.While hunting down demons to cleanse her soul, she allies herself with Earthrealm's warriors to stop Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and is welcomed into the Earthrealm by Liu Kang. After the defeat of Titan Shang Tsung, she began studying with the Shaolin Monks before briefly returning to Outworld to rescue Sareena from Quan Chi's control. After Liu Kang assists her in removing Quan Chi's control over her, Sareena joins Ashrah in Earthrealm to form the Order of Light. The pre-fight intros also reveal she and Reptile began dating each other.

Ed Booncommented that the character was commonly misconceived as a female version ofRaidendue to her similar outfit and believed she would have the "biggest impact" out of the new characters fromDeception.Ashrah was ranked 45th onUGO's 2012 list of the top 50Mortal Kombatcharacters.Den of Geekplaced her 53rd in their 2015 ranking of the 64 series characters, opining that there was "nothing special about her".Robert Naytor of Hardcore Gaming 101 made note of the character's "modest outfit" in contrast to the franchise's other female characters, but criticized her minor role in the story.Although Kevin Wong ofComplexfound Ashrah to be "a Raiden knockoff", he praised her "Voodoo Doll" Fatality fromDeception.

Dairou

Voiced by: Josh Schmittstenstein (MK:D)

Dairou is a former guardsman from Orderrealm who was arrested for killing an assailant in anger. After breaking out prison, he became a mercenary who follows a personal code.Following his introduction inMortal Kombat: Deception,he was slated to appear inMortal Kombat: Deadly Allianceas an armoredsamuraiwielding a pair ofkatanas.However, he was cut due to time constraints and his complex design.

Dairou, amalgamated withHavik,appears as a playable character inMortal Kombat 1.

Dairou makes a non-speaking cameo appearance inMortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blindas a member of the Black Dragon crime syndicate.

Although Boon had praise for Dairou's appearance,reception to the character has been negative. He was ranked 67th by Den of Geek in their 2015 rating of the series' 73 playable characters, describing him as "unbelievably generic",and Dustin Thomas ofDestructoidstated "there really isn't a whole lot to say about him" while ranking him third in his 2014 list of the series' five worstMKcharacters.Despite this, his "Ribs to the Eyes" Fatality inDeceptionis regarded as one of the franchise's best.

Darrius

Voiced by: Steve Jones (MK:D)

Darrius is the leader of a resistance movement in Orderrealm. He seeks to overthrow his realm's government, believing they are too oppressive towards their citizens. To accomplish his goal, Darrius exploits the laws of his realm to manipulate others into joining his movement; his biography implies he had Dairou's family murdered to instigate Dairou's removal from the guardsmen.

Designed by Steve Beran, Darrius was the last new addition to theDeceptionroster.Beran described Darrius as having "a 'take no B.S.' attitude, like a star athlete who had made his way to fame from a rough upbringing and humble beginnings",whileEd Boonconsidered him a more "Americanized"fighting game character who had an indescribable" appeal "about him and Herman Sanchez called the character" lean and mean, aggressive, [and with] style. "According to Beran, the character's look was inspired by 1960s and '70s comic book art, with his final appearance" intended to be a mixture of those elements fused with a sleek modern approach ". His alternate costume was a homage to actorJim Kelly.Lead storyteller John Vogel expressed his desire to see Darrius in futureMKinstallments, although he has not reappeared sinceArmageddon.He eventually made his return inMortal Kombat 1as a kameo fighter with appearances in the story mode.

Darrius was rated 44th in the 2015 ranking of the series' 73 player characters by Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek, who found him "worth revisiting down the line".Conversely,ScrewAttacknamed Darrius the sixth worstMortal Kombatcharacter, calling him a "knock-off" of theMarvel ComicsheroBlade.

Havik

Voiced by: Ryan Rosenberg (MK:D,MK:A); Jacob Craner (MK1)

Havik is a denizen of Chaosrealm who, like its other inhabitants, seeks to spread disorder. In pursuit of this goal, he pits Earthrealm and Outworld's warriors against Onaga, rescues Kabal, and convinces him to reform the Black Dragon. Following his introduction inDeception,Havik makes subsequent appearances inMortal Kombat: Armageddonand DC Comics'Mortal Kombat X: Blood Ties.

Two incarnations of Havik appear inMortal Kombat 1.The first, who bears elements ofDairou,makes a minor appearance in the story mode as a former inhabitant of Orderrealm who disagrees with their laws and seeks to destroy it.In his arcade mode ending, he succeeds in destroying Orderrealm's capital, Seido, withRain's help.The second, a Titan, makes a cameo appearance in the story mode,and serves as the final Boss of theKhaos ReignsDLC.

Havik, originally named "Skab", was designed by Steve Beran as an alternate outfit forNoob Saibotbefore being given a storyline of his own.Ed Boon said that Havik was envisioned as a "decaying"character whose specials would look" disturbing "due to often featuring his limbs breaking.

Havik is generally regarded as the best character introduced inDeception.Dustin Thomas ofDestructoidcalled him "the only new character inDeceptionworthy of being aMortal Kombatcharacter ".Hardcore Gaming 101 described Havik as "probably the least lamest of the newcomers inDeception,even though that's not saying much ".Ranking him 30th in their 2015 rating of the series' 73 characters, Den of Geek said, "While the whole Orderrealm/Chaosrealm subplot never quite caught on, Havik is strong enough to exist on his own."

Hotaru

Voiced by: Chase Ashbaker (MK:D)

Hotaru is a high-ranking guardsman in Orderrealm. Although not inherently evil, he aligns himself with Onaga due to Onaga's reputation for preserving order. As part of his alignment, Hotaru pursues Sub-Zero for killing many of Onaga's Tarkatan warriors. In turn, Hotaru is pursued by Dairou, who received a contract to assassinate him. He is depicted being killed by Dairou, Darrius, and Kenshi in their respective endings, but the2011 rebootreveals that his death occurred during the final battle ofArmageddon.

The character was conceived as a foil to Havik.His name is the Japanese word for firefly, which serves as the motif for his costume that was designed by Jennifer Hedrick.

Hotaru was ranked 43rd onUGO's 2012 list of the top 50Mortal Kombatcharacters. Ranking him 60th in their 2015 rating of the series' 73 characters, Den of Geek remarked that "order tends to be the more boring [compared to chaos], but Hotaru has just enough of a cool factor".Robert Workman of GamePlayBook rated Hotaru 10th in his selection of the worst series characters for his using lava as a weapon and "stealing" Liu Kang's Bicycle Kick for one of his special moves.

Kira

Voiced by: Christine Rios (MK:A);Courtenay Taylor(Snow Blind)

Kira is a member of the Black Dragon clan who possesses the abilities of Kano and Sonya Blade. She also wields the same daggers as Kano. Formerly an arms dealer, she becomes the first recruit of Kabal's new clan inDeception.Early into the Konquest mode ofMK: Armageddon,Kira is seen guarding a bridge alongside Kobra. Kira, however, abandons Kobra during his battle with Taven.

John Vogel described Kira as the "most disciplined" of the Black Dragons, while Jay Biondo called her "theFatal Attractioncharacter ".Describing her as an "evilSonya Blade"who was" a bit easier to take seriously "than Kobra, Den of Geek placed Kira 32nd in their 2015 ranking of the franchise's 64 player characters.Her storyline as an arms dealer who disguised herself as a man was ranked fourth by John Harty of WhatCulture in his 2015 selection of the series' ten "Most Badass Backstories", calling it "a concept that speaks to a person having some serious balls".

Kobra

Voiced by: Alex Brandon (MK:A);Yuri Lowenthal(Snow Blind)

Kobra is a martial artist who serves the Black Dragon clan. Once a disciplined fighter, he turns criminal after he starts using his training to kill others. His bloodlust catches the attention of Kabal, who makes him the second recruit of his clan inDeception.Kobra appears as Taven's first opponent in the Konquest mode ofArmageddon,in which he unsuccessfully attempts to prevent Taven from crossing a bridge.

Kobra was given the placeholder name of "Ben Masters" whileDeceptionwas in production, due to his physical resemblance toStreet FightercharacterKen Masters.Ed Boondescribed Kobra inDeceptionas "the simple character that everybody can pick up and play" with easy-to-execute special moves.

In the 2022 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind,Kobra is one of Kano's main Black Dragon henchmen.

GamePlayBookplaced Kobra sixth in their 2010 listing of the 10 worstMortal Kombatcharacters, unfavorably comparing him to Ken.Den of Geek rated Kobra 35th in their 2015 ranking of the 64 series characters, calling him an "evil Johnny Cage".

Onaga

Voiced by: Nigel Casey (MK:D,MK:A)

Onaga is the final Boss ofDeception.Also known as the Dragon King, he was the emperor of Outworld until he was poisoned by Shao Kahn. Once resurrected, Onaga derives his power from the Kamidogu, six mystical relics that contain the essence of each main realm. Unbeknownst to Onaga, however, he is being manipulated by the One Being into unmaking reality through the Kamidogu. The Konquest mode ofDeceptionreveals how he manipulated Shujinko into collecting the Kamidogu for him under the identity of his avatar Damashi. He is ultimately defeated by Shujinko, but returns inArmageddon,in which he begrudgingly enters an alliance with Shao Kahn and other major villains to destroy Blaze. Onaga does not appear in the rebooted timeline, although he is occasionally referenced. InMortal Kombat 1's new timeline, Onaga was defeated and captured centuries ago by General Shao's ancestors, and General Shao tasks Reiko with taming him to use as a weapon against Outworld's Royal Court.

The character was ranked 39th onUGO's 2012 list of the top 50Mortal Kombatfighters.

Shujinko

Voiced by: Max Crawford (MK:D,MK:A)

Shujinko is a veteran adventurer with the ability to copy the powers of his opponents. He serves as the protagonist ofDeception's Konquest mode, which depicts how he was deceived into collecting the six mystical Kamidogu for Onaga. Upon learning of the deception, Shujinko seeks redemption by using the power he received from Onaga to defeat him. Shujinko emerges victorious by destroying the Kamidogu, but believing that he has not redeemed himself, he plots to destroy Onaga and the other villains during the events ofMK: Armageddon.He appears in theMortal Kombat Xprequel comic, where he guards Chaosrealm's Kamidogu but becomes possessed by Havik. He also appears in Cassie Cage's ending in theMortal Kombat Xgame, where he is defeated by Cassie after Raiden reported him stealing souls. InMortal Kombat 1,he appears as an assist-based Kameo fighter. The new timeline's version also appears in Kung Lao's ending, where he trains under him. Due to Kung Lao not teaching him humility, he becomes a threat to the realms. After Liu Kang erases his memory, Kung Lao agrees to train him again but with Raiden at his side.

Ed Boon deemed Shujinko the series' "next-generation Liu Kang",but the character was not well received. Describing him as "one of the most gullible, susceptible dumbasses in video games", Den of Geek placed Shujinko 65th in their 2015 ranking of the series' 73 playable characters.ScrewAttackranked Shujinko the eighth worstMortal Kombatcharacter for being an "older and boring" Liu Kang.Bryan Dawson ofPrima Gamesnamed him one of the series' "cheapest" characters due to his moveset of other fighters' special attacks.

Introduced inMortal Kombat: Armageddon

See also:Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

Daegon

Voiced by: Tom Taylorson (MK:A)

Daegon is the younger of the brothers tasked with preventing Armageddon. Due to being awoken prematurely from his incubation, however, he appears physically older than Taven. The premature awakening causes Daegon to become unbalanced, resulting in him killing his parents and forming the Red Dragon clan. When Taven is properly awoken during the events ofArmageddon,Daegon fights him for the right to face Blaze, but he is defeated by his older brother. Along with a background cameo in the2011 reboot,he appears in theMortal Kombat Xprequel comic, which establishes him as the killer of Takeda's mother.

The character was initially called "Doug" during the production ofArmageddonas the developers had difficulty finding a name for him.Daegon finished 56th in Den of Geek's 2015 ranking of the series' 73 characters.He was criticized by Hardcore Gaming 101, who opined that his in-development name was "probably the most interesting thing about him".

Taven

Voiced by: Shaun Himmerick (MK:A)

Taven is the older of the brothers tasked with preventing Armageddon. He serves as the protagonist ofArmageddon's training mode, which depicts his quest to save the realms by claiming Blaze's power. The mode ends with Taven defeating Blaze, but his victory does not stop the final battle as it instead causes the other warriors to become more powerful. The2011 reboot,however, establishes Shao Kahn claiming Blaze's power, implying Taven was defeated by Blaze. Taven has not been featured in the storyline of the rebooted timeline, although he has appeared in non-canonical endings.

Due to difficulty in naming the character, Taven was originally called "Bob" until his final name was determined. Ed Boon revealed that he initially opposed Taven's final name before it made "perfect sense" to him.Reception to Taven was mostly negative; Hardcore Gaming 101 called him "utterly generic".Destructoidnamed him the series' second-worst fighter, describing him as "the most bland character inMKhistory ".Similar criticism was shared by Den of Geek in their 2015 ranking of the series' 73 playable characters, which placed him 58th and opined "Taven's generic design didn't do him any favors" whenArmageddonwas "based around including every single playableMortal Kombatcharacter ".

Introduced inMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

See also:Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

Dark Kahn

Voiced by: Perry Brown andPatrick Seitz

Dark Kahn is the final Boss ofMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.He is an amalgamation of Shao Kahn andDC ComicssupervillainDarkseid,created through the accidental merging of their universes. Deriving his power from conflict, he attempts to fully merge the universes by manipulating theMortal Kombatand DC warriors into fighting each other. Dark Kahn is ultimately defeated by Raiden andSuperman,who manage to overcome his manipulation. Following Dark Kahn's destruction, Shao Kahn and Darkseid become trapped in their counterparts' universe; Darkseid is sent to the Netherrealm, while Shao Kahn is imprisoned in thePhantom Zone.

Introduced inMortal Kombat(2011)

See also:Mortal Kombat (2011 video game)

Skarlet

Voiced by:Beata Poźniak

Skarlet is a warrior created byShao Kahnusing sorcery and the blood of countless warriors. She debuts in the 2011 series reboot, where her purpose is to discernQuan Chi's true reason for attending the Mortal Kombat tournament. InMortal Kombat 11,her background is changed to that as an orphan adopted by Shao Kahn to learn blood magic upon her eventual transformation into an imperial bodyguard and assassin. Skarlet useskodachiswords andkunaiknives as well as her power to turn into, and absorb the blood of her victims in addition to being able to manipulate her victim's blood.

Similar to theErmacrumors in the firstMortal Kombat,Skarlet originated as a nonexistent character inMortal Kombat IIdue to false reports of a glitch nicknamed "Scarlet" by players in which the palette swaps of eitherKitanaorMileenawould turn red.Nearly two decades after the rumors originated, she was announced as one of the 2011 reboot's firstdownloadable(DLC) playable characters.She plays a minor role inDC Comics' 2015Mortal Kombat Xcomic series set before the events of the game, but does not appear in the game itself. Skarlet has been noted by gaming media outlets for the graphic nature of her character and her Fatalities.

Introduced inMortal Kombat X

See also:Mortal Kombat X

Cassie Cage

Main article:Cassie Cage

D'Vorah

Voiced by:Kelly Hu(MKX,MK11),Debra Wilson(Battle of the Realms)

D'Vorah is a Kytinn, a humanoid race withinsect/arachnidtraits.Her name is derived from the Hebrew word forbee.She is first seen serving Kotal Kahn inMortal Kombat X,but is secretly in allegiance with Shinnok, which results in her being defeated by Cassie Cage. InMortal Kombat 11,D'Vorah joins Kronika's efforts in restarting the timeline. Although she kills the present version ofScorpion,she is forced to retreat after his past counterpart injures her; her subsequent fate is unknown.

D'Vorah appears in the 2021 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms,voiced byDebra Wilson.

The character has received a polarizing reception. Melody MacReady ofScreen Rantnoted that while D'Vorah is praised for her design, she has generated controversy for killing popular characters such as Baraka, Mileena, and Scorpion in the games' storyline.She ranked 25th inDen of Geek's2015 rating of the series' 73 playable characters, which called her "a great new addition to the roster" and lauded that she was "filled with all sorts of creepy surprises".

Erron Black

Voiced by:Troy Baker

Erron Black is a mercenary from Earthrealm, but in the service of Outworld. Depicted as a 19th-century gunfighter from theOld West,his backstory reveals that his body's aging was slowed by Shang Tsung in exchange for murdering an unidentified Earthrealm warrior. As a result, he utilizes 19th century weaponry. He serves Kotal Kahn inMortal Kombat X,which puts him into conflict with Earthrealm's warriors.Mortal Kombat 11features a past version of Erron Black who both serves Shao Kahn and is a member of the Black Dragon, while his present counterpart assists Kitana in defeating Shao Kahn's forces.

Black appears in the 2022 animated filmMortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blindas one of Kano's Black Dragon henchmen.

The character placed 10th inDen of Geek'srating of the series' 73 playable characters in 2015, the highest of any fighter not introduced in the first three games, which described him as "theBoba FettofMortal Kombat".

Ferra/Torr

Voiced by:Tara Strong(Ferra);Fred Tatasciore(Torr)

Ferra and Torr are a duo belonging to an Outworld symbiotic species. Through their relationship, the diminutive Ferra rides the massive Torr into battle, while Torr serves as their enforcer. During gameplay, the player controls Torr, with Ferra utilized for special attacks; as such, fatalities and brutalities are performed directly on Torr. Their ending inMortal Kombat Xestablishes Ferra is a juvenile who will be mounted by a rider when she reaches maturity and Torr will die without her. In the story mode ofMortal Kombat X,Ferra and Torr serve Kotal Kahn, which leads to them fighting Earthrealm's warriors; they are ultimately incapacitated by Sub-Zero.

Ebenezer Samuel of theNew York Daily Newscalled Ferra and Torr a "highlight" of the game, with their in-gameplay mannerisms "distracting enough to take your eye off the battle, and quirky enough that it's worth watching."They ranked 39th in the ranking of the series characters by Den of Geek, who praised them as "the most original new race the series has introduced in years".

Jacqui Briggs

Voiced by:Danielle Nicolet(MKX);Megalyn Echikunwoke(MK11)

Jacqui Briggs is a Special Forces operative who uses a pair of electronic gauntlets as her primary weapon. The daughter of Jax and best friend of Cassie Cage, she debuts inMortal Kombat Xas a member of Cassie Cage's unit, with whom she helps defeat the threatening forces of Outworld and the Netherrealm. She also becomes the love interest to Takeda. InMortal Kombat 11,Jacqui and the past version of her father are forced to face the present version of Jax when he aligns himself with Kronika. After the present version realizes his mistakes, she fights alongside both versions of her father in the battle against Kronika's forces. InMortal Kombat 1,Jacqui is not present in the new timeline as Jax had not married yet, but appears in the final battle as one ofShang Tsung's minions summoned to oppose Liu Kang.

Den of Geek ranked Jacqui 47th in their ranking of the 73 series characters, praising her for being "fun to play as" while finding that "she doesn't stand out nearly enough".Ikhtear Shahrukh ofThe Daily Staropined that Jacqui "fit[s] into typical generic fighter game character stereotypes instead of beingMortal Kombatmaterial ".

Kotal Kahn

Voiced by:Phil LaMarr

Kotal Kahn is the emperor of Outworld inMortal Kombat XandMortal Kombat 11.He is an Osh-Tekk, anAztec-inspired species whose powers originate from the sun, and wields amacuahuitlas his primary weapon. Embroiled in a civil war against Mileena inMortal Kombat X,he receives support from the Earthrealm warriors, but turns against them due to D'Vorah's deception. Kotal Kahn later leads an invasion of Earthrealm, which is driven back by the Lin Kuei. InMortal Kombat 11,his rule is threatened by the return of Shao Kahn. After Shao Kahn cripples him, he names Kitana the new ruler of Outworld. He does not appear during the battle against Kronika in the original story mode, butAftermathsees him participate after his injures heal; he is killed by Shao Kahn in a surprise attack. Although he does not physically appear inMortal Kombat 1he is mentioned to have been defeated off screen by Raiden as part of the tournament.

The character was ranked 15th on Den of Geek's list ofMortal Kombatcharacters, which compared him toBlack AdamandNamoras an "honorable" emperor who "will do anything to protect his planetary kingdom".

Kung Jin

Main article:Kung Jin

Takeda Takahashi

Voiced by:Parry Shen

Takeda is the son of Kenshi and a member of the Shirai Ryu clan and Cassie Cage's Special Forces unit whose primary weapon is a pair of bladed whips. Following his mother's murder, Takeda was raised and trained by Hanzo Hisashi as Kenshi wanted him to be properly prepared to avenge her. First appearing inMortal Kombat X,Takeda assists Cage in combatting Outworld and Netherrealm forces, forming a relationship with teammate Jacqui Briggs in the process. While he does not appear inMortal Kombat 11,Jacqui states that they have become engaged.

Three incarnations of Takeda appear inMortal Kombat 1.The first, an NPC, makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the story mode as an evil alternate timeline variant summoned to aid Titan Shang Tsung, only to be killed by Titan Kitana.The second, a downloadable playable character, is Kenshi's cousin instead of his son. Additionally, he previously worked for the Yakuza, who sent him to kill Kenshi for his betrayal. After being injured and put into the Shirai Ryu's care, Takeda temporarily joins them before leaving to dismantle the Yakuza. In his arcade mode ending, he discovers the Yakuza answer to a more powerful crime syndicate called the Red Dragon and works to dismantle them instead.The third, also an NPC, appears in theKhaos ReignsDLC as a variant from TitanHavik's timeline and a member of his army.

Takeda was ranked 36th in Den of Geek's list ofMortal Kombatcharacters, which found that he "works best as an accessory to Scorpion, finally giving him some semblance of family and helping to give him closure".

Triborg

Voiced by:Vic Chao

Triborg is a cybernetic warrior created from the consciousnesses of Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke, and Sub-Zero.As a result, he is able to replicate the abilities of each. Depending on the variation selected by the player, Triborg will appear as one of the Lin Kuei cyborgs and utilize his special moves during gameplay. He debuted as a downloadable character inMortal Kombat X,where his backstory establishes that he seeks to destroy all organic life. However, he has no involvement in the storyline of the game. Triborg was excluded from theDen of Geekranking of the series' fighters, as writer Gavin Jasper found him to be "aVoltronof existing characters ".

Introduced inMortal Kombat 11

See also:Mortal Kombat 11

Cetrion

Voiced by:Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Cetrion is the Elder Goddess of life and virtue. She utilizes nature and the elements as her primary powers. As the daughter of Kronika and sister of Shinnok, Cetrion is intended to balance the darkness represented by her brother. Despite her benevolent appearance, however, she maintains loyalty to Kronika. This loyalty leads to Cetrion allowing Kronika to absorb her essence in both the original story mode ofMortal Kombat 11and theAftermathexpansion.

Ranking her 38th in his list of the series' characters, Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek called Cetrion "more nightmarish" than Shinnok.

Geras

Voiced by:Dave B. Mitchell(MK11);Phil LaMarr(MK1)

Geras is an artificial construct created by Kronika to serve as her primary enforcer. Named after theGreek deity of old age,his powers are based around manipulating sand and time. The story mode ofMortal Kombat 11establishes that he also possesses regenerative abilities, effectively rendering him immortal. As the Earthrealm heroes are unable to kill him, Raiden defeats Geras by throwing him into Netherrealm's bottomless Sea of Blood. TheAftermathexpansion, however, depicts Geras being incapacitated by Shao Kahn, despite his immortality powers. InMortal Kombat 1,Liu Kang makes Geras his advisor and entrusts him with monitoring the new timeline.

Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek ranked Geras 20th in his list of the series' characters, with praise for his time manipulation powers and calling his ability to alter the game's match timer "such a wonderful, brilliant asshole move".

Kollector

Voiced by:Andrew Morgado

Kollector is a Naknadan, a six-armed species in Outworld. His multiple arms allow him to utilize a wide array of weaponry, including a lantern, chain mace, bag bomb, and vials of fire.As implied by his name, he served as tribute collector for Shao Kahn until the emperor's death. When Shao Kahn returns in the story mode ofMortal Kombat 11,Kollector rejoins his forces, but is defeated by Kitana. In theAftermathexpansion, he is the first to notice the time-displaced Shang Tsung, Fujin, and Nightwolf arrive in Outworld, leading to him being defeated by the lattermost. Kollector appears as a cameo inMortal Kombat 1in the game's Invasions mode where he acts as a shopkeeper players can purchase items from.

Ranked 45th in his list of the series' characters, Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek spoke highly of the Kollector's animation and fighting style, but found that "he showed up a little too late to the party".

Kronika

Voiced by:Jennifer Hale

Kronika is the final Boss ofMortal Kombat 11.She is a Titan, a deity predating the Elder Gods, and responsible for maintaining the universe's timeline. As such, her powers center around space and time manipulation.Mortal Kombat 11's story mode depicts her efforts to maintain the conflict between good and evil by restarting the timeline, while also removing Raiden from history. Although Kronika succeeds in bringing the timeline back to its beginning, she is destroyed by Fire God Liu Kang, who becomes the new keeper of time. Kronika returns in theAftermathexpansion when Shang Tsung goes back in time to retrieve her crown, which is required to control the timeline. She is ultimately erased from existence by Shang Tsung, while either Shang Tsung or Liu Kang becomes the keeper of time, depending on who the player selects in the battle between them. However,Mortal Kombat 1reveals the fight over the possession of Hourglass between both Liu Kang and Shang Tsung ripped apart the fabric of reality, creating a multiverse where the two rivals, alongside their allies and enemies, each become victors and Time Keeper Titans of their respective new timelines.

InMortal Kombat 1,Titan Shang Tsung disguises himself as Kronika and calls himself "Damashi" when visiting Liu Kang's new timeline to mentor his Outworlder counterpart, alongside that timeline's Quan Chi, who is also an Outworlder, into becoming the powerful sorcerers they were in previous timelines. In truth, Titan Shang Tsung manipulates Liu Kang timeline's Deadly Alliance, Shao and later Bi-Han into becoming villains like in previous timelines, then dispose of them alongside all lives in that timeline before merging it with his. It is revealed that the power Kronika possessed, combined with her obsession to find perfect balance drove her insane, and she was responsible for the creation of the Deadly Alliance, forging the destinies of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi as powerful sorcerers, something that would later backfire for not only Kronika, but for the realms entirely.

Originally developed as a male deity, Kronika is noted as the first female Boss in theMortal Kombatfranchise.She was ranked 23rd in the Den of Geek's series characters list, the second-highest final Boss behind Shao Kahn, which praised her as "a great major villain" who was "scary not because of her pure might, but because of her affronting divinity".

Other

These characters were never featured in games, either because they never existed or were removed during development.

Belokk

Belokk was originally slated forMortal Kombat Goldbut was cut from the final release.He was created byEurocomand, according to Ed Boon, was removed from the game as the developers did not have time to complete him.Nevertheless, Eurocom accidentally sent information about the game with Belokk in it toGame Informer,and as a result, six screenshots of him were leaked to the public in a preview, upon special request.

Guest characters

Guest characters from various media franchises have appeared in subsequentMortal Kombatgames following the 2008 crossover titleMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.

= Playable in the base roster of the game

= Playable in later iterations of the game

= Appears as a non-playable opponent

Character
	MKvs.DCU	MK9	MKX	MK11	MK1
Batman	Playable
Shazam	Playable
Catwoman	Playable
Deathstroke	Playable
Darkseid	Playable
The Flash	Playable
Green Lantern	Playable
The Joker	Playable			PlayableDLC
Lex Luthor	Playable
Superman	Playable
Wonder Woman	Playable
Dark Kahn	Boss
Kratos		PlayablePS3
Freddy Krueger		PlayableDLC
Jason Voorhees			PlayableDLC
Predator			PlayableDLC
Alien			PlayableDLC
Leatherface			PlayableDLC
Spawn				PlayableDLC
Terminator				PlayableDLC
RoboCop				PlayableDLC
John Rambo				PlayableDLC
Omni-Man					PlayableDLC
Peacemaker					PlayableDLC
Homelander					PlayableDLC
Ghostface					PlayableDLC
T-1000					PlayableDLC
Conan the Barbarian					PlayableDLC