Kurtis Stryker

Kurtis Stryker
Kurtis Stryker in Mortal Kombat (2011)
Series	Mortal Kombat
First game	Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Voiced by	Ron Perlman (DotR) Matthew Mercer (MK 2011)
Portrayed by	Michael O'Brien (MK3, UMK3, MKT) Tahmoh Penikett (Legacy)

Kurtis Stryker (usually referred to as simply Stryker) is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He was originally described as being a leader of the Special Riot Control division in the NYPD, in addition to having been a former Marine who served in the Gulf War.

Kurtis Stryker was introduced in Mortal Kombat 3 in 1995, as a somewhat stout-looking man sporting an often-criticized "urban" design. His appearance changed in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon into a more serious-looking and modernized policeman. The character received much negative criticism regarding his special moves, Fatalities and outfit.

In video games

Stryker's biography screen in Mortal Kombat 3 revealed that he was the leader of the Riot Control Brigade when Outworld's portal opened over New York City. He attempted to keep order among the populace in the ensuing chaos, but soon all human souls were taken by Shao Kahn with the exception of those that belonged to the chosen warriors. Stryker did not understand why he had been spared until he received a vision from Raiden, instructing him to head west in order to meet with the other chosen warriors and learn about the importance of his survival. Although he did not wish to be one of the few souls that was spared, he entered the fray with the intention of avenging the lives of the innocent that he had vowed to serve and protect. Along with the other warriors, Stryker assisted in liberating Earthrealm from Shao Kahn's clutches. He later reappeared in Armageddon with a complete redesign, including clothing resembling riot gear.

Character development

It took Stryker several tries to break into the Mortal Kombat series. A character named "Kurtis Stryker" was to appear in the first Mortal Kombat, but the idea was dropped in place of a female fighter (Sonya Blade). This previously unused character would later appear in Mortal Kombat II with a different name: Jax. Jax's initial name was then finally reused for this character in Mortal Kombat 3. Stryker was made to be a SWAT type of character but with a sleeker design. The developers originally planned for him to have several other weapons, but problems and memory limitations prevented this.

Although character designer and series co-creator John Tobias thought that he would become one of the most popular characters in the game, the opposite would turn true. Many reviled his "common man" appearance and special moves as being out of place in the fantasy world of Mortal Kombat. Ed Boon claimed him to be one of MK3's "hidden secrets" for precisely this reason. Stryker was purposely given a new appearance in Armageddon in order to make him look more appealing to critics of his original design. Armageddon's early concept art and cast render showed that Stryker was to have his Mortal Kombat 3 look as his primary costume; however, this was scrapped later on as this look was one of the sources of rejection over the character.

Gameplay

Stryker employs modern weaponry such as explosives, firearms, tasers and nightsticks for his special moves and Fatalities. Unlike most other MK characters, he does not possess any significant magic powers.

Stryker is considered one of the top-tier Mortal Kombat 3 characters, especially after he was given his gun as a special move in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. This addition greatly increased Stryker's combo abilities, especially where juggling was concerned.^{[citation needed]}

In other media

Stryker is mentioned along with Kabal in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation as having been captured by Rain, though they never appear onscreen.

Stryker was one of the main characters in the animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, and was voiced by Ron Perlman. He was one of Raiden's chosen defenders of the Earthrealm alongside Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Jax, Sonya, Nightwolf, and Kitana. In the show, his nightstick concealed an electronic device that closed dimensional rips that were caused by invading realms. His last name was misspelled as "Striker" in the closing credits.

In Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, a 2010 action short film directed by Kevin Tancharoen, a policeman resembling Stryker is briefly seen

Reception

In 2010, GamePlayBook named Stryker as the worst Mortal Kombat character. In 2011, Stryker placed first on 1UP.com's list of the series most embarrassing moments. Topless Robot also placed Stryker at first place on their list of Mortal Kombat characters "that are goofy even by Mortal Kombat standards", adding: "Stryker is utterly bizarre because he's totally normal" when compared to the other MK characters. ScrewAttack ranked Stryker as the third-worst Mortal Kombat character. Game Informer listed Stryker as one of the characters they did not want in MK 2011 and listed Stryker as one of the characters that does not deserve their own game, adding that any game "involving Stryker as the main protagonist would be absolute crap", as well as listing him as one of gaming's out-of-place characters.

Todd Ciolek from Anime News Network called Stryker to be "of course" the most important character in the series as "he marks the point where I stopped caring about Mortal Kombat", but found Stryker's design in MK 2011 to be better than his old one.

In contrast to all the criticism he's gotten, Stryker placed at 18th on UGO Networks' list of the "Top 50 Mortal Kombat Characters".