Characters of the Mortal Kombat series

File:Armageddongm1.jpg

Midway render of the entire character roster for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (except Taven & Daegon)

This is a list of characters from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series produced by Midway Games and the games in which they appear. The series takes place in a fictional universe composed of six worlds labeled as realms, which were created by beings called the Elder Gods. Due to several wars between the realms, the Elder Gods created a fighting tournament called Mortal Kombat to reduce the wars.

The first Mortal Kombat game introduces a new tournament in which the Earthrealm can be destroyed if it loses once again. The Earthrealm warriors manage to defeat the champion Goro and the host Shang Tsung, but this leads to Shang Tsung to search for other ways to destroy Earthrealm. Since then, every game features a new villain who wishes to conquer the realms, breaking the rules of Mortal Kombat. By Mortal Kombat: Deception, most of the playable characters were killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, but by Mortal Kombat: Armageddon all of them return as Midway wanted to make all the characters playable.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat

Kano

Main article: Kano (Mortal Kombat)

Johnny Cage

Main article: Johnny Cage

Liu Kang

Main article: Liu Kang

Raiden

Main article: Raiden (Mortal Kombat)

Scorpion

Main article: Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)

Sonya Blade

Main article: Sonya Blade

Sub-Zero

Main article: Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)

Goro

Main article: Goro (Mortal Kombat)

Reptile

Main article: Reptile (Mortal Kombat)

Shang Tsung

Main article: Shang Tsung

Introduced in Mortal Kombat II

Baraka

Baraka is the leader of the fictional horde known as the Tarkatan working for Shao Kahn and was responsible for leading the attack against Liu Kang's Shaolin temples. He helped Kahn in making Earthrealm come to Outworld in order to start a tournament against them, but they would be defeated later on. During Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Baraka has no affiliation but by Mortal Kombat Gold, he joins forces with the sorcerer Quan Chi and the army of Shinnok to conquer Edenia, but they are defeated by the Earthrealm warriors. At the time of Mortal Kombat: Deception, Baraka forms an alliance to the risen Dragon King, Onaga, in whose strength he had great faith. Freeing Mileena from her prison, Baraka recruited her to Onaga's ranks. She posed as Princess Kitana, using her position to misdirect the Edenian forces into combat against the Tarkatan raiding parties well away from Onaga. This was intended to give the Dragon King the time he needed to complete his schemes. poopy shit Baraka also appears as a boss in Shaolin Monks which retells the story from MK II. In Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Baraka supports the Mortal Kombat Universe against the DC Universe.

Richard Divizio portrayed Baraka in Mortal Kombat II. Baraka also appeared in the 1997 film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation played by Dennis Keiffer.

Lateef Crowder played Baraka in Mortal Kombat: Rebirth. He was a plastic surgeon who pierced his face, sharpened his teeth, and surgically attached a pair of metal blades to his forearms after killing his patients and fights Johnny Cage in Cage's apartment and kills him.

Jax

"Jax" Briggs is a Special Forces major who first appeared in MKII to find and rescue Sonya from Outworld and bring Kano into custody, a mission he successfully completed, freeing Sonya from the clutches of Shao Kahn and arresting Kano, although the criminal would soon escape capture. When Kahn invaded Earthrealm in MK3, Jax prepared for battle by fitting his arms with bionic implants, and after helping foil Kahn's attempt to permanently claim Earth as his own, he and Sonya founded the Outer World Investigation Agency (OIA), which specialized in the exploration and cartography of other realms, as well as the destruction of interdimensional portals that could lead to Earth. In MK4, he joined the battle with the Earthrealm heroes to stop Shinnok and his forces from entering Earth and became successful. After Shinnok's defeat, Jax witness Jarek trying to kill Sonya while the two were on the edge of the cliff, he caught up with Jarek grabbed him and drop him off the cliff. While returning to Earthrealm, Jax and Sonya found Cyrax malfunctioning in a desert. The two brought the cyborg back to the OIA headquarters, where they were able to restore Cyrax's humanity.

In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, the OIA's underground facility was destroyed by Hsu Hao, who revealed himself to be part of the Red Dragon clan. Jax has a score to settle with him while Hsu Hao was sent by Mavado to kill Shang Tsung. On his way to Tsung's palace, Jax finally caught up with Hsu Hao and killed him by ripping out his artificial heart implant from his chest. During the final attack against the Deadly Alliance, Jax and his allies are killed by the Deadly Alliance's Tarkatan warriors. After the Dragon King Onaga defeats Raiden and the Alliance, he resurrected him and the dead Earthrealm heroes as his slaves to serve him, but their mind control is later broken by Ermac and the spirit of Liu Kang. In MK: Armageddon, Sonya's bio stated that she sent Jax to lead a team of Special Forces to search for survivors after destroying Sektor's Tekunin Warship, but they later vanished and were captured by the Tekunin. His own cybernetic bio scanners send out mysterious readings before contact is lost, and Sonya fears the possibility of Jax's death.

Jax's first chronological adventure was depicted in 2000's Mortal Kombat: Special Forces which took place before the events of MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero and MK1. He served as the game's main protagonist and his mission was to capture the escaped Black Dragon members (No Face, Tasia, Jarek, and Tremor) before confronting their leader who helped them escape, Kano himself. Jax was noted as being voiced by Craig Harris in the game credits.

John Parrish played Jax in all of the digitized MK games, and endured a six-hour makeup session to have his arms painted for filming in MK3. Jax had a minor role in the original MK film and was played by Gregory McKinney. In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Lynn "Red" Williams portrayed Jax and was one of the main characters. Michael Jai White portrayed as Jax in Mortal Kombat: Rebirth. He's the police captain who inlists Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion to enter a tournament run by Shang Tsung. In the 1996 animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, he was among the lead characters voiced by Dorian Harewood. He also appears in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe as a playable character voiced by Dan Washington.

Kitana

Main article: Kitana (Mortal Kombat)

Kung Lao

Main article: Kung Lao

Mileena

Main article: Mileena

Jade

Jade first appears in MKII as a non-playable hidden character who randomly appeared onscreen with clues on how to locate her. She was a green palette swap of Kitana and it was not until UMK3 that she became playable and was given a backstory as a fellow Edenian and childhood friend of Kitana. She once served as Shao Kahn's personal assassin along with Kitana and Mileena. During Shao Kahn's invasion, Jade was ordered by Kahn to capture Kitana but turned against him to side with her friend and the Earth warriors. Sometime after MK: Deadly Alliance, she witnessed Kitana and her allies being resurrected and captured by the Dragon King Onaga, both of them were under a spell to serve him as slaves. In MK: Deception, Jade rescues Sindel from prison in Edenia after being guarded by Kitana under Onaga's orders but locked in the cell by Jade. She and Sindel escape to Outworld, but Jade attempts to seek justice against homeland traitor Tanya.

In Deception, she appears in Konquest mode in the Living Forest as having lost a battle with Shujinko over an unknown object he requires, but she is later unable to recognize him because he has since aged considerably. She orders Shujinko to bring Rain to her, and when he obliges, Rain is killed in ensuing combat by Jade, who in turn pays Shujinko for his services.

Jade was portrayed by Katalin Zamiar in MKII, with Becky Gable replacing her in the role thereafter in UMK3 and MKT. She also appeared in the 1997 film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and was played by Siberian supermodel Irina Pantaeva.

Kintaro

Kintaro, a tiger-striped Shokan who joins Kahn's forces in order to avenge Goro's death, debuted in MKII as the sub-boss from the game, in which he challenged Liu Kang in combat during the second tournament but lost. In MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode, he is seen in the Netherealm along with Sheeva, Havik, and a legion of demons working in an attempt to overthrow Shinnok's rule, which was revealed as nothing more than a test for Taven, with Kintaro merely an illusion. Shang Tsung's third Fatality in MKII saw him transform into Kintaro before swiping his opponent in half.

Kintaro was initially conceived for MKII as an anthropomorphized bipedal tiger complete with a fur-lined costume, but the concept was scrapped due to the infeasibility of creating such a complicated outfit. He is the lone character from the first three games who has not appeared in any film or television adaptations of the series.

Noob Saibot

Main article: Noob Saibot

Shao Kahn

Main article: Shao Kahn

Smoke

Smoke firstly appeared in MKII as a non-playable hidden character spotted in the Living Forest. He was a gray palette swap of Scorpion who was accessible through a joystick combination on the Portal stage. Smoke made his playable debut in MK3 as a selectable character that could be unlocked only after entering the correct "Ultimate Kombat Kode" just before the end of gameplay, in addition to being given a backstory as a friend of Sub-Zero and fellow Lin Kuei assassin. Both escape from the clan upon learning of their Grandmaster's plans to convert his best warriors into cybernetic units, but Smoke was captured, transformed, and programmed as the third cybernetic unit LK-7T2 with orders to hunt down his friend. In his MK3 ending, he discovers with Sub-Zero's help that he still retained his soul, and aided him in defeating Cyrax and Sektor. In MK: Deception, he falls under Noob Saibot's command after being reprogrammed, thus forming the tandem of Noob-Smoke. In MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Noob and Smoke launch an attack on the Lin Kuei temple, but Smoke is later beaten by Taven in battle.

Smoke was played by Daniel Pesina in MKII, with John Turk replacing him in the role thereafter in UMK3 and MKT. Sal Divita portrayed the cyborg version of Smoke in MK3, UMK3 and MKT. He was played by Ridley Tsui in MK: Annihilation, and voiced by Jeremy Ratchford in one episode of MK: Defenders of the Realm.

In a humor article by GameSpy ranked his MK3 fatality as the "9th Biggest Video Game Explosion." They also noted the fatality you would fight another character the next round even if the entire planet was destroyed.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat 3 and updates

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Concept art of Chameleon in MK Trilogy

Chameleon

Chameleon first debuts in the Playstation version (and later Sega Saturn, and PC versions) of MK Trilogy as a male ninja with partial transparency only imitating all moves including special moves from other male ninja characters. In the Nintendo 64 version, he is replaced by Khameleon, a female counterpart who is actually an entirely separate character. The game simply referred to him as "one of Shao Kahn's deadliest warriors." In MK: Armageddon, he is given a backstory, stating that he was present at events dating all the way back to Liu Kang's victory in the first Mortal Kombat tournament, biding his time while watching the events unfold. There is no information to suggest that he is from the same race of raptors as Reptile and Khameleon.

Chameleon was played by John Turk in MKT which he does all ninja character's move set previously before the invisible color changing character.

Cyrax

Cyrax first appears in MK3 as the second Lin Kuei assassin to be transformed and programmed into a cyborg alongside Sektor and Smoke. Designated unit LK-4D4, he was sent to kill Sub-Zero, who had defected from the clan, but during Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm, Sub-Zero defeats Cyrax and reprograms him with orders to destroy Kahn. In MK Gold, Cyrax is recovered and repaired by the Lin Kuei, who again send him into battle with Sektor assigned to monitor him. After Shinnok's defeat, Sonya and Jax use their technology to restore his humanity. Grateful for their help, Cyrax joins the Special Forces OIA as a scout in Earthrealm. During the events of MK: Deadly Alliance, Cyrax is ambushed by the lizard warrior Reptile, and after driving him away, he becomes stranded in Outworld, but Nitara helps him escape back to Earthrealm after having him to recover the mysterious orb from deep inside the molten lava.

Sal Divita played Cyrax in the digitized MK games. During production of MK3, Cyrax was nicknamed "Mustard" by the programmers before his official name was determined. J.J. Perry played the character in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.'

Ermac

Ermac is an entity composed of legions of dead souls created by Shao Kahn, most likely out of souls he had previously taken. Because of this, he refers to himself as a group rather than a singular. On one mission for Shao Kahn in the Netherealm, Ermac became acquainted with Shujinko. He was also assaulted by Ashrah, who erroneously believed him to be a demon.

Ermac served as one of Shao Kahn's greatest warriors, taking even more souls for his collection, and stayed secretively in the shadows of the last Earthrealm Mortal Kombat tournament which Liu Kang won. He is also noted for participating in the invasion of Earthrealm. However, after Shao Kahn's defeat and subsequent loss of power, Ermac remained under Kahn's control and wandered Outworld without instructions. During the events of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, the wandering Ermac was found by Kenshi and was freed from Kahn's control. To show his gratitude, Ermac taught Kenshi the art of telekinesis.

Ermac's newfound freedom meant he was also free to choose his own destiny. He decided to repent for his earlier ways and became a force for good. After making this decision, he met a warrior soul who, like Kenshi, understood his suffering. This warrior soul was that of Liu Kang, who was not only in need of another ally, but also was in need of assistance in freeing his enslaved comrades. Seizing the opportunity to atone for the evil he had committed in Kahn's name, Ermac decided to help Liu Kang, and the pair successfully freed Liu's allies (Jax, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Kitana, and Kung Lao) from Onaga's control. In his ending in Mortal Kombat: Deception, he is described by Shujinko as being capable of battling all five by himself with relative ease.

In Ermac's ending in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, it is said that after he defeats Blaze, the many souls contained within Ermac are released and form new bodies. They are all connected to each other mentally in a collective consciousness, now making Ermac no longer just a fusion of souls, but an army.

John Turk played Ermac in UMK3 and MKT. Ermac appear in the film MK: Annihilation played by John Medlen. He also appeared on one episode in animated TV series MK: Defenders of the Realm voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

Kabal

Kabal debuted in MK3 as a member of the Black Dragon who had survived an attack from Kahn's extermination squads, and was left disfigured and kept alive by artificial respirators. He temporarily leaves behind his life of crime with the Black Dragon and became a force for good. Between the events of MK3 and MK: Deadly Alliance, Kabal is wounded severely in battle by Mavado, a leading member of the rival Red Dragon who stole his hookswords and kept them both for himself. Havik visits Kabal at the brink of death and restores him, and then instructed him to revive the Black Dragon as a force of anarchy and decay. He fought Mavado once again, defeated him and got back his hookswords. Kabal then also recruits Kira and Kobra, and all three join Havik on Outworld for the events of MK: Deception. He toughed up his charges by testing them in combat against Onaga's enemies. In Armageddon's Konquest mode, Taven refused his offer of membership in the Black Dragon before defeating Kabal in combat.

Richard Divizio played Kabal in MK3; John Tobias cited the character's inspiration as the Tusken Raiders from Star Wars. Kabal also appeared in an episode of MK: Defenders of the Realm, and was voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

Khameleon

Khameleon's biography and ending screens in MK Trilogy describe her as the last female of the Saurians (Reptile's race, also known as the Raptors), who were originally from Earthrealm but were either killed or driven out following a great war. This was alluded to by Raiden in the introductions to MK4 and MK Gold, though she was never mentioned by name. They found a new home in the realm of Zaterra, but they were soon discovered by Shao Kahn. After defeating them in Mortal Kombat, Kahn drove the Raptors to near-extinction and merged the realm with Outworld.

Khameleon informed Reptile that Kahn was responsible for their race's extinction, but Reptile fell under Kahn's influence once again and turned against her. Having failed in her attempts to kill Kahn, she wandered the realms while contemplating revenge against him. During the events of MK: Armageddon, she learned of the battle that would occur in Edenia and the gift of ultimate power that would be granted to the victor. Khameleon sought out to attain this power for herself, so as to keep it away from Kahn while exacting revenge on him for his actions against her race.

Becky Gable portrayed Khameleon, a secret invisible character made playable only after the activation of a secret code in the Nintendo 64 version of MK Trilogy in which she imitates all moves from Kitana, Mileena and Jade. She became selectable in the Nintendo Wii version of MK: Armageddon.

Motaro

Motaro first appeared in the series as the sub-boss from MK3. He is from a race of Centaurians who had come into conflict with the Shokan. Kahn favored the Centaurians and aided them in the defeat and subjugation of the Shokan race. Motaro was appointed by Kahn to head his extermination squads that were dispatched to Earthrealm to vanquish Earth's chosen warriors. After Sonya's defeat of Kano during the events of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Motaro was supposedly killed by Sheeva. However, he returns in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, but since then the Centaurs have been put under a curse by the Shokan, turning him and the rest of his race into a bipedal race of Minotaurs.

In an IGN interview, Ed Boon called Motaro one of the oddest shaped Mortal Kombat characters.

Motaro was portrayed by American Gladiators alum Deron McBee in the 1997 film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

Nightwolf

Nightwolf debuted in MK3 as a Native American shaman who was also one of the chosen warriors of Earthrealm during Shao Kahn's invasion. In MK: Deception, he used the "Sin Eater" method (absorbing the sins of his tribe) to defeat Onaga, although he had to do it alone to protect his allies from harm. In doing so, he successfully separated Reptile from Onaga and banished the latter to the Netherealm. Nightwolf then returned with his allies to assist them in battle against Shinnok and his forces. Eventually, Nightwolf was met by Kitana and the spirit of Liu Kang. Still drained after using his shamanic powers on Onaga, Nightwolf used what magic he could to relieve Kitana of her burden, and took on the responsibility of looking after Liu Kang's spirit.

Sal Divita portrayed Nightwolf in MK3. Litefoot played the character in MK: Annihilation, and Todd Thawley voiced him as one of the lead characters in MK: Defenders of the Realm. Nightwolf is also a skinwalker.

Rain

Rain is an Edenian who bore witness to Shao Kahn's invasion of his homeland Edenia as a youth. Many centuries later, he returned during the invasion of Earthrealm and was forced to join Kahn's forces in order for him to betray his homeland rather than suffer by the Emperor himself. During the events of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Quan Chi informed Rain that he was a direct descendant of Argus, the protector god of Edenia making him a half-god. Rain wished to kill both Taven and Daegon in order to be able to win the ultimate prize and power promised from defeating Blaze, but in Konquest mode he is beaten in combat by Taven in the Arctika before escaping through a watery portal.

Rain was named after the Prince song "Purple Rain" by Ed Boon, and was first seen in the arcade version of UMK3 as a non-playable red herring included in the game's attract mode. He was playable on the SNES and Sega Genesis versions, and then in Mortal Kombat Trilogy as a full-fledged character; he was portrayed by John Turk in both instances. In the 1997 film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, the character was played by Tyrone Wiggins. Rain also appeared in one episode each of MK: Defenders of the Realm (voiced by Rino Romano), and Mortal Kombat: Conquest (played by Percy "Spitfire" Brown).

In their article, "The evolution of rain," Rain is mentioned by GamesRadar in their chronological listing.

Sektor

Sektor was the first Lin Kuei ninja to be automated as a cyborg by the clan. Designated unit LK-9T9, he was sent to find and kill the rogue clansman Sub-Zero during MK3 and MK Gold, but was unsuccessful. In MK: Deadly Alliance, Sektor slew the Lin Kuei Grandmaster but was stopped from claiming the Dragon Medallion, the proof of the clan's leadership, by Sub-Zero. Sektor fled to Japan in defeat and formed the Tekunin, his own clan of cybernetic ninja warriors.

In MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Sektor ambushes Taven when the latter is in his father's temple searching for his weapon that had been left there. Sektor brings him to his Tekunin warship, which is then attacked by Sonya and the Special Forces. Taven escapes captivity in the ensuing chaos.

Sektor was portrayed by Sal Divita in the digitized games. During production of MK3, he was nicknamed "Ketchup" and "Robocop" by the programmers before his actual name was determined.

Sheeva

Sheeva first appeared in MK3 as a Shokan who had served as Sindel's personal protector. She is insulted at Kahn's appointment of the centaur Motaro to lead his extermination squads during his invasion of Earthrealm, since the Shokan and the Centaurs are mortal enemies. After Kahn's defeat by the Earth warriors, Sheeva kills Motaro outside of Kano's cell. Kano offers her assistance in assassinating Kahn if Sheeva frees him, but Kano betrays her and informs Kahn of her plot, leading Kahn to stab her from behind with a sword.

Sheeva, whose name was derived from Shiva, a Hindu deity of destruction, was introduced into the series due to fans' requests for a playable version of Goro. While the character was given Goro's offensive moves, she was made female so that she would be smaller in size and therefore the same height as the other fighters. She was played by Marjean Holden in MK: Annihilation, and voiced by Dawnn Lewis in MK: Defenders of the Realm.

Sindel

Sindel was the queen of Edenia before Shao Kahn merged the realm with Outworld. Unwilling to serve under his oppressive rule after Kahn killed her husband King Jerrod during battle, she soon took her own life. In order to merge Earthrealm and Outworld and thus start an invasion, Kahn (with the assistance of Shang Tsung) revived her on Earth, but turned her into his loyalist queen with no memory of her past. After Kahn's defeat, Sindel's daughter, Kitana, told her about her true past, causing Sindel to rebel against Kahn. With Edenia no longer a part of Outworld, Sindel took her rightful place on the throne. However, the forces of Shinnok soon storm the palace and she is captured but Shinnok was defeated by Earth warriors and save the peaceful realm. Edenia is once again invaded, this time by the Dragon King, Onaga, who had resurrected Kitana and her slain Earthrealm allies and placed them under his control. Sindel was once again confined inside her own prison, this time guarded by her own daughter, but was freed by Jade.

Sindel was played by Lia Montelongo in MK3, and by Musetta Vander in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. While MK3 was in production, she was nicknamed "Muchacha" and "The Bride" by the programmers before her official name was determined.

Stryker

Kurtis Stryker first appeared in MK3 as the leader of a riot control brigade when Outworld's portal opened over a large (unspecified) American city. After all the human souls were taken by Kahn save for those of the chosen warriors, Stryker was initially ignorant of why he had been spared until he received a vision from Raiden, instructing him to meet up with the other combatants and learn about the importance of his survival. Stryker and the other Earth warriors assisted in liberating Earthrealm from Kahn's clutches. He did not appear in another original entry in the series again until MK: Armageddon, in which his character design was overhauled and his new outfit resembling modern riot gear.

Stryker was portrayed by Michael O'Brien in MK3 and voiced by Ron Perlman in MK: Defenders of the Realm as one of the lead characters.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero

Fujin

Fujin also known as Wind God makes his first appearance in the spin-off game Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero as one of the four guardians assigned by Raiden to protect Shinnok's amulet and is the first of the gods that the elder Sub-Zero beats in order to acquire it. He remains inactive until the events of Mortal Kombat 4, joining Raiden in his battle against Shinnok, assisting the Earthrealm forces in raiding Shao Kahn's palace. After Shinnok's defeat, Fujin became a new god for Earthrealm given by Raiden.

His bio for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon describes that he witness a new transformation of Raiden feeling unclear of what has caused him to change. He and Kung Lao joined forces to bring their former comrades Raiden and Liu Kang under control, with the God of Thunder becoming "as ruthless as Shao Kahn" and Liu Kang's corpse selectively slaying various people. Fujin then goes on to state in his bio that if no way was found to revert the two corrupted warriors back to normal, both he and Kung Lao would be forced to finish them.

During the time of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, it is revealed that Fujin has been a friend of Taven's family for ages, and realizes their father Argus placed them on a quest. Fujin then goes to search for both brothers, hoping to prevent their progress and learn the true purpose of their quest. Fujin reappears in Armageddon's Konquest mode, confronting Taven outside of the Red Dragon Clan's headquarters. They do battle, but in the end Taven emerges victorious, allowing him to continue his journey but feeling regret at having had to do this to a friend.

Fujin was portrayed by Anthony "Tony" Marquez in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.

Quan Chi

Quan Chi is a sorcerer who convinces the elder Sub-Zero to retrieve Shinnok's amulet for him to give to his lord. Unknown to the fallen Elder God however, Quan Chi replaced the amulet with a useless imitation. Shortly afterwards, Sub-Zero, who had been ordered to reclaim the amulet by Raiden, confronted Quan Chi, and defeated him with assistance from Sareena. Several years later, believing he would need a powerful warrior to defeat him, Quan Chi tricked Scorpion into believing that this younger Sub-Zero had killed his family and clan. Scorpion's rage enabled him to defeat the Lin Kuei warrior, but Quan Chi revealed that he was the actual murderer. Enraged, Scorpion grabbed him, and the both of them were sent back down to the depths of the Netherrealm.

Quan Chi manages to trick the Oni Drahmin and Moloch into attacking Scorpion so that he can escape from Netherrealm. A portal led Quan Chi alone to the tomb containing the mummified remains of the long forgotten Dragon King. With an idea in mind of the individual who could assist him in his aims, he journeyed to Shang Tsung's palace. Together, they would embark with determination to achieve absolute domination of all realms, forming the Deadly Alliance. Yet before they could enact their plans, they had to eliminate the only two people who could oppose them: Shao Kahn and Liu Kang. Returning to Outworld, the forces of Earthrealm, led by Raiden, attacked. Their attack was in vain, as each one was killed by the sorcerers and their Tarkatan hordes. With all their enemies defeated, they turned on each other. Quan Chi emerged victorious, but Onaga, the Dragon King, entered the chamber. Tsung awakened, as did Raiden, and together, the three attempted to stop him.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Quan Chi is revealed to have teleported right before the final blast; he now wishes to acquire the ultimate godlike power granted from defeating the elemental Blaze. To that end, he has formed an uneasy alliance with fellow villains Onaga, Shang Tsung, and Shao Kahn. However, he was actually working under the direction of Shinnok to lead the other villains to the spot where Armageddon was supposed to take place.

Quan Chi was portrayed by Richard Divizio in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat 4. He was voiced by Nick Chinlund in the animated series MK: Defenders of the Realm (making his first TV appearance before in video games), appearing in only one episode, and was played by Adoni Maropis in the TV series Mortal Kombat: Conquest. He also appears in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, but as a non-playable character.

Sareena

Sareena is one of Quan Chi's personal assassins ordered to kill Sub-Zero before he reached Quan Chi. In Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, she is "fractionally faster and a more accomplished fighter than her fellow assassins." After being spared by Sub-Zero, she assists him in defeating Quan Chi. After expressing her desire to escape the Netherealm with him, she is shot in the back by Shinnok. It is later revealed in Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition the attack destroyed her human form and that her essence was then banished as punishment for her betrayal. After years of torture, Sareena escapes the Netherealm in her human appearance before Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Sareena encounters the younger Sub-Zero; the brother of the one she met before. Feeling he owed her for helping his brother, Sub-Zero grants her sanctuary with the Lin Kuei back on Earthrealm.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Sareena follows Sub-Zero into the Netherealm, saving him from being killed by Noob Saibot and Smoke. After the battle, Sareena loses control of her human form and returns to her true demon self. She is later ambushed by Quan Chi, who returns her to human form and convinces her to join him in spite of her resistance.

Sareena was portrayed by Lia Montelongo in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.

Shinnok

Shinnok is a former Elder God who desired to rule Earthrealm and thus acquire for himself immense power by creating a powerful amulet. In the war against his fellow gods, he came into direct conflict with Raiden, who, along with the Elder Gods, defeat Shinnok and strip him of his amulet. Trapped in the Netherrealm, he encountered a sorcerer, Quan Chi, who agreed to help Shinnok overthrow Lucifer, thus becoming ruler of the Netherrealm. During his time in the Netherrealm, Shinnok built a massive army and a fanatical cult of demons called the Brotherhood of Shadow, dedicated to worshiping him. Some time after Shao Kahn's defeat, Shinnok put into motion his new plot to escape the Netherrealm. Despite invading the Heavens themselves and killing many of the gods, Raiden and his warriors manage to penetrate Shinnok's defenses, and Shinnok himself is defeated by the Shaolin monk Liu Kang. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Shinnok is encountered by Taven in the Netherrealm, where it is revealed that he had been a friend of Taven and his family for many years. Taven rescues him from Li Mei, and then helps Shinnok regain control of his spire from an army of demons wishing to overthrow his rule. The demons that you face in the spire are later revealed to have been apparitions and was a test for Taven that Daegon had passed earlier. In MK: Armageddon, Shinnok appears to make alliances with other characters as well, but only as a part of a plan conquer the realms, including with Raiden, though the thunder god intends to discover Shinnok's plans, and Onaga, who Shinnok had offered to free from the Netherrealm in exchange for his servitude.

In Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Shinnok was portrayed by Gary Wingert. He appeared in 1997 film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, where the character is re-envisioned as the father of Raiden and Shao Kahn (a relationship that does not exist in the video games), he was played by Reiner Schoene.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat 4

Jarek

Debuting as a playable character in Mortal Kombat 4, Jarek was depicted as the brutish and short-tempered second-in-command of the Black Dragon clan. In the games, he initially utilized special moves and Fatalities popularized by Kano, a trait later explained by stating that Jarek was once a student of his. Jarek's lack of originality caused him to be labeled as a somewhat uninspired character by the Mortal Kombat fanbase. He would later gain his own unique moveset in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. His storyline in MK4 stated that he claimed to be the last member of the Black Dragon and was chased by Sonya for the crimes he did against humanity. While being captured he decided to join her and Earth warriors to help eliminate Shinnok. After Shinnok's defeat, Sonya convinced Jarek to return back to the Special Forces with her, but he refused and tried to save himself by killing Sonya until Jax interfered and dropped him off the cliff. In MK: Armageddon, Jarek's bio explains that he survive after falling from the cliff while using his weapon to climb back up. Badly injured, he thought that his death would help him regain enough strength for revenge while traveling all over the realms searching for the ancient texts that would show him a fatality worthy of his betrayer. Impressed by Quan Chi after witnessing his new skills, he offered Jarek to join the Forces of Darkness in order to get his revenge.

Jarek made his chronological appearance in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces as a boss, where he and other Black Dragon members were freed from a United States Special Forces detention facility by Kano, who had proposed to reform the Black Dragon clan but in reality, Kano merely wished to use them as pawns to slow down any Special Forces agents who may have pursued him in his quest to obtain an artifact called the Eye of Shitian.

Kai

His biography screen explains that Kai is former member of the secretive White Lotus Society. He met Liu Kang who happened to be in America at the time, recruiting to train a new generation of Shaolin warriors. During the events of Mortal Kombat 4, Liu Kang and Kai join the Earth warriors in Edenia to assist Raiden in his battle against Shinnok. After Shinnok was beaten, Kai decided to wander the Earth on a quest for self-enlightenment. He then reappears in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as a playable character.

Meat

Meat's backstory in Armageddon stated that he was a horrific experiment created by Shang Tsung. He escaped the sorcerer's clutches before he could be fully completed. The official strategy guide for the game describes Meat as being "a fun character who assists Shinnok", although this relationship is not mentioned at all in the game's story.

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Quan Chi as Meat in Mortal Kombat 4

Meat initially served as a "skin", created by art director Tony Goskie, for each fighter in Mortal Kombat 4. The name "Meat" was simply a designation given to the model so it could be used in the game. It was later decided to make him a playable character as part of a hidden Easter egg. Players first learned of the character's given name after the text "Meat lives!" was placed on Ed Boon's website promoting Mortal Kombat 4's 3rd arcade revision. The later released strategy guides also referred to the character as "Meat", subsequently making it an official moniker. Meat next appeared in the Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception, giving more credence to establishing him in the series' canonical storyline.

During the character's video in IGN's MK Fighter of the Wiik series, Mortal Kombat art director Steve Beran humorously states that Meat has a cousin named "Skully", who is just a skeleton with no muscle or tissue. However, Beran laments that he never made it into the game.

Reiko

Reiko serves in the series as a general for the armies from Shinnok, Shao Kahn, and the Brotherhood of Shadow. During the time of Mortal Kombat 4, Shinnok is defeated and Reiko disappears. He later emerges in Shao Kahn's army. Reiko apparently has great aspirations to one day replace the emperor, as it is described in Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode that he likes to sneak into Kahn's chamber room and wear his helmet. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Taven encounters Reiko in his war room in Shao Kahn's fortress. Reiko tries to get Taven to join Kahn's army, impressed by his skills in combat, but Taven was not phased by Reiko's impression as he only intends to kill Quan Chi; He defeats Reiko.

Reiko appeared in the TV series Mortal Kombat: Conquest played by Jim Helsinger.

Tanya

Tanya is a slender, gloomy female from Edenia. Originally introduced as relatively innocent, she quickly turnes out to be corrupted by evil, as evidenced in her adherence to the worshipping of Shinnok and her later service to both the Deadly Alliance and Onaga. She seems to view herself as more of a survivor rather than anything else, justifying her choices as being the "right decisions". During this time, she attempts to lure Liu Kang into a trap, but the attempt does not succeed, and Shinnok's power base is soon destroyed. With her master gone, and herself a wanted traitor in Edenia (having earned in particular the wrath of Jade), Tanya flees to Outworld.

Years later, Tanya resurfaces in the Deadly Alliance's ranks as an enforcer. She imposes Shang Tsung and Quan Chi's will upon the denizens of Outworld. When the Deadly Alliance is killed, Tanya is found, however, by Baraka, who gives her the choice of serving the newly resurrected Onaga or die. She joins the ranks of the Dragon King, who was searching for ancient incantations that would enable him to fuse the Kamidogu into one, and thus acquire incredible power. Believing that such information still existed in Edenia, Tanya brought Onaga to her native realm.

Tanya could be considered to be the single most untrustworthy character in the series. She has betrayed both Kitana and Queen Sindel, her own homeworld of Edenia, her MK4 ending depicts her as betraying Liu Kang, following this she betrays Quan Chi and Shinnok (evidenced by her being with Onaga in Deception), and her Deception ending depicts her as betraying Onaga as well as betraying Shujinko in Konquest mode. Her alignment as being evil was hard to distinguish when she first debuted in Mortal Kombat 4, as her profile seemed to suggest that she herself was a victim of treachery. Her ending in MK4 (which never occurred canonically) demonstrates her alignment of evil, and reveals that she did in fact know the true nature of the refugees she accepted. Because of her frequent betrayal of the Edenian cause, she has also earned the rivalry and bitter hatred of Jade.

Tanya was played or voiced by Lia Montelongo in MK4/Gold. Tanya's name is based on one of Ed Boon's sisters.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

Blaze

Blaze makes his first appearance in Mortal Kombat II, visible only as a burning figure on a bridge in the Pit II stage background, fighting a character fans had nicknamed Hornbuckle. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance his in-game biography screen reveals that he is an elemental that had been pursuing a quest until he was attacked on a bridge by an ancient sect. The group of holy men, described as still serving the dead Dragon King, capture Blaze using magic and bound him to the task of protecting the last Great Dragon egg. After the egg hatched, Blaze was able to resume his past mission.

It is said that Blaze has been created to oversee the strength of all of the fighters in the realms. Upon being freed from the egg incubation chamber, Blaze discovered that, in his absence, the power and numbers of these fighters become too great and that Daegon has already been revived. He then plans to bring all the fighters together into one final battle, where the actions of the two brothers would end up determining their fates and prevent Armageddon. Sensing that something evil from the Netherealm was influencing Daegon, Blaze decides to travel there in order to find its source. In Armageddon's Konquest mode, Blaze appears confronting both Taven and Daegon. When Taven defeats Daegon, Blaze prepares to face Taven.

When he had been enslaved by Onaga's Holy Men, the spell used on him corrupted his original mission. In his Mortal Kombat Armageddon ending, he defeated every warrior on top of the pyramid. Armageddon then began in Edenia and spread through the realms, shattering everything until there was nothing.

Bo' Rai Cho

Bo' Rai Cho is a native of Outworld, who has trained many warriors. Since he is originally from Outworld, he never enters the Mortal Kombat tournament as it would have meant competing on the behalf of Outworld and thus the brutal emperor Shao Kahn. Upon hearing that Liu Kang has been murdered by the Deadly Alliance, he takes Kung Lao under his wing. While a group of Earthrealm warriors prepares for a frontal assault on the Deadly Alliance, Bo' Rai Cho secretly enters the palace and escapes with the body of Li Mei. He regroups with the other Earthrealm warriors led by Raiden and retreats to safety rather than joining the attack.

His back story is that he has trained warriors for centuries to compete in the Mortal Kombat tournaments. After many failures, success finally came when he trained the legendary Liu Kang, who defeated Shang Tsung and became champion of the Earthrealm tournament.

The character's name is a play on the Spanish word "borracho", which in English means "drunk". He is usually depicted intoxicated and carrying a canister of alcohol.

His fighting moves consist of drunken style fighting mixed with vulgar actions such as regurgitating on the ground to make the opponent slip and getting up by flatulating.

Drahmin

Drahmin makes his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance as one of two Oni, demons of the fifth plane of the Netherealm. The mask he wears is an artifact called the Face of Kun-Lo. Wearing it allows him to control his rage and fight with his disciplined Netherealm style. Removing it causes him to go into Oni style where he loses his focus and attacks with murderous insanity. Centuries ago, he was a cruel human warlord in Outworld. For his crimes, he was exiled to the Netherealm where his body and soul were to be tortured for all eternity.

The two Oni known as Moloch and Drahmin are allies. During the time of the Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung fears treachery from his new ally, Quan Chi. He hires Drahmin and Moloch to protect him. Quan Chi also hires Drahmin and Moloch. Scorpion finds the palace where Shang Tsung and Quan Chi are. He breaks in a desperate attempt to defeat Quan Chi, but is stopped by the Oni. They soon defeat him and throw him into the portal to the Heavens. Scorpions body is then ripped apart by the purity of that realm.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Konquest mode, Drahmin is seen again in the Netherrealm battling Taven but lost. Shinnok reveals later on Taven was merely tested by illusions, causing uncertainty if Drahmin was really in hell.

Frost

Frost was discovered by Sub Zero. Impressed by her skills, including abilities almost exactly like his, Sub Zero takes her as his protege and trains her personally. Sub-Zero was unable to teach her humility. When Raiden requests Sub-Zero's assistance in defeating the Deadly Alliance, Sub-Zero brings Frost along with him for assistance. It is revealed in the MK Deadly Alliance Konquest mode that Sonya had a brief fight with Frost. Desiring to become Grand Master of the clan herself, she immobilizes Sub-Zero with a freezing blast and tears the Dragon Medallion (an artifact which enhanced Sub-Zero's abilities, as well as the symbol of Lin Kuei leadership) from his chest. Without the strength and discipline required to control the medallion's power, she is consumed by her own freezing ability. Sub-Zero buries her next to the ancestors of Cryomancers in Outworld, forgiving her for the troubles. In MK: Unchained, Frost was awakened and realized she was still in Outworld, believing that Sub-Zero had taken the Dragon Medallion from her. While returning to the Lin Kuei temple in Earthrealm, she had come with the intention of killing only Sub-Zero, but killed many of his clansmen and became delusional to the point of seeing him everywhere. Sub-Zero then froze her and placed her body in a shrine deep in the temple. Frost remained frozen until MK: Armageddon Konquest mode, when Taven entered the Lin Kuei temple; he breaks open the block of ice and released her free. At first, she thinks that he is Sub-Zero and battles him; afterward she realizes Taven is not Sub-Zero and runs off embarrassed.

Hsu Hao

For the events on Earthrealm leading up to become a very young one Hsu Hao is of prime importance. Mavado orders him to act as a Chinese Secret Militant for the Special Forces and aid them in completely destroying the Black Dragon clan. Hsu Hao carries out his instructions without question and helps the Special Forces for years until the entire Black Dragon clan is seemingly eradicated, after Jarek's death. He is then instructed to destroy their underground base and with it, their only means of inter-realm travel. He arms a miniature nuclear weapon and just escapes through the portal before it blows up. As a result of his betrayal, his former superior at the Special Forces, Jax, has a score to settle with him. Mavado then sends Hsu Hao to kill Shang Tsung under orders from Quan Chi. On his way to Tsung's palace he is cornered and killed when Jax rips out his artificial heart.

Kenshi

Kenshi is a born fighter who once was tricked by Shang Tsung into using a powerful sword which leaves him blind. Kenshi spent the next decade retraining his senses, all while searching for his betrayer and the defiler of his ancestry. Kenshi's special abilities eventually caught the attention of Jax and Sonya, who were looking for members with special talents to join their side and venture into Outworld. In his travels across Outworld, Kenshi allied with the ninja Ermac after freeing him from Shao Kahn's control, who awakened Kenshi's latent telekinetic power. Unknown to Kenshi, the Deadly Alliance knew of his presence and sent Mavado to eliminate him.

Sub-Zero finds the dying Kenshi and nurses him back to health. Despite being an ally of both, he relinquished his position in the Special Forces and chose to remain unaligned from Sub-Zero's Lin Kuei clan. Kenshi then returns to Earthrealm where, under the guidance of his ancestors' sword, he would hunt down the corrupt. While embarking on his mission to destroy the Red Dragon and exact revenge on Mavado, he receives a psychic premonition, becoming fully aware of Taven and Daegon's quest to defeat Blaze. Taking heed of this insight, Kenshi decides that he will be the one to lead the Forces of Light into battle. His name literally means "sword's man" in Japanese, a term often associated with kendo.

Li Mei

Li Mei's village was forced into slavery to help construct Shang Tsung's palace around the Soulnado, which had been a long-time legend of her people. In attacking Kano, she gained the attention of Quan Chi, who promised her freedom if she could win a tournament. Around this time she befriended with Shujinko, captured by Kano during his 40 year quest for the Kamidogu. Shujinko offered to train her even though he felt that her chances in the Deadly Alliance's "tournament" were slim. She later journeyed to a nearby forest where she was attacked by Moloch and Drahmin. She escaped through the trees as Shang Tsung came and formed an alliance with the Oni.

Though her ending in Deadly Alliance depicted her winning Quan Chi's tournament, and "winning" the right to be imprisoned forever in one of the Dragon King's soldiers' bodies. In Deception had Bo' Rai Cho rescuing her from this fate. However, he was apparently only partially successful, and Li Mei took on some of the aspects of one of these ancient warriors. In MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Li Mei is seen fighting Shinnok in the Netherealm. She begins to gain the upper hand on him until Taven (who is unaware that Shinnok turned evil) appears and makes her go away. Shinnok later reveals that this was all created as a test for Taven.

Mavado

Mavado's influence in the games' storyline began sometime before the events of MK4. Since the Red Dragon's top priority is the extermination of the Black Dragon while still desiring to keep their existence secret, they decided to use the Special Forces to serve their own purposes. To that end, Mavado instructed his subordinate, Hsu Hao, to infiltrate the Outer World Investigation Agency and help them in tracking down and killing the last members of the Black Dragon, a mission Hsu Hao performed to great success. After the events of Mortal Kombat 4, Mavado was hired by the Deadly Alliance to fend off Kenshi, in return acquiring the opportunity to be given the last Black Dragon member, Kano, at the time a general in the service of the Deadly Alliance. They also requested that the Red Dragon destroy the Outer World Investigation Agency's techno-portals to prevent the Special Forces from being able to travel to Outworld.

During the events of MK:DA, Mavado complied with these tasks. He instructed Hsu Hao to destroy the Outer World Investigation Agency's underground portal facility, shortly before traveling to Outworld himself through a secret inter-realm portal located in the Lost Sea. Mavado tracked down and defeated Kenshi, allowing him to have his fight with Kano; however, Mavado captured Kano and had his Red Dragon minions bring him to their headquarters. Shortly before MK:D, Kabal returned fully recuperated from his stay in Chaosrealm and seemingly killed Mavado, retrieving his hookswords back. In MK:A's Konquest mode, Mavado is seen in the Red Dragon's lair reporting to Daegon that the clan has located Blaze. Daegon then orders him to kill his brother Taven but is defeated.

Mokap

Originally introduced in MK:DA as a secret character, Mokap is described as being a motion-capture actor with a vast knowledge of martial arts and fighting styles. He seems to continually find himself inexplicably transported to and wrapped up in the battles that have transpired, simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mokap's name is short for motion capture (with the "C" being replaced by a "K" as per Mortal Kombat tradition), as in the devices used by the actors to capture the movements of characters in the game. The character had been added late in Deadly Alliance's development, so he lacked many character-specific features such as his own fighting styles, a weapon stance, and a Fatality. However, he is slightly compensated with three fighting styles instead of two (just like Blaze). Mokap is a tribute to Carlos Pesina, the actor who had played Raiden early in the series.

Mokap's Deadly Alliance bio reveals that he is a former martial arts teacher on the North Side of Chicago. One day he was called upon by Johnny Cage to do some motion capture work for his new movie "Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance", and he became the primary martial arts talent for motion capture in this film. Mokap was flown to Hollywood to begin his first session. It is unknown how Mokap participated in the events of Deadly Alliance. Although he fought on the side of good, he did not appear to have any effect on the outcome of the battle. Some time after this, Mokap gained some telekinetic powers, although the source of these powers was not explained. Mokap returned in MK: Armageddon, again fighting for the side of Earthrealm and for his life.

Mokap made two brief appearances in Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode. After collecting six pieces of the Kamidogu, he appears in the Chaosrealm and the Orderrealm. In the Orderrealm, he randomly appears and struts down a main pathway. When struck, he will fall into a seated position and drop an unlockable video icon. If you have completed Kabal's map side-quest in Chaosrealm, Mokap will ask you for it. If you strike him, he will yell "Ow, my balls!". The only details of his story revealed by the game is that he is lost.

Moloch

Moloch is the only known ally of his Oni counterpart, Drahmin. Unlike Drahmin however, distorted and consumed by rage as he may be, Moloch has most likely always been a demon from the Netherrealm. The sorcerer Quan Chi confronted Moloch and Drahmin with an offer to free them from the Netherrealm if they protected him from the ninja spectre Scorpion. It was no surprise to Moloch that Drahmin accepted the offer and so they smashed Scorpion whenever he came near Quan Chi. He appears as the sub-boss to MK:DA. Like many bosses, he is immune to being thrown and most projectile attacks.

According to his ending in MK:A, he successfully destroys all of Edenia, including the portal that would've allowed him to leave again.

Nitara

Nitara, a vampire and the only one known in the Mortal Kombat series, spent a very long time trying to find a mysterious orb that bound her realm to Outworld before actually discovering its location. The orb, however, was inaccessible to her, submerged under molten lava. At one point she tricks the Outer World Investigation Agency agent Cyrax into retrieving the orb after she sent Reptile to attack him. With the orb in her hands, she then smashes it into pieces on the floor, separating her realm from Outworld at last. The ordeal knocks her unconscious, but when she awoke, she was home. She then made it her mission to protect the realm's fragile stability.

During the events of MK: Armageddon, mass genocides of her people began to occur in her realm. Nitara is sent by her people's elders to a crater in Edenia so as to find a prophecized force of great power that would be able to destroy the blade of the murderer. While traveling there, she comes upon the demon Ashrah, the possessor of the blade. To protect the rest of her race, Nitara lures Ashrah out of her realm and continues on her journey into Edenia, planning to bring her attacker to the Edenian weapon where it may be used against her.

One interesting side note on Nitara is that, when you play the Konquest Mode of MK:DA as her, many of the messages make reference to different rock bands and songs performed by them, like Def Leppard (thrown in as a pun on her primary fighting style, Leopard), Journey, KISS (also used to describe her alternate costume in Armageddon), Guns n' Roses and Scorpions.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deception

Ashrah

Ashrah is a demon from the Netherealm with the appearance of an elegant and humble woman, dressed in a white outfit with a large hat attached with a veil covering her face. She was once a member of Quan Chi's Brotherhood of Shadow, which worshiped the fallen Elder God Shinnok. One day, Ashrah refused to carry out one of Quan Chi's orders. In response, he sent her sister to kill her. While escaping in the Netherealm, she found a holy sword known as a Kris that cleansed her spirit of evil with each kill. What she didn't know was that the blade was actually the "Datusha", a mystical vampire-slaying weapon that corrupts its wielder with the false belief that they are using it for a greater purpose in order to continue its genocide against vampires and other demons. She searched for Noob Saibot, whom she considers to be a powerful demon, as doing so would enable her to complete her ascension. From her appearance and Kris sword, it is assumed she is Muslim possibly Malaysian.

Ashrah's MK: Armageddon bio explains that, after slaying a multitude of demons in the Netherealm, she transcended that plane of hell and emerged in an unfamiliar realm, surrounded by celestial beings. The celestial beings made her into their chosen warrior - who would ascend into becoming "an angel of light", once she used the weapon to "consume the darkness". After submitting to their will, Ashrah was transported to Vaeternus to start slaying the vampire race, whom she saw as vile beings. However, she is defeated by Nitara, but then she manages to escape to Edenia in order to gain the power of Blaze in order to destroy Nitara and gain ascension. She also assumes that destroying Ermac would help her gain ascension, because his powers are common in the Neatherrealm even though he is a force of good. Ever since they first met, Ashrah has always despised, and may be envious, of Ermac.

Dairou

Dairou was once a highly respected Seidan guardsman, much like Hotaru, but he was imprisoned when he killed the man who he was led to believe murdered his family. He eventually escape from prison during a riot caused by the resistance lead by Darrius. After escaping, he is no longer allowing himself to follow the Seiden law and became a mercenary for hire. In Deception's Konquest mode, Dairou is hired to free Shujinko from prison. In the present, he has been hired by Darrius to steal the constitution of Seido and to kill Hotaru. It is unknown if Dairou really do kill Hotaru, but made his return in Armageddon.

Dairou was originally plan to be in Deadly Alliance at one point, but never appeared until Deception.

Darrius

Darrius made his debut appearance in MK:D. A former Seidan Guardsman who became disillusioned with the oppressive nature of Seido, the Realm of Order, Darrius leads a resistance movement which seeks to overthrow Orderrealm's senate. He takes advantage of the strict laws of Orderrealm to manipulate individuals into joining his movement. One tactic is to have a Guardsman's (apparently Dairou) family murdered, who will then retaliate and be expelled from the Guard. They are then ripe for induction into the swelling ranks. During Deception, he hires fellow former guardsman Dairou to steal the Seidan government's Declaration of Order, a scroll depicting its laws.

Havik

Havik is a cleric from Chaosrealm. Neither good nor evil, his ambitions are to spread discord and he will ally himself with those who can seek to further his ends, regardless of their goals. He is known to be a frequent troublemaker in Orderrealm, where he formed an alliance with the revolutionary Darrius, and is heralded as a hero by the populace of the Chaosrealm. He opposes the Dragon King, Onaga, who rules by order. Along the way, he encounters a severely wounded Kabal, who had just been defeated by the Red Dragon Mavado. Healing Kabal's injuries, Havik manages to convince Kabal to restore the former glory that the Black Dragon clan once possessed in the name of anomie. He did this in order to promote chaos in Earthrealm.

Havik, along with Kabal and his new Black Dragon recruits, Kira and Kobra, ventured into Outworld. There, Havik revealed his plans: lure the heroes into a battle with Onaga, and, once the Dragon King had been defeated, take down or distract the victors of the battle long enough so that Havik could consume Onaga's heart. This would grant him Onaga's ability to resurrect the dead. Havik lured the heroes to the Dragon King as planned and thus put his schemes into motion.

Havik was originally designed as an alternate outfit for Noob Saibot, but was then given a storyline of his own.

Hotaru

Hotaru first appeared half way through Mortal Kombat: Deception konquest-mode, when Shujinko requires his help. Hotaru then ventures into Outworld to confront Shao Kahn's Tarkatan armies laying siege to the walled city of Lei Chen to complete the task Shujinko payed him for. When Shujinko visits him for another task, Hotaru puts him in jail for walking in the city past curfew. Shujinko grows old in Hotaru's jail cells for years, then is broken out by Dairou. Hotaru thinks Shujinko killed the two guards and escaped. They then battle and Shujinko emerges victorious, leaving his old friend lying on the ground.

Years later, however, the forces of Hotaru would be under the command of Onaga. Believing that this newly resurrected ruler would bring order to the universe, he helps Onaga's hordes in their attacks and pursues those who would stand against them, such as Sub-Zero. At the time of Deception, Hotaru has set out to bring the Lin Kuei Grandmaster to justice before Onaga. He is, however, unaware that a bounty has been placed on his own head. In the past, Hotaru had served as a guardsman for Dairou while he was incarcerated. Dairou now is under contract to murder Hotaru.

Kira

In the mountains of Afghanistan, Kira had disguised herself as a man, and sold weapons to terrorist organizations. During one such transaction in a cave, her gender was revealed, and she had no choice but to fight her way out. Emerging victorious, she encountered Kabal, who had been waiting outside to behold the victor. He had decided to reconstitute the Black Dragon, and observing how Kira conducted herself in executing her misdeeds in a cold and calculated fashion, he was reminded of the Red Dragon, the organization from which the Black Dragon split. Since the Black Dragon did not have this presence, Kabal offered to make Kira his first recruit. Accepting, Kira devoted herself to her new organization. She then went with Kabal to New York City to recruit Kobra. According to Kira's MK: Deception ending, Kira was made to fight Kobra to the death by Kabal as a test; Kira won. Yet in her MK: Armageddon ending, someone else had killed Kobra. Kira uses her power to restore Kobra, but Kobra drains all of the power from her.

Kobra

Kobra is a wanderer who wants to use his martial arts in a real fight. The thrill and excitement of fighting started to consume him, and he started killing his opponents. Eventually, he was arrested, and at this point, Kobra had no clue as to how many lives he had destroyed. Kabal and Kira had found out about him and came to induct him into the new Black Dragon syndicate. After killing the officers and escaping, Kabal took Kira and Kobra to Outworld, where they worked for Havik, the cleric of Chaos. He appears in MK:Armageddon's Konquest mode, as Taven's first combatant, protecting a bridge with Kira in the Botan Jungle that Taven needs to cross. Kira abandons Kobra as he starts battling the newcomer, eventually escaping after he fails to stop him. According to Kira's MK: Deception ending, Kira was made to fight Kobra to the death by Kabal as a test; Kira won. Yet in her MK: Armageddon ending, someone else had killed Kobra. Kira uses her power to restore Kobra, but Kobra drains all of the power from her. His foes are Shinjinko and any ally of his. Kobra's allies are Kabal and Kira. It is even implied that he and Kira share a small romance.

Onaga

For other uses, see Onaga (disambiguation).

Millennia ago, Onaga, also known as the Dragon King, was a ruler of Outworld. Shao Kahn, one of his chief advisors, had him poisoned and took over his rule of Outworld. Onaga actually was able to retain consciousness from beyond the grave. Quite some time before Liu Kang's victory over Shang Tsung at the Shaolin Mortal Kombat tournament, Onaga communicated through death to Shujinko through an avatar named Damashi (which literally translates as "Deceiver" or "Deception"). He persuaded Shujinko to embark on a quest to unite the Kamidogu from the six realms, claiming he was carrying out the will of the Elder Gods. When the dragon egg hatched, the egg transferred its energy into Reptile, which fulfilled the prophecy of Onaga's return. The Dragon King, as such, used the transformed body of Reptile as a host.

After defeating both Quan Chi, Shang Tsung and Raiden, he then revived the Earth warriors as his pawns to serve him. He form a newly-forged alliance with the Tarkatan horde to keep Edenia's army at bay while he searched for the spells that would allow him to fuse the Kamidogu together and grant him supreme power. However, Shujinko defeats Onaga, leaving Onaga with only Shinnok's amulet as his sole form of protection. Then Nightwolf seals Onaga's soul within the realm, separating it from Reptile's body. Some time later, Onaga is approached by Shinnok in the Netherealm. Shinnok offers to restore Onaga's rule over Outworld if Onaga would help Daegon defeat Blaze and gain godlike power. He was released from his bondage and returned to his own body. In MK: Armageddon Konquest mode, he is seen joining an alliance with Quan Chi, Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn for their plans to destroy Blaze that took place in Edenia.

Shujinko

Depicted as a young teenager in Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception, Shujinko was trained by Master Bo' Rai Cho in the art of Kombat. Soon, Shujinko encountered Damashi, who claims to be an emissary of the Elder Gods, gives Shujinko the power to copy other fighters' abilities and tells Shujinko to embark on a quest searching for a Kamidogu from each of six realms. In order to be able to do his bidding, Damashi gives Shujinko the ability to absorb fighting styles and special attack patterns of warriors he encountered with great ease. Shujinko's mission takes him more than forty years to complete. When his mission was complete, Damashi reveals himself to be none other than the Dragon King, Onaga, speaking to Shujinko from beyond death. For this, Shujinko assumed full responsibility, and embarked on a desperate quest to destroy Onaga, believing himself the only person capable of doing so. After defeating Onaga, Shujinko becomes known as the hero of Outworld. Some time later, Shujinko allows himself to be captured by Mileena on purpose to get closer to Shao Kahn, Onaga, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi, whom he plans to defeat. Shujinko also appears in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, but much older.

His name is derived from the Japanese word Shujinkō (主人公), which means "Protagonist", the main character or hero of a story.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

Daegon

The main villain of MK: Armageddon Konquest mode, Edenian half-god Daegon is the evil younger brother of Taven, and the second son of the Edenian protector god Argus and the prophet Delia. When Delia foretold the future of the realms as Armageddon, Argus had his sons put into incubation guarded by two dragons. They would be awakened one day to fight Blaze and save the realms from Armageddon. Daegon awoke prematurely due to an error by his guardian dragon. Daegon became unbalanced by the early awakening, and killed his parents after learning the true nature of the quest and formed the Red Dragon Clan. In later years, using the DNA of his dragon, whom he had imprisoned, he intended to create human-dragon hybrids. The quest required that both brothers take a weapon that was given to them by their father (the Drakeswords) and a gift from their mother (their armor). Taven and Daegon eventually reached Edenia, where Daegon is defeated, allowing Taven to fight Blaze.

Taven

Taven made his first appearance in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as the game's hero, featured as the main character in the game's Konquest mode. He is an Edenian half-god and the first son of the Protector of Edenia, Argus (making Rain as Taven and Daegon's half brother), and a powerful sorcerer who has the ability to see into the future, Delia. He also has the ability to control fire, much like his younger brother Daegon.

Introduced in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

11 of the DC Universe Characters first appeared in MK Vs. DC. The Characters include Superman, Batman, Catwoman, Flash, Joker, Green Lantern, Deathstroke, Lex Luthor, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman and an unlockable character, Darkseid.

Dark Kahn

In MK Vs. DC, Shao Kahn and Darkseid accidentally merged as the result of Superman destroying Darkseid's Mother Box and Raiden electro-blasting Shao Kahn at the same time. Dark Kahn, as the resulting being was called, started feeding off the rage of the heroes and kombatants in order to become more powerful. Dark Kahn was eventually separated back into Darkseid and Shao Kahn. Dark Kahn has a body like rock and molten lava, spikes growing out of his back, and a skull-like face.

Unofficial characters

These characters were created by fans and sources outside of Midway, and circulated through rumors and hoaxes.

Belokk

File:Belokk.jpg

Belokk (right) in a MK Gold leaked screenshot

Belokk was a scrapped character who was originally going to be in Mortal Kombat Gold but was cut from the final release. He was created by Eurocom and, according to Ed Boon, was removed from the game as the developers did not have time to finish the character. Nevertheless, Eurocom accidentally sent information about the game with Belokk in it to Game Informer, and as a result, six screenshots of him were leaked to the public in a preview.

Hornbuckle

Hornbuckle was a background character in Mortal Kombat II, seen fighting Blaze (then nicknamed Torch by fans before becoming an official character in MK:DA) on a bridge in the background of the Pit II stage. In their MKII appearance, both were essentially palette swaps of Liu Kang, one shrouded in flames (Torch) and the other wearing black and green pants (Hornbuckle). Though never named anywhere in the future scope of Midway's plans - the name Hornbuckle was derived from fans thanks to an in-game pun in MKII which referred to Midway employee Leanne Hornbuckle.

Nimbus Terrafaux

Nimbus Terrafaux was rumored to be a playable character (a kickboxer) in the first Mortal Kombat game as an unlockable secret character. It was later revealed as a creation of Electronic Gaming Monthly as part of an April Fool's Day joke, though Ed Boon had originally hinted at the character himself in an interview with the magazine. The magazine then intentionally published false information on this character, complete with doctored screenshots and a fabricated storyline.