Characters Bio
Liu Kang
Introduced in the first Mortal Kombat game as a Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu fighting monk, Liu Kang's main fighting style is Jeet Kune Do and he has experience with Kung Fu. He enters the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament in order to protect Earthrealm from being destroyed after having lost the previous nine tournaments. He defeats Grand Champion Goro and the tournament host, the nefarious sorcerer Shang Tsung, and emerges as the new Mortal Kombat champion.[28] In the 1993 sequel Mortal Kombat II, Liu Kang finds many of his Shaolin brethren killed in a vicious attack by a horde of nomadic mutants led by Barakaunder orders from the evil Outworld emperor Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung's master. Enraged, Liu Kang decides to travel to Outworld to seek revenge, backed by friend and fellow Shaolin Kung Lao. At the tournament, Liu Kang fights Shao Kahn, eventually overpowering the emperor.[29] In Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Liu Kang and his friends fight against Shao Kahn's extermination squad which invaded Earthrealm. He once again defeats Shao Kahn, causing him and his forces to retreat back to Outworld.[30]
In the events of Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), Liu Kang discovers that his lover and ally, Princess Kitana, has been captured by the disgraced Elder God Shinnok's forces, and begins gathering Earth's warriors to defeat him.[31] Liu Kang confronts Shinnok and once again emerges victorious with Kitana and her people having survived to the attack, but he is unable to commit himself to a relationship due to his duty as Earthrealm's champion while Kitana has to remain in Outworld to rule her kingdom.[32]
Liu Kang becomes unplayable for the first and only time in the Mortal Kombat series in 2002's Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, in which the titular partnership of Shang Tsung and fellow sorcerer Quan Chi join forces to kill him in the game's introductory sequence.[33] In the events of Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004), an unknown party reanimates Liu Kang's corpse and sends it on a murderous rampage, causing Liu Kang's soul to attempt to control it.[34] He returns as a playable character in this game, albeit in undead form and as a secret character that can only be unlocked by completing the game's Konquest Mode.[35] His spirit enlists the reformed ninja Ermac to try to save Kitana and his Earthrealm allies—Johnny Cage, Jax, Sonya and Kung Lao—who had all been killed by the Deadly Alliance and then resurrected by the Dragon King Onaga for use as his slaves. Though they successfully accomplish this task,[36] Liu Kang is still unable to fully regain control of his body in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006), where he is playable along with the entire series roster and in which it is revealed that Raiden had revived Liu Kang's corpse in Deception.[37] Liu Kang's bond with Kitana had succeeded in keeping his power in check, with Nightwolf then assuming her position as Liu Kang's "spiritual anchor" in attempt to find a way to reunite his body and soul, which he accomplishes in his ending.[38] Liu Kang was among the many characters who were not given a biography for Armageddon, while in his own noncanonical in-game ending, his body and soul reunite on their own before he confronts Raiden and defeats him in combat to become Earthrealm's new protector.[39] However, canonically, neither Nightwolf nor Liu Kang's body survived Armageddon. As a result, Liu Kang's spirit was forced to pass on into the afterlife.
Along with Kung Lao, Liu Kang is the lead character in the 2005 spin-off action-adventure game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. The game is a retelling of the storyline of the events leading up to Mortal Kombat II, and features the two Shaolin monks traveling to Outworld to find and defeat Shang Tsung, later ending in a fight with Shao Kahn and rescuing Kitana along the way.[40] He is among the eleven characters representing the Mortal Kombat franchise in the 2008 crossover title Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which features fights between characters from the Mortal Kombat and the DC Comics universes. In this game, Liu Kang appears as the protagonist of the first chapter of the Mortal Kombat story mode.[41] Tobias said that the fight he expected to see in the game was between Liu Kang and Batman as he noted their back-stories to be very similar, due to fact, both Liu Kang and Batman are fought in Raiden and Superman's chapters respectively, trying to snap their rage influenced respective leaders back to their sense from killing the leader's respective arch-enemies, Lex Luthor and Shang Tsung, reminding them that Dark Kahn is their true enemy.[42]
In the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot video game, Liu Kang reprises his role from the first three tournaments as one of Raiden's chosen warriors. When Shao Kahn is preparing to invade Earthrealm during the third game's events, all his allies are murdered by a soul-infused Sindel. This, coupled with Raiden's failed attempts in changing the future, causes Kang to grow more and more disillusioned with Raiden, engaging him in combat. In both timelines, Liu Kang meets the same fate. In the original timeline, he is killed by his nemesis, Shang Tsung, and his spirit lives as a force for good. In the alternate timeline, Liu Kang is accidentally killed by his mentor, Raiden in the aftermath.[43], and his soul is corrupted, becoming a member of the Netherealm. This tie continues canonically in the Injustice 2 fighting game where Raiden is a guest character, stating during one of his opening dialogue scenes that Liu Kang's death still haunts him to this day.
Liu Kang returns in Mortal Kombat X. In the game's Story Mode, he is resurrected by Quan Chi and now serves him as one of the revenants until Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Jax are revived. He fights both Jax and Raiden in Story Mode, which he blames Raiden for his death. At the end of the story mode, he and Kitana become the new rulers of the Netherrealm due to Quan Chi's death and Shinnok's defeat. A now darker Raiden brings them Shinnok's disembodied head as a warning for them not to attack Earthrealm.[44]
In Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang's been further corrupted by Shinnok's influence and now planning to invade Earthrealm. After Raiden and the Special Forces destroy the cathedral in the Neatherrealm, the ally themselves with the keeper of time, Kronika, who plans on creating a new timeline without Raiden in it. Thanks to her temporal anomalies, the younger Liu Kang prior to his death is brought to the present timeline alongside his friends and enemies. Despite hearing what his modern counterpart has become, he still trusts Raiden and allies himself with Earthrealm's warriors. He eventually clashes with Raiden when the latter starts using Shinnok's amulet to power himself, but the thunder god realizes that Kronika has been manipulating them to fight in every timeline, fearing their combined power. After the revelation, Kronika kidnaps the younger Liu Kang so that his revenant counterpart can absorb his soul to fight Raiden once more. Rather than kill him, Raiden merges with the revenant and younger Liu Kang, transforming them into Fire God Liu Kang. With his new godly powers, Liu Kang is able to combat Kronika and her time manipulating abilities. The story, depending on the player's actions, ends with Kronika killing Fire God Liu Kang; Fire God Liu Kang defeating Kronika and a mortal Raiden becoming Lord Liu Kang's ally in shaping the new era; or him destroying Kronika and having Kitana as his partner in shaping the new era.
Kung Lao
Kung Lao is possibly (next to Liu Kang) the last known descendant of the Great Kung Lao, a Champion of Mortal Kombat, who lost the title and his life to Goro 500 years previously, resulting in the start of Shang Tsung's rule over the tournament. Kung Lao was originally the one to represent the Shaolin in the Mortal Kombat tournament but he declined, knowing of the consequences of becoming champion. As a result, Liu Kang was chosen and emerged as the winner.
When the Shaolin temple was attacked by Baraka and his Tarkatan soldiers, Liu Kang and Kung Lao resolved to travel through the portal to the Outworld and avenge their fallen Shaolin brothers. Kung Lao's ultimate goal was, however, to rebuild the White Lotus Society at the Wu Shi Academy in order to train a new generation of warriors for the coming ages. Following Shao Kahn's defeat at Liu Kang's hand in Mortal Kombat II, the monks returned to Earth and began training the next generation of Shaolin warriors. (Kung Lao's character bio was not included in the arcade version of Mortal Kombat 3, but was later made available for the home versions.)
When Shao Kahn invaded Earthrealm during Mortal Kombat 3, Kung Lao had to temporarily scrap his plans for reforming the White Lotus Society. Eventually, he faced Shao Kahn. The Emperor of Outworld defeated Kung Lao and injured him so badly that he was believed to have died. Hearing of Kung Lao's apparent death enraged Liu Kang, who challenged Shao Kahn and successfully defeated him for the second time.
With Outworld driven back during Mortal Kombat Gold, Kung Lao decided not to return to Shaolin, instead of allowing everyone to believe that he was dead and went on to live a life of peace in respect to the beliefs of his ancestors. This would not last long, however, as he was drawn away from his newfound peace to help fight against Shinnok's forces when word reached him that Goro was still alive. After Shinnok's defeat, Kung Lao attacked Goro, who had signed a peace treaty with the Centaurs under the mediation of Kitana. Instead of being an attempted assassination, however, the blow was a ceremonial strike of vengeance for the Great Kung Lao's death. With this act, the two warriors shook hands, ending their conflict.
The next years were peaceful. This ended on a brutal note at the time of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, when the two sorcerers named Quan Chi and Shang Tsung united and murdered Liu Kang in a vicious attack. Kung Lao found his corpse and was told by Raiden that Shang Tsung was the killer, who had formed the Deadly Alliance with Quan Chi. Enraged, Kung Lao vowed revenge upon the sorcerer, and once again abandoned his pacifist Shaolin beliefs. He believed his current skills were insufficient to defeat Shang Tsung so after meeting with the other Earthrealm warriors and traveling to Outworld. Kung Lao informed Kitana of Liu Kang's death and she tagged along with Kung Lao and sought the advice of the martial arts teacher Bo' Rai Cho, who trained Kung Lao for a short time. Together, they joined the other warriors in the assault against the two sorcerers.
But the assault did not end well and, with Liu Kang dead, Raiden and his companions were fighting a losing battle. Kung Lao and Kitana challenged the Deadly Alliance. Kitana would fall against Quan Chi and Kung Lao would fall to the hands of Shang Tsung, leaving only Raiden to battle the Deadly Alliance. However, Kung Lao was then revived by Onaga, the Dragon King, as a slave during the events of Mortal Kombat: Deception. He and the rest of his brainwashed allies were later released from Onaga's spell by the spirit of Liu Kang after being defeated by Ermac. After being released from the spell, he and everyone else embraced Liu Kang as they celebrate their short lived defeat.
The God of Wind Fujin's bio for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon describes Kung Lao as having joined forces with him 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.[3] During the course of the game, Kung Lao successfully kills Baraka in battle, but is eventually slain by Shinnok's clone.
In the action-adventure game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, an alternate depiction of the events between the first and second Mortal Kombat games, Kung Lao's character was explored to a greater degree than had been shown in previous titles. Kung Lao is portrayed in this game as feeling almost resentful of Liu Kang's victory in the Shaolin tournament. Although he and Liu Kang are shown to be friends - much of the time - he constantly baits his fellow Shaolin monk, especially regarding Princess Kitana, and the tournament that "Raiden" (in reality, a disguised Shang Tsung) has sent them to compete in. A rivalry between the two Shaolin monks was hence established for the first time in Shaolin Monks. As the two fighters defeated Shang Tsung's warriors, they gained victories in Mortal Kombat, forming a race of sorts to become the Champion of Mortal Kombat. Kung Lao, especially, is seen gloating to Liu Kang that he will win this tournament. This rivalry escalates until the two warriors are convinced that the other has been corrupted by the Outworld.
During the in-game story of Mortal Kombat (2011), Raiden has been given foreboding visions from his future self and begins to try and change the events that will lead to Armageddon. He allows Kung Lao to fight and defeat Kintaro, however, Lao is then killed by Shao Kahn. This enrages Liu Kang who avenges his friend's death, apparently killing Kahn. Kung Lao's ending after defeating Shao Kahn show him at his ancestor's burial site with Raiden, where he is given a vision of the past. Because of this vision, it is discovered that Kung Lao is, in fact, the reincarnation of the Great Kung Lao.
Kung Lao returns in Mortal Kombat X.[4] In story mode, he serves the Netherrealm as one of Quan Chi's revenants and is angered at Raiden for not doing anything about Shao Kahn murdering him. His younger cousin, Kung Jin, makes his debut as a playable character and is one of the story's main heroes. It is mentioned that Kung Jin became a thief because his family fell on hard times after Kung Lao's death, and held hard feelings toward Raiden as a result.
Kung Lao will return in Mortal Kombat 11. In the story mode, the past iteration of Kung Lao is one of the pre-Mortal Kombat (2011) past selves who were brought by the Time Keeper Kronika to the current timeline's present day. The past Kung Lao and Liu Kang are often seen together during their quest to atone their future-selves' sins and fates of being revenants by the current timeline's late-Quan Chi to serve Shinnok. For his Tower Ending, Kung Lao uses the hourglass to save Great Kung Lao from his defeat at Goro's hands. Within years, Great Kung Lao is the undisputed Mortal Kombat champion. Millions later join the White Lotus Society and inspire rebels to mutiny against Shao Kahn bringing peace to the realms. By the time Onaga awakens, he is no match for Kung Lao's power.
Kitana
Princess Kitana is 10,000 years old, but is considered young in her realm of Edenia and has the appearance of a young woman. Throughout the years, she rose to great importance; first as the loyal stepdaughter of Shao Kahn, then as his enemy, tearing herself away from his grasp and freeing her home realm of Edenia. She also led an army into Outworld to combat any chance of Shao Kahn rising to power again.
She shared a subtle love interest with Mortal Kombat champion Liu Kang, even after he was murdered by the Deadly Alliance. Although she was loyal to Shao Kahn for most of her life, she eventually betrayed him and aligned herself with the Earthrealmers. Her betrayal was mainly the result of growing doubts as to the morality of her actions and resulting feelings of guilt, as well as anger at the discovery of the truth about her past and her true father, the late King Jerrod.
This led to her murder by her now-corrupted mother, Sindel, becoming one of Quan Chi’s revenants. After Quan Chi’s death, Kitana and Liu Kang became emperor and empress of the Netherrealm.
In Mortal Kombat 11, Kitana and Liu Kang are recruited by Kronika in her quest to restart the timeline, joining her due to her plans to erase Raiden from history. A younger Kitana is summoned along with various other Kombatants in the present era due to Kronika‘s plans. With Raiden and the others fighting alongside him, this younger Kitana aimed to stop Kronika‘s meddling so she could kill her father Shao Kahn. After rallying the sides of the Tarkatans under Baraka and the Shokans under Sheeva, she was able to kill her father and free Kotal Kahn from his near execution. As thanks, he revoked his ruler ship and crowned her the new empress of Outwold, Kitana Kahn.
After Fire God Liu Kang defeated Kronika and gained control of her Hourglass, he and Kitana acted as the moulders of the future after Raiden relinquished his title of Earthrealm‘s protector to the Shaolin.
Jade
Jade is a childhood friend of Princess Kitana. While her motives were unclear, she served Shao Kahn alongside Kitana and Mileena as his personal assassin for most of her life. When Kitana finally turned against Shao Kahn, Jade was ordered to capture her for the Emperor. She ultimately chose to join her friend, and has since loyally assisted Kitana in her quest to free their native realm and restore its original beauty. Now residing in the freed Edenia, Jade is a General of the Edenian Army and continues to dutifully serve Kitana and her mother Sindel.
Jade's confident and sassy personality was first portrayed in her Girls Gone Wired campaign video, but later expanded upon throughout her story in Mortal Kombat (2011). Always known for her loyalty towards Kitana, she has proven herself to be a dependable, sincere and devoted friend to the princess. She is sarcastic, patronizing and cocky towards her opponents, and incredibly ruthless towards those she considers a personal enemy (at one point splashing Tarkatan essence on the Edenian traitor, Tanya, and allowing her to be torn to pieces by Baraka's militia).
As a female assassin adorned in a green skin-tight outfit, Jade was initially very similar in appearance to Kitana and Mileena, the only noticeable difference being her darker skin (although in the Sega Genesis and Saturn ports of MKII, she has the same skin as Kitana). She appeared first as a hidden, unplayable character in Mortal Kombat II whose moveset were mostly like Kitana's including the use of the fan blade weapon. To reach Jade, the player would fight a one-player game on the match just before the "?" on the map of the mountain. If the player won at least one round of the match using only the Low Kick button (no punches, High Kick, or Block button presses), they would immediately be warped to Goro's Lair (Blue Portal in the Sega Genesis port) to fight Jade. The player did not have to win the match -- only one round -- to fight Jade.
Jade would later become a regular character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Her main weapon of choice is a metal staff, but she also uses razor-edged boomerangs (dubbed "razorangs") as well.
In Mortal Kombat 11, it was revealed that she has a romantic relationship with Kotal Kahn.
Raiden
