< Mortal Kombat 3

Mortal Kombat 3/Characters


Here, we're going to list the characters introduced in Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat Trilogy.

Ermac

"We are many. You are but one."

Ermac is a being composed of entire legions of souls, created by Shao Kahn to serve as one of his greatest warriors. A powerful telekinetic capable of manipulating all manner of physical objects and even levitation.

His actions under direct control, he served Shao Kahn well during Outworld's invasion of Earthrealm. However, after Kahn's subsequent defeat and weakening, Ermac found himself wandering Outworld without any commands. He was eventually severed from his bond to the emperor by the blind swordsman Kenshi and in gratitude, he instructed him in the ways of Telekinesis.

With his newfound freedom, Ermac decided to dedicate himself to atoning for his past actions. Finding a literal kindred spirit in Liu Kang, he aided the shaolin monk's spirit in liberating his allies from Onaga's control.

Ermac never gets to be free during the events of Mortal Kombat 9, so he's an enemy of Earthrealm's warriors throughout the game. His whereabouts after the events of the game are unknown, but he likely survived, and his future allegiance remains to be seen.

  • Ambiguously Brown: In 3, for some reason.
  • Amplifier Artifact: The emerald on his forehead from Deception onward (called the Gem of Ermac in its Relic description from Armageddon) harnesses great telekinetic energies, increasing Ermac's powers tenfold.
  • The Atoner: Part of the reason Ermac decides to assist Liu Kang is to atone for his past history as a villain.
  • Baleful Polymorph: His Friendship turns the foe into a rabbit.
  • Character Development: From just an extra under Shao Kahn's control in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 to a powerful force for good in Deception.
  • Downloadable Content: Klassic Ermac from Mortal Kombat 3.
  • The Dragon: Shao Kahn tends to send him after the more threatening opponents in the reboot, where Ermac is still under Kahn's control.
  • Frogs and Toads: His Animality turns him into a frog and has him eat his foe in one gulp.
  • The Gump: Mortal Kombat 9 reveals that, in the rebooted storyline, he's the one who ripped off Jax's arms.
  • Heel Face Turn: Thanks to Kenshi who freed him from Shao Kahn's control.
    • In his ending in 9, it's King Jerrod's soul imprisoned inside of him who prompts this.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: Apparently, with Kenshi.
  • Humanoid Abomination: He's an amalgam of countless souls in one body. According to his Arcade Ladder ending in 9, one of those souls is King Jerrod, the fallen King of Edenia.
  • I Am Legion: Ermac refers to himself as "We" and "Us", being a combination of concentrated souls, not just a single "person", per se.
  • Incredible Shrinking Man: His "Pest Control" fatality in 9 involves shrinking his opponent before crushing them underfoot.
  • In the Hood: His alt. in 9.
  • Kryptonite Factor: The Netherrealm drains Ermac of the souls that compose his being, severely weakening him. Otherwise, he would seem to be a borderline Story-Breaker Power for the heroes, as he was shown fighting off a Brainwashed Kitana, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, Sonya and Jax with little effort.
  • Mind Over Matter: Ermac can use psychokinesis to lift and slam their opponents, toss them around the arena, or just tear them apart, limb from limb.
  • Monochromatic Eyes: White in 3, green from Deception onwards.
  • Power Echoes
  • Power Floats: His telekinesis allows Ermac to levitate.
  • Pronoun Trouble: "Him" or "Them".
  • Redemption Promotion: Pretty much the poster boy of it in Mortal Kombat. After becoming an Ascended Extra and having a Heel Face Turn, Ermac really started to shine.
  • The Reveal: His Arcade Ladder ending in 9. King Jerrod (Sindel's husband and Kitana's father who was killed by Shao Kahn) is one of the many souls that comprises Ermac's being. When Shao Kahn is defeated, Ermac is no longer bound to him, resulting in the numerous souls fighting for dominance over the body; Jerrod's willpower ultimately overcomes them, and he reunites with his family, acting as Edenia's protector.
  • Teleport Spam: Posseses an attack where he telports behind the opponent and punches them.
  • The Worf Effect: In 9, save two occasions (the one which prompted Jax's use of cybernetic arms and another cutscene in which Johnny Cage is taken down), the only reason he seems to exist is to be trashed.
  • Your Soul Is Mine: His between-rounds victory animation in Mortal Kombat 9 has him do this on himself. Specifically, one of the many souls in his body flies out, and he catches it and sucks it back in.


Cyrax

"Safeties disabled. Combat mode engaged."

A cyborg assassin for the Lin Kuei. Cyrax was one of four people chosen to become a new breed of soulless warriors for his clan. In time, Cyrax regained his soul with the aid of Special Forces operatives.

His first mission was to hunt down and destroy the deserter Sub-Zero, who had refused to be cybernetically enhanced, along with fellow cyborgs Smoke and Sektor. However, Cyrax soon found himself defeated by the combined force of a rogue Smoke and Sub-Zero. Reprogrammed to hunt down Shao Kahn by his former target, he ended up stranded in the Jade Desert.

Recovered and repaired by the short handed Lin Kuei, it soon become clear that Cyrax's was experiencing lost memories. The glimpse of the former life he had and what it was to be human prompted Cyrax to seek out aid to restore his soul. With the aid of OIA operatives Jax and Sonya, his humanity was restored and in gratitude he joined their ranks.

Whilst scouting in Outworld, Cyrax's arm console was damaged by Reptile, leaving him unable to use it to return to Earthrealm. The vampire Nitara offered to send him home in exchanged for retrieving a lost artifact. As he had little choice in the matter, Cyrax agreed. The cyborg retrieved her mysterious relic from a lake of lava and had time to give her a respectful bow before she sent him home as promised.

In Mortal Kombat 9, it's revealed that Cyrax was opposed to the cybernetic enhancement process the Lin Kuei were undergoing, but he was still a loyal member to them. He eventually rebelled against them at Raiden's suggestion, however, but it was for naught, as he was captured and transformed regardless. His whereabouts after the game are unknown, but he was not explicitly mentioned to die, so it is likely he's still around. Whether he will eventually recover his humanity or not remains to be seen.

  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: He leaves a "present" for the players as he teleports away in his winpose in Mortal Kombat 9.
  • Contemplate Our Navels: 9 reveals that he, much like Sub-Zero and Smoke, had his qualms with the Lin Kuei automating its warriors and suppressing their free will. In his chapter, Raiden's words seem to make a breakthrough, causing Cyrax to actually defeat Sektor and tell him that he's resigning from the Lin Kuei... but he apparently wasn't too successful.
  • A Day in the Limelight: In Mortal Kombat 9, he's the focus of Chapter 4.
  • Deadly Change-of-Heart: He starts off loyal to the Lin Kuei, but is against the idea of giving up his free-will and humanity. Raiden manages to get to him during the first Mortal Kombat tournament, slowly bringing out his better side, and in the end, he decides to spare Johnny Cage, leave the Lin Kuei, defeating Sektor in the process, and presumably ally himself with Raiden. The next time we see him, the Lin Kuei have taken him by force off-screen and turned him into a soulless cyborg with no free will whatsoever. This could be justified that his ultimate Heel Face Turn without the Door Slam should be at Mortal Kombat 4 era.
  • Magic Versus Science: To a degree, this contrast is shown between him and Sektor with their human forms in 9. Whereas Sektor uses modern weaponry like flamethrowers and missile launchers and somehow uses cyberspace to move around the terrain, Cyrax's arsenal is decidedly more low-tech and/or mystical by comparison. His standard bomb projectile utilizes an explosive substance encased in an orb that ignites when the shell is cracked open, his teleportation is a traditional ninjutsu Smoke Out, and his nets and buzzsaws can be found stored on his suit and wristbands.
  • McNinja: He's from Botswana, a country in Southern Africa.
  • No Campaign for the Wicked: Averted. He receives his own chapter in 9 (Chapter 4) and begins to gravitate towards Raiden's side, only to be captured off-screen and roboticized anyway.
  • Teleport Spam: In his human form, he throws down a vial of an unknown substance before teleporting away.
  • Unwilling Roboticisation: As of 9, Cyrax wanted no part of having his humanity taken but it was still thrust upon him by the time Sub-Zero's chapter in Story Mode rolls around.
  • Wrestler in All of Us: The finisher to his X-Ray attack in 9 is a skull-smashing jumping sitout piledriver.


Sektor

"I will show no mercy!"

Volunteering for the automation process out of loyalty, Sektor was the first cyborg assassin created by the Lin Kuei. Utterly ruthless, uncompromising and having no hint of emotion. He was the embodiment of what the clan was attempting to accomplish.

The assassin's first mission was to hunt down and kill the renegade Sub-Zero with his partners cyborgs Cyrax and Smoke. Despite several attempts on his life, he failed to eliminate the deserter. His repeated battles with Outworld forces soon lead to his program being corrupted as he believed the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei was now "inferior" and killed him.

Only the intervention of Sub-Zero prevented Sektor from gaining the Dragon Medallion. After his defeat, he fled to Japan to form his own clan of cybernetic ninja's, the Tekunin.

It is revealed in Mortal Kombat 9 that Sektor pretty much had no mercy or morals even before being cybernetically enhanced (his robotic personality did not differ much from his human one), as well as him actually being the Lin Kuei Grandmaster's son. Just like Cyrax, his status after the game is unknown, but he's probably still around.

  • Enigmatic Minion: As shown in 9, although the original canon tells us that we should know better.
  • Kill It with Fire: In his human form, he wears a pair of fuel tanks on his back and the flames launch from vents on his wrists.
  • Overlord, Jr.: He's the Grandmaster's son after all.
  • Proud Warrior Clan Guy: Even more so than the Elder Sub-Zero. In fact, he decides to go along with the Cyber Initiative and have his free will eroded because he believes it will make the Lin Kuei more loyal and more efficient warriors.
  • A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Turns on the Grandmaster and takes over the Lin Kuei to establish an order of cyborgs.
  • Bat Out of Hell: His Animality in 3.
  • Butt Monkey: In 9, he gets beaten up by Scorpion, then again the next chapter by Cyrax in his human form. After the Cyber Initiative, he gets beaten up three more times by Smoke, Cyber Sub-Zero, and Nightwolf. The last time ends with him getting tomahawked in the chest, and we never see him after that.
  • Crosshair Aware: His homing missiles do this.
  • Cybernetics Eat Your Soul: Mortal Kombat 3 explicitly stated that he could not be detected by Shao Kahn because he had no souls for him to steal.
  • Downloadable Content: For downloading Skarlet, either just as the update pack or to actually play as her, you get his Mortal Kombat 3 skin for 9.
  • Dual-Wielding: His weapon style in Armageddon is a pair of short Pulse Blades.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Cyrax.
  • Evil Overlord: Becomes one after Sub-Zero retakes the Lin Kuei from him.
  • Gone Horribly Right: The Lin Kuei Grandmaster wanted to create a ruthless killer with no compunction. And the Grandmaster knows first hand he succeeded.
  • Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: Tries this with Taven aboard the Tekunin warship in Armageddon until the Special Forces attack the warship.
  • Kill It with Fire: In later installments, Sektor packs some flamethrowers in his wrists.
  • Klingon Promotion: Becomes Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei by killing the old Grandmaster after his programming deteriorates. Made worse by his Mortal Kombat 9 bio stating that the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was his own father. And even worse when Mortal Kombat 9 states that he was planning to kill his father even before he became a cyborg.
  • Lack of Empathy: Hoo boy!
  • Macross Missile Massacre: Uses it as an attack and fatality in 9.
  • More Dakka: His fatality in 9, using missiles.
  • Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Extremely close to that exact description, being a Cyborg Lin Kuei without a soul and, by Armageddon, has a Cool Airship.
  • Offscreen Teleportation: He drops into a hole in cyberspace... or something. According to 9, he had this ability before he became a cyborg.
  • Palette Swap: Until later games, where he is much bulkier than Cyrax.
  • Self-Made Orphan: An interesting example as it only becomes clear when you combine details from both canons. We know in the original canon that Sektor killed the Grandmaster to become the new Lin Kuei leader around the time of 4, but only until backstory from Mortal Kombat 9 emerges that we learn the man who was killed was in fact his father.
  • The Starscream: To the Lin Kuei Grandmaster, who, as stated above, is his own father.
  • Those Two Bad Guys: He and Cyrax seem to serve as this in 9.


Chameleon

Chameleon has long watched Mortal Kombat unfold. He was present during Liu Kang's victory in the first tournament and has constantly remained hidden in the shadows, biding his time and waiting for his opportunity to strike.

  • Bald of Evil: In Armageddon.
  • Ditto Fighter: Limited to the male "ninja" characters, not including unmasked Sub-Zero or the Cyber Ninjas.
  • Flat Character: Chameleon had no story in his original appearance, and his backstory in Armageddon only establishes that he wants to be the true champion of Mortal Kombat.
  • Invisibility: Borrowed from Reptile.
  • Meaningful Name: Chameleons can blend in their surroundings by changing color and camouflaging; Chameleon constantly changes colors in battle. Additionally, a chameleon is a reptilian species, perhaps hinting at a connection to Reptile's Raptor/Saurian/Zaterran race (a connection that's more readily apparent with Reptile and Chameleon).
  • Mysterious Watcher: Chameleon is described as this in Armageddon.
  • Palette Swap: Justified due to his powers.
  • Spear Counterpart: To Khameleon.
  • Teleport Spam: Borrowed from Scorpion.


Khameleon

"I have spent a lifetime hidden from view..."

The last female of her race, Khameleon seeks revenge on Shao Kahn for the destruction of her people. Above all else she desires the restoration of her species.

After searching for the longest time across the realms, Khameleon discovered another of her kind, Reptile. Informing him of his races true fate at his masters hands, she hoped to take away the hold the emperor had on him. However, Reptile soon fell under Shao Kahn's influence again, and she barely escaped with her life. Khameleon now desperately continues to search for a means to resurrect her race and destroy Kahn for his crimes.

  • Adam and Eve Plot: The reason she was searching for Reptile.
  • The Cameo: You can see her in her Mortal Kombat 3 attire in one scene of 9. This is also her first non-Nintendo appearance to date.
  • Combat Stilettos: Due to starting as a palette swap of the female ninjas.
  • Distaff Counterpart: Of Chameleon.
  • Ditto Fighter: Limited to the female "Ninja" characters, not including Frost (in Armageddon).
  • Fan Service Pack: In Armageddon. Still manages to be one of the more conservative ladies.
  • Last Of Their Kind: Khameleon believes she and Reptile are the last Raptors (Chameleon may or not be a third). Her motivation, besides getting revenge against Shao Kahn for destroying her realm, is getting Reptile on her side and... amending this situation.
  • Leotard of Power: Wears the same style of clothing as the female ninjas due to her origins as a palette swap.
  • Meaningful Name: See Chameleon's entry above.
  • Nintendo Bonus: She's only playable in the Nintendo 64 version of Trilogy (replacing Chameleon) and in the Wii version of Armageddon.
  • She's Got Legs: Comes from originally being a palette swap of the Edenians.
  • White-Haired Pretty Girl: In Armageddon. The "white" is actually "transparent" though.


Sheeva

"For the Shokan!"

Appointed the personal bodyguard of the resurrected Sindel during Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm, Sheeva is a powerful Shokan warrior. Despite the Shokan race having the emperor's favor for many years, she discovers that the extermination squads are being lead by the Centaurian Motaro. Bitter enemies of the Shokan race, the insulting presence of Centaurs only serves to create anger and suspicion within Sheeva.

When Kitana and Jade confront Sheeva in an effort to reach Sindel, the Shokan finds herself outmatch and defeated. Fleeing in shame, she arrives in Outworld to find Shao Kahn has betrayed her people and is in fact launching an offensive against them. After confronting her hated rival Motaro and leaving him for dead, she seeks out Kano. Sheeva releases him from his cell with the promise of riches if he aids her in Kahn's demise.

However, Kano betrays her and informs the emperor of her intentions. Sheeva finds herself easily defeated and apparently killed.

Sheeva is pretty much unchanged in Mortal Kombat 9. However, Kano's betrayal did not occur, thus Sheeva's still alive, probably, although her whereabouts is unknown.

  • Amazonian Beauty/Beastess: Rather muscular and masculine looking as a Shokan.
  • Ambiguously Brown: She is first given Indian features but looks more African in Armageddon and back to Indian in 9.
  • Back from the Dead/Unexplained Recovery: At the end of 3, she is betrayed by Kano to Shao Kahn, and he impales her with a sword. She is back in Armageddon with, all together now... no explanation.
  • Bodyguard Babes: Was appointed to be Sindel's by Shao Kahn.
  • Cute Monster Girl: Is somewhat more conventionally human-looking than Goro and Kintaro and embodies some Fanservice tropes.
  • Distaff Counterpart: She was created as a female version of Goro and Kintaro.
  • Eighties Hair: A mohawk-mullet combo.
  • Fragile Speedster: Not in the overall scale, but certainly compared to her Spear Counterparts.
  • Grievous Harm with a Body: A Mortal Kombat 9 fatality involves lethally bitch-slapping her opponent with their own arms. After they're down for the count, she uses their severed arms to clap comically. One must fight the urge to say "Give yourself a round of applause!".
  • Jobber: Has a tendency to repeatedly show up during 9's story mode to get beaten up, but in a slight level compared to Reptile and Baraka.
  • Lady in Red
  • Monster Modesty: Generally wears only the equivalent of a slingshot bikini.
  • Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Like all Shokan, Sheeva has four arms.
    • Meaningful Name: Named after Shiva, a major deity in the Hindu pantheon who also possessed multiple arms and is sometimes interpreted as a destroyer god. Possibly given a Shout-Out in her Armageddon ending, where she's turned into a destroyer goddess.
  • Proud Warrior Race Gal: As is expected from the Shokan.
  • Redemption Equals Death: In the original timeline, her turn against Kahn over the promotion of the centaurs resulted in her being betrayed by Kano and killed.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: As to be expected from a Shokan.
  • Scary Scorpions: Her Animality.
  • She's Got Legs: Her legs make up a good portion of her height.
  • Statuesque Stunner: Justified Trope in that the Shokan race dwarfs most species in terms of height; Sheeva is no exception, standing a little bit over seven feet tall.
    • Toned down in 9, where she is merely taller than human characters and much less muscular and large than in Armageddon.
  • Stripperiffic: In 3, she wore a slingshot bikini that only barely covered her unmentionables. In Armageddon, she at least has the decency to swap it out for a Chainmail Bikini (which does a slightly better job of covering her up), but her 3 costume is still her alt. outfit. In 9, her 3 outfit remains as her default, while she gets an alt. that is just as lacking.
  • Token Good Teammate:
    • For the villains in 9. Factoring out those who lacked self-awareness or the choice to choose sides for themselves (i.e. Ermac, Cyrax, Sindel), Sheeva's shown to be pretty cordial to her enemies, with no malice towards any of the heroes she faces. She seems pretty decent, and out of the three Shokans, she's the least bloodthirsty by a considerable degree. An example showcasing this would be Jade's chapter of the story mode of 9, where at one point she claims that Kitana's execution is "the only means of regaining her honor."
    • In her arcade ending, after the defeat of Shao Khan, instead of ruling Outworld or slaughtering the enemy races, she and the Shokan choose to leave Outworld and live in Earthrealm in peace, with the Shokan swearing to protect their new home realm.
      • And, in the process, received Australia as their new homeland.


Sindel

"You are pathetic and weak!"

10,000 years ago, Sindel was the queen of Edenia. When Shao Kahn invaded her realm, enslaved its people, killed her husband, Jerrod, and took her then-infant daughter Kitana as his own, she was Driven to Suicide. Thus was the tragic end of her story...

...Or was it?

Aided by Quan Chi, Shao Kahn used dark magic to revive "his" queen, but not on Outworld. Instead, she was to be revived on Earth, thus allowing him to step through the portal between his realm and Earth and circumvent the rules of Mortal Kombat to claim her. She was brainwashed into forgetting her past and having complete loyalty to her "husband". But while Kahn may have partially merged the realms, his adopted daughter was the plan's undoing. Kitana convinced her mother of her true past, leading Sindel to complete a Heel Face Turn. Earthrealm's victory also split Edenia from Outworld, and Sindel vowed to rebuild her once-great civilization and bring Shao Kahn to justice.

Sindel's story changes heavily during the events of Mortal Kombat 9.

  • Absolute Cleavage: Starting in Deception.
  • Back from the Dead: As part of Shao Kahn's Evil Plan to bridge the gap between Earthrealm and Outworld. The whole scene is seen in Mortal Kombat 9.
  • Barrier Maiden: Her death created a ward that prevented Shao Kahn from setting foot in Earthrealm. Her resurrection broke said seal.
  • Blade on a Stick: Her weapon style in Deception and Armageddon.
  • Breath Weapon: She sends fireball projectiles from her mouth.
  • Combat Stilettos: How she kills Kabal and Jax in Mortal Kombat 9; she stabs the former in his respirator and the latter in his neck.
  • Cutscene Power to the Max: In Mortal Kombat 9, she effortlessly defeats 10 people at once. See No-Holds-Barred Beatdown below.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Even after her Heel Face Turn, she keeps dressing in purple and black outfits that would befit a villainess more.
  • Fan Service Pack: Her outfits began relatively modest, but this slowly was thrown out of the window by Deception, Armageddon and 9. Like Sonya, however, she still shows a fair deal of less skin than the others.
    • Her alternate costume in 9 is probably her sexiest yet, showing a lot of skin with fishnets. Possibly justified story-wise as she was under Shao Kahn's control.
  • Femme Fatalons: In 3.
  • Gosh Hornet: Her Animality.
  • Groin Attack: Gives one to Smoke in Mortal Kombat 9. She then snaps his neck.
    • Also part of her X-Ray Attack.
  • Heel Face Revolving Door: Starts out Good, then is brainwashed into Evil when revived, and then returns to Good after Shao Kahn's defeat and stays that way for the rest of the series.
    • Deadly Change-of-Heart: In 9. At some point during the events of Mortal Kombat 3, she should've been realizing about Shao Kahn manipulating her, but due to Raiden's interference to the timeline, she ended up empowered with Shang Tsung's soul, brutally killing most of the heroes until Nightwolf sacrificed himself, and dying as a villain this time.
  • Hero-Killer: In 9. Eight heroes, to be exact.
  • The High Queen: To her homeland of Edenia after her husband's demise. Unwillingly goes the God Save Us From the Queen route in 9.
  • Hot Mom: Of Kitana (and Mileena... sorta).
  • Hypnotize The Queen:
  • Lady of War: Always looks and acts regal, even when kicking ass.
  • Large Ham: While Mortal Kombat characters aren't known for their subtlety, Sindel stands out with her gothy makeup, regal persona, signature powers being a sonic scream and Prehensile Hair, and purple leotard. She's had at least one Drag Queen impersonator.
  • Leotard of Power: Wears a purple leotard in all her appearances.
  • Make Me Wanna Shout: Her signature fatality, as well as her stun move.
  • Monochromatic Eyes: To date, she has yet to be seen without them, even when not under Shao Kahn's control.
  • Naked on Revival: Her revival from nothing more than a skeleton in 9 leaves her alive, but without a stitch of clothing.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Delivers a vicious one on the heroes in 9. Of the group assembled (Cage, Sonya, Jax, Cyber Sub-Zero, Smoke, Kitana, Jade, Nightwolf, Stryker and Kabal), only Cage, Sonya, Kitana and Nightwolf survive. Kitana soon succumbs to her wounds afterward, and Nightwolf sacrifices himself in a kamikaze attack to ultimately kill her.
    • Let's count the ways:
      • She kills Cyber Sub-Zero in three hits. She stomps Kabal in his respirator. She puts her heel in Jax's throat. Snaps Smoke's neck. Rips out one of Jade's vital organs. Punches a hole through Stryker's head and slowly beats down Kitana and rips out part of her soul.
  • Power Floats: As a special, Sindel is able to levitate. Also seen in her Victory Pose in 3, three times in Deception (her getting up pose, her victory pose if you didn't perform a Fatality, her Sonic Screech Fatality), and her intro pose from 9.
  • Prehensile Hair: In 3. It took until 9 for it to show up again, in both her X-ray move and her attempt to steal Nightwolf's soul in Story Mode.
  • Punny Name/Meaningful Name: Her name is an unintended pun for "she's dead" (shinde'ru) in Japanese.
  • Rapunzel Hair: In 3. It's been cut a bit shorter since.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Kitana is over 10,000, so Sindel has be older than that.
  • Requisite Royal Regalia: Wears the tiara-like Royal Crown of Edenia in her alt. from Deception and Armageddon. The tiara (in a slightly altered form) reappears for her alt. in 9.
  • She's Got Legs: Has pretty long legs she makes extensive use of in many attacks.
  • Skunk Stripe: Reversed - white hair with a black stripe.
  • Statuesque Stunner: Being an Edenian, she's no shorter than her daughter and equals many male kombatants in height.
  • That Woman Is Dead: Tells Kitana that she is not her mother during the aforementioned No-Holds-Barred Beatdown. Sure, it was the brainwashing talking, not Sindel herself, but the comment still hits Kitana pretty hard.
  • White-Haired Pretty Girl: Mostly white.


Kabal

"Let's see what you're made of..."

A mysterious masked stranger who joins the Earthrealm warriors in their fight against Shao Kahn, Kabal is actually a former member of the Black Dragon, Kano's outfit. During Shao kahn's initial assault wave on Earthrealm, he is heavily scarred by his annihilation squads, leading to his masked appearance. While initially helping the Earthrealm's warriors to face Khan, Kabal eventually reverts to his former criminal ways. During the events of '"Deception, he reforms the Black Dragon and hunts down Mavado, the leader of the Red Dragon, who had wounded him and humiliated him between the events of the third and fourth games.

Mortal Kombat 9 has a slight change on this.

  • Arch Enemy: To Mavado.
  • The Atoner: Hinted in his Deception bio, fully seen in 9. Putting his skills to use to combat the underworld forces he once aided apparently eases his mind and helps him forget about his dark past.
  • Badass Abnormal: According to 9.
  • Badass Goatee: Sports one in Shaolin Monks.
  • Badass Longcoat: From Deception onward. It was intended to be included in his design from the beginning, but had to be left out due to size constraints with the digitized actors.
  • Badass Long Hair
  • Cool Mask: Which comes complete with a respirator, lasers, and a pretty sweet echo effect.
  • Covered with Scars: Especially in 9.
  • A Day in the Limelight: In Mortal Kombat 9, he's the focus of Chapter 13.
  • Defector From Decadence: Shades of it can be in his bio from Deception, but it's much more prominent in 9.
  • Dragon Ascendant: Kano's disappearance in Deadly Alliance gave Kabal room to revive the Black Dragon as its new leader. At least in Deception anyway.
  • The Faceless: Unless you perform the appropriate Fatality. His mask can also be damaged in 9, revealing a sizable chunk.
    • When he's seen without a mask in Shaolin Monks, he looks perfectly normal. Of course, the game takes place prior to the attack that scarred him.
    • Mortal Kombat 9 reveals that he was part of Stryker's riot control unit, until he was burnt by Kintaro and kidnapped by Kano to be operated upon.
  • Fair Cop: As seen in 9, before his Emergency Transformation. Was Bash Brothers with Stryker.
  • Flash Step: Part of his moveset since 3. Explained in 9: when Kabal was dying of his burns from Kintaro, Kano got Shang Tsung to heal him up with his magic. As a side effect of said magic, he gained Super Speed.
  • Freeze-Frame Bonus: He's seen with a ring on his finger before he's viciously burned by Kintaro, indicating that he's engaged at the very least.
  • Gas Mask Mooks: Later Gas Mask Boss.
    • Gas Mask Longcoat: From Deception onwards, including the reboot. Points for being a sleeveless coat.
  • The Grotesque: Not as bad as most, but still quite noticeable, especially in 9, where his design makes his injuries even more gruesome. A deformed face, mangled strips of flesh (think Freddy Krueger), charred lungs, a blind left eye... Kabal's got it bad.
  • Heel Face Revolving Door: Starts out evil before 3, becomes good in 3, ends up evil again from Deception onward (Havik's resuscitation of Kabal may have had to something to do with that last part though).
    • In 9, his backstory places him as Evil (one of Kano's Black Dragon buddies in the past), but he remains Good throughout the story (having renounced his past to start clean as a police officer).
  • Hooks and Crooks: He dual wields Chinese hookswords.
  • I Am a Monster: His initial reaction to being revived by Kano in 9, and although it soon turns to pure rage because Kano didn't leave him to die. He later decides to put his skills to good use as one of Raiden's chosen defenders.
  • Long-Haired Pretty Boy/Tall, Dark and Handsome: According to 9, this is what he looked like before his disfigurement. The latter trope also applies to his appearance in Shaolin Monks.
  • Nightmare Face: His Fatality in Mortal Kombat 3, with one foot in Ugly Cute territory in his Defenders of the Realm appearance.
  • Stealth Mentor: To Kira and Kobra. Their journey to Outworld at Havik's behest to deal with Onaga will help Kabal weed out members for the revived Black Dragon clan. It's revealed in Kira's ending that only one of them would be chosen and the two would have to battle to the death to receive that honor.
  • Super Speed: Gains this as a side-effect of Shang Tsung's healing magic.
  • We Can Rebuild Him: His respirator saved his life. His ending in 9 has this happen again, with Kabal's respirator being permanently damaged during his fight with Shao Kahn, forcing him to track down Kano and the cyberneticist who developed Kano's eye laser. He's saved in the nick of time, but now must fight to repay his hefty debt.


Nightwolf

"Ancestors, give me strength!"

An Apache warrior, shaman and historian, Nightwolf learned of Shao Kahn's impending invasion from Raiden. He used his magic to set up protection for his people, then headed off to defend Earthrealm. He got Put on a Bus after Mortal Kombat Trilogy...

...then it came back. In Deception, he began having visions again, this time of Onaga returning from the dead to wreak havoc. He chose the role of a Sin Eater, which basically meant that he would absorb all of his tribe's sins, then release them all at Onaga at once. The plan worked, and Onaga was stuck in Outworld to be beaten into submission by Shujinko.

In Mortal Kombat 9, Nightwolf's role gets heavily expanded.

  • An Axe to Grind: Or more appropriately, a tomahawk.
  • The Archer: One of his abilities.
  • The Atoner: His "Sin Eater" role let him do this for HIS ENTIRE CLAN.
  • Attack Reflector: As a special, he can create a green aura around his body that redirects projectiles.
  • Badass Bookworm: Makes his living as a historian.
  • Badass Long Hair
  • Badass Native: A Native American who serves as one of Raiden's chosen warriors.
  • Big Badass Wolf: His Animality.
  • A Day in the Limelight: In Mortal Kombat 9, he's the focus of Chapter 15.
  • Deadly Upgrade: The Sin Eater ritual will allow Nightwolf to descend into the Netherrealm and use his clan's sins to attack Onaga's spirit, but the transformation will alter his temperament and eventually cause him to become a danger to his allies. Understanding the ramifications of such actions, Nightwolf works in seclusion during the events of Deception.
  • Facial Markings: Wears red paint on his face.
  • Geek: In Defenders of the Realm.
  • Genius Bruiser: In Defenders of the Realm. See Big Badass Wolf above.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: A kamikaze variant in 9. As the only one on the heroes' side not currently out of commission, he faces down Sindel (and prevents her from immediately killing Kitana), but ultimately has no success. Sindel then attempts to steal his soul. In return, Nightwolf begins a chant as a last-ditch effort. The end result? The spiritual equivalent of a Kill Sat rains down destruction from the heavens, killing them both.
  • Magical Native American: Given his abilities include materializing tomahawks, bows and storms, he almost comes across as an exaggeration of this trope.
  • Mission Control: In Defenders of the Realm.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: In Freddy Krueger's ending in Mortal Kombat 9, Nightwolf is the one who recognizes Freddy as a malevolent spirit and quickly seals him back in the Dream Realm before he could cause harm with the power he gained from killing Shao Kahn. Unfortunately, Freddy wanted to return to the Dream Realm as he was immortal in that Realm and now capable of causing a global massacre without resistance.
  • Number Two: To Raiden in 9. Due to his status as one of the few humans with spiritual awareness, he knows Raiden on a personal basis and apparently goes looking for/recruiting Raiden's chosen warriors during the Outworld invasion (he's also seen with the Nakama that is Raiden's warriors during the time of Shang Tsung's tournament). He even leads the heroes when Raiden leaves with Liu Kang to enlist the Elder Gods' help and subsequently leads the charge against the Lin Kuei and Sindel.
  • Our Werewolves Are Different: In his arcade ending, after defeating Shao Kahn, his soul attaches itself to Nightwolf's spirit wolf guide. His evil infects Nightwolf himself, turning him into a vicious werewolf and plans to infect each single mortal in Earthrealm.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Calls out Scorpion for this in 9, telling the wraith that he's channeled his anger over his clan's fate and put it towards better uses. Nightwolf attempts to knock some sense into Scorpion himself, but fails.
  • Shock and Awe: His shaman magic lets him zap his foes with lightning, both as a special move and as a Fatality. He also gives himself a jolt in Mortal Kombat 9 as his pre-fight intro.
  • Tall, Dark and Handsome: Maybe?
  • Took a Level in Badass: In Deception, he voluntarily descends into the Netherrealm and binds Onaga there using the sins of his ancestors, allowing Shujinko to finish off the Dragon King. Even moreso in 9; how does he stop Quan Chi's Soulnado? By beating the tar out of the sorcerer and then Sparta-kicking Noob Saibot into it. He then tramples Cyrax and Sektor when the Cyber Lin Kuei attack the heroes' stronghold. He's then one of four heroes to survive Sindel's initial onslaught and is ultimately the one to fell her (see Heroic Sacrifice above).
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: How he turns into a wolf. Not so in his Mortal Kombat 9 ending thanks to Shao Kahn.
  • Walking Shirtless Scene: Save for the Deadly Alliance trilogy, all he wears on top is a vest.
  • Warrior Poet: Serves as a shaman and historian when not fighting.


Rain

"The Edenian race is descended from the gods. That is the reason for our longevity, our nobility, and our strength. But I am more than a distant relation to the deities of old. I am a direct descendant of Argus himself."

The son of an Edenian general, Rain was smuggled away during Shao Kahn's invasion of Outworld and hostile takeover of Edenia. Thousands of years later, during Shao Kahn's attempted conquest of Earthrealm, Rain reappeared and was attacked by Kahn's extermination squads. Rather than die, Rain saved his own skin by pledging allegiance to Shao Kahn. In Trilogy, Kitana revealed to Rain the valiant last stand of his father, sending Rain into a blind rage and a suicide mission against Kahn. By the time of Armageddon, Rain discovered his true heritage. Still on the side of evil, but no longer in servitude to Shao Kahn, Rain now sets off to kill Taven and Daegon, aiming to take the prize of Blaze's power for himself.

His backstory undergoes a few changes in Mortal Kombat 9. A refugee orphan taken in by the Edenian Resistance, Rain's prowess in battle allowed him to quickly jump through the army's ranks. This shaped Rain into a very arrogant warrior. When he was denied command of his own charge, Rain, seething with anger, left their employ and offered his services to Shao Kahn.

  • Badass Cape: His redesign in Armageddon, as seen to the right.
  • Cool Mask: Used to hide his identity as Edenian nobility and Argus' son.
  • Defector From Decadence: His backstory in the 2011 game.
    • In his ending in 9, he does it again to Shao Kahn, for the same reasons he did the Resistance.
  • Downloadable Content: In 9.
  • Heel Face Revolving Door: Kitana apparently turned Rain against Shao Kahn after Trilogy (after telling him of his adoptive father's death), but he's back to Evil by the time of Armageddon.
    • He seems to have settled on Heel in 9.
  • It's All About Me: After discovering his true heritage, Rain becomes extremely egotistical, calling himself the prince of Edenia and venturing forth to stop Taven and Daegon despite the realms being at catastrophic risk. He's also painted in this light in 9. Doesn't get command of his own army within the Resistance? Joins Shao Kahn. Shao Kahn doesn't give him an army, too? Kills Shao Kahn. Thanked by Raiden and finds out he's Argus' son? Decides that the right to rule is his and goes on a campaign to conquer all the realms, starting with Earthrealm.
  • Jerkass: Has been heading this way ever since Armageddon. See It's All About Me above.
  • Katanas Are Just Better: Not quite proper katanas, but they certainly fit the basic aesthetic. And he has two of them.
  • Kicked Across The Room: Has a roundhouse kick which makes the opponent to exit from one extreme and appear in the other.
  • Kill It with Water: His Does it Sting Fatality in 9 has Rain break his foe's knees and then conjure up a blade made of highly-pressurized water to decapitate them.
  • Making a Splash
  • Meaningful Name: Several of his specials involve weather elements such as water and lightning thunders.
    • Punny Name: Rain wears a purple costume, and Armageddon reveals that he's a Prince.
  • People Puppets: His Mind Control Orb special allows Rain to briefly control his opponent's movements. In 9, the move is changed to instead ensnare them in a bubble using Rain's hydrokinetic powers and instead control the path of the bubble.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Kinda par the course for an Edenian. Even moreso for Rain, seeing as he's half-god.
  • Red Herring: His appearance in the intro for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is this.
  • Shock and Awe: Has the additional ability to summon a lightning storm.
  • Status Buff: His H2O Boost in 9. It gives Rain a damage boost, but removes his ability to block as a tradeoff.
  • Tall, Dark and Handsome: Par for the course as an Edenian.
  • The Unfavourite: In regards to half-brothers Taven and Daegon, which prompted his Face Heel Turn.

Kurtis Stryker

"Police brutality, coming up!"

Before the events of Mortal Kombat 3, Kurtis Stryker was just a member of the NYPD's Special Riot Control Department. He was chosen by Raiden to be one of a handful of mortals to survive Shao Kahn's genocide of the human race. Even Stryker himself doesn't know why.

In Mortal Kombat 9, Stryker is pretty much the same, although his joining Earthrealm's champions is not as ambiguous, since he is hand-picked by Nightwolf, who sensed his determination to protect Earthrealm and his skills as a fighter.

  • Badass Normal: Is only a cop with grenades, stun batons and a gun against monsters and magic compared even to Sonya and Jax, who use laser weapons and high-tech equipment.
    • Took a Level in Badass: In 9. During Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm, he singlehandedly takes out Reptile, Mileena, Kintaro and Ermac. Outworld invaders, Stryker will have none of your shit.
  • Blood Splattered Warrior: His victory pose if doesn't use a Fatality to end a match in 9. He simply throws a grenade at his foe's unconscious body, and ends up getting sprayed by their blood due to the ensuing explosion. One way or another, Stryker's opponent won't be leaving the battle alive.
    • It also appears in his second Fatality in 9, which is pretty much the same thing, only with Stryker jamming the grenade directly into their midsection.
  • Boom! Headshot!: For his first fatality in Mortal Kombat 9, he starts by shocking his opponent with a tazer then draws his pistol and blows their head off.
  • Bottomless Magazines: Apparently, his gun has infinite ammo, although he's shown reloading it if he wins a round in 9.
  • Combat Pragmatist/Police Brutality: Given that he's the most normal member of the cast, this was a given. For example, his X-ray move in 9. He blinds his opponent with a flashlight, smashes the top of their skull in with it (causing the skull to actually cave in), and then knocks them upside the jaw with his baton (breaking their neck) before finally tazing 'em. When he delivers the quote reproduced above, he's not kidding.
  • Cool Shades: Armageddon only.
  • A Day in the Limelight: In Mortal Kombat 9, he's the focus of Chapter 12.
  • Does Not Like Guns: In the original Mortal Kombat 3, he couldn't use the gun he used in his victory pose. Ever since then, creators have been sure to let him use his gun.
  • Everything's Better with Dinosaurs: His T-Rex animality.
  • Eye Beams: When Stryker runs up the pyramid in Armageddon, Kano hits him with one, killing him.
  • Fair Cop
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: His X-Ray attack opens with him blinding his opponent with a flashlight to make them vulnerable for his attack. Apparently, this works on cyborgs, hellspawns with no real eyes, celebrities with sunglasses, and an already blind person.
  • Genre Savvy: Again, in 9. He and his partner (Kabal) see Mileena standing across the street during the invasion. The below conversation follows.

Kabal: "Whaddaya think? Friend or foe?"
Stryker: "Foe."
Kabal: "Dressed like that?"

Stryker: "Definitely foe. Cover me."

    • Which is a Call Back to the intro to Armageddon, where he punched out a distracted Mileena before heading up the pyramid.
  • Hair of Gold
  • More Dakka: Capable of using his side arm and grenades in combat. His EX versions even allow to shoot more bullets and grenades. A fatality in 3 and 9 also revolve around blowing up his opponent.
  • Nice Hat: In 3, as a part of his "everyman" appeal. He gets it back in 9, but it's no longer turned backwards.
  • Simple Staff: Your standard issue police baton rod.
  • Static Stun Gun: As a Fatality since 3, as a special since Armageddon.
  • Supercop: Especially in 9, which lists off his many exploits on the line of duty, even before Kahn invades Earthrealm, in his bio.
  • The Team Normal: Of Raiden's chosen warriors. Even Sonya and Jax (the two other warriors closest to Stryker in terms of being regular Joes) have stuff like death-dealing smooches and cybernetic arms respectively.
  • Think Nothing of It: Of the All a Part of the Job variety during his arcade ending in 9.
  • Throw Down the Bomblet: Can throw grenades as an attack.


Motaro

"Without your weapons, you are no match for Motaro!"

Motaro is a Centaur, a race of half-man, half-horse beings that reside in Outworld. His people are vicious enemies of the Shokan, the race of four-armed half-dragons that Goro, Sheeva and Kintaro belong to. During the events of Mortal Kombat 3, he is the commanding general of Shao Kahn's Earthrealm invasion squads and serves as the mid-boss before Shao Kahn. He returns during the events of Armageddon, though his appearance now takes the form of a minotaur as a curse placed on his people by the Shokan have stripped them of two of their legs. He arrives at the pyramid in a gambit to make Goro and his people pay for what they wrought upon his race.

He has merely a cameo in Mortal Kombat 9.

  • Back from the Dead: It was mentioned that he died by Sheeva's hand in Kano's Konquest story in Deadly Alliance, but is back without any explanation in Armageddon.
  • Brought Down to Normal: Sort of. He and the rest of the Centaurs are transformed into Minotaurs by a Shokan curse in Armageddon, which reduces their fighting abilities.
  • Demoted to Extra: In Mortal Kombat 9. He only makes a handful of appearances in the story mode and his role in the Mortal Kombat 3 portion has been downplayed.
  • The Dragon: To Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 3.
  • Fantastic Racism: He's apparently victim of this, due to the Shokan and Centaur's long standing blood feuds. Of course, once the Centaurs gain favor with Shao Kahn, they become the perpetrators.
  • For Want of a Nail: And he's the nail.
  • A Load of Bull: In Armageddon.
  • Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Rat-tailed, ram-horned centaur.
  • Our Centaurs Are Different: Apparently, the Outworld Centaurs have horns and scorpion-like tails.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy
  • SNK Boss: Not surprisingly, Motaro deals a lot of damage and has many tricky attacks and patterns.
    • Artificial Stupidity: In the iPhone port. On lower difficulties Motaro will literally walk into your punches, all you have to do is stand still and repeatedly tap the punch button.
  • The Unfought: In Mortal Kombat 9.
  • Won't Work On Me: Motaro scoffs at the idea of being hurt by projectiles or being juggled (you can, however, combo him if you can catch him in midair).
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