Mortal Kombat Main Character Index
Main series: MK (1992) | MK2 | MK3 | MK4 | Deadly Alliance | Deception | Armageddon | MK vs. DC Universe | MK9 | MKX | MK11 | MK1
Spinoffs: Mythologies: Sub-Zero | Special Forces
Non-video game: The Movie | Conquest | Defenders of the Realm | 2021 Movie
Individual Characters: Scorpion I (Hanzo Hasashi) | Sub-Zero I/Noob Saibot (Bi-Han) | Johnny Cage | Liu Kang | Raiden | Shang Tsung | Sub-Zero II/Scorpion II (Kuai Liang) | Kitana | Mileena | Shao Kahn/General Shao | Quan Chi

open/close all folders

Earthrealm's Champions

Raiden

Lord Raiden

Played By: Tadanobu Asano

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mortal_kombat_2021_raiden_profile.jpg

"The fate of Earth is in our hands."

The God of Thunder and protector of the Earthrealm who guides and advices the Earthrealm warriors.

Adaptational Jerkass: He's far less patient and a lot more abrasive than in the games. This is partially justified, as the tournament is nearing and his latest warriors are lacking the Dragon Mark (Sonya), a has-been MMA champ (Cole), and a criminal (Kano), far from anything that guarantees victory.
All Asians Wear Conical Straw Hats: Justified because he's based on the Japanese god Raijin. And unlike most of his live-action appearances, this Raiden is played by an Asian actor.
Big Good: As in the game series, he is the most powerful character on Earthrealm's side and acts as The Mentor for Earthrealm's champions.
Deadpan Snarker: After Goro's attack proves to be the impetus for Cole finding his Arcana, Raiden can't help but take a shot at Shang Tsung's help.
Raiden: Thank you for helping my fighter unlock his Arcana.
God's Hands Are Tied: He can't do a lot to defend the heroes from Outworld forces since Elder Gods are forbidden to intervene in the tournament. Shang Tsung rubs this fact in his face multiple times.
Grew a Spine: Downplayed; while he aids the Champions, he's forbidden to do more things to help since gods aren't really supposed to intervene in Mortal Kombat. However, with Shang Tsung basically cheating by trying to force Earthrealm to forfeit the tournament via murdering all of Outworld's competition and the Elder Gods not lifting a finger to help Earthrealm, Raiden is convinced by Cole to take a more offensive approach by separating Shang Tsung's forces so that the fighters don't get overwhelmed by the Outworlders attacking them all at once. Then later, after all of Shang Tsung's goons are dead, Raiden forcibly teleports him back to Outworld instead of arguing with him or listening to his insults anymore.
Horrible Judge of Character: He thinks that Kano, despite being an absolute asshole, has more potential to be a warrior for Earthrealm than Sonya, merely because one has the dragon mark and the other doesn't. In his defense, Shang Tsung's meddling has made him very desperate, and who gets a dragon mark isn't within Raiden's power.
I Am Not Left-Handed: Possibly. Raiden states he is not allowed to interfere with the fighting once his protective barrier goes down. However, at the end of the movie, once the prophecy has been fulfilled, he forcibly sends Shang Tsung back to Outworld, seemingly with no effort on his own part. It's implied that Raiden allowed most of the events to play out to gain an advantage for Earthrealm in the coming tournament, as Shang Tsung's actions not only helped Cole awaken his power, but left six of Outworld's fighters dead, removed Kano as a traitor, allowed Sonya Blade to gain her own mark and powers, awakened Jax's powers, and helped Hanzo Hasashi's soul find peace.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's generally an asshole to Earthrealm's champions. He is also dedicated to protecting Earthrealm and saved Hanzo's infant daughter back in the day.
Monochromatic Eyes: Naturally, the thunder god has constant bluish-white eyes glowing with power throughout the movie. This version of Raiden has visible irises or pupils, giving him a more human appearance.
Pet the Dog: He rescues Hanzo's baby daughter, who survived the Lin Kuei's massacre, and teleports her to safety.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: Tired of Shang Tsung's ranting, he teleports the sorcerer's ass back to Outworld, quipping that he talks too much.
The Watcher: Like in the 1995 movie, because he's forbidden to intervene. Though he starts doing more than just watch and give advice, as the opposition is clearly not wanting to play fair.

Cole Young

Played By: Lewis Tan

"I'm willing to die for my family."

A down-on-his-luck MMA fighter who was born with a Dragon Mark on his chest. He's recruited by Jax Briggs and Sonya Blade into the Earthrealm warriors.

Adaptive Armor: His Instant Armor can absorb the kinetic energy from his opponents blows to empower his own.
Arbitrary Skepticism: He sees Sub-Zero and what the guy can do, but when Sonya explains that he's connected to an ancient tournament called "Mortal Kombat", he calls bullshit on that.
Attack! Attack! Attack!: Cole's fighting style initially focuses solely on pounding his enemies into submission with aggressive and brutal strikes. His training with Raiden has him incorporate more defensive tactics.
Audience Surrogate: He isn't familiar with the Mortal Kombat tournament, and therefore acts as this to any viewers who are unfamiliar with the franchise.
Birthmark of Destiny: Unlike the other fighters, he was born with his mark.
But Not Too Foreign: His ancestry includes Japanese due to the revelation that he is the descendant of Scorpion's daughter. This includes his own daughter.
Canon Foreigner: Cole was created specifically for this movie, as was his direct ancestor, Hanzo Hasashi's unnamed daughter (in the games, Hanzo only had a son, who died long before he was old enough to have children of his own).
The Chosen One: He is the center of a prophecy stating that Hanzo Hasashi's bloodline will save Earthrealm.
Composite Character: While Cole was created for the movie, he takes certain traits from Johhny Cage (see below) and Liu Kang (who is usually the protagonist of the Mortal Kombat series).
Conveniently an Orphan: In his own words, he's "an orphan from the south side of Chicago" with no known family.
Deadpan Snarker: In his first meeting with Kano, Cole snarks at the foul-mouthed reply he gets for asking for Kano's full name.
Cole: Kano what?
Kano: Kano none-of-your-fucking-business.
Cole: Is that Russian?
Expy: While Cole is a character completely original to the movie, certain traits bring Takeda Takahashi to mind, as both are young men of Japanese descent with close connections to Hanzo Hasashi (both aspects being connected in Cole's case). His tonfas are also not dissimilar to the two Laser Blade weapons wielded by Takeda in his Ronin variant.
Flat Character: Really has no defined personality and is simply there to be an Audience Surrogate.
Happily Married: To Allison. Possibly a deliberate mirror to his ancestor Hanzo.
The Hero: He's the primary protagonist and the one who faces off against Sub-Zero.
Heroic Lineage: He's a distant descendant of Hanzo Hasashi through the latter's sole surviving daughter.
Instant Armor: Unlocking his Arcana lets him form a suit of wire-like, gold armor over his upper body.
Jobber: Essentially his role in MMA fighting at the beginning of the movie.
Lineage Comes from the Father: Averted. He's a descendant of Hanzo via Hanzo's daughter, as her brother was murdered on the same day Hanzo was condemned to Netherrelm.
Logical Weakness: His arcana's Instant Armor allows him to absorb kinetic energy and release it as heat. Naturally, he fares poorly against Sub-Zero, whose ice powers allow him to sap such heat and leave him merely taking blows, nearly killing him had Scorpion not been summoned. He also struggles against Mileena, who relies on bladed weaponry (and her teeth) rather than blunt force attacks.
Made of Iron: During his fight with Goro, he takes an impressive amount of damage from him and even survives being buried under a collapsing shed. This is all before he unlocks his Arcana.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He rallies up the heroes and formulates a plan to take on Shang Tsung's forces by having each one of the Champions take on one of Shang Tsung's goons that they're most likely to beat and then fight Sub-Zero (the most dangerous and skilled of the group) all together. However, after Sub-Zero approaches him and reveals that he kidnapped Cole's family, Cole takes him head on and nearly gets himself and his family killed if not for the intervention of Scorpion.
Papa Wolf: Unless you want to make him come after you, do not threaten his daughter.
Refusal of the Call: He's reluctant about participating in a life-or-death tournament, and doesn't actively get into the fight until his family is under threat. This earns him some ire from Raiden, but he eventually redeems himself.
Secret Legacy: Has no idea about his relationship to Hanzo until Raiden tells him.
Stone Wall: His role in the fights he gets into. Cole doesn't fare very well in said fights as he needs outside help, but his armor allows him to take blows better than anyone else on Earthrealm's team, which is helpful for other members of the cast who do have better offensive power (such as Sonya or Scorpion).
The Strategist: Downplayed, but it's Cole who devises the plan of attack when the Earthrealm champions rally to fight back against Shang Tsung's warriors, suggesting a Divide and Conquer strategy to play to his team's strengths.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Johnny Cage. At the start Cole's chosen career is petering out (MMA fighter rather than actor) and he has a secret legacy relating to Mortal Kombat (a Mediterranean cult of warrior monks for Cage and being Scorpion's descendant for Young). The similarity has been remarked upon by a number of reviewers. Possibly lampshaded by Cole leaving for Hollywood in the final scene to find Johnny Cage, and presumably initiate him into the Champions.
Zero to Hero: the movie focuses on Cole's journey from a down-on-his-luck MMA fighter to being the savior of Earthrealm.

Jax Briggs

Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs

Dubbed By: Thierry Desroses (European French)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mortal_kombat_2021_jax_briggs_profile.jpg

"Yeah, these motherfuckers work."

A U.S Special Forces Major and Sonya Blade's superior and old friend who inherited the Dragon Mark from a powerful criminal he killed.

Adaptational Early Appearance: Jax first appeared in the second game, but here, he's present before the Mortal Kombat tournament even starts.
Ambiguous Situation: Jax's arcana magically upgrades his crude prosthetic limbs into bad ass cyber arms. But this begs the question, what would his Arcana done if he had no prosthetics to upgrade or if he never lost his arms.
An Arm and a Leg: He loses both of his arms to Sub-Zero when the latter freezes and then shatters them.
Artificial Limbs: After losing his arms to Sub-Zero, he ends up replacing them with then crude cybernetic implants. Unlocking his arcana strengthens his arms to the levels of his game counterpart.
Bald of Authority: Though not the leader of the Earthrealm warriors (which is Raiden), he is the leader of his own unit within the Special Forces- of which Sonya is part.
Bald Head of Toughness: Jax is a trained and strong soldier without a single hair on his head. He becomes even stronger after unlocking his arcana.
Baritone of Strength: Jax is a tall, muscular man with a deep, powerful voice to match his impressive physical strength (which only becomes more impressive once his Arcana is unlocked).
The Big Guy: He is the physically largest of Earthrealm's champions and after finally unlocking his full powers, he is also the strongest in terms of brute strength.
Break the Badass: His encounter with Sub-Zero and subsequent loss of his arms did a heavy number on him, destroying his confidence and making him deem himself useless. With Sonya's encouragement, however, Jax is able to bounce back.
Deadpan Snarker: After rescuing Cole and his family from Sub-Zero, Jax quips about not being thanked right away ("Funny, that didn't sound like 'thanks for saving my ass back there'.") and when Reiko screams in his face, Jax just tells the brute that his breath stinks.
Empowered Badass Normal: Jax was a highly trained and capable soldier even before he unlocked his arcana. With it, his strength becomes superhuman, as what's left of Reiko's head can attest to.
Head Crushing: How he kills Reiko.
Shotguns Are Just Better: Uses a Kel-Tec KSG against Sub-Zero, only for the latter to freeze, then destroy it.
Super-Strength: His arcana improves his cybernetic implants and augments his strength to superhuman levels. With it, he's able to lift a pile of rubble to save Sonya and later crush Reiko's head.

Sonya Blade

Played By: Jessica McNamee

"Please tell me I got the bitch with the teeth."

Another Special Forces operative who started investigating the Mortal Kombat tournament and its implications after Jax inherited the Dragon Mark.

Action Girl: It's Sonya Blade, the OG of all Action Girls in Mortal Kombat. She wins several fights in the film. Twice against Kano, the second time killing him, once against Cole, and then pays Mileena back in kind by blasting a hole through her abdomen.
Adaptational Nice Guy: She's not as abrasive or rigid as she is in the games. The only person she's really mean to is Kano, who's quite foul-mouthed and overly boisterous.
Adaptational Wimp: She has all her fighting skills like in the games, but she doesn't have her energy bracelets, so she can't use her pink energy blasts. Her lack of a Dragon Mark means that she has nothing but her combat skills. And then inverted when she kills Kano and gains a magical version of her laser blasts that are powerful enough to punch holes in people.
Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Downplayed. She and Kano snap at each other but she isn't as obsessed with killing him as in the games, as there's no indication he betrayed her or killed anyone close to her.
Arch-Enemy: She and Kano do not like each other, and are constantly at each other's throats even before Kano's Face–Heel Turn.
Combat Pragmatist: She uses her familiarity with her own home to confuse and attack Kano when he comes to kill her and throws a bottle of acetone in his eye to temporarily disable his eye beam. She also uses objects in her home to fight him off and kills him by stabbing him with a garden gnome.
Empowered Badass Normal: For most of the movie, Sonya is the only hero without a dragon mark. After she kills Kano, she gets his dragon mark and unlocks her own Arcana.
Energy Ring Attack: Her Arcana power. It's strong enough to kill Mileena in a single hit.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She's a blonde woman who fights to save Earthrealm from Outworld, and is overall pleasant to everyone that isn't named Kano.
Hand Blast: Her Arcana ability allows her to generate energy rings around her forearms and fire them as projectiles.
Instant Expert: Compare to the other fighters who requires training or soul searching to unlock their Arcana, Sonya immediately learns hers not long after becoming a Chosen One.
It's Personal: She very eagerly wants to fight Mileena for having lost to her before. She instead fights and kills Kano, who she also has a beef with. And then she gets her chance to kill Mileena in one hit.
Jumped at the Call: Despite being The Unchosen One, Sonya is the only Earthrealm character not named Liu Kang or Kung Lau who wants to fight in Mortal Kombat, with Cole, Jax, and especially Kano needing to be convinced they have no other option. Thus, it makes perfect sense she almost instantly unlocked her arcana upon receiving Kano's dragon mark, she's been paying attention the whole time.
The Load: Liu Kang and Kung Lao patronizingly say that she'll become this in the Mortal Kombat tournament because she doesn't have a marking, and thus can never achieve her arcana. She thankfully averts this throughout the film, and puts any concern to rest when she kills Kano, takes his dragon mark, and instantly unlocks her arcana.
Ms. Fanservice: She's played by the attractive Jessica McNamee and spends her entire screen time with exposed arms and emphasis on her physique. Despite wanting her dead, Kano seems to find her somewhat attractive.
One-Hit Kill: Her energy blast instantly kills Mileena with one strike. She never even has a chance to realize that Sonya is there at all.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: Her outfit is completely sleeveless, to an even greater degree than Kano's.
The Smurfette Principle: She's the only female kombatant among Earthrealm's champions. It reflects how she was the only female kombatant in the very first game.
Strong and Skilled: She's the most skilled fighter who wasn't already in Raiden's Temple. Her only loss in the film was because she wasn't a chosen champion with an Arcana, and she was facing an opponent who was. She pays back this person, Mileena, by blasting a hole through her once she gets her own Arcana.
The Team Normal: She's the only Earthrealm hero in Raiden's Temple who doesn't have a dragon mark. It earns her some scorn from the jaded Raiden, and also means that even though she has the respect of Kung Lao and Liu Kang, they still see her more as a potential liability than an asset. Subverted when she gets her dragon mark by killing Kano.
Token White: Barring Kano, who's more of a Token Evil Teammate, as well as Johnny Cage having a Second Episode Introduction Sequel Hook, she's the only one of Earthrealm's champions who is white. She becomes this in earnest after Kano's betrayal and subsequent death.
Tomboyish Ponytail: Sonya wears her hair in this style.
The Unchosen One: Sonya does not have a dragon mark, and so is not among the chosen champions of Earthrealm. This doesn't stop her from trying to help however she can. She remedies this in the climax by killing Kano and taking his mark.

Liu Kang

Played By: Ludi Lin

"Why would you jeopardize the goodwill of the only chance of your survival?"

A Shaolin Monk from the Order of Light who has the ability to use fire. He and his fellow Shaolin Monk Kung Lao are Raiden's most loyal and experienced fighters.

Demoted to Extra: In the games, he's the protagonist. Here, he's just The Lancer to Cole Young.
Doorstop Baby: He was found and adopted by the Shaolin Monks and his name comes from a wise and caring man named Liu Kang.
Good Is Not Soft: Liu Kang is a pretty nice guy outside of his moments of trolling Kano. In his backstory, he unlocked his Arcana by killing a child trafficker. He also kills Kabal by setting him ablaze.
Martial Arts Headband: He puts on a red headband for the final battle. It's Kung Lao's red sash, taken from his corpse in memory of him.
Instant Expert: He mentions to Cole that he unlocked his arcana the very moment that he killed a child trafficker who bore a marking, though he does mention having been under the tutelage of Lord Raiden for a long part of his childhood and implicitly trained to wield an arcana.
Misery Builds Character: He and Kung Lao believe this when it comes to unlocking one's Arcana. Though it's downplayed he's supportive and kind throughout the training, their methods are rigorous. Their technique when it comes to training Cole and Kano can be summarized as 'stress them out physically and mentally until it pops out of 'em'. Justified in this case, as they've already unlocked their powers and know what needs to happen, and their philosophy ultimately proves correct.
Mr. Fanservice: He is very handsome but, if you're not into that, he's also absolutely jacked.
Nice Guy: Throughout the movie, Liu Kang shows himself to be humble, supportive, and friendly, treating everyone he encounters with due respect (except Kano) and is happy to give some words of encouragement to Cole.
No Sense of Personal Space: When he first meets Sonya, Cole, and Kano, he freaks Kano out by touching his shoulder.
Not So Above It All: Liu Kang usually presents himself as a stoic, disciplined monk, but his troll tendencies show that he's not entirely above messing with people, even if he's not as blatant about it as Kung Lao.
Pay Evil unto Evil: Liu Kang both gained his dragon marking and unlocked his arcana from killing a man who trafficked in orphaned children.
Playing with Fire: He has pyrokinesis, which he uses to shoot fireballs and create fucking dragons.
Red Is Heroic: A constant over both his outfits are the red highlights. He later gains a red headband as a Tragic Keepsake from Kung Lao.
Tragic Keepsake: Manages to grab Kung Lao's hat and red sash, the latter of which he uses as a headband in the final battle.
Troll: Gets a moment of this when he keeps sweeping Kano's legs and tripping him during their spar. Three times in a row.

Kung Lao

Played By: Max Huang

"The name is Kung Lao. Descendant of the Great Kung Lao."

Another Shaolin Monk from the Order of Light and a direct descendant of the Great Kung Lao who was the last Earthrealm champion. He's also Liu Kang's best friend.

The Ace: He's treated this way by the Earthrealm team. He's the one everyone expects to win the tournament. Which is probably why Shang Tsung took him out personally.
Adaptational Nice Guy: In the games, especially in the reboot timeline, Kung Lao is an Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy who tends to brag about his ancestor's legend and considers himself better than Liu Kang. Here, he is somewhat more humble (much like in the original timeline) and treats Liu Kang like his little brother.
Adaptational Early Appearance: He was originally introduced in the second game, but unlike there, he never even gets to compete in the tournament.
Batman Gambit: Along with Liu Kang, he takes advantage of Kano's obvious temper and inflated ego and aggravates him enough that Kano unlocks his Arcana - his infamous laser eye.
Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Kung Lao's fight with Nitara is over in a single move on his part, brutally bisecting her with his hat without her even touching him. Kung Lao appropriately dubs it a "flawless victory".
- He's on the receiving end of this at the hands of Shang Tsung, who rips out Kung Lao's soul without the Shaolin even being able to defend himself.
Heart Is an Awesome Power: Kano disparages his power as being "just a hat" and not very flashy compared to something like fire or lasers. Kung Lao repeatedly demonstrates how dangerous having control of a flying buzzsaw can be.
Misery Builds Character: He and Liu Kang believe this when it comes to unlocking one's Arcana. Though it's downplayed considering he's supportive and kind throughout the training, their methods are rigorous. Their technique when it comes to training Cole and Kano can be summarized as 'stress them out physically and mentally until it pops out of 'em'. Justified in this case, as they've already unlocked their powers and know what needs to happen, and their philosophy ultimately proves correct.
Sacrificial Lion: He gets killed by Shang Tsung and ultimately ends up being the only casualty the heroes suffer.
Troll: He has a jokey, snarky side to him (contrasting Liu Kang's more solemn nature), and puts it to good use by insulting Kano so effectively it unlocks Kano's Arcana. This also serves as a minor nod to his Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy nature in the games, as he is arrogant while trolling, but only to people who genuinely can't reach his level.
Weaponized Headgear: The infamous razor-brimmed hat. He uses it to slice Nitara's head in two.
The Worf Effect: After killing Nitara without taking any damage, he is overpowered and drained of his soul by Shang Tsung with ease.

Kano

Played By: Josh Lawson

"Lucky for you I don't have any standards."

A member of the Black Dragon crime syndicate who inherited the Dragon Mark after killing a particular target. He's gross, crass, selfish and doesn't get along with anybody.

Abled in the Adaptation: He doesn't lose his eye in this movie, though he does get scratched really bad in the face by Reptile. His laser eye is a product of magic instead of technology, negating the need for it.
Adaptational Dumbass: Kano believes in Sonya's offer of 3 million dollars despite having previously deduced that she's poor as dirt. Dialogue with Kabal also implies that the Black Dragon organization is either faltering or has been run into the ground under Kano's leadership, a far cry from his game counterpart who founded the group to begin with, and is a filthy rich criminal mastermind.
Adaptational Heroism: Downplayed. In the games, he's one of the villains right out of the gate. Here, he serves as the Token Evil Teammate to the heroes before his not-so-surprising Face–Heel Turn.
Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: He and Sonya still have an antagonistic relationship but unlike past incarnations where Kano was responsible for killing her partner in some way, he hasn't done such a thing in this continuity and as such, he and Sonya lack that personal enmity based on vengeance despite still not being on anything resembling good terms.
Awesome Aussie: Is from Australia and claims to be the Black Dragon as an individual rather than an organization.
Bald of Evil: Averted. Unlike his depiction in the first game, Kano has a full head of hair here. Doesn't make him any less evil though.
The Bogan: True to his portrayal in the original movie and later games, Kano is more foul-mouthed than ever with Josh Lawson being the first performer to ever play the character who is actually Australian.
"Kano wins! Ya fuckin' beauty."
Butt-Monkey: He gets zero respect from the rest of the cast, who either assault him, insult him, or treat him with general disdain. Though he does have a habit of being obnoxious and loves insulting others for fun.
Combat Pragmatist: As you'd probably expect, he doesn't put much value in fighting fairly.
Composite Character:
- He takes Johnny Cage's role as the token white man of the Earthrealm warriors and the comic releif butt-monkey character that Johnny Cage generally was in his earlier appearances. His Green Military Vest is also extremely similar to Johnny Cage's Military Vest in the MKX and MK11 games.
- According to Kabal, Kano is the reason he needs his mask to breathe; in Mortal Kombat 9, it was Kintaro who immolated him, and, ironically, Kano saved Kabal's life.
Deadpan Snarker: When he isn't shouting in anger, he's usually making sarcastic quips.
Death by Irony: He dislikes gnomes, as shown when he spits on one early on. Sonya uses that same gnome to kill him by stabbing him in his laser eye with it.
Deconstructed Character Archetype: His whole character reads like a dark deconstruction of the "Han Solo"-esque Lovable Rogue. Just like Solo, he's a cynical mercenary with an affinity for witty snark, constantly butts heads with the female lead, and only really gets involved in the plot for a quick buck. However, Kano doesn't undergo character development or reveal a Hidden Heart of Gold. He's nothing but a loathsome criminal and shameless killer; his jokes illustrate that he doesn't take anyone or anything seriously and views everything as worthy of mockery (whether it be idealistic youths, the disabled, or Physical Gods), and he only follows the heroes to gain power for himself and because he finds the whole adventure entertaining. Once the novelty wears off, he quickly betrays his comrades... for a quick buck.
"You didn't think you could change me, did you?"
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: At one point, Kano tells a story about how he violently murdered a man while thinking about what to get his mother for her birthday. When it's pointed out that his mother is long dead, Kano quips "a boy can dream, can't he?".
Evil Is Hammy: Josh Lawson is clearly having an absolute blast in the role.
Evil Redhead: His head hair looks brown, but his beard is reddish and he's moreso a Token Evil Teammate for the most part until he pulls a complete Face–Heel Turn.
Eye Beams: More precisely Eye Beam, since it comes out only from his right eye.
Eye Scream: His eye (the one that starts shooting lasers) turns bloodshot after being attacked by Reptile. Then later, Sonya throws acetone in that eye, disabling the laser, and then stabs him in the same eye, killing him, while also making his good eye turn bloodshot and stream out blood.
Face–Heel Turn: It's Kano. What did you expect? He turns on the heroes at the first opportunity he gets, selling them out to Outworld.
Hair-Trigger Temper: It does not take much to set Kano off especially since everyone he's come across has annoyed him in ways that'll cause him to snap. In fact the way he awakened his arcana was through his frustration and anger from when he asked for an egg roll, but was riddled with small insults.
Hated by All: None of Earthrealm's champions have a single positive thing to say about Kano, and for good reason. Even Kabal, who recruited him to Outworld's side, considers him a "complete fuckin' asshole" and only brought him into Shang Tsung's camp for pragmatic reasons.
Hidden Depths: It turns out Kano is a really good artist and was thinking of doing a comic book about himself. Too bad he never finishes it.
Hypocrite: Kano mocks Kung Lao's pride in his heritage, all the while talking himself up to people who expressly don't care.
I Am the Trope: When Kabal mocks his command of the Black Dragon clan, Kano responds with an angry use of this trope:
Kano: Don't talk to me about the Black Dragon. I am the Black Dragon!
It's All About Me: He has no greater concern than himself and his own benefit.
Jerkass: No one likes him and with good reason as he's constantly rude, obnoxious and unpleasant to everyone. Kabal wasn't kidding when he called him a "complete fucking asshole" and "lowlife, piece of shit, scumbag".
Large Ham: Always. He doesn't seem capable of doing anything without being loud and over the top about it.
Logical Weakness: Sonya smashes a bottle of acetone (a flammable liquid) on his face, preventing him from using his eye laser without hurting himself.
Muscles Are Meaningful: He's a big guy with decent musculature. So even though Sonya is far more well-trained than he is, he's still more than capable of throwing her around like a rag-doll if he gets his hands on her. Thus, she defeats and eventually kills him more with pragmatism than strength.
Mythology Gag: While he lacks his iconic metal face plate and robotic eye in this movie, he does end up getting a bloodshot eye and scars from his fight with Reptile exactly where the cybernetic enhancements are located on his face in the games.
Never Speak Ill of the Dead: A deleted scene shows Kano discussing a previous mission with his pilot. Apparently [[Mortal Kombat 4 Jarek]] was left behind by Kano to die. Kano calls Jarek a ‘fucking prick’ and laughs out loud.
Nominal Hero: Kano's technically on the heroes' side, but he's only involved thanks to the promise of a paycheck and later the opportunity to obtain supernatural powers. The instant Outworld gives him a reason to backstab them, he does so with gusto.
Only One Name: Or, at least, only one name he's willing to give; when Cole asks, Kano replies that his surname is "none of your fuckin' business".
Politically Incorrect Villain: Once he meets Liu Kang, he starts spewing Asian slurs left and right, with one angry outburst against Kung Lao even awakening his Arcana. He also makes a few sexist comments to Sonya.
Race Lift: The original games had Kano as a Japanese American (hence the Japanese name) but retcon him as White Australian after the 90s film. This version of Kano follows the White Australian route.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: Can't seem to go more than a few words without saying "fuck". He calls Cole "ya fuckin' idiot" twice within a few minutes of meeting him.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: Why wear sleeves and cover up those awesome tattoos? His shoulders are more fully covered than Sonya's though.
Small Name, Big Ego: Kano's reputation as a wanted man across several countries doesn't mean squat when compared to other Kombatants, who possess superpowers that could make mincemeat of him, and he still acts like a big shot. Also, for all his bragging about the Black Dragon, Kabal implies that under Kano's leadership, the group has been faltering, and that Kano himself has suffered a serious drop in his reputation.
Tattooed Crook: He has a huge Black Dragon tattoo covering one of his arms.
Token Evil Teammate: He's the sleaziest, most cowardly, and opportunistic of the Earthrealm champions assembled, but he does use this to their advantage. Before his betrayal at least.
Undignified Death: He gets impaled in the eye with the garden gnome he spat on earlier.
Ungrateful Bastard: Even with his unpleasant attitude, Raiden, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao grant him sanctuary in their temple, feed him, train him to become a better fighter, and aid him in unlocking his Arcana. Although they're pretty harsh to him for most of the time he's there, it's mostly because of his obnoxious attitude and they're trying to ensure Earthrealm's survival. He repays them by destroying the barrier and joining Outworld's side to gleefully kill them all.
Unskilled, but Strong: He's not that well-trained, he's just a really brutal fighter with a penchant for knives and focuses on excruciating tactics to beat his opponents. He loses nearly every fight he gets into when faced against more skilled opponents and only evens the odds after awakening his Arcana that gives him an incredibly powerful laser eye. He fares much better against Sonya in their second fight, but is still troubled by her quick-thinking.

Johnny Cage

Played By: Karl Urban

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/51358812_119c_4ae8_8db0_883129cb9a28_1_201_a_4.jpeg

A Hollywood movie star who Cole Young is sent to recruit.

Cool Shades: Even when he doesn’t have a face to put them on yet, his sunglasses can be seen in his right hand.
The Faceless: The poster of him in the ending deliberately doesn't show his face in order to build suspense for the sequel.

Outworld's Forces

Shang Tsung

Played By: Chin Han

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mortal_kombat_2021_shang_tusng_profile.jpg

"Winning Mortal Kombat cannot be left to chance."

A powerful sorcerer under the command of Outworld's emperor Shao Kahn and the one leading the slaughter of Earthrealm's warriors under the noses of the Elder Gods.

Adaptational Jerkass: This version of Shang Tsung doesn't bother to be Faux Affably Evil, instead acting blunt and arrogant in every conversation he holds.
Beard of Evil: Inverted, just like Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's portrayal of him, Chin Han's Shang Tsung is clean-shaven. Still evil, though.
Big Bad: He retains this status from the first game, which this movie is an adaptation of.
Black Eyes of Evil: Slips from normal eyes into these whenever he's confronting his enemies. It gives him a more unnatural, demonic air than other adaptations.
Cheaters Never Prosper: Very downplayed because he's been cheating for the last nine tournaments and has reaped the rewards without punishment. Unfortunately for the sorcerer, all of his attempts to have Cole killed only lead to Cole unlocking his Arcana and Earthrealm's thwarting of the Outworld forces.
Cold Ham: Chin Han plays him like this - he emotes very intensely but it's kept under tight control. He slips into Large Ham during his final scene but Raiden cuts him off and banishes him back to Outworld.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: Shang Tsung has no problem employing whomever is willing to do his bidding, including women like Nitara and Mileena, and Earthrealmers like Sub-Zero, Kabal, and Kano.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Has a clear fondness for his henchwoman Nitara, referring to her as beautiful in both their scenes together. Subverted as he isn't too fazed by her demise beyond being mildly grossed about her manner of death; he is simply annoyed that Kung Lao still lives and completely forgets her minutes later.
The Gods Must Be Lazy: Boasts as much to Raiden - in the Thunder God's own temple no less - which is why he has no fear of openly murdering his opponents and trying to claim premature victory.
Hero Killer: He achieves the lone kill on the main group of Earthrealm heroes after draining Kung Lao's soul.
Karma Houdini: For attempting to cheat the tournament and personally murdering Kung Lao, he's the only Outworld foe who gets away alive vowing to invade Earthrealm again. The closest thing he gets to a comeuppance is Raiden banishing him back to Outworld.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: For trying to cheat the rules of Mortal Kombat and targeting Cole's family directly, he directly causes the events that unlock Cole's arcana and fulfills the prophecy of the resurgence of the Hanzo bloodline. Raiden seems to indicate he planned for this the entire time.
Nightmare Fetishist: Shang Tsung twice comments on Nitara's beauty despite her being a creepy, screeching Winged Humanoid.
Non-Action Big Bad: Never goes into battle himself, instead sending his warriors to kill people for him; it's implied he feels that battling the champions directly is beneath him. He's still obviously very dangerous, seen when he casually dodges a strike from Kung Lao's razor-bladed hat and then effortlessly steals his soul.
Pragmatic Villainy: He'd rather kill off all the Earthrealm champions than actually face them in the Tournament when they are fully trained and have a better chance of defeating him.
Really 700 Years Old: As usual, he keeps himself young via his dark magic, and he's been around at least long enough to have won nine tournaments straight.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Is continuously thwarted by this. Cole Young is destined to defeat his forces and all of his attempts to kill Cole only end up strengthening him in the long run. Eventually, sending Goro to kill Cole directly leads to him unlocking his arcana - the exact thing Cole needed to stop Outworld.
Suddenly Shouting: Right before Raiden banishes him back to Outworld he tries to roar out another threat right after he'd been speaking in a Tranquil Fury sort of calm.
Tainted Veins: A new addition to the character, his use of dark magic gives him black veins on his neck. When he's sucking out Kung Lao's soul they intensify and spread up his cheeks until he's finished.
Villainous Widow's Peak: More subtle than most examples, but he does sport one.
Voice of the Legion: Subtly done, his voice has a slight echo to it that becomes more apparent during intense scenes or if he's raising his voice.
We Have Reserves: After Earthrealm's defenders kill all of his goons, he tells Raiden that no matter how many of his men are killed, he will not fail.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Only well-intentioned from Outworld's perspective but, according to interviews with Chin Han part of the reason he's so relentless when it comes to taking Earthrealm is because Outworld is a dying realm that is running out of time. Evidence of this can be seen in the film, where the Outworld we're shown is a barren wasteland with little to no luxuries and even Shang Tsung's own throne is just stone carved out of a cliffside.
We Will Meet Again: After being defeated, he warns Raiden that the next time he will return with an army before being banished back to Outrealm.
Your Soul Is Mine!: But of course. This time, the victim is Kung Lao.

Sub-Zero

Bi-Han / Sub-Zero

Played By: Joe Taslim

Dubbed By: Jérémie Covillault (European French)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mortal_kombat_2021_sub_zero_profile.jpg

"For the Lin Kuei."

A cryomancer from the Chinese Lin Kuei clan of assassins who killed Hanzo Hasashi from the Shirai-Ryu clan alongside his family in the 1600s. He's a loyal subordinate and personal assassin of Shang Tsung.

Adaptational Badass: Unlike the previous film, where his powers over ice were more limited or the games, where he's often outclassed by Badass Normal characters and actual gods, this version of Sub-Zero is the most powerful minion working under Shang Tsung, winning almost every fight he gets into and taking the efforts of two Arcana-enhanced kombatants to finally stop.
Adaptational Jerkass: Even as Noob Saibot, Bi-Han in the games is entirely cold and impersonal in his kills and battles, with the exception of his younger brother, Kuai Liang, as he hates him. In this movie, Bi-Han is a sadist who enjoys tormenting his targets before killing them.
Adaptational Villainy:
- In the games, he was an anti-hero who fought to defend Earthrealm and only became a villain after being killed by Scorpion and resurrected as the revenant Noob Saibot. Here, he's just as evil in life as his game counterpart is in death.
- In the games, he was framed for the massacre of the Shirai Ryu and Hanzo Hasashi’s family by Quan Chi. Here, he really was the one responsible for the massacre.
Age Lift: In the first video game, Sub-Zero and Scorpion are both 32 years old. In this movie, Bi-Han is hundreds of years old.
Arch-Enemy: To Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion, who spent centuries training in the Netherrealm to become powerful enough to avenge the murder of his family at Bi-Han's hands. Hanzo's descendant, Cole, quickly joins the feud when Sub-Zero comes after him and endangers his family. Fittingly, Sub-Zero is finally brought down when Cole and Scorpion fight him together.
Scorpion: I have risen from Hell to kill you!
Bad Boss: He doesn't bother to intervene while Hanzo slaughters his men, and doesn't appear the least bit put out by their deaths.
Bloody Murder: During his fight with Scorpion near the end of the movie, he cuts Scorpion causing blood to spray out. He freezes this blood into a dagger which he then uses to stab Scorpion with.
Bond Villain Stupidity: Both times he defeats an Earthrealm champion in kombat, he neglects to check if they're actually dead. Had he stayed after his fight with Hanzo in 1617, he would have discovered that his opponent had a daughter hidden underneath the Hasashi residence. In the same way, had he checked if Jax was still breathing after shattering the latter's arms, he would have denied Raiden yet another champion.
Challenge Seeker: Implied. Despite being an assassin, he doesn't regard all of his targets in the same way. Bi-Han noticeably grimaces while preparing to kill Hanzo's defenseless wife and son, but cheerfully gloats when fighting Hanzo himself. In both of their fights, when Hanzo misses and lodges a kunai in a nearby surface, instead of exploiting the opening and attacking his opponent, Bi-Han just puts his cheek up against the rope and dares Hanzo to yank it back.
Cool Mask: He wears a leather hood with a ornate, metal half-mask covering his mouth. The mask gets wrecked in the final battle, forcing him to rip it off.
Composite Character:
- Bi-Han this time seems to be a combination of his two selves. He has Sub-Zero's abilities and costume, but his more openly evil personality as well as how he has somehow managed to live for centuries are taken from his future self Noob Saibot (A revenant would have no problems about aging).
- Some of the more advanced cryomancy powers that he uses, like spontaneously creating melee weapons made of ice out of thin air, are abilities that he never displayed in the game series, but are used frequently in later games of the series by Kuai Liang (Bi-Han's younger brother who inherited the mantle of Sub-Zero from the second game onward following Bi-Han's death)^note
- Bi-Han is the one who destroys Jax's arms in this movie. In the games, it was Ermac who did this.
- Bi-Han is the murderer of Hanzo's family, a role that belongs to Quan Chi (who disguised himself as Bi-Han) in the games.
- Bi-Han is a centuries old native of Earthrealm who serves Outworld, much like Erron Black.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Sub-Zero's fight with Jax early in the movie doesn't last long, as Jax is unable to match Sub-Zero's powers. Sub-Zero ultimately freezes and shatters Jax's arms without taking any real damage.
Dark Is Evil: Despite wearing his klassic blue color scheme throughout the movie, it's worth noting that he wears very dark shades of blue. Furthermore, his undershirt, revealed when he takes off his armor near the end of the movie, is black ^note. Either way, he's an amoral, unrelenting villain.
Defiant to the End: Despite being beaten by both Scorpion and Cole with a chance to escape, Sub-Zero instead stands back up and closes the fighter cage’s gate behind him, choosing to go down fighting instead of escaping. His last words are “For the Lin Kuei.”
Do Not Call Me "Paul": In the modern day, Sub-Zero rejects his birth name, even correcting Shang Tsung when the sorcerer addresses him as "Bi-Han", as well as glaring with subdued irritation when Raiden does the same.
The Dragon: He has the most screen time of any of the villains and is easily the most experienced and most powerful outside of Outworld's champions, second only to the sorcerer himself.
Dragon-in-Chief: The biggest threat to the protagonists. Shang Tsung is still more powerful, but the sorcerer abstains from direct conflict, leaving Sub-Zero as the more immediate threat whose defeat concludes the film's plot, as well as Cole's character arc.
The Dreaded: He quickly establishes himself to Earthrealm's champions as someone to fear; their plan to defeat Shang Tsung's warriors even deliberately leaves Sub-Zero for last, as they know none of them can defeat him in a straight fight.
Even Evil Has Standards: According to interviews with his actor, Bi-Han is against killing children, but his loyalty to the Lin Kuei overrode his morals. This becomes the reason he refers to himself as Sub-Zero when Shang Tsung called him by his name; he wants to distance himself from Bi-Han, the child murderer.
Evil Is Deathly Cold: Not only does Bi-Han control ice, but his heart's frozen too. Sub-Zero is a cold-blooded, remorseless killer who kills Scorpion and his family to destroy the Shirai Ryu and, by Shang Tsung's orders, goes off to kill potential Earthrealm fighters, not caring that he kills or endangers random bystanders or non-targets.
Evil Is Petty: Despite knowing at least some Japanese, Bi-Han only speaks Chinese when confronting Hanzo in 1617, taunting his opponent in a language Hanzo doesn't even understand.
Fair-Play Villain: For an assassin, Bi-Han certainly loves to give his targets lots of opportunities to fight back. In 1617, he patiently waits for Hanzo to kill all his men and come to him. In the present day, he allows the unprepared Cole Young to escape so he can fight Jax, who is armed with a shotgun, one-on-one. In the final fight with Cole and Scorpion, he manages to freeze Scorpion to the ground, but decides to go after Cole, who is still mobile, rather than finish off his incapacitated nemesis.
Familial Foe: Already established as Hanzo Hasashi's enemy in the opening, the rest of the movie has Sub-Zero make an enemy of Hanzo's descendant, Cole Young, as well, threatening to kill Cole's family just as he had murdered Hanzo's.
Faux Affably Evil: Tries being affable with Scorpion's son before heartlessly killing him. Though he's probably closer to Affably Evil according to interviews, revealing that he was disgusted with the act, the affability may have been genuine but he still had to carry out orders from Lin Kuei.
Final Boss: The heroes save him for last, as he's the most dangerous of Shang Tsung's army.
The Heavy: The most prominent and active villain of the film who carries out Shang Tsung's orders and even serves as the Final Boss.
Hero Killer: One of the most lethal versions of Sub-Zero to date, he is personally responsible for killing Hanzo Hasashi, one of Japan's greatest ninjas. It's implied that he's been killing Earthrealm champions for centuries, and would have done the same to Jax, had the Shaolin not intervened. Even after unlocking all of their arcana, the heroes don't consider fighting him one-on-one and indeed, he is slain only when Cole Young inadvertently summons Scorpion to aid in the final fight.
I Have Your Wife: At the climax, he kidnaps Emily and Allison so he can lure Cole into a one-on-one fight.
An Ice Person: It wouldn't be Sub-Zero if this trope wasn't here.
Icy Blue Eyes: While he had dark eyes in the 17th century, in the present, Sub-Zero's eyes are an unnatural, unsettling shade of light blue, showcasing his cold-blooded personality and inhuman nature.
Karmic Death: Sub-Zero meets his end at the hands of Scorpion, whom Sub-Zero had murdered after killing most of his family.
Kill It with Fire: This is how he meets his demise, courtesy of Scorpion.
Last Villain Stand: While outmatched by both Cole and Scorpion, Sub-Zero certainly goes down swinging and gives them both a hard fight to the very end.
My Master, Right or Wrong: He isn't fond of killing children but his loyalty to the Lin Kuei overrode his morals. This is why he says that he is Bi-Han no longer.
Obviously Evil: None of Outworld's champions look particularly benevolent, but Sub-Zero's creepily pale skin, unnatural Icy Blue Eyes, dark armor, and menacing, taciturn demeanor immediately mark him as someone to fear.
Power Incontinence: Suffers from a minor bout of this trope in 1617. As he reaches over to give Hanzo's son a handshake, icicles spontaneously form on his hand, giving him frostbite. Suffice to say he no longer has this problem in the present day.
The Quiet One: Downplayed; while fairly chatty as Bi-Han, as Sub-Zero, he's a lot more taciturn, only speaking to write off the prophecy about Hanzo's descendant and to correct Shang Tsung on his preferred name. Sub-Zero's general silence emphasises his cold and menacing demeanor. He's a bit more talkative during his final fight with Cole and Scorpion, but his only words are taunts towards Cole and a final declaration of "for the Lin Kuei".
Really 700 Years Old: Has been alive since the period of Medieval Japan, making him over 400 years old.
Red Right Hand: His Icy Blue Eyes and Undeathly Pallor in the present day aside, a subtle hint of his cryomancy that was present even in 1617 are his permanently frostbitten fingers.
Sadist: He enjoys what he does too much, as evidenced when he cracks smiles while messing with Hanzo's wife and son in the opening before killing them. The wife, definitely. The kid, not so much.
Single Substance Manipulation: This version of Sub-Zero seems to have some telekinetic control over ice, as he manages to cause the hail he previously conjured to spontaneously rise into the air once again and crash down at lethal speed. Later, he reforms one of his ice swords into a burst of icicles that fly towards Cole Young like bullets.
Swiss-Army Superpower: So far, he's capable of freezing entire rooms at will, producing a hail of spikes, freezing opponents solid, and even weaponizing his victims' own wounds by turning their blood into blades. There are also shades of Semantic Superpower to his power over ice, as it's implied that he's effectively "frozen" at the same age he was when he gained his Arcana.
That Man Is Dead: When Shang Tsung calls him by name, he insists that he's no longer Bi-Han but Sub-Zero. According to interviews, he's disgusted with the act of killing children and uses his codename to distance himself with his past of the child-killer.
Took a Level in Badass: In the beginning of the movie, he can encase people in ice and make a room cold with his mere presence. Yet, when he forms ice on his hand, he ends up making his hand bleed and can't effectively use his abilities in kombat against Hanzo. In the present, 400 years later, he has become so powerful he can now use his powers to create snow in July, weaponize hail, freeze people's arms off (sorry Jax), create swords from ice, encase entire rooms in ice, and even freeze blood in midair into an icicle to use as a weapon.
Undying Loyalty: Quite literally. His loyalty to the Lin Kuei, and by extension, their employer, Shang Tsung, has kept him motivated for the entirety of his supernaturally-extended life. And going by Shang Tsung's comments as the sorcerer whisks his body away, it will continue to motivate him in death.
Villainous Valor: For all his brutality, Sub-Zero has no problem with a fair fight (see Fair-Play Villain above), or even being on the wrong side of a two-on-one advantage, fighting ferociously against both Cole and Scorpion in the climax. Even after he's beaten, his refuses to go down easily, facing his enemies with a final "for the Lin Kuei".
Would Hurt a Child: He killed Scorpion's son in the past and attempted to kill Cole's daughter. According to interviews, he normally wouldn't, but Lin Kuei orders takes priority for him. Though he'll make an exception if it means the end of the Hasashi bloodline.

Mileena

Played By: Sisi Stringer

"Your death has no worth."

An assassin under the command of Shang Tsung who fights using sais and teleportation.

Adaptational Attractiveness: Downplayed; in the games, Mileena's appearance varies, but one consistent element is that her Tarkatan teeth are constantly evident, to the point that she usually wears a mask to cover them up. Here, although her face is visibly disfigured, she looks more or less human, and it isn't until she shows off her Game Face that her fangs become evident.
Adaptational Early Appearance: In the games, she wasn't even born until the events of the second game. Here, she plays an active role in a movie that adapts the events of the first game.
Adaptational Personality Change: She's more serious than her game counterpart, who's flirty and immature.
Adaptational Modesty: Her outfit includes pants and what is basically an armored tank top, in contrast to her sexualized outfits from the games.
Ambiguous Situation: In the games, Mileena is a clone of Kitana (the adoptive daughter of Outworld's emperor, Shao Kahn) created by Shang Tsung; as Kitana doesn't appear, nor is directly alluded to in the movie (although her signature fan weapons show up in a Mythology Gag), it's not established if that holds true here.
Ax-Crazy: Downplayed; she's a brutal fighter and goes rabid in her final moments, but since when have you've seen any version of Mileena that shows restraint towards killing someone?
Braids of Action: She wears her hair in this style. Ironically, she has never worn this hairstyle in the game series, where the style is commonly associated with Kitana, the character that Mileena herself is an imperfect clone of.
Dark Action Girl: It's Mileena, so it goes without saying that she kicks ass without any morality to hold her back. She would have killed Sonya had she not realized said person wasn't a chosen champion.
Death by Irony: Mileena spares Sonya in their first confrontation believing that the latter isn't that much of a threat due to not having an arcana. Sonya later acquires an arcana of her own and the first thing she does with it is kill Mileena.
Facial Horror: Her mouth is covered in bruises and stitched up, and near the end of the movie, her cheeks rip open, giving a mouth 'very' reminiscent to her usual appearance in the game.
Game Face: After Cole disarms her of her sai, she tears her cheeks open and screams viciously at him, losing all sense of formal combat and turns to a more animalistic fighting style.
Glasgow Smile: While subtle, you can somewhat make out one when looking at the bruises and faint stitching on her cheeks.
Licking the Blade: Mileena licks the blood off from one of her sais after stabbing Sonya with it. It is through this method that she learns that Sonya is not a Chosen One.
Movie Superheroes Wear Black: Is never seen in her racy, purple/fuchsia colored outfit from the games and instead wears a black leather outfit similar to what Kitana wore in the 1995 movie.
Not Worth Killing: She spares Sonya during their initial battle because the latter is not one of The Chosen Many and thus has no worth. Ironically, Sonya later kills her after becoming one.
Race Lift: Mileena in the games is depicted as either Caucasian or Asian due to being a clone of Kitana. Here, she is played by Sisi Stringer, who is black.
Scary Black Woman: Give Mileena a race lift so that she's black instead of Asian, keep her scary teeth and creepy amber eyes, and she qualifies as this.
Scary Teeth: While not the shark-like fangs from the game, they're still pointy and sharp, enough to make Sonya describe her as "the bitch with the teeth".
Teleport Spam: Indulges in this, particularly in her one on one with Cole.
Torso with a View: Gets a hole shot through her body with an energy blast from Sonya.
Unrelated in the Adaptation: Possibly. Since Kitana does not appear in this film, their connections to each other (specifically, Mileena's origin in the game series as a flawed clone of Kitana) are never mentioned. However, Kitana's fans are seen in Raiden's temple as a Mythology Gag.
Voice of the Legion: You can hear two distinct vocal tracks each time she talks.

Goro

Prince Goro

Voiced By: Angus Sampson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/goro_mk2021.jpg

"Now I tear out your spine, champion!"

A Shokan (four-armed dragon-blooded humanoids) Prince and the killer of the Great Kung Lao; the last champion of the previous Mortal Kombat.

Adaptational Wimp: In the games, he was the reigning champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament who had personally won the last nine consecutive tournaments on behalf of Outworld and as such, he was The Dragon to Shang Tsung and the biggest threat to the Earthrealm fighters among Outworld's forces. In this film, while not exactly a pushover, he's significantly less threatening and acts as little more than a glorified attack dog that Shang Tsung sends after Cole's family and is quickly dispatched by Cole after the latter unlocks his abilities.
An Arm and a Leg: Gets his right hand cut off during his fight with Cole.
Cruel and Unusual Death: His death is fucking brutal. First, his hand is cut off, then he's disemboweled, and finally, he gets a tonfa shoved through his head.
Demoted to Extra: In the first game, which this movie adapts, he was The Dragon to Shang Tsung and the reigning Mortal Kombat champion, having consecutively won the previous nine tournaments. Here, he's treated like just another Outworld kombatant, while the role of dragon is given to Sub-Zero.
Eye Scream: He's finished off by Cole with a tonfa to the eye.
Gutted Like a Fish: Cole slices his stomach open causing his guts to fall out.
Hoist by His Own Petard: After Cole unlocks his arcana, allowing himself to absorb the force of Goro's attacks and use them for himself.
Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Klassic Goro, everyone. A statue of him in Outworld is seen wielding four scimitars in each hand.
Terse Talker: The quote in the caption above is the only thing he said in the whole film.
- He also says, "Get off me!" So really, he only has two lines of dialogue.
Would Hit a Girl: Backhands Cole's wife after she axes him on his side.

Kabal

Played By: Daniel Nelson, Damon Herriman (voice)

"Want me to slow down a little?"

A former-member of the Black Dragon crime syndicate who uses technology to move lightning-fast and wears a mask to help with breathing. He has history with Kano.

Adaptational Early Appearance: Kabal first appeared in the third game where he aided Earthrealm in defending it from Shao Khan's forces after the latter invaded Earth despite losing the Mortal Kombat tournament, but here, he's with the bad guys prior to the start of the Tournament.
Adaptational Villainy: Most versions of Kabal flip-flop from bad to good or good to bad, but this version is never seen embracing the good side.
Batman Gambit: His past history with Kano allows him to take advantage of the latter's blustery nature by challenging his authority, then tempting him with money to get him to betray Raiden. It works immediately.
Brooklyn Rage: He speaks with a New York-esque Northeastern USA accent.
Cool Mask: His infamous red-eyed, mask/respirator.
Deadpan Snarker: Easily the most dry-humored of Shang Tsung's minions.
Shang Tsung: [Nitara] is beautiful, isn't she?
Kabal: Yeah, that screech is real attractive.
Evil Cripple: Is working for Outworld and has to use what he calls an "iron lung" to survive.
How the Mighty Have Fallen: Invokes this with Kano, saying he used to be someone to fear. It's a ploy to get Kano to betray Earthrealm and join Outworld's side, and it works.
Kick the Dog: Takes a moment to taunt Liu Kang about Kung Lao's impending death.
Kill It with Fire: Liu Kang defeats him by trapping him in a tar pit, then summons a fire serpent that burns Kabal to a crisp.
Loves the Sound of Screaming: Tells Liu Kang that he loves hearing Shang Tsung's victims scream as he sucks their souls.
Malevolent Masked Men: Though not by choice. The mask is what's keeping him alive, but he's every bit an antagonist as the rest of the villains.
Noodle Incident: The injuries that require him to wear his trademark respirator mask are never elaborated upon except for Kabal stating that Kano is the one responsible for inflicting them.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: His mask has glowing red eyes, and he's not someone you want to take lightly.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: He's pretty vulgar, like Kano, with at least half his dialogue containing an expletive.
Super-Speed: And gets good mileage out of it.
Vader Breath: Describes his suit as an iron lung and has the breath to go with it.

Reptile

Syzoth / Reptile

Played By: N/A

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reptile_syzoth_mk2021.jpg

A bipedal reptilian assassin with the ability to go invisible and spit acid. He's sent by Shang Tsung to kill Sonya, Kano and Cole before they can regroup with the other Earthrealm fighters.

Adaptational Nonsapience: In the games, Reptile is a humanoid Lizard Folk, fully dressed and capable of speech. Here, he's much more bestial, wearing no clothes and seemingly unable to speak.
And Show It to You: He gets Kano'd.
Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: In a reversal of the Only Known by Their Nickname treatment he gets in the games, he's only called Syzoth here.
Extreme Omnivore: He eats a knife that got stabbed into him.
Hollywood Acid: Has his klassic acidic saliva.
In Name Only: Does not resemble the humanoid lizardman dressed in green ninja garb that he is in the game. He is also not sapient and is unable to talk.
Lizard Folk: This version of Reptile is a giant CGI bipedal lizard.
The Voiceless: He never utters a single word of spoken dialogue with his only vocalizations being assorted growls and hisses during his fight scene.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He only shows up for one scene very early on in the movie that ends with him getting killed by Kano.

Reiko

Played By: Nathan Jones

A general from Outworld under the command of Shang Tsung who uses a giant hammer to fight.

Adaptational Early Appearance: The movie is a loose adaptation of the plot of the first game. Reiko didn't appear in the games until Mortal Kombat 4.
Adaptational Dumbass: Reiko is normally a tactical fighter as well as a schemer who plots to take Outworld for himself. Here, he's nothing but a dim witted brute.
The Brute: He has no real characterization beyond being the muscle of Outworld's forces.
Dumb Muscle: He doesn't seem to be very bright and his fighting style consists almost entirely of attempting to crush everyone on the opposing side with his giant hammer.
Head Crushing: He dies via decapitation, courtesy of Jax's "Head Clap" Fatality.
We Hardly Knew Ye: He doesn't do much in the film before getting killed by Jax.
Your Head Asplode: Jax crushes this guy's head into meatsauce.

Nitara

Played By: Mel Jarnson

A vampire-like assassin hired by Shang Tsung to help kill Earthrealm's warriors.

Abled in the Adaptation: Unlike her game counterpart, she doesn't wear an eyepatch.
Adaptational Early Appearance: The movie is a loose adaptation of the plot of the first game. Nitara didn't appear in the games until Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.
Adaptational Modesty: Her outfit here is much more conservative than it is in the games.
Adaptational Wimp: Never fights or kills anyone in a one-on-one fight before dying. She, in fact, is killed in one move by Kung Lao, in a Flawless Victory.
Cruel and Unusual Death: She gets vertically bisected by Kung Lao's hat.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Her "fight" with Kung Lao is over in a single move, with Nitara never so much as touching him.
Half the Woman She Used to Be: She meets her end as the victim of Kung Lao's Fatality, being bisected vertically by his hat.
Informed Ability: Shang Tsung considers her one of his most lethal servants. Kung Lao manages to defeat her with ease.
Tainted Veins: She has grey/black veins appearing from above her gloves and breastline.
Token Flyer: Thanks to her wings, she is the only one among the villains who can fly.
The Voiceless: Never speaks except for some bat sounds.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Introduced roughly into the middle of the film along with Kabal and Reiko, but is killed by Kung Lao when the Outworld forces invade Raiden's temple.
Winged Humanoid: If she is a vampire like her game counterpart, it's never mentioned in the film, where she seems to be just a normal native of Outworld with an unexplained pair of wings sprouting from her back.

Netherrealm Revenants

Scorpion

Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion

Played By: Hiroyuki Sanada

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mortal_kombat_2021_scorpion_profile_2.jpg

"Do not forget this face."

A ninja from the Japanese Shirai-Ryu clan of assassins who was killed by Sub-Zero (then known as Bi-Han) in the 1600s. Stated to be one of the best fighters of its time whose descendant will one day unite the Earthrealm warriors.

Adaptational Heroism: In the games, he's a vengeful revenant and a servant of the evil sorcerer Quan Chi, and by extension, the fallen elder god Shinnok (the Big Bad of the entire franchise), only undergoing a Heel–Face Turn after either learning the truth about the deaths of his wife and son (at the end of MK4 in the original timeline) or having his humanity restored (7 years after the events of MK9 in the 2011 timeline), though he ultimately defects back to the Forces of Darkness in the original timeline. Here, while still a vengeful revenant, he's an ally and 11th-Hour Ranger to the heroes instead of their enemy and limits his wrath to his murderer Bi-Han, who really was behind the massacre of his family and clan this time.
Advertised Extra: He gets top billing in official movie posters but appears only at the beginning and climax of the film, with only sporadic visions seen by Cole peppered in between.
Age Lift: In the games, he was born in the 20th century and was in his 30s at the time of his death at Sub-Zero's hands. Here he died in the 17th century, making him over 400 years old when he is brought back in the present day. Plus, Hiroyuki Sanada turned 60 in 2020.
And I Must Scream: After dying, he gets sent to the Netherrealm, which is all the way in the farthest reaches of Hell, for over four hundred years.
Awesome, but Impractical: His iconic spear can be countered or missed when he uses it. He did have the drop on Sub-Zero when he tried to execute Cole. He tries it again in a 2 vs 1 fight against Sub-Zero, in which the latter dodges it, but Cole manages to grab it to launch it directly at him.
Badass Boast:
- Lets off a simple but awesome one to Sub-Zero: "I have risen from Hell to kill you!"
- Delivers a fearsome one just before he kills Sub-Zero, using the very power he's boasting of:
  "You hoped that I would burn in the fires of Hell, but instead, I learned to control them."
Badass Normal: Hanzo Hasashi, in the opening scene before his death, was a formidable fighter able to take out several Lin Kuei assassins and even holds his own against Bi-Han.
Bad Powers, Good People: Scorpion was a kind and loving family man before his death. After being resurrected as a revenant, he easily masters the powers he gained from the Netherrealm and uses them with literal vengeance, but also uses them to save Cole's family.
Big Damn Heroes: Gets accidentally summoned via blood magic by Cole and Sub-Zero and proceeds to turn the tide of the fight away from Subby's favor.
Blade on a Rope: He uses a wakizashi and an improvised rope spear (also known as a rope dart) made from a rope on the ground and his wife's kunai while alive. Upon being brought back from the dead, he uses a katana and a supernaturally-enhanced spear.
Breath Weapon: He can breath fire from his mouth, which he uses to kill Sub-Zero. TOASTY!
Came Back Strong: In life, he was a ninja. In death, he's a revenant with supernatural powers.
Cool Mask: As Scorpion, he wears a metal, gold plated mask that's been decorated with a stylized oni mouth and has pitting, scratches, and paint chipping on some parts of it, possibly due to Scorpion's time in the Netherrealm.
Crazy-Prepared: During his time in the Netherrealm, he gave himself samurai armor, a katana, and an upgraded kunai rope dart to help himself fight Sub-Zero if he ever got out of there.
Dark Is Not Evil: A freaky looking zombie he may be, but he's strictly a good guy.
Empowered Badass Normal: In life, Hanzo Hasashi was a fearsome warrior who could cut through Lin Kuei warriors like they were made of paper. 400 years of mastering the hellish power of the Netherrealm later, and he's an undead nightmare of a fighter, holding his own against Sub-Zero, who had made short work of all of his other opponents up to that point.
Facial Horror: Unlike the games, which depict Scorpion's face during his fire-breath fatality as a bloodless Skull for a Head, here, the fire burns away the flesh from around his mouth, making his face look like half of a flaming skull.
Gratuitous English: The only English he speaks in the entire movie is his signature catchphrase, "GET OVER HERE!" The rest of the time, he speaks Japanese, even to his descendent, Cole Young.
Guardian Entity: Serves as one to Cole Young, although this isn't really revealed until his accidental summoning at the climax of the film. Being long dead, he isn't really a participant in the impending tournament, and only appears to Cole in haunting visions. He finally gets involved in the action when Sub-Zero is about to kill his descendant.
Happily Married: The little screentime he has with his family shows he had a happy marriage, kissing his wife and telling her he's grateful to have her. Naturally, he is hellbent of protecting her from the Lin Kuei's attack and is heartbroken with her death at Bi-Han's hands.
Hoist by His Own Petard: In 1617, Hanzo is mortally wounded with his own kunai and when he fights Sub-Zero in the present, Sub-Zero stabs him with an icicle made from his own blood.
In the Hood: Unlike most of the games' full head covering, this version of Scorpion pairs his mask with a hood.
Light Is Good: Is dressed in shades of yellow and gold that while being in dark shades, is way brighter than Sub-Zero's outfit, which is dark blue and black.
No Body Left Behind: Upon dying, his body gets turns into ash after getting enveloped by fire coming from the Netherrealm.
One-Man Army: He has the highest kill kount of the movie with thirteen kills by his hands, twelve being the Lin Kuei assassins and the last one being Sub-Zero himself.
Outliving One's Offspring: Downplayed; Hanzo's son was murdered by Bi-Han, but Hanzo himself didn't live long afterwards.
Papa Wolf: He wastes no time killing his way through several Lin Kuei warriors in revenge while overcome with grief and rage at the deaths of his wife and son. In his last breaths he tries to reach his baby daughter, to no avail.
Pint-Sized Powerhouse: He's a bit shorter than other characters with Hiroyuki Sanada being around 5'6. It doesn't stop him from effortlessly demolishing opponents.
Playing with Fire: Hanzo has spent the centuries since his death mastering hellfire, boasting of it to Sub-Zero and putting this power to good use against his old enemy.
Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: "GET OVER HERE!"
Revenge: He rises from Hell (or rather, the Netherrealm) to exact revenge upon Sub-Zero, who killed him and his family centuries before the main plot begins.
Samurai Shinobi: Despite being ostensibly a ninja (and the only true example, as the Lin Kuei are not ninja), his outfit in the movie is based on the traditional samurai armor.
Say My Name: Seeing his wife and son dead and frozen, Hanzo instantly knows who was responsible and calls him out after slaughtering the assassin's henchmen.
Hanzo: BI-HAN!
Scary Teeth: As a revenant, he has a mouth of gross looking, greyish-green teeth.
Sealed Good in a Can: Was stuck in the Netherrealm until being summoned by Cole to help fight Sub-Zero.
Skull for a Head: When burning Sub-Zero with his fire breath, Scorpion's face turns into a skull.
Small Role, Big Impact: He dies 400 years before the events of the movie and is stuck in the Netherrealm for all that time, as well as most of the film. However, upon being accidently brought back, he helps Cole fight Sub-Zero and ultimately ends the motherfucker's life by burning him to death.
Supernatural Gold Eyes: As a revenant, Hanzo's eyes have become a pale golden colour.
Theme Music Power-Up: His first appearance as Scorpion in the climax is heralded by the updated iconic theme "Techno Syndrome 2021".
Took a Level in Badass: In life, Hanzo was a more than capable warrior, but after 400 years in the Netherralm, he's become a powerful revenant with hellfire at his command.
Trauma Button: Seeing Cole's family being frozen while he is desperately trying to save them not only reawakens memories of his wife and son, but also makes him go out of his way to use Hellfire to save them.
Yank the Dog's Chain: He hears the cries of his baby daughter, who survived his family's massacre, and starts crawling over to her, only to die of his wounds.

The Young Family

Emily

Emily Young

Played By: Matilda Kimber

Cole's daughter.

Daddy's Girl: She adores and supports her father no matter what.

Allison

Allison Young

Played By: Laura Brent

Cole's wife.

Car Fu: She tries to hit Goro with her truck. Goro however picks up the front end long enough to attack them with the axe she tried using against him earlier.

Characters / Mortal Kombat (2021)

Edit Locked