Ermac

A soul-amalgamated warrior born from a game glitch and legend.

Ermac is a Mortal Kombat character who debuted as an unlockable secret character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995). He stands apart from other fighters as an amalgam of the souls of deceased warriors, possessing powerful telekinetic abilities. His existence began not on screen, but in rumor; video game magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly perpetuated claims that a red ninja named Ermac appeared in the original 1992 game based on a doctored photo and a letter from a reader named "Tony Casey." The name itself originated from a diagnostics menu displaying "ERMACS," a pluralized contraction of "error macro" used by programmer Ed Boon to log coding errors. Despite the initial hoax, growing fan interest transformed the myth into reality, leading Midway Games to include him as a playable character two years after the incident.

Quick Facts

Series: Mortal Kombat
First: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Creator: Ed Boon and John Tobias
Origin: Outworld
Species: Fusion of souls

Lore & Background

Ermac's origins are deeply rooted in the lore of video gaming legends. In the diagnostics menu of the original 1992 Mortal Kombat, an audits screen showed "ERMACS", a pluralised contraction of "error macro"; once the hidden character Reptile was added, it was listed below the Reptile counters. This sparked speculation that a second secret ninja existed. Midway removed the ERMACS listing in the game's final update in March 1993, but speculation grew after Electronic Gaming Monthly printed a reader-submitted screenshot.

Players claimed to see glitches where ninjas flashed red or displayed "Error Macro" in their energy bars, though no such palette existed. A clear text message in Mortal Kombat II stating "Ermac does not exist" failed to quell the rumors as neither Boon nor marketing director Roger Sharpe denied them outright. By October 1995, the developers decided the character had evolved from myth to urban legend worthy of inclusion, adding him to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

In-game lore later clarified he is an amalgam of deceased warriors created by Shao Kahn to enforce his will in Outworld.

Reader's Guide

Ermac's gameplay is defined by his signature telekinesis, visualized through spiritual powers like the "Telekinetic Slam" (later renamed "Force Lift") which levitates opponents to throw them. In Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Ed Boon considered him one of the strongest characters due to this move. His fighting style in Mortal Kombat: Deception and Armageddon is Choy Lay Fut, a martial art specializing in warding off multiple attackers. For Mortal Kombat X, his play style was divided into three variations.

A notable finishing move is the "Inner Workings" Fatality, conceived by John Edwards, where he levitates an opponent, breaks their spine midair, and extracts their gastrointestinal tract from their mouth; sound effects for this were created using slime and a plunger. In Mortal Kombat 1, developers enhanced his visual effects to lean into horror inspirations, emphasizing that he is haunted by the unique souls captured throughout his existence.

Did You Know?

In Mortal Kombat (2011), the sound effects for Ermac's graphic 'Inner Workings' Fatality were created using slime and a plunger.
In 2011 Ed Boon said he had kept the meaning of the ERMACS listing secret in the hope of stirring up fan speculation.
Ermac was voiced by Michael McConnohie in the 2011 reboot, but by Jamieson Price in both Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 1.