Kung Lao
The Shaolin monk with the razor-brimmed hat.
Kung Lao debuted in Mortal Kombat II (1993) as a Shaolin monk and close friend of the series hero Liu Kang. His trademark is a wide hat with a razor-sharp brim that he uses as a weapon. He is one of the series' main heroes and shares the lead in the spin-off Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005).
Quick Facts
- Series
- Mortal Kombat
- First game
- Mortal Kombat II (1993)
- Affiliation
- Shaolin; White Lotus Society
- Weapon
- Razor-brimmed hat
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Kung Lao descends from the Great Kung Lao, a tournament champion who lost the title and his life to Goro 500 years earlier. After Baraka's Tarkatans attack the Shaolin temple, he and Liu Kang go through the portal to Outworld; his own aim is to rebuild the White Lotus Society at the Wu Shi Academy. In Mortal Kombat 3 he faces Shao Kahn and is presumed dead, and in Mortal Kombat Gold it turns out he faked his death. The Deadly Alliance kill him, and Onaga revives him as a slave in Deception. In the 2011 reboot he beats Shang Tsung, Quan Chi and Kintaro but is killed by Shao Kahn and returns as one of Quan Chi's revenants. In Mortal Kombat 1 he grows up a farmhand in Fengjian with his friend Raiden, is trained by Madam Bo and fights for Earthrealm in Liu Kang's tournament.
Reader's Guide
John Tobias based the hat on Oddjob's thrown derby in the James Bond film Goldfinger. His attacks are wind-themed, his best-known move is the Hat Toss, and many of his Fatalities use the hat to slice or behead. He was played by Anthony Marquez in Mortal Kombat II and 3. Prima Games named him one of the series' cheapest characters.
More in Fighting Roster & Fatalities
Elsewhere in Mortal Kombat
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