Liu Kang
Earthrealm's greatest champion, the Shaolin monk who became the god of fire.
Liu Kang is the main protagonist of the Mortal Kombat series, depicted as Earthrealm's greatest warrior and champion. He debuted in the original 1992 game as a Shaolin monk whose special moves were meant to be the easiest for players to perform, and he has been playable in every main game except Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002). He was also the hero of the 1995 film and its 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat Annihilation.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Mortal Kombat
- Creator
- Ed Boon; John Tobias
- First
- Mortal Kombat (1992)
Lore & Background
Liu Kang wins the Mortal Kombat tournament in the first and second games, saving Earthrealm from conquest by Outworld. In Deadly Alliance (2002) the sorcerers Shang Tsung and Quan Chi kill him, and in Deception (2004) Raiden reanimates his corpse and sends it on a murderous rampage while his spirit, helped by Ermac, tries to regain control. In the rebooted timeline he dies at Raiden's hands and becomes an undead revenant who rules the Netherrealm. He returns as a hero in Mortal Kombat 11 (2019), becoming the god of fire, storming the keep of Kronika, the keeper of time, and killing her. In Mortal Kombat 1 the Fire God Liu Kang keeps the tournaments going under a fragile alliance with Outworld and tries to stop Shang Tsung and Quan Chi from becoming villains.
Did You Know?
- Liu Kang's Bicycle Kick, which carries him across the screen in a flurry of pedalling kicks, was introduced in Mortal Kombat II.
- Ed Boon put Liu Kang on the cover of Mortal Kombat 1 to signal a new story arc, instead of the usual Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
More in Mythology & Deities
Elsewhere in Mortal Kombat
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