  |
This Article Contains Spoilers - WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot/character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
|
"Mature Content!" |
| “ | For Kung Lao, the Shaolin and Earthrealm! | „ |
| ~ Liu Kang, before he delivers a killing blow to Shao Kahn. |
| “ | Show me what you can do. | „ |
| ~ Liu Kang's Battle Cry in Mortal Kombat (2011). |
| “ | Having liberated the Hourglass and become Keeper of Time, my next task was to restart history. Not beholden to past events, I was free to craft a new era. It was with humility and restraint that I approached this blank canvas. After careful preparation, I began work. Painting over the darkness. After eons passed, I sketched out the realms. After eons more, I brushed them in with life. In my new era, all beings will have opportunity to find peace. Whether or not they do, will be their responsibility. For my power only permits me to begin this endeavor. It is the duty of mortals to finish it. | „ |
| ~ Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1. |
Lord Liu Kang is one of the two main protagonists (alongside Raiden) of the Mortal Kombat: Titan Trilogy and the overarching protagonist of the New Era timeline.
He is the Shaolin monk selected by Raiden as the champion of Earthrealm in the Mortal Kombat tournament who eventually goes on to become the omnipotent Keeper of Time, after defeating Kronika.
He is voiced by Tom Choi in Mortal Kombat 9 and X and by Matthew Yang King (who also voiced Kerry Eurodyne in Cyberpunk 2077) in Mortal Kombat 11 and 1.
What Makes Him Pure Good?[]
In General[]
- While he can be brutal, it's only in necessary circumstances such as when Shao Kahn killed Kung Lao and would merge Earthrealm with Outworld, killing billions in the process if Shao wasn't stopped and many of his fatalities shown in violent detail are game mechanics, not entirely canon to his character.
- While he did spend 27 years as a revenant, following Quan Chi's and Shinnok's orders, his corruption left him with no free will despite a clear moral agency. Following Raiden's merging of the past and present Liu Kangs alongside himself, Liu Kang regains free will and manages to shed all his corrupting factors, doing his best following his redemption.
Mortal Kombat (2011)[]
- When Kitana goes to kill him at the request of Shang Tsung, he spares her and tells her they won't speak of the situation.
- Defeated multiple opponents in the tournament and won, being crowned champion.
- Saved Kitana from execution.
- Beaten Shao Kahn for Murdering Kung Lao.
- Went with Raiden to the Elder Gods to prove that Shao Kahn is breaking the rules of the tournament.
- While he did fight with Raiden when he felt he was wrong about Liu Kang not being the one to defeat Shao Kahn, it was revealed to be Kronika manipulating both in MK11. After their revelation, the past versions of Raiden and Liu Kang try their best not to fight and succeed.
Mortal Kombat X[]
- In a flashback, he helped Raiden freed the Shaolin Monks from D'vorah with Kung Lao.
Mortal Kombat 11[]
- Saved Kotal by kicking Shao Kahn away from him.
- Tries to stop Geras from stealing a time artifact.
- Disguised himself with Kung Lao as Tarkatans and saved Jade.
- Aided Kitana in defeating Shao Kahn.
- Defeated Kronika and stopped her from reshaping the timeline.
- Sent Nightwolf and Fujin to the past so they can reshape the timeline.
- Stopped Shang Tsung from ruling the universe and took Kronika's crown. While he did "sacrifice" the heroes to reshape time, he had intentions on bringing them back.
- Went back in time to train the great Kung Lao to prevent his death to Goro.
Mortal Kombat 1[]
- Liu Kang spent eons building a new reality that’s more peaceful and structured. He explicitly makes sure Shang Tsung and Quan Chi live lives where they do not gain power, Shao Kahn never becomes leader of Outworld though is a powerful general leading who earns countless victories, Sindel is a benevolent Empress who never kills King Jerrod and wishes the best for her twin daughters, Shinnok and Cetrion don’t exist, Rain doesn’t become a demi-god to abuse his power, Shinnok’s amulet doesn’t exist, Outworld is brighter and more peaceful despite its people being somewhat rousey.
- Although one could say he gave Shang Tsung and Quan Chi a rather hard and unfair life, this is heavily justified as Liu Kang was attempting to teach them humility and how to treat others with appropriate respect in order to prevent them from becoming evil sorcerers like their predecessors. Not to mention that he made Shao (one of his most hated enemies) a sickly child, but through Shao's hard work, he managed to achieve his status as general, which made him a bit more noble than his predecessors, showing that Shang Tsung and Quan Chi could have been better people, yet they chose to be evil regardless of Titan Shang Tsung's influence.
- He makes the Mortal Kombat tournament with Emperor Jerrod of Outworld and trains the Great Kung Lao, the ancestor of the regular Kung Lao we follow, to be Earthrealm’s first champion. Liu Kang also makes sure the tournament isn’t a death battle and more of a show of strength to inspire fear into Outworlders who would wish to conquer Earthrealm like General Shao. Eventually, Raiden and Kung Lao, mere humans and close friends since childhood, get trained by Madame Bo in the ways of martial arts. One day, Liu Kang works with Bo and the Lin-Kuei, comprised of Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, Tomas Vrbada, also known as Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Smoke, to coordinate a supposed assault on Bo’s teahouse with the Lin-Kuei holding back while fighting Kung Lao and Raiden. Kung Lao and Raiden both pass the test and are sent to the Shaolin temple for further training.
- Liu Kang also recruits Johnny Cage and Kenshi Takahashi as recruits at the Shaolin Temple. All four recruits are trained at The Shaolin Temple with Raiden emerging Victorious and being chosen as Earthrealms champion against Outworld. Raiden defeats all of the Outworld champions.
- Liu Kang learns from Geras that Shang Tsung has become a sorcerer again despite Liu Kang's efforts. Liu Kang sends Kenshi, Kung Lao and Cage to scout Outworld and capture Shang Tsung without alerting Sindel as that would violate the pact he has with her. The team discovers a Tarkatan camp where Shang Tsung takes bone marrow from Baraka, who leads them to a tower where Shang Tsung conducts his experiments. The team gets framed for interfering with Mileena's treatment.
- After being informed that General Shao, Quan Chi and Shang Tsung have all teamed up against him. Liu Kang sends Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Smoke to defeat Quan Chi, unfortunately Sub-Zero turns, resulting in Scorpion and Smoke to defect from the Lin Kuei.
- Liu Kang and Li Mei go to Sindel and show her Shang Tsung's fleshpits, revealing General Shao's treachery. Liu Kang also reveals that Sindel, Shao, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were all villains in the previous timeline and that someone is manipulating them into becoming villains again and that when he restarted the universe he made it so that they wouldn't become villains again.
- Upon asking Liu Kang if he demands worship, he declines and states he's no way divine. As she stated that he had power over the entire creation, but gave it up, he revealed that he did so because he knew the power would corrupt him, just as Kronika had been corrupted by it.
- When General Shao appears with the amulet of Shinnok and traps Kitana, Mileena, Tanya, and Geras inside of it, he and Sindel defeat Shao and release the four trapped inside the amulet.
- Regrouping with their many allies and storming the castle that houses Shang Tsung's Dragon Army, they discover the mysterious benefactor granting Shang Tsung and Quan Chi abilities is actually the Shang Tsung whom Liu Kang battled for control over the timeline. It turns out that the battle over the hourglass caused two alternate timelines where both won. New Era Shang Tsung speculates that there are other timelines. Liu Kang and Geras retrieve the Titan powers that Liu Kang gave up to test the theory while the others destroy the portals set up by Titan Shang Tsung.
- They summon Kitana, Raiden and a few other Titan versions of their allies before Titan Shang Tsung arrives and tries to destroy Liu Kang's hourglass.
- After being defeated, Titan Shang decides to destroy Liu Kang's timeline, leading to Liu Kang gets numerous allies from alternate timelines to prepare for a final battle with Titan Shang Tsung.
- Liu Kang fights with someone the player decides to play as to make their way up the Pyramid of Argus. The player battles Titan Shang Tsung alongside his Quan Chi while Liu Kang is trapped by Titan Shang's allies. Once Liu Kang is freed, he destroys Titan Shang Tsung's hourglass, resulting in Titan Shang Tsung's timeline being destroyed. As the timeline is being destroyed Liu Kang takes his allies back to their home timelines.
- It's worth noting that among his Forces of Light in the final battle, he also has heroic counterparts of the villains, including Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, and Shao.
- Liu Kang fights with someone the player decides to play as to make their way up the Pyramid of Argus. The player battles Titan Shang Tsung alongside his Quan Chi while Liu Kang is trapped by Titan Shang's allies. Once Liu Kang is freed, he destroys Titan Shang Tsung's hourglass, resulting in Titan Shang Tsung's timeline being destroyed. As the timeline is being destroyed Liu Kang takes his allies back to their home timelines.
- Liu Kang entrusts Johnny Cage with creating a Cinematic Universe around their adventures in Outworld to slowly reveal the existence of other realms to Earthrealmers and assists Scorpion and Smoke to build a clan to counter the Lin Kuei, that clan being the Shirai Ryu. As a result of regaining his Titan powers, Liu Kang can now only live for a few eons before eventually passing away. Liu Kang entrusted Geras with the role of protector of his new timeline.
Khaos Reigns[]
- He pleads with Empress Mileena to spare both Bi-Han and Sektor, despite their treachery.
- He cures Bi-Han from Titan Havik's spell.
- When Bi-Han acted impulsively and egotistically and refused to listen, Liu Kang intervened to prevent Titan Havik's death, likely saving billions of lives in the process
Trivia[]
- His original timeline counterpart cannot count as Pure Good due to being lethal to his enemies in a bad way.
- Liu Kang is also, currently, the only canon Mortal Kombat hero to be Pure Good.
External Links[]
- Liu Kang on the Heroes Wiki
- Liu Kang on the Villains Wiki
- Liu Kang on the Villainous Benchmark Wiki
- Liu Kang on the Mortal Kombat Wiki