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Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

 
 
We are many; you are one. Your abilities pale before us.
 

 

—Ermac to Takeda in Mortal Kombat X

Ermac is a red-clad ninja who utilizes telekinesis during fights in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He made his debut in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Before that, however, he was a subject of fan speculation that began with a rumored glitch in the first Mortal Kombat game.

Since his debut, despite siding with some of the antagonists in the series, Ermac has been seen as a neutral character that sides with those looking to better his native realm of Outworld, most notably finding a proper ruler.

Ermac returns in Mortal Kombat 1 as a minor antagonist in the game's Story Mode. He will appear as a playable character as DLC as part of the Kombat Pack.

About Ermac

Making his debut in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Ermac has been a controversial and mysterious character in the Mortal Kombat series whose existence was rumored since its inception. Ermac is a fusion of the many souls destroyed in Outworld's wars, only to be controlled by Emperor Shao Kahn and his Shadow Priests. Because of this, he refers to himself as "we", "our", "us", and "ours", instead of "I", "my" "me", and "mine". Because of the sheer concentration of souls within Ermac, he possesses the gifts of telekinesis, teleportation, and the ability to travel between realms.

Ermac rarely shows any signs of emotion, but he has proven to be quite wise and a very deadly combatant, using his telekinetic abilities to battle multiple opponents at once while keeping the upper hand. Disappearing after the events of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, he only returned in Mortal Kombat: Deception, where he was freed from Shao Kahn's grip by the blind swordsman Kenshi, whom he repaid by teaching him the Telekinetic Slam. He decided to become a force of good, partly in guilt of his past evils. To prove this, he decides to help Liu Kang free the souls of his friends from Onaga's control.

In the alternate timeline, this did not happen and, after the events of Mortal Kombat, he soon came under the possession of Shao Kahn's soul, as well as King Jerrod's.[1] Despite this, it's implied that Ermac has free will and is no longer evil due to Shao Kahn's death, as he willingly chose to side with Kotal Kahn to be ruler of Outworld instead of Mileena in Mortal Kombat X, despite Shao Kahn's decree. While Ermac's goal has varied over time, his overall allegiance is to Outworld, whether from defending it from threats like Onaga or finding a proper ruler for the realm itself.

In the current timeline, Ermac is instead created by Quan Chi using souls of the Living Forest. Later on, King Jerrod assumes control over Ermac's body, thus returning to life as the host of the construct.

Appearance

Starting as a palette swap of Scorpion in his debut in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Ermac wore the iconic ninja garment, colored in black and red. From Mortal Kombat: Deception onwards, like most of his ninja counterparts, Ermac adopted a new and unique design, which is adopted in future games.

Ermac wears a black wrap around his head and face; it covers his entire head, and his mouth and nose. Only his eyes are showing. In the middle of this wrap is a metal pin. He wears an all red long-sleeved karate gi. He then wears a large vest over his red uniform. He wears more wrap around his forearms and black gloves. A piece of the vest hangs down around his thighs; his belt buckle is interlocking. His pants are red and baggy and he wears gold and black boots; there is a metal portion that runs from the middle of the boot to his knee where there is a jewel of some sort.

Alternate Costume: As with his regular costume, Ermac wears a black "wrap" around the top of his head with a red symbol in the middle of it; his eyes glowing a deep white.  He also wears a black mouth guard that covers his nose and everything else down; this "guard" extends to his neck as well, completely covering it.  He wears what seem like red and black "suspenders" that flow all the way down in front of his legs.  His arms are bare except for black wrist guards and black gloves.  He wears a colourful belt with an exotic buckle.  His pants are red and Ermac wears silver and black knee guards over silver and black boots; his shin guards are silver and black as well.

This design consists of a mask made only from black bandages fully wrapped around the head, leaving the eyes and nostrils visible, with a small green amulet placed on his forehead, functioning as a means to concentrate the souls in his body. Ermac's clothes are mainly black with red accents, with bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, giving him a sinister look.

This design is carried in Mortal Kombat (2011) with small modifications like the inclusion of shin guards with skull motifs. Ermac's appearance in Mortal Kombat X is inspired by his alternate appearance in the previous game, consisting of a hooded trench coat with the basic black and red scheme along with a few golden motifs. His face is also partially exposed, revealing decaying skin as a consequence of the lack of proper rejuvenation and income of souls. Before Kotal Kahn's takeover, most of his upper body was exposed and grafted a metal emblem similar to the one from Deception onto his chest to keep his souls from escaping. He also wore bandages around his head.

Character development

In the first few arcade versions of Mortal Kombat, there was a listing in the audit menu for "ERMACS". In Revision 3.0, it was actually listed directly underneath "Reptile Battles" giving the appearance that they were grouped together. It was believed to reference a character the same way "Reptile Battles" does which led people to believe that Ermac was also a secret character. The Ermac listing is a shortening of the term "Error Macro". This is referenced in a hidden reversed message in Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode which states "It is a little known fact that Ermac is short for Error Macro". Electronic Gaming Monthly published a photo to accompany a letter from Tony Casey reporting an alleged encounter.[2] However, Ermac did not appear in any version. There is also no naturally occurring default character palette that would provide a full palette swap for Ermac. Ed Boon later confirmed in a Tweet that the Error Macro was simply a macro created to catch coding errors/traps.[3]

The developers denied that he existed in Mortal Kombat II with one of the jumbled messages that appeared at the bottom of the screen after beating the game: CEAMR ODSE NTO EXITS (an anagram of "Ermac does not exist"), and the occasional appearance of the secret character Jade with the message "Ermac Who?" The numerous rumors of his existence led to his debut as an official character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. His storyline is even based on his own rumor as well and later changed to become a legitimate character in Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Until Mortal Kombat: Deception, he was just another palette swapped ninja. Around the time of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, the creators made the choice to give all the ninjas their very own look and identity.

Rumors

Ermac was created by the MK Team because of fan mythology. It was said that by overplaying the Sega version of Mortal Kombat with Scorpion, the screen would eventually flaw and flash an alert message on the screen. The message read "ERror MACro" and it would turn Scorpion's yellow outfit red. This was proven to be completely false. Despite repeated references that tried to inform the player that Ermac did not exist, they eventually decided to create him and include him in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. This actually refreshed some of the speculations regarding this rumor.

Combat Characteristics

Powers and Abilities

As mentioned above, Ermac is not one person, but an entire collection of souls of warriors brought together into physical form through means of powerful magic, courtesy of Shao Kahn. Due to this, Ermac always refers to himself as a group instead of a single person (saying things such as, "we" and "us", instead of, "I" or "me"). As a result of his very being composing of thousands of souls, Ermac possesses various powers related to them, most commonly in the form of telekinesis, which allows him to manipulate every aspect of living and non-living objects with his mind. In addition to his telekinesis, he is also able to manipulate soul energy because of his composition, which he utilizes in the form of both levitation and firing projectile attacks.

In addition to his soul-based abilities, Ermac is also immensely skilled in physical combat. This may also be a result of the fact that many of the souls that make up his body are that of ancient warriors who possibly are the source of his knowledge of different forms of martial arts. As showcased by Takeda's failed attempt, Ermac is immune to telepathy due to the many minds of the thousands of souls within his body.

While he may not appear to have any at first glance, Ermac does have one major weakness: the Netherrealm itself. Since he is a being created completely by magic, his powers would decrease over time the longer he stays in the realm, weakening the bond holding the souls together and overall threatening his very existence. However, by using a mysterious stone dubbed the Soul Stone Shujinko found for him, he ultimately is protected from this threat.

Signature moves

  • Teleport Punch: Just like Scorpion, Ermac vanishes in a cloud of fire and reappears behind his opponent punching them. This move can also be performed in the air. In MK 2011, he vanishes and reappears through green energy, and the move is named Force Port. In MKX, this is called Teleport and Ermac punches the opponent in the stomach and when timed correctly, he can continue combos in some instances. Additionally, the attack can be used in the air, called Air Teleport, respectively, and has Ermac kick the opponent in the face when teleporting back. The juggle effect is increased with the airborne version of the attack. (UMK3, MKT, MK:SM, MK 2011, MKX)
    • In MK 2011, the enhanced version is named Teleport. Ermac connects with the first punch and hits them with his elbow to knock the opponent down to the ground.
    • In MKX, the enhanced version is called Force Port, which has Ermac blast the opponent with three quick energy bursts for increased damage and knocking the opponent in the air for a juggle. Due to the bursts, the juggle effect is reduced, however, but is still present.
      • The enhanced airborne version is called Air Force Port, which has Ermac release a single burst to the opponent after kicking them instead of the multiple bursts from the original but retains the juggle effect. Additionally, this version deals slightly less damage than the original at the expense of an increased juggle effect than Force Port.
  • Telekinetic Slam: Using his telekinetic powers, Ermac lifts his opponent and slams them hard on the ground allowing for a combo. In MK 2011 this is named Force Lift. (UMK3, MKT, MK:D, MK:SM, MK:A, MK 2011)
    • The enhanced version is named Telelift. Ermac lifts the opponent and slams them an additional time behind him, before the initial slam.
  • Hado-Energy: Ermac sends a green zig-zag beam slithering at his opponent. This is named Force Ball in MK 2011 and can be done in the air, which is named Air blast. (UMK3, MKT, MK:D, MK:SM, MK:A, MK 2011)
    • The enhanced version is named Focus Ball, and the enhanced air attack is named Force Blast. The energy produced is larger.
  • Soul Ball: Ermac shoots a sphere of soul energy straight at his enemy, which deals damage based on the number of levitating Soul Orbs are around Ermac. The attack can be used in the air, called Air Soul Ball, respectively. Additionally, the effects of each orb differ based on the number of present orbs; (MKX - Master of Souls Variation)
    • 3 Orbs - Deals the original damage and traps the opponent in Soul Energy, setting them up for a free hit. Additionally, Ermac is granted the use of Soul Release on the trapped opponent, causing the energy to explode, dealing more damage and launching the opponent in the air for a juggle.
    • 2 Orbs - Deals 25% more damage but no longer stuns.
    • 1 Orb - Deals 25% less damage. Does not stun opponent.
      • The enhanced version is called Soul Trap, which deals increased damage. Additionally, the enhanced version ignores the number of Soul Orbs are levitating around Ermac, allowing for the enhanced version to stun the opponent regardless of the number of orbs present. Due to stunning the opponent, Ermac is granted the use of Soul Release. The attack can also be used in the air, called Air Soul Trap, respectively and retains the same properties.
  • Soul Burst: Ermac releases a short ranged burst of soul energy with his hands. The attack can be used in the air, called Air Soul Burst, respectively. (MKX)
    • The enhanced version is called Soul Blast, which has armor, deals increased damage and knocks the opponent away from Ermac full-screen distance. When compared to the original, the attack takes slightly more time to activate. The enhanced airborne version, called Air Soul Blast, deals no extra damage, however it bounces the opponent off the ground for a juggle.
  • Up Soul Burst: Ermac releases a short ranged burst of soul energy with his hands in a upward diagonal angle which can strike airborne opponents. In some instances, it can be used to continue combos, however this is only granted during a juggle, otherwise, the opponent is knocked away by the blast. (MKX)
    • The enhanced version is called Up Soul Blast, which deals increased damage and knocks the opponent away half way across the arena.
  • Mystic Float: Ermac uses his telekinesis to propel himself into the air for a few seconds. In MKX, this is called Hover. (MK:D, MK:A, MK 2011, MKX)
    • Mystic Bomb: After performing Mystic Float, Ermac slams his back down onto the ground, creating a small shock wave. In MK 2011 Ermac does this automatically after a few seconds in the air and is named Hover Slam. The player can delay the slam for a few more seconds as well. Also, while Ermac is in the air, you can cancel into either a Force Port or an Air-blast. In MKX this is called Ground Slam and he dives headfirst into the ground rather than with his back down. While Ermac is in the air, he can also perform his Teleport or an aerial Soul Burst. (MK:D, MK:A, MK 2011, MKX)
      • In MK 2011, the enhanced version is named Levitate Smash and can also be delayed for a short time.
    • Dive Kick: After performing Mystic Float, Ermac dives forward with an aerial kick. (MK:D, MK:A)
  • Telekinetic Throw: Ermac telekinetically tosses his opponent across the arena behind him. (MK:D, MK:A)
  • Low Telekinetic Toss: Ermac does almost the same as in Telekinetic Throw, but he tosses an enemy making him touch the ground. This move is followed by an uppercut. (MK:SM)
  • Telekinetic Air Strike: Ermac makes air pressure much higher so it hits an opponent. Works only while in the air. (MK:SM)
  • Telekinetic Tornado: Ermac makes a shield around himself then a lot of small hado-energy projectiles rise up striking the opponent if he is close to Ermac. He uses this move only in the final part of his boss battle. (MK:SM)
  • Force Lift: Ermac lifts his opponent via telekinesis, flips them upside down and slams them headfirst into the ground. (MKX)
    • The enhanced version is called Tele-Lift which has Ermac bounce the opponent off the ground for a juggle, however it deals no extra damage.
  • Force Push: Ermac lifts his opponent via telekinesis, floating them backwards helplessly until he strikes them with a telekinetic blast. In MKX, this is called Tele-Choke. (MK 2011, MKX - Mystic Variation)
    • In MK 2011, the enhanced version is named Telepush. Instead of striking them with another telekinetic blast, Ermac flips the opponent upside down and slams them down face first.
    • In MKX, the enhanced version is called Levitate, which has armor, actives much faster and has Ermac recover from the attack much faster. Additionally, Ermac will concentrate while lifting the opponent, draining 50% of a bar of Super Meter and heals Ermac for 5% health while dealing slightly increased damage.
  • Tele-Hang: Much like Tele-Lift, Ermac lifts his opponent via telekinesis, flips them upside down, however he leaves them floating in the air, allowing for a free hit. If the opponent is not attacked, they take damage by falling headfirst into the ground. This replaces Force Lift in the Mystic Variation. (MKX - Mystic Variation)
    • The enhanced version is called Tele-Hold and is identical to the enhanced version of Force Lift, bouncing the opponent off the ground for a juggle but deals no extra damage.
  • Disappear: Ermac uses his soul powers to disappear from the arena and evade any enemy attack for a moment. This replaces his Teleport in the Master of Souls Variation. (MKX - Master of Souls Variation)
    • The enhanced version is called Vanish and makes Ermac disappear faster.
  • Soul Charge: Ermac flies straight at his opponent at a high speed to hit them with his fists, knocking the opponent down. The attack can be used in the air, called Air Soul Charge, respectively. (MKX - Spectral Variation)
    • The enhanced version is called Spectral Charge, which has armor, deals increased damage and retains the same knockdown effect. The attack can also be used in the air, called Air Spectral Charge, respectively.
  • Soul Ascension: Ermac begins to levitate slightly off the ground. While levitating, Ermac can move around and perform both basic attacks and certain special attacks. Ermac can hover for a long time, however not doing anything will force him to return to the ground. Performing special attacks forces Ermac to return to the ground. The attack can also be used in the air, called Air Soul Ascension, respectively. This replaces Hover in the Spectral Variation. (MKX - Spectral Variation)

X-Ray Moves

  • X-Ray Move - Cannonball Slam: Ermac lifts up his opponent with his telekinetic powers and slams them into the ground headfirst, breaking the skull, spine and neck. Ermac then hovers above his enemy with his Mystic Float and does an elbow drop to the opponent's back, crushing their spine and ribs. (MK 2011)
  • X-Ray Move - We are Many: Ermac flies up into the air before flying into his opponent with a headbutt, breaking the skull, then flying back up and flying back into them again, this time with a kick to the neck, snapping it (causing the opponent to fall to the ground) and the finally flies down onto the opponent, stepping onto their jaw, breaking it. (MKX)

Fatalities

  • Telekinetic Slams: Ermac repeatedly slams the opponent with his telekinetic powers until they explode. In MK:D, he yells "YES!" after the opponent explodes. (UMK3, MKT, MK:D)
  • Uppercut Explosion: Ermac uppercuts his opponent, which explodes on contact. (MKADV)
  • Uppercut from Hell: Ermac unleashes a devastating uppercut that decapitates the opponent. (UMK3, MKT)
  • Telekinetic Tear: Ermac lifts the victim into the air with his telekinetic powers. With both hands, he brings them together as the opponent's body is suddenly forced into a fetal-like position before spreading the opponent out and rips them in half. (MK:D)
  • Boss Fatality: Ermac makes three telekinetic slams, then rises up an enemy and two stones. He powerfully strikes the enemy with these stones. (MK:SM)
  • Mind Over Splatter: Ermac lifts his opponent in the air with his powers, then rips off their arms and legs. He then smashes them headfirst into the ground, crushing their head. (MK 2011)
  • Pest Control: Ermac shrinks the opponent in a comical fashion with his powers, causing them to start running around in fear. Ermac then violently stomps on the shrunken opponent, and proceeds to wipe his boot off on the ground. This Fatality is somewhat similar to Jax's Boot Squash Fatality in MK3, but Jax grows himself into giant size while Ermac simply shrinks the opponent. (MK 2011)
    • If this Fatality is performed on Kratos, he will start yelling in place at Ermac instead once he is shrunken.
  • Inner Workings: Ermac lifts up his opponent with his telekinesis and breaks the upper and lower halves of his opponent's body. He then rips out his victim's organs through their mouth and crushes them into a ball, leaving his victim in the air with their guts dangling from their mouth. (MKX)
  • Head Out: Ermac rips the victim's head off using his telekinesis, then shoves it downward through the neck and into their body before violently pulling it out through the stomach, spraying blood, guts and intestines before him. The victim's severed head is seen floating in midair near Ermac's hand. (MKX)

Other Finishers

  • Friendship: Rabbit Transformation: Ermac levitates the opponent, who disappears and then reappears one instant later transformed into a white rabbit. (UMK3, MKT)
  • Friendship # 2: PC-in-the-Box: Ermac winds up a box and a computer erupts out of the box at a dizzied opponent, most likely referencing his origin. (MKADV)
  • Animality: Frog With The Mouth: Ermac turns into a frog. It then opens its mouth at the feet of the opponent and then eats them alive. (MKT)
  • Hara-Kiri - Head Slams: Ermac kneels and smashes his own head onto the floor until it explodes. (MK:D)
  • Babality: Ermac tries to perform a Mystic Float, but ends up just getting stuck in the air. Then he starts crying while continuously back-flipping. (MK 2011)

Brutalities

  • Nether Force: Ermac performs an Air Force Port, destroying the flesh around the opponent's torso and arms when he releases the green energy pulse, reducing their upper body to a green skeleton. (MKX)
    • A number of Special Attacks must be performed during the match.
  • We Win: Ermac performs a Force Lift, only this time when he drops the opponent on their head, their head explodes on impact with the ground. (MKX)
    • Must connect a number of hits before finishing with Force Lift.
    • In the Mystic Variation, Ermac must perform a second Tele-Hang during the final combo, otherwise the opponent will remain suspended in the air before falling to the ground with no effect.
  • Gluttony: Ermac performs a Tele-Hold, only this time instead of dropping the opponent on their head, he rips them in half vertically from the head down while suspending them in the air with telekinesis. (MKX - Mystic Variation)
  • Soul Eater: Ermac performs either a Soul Ball or Soul Trap then performs a Soul Release that cause the bound opponent to explode at the waist, causing their upper body to fly into the air before landing on the ground. (MKX - Master of Souls Variation)
    • A combo with a certain number of hits must be performed during the match.
    • 3 Soul Orbs must be active.
  • Controlled Chaos: While in the air from a Soul Ascension, Ermac performs either a Soul Charge or Spectral Charge that obliterates the opponent's entire upper body with their arms flying off in the opposite direction. (MKX - Spectral Variation)
    • Soul Charge or Spectral Charge must be performed while using Soul Ascension.

Appearances in other media

Film

In the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Ermac (played by John Medlen) was one of Shao Kahn's generals. Ermac was portrayed as a cunning and mostly quiet character, though he did not hesitate at the opportunity for a power grab after the death of Rain. However, the position of general was awarded to Kahn's wife Sindel. Ermac survived until the final confrontation with Earthrealm warriors, where he did battle with Sonya Blade. Noob Saibot spawns from Ermac's body during the fight to assist him and they nearly slayed Sonya until Jax interfered. Both ninjas are ultimately defeated - Ermac's neck is broken by Sonya, echoing Kano's similar death in the first movie. This version of Ermac refers to himself as "I" instead of "We".

Mortal Kombat: Legacy

Ermac appears in Season Two of Mortal Kombat: Legacy portrayed by Kim Do Nguyen.

While Ermac's appearance is radically different from his game version, he more or less fulfills the same function as one of Shao Kahn's most lethal enforcers, though his history with Kenshi is completely changed. In the series, Ermac is a demon ordered by Shao Kahn to guard the sword Sento, which is hidden in a cave inside a mountain somewhere in Earthrealm specifically Japan. Ermac was ordered to challenge anyone who seeks to remove the blade from where it is impaled in the cave, absorbing their souls and adding them into Ermac himself. It was said that only the Sento itself could kill Ermac if his heart was ever pierced by the blade.

When the ronin warrior Kenshi arrives to claim the blade after learning of its legend from an old man he saved, Ermac confronts him and in their battle, while Kenshi succeeded in removing the blade, Ermac blinded him. Ermac could not pursue after Kenshi, having been mystically bound to the cave where the sword was sealed.

Several years later, Ermac is summoned by Shang Tsung to compete in the Mortal Kombat Tournament, having agreed to take part in it and allowed to leave the cave. Ermac is the first of Shang Tsung's kombatants to face one of Raiden's, specifically his old enemy Kenshi. Seeking to reclaim the sword, Ermac and Kenshi duel in a field, with Kenshi wielding the Sento sword while Ermac used hand-to-hand, and both warriors having improved in skill since their last encounter.

Though he manages to disarm Kenshi of the Sento, Ermac is briefly overpowered by Kenshi's superior martial arts and momentarily caught off guard when Kenshi manifests new telekinetic powers. But Ermac manages to gain the upperhand using his own telekinesis to strangle and knock the ronin over before binding Kenshi with his telekinetic tentacles. Though Ermac's victory seems at hand, Kenshi frees himself using his telekinesis to summon the Sento back to his hand and cut the tentacles off of himself before impaling Ermac through his heart with the very blade he had been sworn to protect.

While Ermac remains stunned and standing, Kenshi then uses a telekinetic pulse to send the blade completely through the demon's heart. Ermac dies, the first to be defeated in the tournament, his body exploding as all the souls he ever consumed are released.

Television

In the animated series, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, Ermac had a one-episode appearance in which he and his army attempted to use a non-canon female ninja, Ruby, to defeat Jax and to lure the other warriors to their doom. Ruby proved to be true to her friends on the side of good, however, and Ermac's forces were defeated. Ermac's appearance in this episode was as a normal human who had an allegiance to Shao Kahn and even revealed a goatee and receding hairline when he unmasked. His only inhuman feature was his solid white eyes. He was voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

Quotes

Mortal Kombat (2011)

  • "We are many; you are but one." (Battle Cry)
  • "We are many, You are one. We will destroy you!" (To Liu Kang before their fight)
  • "You have disturbed our regeneration process." (To Sub-Zero, Jax, and Sonya)
  • "We will break you as well." (To Sub-Zero after he maims Jax Briggs)
  • "The emperor will have your soul." (To Stryker before their fight)

Mortal Kombat X

Story Mode

  • "Our creator, Shao Kahn, is dead. We will serve whom we choose." (To Mileena before siding with Kotal Kahn)
  • "We would serve the new ruler of Outworld." (To Kotal and D'Vorah)
  • "We exist to serve, bound by Shao Kahn's magic." (After Takeda attempts to read his mind)
  • "We are many; you are one. Your abilities pale before us." (To Takeda before they fight)
  • "We sense them. But the forest teems with souls." (To Kotal about Cassie Cage's team)
  • "You are spawn of Jackson Briggs." (When recognizing Jacqui Briggs)
  • "We took your father's arms. We will take all of you." (To Jacqui before they fight)

Mortal Kombat 1

  • "We are Ermac. A collection of souls, bound by Quan Chi's magic. We live to obey his commands."
  • "We are many. You are one. We will destroy you."
  • "Quan Chi requires your death. His demand will be satisfied." (After Ashrah defeated him in a round)
  • "We are charged with defending the fortress. None will escape us."
  • "We are Ermac. It is pointless to resist us."
  • "We are many. You are one."
  • "Your soul will become part of our collection."
  • "Defeat is unavoidable. You will join us." (After Mileena lost to him in a round)
  • "Uhh... Gah... Raaaaaahhh..." (moans in pain)

Trivia

General

  • In the game Skullgirls Encore, the character Fukua has a color palette that is based off of Ermac's colors. This is one of her three color palettes referencing Mortal Kombat, the other two being Reptile and Rain.

Mortal Kombat 3/Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3/Mortal Kombat: Trilogy

  • In UMK3, he shared the Uppercut From Hell Fatality with Human Smoke.
  • In UMK3, Ermac had a tanned skin complexion, but his player 2 palette depicts him with a Caucasian skin tone. However, in MK Trilogy, the Caucasian skin tone became default.
  • Despite his UMK3 ending suggesting that he will return in the "fourth Mortal Kombat", Ermac did not appear at all in either Mortal Kombat 4 or Mortal Kombat Gold.

Mortal Kombat: Deception

  • In his Deception ending, he is described by Shujinko as being capable of handling Kung Lao, Sonya, Kitana, Jax, and Johnny Cage all by himself (with relative ease), facing them in the Chamber of Artifacts arena. The five combatants were under the control of Onaga at the time and therefore may have been fighting at significantly less than their full potential, allowing Ermac to effortlessly hold off all five of them at one time. Along with this, it is thought that Ermac was truly aware of Onaga's scheme and the possible consequences of it.
  • Because he had taught Kenshi the Telekinetic Slam, it was believed that he was going to be Kenshi's mentor and trainer. This concept was to give him a rather "human" look, but because Ermac is well known to the fans as a ninja, the concept of giving him a human look was dropped (it was also said that his concept made him look too wealthy as well). Also, being Kenshi's mentor didn't make sense since Kenshi is considered to be a skillful and talented warrior himself, so that concept was dropped also. However, Kenshi and Ermac remain as comrades-in-arms in the original timeline.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

  • In Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, one Game Over message reads, "Ask Ermac for Help". This is designed as a hint to the player of how to encounter the hidden boss fight with Ermac at the warrior shrine. Some believe this as a reference to MK:D, however this is very unlikely as the games have yet to have any history in exchanging messages from each other, let alone revealing storyline which has not yet to have taken place. Ermac's appearance at the Warrior´s Shrine (a stage in the first Mortal Kombat) in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks can be taken as a sort of inside joke, as he was rumored to be in the first Mortal Kombat game; the hoax that appeared on EGM also hinted that, supposedly, the way to fight him had something to do with the Warrior Shrine. Also, he takes the place of the Scorpion statue for who he was originally a palette swap of.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

  • Ermac also appears in the intro of Armageddon. Ermac is seen briefly in the beginning when he clotheslines Rain as the Forces of Light first run into the Forces of Darkness. After Sheeva sends Bo' Rai Cho and apparently Cyrax flying, he and Nightwolf begin to fight Sheeva with a series of punches. Though unsuccessful, Sheeva almost killed them by choking them, until Kenshi stabs Sheeva with his sword. It was after Kenshi's battle with Quan Chi that Ermac appears to recover, and tosses Quan Chi off of the pyramid. He then jumps into the air and comes down on Kenshi's ribcage while revealing that he is, in fact, Shang Tsung, while the real Ermac was nowhere else to be seen.

Mortal Kombat (2011)

  • In MK 2011, Ermac's "Mind Over Splatter" Fatality only seems to rip Sheeva's top arms off, leaving the lower two intact and unharmed.
  • His "Pest Control" Fatality seems to be based on Jax's MK3 fatality, where he grew in size and stomped on his opponent, only that in this case, it is the opposite: Ermac shrinks his opponent instead of growing larger.
  • He is the only male ninja in MK 2011 to have a Klassic Costume without a Klassic Fatality.
  • When he performs his "Pest Control" Fatality on Kratos, Kratos will yell at him instead of running around in fear.
  • Story wise, he is, so far, the second character created by Shao Kahn's will, the first being Mileena and the third being Skarlet. Unlike Mileena and Skarlet, he turned against Kahn to act as a heroic being.
  • Ermac is the only character whose battle damage concept on one of his outfits was supposed to have his eyeball hanging out.
  • Along with Kano, Sektor, Cyrax, and Cyber Sub-Zero, Ermac is one of the few characters who don't have one of their eyeballs stuck to the screen while being victims of Kenshi's "Scatterbrained" Fatality.

Mortal Kombat X

  • During Cassie's "Selfie" fatality, it is shown that Ermac has commented on the image as well as several other characters. His username, "It'sNotAirmac", references the past games he was in, such as UMK3, in which the announcer would pronounce his name as "Airmac" rather than "Ermac".
  • The concept art of Ermac shows that he had become Shao Kahn's living prison. This had been stated in matches but not the story mode of MKX. This was confirmed by the developers in Ermac's concept art as Shao Kahn seems to be trying to take over Ermac.
  • In Mortal Kombat X, Ermac refers to themselves as "me" rather than "us" in intro dialogues with Kung Lao and Tremor.
  • In many interactions in MKX, some fighters will sense a single soul fighting for dominance inside Ermac. Other interactions has Ermac state that Shao Kahn's soul is indeed part of his collection of souls. This can further support the idea that Shao Kahn is fighting for control over Ermac's body.
    • Ermac will even say "Feel the wrath of Shao Kahn" in some of his interactions, a quote directly taken from Shao Kahn himself.
  • In MKX, Ermac will not say his famous quote "We are many; you are but one" when he wins a match against himself, Triborg, or Ferra and Torr. This is because these fighters are pairs or collections, as none of them are a singular fighters.
    • To himself and Triborg, he will instead say "You are outnumbered".
    • To Ferra & Torr, he will instead say "we are many, you are but two".

Mortal Kombat 11

  • Although Ermac is not playable nor appears in the story mode of Mortal Kombat 11, he is frequently referenced when referring to the incident in which Jax lost his arms.
    • Ermac also cameos via Shang Tsung's moveset, where he'll take on Klassic Ermac's appearance and use his Telekinetic Slam move.
  • In MK11, Shang Tsung can perform Ermac's Gluttony Brutality from MKX in its entirety when Shang Tsung performs Force Lift as Ermac.

Mortal Kombat 1

  • When fighting Ermac in the Story Mode of Mortal Kombat 1, he reuses assets from Noob Saibot and Shang Tsung's appearances in Mortal Kombat 11.


References

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