Onaga

"It is said that there is only one true ruler of Outworld…and that ruler had returned."

- Shujinko, Mortal Kombat: Deception Intro

Onaga, the Dragon King, is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deception, in which he also served as the main antagonist and final boss. He then became playable in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.

About Onaga
Onaga was introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance under the cryptic name of the "Dragon King", the long-dead ruler of Outworld preceding Shao Kahn. Not much was known about him, except for the fact that his army was deemed undefeatable but, at his untimely death, allowed itself to be mummified and kept in an ancient tomb that remained uncovered until the necromancer Quan Chi stumbled upon it. Onaga is one of the series' characters through which the One Being is said to work. His most important powers include superhuman strength, resistance to all forms of magic, and the innate power to raise the dead.

Combat characteristics
Onaga appears to be one of the strongest beings in the entire Mortal Kombat series, if not the strongest. His own power is ambiguous overall, but since Shao Kahn preferred poisoning Onaga as opposed to fighting him, he can be presumed to possess enough power that Shao Kahn feared facing him. When Onaga had the Kamidogu, he became nearly unstoppable and any direct confrontation with him was nigh impossible. This is displayed when the two strongest sorcerers, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, combined with the power of Earth's Thunder God, Raiden, tried to stop him. The blasts from all three only pushed him away as he advanced towards them. Not even a self-destruct blast from Raiden was sufficient in destroying him, only doing little, if any visible damage. Being a dragon, Onaga is able to exhale flames in a concentrated ball of fire or a stream of fire, similar to a flamethrower. In Deception, Onaga was able to fly, but doesn't use this ability when fighting in Armageddon. He also possesses a degree of magic as he was able to spread his influence in the form of a spiritual avatar named Damashi, whom he used to manipulate Shujinko for many years to gain what he needed, also displaying his cunning and tactics.

Signature moves

 * Dragon's Fire: Onaga launches a fireball at his opponent. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Flame Breath: Onaga spews flames, immolating the opponent and setting them up for an additional combo. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Jumping Stomp: Onaga jumps up and creates a shockwave when he lands, causing damage to the opponent if they are grounded. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Sliding Kick: Onaga lunges forward with a foot extended, tripping the opponent if he makes contact. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Dirty Face: Onaga creates a small shockwave which knocks the opponent back a bit. (MK:D, MK:A)

Other moves

 * Super Powerbomb: After capturing his foe, Onaga flies up into the air and powerbombs the foe headfirst to the ground. (MKD)

Stage Relationships

 * Dragon King's Temple: Onaga's throne room and his place of worship, where all six Kamidogu and the Amulet of Shinnok are kept. (MKD)
 * Dragon Mountain: An old shrine for Onaga's worshipers in Outworld and also the location of the Dragon King's Temple. (MKD)
 * Lava Shrine: A chamber for the last of the Great Dragon egg, which would one day herald the return of the Dragon King. (MK:DA)
 * Lost Tomb: A long-forgotten temple where many of the Dragon King's army were held. (MK:DA)
 * Nexus Arena: A hub that contained portals to all six realms. Under the guise of Elder Gods agent Damashi, Onaga instructed Shujinko to acquire the Kamidogu from each realm and bring it back to the Nexus. After Shujinko had completed the quest, Onaga appeared and revealed his ruse. (MKD)
 * Sarna Ruins: The former temple of the Great Dragon Egg, relocated due to instability of the lands.
 * Shang Tsung's Palace: At Onaga's arrival, the Deadly Alliance had defeated the last of their opposition and had then turned on each other. With this looming threat, Raiden, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi teamed up against the Dragon King, to no avail. The palace was destroyed and all three were killed. (MK:DA)

Trivia

 * Onaga's name may derived from "Ō Nāga", which means "Great Dragon" in Japanese.
 * When fighting Onaga in Deception, touching one of the Kamidogu results in him doubling over in pain.
 * In Raiden's ending in Deadly Alliance, Onaga was briefly seen with an entirely different look compared to his current design.

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