Hsu Hao

"Hsu Hao would not dishonor his Red Dragon clan; he would complete his task at any cost."

- Hsu Hao's Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Biography

Hsu Hao is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series, who made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

About Hsu Hao
Hsu Hao is an evil, deceptive Mongolian grappler member of the Red Dragon clan. He infiltrated the Special Forces with the sole purpose of destroying them after he had aided them in destroying the Black Dragon crime clan, the long-time rivals of the Red Dragon.

Instead of a heart, Hsu Hao has a pulsating cybernetic implant that also enhances his strength. He follows orders from his superior, Mavado, with unquestioning obedience.

Storyline
Hsu Hao's superior, Mavado, gave him orders to act as a Chinese Secret Militant for the Special Forces and aid them in completely destroying the Black Dragon clan. Hsu Hao carried out his instructions without question and aided the U.S. Special Forces for years until the entire Black Dragon clan were seemingly eradicated, after the death of Jarek. Hsu Hao was called back to the Red Dragon headquarters at Charred Mountain but later received orders from Mavado to stay within the Special Forces HQ. He was then instructed to destroy their underground base and with it, their only means of inter-realm travel. He armed a miniature nuclear weapon and escaped through the portal just before it blew up.

As a result of his betrayal, his former superior at the Special Forces, Jax, who barely escaped with his life, had a score to settle with him. After Mavado captured and imprisoned Kano, Mavado sent Hsu Hao to kill Shang Tsung under orders from Quan Chi. On his way to Shang Tsung's palace he was cornered and killed when his artificial heart was ripped out by Jax.

Hsu Hao inexplicably returned in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, where he joined the Forces of Darkness in the battle of Armageddon. He fought Kenshi and later when the Pyramid of Argus emerged, he fought Johnny Cage when he only made it half way up the Pyramid. Hsu Hao and Cage then both fell off at the same time. He later died along with many other kombatants.

Biographies

 * Deadly Alliance: "A member of the Red Dragon, Hsu Hao's duty was to infiltrate the Special Forces and covertly guide them to members of the Black Dragon. Once the Black Dragon was seemingly destroyed, Hsu Hao was ordered to remain among the Special Forces ranks as an informant until further notice. That notice came when his superior, Mavado, ordered him to destroy the Outerworld Investigation Agency's ability to travel to Outworld. Hsu Hao would not dishonor his Red Dragon clan; he would complete his task at any cost. Hsu Hao gained access to an Ion Pulse bomb and infiltrated the heavily reinforced underground bunker that housed the techno-portals designed by the Agency. Barely evading Jax, Hsu Hao activated the portal to Outworld, switched on the bomb, and escaped into the portal before the Ion Pulse went off. The Agency was destroyed and with it any means for inter-realm travel from Earthrealm. Hsu Hao must now make contact with Mavado in Outworld to receive his next objective."


 * Bio Kard: "Hsu Hao's strength is matched only by his treachery. For years, this Red Dragon spy worked as a member of the Outworld Investigation Agency, alongside Sonya and Jax. Upon receiving orders from Mavado, Hsu Hao revealed himself as betrayer and destroyed the headquarters of OIA."

Signature moves

 * Cyrus Stomp / Boot Kamp: Hsu Hao jumps into the air and stomps on the opponent. (MK:DA, MK:A)
 * Khan Klap / Thunder Klap: Hsu Hao delivers a powerful clap that generates a gust of wind, knocking the opponent over. (MK:DA, MK:A)
 * Bouncing Death: Hsu Hao raises his arm with his fist glowing red and punches the ground, resulting in a fireball bouncing across the screen. (MK:A)
 * Krystal Lazer: Hsu Hao fires a laser beam from his chest implant at the opponent. (MK:A)
 * Charge Up: Hsu Hao does a small stance and his hands glow red, increasing his attack damage. (MK:A)

Fatalities

 * Chest Laser: Hsu Hao fires a giant beam from his chest at the opponent. Then the opponent breaks in two. The body then backs away before dropping. (MK:DA)

Endings

 * Deadly Alliance: "Hsu Hao reported to his superior, Mavado, and informed him of his success in destroying the Special Forces Outerworld Investigation Agency. Mavado then informed Hsu Hao of his next objective... It seemed that Quan Chi was proving to be a powerful ally and was willing to aid the Red Dragon in its quest for domination of Earth. In a show of good faith, Mavado agreed to destroy Quan Chi's enemies. The sorcerer suspected betrayal from Shang Tsung. There was evidence that Shang Tsung had allied with the two Oni known as Moloch and Drahmin. Hsu Hao's new orders were to eliminate the sorcerer Shang Tsung before the Oni eliminated Quan Chi."


 * Armageddon: (Non-Canonical) "Killed in the shockwave of Blaze's violent death, Hsu Hao's corrupt soul descended into the Netherrealm. As his soul began to regain a physical body, Hsu Hao became his true self: a demon of emptiness and desolation. Leading an Oni horde, he defeated Shinnok and his minions. He now sits upon the throne of the Netherrealm."

Character Relationships

 * Was introduced by Shujinko to Mavado.
 * Hired by Mavado to be a member of the Red Dragon.
 * Was sent to infiltrate the Outerworld Investigation Agency.
 * Seemingly destroyed the entire Black Dragon clan along with Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs.
 * Eventually betrayed Sonya and Jax and went back to Mavado.
 * Arch-Rival of Jax.
 * Sent by Mavado to assassinate Shang Tsung.
 * Killed by Jax in Deadly Alliance.
 * Somehow was resurrected (possibly by Shinnok) and joined the Forces of Darkness in the final battle in Armageddon.

Trivia

 * Hsu Hao was one of the more unpopular new characters introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance; the creators showed much dislike to him, John Vogel in particular in Hsu Hao's bio kard. Vogel stated that Hsu Hao's death in Jax's Deadly Alliance ending was acceptable because he wanted to get rid of Hsu Hao and had no intentions of bringing him back. A cryptic message revealed by playing the words uttered by an inhabitant of the Chaosrealm backwards somewhat indicate that Hsu Hao won't return (specifically, the message revealed is "Will Hsu Hao return from the dead? Err.....probably NOT"). However, since Mortal Kombat: Armageddon brought back every character, Vogel had no choice but to include Hsu Hao, much to his dismay. Showing just how much Vogel despises the character, Hsu Hao would actually die and become a demon void of any character in his own Armageddon ending. Perhaps not surprisingly, when information about Mortal Kombat (2011) came out, it was stated that Hsu Hao (as well as Chameleon) would not appear in that game.
 * Though he is a Chinese operative and national, Hsu Hao is of Mongolian descent (his MK Koffin Klue in the Krypt called him Mongolian Warrior, as well as being confirmed by Ed Boon himself on Hsu Hao's bio video). It is most likely that Hsu Hao is from the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, rather than the country of Mongolia.
 * During early production of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Hsu Hao was known as Khan (not to be confused with Shao Kahn, which is often incorrectly spelled as Shao Khan). Many pictures of Hsu Hao bearing the name Khan are found in unlockables in the Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Krypt including his satirical ad for Mortal Kandies and his character concept art. He also has a special move kalled "Khan Clap", which in Armageddon is changed to "Thunder Klap".
 * Hsu Hao is one of a few Earthrealm natives who are evil in every one of their appearances, a group which also includes Kano, Jarek, Kira, Kobra and Mavado.
 * He is seen in the intro of Armageddon. During the sword fight between Kenshi and Quan Chi, he is seen fighting Johnny Cage, which then results in both of them tumbling down the pyramid.
 * The same surgeon who implanted Hsu Hao's artificial heart also implanted Kano's bionic eye.
 * In a Game Informer article titled "10 Things You Don't Know About Ed Boon", Hsu Hao and Drahmin were stated to be his least favorite Mortal Kombat characters and that their chances of returning are not so high.
 * In Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode, Hsu Hao encounters Shujinko in Edenia and asks him to help find work. Shujinko succeeds in finding work for Hsu Hao by locating Mavado, who is in need for another recruit for the Red Dragon Clan and destroying the Special Forces base. This could be a reference to Hsu Hao's purpose and being in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.