Liu Kang

"Only one fight remains...face me in Mortal Kombat!"

- ''

Liu Kang is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He is one of the few original characters, debuting in the first Mortal Kombat arcade game. He serves as the main character of the series in many instances, and is the Grand Champion of Mortal Kombat in the first four tournaments.

About Liu Kang
Liu Kang is also one of the most popular characters in the series, one of the best warriors of Earthrealm and has beaten many to prove his valor. Throughout the series, Liu Kang has been gradually portrayed as the main hero, becoming champion after the first Mortal Kombat tournament. The one character who could be considered the closest thing to a nemesis Liu Kang has is Shang Tsung, who has been repeatedly defeated in battle by the Shaolin monk. Because of this, Kang is often considered to be the biggest threat to the plans of Tsung and his emperor, Shao Kahn. He is a member of the White Lotus Society. Kang was killed by the Deadly Alliance of Tsung and Quan Chi.

In the first few entries in the series, Liu Kang was shown to be non-violent, in that his finisher did not explicitly kill the opponent. Starting with Mortal Kombat 2, however, all of his finishers involved killing the opponent in one way or another. Due to his zombie state in Mortal Kombat: Deception, he has been shown to kill hundreds of innocent people at a time although it's not really him committing these crimes, but his body itself.

Appearance
At his debut, Liu Kang appeared to be among the dime a dozen Bruce Lee pastiches; an adult of Chinese origin with a bare chest, black pants and white shoes. From MKII and onwards, he is depicted with shoulder length shaggy black hair, red headband, spiked gauntlets and red and black Kung Fu pants, still keeping his upper body bare (except in Mortal Kombat 4 where he has a tank top). In Mortal Kombat Deception, he is depicted as a zombie. He gains a ghastly green tint on his decaying skin, showing the most damage on his peeling face. He retains the same attire but now wears a pair of chains with hooks attached to his gauntlets which he can use to reel in his opponents, though this is never actually used in-game.

As of Mortal Kombat (2011), Liu Kang has reverted back to his human form, now featuring a red sash with the Elder Gods medallion.

Mortal Kombat
Orphaned as a child, Liu Kang was taken in by the Order of Light's Shaolin Temple, hidden in the mountains of Honan Province in China. Trained in the teachings of the Great Kung Lao, Liu Kang's talent in the martial arts caught the attention of Lord Raiden. Raiden saw Earthrealm's last hope in the young warrior monk, and took Liu Kang to see the legendary Outworld master of martial arts, Bo' Rai Cho to further the young Shaolin's development. After several years Liu Kang's training was complete, and then he was enrolled into the top secret White Lotus Society, an order of warriors created by Raiden to defend the Earthrealm. As the tenth generation of the Mortal Kombat Tournament approached, Liu Kang was summoned by Shaolin Grandmaster Wu, and was sent by the Temple of Light to defeat Shang Tsung. He desired to defeat Shang Tsung and bring the tournament back to its Shaolin owners. As he made his way to the tournament, he met and became friends with Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. At the time of Liu Kang's entry, Outworld had won nine Mortal Kombat tournaments in a row. Eventually, Liu Kang earned the right to challenge Goro to Mortal Kombat. By exploiting the Shokan's overconfidence, Liu Kang defeated Goro and became the new Champion of Mortal Kombat. Upon hearing of Goro's defeat, Shang Tsung challenged him.

After an epic battle, Liu Kang defeated Shang Tsung with his Flying Kick taught to him by Bo' Rai Cho, causing the destruction of the island fortress due to Shang Tsung's defeat, then returns home from the destruction as the new Mortal Kombat Champion.

Mortal Kombat II
Coming home from Tsung's Island, he found many of his Shaolin killed in a vicious attack by a Tarkatan horde. Enraged, Liu Kang decided to travel to Outworld, backed by fellow White Lotus member and spiritual brother Kung Lao, Raiden, Sub-Zero (the younger brother of the original Sub-Zero who was killed by Scorpion), and Smoke to seek revenge. Before he traveled to Outworld, Liu Kang went to Hollywood to seek Johnny Cage's help.

Luckily, Liu Kang arrived at the right time as Cage was being attacked by a Tarkatan horde. Now joined with Johnny and Sonya's superior Jax Briggs, they finally traveled to Outworld. At the tournament, he and Kung Lao met Kitana, and Liu Kang began to fall in love with her. He learned the true nature of the Outworld tournament but competed anyway. While it is unclear as to what matches took place, it is known that Liu Kang fought Shao Kahn, eventually overpowering the emperor. It is also strongly possible he also faced Shang Tsung in front of Shao Kahn, defeating him despite his youth and renewed powers, and Kintaro as well. Near defeat, Kahn ordered his forces to destroy the earth fighters, forcing Earth's heroes to return home and to begin preparing for the coming invasion.

Mortal Kombat 3/Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3/Mortal Kombat Trilogy
After returning to Earthrealm, Liu Kang, along with Kung Lao, began training a new generation of Shaolin Warriors, but was interrupted when the invasion began. As Kahn's extermination squads were sent to kill Earth's chosen warriors, Liu Kang found himself the primary target. Kung Lao, who went against Shao Kahn, was nearly killed by a powerfull spell. Enraged, Liu Kang challenged the Emperor to Mortal Kombat, and after the final battle, he defeated Shao Kahn again, causing him and his forces to retreat back to Outworld. The souls that Khan had trapped were set free and, just before the portal closed, Liu Kang was thanked by Kitana for his part in saving both Earth and her realm from Shao Kahn.

Mortal Kombat 4/Mortal Kombat Gold
Liu Kang traveled to America to look for a new generation of Shaolin warriors to train. While there in America, he met his old friend Kai. The two then traveled back to China, where Liu Kang trained Kai to be a Shaolin Warrior. However, the peace was not to last, as the fallen Elder God Shinnok had escaped from the Netherrealm through a portal to Edenia. Upon learning that Kitana had been captured, Liu Kang set out on his own to save her, but he was unsuccessful. Liu Kang returned to Earth, where he began gathering Earth's warriors to save Earth and assist his mentor, Raiden.

Eventually, Liu Kang confronted the fallen Elder God Shinnok and once again emerged victorious, effectively ending his attack on Earth. Liu Kang returned to the Shaolin Temples, believing he has lost Kitana forever. However, the Edenian Princess appeared through a portal from Edenia and thanked Liu Kang for all he had done. She offered him a chance to join her at the throne of Edenia. However, due to the responsibilities as a Mortal Kombat Champion, Liu Kang was forced to decline her offer.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
For many years, Liu Kang went on to enjoy relative peace. However, the Deadly Alliance would make itself known on Earth by its successful assassination of Liu Kang. Shang Tsung posed as Kung Lao and snuck up on the champion as he was practicing his katas. Shang Tsung, after being beaten down by Liu Kang, would be assisted by Quan Chi, who injured Liu Kang by hitting him in the back with a projectile while he was focused on Shang Tsung. Shang Tsung used this distraction to gain the upper hand and snapped Liu Kang's neck, consuming his soul shortly after. Liu Kang's mutilated body was discovered by his fellow Shaolin monk Kung Lao, and he was laid to rest at the Wu Shi Academy, where a shrine was built to honor him.

Mortal Kombat: Deception
In the culmination of events, Raiden released his godlike essence in order to destroy Onaga, presumably killing both Quan Chi and Shang Tsung in the process. Liu Kang witnessed these events through Shang Tsung's eyes. While it is unknown whether or not Quan Chi and Shang Tsung truly died, it has been established that the thousands of souls that Tsung consumed in the past were released, including that of Liu Kang. Furthermore, Raiden, now somehow corrupted in his reformation, reanimated Liu Kang's body and sent it on a rampage, slaughtering many of Liu Kang's fellow Shaolin monks. Liu Kang's spirit decided to stay in Outworld to assist in the war against Onaga, but he soon discovered his body's "resurrection" and was stricken by what he had done. Although Liu Kang wasn't technically responsible, he couldn't help but feel responsibility for the actions committed by his corpse. He also learned about his comrades and how they had been enslaved by Onaga. From there, Liu Kang enlisted the mysterious ninja Ermac as an ally and had two missions to complete. The first was to try and save his friends from Onaga with Ermac, the second to defeat and stop his body from doing further harm. Liu Kang was actually aware that Shujinko was deceived by Onaga into getting the Kamidogu. However, Liu Kang gladly taught Shujinko his techniques to help him. With that finished, Liu Kang then set out to complete his missions with Ermac. Liu Kang successfully saved his friends from Onaga's enslavement and had an emotional, albeit short, reunion with those closest to him. After going seperate ways with his friends, Liu Kang set out to accomplish his most dire task - reuniting with his body.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
According to Nightwolf's bio, Kitana was accompanied by the spirit of Liu Kang. The bond between them was strong; thus she was able to keep his energies intact until a way to reunite his body and soul could be found. Nightwolf transferred the bond from Kitana to himself and accepted the role as Liu Kang's new spiritual anchor."

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
After Shao Khan's unsuccessful invasion of Earthrealm, Kang returned to Wu Shi Academy for a time. Soon, some of his fellow White Lotus monks began disappearing; Kitana later appeared and told him that her warriors were disappearing. Concluding that either the Black Dragon or the Lin Kuei may be involved, Kitana and Kang split up to investigate.

Kang went to look for Sub-Zero; the ninja attacked and Kang defeated him in a fight. Sub-Zero thought that Kang was responsible for the disappearance of his Lin Kuei warriors, but Kang told him of his innocence - telling him of their own disappearances - and then saves him from Scorpion. Sub-Zero escaped while Kang defeated Scorpion. Before Kang's eyes, Scorpion was surrounded by a yellow flash of light and was replaced by The Flash. Believing Flash to be Shang Tsung, Kang fought and defeated him. Realizing Flash wasn't the evil sorcerer, Kang brought him back to the academy to be examined by his masters, where the real Tsung was waiting to fight. Kang prevailed and proceeded to examine Flash himself, but the same energy teleported Kang to Gotham City. There, he confronted Batman. Blinded by the battle rage, Kang mistook the Dark Knight for Tsung once more, but he was knocked unconscious. Batman took Kang to the U.N. orbital station, where Raiden appeared and rescued Kang.

Kang was partnered up with his arch nemesis Shang Tsung in the banded alliance that Raiden and Quan Chi assemble to face off against the intruders, believing them to be new warriors of a being named Dark Kahn. Kang defeated Green Lantern in the final battle against the D.C. warriors. When Raiden was consumed by the rage, Kang tried to take down the angry god but was defeated. Tsung asked "Fatality?" and Raiden calm down because of his fear to do something wrong, after that, Raiden and Superman went on to defeat Dark Kahn.

thumb|300px|right|MKA BIOCARD

Biographies

 * Mortal Kombat: "Once a member of the super secret White Lotus Society, Liu Kang left the organization in order to represent Shaolin temples in the Tournament. Kang is strong in his beliefs and despises Shang Tsung."


 * Mortal Kombat II: "After winning the Shaolin Tournament from Shang Tsung's clutches Kang returns to his temples. He discovers his sacred home in ruins, his Shaolin brothers killed in a vicious battle with a horde of Outworld warriors. Now he travels into the Dark Realm to seek revenge."


 * Mortal Kombat 3: "After the Outworld invasion, Liu Kang finds himself the prime target of Kahn's extermination squads. He is the Shaolin Champion and has thwarted Kahn's schemes in the past. Of all the humans, Kang poses the greatest threat to Shao Kahn's rule."


 * Mortal Kombat 4: "Still the immortal champion of Mortal Kombat, Liu Kang finds himself venturing into the realm of Edenia to rescue the princess Kitana from the vile clutches of Quan Chi. Unsuccessful in his mission Liu returns to Earth and mounts an effort to bring together Earth's greatest warriors. He does it this time not only to free Kitana's home world but also to assist his mentor and Earth's protector... Raiden."


 * Deception: "The sorcerer Shang Tsung had killed me and consumed my soul. I remained trapped within his being, tormented by his evil, along with many other victims of his vampiric soul drain. Through Shang Tsung’s eyes, we witnessed the battle with Raiden, who sacrificed himself to stop Onaga. Raiden’s blast destroyed Shang Tsung, and our souls were free to ascend into the heavens. I remained in Outworld, however, to aid my friends in the fight against the Dragon King. Why someone would desecrate my grave and reanimate my body, I cannot say. Somehow my corpse retains my knowledge of martial arts and has killed many innocents. Though I am not the perpetrator of these slaying, I cannot help but feel responsible for the brutality committed by my corporal form. The battle between mind and body has begun."


 * Shaolin Monks: "Formerly with the White Lotus Society, Liu Kang earned the right to represent the Shaolin in the Mortal Kombat tournament. The thunder god Raiden knew that Shang Tsung's forces could not be overthrown by a lone warrior and helped Liu Kang to forge an alliance with other competitors. With their aid, he defeated the sorcerer and saved Earthrealm from domination."


 * Armageddon: (Bio Kard) "The former champion of Mortal Kombat and member of the White Lotus Society, Liu Kang was murdered by Shang Tsung. He now exists as a living corpse, fueled by vengeance."


 * MK vs DCU: "A Shaolin monk, Liu Kang saved Earthrealm from the forces of Outworld by defeating Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat tournament. That peace was short-lived. Shao Kahn, angered by his defeat, bypassed the rules and invaded Earthrealm. Liu Kang was called back to action by Raiden, God of Thunder. With the Forces of Light at his side, he again pushed back the invasion and defeated Shao Kahn's minions. Liu Kang has returned to the Wu Shi Academy to continue his martial arts training, but his time there will be brief as a new threat beckons him to action."


 * MK2011: "Orphaned at a very young age, Liu Kang was raised by Shaolin monks, who taught him the way of the spiritual warrior. They soon recognized his potential as a contender for the Mortal Kombat tournament and rigorously trained him for this task. Raiden, too, understood that Liu Kang was Earthrealm's best hope for freedom and introduced him to Master Bo' Rai Cho to further his development. Once fully trained, Liu Kang bested all challengers and earned the high honor of representing the Shaolin in the Mortal Kombat tournament. He and Raiden then embarked on their fateful journey to Shang Tsung's island to compete in this pivotal kontest."
 * Mortal Kombat 2011: " As a young orphan, Liu Kang was trained by monks, ultimately becoming Shaolin expert under Master Bo’ Rai Cho. Assisted by the God of Thunder, Liu Kang is Earthrealm’s best hope for freedom and survival. Liu Kang is destined reach the final challenge and become the champion of Mortal Kombat. thumb|right|444px|Liu Kang's Bio Vignette"

Powers and abilities
Liu Kang has proven himself to be one of the most powerful characters in the series span, having emerged victorious in every Mortal Kombat tournament he is involved in. Liu Kang possesses incredible agility, acrobatics, and more commonly, martial arts. These, along with his Flying Kick, were taught to him by Bo' Rai Cho. It is suggested that Liu Kang meditates regularly in order to keep increasing strength as well as maintain it. Due to his recurring status as the Mortal Kombat champion, Liu Kang never ages.

Liu Kang is commonly associated with the element of fire, which comes in the form of shooting firebound projectiles. He appears to have some degree of control over it as the fireballs sometimes come in dragon-like shapes and has also used the element for finishers as well. In addition, Liu Kang also appears to possess a degree of shapeshifting, able to transform himself into a Chinese Dragon which includes a serpentine body with small arms. In Shaolin Monks, the form is also revealed to have fire-breathing capabilities, most likely associated with his ability to use fire.

Signature moves

 * Flying Kick: Liu Kang flies across the screen and connects with a kick to the opponent's torso. (MK, MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:SM, MK:A, MKvs.DCU, MK:2011)


 * High Dragon Fire: Liu Kang sends a fiery flame in the shape of a dragon across the screen out of his hands at his opponent. (MK, MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:SM, MK:A, MKvsDCU, MK:2011)


 * Air Fireball: Liu Kang performs his Fireball in the air. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:SM, MK:2011)


 * Low Dragon Fire: Kneeling down, Liu Kang sends the same fireball at his opponent's feet. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:SM, MK:A,MKvsDCU, MK:2011)


 * Large Fireball: Liu Kang fires a larger fireball that sets his opponent on fire. (MK:SM)


 * Bicycle Kick: Liu Kang flies across the screen with a series of multiple kicks to the opponMk9_bicycle_kick_liu_kang.jpg's torso. In MK 2011 enhanced version, he does the special move, but with flames on his feet as well. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:SM, MK:A, MKvsDCU, MK 2011)


 * Dragon's Tail: Liu Kang does a cartwheel kick on his opponent, similar to his first Mortal Kombat fatality. Pressing another attack button will allow Liu Kang to follow up with another move that varies depending on the pressed button. (MKvsDCU)


 * Shadow Bicycle Kick: A faster version of bicycle kick which leaves a red shadow, this is somewhat copied from Johnny Cage's Red Shadow kick, but Liu's Bicycle Kick makes it his own. (MKT)


 * Fiery Teleport Punch: Liu Kang disappears in a burst of flames, reappearing behind his opponent and delivering a swift surprise punch in the back. (MK 2011)


 * Fiery Teleport Uppercut: Liu Kang disappears in a burst of flames, but instead of punching the opponent in the back he punches them in the air. (MK 2011)


 * X-Ray Move: Another move based on his first Mortal Kombat fatality, Liu Kang performs a cartwheel kick and uppercut, which damages his opponent's jaw and causes them to fly in the air. As they come back down, he kicks them in the face causing another damaging blow to the jaw. (MK 2011thumb|right|444px|Liu Kang revealed, showing his X-Ray Moves)

Fatalities

 * Deadly Uppercut: Liu Kang simply does a butterfly kick and uppercuts his opponent. The opponent isn't explicitly murdered (unless it is used as a stage fatality), and was created to show Kang's faith in the Shaolin way. In Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, the opponent explodes into pieces upon falling to the ground. (MK, MKII, MK:SM)
 * Dragon Bite: Liu Kang's signature fatality, in which he morphs into a large dragon and consumes the upper body of his opponent, In the Game Boy version of MK II he still turns into a dragon and scorches his opponent alive. The remains explode a few seconds after, scattering the bones. This fatality was turned into an Animality in MK3 and back into a normal fatality in MK4. In MK 2011, it is said that Liu Kang will transform into a Dragon, and bites the head off of the opponent, leaving a river of blood behind. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK4, MK:SM, MK 2011)
 * Arcade Drop: Liu Kang disappears, then an arcade cabinet of MK1 crushes the opponent. Afterwards, Liu Kang reappears and does his victory pose. In MK vs DCU, the arcade severely crushes the opponent, but the opponent still squirms. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKvsDCU)
 * Incinerate: Liu Kang disappears and reappears inside his opponent as living fire, immolating the victim from the inside before reappearing. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Explosive Fireball: Liu Kang tosses the opponent high in the air, then destroys them with a fireball. (MK4, MKG)
 * Soul Invasion: Liu Kang transforms his body into a spiritual state and enters the victim's body, possessing it. A second later, the victim rips their own head off to reveal Liu Kang's head replacing itthumb|right|258px|Liu Kang's fatality from MKD. before bowing down. (MK:D)
 * Dragon Fire Blast: Liu Kang extracts what appears to be the opponent's chi and charges it with his own before firing it back at the victim, tearing them to pieces. (MK:D)
 * Head Stomp: Liu uppercuts the foe and then bicycle kicks him/her then slams down with a flaming fist to the torso. (MKvsDCU)
 * Fiery Head Clap: In a manner similar to Jax, Liu Kang claps on his opponent's head. The only difference is that he charges his arms with fire. (MK:SM)
 * Fire/Kick Combo: Liu Kang fires a large fireball which sets his opponent on fire. He then does his Flying Kick, making them explode. (MK:SM)
 * Shaolin Head Soccer: Liu Kang uppercuts his opponent's head off, then does a backflip kick that sends the head flying towards the victim's body, making it explode. (MK:SM)
 * Arm Beatdown: Liu Kang tears off his opponent's arms and beats them to death with them. (MK:SM)
 * Bonebreak Combo: Liu Kang snaps his opponent's arm, leg and head. (MK:SM)
 * Shaolin Fiery Chest Punch: Liu Kang bows and charges his hand with fire then punches his fist through his opponents chest and pulls it back out leaving his arm bloodied and the opponent with a gaping wound in their chest. (MK:2011)

Other Finishers

 * Friendship #1: Dancing Monk: A disco ball comes down from the top of the screen and Liu Kang dances. (MKII)
 * Friendship #2: Shadow Theater: A projector screen appears and Liu Kang uses his fingers to make a shadow puppet of the MK dragon. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Hara-Kiri: Liquidation: Liu Kang releases what appears to be green fire and melts himself. Similar to one of Ashrah's fatalities. (MK:D)
 * Animality/Fatality : Liu Kang transforms into a dragon and eats the upperhalf of the opponent (This was a Fatality but later became an Animality). (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK: SM)
 * Multality #1: Dragon Breath: Liu Kang turns into a dragon and breathes fire onto his enemies. (MK:SM)
 * Multality #2: Trial By Fire: Liu Kang creates several fireballs that makes enemies explode when hit. (MK:SM)
 * Brutality: Rage Mode: Liu Kang covering himself in flames, running towards his opponents, fires an exploding fireball at the foe, and pounding his opponent and stomping them to death. (MK:SM)

Endings

 * Liu_Kang_end2.gifMortal Kombat: "After defeating mighty Goro and putting an end to Shang Tsung's rule over the Tournament, Kang is able to return the contest to its rightful hosts - the Shaolin Temples. Kang's heroics will always be remembered. He will continue the traditions of the Shaolin Temples and restore the true pride and respect of this once great tournament."


 * Mortal Kombat II: "With his Shaolin temple in ruins, Liu Kang journeys into the Outworld, enters Shao Kahn's tournament and unleashes a fury that does not end until the defeat of Shao Kahn. Liu Kang then returns to the seclusion of his Shaolin temple. He pays his respects to his lost brothers and finally realizes that the events which have taken place were all fulfillment of his destiny."


 * Mortal Kombat 3: "After thwarting Shao Kahn in the past, Liu Kang finds himself the main target of Kahn's extermination squads. But Kang is the reigning Mortal Kombat champion and proves it by easily defeating Kahn's minions. But the apparent death of his friend Kung Lao that enrages Kang and enables him to find the strength to defeat Shao Khan. Then before portal closes, Liu Kang is greeted by Princess Kitana and thanked for saving Earth and the Outworld."


 * Mortal Kombat 4: Kang defeated Shinnok, but lamented over the loss of Kitana and Edenia in the process. However, Kitana suddenly appeared in a portal and said that defeating Shinnok not only saved Earthrealm, but saved her own land as well. She offered him a place at her side as king of Edenia; Kang declined, as his duties as champion of Mortal Kombat required him to stay in Earthrealm. Kitana wished him good luck on his future journeys.


 * Deception: (Semi-canonical) "Liu Kang's friends had been freed. Onaga had been defeated, and the realms were secure once more. But there was one battle that remained. Liu Kang's body had been used by some unknown force as a tool of destruction. It had left death in its wake and needed to be stopped. The chaos would end in Earthrealm. The fight raged with neither kombatant able to best the other, when a jolt of energy crackled through them both. Liu Kang's nerves blazed like fire, and he felt a rush of air fill his lungs for the first time since his death. He was Liu Kang once more: Protector of Earthrealm, Champion of Mortal Kombat."


 * Armageddon: (Non-canonical) "The power released by Blaze's destruction reunited Liu Kang's body and soul. Whole once more and possessing the power of a god, he confronted Raiden, who had been corrupted by his suicide. Liu Kang reluctantly defeated his mentor in an epic clash. With consent of the Elder Gods, he replaced Raiden as Protector of Earthrealm."


 * MK vs. DCU: (Non-canonical) "Through intense study, Raiden was able to unlock the secrets of the Rock of Eternity and determine its function. He decided to emulate it and create a Captain Marvel of Earthrealm. Raiden infused Liu Kang with his own power, as well as the abilities of his fellow gods Argus, Fujin and others. In order to transform himself into a being of unstoppable power, Liu Kang need only shout, 'Mortal Kombat!'"

Film
Portrayed by Robin Shou, Liu Kang is the main hero in both Mortal Kombat movies (Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation), and it's there that his love interest with Kitana develops, and was later ported to the games.

In the first movie, Liu's brother was killed by Shang Tsung. The guilt of his brother's death provides Liu's primary motivation for competing in the Mortal Kombat tournament.

In the second movie, He joins the Earthrealm warriors to stop Shao Kahn's menace.

Liu Kang will appear in a mini Mortal Kombat web series.

Television
Liu Kang is one of the lead characters in animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. Even though in other medias he's the main protagonist, the animated series focuses on a group of heroes instead of just one, leaving him to reprise important roles on few episodes. In Episode 4 Skin Deep, he shows jealousy towards Rain, Kitana's old fiancee. His Bruce Lee scream (turkey voice) is not in the series. In episode one Kombat Begins Again, it is replaced by a loud banshee shriek.

Comic books
Liu Kang is the main protagonist of the Malibu Comics series. His story is mostly intact (he being an Order of Light monk out to restore the tournament to their righteous owners), though in the comics he's not the chosen one to defeat Goro, the role instead falls on a character created exclusively for the comics: the twin monk brothers Sing and Sang, which are capable of fusing their bodies and minds into one being, Siang. Liu Kang steps as the only hope for the Temples of Light after Siang is brutally murdered by Goro. Another changed aspect is that he works in Chicago as an architect, having left the Order of Light before the events of the first series.

The following series Battlewave states Liu Kang won the first tournament, which happened after Blood & Thunder ended and is never shown in any comic, after defeating Goro. He returns to his normal life, but suffers from constant attacks by an unknown force of ninjas and later receives help from Johnny Cage's bodyguard Bo when Goro ambushes him in an office building. Eventually he decides to travel to Outworld, realizing that he cannot avoid Mortal Kombat.

Liu Kang is never shown interacting with Kitana, thus their relation is never brought up or developed, instead chosing to pair her with Kung Lao. His friendship with Kung Lao is also greatly overlooked, only becoming friends during the Blood & Thunder series when Kung Lao saved a near-death Liu Kang after Kano backstabbed him.

Appearance
In the first game, Liu Kang had short hair and wears black pants and white shoes, looking more like Bruce Lee. In MKII he had a new red headband on his forehead, two red stripes on his pants and two new wristbands, and his shoes are black instead of white, in MK3, he had a long hair instead of short, in MK4 he had a red tanktop, in Deception he wears his MK3 outfit, but due to his resurrection, his skin is zombie grey now and he wears chains around his wrists.

Liu Kang's MK3 outfit is his most used outfit. It is used in the later games such as MK4, MKD, MKA, MKvsDCU and MK (2011), it also serves as Liu Kang's primary costume in Shaolin Monks.

Game information
Liu Kang was the only Mortal Kombat character who had a fatality in which the opponent was not explicitly murdered (save for the Pit Fatality). His finishing move was also the only one in the original MK game that was performed without the background dimming. This was because Liu Kang was depicted as a Shaolin monk, and, in general, Shaolin monks have strict beliefs on committing murder. However, starting with Mortal Kombat II, he was given gory fatalities as he was depicted as a renegade monk who had "strong Shaolin beliefs, but was no longer a part of the Shaolin monks." Liu Kang has also appeared in nearly every Mortal Kombat fighting game, with the notable exception of Deadly Alliance, though he still appears in the game's intro.

A victorious round against Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat II does not lead to Kahn's usual voice declaring that the player's character wins. If Liu Kang is the chosen fighter, he will utter a small war cry upon winning the round.

Liu Kang deals double damage upon Onaga in Mortal Kombat: Deception.

He is the fourth Mortal Kombat character to have a game based on him (Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks). He and Kung Lao are the game's two protagonists.

Even though Liu Kang, canonwise, appears in his dead form both in Deception and Armageddon, his alternate costume in both games depicts his human form; or the form that was achieved when he, in his endings in Deception and Armageddon, fused his soul with his body.

The hooked chains that hang from the arms of Liu Kang's zombie form has garnered much demand by fans to be used as a weapons style in the series, especially after Kang himself uses them as such in Armageddon's intro movie (where he rolls the chains up his wrists to fight Shang Tsung, and later uses their hooked tips to stop Tsung from reaching for the top of the pyramid). So far, however, these demands seem to have fallen on deaf ears at Midway, and the chains remain a non-interactive costume accessory for the character. Also, as these chains seem to have appeared arbitrarily to give Zombie Kang a more 'dark' feel, many fans have also demanded for a canonical explanation for why the character has them. The origins of Liu Kang's shackles were finally revealed in Raiden's bio in the game Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, where he described the shackles as enchanted chains used to control the dead. As such, he placed them on the corpse of Liu Kang, recited an unholy incantation, and revived Liu Kang as his personal enforcer.

Trivia

 * Liu Kang is Mortal Kombat's current and undisputed champion. He is referred to as "The immortal champion of Mortal Kombat" in later games, and his ending in Mortal Kombat: Deception has him again assuming the role upon his restoration to life.


 * His ending in Armageddon cannot obviously be considered canon: Liu Kang cannot relieve Raiden as Protector of Earthrealm as Fujin is the one who holds that position, and has been since the final moments of the Mortal Kombat 4/Gold storyline. In any instance, Liu Kang is still the reigning, undisputed Champion of Mortal Kombat.


 * Liu Kang was originally going to be called Minamoto Yo Shin Soo. He was a Japanese mythological character, but John Tobias stated that they could not deal with the name.


 * A trading card available during the first game's arcade run states that Liu Kang is a descendant of the Great Kung Lao, as does the first movie. However, it was never officially confirmed canon. Kung Lao's MKII bio also states that Kung Lao is the last descendant. The matter is made even more confusing because of the Dreamcast exclusive release of Mortal Kombat Gold. Although Goro's bio mentions it, it misuses the word "ancestor" in place of "descendant", thus reading as "only to have it won from him Goro by Lao's ancestor, Liu Kang." It is possible that Liu Kang and Kung Lao are cousins.


 * Ho Sung Pak, who played Liu Kang in the first two games, also appeared as Shang Tsung in the first game as well.


 * The wrestler Human Tornado uses a move he calls the Liu Kang Kick in homage to the character.


 * Liu Kang was intended to be a “surprise/secret” character during Mortal Kombat: Deception, being one of the most difficult to find/unlock during Konquest because the creators intended to cause a shock to the fans of the series by having their hero resurrected in such a corrupted way. They intended to keep this as a major secret that they never even released an official high resolution render of the character (to avoid any leaks).


 * Liu Kang's endings in Deception and Armageddon shows him restoring back to life. This hints that if he returns to future games. he may be restored back to life. Additionally, Raiden can be seen doing this act in his Deception ending.


 * Liu Kang's ending in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe show him becoming a Mortal Kombat version of Captain Marvel, the words used to turn into the "Captain Marvel of Earthrealm" are that which are screamed in the opening theme of the first movie adaptation of the game - "MORTAL KOMBAT!". Also in The Flash's ending, due to Kang's actions earlier in the game, he keeps a psychic connection with The Flash and promises to tell one another if their universes ever coincide again.


 * Liu Kang is unique in that he has his own voice files in each game has appeared in, which consist of 'kiai', a shouting technique that serves to maximize the force of the user's attacks.


 * Liu Kang's dialogue speaking voice has changed from a regular casual voice in Shaolin Monks to a more authentic asian accented sounding voice in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe.

Video Games

 * Trained by Bo' Rai Cho to defeat Shang Tsung.
 * Friend and ally of Johnny Cage, Sonya, Jax, Kitana, Kung Lao, and Sub-Zero (the younger).
 * Raiden is his mentor. Raiden reanimated Liu Kang's corpse after he was killed by Shang Tsung.
 * Defeated Goro at the finals in MK1.
 * Defeated Shang Tsung at the end of MK1.
 * His academy was attacked by Baraka's tarkatan hordes before MK2.
 * Best friend of Kung Lao.
 * Love interest of Kitana.
 * Defeated Kintaro in MK2.
 * Defeated Shao Kahn at the end of MK2 and MK3.
 * Encountered Kai and recruited him to join the White Lotus Society.
 * Defeated Shinnok at the end of MK4.
 * Killed by the Deadly Alliance,(Quan Chi & Shang Tsung).
 * His soul was freed by Raiden's sacrifice.
 * Allied with Ermac in Deception (Spirit).
 * Killed the Shaolin Monks at his tomb (Undead).
 * Trained Shujinko his fighting styles in order to fight Onaga (Spirit).
 * Succeeded in freeing his friends from Onaga's control (Spirit).
 * Aided by Nightwolf (Spirit)
 * Joined the battle of Armageddon, not on either side, only to kill Shang Tsung (Undead).

Movies

 * Brother of Chan Kang whom was killed by Shang Tsung.
 * Raiden is his mentor.
 * Ally of Johnny Cage, Sonya, Jax, and Kitana.
 * Shares a relationship with Kitana.
 * Killed the elder Sub-Zero in the first movie.
 * Killed Reptile in the first movie.
 * Killed Shang Tsung in the first movie.
 * Fought Smoke in the second movie then killed him after the younger Sub-Zero froze him.
 * Tested by Nightwolf in the second movie.
 * Betrayed by Jade in the second movie.
 * Killed Baraka in the second movie.
 * Killed Shao Kahn in the second movie.