Moloch

''Moloch is a creature known more for his strength than his intellect.'' -- Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Bio Card

Moloch is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, in which he also served as the sub-boss. Moloch then became playable in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

About Moloch
The three-eyed Moloch is a massive, lumbering Oni originally from the Netherrealm carrying a massive chained orb, who made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance as a non-player character (excluding third-party devices). However, in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Moloch is a readily-playable character in the game. He has typical miniboss abilities such as great strength, devastating moves and a few weak spots to exploit for the typically more nimble but weaker opponent. In Deadly Alliance, Moloch is the sub-boss before both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and he has no fatality.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Moloch is shown to be a bit smaller or rather less bulky than he was in Deadly Alliance. Also, it is worth noting that he was not carrying his trademark Mystical Orb (aka Ball and Chain) despite the chain still being wrapped around his arm. Originally, it was believed this would mean the Orb would be his weapon fighting style in the game, but it's since been shown he only has one fighting style, leaving the mystery of why the Orb is missing unanswered. However, the Orb does appear in his hand during some of his special moves and his versus screen picture.

Storyline
Moloch is the only known ally of his Oni counterpart, Drahmin. Unlike Drahmin however, distorted and consumed by rage as he may be, Moloch has most likely always been a demon from the Netherrealm. The sorcerer Quan Chi confronted Moloch and Drahmin with an offer to free them from the Netherrealm if they protected him from the ninja spectre Scorpion. It was no surprise to Moloch that Drahmin accepted the offer and so they smashed Scorpion whenever he came near Quan Chi. As the two Oni were combatting Scorpion, Quan Chi escaped from the dark realm without them. Enraged, Moloch and Drahmin followed Quan Chi through the portal but were transported to a different location than the sorcerer.

The Oni encountered the cyborg Cyrax in Outworld but were forced to flee from his bombs. Eventually, they took refuge in a forest and fed on those who wandered too close to its borders. Li Mei came too close to the forest, but escaped through the trees. After that, they were enlisted by Shang Tsung and held in the basement of his palace as an insurance policy should Quan Chi turn on him. Eventually, Moloch and Drahmin were set free. Instead of confronting Quan Chi, they ironically protected him by defeating Scorpion and hurling him into the Soulnado.

In his Armageddon ending, Moloch defeats Blaze and absorbs his power, transforming him into a Destroyer of Worlds. He then destroys Argus's pyramid and later destroys Edenia and turns it into a wasteland. But because he had destroyed the portal, he was stuck in Edenia, a victim of his own destructive rage.[1]

Powers and abilities
Moloch is large and extremely powerful. The orb that is chained to his arm is capable of dealing tremendous damage, and his Oni nature allows him to fight up close to his opponents. Another use for his orb is to create a shockwave by pounding the ground with it, as well as to send a fireball towards the opponent. He is also the only character to have three healing moves. With Drahmin at his side, they were able to defeat Scorpion with considerable ease.

Concept art of Moloch shows that the orb is carried around by a white owl and Moloch appears from beneath the ground wherever it lands when the orb is dropped.

Signature moves

 * Beast Lord: Moloch charges at the opponent, knocking them down. (MK:DA, MK:A)
 * Ground Bash: Moloch slams his orb on the ground, causing heavy damage. (MK:DA, MK:A)
 * Suction Breath: Moloch creates a large gust of wind which pulls the opponent towards him, and if successful, the opponent bounces off Moloch's body and is left open for a juggle. (MK:DA, MK:A)
 * Power Ball: Moloch strikes the ground with his orb and creates a projectile which strikes the opponent's legs. (MK:A)
 * Super Charge: Moloch raises his arm into the air and roars. This heals some damage. (MK:A)
 * Ragin' Oni: Moloch flails both his arms in the air wildly. This also heals damage. (MK:DA, MK:A'')
 * Furious Howl: Moloch emits a loud howl, which also heals damage. (MK:A)

Endings

 * Armageddon: "The Oni Destroyer Moloch absorbed the gift of godlike power from Blaze and was transformed into a Destroyer of Worlds. In a gesture symbolic of his new power, he slammed his fist against the pyramid, completely shattering the structure. Moloch then laid waste to Edenia, transforming it into a barren wasteland not unlike the Netherrealm. Because he destroyed the Edenian portals, however, Moloch was trapped there, a victim of his own destructive rage."

Character analysis
Moloch takes his name from a Near Eastern deity who was given human sacrifices. Concept art for Deadly Alliance depicted Moloch as originally having an owl who would fetch his orb from the Netherealm. Moloch would appear where the owl dropped the orb.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Moloch cannot be thrown by normal characters (similar to Blaze and Onaga) and is immune to projectiles, forcing the opponent player into close range.

Trivia

 * Moloch makes a brief cameo in Deception's Konquest mode. He is seen speaking with Drahmin, saying they should feed on the remains of the loser of the nearby battle between Quan Chi and Scorpion. This is most likely how Quan Chi met the two oni. Also, after the Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception is completed, the player is able to talk to Moloch. He asks the player to tell Drahmin of a feast. After the player completes the task, Moloch will make numerous belching noises when spoken to again.
 * When Moloch is standing straight up, not crouched over like he usually is, he is the second tallest character in the game, but there is no notable difference between Blaze and Moloch in height whilst standing straight up. Moloch is also the heaviest character in the game, being more than twice as heavy as any other character.
 * Moloch's orb appears in Armageddon when using his Power Ball and Ground Bash moves.

Character Relationships

 * Allied with Drahmin.
 * Fought and defeated Scorpion and later defeated him again and throws him into the soulnado.
 * Betrayed by Quan Chi.
 * Allied with Shang Tsung to kill Quan Chi.
 * It is unknown if he participated in the final battle in Armageddon, as he did not appear in the intro scene.