Kenshi Takahashi/Original Timeline

Storyline
A born fighter, Kenshi wandered Earthrealm in search of worthy competition. Every time he found an opponent, he would defeat him just to boost his pride, but one day, Kenshi encountered a man named Song, who convinced Kenshi that a great warrior needed a great sword. Song led Kenshi to the location of an ancient and powerful sword, and he claimed that the sword would befit Kenshi's power, but as Kenshi unsealed the well wherein the sword supposedly lay, he was overwhelmed by souls trapped within and permanently blinded. Song revealed himself to be none other than the vile sorcerer Shang Tsung and proceeded to absorb the released souls and left Kenshi to die within the tomb. However, the sword, which actually did exist, attracted Kenshi and spoke to him, leading him from the tomb and revealed to him his origin.

The sword originally belonged to a long line of great swordsmen from whom Kenshi descended; the well where the sword lay was also the sacred resting place of the souls of Kenshi's ancestors, souls that were stolen by Shang Tsung. Kenshi spent the next decade or so retraining his senses, all while searching for his betrayer and the defiler of his ancestry, a path which led him to the U.S. Special Forces.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
Kenshi's special abilities eventually caught the attention of Jax Briggs and Sonya Blade who, at the time, were looking for members with special talents to join their side and venture into Outworld; Kenshi jumped at the chance to pursue the man who had deceived him. After going through many tests and examinations, he was accepted to join the Outer World Investigation Agency.

His chance at exacting his revenge came when he was assigned to find the lost Cyrax, another agent of the Special Forces, in Outworld. In his travels across Outworld, he encountered the enigmatic Ermac, and, in a moment of pity, broke the mind control that Shao Kahn had over him. In gratitude, Ermac taught Kenshi the Telekinetic Slam. Kenshi soon discovered the Deadly Alliance and their plans, but was unable to contact the OWIA (which had been bombed by Hsu Hao). Unknown to Kenshi, was the fact that the Deadly Alliance knew of his presence in Outworld and sent Mavado to kill him. Mavado confronted Kenshi, defeated the swordsman, and left him to die.

Mortal Kombat: Deception
The Lin Kuei warrior Sub-Zero found the dying Kenshi and nursed him back to health. Because of Sub-Zero's sympathy and kindness, Kenshi forged a temporary alliance with Sub-Zero to find a portal that would take them back home, though this temporary alliance soon became a long-lasting friendship. After Shang Tsung's death upon Onaga's return, Kenshi sensed the souls of his ancestors return to his sword, indicating the end of his quest for vengeance. Despite being an ally of both, he relinquished his position in the Special Forces and chose to remain unaligned from Sub-Zero's Lin Kuei clan, preferring to be a lone warrior.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Kenshi then returned to Earthrealm where, under the guidance of his ancestors' sword, he would hunt down the corrupt. Attacking only during the night, using the darkness as a cover to strike unseen, Kenshi was able to overthrow several criminal organizations. He eventually intercepts a coded message sent to Mavado and learns of the Red Dragon's plans to capture the Edenian half-god Taven. Before he could find out the location of their secret base, Kenshi encounters Johnny Cage who is gathering warriors to fight for the Forces of Light against the fallen Elder God Shinnok and his forces of evil. However, Kenshi declines this offer, considering this another pointless struggle between "good" and "evil."

While embarking on his mission to destroy the Red Dragon and exact revenge on Mavado, he receives a psychic premonition, becoming fully aware of Taven and Daegon's quest to defeat the fire elemental Blaze. His sword also urges him to side with the forces of light in the forthcoming conflict. Taking heed of this insight, Kenshi decides that he will be the one to lead off the Forces of Light into battle.

During the battle of Armageddon, Kenshi killed Sheeva while climbing the Pyramid of Argus, and proceeded to fight Quan Chi, who was victorious over him. Lying on the ground defeated, Kenshi was finished by Shang Tsung.