Kai



"I don’t know, wander the Earth, search for my soul…"

- Kai, in his Mortal Kombat 4 ending, explaining to Raiden what he will do next

Kai is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat 4.

About Kai
Kai made his debut in Mortal Kombat 4 as a nimble and agile Nepali fighter of the Gurkha warrior class. Like Liu Kang, he is a Shaolin monk and skilled martial artist with the ability to use fire in battle.

Appearance
In Mortal Kombat 4, Kai wears a dark red headband, sash, belt, and shin guards. He has baggy black pants, grey spiked wristbands, and has white tiger stripes on his body.

Armageddon would mark a very drastic change in Kai's appearance. While his unlockable costume is based on his original appearance, his default appearance has him in a more armored look with dreadlocks and facial hair.

Storyline
Kai was once a member of the secretive White Lotus Society. He had learned his skills from the great masters throughout Asia. He journeyed to the far east where he met Liu Kang who happened to be in America at the time, recruiting to train a new generation of Shaolin warriors. During the events of Mortal Kombat 4, Kai went with Liu Kang to China to become a Shaolin warrior. However his training was interrupted with the invasion of Shinnok and his dark legion into Edenia. Liu Kang and Kai found Fujin who fell from the Heavens while battling the forces of Shinnok. The god of wind was unconscious and was about to be killed by Shinnok's Army of Darkness, when Liu Kang and Kai interrupted the demons and saved him.

Later on, Kai and Liu Kang joined Raiden in his efforts against Shinnok. Once Shinnok was beaten, Kai decided to wander the Earth on a quest for self-enlightenment. As a blessing from Raiden as he prepared to ascend to Elder God, Raiden entrusted his Lightning Staff to Kai to help him on his quest, and perhaps find his way into immortality.

Biographies

 * Mortal Kombat 4: "A former member of the White Lotus Society, Kai learned his skills from the great masters throughout Asia. He journeyed to the far east after meeting his friend and ally Liu Kang in America. Now they reunite and assist Raiden in his battle against Shinnok."


 * Bio Kard: "Once a member of the White Lotus Society, Kai trained under the instruction of Liu Kang. His tutelage complete, Kai wanders the world on a quest of self-enlightenment."

Signature moves

 * Downward Fire Ball: Kai shoots a fireball into the ground, juggling his opponent. This move can also be performed in the air. (MK4, MKG, MK:A)
 * Fire Ball From Above: Kai launches a ball of fire into the sky, where it then slams down onto his opponent's head. (MK4, MKG, MK:A)
 * Renegade Kick: Kai charges up and unleashes a powerful flaming kick that knocks his opponent down. (MK:A)
 * Rising Heel: Kai ducks to the ground then slides, unleashing a powerful flaming kick that launches his opponent up and back. (MK:A)
 * Air Fist: Kai rises and punches his opponent while they are in the air. (MK4, MKG)
 * Hand Stand: Kai moves into a hand stand position and can kick his opponent's stomach or face. Kai can also rotate on one hand and spin his legs like propellers, kicking his opponent repeatedly. (MK4, MKG)
 * Lunging Roundhouse: Kai lunges forward and finishes with a roundhouse kick, sending his opponent flipping sideways a half-screen distance away. (MK4, MKG)

Fatalities

 * Headshot: Kai levitates in front of his opponent and throws a fireball at his opponent's head, decapitating them. (MK4, MKG)
 * One into Two: Kai lifts his opponent above him and rips him/her into two pieces. (MK4, MKG)

Endings

 * Mortal Kombat 4: (Canonical)
 * (Kai looks over a cliff, thoughtfully. Raiden appears behind him in a lightning bolt)


 * Raiden: You fought well, Kai. You are now a true Shaolin warrior.


 * Kai: (turns to face Raiden) Thanks, Raiden. But I'm not interested in becoming a Shaolin warrior anymore. I've got too many of my own problems to deal with.


 * Raiden: What will you do next?


 * Kai: I don't know. Wander the Earth, search for my soul... That kind of thing.


 * Raiden: Well... Perhaps you could use this on your journey.


 * Kai: Your Lightning Staff?


 * Raiden: It holds the power of thunder and lightning. Wield it wisely, for it can show you the way to immortality. You earned it.


 * Kai: (takes the staff) Thank you, Raiden. I will not fail.


 * Armageddon: (Semi-Canonical) "The power of Blaze opened Kai's mind, and he became psychically linked to the One Being. He could see the One Being's dreams, from which all of reality is formed. In deep meditation, Kai allowed his mind to wander the realms in search of knowledge. He witnessed the rise of Shao Kahn and his eventual demise at the hand of Liu Kang, the return of the Dragon King and the final battle at the pyramid. But when Kai looked to the future, he saw nothing."

Comic books
Kai appears in the official Mortal Kombat 4 comic that was distributed with some versions of the game. He is first seen training with Liu Kang. Their activities are interrupted when they witness an object fall from the sky. Investigating where it landed, they discover Fujin in a crater surrounded by demons. The two are able to rescue the god and soon learn from Raiden that these were servants of Shinnok. After Kai and Liu Kang join with the other Earthrealm warriors, they all travel to Edenia to stop Shinnok's plan.

Character development
In Mortal Kombat 4, Kai was designed to be a very quick and nimble character comparable to Liu Kang, but with his own unique type of projectile attacks that would summon up from the ground or fall from the sky. Motion capture for his moves was performed by Sultan Uddin. Concept art for an updated version of Kai can be unlocked in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, suggesting that he was once planned to be in the game. However, he would not return as a playable character until Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. According to his bio card, Kai's handstand special move is one of Ed Boon's favorite techniques for the character, and – had they the time to implement it correctly – it would have become Kai's fighting stance in Armageddon. In Armageddon ' s Krypt, pieces of concept art show two possible weapon stances for the character: a White Lotus staff and a machete blade. Both were dropped in favor of a spiked club, while the machete was later given to Kobra.

Game information
After beating the game with Kai in Mortal Kombat 4, his weapon will change to Raiden's lightning staff. He is the only character that will change weapons upon beating the game. This reflects his game ending in which he receives the staff in order to aid his journey to search for his soul.

A side mission in Mortal Kombat: Deception ' s Konquest mode revolves around Kai. After the player, as Shujinko, encounters Kung Lao in Earthrealm and discovers that all of the Shaolin monks have been slaughtered, the latter requests that Kai be found in Outworld so that he can return and help rebuild the monastery. When approached, Kai states that he had finished wandering Earthrealm and would only return once his explorations in Outworld were complete. He then gives the player Raiden's lighting staff to give to Kung Lao.

Character Relationships

 * Friend and ally of Liu Kang, who trained him to be a Shaolin warrior.
 * Once a member of the White Lotus Society.
 * Joined Raiden's forces to fight against Shinnok.
 * Encountered Raiden after Shinnok's defeat and was given his staff to use on his quest for self-enlightenment.
 * Met Li Mei in his journey in Outworld.
 * Encountered Shujinko while finishing his journey and gave him Raiden's staff to give to Kung Lao to restore the White Lotus Society.
 * Joined the Forces of Light in the final battle in Armageddon.

Trivia

 * Although he gives Shujinko the Lightning Staff in Deception, to give to Kung Lao, the player cannot do so.


 * In various development stages, the Machete, White Lotus Staff and Lightning Staff were all supposed to be his weapons.
 * Kai's alternate costume is his appearance in Mortal Kombat 4, but without the facial hair and braids.
 * Similar to how Liu Kang was based on Bruce Lee (who also had students), it is possible that Kai is based on Bruce Lee's private student, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar.