Hotaru

"There is an order to the universe — laws that all of nature must obey."

- Hotaru's Mortal Kombat: Deception biography

Hotaru is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deception.

About Hotaru
The name Hotaru (ホタル) is Japanese for "firefly". This is reflected in his outfit which has the appearance of an insect's exoskeleton. His special attacks evoke a firefly's glow and power of flight. Hotaru is a general from the realm of Seido, the Realm of Order, and devotes himself to preserving law and order at any cost. So much so that he could be described as a zealot.

Storyline
At one point, Hotaru had ventured into Outworld to confront Shao Kahn's Tarkatan forces laying siege to the city of Lei Chen. Years later, however, those same forces would be under the command of Onaga, the Dragon King. Believing that this newly resurrected ruler would bring order to the universe, he helps Onaga's Tarkatan hordes in their attacks and pursues those who would stand against them, such as Sub-Zero. At the time of Deception, Hotaru has set out to bring the Lin Kuei Grandmaster to justice before Onaga.

He is, however, unaware that a bounty has been placed on his own head. In the past, Hotaru had served as a guardsman for Dairou while he was incarcerated. Dairou now is under contract to murder Hotaru.

In Hotaru's Mortal Kombat: Armageddon ending, he defeats Blaze and becomes the very essence of Order. He then converts the realms into an orderly existence, making people bow to him or be transformed. He transforms Havik into his second-in-command. His ultimate goal is to keep order in all realms.

Biographies

 * Deception: "There is an order to the universe -- laws that all of nature must obey. For centuries I have imposed order on those who would wreak havoc. Outworld has long been a source of disruption, but an old ruler has made a triumphant return. During Onaga's rule, his military forced peace throughout his domain. I will see that his return brings order to this war-torn realm once more. I will fight against the insurgents to clear a path for the Dragon King's coming. Years ago, I fought against the vole Tarkatan warriors. I vowed to protect the Outworld city of Lei Chen from the attacks of Shao Kahn. Times have changed. Now I find myself aiding Baraka and his troops. I pledged the loyalty of the city to Onaga and began my mission to stop the uprising against him. Baraka's militia have brought word of an Earthrealm warrior named Sub-Zero who has slain many Tarkata. I will hunt him down. I will bring him before the justice of the Dragon King."Hotaru_alt.jpg|300px|right

Powers and abilities
Hotaru has mastery over lava, as evidenced by his special attacks. He can also use this power as a means of ambushing the enemy, such as in Kenshi's Deception ending when he used a burst of plasma to temporarily blind Sub-Zero, allowing Hotaru to move in for the kill. His hara-kiri shows him demonstrating a spine rip, similar to the original Sub-Zero's from the first Mortal Kombat, showcasing his impressive strength.

Signature moves

 * Grasshopper: Very similar to Liu Kang's Bicycle Kick, he jumps in the air and repeatedly kicks the opponent sideways. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Lava Burst: He throws a magma ball to the ground, ascending the opponent into the air, opened for an attack. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Fury Punch and Escape: Hotaru dashes forward with a straight punch with a streak of magma trailing from his feet, then slides back to his original position. (MK:A)
 * Quick Tricks: Hotaru does the same animation as the Fury Punch and Escape, only this time he slides past the opponent and appears behind them. (MK:A)

thumb|300px|right|Hotaru's fatality from MKD.

Fatalities

 * Triple Neck Snap: Hotaru kicks the opponent in the thigh, causing them to kneel down as Hotaru takes his hands to the opponent and begins snapping their neck. He simply does not stop as he tries two more times, the third one strong enough to make the corpse flinch from the intensity. (MK:D)
 * Body Slam: Hotaru takes his opponent's leg and begins slamming his opponent around, causing blood and guts to spill out. A third time, he slides the opponent's body and slams them, causing their entire body to explode. (MK:D)

Other finishers

 * Hara-Kiri: Spine Rip: Hotaru takes a hand to his head and promptly rips it off along with his spine as he crumples to the floor. (MK:D)

Endings
'''
 * Deception: (Non-canonical) In the words of Shujinko "In the wilds of Outworld, Hotaru captured the renegade Earthrealm warrior Sub-Zero and bought him before the Dragon King.Hotaruend1.jpg Onaga's judgement of Sub-Zero was swift, and Hotaru was given the task of carrying out his punishment: death. His fate served as a reminder to all those who would challenge the authority of the Dragon King."Hotaruend2.jpg
 * Armageddon: (Non-canonical) ''"The power of Blaze transformed Hotaru into a being of pure Order. All would bow before him or be transformed by his gaze. Yet there was one whom Hotaru would see pay for his crimes against conformity: the Cleric of Chaos, Havik! The light of Hotaru poured into Havik's mind and transformed him into an agent of Order -- Hotaru's second-in-command!" '

Trivia

 * Much like Reiko's name, Hotaru is a feminine name in Japan, despite him being a male character.
 * Hotaru's Hara-Kiri in Deception shows him ripping his head and spine out, but an early video from the official website shows him kneeling down and cleanly snapping his neck, a Hara-Kiri that would be later given to Scorpion. Given that he is from the realm of Order, some fans believe that the old Hara-Kiri may have been more appropriate.

Character Relationships

 * Arch nemesis of Havik.
 * Fought with Shao Kahn's minions.
 * Trained Shujinko to become a seidan guard to defeat Darrius. Eventually he arrested Shujinko.
 * He became Onaga's ally.
 * Was informed by Baraka's tarkatan hordes that Sub-Zero had been causing trouble and needed to be taken care of and set off to bring Sub-Zero before Onaga.
 * Joined the Forces of Darkness in the final battle in Armageddon.
 * Severely injures Li Mei at the beginning of the battle.