—Cyrax to Omni-Man |
Cyrax is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. An African Lin Kuei assassin-turned cyborg through the Cyber Initiative, Cyrax has varied as a misguided antagonist and supporting character throughout his appearance in the series.
Cyrax made his playable debut in Mortal Kombat 3 and has been a playable character since. He returned in Mortal Kombat (2011) as a playable character, debuting his human form for the first time in the series before returning to his cyborg form later in the Story Mode. Cyrax returned in Mortal Kombat 11 as a non-playable character, serving a minor role in the Story Mode.
Cyrax reappears in Mortal Kombat 1 as one of the many selectable Kameo Fighters. A new version of Cyrax makes a playable return as DLC as part of the Kombat Pack 2. She serves as one of the protagonists of the Khaos Reigns Story Mode expansion.
About Cyrax
Making his debut in Mortal Kombat 3, Cyrax was one of three cybernetic ninjas created by the Lin Kuei in an attempt to convert all of its members into unfeeling, cold-hearted, cybernetic assassins, thereby improving their performance and circumventing any possibility of disobedience. Cyrax was designated unit LK-4D4 and, like his counterparts, was assigned to hunt down the renegade former Lin Kuei member Sub-Zero. Cyrax recovered his human soul in the original timeline with the help of Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs and allied with them from that point onward. In the reset timeline of MK 2011, Cyrax is shown in his pre-cyberized form - a young, brash African male who, despite his loyalty to the Lin Kuei, was vehemently opposed to the cyberization initiative and automated against his will. After his soul is restored by Kuai Liang, he sacrifices himself to put an end to the Lin Kuei's plans once and for all.
In the current timeline, Cyrax is now female. She, alongside a new version of Sektor, wear a cyberized suit that grants her the cybernetic abilities of her previous timeline counterparts. She is also revealed to be one of Kuai Liang's childhood friends. Upon discovering Bi-Han's deception on corrupting the Lin Kuei as well as Sektor's loyalty towards him, Cyrax immediately turns on her former masters after sparing Kuai Liang's wife, Harumi Shirai, when the Lin Kuei invade the Wu Shi Academy during Kuai Liang's wedding to Harumi. After helping stop Titan Havik, she is forgiven by Kuai Liang and is offered to join this timeline's version of the Shirai Ryu, which she accepts.
Appearance
Cyrax debuted as a palette swap of the cyborg ninja character with a yellow sheen, sporting bright armor and a helmet that slightly protrudes forward to produce a crude beak, and hair-like wires from the back of his head. In Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance, Cyrax gained a redesign, courtesy of the Special Forces, to feature a new, shining armor, as well as a heartbeat regulator on his chest.
In the latest Mortal Kombat, Cyrax is given an entire overhaul featuring even more armor plating and visible scratches thanks to graphical improvements as well as green eyes. His chest cavity also opens up to reveal an energy core. His helmet is also almost changed completely, still possessing the crude beak-like appearance. Underneath the robotic shell, reveals Cyrax to have dark skin. He bleeds oil this time around too, much like in MK Deception and Deadly Alliance, represented by a dark bluish black/black color.
Character Development
He and his robotic counterparts, Sektor and Smoke, began as palette swapped characters to work around technical limitations to increase the number of playable characters. Since their appearances in the MK3 series, each character's appearance has evolved independently. Of late, they have only appeared in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon together all in robotic form. While Sektor and Cyrax were playable in Mortal Kombat Gold, only Cyrax was playable in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, while Sektor appeared in Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition. Smoke was playable as part of a tag-team with Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat: Deception. However, they all have returned for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as individual characters. However, in Mortal Kombat (2011)  Sektor, Cyrax and Smoke (through a free DLC) are also all playable in robotic form. Also, in Mortal Kombat X in a DLC form Sektor, Cyrax and Smoke fuse together to make Triborg (Cyber Sub-Zero as well).
Initially, fans speculated that Cyrax was a robotic Scorpion, because of the latter's absence from MK3, their similar color schemes, and similar moves that involved spear-like weapon to haul an opponent towards them for a free hit.
In the development stage of Mortal Kombat 3, Cyrax and Sektor were referred to as "Mustard and Ketchup" before their names were finalized. Cyrax has separate combos in the Sambo style in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance named Ketchup and Mustard, a reference to this.
Cyrax's face was first seen in-game during Mortal Kombat Gold. His alternate costume depicted him in the same outfit but lacking the front of his mask. Although he stated he was human again after the process Jax and Sonya performed on him, he is clearly still a cyborg in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, giving a plausible explanation as to why he still bleeds oil or "black blood" in the game. While Cyrax's normal outfit in Deadly Alliance shows him more robotic than human, his alternate costume shows him to be almost completely human with cybernetic parts in his body, although his "being human again" probably just refers to him regaining his memories and conscience, as he will always have cybernetic implants in his body no matter what, making him a cyborg.
Game Information
In most Mortal Kombat games, Cyrax bleeds a black oil (except during fatalities), a contrast to other characters whose blood is red or green.
Cyrax's Mortal Kombat Gold storyline – being recovered from the desert by the Lin Kuei and sent once more to kill Sub-Zero – was contradicted by Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance's Konquest Mode, which stated that he was "recovered by Special Forces agents Sonya Blade and Jackson Briggs." It is interesting to note that this seems to acknowledge an unused bio for him that appeared in Prima's official strategy guide for Gold, which does state he was rescued by Special Forces and was reprogrammed to fight on the side of good against Shinnok. as Cyrax was seen trapped in the sand in the background of Jade's Desert stage in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, despite also being a playable character. This foreshadows his ending in that particular game.
Cyrax's self-destruct fatality, initiated via his arm console, closely resembles that of another fictional character: the titular antagonist from the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Predator. in which Certain elements of both characters' armor, such as the faceplate, dreadlocks, and net weapon are also similar. Fans have widely considered Cyrax, along with the other cyborgs, to be some sort of homage to the character.
In Deadly Alliance, Cyrax’s Pulse Blade weapon had a blue colored blade. In Armageddon, however the blade itself was changed to green.
An original male version of Cyrax appears in Mortal Kombat 1 as a Kameo fighter, while his female counterpart from Liu Kang's timeline serves as a playable character.
Combat Characteristics
Powers and Abilities
As a cybernetic ninja, Cyrax is well-equipped, both in martial arts involving ninjutsu and weaponry. Cyrax houses a number of weapons in his chest cavity designed for both incapacitating and destroying targets. Compared to the other cyborg ninjas, Cyrax is most associated with bombardment, his arsenal full of timed explosives with a seemingly unlimited supply. He also has access to an 'energy net' capable of incapacitating his targets completely. When his soul was returned to him, not only did Cyrax retain some of his cybernetic parts, but he was also outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, courtesy of the Outworld Investigation Agency. Cyrax was now equipped with a portable device that would allow him to freely traverse across the realms without the need of stationary portals. In addition, his armor is heat-resistant, as he was able to completely submerge himself in molten rock without severely damaging himself in the process. His net weapon was replaced with a buzzsaw-like appendage, used for mid-range combat. Cyrax is also able to relocate himself across short distances by separating all of his limbs and head as his torso would transport to a different area where all of the discarded limbs would rejoin.
In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Cyrax fires a similar net, but it is comprised of nanomachines that completely eat the flesh, blood, and organs of any unlucky targets, completely destroying them without even leaving the marrow behind.
Signature Moves
- Energy Net: Cyrax fires a green energy net from his chest which ensnares the opponent temporarily. In MK 2011, his human form launches it from his hand rather than his chest. In MK1, there are two version of the attack between Kameo Cyrax and the new Cyrax; Kameo Cyrax's version is called Cyber Net, which drains an entire bar of Super Meter from the opponent when successful. The other version is called Capture Foam, where Cyrax tosses one of her bombs straight at the opponent, encasing them in a green foam that sets them up for a free hit. Unlike previous version of the attack, including Kameo Cyrax's version, Cyrax's Capture Foam can miss ducking opponents. The attack is also considered a projectile. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK 2011, MK11, MK1 - Kameo Ability, MK1)
- In MK 2011, the enhanced version is called Electro Net and will drain the opponent's Super Meter as long as they are ensnared.
- In MK1, the enhanced version is called Advanced Net, which Cyrax's foam bomb immediately explodes into her net from previous timelines, however it does not stun the opponent, rather sending them flying backwards, after which Cyrax teleports near the opponent. When sending he opponent into the corner of the arena, Cyrax will not teleport near her opponent, depending on her distance but has a brief moment for combo extensions if she is close enough to the opponent.
- Detonator: Cyrax drops a bomb from his chest compartment in front of him, which explodes after a couple of seconds. If the opponent is close to the bomb when it explodes, they will be launched into the air for a juggle. He can shoot the bomb either far or near. In MK 2011, his human form takes it from his belt and throws it. It is also known simply as Bomb in MK 2011. In MK1, Cyrax now tosses or throws her bombs on the fightline and, as before, can throw them at different ranges, called Close/Mid/Far Bomb, respectively. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK:DA, MK:A, MK 2011, MK11, MK1)
- In MK 2011, the enhanced version is called Sticky Bomb, in which Cyrax throws a bomb with three spears and a slight rocket propulsion, that pierces the opponent and then explodes.
- In MK11, the amplified version takes less time to explode, or will explode on impact should it make contact with the opponent. The juggle effects remain the same.
- In MK1, the enhanced version is called Saw Drone, in which Cyrax will throw a tracking bomb at the opponent that follows their movement before exploding into a flying buzz-saw, dealing slightly increased damage and knocking them into the air for a juggle, however this juggle effect is significantly different compare to the regular version of the attack. As with the original, Cyrax can throw them at different ranges, called Close/Mid/Far Saw Bomb, respectively.
- Teleport: Cyrax vanishes and reappears behind the opponent. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Cyrax can follow up with a special throw after teleporting. In MK 2011, his human form replaces it with a smoke bomb teleport. In MK1, the attack is called Mistwalk, in which throws down a smoke bomb and quickly reappears behind her opponent. Cyrax can also perform another version called Bomb Mistwalk, in which she leaves behind a bomb after teleporting. Cyrax can only leave behind one bomb at a time and must wait for it to detonate to leave behind another, otherwise she will perform a regular Mistwalk. Cyrax can also throw a dud bomb when performing Bomb Mistwalk with an additional input, which causes the bomb placed to do nothing. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK:A, MK 2011, MK1)
- In MK 2011, the enhanced version is called Bangport. Cyrax causes an explosion when teleporting, which can hit the opponent.
- In MK1, enhancing the attack now has Cyrax dash in a gust of smoke while leaving a bomb behind, which will explode after some time and launch the opponent into the air for a juggle. Crax can dash away or towards her opponent, called Mistwalk Away/Towards. Cyrax will always leave behind a bomb when performing this version of the attack and inputting an additional command will allow her to leave behind a dud bomb like before. Cyrax is completely vulnerable while dashing. If Cyrax dashes into the corner of the arena, she is granted additional attacks;
- Mistwalk Friction Boot Parkour: Cyrax dashes into the corner of the arena then activates the anti-gravity thrusters in her boots, allowing her to quickly run up the arena's wall and backflipping off, distancing herself from her opponent.
- Friction Assist Dive Kick: While jumping out of the corner, Cyrax performs a dive kick. Should the opponent be close to Cyrax when she is performing the dive kick, they will take damage and be knocked to the ground.
- Air Throw: Cyrax can throw his opponent when his opponent is in the air. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Cyrax can perform this move even if his opponent is not in the air. In MK 2011, this is called Anti-Air. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG, MK 2011)
- The enhanced version is called Power Anti-Air and allows Cyrax to grab his opponent from a farther distance.
- Funky Spin Kicks: Cyrax performs a spin kick while balancing on one of his legs. In Armageddon, his leg seems to be on fire while doing this. (MK:DA, MK:A)
- Reverse Kick: Cyrax performs a reverse kick to his opponent, sending him/her on the other side. (MK 2011)
- The enhanced version is called Donkey Kick and lets Cyrax slide in with a second kick before kicking them into the air.
- Ragdoll: After performing Reverse Kick, Cyrax grabs his opponent in midair, and throws them down on the ground. (MK 2011)
- The enhanced version is called Ragdolls.
- Slice and Dice: Cyrax opens his chest compartment and a giant sawblade emerges. In MK 2011, his human form takes it out from his armbands. In MK 2011, it is simply known as Buzzsaw. (MK:DA, MK:A, MK 2011)
- The enhanced version is called Saw Blade and allows Cyrax to detach the saw and use it as a projectile.
- Sawtooth Kick: Cyrax activates the anti-gravity thrusters in her boots and performs a series of backflips, kicking her opponent into the air and knocking them away. Cyrax can perform this attack from full-screen distance and land next to her opponent, however this process leaves her completely vulnerable to any attack. (MK1)
- Enhancing the attack grants armor and has Cyrax perform a dive kick after the triple kickflips, dealing increased damage. Cyrax will only perform the dive kick as long as one of the three kickflips connects on the opponent. If the attack is blocked by the opponent, Cryax will not perform the dive kick.
- (Air) Friction Assist Snare: Cyrax activates the anti-gravity thrusters in her boots and grabs the opponent by the face with her feet and spins in the air before slamming them on the ground in the opposite direction. (MK1)
- Enhancing the attack costs two bars of Super Meter and has Cyrax shoot a net from her wrist, trapping the opponent on the ground and draining a bar of Super Meter from them. The opponent is considered knocked down during this time and is unaffected by attacks, however they can still take damage from unblockable attacks, such as Goro's Stomp, but they will not react to the attack while grounded.
- (Air) Friction Boot Parkour: While in the arena corner and in the air, Cyrax activates the anti-gravity thrusters in her boots and quickly runs up and backflips out of the corner. (MK1)
X-Ray/Fatal Blow
- X-Ray - Cyberdriver: Cyrax launches his opponent up into the air with a bomb, which causes them to flip upside down. He then teleports up to them and kicks them causing the spine and ribs to break. He then grabs the opponent, while they are still upside down, and pile-drives them into the ground, shattering pieces of their skull and neck with his foot on top of their head. (MK 2011)
- Kameo Fatal Blow: Cyrax flies at the opponent and impales them in the chest with his chest sawblade, destroying their ribcage and spine in the process. He retracts the blade them puts two of his bombs on each side of the opponent's head, causing them to look at him in fear just before they explode. (MK1 - Kameo Ability)
- Cyberdriver Slam: Cyrax pulls out one of her bombs and releases a large electrical surge from it, stunning the opponent. She runs to them with her anti-gravity engages in her boots, tossing a bomb at their feet to send them in the air, creating a large pillar of foam to jump up and perform a heel stomp on the opponent's face, destroying the front of their skull and landing with both feet on their face. (MK1)
Other Moves
- Throw: Cyrax's original throw was a flip-piledriver which caused his foe to bounce for an additional hit. (MK3, MKT)
- Throw: Cyrax grabs his opponent, pulls them forward, then takes out a bomb which he beats them over the head with twice, then detonates it. (MK 2011)
- One-Two: Cyrax lunges forward with a punch, then takes a quick swipe with his hand saw. (MK 2011)
- Bomb Punch: Cyrax strikes his foe in the head with a bomb, causing it to detonate in his hand, bouncing his foe up for a juggle. An extremely deadly move in high-level play. (MK 2011)
- Grab Punches: More like an unblockable combo-sequence than a standalone move, Cyrax will grab his foe and punch them three times, stunning them briefly. In MK1, this combo is called Cyber Beatdown and acts as a High Command Grab and is unblockable, but can miss jumping or ducking opponents. The opponent can also avoid the attack by performing a Throw Escape dependent if Cyrax performs the entire combo or the basic attack start-up called Dialing Up. (MK 2011, MK1)
- Throw: Cyrax forces the opponent to the ground, turns his hand into a buzz saw, and slice them from the chest to the waist and then throws them away on the ground, sliding them forward. (MK11)
- I Choose You To Die! (Kameo Forward Throw): Cyrax is called into the fightline where he slams a bomb on the opponent's head that detonates and knocks them straight to the ground. This Throw deals less damage than a Basic Throw. (MK1 - Kameo Ability)
- Enhancing the attack cost two bars of Super Meter but now launches the opponent for a juggle but deals no additional damage. This will deal increased damage should the opponent be Up-Blocking.
- Kopter Chopper: Cyrax is called into the fightline where he turns his hands into sawblades and spins rapidly. This attack can only be used on airborne or juggled opponents, which causes it to deal damage and knock the opponent away in the opposite direct of Cyrax's ally. It can also be used to extend combos, however it will cause massive gravity towards the current combo as a result. Cyrax can also sent the opponent in front of the opponent, called Kopter Chopper (Away), respectively. This is an Ambush Attack, allowing it to be used at any moment with the exception of being comboed. (MK1 - Kameo Ability)
- Horizontal Kopter Chopper: Cyrax is called into the fightline where he turns his hands into sawblades and spins rapidly and strikes a grounded opponent. Performing this attack requires and spends all of Cyrax's Kameo Meter and disables him for some time. This is an Ambush Attack, allowing it to be used at any moment with the exception of being comboed. (MK1 - Kameo Ability)
- Self-Destruct: Cyrax is called into the fightline where he pulls a bomb out of his chest and holds it in place. After some time, the bomb detonates, dealing minor damage to Cyrax's ally if they are too close while dealing damage to the opponent. Cyrax can be summoned to be closer to his ally, called Self-Destruct Behind, respectively. If Cyrax is attack while holding his bomb, he will drop it as he retreats from the fightline. This bomb deals the same damage to either fighter if they are near it. Cyrax's ally can also control where Cyrax is, repositioning him to retreat or advance to his opponent, called During Reposition, respectively. Cyrax's ally can also choose to detonate the bomb prematurely, called Detonate, respectively, and this is considered an Ambush Attack. (MK1 - Kameo Ability)
- Zaki Orthodontics (Backwards Throw): Cyrax tosses the opponent over her shoulder to the ground and spins in place before delivering a powerful kick to their head. (MK1)
- Grinder: Cyrax performs a backhand then an overhead fist slam to her opponent, bouncing them off the ground for a juggle. The final strike of this combo can be delayed and canceled, called Delay/Cancel Grinder, respectively. Cyrax is completely vulnerable when delaying the attack and allows for the second strike to be Up Blocked by the opponent, again leaving Cyrax completely vulnerable. (MK1)
- Zaki Cyclone (Combo Attack): Cyrax performs a backhand, kicks the opponent in the gut then knocks them away with a roundhouse kick. When used in the corner of an arena, Cyrax can continue combos; otherwise, the opponent is knocked away. The final strike of this combo can be delayed and canceled, called Delay/Cancel Zaki Cyclone, respectively. Cyrax is completely vulnerable when delaying the attack. (MK1)
- Zaki Cyclone (Basic Attack): Cyrax quickly spins in place then roundhouse kicks the opponent. When used in the corner of an arena, Cyrax can continue combos; otherwise, the opponent is knocked away. This basic attack can be delayed and canceled, called Delay/Cancel Zaki Cyclone, respectively. Cyrax is completely vulnerable when delaying the attack. When delaying the attack, Cyrax can cancel it immediately into other attacks such as her basic sweep and Dialing Up basic attack, which can be converted into her Cyber Beatdown combo. (MK1)
Fatalities
- Self-Destruct: Cyrax uses his arm console to activate a timed self-destruct mechanism. He detonates, killing his opponent. This move was used as Smoke's hara-kiri in Deception. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKG)
- Helicopter: Cyrax spins his head like a helicopter with the 'hair' serving as the blades before flying up off screen. He appears a second later above the opponent headfirst as he descends upon the victim and slashes them to bits from head to toe before flying off screen and reappearing via Exploding Teleport (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Super Bomb: Cyrax lays down a bomb that blows the opponent into pieces (MK3) (Game Gear and Master System versions only)
- Annihilation: Copied wholesale from Smoke. Cyrax opens his chest cavity and releases an absurd number of explosives. The screen then moves to a shot of the Earth a few moments before it explodes. In MK1, there is a transition to the shot of Earth and an initial massive explosion before the planet explodes. Additionally, a faint, echoing cry from the victim can be heard. (MKG, MK1)
- Internal Grinder: Cyrax opens up his chest cavity to reveal a large mechanical arm. Using it, he grabs a hold of the victim by the head and slams them onto the ground three times before pulling them into his own body. During the time inside of his body, Cyrax grinds the body into pieces before turning around and spewing out the remains. In Mortal Kombat Tournament Edition for the GBA, Cyrax slams the opponent twice, with the second slam killing the opponent. (MK:DA)
- Buzz Kill: Cyrax turns his hand into a sawblade and slices his opponent with it. Cyrax finishes the job by kicking the opponent, making him/her fall down in pieces. In his alternate human form, the sawblade comes out from one of his armbands. (MK 2011)
- Nothing but Net: After entering some coordinates into his arm module, Cyrax fires an energy net that passes straight through the enemy. The opponent screams as they see their arms fall off, then fall to pieces shortly afterward. In his alternate human form, the net is obtained from his pocket. (MK 2011)
- Burst Your Bubble: Cyrax slides around her opponent and throws three sticky bombs onto their body before detonating a foam bomb on their chest, trapping their body and the sticky bombs inside the rapidly expanding foam. The sticky bombs detonate, with the resulting explosion mixing with the foam and causing the viscera to freeze solid mid-blast, leaving the opponent as a bloody statue that Cyrax shatters with a kick. (MK1)
- Bend It Like Bi-Han: Cyrax runs up to the opponent and jumps onto their head before proceeding to pivot her leg upon it, twisting its head 180 degrees and ripping it off with her foot boosters. She then kicks the decapitated head mid-air at their body, knocking it over and sending the head rolling on the floor, and finishes by crushing it underfoot as she lands. (MK1)
Brutalities
Mortal Kombat 1
- The Klassic: Cyrax performs her uppercut, decapitating the opponent with one of her sawblade bombs.
- Bombs Away: Cyrax performs her Zaki Orthodontics, decapitating the knocked down opponent. She then tosses a bomb and kicks it into their gaping neck wound, where it shreds their insides before popping out with a sawblade.
- Buzz Kill: Cyrax performs a Sawtooth Kick that cuts the opponent in half from the head down on the final flip kick.
- Foam Party: Cyrax performs a Capture Foam, with the foam expanding even more on the opponent. She tosses a bomb at their feet that destroys their entire body.
- Pop Goes The...: Cyrax performs her Detonation combo, with the bomb blowing up the opponent's head and arms.
- Cold Hearted: Cyrax performs her Mustard Mk.1 combo on an airborne opponent, with the bomb blowing the opponent to pieces.
- Over Here: Cyrax performs her Syntax Error combo, destroying the opponent on impact when she slams them on the ground.
- Kopter Chopper: Cyrax performs her Blast Overhead basic attack, destroying the opponent's head on impact with an undetonated bomb. The opponent's body stands upright before the bomb opens to a sawblade that takes them away off-screen, where it detonates and blows them to bits.
Kameo Brutalities
- Net Gross: Cyrax is called in to performs his Kameo Throw, with the explosion from the bomb blowing off the opponent's lower jaw and eyes, causing them to bleed to death. (Kameo Brutality)
- Target Destroyed: Cyrax is called in to perform a Self-Destruct that blows the opponent to bits. (Kameo Brutality)
Other Finishers
- Friendship: Do the Charleston: Cyrax dances the Charleston. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Animality #1 - Cyber-Jaws: Cyrax turns into a shark and ingests the opponent. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Animality #2 - Buzz Kill: Cyrax turns into a giant yellowjacket and stabs the opponent's abdomen with her stinger, hoisting them into the air. All the venom from the stinger infects the opponent’s body, causing their eyeballs to bulge with a green tint until they both burst, followed by the rest of their head also exploding in a burst of flesh and venom. Cyrax then slices her opponent’s torso upwards with her stinger, letting it fall to the ground as she flies towards the camera. (MK1)
- Babality: He plays with one of his explosives rolling it and giggling. It then explodes, and Cyrax starts to cry. If the Babality is done on Cyrax's human form, he will cry out normal tears instead of oil. (MK 2011)
Appearances in Other Media
Film
Cyrax briefly appears in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The storyline involving his connection to the Lin Kuei was eschewed in favor of him being sent by Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld, to kill Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs. After entering the research facility which Jax was being held, Cyrax engages Jax in battle whilst Sonya deals with the extermination squad accompanying Cyrax. Cyrax's body self-destructs after Sonya incinerates him with a variation of her "Kiss of Death" Fatality. In the film, he displays the ability to shoot tiny, spike-studded grenades and a corrosive, green plasma net - seemingly capable of rapidly and completely disintegrating organic matter but is successfully and harmlessly blocked by Jax's cybernetic arms. His abilities as a ruthless martial arts fighting machine are shown, as he dominates Jax for almost the entirety of their confrontation. His name is not mentioned; he is just referred to as "a robot" by Sonya in a later part of the film. During the end credits, however, he is identified as Cyrax.
Cyrax appears in Mortal Kombat Legacy, portrayed by Shane Warren Jones. He is first seen being escorted to a facility where he and Sektor argue about the Cyber Initiative protesting it to be the end of the clan due to its submissive nature. His face is seen bleeding with a few bruises, indicating that he was taken by force, either by Lin Kuei agents or Sektor himself. They are first tested against two well-trained Lin Kuei agents and pass with flying colors. They are immediately brought in for cybernetic enhancements which includes removing their emotions but keeping their memories so they would become fully obedient. Their lower legs are removed before the armor is installed (using the MK 2011 model) onto their bodies where they are then tested in kombat against Project Hydro. At first Hydro seems to have the upper hand, but Cyrax pulls through and soon, he and Sektor quickly overwhelm the cyborg ninja, before performing a Fatality on him with a forked blade from his wrist.
Television
Cyrax, along with the fellow cyborg Sektor, was shown in non-canonical human form in an episode of the cartoon, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. In the first episode, "Kombat Begins Again", Sektor and Cyrax led an attack on Earthrealm that was thwarted by Earth's warriors including the Lin Kuei warrior Sub-Zero.
Cyrax and Sektor were both shown in human form in this episode: Cyrax, ironically, as an Asian male, and Sektor as an African male. Cyrax's human look has since been contradicted by official renders and outfits in the main games where he appears as an African man from Botswana. Sektor´s human form is featured as an alternate costume in the new game, also contradicting his look in this series. The games eventually revealed that their races were reversed in the TV series.
Quotes
Mortal Kombat (2011)
- "Safeties disabled, combat mode engaged." (Battle Cry; Cyborg form)
- "I'll kill you if I have to." (Battle Cry; Human form)
- "Your inferior clan is dead! Soon, you will join them." (To Scorpion)
- "Your obsession with Sub-Zero ends here!" (To Scorpion)
- "Scorpion will pay for this!" (after Scorpion has killed the Elder Sub-Zero)
- "His own doing?!" (To Raiden)
- "I am among those speaking out against the Grand Master's plan. Surgically transform the Lin Kuei into glorified robots? It kills our intuition, our instincts." (To Raiden)
- "We were invited by Shang Tsung."
- "My loyalty is to the Grand Master."
- "What are you doing? I'm not here to fight you. I'm assigned to kill Johnny Cage!" (To Sheeva)
- "I need to have a talk with your master." (After defeating Sheeva)
- "You mean to finish me? You couldn't even stop the actor." (To Baraka)
- "Now this fight is over!" (After defeating Baraka)
- "Shang Tsung has turned on me, I need to find out why."
- "Sektor, we need to talk. Our host tried to have me killed."
- "That should shut you up!" (After defeating Johnny Cage)
- "I won't kill him!" (Referring to Johnny Cage, sparing his life)
- "I eliminated him from the tournament. He didn't need to die." (discussing Johnny Cage with Sektor)
- "I used my judgment!"
- "We're not machines, Sektor. I chose to serve the Lin Kuei, but I will not surrender my free will!"
- "Tell the Grand Master, I am finished." (after defeating Sektor)
- "You are ordered to return to the Lin Kuei temple for assimilation." (As a cyborg, to Sub-Zero)
- "I am Lin Kuei Unit LK-4D4. You will come with me." (To Sub-Zero)
- "The Lin Kuei's loyalty and services." (In response to Kahn's question as to what he gets if he allows them to detain Sub-Zero)
- "My speed and skill are beyond you." (To Nightwolf)
Mortal Kombat 11
- "We require additional candidates for cyberization."
- "To better serve her, Sub-Zero. We defend Kronika as she re-writes history."
- "We act to secure the Lin Kuei's glory in the New Era."
- "You will be forced to serve." (To Hanzo Hasashi)
- "No. He ripped out my heart. Made me a machine." (Time-displaced cyborg Cyrax, after being freed by Sub-Zero)
- "Kuai Liang, is that you? You look so old. And Scorpion?" (Addressing to Sub-Zero and surprised by his age and Scorpion's appearance)
- "I can disable their communications network. It'll shut down this factory and every Cyber Lin Kuei connected to it."
- "I'm in. I'll reformat the system drives and shut us all down. Goodbye, Kuai Liang."
- "Please, don't bring me back as a machine. I can't live like this."
- "Then until we meet again."
Mortal Kombat 1
- "Where are you?"
- "Engage friction assist."
- "I thought you never miss."
- "Don't confuse that with being my superior."
- "Perhaps I should be commander." (After defeating Sektor in a round)
- "This is not over yet, Sektor." (After losing to Sektor in a round)
- "Now who isn't worthy?" (After defeating Sektor)
- "You don't like my kombat? Send me back to the Air Mountains!"
- "Indeed."
- "None is intended, Grandmaster."
- "Attack his wedding? I am aware what he's done, but—"
- "We may win the battle, but find we lose the war. No one will respect us."
- "I still cannot believe that Liu Kang capitulated to Outworld. That he agreed to break up our clan."
- "As we cannot believe you broke faith with the Lin Kuei."
- "You are a poor rebel, Smoke." (After defeating Smoke in a round)
- "Your kombat has gotten better." (After losing to Smoke in a round)
- "Kuai Liang has led you astray." (After defeating Smoke)
- "No. That is not our mission."
- "Desist. It is not your fight."
- "Kuai Liang, Tomas. They've broken their oaths. They are fair game. But she is not Lin Kuei. She only attacks because we do."
- "You should have kept your faith, Kuai Liang." (After defeating Scorpion in a round)
- "Make no mistake. We are here because of your treachery." (After defeating Scorpion)
- "Yes, Grandmaster."
- "Stand aside. I told you; this isn't your fight."
- "No. It is Kuai Liang who's betrayed the Lin Kuei—"
- "What?!"
- "No, that... That is impossible."
- "Grandmaster? Is this true?"
- "You knew about this. Didn't you?!"
- "Breaking our traditions? Our vows?! I won't stand for it!"
- "You are no longer my grandmaster." (After defeating Sub-Zero in a round)
- "How was I fooled by your lies?" (After defeating Sub-Zero)
- "Kuai Liang. I have no words. In my heart, I doubted this mission. But in the rush to prove myself, I—"
- "No, it is not. There can only be one punishment."
- "FUBAR?"
- "Mostly. My armor absorbed the fall."
- "I am happy to return the favor."
- "Do you mind a change of partner?"
- "Water? Fire? Razor-edged hats?! I have had enough chaos for one day."
- "Despite what Kuai Liang says, he will regret it if he loses Bi-Han. We cannot kill him."
- "Sektor, are you with Liu Kang?"
- "Come to the entrance. We—"
- "You came. Thank you."
- "Before you share it, may I say one more time that I—"
- "—Not enough. I understand."
- "I... I... What can I say? Thank you, Kuai Liang."
Khaos Cyrax
- "Be glad your deaths serve such a righteous cause."
- "Resisting Chaos is heresy." (after Noob lost to her in a round)
Trivia
General
- Cyrax and Sektor's design was in part inspired by Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Predator (1987).
- Despite being the shortest of the cyborg ninjas, he is the heaviest.
- Cyrax (and by extension, Cyber Smoke), is one of the characters to kill a large amount of people through his Annihilation fatality, followed by guest characters Omni-Man and Homelander.
Mortal Kombat 3/Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3/Mortal Kombat Trilogy
- Of all of the cyborg characters, he is the only one in MK3, UMK3 and MKT to have a different fighting stance and victory pose.
- Cyrax was dubbed "Mustard" during early development of MK3. Actual game footage of MK3 using the name Mustard can be seen in his Bio Kard.
- In addition to his Bio Kard, Cyrax is seen launching three-time bombs at once as opposed to the two that can be launched at a time.
- Cyrax's Self-Destruct Fatality (along with Smoke's Armageddon Fatality) may be something of a precursor to the Hara-Kiri from Mortal Kombat: Deception.
- In UMK3, Cyrax can be seen stuck in the sand on the desert stage. This is a reference to his arcade ending. In MK 2011, at random times a classic model of Cyrax can be seen in the desert as well.
- In MK3, despite having been clearly stated in his biography to be soulless, Cyrax can still produce a soul during Kabal's Freaky Face Fatality. However, this is merely a gameplay mechanic.
- Cyrax was explicitly mentioned in a court case involving the death of a boy killed by his friend after they had supposedly played MK3. A fictitious fatality (attributed to how the boy was killed) where Cyrax held his foe in a headlock & stabbed them in the chest with a knife was noted in the court proceedings. The lawsuit was dropped in part to the fatality's non-existence & how it couldn't be proven that Mortal Kombat specifically encouraged the incident.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
- When facing Jax Briggs and Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Cyrax says, "Death is the only way out." This was also the name of the song, by Joseph Bishara, that played during the battle.
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
- According to his Deadly Alliance Konquest text box, Cyrax loathes Johnny Cage's films and "felt especially robbed of his eight bucks when he saw Johnny's film, Ninja Mime".
- In Deadly Alliance, Cyrax is the only character without a death scream.
- Cyrax's Sambo fighting style in Deadly Alliance is one of the fighting styles not used by any character in Armageddon, not even in Kreate-A-Fighter mode.
- Although Cyrax's armor is said to be heat-resistant (as stated above), he can still be defeated by being knocked into a death trap with lava. However, this is just a gameplay mechanic.
- In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance´s Krypt, an advertisement for the fictional self-help book "Feelings" can be obtained and found. Cyrax says it teaches him how to get in touch with his human side.
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
- In a game over message in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, it says, "Who will win, Stryker or Cyrax?"
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
- In the opening movie to Armageddon, Cyrax emits the same soundbite used for all cyborg ninjas in MK3 when they take damage when he is knocked off by Sheeva. Fans have often misinterpreted this soundbite as him saying "Screw You!"
- In early versions of MK: Armageddon, Hapkido was supposed to be his unarmed fighting style.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy
- In Mortal Kombat: Legacy, Cyrax stays true to his MK 2011 design, but has claws in his hands instead of buzz saws.
- In Mortal Kombat: Legacy, it shows that the story might be going towards his Mortal Kombat 3 version, where he gets his emotions and fights for good. The evidence that supports this is: Cyrax coming back to consciousness during the process of removing his emotions, his rebellious behavior towards the Cyborg Initiative, and, during his battle with Hydro, an announcer was heard saying "Project Cyrax offline.", suggesting that some human qualities might have returned.
Mortal Kombat (2011)
- When Cyrax performs his Buzz Saw fatality in Mortal Kombat 2011, music plays when he kicks the torso off of the opponent.
- In MK 2011, it was mentioned that although he is loyal to the Lin Kuei, he will not surrender his own free will. This is seen when Cyrax takes Raiden's advice and spares Johnny Cage.
- Cyrax is one of the two playable characters in Mortal Kombat (2011) ´s Story Mode who aren't aligned with the forces of good, the other being Scorpion.
- In MK 2011, Cyrax's human form was given unique animations for his special moves and thus showed off his fighting prowess before he was automated. In this case, Cyrax utilized special orbs that contained a special explosive substance that activated when the shell was burst open and also had the ability to use high-speed movements to escape his opponents while leaving behind a puff of smoke. This was in stark contrast to Sektor utilizing modern day weaponry.
- Cyrax, along with Sektor, are the only two characters with two different battle cries and health bar images (one for the cyborg form, and one for the human form). Cyrax also has several timing-based differences between his two versions which make them seem almost like two different characters in high-level play.
- In MK 2011, when Cyrax does his victory pose and Armless Kombat is on, he will not be able to hold the bomb inside his chest and it will fall to the ground and explode.
- His Kombat victory pose is one of the only three in which the character leaves the Battle Arena. The others being Scorpion's and Nightwolf's.
- In MK 2011, Cyrax is one of the only five characters who's the victory pose is in a 3D model. The others being Sub-Zero, Reptile, Freddy Krueger and Mileena.
- Cyrax is one of the seven characters who does not fight against a tag team in their chapter in Story Mode. The others being Johnny Cage, Jax, Sub-Zero, Jade, Stryker and Nightwolf.
- Cyrax, Cyber Sub-Zero and Sektor are the only playable cyborgs in Mortal Kombat (2011). "Infantry" cyborgs are seen as non-playable opponents in several Challenge Tower levels.
- Technically, Cyrax should be eliminated from the tournament in Mortal Kombat (2011), once he and Sektor were defeated by Scorpion. However, he remains in the Kombat. It's probably justified by the motive he had to kill Johnny Cage and Shang Tsung gave him another chance.
Mortal Kombat X
- Cyrax is the only Lin Kuei assassin not mentioned at all in Mortal Kombat X's narrative.
- Although Cyrax is not actually present in Mortal Kombat X, his abilities and appearance are used by the DLC character Triborg who also replicates the appearances and abilities of Sektor, Cyber Smoke and Cyber Sub-Zero.
- Triborg houses the recorded digitized memories of all four ninjas, and Cyrax's name is mentioned when interacting with Sub-Zero.
Injustice 2
- In Injustice 2, Cyrax unit code (LK-4D4) was mentioned by Catwoman in order to override Brother Eye security defenses.
- Additionally in Injustice 2, although he is not mentioned by either Sub-Zero or Raiden who appear as guest characters, he is referenced as one of Sub-Zero's shaders, a yellow shader called Cyber Initiative.
Mortal Kombat 1
- In Mortal Kombat 1, Cyrax's virtue is presented as "Free Will".
- In an interaction with Peacemaker, he insists on calling her "Mustard", a reference to Cyrax's name during Mortal Kombat 3's development.
- When Johnny Cage became curious on when did the Lin Kuei clanswomen like Cyrax and Sektor started to go mecha anime on donning their new armors during "Khaos Reigns" storyline in Chapter 16 starring Cyrax, it indirectly referenced to Cyrax's voice actress's previous role on voicing Lady Une from Mobile Suit Gundam anime franchise (primarily Gundam Wings TV series).
