Elemental

Elementals are beings who have mastered abilities related to particular elements such as wind, earth, fire and water. Their appearance differs depending on which element they have mastered.

About Elementals

Various elementals have appeared in the series, whether from divine origin or a character with the ability to control or manipulate the specific element of their power. The Elder Goddess known as Cetrion is one of the most powerful elementals in the series, as she has the ability to control water, rocks, wind and fire.

Blaze, a being of pure fire, is also one of the most powerful elementals in the series, where obtaining his lifeforce grants the wielder Godhood as a result.

Many characters in the series have control over elements from various means, some sharing similar abilities. These include the following.

Cryomancy

Main article: Cryomancer

Cryomancy is the ability to manipulate and produce ice by freezing the water in the oxygen around them. This can be used to create armor, weapons and even subdue opponents with non-lethal or hyper lethal effects. Cryomancers within the series include Bi-Han and his brother Kuai Liang, as well as Kuai Liang's student Frost.

Electrokinetics

Electrokinetics is the ability to produce and manipulate electricity or lightning. This can be used dangerously in offensive capabilities, but also defensive as the lightning can destroy most things it comes in contact with. Some electrokinetics are even able to produce thunderclouds when they produce lightning not produced from their body.

Raiden, the God of Thunder, is a notorious user of electrokinetics, as it is his moniker as the God of Thunder. In Mortal Kombat 11, Raiden merges himself with Liu Kang, granting the Shaolin Monk his lightning-based abilities. In Mortal Kombat 1, Liu Kang transfers these abilities into an amulet and gifts it to a new version of Raiden, granting the now mortal warrior the same abilities as his Godly counterpart from previous timelines.

Hydromancy

Hydromancy is the ability to control, manipulate and produce water in many forms. In some pieces of fiction, hydromancers can even manipulate the water within a person's blood, allowing them to control their ligaments and body. Hydromancy can even lead to forms of cryomancy with how well the individual can manipulate the water they are controlling, as skilled hydromancers can not only freeze water but also boil it to burn their opponents.

The Demi-God Rain is known for his abilities to summon and control water, even to the point of making his entire body water. His abilities also include electrokinetics, as he is able to summon thunderclouds when commanding rainstorms on the fightline against his opponents.

In Mortal Kombat 1, Rain is no longer a Demi-God but rather a High Mage within Outworld, granting him similar abilities to his previous timeline counterparts. He also wields a staff that helps him with his hydromancy.

The non-canon Lin Kuei assassin Hydro also has the ability of hydromancy, as his name suggests.

Geokinetics

Geokinetics, or as some are called Earth Elementals, is the ability to manipulate rocks, metals and minerals around them as well as create pulses in the Earth similar to an earthquake. Earth Elementals are immensely powerful as there is no shortage of what they can manipulate and control.

The most notorious Earth Elemental in the series is the Black Dragon clansmen Tremor. In his original depiction in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Tremor has the ability to shake the ground and summon fireballs at the opponent. In the Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series) and later in Mortal Kombat X, Tremor is revamped with pure geokinetic abilities, being able to summon and create rocks of any kind as well as metals, golds, crystals and even molten magma. His body is also littered with stone formations that change based on the element he chooses. These traits are carried over in Mortal Kombat 1 in his Kameo Fighter appearance. Additionally, he body now seems to be entirely covered in rock rather than just his hands, forearms, chest and parts of his face.

The artificial construct Geras is a being that can manipulate the sands of time and to an extent has a form of geokinetics as he is able to summon and create stone and rock pillars, weapons and constructs to suit himself in kombat.

Pyromancy

Pyromancy is the ability to manipulate, control and generate fire. Pyromancers typically, in some forms of media, have immunity to fire effects, as well as having a connection with electrokinetics, as lightning is considered the hottest form of fire. Within the Mortal Kombat series, some characters can also control what is called Hellfire, a form of fire originating from Hell or the Netherrealm.

Mainstay characters such as Hanzo Hasashi, better known as Scorpion and the Shaolin Monk Liu Kang are well known characters that use pyromancy as part of their arsenal. Hanzo's pyromancy comes from his resurrection as the Spectre Scorpion, while Liu Kang's comes from his training at the Wu Shi Academy.

In Mortal Kombat 1, Kuai Liang was redesigned to become that timeline's Scorpion, however, his pyromancy does not contain the same Hellfire properties as Hanzo's did, rather, Kuai Liang manipulates fire like a traditional pyromancer.

Aerokinetics

Aerokinetics is the ability to control the wind or air in general. This can include using it for flight, creating air pockets for the user or to use as traps and, to an extreme extent, the ability to create small tornadoes.

The God of Wind and Raiden's younger brother Fujin is the only known character in the series that has complete manipulation of the winds. As stated before, the Elder Goddess Cetrion can also control a small aspect of the wind, causing small tornadoes to stun her opponents.

Shadowmancy

Shadowmancy is the ability to control and produce darkness or shadow. This allows the user to create shadow apparitions for offensive or defensive purposes.

The Cryomancer Bi-Han has died in each timeline and became a Wraith with each iteration being slightly different, however a constant is his ability to summon his shadow, known as his Shadow Clone, to attack for him and defend him at times. The clone mirrors his every movement and can attack for him as well as rip the opponent to shreds and even be used as a projectile at times.

Non-Traditional Elemental Abilities

Hemokinetics

Main article: Blood Magik

Hemokinetics is the ability to control and manipulate the flow of blood in an organism's body. Although not a part of the elemental line, highly skilled hydromancers are able to focus on the percentage of water that makes up someone's blood, thus allowing them to control the blood in their body.

Characters within the series that manipulate blood include Nitara, Skarlet and Kotal Kahn. Skarlet and Kotal Kahn use what is called Blood Magik to empower them, with Kotal Kahn absorbing his opponent's blood to grow stronger, while Skarlet uses it to fashion weapons, create tendrils and heal herself from damage. Skarlet's high level of skill in Blood Magik also allows her to transform not only herself into pure blood, but also her opponent.

Necromancy

Necromancy is the ability to communicate and summon the spirits of the dead to gain knowledge of future events or discover hidden knowledge. Modern iterations of necromancy involve individuals that can raise, control and command the dead from various states of decomposition. Some necromancers can even create entirely new entities using the bones, muscles and flesh of those killed and resurrected.

Common necromancers in the series include the sorcerers Shang Tsung and Quan Chi as well as Shinnok, an Elder God of Death. Quan Chi and Shinnok are responsible for creating the Revenants in the series.