—Kung Jin in Mortal Kombat X. |
Biography
- Mortal Kombat X: "Kung Jin is the younger cousin of the Earthrealm hero Kung Lao. When Kung Lao was killed in the war against Outworld, Kung's family's fortunes took a turn for the worse. He journeyed to the U.S. and became a thief. An encounter with Raiden changed Jin's outlook, and he joined the Shaolin Monks. Now a member of Johnny Cage's secret Special Forces offshoot, Jin's streetwise past gives him extra insight into the minds and motivations of those who would harm Earthrealm."
Storyline
Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series)
Kung Jin is hired by Bo' Rai Cho to steal an important item, successfully doing so in a shorter amount of time than expected. The thief meets with Bo' Rai Cho in Pura Bratan, Bali, and after the master comments on Jin's swiftness, Kung Jin hands the envelope containing the item over, saying that's what he's paid for. Kung Jin takes his payment as Bo' Rai Cho talks of training his uncle, but when he offers to recommend him to the Shaolin Temple, Jin scoffs the offer off, explaining he'd be a "square peg" at a Shaolin Temple.
Bo' Rai Cho tells Jin he has a warrior's heart and asks why he denies it. Telling Bo' Rai Cho with respect that he only knew Kung Lao, Kung Jin makes it clear that he doesn't know him or his heart before departing.
Mortal Kombat X
Kung Jin is a member of the Kung family and the younger cousin of the current Kung Lao. After his cousin is killed by Shao Kahn, Jin becomes angry at Raiden for allowing his death. He becomes a skilled archer and thief, and does not join the Shaolin Monks because of his homosexuality. Twenty years after Kahn’s defeat, Jin sneaks into the Sky Temple to steal a family heirloom that was given to Raiden. When the god of thunder catches him as he is about to escape, he takes the statue away from the thief and tells him that the Kung family honored him with it as a gift. Jin openly blames Raiden for Lao’s death, angering the god and causing a fight. After Jin wins, he walks away but is stopped by Raiden, and figures that the god wanted him to attack to release his anger. Raiden tells Jin to go the Wu Shi Academy and become a Shaolin monk. Jin states that he cannot, fearing they will reject him because he is a homosexual. But the Elder Gods assure him that the academy cares about what is in his heart. Jin tries to argue that it is too late for him, but Raiden gives him the heirloom and replies that it is never too late.
Afterwards, Jin trains at the academy and becomes a Shaolin monk like his cousin. Five years later, he is chosen to become part of a Special Forces' team - handpicked by Johnny Cage - with Special Forces' operatives Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs, and Takeda Takahashi of the Shirai Ryu. After they hear the story about how Cage defeated Shinnok and helped contain the Elder God inside his own amulet, Cage gives them an assignment: to ensure the allegiance of Grandmaster Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei to Earthrealm's defenses.
Once they reach the destination, they are about to invade the temple, but Sub-Zero and some Lin Kuei warriors leave it at the same time to meditate. In a rash manner, Kung Jin asks for Sub-Zero's cooperation, but the Grandmaster reminds them that they are not welcome and demands that they state their intentions, just as more Lin Kuei come to surround the young warriors. Cassie tries to cool down the mood, but once again, Jin defies the whole clan, which unchains a battle between the team and the clan. Eventually, Jin tries to face Sub-Zero by himself, but falls right into his feint. Sub-Zero advices the young Shaolin that he should help his companions instead of constantly mocking of his superiors, to which Jin replies saying he will remember that, once he finds an actual superior. After being defeated by Sub-Zero, who is unamused by his false bravado, he is tied up along with his companions. Turns out that the fight against the Lin Kuei happens to be just a training exercise created by both Johnny Cage and Sub-Zero, who advises Cassie and the others that until they function as a team, they will fall short. Tension ensues after the beatdown, as the team looks down on Jin for his foul attitude with the situation. They then get a message from the HQ regarding the Outworlders' exodus to Earthrealm.
Once they arrive to the HQ, they find Sonya Blade, Raiden and Kenshi questioning the Outworlder Li Mei, who brought her people from Sun Do to Earthrealm to ensure their safety from the battle between Kotal Kahn's army and Mileena's insurgency, who has Shinnok's amulet in her possession. General Blade then orders the team to go to Outworld have a conference with Kotal Kahn regarding these news.
Once they arrive at Outworld, Cassie mentions that she thought the sky there was purple, something that Kung Jin contradicts, thanks to his studies about Outworld in the Shaolin Archives. After once again questioning Cassie's leadership skills, Takeda reminds them about the mission and seizes to ask about why Outworld did not help Earthrealm in the Netherrealm war against Quan Chi and his team of revenants (among them, Jax - something Jin used to provoke Jacqui). Jin then answers that Outworld is not exactly their ally, and it was only stipulated in the Reiko Accords that there would not be any aggressions between Earthrealm and Outworld. Erron Black was close and listened to their conversation, which made him demand them to state their business. Cassie asks to talk with the emperor, but Black is uninterested in taking them to his encounter. Jin then tries to make a scheme with him, proposing that the gunslinger takes them as hostages to him, which would be something worthy of a raise on Black's paycheck. After some thought, Black escorts them to bring them to the emperor.
Eventually, they witness an execution of an Outworlder, whose crime was the petty theft of bread. Kung Jin runs to aid in the criminal's breakout, something that causes panic between the public, and then fights and defeats Erron Black. Then Ferra/Torr come to immobilize the young Earthrealmers one by one. Once they reach Jin, they engage in kombat with him, but are defeated. Then, D'Vorah comes to impose order and remember the Earthrealmers that they interfered in Outworld's justice affairs - something that is sentenced to death. However, D'Vorah would first bring Kotal Kahn to consult him. While they awaited for the emperor, his angry companions demanded to know what Jin was thinking to act that way. Jin defended not all thieves are irredeemable, telling them his story.
Later, Kotal Kahn talks to the team about how he didn't know about the exodus, but was also angered about their interference in Outworld affairs, and became even more furious when he heard the amulet was in Mileena's possession. Jin then tried to talk sense into Kotal, claiming that they mean no harm to his rule or the realm, but the emperor was convinced that they were allied with Mileena, which made him sentence them to death. Jin then challenges Kotal to a trial by kombat, knowing that if the accuser refused, he would be dishonored. Kotal accepts, as the Shaolin is reminded that defeat means death. Jin then defeats Kotal, who is then convinced that the Earthrealmers mean no harm to Outworld and asks for Jin to kill him at once. However, Jin had another idea in mind: cooperation between his team and the Kahn Guard in the search for Shinnok's amulet. With no other choice, Kotal concedes Jin's wish, and Cassie communicates this turn of events to General Blade.
After Mileena's insurgency is dissolved and the amulet is retrieved, the team was about to return to Earthrealm with the amulet, but Kotal turns against them and locks them up, claiming that the Reiko Accords no longer concern him, because Earthrealm was unable to protect the amulet in the first place. They are then in a prison within a ship, located at the Kove, asking themselves about what would be their fate. As Cassie laments about how her mother would more than likely kill her, the others also share their troubled backgrounds. Kung Jin himself relates to Cassie's insecurities about making up for her father's achievements, due to the heavy heritage that is being a descendant of one of the biggest Earthrealm champions that ever lived: the Great Kung Lao. Jin jokingly mentions that his ancestor's 600-year-old achievement of defeating Shang Tsung and saving Earthrealm is brought up frequently at family gatherings, as if that happened recently.
After Takeda manages to overload one of the guard's senses, and to free the team, they then take notice of Erron Black, Ermac and Reptile at the dock, watching a vault where the missing amulet was and the corpses of two warriors from the Kahn Guard, concluding that their wounds are D'Vorah's work. Reptile takes notice of the Earthrealmers, which made them act quickly. Kung Jin provided air cover, by sending an arrow with smoke and that way, blocking their foes' vision. Then he faced Black again, but as he was about to get killed by him, Takeda goes on his rescue. Jin then goes to help Cassie and Jacqui fights Ermac, which also does not go well. They eventually leave the Kove in search for D'Vorah's trail, but as the search is unsuccessful, General Blade demands that they return to the HQ. Once they return, they discover Sonya, Kenshi, and Shirai Ryu's grandmaster, Hanzo Hasashi, immobilized, as well as several stunned Shirai Ryu warriors and Quan Chi's corpse. Hanzo then tells the team that Shinnok has returned and has taken Johnny Cage hostage at the Sky Temple.
They make haste to the Sky Temple, as they see the red sky, meaning that Shinnok was able to corrupt Earthrealm's life force: the Jinsei. They then arrive at the Dead Woods, but they soon discover they are not alone, as Kotal Kahn and his guard have come to demand their heads, so that they can convince Shinnok to spare Outworld. However, they are saved by Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei, who would hold Kotal and his warriors off and making them return to Outworld, while the team would deal with Shinnok.
Once the team reaches to the Sky Temple, they overhear the revenants talking about Shinnok's plan to defeat the Elder Gods, which would mean the end of their reality. The team then tries to deal with Sindel and Kitana, but only Cassie is able to defeat them. As more revenants come to stop them, Cassie and Jin would go inside the Jinsei's chamber and deal with D'Vorah and a corrupted Shinnok, while Takeda and Jacqui would hold the revenants off. Jin tries to fight D'Vorah, but is stabbed by her stingers and passes out. He wakes up to see a defeated Shinnok, and congratulates Cassie for that. An weakened Raiden asks for their help to take him to the Jinsei, so he can purify it. Once Raiden manages to do it, he passes out. After taking Raiden out of the newly purified Jinsei along with Cassie, Kung Jin is last seen while trying to make the thunder god regain his senses.
Endings
- Mortal Kombat X (Non-Canonical): "For his role in saving Earthrealm, Kung Jin's family created a statue in his likeness, for inclusion in Raiden's revered collection. But Kung Jin's thoughts were with one no longer accepted by his family: Kung Lao. Kung Jin set out to locate his cousin--and found him in the Netherrealm. Raiden believed Kung Lao's tortured soul was forever trapped without Quan Chi's magic to free him. But Kung Jin knew the Shaolin were stronger than any sorcerer's spell. He vowed to help Kung Lao fight off the evil that had remade him."