Mortal Kombat 2021: Every Character’s Powers Explained

Mortal Kombat features over a dozen powerful characters, and here’s what each of their powers are. It has been more than two decades since the popular video game series received a big-screen adaptation. Even though the original Mortal Kombat holds a special nostalgic place in the hearts of some fans, Warner Bros., producer James Wan and director Simon McQuoid set out to make the best live-action adaptation yet. The 2021 Mortal Kombat received mixed reviews, but it appears fans of the property are mostly pleased with how the movie turned out and its ability to include so many characters from the games.

The biggest surprise among Mortal Kombat‘s cast is the introduction of Cole Young (Lewis Tan), who is an original character created for the purposes of the movie. Gamers might not already have a connection to Cole, but the same cannot be said about almost every other character he encounters. Cole teams up with Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), and Kano (Josh Lawson) at first to ding Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) after Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) attacks him. The story expands well beyond these main characters and brings several others from the franchise into the movie for supporting roles.

There might not be a tournament in Mortal Kombat, but a collection of fighters and talented as these ensured that the movie includes plenty of action. Viewers are treated to battles between Sub-Zero and Scorpion, Sonya Blade and Kano, Jax and Reiko (Nathan Jones), and many more. In almost every single fight, Mortal Kombat gives its characters a chance to showcase their unique powers or be part of their journey to unlocking their arcana and discovering these abilities. Here is a complete breakdown of what each Mortal Kombat character’s powers are.

Cole Young

Mortal Kombat‘s protagonist Cole Young is an MMA fighter on the back end of his fighting career when he learns about his role in defending Earthrealm. Cole was born with the Mortal Kombat symbol as a birthmark but he doesn’t have any known powers until near the end of the movie. Once he unlocks his arcana, a golden protective armor forms around Cole’s torso and arms. It appears to absorb energy when it is hit, which at first allows Cole to create bladed tonfas to use in combat. Mortal Kombat doesn’t show any more uses for Cole’s powers or his finishing move, so that will be something for the sequels to explore.

Sonya Blade

Similar to Cole, Sonya Blade doesn’t have any powers throughout most of Mortal Kombat. She’s studied the Mortal Kombat tournament and mythology for seven years prior to the movie’s events. Sonya does get powers after killing Kano during the finale of Mortal Kombat, which sees his marking transfer to her. She proves to be a quick learner when it comes to understanding her powers and unlocking her arcana. Sonya can shoot pink energy rings from her arms, similar to her power set in the video games. There is no evidence of her “kiss of death” fatality, although her fight with Kano does include a subtle reference to it. Instead, Mortal Kombat shows her using the energy rings to deliver deadly blows to her opponents.

Kano

Kano’s signature laser eye is included as his main power in Mortal Kombat once his arcana is discovered, but it isn’t a cybernetic implant this time. The ability to shoot a laser from his eye is natural for the time being. It is possible this could change if Kano manages to return in future Mortal Kombat installments and give him some upgrades in the process. For now, Kano does include his heart-ripping fatality in the movie to make him even closer to his video game counterpart.

Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero’s ice powers are part of Mortal Kombat from the very beginning of the film. Although it isn’t explained in the movie how or why he can control ice, Bi-Han’s abilities are vast. He uses them to create an ice double of himself to evade an attack and freeze the blood of his opponent to use as a weapon. In the games, Sub-Zero’s powers are the result of him being a member of the Outworld people known as Cryomancers. His go-to finishing move in Mortal Kombat is completely encasing his opponents with ice, and his preferred choice of weapon is an ice-formed dagger. Even though the movie appeared to kill the franchise’s iconic villain, the ending teased how Sub-Zero could return in future installments.

Jax Briggs

Jax’s powers primarily come from the mechanical arms he gains during the movie. After Sub-Zero freezes off his upper limbs, Jax is saved by the Shaolin Monks and given replacement metal arms. They aren’t very strong at first, but they transform to become much stronger when Jax tries to save Sonya’s life. The origin of Jax’s arms appeared to be magical or supernatural in the movie, likely the result of his arcana activating. His new robot arms give him incredible strength, which allows him to deliver powerful claps capable of squishing any head that finds itself in between his hands.

Lord Raiden

Lord Raiden is the god of thunder and lightning in Mortal Kombat lore, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his powers are tied to those elements. He doesn’t use his abilities for combat during the movie but instead harnesses his lightning for teleportation. Raiden can send himself or anyone else to any location he wants with his lightning. The video games show that these powers can be used to attack if Raiden is put in such a position, but that will be something for sequels to explore it seems. Mortal Kombat only shows Raiden as the man responsible for training those who will fight in the next Mortal Kombat tournament.

Scorpion

Scorpion doesn’t begin Mortal Kombat with any powers, and it is only after he’s killed by Sub-Zero that he gains abilities. He has fire powers as a result of harnessing the fire from Hell, or Netherrealm, as it’s known in the games. Scorpion learned how to control the power tied to this world in the afterlife and returns to fight Sub-Zero with a full range of abilities. He can teleport back to where he came, breathe Hellfire from his mouth, and more. The ability to breathe fire gives Scorpion a chance to perform his iconic fatality, where he removes his mask, reveals his skull-like face, and burning his opponent alive with the Hellfire. Scorpion is also equipped with his signature weapon, known as kunai, and using it in Mortal Kombat is even accompanied by his frequent saying, “Get over here.”

Shang Tsung

Shang Tsung (Chin Han) is the leader of Outworld who is dead set on winning the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament so he and his army can invade Earthrealm. As Outworld’s ruler, Shang Tsung primarily has others do his fighting, but he does show off his powers during Mortal Kombat. In addition to using his dark magic to transport himself and others to various places, Shang Tsung’s primary power is stealing the souls of others. He demonstrates this ability by taking Kung Lao’s life to replenish his own. However, the movie does not include his morphing abilities from the games, which allow him to take the form of anyone.

Liu Kang

Liu Kang’s (Ludi Lin) primary power in Mortal Kombat is the element of fire. He can shoot fireballs from his hands and trained with Lord Raiden to master his special ability. Liu Kang is one the most skilled fighters in the video games, winning every tournament he’s participated in. Even without a tournament in Mortal Kombat, the movie still includes his signature fire dragon fatality. This finishing move sees Liu Kang summon a dragon with a strike to the ground and the fiery beast emerges to engulf his enemy in flames until they burn to death.

Kung Lao

Kung Lao (Max Huang) is another Shaolin monk who trained under Lord Raiden to unlock his powers. Kung Lao is an expert fighter but his unique ability comes with his hat. The circular hat has a razor-sharp edge all the way around it that can cut through almost anything. Kung Lao has complete control over the hat, allowing him to throw it without any worry that it will come back to him – similar to Captain America’s mastery of his shield. He also appears to have some level of teleportation powers. Kung Lao uses his deadly hat as a buzzsaw in Mortal Kombat and cuts his opponent completely in half right down the middle.

Mileena

Mileena (Sisi Stinger) is one of Shang Tsung’s followers and most skilled combatants. She is equipped with dual sais, but her powers go far beyond those weapons. Mileena has incredibly sharp teeth since she is half-Tarkatan and her jaw can expand to deliver even deadlier bites. She even possesses the ability to teleport, which gives her the element of surprise in battle. Her taste for blood extends to the point where she can know whether or not the person she’s fighting is a champion.

Nitara

Nitara (Mel Jarnson) has a very small role in Mortal Kombat, and is shown to be serving Shang Tsung. She has giant wings that give her the ability to fly and is a vampire in the source material. There are references made to her shrieking scream, but it doesn’t appear that they have any effect on those who hear it. In the games, Nitara needs to drink the blood of others to prolong her life, just like a vampire.

Reiko

Reiko’s powers are not fully explored in Mortal Kombat. The giant fighter has increased strength, which enables him to carry a giant mallet – known as the Crude Hammer in the video games. Reiko isn’t given much time to shine in the movie before Jax kills him.

Kabal

Kabal (Daniel Nelson) is another skilled fighter part of Shang Tsung’s army. He is a Black Dragon warrior and wears his respirator and mask to keep him alive and conceal a deformity. Kabal’s power lies with his super-speed, which allows him to run at superhuman speeds in combat, and is known to be the fastest being in the universe. His weapon of choice is the Hookswords he is known to wield in the games.

Goro

Goro (Angus Sampson) is the Prince of the Shokan and fights alongside Shang Tsung’s legion of Outworld warriors. Goro is incredibly strong and well-regarded as one of the universe’s most powerful fighters. In addition to his super strength, Goro’s Shokan build gives him four arms to deliver even more crushing punches. It also gives him the ability to rip his opponents in half, something that is alluded to through paintings of past Mortal Kombat tournaments and a move he tries to use on Cole Young.

Reptile

Reptile received a major redesign for Mortal Kombat. The Saurian warrior is more humanoid in the games, but the movie makes Reptile look just like a giant lizard. His best ability is turning completely invisible. This makes Reptile an incredible stealth attacker, which is then paired with his acid spit to form a deadly combination.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5614 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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