Mortal Kombat II is now playing in theaters, and while it was a long wait to get a new entry in the series, it was worth the wait. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and has thus far had an impressive run at the box office. While the first movie was restrained in its portrayal of the lore and worlds of the hit fighting video game series, the sequel goes all out, unafraid to embrace the wackier aspects of the franchise. Mortal Kombat II takes the action outside of Earth, and actually lets the titular tournament take place.
To that end, Mortal Kombat II has introduced plenty of new fighters from the video games to provide all sorts of electrifying match-ups. There are plenty of fan-favorites, and even a fun and unexpected cameo for those familiar with the creation of the Moral Kombat video games. With how many new and returning characters there are, we at MovieWeb thought it best to compile a list of all the fighters from the Mortal Kombat video games (sorry, Lewis Tan as Cole Young).
Johnny Cage (Karl Urban)
Perhaps the most prolific Mortal Kombat character to be featured in this film is Johnny Cage, brought to life by Karl Urban. The first Mortal Kombat film ended with a teaser that Cage would play a role in the next installment, and now he is here front and center. The Mortal Kombat games depict Cage as a Hollywood star struggling to maintain his relevancy, and the movie does much of the same. Essentially serving as the co-lead for the film along with Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), Cage is reluctant to participate in the tournament, though he eventually becomes the hero he always plays in movies.
Kitana (Adeline Rudolph)
Mortal Kombat II‘s opening scene depicts Kitana as a child, painting her tragic origin story as she witnesses the evil Shao Khan kill her father in Mortal Kombat. From that point on, the character plays an integral role in the film. Becoming the adoptive daughter of Shao Khan, Kitana’s absence from the first film is made up for heavily in the sequel. The character serves as a spy for Raiden, and eventually reveals her allegiance to Earthrealm in the last round of the tournament, taking revenge against the Khan and killing him in a satisfying way while becoming the new ruler of Edenia.
Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee)
Sonya Blade is one of the returning fighters from the first film, having gained her mark and arcana power by killing Kano (Josh Lawson). The character’s role isn’t as prominent as it was in the first, though she plays an important part in helping convince Johnny Cage that he serves a greater purpose, while also participating in the tournament. Sonya gets to participate in one of the first matches, going up against and delivering a nasty fatality to Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen). Sonya also goes up against Shao Khan towards the end of the film, and is one of the few characters to survive until the end of the film.
Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford)
Only alluded to in the first film, Shao Khan makes his presence known from the opening scene in the movie and is immediately established as the main antagonist. While Shang Tsung played an ambiguous, antagonistic role in the first movie, attempting to undermine Earthrealm and sabotage their fighters, Shao Kahn’s role is much more involved. Not only does he participate in the tournament, but he is also responsible for many of the film’s most tragic and brutal deaths, killing Cole Young, Jax, and, to a certain extent, Liu Kang. Granted immortality after stealing Raiden’s powers, the character lives up to his video game reputation.
Liu Kang (Ludi Lin)
Liu Kang is often considered the most skilled fighter in the Mortal Kombat video games, and even canonically wins key tournaments within the lore of the games. That reputation is showcased in Mortal Kombat II well, and while he doesn’t win the tournament, Earthrealm survives thanks to his efforts in not only winning against his best friend Kung Lao, but also holding off Shao Kahn towards the end of the movie. The character’s fate is ambiguous, but he is sure to play a role in a third Mortal Kombat. Many of the best fights in the movie feature Liu Kang, making him one of the best returning fighters from the first movie. Although Liu Kang is mortally wounded by Shao Kahn, the character transforms into flames and lifted away, leaving his fate unknown.
Jax (Mehcad Brooks)
Jax is another returning character from 2021s Mortal Kombat, with the character finally having a chance to show off his robotic arms. Much like Sonya, Jax participates in the tournament by defeating Jade, though he ultimately spares her due to Kitana sparing Johnny Cage in the first round. Besides that key fight, Jax helps to try and restore Raiden’s powers and keep Shao Kahn from taking over Earth, though he ultimately dies while holding the villain off while the other fighters of Earthrealm attempt to get the amulet back.
Jade (Tati Gabrielle)
Jade, brought to life by Tati Gabrielle who previously starred in HBO’s video game adaptation The Last of Us, plays a loyal soldier to Shao Kahn and bodyguard of Kitana. Much like in the lore of the video games, She and Kitana have a friendship that ultimately leads to Jade defecting and helping her take back Edenia. Unfortunately, Jade loses in one of the earlier rounds to Jax, but later journeys to the Netherrealm to help Johnny Cage and Kano destroy the amulet that stores Raiden’s powers, making Shao Kahn mortal again so that Kitana can defeat him in the final round of the tournament.
Kung Lao (Max Huang)
Kung Lao returns from the first film, despite dying a brutal death at the hands of Shang Tsung. With Kung Lao, Mortal Kombat II gleefully showcases how characters are able to return in the games so frequently despite dying: by resurrecting them using the necromancer Quan Chi (Damon Herriman). A dark version of Kung Lao, who participates in the Tournament for Outworld, manages to catch Raiden off guard and injure him enough for the Kahn to steal his powers. Lao also fights against Liu Kang in what might be the best fight of the film, though he ultimately loses and is killed, though not without a promise from Liu Kang who promises to bring him back.
Quan Chi (Damon Herriman)
Quan Chi is a necromancer and sorcerer who works alongside Shang Tsung, participating in the machinations of Shao Kahn to rig the tournament and win. The character brings both Kung Lao and Kano back to life, and helps to find the amulet that sets the villains’ plans into motion for the rest of the movie. While Quan Chi is mainly on the sidelines throughout the movie and doesn’t participate in the tournament, the character ends up in the custody of Earthrealm’s champions. Ultimately, he’s taken captive by Kano at the film’s end, presumably to be used to help bring their friends back to life.
Shang Tsung (Chin Han)
Shang Tsung was the main antagonist of the previous Mortal Kombat film, and the sorcerer is relegated to the secondary antagonist. Much like his counterpart in the video games, Tsung always seems to be scheming to find a way to take power for himself, though still serves the Kahn out of fear alongside Quan Chi. Moreover, the character’s rivalry and hatred for Raiden carries over into this film, as he is the one that seals the Thunder god’s powers in the amulet that makes Kahn immortal. The last time he is seen, Shang Tsung is dealt a devastating blow by Raiden, who gets his powers back at the last minute before he was about to be killed by the sorcerer.
Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano)
Raiden, much like in almost all the Mortal Kombat video game campaigns, doesn’t directly participate in the tournament. Instead, he recruits the fighters and provides occasional wisdom, especially to Johnny Cage. However, Raiden is much more important to the plot than he had been in the first film, and even gets to get a small action scene with Shang Tsung. It’s a nice treat for fans of the character in the game who is fun to play but is rarely playable in the campaigns. Interestingly, the film ends with a tease that Raiden is going to take a more involved role in a possible third entry.
Kano (Josh Lawson)
One of the fan-favorites from the first movie, Kano was killed at the end of the first film, but is brought back to life by Quan Chi so that the necromancer can retrieve the amulet of Shinnok from the newly-resurrected mercenary. Much like the first movie, Kano provides most of (if not all) the comic relief in Mortal Kombat II, and switches sides yet again, helping Johnny Cage to retrieve the amulet in the Netherrealm. While not a fighter in the tournament, Kano is a wild card who constantyl switches sides, though he seems to be with the rest of Earthrealm champions at the end of the movie, having helped kidnap Quan Chi.
Bi-Han/Noob Saibot (Joe Taslim)
A special treat for fans of the Mortal Kombat video games is the return of Bi-Han, formerly known as Sub Zero, in an entirely new form than before. Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi resurrect Bi-Han, with the character being able to control his own shadows. In the original Mortal Kombat 2 video game, the character is a secret fighter named Noob Saibot that can be unlocked. The name is a combination of the original series creators’ names, Ed Boon and John Tobias. Strangely, the name Noob Saibot is never mentioned in the film, and he is only ever called Bi-Han within the context of the story and the credits.
Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada)
Much like the last film, Scorpion only shows up towards the end of the film, serving as a guide to Johnny Cage and Kano in Netherrealm. As is true in most Moral Kombat video games, Scorpion’s motivations are entirely driven by his lust for revenge against Sub-Zero, who murdered his family in the previous film. Brought to life by the legendary Hiroyuki Sanada, Scorpion has an exhilarating fight with Bi-Han towards the end of the film inside the Netherrealm, though that is as far as his involvement in Mortal Kombat II goes.
Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen)
Sindel is Kitana’s mother, and a fighter in the movie that is nowhere near as antagonistic as her character is in the video games. Mortal Kombat II paints Sindel as a subjugated prisoner of Shao Kahn, a shell of her former self who is forced to participate in the tournament. Her screen time is limited, though she gets an impressive fight against Sonya in the first round of the tournament at the heart of the movie. While seemingly killed, Sindel is healed at the behest of Shao Kahn, and used as a way to threaten Kitana.
Baraka (CJ Bloomfield)
Baraka is a resident of Outworld and leader of the Tarkatans, bloodthirsty warriors who are the key to helping the Earthrealm champions infiltrate Shao Kahn’s castle. Played by CJ Bloomfield, Baraka provides some comedic relief as an intense straight man opposite Johnny Cage’s Hollywood antics. The two form a friendship after fighting, which allows the group to sneak into the castle in Edenia to try and destroy the amulet. Baraka seemingly joins the team at the end of the film, having become a self-proclaimed “disciple” of Cage.
Ed Boon
While not a new fighter, the character of Bartender, Ed, is a fun Easter egg for fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise. Early on in the film, Johnny Cage is having a conversation with a bartender named Ed, who says that Cage looks down and is “usually a little more animated,” in a playful reference to Ed Boon’s contributions to the franchise. Credited as one of the co-creators of Mortal Kombat, Boon’s cameo in the movie is not just a way to give kudos to one of the people who started it all, but also feels like a reference to the Easter eggs that were strewn throughout the early Mortal Kombat video games.
- Release Date
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May 8, 2026
- Runtime
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116 Minutes
- Writers
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Jeremy Slater
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
