Kung Lao

Story

Kung Lao is a rival of Liu Kang and a descendant of the great Kung Lao. He is driven by his predecessors victories and wants nothing more than to be like him. This drives him to train hard to rival Liu Kang. But, when the time comes to pick a representative for Earthrealm, Liu Kang is the chosen one and Kung Lao is left behind. 

Unwilling to take this, he sneaks into the tournament disguised as a guard for Shag Tsung. He eventually reveals himself and challenges Scorpion. He loses the fight and watches on, disgraced, as Liu Kang wins the tournament. 

Following Liu Kang’s win, Shang Tsung calls for another tournament which is to take place in Outworld. Raiden initially refuses, but is compelled to take part and Kung Lao is among those dispatched to fight to save Kitana. 

Where the princess was held, Kung Lao is confronted with the combined power of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi and he finally gets his moment in the sun and he is able to secure a victory against the two antagonists. While he soaks up the noise from the crowd, he gets his neck snapped by Shao Kahn from behind. In his death, his soul comes into the possession of Quan Chi who uses Kung Lao as a servant. 

Kung Lao is present during the events of Mortal Kombat X and serves as one of the antagonists and fights against the Special Forces. He suffered loss at the hands of Raiden whom he claims did not do enough to stop his death at the hands of Shao Kahn. The good guys defeat Shinnok who was the main antagonist of the game and Kung Lao returned to serve the Netherrealm.

In MK11 Aftermath, Kung Lao is allied with Kronika and wants to defend the time god’s keep against the forces of his time displaced self and Liu Kang. In the final battle, he confronts Shao Kahn again and again is defeated and thrown into the sea of blood.

He’s back in MK1, but we don’t know where his story will lead.

Personality

Kung Lao is a playful character who is warmly regarded by everyone. However, his personality also means that he isn’t always taken seriously. He is also loyal to his friends, but we see a more ruthless version when he was taken over by Quan Chi. 

Playstyle

Appearance

Kung Lao has an iconic appearance and typically wears a piece of leather armor around his chest. His arms are usually bare, but he wears wrappings and a gauntlet on his hands. He wears brown pants and knee-high boots. His most iconic piece of clothing is his signature hat which has sharp edges and is a weapon.