[46][47] Liu Kang is among the eleven characters representing the Mortal Kombat franchise in the 2008 crossover title Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which features fights between characters from the Mortal Kombat and the DC Comics universes. [101] Both Den of Geek and Hardcore Gamer found Liu Kang's possible role in the series to be shrouded in mystery due to his possible revival as a villain as well as how he is not available to face Shinnok as in the first games created for the series. [69] In the first film, he takes part in the tournament out of guilt over his brother's death at the hands of Shang Tsung (portrayed by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), and defeats Tsung in the final battle. [18], Liu Kang's Fatality from the original game is the "Shaolin Uppercut", invented by Ho-Sung Pak,[30] in which he performs a butterfly kick (often mistaken for a cartwheel) on his opponent before hitting an uppercut that knocks them offscreen before landing. Today, it is the 4th most common surname in Mainland China as well as one of the most popular names in the world. lícules d'arts marcials. Im alternativen Ablauf der Geschichte wurde er nur zweimal Champion, da ab dem dritten Turnier die Wettkämpfe wegen der Invasion des Earthrealms ausfielen. [85], Some video game publications criticized his gameplay and shouts while others noted him to be entertaining. [73] In the 1995 animated film Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins, Liu Kang appears as one of the main characters.[68]. Später wurde er von Raiden wiederbelebt. [48] Tobias said that the fight he expected to see in the game was between Liu Kang and Batman as he noted their back-stories are very similar, as both attempt to help their respective leaders regain their senses. [70] As a result of the film's style the relationship between Liu Kang and Kitana is more of a metaphysical than a romantic nature. So hast du deine Lieblings-Communitys immer dabei und verpasst nie wieder etwas. [39], Liu Kang becomes nonplayable for the first and only time in the Mortal Kombat series in 2002's Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, in which the titular partnership of Shang Tsung and fellow sorcerer Quan Chi join forces to kill him in the game's introductory sequence. [87] His relationship with Kitana was ranked fourth in IGN's list of best video game couples in 2006. [42] His spirit enlists the reformed ninja Ermac to try to save Kitana and his Earthrealm allies from the Dragon King Onaga. [28] Another such move is the "Bicycle Kick" in which Liu Kang flies across the screen with a series of multiple kicks to the opponent's torso resembling pedaling a bicycle, hence the name. The track titled "Liu Kang's Tomb" would be used in Mortal Kombat: Deception in the arena that shows his tomb. Although Liu Kang's design in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks remains similar to his Mortal Kombat II one, Himmerick said that it was the most revised one from the game, along with Kung Lao's. [84] In 2012, GamesRadar ranked him as 51st "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games, adding that while "Sub-Zero and Scorpion may get most of the fanfare", Liu Kang "can shoot fireballs, whoops and hollers just like Bruce Lee, and pioneered the Animality with his dragon-transformation fatality--it’s no wonder that Liu Kang’s the chosen champion of Earthrealm. 劉 / 刘 (/ lj oʊ / or / lj uː /; romanised as Liu, Lau, Leo, Ryu, Lieu, Liou) is a Chinese surname. In Mortal Kombat 3, his hair was considerably longer, with the only alteration to his outfit being thin black leg strips wrapped above his ankles in order to give him a "sleeker" look for the game. However, Kung Lao is killed by Shao Kahn and Liu Kang nearly kills his nemesis in revenge. In one of two good endings, Liu Kang defeats Kronika and is either joined by a mortal Raiden or Kitana in shaping a new timeline. [86] Complex listed Liu Kang as the third best character in the franchise based on his heroic traits, moves as well as his undead form. [37], In Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), Liu Kang discovers that his lover and ally, Princess Kitana, has been captured by the disgraced Elder God Shinnok's forces, and begins gathering Earth's warriors to defeat him. [75][76], Liu Kang is one of the lead characters in the 1996 animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, voiced by Brian Tochi. Hän toimii Earthrealmin puolustajana ja on Raidenin ja Kung Laon hyvä ystävä. ", "The Most Brutal Fighters In "Mortal Kombat, "Top 10 Tuesday: Best Videogame Romances", "Interview: Ed Boon on The Ups and Downs of the Mortal Kombat Franchise", "The Best Mortal Kombat Characters of All Time", "Cyrax - The Best Mortal Kombat Finishing Moves in Video Game History", ScrewAttack Video Game, Top 10: Worst Mortal Kombat Kharacters, "Mortal Kombat: Ranking All the Characters", "Mortal Kombat X: 8 Things to Expect in the Story", "Liu Kang is the 24th and Final Mortal Kombat X Character", "Kitana Fulfilled Her Destiny but Mortal Kombat 11 Erased It", "Mortal Kombat 11 All Endings Explained How to get the best ending", "Mortal Kombat 11 endings: all three story endings explained", "Mortal Kombat 11 patch removes Ash's files, hints at new characters, modes, battle pass", "How Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath sets up the series' future", "Ed Boon: The story of Liu Kang's journey in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is done", "Mortal Kombat's Best And Worst Fatalities", "15. "[119] GameDaily too complained about his voice, saying that "Liu Kang screams out like a chicken,"[120] and GamesRadar wrote that "the strange squeals he emits during his trademark Bicycle Kick move are unforgettable. "[4] According to Tobias, whose favourite character in the series is Liu Kang,[11] he "was originally going to be a traditional monk – bald and in robes – but he wound up resembling Bruce Lee. "[85] Nevertheless, Mary Shearman from 100 Entertainers Who Changed America: An Encyclopedia of Pop Culture considered that Bruce Lee himself used to make animal noises when attacking. Hwaaaaa!!! Dies ist keinem anderen Kämpfer jemals gelungen. [91], Upon his death in Deadly Alliance, IGN's Jeremy Dunham noted that Liu Kang was killed as the series needed "'starting over' mentality", as he regarded Liu Kang as the series' strongest character. You'll never guess which character it was... More doodles from my ancient MK notebook. [23] This is explored through the story mode where Liu Kang and Kung Lao's past selves confront their corrupted future selves and thus confront their own sins. [108][109] Den of Geek commented that Liu Kang's role as a protagonist in Mortal Kombat 11 was well handled as he fitted the heroic role through his transformation into the God of Fire and Lightning. Liu Kang is the main protagonist of both Mortal Kombat films, where he is portrayed by Robin Shou. Jordan Rodrigues voiced the role of Liu Kang who appeared as one of the lead characters in the 2020 animated movie Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge. In response to rumors that Liu Kang would die in Mortal Kombat II and therefore not make it into Mortal Kombat 3, Boon said, "It'd be like doing part three of Star Wars and not having Luke Skywalker in there. Liu Kang (Chinese: 劉鋼; pinyin: Liú gāng[7] or Chinese: 劉康; pinyin: Liú kāng[8]) is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series from Midway Games, introduced as one of the original seven player characters in the 1992 first game as a Shaolin monk who enters the Mortal Kombat tournament to save Earthrealm (Earth). [102][103] In regards to his and Kitana's role in Mortal Kombat 11, Escapist Magazine found it confusing as a result of Liu Kang's transformation into a god and the couple becoming rulers of time. "Armed and Dangerous", Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge, "How Mortal Kombat 11 does right by Liu Kang's Story", "Mortal Kombat Characters & Concept Artwork", "Concept Art World » Exclusive 'Mortal Kombat X' Concept Art by Marco Nelor". Eventually he decides to travel to Outworld, realizing that he cannot avoid Mortal Kombat.[67]. Liu Kang has extensively featured in alternate Mortal Kombat media and official merchandise, serving as the primary protagonist of the two feature-length films and the Malibu Comics comic book adaptations, in addition to supporting roles in other media such as the 1995 Mortal Kombat novel and the animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. Indeed! [121], Media related to Liu Kang at Wikimedia Commons, Charles Marshall (w), Kiki Chansamone (p), Bruce McCorkindale (i). [32] This Fatality was turned into an Animality in Mortal Kombat 3 and back into a normal Fatality in Mortal Kombat 4. [105] GamesPCN found Liu Kang's development in the game touching due to the handling of his character to the point gamers looked forward to his best ending which was difficult to achieve. [92] Complex remarked that the Mortal Kombat developers "finally found their groove again with Deadly Alliance, which began by snapping Liu Kang's neck. A prologue of Mortal Kombat 4 was also written, dealing with Liu Kang and his new ally Kai as they prepare to face Shinnok's forces. John Tobias originally intended for the character to be a traditional bald monk, but the actor refused to shave his head. "[12] According to Tobias, Liu Kang was purposely the only character that voiced his finishing move in the original game, and was "the best" in the first sequel. You don't do that. When clashing the other realm's forces, Raiden instructs Liu Kang to enter into the next competition. [45], Along with Kung Lao, Liu Kang is the lead character in the 2005 spin-off action-adventure game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. Enraged, Liu Kang decides to travel to Outworld to seek revenge, backed by friend and fellow Shaolin Kung Lao. "[4] His eventual death caused Dan Forden, the music composer of the series, to make a "funeral song" for Liu Kang as he felt saddened by his death. While some less gory skills have been criticized for lacking the appeal of other characters' finishing moves, as well as the sounds he yells during regular attacks, Liu Kang's darker characterization in the later games has been praised while his development in Mortal Kombat 11 was also well received for his growth. [29] According to GameSpy's MK2011 walkthrough, Liu Kang "inflicts better damage" than Kung Lao "by jumping around like a lunatic and kicking the crap out of everything he sees. [43] Liu Kang is still unable to fully regain control of his body in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006), where he is playable along with the entire series roster, and in which it is revealed that the thunder god Raiden had revived Liu Kang's corpse in Deception. In 2019, it was announced that Ludi Lin will portray Liu Kang for the reboot of the film series. He took pride for doing the acting for Liu Kang, claiming it as important as the film Minority Report. In both the original and current timelines of the series, Liu Kang has been killed only to be revived as an undead creature. In the game's bad ending, Kronika kills Liu Kang and ushers in her New Era. [112] Liu Kang's dragon Fatality has been listed as one of the best Fatalities from the series by both Game Informer and UGO in 2010,[113][114] as well as by Complex in 2013. [21], Had Tobias continued to work on Mortal Kombat beyond 1999, he would have continued to center the plot around Liu Kang and then his son. Throughout the series, he has been gradually portrayed as the main hero, becoming champion after the first Mortal Kombat tournament. However, starting with Mortal Kombat II, he was given gory Fatalities as he was thereafter depicted as a renegade monk who decided to grow his hair back, and who had "strong Shaolin beliefs, but was no longer a part of the Shaolin monks." [66] The following miniseries, Battlewave, stated that Liu Kang won the first tournament after defeating Goro, which never appeared in the first miniseries. After watching a pair of thieves kill her in a robbery attempt, he becomes consumed with anger and revenge, and further distances himself from Kung Lao and the ideals that were taught to him. "[34], Introduced in the first Mortal Kombat game as a Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu fighting monk, Liu Kang enters the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament in order to protect Earthrealm from being destroyed after having lost the previous nine tournaments. [94], His redesign in Mortal Kombat: Deception was praised by GameSpot for being one of the best ones from the title,[95] and was featured in GamesRadar's list of the "greatest zombie triumphs" in 2009,[96] but was also ranked as the ninth-worst Mortal Kombat character by ScrewAttack in 2011. IGN's Douglas Perry wrote that he preferred Liu Kang over Kung Lao as a playable character in Shaolin Monks because of his "intuitive fighting moves,"[118] adding that his shouts were "annoying" yet "strangely pleasing. Er gehört zu den Figuren, die in der Spielautomatenversion des ersten Mortal Kombat aufgetreten sind. In the sequel, Liu Kang joins the Earthrealm warriors to stop Shao Kahn's menace. Hänen ääninäyttelijänään toimii Tom Choi.. Taustaa. In the first miniseries, Blood and Thunder, his backstory was mostly kept intact as a Shaolin monk out to restore the tournament to their righteous owners, with the only difference being that he was not the chosen one to defeat Goro, which instead fell on twin monk brothers named Sing and Sang, two original characters created specifically for the comics; after they are killed by Goro in the third issue, Liu Kang becomes the Shaolin's only hope in defeating Shang Tsung. During the tournament, he easily subdues Johnny Cage and Kurtis Stryker before being confronted by Kung Lao, who is surprised at his old friend's change of allegiance. pinyin: Liú in Mandarin Chinese, Lau 4 in Cantonese.It is the family name of the Han dynasty emperors. At the tournament, Liu Kang defeats Shao Kahn. [83]GameSpot featured him in their 2009 poll for the title of "All Time Greatest Game Hero", in which he lost to Yoshi. [97] Additionally, GamesRadar used Liu Kang as an example of a stereotype of gaming heroes who reveal an evil alter ego that ruins the character's appealing traits,[98] and considered him to be "a little like the Shaolin version of Goku, in that he's saved his world countless times and come back from the dead even more frequently. Major Lazer, WizKid, and Dua Lipa). [28] Originally a glitch, John Tobias remembers the reason for Shaolin Uppercut not changing the background was to symbolise Liu Kang's noble motivations. [110], Liu Kang's famous finishing move of turning into a dragon was ranked by ScrewAttack as the second best in the series, referred to as the most iconic Fatality in Mortal Kombat II,[111] but his cartwheel Fatality from the original Mortal Kombat was ranked by ScrewAttack as the second worst in the series. After Raiden and the Special Forces destroy his castle in the Netherrealm, Liu Kang and his allies join the keeper of time, Kronika, in forging a new timeline without Raiden. In der ursprünglichen Abfolge der Ereignisse wurde er Champion von vier Turnieren. [107] Both Shack News and Even Thubs enjoyed the actions Liu Kang makes as a God due to the major direction the narrative takes in the DLC Aftermath as he aims to restart the generation. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance hatte er keinen Auftritt, weil er von den Magiern Shang Tsung und Quan Chi getötet wurde. [115] On the other hand, his Fatality in which he drops a Mortal Kombat arcade machine onto his opponent were pointed by both Game Informer and GamePro as one of the worst from the series,[116][117] even as GamesRadar listed it among the reasons of Liu Kang being "boss". Liu Kang ist einer der Hauptcharaktere in der Mortal Kombat-Reihe. [35] In the 1993 sequel Mortal Kombat II, Liu Kang finds many of his Shaolin brethren killed in a vicious attack by a horde of nomadic mutants led by Baraka under orders from the evil Outworld emperor Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung's master. Dragon Transformation — The Best "Mortal Kombat" Finishing Moves in Video Game History", "Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks review page 1", "Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks review page 3", "A new take on the traditional Mortal Kombat formula that's actually good? While he has most frequently been regarded as the series' foremost heroic character, there have been times when he has been corrupted to the side of evil. [62] In the DLC story expansion Aftermath, Liu Kang and Raiden attempt to restart history, only to be interrupted by Shang Tsung, who tells them they need Kronika's Crown of Souls in order to do so. [40] In Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004), an unknown party reanimates Liu Kang's corpse and sends it on a murderous rampage, leaving his soul to attempt to regain control. Mortal Kombat II Collector's Edition starts with Liu Kang winning the first tournament and then meeting the ninja Sub-Zero in the aftermath. [4] He was given a red tank top in addition to his usual costume in Mortal Kombat 4, but his alternate outfit was blue and featured him shirtless again. Boon further referred to the heroic one as the "epytomy of hero"[24]Matthew Yang King voiced Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat 11, a role he enjoyed to do. [58] While making preparations however, she creates a time storm that brings a younger version of Liu Kang to the present.