Kano (Mortal Kombat)

Kano
Mortal Kombat character
Kano in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
First appearance	Mortal Kombat (1992)
Created by	Ed Boon and John Tobias
Portrayed by	Trevor Goddard (1995 film) Darren Shahlavi (web series) Josh Lawson (2020s films)
Voiced by	List David Bennett Allen (Special Forces, Shaolin Monks) Michael McConnohie (MKvsDC) JB Blanc (MK11, MK1) Michael Des Barres (animated series) Robin Atkin Downes (MK Legends: Scorpion's Revenge) David Wenham (MK Legends: Snow Blind)
Motion capture	Richard Divizio (MK, MK3)

Kano is a character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series, created by Midway Games and later developed by NetherRealm Studios under Warner Bros. Games. He first appeared in the original Mortal Kombat in 1992 as the leader of the Black Dragon, a fictional criminal organization. He is characterized by his cybernetic eye, which functions as a laser weapon, and serves as the primary adversary of Special Forces officer Sonya Blade throughout the series.

Kano has been featured in various media beyond the games, including live-action films, animations, and comics. Video game journalists have acknowledged the character for his personality, Australian representation, and portrayals by Trevor Goddard in the 1995 film and Josh Lawson in the 2021 film.

Development and design

In the original Mortal Kombat (1992), Kano's motion capture was performed by Richard Divizio, who was invited by Mortal Kombat's co-creator John Tobias. Divizio worked in a makeshift space where his movements were recorded and encountered difficulties wearing Kano's mask, described as "a phantom of the opera mask" purchased from a Halloween shop. Initially attached with spirit gum and later regular glue, the mask caused damage to his face. For Kano's fatality, Divizio originally proposed ripping out a heart, taking a bite, and raising it in the air. After this idea was rejected by the development team, he suggested an alternative inspired by the Indiana Jones film series, stating "Why don't I just stick my hand in there and rip the heart out, and then I'll hold it up and it'll be beating". The team approved and finalized this concept. Divizio later reprised his role as Kano for motion capture in Mortal Kombat 3 (1995).

Kano is the leader of the Black Dragon crime syndicate, known for using a cybernetic laser eye as a weapon. Originally depicted as a Japanese-born American, his nationality was changed to Australian following Trevor Goddard's portrayal in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film. Kano conceals the injured side of his face with a metal plate, an injury attributed to fellow character Jax. For the first live-action Mortal Kombat film, American filmmaker Lawrence Kasanoff noted that Kano's design was initially inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This influence was evident in Kano's metallic facial features. However, during a set visit by school children, one child became upset at the redesign and insisted Kano retain his metallic eye from the games. Recognizing the audience's attachment to the character, Kasanoff's team restored Kano's original design.

For the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot film, Australian actor Josh Lawson portrayed Kano. The film director Simon McQuoid made the character the film's comic relief to inject humor into the story, carefully balancing it to avoid overshadowing the film's serious elements while maintaining entertainment. McQuoid explained that Kano, along with the original character Cole Young, served as an entry point to explain the franchise's supernatural lore to the audience. Lawson described his interpretation of Kano as both "juvenile" and "earnest", blending his violent nature with humor, mentioning his exclamation of "Kano wins!"—a line that was improvised during filming. Both McQuoid and Lawson ensured Kano's humor stayed true to the character's original personality from the Mortal Kombat series. Lawson reprised the role for the sequel Mortal Kombat 2 (2025), revealing that Kano undergoes significant character development, influenced by his death in the previous film. This event marks a turning point, resulting in a "Kano 2.0" with altered motivations.

Appearances

Kano's main appearances in the Mortal Kombat series include the original Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 3 (and its updates), Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Mortal Kombat 9, Mortal Kombat X (and its comics), and Mortal Kombat 11. In most of these games, his storyline often centers on his rivalry with Sonya Blade. Additionally, he is featured as a background character in Mortal Kombat II and an assist character in Mortal Kombat 1. Kano has also been featured in the series' spin-offs, including Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, Mortal Kombat Mobile, and Mortal Kombat: Onslaught.

Besides video games, he has appeared in live-action productions: the 1995 film, Mortal Kombat Legacy, the 2021 film, and the 2025 film; and in animations: Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, Wreck-It Ralph, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge, and Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind.

Critical reception

Edmond Tran from GameSpot published an article discussing Kano's influence on Australia. In the article, Edmond initially criticizes Kano as the sole overt villain in the original Mortal Kombat (1992), showcasing moves like his knife projectile and cannonball roll. Despite his distinctive appearance (white gi, bandolier, and metallic faceplate), Kano was considered less engaging compared to other characters, such as the ninjas or those with magical abilities. Edmond referenced Kano's history, originally conceived with a Japanese-American background and later changed to Australian, inspired by Trevor Goddard's portrayal in the 1995 film. While this change added some cultural impact, Edmond argued it did not necessarily make Kano a more compelling character. However, Tran expressed satisfaction with Kano's Australian representation and redesign in Mortal Kombat 11 (2019), citing his characteristics: skills in using knives, sense of humor, urinary habits, beer drinking, criminal behavior, clothing style, attitude, dialogues, and moveset.

Authors Edward Elliot and Jessica Isserow used Kano and Sonya as a case study in "Moral Kombat: Analytic Naturalism and Moral Disagreement", examining the nature of moral disagreements through a speculative conflict between the two characters over gender inequality. In the analysis, Kano is characterized as misogynistic for supporting policies that promote gender inequality, directly opposing Sonya's view that such policies are morally wrong. The study explores whether their conflict represents a genuine moral debate or is simply a verbal dispute. From the perspective of moral realism, the authors argue that, as members of the same linguistic and cultural community, both characters likely share an understanding of the terms involved. This implies that their disagreement stems from fundamentally opposing beliefs, rather than miscommunication, highlighting the complexity of moral disputes.

Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek discussed Kano and his connections to other Mortal Kombat characters, including Jarek, Hsu Hao, and Kira. Jasper noted that Jarek, who replaced Kano in Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), lacked the distinctive qualities that made Kano notable. In contrast, Jasper considered Hsu Hao and Kira similar to Kano, with Hsu Hao becoming irrelevant in Mortal Kombat X (2015). Kira, however, was viewed as a fusion of Kano and Sonya. Jasper described Kano as the series' "bullseye" and "cockroach", emphasizing his selfishness and his willingness to betray humanity for power, survival, or amusement. He also praised Trevor Goddard's portrayal of Kano in the 1995 film, which helped make the character stand out. Kano's portrayal by Josh Lawson in the 2021 film was generally well-received by critics, including Rolling Stone's K. Austin Collins, The Washington Post's Gene Park, and Junkee's Molly Hunt. Additionally, some critics had mixed reactions regarding Lawson's portrayal due to the excessive use of abusive language in the film.