— Kano to Smoke in Mortal Kombat (2011) |
Kano (加納)[1] is a member of the Black Dragon clan, and features in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. He is one of the few original characters, debuting in the first Mortal Kombat arcade game. He was the first member of the Black Dragon to appear in the series, followed by many others.
About Kano
As a mercenary and leader of the international crime cartel known as the Black Dragon, he rises beyond the level of mere brutality and aggression by also being sly and cunning. It was through his resourcefulness that he convinced Shao Kahn to spare his life, and it was through ruthless ambition that he later ascended to position of general of Outworld's armies. Originally from Australia, Kano is highly opportunistic and eager to betray his own realm for money or personal gain. He combines the features of a cowardly minion, a lone survivor, a crazed madman, and an intelligent commander. His actions have made him the archenemy of Lt. Sonya Blade. A portion of Kano's face is covered with a metal plate, the result of a disfiguring injury he sustained at the hands of Major Jackson Briggs prior to the events of the series, with the plated eye being a glowing red orb capable of emitting laser beams.
Combat characteristics
Powers and abilities
Kano is extremely adept in combat. What differentiates him from other kombatants, however, is his dependence on weapons rather than special powers. He very often uses his Butterfly Knives in combat, whether he throws them at the opponent or uses them in hand-to-hand combat. In addition, his eye laser is used often, mostly as a finisher but sometimes as a special move.
Another of Kano's special moves is his ability to tuck into a cannonball and propel himself at his opponents. This has been a signature move of his since the first game. Also, several of his finishers involve him ripping vital organs (or sometimes entire skeletons) out of the opponent's body. Along with the elder Sub-Zero's Spine Rip Fatality, Kano's Heart Rip helped Mortal Kombat garner significant controversy over its violence factor.
As of Mortal Kombat X, Kano's cybernetics have been upgraded and extended through his entire body, now living off of a new cybernetic heart similar to Hsu Hao.
Signature moves
- Parry: Kano will counter any physical attacks. (MKvsDCU)
- Kanoball: Kano curls into a ball and flies at his opponent. In MK 2011, this is known simply as Ball. (MK, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:DA, MK:SM, MK:A, MKvsDCU, MK 2011, MKX)
- The enhanced version is called Kano Ball. Kano will spin in the air momentarily before launching at the opponent, hitting them several times. This can be charged and it's unblockable if held for the full charge.
- Down Ball: Kano performs a Ball from the air to the ground, hitting the opponent if in his way. (MK 2011, MKX)
- The enhanced version is Downward Ball and allows Kano to do an anti air grab before the opponent hits the ground.
- Upwards Kanoball: Kano aims his Kanoball upwards to an aerial opponent. This moves is known simply as Up Ball in MK 2011. (UMK3, MKT, MKvsDCU, MK 2011, MKX)
- The enhanced version is called Uprise Ball. Kano will do an animation like Up Ball except he will roll downwards after getting to a certain height.
- Psycho Kanoball: This version sees Kano flying all over the screen in random directions. (MKT)
- Knife Throw: Kano throws a pair of knives at his opponent. In MK 2011, he only throws one knife. (MK, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKvsDCU, MK 2011, MKX)
- The enhanced version is called Knife Toss and Kano throws two knives.
- Blade Swipe: Kano slashes his opponents with his knife in an upward swing. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Blade Spin: Kano spins both of his knives around his body, knocking the opponent up into the air if it connects. Only usable by MK Kano. (MKT)
- Air Throw: While in the air, Kano uses his legs to push the opponent to the ground. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK 2011)
- Chokehold: Kano would grab his opponent and lift them in the air by the throat and proceed to stab them in the chest. In MK 2011, this move changes to a ground based choke and is simply called Choke. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK 2011, MKX)
- The enhanced version is called Kano Choke. Kano grounds the opponent and smashes their head on the ground and then rolls over them to the other side.
- Eye Laser: Kano shoots a laser from his eye at the opponent. (MK:DA, MK:A, MKvsDCU, MKX)
- Inner Rage: Kano concentrates for a short amount of time before covering his hands in red energy. Using this move increases the amount of damage dealt. (MK:A)
- Fist of Power: Kano rapidly lunges forward and strikes the opponent with an energy covered fist. (MK:A)
- X-Ray Move - Just the Tip: Kano plunges a knife into his opponent's right thigh, going through and snapping the femur. Before the opponent can react, Kano proceeds to stab them in the left thigh, resulting in another broken femur. Then he delivers a devastating kick to the front of the skull, causing heavy fracture damage. (MK 2011)
- Unnamed X-Ray Move: Kano punches his opponent so hard that they turn around. After that he stabs his knife into the abdomen of his opponent and slices in a diagonal fashion which cuts the opponent's ribs in half, exposing the organs. He then puts the opponent in a headlock and thrusts his hand, and the opponent's head, upward, breaking the top of the spine or vertebrae. (MKX)
Other moves
- Free-Fall Super Move: Kano hits his opponent with a charged Kanoball, knocking them to the ground. (MKvsDCU)
- Throw: Kano slashes his opponent in the stomach twice with a knife, then either headbutts them to the ground (Forward Throw), or turns around and throws them over his shoulder (Backwards Throw). (MK 2011)
Fatalities
- Heart Rip: Kano's signature Fatality has him ripping the heart out of his opponent's chest, then hoisting the still beating organ in the air in triumph. In the SNES version, he appears to not be holding a heart after performing the Fatality. In the Genesis version without the blood code, Kano steals the opponent's cell phone instead. Variations of this Fatality have also been used by other members of the Black Dragon: Jarek in MK4 and Kobra in MK:D. (MK, MKT, MK:SM)
- Deadly Roundhouse: In the Game Boy version, Kano slides up on one foot and performs a roundhouse to his opponent, launching them straight up into the air, possibly snapping their neck when they drop to the ground. (MK)
- Eye Laser: Kano fires a concentrated heat beam of energy towards the opponent to boil their body until it tears into pieces. In the Game Boy version, the laser catches the opponent on fire instead. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Skeleton Rip: Kano pulls out the victim's entire skeleton by grabbing the skull from their teeth and jerking it out, leaving the rest of the body to fall flat on the floor in a heap of skin. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Organ Donor: Kano pulls out his opponent's heart, liver and kidneys two at a time and kicks the opponent away. (MK:DA)
- In the Game Boy Advance version, he rips out the heart and one kidney (at the same time), then tosses them on the floor; he then rips out the other kidney and tosses it. (MK:DA)
- Knife Toss: Before executing this Fatality, he slowly walks away from his opponent, as if he were giving up, then he throws both Butterfly Knives into the opponent abruptly. (MKvsDCU)
- Flip Stomp: Kano grabs the opponent, flips backwards with them, then jumps into the air. He comes back down and stomps on them with full force. (MKvsDCU)
- Heartbreak: A variation of his signature Fatality, Kano turns the opponent around and punches the heart out through his victim´s back, holding it so they can see it. He then crushes the heart in his hands, pulls it back out and hoists it in the air while blood still pumps out. (MK 2011)
- Eat Your Heart Out: Another variation of his signature Fatality, Kano rips the heart out of his opponent's chest, then proceeds to rip off their head. He jams the opponent's head into the hole in their chest and kicks them away. (MK 2011)
- Unnamed Fatality: Kano unsheathes one of his knives and swiftly cuts into the opponent's abdomen, which causes their intestines to spill out onto the ground. As the character begins to drop backward, Kano catches him/her from behind and hoists him/her up in front of him as he proceeds to burn through the skull with his eye laser, leaving a huge, smoldering hole through his/her head. (MKX)
Other finishers
- Friendship: Kano blows a bubble from a piece of gum in his mouth and the bubble explodes in his face. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Animality: Kano turns into a tarantula and locks himself onto his opponent, crushing their guts while they spew out of the opponent. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
- Babality: Kano turns into a baby and gives the camera the sign of death, then falls due to the weight of his metal eye. (MK 2011)
Movie and TV Appearance
Mortal Kombat
Kano appeared in the first Mortal Kombat movie, and was played by the late Trevor Goddard. He seems to have very bad table manners, as shown when Sonya, Liu Kang and Johnny Cage are spying on him, Goro, and Shang Tsung later in the film. In spite of their allegiance, Shang Tsung and Goro have little respect for him. Kano also appears to harbor an obsessive infatuation for Sonya regardless of her hatred for him. The film expanded upon Kano's rivalry with Sonya from the games; she now had a personal interest in seeking vengeance against Kano for killing her partner. Shang Tsung hires Kano to lure Sonya into the Mortal Kombat tournament and promises to grant Kano the reward he desires for his efforts after he faces off against Sonya in the tournament, demanding that Sonya is not to be harmed but merely humiliated, claiming that he has plans for her. During their match, Kano gleefully taunts Sonya about how he murdered her partner with his buoy knife. After beating Sonya harshly, Kano is caught off guard by a leg lock from Sonya, and is soon trapped between her thighs and at her mercy. Shang Tsung betrays Kano and goads Sonya into finishing him off. Despite pleading for his life, Sonya proceeds to break Kano's neck.
Despite Goddard portraying Kano as a Cockney Englishman, the accent was mistaken for Australian by American audiences and Kano was retconned as Australian from his original American-Japanese descent. In Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe and Mortal Kombat (2011), Kano is notably modeled after Goddard's look in the film and speaks with an Australian accent.
Defenders of the Realm
Kano appears in two episodes of the animated cartoon Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm. He is the main antagonist in Episode 6 (Familiar Red) and also reappears in Episode 11 (Amends). The cartoon explains Kano's past rivalry with Sonya, showing him in a flashback scene having killed Sonya's partner in a carefully rigged bomb (which almost killed Sonya as well). The flashback continues with a recreation of a scene in the first movie, where Kano loses to Sonya in the Mortal Kombat tournament. In Amends, they also touched Kano's relationship with Kabal, showing their past history as clan members in the Black Dragon clan.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy
British actor and martial artist Darren Shahlavi portrayed Kano in Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
In the series, he is the leader of the Black Dragon organization and has been hired by the Lin Kuei to aid them in their Cyber Initiative plans. Like in the games, he has an antagonistic relationship with Jax and Sonya, having killed Sonya's partner in the past.
The last episode of the series chronologically takes place before the first, Kano is among the scientists and doctors and the Lin Kuei Grandmaster as they observe Cyrax and Sektor's tests before they undergo the procedure to become cyborgs. Kano is amused and entertained by Cyrax's enraged reaction at discovering he and Sektor had defeated two Lin Kuei who had already undergone the procedure. Kano next sees the battle between the cyborgs Cyrax and Sektor against Hydro, with Kano declaring, "I'll put my money on the red one," as he casually plays with his knife.
In the first episode of the online series, Kano is overseeing the production of robotic parts and weaponry in the warehouse he and the Black Dragons are using as a base. Kano heads down into the warehouse, ordering his men to work faster to meet their deadline. Kano stops one of the Black Dragons who is carrying a crate full of parts and picks up an eye piece. Though the Black Dragon member tries to explain what it is and its function, Kano only mockingly sneers in his face that he already knew what it was and orders him to work faster.
Though not seen, Kano soon after captures Sonya Blade after finding her in the warehouse and intercepts a message she tried to send to Jax Briggs revealing her location. He and the Black Dragons hold Sonya hostage for two days, torturing her.
Kano then heads down to where they're keeping Sonya and delights in mocking and taunting her physical reaction to seeing her. Though when Sonya spits on him after he grabs her by the neck, he quickly headbutts her and pulls out his knife, threatening to cut her heart out like he did to her former partner. Kano then reveals he knows Jax and Stryker are coming, but he's set up a trap, having already moved the robotic parts and has his men in place to kill them.
When one of his men informs him that Jax and Stryker's team have arrived, he bids farewell to Sonya and heads backup stairs. Kano then springs his trap, ordering the Black Dragons to "Kill them all" and a massive gunfight erupts. Though the Black Dragons and Kano are able to kill several of the cops, Jax and Stryker work together to take out several of Kano's men. Kano himself soon runs out of ammo and races off, with Jax in close pursuit.
Choosing to stand his ground, Kano draws his knife and fights with Jax hand-to-hand, and though they are almost evenly matched, Kano loses his knife and resorts to grabbing a nearby high-tech weapon. As Kano and Jax struggle over the weapon, it fires and the two run away as the explosive goes off, sending them both flying.
In the second episode, Kano recovers, but when he sees Jax is still conscious, he runs off, with Briggs once more in hot pursuit. The two face off again in a deeper part of the warehouse, with Jax demanding to know where Sonya is. Kano briefly gets the upperhand in the fight after resorting to smashing Jax's head with a nearyby glass bottle, and mocks Jax, saying, "I'm going to enjoy this as much as I enjoyed torturing your sweet Sonya!"
This proves to be Kano's undoing however, as Jax furiously beats Kano down, with the mercenary never landing a single blow. Beaten and nearly unconscious, Kano is defeated when Jax strikes him so hard across the face, he knocks out his right eye and partially collapses his skull.
Kano escapes justice though, and in the ensuing confusion, his men save him, dragging him out of the warehouse. He is then brought to an unknown location, where a surgery team repairs the damage done to his face and replaces the damaged portion of his skull with a cybernetic plate. As the very same eye weapon he was studying earlier is placed in his socket, Kano awakens as his new eye glows red.
Wreck-It-Ralph
Kano (voiced by Brian Kesinger) appears in the 52nd Disney film, Wreck-It-Ralph, as a member of the "BAD ANON" support group along with the other video game villains. In this movie he performs a bloodless version of his trademark fatality on Cyril, a zombie character from arcade classic House of the Dead. Kano's main role was to scold Ralph for attempting to challenge the program by abandoning his role as a villain. His appearance was slightly changed from that of recent games, now including a cybernetic arm, goatee and bald head, similar to his appearance in the original game. Kano was the only character from an M-rated game to be notably featured and have dialogue, however, his actual name was also inexplicably avoided, only being referred to as "Cyborg" in the film's credits.
Comic Books
Comics Published by Malibu:
Kano appears in the Malibu Comics series keeping his personality and history faithful to the early games' portrayal. He also was protagonist of a 3-issues miniseries alongside Raiden entitled Rayden & Kano. During the Blood & Thunder series it is shown the origin of Sonya's vendetta against him, when he kills Sonya's partner (called Lance/Sparky in the comics) during a tournament battle by means of a heart rip. His motivations to loot the island are replaced by his discovery of the Tao Te Zan and the powers it grants. During the series' epilogue in the Tournament Edition issue, he's finally captured by Sonya and Jax and sent into custody.
He would later escape (as shown in the Breakout mini-story that came with the U.S. Special Forces issue 1°) and during the Battlewave series he would be disposed by his superiors in the Black Dragon due to his failure, only to be rescued by Raiden. Raiden would attempt to use Kano to eliminate Shao Kahn by means of a mystical sword that drew power from a bad guy turned to the side of good, but Kano betrays Raiden and joins Shao Kahn, remaining in his forces the following issues.
Character development
In an early sketch of Kano by John Tobias, he had an eye patch instead of a metal face plate with a bionic eye, and 2 katanas. Another design of Kano had a large helmet with two red eyes. This concept was also dropped later on to be replaced by a metal plate over his right eye. In Kano's Deception Bio Card, Ed Boon mentions how Kano's bionic eye in the first MK (involving digitized actors) was created by cutting out a piece of a plastic mask and painting it a silver color, then gluing it to Richard Divizio's head.
Game information
Kano was left out of the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System version of MK due to memory constraints.
In Deadly Alliance, Kano had a move with his Butterfly Knives called "ear to ear." This was based on a line in the first Mortal Kombat movie, where Kano mockingly claimed that he used his knife to slit the throat of Sonya's partner, from "ear to ear." He also had a fast tag combo with the same name in MK 2011.
Character Relationships
Movies
- Killed Sonya's former partner before the first movie.
- Allied with Shang Tsung and Goro in the first movie.
- Defeated and killed by Sonya in the first movie.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy
- Leader of the Black Dragon.
- Killed Sonya's partner.
- Head of the "Cyber Initiation."
- Prepared to ship stolen robotic weapons and armors to an unknown location.
- Captured Sonya.
- Planning an ambush against the Deacon City Police Department.
- Fought Jax but lost.
- Had his right eye irreparably damaged by Jax during their battle.
- Rescued by his clan and subjected to eye surgery, where a cybernetic weapon known as the "Red Eye" is installed in his face along with metal plating to repair the damage to his skull, replacing the missing eye.
Quotes
Mortal Kombat (film)
- "Good boy. She's here, right on time. I love punctuality in a woman. Don't you... Mr. Shang Tsung?"
- "Maybe me and Sonya should share a cabin. Have our own little honeymoon cruise."
- "That's it, baby. Come to papa." (as Sonya boards the boat)
- "What I wanna know, if this Shang Tsung guy's so great, how come he's got such a crummy looking boat, hm? Anyway, the guy gives me the creeps. "Treasure... these... moments"." (to Goro, mocking Shang Tsung)
- "Yeah? Well, I'm kind of an underworld boss myself, y'know. Well, I mean, back home." (to Goro)
- "Yeah, and I'd like to get back to my amassing as soon as possible if you don't mind. Now, when do I get paid?" (to Shang Tsung)
- "Hello, baby. Did you miss me?" (to Sonya)
- "Ooh, now look at this! This little baby brings back memories now, doesn't it?"
- "Nah. It put a big smile on your partner though. Ear... to ear!"
- "Give it up, baby! I've studied all your moves!"
- "Does it hurt, baby?"
- "No, Sonya, don't! Aww, gimme a break!" (Just before Sonya kills him)
Mortal Kombat: Legacy
- "I know what it is! Work faster."
- "Sonya Blade. I understand you've been looking for me. Well, here I am. Look at you...so excited to see me, you're quivering."
- "Hey! Do not pester me or I will cut your heart out like I did to that bitch of a partner of yours!"
- "Right on time. I'm gonna miss ya, baby."
- "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, Detective Briggs! I'm gonna enjoy this as much as I enjoyed torturing your sweet Sonya!"
Mortal Kombat (2011)
- "My turn!/No charge." (doing his X-Ray)
- "Good idea!" (To Johnny Cage)
- "Now that he's softened you up, it's my turn!" (to Sonya)
- "I don't do fair." (to Sonya)
- "Oh, I've got a knack for survival. You, on the other hand, are gonna die here!" (To Sonya)
- "Pretty boy ain't gonna save ya this time!" (challenging Sonya)
- "With a whole army totin' these, no one in Outworld or Earthrealm could stand up to you." (selling Shang Tsung RPG launchers)
- "I'll take care of him. No charge. One dead Lin Kuei in a tick." (confronting Smoke)
- "Shang Tsung's power healed the rest of ya. But your lungs? Yeesh." (to Kabal)
- "Yeah, you're all proper police now. The Black Dragon ain't the same without ya, mate. You should come back. We're in the money on this war."
- "Guilty as charged."
- "What are you on about, eh? You're here, ain't ya?"
- "Not so keen on being dead now, are ya?" (after Kabal defeats him)
- "Shao Kahn's the big boss 'round here, and soon, Earth's new master." (to Kabal)
- "You're a right genius, you are!" (to Kabal)
- "Don't care really, so long as I get paid." (to Cyber Sub-Zero)
Trivia
- Kano roughly resembles a Terminator from the Terminator series of films. In an episode of Icons/Gamemakers, hosted by G4, Ed Boon stated that the eye implant was directly based on Terminator 2: Judgment Day in which the T-800's right side of his face begins to peel off from damage, revealing his mechanical visage.
- Kano was rumored to be in MKII through Shang Tsung's morphs, but this was proven false.
- Kano and Sonya were the first characters to be confirmed for MK3.
- Although originally American-Japanese, Kano became Australian following Trevor Goddard's portrayal in the first Mortal Kombat movie.
- In Deadly Alliance, Kano hung Sonya Blade's hair around his neck as a symbol of their rivalry, which he tore from her head during their battle atop the skyscraper in MK3.
- Kano is the only human fighter shown to have any body hair, specifically chest hair, starting with Deadly Alliance into MK 2011. Outworlders Motaro and Kintaro only have hair and fur coats respectively.
- In the Krypt of Deadly Alliance, the koffin CO contains a comedic ad for "Kan-Os", a breakfast cereal with a cartoonish image of Kano on the box.
- In Deadly Alliance, if Kenshi's Telekinetic Contortion Fatality is performed on Kano, only his real eye pops out.
- Kano appears as a hidden boss in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, and all the Black Dragon Mercenaries resemble Kano in this game.
- In Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Kano's ending shows him turning into the Mortal Kombat equivalent of the Joker as the kombat rage drives him insane.
- In each game Kano is absent, he either makes a cameo imprisoned, a substitute fighter from the Black Dragon borrows his techniques, or both during Deception when Kira was introduced.
- In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Kano's alternate costume resembles his MK outfit, while if both players chose Kano as their characters his second color will resemble his UMK3 outfit.
- In MK 2011, Kano, along with Jax, has an X-Ray that deals 41% damage - the most damaging of all of the playable characters.
- Their X-Ray Moves are two of three that cannot be blocked, along with Sheeva's X-Ray move.
- Richard Divizio once stated that Kano's favorite food is White Castle hamburgers. However, this likely just means that they are Richard Divizio's favorite food as well. [2]
- Kano's face plate has technical issues in MK 2011. The plate is invisible when he's attacked with X-Ray Moves, and it is incorrectly shown on the left side of his head for his Versus image as Player 2.
- In Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, Optimus Prime kills The Fallen in a very similar way Kano does with his Heartbreaker Fatality.
- In the cinematic trailer from MK 2011, Scorpion kills Sub-Zero with Kano's Eat Your Heart Out Fatality.
- In MK 2011, Kano is the only character whose victory pose is retained in the Challenge Tower, whereas everyone else's is changed.
- He appears as an enemy in Batman Arkham City Lockdown, another game developed by NetherRealm Studios, during the Gotham Steel Mill challenge.
- The Brazillian cartoon makers enterprise Mundo Canibal homaged Kano by using his Heart Rip Fatality in the video Briga de Galo. After the Fatality, the announcer also says "Fatality" as a mention to the Mortal Kombat games.
- Kano's official theme is titled, "Use Your Might."
- In one of the scene of the Mortal Kombat movie, as Kano and Goro are eating together, Kano says, "I believe in a fair fight." But during Mortal Kombat (2011), Kano says to Sonya, "I don't do fair."
- Though he is seen using the attack in several cutscenes of MK 2011's Story Mode, Kano's Eye Laser cannot be used as a special move in said game.
- However, the Eye Laser special does return in Mortal Kombat X as seen in his reveal trailer.
- In Mortal Kombat X, his variations give his cybernetic eye and chest-piece a different color. Cybernetic is red, Commando is yellow and Cutthroat is green.
References
- ↑ Japanese manual of SNES version Mortal Kombat)
- ↑ Richard Divizio's profile
