How Kano Is Different In Mortal Kombat 2021

[ShadeShadow]

Kano plays a major role in the Mortal Kombat reboot, but the character differs from the video game version in a few key ways. As one of the original MK fighters along with Raiden, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sony Blade, Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, Shang Tsung and Goro, Kano’s been a major player in the franchise for decades. Josh Lawson’s version of the character stays pretty loyal to the games, but there are some notable differences.

In the Mortal Kombat games, Kano is the archenemy of Sonya Blade. The leader of the ruthless Black Dragon crime syndicate, Kano’s constantly looking for new schemes to acquire wealth and power, even becoming a general in Shao Kahn’s Outworld army at one point. While never the series’ main antagonist, Kano remains a villainous presence in the story throughout the many Mortal Kombat games.

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The Mortal Kombat reboot changes Kano from the get-go by putting him on the side of the good guys. This alliance doesn’t last of course, as Kano eventually joins up with Shang Tsung, but the fact that he spends any time fighting for Earthrealm is a big difference from the Mortal Kombat games. Kano’s also played a bit more for comic relief in the movie. While he’s always been over-the-top and a bit silly, the game version is also a brutal and savage killer. That side comes out a little in the reboot, but not as much as in the games.

Another big change to Kano is the origin and nature of his powers. Like the other characters in the MK reboot, Kano’s laser eye manifests as part of his arcana – an inner power awakened by his dragon mark. In the games, the laser isn’t magical at all. Rather, it comes from Kano’s cybernetic eye plate, which was installed after losing a fight with Jax. Kano does get an eye injury in the movie, but it comes from Reptile, not Jax, and he never gets an eye plate to cover the damage.

For the most part though, Lawson’s Kano is a pretty solid reflection of the video game character: he’s crude; he swears; he barks with a sharp Australian accent; he blasts lasers and throws knives; and, he’ll do anything for a quick payday. Since Sonya kills Kano at the end of the 2021 movie, Mortal Kombat, it looks like he won’t be coming back in the sequel. However, given how many Mortal Kombat characters find ways to rise from the dead, Josh Lawson could certainly still return to the role.