Kano (Mortal Kombat)

Kano
Mortal Kombat character
Kano in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
First appearance	Mortal Kombat (1992)
Created by	Midway Games
Portrayed by	Trevor Goddard (1995 film) Josh Lawson (2021 film, 2025 film)
Voiced by	List David Bennet Allen (Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks) Michael McConnohie (Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe) Brian Kesinger (Wreck-It Ralph) JB Blanc (Mortal Kombat 11, Mortal Kombat 1) Robin Atkin Downes (Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge) David Wenham (Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind)
Motion capture	Richard Divizio (Mortal Kombat (1992)—Mortal Kombat 3)

Kano is a character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise created by Midway Games and later developed by NetherRealm Studios under Warner Bros. Games. Debuting in the first Mortal Kombat in 1992, he leads the Black Dragon, a fictional criminal organization. He possesses a cybernetic eye, which functions as a laser weapon, Kano's archenemy is Special Forces officer Sonya Blade throughout the series.

Kano has been featured in various media outside of the games, including live-action films, animations, and comics. The character has been acknowledged by video game journalists due to his personality, Australian representation, and his portrayal by Trevor Goddard and Josh Lawson in the 1995 film and the 2021 film, respectively.

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. Daniel Pesina, another motion capture artist, mentioned that Kano's attacks were intended to emphasize his knives. Divizio encountered difficulties wearing Kano's mask, described as "a phantom of the opera mask" purchased from a Halloween shop. Initially secured with spirit gum, the mask was later attached with regular glue, which caused skin damage to Divizio while removing it. For Kano's fatality, the original plan was to rip out the heart and eat it. However, Divizio suggested a change 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". This idea was accepted by the developers. Divizio returned for Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) to motion capture Kano.

Kano is a leader of the Black Dragon crime syndicate and uses a cybernetic laser eye as a weapon. Kano's backstory depicted him as being of American and Japanese descent, but this was changed to Australian after actor Trevor Goddard's portrayal in the 1995 Mortal Kombat film. Kano conceals the injured part of his face with a metal plate, with the injury caused by fellow character Jax. American filmmaker Lawrence Kasanoff recalls a decision to model Kano after Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This inspiration was reflected in Kano's metallic face. However, during a set visit from a group of school children, a child saw the new design and became upset, insisting that Kano should retain his "metallic eye patch", as seen in the games. Kasanoff's team immediately decided to restore Kano's original design, recognizing that the audience's connection to the character was more important than the creative changes.

For the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, Australian actor Josh Lawson portrayed Kano. The film director Simon McQuoid made Kano the film's comic relief to add humor to the story. The humor was carefully integrated to avoid overshadowing the film's serious elements while keeping it entertaining. McQuoid said that Kano, along with Cole Young (a new character), 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 reflected his original personality from the Mortal Kombat series. In the sequel Mortal Kombat 2 (2025), Lawson reprises his role as Kano. He revealed that Kano experiences significant character development in this installment, shaped by his death in the previous film. This event acts as a turning point, introducing 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. Additionally, he's featured as a background character in Mortal Kombat II, and a "Kameo" fighter in Mortal Kombat 1. In most of these games, his storyline often centers on his rivalry with Sonya Blade. 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.

Outside of the video games, he has appeared in live-action movies: 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 intriguing 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 interesting character. However, Edmond 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.

Edward Elliot and Jessica Isserow, the authors from Cambridge University Press, use Kano and Sonya as the case study for "Moral Kombat: Analytic Naturalism and Moral Disagreement", the nature of moral disagreements is examined through a speculative conflict between Kano and Sonya over gender inequality. For exemplification, the authors characterize Kano as misogynist for endorsing policies that promote gender inequality, directly opposing Sonya's stance that such policies are morally wrong. The analysis explores whether this conflict represents a genuine moral debate or is merely 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 understand the terms similarly. This suggests that their disagreement stems from fundamentally opposing beliefs, rather than miscommunication, emphasizing 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 Mavado. 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 Mavado similar to Kano, with Hsu Hao becoming irrelevant in Mortal Kombat X (2015). Mavado, however, was seen as a knockoff of Kano. Jasper described Kano as the series' "bullseye" and "cockroach", known for his selfishness and willingness to betray humanity for power, survival, or amusement. Jasper also praised Goddard's performance in the 1995 film, which helped Kano stand out as a character. The Kano's portrayal by Josh Lawson in the 2021 film was generally well-received by critics, including Rolling Stone's Austin Collins, The Washington Post's Gene Park, and Junkee's Molly Hunt.