5 Most Obscure Mortal Kombat Characters

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A defining feature of Mortal Kombat, particularly since it became a 3D game, is its large number of playable characters. Over the years, Netherrealm Studios has created a wide range of fighters that fans love. However, with so many options, some characters have faded into obscurity. Sometimes this is intentional—Netherrealm and the player community have openly disliked certain characters—but other times, it’s less clear why they’ve been left out.

Here are five of the most obscure characters in Mortal Kombat history.

5) Kai

Kai first appeared in Mortal Kombat 4. Similar to Liu Kang, he’s a Shaolin monk with the ability to control fire. While Kai is faster than Liu Kang, he hasn’t become a popular character, likely because Netherrealm already had a fire-wielding fighter from the White Lotus Society. He didn’t have the chance to establish a unique identity and ended up being relegated to brief appearances.

The development team still considers Kai as a possibility for future games. He’s been featured in MKX, MK11, and MK1, though his roles have been minor. There’s a chance he could return, and it would be interesting to see how Netherrealm Studios would develop a character who incorporates a handstand into their fighting style.

4) Taven

Taven first appeared as the main character in the story mode of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. This game significantly changed the series’ overall timeline, and his fight against his brother Daegon was an interesting plot, though it wasn’t perfectly executed by the developers.

Taven controls fire, but because he’s part god, his abilities go way beyond just that element. Sadly, fans haven’t seen much of him – he’s only been a playable character in Armageddon. While he’s made brief appearances in recent Mortal Kombat games, they mostly feel like the developers are poking fun at him.

3) Dairou

Dairou first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Deception, where he uses stealth to intimidate his enemies. He’s known for his deceptive fighting style, including a move that lets him swap positions with his opponent – a useful trick when cornered near a dangerous trap.

It’s interesting that this character was originally intended to appear in Deadly Alliance, but ended up being cut. His first appearance then came in Deception. Since then, his story has become a bit complicated. In Mortal Kombat 1, the backstory of Havik was expanded, revealing he was once named Dairou and, like this Dairou, was part of the Seido group. This is confusing because the Havik we know isn’t quite the same as this Dairou, at least not yet. It’s possible the developers will explore the timeline further, but currently, fans of the Dairou character are left with unanswered questions.

2) Kobra

Kobra first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Deception. He’s brought into the Black Dragon clan by Kabal and relies on his skills as a street fighter to scare and overpower his enemies. Interestingly, during the game’s creation, Kobra was temporarily called ‘Ken Masters’ because of his resemblance to the character from Street Fighter.

He also appeared in Unchained and Armageddon, but hadn’t been seen for several years. His appearance in Mortal Kombat 1 is more of a cameo than a full role; he’s not a playable character in the traditional sense. Instead, he and Kira assist Ghostface, a fighter available as downloadable content. However, he does make an appearance in Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, one of the animated movies Warner Bros. has released recently.

1) Hsu Hao

Bo’ Rai Cho debuted in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. While the Mongolian fighter has a unique and cool Fatality involving a laser heart, he quickly became one of the least favored characters among both fans and the game’s creators.

Developer John Vogel has repeatedly stated that Hsu Hao’s death in Jax’s ending of Deadly Alliance is considered official backstory. However, Armageddon resurrected all the characters, forcing Hsu Hao’s return. Interestingly, even Hsu Hao’s own ending in Armageddon involves his death, as Vogel specifically wanted to prevent him from reappearing.

Actually, that’s not quite right—Erron Black carries his own severed head in Mortal Kombat 11. Of everyone mentioned, Hsu Hao is the most unlikely to ever return to the series. While other characters could reappear as supporting fighters or in minor roles, even the developers at NetherRealm seem to dislike him.

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2026-06-04 23:40