Kano is coming back inMortal Kombat 1, but he won’t be making his return quite as players know him. With the series going through a reboot of its timeline, a lot of the characters will be seeing changes, and Kano is among them. However, those changes may not be a particularly good thing in his case, because his brief appearances in the recent trailer has managed to raise some questions. Regardless of the circumstance, Kano is guaranteed to be a part ofMortal Kombat 1, although it remains to be seen what his role will be in the story.
As one of themost famousMortal Kombatcharacters, Kano has been a regular member of the series' roster since the very first game. As the leader of the Black Dragon criminal organization, he is a vicious outlaw who will do almost anything for profit. Although Kano is a threat, he has never managed to be more than a minor antagonist in the grand scheme of things, outclassed by the likes of Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. One area where he does excel, though, is obnoxiousness, as virtually every character outside his gang dislikes him due to his uncouth and unpleasant personality.
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Kano’s Mortal Kombat 1 Look Lacks the Swagger of His MK11 Design
Kano is one ofMortal Kombat 1’s latest revealed characters, but there’s something different that anyone who played the last game would be able to point out. Somewhat fittingly for a game that’s resetting the timeline, Kano’s look is heavily based on his design from the first game. His head is completely clean-shaven, and he’s wearing an off-white gi with belts and wristguards, as well as his signature cybernetic eye. He’s also shown performing his classic Heart Rip fatality, furthering the throwback. His role in the story wasn’t revealed, but it’s safe to assume that he’s still a minor antagonist.
Although the retro throwback is cool, the new look is a disappointment compared toKano’s appearance inMortal Kombat 11.MK11’s version of Kano was scruffy rather than shaved, and he either wore a tank top or went shirtless in most of his skins. It was a look that worked well for his gang leader role as well as his personality. That version of Kano’s design was arguably a better fit for him than his classic look, which makes it particularly disappointing thatMortal Kombat 1is recycling his original design rather than keeping his incarnation fromMortal Kombat 11. It does seem he’ll double as a Kameo Fighter with a better design there, but that’s not really a saving grace.
It’s not hard to see how Kano’s look inMortal Kombat 1came to be, but it still feels like a significant step down from his rugged, roguish appearance inMortal Kombat 11.Mortal Kombat 1shouldn’t play it safe, and it may have done that by using an updated version of Kano’s original design. Other characters are seeing some design differences, most notablyFire God Liu Kangfor obvious reasons, so Kano could have gotten a more interesting design as well. Although Kano’s look inMortal Kombat 1isn’t bad, it certainly pales in comparison to his last appearance.
Mortal Kombat 1will be released on June 29, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
