Who is Master Kai in Mortal Kombat 1, and why do the Shaolin Monk characters keep mentioning him?
It’s no secret that Mortal Kombat 1 is full of Easter Eggs from the Mortal Kombat franchise, and there are some references to lesser-known characters that were introduced way back in the 3D era of the games.
What’s curious is whenever the Shaolin monk characters interact, like Raiden, Kung Lao, Liu Kang, and later Ashrah—they all mention that they have been training with Master Kai. So who is he?
Who is Master Kai in Mortal Kombat 1?
Mortal Kombat introduced Master Kai to players back in Mortal Kombat 4, and his last appearance was around the PS2 era with Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
Storywise, Kai is supposed to be a Shaolin Monk who had trained with Liu Kang, and his fighting style and elemental powers reflect this. The game describes Kai as an African-American with white stripes around his body. Though his look started with a more modest appearance, his latter costume gave him more armor and cornrows.
Here’s the first introduction of Kai in MK4:
“A former member of the White Lotus Society, Kai learned his skills from the great masters throughout Asia. He journeyed to the Far East after meeting his friend and ally Liu Kang in America. Now, they reunite to assist Raiden in his battle with Shinnok.”
Behind-the-Scenes
With Liu Kang infamously being based on martial artist Bruce Lee, some fans consider that Kai is supposed to be based on Lee’s private student, basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabaar—the developers didn’t choose to give Kai the massive height, though.
Kai in Games
Kai only had two major appearances in the games (three if you count Mortal Kombat Gold, which was exclusive to the Dreamcast) with Mortal Kombat 4 and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. He also had cameos in Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Unchained.
His fighting style is Moi Fah, and his weapons have been changed from a Ghurka Knife to a Spiked Club. Interestingly, when Kai finishes his main story in MK4, he is granted the staff of Raiden, and this will become his weapon after defeating the game—the only hero to have that specific change when they beat the final boss.
Since Kai is also closely tied to the likes of Liu Kang, he’s also expected to have some similarities. In the games, Kai can also use fireballs, but instead of firing them straight ahead like Liu Kang, he shoots them from above and below.
Related: Does Mortal Kombat 1 Have Stage Fatalities? – Answered
References to Kai in Mortal Kombat 1
Though some characters aren’t playable in the game, they appear in cutscenes with complete character models. Sadly, the same can’t be said for Kai. However, he is mentioned by the Shaolin characters whenever they interact with each other before a match.
Here are the interactions between characters referencing Kai:
Kung Lao: Master Kai said he taught you as well.
Scorpion: You would be smart to heed his instruction.
Kung Lao: ‘Shaolin Demon’ has a nice ring to it.
Ashrah: Master Kai agreed to teach me?
Ashrah: My lessons with Master Kai went well.
Kung Lao: Has he been teaching you my Leaping Cheetah style?
Ashrah: Master Kai says I must defeat you to advance.
Raiden: Then give it your best, Ashrah.
Raiden: Master Kai taught me Crouching Tiger style.
Liu Kang: Try it against my Hidden Dragon style.
Liu Kang: Master Kai speaks highly of your skills.
Ashrah: He honors me with his praise.
Can Kai Appear in the Future?
Though Kai doesn’t appear in the base roster, it’s possible that he could come to the game in the form of DLC. While it could be a longshot for him to be a playable fighter, it’s possible that he could be a legendary skin for one of the Shaolin Monk characters like Raiden, Kung Lao, or Liu Kang; after all, they gave Johnny Cage a alternate Jean-Claude Van Damme skin with a whole new face and voice lines—it’s not impossible they would do it for Kai, especially since they’re referencing him in this game.
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