Kung Lao

Kung Lao is a male video game character that features in Mortal Kombat.

Biography

Original Timeline

Kung Lao

Trained in the ways of the Order of Light, Kung Lao was the last known descendant of the Great Kung Lao, a former Champion of Mortal Kombat, who lost the title to Goro 500 years previously, resulting in Lao's death at Goro's hands and the start of Shang Tsung's rule over the tournament. Like his friend Liu Kang, Kung Lao is also a member of the White Lotus Society. Kung Lao was originally the one to represent the Shaolin in the Mortal Kombat tournament but he declined, knowing of the consequences of becoming champion. As a result, Liu Kang was chosen and emerged as the winner. When the Shaolin Temples were attacked by Baraka and his Tarkatan soldiers, Liu Kang and Kung Lao resolved to travel through the portal to the Outworld and avenge their fallen Shaolin brothers. Although he joined his friend in his furious quest, Kung Lao's ultimate goal was to rebuild the White Lotus Society at the Wu Shi Academy, in order to train a new generation of warriors for the coming ages. He, along with Liu Kang, ventured into Outworld to do battle with Outworld's forces in a new tournament. Following Shao Kahn's defeat at Liu Kang's hand, the monks returned to Earthrealm and began training the next generation of Shaolin warriors.

When Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm came, he had to temporarily scrap his plans for reforming the Society. Eventually, Kung Lao faced Shao Kahn; the Emperor of Outworld blasted Kung Lao with a powerful spell and injured him so badly that he was believed to have died. Hearing of Kung Lao's apparent death enraged Liu Kang, as he challenged Shao Kahn and successfully defeated him for the second time. With Outworld driven back, Kung Lao decided not to return to the Shaolin Temples, instead allowing everyone to believe that he was dead and went on to live a life of peace in respect to the beliefs of his ancestors. This would not last long however, as he was drawn away from his newfound peace to help fight against Shinnok's forces, when word reached him that Goro, the Shokan warrior who had killed the Great Kung Lao centuries ago, was still alive. After Shinnok's defeat, Kung Lao attacked Goro, who had signed a peace treaty with the Centaur under the mediation of Princess Kitana. Instead of being an attempted assassination, however, the blow was a ceremonial strike of vengeance for the Great Kung Lao's death. With this act, the two warriors shook hands, their feud over.

The next years were peaceful. This ended on a brutal note at the time of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, when the sorcerers Quan Chi and Shang Tsung united and murdered Liu Kang in a vicious attack. Kung Lao found the body of his longtime friend, and was told immediately by Raiden that Shang Tsung was the assassin, who had formed the Deadly Alliance with Quan Chi. Enraged, Kung Lao vowed revenge upon the sorcerer, and once again abandoned his pacifist Shaolin beliefs. He believed his current skills were insufficient to defeat Shang Tsung. So after meeting with the other Earthrealm warriors and traveling to Outworld, Kung Lao sought the advice of the martial arts teacher Bo' Rai Cho. Bo' Rai Cho trained Kung Lao for a short time, teaching him the 'Whirlwind Kick' maneuver. Together, they joined the other warriors in the assault against the two sorcerers. Kung Lao would not rest until Liu Kang was avenged, and Shang Tsung had paid with his life. He then invited Bo' Rai Cho to join him in going back to Earthrealm and train more warriors at the Wu Shi Academy. The assault against the sorcerers did not end well. With Liu Kang dead, Raiden and his companions were fighting a losing battle. Kung Lao and Kitana challenged the Deadly Alliance, with Kung Lao battling Shang Tsung one on one. Despite his improved skills, Lao's strength was inadequate in comparison to Tsung's, which resulted in his death. Furthermore, Kitana died at the hands of Quan Chi, leaving Raiden alone to battle the Deadly Alliance. However, Kung Lao was revived by Onaga as a servant during the events of Deception. Ermac's Deception ending, which shows him and Liu Kang's spirit being successful in rescuing the enslaved Earthrealm warriors, is generally accepted as the possible explanation of how Kung Lao was freed from Onaga's spell. Kung Lao came to join forces with Fujin in order to bring their former comrades Raiden and Liu Kang under control, with the God of Thunder becoming "as ruthless as Shao Kahn" and Liu Kang's corpse selectively slaying various people. Fujin then goes on to state in his bio that if no way was found to revert the two corrupted warriors back to normal, both he and Kung Lao would be forced to finish them. During the final battle, Kung Lao had a fight with Baraka on ground before ascending in the air and was blasted away by Baraka. He would later use his Razor-Rimmed Hat to kill Baraka, but is later killed by Shinnok.

Notes

• Kung Lao was created by Ed Boon and John Tobias where he featured in the Mortal Kombat setting.

Appearances

• Mortal Kombat:
• Mortal Kombat X:

External Links

• Mortal Kombat Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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