Over the last three decades, theMortal Kombatuniverse has seen countless fighters come and go, and while some have managed to become franchise mainstays, they’re the lucky few. For every Scorpion and Sub-Zero there’s a handful ofHsu Haos and Kobras. But despite only appearing towards the end of the 3D era ofMortal Kombat, Kenshi Takahashi has become a staple of the franchise, appearing in most of the modern-day NetherRealm entries, including a major appearance in the upcomingMortal Kombat 1.
Set in a brand-new timeline created by Fire God Liu Kang,Mortal Kombat 1will see players return to the very start of the franchise once more, right before the events ofthe originalMortal Kombattrilogy. But with Liu Kang at the helm and not Kronika, things are going to be slightly different this time around. Though staples like Raiden, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Mileena, and Kitana are all there, their backstories have been altered quite a bit, and Kenshi Takahashi is no different. But while Kenshi’s origin may have been tweaked, there are some big life events that might end up being canon across all timelines.
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What Kenshi’s Canon Events Could Be In Mortal Kombat 1
In the originalMortal Kombatcontinuity, Kenshi Takahashi is one of the greatest swordsman on the planet, and spends his life dueling with others to fuel his own sense of pride and self-worth. One day he’s approached by an old man who tells him of this ancient, extremely powerful sword called Sento. Kenshi follows the old man to the cave where the sword allegedly resides, and he’s tricked into opening a gateway that unleashes a horde of souls. These souls fly into Kenshi’s face, blinding him. The old man reveals himself to be none other thanthe Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung, and he leaves Kenshi for dead after consuming the leftover souls. Kenshi is then telepathically contacted by the sword Sento, and after securing the weapon, Kenshi makes his way out of the cave, vowing to get revenge on Shang Tsung with his new abilities.
InMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Kenshi is approached by Jax and Sonya, and he is asked to join Special Forces in their mission to Outworld. Seeing it as an opportunity to finally get his revenge on Shang Tsung, Kenshi agrees to join the faction. Along the way, Kenshi runs into Ermac and breaks Shao Kahn’s mind control over him. To thank him, Ermac unlocks Kenshi’s hidden telekinetic abilities, but they prove insufficient to defeat Mavado, who defeats the swordsman and leaves him to die.
Mortal Kombat: Deceptionsees Sub-Zero nurse Kenshi back to health, and he joins the Lin Kuei. However, Kenshi is among the rest of the Kombatants who die at the hands of Shao Kahn inMortal Kombat: Armageddon. After sending a message back through time to his past self,Raiden inadvertently creates a newMortal Kombattimeline.Mortal Kombat Xshows that in this timeline, Kenshi has been working alongside Special Forces to help defeat Shinnok, though he is defeated in this timeline as well.
InMortal Kombat 1, Kenshi has a bit of a different backstory. The Takahashis were once a powerful family of warriors but after losing a huge battle and losing the family’s sword Sento, they were forced to join the Bakuto clan, which eventually turns into the modern-day Yakuza. Longing to free his family from the Yakuza, Kenshi goes in search of Sento. As far as canon events go, it seems as though Kenshi’s biggest one is the loss of his sight. Though the recentMortal Kombat 1gameplay trailer showed Kenshi confronting Johnny Cage with his full eyesight intact, recent promotional art still shows him with the wrap around his eyes, implying that he’ll be blinded during the game, potentially by Shang Tsung again. Another canon event for Kenshi could be him joining Special Forces, as he’s done that in every previous timeline.
Mortal Kombat 1releases on September 19 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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