kenshiKenshi is a player character from the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games. He is a rogue swordsman of Eurasian heritage who possesses psychokinetic powers and nurses a bitter hatred for the sorcerer Shang Tsung, whose deceit had resulted in Kenshi's blindness. Since debuting in 2002's Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, he has persistently featured in the series storyline by freeing Ermac from Outworld emperor Shao Kahn's control, joining the Special Forces alongside Jax and Sonya Blade, and seeking to bring down Mavado and his Red Dragon faction, in addition to associating with the likes of Sub-Zero and Johnny Cage.
Kenshi was included in the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot as a downloadable character, and appeared in the 2013 second season of the Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series. He has proven to be the best-received of the series characters introduced in the three-dimensional games, due to his design, in-game abilities and having overcome his personal handicap. |
As a born fighter, Kenshi wandered Earthrealm in search of worthy competition. He would find an opponent and defeat them just to boost his pride. One day Kenshi encountered a man named Song, who convinced Kenshi that a great warrior needed a great sword; Song then led Kenshi to the location of an ancient, powerful sword Song claimed would befit Kenshi's power. As Kenshi unsealed the well wherein the sword supposedly lay, he was overwhelmed by souls trapped within and permanently blinded. Song revealed himself to be Shang Tsung and proceeded to absorb the released souls and left Kenshi to die within the tomb. However, the sword, which actually did exist, attracted Kenshi and spoke to him, leading him from the tomb and revealing its origin. The sword originally belonged to a long line of great swordsmen from whom Kenshi descended; the well where the sword lay was also the sacred resting place of the souls of Kenshi's ancestors, souls that were stolen by Shang Tsung. Kenshi spent the next decade or so retraining his senses, all while searching for his betrayer and the defiler of his ancestry.
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Kenshi's special abilities eventually caught the attention of Jax and Sonya, who were looking for members with special talents to join their side and venture into Outworld; Kenshi jumped at the chance to pursue the man who had deceived him. After going through many tests and examinations, he was accepted to join the Outer World Investigation Agency. His chance at enacting his revenge came when he was assigned to find the lostCyrax, who was also employed by the Special Forces. In his travels across Outworld, Kenshi encountered the enigmatic Ermac, and, in a moment of pity, broke the mind control that Shao Kahn had over him. In gratitude, Ermac awakened Kenshi's latent telekinetic power, and taught him not only how to use it effectively in combat, but how to 'sense' the presence of people and objects around him. Kenshi soon discovered the Deadly Alliance and their plans, but was unable to contact the OWIA (which had been bombed by Hsu Hao). Unknown to Kenshi, the Deadly Alliance knew of his presence and sent Mavado to eliminate him. Mavado confronted Kenshi, defeated the swordsman, and left him to die.