Kano's History
Kano is the leader of the Black Dragon organization, a criminal empire of cut-throat madmen. Making his first chronological appearance in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, he freed fellow Black Dragon cohorts No Face, Tasia, Jarek and Tremor from a U.S. Special Forces security facility, under the pretense that they would reform the Black Dragon organization. In reality, he intended to use them as pawns to slow down any Special Forces agents who might pursue him. Annihilating an entire squad at the site of the prison break, he and his cohorts escaped.
With his Black Dragon associates given their assigned tasks, Kano headed to Outworld where he recovered the Eye of Chitian, an artifact through which he would acquire incredible power. Unfortunately for him, however, Major Jackson Briggs had overcome his accomplices and caught up to him. The two fought, and Kano was defeated. Jax used the Eye to transport them back to Earthrealm, and proceeded to bring Kano into custody, though Kano escaped soon after.
Kano entered Shang Tsung's Mortal Kombat tournament after hearing rumors that Tsung's palace was filled with gold and other riches: Kano intended to steal them for the Black Dragon. At that time, the Black Dragon was the primary target of the U.S. Special Forces and would remain so for a number of years. He was pursued by Lt. Sonya Blade, who held a personal grudge against Kano because he had killed her former partner. While Kano was free to take part in the tournament of his own accord, Sonya and her unit were captured by Shang Tsung's minions. Tsung offered Sonya an ultimatum: compete in Mortal Kombat, or she and her unit would be executed. If she won, they would all be free to go. Sonya and Kano survived the tournament but many others died, including Sonya's men. After the final battle between Shang Tsung and Liu Kang, Kano teamed up with Sonya and Johnny Cage to fight Goro. During the battle, Shang Tsung's Island began to crumble because of Shang Tsung's defeat and before they knew it, Kano and Sonya found themselves in a forest in Outworld. They were found and captured by Shang Tsung.
Kano and Sonya both spent the duration of the second tournament chained up on display in Shao Kahn's arena, where they were forced to observe the battles that took place. Eventually, they are freed by Jax, who then takes advantage of the opportunity to arrest Kano. As they cross the portal back to Earthrealm, Kano escapes and runs back into Outworld.
Although most Earthrealm warriors assumed Kano to be dead, he instead managed to save his own life by convincing Shao Kahn to accept him as a weapons instructor for his armies. As a man with knowledge of Earthrealm weaponry, he was the most suitable candidate. Later, during the events of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Sonya tossed Kano to his surmised death from the roof of a high building, but he was found by Motaro, who healed and imprisoned him. After Motaro was attacked and killed by Sheeva, Kano was freed from his prison. He and Sheeva hatched a plan to murder Shao Kahn, but Kano turned on Sheeva in the decisive moments and Sheeva was left at the mercy of the emperor. Due to this Kano was then hastily promoted to general of Outworld's rapidly shrinking army.
Eventually Kahn's forces were defeated. Earthrealm was free, and so was Edenia. Shao Kahn's act of promoting Kano, however, proved to be a lucky shot, as Kano was a very competent general. Even in the face of overwhelming odds and the tactical mastership of Princess Kitana and her Edenian-Shokan army, Kano stood ground and eventually managed to repel the invading army. He returned to Shao Kahn's palace just in time to watch from the shadows as Shang Tsung and Quan Chi sprung their attack on the weakened emperor. As soon as the battle was finished, Kano declared his allegiance to the new rulers of Outworld, the Deadly Alliance. The two had Kano oversee the enslavement of a small village, who would construct a temple over Onaga's tomb to house the Soulnado. During its construction, Kano was personally assaulted by Li Mei, but Quan Chi intervened.
His intervention was due in no part for any particular affinity for the criminal, however. The Alliance had made a deal with the Red Dragon member Mavado; he would eliminate the swordsman Kenshi in exchange for the opportunity to fight and defeat Kano. Mavado attacked and left Kenshi for dead, earning his battle.
It would seem that Mavado won the fight, as in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Kano is found by Taven to have been held prisoner by the Red Dragon Clan for quite some time. Before escaping their facilities, Kano explains to Taven that the Red Dragon had been experimenting on him, as well as their own clan members, in an effort to create real-life genetically engineered Dragons and Human-Dragon Hybrids, Kano mentions that they were trying "something new" on him, although he leaves before he elaborates on what that "something" is.
Kano the joins the Forces of Darkness during the Battle of Armageddon and is later seen climbing the Pyramid of Argus where he strikes down Stryker and stabs Bo' Rai Cho before falling down. He attempts to climb back up but is one of the many characters knocked off the Pyramid by Shao Kahn.
In the reboot, Kano enters the first Mortal Kombat tournament, and is first seen attending Shang Tsung's opening speech. Some time back in his earlier history he pretended to be a whistle blower on the operations of the arms dealing syndicate known as the Black Dragon to their adversaries in the Special Forces.
As it turned out however, Kano was in fact their leader, whom had been stringing the aforementioned military law enforcement's top agents along before leading many of them into a deadly trap. But the deception cost him his right eye as a consequence, for a time he would go underground to mend his injuries. Meeting a mysterious Surgeon and garnering his bionic eye in the meantime, until being given sanction on the sorcerer's Island. Not longer after the tournament openings, he appears on a bridge high above the Pit and attacks Sonya, who is already in a weakened state from her fight with Johnny Cage. Kano approaches Johnny from behind and throws him from the bridge before moving in to kill Sonya. But before he can do so, Johnny leaps back onto the platform to face Kano, having narrowly avoided death by grabbing onto one of the edges jutting out from the bridge. Kano loses the fight, but makes his escape while Sonya thanks Johnny.
As Sonya frees Jax from Goro's Lair, she attempts to call for an evacuation helicopter, but they are ambushed by Kano and Shang Tsung, who shoots the helicopter down. The criminal then challenges her to a fight, boasting that no one could save her this time. Sonya defeats Kano and attempts to arrest him, but Shang Tsung stops her and leaves with Kano.
Prior to the start of the second tournament, Kano accompanies Shang Tsung to the Living Forest and attempts to sell him some Black Dragon weaponry. However, they are interrupted by Smoke, and Kano tells Shang Tsung that he will take care of him for "no charge". But despite his claims, both Kano and Shang Tsung are defeated by the Lin Kuei ninja.
Later, Kano finds a severely burnt Kabal and takes him back to Outworld, supplying him with breathing equipment and using Shang Tsung's magic to heal him. As Kabal awakens in his new form, Kano tries to get Kabal to return back to the Black Dragon, but is instead berated for selling the Outworld warriors their firepower. Blaming Kano for his damaged state, the two former allies engage one another in kombat. Kabal gains the upper hand and forces Kano to get him out of outworld. However, Kano tells him that Shao Kahn makes them the rules and Kabal forces him to bring him to Shao Kahn at knife point. When Kabal identifies Shao Kahn, Kano confirms it and they watch as he kills Shang Tsung with no problem. Seeing this, Kano tires to tell Kabal that he has no chance against the ruler of Outworld, but is knocked unconscious by Kabal with a dagger who tells Kano that he can take him.
Regaining consciousness, Kano accompanies Goro and Kintaro to the Bell Tower and gleefully torments Earthrealm POWs while waiting for Cyber Sub-Zero. Unaware of Cyber Sub-Zero's reprogramming, Kano is frozen while the prisoners are freed. Kano eventually thaws and warns Noob Saibot of Sub-Zero's treachery. He is not seen or mentioned again after this.
Infiltrating a Red Dragon temple in China, Kano lies in wait as Sub-Zero slaughters the guards inside, allowing the Black Dragon to steal the object both seek: one of the Kamidogu daggers. When Sub-Zero notices that the dagger is missing, Kano attacks him with his eye beam, knocking off the Cyromancer's mask and carving a long scar over his eye. Sub-Zero warns him that the dagger is cursed, but Kano claims that Raiden lied to him and prepares to tell him the true secret of the Kamidogu.
The Lin Kuei manages to escape Kano's hold, but is then stabbed in the shoulder with the dagger. As Sub-Zero kneels in pain, Kano reveals the Kamidogu's secret: those cut by their blades become possessed, and only death can release them. Sub-Zero, refusing to die again, freezes Kano's optic implant and tears it off. A wounded Kano curses in pain and declares that their fight isn't over. Meanwhile, Sub-Zero collects the dagger and flees.
He is later seen guarding Cassie and Jacqui after kidnapping them, and uses his cybernetic eye beam to knock them both out when they attempt to escape. The Black Dragon threatens to cut their legs off if they try it again. Erron Black, who ordered the girl's kidnapping, belay's Kano's order on the grounds that they are worth more intact. Black also orders Kano to stop using his eye beam, fearing he will blast a hole through someone.
Kano explains that the implant is new, and recalls his encounter with Sub-Zero. Black interrupts this story, sensing that someone has arrived. The two Black Dragon soldiers holding Cassie and Jacqui are then killed by Mavado and the Red Dragon. Kano demands to know what the Red Dragon is doing there, and Mavado retorts with his own order for the girls while claiming that he would send a message to Kotal Kahn with his blood. Amused, Kano exclaims that he could use a workout.
After Mavado points out his superior numbers, Kano kills one of the Red Dragon soldiers with his eye beam, quipping "one down". This causes a large brawl to erupt between the Black Dragons and the Red Dragons, with Kano facing off against Mavado. Kano stabs Mavado with one of his knives, mocking Mavado's fallen comrade Hsu Hao while winding him with a kick to the stomach. He prepares to kill Mavado with his eye beam, but his optic implant is shot by one of the Red Dragon soldiers, damaging it. Tired of the fighting and accepting that his forces are outnumbered, Kano interrupts the fight between the escaped Jacqui Briggs and Erron Black, knocking the girl off Black with a single punch. Kano then asks where the Portal Stone is.
Collecting the stone, Kano is ordered to grab the girls. Instead, he coldly tells his partner the reason he could never be a Black Dragon: he tries to save people instead of exploiting them. With that, he uses the Portal Stone to open a portal and escape, leaving Black and the girls at the mercy of Mavado and the Red Dragon.
Kano returns some time later, bringing with him Jarek, Tasia, and Tremor to Z'unkahrah, having Tremor cause a small quake in Kotal Kahn's palace to announce their arrival, declaring themselves the cavalry to aid against the Shokan and Oni Warlords.
Kano and the Black Dragon join with Kotal Kahn in confronting Kintaro's Shokan and Oni Warlord horde. When Kotal Kahn fails to convince Kintaro to face him in Mortal Kombat, Kotal Kahn calls out to Kano, who orders Tremor to incapacitate Kintaro's army with an earthquake. Kotal is impressed with Tremor's power, but asks him why he stopped. Kano explains that a quake is an imprecise weapon before pulling out a handheld device.
Kano detonates the device, causing a massive nuclear scale blast that wipes out over half of Kintaro's army. When Kotal Kahn calls the explosion sorcery, Kano explains that it is science and asks what their next order is. Kotal orders Kano to finish off the Shokan if they refuse to surrender.
After Kotal Kahn successfully parlays peace between his forces and the Shokan, Kano and his Black Dragon underlings meet with the emperor in his palace. Kano mockingly compliments Kotal's diplomacy, wondering how long the peace with the Shokan will last. Kano asks for his payment in gold, but Kotal Kahn refuses, saying that he already owes a debt for endangering his alliance with Earthrealm.
Kano tells him that it was Erron Black's scheme and not his, while reminding the emperor that the nuke he used didn't come cheap. Kotal still refuses to pay, so Kano pulls out the Portal Stone and prepares to ransom it. The Black Dragon leader is then attacked by Kotal, who breaks his arm and reclaims his realm's treasure. Kano's enforcer Tremor tries to save him, but is shot by Sonya Blade.
When Kotal Kahn makes it clear he will no longer align with the Black Dragon and orders D'Vorah to take them to the dungeon, Kano calls all Outworlders bent. As D'Vorah hauls him up, Kano takes a shot at Johnny Cage and Sonya, mockingly telling them that he hopes they find Cassie and that it would be a shame if she didn't live to see legal age. Johnny is angered to the point of almost attacking Kano, but Sonya restrains her ex and reminds him that Cassie is a survivor. Kano angrily glowers that he is as well before being carted off by D'Vorah and Ferra/Torr to the palace dungeon.
Before the main events of Mortal Kombat X's story mode, Kano steals Shinnok's amulet and leaves a duplicate in its place, along with a trap for anyone who discovers it. The Black Dragon mercenary would then sell the amulet to Mileena to be used as a weapon against her usurper, Kotal Kahn. The deposed empress then pays Kano at least 100 million in gold to eliminate Kotal Kahn.
Kano is first seen alongside Kotal Kahn and D'Vorah, bargaining over weapons prices and information on Mileena's location. Unbeknownst to Kotal Kahn, Kano had already been hired by Mileena to eliminate him, and makes his move after their carriage is attacked by Mileena's Tarkatan hordes. However, Kotal manages to fend off Kano's attack. After defeating the criminal, the Kahn attempts to finish him off, but is blasted away by Tanya, allowing Kano to escape with his life.
Kano is mentioned by Li Mei and thousands of Outworld refugees cross over into Earthrealm seeking asylum from the war. She alludes to "an Earthrealmer with a glowing red eye" as being among those who crossed the portal with them, and Sonya instantly recognizes that this is, in fact, Kano. She heads off to the refugee camp to intercept him before he can escape, and discovers the slain corpse of an Outworlder along the way, recognizing it to be Kano's work.
Kano somehow sneaks into the Special Forces' Refugee Kamp disguised as an Outworld refugee. Sonya spots him, and after being confronted by Sonya and Kenshi, Kano reveals himself and offers info in exchange for his freedom. Sonya refuses to negotiate, and Kano responds by threatening to go after Cassie, initiating a brawl between the two.
Kano is defeated, and an enraged Sonya nearly strangles him to death. As Kano begs for his life, Johnny Cage shows up and urges her to show restraint, explaining that they still need info on the amulet. Sonya complies with Cage, and demands the info out of Kano, which he agrees to. Kano is not seen again after this, presumably brought into custody for his crimes.
The Keeper of Time, Kronika, enacts her plan to correct the damages of the timeline created by Raiden's beheading of Shinnok, bringing kombatants of both the past and present into the current timeline to succeed in her efforts. The past version of Kano is one of the many kombatants brought to the current timeline inside Kotal's Koliseum, alongside many others.
Kronika successfully recruits the past Kano alongside the past version of Erron Black in addition to many of Outworld's champions. After Sub-Zero and Scorpion destroy the restored Cyber Lin Kuei Assembly and severely damage a time-displaced Sektor, Geras, Kronika's loyal servant, offers the past Kano and Erron Black payment for repairing Sektor and finishing the construction of the now restored Cyber Lin Kuei. After being confronted by the present Kano, he reveals a greater offer offered by Kronika, revealing that in her New Era, the Black Dragon will receive a large payment in addition to being the most successful in the black market, and any other business. With this offer, the past Kano and Black team with Kano and follow Geras' instructions.
Both Kanos and the Black Dragon, alongside a repaired Sektor and the Cyber Lin Kuei invade the Special Forces Desert Command. After a confrontation with the past Kano, Johnny Cage briefly incapacitates him, only to have the present Kano wound him with a gunshot to the leg and capture both the past version of Cage and Sonya Blade, where they are taken to Russia. Present Kano turns on Sektor, setting him to remote detonation and destroying the Desert Command base while departing with the remaining Black Dragon members and the Cyber Lin Kuei.
In Russia at the Black Dragon Fight Club, both Kanos force the past Sonya to fight different fighters, however they strip her of her energy bracelets. The present Kano lies to the past version of Kabal, telling him Sonya is responsible for his scarring and disfigurements in the future in order to get Kabal to fight her. They then force her to fight the younger Johnny Cage, but are rescued by Cassie Cage and an invading Special Forces. After the present Kano chases them down with a minigun and wounds Cassie, Sonya engages him, only to be confronted by the past Kano, where she end up fighting them both. After the past Kano is defeated and subdued, the present Kano hold the past Johnny at knife point, and the two have a minor standoff. Kano reminds Sonya that if Johnny dies, both Cassie and his present counterpart will ceases to exist. Sonya realizes this revelation, and thanks Kano. With the present Kano confused about the thanking, she pulls out a pistol and shoots his past self in the face. While the past Kano dies from the gunshot, the present Kano proceeds to fade from existence.
