Kenshi (Mortal Kombat)

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For other uses, see Kenshi.
Kenshi
Mortal Kombat character
Kenshi in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
First appearanceMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)
Created byEd Boon
Allen Ditzig
Designed byAllen Ditzig (MK:DA)
Portrayed byDan Southworth (web series)
Voiced by
Various
  • Robert Keting (MK:DA)
  • Brendan Scannell (MK:D)
  • Jin Hyong (MK9)
  • Vic Chao (2015–present)
  • Manny Jacinto (animated film)
Motion capture
In-universe information
WeaponSento (katana)
FamilyTakeda (son)
NationalityJapanese[3]

Kenshi Takahashi is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. He makes his series debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002) as a blind swordsman and Special Forces operative. In addition to his sword skills, he possesses telekinetic abilities.

Outside of the games, Kenshi has appeared in various related media, including comic books, the 2011 web series Mortal Kombat Legacy, and the 2022 animated film Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind. Reception to the character has been positive, while he is regarded as the best fighter from the series' three-dimensional era and is one of the few characters to successfully transition to the return of the two-dimensional series of games.

Design and gameplay[edit]

In Deadly Alliance character designer Allen Ditzig's early concept sketches, the character was called "the Kenshi" and described as a "spirit hunter".[4] During development, Kenshi was originally named "Blind Gi" during the game's production,[5] which was changed to "Blind Kenshi" before his final name was determined.[4] Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon explained to Playstation.Blog in 2011 that he was "personally always a big fan of Kenshi, as were many of the guys on the MK team" as the reason for including him in the 2011 reboot game.[6]

Kenshi was originally to replace Ermac as the series' main psychokinetic character,[5] while integrating a physical weapon into which he channels his powers. GameSpy described Kenshi's special moves in MK: Deception as similar to Ermac's but "not as comboable," while citing his sword as his most potent attack in the game.[7] According to the site's Armageddon walkthrough, Kenshi is a midrange attacker whose special moves were best utilized at that distance, as anything closer makes him "vulnerable to counterattacks."[8] In the 2011 reboot, Kenshi's powers enable him to create a temporary psychic clone of himself.[5] Julian Williams of VGChartz said that while "Ermac's abilities rely on pushing, pulling, and throws," Kenshi's offense "relies on long-range invisible punches," and he is "all about combo potential at a distance."[9]

Appearances[edit]

Mortal Kombat games[edit]

As a born fighter, Kenshi Takahashi[10] wandered Earthrealm in search of worthy competition, defeating opponents simply to boost his pride. He encounters a man named Song who leads him to the supposed location of "Sento", a powerful ancient sword, but when Kenshi opens a well inside a tomb to locate it, the concentration of imprisoned souls instantly blinds him. Song is actually the nefarious sorcerer Shang Tsung, who absorbs the souls and leaves Kenshi for dead. The sword telepathically guides Kenshi from the tomb, and Kenshi focuses thereafter on retraining his senses and searching for Shang Tsung.[11]

In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), Jax Briggs and Sonya Blade enlist Kenshi into the Special Forces to help find the missing Cyrax in the otherworldly dimension of Outworld. During his search, Kenshi encounters Ermac, who was still under the control of evil Outworld emperor Shao Kahn after the latter was supposedly killed by the titular Deadly Alliance of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.[12] In a moment of pity, Kenshi frees Ermac from Kahn's control, and Ermac hones Kenshi's telekinetic power in return.[13] Kenshi's search for Shang Tsung is thwarted by the Red Dragon clan, who destroy the Special Forces headquarters and send Mavado to kill Kenshi. Mavado defeats him but leaves him to die.[14]

Kenshi becomes allies with Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004) after the ninja nurses him back to health. As they attempt to return to Earthrealm, they clash with Seidan Guardsmen leader Hotaru, who has pledged loyalty to the Dragon King Onaga and is pursuing Sub-Zero.[15][16]

Kenshi fights alongside the Earthrealm heroes in the opening cinematic sequence of the compilation title Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006), in a fight amongst the combatants for Blaze's power.[17] With Shang Tsung believed killed by Onaga, Kenshi ends his revenge quest and returns to Earthrealm, where he eliminates several criminal organizations. He then joins Johnny Cage's faction in their battle against the evil former Elder God Shinnok.[18]

In the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot that retells the continuity of the first three series titles, Kenshi was made available as a downloadable character (DLC) after the game's release, with his in-game biography copied from Deadly Alliance.[19]

Kenshi is a consultant to Cage and Sonya's Special Forces unit in the fight against Shinnok and Quan Chi's forces in Mortal Kombat X (2015). Prior to the game's events, he engages in a relationship with a Thai-American woman named Suchin,[10] with whom he has a son, Takeda. After she is killed by the Red Dragon clan in their pursuit of Kenshi, he leaves Takeda in the care of Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion) for training and his own protection.[20][21] The adult Takeda reunites with Kenshi upon joining the aforementioned Special Forces team and their relationship is initially strained due to Kenshi's absence from his life, but they reconcile with Kenshi training Takeda in utilizing his telepathic abilities.[22] Kenshi joins the Earthrealm heroes in battling Shinnok in the story mode's climax, but is beaten with his fate afterwards unknown.[23]

In the rebooted storyline of Mortal Kombat 1 (2023). Kenshi is a reformed yakuza member and descendant of the Taira clan that had joined the Bakuto for their protection, and he believes obtaining the sword Sento will free his clan from the yakuza's grasp.[24] However, the weapon is owned as a memento by floundering actor Johnny Cage, and Kenshi breaks into his mansion to take it but is defeated in a fight. They are recruited by Fire God Liu Kang to defend Earthrealm in the Mortal Kombat tournament,[24] but Raiden is chosen as champion and Kenshi and Cage are sent to capture Shang Tsung for interrogation. They infiltrate his laboratory where they believe he is infecting Mileena with the mutating Tarkat disease, and attempt to rescue her while not knowing she is already infected; Mileena stabs Kenshi in both eyes when he saves Johnny from her attack.[25] Kenshi and Cage are imprisoned, but the also-infected Baraka aids their escape.[26] Cage later gifts Kenshi the sword as payment for saving his life.[27] After Kenshi assists Liu Kang in saving Earth and Outworld from Shang Tsung and Quan Chi's forces, he focuses on reviving the Taira clan.[28]

Other media[edit]

Kenshi appears in two episodes in the 2013 second season of director Kevin Tancharoen's Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series, for which his association with Ermac in Deadly Alliance was loosely adapted. He is first seen on Shang Tsung's island along with fellow Earthrealm fighters Cage, Stryker, Kung Lao, and Sub-Zero as Raiden fills them in on what to expect at the Mortal Kombat tournament. The story then flashes back to feudal Japan, where Kenshi is a rōnin who differs little in physical appearance save for having long hair and his eyesight. He rescues an old traveler from a trio of bandits whom he kills easily, and the traveler later tells Kenshi about the "sword of Sento", created by Shao Kahn and hidden in a cave where the demonic Ermac guards it. When Kenshi enters the cave and attempts to take the weapon, Ermac instantly strikes him blind. The following episode shows a present-day Kenshi in possession of the sword that Ermac attempts to reclaim by battling him in the tournament, during which Kenshi discovers he possesses psychokinetic powers, as does Ermac, but Kenshi emerges victorious after fatally impaling Ermac with the sword.[29] Kenshi was played by martial artist Dan Southworth, who said that the blindfold he wore during shooting was real, and that there were "moments where I was just swinging my arms out and was hoping that it connected in the right place, or not."[30]

Kenshi appears in DC Comics' 2015 prequel comic miniseries Mortal Kombat X: Blood Ties, which is set before the events of the game. He first appears with the young Takeda having been hunted down by Hsu Hao until they are rescued by Hanzo Hasashi, who kills Hsu Hao and then takes in Takeda for his own protection and to train as an apprentice of Hanzo's Shirai Ryu clan.[20] Series writer Shawn Kittelsen said in an interview with IGN that his decision to include Kenshi in the comic "was a nod to all the fans that love this telekinetic Zatoichi as much as I do."[31]

Kenshi is the featured character of the 2022 direct-to-video animated film Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, and was voiced by Manny Jacinto.[32] He is depicted as a young warrior trained by Sub-Zero to defeat Kano's Black Dragon clan in a post-apocalyptic Earthrealm, with the in-game story of his blinding at the hands of Shang Tsung integrated into the plot.[33]

Reception[edit]

Kenshi is regarded as one of the Mortal Kombat series' top characters by gaming media outlets.[34][35][36][37][38] While UGO Networks rated him a middling 29th in their 2012 list of the top 50 Mortal Kombat characters,[39] Den of Geek rated him seventh in their 2015 ranking of the franchise's 73 playable characters, calling him "the best design to come out past the original trilogy" with "a look that feels like Solid Snake mixed with Daredevil."[40] Complex rated Deadly Alliance third in their 2021 rating of the series' fighting titles due to its combination of "classic fighters and the new ones — like Kenshi the blind swordsman — which made us excited for the franchise's future,"[41] a point of view shared by Ravi Sinha of GamingBolt in 2022.[42] Jason Wojnar of Screen Rant wrote in 2021, "The series had a hard time introducing new characters that stuck once it transitioned into three dimensions. Kenshi, however, wooed fans from the start with his look and interesting backstory. His time in the games may be short compared to many other fighters, but he has quickly become a series mainstay as if he was there from the beginning."[37] Brittany Vincent of IGN said in her review of Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind that "centering the plot mostly around Kenshi is a smart move" and "it's refreshing to see a character that doesn't get much screen time shine for a bit", but criticized the plot for "spend[ing] too much time elsewhere away from Kenshi when we've already been drawn in and want to learn more about him."[33]

The character inspired blind Evolution Championship Series player Carlos Vasquez to create "The Sento Showdown", a yearly Mortal Kombat tournament catering exclusively to vision-impaired players.[43] Vasquez had previously shared accessibility concerns with NetherRealm Studios developer Herman Sanchez in 2013, which resulted in the company adding audio cues to their games thereafter beginning with Injustice: Gods Among Us,[44] and Vasquez being hired by NetherRealm Studios as an accessibility consultant.[45]

According to author Jennifer Dalsen in the 2023 book Gaming Disability: Disability Perspectives on Contemporary Video Games, blind characters such as Kenshi and Perception protagonist Cassie Thornton fell into the stereotype of possessing supernatural powers that she believed was "problematic because video games continue to use otherworldly powers as a way to accommodate or otherwise mitigate a disability."[46] Jef Rouner of the Houston Press expressed a similar opinion, unfavorably comparing the "Daredevil-blind" Kenshi to Sly Cooper character Bentley, who "as a wheelchair user isn’t erasing his inability to walk the way someone like Kenshi being psychic effectively erases his inability to see."[47] A 2019 article about sexism and video games published in The Daily Eastern News compared the MK 2011 version of Kenshi to that of Kitana in regards to costume design playing a role in the objectification of female characters in the MK series. "The male characters seemed more ready to get into a fight, while the females looked like they were about to go to the beach somewhere".[48]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ @JeamWSR (June 9, 2023). "Mortal Kombat 1 🐉This is the actor who will play Kenshi in MK 1, Noah Fleder" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ "Noah Fleder (@noah_fleder) • Instagram photos and videos". Archived from the original on 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  3. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2015). Mortal Kombat X. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Story mode.
  4. ^ a b Kenshi concept art Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine - ditzig.com. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c Rousseau, Michael (July 6, 2011). "Mortal Kombat DLC Breakdown: Kenshi". VentureBeat. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  6. ^ Shulman, Sid (July 22, 2011). "Ed Boon Talks Freddy Krueger in Mortal Kombat, Secret Origins of DLC Characters". PlayStation.Blog. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2014.
  7. ^ Sallee, Mark Ryan (January 8, 2004). "Mortal Kombat: Deception Walkthrough and Strategy Guide (p. 12)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  8. ^ Vo, Alex (January 7, 2006). "Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Walkthrough & Strategy Guide". GameSpy. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  9. ^ Williams, Julian (June 28, 2011). "Mortal Kombat: Kenshi DLC Trailer Analysis". VGChartz. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  10. ^ a b NetherRealm Studios (2015). Mortal Kombat X. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Kenshi biography.
  11. ^ Midway Games (2002). Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Midway Games. Level/area: Kenshi biography.
  12. ^ Midway Games (2002). Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Level/area: Opening cinematic sequence.
  13. ^ Midway Games (2002). Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Level/area: Training mode.
  14. ^ Midway Games (2002). Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Midway Games. Level/area: Mavado biography.
  15. ^ Midway Games (2004). Mortal Kombat: Deception. Midway Games. Level/area: Kenshi biography.
  16. ^ Midway Games (2004). Mortal Kombat: Deception. Midway Games. Level/area: Hotaru biography.
  17. ^ Midway Games (2006). Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Midway Games. Level/area: Opening cinematic sequence.
  18. ^ Midway Games (2006). Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Midway Games. Level/area: Kenshi biography.
  19. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2011). Mortal Kombat. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Kenshi biography.
  20. ^ a b Shawn Kittelsen (w). Mortal Kombat X: Blood Ties, vol. 1, no. 1 (April 14, 2015). DC Comics, ISBN 1401257089.
  21. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2015). Mortal Kombat X. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Takeda biography.
  22. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2011). Mortal Kombat X. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Chapter 7: Takeda.
  23. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2011). Mortal Kombat X. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Chapter 12: Cassie Cage.
  24. ^ a b NetherRealm Studios (2023). Mortal Kombat 1. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Chapter 2: Mr. A-List (Johnny Cage).
  25. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2023). Mortal Kombat 1. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Chapter 4: Secrets and Lies (Kenshi Takahashi).
  26. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2023). Mortal Kombat 1. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Chapter 5: Weird Science (Baraka).
  27. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2023). Mortal Kombat 1. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Chapter 6: Upward Climb (Ashrah).
  28. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2023). Mortal Kombat 1. Warner Bros. Games. Level/area: Chapter 15: Armageddon.
  29. ^ Kevin Tancharoen (director) (2013). Mortal Kombat Legacy II (Web series). Warner Bros. Games.
  30. ^ Nguyen, John (June 21, 2013). "Interview with Dan Southworth from Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2". Nerd Reactor. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  31. ^ Yehl, Joshua (January 6, 2015). "Mortal Kombat X Comic Will Reveal Origins of Kotal Kahn, D'Vorah and Other New Characters". IGN.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  32. ^ "Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind Voice Cast and Plot Details Revealed". IGN. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  33. ^ a b Vincent, Brittany (October 5, 2022). "Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  34. ^ Workman, Robert (August 9, 2010). "The Best Mortal Kombat Characters of All Time". GamePlayBook. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  35. ^ Watson, Elijah (July 11, 2013). "13. Kenshi - The Most Brutal Fighters in Mortal Kombat". Complex Networks. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  36. ^ Lyon, Carl (July 14, 2011). "DLC Review: Kenshi for 'Mortal Kombat'". Fearnet. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  37. ^ a b Wojnar, Jason (December 22, 2021). "Mortal Kombat: The 28 Most Powerful Characters, Officially Ranked". Screen Rant. Valnet, Inc. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  38. ^ Stewart, Marcus (April 23, 2021). "The Ultimate Scientific Ranking Of Every Playable Mortal Kombat Character". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022.
  39. ^ Staff (February 28, 2012). "Top 50 Mortal Kombat Characters". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  40. ^ Jasper, Gavin (January 30, 2015). "Mortal Kombat: Ranking All the Characters". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  41. ^ Wong, Kevin (April 22, 2021). "'Mortal Kombat' Games, Ranked". Complex. Complex Networks. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021.
  42. ^ Sinha, Ravi (March 4, 2019). "Mortal Kombat – Ranking The Series From Worst to Best". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  43. ^ Stoner, Grant (July 29, 2022). "The Sento Showdown: How a Mortal Kombat Tournament Seeks to Raise Accessibility Awareness". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  44. ^ O'Keefe, David (June 25, 2018). "The Blind Masters of Fighting Games". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  45. ^ McCurdy, Will (December 10, 2023). "The pro gamer who has to rely upon sound alone". BBC. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  46. ^ Katie Ellis; et al., eds. (2022). Gaming Disability: Disability Perspectives on Contemporary Video Games (Kindle ed.). Routledge. pp. 235–250. ISBN 978-1032372853. (Segment by Jennifer Dalsen: "A History of Disability in Video Game Character Design")
  47. ^ Rouner, Jef (April 14, 2016). "Video Games Need More Playable Disabled Heroes". Houston Press. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  48. ^ O'Connor, Tom (April 24, 2019). "Students talk sexism in the video gaming community". The Daily Eastern News. Eastern Illinois University. p. 5. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
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