Kotal Kahn is a character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series who makes his debut in Mortal Kombat X. The sole survivor of the ancient Osh-Tekk race, he has since become the current Emperor of Outworld following the death of his predecessor Shao Kahn.
History[]
Early history[]
Ko'atal, son of Kotal K'etz, was merely a boy when his realm of Osh-Tekk was invaded and plundered by Shao Kahn. The emperor allowed the Osh-Tekk to keep their treasured Portal Stone as they pledged their allegiance to him early on, though Ko'atal was outraged by his father's surrender. However, K'etz told him that he could take over as leader of their people if he could fulfill their ancient rite of "realmwalk" and survive the dangerous lands of Earthrealm.
Kotal ends up taking his father's challenge, travelling through deserts and snowy mountains in Earthrealm, until he arrives at the Amazon jungle. The Mayans' civilization reminds Kotal of his own home, and while the Mayans fear him at first, they begin to worship him after he brutally kills some invading conquistadors. Kotal then begins to consider that his destiny is to not conquer these people, but to save them: Kotal stays with the Mayans, helping them repel further attacks by the Spanish as his own powers grow. The Mayans begin taking after the maturing Kotal as they devour the hearts of their enemies, and name him Buluc, The War God.
Kotal spent a long time among the Mayans, but over the years he came to realise that his actions had doomed the Mayans to extinction. Having spent years eating the hearts of foreigners, the Mayans had contracted numerous diseases that slowly killed them off. Ashamed, Kotal returned to Outworld where he would later enlist in Shao Kahn's army. He had supposedly taken part in the invasion of Earthrealm, but had not encountered any of Earth's known defenders.
Mortal Kombat X[]
After Shao Kahn's death, his chosen successor Mileena became the new Kahnum and ruled Outworld for the next few years. However, Mileena's tyranny was worse than her father's, nearly bringing Outworld to ruin. Kotal confronted Mileena with Reptile by his side and declared that Outworld demanded new leadership. Mileena in her fury made a move to stab Kotal with one of her sai and Reptile, now fiercely loyal to the Osh-Tekk, took the blow for his commander. This act would inspire loyalty in the Kytinn D'Vorah and she too would join Kotal's side.
Kotal usurped Mileena's title of Kahnum and forced her into hiding for ten years. Kotal would stand before the people of Outworld after taking the throne and declared his intentions to defend the realm with his life, winning over the crowds. Kotal Kahn would work with Raiden and Earthrealm in the Netherrealm War, with Kotal hoping their realms would remain cooperative after the war despite their past history.
During the events of Mortal Kombat X, Outworld became embroiled in civil war as Mileena sought to reclaim her throne from Kotal Kahn. Having acquired the mystical amulet of the fallen Elder God Shinnok, Mileena had put it to use by destroying Kotal's soldiers in various attacks upon the Outworld capital of Z'Unkahrah and even attempting to assassinate the emperor himself. Kotal survived the assault and Mileena was forced to flee after being weakened from using the amulet.
A short time afterwards, Kotal Kahn was approached by Special Forces member Cassie Cage and her team. They informed him of the Outworld refugees in Earthrealm but the emperor suspected the team to be allied with Mileena, and he was angered when he heard that she stole Shinnok's amulet, when it was supposed to be under Earthrealm's protection.
Kung Jin tried to tell him that his team weren't against him and that they were only looking for the amulet. Kotal Kahn didn't believe him, declaring that Kung Jin and his friends were allied with Mileena, and then sentenced all four of them to death. Kung Jin challenged the emperor to a duel for the right of defence. Kotal Kahn was defeated and asked Kung Jin to take his life. But the Shaolin spared the emperor and asked for his cooperation in the search for the amulet. Despite D’Vorah’s protests, Kotal Kahn agreed with Kung Jin and they shook hands.
Upon learning of Mileena’s location from the criminal Kano, the team and Kotal Kahn’s army invaded the Kuatan Jungle while D’Vorah and Cassie infiltrated the rebel camp to reclaim the amulet. D'Vorah and Cassie were ambushed by Tanya, Rain, and Mileena herself, but all three were knocked unconscious by D'Vorah. Mileena was captured and brought to the emperor, who claimed that she was unworthy to be killed by him. He instead allowed D’Vorah to unleash her flesh-eating parasites, which killed Mileena by devouring her face. Cassie and her team prepared to leave with the amulet, but Kotal Kahn was unwilling to take any further chances by leaving the amulet in Earthrealm's care. He had the team imprisoned and asked D’Vorah to hold onto the amulet. However, D’Vorah was actually a double agent working for Quan Chi, whose goal was to retrieve the amulet and free Shinnok from his prison.
After the team escaped from captivity, they defeated Ermac, Reptile, and Erron Black. As they came to, Kotal's allies proceeded to inform him of D’Vorah’s treachery. They were led to believe that D’Vorah had allied with Raiden and had rescued Cassie's team herself. In response, Kotal Kahn prepared his troops to invade Earthrealm and retrieve the amulet.
After arriving in Earthrealm, Kotal Kahn and his army found Cassie’s team, who were on their way to the Sky Temple. On his orders, Kotal's army chased them into the woods where they were ambushed. Kotal Kahn fought Takeda, who tried to tell the emperor about Shinnok but to no avail. Jacqui then stepped in and told Kotal Kahn that Shinnok had the amulet and had infected Earthrealm’s life-force.
Though he saw that Jacqui was telling the truth, Kotal believed Earthrealm to be lost, and decided to kill the team to appease Shinnok so he could bolster Outworld’s defences before the fallen Elder God came for his realm. Jacqui managed to defeat him, but his army surrounded her and her friends. However, they were attacked by the Lin Kuei, with Sub-Zero allowing the team to hurry to the Sky Temple. Kotal Kahn was presumed to have been pushed back to Outworld by Sub-Zero.
Mortal Kombat 11[]
Some time following Shinnok's defeat, Kronika instigated her plan to create a perfect timeline in which Raiden did not exist. As she manipulated the Sands of Time, past and present began to collide. In Outworld, Kotal Kahn was presiding over the public execution of the Kollector when the temporal merger occurred. Before the emperor's eyes, rifts in the fabric of time and space appeared in the middle of the Koliseum along with the past versions of several individuals, some of whom were thought to be dead. These included Raiden (before he was corrupted by Shinnok's amulet), Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kitana, and even Kotal's lost lover Jade. However, Shao Kahn was also among the time-displaced warriors and he threatened Kotal with death if the Osh-Tekk did not vacate the Kahn's throne.
Kotal fought against Shao Kahn, Baraka, Skarlet and Erron Black before being aided by Jade. As they joined forces with the Earthrealm warriors, a portal suddenly opened and D'Vorah appeared, calling on Shao Kahn and the other villainous kombatants to retreat. With this reprieve, Kotal and the past Raiden discuss how the revived warriors came to be in this place and time and Kotal tells Raiden how he had become corrupted by Shinnok's amulet and lashed out at all realms he considered to be a threat. Raiden and Kotal then established an alliance together to solve the issue of the temporal merger and stop Kronika from carrying out her plot.
Knowing that Shao Kahn would attempt to reclaim his throne, Kotal and Jade sought to capture him. Searching through the wastelands, they discovered a Tarkatan war kamp where they suspected that Shao Kahn was operating out of. Jade took several of Kotal's warriors and they infiltrated the kamp, but they were discovered and Kotal decided that the Tarkatans all had to be exterminated. Jade objected to Kotal's harsh decision and fought him, knocking him out. However, Jade was then cornered and captured. She and Kotal were taken prisoner, but Shao Kahn decided to keep them alive until they returned to Z'Unkahrah where he planned to execute them publicly in the Koliseum.
Later at the Koliseum, Shao Kahn had Kotal put in stocks and prepared to execute him before the crowds. The execution was interrupted, however, by the arrival of Kitana, who had forged an alliance between the Tarkatans and Shokan and was now leading them to free Kotal. Kotal was released from his stocks and fought back against Shao Kahn, but the tyrant overpowered him and struck him in the back with his Wrath Hammer, breaking Kotal's spine. Kitana then fought Shao Kahn and defeated him, slashing out his eyes and blinding him.
Jade came to Kotal's aid and Kotal asked her if she would still have him despite his hardened heart. Jade forgave Kotal and embraced him. Having been crippled and seeing how Kitana had managed to unite Outworld's races, Kotal abdicated the throne of Kahn to her, naming her the new Empress of Outworld.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Blood Offering - Kotal Kahn offers his blood to the gods in exchange for greater strength.
- Sunstone - An enchanted discus that Kotal throws at his opponent.
- God Ray - Kotal summons a beam of light from the Heavens. He regains health by standing in the light, but if an enemy enters the light then they will burn.
- Macuahuitl - An ancient Aztec weapon resembling a club but lined with small prismatic blades, or "teeth". This is Kotal's weapon of choice in open warfare.
- Crystal Totem - Kotal Kahn summons a crystal totem that gives him a temporary damage buff for as long as it remains on the field.
- Obsidian Totem - Kotal Kahn summons an obsidian totem that causes him to take less damage as long as it remains on the field.
- Blood Totem - Kotal Kahn summons a small totem with a blood red aura that depletes the opponent's super meter with each connected attack that restores Kotal Kahn's health and fills his own super meter after the totem times out.
- Shapeshifting - Kotal can transform into a large feline beast.