Liu Kang is one of Mortal Kombat’s oldest and most beloved characters, and while Ludi Lin does a stellar job in the role in the new movie, his version is a bit different than the Liu Kang of the games. As in any such adaptation, tweaks and larger changes are inevitable. The core of Liu Kang’s character is largely the same in the Mortal Kombat reboot, but he plays a slightly different role in the overall story.
In the MK video games, Liu Kang is the primary protagonist. He’s the champion who canonically defeats Goro, Shang Tsung, and Shao Kahn, winning the Mortal Kombat tournament four times in the original timeline. The character is generally portrayed as a seasoned and confident warrior, and his fighting skills and magical abilities make him one of the most powerful fighters in the entire franchise, even being able to go toe-to-toe with gods like Raiden and Shinnok.
It’s that veteran quality that’s most drastically changed in the Mortal Kombat reboot’s version of Liu Kang. Rather than being the stalwart leader of Team Earthrealm, Ludi Lin’s Liu Kang is much more timid and less experienced. Kung Lao appears to be the more seasoned of the two Shaolin monks – a notable departure from the games – while Liu Kang seems less sure of himself and his abilities.
The fire magic Liu Kang is known for also differs a bit in the film. Like all the rest of the reboot’s champions, Liu Kang’s magic comes from his arcana, an internal mystical power awakened by his dragon mark. This is a change from his game powers, though his fire magic largely remains the same in practice. The movie does remove some of Liu Kang’s more abstract powers from the games, however, such as his ability to transform into a dragon. Instead, the Liu Kang's dragon fatality in the movie is a beast made entirely of flame, which the character dramatically conjures with his arcana.
Still, overall, the reboot’s Liu Kang is more similar to the games than he is different. He holds the same pure heart, fights in the same style, and is just as dedicated to protecting the innocents of Earthrealm as the same character is in the series of games. He also uses a number of classic fighting moves from the games, such as his fireballs and bicycle kick. All in all, Ludi Lin turns in one of the standout performances of the entire Mortal Kombat reboot, and it should be exciting to see what’s in store for Liu Kang in the sequel.