In a hard-to-spot fight sequence featured in the latest Mortal Kombat trailer, Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) fights the Black Dragon assassin Kabal (Daniel Nelson), an associate of Kano (Josh Lawson) in Mortal Kombat 3. Although the masked villain might have a wholly new origin story in the latest adaptation of the game, he is canonically a member of the deadly Black Dragon Clan, an international gang of criminals and an antagonistic faction in the Mortal Kombat universe. Directed by Simon McQuoid, Mortal Kombat is expected to arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on April 16, 2021.
Deemed as of the most dangerous factions in Earthrealm, the Black Dragon clan was birthed out of a deep-rooted discontent with the strict codes of honor and stealth that pervaded the Red Dragon clan. Founded by martial artist Morihei Uyeshiba in the first half of the 20th century, the Black Dragon clan garnered notoriety worldwide, spurring the formation of the US military Special Forces, who were tasked to deal with the activities of such clans. Major Jax Briggs was able to track down and destroy the Black Dragon following their escape from prison, as it was part of his mission to stop Kano, the leader of the Black Dragon, from retrieving a powerful artifact named the Eye of Chitian.
This ancient crystal allowed the holder to wield formidable power over other individuals, and create portals between realms, which is most likely the reason why Kano wished to use it for world domination. However, a fierce battle ensued between Jax and Kano, in which Jax emerged victorious, post which, Kano escaped custody shortly after to enter Shang Tsung’s Mortal Kombat tournament. Although Sonya Blade and her unit were at a severe disadvantage when forced to compete in the tournament, it marked the beginning of the end of what remained of the Black Dragon. While Kano is usually an antagonist throughout the franchise’s many adaptations, the latest Mortal Kombat trailer seems to posit him as an ally-of-sorts to Sonya, Liu Kang, and Cole Young in order to enter the tournament. If Kano is to be analyzed through the lens of an anti-hero, it is likely that betrayal will pervade this alliance sooner than later, as hinted by the desert-flanked one-on-one fight between Kano and Sonya in the trailer.
Members of the Black Dragon can be categorized into Mercenaries and Thugs, wherein the former seem to comprise high-ranking members as per the Mortal Kombat X comics. Black Dragon Mercenaries typically don full-body armored suits, with possible enhancement properties due to their cybernetic components. With a Black Dragon emblem emblazoned on the chest piece, Black Dragon Mercenaries also wear a mask and usually use hooks, chain whips, and katanas as their weapons of choice. On the other hand, very little is known about the Black Dragon Thugs, although they are most likely viewed as expendable reinforcements for the clan as a whole.
The Black Dragon clan was also part of a seminal storyline in the live-action television series, Mortal Kombat: Conquest, in which a band of the clan’s thugs aimed to lay claim to the Reyland family trading post as their own. This episode also revealed the legend of the mystical powers of an actual black dragon, which granted clan members the ability to master fire-offense techniques. It is interesting to note, that centuries later, this spurred the quest for the legendary Dragon Medallion, which first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Hence, with Kano positioned in a new light in the latest Mortal Kombat reboot, it will be interesting to witness how his arc plays out, and the way in which his actions will impact the thrilling, gore-laden narrative of the upcoming reboot.
