Kenshi
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Kenshi is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.
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[edit] About Kenshi
Kenshi is a rogue swordsman of mixed Eurasian (European and Asian) heritage. He is a blind, gruff man who has mastered the arts of Tai Chi, San Shou and Judo. Kenshi is also psychokinetic, able to throw opponents off-balance or across the room when necessary. He nurses a bitter hatred for the sorcerer Shang Tsung, whose trickery had blinded him. He is currently allied with Sonya Blade and Jax, and has also found a friend in Sub-Zero as well as Ermac.
[edit] Storyline
As a born fighter, Kenshi wandered Earthrealm in search of worthy competition. He would find an opponent and defeat them just to boost his pride. One day Kenshi encountered a man named Song, who convinced Kenshi that a great warrior needed a great sword; Song then led Kenshi to the location of an ancient, powerful sword Song claimed would befit Kenshi's power. As Kenshi unsealed the well wherein the sword supposedly lay, he was overwhelmed by souls trapped within and permanently blinded. Song revealed himself to be Shang Tsung and proceeded to absorb the released souls and left Kenshi to die within the tomb. However, the sword, which actually did exist, attracted Kenshi and spoke to him, leading him from the tomb and revealing its origin. The sword originally belonged to a long line of great swordsmen from whom Kenshi descended; the well where the sword lay was also the sacred resting place of the souls of Kenshi's ancestors, souls that were stolen by Shang Tsung. Kenshi spent the next decade or so retraining his senses, all while searching for his betrayer and the defiler of his ancestry. This path led him to the U.S. Special Forces.
Kenshi's special abilities eventually caught the attention of Jax and Sonya who were looking for members with special talents to join their side and venture into Outworld; Kenshi jumped at the chance to pursue the man who had deceived him. After going through many tests and examinations, he was accepted to join the Outer World Investigation Agency.
His chance at enacting his revenge came when he was assigned to find the lost Cyrax, another agent of the Special Forces, in Outworld. In his travels across Outworld, he encountered the enigmatic Ermac, and, in a moment of pity, broke the mind control that Shao Kahn had over him. In gratitude, Ermac awakened Kenshi's latent telekinetic power, and taught him not only how to use it effectively in combat, but how to 'sense' the presence of people and objects around him. Kenshi soon discovered the Deadly Alliance and their plans, but was unable to contact the OWIA (which had been bombed by Hsu Hao). Unknown to Kenshi, the Deadly Alliance knew of his presence and sent Mavado to eliminate him. Mavado confronted Kenshi, defeated the swordsman, and left him to die.
Sub-Zero found the dying Kenshi and nursed him back to health. Because of Sub-Zero's sympathy and kindness, Kenshi forged a temporary alliance with Sub-Zero to find a portal that would take them back home, though this temporary alliance soon became a long-lasting friendship. After Shang Tsung's death upon Onaga's return, Kenshi sensed the souls of his ancestors return to his sword, indicating the end of his quest for vengeance. Despite being an ally of both, he relinquished his position in the Special Forces and chose to remain unaligned from the Sub-Zero's Lin Kuei clan, preferring to be a lone warrior.
Kenshi then returned to Earthrealm where, under the guidance of his ancestors' sword, he would hunt down the corrupt. Attacking only during the night, using the darkness as a cover to strike unseen, Kenshi was able to overthrow several criminal organizations. He eventually intercepts a coded message sent to Mavado and learns of the Red Dragon's plans to capture the Edenian half-god Taven. Before he could find out the location of their secret base, Kenshi encounters Johnny Cage who is gathering warriors to fight for the Forces of Light against Shinnok. However, Kenshi declines this offer, considering this another pointless struggle between good and evil.
While embarking on his mission to destroy the Red Dragon and exact revenge on Mavado, he receives a psychic premonition, becoming fully aware of Taven and Daegon's quest to defeat the fire elemental Blaze. His sword also urges him to side with the side of good in the forthcoming conflict. Taking heed of this insight, Kenshi decides that he will be the one to lead the Forces of Light into battle.[1]
In Kenshi's Mortal Kombat: Armageddon ending, he defeats Blaze, allowing him to regain his sight while his other senses are greatly increased. Unable to endure this new sensory overload, Kenshi withdraws to a remote mountain cavern when he would remain isolated in a darkened, soundless chamber.[2]
[edit] Combat characteristics
[edit] Signature moves
- Telekinetic Slam: Kenshi picks up the opponent via telekinesis and slams them against the ground. (MK:DA, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
- Telekinetic Toss: Kenshi telekinetically throws his opponent behind him. (MK:DA, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
- Telekinetic Push: Kenshi simply hold his hand in front of him and telekinetically pushes him/her backwards. (MK:DA, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
- Tele-Flurry: Kenshi performs two punches and a kick to his opponent from a far distance. (MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
- Mind Warp: Kenshi teleports himself closer to his opponent. (MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
[edit] Trivia
- In early concepts, Kenshi's original name was "Blind Gi". As his character developed, he was renamed 'Blind Kenshi', and the adjective was dropped for his final form.
- Kenshi's name is taken from the Japanese word "kensei" (剣聖), which means "sword saint" in English. The Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance mentioned that he is also referred to as "the Sword Saint."
- Kenshi (剣士) in Japanese also means swordsman.
- Though Kenshi is officially 6' 1" in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, a glitch in the game sometimes doubles the "1" making his listed height 6' 11".
- He is immune to Sonya Blade and Kira's Kiss of Death moves, which aim for the eyes.
- Despite being blind, Kenshi still takes part in the "Test Your Sight" challenge in Deadly Alliance. He uses his hearing to determine his choice.
- One of the game over messages in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks says, "Who is Kenshi? Why is He Blind?".
- According to Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest Mode, Kenshi learned Tai Chi during his childhood and Judo when he was an adolescent.
- Along with Frost, Quan Chi, and Kitana, he is one of the few characters in Deadly Alliance to be seen performing a kata. His kata can be seen during the end credits in Deadly Alliance. If you play as a character in their primary costume, Kenshi will do his kata in his primary costume. However, if you play as a character in their alternate costume, Kenshi will do his kata in his alternate costume.
- Kenshi is the first of the Armageddon characters to get his bio on the official Armageddon website.
- Kenshi is the only character in Mortal Kombat: Deception who literally executes a Hara-Kiri, by slashing open his own abdomen.
- One of Kenshi's combos is called "Blind Justice", which is a reference to the comic hero Daredevil.
