Mortal Kombat 1 is full of characters just as unique as their special attacks, and behind every great fighter is a great voice actor giving personality and feeling to them.
In some cases, celebrity actors with a recognizable voice will lend their talent to certain characters. But the game features many incredible voices that players will want to know about as they hear some of these iconic fighters speak.
Here’s a full list of the voice actors and their characters in MK1.
MK1 main cast and voice actors
Ashrah
Ashrah is a returning character from the 3D era of Mortal Kombat games. She first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Deception as a demon in disguise that switches between good and evil alignment. In the new timeline established in Mortal Kombat 1, Ashrah is a demon huntress who is focused on seeking revenge and destroying Quan Chi.
Susan Eisenberg is the voice actress for Ashrah in MK1. She has a long resume, lending her voice to a number of popular cartoon series and video games. Some of her most popular characters include Wonder Woman in the Justice League animated series and Viper in Jackie Chan Adventures. In video games, Susan was also the voice of Shaak-Ti in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Wonder Woman in Injustice 2, and Councilor Irissa in Mass Effect 3.
Baraka
Baraka is a warrior who was a general for the Tarkatan army. He first appeared in Mortal Kombat II in the original MK timeline and has been a recurring character ever since. In MK1, Baraka is a merchant from Outworld who suffers from a mysterious virus. He becomes the leader of the Tarkatans after being cast out to an Outworld colony.
The voice for Baraka is popular voice actor Steve Blum, who is instantly recognizable to many. He has been part of many popular anime series, video games, and American-produced cartoons with an impactful legacy. Steve Blum is the iconic voice of TOM from Toonami, Spike from Cowboy Bebop, and Wolverine from various X-Men cartoons. You can also hear Steve as an additional voice for a variety of video games, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Starfield.
Tanya
Tanya is an Edenian warrior who first appeared in Mortal Kombat 4. She has been a minor antagonist to Earthrealm’s warriors and served different masters, which included Shao Kahn and Shinnok. In MK1, Tanya is the leader of the Umgadi warrior priestesses who protect the firstborn daughters of Outworld. She also has a close bond with Mileena.
Tanya is voiced by actress Cherise Boothe, who has appeared in various television series like Gossip Girl and Westworld. At the same time, Cherise has lent her voice to video games like Starfield, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Diablo 4.
Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage is one of the original fighters from the first Mortal Kombat game. He’s a movie star who gets caught up in the tournament to save Earthrealm and eventually becomes one of its greatest defenders in later games. Within the new timeline, Johnny Cage is a struggling actor who gets recruited by Fire God Liu Kang to be one of Earthrealm’s defenders.
Andrew Bowen is the voice of Johnny Cage. He is an actor, director, and writer who has appeared in shows like Shameless, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Criminal Minds. In video games, Andrew has lent his voice to characters in Star Wars: The Old Republic, Saints Row: The Third, and Starfield. Andrew was also the voice of Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat X, as well as the voice of Rain and Smoke.
Kenshi
Kenshi is a blind swordsman who also uses telekinesis. He first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and again in Mortal Kombat 11. He has a bitter feud with Shang Tsung in the original timeline. In MK1, Kenshi is trying to retrieve a legendary sword that will help free his clan from the influence of the Yakuza. He is recruited by Fire God Liu Kang to defend Earthrealm in the Mortal Kombat tournament.
Kenshi is voiced by Vic Chao, an actor who has appeared in a number of large projects. Television viewers may know him from his appearances on General Hospital and JAG, but video game fans will recognize him as the voice of Tseng from Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7: Reunion. Vic has also done additional voices for other games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man, Ghost of Tsushima, and Judgement.
Nitara
Nitara is a vampire that first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. She is an antagonist who aims to separate her realm from Outworld in the original timeline, crossing paths with various characters during the tournament. In the new timeline, Nitara is trying to save her species from extinction by seeking out other realms where they can thrive.
Popular actress Megan Fox provides the voice of Nitara in MK1. Megan is well-known for many of her Hollywood movie appearances like Transformers, Jennifer’s Body, and Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. Megan has also done some previous voice work, including both of the Transformers movie games, and the TV series Robot Chicken.
Fire God Liu Kang
Liu Kang is the original hero of the MK series. He has appeared in most of the games released up to now and has undergone many changes over the years. Liu Kang was chosen as the hero of Earthrealm and was a member of the White Lotus Society. After defeating Kronika in the original timeline, Liu Kang became Fire God Liu Kang and started the new timeline of the series in MK1.
The voice of Fire God Liu Kang is actor Matt Yang King. He has appeared in television shows like Riverdale, Code Black, and Criminal Minds. Matt also has a lot of experience lending his voice to video games. Some of the most popular games in which he’s voiced characters include Mortal Kombat 11, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Death Stranding, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Shang Tsung
The original villain of the MK series is Shang Tsung. Involved in every entry since the first release, Shang Tsung has been both a host of the tournament and a fighter. He uses dark magic taught to him by Emperor Shao Kahn in the original timeline, which he uses to clash with Earthrealm’s warriors in an attempt to achieve total victory. For MK1, Shang Tsung once again becomes the main antagonist and ultimate villain that Earthrealm’s champions face.
Alan Lee is the actor who voices Shang Tsung in MK1. He is best known for his work on Squid Game but has appeared in other live-action series. Alan has a lot of video game voice work under his belt, including characters that appear in Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7: Reunion, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Saints Row. Alan also has parts in popular anime series like Sword Art Online, Pokemon Masters, One Punch Man, and Detective Conan.
Raiden
Raiden is the god of thunder who first appeared in the first Mortal Kombat game, and has been involved in nearly every title of the series. Whether playable or not, Raiden has been part of the story of MK across the franchise’s history. Originally, Raiden was the protector of Earthrealm, who passed on the responsibility to Liu Kang. In the new timeline started by Fire God Liu Kang, Raiden is now Earthrealm’s chosen champion. Both he and Liu Kang have switched roles in the new timeline.
Vincent Rodriguez III lends his voice to the game as Raiden. Vincent has done voice work for animated films like Raya and the Last Dragon, as well as Arlo the Alligator Boy. Vincent has also appeared on television shows such as Hostages, Insatiable, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.Â
Kitana and Mileena
Both Kitana and Mileena made their debut together in Mortal Kombat II. The two of them became popular among fans and appeared in nearly every game since. Kitana is over 10,000 years old, a princess of Edenia, and the stepdaughter of Shao Kahn. Mileena is Kitana’s hybrid clone that was created in the original timeline by Shang Tsung, which fused Edenian and Tarkatan blood together. In the new timeline, Kitana and Mileena are twin sisters and the daughter of Queen Sindel.
Kari Wahlgren lends her voice to both Kitana and Mileena in MK1. She is an actress who has done a lot of voice work in many different television series and video games. She is best known as the voice of Kitana in the Mortal Kombat series, but has also appeared in games like Star Wars Squadrons, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, hack//G.U. Last Recode, and many more.
Scorpion
One of the original ninjas from the first Mortal Kombat game, Scorpion is viewed as one of the mascots of the series. He is part of the Shirai Ryu clan and has an ongoing feud with Sub-Zero in the original timeline. Scorpion was tricked by the sorcerer Quan Chi after being resurrected to seek his revenge, but eventually discovered the deception and battled the sorcerer. In the new timeline, Scorpion and Sub-Zero are related.
Daisuke Tsuji is the voice of Scorpion in MK1. He has done work with video games in the past as the voice of Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima, as well as Hiro in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. He also appeared in other games like Prey, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and Death Stranding. Daisuke has also appeared in television shows since 2014, including shows like NCIS: Hawaiʻi and The Blacklist.
Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero is the other half of the original ninja characters to appear in the first MK game. He is part of the Lin Kuei clan and has been a rival to Scorpion throughout the series. There have been multiple people to don the name Sub-Zero, with the first as Bi-Han and the second being his younger brother Kuai Lang. The new timeline mixes things up for the ninja, with Bi-Han being the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei and helping to protect Earthrealm.
The voice of Sub-Zero in MK1 is actor Kaiji Tang. He has lent his voice to other video games in the past such as Ghost of Tsushima, Starfield, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Yakuza: Like A Dragon. In addition, Kaiji has also been part of anime series like Queen’s Blade Rebellion, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Sword Art Online, and Kill la Kill.
All voice actors in MK1
Here is the list of the voice cast of Mortal Kombat 1.Â
- Ashrah – Susan Eisenberg
- Baraka – Steve Blum
- Ermac (Kombat Pack DLC) – Jamieson Price
- General Shao – Ike Amadi
- Geras – Phil LaMarr
- Havik – Jacob Craner
- Johnny Cage – Andrew Bowen
- Johnny Cage Alternate (Kombat Pack DLC)- Jean-Claude Van Damme
- Kenshi – Vic Chao
- Kitana / Mileena – Kari Wahlgren
- Kronika – Jennifer Hale
- Kung Lao – Sunil Malhotra
- Li Mei / Madame Bo – Kelly Hu
- Liu Kang – Matthew Yang King
- Nitara – Megan Fox
- Nitara’s Battle Efforts – Cristina Valenzuela
- Older Raiden – Travis Willingham
- Omni-Man (Kombat Pack DLC) – J.K. Simmons
- Peacemaker (Kombat Pack DLC)- John Cena
- Quan Chi (Kombat Pack DLC)- Sean T. Krishnan
- Raiden – Vincent Rodriguez III
- Rain – Noshir Dalal
- Reiko – Derek Phillips
- Reptile – Andrew Morgado
- Scorpion – Daisuke Tsuji
- Shang Tsung – Alan Lee
- Sindel – Mara Junot
- Smoke – Yuri Lowenthal
- Sub-Zero / Bi-Han – Kaiji Tang
- Takeda (Kombat Pack DLC)- Parry Shen
- Tanya – Cherise Boothe
The full list of voice actor credits for MK1 and their details can be found on IMDB. As more fighters are added to the game through DLC, more names will be added to the already long list of talented voice actors.Â
