| Kung Jin | |
|---|---|
| Mortal Kombat character | |
 Kung Jin inMortal Kombat X (2015) | |
| First appearance | Mortal Kombat X (2015) |
| Created by | NetherRealm Studios[1] |
| Designed by | Justin Murray[2] |
| Voiced by | Johnny Yong Bosch[3] |
| Portrayed by | Lewis Tan (Mortal Kombat X: Generations)[4] |
| Motion capture | Lawrence Kern[5] |
| In-universe information | |
| Weapon | Bow and arrow |
| Origin | China |
Kung Jin is a character in theMortal Kombatfighting game franchise byNetherRealm Studios. He debuted inMortal Kombat X (2015) as a Shaolinarcher and relative of fellow ShaolinKung Lao who joins a new generation of heroes defending Earth from evil otherworldly forces. Kung Jin wields abow and arrow system for melee and projectile attacks.
The character is the first maleLGBT fighter of theMortal Kombat series, and has received significant media attention and discussion about the representation of LGBT characters in fighting games in general.
Kung Jin was introduced inMortal Kombat X preview trailers and gameplay streams in March 2015.[6][7] According to developerNetherRealm Studios, his creation was the result of the company wanting both an archer character and a relative ofKung Lao in the series. His main costume was inspired byMongolian nomadic archers, with him wearing it as a symbol of his acceptance of his role as a hero.[8][note 1]
Kung Jin was confirmed as the series' firstgay character on social media by Dominic Cianciolo, NetherRealm Studios' story and voiceover director.[9][10] Although this was not explicitly stated inMortal Kombat X, dialogue in the game's story mode alluded to Kung Jin's sexuality during a conversation between him andRaiden, where the latter convinces him to continue the legacy of his kinsmen who were Shaolin monks. Kung Jin expresses his fear of the Shaolin not accepting him for who he is, but Raiden reassures him by responding, "They care only about what is in your heart. Not whom your heart desires."[11][9] A pre-match introduction sequence between Kung Jin andTanya also hinted at his lack of interest in members of the opposite sex.[12]
Evan Narcisse ofKotaku wrote of Kung Jin's gameplay, "His moveset favors the style I tend to enjoy most when playing fighting games: quick strikes with options for keeping opponents away."[13]
InMortal Kombat X (2015), Kung Jin is introduced as a descendant of the legendary Earth hero, the Great Kung Lao, and the cousin of Shaolin monkKung Lao, who is an undead revenant corrupted by the evil Elder GodShinnok during the game's events. After Kung Lao's death, Kung Jin moved with his family to the United States and lived in poverty. He operates as a thief until Raiden convinces him to abandon his criminal activities and train with the Shaolin at their Wu Shi Academy in China.[11] As a member of the White Lotus Society, a faction co-founded by the Shaolin Order of Light andRaiden, thunder god and immortal protector of Earth, Kung Jin fights alongsideCassie Cage's military unit in order to repel the hostile forces of Outworld and the underworld Netherrealm. He has made no other series appearances to date, but is mentioned in passing inMortal Kombat 11 where he is established throughretroactive continuity as Kung Lao's nephew.[14]
Kung Jin appears in the twelfth and final issue of the 2015Mortal Kombat X prequel comic miniseries published byDC Comics and set before the in-game storyline.[15][1]
Lewis Tan played the character in the unreleasedweb seriesMortal Kombat X: Generations, which was intended as a 2015 follow-up to the 2011-13 web seriesMortal Kombat: Legacy.[4]
The revelation of Kung Jin's sexual orientation inMortal Kombat X received coverage from media outlets. Jef Rouner from theHouston Press used the topic to express his opinion of homophobia in gaming, particularly the "obliviousness [of] the idea that including a gay character [is] bowing to political correctness."[16] Indonesian media outletLiputan 6 reported that overall fan reception towards the reveal had been divisive, but noted that some players believed that Kung Jin's sexuality had little relevance to their actual opinion of the character.[17] Todd Harper ofPaste described the nature of Kung Jin's presentation as an LGBT character to be "complicated", and that he had mixed feelings over the issue: on one hand, he was pleased that with Kung Jin, NetherRealm Studios made a solid effort with the respectful representation of a queer Asian man, an underrepresented demographic in popular media. On the other hand, Harper raised concerns about the potential for Kung Jin's identity to be tastefully presented in a "consistently meaningful but not overpowering" without resorting to harmful stereotyping or tropes, citing as comparison examples he considered to be troubling likePoison from theStreet Fighter series.[18]
In light of his confirmed identity as a gay man, James Kozanitis fromGameRevolution ranked Kung Jin in their 2016 list of the five most memorable LGBT characters in video games.[19] In January 2019, Ella Braidwood fromPink News reported on social media reactions towards the initial announcement ofMortal Kombat 11's roster, and noted that a substantial number of series fans wanted to see Kung Jin's return as a playable character.[20] Jasper thought the character had potential as a "silver-tongued member of the new generation of heroes" who is driven tosocial banditry as a result of his sympathies with the impoverished masses and that the allusion to his sexuality in the cutscene was "really sweet, well done, and very welcome", but expressed disappointment over the character underutilization following his first appearance inMortal Kombat X.[21]
Sam Machkovech ofArs Technica said that Kung Jin, whose staff could be turned into a bow for cross-screen arrow action, is a good example of a character who offers a playstyle that was never seen before in aMortal Kombat game.[22] Gavin Jasper fromDen of Geek ranked Kung Jin 52nd in their 2019 list of the series' playable characters, deeming his personality the "most boring" ofMortal Kombat X's new characters.[21]
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