Ah, here we have the big man himself, the first champion of Mortal Kombat from Earthrealm: The Great Kung Lao! Oh wait, not that Kung Lao, but this one is still pretty great!
In Mortal Kombat 1, Lao grew up to be a simple farmer alongside his good friend Raiden, who is now mortal. But this young warrior knows that he is destined for something bigger, and he has a wardrobe that says as much in MK1.
#1. Hero’s Heart
Now I kinda feel bad for performing fatalities on him
Hero’s Heart in action:Start at 0:05
It’s only right that a warrior of the Forces of Light has the heart of a hero! So, the first skin on this list is Hero’s Heart, an uncommon New Era skin with a palette of white, black, and purple. To unlock Hero’s Heart, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
Kung Lao was never satisfied with his farmer life, and he dreamed of the day where he would be able to prove just how amazing he really is. And the moment Liu Kang asked him and Raiden to join him at the Wu Shi Academy, Kung Lao practically jumped at the chance. Too bad he lost against Raiden in the mini tournament Liu Kang hosted.
#2. Shaolin Swagger
Shaolin Swagger in action:
Start at 0:09
I wonder what the other Shaolin monks think of Kung Lao honestly. As the monk with the most swag, I had to include Shaolin Swagger, a rare New Era skin and it has a palette with red, yellow, and black. To unlock Shaolin Swagger, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
Kung Lao used to be a pretty humble and peaceful guy who didn’t really care for action. But that was retconned in Mortal Kombat 2011, and now his arrogance and narcissism could match that of Johnny Cage’s! Not only that, but don’t you guys think that Kung Lao’s Shaolin Swagger skin has a similar palette to his Mortal Kombat 3 outfit?
#3. Spun Up
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Oh gods, it’s a TORNAD—oh wait, it’s just Kung Lao. Here we have Spun Up, a common New Era skin, and its color palette includes red, gold, and black. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Spun Up as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.
Throughout the Mortal Kombat series, Kung Lao’s most iconic weapon has to be his razor-edged hat. The hat itself seems to have some supernatural abilities as Lao can throw his hat in any direction instead of just straight ahead and it reappears back on its owner’s head no matter how far he throws it. It reminds me of Kratos and his Leviathan Axe in God of War, which also returns to its owner much like a boomerang.
#4. Eminent Kombatant
Don’t want to make Johnny jealous, right Kung Lao?
Eminent Kombatant in action:Start at 0:21
As one of the greatest warriors of our time, at least in Kung Lao’s mind, I think he’d be proud to have Eminent Kombatant on this list. This legendary New Era skin comes with a palette of silver and gold. To unlock Eminent Kombatant, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
It’s always been Kung Lao’s dream to become known worldwide and he even claimed that he’ll become more famous than Johnny Cage one day. Yes, Lao has the looks and the skills to be a star, as much as it pains me to boost his already huge ego. But I think after losing to Raiden that Kung Lao was humbled a little bit (and I mean only a little bit).
#5. Vein of Honor
“Liu Kang…Liu Kang, I crave victory.”
Vein of Honor in action:Start at 0:27
Vein of Honor is the last of Kung Lao’s New Era skins we’ll look at. This common skin has a palette containing the colors red and white. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Spun Up as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.
Despite his prideful and arrogant attitude, Kung Lao is an honorable warrior like his friend Raiden. This is seen as early as the very first chapter of Mortal Kombat 1 when the Lin Kuei begin their attack on the teahouse. He refused to leave Madam Bo to fend for herself, even though we all now know she is a very capable fighter, and that small detail was honestly heart-warming!
#6. Vainglorious
Wow, “vainglorious” is a real word!?
Vainglorious in action:Start at 0:39
No seriously, I have never heard the word “vainglorious” in my life, but apparently it’s a real thing! Vainglorious is the name of the Union of Light skin shown above, which also happens to be a common skin and its palette has red, white, and blue. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Vainglorious as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.
While I’m still stuck on the word “vainglorious” (the more I write the word, the more it seems like it shouldn’t exist), it actually means to be excessively proud of oneself or one’s achievements. Wow, this is perfect! I didn’t think there was a word out there that perfectly describes Kung Lao, but here it is!
#7. Destined for Greatness
Yeah, yeah, we get it dude
Destined for Greatness in action:Start at 0:43
Since this whole list is just my excuse to talk about how amazing Kung Lao is, and I can’t believe I just said that, let’s take a look at Destined for Greatness! This uncommon Union of Light skin has a palette containing red and white. To unlock Destined for Greatness, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
As a descendant of Earthrealm’s first champion, Kung Lao knew he was destined for something grand like his ancestor. I think if Liu Kang had changed the Great Kung Lao’s story and made him into a normal guy, then Lao’s descendant wouldn’t be so full of himself. But I’m glad Liu decided not to, because in my opinion, that would completely erase the Great Kung Lao’s achievements and he deserves to be honored for said achievements.
#8. Master Kai’s Pupil
Dang, haven’t seen Kai since MK: Armageddon!
Kai’s Pupil in action:Start at 0:47
With this skin, let’s take a trip down memory lane all the way back to Mortal Kombat’s 3D era. Master Kai’s Pupil is a rare Union of Light skin for Kung Lao with a palette that includes the colors green, red, and beige. To unlock Master Kai’s Pupil, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
A character that I was honestly surprised they mentioned in Mortal Kombat 1 is Kai, a Shaolin monk who trained alongside Liu Kang and Kung Lao in a previous timeline. He was briefly mentioned in Mortal Kombat 11 as well during one of Cassie’s texting intros, but I think that was about it. Now in MK1, Kai appears to be a master to Raiden and Kung Lao, which I thought was nice!
#9. Happy Warrior
When Kung Lao stops smiling, just…just give up okay?
Happy Warrior in action:Start at 0:49
Hey, a happy Kung Lao can be annoying, but at least he won’t try to kill you on sight…maybe. Happy warrior, which not only describes Lao most of the time, is a Union of Light skin and its palette contains blue and gray. To unlock Happy Warrior, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
Between the iconic Shaolin monk duo, we can all agree that Kung Lao has always been more energetic and upbeat compared to Liu Kang. Yes, Liu has expressed his annoyance with Lao’s attitude, but deep down, he knows that is what makes his friend so likable as well. I think that’s why Liu Kang didn’t change too much about Kung Lao’s personality.
#10. Hematic Daring
Blood in a video game? What is this: MORTAL KOMBAT!?
Hematic Daring in action:
Start at 1:06
Last but certainly not least on this list is Hematic Daring, another Union of Light skin. This is also a common skin for Kung Lao and its palette contains red and black. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Hematic Daring as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.
The word “hematic” means relating to or affecting the blood. I mean, we are talking about Mortal Kombat, so is Kung Lao having a skin called Hematic Daring all that surprising? Not to mention that Lao is the kind of person to go head first into a fight, no matter how dangerous it is!
Look, I know some people don’t really care for Kung Lao and I was one of those people in the past. But as I grew older, I realized just how awesome Lao really is and that there's a lot more to him than his martial arts skills and charming smile. And of course, Kung Lao has these cool Mortal Kombat 1 skins too, so that’s a plus in my books! So, get these skins now and have fun playing as Kung Lao in MK1!
