Kabal (Mortal Kombat)

Kabal
Mortal Kombat character
Kabal in Mortal Kombat (2011)
First game	Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Created by	Ed Boon and John Tobias
Designed by	John Tobias (UMK3/MKT, MK:SF/MK:SM) Atomhawk Design (MK2011) Lynell Forestall (MK:DotR)
Voiced by	Kevin Michael Richardson (MK:DotR) Jarod Pranno (MK:A) David Lodge (MK2011)
Motion capture	Carlos Pesina (MK:D, MK:A)
Portrayed by	Richard Divizio (MK3, UMK3, MKT) Tracy Fleming (Live Tour)
Fictional profile
Origin	United States (Earthrealm)
Fighting styles	Sun Bin (MK:D, MK:A) Goju Ryu (MK:D)
Weapon	Hookswords (all media except DotR)

Kabal is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise, created for Midway Games by Ed Boon and John Tobias. Kabal was introduced in Mortal Kombat 3 as a former member of Kano's Black Dragon criminal organization who had reformed as a force for good and thus became one of the chosen defenders of Earthrealm, while notably suffering an attack by Outworld emperor Shao Kahn's extermination squads that left his face disfigured and thus concealed behind a mask. In the three-dimensional Mortal Kombat games, he returns to the side of evil by reforming the Black Dragon and feuding with Mavado, leader of their bitter rival, the Red Dragon. Kabal returns to the side of good in the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot, again having quit the Black Dragon and fighting alongside Kurtis Stryker to defend Earthrealm against Kahn's forces.

Considered one of the most powerful characters in Mortal Kombat 3, Kabal has received mostly positive fan and critical reception in this regard, but response to his Fatality finishing moves has been decisively mixed. He has played a fairly scant role in both the overall series continuity as well as in alternative Mortal Kombat-related media and merchandising.

Making his debut in 1995's Mortal Kombat 3, Kabal was a member of the Black Dragon crime syndicate alongside Kano, until Outworld emperor Shao Kahn's invasion took Earthrealm by storm. Kabal's soul was spared, meaning he was now one of Raiden's chosen warriors who would defend Earth. This consequently made him a target of Kahn's extermination squads, who subjected him to a vicious attack that left Kabal badly maimed and forcing him thereafter to rely on artificial respirators for survival, all while wearing a mask to hide his newly disfigured face. However, the assault had also resulted in a change for the better as Kabal abandoned his life of crime in order to fight alongside the Earth warriors in successfully thwarting Kahn and his forces.