Reiko is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. Mortal Kombat 4 (1997) was the last game in the Mortal Kombat series to have an arcade version. ... Mortal Kombat Gold is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series. ... Using a scythe A scythe (IPA /sαɪð/, most likely from Old English siðe, sigði) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing and reaping grass or crops. ... Mortal Kombat (commonly abbreviated MK) is a popular series of fighting games created originally by the Midway Games company. ... Screenshot of Kung Fu Master (1984, Irem). ...

About Reiko

Reiko is a grim, serious-looking man with black and white hair, glowing blue eyes and a penchant for brutality. He also has a mask-like black tattoo over his eyes. Reiko's abilities include extreme agility and almost eternal life.

Storyline

Not much is known about him, save that his primary occupation is that of a general. In this capacity, he has served both Shinnok and Shao Kahn. He has also served as a member of the Brotherhood of the Shadow. During Shinnok's war against the Elder Gods, he was presumed killed. He later resurfaced during the time of Mortal Kombat Gold, but after Shinnok was defeated, he dissapeared once again. He later emerged in Shao Kahn's army, to whom he has served until now. Shinnok is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Shao Kahn is a boss and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... The Brotherhood of the Shadow Noob Saibot, one of the Brotherhoods prime members The Brotherhood of the Shadow, sometimes also known as the Brotherhood of Shadow, is a faction in the Mortal Kombat video game series. ... The Elder Gods are fictional entities in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Mortal Kombat Gold is a fighting game in the Mortal Kombat series. ...

Reiko apparently has great aspirations to one day replace the emperor, as is said that he likes to sneak into his chamber room and wear his helmet. His own attire has a great similarity to Shao Kahn's. Reiko has also stated that he will one day rule Outworld himself. Outworld (Mortal Kombat: Deception). ...

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Taven encounters Reiko in his war room in Shao Kahn's fortress. It is revealed here that, for unknown reasons, Reiko has an intense disliking of Quan Chi. Reiko tries to get Taven to join Kahn's army, having been impressed by his skills in combat, but Taven has none of this as he only intends to find and kill Quan Chi. Although Reiko is intrigued by the prospect, he had been ordered by Shao Kahn to protect the sorcerer, so he engages in battle with the intruder. Reiko is ultimately defeated, but as he limps away, he relishes in the irony that his failure would lead to the death of Quan Chi. Taven will make his first appearance in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon as the games main hero. ... Quan Chi is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

In Reiko's Armageddon ending, Reiko becomes empowered after beating Blaze. He kills Shao Kahn and takes his helmet, which permanantly fuses to his head, as he becomes the new ruler. Blaze is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

The Reiko/Kahn controversy

For the most part, Reiko began as a simple new character added to put new faces in Mortal Kombat 4. However, as the game arrived on PlayStation and Game Boy, some alarming and heavily-debated developments took place. In the early releases of Mortal Kombat 4, Reiko's ending showed him stepping through a portal and nothing more. However, as the game made its way into home systems, this scene was further elaborated on. On the other side of the portal, Reiko arrived in Shao Kahn's throne room, where the Emperor's skull mask lowered onto his face. This quickly led to a division among fans, some believing that Reiko was actually Shao Kahn or become his successor, with others rejecting the idea entirely. Mortal Kombat 4 (1997) was the last game in the Mortal Kombat series to have an arcade version. ... For other versions of PlayStation, please see PlayStation (disambiguation) The PlayStation (Japanese: プレイステーション) is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid-1990s. ... For the entire Game Boy series of handheld consoles, see Game Boy line. ... Shao Kahn is a boss and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Reiko alongside Shao Kahn in an episode of Mortal Kombat: Conquest

The "Reiko is not Kahn" faction put forth the arguments that many MK character endings are not canon; many previous endings had been neglected in developing the story to date. Another argument was the great difference in heights of the characters, Shao Kahn being much taller than Reiko. Also given is an episode of Mortal Kombat: Conquest in which Reiko and Shao Kahn are seen together. On top of that, used as evidence was Ed Boon's confirmation that the two were not the same. Image File history File linksMetadata Mkconquest_reikokahn. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Mkconquest_reikokahn. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Ed Boon, on a G4TV interview Ed Boon (born March 30, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois), along with John Tobias is a co-creator of the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

The "Reiko is Kahn" faction found counters for each argument, however. They pointed out that if not contradicted by those of other characters, many endings could very well be considered canon until they are specified otherwise in a future game. As for the profound differences in stature of the characters, they pointed out that Mortal Kombat hosts many supernatural abilities, such as body-hopping and shapeshifting. They also stated that the TV shows and movies are not considered part of the games' canon storyline, and thus could be disregarded as irrelevant. Another point against Boon's statement is his lack of involvement in the storyline, a position originally held by John Tobias, and later, John Vogel. Shapeshifting, transformation , transmogrification or morphing is a change in the form or shape of a person, especially: a change from human form to animal form and vice versa a change in appearance from one person to another Shapeshifting is not considered scientifically or medically possible for humans (and animal shapeshifting... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... John Tobias was one of the creators (along with Ed Boon) of the groundbreaking Mortal Kombat fighting game series for Chicago-based Midway. ...

Another convincing piece of evidence was Reiko's ending from the Game Boy version of Mortal Kombat 4, which stated that he returned to ruling the realm that he commanded before Shinnok's return, and continued his plans for the conquest of Earthrealm. While not specifically stating that the two were the same, the text was oddly specific and was quickly accepted as proof by the believers in the controversy. Earthrealm (Mortal Kombat: Deception) In the Mortal Kombat video game series, Earthrealm is the name that is most frequently used for Earth. ...

In truth, little thought was put in either version of Reiko's ending. His original ending, in which he simply walked into a portal and disappears, was created as a joke, nothing more. As the home versions were released, it was decided Reiko's joke ending was not funny, and the extra scene, in which Reiko dons Shao Kahn's mask was added to "add intrigue to his character." Whether or not the maker of Reiko's extended ending actually meant for him to be Shao Kahn is unknown.

Due to the fact that the Game Boy lacked FMV endings, the developers of the home versions of Mortal Kombat 4 were forced to elaborate on Reiko's ending and its meaning on their own. Therefore, they followed on Reiko's extended ending mentioning his quest to conquer Earth. But due to the fact that not even the makers of Reiko's extended ending were sure if he would indeed be Shao Kahn, the Game Boy ending was kept vague and non-specific. Screenshot of an FMV from Final Fantasy VIII. Full motion video, usually abbreviated as FMV, is a popular term for TV-quality movie or animation in a video game. ...

Mortal Kombat: Deception used its Konquest Mode to debunk the myth that Reiko is Shao Kahn. There is a mission in which Shao Kahn sends Shujinko to give Reiko a warning, after Kahn hears a rumor that Reiko has been sneaking into his chamber to wear his helmet. Reiko tells Shujinko that he likes to wear Shao Kahn's helmet. Moreover, Reiko claims he is a commander in Shao Kahn's army. Although much of Deception's Konquest mode is considered by some to be non-canon, this seems to be Midway's way of proving that the two characters are indeed different entities. The anticlimactic nature of this explanation is probably the result of Midway poking fun at the situation. Mortal Kombat: Deception is the latest game in the controversial and bloody Mortal Kombat video game series by Midway. ... Shujinko is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

John Vogel, who is currently in charge of Mortal Kombat's storyline, has confirmed that Reiko and Shao Kahn are not the same person, although Vogel revealed that Reiko was one of Kahn's minions. Vogel then went on to state his dislike for Reiko and claimed he had no intention of bringing him back, so it was be assumed that the explanation given in Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest could be taken as official. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Vogel's statement would prove to be ironic, as Reiko is indeed returning in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. He is featured in the four page article in the February issue of Game Informer. It's worth noting that the costume he wears appears very similar to Kahn's, sans cape and (more importantly) mask. Also interesting of note is one of Reiko's special moves in Armageddon, in which he headbutts the opponent with what appears to be a glowing energy version of Kahn's helmet, further poking fun at the controversy. October 2006 issue of Game Informer. ...

This theory was proven to be wrong because in Reiko's ending at the end of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, it was confirmed that Reiko was not Shao Kahn but had defeated him with the power he obtained from Blaze. Now with Shao Kahn defeated Reiko took his helmet and it fused with his body thus making him the new emperor of Outworld.

Combat characteristics

Signature moves

• Assassin Throwing Stars: Reiko takes a stack of shurikens and throws them at the oppenent. (MK4, MKG, MK:A)
• Horizontal Teleport: Reiko would do a quick top like spin and slide around the opponent to their back in one quick motion. (MK4, MKG)
• Vertical Teleport: Reiko would leap upwards disappearing in the air, then would reappear behind his opponent coming up through the ground. This attack was borrowed from Noob Saibot. (MK4, MKG)
• Shadow Grab: While performing the "Vertical Teleport", Reiko could grab and slam the the opponent to the ground if Block button was pressed upon reappearing behind them. Again, similar to Noob Saibot's "Teleport Slam". (MK4, MKG, MK:A)
• Devastating Flip Kick: Reiko would twist his body in an impossible fashion landing a flip kick without his opposite foot even leaving the ground. Li Mei received this move later in Deadly Alliance and Deception. (MK4, MKG, MK:A)
• Charging Pain: Reiko would perform a shoulder ram like Shao Kahn or perhaps just a headbutt, but with a blue-ish energy representation of Shao Kahn's helmet appearing covering his head. (MK:A)

Noob Saibot is a character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Li Mei is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Shao Kahn is a boss and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Recurring fatalities

• Shuriken Barrage: Reiko grabs his ninja stars and continually throws them at his opponent, the last star impacting with their forehead. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Mileena would copy this fatality, replacing the ninja stars with sais (and nails, in another derivative fatality). This fatality is again copied by Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat Gold (while the "Fatalities" option is active at the secret menu) and Mortal Kombat: Deception in a different way, as one of the fatalities of Noob-Smoke tag-team (Noob must be present on screen for his fatality). (MK4, MKG)
• Thrust Kick: Reiko simply kicks his opponent's torso to the ground, leaving the arms, legs and head spinning in mid-air. One by one, the remaining body parts fall. In Mortal Kombat Gold, Goro (who had no fatalities in MK4) borrowed this fatality - which was actually quite sensible, since Goro already had a similar Thrust Kick move. (MK4, MKG)

Mileena is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ... Noob Saibot and his new partner Smoke, as they appear in Mortal Kombat: Deception. ... Goro is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. ...

Appearances in other media

Television

Reiko's sole live appearance on the aforementioned Mortal Kombat: Conquest partially acknowledges his early video game biographies as a devout general of Shao Kahn. Though he is never seen in combat, Reiko acts as a military messenger for the Emperor, informing him of developments in Outworld that Kahn himself cannot witness firsthand from the throne. Reiko encountered the encroaching armies of Kreeya on the borders of Outworld and engaged in their destruction while fighting Kreeya's Amazonian forces. Reiko was one of the few warriors unshakeably loyal to Shao Kahn, swearing fealty on the Emperor's sword and threatening death by his hand to anyone who betrayed Kahn. Kreeya is a character featured in the television show Mortal Kombat: Conquest. ...

Trivia

Reiko in Mortal Kombat 4

• Reiko first appeared in Mortal Kombat 4, replacing Noob Saibot as a playable character.
• Since he replaced Noob Saibot and has Noob's teleport move, it was rumored that he killed Noob and was able to extract this talent from him. Because Noob actually appeared in Mortal Kombat 4 as a hidden character, it was then rumored to be believed that Reiko was once a member of the Brotherhood of the Shadow and thus was taught this technique.
• Because of the amount of time which passes between Shinnok's wars against the elder gods, as well as the mention of his presumed death, many fans have theorized that Reiko is a member of the undead. However, it is unknown whether the war Reiko fought in was Shinnok's first war against the gods centuries ago, or the second one that took place shortly before Mortal Kombat 4.
• As they both shared a strikingly similar facial appearance, many players believed Reiko to be Johnny Cage's brother. However, it is more likely that Midway actually based his image on a real person, and happened to use him twice (as they have done several times in other Mortal Kombat games).
• With Mortal Kombat 4's arcade release, it was hinted that Reiko shared a connection with Sareena. This was justified by both wearing the emblem of the Brotherhood of the Shadow on their clothing, a slight resemblence between the two (similar black marks on their faces and both sharing black & white hair), and that the events of Mortal Kombat 4 mostly followed up on the events of Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. However, this relationship was never developed and later forgotten as the Reiko/Kahn controversy began. In Armageddon, they still bear the same emblem, which may indicate that their relationship would be explained in Armageddon.
• Though this character is male, Reiko is actually a feminine Japanese name, causing another bizarre controversy. When mentioned in Mortal Kombat 4 and Mortal Kombat Gold, his name is clearly pronounced "REE-ko." However, Reiko is a common Japanese name which is pronounced "RAY-ko", although it is a typically female name (like in Hotaru's case). In Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode, Reiko's name is pronounced "RAY-ko," causing debate among fans over how his name is meant to be pronounced. More recently, the "RAY-ko" pronunciation of his name is continued in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
• Perhaps as homage to the debate, Reiko's armor in the upcoming Armageddon bears more than a slight resemblance to Shao Kahn's. This coupled with the Konquest explanation that he enjoys wearing Kahn's helmet, may reveal that he either sees Kahn as an idol, which is harmless; or wishes to replace him altogether, which is sinister. Reiko's interest in Kahn's appearance and invasion of Kahn's chambers show signs of obsession and even stalking. In real life, these cases often end with the stalker attempting to kill their prey.
• There was initially some confusion as to what weapon Reiko would use in Armageddon. Early videos showed him using a giant sword called the Devastator, but a later versus screen render showed him weilding his Crude Hammer, similar to Shao Kahn's Wrath Hammer. However, another versus screen render released soon after this showed him holding the Devastator once again, causing question as to which was correct. Upon the release of the game, it was revealed that Reiko was indeed using the Crude Hammer as his weapon, while the Devastator was given to Fujin.