Ermac

Ermac is one of the various ninja characters to appear in the Mortal Kombat franchise. He has a human form, but he is, in fact, an amalgamation of thousands of souls fused together through dark magic. Ermac was created by Shao Kahn through melding the souls of fallen Outworld warriors and was bent to the emperor's malevolent will, serving as his enforcer.

History[]

Original timeline[]

Ermac first appeared during the Outworld Invasion of Earthrealm, serving as one of Shao Kahn's many enforcers. Though an agent of darkness, he served Kahn unwillingly and had a limited perception of the world around him.

Ermac was freed from Shao Kahn's influence after an encounter with the blind swordsman Kenshi. In gratitude, Ermac taught Kenshi his signature move, the Telekinetic Slam. Since being freed, he has chosen to fight on the side of good and even assisted the spirit of Liu Kang in saving his allies from the control of Onaga.

During the Battle of Armageddon, Ermac stood with the Forces of Light, but he was slain along with most of the other kombatants.

Alternate timeline[]

In the current timeline, Ermac first appeared as a competitor in the Mortal Kombat tournament in which he fought against the Shaolin warrior Liu Kang. Even though he was comprised of multiple warrior souls and wielded deadly psychic abilities, Ermac was nonetheless defeated.

During the Outworld Tournament, Ermac was charged with securing Shao Kahn's fortress during the competition. Whilst he was regenerating in the Soul Chamber, Special Forces agents Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs were attempting to escape with the help of the Lin Kuei ninjas Sub-Zero and Smoke. Ermac attempted to stop them and used his telekinesis to tear off Jax's arms. He was then defeated in battle against Sub-Zero.

Ermac would go on to take part in the invasion of Earthrealm and survived the conflict. In the years following the death of Shao Kahn, Ermac offered his service to Mileena when she claimed the throne of Outworld and remained at her side even after she was deposed by Ko'atal. His loyalty to Mileena would not last, however, as the hybrid empress proved to be too impetuous to competently rule. Ermac believed that Outworld was better off under the leadership of Kotal Kahn and chose to serve the new emperor.

Abilities[]

Martial Arts - Being comprised of thousands of warrior souls, Ermac knows the fighting styles of each one of them.
Telekinesis - Ermac is capable of manipulating the world around him through thought alone. He uses this power to great effect in battle, picking up his opponents with his telekinetic power and throwing them about, slamming them into the ground or pulling their bodies apart.
Soul Magic - Being a fusion of souls, Ermac can naturally use different forms of soul magic, usually in the form of teleportation spells or casting magical projectiles.
Psychic Immunity - Ermac cannot be affected by telepathy due to being comprised of so many different minds.

Appearances in other media[]

Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm[]

Ermac appeared in the twelfth episode of the series "Abandoned". Being new to the MK universe at the time, his backstory had not been fully developed; he was portrayed as a normal Outworlder without any soul-based magical powers and served Shao Kahn as captain of his guard. During his appearance, Ermac and his ninjas had been sent to Earthrealm to abduct Jax's girlfriend Ruby, who turned out to be an Outworld spy.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation[]

In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Ermac displays no magical powers and his character history is never revealed. He is portrayed by John Medlen in the film.

Ermac serves as one of Shao Kahn's generals assigned to hunting down and exterminating the denizens of Earthrealm. During the final battle of the film, he fights against Sonya Blade and almost defeats her after creating a shadowy duplicate of himself, forcing her to fight two enemies at once. However, Jax comes to Sonya's rescue and defeats the shadow, allowing Sonya to kill Ermac by breaking his neck.

Mortal Kombat Legacy[]

In the live-action webseries, Ermac (portrayed by Kim Do Nguyen) is a demon that feeds on the souls of those who challenge him. He appears very different from past portrayals, resembling a human corpse with withered gray skin and dressed in all-black attire more akin to Noob Saibot. Under the order of Shao Kahn, Ermac was tasked with guarding the mystical blade Sento in Japan. When the ronin Kenshi Takahashi sought the sword, Ermac blinded him, but Kenshi nonetheless escaped with the sword.

Years later, Ermac was invited by Shang Tsung to compete in Mortal Kombat on behalf of Outworld. The demon once again fought against Kenshi who, while blinded, now wielded telekinetic abilities and enhanced senses. Armed with the only weapon capable of slaying Ermac, Kenshi managed to defeat the demon and release all of the souls he had consumed.