25 Greatest Video Game Heroes Of All Time

11. Liu Kang (Mortal Kombat)

Liu Kang may not be the most popular or the flashiest character in the Mortal Kombat franchise, but he fits into the hero archetype more perfectly than anyone else, having had the fate of Earthrealm weigh solely on his shoulders multiple times.

Liu Kang was the champion of a whopping four Mortal Kombat tournaments; a feat never replicated by anyone else. This is no doubt the result of his ability to balance power with agility. His trademark bicycle kicks and fireballs are near unstoppable, and his fatalities are brutally efficient.

It is no wonder then that Liu Kang is Earthrealm's chosen champion. Unlike many of his peers, he fights not for his own selfish desires, but to protect his world and the people in it. He is pure in body and soul, making him the closest thing Mortal Kombat has to a hero worth rooting for.