Ermac

**Ermac** appeared in 1995 video game called *Mortal Kombat 3*. Ermac is a red-clad ninja who utilizes telekinesis during fights in the *Mortal Kombat* fighting game series. He made his debut in *Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3*. Before that, however, he was a subject of fan speculation that began with a glitch in *Mortal Kombat*.

Making his debut in *Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3*, Ermac has been a controversial and mysterious character in the *Mortal Kombat* series whose existence was rumored since its inception. Ermac is a fusion of the many souls destroyed in Outworld's wars, only to be controlled by Emperor Shao Kahn and his Shadow Priests. Because of this, he refers to himself as "*we*", "*our*", "*us*", and "*ours*", instead of "*I*", "*my*" "*me*", and "*mine*". Because of the sheer concentration of souls within Ermac, he possesses the gifts of telekinesis, teleportation, and the ability to travel between realms.

Ermac rarely shows any signs of emotion, but he has proven to be quite wise and a very deadly combatant, using his telekinetic abilities to battle multiple opponents at once while keeping the upper hand. Disappearing after the events of *Mortal Kombat Trilogy*, he only returned in *Mortal Kombat: Deception*, where he was freed from Shao Kahn's grip by the blind swordsman Kenshi, whom he repaid by teaching him the Telekinetic Slam. He decided to become a force of good, partly in guilt of his past evils. To prove this, he decides to help Liu Kang free the souls of his friends from Onaga's control.

In the current timeline, this did not happen and, after the events of *Mortal Kombat*, he soon came under the possession of Shao Kahn's soul, as well as King Jerrod's. Despite this, it's implied that Ermac has free will and is no longer evil due to Shao Kahn's death, as he willingly chose to side with Kotal Kahn to be ruler of Outworld instead of Mileena in *Mortal Kombat X*, despite Shao Kahn's decree. While Ermac's goal has varied over time, his overall allegiance is to Outworld, whether from defending it from threats like Onaga or finding a proper ruler for the realm itself.

Starting as a palette swap of Scorpion in his debut in *Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3*, Ermac wore the iconic ninja garment, colored in black and red respectively. From *Mortal Kombat: Deception* on wards, like most of his ninja counterparts, Ermac adopted a new and unique design, which is adopted in future games. This design consists of a mask made only from black bandages fully wrapped around the head, leaving the eyes and nostrils visible, with a small green amulet placed on his forehead, functioning as a means to concentrate the souls in his body. Ermac's clothes are mainly black with red accents, with bandages wrapped around his arms and legs, giving him a sinister look.

This design is carried in *Mortal Kombat (2011)* with small modifications like the inclusion of shin guards with skull motifs. Ermac's appearance in *Mortal Kombat X*is inspired by his alternate in the previous game, consisting of a hooded trench coat with the basic black and red scheme along with a few golden motifs. His face is also partially exposed, revealing decaying skin as a consequence of the lack of proper rejuvenation and income of souls. Before Kotal Kahn's takeover, most of his upper body was exposed and grafted a metal emblem similar to the one from Deception onto his chest to keep his souls from escaping. He also wore bandages around his head.