Jax (Mortal Kombat)

Jax was originally named "Kurtis Stryker," and was to be in the roster of the inaugural 1992 first game of the franchise while possessing the storyline of pursuing Kano and his entrapment on Shang Tsung's island. The character was ultimately postponed upon the developers' realization that there were no female fighters in the game, which resulted in Sonya Blade taking his place instead and inheriting much of his originally intended storyline.{{cite magazine|title=The Game Makers: The Artists|magazine=GamePro|issue=88 |publisher=IDG|date=January 1996|pages=34–36}}[http://www.mksecrets.net/mk1/eng/mk-behind.php Mortal Kombat - In Development] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151422/http://www.mksecrets.net/mk1/eng/mk-behind.php |date=2015-04-02 }} - MKSecrets.net. Retrieved March 23, 2015. Stryker was officially added into Mortal Kombat II, where he was the first character made for the game,{{Cite web|url=https://www.retrozap.com/argcast-mini-14-making-mortal-kombat-with-john-tobias/|title=ARGcast Mini #14: Making Mortal Kombat with John Tobias|last=ARGpodcast|date=2018-06-26|website=RetroZap|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-24|archive-date=2018-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224170624/https://www.retrozap.com/argcast-mini-14-making-mortal-kombat-with-john-tobias/|url-status=live}} but renamed "Jax" during the development process.[http://www.mksecrets.net/mk3/eng/mk3-development.php Mortal Kombat 3 - In Development] - MKSecrets.net. Retrieved March 23, 2015.

File:John Parrish (36402380201).jpg

Played by bodybuilder John Parrish, Jax was originally conceived for the game as a kickboxer dressed in shorts and a headband, but this concept was nixed due to potential similarities to Street Fighter's boxer character Balrog.GamePro 58 (May 1994), p.28. Jax was then outfitted in a yellow gi with metal forearms that clanged upon impact. Digitized game footage of the character in the costume was shot over two days, during which Parrish accidentally split the pants. The design was aborted thereafter by the developers as they felt the character did not look big enough, so Parrish was called back by Midway several months later for a re-shoot, for which he went shirtless with simple black tights.[http://huguesjohnson.com/scans/mk2-behind-scenes/16-john-parrish.jpg VideoGames: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine #63] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125071004/http://huguesjohnson.com/scans/mk2-behind-scenes/16-john-parrish.jpg |date=2010-11-25 }} (April 1994), p. 52. For Mortal Kombat 3, he had Jax's bionic implants painted onto his arms, a process that took six hours.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22zfOhpGCF8 Jax's Deception Bio Kard] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228053332/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22zfOhpGCF8&gl=US&hl=en |date=2020-02-28 }} - YouTube. Retrieved March 23, 2015.

In early development screenshots of Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance, released to the public in 2001, Jax was seen facing off against Scorpion while wearing his MK3 costume,[http://www.mksecrets.net/index.php?section=mkda&contentID=8122&title=Mortal-Kombat-Deadly-Alliance-In-Development Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance - In Development] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707042415/http://www.mksecrets.net/index.php?section=mkda&contentID=8122&title=Mortal-Kombat-Deadly-Alliance-In-Development |date=2015-07-07 }}—Mortal Kombat Secrets. Retrieved July 10, 2015. but he was given a complete makeover for the finished product with a military-themed, while in MK vs. DC Universe and the 2011 reboot, he sported a pair of dog tags around his neck. Jax has gone shirtless in all iterations of his main costumes in the Mortal Kombat fighting games, with the exception of MKvsDC, in which he was fully clothed with no skin exposed save for his head and face, and his bionics were adorned with green LED lights.[http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-15/mkdcu-jax.html Jax MK vs. DC Universe concept art] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525133323/http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-15/mkdcu-jax.html |date=2017-05-25 }} - CreativeUncut.com. Retrieved March 25, 2015.

Jax's first game appearance came in Mortal Kombat II (1993), where he is on a mission to find his Special Forces partner, Lieutenant Sonya Blade, who had gone missing in Outworld while attempting to apprehend Kano. Though he succeeds in rescuing Sonya, Kano manages to evade capture.

When Outworld emperor Shao Kahn invades Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Jax is among the thunder god Raiden's chosen warriors to help save Earthrealm; preparing for battle by fitting his arms with metallic bionic implants. After helping foil Shao Kahn's attempt to permanently claim Earth as his own, Jax and Sonya found the Outer World Investigation Agency (OIA), which specializes in exploring and mapping other realms as well as the destruction of interdimensional portals that could lead to Earth.

Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs makes his first chronological appearance in the 2000 action-adventure game Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, in which he attempts to stop Kano and the Black Dragon crime organization from stealing an artifact capable of opening portals to other realms.

In Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), Jax and Sonya arrest Black Dragon member, Jarek, but they all end up joining forces with other Earthrealm heroes to stop fallen Elder God Shinnok and his Netherealm forces. After witnessing Jarek attack Sonya, Jax saves her and throws him over a cliff.{{#tag:ref|Sonya, Jax, and Jarek all shared the same Mortal Kombat 4 ending, but with varying outcomes for each character. Jax and Jarek's feature the latter throwing Sonya to her death over the cliff after he plummets to his apparent demise in his failed attempt to attack Sonya. In Sonya's ending, Jarek's death is legitimate, while in Jarek's own ending, his hand reaches up over the edge to grab Sonya by the ankle and pull her off. This is further extended in Jax's ending, in which Jarek is then killed by Jax in retaliation. All deaths therein were non-canonical; in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, it is revealed in Jarek's biography that he survived his fall and used the incident to fake his death while he recuperated.{{cite web|url=http://www.mksecrets.net/index.php?section=mka&lang=eng&contentID=5823&title=Mortal-Kombat-Armageddon-Characters-Bios|title=Mortal Kombat Armageddon - Bios|publisher=MKSecrets.net|access-date=December 4, 2013|archive-date=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222234223/http://www.mksecrets.net/index.php?section=mka&lang=eng&contentID=5823&title=Mortal-Kombat-Armageddon-Characters-Bios|url-status=live}}|group="note"}} While returning to Earthrealm, Jax and Sonya find the malfunctioning Lin Kuei cyborg Cyrax stranded in a desert, and bring him back to the OIA headquarters, where they restore his humanity and recruit him as an agent of the Special Forces.

In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), Sonya and Jax have added the blind swordsman Kenshi into their ranks, but the OIA's underground facility is destroyed by Hsu Hao, who reveals himself to be part of the evil Red Dragon clan; bitter rivals of the Black Dragon. When Hsu Hao is later sent by Red Dragon leader Mavado to kill the sorcerer Shang Tsung, Jax intercepts and kills him. However, in the battle against the titular Deadly Alliance of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, Jax and his allies are killed and resurrected by the Dragon King Onaga to become his slaves.

While Jax is not playable in Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004),{{#tag:ref|He is a selectable character in Mortal Kombat: Unchained, the PSP port of Deception.|group="note"}} he plays a minor role in the storyline when Shao Kahn's enforcer Ermac and the spirit of Liu Kang break Onaga's mind control over Jax and his comrades. He returns in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006), in which Jax becomes playable again. Sonya sends Jax to lead a unit in search of survivors after destroying Sektor's Tekunin warship.

Jax is one of the eleven characters representing Mortal Kombat in the non-canonical 2008 crossover fighting game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. In his ending, he underwent further mechanization to increase his power, though at the cost of his humanity.[http://www.mortalkombatwarehouse.com/mkvsdc/jax/ Jax—MK vs. DC Universe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214232512/http://www.mortalkombatwarehouse.com/mkvsdc/jax/ |date=2017-02-14 }} - Mortal Kombat Warehouse. Retrieved March 26, 2015.

In the 2011 Mortal Kombat game, which is a reboot of the first three games, Jax is present at the start of the Shaolin Tournament and works with Sonya to bring down the Black Dragon. While they succeed in seizing many of their weapons caches, the Special Forces' key informant, Kano, is discovered to be a high-powered member of the organization, causing Jax and Sonya to focus on Kano's capture following the deaths of many of their comrades.[http://www.kamidogu.com/games/mortal-kombat-2011/kombatants/view.php?kombatant=sonyablade Sonya MK2011 Bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304081444/http://www.kamidogu.com/games/mortal-kombat-2011/kombatants/view.php?kombatant=sonyablade |date=2014-03-04 }} - Kamidogu. Retrieved March 3, 2014.[http://www.kamidogu.com/games/mortal-kombat-2011/kombatants/view.php?kombatant=jax Jax MK2011 Bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304075023/http://www.kamidogu.com/games/mortal-kombat-2011/kombatants/view.php?kombatant=jax |date=2014-03-04 }} - Kamidogu. Retrieved March 3, 2014. This leads them to the Mortal Kombat tournament on Shang Tsung's uncharted island, where Jax is captured and imprisoned, forcing Sonya to participate in the tournament to spare his life.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2011 |level=Chapter 1: Johnny Cage}} Raiden later enables Sonya to free a wounded Jax, but Shang Tsung destroys their extraction transport, stranding them on the island. Raiden reappears to heal Jax's injuries, which makes Sonya and Jax aware of both his presence and their crucial role in defending Earthrealm alongside Raiden's other chosen warriors.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2011 |level=Chapter 2: Sonya}} After Liu Kang's victory over Shang Tsung, Sonya is held captive in Outworld before being rescued by Jax, who does not take part in the second tournament after his arms are psychically obliterated in a confrontation with Ermac and he is transported back to Earthrealm for medical attention.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2011 |level=Chapter 8: Sub-Zero}} Sonya and Jax, now with newly outfitted cybernetic arms, reunite with the other Earthrealm warriors to repel Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm. While Raiden and Liu Kang commune with the Elder Gods, the Lin Kuei ninja clan and Shao Kahn's wife Sindel attack. While Sonya survives, Jax is killed and resurrected by Quan Chi in the Netherealm as one of his undead revenant slaves.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2011 |level=Chapter 16: Raiden}}

Jax returns as a playable character in Mortal Kombat X. Two years after he was enslaved by Quan Chi, Raiden and Sonya manage to resurrect him. Due to his traumatic experience as a revenant, he retires from the Special Forces, marries a woman named Vera, and becomes a farmer. A further twenty years later, his adult daughter Jacqui followed in his footsteps and joined the Special Forces alongside Cassie Cage, the daughter of Sonya and Johnny Cage; albeit against her father's initial wishes, though he eventually came around to support her. Jax, Sareena, and Kenshi are assigned to capture Quan Chi in the Netherrealm to use him to revive their friends. He loses most of his men in the battle, but soon captures Quan Chi and transports him to Earthrealm.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-x-s-bloody-opening-act-reveals-new-c/1100-6425866/|title=Mortal Kombat X's Bloody Opening Act Reveals New Characters|first=Peter|last=Brown|publisher=GameSpot.com|date=March 12, 2015|access-date=March 20, 2015|archive-date=March 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321042432/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-x-s-bloody-opening-act-reveals-new-c/1100-6425866/|url-status=live}}

Jax returns in Mortal Kombat 11. Two years after the previous game, Jax has secluded himself on his farm following Vera's death and his honorable discharge from the Special Forces. After Kronika, the keeper of time, fractures the timeline in an attempt to start anew, a younger version of Jax gets brought to the present. She also recruits the present Jax to her side after promising him a new life in her new era,{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 11 |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2019 |level=Chapter 2: Timequake (Kotal Kahn)}}{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 11 |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher=Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2019 |level=Chapter 4: Fire & Ice (Sub-Zero & Scorpion)}} which brings him into conflict with Jacqui and his younger self.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 11 |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2019 |level=Chapter 9: All in the Family (Jacqui & Jax)}} While leading an attack on Kronika's keep, Raiden encourages the present Jax to fight for Earthrealm once more after telling him Kronika is Shinnok's mother.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 11 |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2019 |level=Chapter 11: Cutting the Strings (Raiden)}}{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 11 |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2019 |level=Chapter 12: End of an Era (Fire God Liu Kang)}} In the DLC story expansion Aftermath, a time-travelling Fujin helps bring the present Jax to his senses, leading to him abandoning Kronika's cause before the final battle.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2019 |level=Chapter 15: Winds of Change (Fujin)}}

While Jax isn't playable in the base roster of Mortal Kombat 1, he does appear as an assist-based Kameo fighter. During the climax of the game's story, multiple timeline variants of Jax can be seen during the final battle.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 1 |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2023 |level=Chapter 15: Armageddon}} In Kenshi's tower ending, Jax in Liu Kang's new timeline is revealed to be an FBI agent who helps Kenshi take down the Yakuza. After the battle, they are confronted by Shang Tsung. Following the incident, he learns from Kenshi as well as Johnny Cage's movies about the threats Outworld poses to Earthrealm and got his superiors to form the Outworld Investigation Agency and hire Kenshi as an agent.{{cite video game|title=Mortal Kombat 1 |developer=NetherRealm Studios |publisher= Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|date=2023 |level= Kenshi Klassic Towers}}

File:JaxMKLegacy.png as Jax in the 2011 first season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy. White first portrayed the character in the 2010 short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth]]

As in the games, Jax often appears in alternate Mortal Kombat media as one of thunder god Raiden's warriors chosen to defend Earthrealm from Outworld forces. He is briefly seen in the 1995 film Mortal Kombat where he and Sonya are pursuing Kano. He was played by Gregory McKinney, while his name was misspelled as "Jaxx" in the closing credits.{{cite AV media|title=Mortal Kombat|publisher=New Line Cinema and Threshold Entertainment|date=1995|medium=Motion picture|people=Paul Anderson (director)}} Jax was among many characters recast for the 1997 sequel Mortal Kombat Annihilation, in which he was played by former American Gladiators actor Lynn "Red" Williams.{{cite AV media|title=Mortal Kombat Annihilation|publisher=New Line Cinema and Threshold Entertainment|date=1997|medium=Motion picture|people=John R. Leonetti (director)}} Mehcad Brooks played the character in the 2021 reboot film Mortal Kombat.{{cite web|first1=Borys|last1=Kit|first2=Mia|last2=Galuppo|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/mortal-kombat-movie-adds-fistful-fighters-1232599|title='Mortal Kombat' Movie Adds Fistful of Fighters (Exclusive)|date=August 16, 2019|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=August 16, 2019|archive-date=August 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816212622/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/mortal-kombat-movie-adds-fistful-fighters-1232599|url-status=live}}

Jax was a featured character in the 1996 animated series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, in which he was depicted as cool-minded and regularly in an amiable mood. He was voiced by Dorian Harewood.{{cite AV media|title=Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm |date=1996|publisher=Threshold Entertainment and Film Roman|medium=Animated series}}

In Kevin Tancharoen's 2010 short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, Michael Jai White played Jax as a police detective in the fictional location of Deacon City,{{cite AV media|title=Mortal Kombat: Rebirth|date=2010|medium=Short film|people=Kevin Tancharoen (director)|publisher=Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment}} and reprised the role for the first two episodes of Tancharoen's 2011 Mortal Kombat: Legacy web series.{{cite AV media|title=Mortal Kombat: Legacy|date=2011|medium=Web series|people=Kevin Tancharoen (director)|publisher=Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment|at=Closing credits}} White said in a 2011 interview with MTV that he was originally to play Jax in the first Mortal Kombat film, but he turned it down in order to star in HBO's 1995 Mike Tyson biopic. He was again cast as Jax in Annihilation before ultimately dropping out upon being cast in the title role of Spawn.{{cite web|url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/06/11/mortal-kombat-rebirth-star-michael-jai-white-finally-gets-to-play-jax-after-two-near-misses/|title='Mortal Kombat Rebirth' Star Michael Jai White Finally Gets To Play Jax, After Two Near-Misses|first=Adam|last=Rosenberg|publisher=MTV Movies Blog|date=June 11, 2010|access-date=March 24, 2015|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103403/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2010/06/11/mortal-kombat-rebirth-star-michael-jai-white-finally-gets-to-play-jax-after-two-near-misses/|url-status=dead}}

Ike Amadi voiced the character in the 2020 animated film Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge and the 2021 sequel Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms.{{cite web|first=Aaron|last=Couch|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/animated-mortal-kombat-movie-works-joel-mchale-1270671|title=Animated 'Mortal Kombat' Movie Sets Cast With Joel McHale, Jennifer Carpenter|website=hollywoodreporter.com|date=January 1, 2020|access-date=January 1, 2020|archive-date=January 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118010224/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/heat-vision/animated-mortal-kombat-movie-works-joel-mchale-1270671|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Couch|first=Aaron|date=2021-06-16|title=Animated 'Mortal Kombat Legends' Sequel Arriving This Summer (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mortal-kombat-legends-battle-of-the-realms-cast-1234968317/|access-date=2021-06-16|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006180936/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mortal-kombat-legends-battle-of-the-realms-cast-1234968317/|url-status=live}}

Jax is a featured character in the 1994 Midway-produced Mortal Kombat II comic book that was written and illustrated by series co-creator John Tobias, which introduces the game's new characters and is used to set up the events leading to the second tournament.John Tobias, Mortal Kombat II Official Kollector's Edition Comic Book, 1994. He makes a single-panel appearance in the special-edition Mortal Kombat 4 comic packaged with the 1998 PC release of the game, contacting Sonya by radio as she pursues Black Dragon member Jarek.{{cite comic|writer=Ted Adams (with John Tobias)|penciller=Ryan Benjamin|inker=Ryan Benjamin, John Tigue, Sean Parsons|story=Mortal Kombat 4: Limited Edition (p. 12).|title=Mortal Kombat|issue=|date=July 1, 1998|publisher=}}

In Malibu Comics' Mortal Kombat comic series, Jax first appears in the September–November 1994 "Goro: Prince of Pain" three-issue miniseries, which featured MKII characters and tied into the 1994 "Blood & Thunder" six-issue story arc that covered the tournament from the first game. In the miniseries U.S. Special Forces, released in two parts in January and February 1995, he and Sonya work to capture an original Black Dragon character named Rojack.{{cite comic|writer=Mark Paniccia|penciller=Patrick Rolo|inker=Abraham Madison|story=Mortal Kombat: U.S. Special Forces #1 & 2|title=Mortal Kombat|issue=|date=January & February 1995|publisher=Malibu Comics}} Jax then featured in the six-part "Battlewave" miniseries that year, where he is brutally attacked by Goro and left in a coma, but awakens to fight off an assassination attempt and joins Cage on a mission in Outworld,{{cite comic|writer=Charles Marshall|penciller=Patrick Rolo|inker=Richard Emond|story=Mortal Kombat: Battlewave #3|title=Mortal Kombat|issue=|date=March 1995|publisher=Malibu Comics}} where the Earthrealm heroes succeed in breaking up a wedding between a brainwashed Sonya and Shao Kahn.{{cite comic|writer=Charles Marshall|penciller=Vinton Heuck|inker=Joseph Miller, David Mowry|story=Mortal Kombat: Battlewave #6|title=Mortal Kombat|issue=|date=June 1995|publisher=Malibu Comics}}

An action figure of Jax was released by Toy Island in 1996 as part of their Mortal Kombat Trilogy line.[http://www.figurerealm.com/actionfigure.php?universeid=&FID=11601&figure=jax Jax—Mortal Kombat Trilogy—Toy Island Action Figure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103933/http://www.figurerealm.com/actionfigure.php?universeid=&FID=11601&figure=jax |date=2015-04-02 }} - FigureRealm.com. Retrieved March 25, 2015. He and Reptile were featured in an "X-Ray" pack of two six-inch figures with transparent upper bodies that were based on the 2011 reboot and produced by Jazwares.[http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=JZ13255 Mortal Kombat X-Ray Pack Reptile and Jax Action Figures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924001105/http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=JZ13255 |date=2015-09-24 }} - EntertainmentEarth.com. Retrieved March 25, 2015. The company also released a four-inch Jax figure in 2012 that was packaged with an Uzi submachine gun (which was not in the game), but the figure was discontinued after only several months in release.{{cite web|url=http://www.toyhypeusa.com/2012/12/01/jazwares-mortal-kombat-4-inch-jax-action-figure-has-been-cancelled/|title=Jazwares Mortal Kombat 4 Inch Jax Action Figure Has Been Cancelled|first=Anthony|last=Scott|publisher=ToyHypeUSA.com|date=December 1, 2012|access-date=March 25, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402105730/http://www.toyhypeusa.com/2012/12/01/jazwares-mortal-kombat-4-inch-jax-action-figure-has-been-cancelled/|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}

Jax's noncanonical Mortal Kombat 11 ending, in which he manipulates time in order to end the Atlantic slave trade, drew online criticism from players for its perceived "woke" political agenda,{{cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/mortal-kombat-11-jax-ends-slavery/|title=Mortal Kombat 11's Jax ends slavery—and gamers are pissed|first=Joseph|last=Knoop|work=The Daily Dot|date=April 24, 2019|accessdate=October 27, 2023|archive-date=October 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028062104/https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/mortal-kombat-11-jax-ends-slavery/|url-status=live}} and resulted in the game being review bombed.{{cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/mortal-kombat-11-jax-nightwolf-dlc-review-bombing/|title=MK 11: Gamers Angry About Jax's 'Woke' Ending Should Probably Not Buy The Nightwolf DLC|first=Patricio|last=Kobek|work=TheGamer|date=June 5, 2019|accessdate=October 23, 2023|archive-date=June 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603132118/https://www.thegamer.com/mortal-kombat-11-jax-nightwolf-dlc-review-bombing/|url-status=live}} Michael McWhertor of Polygon nonetheless praised the ending as "the best and boldest in the game",{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/23/18512779/mortal-kombat-11-jax-ending|title=Mortal Kombat 11: Jax's ending is the best and boldest in the game|website=Polygon|first=Michael|last=McWhertor|date=April 23, 2019|accessdate=October 24, 2023|archive-date=July 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731144721/https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/23/18512779/mortal-kombat-11-jax-ending|url-status=live}} while The Mary Sue criticized the backlash: "Why is this 'too woke'? Why is this threatening to people, when all it does is offer an alt-reality where we didn’t have 400 years of race-based chattel slavery?"{{cite web|url=https://www.themarysue.com/jax-mortal-kombat-11-backlash/|title=Jax's Ending in Mortal Kombat 11 Is Getting Some Disappointing Backlash|first=Princess|last=Weekes|work=The Mary Sue|date=April 22, 2019|accessdate=October 23, 2023|archive-date=November 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102084530/https://www.themarysue.com/jax-mortal-kombat-11-backlash/|url-status=live}} Kotaku noted, "There is no mention [therein] of 'black power.' There is no indication that ... developer Netherrealm Studios is promoting 'white genocide.'"{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/people-are-upset-about-things-that-don-t-actually-happe-1834249359|title=People Are Upset About Things That Don't Actually Happen In Jax's MK11 Ending|first=Mike|last=Fahey|work=Kotaku|date=April 23, 2019|accessdate=October 23, 2023|archive-date=September 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928155721/https://kotaku.com/people-are-upset-about-things-that-don-t-actually-happe-1834249359|url-status=live}} Joseph Knoop of The Daily Dot said: "It’s a ridiculous reaction to an already ridiculous story — and something tells me Mortal Kombat wouldn’t have it any other way." While Wes Fenlon of PC Gamer was also supportive in that the ending "tackles a heavy subject in its short running time", he considered it "unsurprisingly vague on the details."{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/jaxs-mortal-kombat-11-ending-isnt-really-controversial-at-all/|title=Jax's Mortal Kombat 11 ending isn't really controversial at all|author1=Wes Fenlon|website=PC Gamer|date=24 April 2019|accessdate=8 May 2023|via=www.pcgamer.com|archive-date=26 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126182250/https://www.pcgamer.com/jaxs-mortal-kombat-11-ending-isnt-really-controversial-at-all/|url-status=live}} TheGamer commented, "Jax’s ending has been blown so far out of context in a negative way that one would believe it to have been some explicit declaration of a political statement. Instead ... it is clear how ridiculous the outrage is." In his 2022 book Mortal Kombat: Games of Death, author David Church wrote that the "outsize response to a common trope of alternate-history speculative fiction supports [a] caveat that racist attitudes brought into the game's reception by a subgroup of angry gamers may be a stronger force than in-game representations themselves."{{cite book|title=Mortal Kombat: Games of Death|first=David|last=Church|publisher=University of Michigan Press|date=2022|isbn=9780472902620 |page=68}}

In 2021, Wired cited the debuts of Jax ("the all-American soldier") in Mortal Kombat II and Balrog in Street Fighter II (1991) as "lead[ing] the mainstream charge in terms of casting a variety of genders and races" in fighting games.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/black-character-history-video-games/|title=Coding Blackness: A History of Black Video Game Characters|first=Rico|last=Norwood|magazine=Wired|date=February 26, 2021|accessdate=October 23, 2023|archive-date=August 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230807180443/https://www.wired.com/story/black-character-history-video-games/|url-status=live}} That same year, Alex Miller of Inverse wrote: "Playing as Balrog and Jax in Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II completely blew my mind. ... It was satisfying seeing characters of color being on equal footing with the likes of Ryu and Scorpion, and if you were skilled enough, you could manipulate them to kick anybody’s ass in the game. It felt fair — finally."{{cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/miles-morales-walking-dead-black-video-game-protagonists|title=The best superhero game of the decade reveals one area gaming still needs to improve|first=Alex|last=Miller|work=Inverse|date=December 8, 2021|accessdate=October 27, 2023|archive-date=October 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028062104/https://www.inverse.com/gaming/miles-morales-walking-dead-black-video-game-protagonists|url-status=live}} Game Informer cited Jax among its "Respectful Representations of Blackness In Gaming" in 2022, commenting that while he "suffers from a stereotypical 'big, angry black man' musculature ... most black fighters (like Balrog and Bruce Irvin) are shackled by their shady pasts and antagonistic tendencies, [but] Jax stands atop the heap as a captivating leader, loyal friend, and protective father."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/02/14/celebrating-respectful-representations-of-blackness-in-gaming|title=Celebrating Respectful Representations of Blackness in Gaming|first=Jason|last=Guisao|magazine=Game Informer|date=February 14, 2022|access-date=October 23, 2023|archive-date=November 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231116163333/https://www.gameinformer.com/2022/02/14/celebrating-respectful-representations-of-blackness-in-gaming|url-status=live}} However, in describing black characters in video games as "over-reliant on outdated, one-dimensional stereotypes", Laura Francis of GamesRadar+ remarked that Jax's "huge bulging biceps and loud demeanour are his primary defining traits."{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/we-need-to-see-black-female-characters-promoted-from-supporting-characters-to-starring-protagonists-in-video-games/|title=We need to see black female characters promoted from supporting characters to starring protagonists in video games|first=Laura|last=Francis|work=GamesRadar+|date=June 3, 2020|accessdate=October 23, 2023|archive-date=October 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029201051/https://www.gamesradar.com/we-need-to-see-black-female-characters-promoted-from-supporting-characters-to-starring-protagonists-in-video-games/|url-status=live}} Game designer Brenda Brathwaite, writing for The Escapist in 2008 on the stereotyping of African-American video game characters, criticized the "ridiculous" attributes of black characters from "violent" fighting games such as Jax's "Machine Gun" special move (from Deadly Alliance and MK vs. DC Universe) and T.J. Combo's "Target Practice" finisher from Killer Instinct 2 in which he pulls out a gun and fatally shoots his opponent.{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_174/5430-What-if-the-Player-is-Black.3|title=What if the Player is Black?|author=Brenda Brathwaite|author-link=Brenda Brathwaite|work=The Escapist|date=November 4, 2008|access-date=March 17, 2015|archive-date=May 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515021810/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_174/5430-What-if-the-Player-is-Black.3|url-status=dead}} Kyle A. Harris of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, in a 2016 study titled The New Blackface: The Transition of Black One-Dimensional Characters from Film to Video Games, categorized Jax along with Final Fantasy VII character Barret Wallace and Balrog and Dee Jay from Street Fighter as "hulking figures over six feet tall with extremely huge muscles and brash personalities." Harris further opined that Jax and Barret's cybernetic enhancements further perpetuated and emphasized their physical strength.{{cite web|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/60588788.pdf|title=The New Black Face: The Transition of Black One Dimensional Characters from Film to Video Games|publisher=Southern Illinois University Carbondale|access-date=October 24, 2023|year=2016|author=Harris, Kyle A.|archive-date=November 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120222128/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/60588788.pdf|url-status=live}}

Jax has received mixed reception over the course of his in-game appearances. While his Mortal Kombat II appearance has been criticized,{{cite web |url=http://gamerant.com/top-10-mortal-kombat-characters-benk-78857/all/1/ |title=10 Most Awesome Mortal Kombat Characters |publisher=Game Rant |access-date=2011-12-21 |archive-date=2012-01-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110004817/http://gamerant.com/top-10-mortal-kombat-characters-benk-78857/all/1/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/mortal-kombat-ii-20-years-later-an-undeniable-character-ranking/|title='Mortal Kombat II' 20 Years Later: An Undeniable Character Ranking|first=Shea|last=Serrano|publisher=Grantland.com|date=September 9, 2014|access-date=March 18, 2015|archive-date=September 10, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910005441/http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/mortal-kombat-ii-20-years-later-an-undeniable-character-ranking/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/TheDustinThomas/weekly-top-5-worst-mortal-kombat-characters-280994.phtml#t7Qi2VYtj0jabMLH.99|title=Weekly Top 5: Worst Mortal Kombat Characters|first=Dustin|last=Thomas|website=Destructoid|date=September 10, 2014|access-date=October 7, 2014|archive-date=October 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013052141/http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/TheDustinThomas/weekly-top-5-worst-mortal-kombat-characters-280994.phtml#t7Qi2VYtj0jabMLH.99|url-status=dead}} his design from Mortal Kombat 3 and onward have met with praise.{{cite web|date=2011-02-03|title=Top 10 Old School Mortal Kombat Characters|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/top-10-old-school-mortal-kombat-characters|author=Severino, Anthony|publisher=Game Revolution|access-date=2011-05-23|archive-date=2012-07-31|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731131340/http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/top-10-old-school-mortal-kombat-characters|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/games/columns/183189/The-10th-Hour-04.22.11:-Favorite-Mortal-Kombat-Characters.htm |title=Games - The 10th Hour 04.22.11: Favorite Mortal Kombat Characters |publisher=411mania.com |access-date=2012-01-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427025155/http://www.411mania.com/games/columns/183189/The-10th-Hour-04.22.11:-Favorite-Mortal-Kombat-Characters.htm |archive-date=2011-04-27 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.ugo.com/games/mortal-kombat-characters?page=5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929141958/http://www.ugo.com/games/mortal-kombat-characters?page=5 |title= Top 50 Mortal Kombat Characters|author = UGO Staff| publisher=UGO.com|date=February 28, 2012 |archive-date=September 29, 2012}} GameFront called him "a character no one cares about,"{{cite web |url=http://www.gamefront.com/the-convoluted-blood-spattered-history-of-mortal-kombat-infographic/ |title=The Convoluted, Blood-Spattered History of Mortal Kombat (Infographic) |publisher=GameFront |date=2011-04-15 |access-date=2014-01-14 |archive-date=2016-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423033755/http://www.gamefront.com/the-convoluted-blood-spattered-history-of-mortal-kombat-infographic/ |url-status=live }} but Den of Geek ranked Jax 35th in their 2015 rating of the series' 77 playable characters for his role as the "cool as hell ... super-strong Army dude".{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.us/games/mortal-kombat/243041/mortal-kombat-ranking-all-the-characters/page/0/3|title=Mortal Kombat: Ranking All the Characters|first=Gavin|last=Jasper|publisher=Den of Geek|date=January 30, 2015|access-date=February 4, 2015|archive-date=February 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204073232/http://www.denofgeek.us/games/mortal-kombat/243041/mortal-kombat-ranking-all-the-characters/page/0/3|url-status=live}}

Jax was widely seen as a top-tier character of Mortal Kombat II. He was considered as such by GamePro in their 1993 character rankings, in which they placed him second out of the game's twelve playables behind Mileena: "It’s hard to fight against a good Jax [player] that knows how to control space and use his projectile well."{{cite web|url=http://www.gaminginsurrection.com/gpchartanalysis.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222235602/http://www.gaminginsurrection.com/gpchartanalysis.html |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |title= GamePro Rankings Analysis|date=2005 |access-date=December 24, 2013}} According to CU Amiga, Jax was "the best all-round character," but "not quite as nimble on his feet as [the] other characters.""Player's Guide: Mortal Kombat II". [http://amr.abime.net/issue_624 CU Amiga Magazine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823033217/http://amr.abime.net/issue_624 |date=2011-08-23 }}, February 1995, p.62. Sega Visions opined that Jax "had the best offense" in the game, while "his slow movement and less-than-powerful uppercut are his weaknesses.""Sega Saturn Features: Mortal Kombat II". Sega Visions 21 (October/November 1994), p.25. According to Total 64, Jax in Mortal Kombat Trilogy was a "top fighter, that is equally good in the air as on the ground."Total 64 February 1997, p. 64 According to Alex Vo of GameSpy, he was a "versatile" character but his tonfa weapon style in the game had "no range," while he was best utilized only in distant or up-close combat.{{cite web|url=http://uk.xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/mortal-kombat-armageddon-tba/guide/page_15.html#jax|title=Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Walkthrough & Strategy Guide|first=Alex|last=Vo|publisher=GameSpy|date=January 7, 2006|access-date=June 25, 2014|archive-date=April 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111437/http://uk.xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/mortal-kombat-armageddon-tba/guide/page_15.html#jax|url-status=live}} In Prima's official guide for the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot, Jax "has generally changed over the years from a defensive machine to an offensive powerhouse," and displays no particular advantage over other characters but is very disadvantaged when playing against Shang Tsung.Jason Wilson, Adam Hernandez, Mortal Kombat: Prima Official Game Guide, Prima Games 2011 (p. 90). The publisher additionally considered Jax from MKII to be one of the "cheapest" Mortal Kombat characters, citing his specials such as his unblockable "Ground Pound" and "Quadruple Slam" while opining that the first game had no such unblockable specials but "that line of sensible thinking was thrown out the window when Mortal Kombat 2 came around."{{cite web|url=http://www.primagames.com/games/mortal-kombat-x/feature/cheapest-characters-mortal-kombat-history-part-2|title=Cheapest Characters in Mortal Kombat History, Part 2|first=Bryan|last=Dawson|publisher=Prima Games|date=September 24, 2014|access-date=March 19, 2015|archive-date=March 20, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150320050145/http://www.primagames.com/games/mortal-kombat-x/feature/cheapest-characters-mortal-kombat-history-part-2|url-status=live}} Den of Geek noticed that across the franchise Jax been given mechanical arms in different forms, often resulting in noticeable gore in order to simply add them. In his debut as a main character, Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, it comes across instead as a "a trial run for what would one day become a permanent upgrade".{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/mortal-kombat-jax-metal-bionic-arms-history/|website=Den of Geek|access-date=October 24, 2023|title=Mortal Kombat: The Many Ways Jax Got His Metal Arms|date=18 February 2021|archive-date=29 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029194334/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/mortal-kombat-jax-metal-bionic-arms-history/|url-status=live}} Director McQuoid talked about changing the usage of mechanical arms with Sub-Zero instead being the one takes Jax's arm in order to further mixed him in the narrative with the main cast as Sub-Zero acts as a major antagonist in such reboot film.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/mortal-kombat-jax-arms-change-why-sub-zero/|website=Screen Rant|access-date=October 24, 2023|title=Mortal Kombat Director Explains Why He Changed How Jax Loses His Arms|date=20 February 2021|archive-date=28 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228121725/https://screenrant.com/mortal-kombat-jax-arms-change-why-sub-zero/|url-status=live}} With the new reboot game coming in 2023, GameRant noticed several fans were questioning how Jax would lose his arms in Mortal Kombat 1.{{cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/mortal-kombat-1-who-will-take-jax-arms-this-time/|website=The Gamer|access-date=October 24, 2023|title=Mortal Kombat Fans Discuss Who Will Take Jax's Arms This Time|date=22 May 2023|archive-date=24 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524085413/https://www.thegamer.com/mortal-kombat-1-who-will-take-jax-arms-this-time/|url-status=live}} GameSpot felt that while the 2023 reboot takes several liberties, Jax instead keeps wearing his most iconic outfit alongside other recurring characters.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-1-is-preserving-its-history-as-much-as-its-reinventing-it/1100-6517112/|title=Mortal Kombat 1 Is Preserving Its History As Much As It's Reinventing It|publisher=GameSpot|access-date=October 24, 2023|archive-date=October 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029200446/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mortal-kombat-1-is-preserving-its-history-as-much-as-its-reinventing-it/1100-6517112/|url-status=live}}

Reaction to Jax's Fatalities has been mixed. His finishers from Mortal Kombat II have been well received,{{cite web|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/700/700130p1.html |title=Top 10 Tuesday: Best Gore Effects |website=IGN |date=April 4, 2006 |access-date=2011-01-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809113259/http://pc.ign.com/articles/700/700130p1.html |archive-date=August 9, 2010 }}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/10/best-mortal-kombat-finishing-moves-video-game-history/jax |title=14. Head Clap — The Best "Mortal Kombat" Finishing Moves in Video Game History |first=Kevin |last=Wong |magazine=Complex |date=2013-10-01 |access-date=2014-01-14 |archive-date=2013-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007135838/http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/10/best-mortal-kombat-finishing-moves-video-game-history/jax |url-status=dead }}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/05/03/the-best-and-worst-mk-fatalities.aspx?PostPageIndex=2&PageIndex=4|title=Mortal Kombat's Best And Worst Fatalities|magazine=Game Informer|author=Ryckert, Dan|date=May 3, 2010|page=1|access-date=February 16, 2014|archive-date=November 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101064632/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/05/03/the-best-and-worst-mk-fatalities.aspx?PostPageIndex=2&PageIndex=4|url-status=live}} with the "Arm Rip" Fatality additionally voted by readers of GamePro as the best Mortal Kombat finisher in 1995.GamePro 68 (March 1995) His "Giant Stomp" from Mortal Kombat 3, in which he grows off-screen to a gargantuan height and then crushes his opponent with his foot, was included in IGN's 2010 ranking of their "Unofficial Top 10 List" of the best series finishers,{{cite web|url=http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/113/1137436p1.html|title=IGN's Unofficial Top 10 List of the Best Mortal Kombat Fatalities|first=Jack|last=DeVries|website=IGN.com|date=November 30, 2010|access-date=December 16, 2011|archive-date=April 1, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401210218/http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/113/1137436p1.html|url-status=live}} but made GamePro's 2008 list of the 12 "LAMEST" Fatalities: "If you have the ability to grow to 200 feet tall, you should probably unleash it at the beginning of a battle instead of the end."[https://web.archive.org/web/20100531010838/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/208023/the-12-lamest-fatalities/ The 12 LAMEST Fatalities], GamePro, November 25, 2008 Game Informer called it one of the game's "most confusing" finishers.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/05/03/the-best-and-worst-mk-fatalities.aspx?PostPageIndex=2&PageIndex=4|title=Mortal Kombat's Best And Worst Fatalities|magazine=Game Informer|author=Ryckert, Dan|date=May 3, 2010|page=1|access-date=February 16, 2014|archive-date=November 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101064632/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/05/03/the-best-and-worst-mk-fatalities.aspx?PostPageIndex=2&PageIndex=4|url-status=live}} Jax has additionally received negative attention for his Mortal Kombat 4 ending, in which he kills Jarek after the latter drops Sonya off a cliff.{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/mortalkombat/mortalkombat4.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Mortal Kombat|author=Bobinator (Robert Naytor)|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|access-date=March 19, 2015|archive-date=April 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412202001/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/mortalkombat/mortalkombat4.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/articles/6-video-games-terrible-endings|title=6 Video Games With TERRIBLE Endings|first=Michael|last=McCollor|publisher=Smosh.com|date=2013|access-date=March 19, 2015|archive-date=May 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502112734/http://www.smosh.com/smosh-pit/articles/6-video-games-terrible-endings|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/good-lord-mortal-kombat-4-s-endings-were-terrible-1705579482|title=Good Lord, Mortal Kombat 4's Endings Were Terrible|first=Patricia|last=Hernandez|work=Kotaku|date=May 19, 2015|accessdate=October 23, 2023|archive-date=September 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929012145/https://kotaku.com/good-lord-mortal-kombat-4-s-endings-were-terrible-1705579482|url-status=live}}

Response to Jax's alternate-media representations is mixed. Eric Snider of Film.com said of Williams' performance in Mortal Kombat Annihilation, "Since he’s The Black Guy, the movie makes him say things like 'That’s what I’m talkin’ about!' and 'Let's do this!'"{{cite web|url=http://www.film.com/movies/erics-bad-movies-mortal-kombat-annihilation-1997|title=Eric's Bad Movies: Mortal Kombat Annihilation|first=Eric D.|last=Snider|work=Film.com|date=September 11, 2008|access-date=February 15, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216102540/http://www.film.com/movies/erics-bad-movies-mortal-kombat-annihilation-1997|archive-date=February 16, 2015}} Blair Marnell of CraveOnline praised White's performance in Mortal Kombat: Legacy: "White really carries the piece as Jax ... this is a Jax that I can buy as a main character."{{cite web|url=http://www.craveonline.com/tv/reviews/165125-mortal-kombat-legacy-episode-1-review|title=MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY Episode 1 Review|first=Blair|last=Marnell|work=Crave Online|date=April 12, 2011|access-date=March 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331091828/http://www.craveonline.com/tv/reviews/165125-mortal-kombat-legacy-episode-1-review|archive-date=March 31, 2015|url-status=dead}} IGN described White in the series as "doing what he does best—kicking some serious ass."{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/04/19/mortal-kombat-legacy-episode-2-review|title=Mortal Kombat: Legacy - "Episode 2" Review|first=R.L.|last=Shaffer|work=IGN.com|date=April 19, 2011|access-date=March 18, 2015|archive-date=March 19, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150319035243/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/04/19/mortal-kombat-legacy-episode-2-review|url-status=live}}

• United States Army Special Forces in popular culture

{{Reflist|group=note}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Mortal Kombat|state=expanded}}

Category:Amputee characters in video games

Category:Black characters in video games

Category:Cyborg characters in video games

Category:Fictional American people in video games

Category:Fictional Muay Thai practitioners

Category:Fictional United States Army Special Forces personnel

Category:Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder

Category:Fictional characters who can change size

Category:Fictional clubfighters

Category:Fictional farmers

Category:Fictional gunfighters in video games

Category:Fictional judoka

Category:Fictional majors

Category:Fictional military personnel in video games

Category:Fictional police officers in video games

Category:Fictional tonfajutsuka

Category:Male characters in video games

Category:Mortal Kombat characters

Category:Video game characters introduced in 1993

Category:Video game characters with superhuman strength

Category:African-American characters in video games

Category:African-American characters in television