One could make the argument that Kano has seen less and less appreciation since his original debut in the Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet. The leader of the Black Dragon clan is known by his signature optic implant with a sinister red eye. In the more recent entries, Kano has gotten the shaft in the story mode, where his win to loss ratio isn't favorable. This has led him to become a less and less valued fighter and, while still iconic, has made him look like a wimp in the campaign of each game. The smart-mouthed mercenary Kano has always deserved more than to be cannon fodder for the heroes to beat on.
The Mortal Kombat movie in 2021 seemingly sought to correct this, as Kano played a leading role. Starting from his origins, the movie sees him forming his rivalry with Sonya Blade as her captive turned short-lived ally. Like any good mercenary, when he's promised a better payday he switches to Shang Tsung's team. Despite his two-faced nature, the movie shows him as a lovable jerk who undoubtedly destroys his competition and puts up a good fight, even when he loses. Mortal Kombat 2021's Josh Lawson does a great job at portraying Kano, and the next game's version could take a few tips.
Not Just a Loser
The Mortal Kombat series has a recurring cast of characters that usually fight on one of two opposing sides. Not every character's story arc gets equal love, and some have the unfortunate responsibility of taking the protagonist's punishment. As shown by this fan-made graphic on Reddit, this translates into characters who end up being fodder for the story, and Kano is one of the worst victims. It's not that his moves are broken or he's a bad character, as players are happy to play the cyborg mercenary. But when he is constantly losing, he seem less valuable even just from a story perspective.
The movie provides an alternative version of this character, who is still just as big-mouthed. In the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, Kano is arguably the most pivotal character in the movie. If he had never disabled the shield around Raiden's temple, then Shang Tsung's warriors never would have been able to get in a surprise attack on the heroes. As for fighting, one of the coolest battles in the movie ends with Kano ripping out the heart of Reptile. If he returns in the next movie, one can expect it will be as an even more formidable fighter.
Kano's Not So Bad
The Kano in the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie starts out on the side of the good guys, although it doesn't last. The movie makes him bearable to be with by giving him a more snarky edge, as opposed to the cruel version shown in the games. During the more casual training and eating scenes, Kano serves as comic relief and an example of how the character's Arcana can manifest in the first two-thirds of the movie. When he no longer serves that purpose, he goes to the other side where he lets his hate for Sonya Blade loose.
Even though there are quite a few differences between Mortal Kombat 11 and the Mortal Kombat 2021 movie, they both carry the same fate for poor Kano. Seeing as he and a few other characters die during the events of both titles, it's curious how or if they'll appear in the next entry of their respective franchises. That being said, in the movie there is a final confrontation between Shang Tsung and Raiden, where Tsung says "Death is only another portal," before collecting the corpses of his dead fighters. This implies that even though Shang Tsung lost allies, fans might not have seen the last of Lawson's Kano yet.