Kintaro's History
After hearing of Goro's death at the hands of Liu Kang, Kintaro vowed to avenge his comrade and crush Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat. Kintaro tried to prove his loyalty to The Emperor, Shao Kahn, by travelling to Earthrealm with a Tarkatan horde to defeat Johnny Cage. Although the attack failed due to the intervention of other Earthrealm warriors, Kintaro continued to serve Shao Kahn. After Shang Tsung was defeated once more by Liu Kang, Kintaro challenged him in Mortal Kombat. The Shokan warrior fought well, but he was no match for the Shaolin Monk.
Kintaro appears in Shinnok's Spire in the Netherrealm along with Sheeva, Havik, and a legion of demons all apparently working in an attempt to overthrow Shinnok's rule. However, Shinnok later reveals that this was all created as a test for Taven, and that the Kintaro fought by him was an illusion.
Later on Kintaro appears among the kombatants that fight for the Forces of Darkness, being the first to arrive at the crater. He later punches Kitana and sends her flying after she kicks Kano away.
He, along with most kombatants, was killed during Armageddon.
In the new timeline, Kintaro does not appear until the second Mortal Kombat tournament. After Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were both defeated by Kung Lao, Kintaro was brought out to face him, but was defeated as well.
During the Earthrealm invasion, Kintaro appears on The Street, and severely burns Kabal. He is defeated by Kurtis Stryker, Kabal's partner, who is attacked by Ermac right after defeating him. He later appears guarding Earthrealm prisoners along with Kano, Goro and Cyber Sub-Zero, unaware that Cyber Sub-Zero has defected to Earthrealm. Cyber Sub-Zero froze him, Goro and Kano and released the prisoners, just before the Shokan Warriors managed to release themselves from the ice. Enraged, the Shokans attacked Cyber Sub-Zero, but were both defeated.
Kintaro makes his first appearance in the comics leading the Shokan army on their march to Z'unkahrah from Kuatan on the orders of King Gorbak, ready to avenge Goro's humiliating defeat and mutilation at the hands of Kotal Kahn.
Kintaro and the Shokan forces arrive in the outskirts of Z'unkahrah, joined by the Oni Warlords, prepared to begin their siege on the city.
Kintaro is soon after greeted by Kotal Kahn's enforcers, Ferra and Torr and D'Vorah. D'Vorah attempts to amicably begin negotiate with Kintaro, but the tigar Shokan insults D'Vorah for her appearance and rejects her attempts at a parlay. Kintaro then demands Kotal Kahn's surrender to King Gorbak in one hour or his army will raze Z'unkahrah to the ground. When D'Vorah tells him that Kotal Kahn will never surrender, Kintaro declares Z'unkahrah will fall an hour early and the Shokan begin their siege.
After the siege fails with the death of King Gorbak, Kintaro approaches Goro after Gorbak is ceremonially cremated to inform the crippled prince of the Draco and Tigrar families decision to disqualify Goro's claims to the throne due to his injuries. Kintaro explains after the battle with Kotal Kahn is over, a battle for the crown of the Shokan kingdom will be held. Goro asks what would happen if he entered, and Kintaro warns him warily, reminding him of his crippling, as well as saying Gorbak is no longer there to protect him.
Kintaro would lead the Shokan/Oni Warlord horde back to Z'unkahrah the next day. Calling Kotal Kahn a coward for allying with the Black Dragon as Mileena and Reiko had joined with the Red Dragon, Kintaro declared that true Outworlders need no help from Earthrealm and ordered the bones of Kotal Kahn's forces ground to dust.
Kotal Kahn tried to challenge Kintaro to Mortal Kombat to decide the battle between themselves but Kintaro refused, declaring there would be no Kombat, only fatalities. When Kintaro spotted a lone man marching towards his forces, he ordered him speared only for a massive quake to throw his entire army off their feet. Kintaro tried to rally his army back up but his forces were struck by a massive explosion detonated by the Black Dragon leader Kano. A shocked Kintaro survived the blast while over half of his forces were wiped out.
Kintaro is still on the ground as Kotal Kahn holds his sword over his neck, asking the Tigar if he surrenders. Raising his head and letting Kotal's blade cut into the back of his neck, Kintaro declares that the Shokan do not surrender and demands to be granted the dignity that Goro was denied. Kotal Kahn seems to prepare to execute Kintaro but instead walks away and sheathes his blade.
Infuriated, Kintaro demands to know why he insists on denigrating them when Kotal Kahn suddenly tells him that the Shokan were never his enemy until Goro joined with Mileena and the Red Dragon, and that he has always admired their strength. Kotal speaks out to all the surviving Shokan while Kintaro listens in silence, with the emperor saying that Mileena and Reiko are their true enemies and that they should join forces to kill them.
Kintaro watches as Kotal Kahn offers him his hand, saying he will never command them to surrender and will only ask that he fight. Without a word, Kintaro takes Kotal Kahn's hand and confirms their allegiance, ending the Shokan Uprising.
The Shokan accompany Kotal Kahn to Shang Tsung's Island, though they stay on their own ship, with Kintaro observing the battle on the island from ship using a telescope. Calling it a glorious battle, Kintaro boasts that they will crush Reiko and Mileena on the same day, though he admits he is unsure of what to make of Mileena saving Kotal Kahn's life. Though several Shokan make jokes, Kintaro respectfully bows to his new queen, Sheeva, informing her of the battle on the island. Kintaro listens to Sheeva's decree of the Shokan staying out of the battle, as well her musing of the battle conditions not going in Kotal Kahn's favor.
Later that night, Kintaro watches as a stream of red light bursts from the island, and wonders what it was. Noting it was the first activity on the island since Kotal and his forces were dragged off the beach, Kintaro orders scouts taken to the island, though when one Shokan protests, trying to remind him of Queen Sheeva's orders, Kintaro clarifies that Sheeva ordered no fighting, and that scouting is not fighting, with Kintaro saying if they eventually intend to fight they need to know what Havik just unleashed on that island.
Sheeva discovers Kintaro's scheming and is angered by his undermining her orders. Though she seems to prepare to execute him with her sword, she holds off due to the Shokan's low numbers after the battle of Z'unkahrah. When a Shokan informs Sheeva of the scouts deaths, Sheeva orders Kintaro to hold their deaths on his conscious. The ship is soon attacked by a blast of magic, setting off the explosives it was carrying.
Kintaro survives, but is drowning the sea waters due to his inability to swim. Sheeva saves his life and begins to drag them both to the island. After Kintaro swears he is hers to command, Sheeva makes good on this and orders the general to fight once they arrive on the island.
Kintaro is with Sheeva when they arrive on the island's shore, and witness a regrown D'Vorah kill and devour three Red Dragon soldiers with her bees. D'Vorah rudely greets Kintaro, and while the Tigar growls, he is restrained by his queen. Kintaro joins with D'Vorah and Sheeva in finding Kotal Kahn's emergency supplies to bring in reinforcements to battle Havik.
Kintaro is with D'Vorah, Sheeva, Reptile, Ferra and Torr, and Erron Black in confronting Havik and his Blood Code enslaved fighters. Kintaro is confronted by Cassie and Jacqui, finding himself simultaneously uppercutted and punched in the groin by the girls.
Kintaro is overwhelmed when he is attacked from all sides by Jacqui Briggs, Cassie Cage, and Sonya Blade. Calling to Sheeva of the women's strength, Sheeva orders him to keep fighting, and Kintaro chokes out his final words, "I won't fail--" before he is held in place by Cassie and Jacqui while Sonya rips his head off with her bare hands, hoisting it in the air like a trophy.
When the fighters are freed from Havik's control, Sheeva mourns over Kintaro's body while reassuring Sonya that Kintaro died a warrior's death.