Reiko Mortal Kombat is one of the franchise’s most underutilized yet genuinely compelling characters. General Reiko, the second-in-command of Shao Kahn’s army and one of Outworld’s most dangerous soldiers, has been absent from playable rosters for over a decade, making his return in Mortal Kombat 1 a significant event.
Reiko Mortal Kombat is defined by ambition. He serves Shao Kahn faithfully but secretly covets the Emperor’s throne, and in the comics arc between MK games, that ambition leads him to catastrophic betrayal and death. In MK1’s new timeline, his backstory is more sympathetic, but no less dangerous.
This guide covers everything about Mortal Kombat Reiko: his history, shuriken-based moveset, MK1 story role, and strategies for competitive play.
Reiko Mortal Kombat: Origins and Character History
Reiko debuted in Mortal Kombat 4 (1997). He was immediately notable for sharing Shao Kahn’s iconic walk animation, which fueled fan theories that the two characters were secretly connected or the same person.
Who Is Reiko?
In the classic timeline, Reiko is one of Shao Kahn’s most loyal and skilled generals. He trained under Kahn from boyhood after being captured as a prisoner of war, rose through the ranks as an exceptional soldier, and became the Emperor’s second-in-command.
In Mortal Kombat 1’s new timeline:
- Reiko was captured as a boy during the Kafallah War
- His family died in captivity but he survived by fighting back
- General Shao, witnessing his ferocity, freed him and took him as a squire
- Reiko became an exceptional soldier and is now Shao’s second-in-command
- He returns as a playable character for the first time in 16 years
Character profile:
- Debuted in Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)
- General and second-in-command to Shao Kahn / General Shao
- Shuriken-based combat and teleportation
- Returns in Mortal Kombat 1 as a main playable character
Reiko in Mortal Kombat Armageddon
In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Reiko’s design was changed to more closely resemble Shao Kahn, including a hammer weapon similar to Kahn’s own Wrath Hammer and a special move using a glowing energy version of Kahn’s helmet. This further blurred the lines between the two characters while confirming they were separate individuals.
Reiko in Mortal Kombat: Moves and Combat Style
Reiko is an aggressive mid-range fighter who uses shuriken projectiles, teleportation, and physical combat to keep opponents guessing about where attacks originate.
Core Special Moves
- Shuriken Throw: Reiko throws shuriken at mid-range as a projectile tool. Faster than most projectiles and difficult to react to.
- Teleport: Reiko vanishes and reappears at a different position, creating mix-up opportunities and escaping corners.
- Circle Teleport: A variation of the teleport that repositions Reiko in a circular path around the opponent.
- Flip Kick: Reiko delivers a powerful jumping kick that hits overhead and can be used as a surprise anti-approach tool.
- Shuriken Barrage (Armageddon): Multiple shurikens in rapid succession, covering more area than a single throw.
Reiko MK1: Updated Toolkit
| Tool | Type | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Shuriken Throw | Fast Projectile | Mid-Far |
| Teleport | Repositioning | Any |
| Military Strike | Physical Combo | Close |
| General’s Command | Command Grab | Close |
Pro Tips: Reiko in Mortal Kombat
Pro Tips: Playing Mortal Kombat Reiko Effectively
- Use Shuriken Throw to punish full-screen recovery: Reiko’s shurikens are fast enough to catch opponent recovery animations from full screen. Any slow special move or missed attack creates a Shuriken window.
- Teleport behind projectile-heavy opponents: When opponents zone with slow projectiles, use Teleport to appear behind them and convert into a full punish combo from behind.
- Mix Circle Teleport with direct Teleport to confuse side-switch reactions: Circle Teleport puts Reiko in a different position than the direct version. Opponents who react to one teleport direction get caught by the other.
- Use Flip Kick to punish crouching opponents: Players who crouch-block extensively become vulnerable to Flip Kick’s overhead trajectory. Mix it into your offense whenever opponents drop to a persistent crouch.
- Apply constant forward pressure after successful shurikens: A hit shuriken creates a brief moment where the opponent is not in position to challenge you. Use that window to dash forward and apply close-range pressure before they recover.
Common Mistakes Mortal Kombat Reiko Players Make
Common Mistakes Reiko in Mortal Kombat Players Make
- Teleporting predictably in neutral: Teleporting randomly gives opponents time to react and punish the landing. Fix: use teleport only in response to opponent commitments, slow moves, or as a corner escape, not as a primary neutral approach.
- Over-relying on shuriken throws: Shuriken spamming from full screen becomes readable. Opponents learn to dash under them. Fix: mix shuriken throws with occasional Teleport approaches to prevent opponents from focusing entirely on ground-level reactions.
- Not using close-range tools: Reiko’s teleport and shuriken tend to make players play at long range. Fix: develop a close-range gameplan that includes his physical combos and command grabs. Close-range pressure punishes opponents who lean too far back to avoid shurikens.
Why Network Quality Matters for Reiko
Reiko’s teleport timing and shuriken punish windows are tight. A laggy connection causes teleport landings to arrive at wrong positions and shuriken punishes to miss the recovery window.
How ExitLag Helps Reiko Players
ExitLag optimizes your routing to Mortal Kombat’s servers in real time. It is not a VPN. It reduces ping, eliminates jitter, and cuts the packet loss that breaks teleport mix-ups.
For Mortal Kombat Reiko players online:
- Consistent teleport positioning: Your repositioning moves land at intended locations.
- Accurate shuriken punishes: Projectile punishes register on the correct frames.
- Multipath Technology: Multiple routing paths maintain stable connections.
- Multi-Internet: Supports up to 4 simultaneous connections for ranked play.
Reiko Mortal Kombat: A General Finally Gets His Due
Mortal Kombat Reiko has been one of the franchise’s great untapped potentials for years. His ambition, military background, and dual combat style built around long-range shurikens and close-range teleport mix-ups give him everything needed to be a memorable character.
What Makes Reiko Unique
Reiko is defined by what he wants and cannot have. He serves a ruler he believes he could surpass. He fights with weapons and skills that reflect a lifetime of earned excellence. His teleport and shuriken toolkit creates a genuinely layered gameplan that rewards understanding spacing and opponent habits.
With his full return in Mortal Kombat 1 after a 16-year absence, Reiko in Mortal Kombat finally has the stage he has always deserved.
All game images used in this blog post belong to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / NetherRealm Studios. They are used for informational and educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.
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