Ermac

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ermac's origins are deeply rooted in the lore of video gaming legends. In the diagnostics menu of the 1992 original Mortal Kombat, an audits screen displayed "ERMACS" beneath counters for Reptile appearances after Ed Boon added a hidden character. This sparked speculation that a second secret ninja existed. Although Midway removed the listing in March 1993, Electronic Gaming Monthly published a doctored photo of Scorpion tinted red with the caption "Ermac Wins," further fueling the myth. Players claimed to see glitches where ninjas flashed red or displayed "Error Macro" in their energy bars, though no such palette existed. A scrambled message in Mortal Kombat II stating "Ermac does not exist" failed to quell the rumors as neither Boon nor marketing director Roger Sharpe denied them outright. By October 1995, the developers decided the character had evolved from myth to urban legend worthy of inclusion, adding him to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. In-game lore later clarified he is an amalgam of deceased warriors created by Shao Kahn to enforce his will in Outworld.

In Their Own Story

In Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Ermac served as a hidden enforcer for Shao Kahn during the invasion of Earth and the tournament. His design was initially a palette swap of other male ninjas with red coloring and darker skin. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), following Shao Kahn's death, Ermac wandered Outworld until he encountered the blind swordsman Kenshi, who freed him from Kahn's control; in return, Ermac honed Kenshi's telekinetic powers. By Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004), he reformed to atone for his past deeds, aiding Liu Kang's spirit in freeing allies from the Dragon King Onaga. For Mortal Kombat X, his design shifted to a more emaciated appearance with decaying skin revealing his loss of control over his internal souls, held together by a metal talisman nailed deep into his skull. In Mortal Kombat 1, he first appeared as a non-playable character in the story mode before becoming playable in April 2024 via a "Kombat Pack," retaining his black-and-red palette but with minimal armor and no mask.

Reader's Guide

Ermac's gameplay is defined by his signature telekinesis, visualized through spiritual powers like the "Telekinetic Slam" (later renamed "Force Lift") which levitates opponents to throw them. In Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Ed Boon considered him one of the strongest characters due to this move. His fighting style in Mortal Kombat: Deception and Armageddon is Choy Lay Fut, a martial art specializing in warding off multiple attackers. For Mortal Kombat X, his play style was divided into three variations. A notable finishing move is the "Inner Workings" Fatality, conceived by John Edwards, where he levitates an opponent, breaks their spine midair, and extracts their gastrointestinal tract from their mouth; sound effects for this were created using slime and a plunger. In Mortal Kombat 1, developers enhanced his visual effects to lean into horror inspirations, emphasizing that he is haunted by the unique souls captured throughout his existence.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Ermac' comes from a diagnostics menu in the 1992 game that displayed 'ERMACS,' short for 'error macro,' used by Ed Boon to log coding errors.
• A doctored photo of Scorpion tinted red, submitted by a reader named 'Tony Casey' to Electronic Gaming Monthly, was the primary catalyst for the character's creation as a real playable fighter.
• In Mortal Kombat X, the sound effects for Ermac's graphic 'Inner Workings' Fatality were created using slime and a plunger.
• Ed Boon kept the meaning of the ERMACS listing secret on purpose to stir up fan speculation before revealing the truth in 2011 via Twitter.
• Ermac was voiced by Michael McConnohie in the 2011 reboot, but by Jamieson Price in both Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 1.