According to Ed Boon, the main characters are all caricatures of some of their favorite characters from martial arts and sci-fi movies:
Kano, with his infra-red eye, is based on Arnold Schwarzenegger's make-up in Terminator (1984).
Liu Kang is, obviously, the likeness of Bruce Lee.
Johnny Cage is based on Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Raiden, the electric God of thunder, is based on a lightening-wielding character from Big Trouble in Little China (1986).
Sonya was loosely based on martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock.
The Sorcerer Shang Tsung, is based on Lo-Pan, the primary antagonist from Big Trouble in Little China (1986).
Reptile, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero, the ninjas, are based on the American ninjas from Enter the Ninja (1981), American Ninja (1985) or Ninja Ry Ken-den (1988).
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