Kenshi

"Sento will serve me well."

- Kenshi about his katana sword he calls "Sento"

Kenshi Takahashi (simply known as 'Blinded Kenshi' or just Kenshi) is a blind swordsman and a hero from the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games.

Info
Kenshi was a born warrior that wandered the Earth, searching for worthy opponents and then defeating them to increase his pride and get ultimate egoistical self-esteem. One day, he met a man named Shang Tsung, who convinced him that a great warrior needed a great sword. Kenshi was lead by the man only to find an ancient and highly powerful sword, that was perfect for a warrior of his calibre.

But when he opened the well that it was supposedly contained in, the souls trapped there overwhelmed him and stripped him of his sight. Shang then absorbed the souls, and left Kenshi to die. But the sword, which did exist, called out to the blinded warrior and led him out of the tomb, also revealing it's origins. It had been wielded by Kenshi's descendants, a long line of great swordsman, and the well where he had found it had been the resting place of his ancestors. The blind warrior spent the next decade training his senses, while at the same time hunting for Shang to pay him back for defiling his ancestry and betraying him.

Adventures in Outworld
Kenshi's path for revenge lead him to the Special Forces and his skills were noticed by Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs. The two were at the time, looking for members to join their new Outer World Investigation Agency that could venture into Outworld. Realising that this was his chance to pursuit Tsung, Kenshi underwent the required examinations and tests, then joined the group. His chance came when he was assigned to go to Outworld so as to find the missing robot, Cyrax. During his time there, Kenshi came across the fusion of souls known as Ermac and in pity, he broke Shao's control over him. Out of gratitude, he taught the blind swordsman how to use his latent telekinetic powers in combat and to sense the presence of people and objects around him.

Kenshi soon found about the Deadly Alliance and their plans, but was unable to contact the Outer World Investigation Agency base since it had been blown up by Hsu Hao. However the Deadly Alliance were aware of Kenshi and sent Navado to kill him, who defeated him in combat and left him for dead. However, the blind swordsman was found by the Lin Kuei Grandmaster, Sub-Zero, who nursed him back to health. Because of the ice ninja's kindness, Kenshi formed a temporary alliance with him to try and find a portal back to Earth. This alliance soon formed into a close friendship and after Shang's "death" in his battle with Onaga, Kenshi felt the souls of his ancestors returning to his sword. With his quest for vengeance now over, Kenshi left the SF and remained separated from Sub-Zero's Lin Kuei after returning to Earth, preferring to battle alone, though he remained an ally of both.

Armageddon
Kenshi began to hunt the corrupt, guided by his ancestors' sword. He attacked during the night, making use of the dark to strike unseen and succeeded in taking down a number of criminal organisations. Kenshi later came across a coded message that was supposed to be sent to Navado that allowed him to find out about the Red Dragon Clan's plans to hunt down the demigod, Steven. But before he could learn their secret base's location, Kenshi encountered Johnny Cage, who was gathering the warriors of the Forces of Light to battle against Shinnok and the forces of evil.

The blind swordsman declined the offer, thinking that it was just another pointless struggle between good and evil. However, while on a mission to bring down the Red Dragon and have his vengeance on Navado, Kenshi received a psychic premonition, that told him everything about Steven and Daegon's quest. His sword also urged him to join the Forces of Light for the upcoming battle and Kenshi took heed of the new insight, deciding that he would be the one to lead the Forces of Light into battle.

In his ending, Kenshi's defeat over Blaze gave him back his sight and increased his other sense and ego to an extremely high level. But this sensory overload was too much for the swordsman and he retreated to a remote cave in the mountains, where he would remain isolated in a dark, soundless cavern and finally die of starvation about a year or two later.

New timeline
During the Outworld tournament in the alternate timeline, Kenshi's name is announced by Shang as a fighter in an upcoming (off-screen) battle between himself and Reiko. The outcome of this fight is unknown though neither warrior was killed.

Sometime before the events of Mortal Kombat X, Kenshi helped Scorpion overcome his darkness and joined the Special Forces before being assigned the task of infiltrating the Red Dragon Clan. Kenshi was hoping to track down Daegon but his cover was blown and was forced to run.

He was later told by Sonya Blade of the existence of his son, Takeda Takahashi, and that the Red Dragon were threatening his life, as well as the life of his mother, Suchi. Knowing the boy was indeed his, Kenshi made for Lampang, Thailand where the boy and his mother were but arrived too late. Suchi was dead, as well as the Red Dragon mercenaries sent to kill her, but Kenshi was able to find his son with the help of Suchi's mother (Takeda's grandma).

On the run with the boy, Kenshi headed for Shirai-Ryu Clan territory in the hopes of luring the pursuing Red Dragons into a trap. Kenshi managed to just make it when Takeda warned him of an attack. Despite using his telekinesis and Sento to block the majority of the arrows, he was struck in the leg by one and forced to make a last stand. Ordering Takeda to run, Kenshi faced the Red Dragon commander Hsu Hao, but was beaten due to his sheer exhaustion taking its toll.

While Hsu mocked Kenshi for running, Kenshi clarified he was trespassing and Hao was swiftly killed by Scorpion and the Red Dragons were forced to retreat.

Later, at the Shirai-Ryu temple, Kenshi is amazed at the size of Scorpion's revived clan before explaining his story as well as Takeda's connection to him.

That night, as he's putting Takeda to bed, Kenshi tries to soothe his son's worries and fears towards Scorpion away but the boy makes it clear he doesn't trust his father before asking if his mother is ever coming back. Kenshi sadly tells his son she is not.

Later, Kenshi speaks with Scorpion about finishing his mission to find Daegon before asking his ally to watch over Takeda and guide him off the path of vengeance. Though Scorpion tells Kenshi lying to his son will make Takeda hate him, Kenshi asks Scorpion to give him discipline before departing the next morning.

Still pursued by the Red Dragon, as well as several local terrorist organisations they paid, Kenshi calls in for an extraction from Sonya Blade, and she meets up with him in Northern Pakistan, helping him fight the Red Dragon mercenaries. Kenshi would escape Pakistan with Sonya and continue his war against the Red Dragon. Briefly, he journeyed to the Shaolin Temple to contemplate his choice of leaving Takeda with the Shirai-Ryu, meeting with Shujinko. Ultimately, Kenshi chose to continue his war with Daegon and resumed his mission to kill him.

Years later, Kenshi was confronted and defeated by the crippled Shokan Prince Goro, his body dragged before Daegon at the base of his Red Dragon clan in the Crimson Forest, with Goro offering Kenshi to Daegon in exchange for help in regaining his lost arms.

Kenshi somehow survives that encounter and later appears in the story mode of Mortal Kombat X. In Johnny Cage's chapter, he is seen alongside both Jhonny and Sonya as they make their way to the Sky Temple in order to stop Shinnok on a helicopter. On their way, they are ambushed by Scorpion who attempts to impede their progress. Kenshi pushes Scorpion out of the chopper along with himself. He manages to push Sub Zero out of the helicopter with his telekinesis, but both he and Sonya are injured by the crashing helicopter. After Johnny defeats both Scorpion and Sub-Zero, he along with Sonya and Johnny make their way to the Temple.

Kenshi and the others then run into the undead revenant versions of Jax and Smoke. After being caught by Nightwolf, Kenshi goes off to fight the demons with a Special Forces squad while Johnny and Sawnya fought Smoke and Jacks. Victorious, they then make their way into the cavern, where Kenshi's sword Sento helps him find the portal needed to enter the Sky Temple. Kenshi, Johnny, and Sonya arrive just in time to help both Raven and Fujin, but is knocked out by Shinnok along with Sonya and Fujin, leaving Johnny to fight Shinnok alone. After Shinnok is defeated, he notices Johnny smiling despite Quan Chi's escape and asks why (to which Johnny replied:"She (Sonya) called me Jhonny").

In Takeda Takahashi's chapter, he appears five years before the game's present, after Takeda's training with Hanzo Hassashi as he congratulates his son into becoming a chujin in record time. However, Takeda is angered by his father's presence and fights him. After the fight, Kenshi reveals to Takeda the truth behind his mother, Suchi's death at the hands of the Red Dragon Clan. Takeda is angered even more by this, but Kenshi replies that he could not risk Takeda going against his mother's killers fully unprepared. He then reveals to Takeda his ability of telepathy. Kenshi tells Takeda that Hanzo had perfected his fighting skills and that he had come to complete his training and that he and Takeda would hunt down the Red Dragon gang together.

After Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda Takahashi, and Kung Jin return from the Lin Kuei Temple, he talks with his son Takeda telepathically and tells him to not worry about his recent encounter with the Lin Kuei Clan.

Kenshi is later on seen in the Never Never Land along with Jax and Sereena to help hunt down and capture Quan Chi. The Special Forces ambush Quan and his revenant servants but suffer casualties. Kenshi fights off Kabal while Jax deals with Kung Lao, Sindel, and Kitana. Afterwards, he is injured, and Jax insists that he will capture Quan himself. Kenshi and Sereena are against it, but Jax goes regardless and is successful.

After Quan is captured, Kenshi and Jhonny lock him up while discussing D'Vorah's whereabouts, they are brought about by Scorpi's sudden arrival, surprising them all. Hanzo demands that the Special Forces hand him Quan. When Sonya refuses, Hanzo orders the Shirai-Ryu to attack. As Hanzo goes to Quan Chi, Kenshi stops him temporarily with his telepathy, but is then overrun by the Shirai-Ryu. Kenshi tries to reason with Hanzo to not kill Quan Chi, but fails and is captured alongside Sawnya and Johnny. After Quan is dead, he witnesses Shinnok's release. Kenshi, Sonya, and Johnny try to stop him, but are quickly knocked out and Shinnok leaves for the Sky Temple with a captured Cage. Kenshi does not make another appearance and does not appear at the end of the story mode.

Powers and abilities
Despite being blind, Kenshi's spiritual senses allows him to fight on an even level with any other fighter. His sword contains the spirits of past warriors, which guides him in battles and he can sense the presence of anyone by their energy or by hearing them, allowing him to take opponents by surprise, he throws his ninja dagger - hit them between the eyes. Kenshi is also completely unaffected by attacks that affect his eyes thanks to his blindness. He can utilise telekinesis, taught to him by Ermac himself and teleport using his own mind thanks to his heightened mind and senses.

Journal Entry
The swordsman Kenshi Takahashi spent his early adulthood searching the world for worthy opponents. When the sorcerer Shang Tsung duped him into retrieving the enchanted sword he named Sento from the Well of Souls, the result left Kenshi sightless. Humbled but with a new sense of purpose, Kenshi vowed to rid the planets of despicable monsters like Tsung. He served Earth admirably in its conflict with the Never Land. In his post-war travels he met and fell in love with a young Japanese woman. Eventually, Kenshi's wanderlust returned and he departed. Years later he learned the woman had been murdered - leaving their eight-year-old son in Kenshi's care. The boy's mother's murder led Kenshi to entrust his son to Hanzo Hassashi, the former Scorpion, to raise as a warrior. Kenshi promised Hanzo he would return one day to reclaim Takeda. Together father and son would hunt down the boy's mother's murders. Meanwhile, Kenshi continues his itinerant ways, occasionally helping out his friend General Blade as a consultant to the Special Forces.

Trivia

 * He is unaffected by Sonya and Kira's Kiss of Death moves, since they aim for the eyes.
 * Despite his blindness, Kenshi still takes part in Deadly Alliances "Test Your Sight" challenge, using his hearing to determine his choice.
 * According to Return of The Dragon Kings Konquest mode, Kenshi learned Tai Chi as a child and Judo in his adolescent years. He has also know Shujinko for many years, since they were youngsters, as both were trained under the drunken fool Bo' Rai Cho back in the 1930's.
 * After he stabs his opponent with his Sento sword for his first fatality in Deception, he appears to be doing a small street dance and dabbing before taking his sword to slice his opponent.
 * Kenshi is the only character to perform a traditional hara-kiri in Return of The Dragon King, slicing open his own abdomen.
 * Kenshi's alternate costume in Deadly Alliance does not wear a blindfold and it is believed that this is what he looked like before being blinded by none other than Shang Tsung himself.
 * Kenshi is seen in the trailer for the MK9 game, fighting Daegon at the Pit.
 * He is seen in the opening intro of Armageddon, stabbing Sheeva in the chest as she is strangling Ermac and Nightwolf, then had a sword fight with Quan Chi, but was stabbed in the stomach. Before the sorcerer could finish him off, Ermac (actually Shang Tsung in disguise) used his telekinesis to throw him away and then shapeshifted back into his true form and stomped on Kenshi's stomach, finishing his ass off.
 * Kenshi was named number 7 best superhero Domenico Von Crane ever met.