Johnny Cage 强尼·凯奇

Initially, Johnny Cage was a struggling Hollywood action movie star who sought to revitalize his career and reputation. He entered the Mortal Kombat tournament for the sole purpose of displaying his fighting skills and proving himself to skeptical film critics, as they believed Cage was nothing more than an actor who relied too much on stunts and camera work, and was not really a proficient fighter. Eventually, he would become one of the most important defenders of Earthrealm. Despite his materialism, airheadedness, and occasional immaturity, Cage is a brave and loyal warrior, although his antics frequently annoy his allies. For this reason, fans consider him to be the series' foremost comic relief character.

Johnny matures considerably by the time of Mortal Kombat X, losing much of his earlier arrogance and shortsightedness. In the process, he becomes an overall well rounded and serious character, although his penchant for humor remains mostly intact. He maintains this persona in Mortal Kombat 11, complemented by the additional presence of his past self, who shares his former cockiness and brash traits. In the Aftermath expansion, a past Johnny Cage becomes serious during his confrontations with Sindel and Shao Kahn.

In a new timeline, Cage is once again a struggling actor due to his expensive lifestyle which drove his ex-wife Cristina away. One of the expensive purchases he made was the Takahashi clan's sacred sword, Sento, which was since lost from their hands since ancient times. After he and Kenshi fight for possession of the sword, Fire God Liu Kang recruits them alongside Kung Lao and Raiden to serve as Earthrealm's defenders in the Mortal Kombat tournament. This also develop a friendship between him and Kenshi after he saved him during their fight with Mileena in Shang Tsung's Lab.

To which Cage undergoes another bout of maturation, wherein he steps down from acting and switches over to film directing to give new faces in the acting industry room to grow & shine. While also carrying out Liu Kang's plan to share the realms' existence, by easing the public into the revelation of there being more worlds beyond than the one they know through his scripted cinemas.