GENERAL/STORY:
The name Hotaru is Japanese for firefly. This is reflected in his outfit which has the appearance of an insect's exoskeleton. His special attacks evoke a firefly's glow and power of flight. Hotaru is a general from the realm of Seido, or Orderrealm, and devotes himself to preserving law and order at any cost. So much so that he could be described as a zealot.

At one point, Hotaru had ventured into Outworld to confront Shao Kahn's Tarkatan armies laying siege to the city of Lei Chen. Years later, however, those same forces would be under the command of Onaga (the Dragon King). Believing that this newly resurrected ruler would bring order to the universe, he helps Onaga's hordes in their attacks and pursues those who would stand against them, such as Sub-Zero. At the time of Deception, Hotaru has set out to bring the Lin Kuei Grandmaster to justice before Onaga.

He is, however, unaware that a bounty has been placed on his own head. In the past, Hotaru had served as a guardsman for Dairou while he was incarcerated. Dairou now is under contract to murder Hotaru.

ORIGIN:
Mortal Kombat: Deception

OTHER APPEARANCES:
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

REVIEW:
Props to the MK team at Midway for finally going with a real Japanese name instead of making up a stupid one like they usually do. Hotaru looks cool at first glance and is one of the better "newer" designs for the series, but not surprisingly, his moves just don't measure up to his appearance. 
 

Fighting  Style  /  Moves
Personality  /  Charisma
Outfit(s)  /  Appearance
Effectiveness  in  series
Overall Score