MK1 Kano:



MK3 Kano:



MKDA Kano:



He was never black. The actor remained the same through the entire 2D series, and he is white. The MKDA Kano is no different.

Where are you getting that idea from?

Well, that's a bit strange coming from you, as you've posted the pics of Kano...
The MK1 Kano is clearly dark skinned and could most likely be of arab origin, if not african. His characteristics absolutely match the arab look and so does his outfit.
MK3 Kano though doesn't seem to have a distinctive nationality (maybe European/French - he looks a bit like Fabien Barthez from the side, hahaha) and has no characteristics linking him to MK1 Kano, besides the robotic eye.
MKDA Kano has an American/Australian look, but clearly his appearance is very much like the movie Kano's appearance. His build and outfit is almost the same. And he doesn't look even vaguely reminiscent of the MK1 Kano, again besides the robotic eye, that is.

The Kano's in MK I, II and III are played the same actor, kay? (as said by NM) Same guy. He's a bald, white actor who also played Baraka, Kabal, and Quan Chi (in MKM:SZ). His name is Richard Divizio. Kano's never been Black, Indian, etc. The 'arab' feel your getting is probably from MK I's low-quality digitized graphics.

Kano just looks dirty.

Yeah.

Rich Divizio:

Yeah, since all arabians have a laser for an eye... and they all dress like dirty terrorist/criminals...

Damn Racist

Haha.

Its not just you, though. My roomie thought the same thing. He was actrually MAD that they changed the actor in MK3, not knowing they were the same guy. :)

I have to agree with the original poster here, now that I think about it.

There's nothing racist about thinking that Kano looked Black or Arabic in MK1. I remember it was back in 1995 when I first came across the great MK1, and both my friend and I thought that Kano was a Black person. It wasn't till MK3 was played in the same year that it was found he's White.

But I do think it's due to the lower pixel quality of MK1 that makes him appear so, for what it's worth :)

Is that the first thing you think about when you play video games? Who's black?

Yeah, I thought Kano was black until I saw that the actors were the same; anyway, Kano's white, so the question is answered.