[9][10] Although this was not explicitly stated in Mortal Kombat X, dialogue in the game's story mode alluded to Kung Jin's sexuality during a conversation between him and Raiden, where the latter convinces him to continue the legacy of his kinsmen who were Shaolin monks.

[12] Evan Narcisse of Kotaku wrote of Kung Jin's gameplay, "His moveset favors the style I tend to enjoy most when playing fighting games: quick strikes with options for keeping opponents away.

"[16] Indonesian media outlet Liputan 6 reported that overall fan reception towards the reveal had been divisive, but noted that some players believed that Kung Jin's sexuality had little relevance to their actual opinion of the character.

On the other hand, Harper raised concerns about the potential for Kung Jin's identity to be tastefully presented in a "consistently meaningful but not overpowering" without resorting to harmful stereotyping or tropes, citing as comparison examples he considered to be troubling like Poison from the Street Fighter series.

[19] In January 2019, Ella Braidwood from Pink News reported on social media reactions towards the initial announcement of Mortal Kombat 11's roster, and noted that a substantial number of series fans wanted to see Kung Jin's return as a playable character.

[21] Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica said that Kung Jin, whose staff could be turned into a bow for cross-screen arrow action, is a good example of a character who offers a playstyle that was never seen before in a Mortal Kombat game.