The many realms and dimensions ofMortal Kombathave been filled with a diverse cast of characters over the course of the series’ 33-year-long history. From the stoic Thunder God Raiden to the monstrous winged vampire Nitara, players can embody fighters of all kinds throughout the manyMortal Kombattitles. While mostMortal Kombatfighters, such as Liu Kang, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero, went on to appear in several subsequent games, numerous other fighters only appeared in their debut title for a number of factors, including licensing issues, balancing issues, and fan popularity. However, withMortal Kombat 1being set in a brand-new universe, these forgotten fighters could reappear in new, surprising ways.
Mortal Kombat Fighters Who Only Appeared in One Game
Characters who only appear in oneMortal Kombatgame can be divided up into two groups: original fighters created byMidway Games and NetherRealm Studios, and DLC fighters from separate pop culture films, shows, and other games. These fighters include:
A majority of these fighters come from Midway’s finalMortal Kombatgame,Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, with the notable exception of The Joker, who is so far the only DC character to appear in twoMortal Kombatgames thanks to his DLC inclusion inMortal Kombat 11.
While it’s unlikely that most of theMortal Kombat2011,Mortal Kombat X, andMortal Kombat 11DLC fighters will reappear in future games, given the precedent of them not appearing in other titles, a few of them could reappear in new forms. For example,Mortal Kombat2011 on the PlayStation 3 featured Kratos as an exclusive fighter based on his classic GreekGod of Warincarnation, but he could potentially reappear in futureMortal Kombatgames based on his Norse incarnation, played by Christopher Judge. Similarly, futureMortal Kombatgames could feature Darkseid and Deathstroke as DC DLC fighters as they’re historically known to be exceptionally violent, similar to The Joker.
This list does not include fighters who debuted inMortal Kombat 1as they haven’t had the chance to reappear in otherMortal Kombatgames yet.
Mortal Kombat Fighters Likely to Return in Liu Kang’s Universe
InMortal Kombat 1, Titan Liu Kang created a new universe in an effort to allow all living beings the opportunity to find peace. This resulted in distinct changes from the originalMortal Kombattimelines, such as Raiden being a humble young villager in Fengjian,Scorpion being Kuai Liang instead of Hanzo Hasashi, and Shao Kahn being a General instead of the dominating leader of Outworld. Due to changes such as these, the circumstances and background of several pastMortal Kombatcharacters appearing in this timeline will likely be different from their prior counterparts. For instance, Triborg was said to be the last remaining cyborg of the Lin Kuei Cyber Initiative, but it could be the first of Sektor’s new Cyber Lin Kuei in this new timeline.
Kollector inMortal Kombat 1’s timeline appears to still be a Naknada from Outworld, but he only appears inMortal Kombat 1’s Invasions mode as an NPC. While Kollector is described by Johnny Cage as his “personal shopper and lifetime pickleball teammate”, this background can easily be retconned inMortal Kombat 2and the Kollector could return as a loyal follower to General Shao’s rebellion.Onaga was only playable inMortal Kombat: Armageddonbut continues to play a pivotal background role in the new timeline. Long ago, Onaga was imprisoned by Shao’s ancestors, but Shao has sent Reiko to free and tame Onaga in an effort to overthrow Empress Mileena and take control of Outworld. Based on these events, Onaga may be the primary antagonist ofMortal Kombat 2.
Fighters Unlikely to Return in Liu Kang’s Universe
Due to the circumstances surrounding the creation of Liu Kang’s universe, a fewMortal Kombatcharacters will likely not return inMortal Kombat 1sequels unless they appear as invaders from other universes. For example,Cetrion was the Elder Goddess of Life, Virtue, and Lightand the daughter of Titaness Kronika in the previous timeline, but she likely doesn’t exist in Liu Kang’s universe due to the lack of a Kronika in his timeline. Similarly, Taven and Daegon were the sons of the Edenian God Argus and brother to Rain, but Rain is no longer the son of Argus inMortal Kombat 1and Argus is now considered to be an Outworld God, making Taven and Daegon’s return unlikely or at least not in significant roles.
