Mortal Kombat 1 is here, and fans love it. The MK1 roster contains no new characters but a handful of lesser-known kombatants elevated to fit the new era. It’s a strange call that relies on fandom for characters that almost no one likes. The game’s Kameo system allows minor figures to re-emerge, but some unknown names entered the main roster. Was the most recent Mortal Kombat movie a trial run for a few old hands?
Mortal Kombat 1 and the Movie Have Similar Goals
The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie was a reboot of the flagging film franchise that tried to bring things back to basics. No tournament occurs in the 110-minute runtime. It’s setting up for a theoretical battle to come. I think many people fail to understand the scale of the Mortal Kombat franchise. It’s closer in kind to Star Wars than it is to something like Bloodsport. The downside of this massive scope is that the creators must start over frequently to avoid alienating newcomers with four novels worth of backstory, some of which are terrible. The film borrowed names and events to string together a serviceable film narrative. Mileena, Reiko, Nitara, and Kabal became goons for the villain. This was a downgrade for Mileena and Kabal, but existence is a treat for Nitara and Reiko.
Mortal Kombat 1 is also a reboot. The 2011 reboot introduced some time-travel shenanigans that could have provided a fresh start but only further complicated matters. NetherRealm decided to start over again, handing Liu Kang the keys to time and rewriting the narrative. As such, Mortal Kombat 1‘s roster features a cast of returning heroes. Most of them are old favorites like Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Ashrah, Kenshi, Reiko, and Nitara stick out as strange choices because they came from a much worse era. Reiko and Nitara appear quite noticeably similar to their big-screen forms.
The Purpose of Reusing Characters in Mortal Kombat
I would argue that seeing Nitara and Reiko in a major motion picture gave them a slight push that helped them earn slots on Mortal Kombat 1‘s roster. Of course, Ashrah, Havik, and plenty of Kameo fighters appeared without that bump. These characters earned their spot in the latest game just as they appeared in the movie. The game downplayed some returning favorites like Sonya, Jax, and Kano. The three of them were instrumental in the plot of the film. Excising them in favor of nobodies is a bold strategy that appeals in a unique way. Resurrecting forgotten characters gives the Mortal Kombat 1 roster flavor for newcomers and appeals to fans. It’s a win-win arrangement without the need to come up with new characters.
The Mortal Kombat franchise has struggled with new characters lately. Mortal Kombat X brought in a host of newcomers that were met with a mixed response. The so-called “Kombat Kids” are slaughtered in the story mode of Mortal Kombat 1. The Mortal Kombat movie introduced a new hero, a forgettable MMA fighter called Cole, who happens to be a descendant of Hanzo Hasashi. People hated Cole and his prominence in a story he should have no part in. The message is clear. The new characters are being savaged in and out of the narrative. The film also offers a solution. Grab whichever characters you like the look of, redesign them as necessary, and drop them into the new story. We all already know who has to make it into the game. The Mortal Kombat 1 roster might not have specifically borrowed characters from the film, but it did seem to learn its safest selection method.
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The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie’s roster might have set the tone for the following few entries in the franchise. New characters are always a risk, but they’ve paid off in the recent past. Geras debuted in Mortal Kombat 11 and came back to reprise his role in MK1. D’vorah was introduced in Mortal Kombat X to mass celebration and disappointment at her exclusion in the latest title. The movie’s model is all well and good. I love seeing these PS2-era monstrosities become cool for the first time in their miserable lives. Bring back Movado, and Hsu Hao, and Meat, and Moloch, and Kobra, and I could go on. New characters will always hold appeal, even if they don’t work well on the big screen.
