The latest Mortal Kombat feature had a lot to prove. It had been more than two decades since the last attempt of adapting the series onto the big screen, and the mistakes from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation still left fans worried about the newest entry. To add to the pressure, there has been a consistent stigma against movies inspired by video games since 1993’s Super Mario Bros. That stigma has waned a little after popular releases like Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog, but fans of fighting games remained cautiously optimistic.
When it comes to this series, two features are key to a successful adaptation. First, the audience should understand the history of the tournament itself. It can feel a bit silly hearing words like “Elder Gods” and “Outworld,” but knowing the pivotal figures and locations create a more immersive product. The newest film did an okay job on this front but decided to add new and unnecessary layers to the story with Arcanas.
Secondly, and more importantly, are the characters themselves. I only started playing the games before Mortal Kombat 11 was released and quickly realized that the relationships between the heroes and villains were the series’ most appealing feature. Sure, it’s cool to watch Scorpion rip someone’s spine out, but I have always cared more about these violent individuals’ growth and ongoing struggles. The recent movie showcased classic fighters like Jax Briggs and Shang Tsung, but many more interesting combatants await their turn in the ring. Except for the fighter teased before the credits, here are the 7 characters that should be in the Mortal Kombat sequel.
#7. Shao Khan
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II
Trust me, don’t make him mad.
It would have been impossible not to start this list with Shao Khan. He is a mighty and brutal warlord with connections to many of the other fighters mentioned below. As the emperor of Outworld, his only mission is to conquer the other realms and fuse them into one that he can rule with an iron fist. While Shang Tsung is an interesting villain, he is notorious for being deceptive and cunning. On the other hand, Shao Khan is all about brute strength and destruction, no matter the cost.
Wielding a giant war hammer as his main weapon, he usually appears as the final boss in the games and is one of the toughest enemies encounters in history. I like to think of Shao Khan as a less-sympathetic version of Thanos. Marvel Studios saw major success when they let their audience know who the ultimate villain was, and the Mortal Kombat movies should also follow that strategy. I was honestly shocked that he was only alluded to in the recent adaption, but hopefully, that means he is ready to crush some skulls in the sequel.
#6. Baraka
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II
Chef Baraka is probably cooking up something I don’t want to eat.
Baraka is a terrifying and deadly enemy that works closely with Shao Khan. He is one of the toughest warriors of his species, the Tarkatans, and fights to help protect his kind. They are primarily a nomadic group, but the Emporer has offered them peace and shelter if they help him take down the warriors of Earthrealm. He is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his species safe from harm, which means that it might get bloody.
Baraka is a notoriously savage enemy. His species have the unique feature of hiding retractable blades in their arms, as well as having a row of teeth that would make any dentist faint. He is relentless in pursuing peace for his tribe and is willing to rip anyone to shreds to get it. I would be curious to see how they turn this spiky abomination into a live-action figure. While Mileena was able to show off those beautiful teeth recently, seeing Baraka’s blades slicing and dicing could lead to some amazing fight scenes.
#5. Kitana
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II
I’m a big fan of her weapon of choice.
Life as a 10,000-year-old Princess is not easy. While the Mortal Kombat universe is mostly known for its violence, Kitana is one of the few characters representing tragedy. Her story begins as the daughter of Sindel and Jarrod, rulers of the great realm of Edenia. Unfortunately, everything changes when Shao Khan arrives to usurp King Jerrod and claim Edenia, Sindel, and Kitana for himself. She works loyally for her new master as an assassin, but that’s only the beginning of her story.
She uses a giant steel fan to chop away at her competition. These fans are usually modified with knives, razors, and anything else you would never want to be thrown in your direction.
If we see Kitana in the sequel, we can expect her to be on the side of Shang Tsung and Outworld. In the games, she grows to have interesting relationships with both sides of the war, and I would love to see how they explore it on the big screen. There wasn’t really a rootable or relatable villain in the last movie, so adding her to the cast could allow the audience to begin feeling empathy with some of Outworld’s citizens.
#4. Nightwolf
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat III
Don’t mess with Nightwolf’s entourage.
While the first three fighters on this list will help Shang Tsung crush the heroes of Earthrealm, Nightwolf is a good-hearted and respected warrior that fights for peace. He is a mighty shaman who can contact the Great Spirit, which allows him to channel energy as his main power source. He can also contact the Elder God, Raiden, who summons him during Earthrealms most dire moments. After losing a few of our heroes in the first movie, the good guys are going to need as much help as they can get.
He mostly uses a tomahawk and magic to defeat enemies. As one of the most infamous Native American characters in video games, I would love to see a respectful interpretation of him. Mortal Kombat is decently diverse, and it would be amazing to see more of that represented in the future. While some character’s backstories can be a bit shallow (Sonya is in the military, Johhny Cage is in action movies), Nightwolf has one of the more unique histories. If the sequel attempts to give him the emotional origin story he deserves, it could add more emotional weight to the upcoming tournament.
#3. Jade
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II
A staff pick for personal favorite character.
It would be a shame to include Kitana in the next film and leave Jade out for the third act of a hypothetical trilogy. She is a pivotal character in Kitana’s journey, as she acts as both a close friend and loyal bodyguard to her. Despite working for Outworld, her only priority is the Princess’s happiness and safety, and she will do whatever it takes to ensure she is never harmed. She is also a fantastic leader in her own right, eventually becoming a general for the Edenian military.
She mostly uses a staff as her weapon and uses Bojutso as her attack style. While the staff allows for some intense long-range attacks, she is incredibly formidable in hand-to-hand combat as well. If Outworld is recruiting new members to fight in the tournament, I can only hope that she is there to prove her mettle. As previously mentioned, Kitana’s story is the heart of Outworld, and to help that story make its biggest impact, we should see Jade by her side for support.
#2. Noob Saibot
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II
Double trouble.
It is very, very important to know that death doesn’t matter in the world of Mortal Kombat. You could be ripping someone’s eyeballs out one moment, then asking for a rematch shortly after. Even in the story modes, characters are constantly dying, coming back as undead versions of themselves, and eventually being revived to their original form. After all, time is a flat circle. Noob Saibot is one of the few reincarnations that take a different form than its original combatant. If you couldn’t tell by looking at him, he likely won’t fight alongside Liu Kang and Sonya Blade.
Noob Saibot is a self-interested fighter that rules over darkness and shadows. He can use his power to teleport, almost like Nightcrawler from The X-Men. Similar to Shao Khan, the only thing he craves is chaos and destruction, no matter the cost. If we see him compete in Mortal Kombat, there is a good chance that he will be doing it solely to seek revenge and taste violence. He would be a menacing presence and one of the characters that could surprise audiences the most. Noob is not politically motivated, so he has the potential to be the wild card that provides excellent tension and twists in the story moving forward.
#1. Kuai Liang
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II
This guy is ice cold, baby.
We can all agree that Sub-Zero was pretty awesome in the last Mortal Kombat movie. While his fate is undetermined, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the next variation of the character sooner than later. The original, named Bi-Han, was the leader of the Lin Kuei. After years of war and violence, though, Bi-Han became a shell of his former self, eventually losing most of his humanity. After his disappearance at the end of the film, the Lin Kuei clan needs a new leader and will likely choose his younger brother, Kuai Liang, as their newest leader and the new Sub-Zero.
Kuai Liang has very different morals and objectives than his older brother. While the original frosty fighter sought out the destruction of their rivals, the Shirai Ryu clan, Liang hopes to unite the two and provide peace eventually. Like Lui Kang, Kuai Liang is disciplined and fights for the human race instead of only looking out for his clan. While his sibling desired chaos, Liang provides a new perspective that will hopefully become key to taking down Shang Tsung and his army of evil in the upcoming sequels.
There are so many characters; it was hard only to choose 7.
These were 7 characters that should be in the next Mortal Kombat movie. Do you agree with the list? Are there any characters you would like to see in the sequel? Let us know in the comments below.
