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Characters / Mortal Kombat 1 Non Playable

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Mortal Kombat Main Character Index
Original and Reboot Timeline: MK (1992) | MK2 | MK3 | MK4 | Deadly Alliance | Deception | Armageddon | MK vs. DC Universe | MK9 | MKX | MK11
The New Era: MK1 (Playable Kombatants | Kameos and NPCs)
Spin-offs: Mythologies: Sub-Zero | Special Forces
Non-video game: The Movie | Conquest | Defenders of the Realm | 2021 Movie
Individual Characters: Scorpion I (Hanzo Hasashi) | Sub-Zero I/Noob Saibot (Bi-Han) | Johnny Cage | Liu Kang | Raiden | Shang Tsung | Sub-Zero II/Scorpion II (Kuai Liang) | Kitana | Mileena | Shao Kahn/General Shao | Quan Chi

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Kameo Fighter Rosternote 

     In General 
  • Assist Character: Their entire job, since they're not directly playable. Kameo Fighters pop in for one attack, then take their leave and can't be used again until their Kameo gauge is at least halfway full. They also participate in your Fatal Blow, the point character's forward throw, and each of them has their own Fatality.
  • Developer's Foresight: Normally, the player's point character tags in their Kameo during a forward throw so that they can do their own throw animation. If the Kameo is already doing something else, the point character's throw changes into a simple shove backwards, usually opening them up to the Kameo's attacks.
  • The Ghost: The Earthrealm Kameo Fighters are the only ones to not play any role in 1's story mode.
  • Meet Your Early-Installment Weirdness: The Earthrealm Kameo Fighters are directly based on their original designs drawing attention to their quirks that later appearances ironed out. In the cases of some of newer fighters such as Frost and Tremor, they were given new designs that deliberately evoke the Klassic aesthetic of the Arcade Era games despite making their respective debuts after that era of the franchise had ended.
    • Kameo Fighters who originated from the '90s games have intentionally cheap-looking outfits, down to the Scorpion and Sub-Zero being palette swaps. Sonya is notable for having two distinct costumes, representing her appearances from the original 1992 game in addition to Mortal Kombat 3.
    • Kano, based off his Mortal Kombat (1992) appearance, lacks the beard of his Netherrealm Studios appearance and Jax, based off his Mortal Kombat II design doesn't have his now ubiquitous metal arms until you unlock his 3 inspired skins.
    • The Fatalities are also close matches to the classic ones they had, with additional camera work. This makes them stand out as short and to the point unlike the more elaborate Fatalities of the main roster.

Earthrealm

    Scorpion (Hanzo Hasashi) 

Scorpion (Hanzo Hasashi)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_scorpionkameo.png
In past timelines, the title of "Scorpion" was bestowed upon Hanzo Hasashi, a shinobi of the Shirai Ryu clan. Murdered, along with his clan and family, by Sub-Zero in a devious plot orchestrated by Quan Chi, he would be reborn as a revenant, a vengeful spirit driven only by a burning desire for revenge.

  • Breath Weapon: He uses his signature "Toasty" Fatality he's had since the very beginning. Humorously, much like the portrayal of the finisher shown in MK2, the victim explodes when set ablaze, sending a ridiculous amount of bones flying everywhere.
  • Demoted to Extra: Zig-zagged. He goes from a prominent character and the face of the franchise as Scorpion in the previous timelines to a mere Kameo in this timeline, with his role as Scorpion being taken over by Kuai Liang. He later appears in Smoke's ending as a young boy who joins the budding Shirai Ryu, at least. However, in the Invasion Mode, he regains his prominence as the sympathetic Arc Villain of Season 1: The Spectre.
  • Palette Swap: Downplayed, as their face models are noticeably different from each other, but keeping to their classic designs, the only difference between his and Sub-Zero's outfits are their colors.

    Sub-Zero 

Sub-Zero

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_subzerokameo.png
In past timelines, the Lin Kuei were not protectors of Earthrealm, but a secret society of assassins. Sub-Zero is the title held by the cryomancer members of the clan, the brothers Bi-Han and Kuai Liang, both of whom would be at the center of great changes in the course of the clan's history...

  • Ambiguous Situation: It's unclear who's behind the guise of the Kameo version of Sub-Zero, whether it's Bi-Han or Kuai Liang, though the evidence does point more towards it being the former rather than the latter:
    • Both brothers have done their own takes of the Spine Rip Fatality.
    • Kuai Liang has worn Bi-Han's outfit on several occasions.
    • Sub-Zero here lacks a scar, which implies Bi-Han, but during his debut in both timelines, Kuai Liang also lacks a scar. Though the outfit is called "Mortal Kombat", referring to the first appearance of Sub-Zero, further indicating it's likely yet another variant of Bi-Han.
  • Off with His Head!: His Kameo Fatality is the "Spine Rip". In this version, Sub-Zero freezes the neck before pulling the head with the spine.
  • Palette Swap: Downplayed, as their face models are noticeably different from each other, but keeping to their classic designs, the only difference between his and Scorpion's outfits are their colors.

    Sonya Blade 

Sonya A. Blade

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_sonyabladekameo.png
Sonya Blade is a member of the Special Forces, a global peacekeeping army. She would become embroiled in Mortal Kombat during her hunt for the criminal Kano, and in a past timeline, was even the paramour of Johnny Cage.

  • Demoted to Extra: After being present as a playable character in every game of the Netherrealm timeline, she's demoted as a Kameo in this installment. Additionally, she's one of three Kameo fighters (the others being Kano and Stryker) that doesn't yet appear in the main New Era timeline or are alluded/implied to exist in a piece of dialogue.
  • Kiss of Death: Her classic Fatality where she blows a kiss onto an opponent, causing them to burn alive returns here as her Kameo Fatality.

    Jax 

Jackson "Jax" Briggs

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_jaxkameo.png
Debut Game: Mortal Kombat II

In past timelines, Jackson Briggs, better known as Jax, is Sonya Blade's commanding officer in the Special Forces. A military man blessed with great strength, he, too, has spearheaded the hunt for Kano.

  • Demoted to Extra: After being present as a playable character in every game of the second timeline, he's demoted as a Kameo in this installment.
  • Giant Foot of Stomping: That one Fatality from MK3 where he grows in giant size and stomps the loser into a bloody pulp with his boot returns in full force as his Kameo Fatality here.
  • Smoking Is Cool: In spite of him being based on his original MKII design, he retains this trait given to him in later games, as he appears gloriously smoking in his win pose.
  • Truer to the Text: Kameo Jax's skins are based off his MKII and MK3 appearances from the Original timeline, where he never lost his arms and instead wore bionic sleeves.

    Kano 

Kano

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_kanokameo.png
Kano is a leading figure in the Black Dragons, a criminal syndicate, and a long time target of the Special Forces — particularly of Sonya Blade and Jax.

  • And Show It to You: His Kameo Fatality is the patented "heart rip".
  • The Bogan: Even as a voiceless Kameo fighter, Kano's uncouth personality still shines through with his unhygienic habits.
  • Demoted to Extra: After being present as a playable character in every game of the Netherrealm timeline, he's demoted as a Kameo in this installment and can possibly kill the player during a failed attempt at the "Test Your Might" mini-game.
  • Devious Daggers: He uses knives in his throw, stabbing the opponent before headbutting them. Another attack has him throw them at the opponent.
  • The Ghost: While the New Era version of Kano does not appear in Mortal Kombat 1, the Black Dragon clan he founded is still around, he receives a few offhanded mentions, he's one of the voices to criticize (and kill) you if you fail Invasion minigames, and several of the composite fighters of Armageddon have his blades and laser eye.
  • In Spite of a Nail: Implied. While Kano makes no appearance in this timeline, pre-fight intros make mention of his Black Dragon clan, and Liu Kang stated that in this timeline, they're also full of scoundrels. Therefore, despite the changes Liu Kang made, Kano and the Black Dragon still end up as villainous people.
  • Nose Nuggets/Spiteful Spit: His manners in the New Era are just as horrid as in the previous ones, as he either spits or blows his nose on the ground during the pre-kombat animations.

    Kurtis Stryker 

Officer Kurtis Stryker

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_kurtiskameo.png
Debut Game: Mortal Kombat 3

Kurtis Stryker was an ordinary beat cop when Shao Kahn launched an invasion of Earthrealm. While he was no kombatant at first, his police training, weapons, and gadgets helped him to survive and drive Shao Kahn back.

  • Boom, Headshot!: One of his Kameo Brutalities has him blow up the opponent's head with a gunshot.
  • Police Brutality: Still fights with his baton, flashlight and taser.
  • Why Am I Ticking?: His Kameo Fatality has him strapping a bomb to the defeated opponent and it exploding.

    Sektor 

Sektor

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_sektorkameo.png
Debut Game: Mortal Kombat 3

In past timelines, Sektor was a Lin Kuei member who underwent "cyberization", transforming into a half-robotic killing machine. In time, Sektor would splinter off from the Lin Kuei and make his own bid at konquest as leader of the cyborg army known as the Tekunin.

  • Fire-Breathing Weapon: For his Brutality "Low Level Threat", he employs a wrist-mounted flamethrower to reduce his opponent to a posing charred skeleton.
  • Macross Missile Massacre: During his Brutality "Fire and Forget", four rapid-impact missiles are shot from his chest cavity, sending his opponent into the air and bisecting them before reducing them to fine chunks with an uppercut.
  • Palette Swap: His appearance is nearly one to one with his classic Mortal Kombat 3 appearance, which is identical to Cyrax in every way other then a predominantly red color scheme instead of yellow.
  • Teleport Spam: Many teleport moves are featured in his Kameo moveset.
  • The Walls Are Closing In: His Fatality has him project a giant hydraulic press from his chest and squash the enemy into a red paste.

    Cyrax 

Cyrax

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_cyraxkameo.png
Debut Game: Mortal Kombat 3

Like Sektor, Cyrax was a Lin Kuei assassin who was cyberized. Unlike Sektor, however, Cyrax was able to hold onto his humanity, rejecting Sektor's ambitions and fighting in defense of Earthrealm.

  • Blood-Splattered Warrior: His first Brutality "Net Gross" has him stick a bomb to the back of his opponent's head, which immediately detonates. The resulting mess from their head coats Cyrax from head to toe as he dutifully taps away at his Super Wrist-Gadget.
  • Detachment Kombat: As always, Cyrax likes to move around by exploding into pieces and reassembling, and this even becomes one of his Brutalities.
  • Earth-Shattering Kaboom: His Kameo Fatality, which was first used by Cyber Smoke in MK3 and later used by himself in MK4 Gold, literally scatters enough bombs from his chest across the ground to blow up the entire planet.
  • Palette Swap: His appearance is nearly one to one with his classic Mortal Kombat 3 appearance, which is identical to Sektor in every way other then a predominantly yellow color scheme instead of red.
  • Self-Destruct Mechanism: The Brutality "Target Destroyed" has him run up to his opponent before detonating himself right on top of them. This reduces the opponent into a pile of gore while Cyrax's body flies off in six separated, but otherwise undamaged pieces.
  • There's No Kill like Overkill: Cyrax's Fatality involves blowing up the entire planet to kill a single opponent.

    Frost 

Frost

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_frostkameo.png
Frost was a cryomancer whom Sub-Zero took under his wing. Unfortunately, her talent was matched only by her ambition, and her desire to usurp leadership of the Lin Kuei would set mentor and pupil against one another.

  • Anime Hair: Frost's hair-gelling regimen has apparently persisted into the New Era, and she even discarded her arcade-era ninja costume's hood in order to show it off.
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Her part of the Fatal Blow has her freezing her boots, turning them into icicles, and using them to puncture her enemy.
  • Literally Shattered Lives: Her Fatality has her freeze the soft tissue of the opponent’s torso and then deliver a shattering blow, leaving them as an icy skeleton with their head still attached.
  • Non-Uniform Uniform: While she wears the same arcade-era ninja uniform as Scorpion and Sub-Zero, she doesn't use the hood, presumably because if you couldn't see her absurdly spiked hairdo you wouldn't know it was her.
  • Retraux: Frost was introduced well after the original trilogy, but is presented here with the classic ninja uniform from the arcade games, albeit without the hood in order to show her ridiculous-as-usual hair.

    Shujinko 

Shujinko

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_shujinkokameo.png
In past timelines, Shujinko was an Earthrealm-born martial artist of peerless talent, able to adopt the fighting techniques of others. This made him the perfect patsy for Onaga, who tricked him into releasing him. Though a victim of deception, Shujinko would bear the blame for the destruction Onaga wrought.

  • Balance Buff: Due to launching at what was agreed to be a very underpowered state, Shujinko received a steady stream of buff after buff to make him more competitively viable. His most massive came in April 2024, giving him the ability to steal even more moves from the opponent.
  • The Bus Came Back: Last playable in 2006's Armageddon, skipped the entirety of the Netherrealm timeline sans small cameos in the prequel comics and Cassie Cage's ending in X. Back here as a Kameo.
  • Boring, but Practical:
    • He is the only Kameo who can run at his opponent, and will do so as long as the player holds the Kameo button down until he reaches his opponent or gets hit. Since his meditation move doesn't draw from the Kameo gauge, the player can essentially utilize him as a Human Shield against single-hit projectiles or long-range attacks only at the expense of a low cooldown for repeated use. The player can also choose to have him meditate sitting on the floor, in case they're dealing with any low-profile attacks.
    • Shujinko has access to two single-hit normal attacks that he can use before he starts to meditate. While they aren't usually very useful by themselves, they occasionally come in handy for brief periods when the point character can't cover for Shujinko's meditation.
  • Difficult, but Awesome: He's one of the most difficult Kameo Fighters to use for a few reasons: Unlike every other Kameo who can act strictly based on cooldowns, Shujinko's Kameo gauge starts off entirely empty. He must be summoned to meditate on the battlefield in order to build up his Kameo gauge, and he can be interrupted by his opponents. When he's ready to go, he will steal two of his opponent's special moves — specifically of the opponent's point character, not their Kameo — demanding a vast knowledge of what moves are being stolen and how to string them up with your main kombatant's moveset, but also meaning he has a very potentially diverse kit with many unique strengths that no other Kameo has access to.
  • Ditto Fighter: He's a Dittomediate, taking two special moves from the opponent for a Kameo strike. If he copies Shang Tsung, he can also use his Ditto Fighter power to become the opponent's Kameo for one move.
  • Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Shujinko as a Kameo is definitely this. At the beginning of a match, Shujinko's Kameo meter is empty, and he must meditate for a few moments, filling the meter. Once he has filled the Kameo meter, Shujinko functions the same way as other Kameos, except he uses the moves of the opponent's playable character.
  • Power Copying: Shujinko is able to copy the powers of his player's opponent. He's also able to turn into the opponent's Kameo and use their moves (and Brutalities if available) if the player's opponent is Shang Tsung.
  • Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: Shujinko's assist during a character's Fatal Blow is a series of rapid-fire punches to the opponent's chest before squeezing the neck.
  • Secret A.I. Moves: He allows for a Subversion. During Story Mode, the vast majority of Kameos are other members of the main cast who aren't actually selectable from the Kameo roster in proper matches. However, Shujinko does use all the attacks from those exclusive Kameos as part of his Ditto Fighter gimmick, giving players access to them in normal modes as well, albeit only copying the character their opponent is using.
  • Touch of Death: His Kameo Fatality consists of jabbing five pressure points on the body with stiffened fingers, not unlike the famous Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. In true MK fashion, the loser actually gets a gaping hole from the exploding heart.

    Tremor 

Tremor

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tremorkameo.png
Tremor was a member of the Black Dragon organization who possessed the power over earth, posing a serious threat to the Special Forces and even to Kano himself.

  • Dishing Out Dirt: Similarly to his previous appearance, he's able to control earth in a variety of ways to pummel his enemies. He ends up possessing all three distinct flavors of earth featured in his Variations from X, adding some metal, magma, and crystals to his arsenal.
  • Instant Armor: One of Tremor's moves in his Crystalline variant has him creating crystal armor around the main fighter, briefly reducing incoming damage and making them immune to launches and knockdowns.
  • Mechanically Unusual Fighter: As a Kameo Fighter, Tremor has a Stance System that he can change between mid-fight, with each stance having its own set of special moves, giving him by far the most diverse arsenal of any Kameo. Additionally, he can cancel the stance change into a move from the variation he switched to meaning he can turn his Summon attacks into Ambushes at the cost of the entire Kameo bar.
  • Retraux: Sort of a partially-invoked example: most Kameos are visually based off the designs from their earliest appearances, but Tremor's outfit doesn't quite resemble the Mortal Kombat 3 "ninja" garb he was seen wearing in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces — it's instead a Palette Swap of the "ninja" uniforms worm by Scorpion and Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat (1992), which were faithfully preserved with their Kameo designs. Additionally, his skin is distinctly very rocky, something he wouldn't have until all the way in Mortal Kombat X.
  • Stance System: Retains his three variations from Mortal Kombat X, and unlike in that game, he can switch between them at any time mid-fight: "Aftershock" features some brutal launchers and knockdowns, "Metallic" gives some ranged magma blasts and boulder projectiles, and "Crystalline" features some utility in the form of Instant Armor and an Attack Reflector. Of note is that Tremor has to be briefly summoned to cycle between stances before being resummoned to use an ability — one can input to instantly summon him and use a move in a single go for a quick ambush, but doing so costs the entire Kameo meter rather than half of one.

    Janet Cage 

Janet Cage

Debut Game: Mortal Kombat 1
Portrayed by: Courtenay Taylor (English)

Janet Cage is an alternate reality version of Johnny Cage that first appeared during the Battle of the Pyramid.

  • Difficult, but Awesome: Most of Janet's abilities are fairly straightforward, but "Stunt Double" (her down Kameo) is easily the most complicated as it allows you full control of Janet for as long as you can hold the button down and have the Kameo meter for it (though there is an option for her to taunt, which restores some of it mid-summon). Janet has a ton of combo potential on her own, and the player can still fight using their point character, allowing players with the skill, dexterity, and coordination to deliver insane 2-person rushdown combos for massive damage.
  • Distaff Counterpart: She's a female version of Johnny Cage that comes from another timeline.
  • Groin Attack: Distaff Counterpart or not, she wouldn't be a Cage without the signature Nut Punch (or in this case, the "Crotch Destroyer"), which is used as an ambush attack.
  • Moveset Clone: As what one would naturally expect, she carries a very similar moveset as Johnny Cage, including the Shadow Kick and the Nut Punch, as well as some much older moves like the repeatable aerial punch combo (a popular combo associated with her male counterpart all the way back in the very first game).
  • Off with His Head!: Her Kameo Fatality is the klassic Head Pop done by Johnny in older games.
  • Original Generation: Janet is the first Kameo fighter to not be a character from a past Mortal Kombat title, and is instead one of the background characters from this game's finale.
  • The Pen Is Mightier: When assisting in a fatal blow, she uses the same pen for autographs and stabs it into the opponent's eye.
  • Puppet Fighter: Janet's "Stunt Double" summon allows you to manually control Janet for a handful of different moves, including her own get-ups and reversals.
  • Your Mime Makes It Real: One of her moves is "Mime Time", where — seemingly channeling the spirit of Ninja Mime — she runs in and "stops" at an "invisible" wall... which seems to be real, being able to block attacks and projectiles and restrict the opponent's movement as if it was an obstacle, though it can be surmounted by either jumping over it or attacking Janet.

    Mavado 
Mavado is a leading figure in the Red Dragon, a criminal organization from which the Black Dragon broke off from. In past timelines, he held a fierce rivalry with Black Dragon member Kabal, to the extent that he attempted to kill him for his hook swords. He also carried a set of grappling hooks that he was capable of using to lethal effect.

  • Adaptational Weapon Swap: Downplayed: Mavado was originally designed to be a Suspiciously Similar Substitute to Kabal who wielded his signature hook swords, along with his own arsenal of grappling hooks. As a Kameo Fighter, Mavado exclusively uses his grappling hooks and also has a never-before-seen electric landmine, with the swords being nowhere to be seen.
  • Bloodier and Gorier: Mavado only ever had one Fatality prior to this game, which involved him placing grappling hooks near his opponent's feet before launching himself into them for a brutal divekick. This is recreated for his Kameo Fatality here, only this time, Mavado's divekick is so powerful that it splits the opponent in half, complete with an explosion of blood and gore.

Outworld

    Goro 

Goro

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_gorokameo.png
Debut Game: Mortal Kombat (1992)
Portrayed by: Unknown actor (English), Carlo Vázquez (Latin American Spanish)

The prideful prince of the four-armed, half-dragon Shokan race and a member of General Shao's army.

  • Adaptational Job Change: In previous timelines, Goro was a prince. Here, he's a soldier in Shao's service.
  • Adaptational Modesty: Goro's usual attire only consists of a loincloth. Here, he wears full-length pants.
  • Adaptational Wimp: In the previous timelines, Goro was the monstrously powerful prince of the Shokan and a nine-time champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament. Here, he doesn't even participate in the tournament and is defeated quickly in a dust-up with Johnny Cage.
  • Goomba Stomp: He can crush a critically-wounded opponent under his stomp attack as a Brutality.
  • Multi-Armed and Dangerous: As usual, he has four arms and uses them to brutal effect in kombat. An alternate timeline Goro/Shao amalgam even wields four Wrath Hammers during the final chapter.
  • Satellite Character: Only has one line of dialogue in Chapter 7 and his sole role in the story is to act as one of Shao's lackeys.

    Motaro 

Motaro

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_motarokameo.png
Debut Game: Mortal Kombat 3

A proud warrior from the Centaurian race of Outworld and a member of General Shao's army.

  • An Arm and a Leg: Cruelly rips off both of a guard's arms during the story mode.
  • Barrier Warrior: One of his moves summons a shield that absorbs projectile damage.
  • The Bus Came Back: Last playable in 2006's Armageddon, skipped the entirety of the Netherrealm timeline, sans a small bunch of appearances in 9. Back here as a Kameo. Furthermore, he appears as his four-legged self, which skipped Armageddon and was last seen in Trilogy.
  • Offscreen Moment of Awesome: He was one of Raiden's offscreen opponents in the tournament, and although he was defeated, Sindel considered Motaro's efforts noteworthy enough to mention him by name.
  • Satellite Character: Motaro has little characterization outside of carrying out Shao's orders.

    Khameleon 

Khameleon

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/khameleon_mk1.png
A Zaterran woman who is among the Umgadi.

  • Albinos Are Freaks: She's unbelievably pale, and has white hair and eyes to boot. It's heavily implied that she's a Zaterran shapeshifter, which would make her a freak among her people had she not been inducted into the Umgadi.
  • All Your Powers Combined: All her moves are directly lifted from Kitana, Mileena, and Jade's traditional movesets, with her able to pop out their respective combat fans, sais, and staff at will, as well as command their various ambush and utility options. Her involvement in Fatal Blows has her use all three weapon sets in rapid succession on the opponent.
  • Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Similar to how her earliest appearances work, Khameleon's outfit changes color based on whose arsenal she's using: blue for Kitana's fans, purple for Mileena's sais, and green for Jade's staff. Otherwise, her outfit is a slightly iridescent gray.
  • Ditto Fighter: Much like Shang Tsung did with the male ninjas in the previous games, Khameleon utilizes the moves of the original three female ninjas: Kitana, Mileena and Jade.
  • Foreshadowing: She's a Zaterran like Syzoth, but while she has eerily pale skin and eyes she still looks mostly like a human, rather than a huge crocodile-lizard. This is the first hint at his eventual discovery that there are others like him.
  • No-Sell: One special move Khameleon borrows from Jade is her signature "Shadow Glow" that grants temporary immunity to projectiles, though rather than using it on herself, she grants the effect to the main "point" kombatant.
  • Prophet Eyes: Her eyes are of a milky white colour.
  • Satellite Character: There's little to go on outside of her assisting Tanya when there's nobody else. That she's Zaterran is only brought up by Tanya in passing.
  • Token Non-Human: Khameleon, a Zaterran, is the only one of the Umgadi who is confirmed to be non-Edenian.

Orderrealm

    Darrius 

Darrius

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_darriuskameo.png
Hailing from Orderrealm, Darrius is a man of great strength and ambition. This would make him many enemies in his home realm, as his desire to rule would lead to him trying to destabilize Orderrealm.

  • The Bus Came Back: Last playable in 2006's Armageddon, skipped the entirety of the Netherrealm timeline. Back here as a Kameo.
  • Combination Attack: Most of Darrius's Kameo attacks (forward, back and a follow-up to his neutral attack) involve him and the player's kombatant working in tandem.
  • Grievous Harm with a Body: His Arm Bash Fatality, wherein he rips off the opponent's arms and bashes their head off with them, returns from Deception. The player also gets to invoke this with Darrius, as his back Kameo involves the player character swinging him around by the arms to bash the enemy.
  • Karma Houdini: Following Havik's final defeat by Scorpion's hands in the story mode, Darrius vanishes from the story and is never mentioned again, facing no on-screen punishment for aiding and abetting Havik.
  • Mechanically Unusual Fighter: While a few Kameo characters interact with the player in different ways (Scorpion's spear, Kung Lao's teleport), Darrius' forward and back Kameo attacks, as well as a follow-up to his neutral Kameo, emphasise teamwork with the player. He can also use his forward and back Kameo attacks as follow-ups to his Neutral Kameo at no extra cost.
  • Satellite Character: In story mode, Darrius has no lines and never gives any indication of why he's working with Havik. Unlike Sareena, the arcade endings and post-story fight intros don't involve him at all.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Darrius disappears from the story after Scorpion's chapter; unlike other Story Mode kameos, he doesn't make any appearance in the arcade endings and pre-fight intros make no mention of him, leaving his status and whether he's still working with Havik unclear.

Netherrealm

    Sareena 

Sareena

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mk1_sareenakameo.png
Portrayed by: Mara Junot (English), Kerygma Flores (Latin American Spanish), Sinnead Phillips (face model)

  • Adaptational Ugliness: Downplayed. Sareena's human form in the original timeline easily passed for human but in the New Era, she has a few tiny horns and black eyes.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: Ashrah's arcade ending strongly implies that Sareena was under Quan Chi's control during story mode, with the sorcerer's spell being broken by Ashrah when she came to rescue her sister.
  • The Bus Came Back: Last playable in 2006's Armageddon, skipped the entirety of the Netherrealm timeline sans a small cameo in X and Kabal's ending in 11. Back here as a Kameo. Furthermore, her demonic self makes its first appearance ever since Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Despite being a Netherrealm demon under Quan Chi's thrall, once she's freed from the sorcerer's control, Sareena defects to Earthrealm and joins Ashrah in founding the Order of Light.
  • Mythology Gag: One of Johnny Cage's nicknames for Sareena as the fight announcer describes her as "Bi-Han's future bestie", a reference to her Ship Tease with Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero.
  • Satellite Character: In story mode, Sareena serves as a brainwashed minion for Quan Chi and nothing more. However, Ashrah's ending has her rescue Sareena from Quan Chi's service, and both pre-fight intros and Johnny Cage's lines as the announcer give some shading to her character (Syzoth fearing that she'll backslide into evil and Cage calling her "Bi-Han's future bestie").

Titans (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers)

    The Benefactor 

Damashi/Titan Shang Tsung

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2921_0.png
"You're not Damashi… you're me!"
"More correctly, you are me. A poor facsimile, anyway, made lesser by Liu Kang's meddling."

Portrayed by: Alan Lee (Titan Shang Tsung) and Jennifer Hale (Damashi), English; Galo Balcázar (Titan Shang Tsung) and Gaby Willer (Damashi), Latin American Spanish;

The Shang Tsung from the Bad Ending of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. When he and Liu Kang fought for control of Kronika's hourglass, the battle unleashed massive temporal energies that fractured time's fabric, creating alternate timelines where either of them prevailed. In his timeline, Shang Tsung conquered the realms and enslaved their inhabitants as his obedient servants. When he learns of the existence of a parallel timeline where Liu Kang prevailed, he plots to invade and conquer it as well. Taking the form of Kronika and using the alias "Damashi", he approaches the Shang Tsung and Quan Chi of Liu Kang's timeline and convinces them to start a multiversal war in exchange for ruling at "her" side when the dust settles.

For more tropes applying to him and his former appearances, click here.

  • Arch-Enemy: He's the very same Shang Tsung with whom Liu Kang fought back in the previous timeline, and their animosity is very much mutual; discovering that there were other timelines made Shang Tsung eager to conquer them, but discovering one crafted by Liu Kang made him eager to conquer that one first.
  • Assist Character: As a boss, he uses Quan Chi as a special Kameo fighter.
  • Bait-and-Switch: Right at the tail end of Mileena's chapter, the benefactor of Quan Chi and Shang Tsung (who appeared to be Kronika, but has gone conspicuously unnamed) makes their presence known, and Shang Tsung provides their name: "Damashi", implying that, as in Deception, Onaga is using that name to pull the strings. It isn't Onaga, but he's someone no less deceptive.
  • Big Bad: Responsible for interfering with Liu Kang's timeline. After his deception is revealed, he wants to destroy it, and then absorb the rest of the timelines.
  • Borrowed Catchphrase: Before facing off with the player's chosen champion in the Battle of Armageddon, Titan Shang Tsung makes use of his New Era counterpart's old sales pitch to drive home how confident he is in his victory.
    Titan Shang Tsung: The question you must ask yourself is: if Liu Kang could not finish us, what chance do you have?
  • Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Shang Tsung's penchant for treachery reaches a new level here; he proves that he'd literally betray himself to get what he wants, having manipulated his New Era counterpart to serve his own goals.
  • Composite Character: He takes the form of Kronika when infiltrating Liu Kang's timeline, but uses the alias "Damashi" from Onaga to further conceal his identity.
  • The Corrupter: Downplayed While it's doubtful that either of them needed much convincing (Shang Tsung, at being offered power, cracked a blood-chilling Slasher Smile and was already a minor criminal before "Damashi" convinced him to commit worse crime), Titan Shang Tsung uplifted the New Era's Shang Tsung and Quan Chi from their mediocre lives and turned them into malicious, powerful sorcerers who threaten Earthrealm.
  • Cover Identity Anomaly: Though he disguises himself as Kronika, this actually makes him more suspicious, because Geras notes that Titans, once killed, cannot be resurrected, so there's no way it could really be her. This prompts Geras to investigate further, and he eventually notices that the time crystals that make up this mysterious woman aren't of this timeline, and since no one could be left over from the previous timeline, this leads him to deduce she comes from a parallel timeline.
  • Deader than Dead: The death of Titans are already stated to be absolutely permanent with no chance of resurrection, but Liu Kang goes the extra mile and uses his powers to erase Shang Tsung from existence entirely.
  • Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: In his timeline, he had already won, he had complete control over all the realms as Keeper of Time and had killed or enslaved their inhabitants. But this just wasn't enough for him, and when he learned there was another timeline where Liu Kang had beaten him, he just couldn't help but try to invade and destroy it, too, causing a multiversal war that directly led to his demise. If he had been content with what he had, he would have ruled his timeline for eternity.
  • Evil Counterpart: Like Liu Kang, Shang Tsung defeated Kronika and his own nemesis to become a Titan and the Keeper of Time. Unlike Liu Kang, he made his timeline a realm of darkness to appeal to his own twisted ego.
  • Evil Is Not a Toy: Omni-Man's Tower ending reveals that Shang Tsung summoned him out of desperation to win Armageddon. The Viltrumite's loyalties never wavered, to the Titan's ultimate detriment.
  • Evil Is Petty: He had no real need to try and genocide all of Liu Kang's timeline and merge it with his own. Seems the idea of a timeline where Liu Kang had a happy ending merely existing was just too big of a middle finger to Shang Tsung for him to permit, so he decided to do it out of spite.
  • Evil Mentor: According to Ashrah, he taught Shang Tsung and Quan Chi everything they know about sorcery.
  • Eviler than Thou: Manages to outrank his own counterpart from the current timeline in terms of evilness.
  • Failed a Spot Check: The discovery of Liu Kang's New Era failed to spark in Titan Shang Tsung the logical conclusion that his counterpart quickly came to: that if their two timelines could exist at the same time, then other timelines, ruled by other Titans, also could. Titan Shang Tsung even wonders aloud how he could have failed to realize this when he sees the allies Liu Kang has gathered to oppose him.
  • Fatal Flaw: Titan Shang Tsung's greed and petty hatred for Liu Kang are ultimately his undoing; he had ultimate power over his timeline, but learning of other timelines, he couldn't help but set out to conquer them, but not before ruining Liu Kang's New Era. This, along with his interference revealing the multiverse's existence to Liu Kang, leads to Titan Shang Tsung's ultimate defeat and erasure from existence.
    Liu Kang: Realize, sorcerer, that you've brought this on yourself. Avarice and ego have again proved your undoing. We have no choice but to eradicate you.
  • Final Boss: In both the Story Mode and the Klassic Towers, with Quan Chi as his personal Kameo.
  • Five-Second Foreshadowing: As his benefactor finally appears before the gathered heroes, New Era!Shang Tsung introduces them as "Damashi". As any player of Deception would quickly realize, that name was previously used as an alias by a powerful villain. Liu Kang is even implied to recognize it as such. Scant seconds after Shang Tsung utters the name, "Damashi" reveals himself to be Titan!Shang Tsung from the alternate ending of Aftermath.
  • Hidden Disdain Reveal: As "Damashi", he piles compliments onto Shang Tsung in order to feed his ego and get his Alternate Self to do his bidding, but once the facade drops, Titan Shang Tsung reveals that he considers his New Era counterpart to be little more than a poor copy, made lesser by Liu Kang, and fit only to be a pawn.
  • Hijacked by Ganon: "Damashi"'s true identity turns out to be the version of Shang Tsung that was victorious in Aftermath.
  • In the Hood: When disguised as Kronika, he wears a hood over his head.
  • It's All About Me: Shang Tsung's already monstrous ego only became more bloated when he became a Titan; even with ultimate power over his own timeline (itself a twisted reflection of Shang Tsung's malignance to the point that he brags that there, the arc of history bends toward him), Shang Tsung can't resist the chance to lift himself even higher, seeking to first conquer, then eradicate Liu Kang's New Era, and to move on to the entire multiverse when he realizes its existence, all just to glorify himself.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: In Titan Shang Tsung's original timeline, he backstabbed and manipulated everyone around him to obtain Kronika's crown, then crushed all opposition to rule over a New Era where he dominates. With his plot to destroy Liu Kang's New Era failing, him being killed by the Titans of better timelines, and the destruction of his timeline, all the wrongs Shang Tsung committed had finally been corrected.
  • Killing Your Alternate Self: During the Battle of Armageddon, he and Quan Chi are set upon by heroic counterparts of themselves, who clash with the Deadly Alliance. Titan Shang Tsung dispatches his own counterpart by stealing his soul.
  • Multiversal Conqueror: Learning that timelines apart from his own existed was all the motivation Shang Tsung needed to set out on a campaign of konquest that would put even his old master Shao Kahn to shame.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
    • Revealing his true identity and plans, seemingly just for a giggle, convinces the New Era's Shang Tsung and Quan Chi to ally themselves with Liu Kang for the sake of revenge and survival, and their help proves vital in thwarting Titan Shang Tsung.
    • Invading Liu Kang's timeline just gives Liu Kang the idea (suggested by the other Shang Tsung, no less) of calling for help from other timelines himself, allowing him to gather an unprecedented army to oppose that of Titan Shang Tsung.
  • No Canon for the Wicked: Subverted; despite the implication that Liu Kang's Aftermath ending was the only canon choice, Titan Shang Tsung's existence confirms that both endings happened.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: Subverted. He wants to totally eradicate Liu Kang’s entire universe, but considering he just wants to enslave the rest of the grander multiverse, he’s not THAT bad.
  • Outside-Context Problem: That other timelines could exist at all was a major curveball for Geras and Liu Kang, let alone that someone from such a timeline would or could interfere in the New Era.
  • Satanic Archetype: As Liu Kang is the New Era's creator, it's fitting that his old Arch-Enemy Shang Tsung should be the one perverting it and corrupting its people for his own ends. Shang Tsung's ever-present snake motif and penchant for manipulation lend themselves very well to the Satanic role he plays here.
  • Smug Snake: As usual, Titan Shang Tsung's confidence is supreme, and as usual, it blinds him to his mistakes; despite discovering the existence of Liu Kang's timeline and realizing how it came to be, he never made the logical leap that if their timelines could coexist, there could be others, a conclusion his counterpart in the New Era (whom Titan Shang Tsung dismissed as a mere pawn) came to very shortly after learning "Damashi's" true nature.
  • Spotting the Thread: Aside from the story details that explain how it can't really be Kronika that players are seeing, there's several hints that "she" isn't what she seems. Kronika was fairly stoic in her demeanor and only occasionally smiled when things were going well for her, she rarely praised her allies and instead focused on placating their doubts about working with her, and spoke with a confident, aloof tone. The Kronika disguise that Titan Shang Tsung uses, however, often flashes a Psychotic Smirk, heaps praise on the other Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and her voice is a bit deeper and quieter. All of this adds up to this being's manner of manipulating people being quite different from the real Kronika, a major hint that it isn't her.
  • Walking Spoiler: His true identity is a massive revelation in-story, and the revelation of his existence changes the very rules of time and space that the characters thought they were dealing with.
  • You Don't Look Like You: Potentially justified. While this is supposed to be the Shang Tsung from the original timeline concluded in MK11, he no longer looks like Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa but now resembles the New Era Shang Tsung instead — which could be a case (in lore anywaynote ) of utilizing his New Era's form for amusement to rub it in, or the younger appearance of the New Era Shang Tsung naturally resembles him at an even younger point than before.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Titan Shang Tsung never intended to keep the promises he made to the New Era's Deadly Alliance; once they had the Dragon Army ready for him, he planned to kill them along with everyone else in Liu Kang's timeline. In his own words, they were "pawns, not partners".

    Other Titans 

Portrayed by: Kari Wahlgren (Titan Kitana), Travis Willingham (Titan Raiden) and Sunil Malhotra (Titan Kung Lao), English; Betzabé Jara (Titan Kitana), Gerardo Reyero (Titan Raiden) and Alan Fernando Velázquez (Titan Kung Lao), Latin American Spanish;
Across the myriad timelines splintered off from the final battle of 11, Liu Kang first seeks out three in particular to aid him against Titan Shang Tsung — Kitana, Kung Lao, and Raiden. The three fight alongside Liu Kang to fend off Titan Shang Tsung's first assault on his hourglass, and then help him rally even more allies for the coming war.


  • Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome: They're based on their arcade endings from 11, where each of them was able to defeat Kronika on their own and became Keeper of Time.
  • Call-Back: The fact that they're the first three Titans Liu Kang seeks out as allies is a reference to his arcade ending, where he became Keeper of Time and shared the power with them to form a new pantheon of Elder Gods.
  • Gold and White Are Divine: As in their 11 endings and Kronika herself, they prominently feature white and gold on their outfits as a reflection of their divinity and power.
  • Merging the Branches: While all of them act as allusions to the arcade endings of 11, Titan Kung Lao specifically mentions that his White Lotus Society numbers in the millions, making it clear that these aren't merely allusions to the character arcade endings, they are those versions of them and they are canonical.
  • Power Makes Your Voice Deep: Titan Raiden is the previous incarnation that was a Thunder God before becoming Keeper of Time, and his voice sounds much deeper than the new, mortal Raiden of Liu Kang's timeline.
  • Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: During the Battle of Armageddon, Titan Kitana makes an epic entrance before dispatching the evil versions of Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda and Kung Jin.
    Kitana: Allow me.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: As she's from the 11 continuity, Titan Kitana is Fire God Liu Kang's Kitana, the one he met during the events of Mortal Kombat 9. They share a happy kiss at being reunited, and she comments how fate seems to conspire to keep them apart except in times of conflict.

    The Latecomer (MAJOR Unmarked Spoilers) 

Titan Havik (The Cleric of Chaos)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_2920.jpeg

Portrayed by: Jacob Craner (English), Raymundo Armijo (Latin American Spanish)
An alternate version of the previous timeline's Havik, who claimed the Hourglass and fully enveloped his universe in his twisted vision of chaos. Appearing in the ruined Dark Timeline, he stands in awe of the battle of Armageddon that took place there, which gives him an idea...


  • Adaptational Ugliness: Havik was never a pretty sight in prior timelines, but his Skull for a Head was bloodless. Here, he not only has the same gory Facial Horror as the playable Havik, but his entire body is covered in patches of glistening red tissue.
  • Blood Knight: Titan Havik finds the carnage of the Battle of Armageddon to be awe-inspiring, so much so that he wants to start another war of comparable scale.
  • Establishing Character Moment: The very moment we see him for the first time, Havik drops a morningstar to the face of an agonizing and armless alternate Jax Briggs, showing himself to be cruel and merciless.
  • Evil Is Visceral: Titan Havik is covered with red scar tissue, and his face is even more disfigured than that of his counterparts in either the New Era or previous timelines.
  • Faux Affably Evil: He talks about a critically injured Jax's struggle to stay alive in an almost admiring tone, but follows that up by cruelly crushing the helpless and unarmed (figuratively and literally) man's skull.
  • Forever War: When his version of Kenshi laments that the Battle of Armageddon had to end, Titan Havik ominously replies that "next time, it won't".
  • Identical Stranger: While they look similar, the playable "Havik" of the New Era is actually an alternate version of Dairou, whereas Titan Havik is the previous universe's Cleric of Chaos.
  • Irony: Havik of the New Era is a Bomb Throwing Anarchist with an irrational hatred of all authority figures, whereas Titan Havik rules his own universe as a god, is accompanied by loyal followers, and dresses in a noticeably regal fashion.
  • Sequel Hook: While the tower endings tease possible future plotlines and returning antagonists, Titan Havik appears in The Stinger of the story mode itself, setting him up as the next major threat to the realms.
  • Sadist: He amuses himself by letting his morningstar hover over a maimed and helpless Jax's head for a moment before dropping it.
  • Savage Spiked Weapons: Since he's based on the original Havik, as opposed the new timeline's Dairou, he carries a very intimidating morningstar. He shows off his savagery by sadistically letting the spiked ball hover above an armless Jax's head before dropping it down.
  • To Create a Playground for Evil: He desires a repeat of the interdimensional war to drown all timelines in chaos, for no reason other than because he thought it ended too quickly the first time. Even Dairou has nominally loftier goals than that.


Invasion Characters

     In General 
  • Multiversal Conqueror: Some of the invasion modes bosses are these Nitara, Sub-Zero, and Mileena for differing reasons. While Invasion Scorpion just wants his wife back.


Others

    Madam Bo 

Madam Bo

Portrayed by: Kelly Hu (English); Kerygma Flores (Latin American Spanish)

Kung Lao and Raiden's mentor, and owner of the Fengjian Teahouse.
  • Ascended Extra: She originated as the interactable old woman from one of the Mortal Kombat X stages.
  • Cool Old Lady: She's Lao and Raiden's martial arts teacher and both her students have a lot of respect for her.
  • Dirty Old Woman: An intro between Johnny Cage and Kung Lao has the former wonder if Madam Bo was flirting with him.
  • Made of Iron: Her reaction after getting decked square in the face by Smoke and thrown off the second floor of her restaurant with enough force to destroy the table she landed on? Play dead while her two students/surrogate grandsons throw down with the Lin Kuei, then suddenly snap awake to give them a good fright when they come to check on her, revealing that she was never in any danger to begin with. Even though the whole thing was a Secret Test of Character for Raiden and Kung Lao, the mere fact that she can casually shrug off such punishment despite her old age is truly impressive, former Lin Kuei or not.
  • Mentor Occupational Hazard: Subverted and invoked. It's initially made out like Tomas had killed her by throwing her off the second story of her restaurant, but she was simply playing dead as the entire scenario was an elaborate set up to test Raiden and Kung Lao's abilities.
  • Miniature Senior Citizens: Madam Bo is a Cool Old Lady and martial artist who is easy half the size of any of her associates.
  • Mysterious Past: Various bits of pre-battle dialogue hint that Madam Bo has lived a very interesting life; she's a former Lin Kuei, and at least one of the souls within Ermac—a collection of ancient Outworld souls—was one of her suitors. Who is this woman?
  • Retired Badass: Scorpion tells Kung Lao in their pre-intro fight that Madam Bo was once a Lin Kuei.
  • Smoking Is Cool: After she stops playing dead, Madam Bo casually lights up a cigarette to show how unbothered she was by the entire situation.
  • Supreme Chef: Everyone who talks about Madam Bo's cooking has nothing but good things to say, especially Kung Lao.
  • Troll: She messes with Raiden and Kung Lao by playing dead a moment longer than necessary and giving them a quick Jump Scare when she reveals that she's still alive.

    Katara Vala 

Katara Vala

Portrayed by: Jacob Craner (English); Raymundo Armijo (Latin American Spanish)

An ancient ruler of an old civilization now an undead monster. Actually just a character in a movie Johnny Cage stars in.
  • Big Bad: Of "Temple of Katara Vala" starring Johnny Cage.
  • Off with His Head!: Katara Vala meets his end by being decapitated by the adventurer Johnny is playing.
  • Palette Swap: He is simply a reskin of Havik.

    Cristina Cage 

Cristina "Cris" Cage

Portrayed by: Mara Junot (English); Carla Castañeda (Latin American Spanish)

The wife of this timeline's Johnny Cage.
  • Alliterative Name: Cristina Cage.
  • Amicable Exes: Cristina divorces him out of concern, not enmity, and still loves the man he once was. Johnny doesn't speak ill of her (just her lawyer) post-divorce, and is protective of her safety. Scorpion even hoped they could get back together, though Johnny says that won't happen.
  • Dramatic Irony: Cristina was right about the development Johnny needed to undergo, but wasn't around to see him actually do it by the time the divorce was finalized.
  • Foolish Husband, Responsible Wife: Believes this of Johnny, who keeps spending above their means despite the fact he's no longer a big star and can't afford it.
  • Gender-Blender Name: Johnny only ever refers to her as Cris.
  • Love Cannot Overcome: She eventually leaves Johnny because he can't let go of the limelight and spends too much of their money on fancy trinkets and appearances.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When it becomes clear to her that Johnny is too caught up in his own self-image to live within their means and accept that his career has already peaked, she grabs her purse and leaves their house. Later, it's revealed in dialogue that she filed for divorce.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Despite only having a very minor role in the game, she does a lot to set up Johnny's initial character and status quo and her leaving him becomes the catalyst for him to become a champion of Earthrealm and better person overall.
  • That Man Is Dead: Alluded to in her argument with Johnny, saying she didn't marry him but married John Carlton, and would do anything to have him back.

    Emperor Jerrod (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers) 

Emperor Jerrod

The deceased husband of Sindel. During the Story Mode, it's revealed his soul resides in the Living Forest. When Quan Chi creates the Soulnado during Ashrah's chapter, his soul is used as one of the many that form the construct Ermac. Later, he's fought by Mileena and Tanya at Ying Fortress, a fight that allows him to overpower the other souls within Ermac, allowing him to finally reunite with his family.


  • Adaptational Badass: In previous timelines, Jerrod was mainly notable for being Kitana's birth father and dying at the hands of either Shao Kahn or Sindel. Here, while his capabilities in life go unmentioned, when he's in control of Ermac, he possesses the gestalt being's powerful telekinetic abilities.
  • Adaptational Relationship Overhaul:
    • He never met Liu Kang in previous timelines, as his murder long predated Liu Kang's birth. Here, they are old friends.
    • Jerrod only has one daughter in the previous timelines, that being Kitana. Here, he now has two, Mileena and Kitana, the former he was unaware of in previous timelines since she was created long after he died.
  • Ascended Extra: It was typically left to Flavor Text and (non-canonical) endings that he was one of the souls within Ermac. In this game, he eventually manages to overpower the others in the collective and becomes the dominant personality, which not only means he's appearing in-person for a large part of the story, but he is, in a sense, part of the roster.
  • Battle Couple: He shares some ass-kicking moments with Sindel during Mileena's chapter, however, after Sindel dies, he absorbs her soul into the Ermac gestalt. In Sindel's arcade ending, it is shown that the couple reunite inside of the legion of souls inside Ermac, and fight together side by side to remain in control of the body.
  • Perfectly Arranged Marriage: According to Sindel's bio, her and Jerrod's marriage was forced upon them, but they proved to be an ideal match, loving each other fiercely until Jerrod was murdered. After Sindel is mortally wounded, Jerrod even takes her soul into Ermac's body so that they can be together forever.
  • The Un-Reveal: As in previous timelines, Jerrod was murdered, but it's never revealed who did the deed. Even when Jerrod himself returns, he gives no details about his assassination other than to say that it wasn't Li Mei's fault.

    The Lin Kuei (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers) 

The Lin Kuei

A clan of warriors led by Bi-Han that has been dedicated to protecting Earthrealm for centuries, a status quo that was held by his late father. However, Bi-Han's conflicting visions with his father and his own growing ambition causes him to break out from the mold and changes the clan from Earthrealm protectors to ruthless assassins. While some still believes in Bi-Han's new vision, those who disagree flee to Japan and forms the Shirai Ryu to oppose them and upheld the old virtues of the previous grandmaster.


  • Ambiguously Evil: The brothers' late mother is long dead by the time her eldest son betrayed Earthrealm, but Bi-Han insists that she'd applaud his actions, while Kuai Liang and Tomas believe that she'd be ashamed of him; it's never established whose opinion is accurate.
  • Face–Heel Turn: Due to their Grandmaster's treason against Earthrealm, the Lin Kuei abandon their role as their realm's protectors and seek to become a national superpower in their own right.
  • In Spite of a Nail:
    • Despite their new role as protectors instead of assassins, the Lin Kuei ends up being an assassin clan once again as a result of Bi-Han's Adaptational Villainy, plunging the clan back to their starting position in the previous timelines.
    • If the initiate whom Shao warns Bi-Han about really is Frost, then even in the New Era, she became Sub-Zero's apprentice and schemed against him.
  • The Starscream: Shao has intel about one of Bi-Han's new female initiates who's trying to backstab the latter and take over Lin Kuei leadership. It's heavily implied that this initiate is the New Era's Frost.

The Previous Grandmaster

The late father of Bi-Han, Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada.
  • Ambiguous Situation:
    • It's unclear if he is the same grandmaster who preceded Sektor in previous timelines having undergone Adaptational Heroism and is now the father of Bi-Han and Kuai Liang instead of the father of Sektor, or if Liu Kang simply rewrote history so that Bi-Han and Kuai Liang's family became the head family of the Lin Kuei instead of Sektor's family.
    • It's never revealed how he exactly died. The only details given about his death are that he was in an accident and that Bi-Han let him die and lied to the rest of the clan, claiming that he tried to save him. The nature of the accident itself remains unknown.
  • Good Parents: Tomas and Kuai Liang have nothing but good things to say about him, and Bi-Han's endless criticisms of his father are treated as a sign of his own villainy, not any failing on the Grandmaster's part.
  • Like Father, Like Son: Both Kuai Liang and Tomas carry on their father's legacy as steadfast defenders of Earthrealm.
  • Like Father, Unlike Son: While the Grandmaster was content to serve Earthrealm, his eldest son Bi-Han believed the clan should help govern it, and he ultimately abandoned his father to die so he could fulfill that ambition.
  • Posthumous Character: He has already been dead for quite some time by the time 1's story begins.

Sektor

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_3155_6.jpeg
Sektor with Sub-Zero
A technological genius and one of Bi-Han's most loyal followers.
  • Adaptational Nice Guy: Sektor is still a villain by the virtue of being on Bi-Han's side. However, in the previous timeline, Sektor was known for being a backstabber who has no loyalty to anyone other than himself. His Undying Loyalty in this timeline, misguided as it may, makes him a slightly better version of his previous self (it also helps that Bi-Han takes on the aspects of his darker side in this timeline).
  • Ambiguous Situation: It's unclear if the previous grandmaster is the person who was his father in previous timelines and the two are now no longer related or if Liu Kang simply rewrote history so that Bi-Han and Kuai Liang's family became the head family of the Lin Kuei instead of Sektor's family.
  • Co-Dragons: Kuai Liang specifically names him and Cyrax as absolute loyalists to Bi-Han who would never betray him.
  • Decomposite Character: Sektor’s worst traits were given to Bi-Han in the New Era.
  • Evil Genius: In Sub-Zero's ending, Sektor convinces Bi-Han to bolster the Lin Kuei's strength through technology, personally leading the Cyber Initiative.
  • Mad Scientist: Played up in this timeline, with him not only suggesting the Cyber Initiative when Bi-Han was looking for an alternate source of manpower, but actually creating the first cyber-ninjas himself. He also appears to have been radically redesigned in spirit of this trope, wearing a bandana with classical mad scientist goggles as he does his work.
  • Undying Loyalty: Kuai Liang states that Sektor and Cyrax are so loyal to Bi-Han that they would sooner abet his corruption than join Kuai Liang and Tomas in defecting.
  • Unrelated in the Adaptation: Possibly. In the previous timeline starting in 9, it was established that he was the son of the previous Lin Kuei Grandmaster. Here it's implied that he isn't, especially since Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Smoke are now the Grandmaster's sons. Though the case could simply be that Liu Kang altered history so that Bi-Han and Kuai Liang’s family became the heads of the Lin Kuei instead of Sektor’s family, meaning that Sektor’s father is likely still the same person as in previous timelines and he just never became the grandmaster in this timeline.

Cyrax

One of Bi-Han's most loyal followers.
  • Adaptational Villainy: In the previous two timelines, Cyrax never willingly indulged in the Lin Kuei's corruption and joined the heroes once his programming was undone. Here, Cyrax remains loyal to Bi-Han and ignores his treasonous and criminal actions.
  • Co-Dragons: Cyrax and Sektor are loyal to Bi-Han and Kuai Liang mentions that they won't accept anyone but him as their Grandmaster.
  • The Ghost: Cyrax never appears in 1's story mode, only getting mentioned once by Kuai Liang, and unlike Sektor, Cyrax doesn't appear in Sub-Zero's arcade ending.
  • Undying Loyalty: Kuai Liang states that Sektor and Cyrax are so loyal to Bi-Han that they would sooner abet his corruption than join Kuai Liang and Tomas in defecting.

    The Shirai Ryu (Warning: Unmarked Spoilers) 

The Shirai Ryu

A new ninja clan founded by Kuai Liang and his wife Harumi to protect Earthrealm after the Lin Kuei abandoned their post.


  • Badass Creed: According to one of Scorpion's intros, the Shirai Ryu's motto is "death before dishonor".
  • In Spite of a Nail: Like the previous incarnations of the group, this timeline’s version of the Shirai Ryu is founded by a schism within the Lin Kuei.
  • Redeeming Replacement: Scorpion, Smoke, and Harumi found the Shirai Ryu to serve as a replacement for the Lin Kuei, who, under Bi-Han's leadership, forsook their duties in protecting Earthrealm.
  • Spared by the Adaptation: The whole clan is usually slaughtered to justify springing Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi into action. In this continuity, the clan is just starting out and is envisioned to grow strong enough to oppose Lin Kuei and prevent themselves from getting slaughtered.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: It's a representation of the reformed Lin Kuei from the previous timelines, as the clan of oriental warriors led by Kuai Liang after his defection from the old Lin Kuei (and cleaning up the dark parts of the clan), marking the time when the clan becomes more heroic and a genuine defender force of Earthrealm (rather than either being neutrally self-interested or corrupt and being a threat to Earthrealm). Since Kuai Liang is Scorpion now, it now bears the name of the previous Scorpion's doomed clan.

Harumi Shirai

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harumi_shirai.png

The childhood friend of Kuai Liang, she takes him and his followers in after they defect from the corrupted Lin Kuei


  • Action Girl:
    • Harumi only appears in a few images of Kuai Liang and Smoke's endings, but in them, she's easily slaughtering Lin Kuei assassins, preparing to fight the Lin Kuei by her husband's side, as well as training Shirai Ryu initiates.
    • Harumi's Alternate Self, who appears in the ending of Invasion mode, isn't just a warrior, but became Scorpion in her timeline, rather than Hanzo.
  • Adaptational Badass:
    • While we never knew anything about Harumi Hasashi other than being Hanzo's wife who was murdered by Quan Chi (original timeline) and Sektor (first reboot), Harumi Shirai is not only a member of her clan, she is the head, and even marries Kuai Liang in his arcade ending, destroying their enemies together as husband and wife.
    • The ending of the "The Spectre" Invasion introduces another Harumi who became Scorpion after the death of her Hanzo. She likewise forms a battle couple with the Hanzo who invaded the New Era, giving her timeline a second Scorpion to help fight Quan Chi and other evildoers.
  • Alternate Self: An alternative version of herself plays a vital part in the Invasion mode. Namely, in a role-reversal, after the slaughter of the Shirai Ryu clan, she was the one who turned into Scorpion rather than Hanzo. This version of Harumi is found by Liu Kang and introduced to the Hanzo who becomes the Big Bad of the Invasion mode, allowing them to bond over their spouse's losses and team up to fight the one responsible (Quan Chi).
  • Ambiguously Bi: An intro between Harumi's husband Kuai Liang and Tanya has the latter express familiarity with Harumi; Tanya doesn't divulge any details, but her tone implies that their acquaintance might have been intimate in nature.
  • Ascended Extra: Downplayed; Harumi's role is usually limited to dying in order to motivate Scorpion, but here, although she doesn't appear in the main story, she has a much greater impact by co-founding the Shirai Ryu (which is named after her in this timeline), in addition to not having been murdered by Quan Chi. Her Alternate Self, who became Scorpion in Hanzo's place, also plays a brief, but important role in Invasion mode, where she ends Hanzo's antagonism and convinces him to join her in battling evil.
  • Battle Couple:
    • Kuai Liang's arcade ending features Harumi by his side with sword in hand and he challenges Bi-Han and the Lin Kuei.
    • Harumi's Alternate Self from Invasion likewise fights by her husband's side, with both she and Hanzo being Scorpion and taking on her universe's Quan Chi.
  • Childhood Friend Romance: She and Kuai Liang were childhood friends, who reunited as adults and fell in love.
  • Happily Married: As his intros show, Harumi's husband adores her, and every reference to their relationship indicates that they're a well-matched, happy couple.
  • In Spite of a Nail: She still ends up married to Scorpion, just not the one we're familiar with.
  • Noodle Incident: According to one of Kuai Liang's intros, at some point in her life, Harumi made her way to Outworld and became acquainted with Tanya, though when asked, Tanya withholds the details and suggests that Kuai Liang should ask Harumi.
  • Spared by the Adaptation: Usually, Harumi is murdered by Quan Chi or Bi-Han before the main story gets underway. Here, she's alive and well in the "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue.
  • Swapped Roles: Harumi's Alternate Self from the end of Invasion mode became Scorpion after her Hanzo was murdered by Quan Chi, the inverse of their usual dynamic.

Hanzo Hasashi

The New Era incarnation of that Hanzo, who in the new timeline was a orphan boy until being taken under the wing of Tomas Vrbada and Kuai Liang as one of their first initiates of the newly christened Shirai Ryu.
For tropes applying to Hanzo Hasashi, check his own page.

    The New White Lotus Initiate (Unmarked Spoilers) 

Shujinko

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_3129_7.jpeg
The New Era's incarnation of Shujinko, a new initiate of the White Lotus who trains under Kung Lao. He possesses the unique ability to absorb and copy the powers and skills of others. However, as Kung Lao had failed to teach him humility, Shujinko's ego grew alongside his proficiency, leading to him becoming a threat to the realms. After being subdued by Liu Kang, Shujinko has his acquired skills and memories taken from him so that he could be given a second chance and begin his training anew. Shujinko now trains under both Kung Lao and Raiden who aim to make him the champion they know he is destined to become.

For tropes that apply to Shujinko in previous timelines, click here.

  • Adaptational Villainy: In the original timeline, outside a few sidequests and being tricked to empower Onaga, Shujinko is otherwise a Nice Guy. In the New Era, as depicted in Kung Lao's arcade ending, he is an Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy and becomes a threat to the realms until being stopped by Liu Kang. However, after his rampage is stopped, his memories are wiped to give him a fresh start, so he might still have a chance to become a decent person like his original counterpart.
  • Age Lift: Shujinko was an old man by this point in previous timelines, whereas in this timeline Shujinko is shown to still be a young Shaolin monk.
  • Drunk with Power: Happens in Kung Lao's Tower ending. Kung Lao's training ensures that the younger Shujinko becomes a skilled and powerful warrior, but neglects to instill the humility required to use that skill and power properly. Enamoured with his own strength, he goes on a rampage in Earthrealm, requiring the combined efforts of Kung Lao, Liu Kang and Raiden to stop him.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: Following his defeat, Shujinko has his powers taken and his memory wiped by Liu Kang to ensure it doesn't happen again.
  • Power Copying: Much like his previous timeline self, Shujinko is able to copy the powers of other fighters.
  • A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Kung Lao's failure to teach Shujinko humility and humbleness, turns the young monk into a threat to the realms until he is defeated.
  • Shadow Archetype: Ends up becoming one to Kung Lao, who ends up seeing in Shujinko the logical end point of his own ego.

    The FBI Agent (Unmarked Spoilers) 

Special Agent Jackson Briggs

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"He's quite the all-American hero." –Kenshi
The New Era's incarnation of Jax, a special agent working for the FBI who asks Kenshi to be his informant after saving him from gangsters who he had heard were plotting to kill him on a wiretap. Shortly afterwards, the two are ambushed by Shang Tsung, who had come to steal Sento from Kenshi. Shocked to learn that Johnny Cage's new movies were actually based on real events, Jackson gets in touch with his superiors to form the Outworld Investigation Agency (OIA), an organization dedicated to dealing with any and all threats to Earthrealm and recruits Kenshi, who, while initially skeptical about the idea of becoming a government agent, is more than happy to not only have an important job but also make an honest living.

For tropes that apply to Jackson Briggs in previous timelines, click here.

  • Abled in the Adaptation: Unlike in the second timeline, Jackson has not (yet?) lost his arms or gotten them replaced with cybernetics.
  • Adaptational Job Change: A Special Forces commander in previous timelines, an agent of the FBI and later of the OIA in this timeline.
  • Adaptation Name Change: He is only referred to as Jax by Johnny, with Kenshi instead exclusively calling him by his first name, something that only more formal characters such as Raiden and Fujin did in prior timelines.
  • Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: In the final screen of Kenshi's Tower ending, he is drawn with a striking resemblance to a younger Christopher Judge.
  • Demoted to Extra: After being present as a playable character in every game of the second timeline, his only story appearance in 1 is in Kenshi's arcade ending.
  • The Men in Black: He ends up forming one in the Outworld Investigation Agency during Kenshi's Tower ending, which Kenshi also joins.

    The Doomsday Weapon (Unmarked Spoilers) 

Onaga

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_3131.jpeg
Onaga facing Reiko
The New Era's incarnation of the Dragon King, an ancient threat to Outworld who was defeated by an ancestor of General Shao's and subsequently imprisoned within Mount Tsaagan, where he remains to the present day, when the now-disgraced Shao seeks him out to use as a trump card in his war against Empress Mileena's government...

For tropes that apply to Onaga in previous timelines, click here.

  • Adaptational Badass: Zig-zagged; in the previous canon, Onaga was an emperor of Outworld so powerful that even Shao Kahn feared to face him, as well as a savvy manipulator and skilled necromancer who threatened all realms. Here, there is no indication that he's a necromancer and whether he's intelligent at all is unclear, but even without those qualities, he's described as the most dangerous creature to ever roam Outworld and is considered a living weapon of mass destruction, as well as being several times larger than he was in his previous appearance. So, while Onaga may not be quite the existential threat he once was, he's a lot more dangerous without magic than his previous incarnation would have been.
  • Adaptational Nonsapience: Possibly; Reiko's arcade ending describes Onaga as a "monster" who needs to be tamed and utilized, rather than a sapient being who would need to be convinced to aid Shao's agenda. Onaga's previous appearances had him portrayed as a sapient, and indeed, quite clever, being.
  • Ambiguous Situation: Onaga is referred to and treated like more of a mindless monster than the intelligent being he was in previous timelines, but the Dragon King himself never appears in the main story, and most of the information about him comes secondhand and through legend, leaving the matter unclear.
  • Ancient Evil: Onaga was a threat to Outworld long before the story's present day, to the point that it was a "distant ancestor" of Shao's who defeated him.
  • Decomposite Character: A number of Onaga's most prominent roles in the past are transferred to other characters here: the Dragon Army was created on Earthrealm by an Emperor Ying, rather than being Onaga's undead minions on Outworld; and his role as a manipulator called Damashi is instead filled by Titan Shang Tsung.
  • The Dreaded: Even after untold millennia of imprisonment, Onaga remains feared. Even General Shao can only advise Reiko to "pray" when he chooses to face the monster in the hopes of taming him.
    Kenshi: Who is this "Onaga" Shao wants to tame?
    Sindel: The most dangerous creature to ever roam Outworld.
  • Godzilla Threshold: General Shao would never have dreamed of even trying to tame Onaga if he had other options, but with his rebel army sorely lacking compared to the legions he once commanded, Shao feels he has no choice, and seeks out the imprisoned Dragon King.
  • Kaiju: Downplayed; while not Godzilla-sized, Onaga is an enormous monster who makes Shao's ancestors and Reiko look like toys by comparison, making him several times larger than he was in previous timelines.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Onaga is so powerful that General Shao considers him a doomsday weapon rather than an ally, and only wants to make use of him when it becomes clear that traditional methods of victory won't get the job done.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: Millennia ago, an ancestor of Shao's managed to defeat Onaga and see him imprisoned in Mount Tsaagan. In Reiko's arcade ending, Shao makes plans to tame and unleash him against armies loyal to Mileena.
  • Winged Humanoid: Onaga's monstrous form includes a large set of wings, though his brief appearance only shows him floored or trapped in Mount Tsaagan, so whether he can use them to fly is unconfirmed, but likely.

    Alternate Timeline Kombatants (Unmarked Spoilers) 
Countless alternate versions of familiar characters from across the multiverse, who join the climatic battle between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung at the behest of their various Keepers of Time. A few of them replace Liu Kang's versions of their characters as playable in Armageddon.
  • Alternate Self: Several of the playable characters for Armageddon—specifically Shao, Reiko, Nitara, Sub-Zero, Havik, Baraka, Rain, and Sindel—are not from Liu Kang's timeline, on account of them being either too imprisoned or dead to help, or in Baraka's case exist in a different form, and are instead heroic counterparts pulled from other timelines. Interestingly, the playable Liu Kang for this chapter is also an alternate due to the Liu Kang we've been following for the entire game serving as the player's Kameo for the chapter.
  • C-List Fodder: They collectively serve as this, allowing the story to amass a body count without actually impacting the main cast. In particular, among the Dark Timeline kombatants are evil versions of Cassie Cage, Takeda Takahashi, Jacqui Briggs and Kung Jin, who briefly menace the chosen fighter before being dispatched by Titan Kitana.
  • Conservation of Ninjutsu: Most of the alternate versions go down with surprising ease, even though their main universe versions tend to be individually tough opponents. To the point that the "chosen fighter" is able to defeat 3 Mileenas at the same time with relative ease.
  • Distaff Counterpart: Several of them are gender-swaps of existing characters, including female versions of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage (named Janet Cage), Reptile and Ermac.
  • Enemy Mime: One of the potential kombatants you can face is an evil Ninja Mime.
  • Evil Doppelgänger: Shang Tsung's "dark" timeline is populated with these, all fanatically loyal to their master. The enemy fighters during the Battle of Armageddon presumably hail from similarly corrupted timelines, and can potentially be defeated by their heroic New Era counterparts. The inverse is true as well, with a brief scene devoted to showing off heroic versions of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi battling their normal selves, as well as heroic versions of Bi-Han, General Shao, and Reiko who can become the 'chosen fighter' to aid Liu Kang.
  • Expendable Alternate Universe: By the time the Big Badass Battle Sequence concludes, hundreds-to-thousands of these people are dead, including a number of Time Keepers, forever altering the histories of their native timelines; but everyone from Liu Kang's New Era timeline is safe and sound.
  • Fusion Dance: Once Shang Tsung starts calling in reinforcements from additional timelines, the player gets to fight amalgamations of otherwise unrelated characters, showing just how bizarre the infinite multiverse can get. Some standouts include:
    • "Barakion" - Baraka crossed with Scorpion.
    • "Fire Cage" - Liu Kang crossed with Johnny Cage.
    • "Firefly" - Li Mei crossed with Scorpion.
    • "Frost Bite" - Nitara crossed with Sub-Zero, a vampire with cryomancer powers.
    • "Guard of Thunder" - Li Mei crossed with Raiden.
    • "Jawspell" - Mileena crossed with Quan Chi.
    • "John Kahner" - Johnny Cage crossed with General Shao, formerly Shao Kahn.
    • "Johnny Savage"note  - Baraka crossed with Johnny Cage.
    • "Kang Quan" - Quan Chi crossed with Liu Kang.
    • "Kitana Kahn" - Kitana crossed with Shao.
    • "Klockodile" - Reptile crossed with Geras, a lizard who can manipulate time.
    • "Lizard Queen" - Sindel crossed with Reptile.
    • "Quan Li" - Quan Chi crossed with Li Mei.
    • "Quantum Chi" - Geras crossed with Quan Chi.
    • "Red Dragon" - Kano crossed with Liu Kang.
    • "Reiko Starr" - Reiko crossed with Johnny Cage.
    • "Scorp Lao" and "Stung Lao", two variants who cross Kung Lao with Scorpion, with the former being the basis for "Scorp Lao" and the latter being the base for "Stung Lao".
    • "Screen Demon" - Ashrah crossed with Johnny Cage.
    • "Sento Storm" - Rain crossed with Kenshi.
    • "Shao Zero" - Shao crossed with Sub-Zero.
    • "Shock Priestess" - Tanya crossed with Raiden.
    • "Warlord" - Reiko crossed with Raiden, a warrior who's also a deity.
    • There are three cutscene-only variants that cross Sonya with Kano, Goro with Shao, and Kung Lao with Dark Raiden.
    • Among the fusions accompanying Titan Havik in the stinger there's a fusion of Quan Chi and Sub-Zero, alongside a fusion between Tanya and Kitana.
  • Good Is Not Nice: The Good Counterpart of the villains summoned by Liu Kang generally have the same aggressive, villainous personalities as their evil selves in this timeline. In spite of that, they're still using their powers to prevent Armageddon and be more heroic than their current selves.
  • In Spite of a Nail: One potential opponent during the climb up the Pyramid is LK-7T2, another cybernetic version of Smoke from a different timeline.
  • Killed Off for Real: Most, if not all of the Dark timeline kombatants are killed off over the course of the final chapter, either at the hands of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, during the Battle of Armageddon, or when the timeline collapsed upon Titan Shang Tsung's death.
  • Moveset Clone: The Fusion Dance style opponents battled at the Pyramid of Argus fight with a mix of their component characters' styles.
  • Punny Name: Most of them have aliases that act as a wordplay pun on their name or powers. Examples include "Klockodile" (Geras and Reptile; a lizard who can manipulate time), "Warlord" (Reiko and Raiden; a warrior who is also a deity), and "Frostbite" (Sub-Zero and Nitara; a vampire with cryonic powers).
  • Rousseau Was Right: In several pre-battle intros, Liu Kang is questioned on why he didn't simply Ret-Gone his old enemies from his new world, and the reason he always gives is that he wanted them to have a chance to be reformed, and he would never regret showing mercy to even his worst enemies. The presence of heroic alternates of Quan Chi, Shao, and Shang Tsung all quietly and effectively prove that Liu Kang made the correct choice; despite inherently negative personal qualities, all of the old guard of Mortal Kombat villains have the capability to be good.
  • Sequel Hook: A select few of them are left behind before the timeline is fully destroyed. These fighters come from a timeline conquered by Havik, and are agents of his Chaosrealm.
  • Taking You with Me: A Goro/Shao amalgam that ambushes the player gets pushed off a cliff by two alternate Cage's in the final battle, but grabs their feet and pulls them down with him when they have their backs turned.

    Raiden's Sister 

Raiden's Sister

Raiden's as-of-yet unseen sister. She's training with the Shaolin during the events of the game.


  • Action Girl: Implied to be one, or at the very least having the sheer potential to become one. When Tanya tells Kung Lao in one of their pre-fight dialogues that no Earthrealm woman could fight like an Umgadi, Lao is quick to correct her and lists Raiden's sister as second only to Madam Bo, who's a former Lin Kuei.
  • The Ghost: She has yet to appear in person.
  • No Name Given: So far, she's only known as "Raiden's Sister".
  • Unknown Character: Without a name or a face, only vague discussion, all we have is speculation about whether she's an established character (such as Fujin or Cetrion) or someone entirely new to Liu Kang's world.

    Kotal 

Kotal

  • Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: In the previous timeline, Kotal and Mileena were bitter enemies and rivals for Outworld's throne. In the New Era, Kotal serves Empress Mileena without any evident problems and is trusted enough to be made a general.
  • The Ghost: He is mentioned but not seen in MK1, first as one of Raiden's opponents that were defeated offscreen, then in certain pre-fight dialogue it's revealed that he has replaced Shao as General after he was deposed.
  • In Spite of a Nail: Despite the New Era's changes, Kotal still becomes a general in service to Outworld's throne and he still becomes Shao's enemy after occupying a position once held by Shao.
  • Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Kotal was one of Raiden's offscreen opponents in the tournament and although he lost, Sindel considered the fight noteworthy enough to mention Kotal by name.

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