With Leatherface and the fearsome Alien joining the Kombat in Mortal Kombat X, we list the slasher icons that need to make appearances in the next Mortal Kombat game.
With a legacy built on ripped spines, crushed heads, and broken necks, Mortal Kombat has established itself as the de facto violent fighting game franchise. But while series such as Street Fighter have opted to keep their stories relatively grounded, Mortal Kombat has always skewed closer to the weird: Demonic kings, robot ninjas, and farting kung-fu masters all make up the MK roster. And because of its mix of gore and weirdness, it only makes sense that Ed Boon and company would turn their sights to the killers of Tinseltown.
It started with Freddy Kruger joining the Kombat in the 2011 quasi-reboot Mortal Kombat, and was doubled down on horror mainstays Jason Voorhees and the Predator jumping into the fracas in last year's Mortal Kombat X. Now, Leatherface and the fearsome Alien will be coming to MKX via DLC pack 2, turning the roster of MK into a veritable who’s-who of horror.
While DLC pack 2 will likely be Mortal Kombat X’s final character update, fans are already turning their attention to the inevitable sequel. When the sequel to Mortal Kombat X rolls along, which slashers should join the melee? We’ve compiled a list of the five slashers that need to be in the next Mortal Kombat.
1. Sam (Trick ‘r Treat)
In horror, the de facto pint-sized killer tends to be Chucky from Child’s Play, with the insidious Leprechaun right on his tale. But ask any horror fan, and the new king of bite sized slayers belongs to the round-headed Sam from Trick ‘r Treat.
Sam may not look like much, but the diminutive slasher has a blood thirst a mile wide. While most killers opt for the garden-variety knives and machetes, Sam utilizes a razor sharp pumpkin lollipop to hold his own, helping the little fella to stand out from the crowded slasher pack.
While it's true that Sam saves his murders for those that disrespect Halloween, the pumpkin-headed boy would surely make an exception for the MK roster. Plus, the equally pint-sized Ferra, a new character for Mortal Kombat X, would finally have someone her own size to pick on.
2. Pumpkinhead (Pumpkinhead)
While the spindly demon Pumpkinhead has only a scant four movies to his name (practically nothing for a horror franchise), he has managed to cement himself as an iconic slasher. Created by infamous special effects wunderkind Stan Winston, Pumpkinhead’s unnerving features and large, bulbous head gives him an appearance unlike any other slasher, which would certainly help him to stand out on the Mortal Kombat roster.
Much like fellow round-head killer Sam, Pumpkinhead does not set out to kill just anyone; rather, this demonic slasher focuses his wrath on those that wrong another. Seeing that MK is filled with fighters who hardly bat an eye at eviscerating their opponents, Pumpkinhead’s specific brand of murder would fit right into the “kill a man just to win a martial arts tournament” story of Mortal Kombat.
3. Michael Myers (Halloween)
While horror fans practically lost their minds when horror icons Freddy Kruger and Jason Voorhees finally went toe-to-toe, there’s another slasher match-up that fans have been clamoring for: Jason Voorhees vs. Michael Myers. These two titanic terrors have been slicing their way through victims for ages, but have yet to cross paths. Thus, with Mortal Kombat offering horror dream match-ups, it’s time to bring Myers into the fray.
Long considered the original slasher, Michael Myers has sliced and diced his way through over 70 victims since debuting in Halloween in 1978. The big man in the modified William Shatner mask has become a horror mainstay, shrugging off bullets and knives to continue his killing sprees. With Jason set to appear in a video game all his own, it’s about time that someone reminded the hockey mask-adorned killer who the original slasher is.
4. Pinhead (Hellraiser)
While some slashers kill for fun, and other slashers only strive to inflict pain for pain’s sake, Pinhead does both. The fetishistic leader of the hellish Cenobites, Pinhead takes a decidedly S&M approach to his kills; bringing agonizing pain and pure bliss to his victims. No matter how you slice it (or stab it, or disembowel it), Pinhead is a slasher entirely in his own category.
Which makes the posh demon a perfect addition to the Mortal Kombat roster. While Jason and Freddy prefer to get up close and personal with their kills, Pinhead is more hands-off, opting to let his instruments of torture or his band of loyal Cenonbites do the leg work.
Besides, if there’s one thing Pinhead knows, it is how to brutally kill, making him the perfect candidate for MK’s stomach churning fatalities. With fart-happy fighters like Bo Rai Cho slumming it up in Mortal Kombat, bring the dapper demon onto the roster to class things up a bit.
1. Ashley “Ash” Williams (Evil Dead)
Thus far, every slasher to grace the MK roster has fallen squarely into the “pure evil” category. What Mortal Kombat needs is a horror icon to keep these primitive screwheads in line, and who better for the task than Ash Williams?
This lantern jawed slayer of Deadites has survived three movies and a TV series, and he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Armed with his trusty chainsaw hand and boomstick, Ash is certainly equipped to take on the MK roster, and his endless arsenal of quips and one-liners would let the motormouthed hero stand out from his horror peers.
Bruce Campbell, hero of dorkdom and portrayer of Ash, is certainly no stranger to video games, with Campbell recently appearing in Call of Duty: Exo Zombies. Plus, with Ash on the roster, horror hounds will finally get to see the Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash they have been clamoring for for years.
Mortal Kombat has come a long way since its humble beginnings (which gamers almost got to relive), and it seems that developer Netherrealm Studios is committed to taking the franchise in a unique new direction. Whenever the next Mortal Kombat game graces shelves, horror hounds live in hope that the roster will feature plenty of slashers.