Out of all of the fighting game franchises that have come out over the years, Mortal Kombat has among the most varied character rosters. Fighters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero are some of the most recognizable in the industry, and between almost thirty years of games and a handful of big budget films, Mortal Kombat has become a household name in nearly every part of the world.
With so much history, Mortal Kombat has introduced dozens of characters across many mainline games. Not all of them have been as popular as Johnny Cage or Sonya Blade, but Mortal Kombat 11 shows that characters who haven't appeared in some time can make a return. Though MK11's DLC is wrapped up, there's still a long list of kombatants that missed out on the action. With speculation beginning to build regarding Mortal Kombat 12, many of these dormant characters could find a new home in the next installment of the franchise.
Smoke in Mortal Kombat 12
Mortal Kombat has always enjoyed playing around with different elements and natural phenomena when it designs its characters. Sub-Zero uses the power of ice, Scorpion has control over fire, and Rain has control over water. Smoke serves as another literal character, using the powers of smoke and heat to attack players and teleport away from danger. He was last featured as a playable fighter in 2011's Mortal Kombat reboot, and his last appearance was as an undead Revenant in Mortal Kombat X. Bringing Smoke into MK12 would be a great opportunity to introduce a fighter with high mobility, while also providing more recognition to a character who has been around since Mortal Kombat's early years.
Ermac in Mortal Kombat 12
Ermac is in a similar company to Smoke as one of Mortal Kombat's most established fighters. Originating as an urban legend in the Mortal Kombat community, Ermac has since become a fleshed-out character with telekinetic moves that make him one of the most unique fighters to compete with. He featured heavily in both 2011's Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat X, but MK11 saw the character take a backseat. Given Ermac's reputation for servitude, it would be interesting to see who he ends up fighting for in Mortal Kombat 12 after the many twists of MK11's story.
Sareena in Mortal Kombat 12
The Mortal Kombat reboot from 2011 significantly shook up the franchise's narrative. While it acknowledged Mortal Kombat's convoluted past, it wiped the slate clean for many major and minor characters. One such character was Sareena, a demon who had been a devout servant of the sorcerer Quan Chi in the old storyline, but was able to escape him in the new narrative. Sareena makes a brief appearance in MKX as an ally to the game's heroes, and this introduction could see her become more fleshed out with regards to her gameplay and story in MK12.
Mortal Kombat has maintained a healthy blend of new and old characters when creating rosters for its recent installments. Newcomers like Cassie Cage and Kotal Khan have become integral parts of the franchise's story, but there's still room to bring back fighters who hold a place in Mortal Kombat's history. There's no official word on whether or not Mortal Kombat 12 is even in development, so the most that fans can do now is hope that their favorite fighter will be included in MK12's roster.
Mortal Kombat 12 is rumored to be in development.