In the earliest days of the Mortal Kombat series, the fighting game animated real images of its characters to create a realistic look. Nowadays, the series sticks to the traditional computer-generated visuals, but that doesn’t mean the developers at NetherRealm Studios have abandoned their roots. The studio still uses real-life actors, actresses, and models for the inspiration behind some of their characters.
However, not all of the face models for Mortal Kombat 11 come forward or are highlighted by NetherRealm studios’ promotion. When the game uses someone like Ronda Rousey for Sonya Blade, the devs try to use their fame to promote the game, but otherwise these individuals can choose to come forward if they want.
The latest person that fans have found is Ashley Heller, who served as the face model for Sindel in Mortal Kombat 11. Heller actually revealed that she was the inspiration for Sindel back in December – around the time that the DLC Season Pass added her as a playable fighter – but fans only just started sharing her post this weekend.
If nothing else, it’s interesting to look at a model’s face and see how accurately the developers try to recreate it in-game. Obviously, Sindel has an undead look (and a unique backstory) in Mortal Kombat 11, but the resemblance is fairly strong.
It’s important to point out, though, that while Heller is the face model for Sindel she does not provide the voice and likely didn’t do any of the performance capture. According to IMDB, Sindel’s voice actress was Mara Junot, a seasoned voice actor who has worked on a lot of different games from The Outer Wilds to League of Legends.
Excitement around Mortal Kombat 11 was likely on the decline before NetherRealm Studios surprised fans with the announcement of Aftermath. Unlike most Mortal Kombat games, which release DLC fighters to flesh out the roster or add costumes and modes, Aftermath is the rare story expansion for the fighting game. It will pick up after the events of the main game’s story, and feature another time-hopping narrative, only this time starring Shang Tsung.
Alongside the new story campaign, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath also promises to add some new fighters to the mix. Raiden’s brother Fujin is arguably the central piece when it comes to the new fighters, but Sheeva and guest character Robocop are also joining the mix when Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath releases on May 26th.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.