The Mortal Kombat X comic series was a prequel series to the game. It showed everything that happened leading up to the events of the game. While big names like Scorpion and Sonya Blade were in it, the series put the spotlight on characters from the classic and 3D eras of Mortal Kombat that didn't have a big role.
The comic series showed different sides of the characters from the previous and current games in a new light. It showed that some of these figures can either be of great help or extremely deadly to anyone around them. Which Mortal Kombat characters were better in the comics?
10 Daegon
Daegon has only appeared as the main villain of Konquest Mode in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. While his time in the comic series was short, he was responsible for the death of Kenshi's lover and Takeda Takahashi's mother, Suchin. He ordered hers and Takeda's deaths after finding out that Kenshi had infiltrated the Red Dragon Clan.
Years later, Daegon loaned Reiko and Havik his army to help them get the Kamidogu. Daegon is last seen agreeing to help Prince Goro learn about the Dragon King, Onaga, after Goro presents him a captive Kenshi.
9 Kintaro
In Mortal Kombat (2011), Kintaro didn't play a huge role in the overall story. In the comics, his role wasn't major, but he did appear more. He leads the Shokan Army with King Gorbak to fight Kotal Kahn and his army after the latter defeats and mutilates Prince Goro. After Gorbak is killed, Kintaro tells Goro that he is no longer fit to rule the Shokan and that a fight will be held to see who will rule. When Goro asks if he should fight, Kintaro advises him not to.
Kintaro fights against Havik and other fighters that are possessed by the Blood Code along with Sheeva, after she becomes queen of the Shokan. Kintaro fights Jacqui Briggs, Sonya Blade, and Cassie Cage during this and loses his life to them.
8 Prince Goro
The prince of the Shokan. In the comics, it is shown that Goro aided Shao Kahn in slaughtering the Osh-Tekk people. He also helped him conquer the Kytinn. Goro was also responsible for the death of Kotal K'etz, the father of Kotal Kahn. He betrays Kotal Kahn and teams up with Mileena and Reiko to overthrow him. This would be Goro's downfall. Believing Kotal Kahn to be weak, he arrogantly taunted Kotal about his father's death during their fight.
Kotal ripped one of Goro's arms off then cut off the others while Goro was stunned. Goro goes home and his father, King Gorbak, promises to avenge his son, but he ends up getting killed by Kotal Kahn. The last time Goro is seen is when he goes to meet Daegon to ask about Onaga.
7 Kenshi Takahashi
His time in the comics wasn't huge compared to others, but important things happened to Kenshi. Before the events of the comics and Mortal Kombat X, he joined the Special Forces and went undercover to find out more about the Red Dragon Clan. After his cover is blown, he is forced to live life on the run. Sonya Blade informed Kenshi of his son, Takeda, and that the Red Dragon Clan went after him and his mother, Suchin, who died fighting the mercenaries sent after her and her son.
After Kenshi finds Takeda, he leaves him in the care of Scorpion and the Shirai Ryu so he could continue his mission. At the end of the comics, a crippled Goro brings a captive Kenshi to Daegon in exchange for help.
6 Ermac
After the death of Shao Kahn, Ermac served his successor, Mileena, during her time as Kahnum. He fights against Skarlet when they arrive on Shang Tsung's island and leaves it up to Mileena to finish her off. He joins Mileena and Kotal Kahn when the two put their differences aside to fight a Blood Code-strengthened Reiko. Ermac manages to incapacitate Reiko, but he is stopped by Havik and a Blood Code-corrupted Raiden.
Havik is revealed to be the one pulling the strings and uses the souls inside Ermac to power up Shinnok's Amulet. He's left bound after being rescued by Takeda Takahashi. Mileena frees Ermac and he tells her that he believes she's too impulsive to be the leader of Outworld. Ermac leaves her and goes to serve Kotal Kahn.
5 Reptile
Though he's usually doing the dirty work of those he serves, Reptile's role in the comics showed that he was not just a pawn for them. It is shown in the comics that after Reptile's many defeats in the tournaments, Kotal Kahn was sent to assassinate him. Instead of killing him, Kotal spared him and would become Reptile's commander. Unlike Shao Kahn, Reptile respected and was genuinely loyal to Kotal. He witnesses Goro's betrayal of Kotal as well as the Shokan Prince killing Kotal K'etz.
Reptile helped Kotal get revenge on Goro by killing his army after their fight. Reptile fought alongside Kotal and D'Vorah during the final battle and almost lost his life to Mileena. He survived and continued to serve Kotal Kahn.
4 Takeda Takahashi
The comics explore Takeda's past and how he came to the Shirai Ryu and became Scorpion's student. After his mother was killed, Kenshi took him to Shirai Ryu territory. He and his father were attacked by Hsu Hao and the Red Dragon Clan just as they were crossing the border.
Kenshi told Takeda to run and he did, but he was ambushed by a Red Dragon member. Scorpion saved him and Kenshi just in time, killing Hsu Hao in the process. Takeda was left in Scorpion's care and readers see him go from a rebellious child to the fighter he is in Mortal Kombat X.
3 Mileena
The Mortal Kombat X comics show how Mileena went from being the Empress of Outworld to being usurped by Kotal Kahn. Her rule was disastrous and she nearly ruined it. Kotal Kahn confronted her and usurped her throne with Reptile's help. Tanya later freed Mileena after she was imprisoned and planned on taking back the throne. Mileena and her army waited for a decade to strike. During this wait, she took Reiko as her lover and made him her most trusted adviser, not knowing he was using her.
When she goes after Kotal and Reiko, Mileena fights Skarlet and destroys her legs when the blood mage tries to stop her. When Reiko is revealed to be the most threatening enemy, Mileena and Kotal set their differences aside and fight together. After Havik is revealed to be the real enemy, she ends being controlled by him through the Blood Code. After the final battle, Mileena runs away after freeing Ermac and he tells her he won't serve her.
2 Reiko
Reiko's role was so small in the 3D Mortal Kombat games that even veteran Mortal Kombat players might've forgotten about him. Reiko's role in the comics is one of the big villains in it and greatly expands his story. After Shao Kahn's defeat, he thought about committing suicide since he did not want to be a slave to Quan Chi and Shinnok. Havik, a Chaosrealmer, explained to Reiko about Blood Magik and how he could use it to become a god. Reiko joined Mileena and her rebels, feigning loyalty to her while using her to make his plans come to fruition.
Reiko manages to become the god he wanted to be, but this would end up being his downfall. After killing a hundred soldiers and devouring their souls, Reiko realizes that something is wrong and feels agonizing pain instead of power then begins tearing at himself. Havik reveals that he was never a good candidate to become a god and was used by him the whole time to be a vessel for Shinnok. The Chaosrealmer kills him, ending Reiko's life and crushing his dreams of godhood.
1 Havik
Like Reiko, Havik's role in the games was very small, but the comics reveal just how terrifying he can be. Havik manipulated Reiko into thinking he could become a god and had him use Mileena. He possessed Takeda's friend, Fox, and had him slaughter most of the newly revived Shirai Ryu. Throughout the comics, Havik appears to take a small but very chaotic role by possessing other fighters for a short time then retreating.
After killing Reiko, Havik reveals that he wants to use Shinnok's Amulet to break the barriers around Earthrealm so that the Neatherrealm can invade. He uses the souls inside Ermac to power up the amulet but is stopped by Takeda. Havik captures and tortures Takeda, but before he can finish him off, he is decapitated by Scorpion. Scorpion takes his head to the Neatherrealm and Quan Chi kills Havik by stepping on his head. In Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, it is revealed by Shang Tsung that Havik is alive in the altered timeline.