Midway Games were responsible for each Mortal Kombat title until the rights to the franchise were turned over to NetherRealm for Mortal Kombat 9. Due to the bulk of the game's history being under Midway, a lot of the company's original ideas appear in the latest movie. 2021's Mortal Kombat film is a complete reboot of the franchise on the big screen and is filled to the brim with references to the games, both new and old.
While Midway Games did close down in 2009, the studio is still responsible for many of Mortal Kombat's greatest stories, tropes, and gameplay aspects. Longtime fans of the series will easily be able to recognize what exactly was borrowed from the Midway era for the film.
10 The Uppercut
The uppercut has been a powerful force in Mortal Kombat since the beginning. Midway even added special death scenes when a player wins the fight with an uppercut. Usually, the opponent's head would go flying off when finished with an uppercut, but on the bridge map, the opponent falls into a giant pit of spikes.
The movie references the uppercut through the main character, Cole Young. Young loses an MMA fight for not using the uppercut as his daughter suggested. Later, Cole uses the uppercut in one of the final fights in the film.
9 The Leg Sweep
Leg sweeps are possibly the most spammed move in Mortal Kombat history, at least in the first three games. Many fans of Midway's classics have been left lying at the hands of a rival leg sweep spammer, often new to the game. The film can reference this in a beautiful moment between Liu Kang and Kano.
Liu Kang is training Kano for the impending 10th Mortal Kombat tournament and hits him with a series of leg sweeps to teach him a lesson. Kano falls victim to a few of these attacks before losing his cool, like everyone to ever have the move spammed on them in the games.
8 Reiko
Reiko is the general of Shao Kahn's army, and he was first introduced in Mortal Kombat 4. He is power-hungry and wishes to one day rule all of Outworld. Reiko is best recognized by his massive hammer he wields in battle, much like Shao Kahn.
The cruel and callous general appears in the movie as one of Shang Tsung's Outworld invaders, sent to kill the defenders of Earthrealm. Reiko falls to Jax after he gains power in his mechanical arms. Reiko is yet to appear as a playable character in a Netherealm release.
7 Nitara
Nitara is another Midway original character to not be added to an in-game roster in the NetherRealm era. She debuted in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and she is a powerful vampire that requires the blood of others to stay alive. She is a warrior from Outworld, but she is depicted as morally neutral in the games.
In the film, Nitara plays a very small role and is quickly eliminated by Kung Lao. She is introduced by Shang Tsung and assists the Outworld warriors in their invasion of Earthrealm.
6 Fighting Styles
Fighting styles began in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and gave each character two different fighting styles, and one weapon to use in combat. These styles alter the set of moves a character uses in battles.
The film shows these fighting styles in the different fight scenes. The fighting styles are recognized best in the Sub-Zero and Jax fight, as Sub-Zero is using moves from his Shotokan fighting style.
5 Jax's Head Smash Fatality
Jax uses his head smash fatality to kill Reiko after being teleported directly to him by Raiden. The move has been with Jax since his first appearance in Mortal Kombat II. Jax beats his opponent to their knees and then smashes their head between his super-powered robot hands.
This fatality is one of many featured in the film and easily recognized by Jax mains everywhere. Jax also performs a variation of his infamous Gotcha Grab. Jax has changed a lot over the years, but his powerful punching capabilities will remain forever.
4 Kano's Eye Laser
Kano's laser beam eye attack has been a staple since his debut in the first Mortal Kombat. The film covers the origin of his laser eye, as he earns the power after a shouting match with Kung Lao.
The in-game origin of Kano's laser eye is described as repairs after a serious beatdown from Jax. In the movie, Kano does sustain an injury over the eye after a fight with Reptile. Though, this injury does not lead to the development of his laser eye.
3 Goro
Goro debuted as the mini-boss in the first Mortal Kombat. The four-armed brute was originally a clay model in video games and was animated with stop motion. He is the last thing guarding Shang Tsung against players in the tower mode of the game.
Goro appears in the film to assist Shang Tsung in his invasion of Outworld, and he attacks Cole Young after the latter returns home to his family. In their fight, Young discovers his own power and can slay Goro with his new weapons and gold chest armor.
2 Liu Kang's Dragon Fatality
Liu Kang is without a doubt one of the strongest characters in the series. Though his powers are not just limited to flying through the air and launching fire from his hands. He also has the ability to transform into a powerful dragon. Liu Kang first transformed in Mortal Kombat II, and the fatality has stuck with him since.
The film showcases Liu Kang's dragon morphing abilities during his fight with Kabal. Enraged by the death of Kung Lao, Liu Kang transforms into an enormous firey dragon and burns Kabal to a crisp.
1 Scorpion's Fire Breathing Fatality
Possibly the most iconic fatality in the series, Scorpion's fire breath is the final fatality used in the film. After Hanzo Hasashi rises from hell to confront Bi Han, he scorches his foe after battling alongside Cole Young.
The fire-breathing power of Scorpion has been in the games since the first Mortal Kombat and has remained a constant part of his move set. The move has been displayed as a fatality and a normal combo. Fans of the series can rest easy knowing that Scorpion's toasty breath makes an appearance in the film.