Since its debut in 1992, the Mortal Kombat franchise has worn a lot of different hats over the years. While the franchise is mainly known for its many, many side-facing fighting games, Mortal Kombat has also dabbled in a few other genres over the years, from third-person action games to brawlers. And in 2023, the franchise is set to adopt a new genre, with its upcoming game Mortal Kombat: Onslaught being a mobile-exclusive RPG.
While not much information has been given about Mortal Kombat: Onslaught yet, NetherRealm has confirmed that the mobile-exclusive will still retain the main series' cinematic approach, along with introducing some collecting gameplay mechanics. Taking this information at face-value, it seems pretty likely then that Mortal Kombat: Onslaught will let players control characters from across the franchise's long history, and there are a few fighters that simply need to make the cut.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught Fighter Wish List
Alongside its announcement a few months ago, NetherRealm released one promotional image for Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, showing some fan-favorite characters battling it out among each other. While it hasn't been officially confirmed, it seems likely that these characters will appear in the game. This means that Scorpion and Sub-Zero, the two faces of the franchise, will of course show up. Kitana and her tyrannical father Shao Khan should also make an appearance. Jade and Quan Chi can also be spotted on the poster, as can Raiden and Shinnok.
This is a pretty strong starting line-up for a Mortal Kombat game, but there are countless other characters that should come to mobile RPG. There are a handful of classic Mortal Kombat characters that just need to be included in Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's roster. Johhny Cage, Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Jax, Goro, and Kano are all franchise staples that should appear in every Mortal Kombat title. Along with them, a few other classic characters should make the roster, from Shang Tsung and Reptile to the rest of the ninjas. This includes Cyrax, Sektor, Smoke, Noob Saibot, and Cyber Sub-Zero.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught also has the perfect opportunity to re-introduce some of the franchise's lesser-known characters. Kintaro and Motaro, for instance, aren't often seen in modern Mortal Kombat titles. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliances' Moloch and Nitara would also be great lesser-known additions to the roster, with the latter being a vampire from the Vaeternus realm. While Kenshi has appeared in a few modern-day Mortal Kombat titles, he's a welcome addition to any roster he's in. Mortal Kombat: Deception's Havik, an erratic character from that Chaosrealm, is one of the most underrated MK characters of all time, and this game is the perfect opportunity to give him his dues. Kira, who also debuted in Mortal Kombat: Deception, would be another great pick, essentially being a brutal mix of Sonya Blade and Kano.
In the last few Mortal Kombat entries, fans have been treated to a range of crossover characters, all hailing from different popular entertainment IPs. Over the last few years, players have been able to fight as action heroes like Rambo, The Terminator, Robocop, and Spawn, along with horror icons like The Predator, Alien, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, and Jason Vorhees. It may be a bit of a long shot, considering Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is a mobile spin-off, but it would be great to see more crossover characters in the game's future. There are plenty of properties Mortal Kombat hasn't dipped into yet, including a bunch of other gaming IPs. It would be great to see Halo's Master Chief or Ghost of Tsushima's Jin Sakai battle it out in Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's mobile arena.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is in development.