Thanks to the Mortal Kombat reboot, the iconic (ikonic? ikonik?) fighting game franchise got the modern twist it has been looking for. With Mortal Kombat 11 weaving various timeline inconsistencies across the games, the new film might paved the way to a more cohesive take on the franchise's lore. And for newcomers out there - yes, NetherRealm's hit franchise isn't just about kombat.
Unfortunately, new players of the franchise might feel overwhelmed with the number of games they have to play just to prepare for the upcoming film. Thankfully, some fans consider only a handful of games extremely relevant to appreciate the series as a whole. However, which games should newcomers play to fully relish in brutal kombat?
10 Johnny Cage
Of all Kombatants present in the reboot's major cast, fans may notice one missing name: Johnny Cage. Actor Johnny Cage originally attended the Mortal Kombat tournament to "revitalize" his movie career. However, he soon trains under the tutelage of Lord Raiden to become one of Earthrealm's protectors. In fact, his incredible resilience and unique abilities come from his bloodline - where future games soon revealed that Cage has come from a line of ancient Earthrealm defenders. He even gets together with Sonya Blade and has a daughter, Cassie Cage!
Due to Cage's invaluable presence in the original MK game and the ending to the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, Cage will certainly be making an appearance in the sequel. Cage's presence can undoubtedly provide a lighthearted appeal to the rather grim and brutal notion of the Mortal Kombat tournament.
9 Kuai Liang (Sub-Zero)
While Sub-Zero is in the reboot, this cryomancer is in fact Bi-Han, the first Sub-Zero. With this in mind, Scorpion successfully defeats Sub-Zero in the reboot o avenge his family. In turn, it makes sense for the younger Sub-Zero, Kuai Liang, to eventually make himself known in a potential sequel.
Like Bi-Han, Kuai Liang comes off a cold, distant, stern, and menacing. However, unlike Bi-Han, the younger brother is also more disciplined, serious, and humane compared to the elder. Kuai Liang's strong morals would have him defect from the clan following the Lin Kuei's pursuit of cyberization. However, Kuai Liang will rebuild his clan under his helm as its eventual Grandmaster.
8 Ashrah
Among the reboot's cast, the inclusion of Nitara came off as a surprise for a lot of fans. In the games, the vampire would make her debut in MK: Deadly Alliance. However, unlike popular depictions of vampires, Nitara aims to separate her realm from Outworld's, taking a more neutral stance on matters of Earthrealm.
If the reboot had followed Nitara's story from the games, the vampire would have had to stop a demon from exterminating her entire race. This would have come in the form of Ashrah, wielder of the powerful Kriss. Despite being a demon, Ashrah sought to "purify her soul," believing the Kriss would do it for her whenever she had slain a being of evil. Nitara and Ashrah would come to blows due to their differing intentions.
Naturally, this does not happen in the film, but that doesn't rule out the possibility of Ashrah making an appearance in the sequel.
7 Kitana
It may be odd to see the Outworld assassin Mileena in the reboot without any sign of her twin, Edenian Princess Kitana. Lore fans would point out that one couldn't exist without the other, as Milenna would come from a combination of Kitana's and a Tarkatan's "essence." Despite her introduction as Shao Kahn's "daughter," the Kahn only took Kitana as his own daughter after his conquest of Edenia.
Interestingly, Kitana would serve as one of MK's more complex characters. After all, Kitana's discovery that Shao Kahn actually killed her real father, Jerrod, caused her to bear hatred for her stepfather. In the games, Kitana would openly oppose Shao Kahn in MK2 by directly helping Earthrealm's warriors.
6 Jade
Whereas Kitana would always be Mileena's other half, Jade would always remain as her most trusted confidant. Originally one of Kitana's closest friends, Shao Kahn would have Jade receive training to become an assassin as well. In MK3, the Kahn would send Jade after Kitana when the latter escaped her execution. However, Jade would betray the Kahn and join Kitana's side with Earthrealm.
Despite her rather "minor" role, Jade bears a strong rivalry with Tanya. A sequel character featuring her and Tanya's animosity to each other could make for an interesting subplot.
5 Tanya
Tanya has had a complicated relationship with the Kombatants in both the current and original timelines. However, one thing remains the same: her best interests were always to her own survival. In her original MK4 appearance, Tanya uses her charisma as the daughter of Edenia's ambassador to do underhanded schemes to benefit Quan Chi and Shinnok. In the new timeline, Tanya serves under Milenna.
Interestingly, aside from Jade and Tanya's rivalry and animosity towards one another, Tanya's specialization with charisma and diplomacy may make for an interesting political subplot for a film sequel.
4 Shao Kahn
Any Mortal Kombat story wouldn't be complete without the Outworld's Kahn himself. It's all thanks to Shao Kahn's ambition that Lord Raiden would be forced to assemble Earthrealm's warriors to stop his invasion. Additionally, Shang Tsung's machinations behind the Mortal Kombat games almost always stem from Shao Kahn's grand designs.
As one of Mortal Kombat's most popular antagonists, it makes sense for a sequel to feature Shao Kahn himself. Following the events of the reboot movie, Shao Kahn himself might step in to lead Outworld's invasion of Earthrealm.
3 Sindel
If Mileena finds her presence in the reboot film, then it makes sense for Sindel to be alive within its timeline considering she is the mother who bore Kitana in the first place. Sindel served as Edenia's Queen in both the original and current timelines.
In the original timeline, Sindel claims her own life to avoid serving under Shao Kahn's rule. However, Shao Kahn stops her ascent into the afterlife and instead holds her under his command.
In the current timeline, Sindel herself killed King Jerrod of Edenia during Shao Kahn's invasion. Doing so allowed her to secure her place as the Kahn's Queen. However, Quan Chi secretly killed Sindel while making it seem like she betrayed the Kahn.
Regardless, both iterations of Sindel can serve as antagonists to both Kitana and Earthrealm's forces. It's her presence in a sequel that could add a lot of complications to Kitana's loyalties, which could make for an interesting story.
2 Quan Chi
Very few could hold their own against the might of Shang Tsung's sorcery, among those is Quan Chi. His origins remain unknown in both the current and previous timelines, but one thing remains: the sorcerer worships Shinnok and continues to help him secure his control of Netherrealm and invasion of both Outworld and Earthrealm.
Aside from his loyalty to Shinnok, Quan Chi bows to no one. If the sequel will try to stay on track with the games, then Quan Chi will most likely manipulate the deadly assassin Scorpion and form a "Deadly Alliance" with Shang Tsung, only to try and kill him in the end. It's this self-centered personality that could make Quan Chi an entertaining secondary antagonist to an MK sequel, and a threat perhaps more powerful than Shang Tsung himself.
1 Shinnok
Shinnok serves as proof that not all Elder Gods were made to be good. His lust for power and control for Earthrealm forced Raiden and the Elder Gods to banish him into Netherrealm. Now a former Elder God without his powers, Shinnok manipulated Quan Chi into freeing him and making him Netherrealm's ruler. It's through this "secret" rule that Shinnok began manipulating things behind the scenes to cement his upcoming domination of Outworld and even Earthrealm.
It makes sense for Shinnok to be the god-level threat that Earthrealm's heroes would eventually face in an MK sequel. A Shinnok reveal after Shao Kahn's defeat could serve as a great setup for a higher-stakes Mortal Kombat tournament that could decide the fate of not just Earthrealm, but of all realms.