With Mortal Kombat 1 taking place in a new universe, more than just the classic MK characters could see a revival. The series' rich history provides the reboot with a lot of opportunities to revisit old territory, either to relive old events or divulge from history. Because Mortal Kombat 1 already looks to be going back to most of the original cast, including a fair amount of redesigns, it's worth looking into what else could make a return in Liu Kang's new universe. Some unexpected figures could see return appearances in the new timeline, possibly to great acclaim.
It should be no surprise that the roster of Mortal Kombat 1 is one of the most important aspects of the reboot. A fighting game relies on its roster to be strong, compelling, and most importantly, fun to play. In line with this approach, Mortal Kombat 1's roster seems to primarily consist of the series' most famous names, such as Johnny Cage, Scorpion, Mileena, and others, albeit with some changes thanks to the new timeline. It's a smart move, ensuring that many fan favorites return, although a few significant characters are still unaccounted for. There are still later reveals and DLC to take into account, though.
Mortal Kombat 1 Could Pull Guest Fighters From the Series' History
One accepted part of series tradition at this point is guest characters in Mortal Kombat games. While they may not have a place in the story, the developers have proven proficient in taking characters from several sources and managing to incorporate them well inti Mortal Kombat's style of gameplay. While many of these guest characters have been icons of the horror and slasher genres, Mortal Kombat 11 upped the ante by including a few famous figures from 1980s action films. At this point, there are a lot of characters who not only have potential as Mortal Kombat guest fighters, but could believably join the roster.
With Mortal Kombat 1 resetting the universe, there could be reason to bring back some old guest fighters. Jason Voorhees of Mortal Kombat X fame may be one of the best examples worth mentioning. Arguably the most famous slasher of all time, Friday the 13's Jason debuted in Mortal Kombat X with a fighting style that was both entertaining and brutal, with a few unique mechanics to his name. Another strong candidate would be The Joker, as the Batman villain's appearance in Mortal Kombat 11 showed that he thrived in the gory MK universe with his sick sense of humor and murderous nature.
While it's understandable that guest characters are not proper members of the Mortal Kombat universe, some really deserve another appearance. If the rumors surrounding Mortal Kombat 1's DLC are true, then the series is nowhere near done with bringing guest characters in to fight with the series regulars. To be fair, in many cases it would likely take another discussion with the license holders in order to clear the characters in question for another appearance in the series. Even so, some surprise returns from guest fighters from the past could be an exciting prospect for Mortal Kombat 1's future.
Only time will tell how many guest characters make it into Mortal Kombat 1, but a few of those guests being returning visitors could turn out to be a good thing. With Mortal Kombat 1 bringing back some old features, characters from older rosters could be fair game too, even if they aren't Mortal Kombat originals. With the game taking a trip back to the series' roots, third-party characters could very well be a valid part of the history worth revisiting. If guest characters were fun the first time, there wouldn't be much harm in Mortal Kombat 1 letting them come back.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.