Summary
In the fighting video game genre, the story mode is often something that’s always expected to be there, but not a top priority for players. When it comes to theMortal Kombatfranchise, this couldn’t be further from the truth. WhiletheMortal Kombatseriesdidn’t have a dedicated story mode for a long time, with most of its narrative being told through voice-over at the end of a challenge tower, it’s become an integral aspect of the last fewMortal Kombatentries, andMortal Kombat 1might just have the best story mode of the entire franchise.
Acting as both a sequel to the events ofMortal Kombat 11’s Aftermath DLC, and as a reboot for the whole franchise,Mortal Kombat 1centers around Fire God Liu Kang’s new universe. ThoughMortal Kombat 1’s story mode is filled with familiar faces, they’ve all received a few little tweaks and alterations in this new universe, and some franchise staples have been swapped out for some lesser-known Kombatants. But while some fans might not be able to play as their favoriteMortal Kombatcharacter, those Kombatants may still be referenced inMortal Kombat 1’s story mode.
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Every Kombatant Referenced But Not Shown in Mortal Kombat 1’s Story Mode
Over the last 30 years, theMortal Kombatfranchise has only continued to grow its roster of Kombatants, with every new entry bringing at least one or two new fighters to the arena.Mortal Kombat 1, however, is one of the fewMKentries to not have any original characters, instead acting as a celebration of the franchise’s 30-year-long history. Naturally, whileMortal Kombat 1’s story modecouldn’t include every fighter of the last 30 years, it tries its best to at least name-drop a good few.
One of the first big name-drops ofMortal Kombat 1happens around an hour or so into the story mode. After Raiden is chosen as Earthrealm’s champion and is taken to Outworld to compete in its not-so-mortal kombat tournament, he’s tasked with facing off against the realm’s strongest opponents. After beating Li Mei and Reiko, Raiden is given some rest and the tournament resumes a day later. At the start of this time-skip, Empress Sindel makes a quick reference to Sheeva, Kotal, and Motaro, who have all apparently just been defeated by Raiden off-screen. While Motaro is seen a few times inMortal Kombat 1’s story mode, neither Sheeva or Kotal are seen directly.
A few chapters later,Mortal Kombat 1’s story mode sees players team up with Ashrah, the ex-demon who decided there was more to life than pain and suffering, and chose to abandon her demon sisters. While giving a quick overview of her backstory, Ashrah mentions that Jataaka and Kia – assassins that were first introduced in thecritically pannedMortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero– were the first to come after Ashrah after she made her decision to smite the forces of evil, and presumably they’ve since been killed by her.
Though she isn’t in the game yet, despite fan outcry, Jade is mentioned very briefly duringMortal Kombat 1’s story mode in a throwaway comment towards the end of the game. Jade isn’t seen in Liu Kang’s new universe, but it is mentioned in some character intros that she’s taken on the role of Countess, presumably in Edenia or a different Outworld province. Similarly, thoughCyrax and Sektoraren’t seen inMortal Kombat 1’s story, they are briefly mentioned, with Smoke and Scorpion confirming that they’re remaining loyal to Bi-Han.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now in early-access, and launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
