Mortal Kombatis known for many things: violence, goofy and brutal finishers, visuals, and story modes. However, what keeps fans coming back is its characters.Mortal Kombathas built up an impressive stable of fighters over the years, and whileMortal Kombat 11has most of them, there are a number of glaring omissions. Apart fromminor fan favorites like Strykerand most of the cyber ninjas, there are the classic color ninjas.
Scorpion and Sub-Zero have headlined everyMortal Kombatroster (except forMK3’s initial launch), and inMortal Kombat 11they are joined by Noob Saibot (the first Sub-Zero) and Rain. However, that still leaves a number of color ninjas on the cutting room floor, most of whom have been around since the first few entries. If NetherRealm intends to release any more Kombat Packs forMK11, these ninjas are all likely candidates for new fighters.
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Reptile
One of the most notable absences inMortal Kombat 11is someone NetherRealm doesn’t seem to want fans to forget is absent: Reptile. Originating as a hidden boss in the firstMortal Kombat, Reptile has since gone on to have a signature style involving poison spit and invisibility.
He has been in most games in the series due to being a “classic” kombatant, but seems to be missing fromMK11’s roster. It bears mentioning that some of the first gameplay footage ever revealed forMortal Kombat 11featured Baraka impaling a random lizard on the ground, and creative directorEd Boon has taken to teasing Reptile revealson Twitter with some regularity. IfMK11really does get another Kombat Pack, Reptile feels like a shoe-in for entering the roster.
Chameleon/Khameleon
Less of a shoe-in for DLC are Chameleonand Khameleon. These two are color ninjas by association, and are barely even characters in the first place. Chameleon was present in the code forUltimate Mortal Kombat 3, but the two camouflaged ninjas made their official debuts in different ports ofMortal Kombat Trilogy.
Chameleon, who can transform into the series’ male ninjas, was a hidden character in the PC, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn versions ofMortal Kombat Trilogy, and as a playable default character inMortal Kombat: Armageddon. Khameleon shifts into the female ninjas, and debuted in the Nintendo 64 version ofMK Trilogyand returned as a playable character in the Wii version ofMK: Armageddon. These two have been forgotten by history and rendered obsolete by Shang Tsung, but despite everything, they are color ninjas.
Smoke
Next is the enigmatic Smoke. Having spent much of the series as Cyber Smoke (and as Noob Saibot’s tag team partner), Human Smoke is still a separate character who appears in several entries, most recentlyMK9.
Mortal Kombat 9also did a lot to flesh out Human Smoke and make him his own character,providing a new backstory for the underrated characterand some interesting new attacks. His ability to teleport himself and his opponent is accentuated, and Cyber Smoke carried on some of these traits when he reappeared as part of Triborg inMKX. Smoke is another classic fighter, and as it seems his odd origin story has yet to be concluded, there’s a good chance he’ll show up in the future.
Tremor
Among the male color ninjas, Tremor is notable for being the only one not introduced in the initialMortal Kombattrilogy. First introduced in the critically panned spin-offMortal Kombat: Special Forces, Tremor was a minor antagonist who worked for the Black Dragon clan.
It’s rather telling that this debut ended with his death. Tremor was first playable as a Challenge Mode-exclusive character in the PlayStation Vita port ofMK9, and made his official playable debut as a downloadable character inMortal Kombat X. His different Variations inMKXmade him fairly interesting, and he is certainlya strong elemental ninja, but much like the water-manipulator Hydro, Tremor is considered a “bonus” ninja who doesn’t have a firm seat inMKrosters.
Ermac
Finally, there is the red color ninja, Ermac. Inspired by a rumor from the firstMortal Kombatgame of there being a character named “ERror MACro,” he made his debut inUltimate Mortal Kombat 3. Ermac has broken away from the series’ secondary ninjas to become a major player in his own right; he is a telekinetic fusion of many souls, and works directly under Shao Kahn.
This has also meant that he’s traded much of his ninja design for wizard robes, but his old ninja outfit is usually around somewhere. Currently, Ermac is sided with Kotal Kahn, but some quotes inMKXhave implied that Shao Kahn’s soul is trying to take over his body. Shao Kahn is already inMK11, so Ermac would have to be himselfif he was added as DLC, but it’s an interesting plot hook that could come up again in the future.
Mortal Kombat 11is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
