After its lore had become bloated with time travel plots and various continuities,Mortal Kombatdecided to wipe its slate clean with a full series reboot.Mortal Kombat 1was released in 2023 and introduced players to a new era for the franchise. Canonically, this reboot followed Liu Kang’s ascension to godhood inMortal Kombat 11, after which he attempted to rewrite theMortal Kombattimeline in the hopes that he could end his universe’s cycle of violence.
Liu Kang’s new era not onlyreimagined the backstories of popularMortal Kombatcharacterslike Scorpion and Baraka, but it also reintroduced characters fromMortal Kombat’s early 3D games like Havik and Reiko. This gaveMortal Kombat 1’s roster an interesting mix of characters that helped it to stand apart from the overlapping casts ofMortal Kombat XandMortal Kombat 11. That said, these characters were sorely missed inMortal Kombat 1and could be great additions to the new continuity wheneverMortal Kombat 2rolls around.
Mortal Kombat 2 Can Honor Some Overlooked MK Characters
Jax
Jax is a beloved character fromMortal Kombat 2(1992) who was a major player in the previousMortal Kombatcontinutiy that started withMortal Kombat(2011). The cybernetic soldier was noticeably absent fromMortal Kombat 1, so he would make for a welcome addition toMortal Kombat 2’s roster. In this new timeline, NetherRealm would have the opportunity to come up with yet another way for him to lose his arms – or maybe the big twist is that he doesn’t lose his arms and lives a nice and peaceful life. Anything’s possible.
Kano
A longtime antagonist in theMortal Kombatseries, Kano first appeared in the originalMortal Kombat. The Australian criminal and leader of the Black Dragon Clan gained plenty of popularity thanks to his crude personality and fun playstyle. Due to this, Kano was not only featured throughout the originalMortal Kombattrilogy but has been a playable character in every mainlineMortal Kombatgame sinceMortal Kombat: Deception— up untilMortal Kombat 1, in which he only appeared as aKameo Fighter. Kano got his break from the series, which means he’s ripe not only for a return to the series, but a reimagined form and role for the new era.
Sareena
Sareena is a demonic assassin who originally served Quan Chi before defecting to work alongside Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei. Despite only appearing as a playable character inMortal Kombat: Tournament EditionandMortal Kombat: Armageddon, she still has a cult following among series fans thanks to her unique design and intriguing backstory.Sareena also appeared as a Kameo Fighter inMortal Kombat 1, which generated even more interest in the character. Bringing her back inMortal Kombat 2would present NetherRealm with a great opportunity to expand upon this long-underserved character and see what her relationship with the new era’s Lin Kuei looks like.
Sonya Blade
Introduced in the originalMortal Kombatas the series' first female character, Sonya Blade is a prominent member of the Earthrealm Special Forces. She has played an important role inMortal Kombat’s ongoing narrative for decades, but as with some other characters on this list, she only appeared as a Kameo Fighter inMortal Kombat 1. Not only is she in heavy demand from fans, but with the retooling of characters' backstories and relationships in this new timeline, NetherRealm has the opportunity to play with Sonya’s character in interesting ways. Sonya has deep ties to characters like Jax, Johnny Cage, and Kano, so whetherMortal Kombat 2’s story decided to sever those connections or take them in completely different directions, it could be a nice refresh for her character after herlackluster appearance inMortal Kombat 11.
