While the latest Mortal Kombat game, Mortal Kombat 1, does not feature any characters that are brand new to the universe, it still includes plenty of fan-favorite kombatants who are a little different this time around thanks to Liu Kang's new timeline. In an attempt to create a more peaceful universe, Liu Kang made sure that a lot of the characters that were normally evil or monstrous were toned down a little bit, which in some cases has made them much more engaging, and even relatable.

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This isn't just the case for the villains though; there are even some Earthrealm heroes who have received an entire makeover, which was desperately needed after seeing them in the same form for so many years. While not every re-introduction has made much of an impact on fans, there are still many that did a fantastic job at breathing new life into a character, making them a lot more fun to see in the story and, in some cases, to play as too.

7 General Shao

Shao Khan has been the staple big baddie of the Mortal Kombat story since the days of the arcade, but in Mortal Kombat 1, he's been toned down to be a little less maniacal, while still very much retaining that villainous aura that has always made him so compelling. Rather than being a tyrannical Khan, Shao is now the general of Outworld's army who has gone down as somewhat of a mythical figure because of his bravery and determination to protect his people by any means necessary. He also now pledges himself to his empress, Sindel, who used to be his wife in previous timelines.

This isn't to suggest that he's a good guy, though, which is something that becomes very apparent as the story progresses, and players see his evil nature bubble to the surface over time. Turning him into a military general is a great move by NetherRealm to make him a little more believable while still displaying him as one of the most threatening beings in the Mortal Kombat universe.

6 Sub-Zero

The original Sub-Zero's story primarily focused on the hatred shared between him and Scorpion, and it's a rivalry that has literally lasted since the very first game and even carried over into the Mortal Kombat 9 reboot. Things have been switched around quite drastically though in Mortal Kombat 1, where Sub Zero, now the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, which also contains Scorpion and their adopted member, Smoke, has a much more sinister and evil edge to his character.

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He constantly talks down to Smoke throughout the story, reminding him that he does not possess the same blood as the other Lin Kuei members, and he even talks badly about Liu Kang, whom he feels has been holding his clan back from reaching its true potential. Seeing Sub-Zero take a much more ruthless and affirmative role in the story has really done wonders for the character, especially since he's been somewhat overshadowed by Scorpion for so many years.

5 Baraka

Unlike a lot of other characters, Baraka hasn't really changed physically in the new timeline, but underneath the razor-sharp teeth and arm-blades, he's a completely different person with a much sadder backstory. Rather than being a bloodthirsty Tarkatan from birth, Baraka was actually once a humble Edenian merchant who then became infected by the Tarkatan disease, something that forced the people of Outworld to label him an outcast.

Baraka takes other victims of the Tarkatan disease to form the Tarkatan Colony, while also teaming up with Johnny Cage and Kenshi to take down the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung. It's hard to call Baraka an antagonist in this new timeline, and while he still might be as vicious as ever as a Kombatant, players can see that this isn't something he takes pleasure in during the character conversations before each match.

4 Havik

After last being playable in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Havik has finally returned, but he's much more than the chaos-obsessed corpse many fans knew him as. In Mortal Kombat 1, players get to see a much more believable and gradual decline in Havik throughout the story, which adds a lot more to his character than what was originally seen in previous games.

Rather than hailing from Chaosrealm and already being fixated on death and chaos, Havik actually starts off in Orderrealm in the new timeline as a member of Seido. However, Havik grew tiresome and frustrated with the realm's laws, especially its caste system, which he felt was oppressing many citizens, including himself. This eventual development and expanded backstory really do a lot to make Havik much more interesting as a character and more than just someone who causes trouble for the sake of it.

3 Raiden

By the time the story had reached Mortal Kombat 11, Raiden had become immensely powerful as a character due to just how much he had gone through in previous games. He had turned evil for a brief period, sent a message back in time to himself to prevent annihilation, and even destroyed Shang Tsung and Quan Chi with a single powerful attack in the original timeline, and these are just a handful of the feats he had achieved. Raiden had truly reached his limit as a character, and it was clear NetherRealm was struggling to find more ways to use him, especially now that Liu Kang had taken the mantle of being a god in his own right.

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Rather than a wise old sage who is capable of tearing anyone he comes up against to pieces, Raiden in the new timeline is a young and fairly naive man who is still getting to grips with his powers. He has actually switched places with Liu Kang from the previous timeline, with Raiden now being the hero of Earthrealm whom the Fire God must now train. This plucky and inexperienced version of Raiden is the perfect way to go with the character, making him a lot more relatable due to his determination to grow strong so that he can protect his people and also a lot more fun to be around in general.

2 Mileena

Mileena has always been a fan-favorite character, but it's doubtful that NetherRealm could have expected just how popular she would become over the years. The truth is that her twisted backstory of being created by Shang Tsung to be a superior version of Kitana left little room to expand her character since she was literally a monster through and through whose only desire was to bite the face off of anyone who got near.

While she certainly fit into the dark and gory universe of Mortal Kombat extremely well, fans were clamoring to have some extra scenes that could flesh out her character a little bit, something NetherRealm only really attempted in the arcade mode of Mortal Kombat 11. She's been made to be much more sympathetic and more of a tragic character in Mortal Kombat 1 though, being the actual biological sister of Kitana who has been infected by the Tarkatan disease. Therefore, while she's still just as crazy and bloodthirsty in her gameplay, she also has quite a heartfelt story of wanting to be the best empress she can be whilst trying to resist the urges of her disease.

1 Reptile

It's unfortunate that Reptile has always been somewhat of an obscure fighter in previous Mortal Kombat games since he actually has quite a fascinating and rather sad backstory, but he's finally getting the attention he always deserved in Mortal Kombat 1. In older games, Reptile was the last survivor of the Zaterrans due to an Outworld invasion, something that drives him insane and makes him little more than a chaotic underling who clings to the side of any leader who can potentially return his planet to its former glory.

The Outworld invasion never happened in the new timeline, and instead, Reptile is made an outcast due to his ability to shapeshift into a human at will. He now acts more like a freedom fighter, initially hunting down Shang Tsung, who has taken his family hostage, before eventually joining forces with Liu Kang. This alternate version of Reptile's backstory makes him a far more interesting character and quite a prominent figure within the universe rather than a simple forgettable grunt.