Highlights
- Ed Boon has seemingly been teasing the return of Reptile in Mortal Kombat 1 through his social media posts.
- Fans have been analyzing his messages for clues about Mortal Kombat 1, with some suggesting that it will draw from the 3D era and feature characters like Reiko and Ashrah.
- While previous leaks have hinted at Reptile's inclusion in the roster, Boon's recent tweets have fans speculating that he may truly make a comeback in Mortal Kombat 1.
Ed Boon has been teasing the return of Reptile, a classic character that has been on many fans’ wish lists for Mortal Kombat 1. The beloved co-creator of Mortal Kombat is known for playfully engaging with fans on social media and dropping cryptic hints about NetherRealm’s upcoming projects before they are officially announced. This has also been true Mortal Kombat 1, with Ed Boon asking players which classic gameplay modes from past MK titles they would like to see return and teasing upcoming roster announcements.
While not all of Ed Boon’s mysterious social media posts have been a sign of things to come, eager fans have been digging through and analyzing each of his messages for clues about Mortal Kombat 1. Some of Boon’s more vague posts suggest that Mortal Kombat 1 will draw from the 3D era of the 2000s for its reported roster of 24 playable characters, with some of the most frequently brought-up names including Reiko, Jarek, and Mortal Kombat Deception’s Ashrah.
A recent series of tweets from Ed Boon has some fans guessing that Reptile could be confirmed for Mortal Kombat 1 soon. Twitter user thethiny pointed this possibility out after Boon posted a photo of the KFC parking lot where he and his fellow Mortal Kombat co-creators first envisioned the green-clad, reptilian ninja warrior. For the uninitiated, Reptile was introduced as a hidden character in the very first Mortal Kombat game, and would go on to become a fan-favorite after being made fully playable from Mortal Kombat 2 onward.
While he was initially a mere palette swap of Scorpion and Sub-Zero that would randomly appear to players between matches, Reptile’s design and backstory would evolve substantially in the later Mortal Kombat games. In the original Mortal Kombat timeline, Reptile was a member of the Saurian race who fought in service of Outworld and its various leaders. His last major appearance was in Mortal Kombat 10, where he aided Kotal Kahn in overthrowing Mileena before participating in Outworld’s assault on Earthrelam.
Previous Mortal Kombat 1 roster leaks have suggested that Reptile will be a part of the game’s cast, but that has yet to be verified. If Ed Boon’s latest posts are to be believed though, the Saurian ninja warrior could make his long-awaited comeback after being absent in Mortal Kombat 11 - much to the excitement of longtime fans with fond memories of encountering him in the arcade. Perhaps Reptile could appear during the next Kombat Kast livestream, which is said to be taking place sometime next week.
Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S
