Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 1 introduces changes to the franchise's canon, with Fire God Liu Kang establishing a new era with the goal of creating a more peaceful existence.
- Ermac, the iconic ninja in Mortal Kombat, is revealed to have the soul of Sindel's late husband Jerrod within him, adding depth and humanity to the character.
- Mortal Kombat 1 takes risks with characterizations, including Ermac, and fortunately those risks pay off.
Mortal Kombat 1 introduces a lot of changes to the long-running franchise, one of the most significant being its canon. After the events of Mortal Kombat 11's Aftermath DLC, Fire God Liu Kang used his powers as the Keeper of Time to establish a new era. The goal of this revised timeline was to create a more peaceful existence, but like most things in Mortal Kombat, that peace did not last long. Whereas many things did change in Mortal Kombat 1, just as much stayed exactly the same at the expense of the game's protagonists.
Several aspects of classic MK lore played out once again in Mortal Kombat 1, with some slight alterations. One central development was the creation of Ermac, the iconic ninja who started out as rumored glitch in the first MK game. Out of the series' many kombatants, Ermac has always been a mysterious one, with much of that mystery stemming from the souls that make up his being. For MK lore enthusiasts, MK1 finally gives a definitive answer to one question regarding Ermac, that being the fate of Jerrod, and the answer humanizes the character like never before.
MK1 Confirms King Jerrod is Among the Souls That Make Ermac
In previous MK lore, Ermac was a fusion of souls that had perished in Outworld's wars, created by Shao Kahn to serve as an enforcer. This origin is altered somewhat in Mortal Kombat 1, as now Ermac is Quan Chi's creation. The telekinetic fighter appears to be identical to how he was in previous MK games when he's first introduced in MK1, but after fighting him for the first time, it's teased that this Ermac has one soul within him fighting for control. That is the soul of King Jerrod, the late husband of Sindel who has been speculated to be within Ermac for many years.
To say that MK lore has been convoluted at times would be an understatement, and one of its many uncertainties has been whether King Jerrod's soul resides in Ermac. Previous MK games have touched on this, with Ermac's MK9 tower ending seemingly confirming it, but MK's tower endings have historically had little to no bearing on actual canon. MK1 eliminates any uncertainty by confirming once and for all that King Jerrod's soul is one of the many within Ermac, and it does so in a way that fleshes out Ermac's character to an extent that's never been seen before.
After fighting Ermac for the first time, players don't encounter him again until much later in MK1's campaign. Once Ermac is defeated again during Mileena's chapter, the soul of King Jerrod takes control of Ermac's body and reunites with his family. He still possesses the powers of Ermac, but his humanity is restored. From then on he's able to reunite with his wife and two daughters, joining Liu Kang's fight against Shang Tsung. It's a touching revelation that adds a great amount of sympathy to Ermac's character, giving a once mysterious fighter a now considerable amount of depth.
Mortal Kombat 1 took a lot of risks with its new characterizations of iconic fighters. Scorpion is now Kuai Liang instead of Hanzo Hasashi, Mileena is no longer a clone of Kitana, and Shao Kahn has been demoted to a general in Outworld's army. Most of these decisions pay off, and Ermac is a shining example, as a mostly one-note character has now become an important part of the greater MK lore. After starting out as a glitch and rumor, Ermac has grown into an essential part of Mortal Kombat's long and storied roster of kombatants.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available now on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
