Highlights

  • Homelander's arrival in Mortal Kombat 1 might bring a distinct fighter with a zoner playstyle.
  • Homelander famously favors his heat vision over his other powers and isn't a masterful close-combat fighter.
  • Mortal Kombat 1 could therefore make him into a zoner who uses a variety of laser-based attacks to avoid melee.

As Mortal Kombat 1 continues to be defined by its hyped DLC character additions, the recent release of Peacemaker means that the last of Kombat Pack 1's guests is soon to follow. Announced alongside the deceptively similar Omni-Man, Homelander of The Boys will most likely arrive as a vastly distinct fighter when he’s released later this Spring. The hype generated by the unexpected nature of Mortal Kombat 1’s guests has been a highlight of the game since even before its launch, and Homelander is perhaps the most exciting out of the entire Kombat Pack’s offerings.

The monetization and community support of Mortal Kombat 1 has been noted as needing improvement from some outspoken fans, but support in the form of expanding the roster with popular faces from other IPs is still the most popular form of DLC which can reliably grow the title. This has come with an adherence to source material that has been well-received among fans, and Homelander is pretty much guaranteed to follow this pattern despite not actually being voiced by Antony Starr. The issue of the character’s lack of combat display inspiration when compared to his peers may raise concerns about his moveset, but leaning heavily into making him a zoner would be the truest to his roots.

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The next character coming to Mortal Kombat 1 as DLC is Ermac, and players have already seen part of his moveset in the game's story mode.

Homelander is Likely to Be Totally Different From Omni-Man

Opposing Origin Stories and The Boys' Unorthodox Style

The topic of the differences between Homelander and Omni-Man in Mortal Kombat 1 has been relevant in the community since they were both unveiled for DLC, but most fans of both of their respective IPs will know just how different the DNA of these villainous superheroes is. Omni-Man has now had time to find his place in MK1’s meta as an aggressive fighter capable of instantly closing the gap between him and his opponent, but there’s a high probability that Homelander will end up utilizing the opposite approach.

Two Different Takes on Flipping the Superman Concept

His design and power set makes it evident that Homelander is a homage to Superman portrayed through a twisted and immature lens, and in The Boys, he’s not often represented putting in the same physical effort as Superman. When juxtaposed with the disciplined feats that Omni-Man consistently displays, it seems that Homelander’s gameplay could follow what series director Ed Boon has stated about the dynamic between the two in an interview with IGN.

“We're not going to have them both do all the kind of category of Superman type things. We're going to divvy up those abilities, so it's not like it's just a clone of the same character. They're definitely going to play differently.”

The Zoner Archetype is Perfect for Mortal Kombat 1’s Homelander

Laser Vision is Almost Certain to Be Core to Homelander's Moveset

The power of the Viltrumites might arguably outclass Homelander, but there’s one big advantage he has in terms of a fighting game like Mortal Kombat. His heat vision is not only probably his most well-known ability due to its disturbing use during Antony Starr's sinister performance in The Boys, it could serve to cement him as a zoner with devastating potential. There’s an inherent imbalance to the power of a fullscreen projectile like lasers, but the flawed personality of Homelander could still even the playing field.

Mortal Kombat 1 Will Be The Boys' Character's Fairest Fight Yet

He might have access to a combination of other powers such as enhanced strength, durability, and hearing outside his laser vision, but Homelander tends to use these other abilities far less than other Mortal Kombat fighters with similar traits. He has a raw sense of inexperience when it comes to fighting on any sort of even playing field, a core pitfall of the character that lead to NetherRealm deemphasizing much of his close-range moveset. Whatever direction NRS takes with Homelander’s gameplay design in MK1, players are looking forward to seeing how he represents his franchise relative to other guest characters.