Highlights

  • Khameleon's return in Mortal Kombat 1 breaks her pattern of only appearing in games where every other fighter is present.
  • Mortal Kombat 1 is the first time Khameleon is not restricted to Nintendo consoles, marking a change for the character.
  • Khameleon finally gets a role in the story in Mortal Kombat 1, giving her a chance to have a real impact on the plot.

Khameleon's return in Mortal Kombat 1 is a significant event since it breaks a notable pattern for the character. While Khameleon is a Kameo fighter rather than a full-fledged combatant in Mortal Kombat 1, her presence is still a pleasant surprise considering her history. With Mortal Kombat 1 being such a massive title for the franchise with its timeline reboot, it was a surprise to see Khameleon of all characters make an appearance. Her role is more than just a slot on the Kameo roster, though. It's a major moment regarding Khameleon's history in Mortal Kombat overall.

Despite her obscurity, Khameleon appears in Mortal Kombat 1 as a member of the Umgadi, the guardians of Outworld's royal family. Interestingly, Khameleon's fighting style primarily consists of copying the abilities of the series' other female ninjas, with her costume changing color to match. In Mortal Kombat 1, she replicates the powers of:

  • Kitana, wielding bladed fans
  • Jade, wielding a staff and glaive
  • Mileena, wielding sais and acrobatic ability

Khameleon cycles through these stances over the course of a fight, with her Kameo attacks depending on which form she is in when summoned. This makes her more complicated than most Kameos, but a useful partner nonetheless.

characters in mk1 kombat pack 1
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Khameleon's Presence in Mortal Kombat 1 Is a Welcome Surprise

Tanya and Khameleon from Mortal Kombat 1

Khameleon Used to Only Appear When Every Other Fighter Was Accounted For

Before her arrival in Mortal Kombat 1's Kombat Pack, Khameleon had only appeared in two other games: Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Mortal Kombat Armageddon. It's worth pointing out that both of these games were "dream match" titles that featured every character that had appeared in the series up to that point. As a result, Khameleon had the odd distinction of only showing up in games where every other character in the series was present as well. Even joke characters like Mokap and Meat had more appearances than her beforehand. With Mortal Kombat 1, Khameleon finally gets an actual place in the story.

Mortal Kombat 1 is the First Time Khameleon Isn't Restricted to Nintendo Consoles

A particularly strange detail setting Khameleon apart from Mortal Kombat 1's other re-introduced characters is her console exclusivity. She could only be found on the Nintendo 64 port of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and the Wii port of Mortal Kombat Armageddon, making her a Nintendo-exclusive character before Mortal Kombat 1. Even stranger, her male counterpart Chameleon, who was in the non-Nintendo versions of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, was available in all versions of Armageddon despite Khameleon still being Wii-exclusive. It's a history that no other character shares with her, not even her counterpart. Thankfully, Mortal Kombat 1 finally threw off that trend with her addition.

Khameleon Finally Gets a Role in the Story in Mortal Kombat 1

Khameleon's reboot incarnation also gives her an opportunity she never had before. In Mortal Kombat 1's new timeline, she has a place of importance as a member of the Umgadi. While she had a story and character ending in Mortal Kombat Armageddon, she had no real impact on the plot itself. Only appearing next to characters with more history in the series didn't help her in that regard. Although she doesn't get much to do in Mortal Kombat 1, she's actually a part of the plot, and a playable appearance in future DLC or a sequel could finally give her a real spotlight.

Khameleon is a fun Kameo fighter in Mortal Kombat 1, and it could be the game that reverses her fortunes. Despite being a minor character in Mortal Kombat even to this day, she has already broken out of an old pattern. Previously, Khameleon had been restricted to only appearing on Nintendo ports of titles where every other fighter was already present. In Mortal Kombat 1, she's appearing at the beginning of an entirely new timeline. Only time will tell what her true role will be, but Mortal Kombat 1 is a change for the better where Khameleon is concerned.