With Mortal Kombat 1, NetherRealm Studios is at its most creative and experimental. After following the events of a rebooted timeline from 2011's Mortal Kombat to Mortal Kombat 11, the developer decided to start from square one once again with its newest installment. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in Fire God Liu Kang's new era, a clean slate for MK lore following the events of Mortal Kombat 11's Aftermath DLC. It's a bold choice for a franchise as old as MK is, but when a property is around for upwards of thirty years, a fresh start can be just the thing to ensure things keep moving smoothly.

Fire God Liu Kang's reworked timeline is all about new beginnings. The realms are at relative peace, Earthrealm isn't at risk of being invaded, and no one is getting any limbs forcibly removed from their body. The biggest changes, however, come from the revised origins of MK1's fighters. Each of the game's roster members has featured in an MK game before, but this time around, many of them are characterized very differently. These reworked origins allow NetherRealm to tell a fresh yet familiar story with recognizable faces, making MK1 feel like the best of both worlds for fans both new and old.

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Raiden

Instead of being a thunder god and protector of Earthrealm, Raiden is now a simple farmer. He's close friends with Kung Lao and only receives his lightning powers after Fire God Liu Kang bestows him with the amulet that Raiden has been seen with in previous MK games. He more or less takes the place of Liu Kang in MK1's story, now that Liu Kang is the one watching over Earthrealm.

Kung Lao

Kung Lao doesn't differ much from his depictions in previous MK games. He's a farmer along with Raiden, and develops his signature bladed hat after a battle with Sub-Zero. He's a bit brash and overconfident as he's been shown to be in the past, but he nevertheless serves as one of Earthrealm's most skilled martial artists.

Sub-Zero

Mortal Kombat 1's Sub-Zero is a bit of a throwback for longtime fans, as now the character is Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero before Kuai Liang in previous lore. Sub-Zero serves as the grandmaster of Lin Kuei in MK1, leading it with the help of his brothers, Scorpion and Smoke. He still possesses all of his signature ice-based powers and starts MK1's campaign aiding Liu Kang in the protection of Earthrealm.

Scorpion

Scorpion experiences some of the most dramatic changes in MK1's reworked timeline, as the ninja is no longer Hanzo Hasashi. It is instead Kuai Liang, the second Sub-Zero in previous lore, and instead of despising Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei, Scorpion is Sub-Zero's brother and represents the clan with great honor. Much of the tragedy of Scorpion's usual origin is also gone, as the Shirai Ryu do not yet exist, and therefore aren't slaughtered by the Lin Kuei, nor is he undead. He instead finds conflict within the Lin Kuei as Sub-Zero becomes more and more ambitious as grandmaster.

Smoke

The greatest change to Smoke's origins in MK1 comes from the source of his powers. Instead of having innate control over smoke, the Lin Kuei ninja instead uses smoke-based magic. He now also uses a karambit knife to take on foes, which is a new development in Smoke's arsenal.

Johnny Cage

Johnny Cage goes back to square one in Mortal Kombat 1, returning to his career as an actor and no longer working with the Special Forces. NetherRealm hasn't reverted Johnny back to the shallow attention-seeker he once was, now he's a struggling actor trying to make ends meet. He's still looking for ways to rekindle his fame, but he's much less grating and more willing to embrace his heroism.

Kenshi

In previous lore, Kenshi had inherited psychokinetic powers and feuded heavily with Shang Tsung, as the sorcerer was responsible for his blindness. MK1's Kenshi is instead intent on restoring honor to his family's name after the involvement with the Yakuza. Part of this goal involves regaining possession over his family blade, Sento, which is owned by Johnny Cage. After an initial fight, Johnny and Kenshi develop an unlikely bromance, and the swordsman eventually becomes blinded but gains his powers after Johnny returns Sento to him.

Mileena

Mileena is another MK icon who NetherRealm took in a somewhat different direction with MK1. Before, she was a clone of Kitana spliced with Tarkatan DNA, created by Shang Tsung. In MK1, she's the legitimate daughter of Sindel and older sister to Kitana, but Mileena wasn't spared her Tarkatan connection in MK1. Instead of being a race of people, however, there is now the Tarkat disease, which Mileena goes to great lengths to try and hide lest it affect her rank as heir to Outworld's throne.

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Kitana

Whereas Kitana used to be a loyal assassin for Shao Kahn, she's now a loyal aid to her sister, Mileena. She's also much less arrogant than her previous timeline counterpart, showing a greater openness to Earthrealm's heroes and the Mortal Kombat tournament as a whole. As far as her arsenal is concerned, Kitana still has her blue-bladed fans which she uses with great precision.

Sindel

Sindel's characterization in MK1 is one of the greatest changes from previous MK lore, as the once queen of Edenia who shifted between benevolent and evil is now the dutiful queen of Outworld. Where she once submitted to Shao Kahn, Sindel now rules over General Shao and isn't afraid to put the warmonger in his place. She's very protective of her daughters, Mileena and Kitana, and goes to great lengths to ensure the former's disease isn't revealed to the public.

General Shao

Shao Kahn receives one of the biggest demotions in Fire God Liu Kang's new era, as he's now a general in Outworld's army. General Shao retains much of his counterpart's temper, however, as he has no love for Earthrealm's champions or Sindel's rule. He also sports an intimidating ax instead of his trademark hammer, though he's nonetheless a force to be reckoned with.

Reiko

Reiko is one of many 3D-era MK fighters to return in Mortal Kombat 1, with it being his first appearance as a playable character since Mortal Kombat Armageddon. Reiko didn't have much characterization before, other than some fans speculating he may be Shao Kahn himself, and MK1 leans into this relationship. In Fire God Liu Kang's new era, Reiko is General Shao's most loyal lieutenant and joins him in his conquest against Sindel.

Rain

Rain is one of many fighters in MK1 who retains their powers, but has an alternate source for them. Rain was a demigod with control over water in previous MK games, but now he's a mage who has mastered the art of water magic. Otherwise, his powers are largely the same, and he's antagonistic to Outworld's throne as he's known to be.

Li Mei

Like Reiko, Li Mei is a 3D-era fighter who has been absent from Mortal Kombat rosters for years. Her previous origins had Li Mei and her people enslaved by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, her soul stolen, and then her soul saved by Bo' Rai Cho. Li Mei is given a much more important role in MK1 as when players meet her, she is the First Constable of Sun Do, Outworld's capital city. She also has a strained relationship with Sindel and the royal family's Umgadi protectors, as she led the Umgadi when King Jerrod was assassinated.

Tanya

Tanya is giving a much greater role in MK1 compared to previous appearances. Where before she was generally antagonistic, she's now the proud head of the Umgadi. She also shares a romantic relationship with Mileena, which the two must keep a secret due to the Umgadi's strict rules regarding chastity.

Ashrah

With Ashrah, NetherRealm made the fighter's origins less muddled than they were before. She once flipped between good and evil, and rarely factored into the larger story of the MK games she featured in. MK1 sees Ashrah at her most heroic, seeking out Quan Chi as she hunts for demons and attempts to free her shadow sisters, all while purifying her own demonic soul. She's also ditched her unwieldy hat, though MK1 makes note of this classic lore.

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Reptile

Reptile is a case of MK1 making certain characters much more sympathetic, and turning them from plain antagonists to fleshed-out heroes. Reptile's story in past MK games had the scaly Kombatant desperate to find other members of his race, and aligning with Shao Kahn in hopes that doing so would bring him to them. The roles are somewhat reversed in MK1, as Reptile has instead been shunned from his people for his ability to shapeshift. Enslaved by Shang Tsung, Reptile joins Liu Kang's champions after the sorcerer reveals he's killed Reptile's family; the only reason he remained in servitude to the cruel villain.

Baraka

Baraka, like Reptile, is an MK henchman turned force for good. Baraka used to be a cannibalistic maniac who often sided with Shao Kahn, but MK1 adds much more complexity to the character. Instead of being of the Tarkatan race, Baraka is a resident of Outworld who has been afflicted with the Tarkat disease. He was once a wealthy merchant with a family, but the disease took everything from him, and he now exists as the leader of a colony of outcasts suffering from Tarkat.

Nitara

The vampiric Nitara takes on a more dutiful role in Mortal Kombat 1, as she's tasked with saving her realm of Vaeternus from starvation. This is in stark contrast to previous depictions where she hoped to separate Vaeternus from Outworld, freeing it from Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung's control. She's also more closely aligned with MK1's antagonists this time around, as in previous games she was mostly neutral.

Havik

Havik's characterization remains rather true to previous depictions, but some finer details are more nuanced to give his motives more weight. In both timelines, Havik is an anarchist set on sowing chaos within Orderrealm, but MK1 makes the matter more political. Havik believes Orderrealm's laws to be unjust, and after being persecuted for a minor infraction, he vows to tear the whole system down.

Geras

Geras' characterization flips entirely in MK1 as he's now a devoted ally to Liu Kang instead of Kronika. He watches over the hourglass to ensure all is well in Liu Kang's delicate new era, advising the Fire God on anomalies. Geras is both wise and graceful and still demonstrates the same time-based abilities that made him so formidable in MK11.

Shang Tsung

As one of the most persistent villains in the previous Mortal Kombat timeline, Fire God Liu Kang made sure Shang Tsung couldn't hurt the realms in his new era. In MK1, the infamous character starts out as a scam artist pushing fake magic and phony cures, a far cry from his usual seat of power. He does regain his powers when visited by a strange benefactor, however, and works his way up until he's just as dangerous as he once was.

Liu Kang

Liu Kang serves as the architect of MK1's new timeline, making him the most unchanged from MK11. He has accepted his responsibility as protector of the realms with great humility and is very careful not to interfere too heavily in the affairs of anyone. It's not until the Mortal Kombat tournament comes that Liu Kang organizes his champions and brings them to Outworld. From then on, he uses his great wisdom to manage the emerging conflict in his new era as best he can.

Mortal Kombat 1 weaves an epic tale of new beginnings and unshakable truths, with its considerable roster of fighters at the center of it all. NetherRealm Studios took some major risks switching up iconic Kombatants the way it did, but the seasoned developer managed to keep many of them identifiable enough from their previous depictions. Now it has a new foundation to build on, whether it pursues a sequel or Mortal Kombat 1 story DLC.

Mortal Kombat 1 is available now on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.

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