Having been around for just over 30 years now, it's only natural that the Mortal Kombat franchise has seen plenty of colorful characters come and go with each new entry. Much like any other great fighting game series, Mortal Kombat knocked it out of the park with its original roster, which contained a small cast of characters that would go on to feature in several later games in the franchise. And while some fighters haven't really had the same staying power as others, Mortal Kombat 1 is giving some underrated characters another chance in the spotlight.
While fans can expect to see a ton of classic characters in Mortal Kombat 1, including staples like Raiden, Liu Kang, Kitana, Johnny Cage, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero, they'll also be treated to a few faces that may be a tad unfamiliar. Ashrah, Li Mei, Tanya, and Havik are all set to make their long-awaited return in Mortal Kombat 1, and if they can all make a comeback, maybe there's even a spot on the roster for the greenest newcomer, Cole Young.
Could Cole Young Appear In Mortal Kombat 1's New Universe?
A wholly original character created specifically for the 2021 live-action Mortal Kombat movie, Cole Young hasn't appeared in a Mortal Kombat video game yet, but there's always a possibility he could. The Mortal Kombat movie audience surrogate, Cole Young begins the movie completely naive to the greater world of Mortal Kombat and all of its various realms and extensive history. Yet, he ends up thrust into a battle against Shang Tsung unwillingly when he discovers that his dragon-shaped birthmark is actually a sign of him being chosen for the next Mortal Kombat tournament.
Though Cole Young starts off as a fairly uninteresting character, he does grow more appealing as the movie goes on, eventually discovering that he's actually the descendant of Hanzo Hasashi, the original Scorpion. Along with his revelation comes a new set of powers for Cole Young, giving the fighter the ability to create magical gold armor around himself and redirect the energy of attacks, on top of his regular MMA fighting style. While Cole Young still pales in comparison to the likes of iconic characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, he's a solid main protagonist for a live-action Mortal Kombat movie, and he is set to return in an upcoming sequel.
However, this doesn't mean that Cole Young should necessarily make the transition to a Mortal Kombat video game. Though fans warmed to Cole Young, he's still not really a popular character, and having him take a coveted spot on Mortal Kombat 1's DLC roster would likely mean that a fan-favorite character wouldn't get their chance in the spotlight. On top of that, bringing Cole Young to Mortal Kombat 1 might feel as though NetherRealm is trying to shoehorn in some brand synergy in an attempt to market the upcoming sequel, which might feel a little cheap.
With Mortal Kombat 1 revolving around a brand new rebooted universe, it's technically more than possible that Cole Young could show up at some point in this new continuity, but that's been all but disproved by NetherRealm itself. Back in June during Summer Game Fest, NetherRealm's Lead Systems Designer, Derek Kirtzic, was asked by about Cole Young coming to Mortal Kombat 1 in a ComicBook.com interview. Kirtzic bluntly stated that Cole Young wouldn't be coming to Mortal Kombat 1, explaining that "We're leaving that world to that world."
Mortal Kombat 1 will launch on September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
