Highlights
- In the Mortal Kombat series, the timeline has become increasingly complex and difficult to follow due to multiple versions of similar events and timeline resets.
- Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is set in an alternate timeline to the mainline games, with differences such as Shinnok as the main antagonist and the absence of Armageddon and certain characters.
- While Mortal Kombat 1 and Mortal Kombat: Onslaught have similar characters and themes, they exist in separate timelines, although alternate versions from other timelines can make appearances in Onslaught.
In recent years, the Mortal Kombat timeline has become increasingly divergent. Since the initial timeline reset in Mortal Kombat (2011) a.k.a. MK9, there have been multiple versions of similar events to keep track of. The overall story has become even more difficult to follow now that the recently released Mortal Kombat 1 has reset the timeline again, this time more drastically. To complicate things further, another MK game was released around the same time as MK1, the mobile exclusive Mortal Kombat: Onslaught. Though the universes of these games may seem very similar, there are some substantial differences between the two.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught is set in an alternate timeline to the mainline Mortal Kombat games. The characters, locations, and themes are consistent among the two timelines, but the events that unfold drastically change the course of them. However, the story of Mortal Kombat 1 opened the door to a multiverse of timelines within Mortal Kombat. As such, Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's timeline does technically exist adjacent to the timeline of Mortal Kombat 1. Although closely related, the differences between timelines are numerous.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught Timeline Key Differences
- Shinnok as the main antagonist
- The mask of Drahmin and related relics are the key
- Armageddon has not yet happened
- No mention of Titans or the Hourglass
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught Vs. Mortal Kombat 1's Timeline
By utilizing an art style very close to that of Mortal Kombat 11, Mortal Kombat: Onslaught can be mistaken for being in the same timeline as that game. Though, unlike MK9 or MK1, MK: Onslaught is not a diverging timeline but one that exists completely separately. The backstory is fairly similar though, initiating with the competition between Earthrealm and Outworld in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Onslaught then goes on to focus primarily on the corrupted Elder God Shinnok, who attempted to kill his fellow gods and destroy the Mortal Kombat realms.
Shinnok was first introduced in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero but made his mainline debut in Mortal Kombat 4 as the main antagonist and final boss of that game. Shinnok returned again as the main villain of MKX, after MK9's timeline reset. He has not yet appeared in MK1's newest timeline. Shinnok's story in MK:Onslaught is similar to the main timeline, where he has been cast to the Netherrealm after failing to defeat his fellow Elder Gods. Shinnok then hatches a plan to escape his imprisonment and seek revenge on those who have sent him there.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's Alternate Characters
One of the main objects in the plot of MK: Onslaught is the Mask of Drahmin, several other powerful relics. Shinnok seeks to use these relics in his fight against Raiden and the Elder Gods, so the heroes of Earthrealm must find them first. Many of these relics were referenced in previous Mortal Kombat games but never given much importance. In MK1's new era, it is unclear if these relics exist as there has been no mention of them yet, or the Oni Drahmin himself.
Mortal Kombat: Onslaught's timeline is similar in many ways to Mortal Kombat 1's, as many of the characters and their relationships are the same. But the biggest difference is the fact that Onslaught does not yet mention Titans or Keepers of Time. It is not yet specified whether the timeline of that game is also managed by the same Keeper of the Hourglass that governs the timelines of Mortal Kombat 1. In any case, it has been demonstrated through added characters that alternate versions from other timelines can make an appearance in Onslaught. This has been shown most recently with the addition of Mortal Kombat 1 Scorpion. Time will tell if these timelines are more canonically connected than they seem.
Mortal Kombat 1
The 12th mainline entry in Warner Bros' franchise, Mortal Kombat 1 is set to be a soft reboot. Along with staples like a single-player campaign and online multiplayer, the 2023 game will also introduce Kameo Fighters.
