Highlights

  • Mortal Kombat 1 DLC rumors suggest iconic horror movie villains may join the roster, including Pennywise from IT.
  • Pennywise's recent design fits well with Mortal Kombat 1's aesthetic, combining grounded elements with striking visuals.
  • Pennywise's unorthodox moveset possibilities make him an exciting and unique potential fighter for Mortal Kombat 1, including shapeshifting into opponents' fears.

Ever since its debut in 1992, the Mortal Kombat franchise has had a reputation for being one of the goriest games in its contemporary market. While this originally meant just a bit of blood and some light impalement, modern entries have really pushed this facet to its limits, offering some of the bloodiest, nastiest, and most violent deaths in gaming. Naturally, this penchant for gore has led to the Mortal Kombat franchise crossing over with a number of horror properties in the past, and it's been heavily rumored that Mortal Kombat 1 might be revisiting the horror genre soon.

While Mortal Kombat 1's first DLC Kombat Pack has seemingly revolved around returning franchise staples and comic book villain guest stars, it's been rumored that Mortal Kombat 1's second Kombat Pack will bring one or two horror movie icons to the long-running fighting game franchise for the first time. If these rumors are true, then Mortal Kombat 1 has no shortage of iconic horror villains to choose from, though NetherRealm would really be giving fans what they want if IT's Pennywise made a horrifying surprise appearance on the roster.

Mortal Kombat 1 Chucky
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How Pennywise Could Work in Mortal Kombat 1

Pennywise's Recent Design Already Fits Mortal Kombat 1's Aesthetic Well

There have been two big live-action adaptations of Stephen King's IT since the book's debut all the way back in 1986, with the first being the IT miniseries in 1990, featuring the legendary Tim Curry in a career-defining performance as Pennywise the Clown. While this version is undeniably iconic, not to mention nostalgic for many horror fans, it's the most recent live-action iteration of Pennywise that would best suit Mortal Kombat 1's character aesthetic, with the design being grounded yet striking due to its use of period clothing and bold colors.

Pennywise Would Need an Unorthodox Moveset in Mortal Kombat 1

The Mortal Kombat franchise has had some pretty strange fighters over the years, and Mortal Kombat 1 is no different, with characters like Reptile being able to shapeshift between a lizard and human form freely during individual moves. That being said, Pennywise would offer NetherRealm an opportunity to really get weird.

Pennywise isn't just a creepy clown, but an interdimensional being that feasts on fear. Technically part of the Deadlight species, IT can take countless different forms, being able to shapeshift into whatever its prey is most afraid of or susceptible to, whether that's family, friends, or any other living creature. With these powers, NetherRealm could have a lot of fun creating a Mortal Kombat 1 fighter.

Pennywise's base moveset could consist of all the usual punches and kicks, and his special moves could get a little stranger, seeing him turn into a spider briefly or use his Macroverse powers to daze his opponents. However, it'd be Pennywise's shapeshifting ability that really set him apart from the rest of the roster. If Pennywise comes to Mortal Kombat 1, his main power should be the ability to transform into his opponent's biggest fear. For instance, if Pennywise is fighting Scorpion, then his biggest fear is the death of his wife and child (at least in past timelines), which would see Pennywise conjure that image in front of him, or if Pennywise was fighting Mileena, then her biggest fear would be losing herself to the Tarkat disease, which would see him shift into a feral Tarkatan version of her.