Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 1's upcoming reboot will breathe new life into the beloved character Reptile, showcasing a fresh look and moveset that fans appreciate.
- The game introduces a new universe with changed backstories and origins for many popular Mortal Kombat characters, including Reptile.
- While Reptile has often been cast as a villain, his allegiance in Mortal Kombat 1 is yet to be revealed, but his new form appears more reasonable and articulate, making him an intriguing character who is highlighted by his shape-shifting ability.
As the game's September release draws ever closer, Mortal Kombat 1 continues to look more impressive with each new glimpse shown by developer NetherRealm. As one of the fighting genre's oldest and most popular franchises, Mortal Kombat has introduced some incredibly memorable characters over the years. Names such as Johnny Cage and Raiden have penetrated into broader pop culture and contributed to the series' lasting success. The upcoming series reboot aims to paint many of these characters in a completely different light, and a recent trailer has shown off the amphibious shape-shifter Reptile's brand-new look and move set.
Reptile is one of many famous characters whose role is set to significantly change in Mortal Kombat 1. Following the events in Mortal Kombat 11's climax, Liu Kang has rewound time, creating a new universe. In doing so, he has created new backstories and origins for many of the series' most beloved characters in a desperate attempt to maintain peace.
Reptile's Mortal Kombat 1 Glow Up Will Give the Character a New Lease of Life
Despite not necessarily grabbing as many headlines as some of the other colorful characters on Mortal Kombat's roster, Reptile has been a favorite among fans since he made his debut as a secret boss in the original 1992 Mortal Kombat game. Since then, he has appeared in numerous other titles in the franchise, either as a playable character or via small cameos throughout the series' story. He even played a small part in the 1995 live-action movie adaptation, battling Liu Kang during the protagonist's time in the realm of Outworld. The versatile Reptile has proven to be a tough adversary over the years, and this is set to continue in Mortal Kombat 1.
Mortal Kombat 1's official Reptile bio describes him as part of a reptiloid race known as Zaterrans, found on Outworld. Despite the fact that all Zaterrans are able to camouflage themselves extremely well, only Reptile possesses the unique ability to shape-shift into a human form. This ability actually led to Reptile, whose real name is Syzoth, being terrorized by other Zaterrans, causing him to leave his home and seek solace elsewhere.
Mortal Kombat 1 footage shows Reptile to be an extremely fast and agile fighter, with a number of ferocious moves in his arsenal. His reptile form seems bigger than previous versions, and he doesn't look too dissimilar from Spider-Man's villainous Dr. Curt Connors, better known as Lizard. Reptile appears able to freely shift between human and reptile form, and while in the latter skin, he can also use a venomous green substance to deal additional damage to his opponents. Despite usually being cast in the role of a villain, Reptile's allegiance in MK1 is not yet known, but he appears to be a more reasonable and articulate individual in his new form when compared to past versions.
Street Fighter 6 released earlier this year, and has set a high bar for the likes of Mortal Kombat and Tekken, both of which have new installments on the horizon. Mortal Kombat 1 will be keen to show it can still hold its own compared to its fiercest rivals when it launches next month. If the visually stunning, fast-paced, and visceral gameplay footage shown so far is anything to go by, fans shouldn't bet against Mortal Kombat coming out on top once more come September.
Mortal Kombat 1 releases on September 19 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
