Fighting game rosters are built on two things: dynamic move sets, and memorable personalities. In the case of Mortal Kombat, the iconic fighting franchise has persisted for the last thirty years by routinely mastering this balance between satisfying gameplay and household names. Whether it's Scorpion, Sub-Zero, or Raiden, it's easy to pick Mortal Kombat characters out of a crowd even if someone has never taken part in the franchise's bloody action. In Mortal Kombat 1, however, NetherRealm Studios looks to take what gamers know about Mortal Kombat and flip it on its head.
Coming off the story of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Mortal Kombat 1 sees the beginning of Fire God Liu Kang's new era. In this new timeline, Liu Kang tries to rewrite history to create a more peaceful world, but MK1's trailers show that history has a tendency to repeat itself. As part of this new era, some of MK's most iconic characters have alternate origins, while some appear absent altogether. One kombatant that has fallen into the latter camp for the time being is Baraka, the toothy Tarkatan who has been around since Mortal Kombat 2. While he hasn't appeared in MK1's gameplay so far, his presence can be found elsewhere.
How Baraka Could Appear in Mortal Kombat 1
Baraka has been a fixture of the Mortal Kombat franchise since its early days, first appearing in Mortal Kombat 2 alongside new additions like Jax Briggs and Kung Lao. Where these fighters brought a new spin on the series' human characters, Baraka introduced a more monstrous side to Mortal Kombat with his arm blades and razor-sharp teeth. He would go on to appear in nearly every other major MK release thereafter, building a sort of cult following for his brutal fighting style alongside other fighters like Noob Saibot.
When it comes to Mortal Kombat 1, Fire God Liu Kang's new era introduces a unique challenge for the inclusion of Baraka. At the time of writing, Baraka is not a confirmed fighter for Mortal Kombat 1. One character who is confirmed, however, is Mileena, the sister of Kitana who shares a unique connection to Baraka's Tarkatan race. In previous MK lore, Mileena was a clone of Kitana whose DNA had been combined with that of a Tarkatan, contributing to her signature look. In Mortal Kombat 1, however, Mileena's origins have changed considerably.
As it's explained in her bio on Mortal Kombat 1's website, Mileena is now afflicted with the Tarkat disease. This disease is what's causing her mouth to take its usually grotesque shape, seemingly doing away with Tarkatans as a species, but maintaining a connection through the disease's name. This shift in Mileena's origin could extend to Baraka if he does make an appearance, as he could turn out to be a fellow Edenian like Mileena who suffers from the Tarkat disease. They could then find solidarity in their condition, and establish the Tarkatans as a new group within MK's realms.
Mortal Kombat 1's roster looks to be one of the more unique the franchise has ever seen, especially with the introduction of MK1's Kameo fighters. With dead fighters resurrected, staples of the series getting new origins, and Mortal Kombat lore as a whole being revised, NetherRealm Studios is truly taking the franchise into uncharted territory. Baraka's inclusion in the upcoming game is not a certainty, but what little fans know of the game so far makes it a possibility at the very least. Time will tell if Fire God Liu Kang carved out a place for the excessively sharp fighter in his new era.
Mortal Kombat 1 releases September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
