The fighting game genre has more than its fair share of archetypes and tropes, and one of its most common is character rivalries. Whether it's a rivalry between a hero and villain, two students of the same teacher, a father and son, or two siblings, the vast majority of the best fighting games will sprinkle at least a handful of rivalries into the mix to not only justify the reason behind the game's action, but also to keep players invested in that action. Of course, Mortal Kombat embraces this trope proudly, featuring various intricate rivalries between just about all of its roster.

But while the Mortal Kombat franchise has held tightly onto most of its rivalries for over three decades now, Mortal Kombat 1 could be about to shake things up dramatically. Picking up after the events of Mortal Kombat 11's Aftermath DLC, Mortal Kombat 1 sees the newly crowned Fire God Liu Kang restarting the Mortal Kombat universe once more, rebooting the continuity, and switching up some classic rivalries in the process.

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Scorpion and Sub-Zero

The most infamous rivalry of the entire saga, Mortal Kombat's Scorpion and Sub-Zero are usually locked in an intense battle for revenge in most MK entries. In the original continuity, Sub-Zero was hired by Quan Chi to assassinate Scorpion, and in the process, he kills the yellow ninja's family. Scorpion is resurrected as a specter, given the express purpose of hunting down Sub-Zero and enacting revenge. After Scorpion kills Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero, his brother Kuai Liang takes on the mantle, and he himself becomes consumed with vengeance, thus locking the two in a nearly never-ending rivalry.

However, in Mortal Kombat 1's new universe, Scorpion and Sub-Zero's rivalry is looking a little different. In this new continuity, Scorpion and Sub-Zero and biological brothers, both belonging to the Lin Kuei clan. But while the two start off as strong allies, it's been heavily teased that a rift will start to form between the two, with Sub-Zero apparently leading the Lin Kuei astray in Scorpion's eyes, which could potentially lead to a fresh version of this classic rivalry.

Kitana and Mileena

Another classic, yet underrated Mortal Kombat rivalry is the one found between Kitana and Mileena. In the original series continuity, Mileena is a clone of Kitana, designed specifically by Shao Kahn to be more obedient and replace her counterpart as Princess of Outworld. This naturally leads to a rivalry between the two, and while Kitana is often seen attempting to convince her clone to join her on the side of good, the plea rarely gets through. In Mortal Kombat 1, Kitana and Mileena are now twin sisters, with Mileena being the current Princess of Outworld. However, though the two love one another, Mileena has contracted the Tarkat disease, and Outworld's citizens are petitioning for Kitana to take over as leader, which could stoke the flames for a new type of rivalry between the two.

Raiden and Shao Kahn

For over 30 years now, Shao Kahn has been a constant threat in the Mortal Kombat universe, and Raiden has always been the strongest hero attempting to fight against him. In the original timeline, Raiden tries to put a stop to Shao Kahn's plans to conquer Earthrealm by bringing his best fighters to the Mortal Kombat tournament, but in Mortal Kombat 1, Raiden and Shao Kahn are now the ones participating in that same tournament. With Raiden having lost his Elder God status, and Shao no longer being a Kahn but just a general of Outworld's armies, the rivalry between the two in Mortal Kombat 1 may be more grounded and gritty than ever before.

Mortal Kombat 1 will launch on September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.

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