In 2023, fighting game enthusiasts are in for a delicious treat. With the announcement of titles such as Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, and Street Fighter 6, the battle for the go-to fighting game of the year is going to be legendary. At the time of writing this article, the official announcement trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 had just been released. The trailer covered quite a few characters that will probably be available in the game once it launches on September 19, 2023. Eager to know what characters have been revealed? Well, worry not, as we walk you through all the confirmed characters in Mortal Kombat 1 in this article.
Mortal Kombat 1 is a video game belonging to the fighting genre. Developed by NetherRealm Studios and to be published by Warner Bros. Games, the game is essentially a sequel to the 2019 title Mortal Kombat 11, which makes it the twelfth mainline title to be released. According to the trailer, it will be available on all major gaming platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. With that out of the way, let’s focus on the meat of this article. In the announcement trailer, released on May 18, 2023, nine different characters have been revealed. What are those nine characters, and what are their movesets? More on that in the upcoming section.
Mortal Kombat 1 All Confirmed Characters List
With nine characters already showcased in the last announcement trailer for the game, prepare yourselves for a fight to the death in the upcoming game. Here is the list of the nine confirmed characters revealed in the announcement trailer for Mortal Kombat 1:
Kitana
Kitana is an old-school character who made her first appearance in Mortal Kombat 2. This 10000-year-old princess was once the loyal stepdaughter of Shao Khan. Later, due to a certain turn of events, both of them became sheer enemies, as Kitana led an entire army against Shao Khan. Although she was murdered in the other games, she was introduced again in Mortal Kombat 11. It’s highly likely that she will make an appearance in Mortal Kombat 1.
Scorpion
Scorpion, an undead ninja, is one of the best-known characters in the Mortal Kombat universe and has appeared in all Mortal Kombat main titles in the past. This resurrected ninja is out for the blood of the ones who killed him and his family. Being an assassin, he uses a kunai-rope dart and is super agile. It’s good to have him around for the upcoming release as well.
Raiden
Raiden depicts Raijin, the God of Thunder, according to Japanese mythology. He is a fan-favorite character in the series and made his debut in the original Mortal Kombat video game released in 1992. Being a central character of the franchise, he has appeared in every Mortal Kombat title. In the previous titles, his fighting styles included Nan Chuan, Jujutsu, Judo, and Tae Kwon Do. Let’s see what new movesets he will have in the upcoming title.
Mileena
Mileena is another old-school character who debuted in Mortal Kombat 2. Besides the same debut year, Mileena has another similarity with Kitana, i.e., she is a clone of Kitana. Mileena has been a villain in the majority of the Mortal Kombat games in the past. This overambitious assassin is supposed to return in Mortal Kombat 1.
Bonus: If you’d like to know when Street Fighter 6 will have Ultrawide support, feel free to visit this article and give it a read.
Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung made his first appearance in the original Mortal Kombat in 1992 as the main antagonist. He debuted as a playable character in the subsequent sequel, Mortal Kombat 2. He is a sorcerer who can shapeshift and consume the souls of his enemies. Sounds cool, right? Well, he is! It’s good to have him around for the upcoming title.
Kung Lao
Making his debut in Mortal Kombat 2, Kung Lao is a Shaolin monk who uses his deadly hat as a melee and throwable weapon. He is the descendant of the Great Kung Lao. The Great Kung Lao was the first Earthrealm champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament. Besides the mainline series, Kung Lao appeared as the main character for the Mortal Kombat spin-off movie titled Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, released in 2005.
Johnny Cage
Jonathan Carlton, popularly known as Johnny Cage, debuted in the original Mortal Kombat in 1992. The primary hero of Earthrealm is an action movie star who specializes in martial arts. He is known for his fatal finishing moves. As seen from the previous games, Johnny Cage has used a number of melee and projectile weapons, including the Bowie Knife, Pistol, and Nunchaku.
Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero is a cryomancer duo in the Mortal Kombat universe. Comprising of Kuai Liang and his older brother Bi-Han, Sub-Zero was present in all the major installments of Mortal Kombat in the past. Although both appear in the announcement trailer for Mortal Kombat 1, Kuai Liang is considered the main Sub-Zero of the franchise. Sub-Zero was portrayed as a heroic defender of the Earthrealm. Bi-Han is the opposite of his brother, who played the role of an antagonist in most of the Mortal Kombat games. He was also the secondary villain of the movie Mortal Kombat, released in 2021.
Liu Kang
Liu Kang is the main protagonist of the Mortal Kombat universe. He made his first appearance in the original 1992 Mortal Kombat video game. Since then, he has appeared in every Mortal Kombat video game. Liu Kang saved the Earthrealm from the Outworld forces in the first two installments of Mortal Kombat. Like Kung Lao, Liu Kang is also a Shaolin monk.
Note: The list is not exhaustive and is far from complete. We are not sure if all these characters will be in the game on the day of the launch of Mortal Kombat 1. There is a high probability that these characters will be included in the game at some point in the future. Additionally, more fan-favorite characters are likely to get added as well.
On that note, we have finally arrived at the end. If you enjoyed reading this article, consider following Android Gram for such content in the future.