You might not think that a movie about a magical martial arts tournament would be all that
complicated, but 2021's "Mortal Kombat" is packed to the brim with references to the
games' decades-long lore. We're here to break down the hidden meaning of the characters
in "Mortal Kombat."
A lot of the characters we're talking about here are dead by the end of the movie. However,
that doesn't mean they won't pop up in a sequel. In the games, characters come back from death
all the time, and, as Shang Tsung says, "death is only another portal." Indeed, "Mortal Kombat"
makes the fickle nature of death explicitly clear when feudal Japanese ninja Hanzo Hasashi,
murdered by rival Bi-Han in the opening scene, returns in the climax as the undead warrior
known as Scorpion.
"Get over here."
Scorpion's backstory in the movie is almost exactly the same as it is in the games. References
to the feuding ninja clans of the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei suggest the films could be
interested in exploring this aspect of games in more detail. If so, this opens up a long
list of future characters to potentially include. This is all subject to change, of course,
given the centering of Scorpion's descendant and the film's protagonist, Cole Young. And,
of course, Scorpion himself is still wandering the land of the living. There are any number
of directions he could go, based on his story in the games.
Bi-Han has his own "Mortal Kombat" codename, as fans know well: Sub-Zero. However, this
is somewhat misleading. While a character named Sub-Zero appears in every "Mortal Kombat"
game, there's only one game in which that character has actually been Bi-Han. In fact,
Bi-Han hasn't been Sub-Zero since the very first "Mortal Kombat" — he's killed by Scorpion
immediately afterward, and the mantle of Sub-Zero is taken up by his more heroic younger brother,
Kuai Liang, in "Mortal Kombat 2." So, while the film's Sub-Zero is the original version
of the character, he's technically not the version we've been using to frustrate our
friends since 1993.
As he does in the games, Scorpion kills Sub-Zero at the end of the new movie. But Joe Taslim,
the actor who plays Bi-Han, is reportedly signed on for four more films. Between that
and the fact that his body is collected by Shang Tsung's mysterious teleporting smoke
before the credits roll, he's guaranteed to be back for a sequel. Moreover, while he's
only Sub-Zero in the first installment, Bi-Han is hardly absent from the remainder of the
video game series. In 2004's "Mortal Kombat: Deception," it's revealed that the sinister
undead wraith known as Noob Saibot, who debuted in "Mortal Kombat 2," is actually the resurrected
spirit of Bi-Han. "Mortal Kombat" screenwriter Greg Russo has already acknowledged that Bi-Han's
transformation into Noob Saibot is part of his plan for the character -– though we'll
see if he keeps the admittedly stupid name.
Considering Goro's status as one of the strongest and most popular "Mortal Kombat" characters,
it's somewhat surprising to see the four-armed warrior prince show up just long enough to
be defeated and killed by Cole. Given the enigmatic black smoke that claims his body,
however, he'll likely be back in some capacity.
As "Mortal Kombat" fans know, Goro's character offers the filmmakers many options going forward.
If they want to spend more time in Outworld, the realm the movie's villains call home,
Goro could be an entry point for that. Viewers could also potentially learn more about the
Shokan race, and even about their rival species, the scorpion-like Centaurians. Most tantalizingly,
Goro eventually joins the side of the heroes in the video games. But let's be honest: Assuming
these movies eventually get to the actual Mortal Kombat tournament, it would make the
most sense for a returning Goro to reprise his iconic role as the undefeated champion
of Mortal Kombat.
Mileena is the most notable Tsung minion who doesn't get expressly set-up for future sequels
via black smoke of destiny. One of the franchise's most popular characters, she does get more
screen time than Goro, but still ends up with a gigantic hole through her torso by the film's
conclusion. It would be surprising if Mileena didn't make it into the sequels in some form,
and her video game origin as a hybrid clone lends itself well to an explanation for her
return. But even if Mileena doesn't return, her presence in the film still carries a whole
lot of weight.
When Mileena first appeared in the "Mortal Kombat" trailer, some fans expressed consternation
at what seemed to be the relative normalcy of her face. By the end of the film, those
fans were likely pacified, since she does eventually break out the monstrous, sharp-toothed
grin she's known for. This act of fanservice could also be an indicator that the Tarkatan
race will appear in future installments, most likely in the form of Baraka, whose massive
teeth and wrist blades have been part of the franchise since "Mortal Kombat 2." Of course,
the other half of Mileena's genes come from her "twin sister," Kitana, a major heroic
character curiously absent from the new movie. Should Kitana appear in a sequel, she might
introduce her home realm, Edenia, into the film's mythology.
Somewhat early in the film, Shang Tsung sends somebody called Syzoth to attack Earth's heroes.
This character turns out to be a fiendish reptilian creature, boasting wicked claws
and the power to turn invisible. In the games, Syzoth is actually known as Reptile, and is
the first secret character in fighting game history. Though he was originally just a green
version of the Scorpion/Sub-Zero character template, he eventually gained actual reptilian
form, and a backstory to boot. He's the last surviving member of the Saurian species, who
all have the ability to turn invisible or take human form.
Nitara is another minor character who pops up in "Mortal Kombat," representing one of
Outworld's alien species. She only shows up for a couple minutes, and it's unclear how
much of her video game origin we're meant to infer. In the games, she's a vampire — that
is to say, a member of a vampiric alien species that needs blood to survive. She and Reptile
also have a history together in the games. Since Nitara gets eviscerated by Kung Lao
in the movie, and Reptile gets his heart ripped out, their film-based future isn't looking
good. Still, it's possible that their respective species will play some role in the franchise
down the line.
Goro and Mileena are two of the most notable "Mortal Kombat" characters, Reptile has a
cult following, and even Nitara has the benefit of being a traditional vampire. But only the
most die-hard "Mortal Kombat" junkies remember Reiko, who was created as a thinly re-skinned
Noob Saibot replacement for "Mortal Kombat 4" and has barely appeared in the games since.
Even if the movie just needed a low-level side character who could be killed off via
Jax Briggs fatality and never seen again, the inclusion of Reiko is a strange choice.
Fans can't help but wonder if Reiko is meant to foreshadow the arrival of central "Mortal
Kombat" villain Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld.
The last of Shang Tsung's minions, Kabal gets a character makeover in the movie. He still
sports his trademark hookswords, mask, and respirators, and is still an ex-member of
the Black Dragon mercenary organization. But he's also unambiguously villainous, as opposed
to the reformed criminal he is in the games. He's more well known than characters like
Reiko and Nitara, but still obscure enough that he's probably dead for good. However,
his presence in the film, as well as his interactions with the Black Dragon leader, Kano, suggest
that the "Mortal Kombat" movies might bring in some other Black Dragon-related plot elements
and characters. Plenty of minor characters from the games have been part of the Black
Dragon, which at one point in the game was under Kabal's leadership.
This being "Mortal Kombat," the Black Dragon naturally has an opposite: The Red Dragon,
its rival and parent organization, a full-fledged crime syndicate whose inclusion in the films
could provide an entry point for more in the sequels. The Red Dragon is also a gateway
to some of the larger-scale lore of the "Mortal Kombat" series.
If you're going to talk about the mythology of "Mortal Kombat," you have to talk about
the lightning god in the room. Raiden was always going to be part of any "Mortal Kombat"
movie, but the fact that he's alive and in charge by the end of this one suggests he
will continue to be a major part of the next one as well. There's a deep well of lore to
be drawn from when it comes to Raiden.
The film stays pretty vague about what exactly is going on at the highest levels of this
universe, but the phrase "Elder Gods" is mentioned, and it's significant. Raiden himself moonlights
as an Elder God, joining and leaving their ranks throughout the series. More importantly,
any potential interest the filmmakers may have in the Elder Gods will lead them to another
major "Mortal Kombat" villain: The fallen Elder God, Shinnok. In fact, Shinnok's signature
amulet of power can be seen in Raiden's temple in the movie, suggesting that, as in the games,
Raiden defeated him centuries ago -– though the threat of a revived Shinnok is always
in play.
If there's one thing about the movie most "Mortal Kombat" fans probably agree on, it's
that Josh Lawson's Kano is absolutely one of the best things about it. While the leader
of the Black Dragon’s mercenaries is oddly placed on the side of the heroes throughout
the first part of the film, he turns on them halfway through. Lawson is a delight every
time he's on screen, which makes it a bit of a bummer that Sonya kills him with a lawn
gnome prior to the end of the movie.
However, there's reason to think this isn't the end for Kano. For one thing, it would
seem counterproductive to just cut bait on Lawson after he stole the show so completely.
For another, there's the matter of his face, scarred in his fight against Reptile. In the
games, Kano is cybernetically enhanced, bearing a metal faceplate pretty much exactly where
Reptile's claws raked him. That's also the same eye Sonya drove the gnome through — an
eye that, in the games, is cybernetic and shoots lasers. Bringing Kano back as a cyborg
would align with his video game origins, provide a new source for his eye beam, and most importantly,
keep Lawson in the franchise.
"No matter how many of my people you put in the ground. We will not fail."
There's a reason that the film's insertion of Cole Young, an original character not present
in the video games, has caused so much bafflement among fans of the franchise: "Mortal Kombat"
already has a main character. Liu Kang, originally conceived as a Shaolin monk, can be considered
the primary hero of the entire series, and most adaptations place him in that role. Robin
Shou plays him in the two '90s movies, and there's never any question about who the protagonist
of those films is. It's decidedly odd to see another character in Liu Kang's place, and
especially strange to see Liu Kang show up in the movie anyway, in a secondary role.
Unlike his mentor, Kung Lao, Liu Kang makes it to the end of the film. It's possible that
he will ascend to main character status at some point in the future — perhaps the filmmakers
decided to include Liu Kang as a sort of fail-safe, if the audience reaction to Cole is less than
positive. But even if that never happens, Liu is already dropping hints about other
portions of the "Mortal Kombat" universe he could unlock, such as his name-dropping of
Bo' Rai Cho, master of the Drunken Fist.
Technically, Johnny Cage doesn't appear in the new "Mortal Kombat" movie. However, there's
a direct reference to Cage in the movie's final shot, as the camera lingers on a poster
for a fictional film entitled "Citizen Cage," starring Johnny himself. This comes directly
after the victorious heroes agree they need to find more fighters before their next battle,
and after Cole informs us that he's headed to Hollywood to track one such fighter down.
It's the movie's only direct suggestion of a sequel, teasing us with the potential arrival
of one of the franchise's biggest names.
One of the original "Mortal Kombat" characters, Cage is an iconic part of the series. A cocky
martial artist and actor, he enters the tournament to prove he does his own stunts. He's also
famous for being Sonya Blade's love interest.
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