TheMortal Kombatfranchise has kept one foot in the past while keeping another in the present to great success in recent years. After rebooting the series with 2011’sMortal Kombat,NetherRealm Studioshas developed a new canon for the series inspired by some of the best aspects of previous titles. The developer has also used this reboot to introduce bold new storylines and characters, reaching a crescendo with the time travel featured inMortal Kombat 11. All eyes are on what’s next for the franchise inMortal Kombat 12, and the answer could come in the form of a powerful villain fromMK’s past.
TheMortal Kombatreboot saw developer NetherRealm reintroduce some of the franchise’s greatest villains, with Shang Tsung and Shao Khan at the center ofMK9, and Quan Chi and Shinnok serving as the main antagonists ofMKX.Mortal Kombat 11broke this trend by introducing the time-bending Kronika, butMortal Kombat 12could be an opportunity to bring back another element ofMK’s past, by reintroducing Onaga from the divisiveMortal Kombat: Deception.The Dragon King has been absent from the series for some time, butMK12could be the perfect stage for him to reassert his power overMK’s heroes.
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Onaga’s Role in Mortal Kombat: Deception Explained
Onaga served as the primary antagonist throughout all ofMortal Kombat: Deception. The game gets its subtitle from the Dragon King, as Onaga manipulateskeyMortal Kombatcharactersto reclaim his throne as emperor of Outworld and become all-powerful.Deception’s story mode sees Shujinko collecting the Kamidogu, relics that contain the power of eachMortal Kombatrealm. While Shujinko believes he’s doing so in order to return the Kamidogu to the Elder Gods, he is actually bringing them right to Onaga, as the Dragon King used an avatar named Damashi to deceive Shujinko into this task.
With the Kamidogu in his possession, Onaga seeks out Shinnok’s amulet, so he can use all of these relics to merge the realms into Outworld. This brings players to the events ofMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, as Raiden attempts to defeat Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. When Onaga makes his appearance during this battle, all three fighters attempt to combine their strength against Onaga to no avail. Onaga succeeds in collecting Shinnok’s amulet, and the kombatants that survived the events ofDeadly Alliance, including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, must fight Onaga and his forces for the sake of the realms.
How Mortal Kombat 12 Could Use Onaga
The story thatMKwas building withDeceptionfell apart withMortal Kombat: Armageddon, butMortal Kombat12is an opportunity to right those wrongs.MK9showed Onaga in Raiden’s vision of previous games, andMK11makes frequent reference to him in pre-fight banter between certain characters.MK12could bring Onaga into the fold once again by taking inspiration fromDeception, having him seek out the Kamidogu in order to merge the realms. It could even find inspiration in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by framing Onaga’s hunt for the Kamidogu similarly toThanos' hunt for the Infinity Stones.
Onaga was built up as the villain to beat all villains inMortal Kombat: Deception, but the story Midway pursued didn’t completely capitalize on that potential. Now thatMortal Kombatis well into its reboot, NetherRealm has an opportunity to flesh out Onaga and demonstrate his power beyond that of previous games.Mortal Kombatco-creator Ed Boon has already been vocal aboutremasters of oldMortal Kombatgames, and reintroducing Onaga withMortal Kombat 12could be the one thing that fully ties today’sMortal Kombatto the series' past.
Mortal Kombat 12is currently in development.
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