Fighting game rosters are built on two things: dynamic move sets, and memorable personalities. In the case ofMortal 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’sScorpion, Sub-Zero, or Raiden, it’s easy to pickMortal Kombatcharacters out of a crowd even if someone has never taken part in the franchise’s bloody action. InMortal Kombat 1, however, NetherRealm Studios looks to take what gamers know aboutMortal Kombatand flip it on its head.
Coming off the story ofMortal Kombat 11: Aftermath,Mortal Kombat 1sees 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, butMK1’s trailers show that history has a tendency to repeat itself. As part of this new era, some ofMK’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 sinceMortal Kombat 2. While he hasn’t appeared inMK1’s gameplay so far, his presence can be found elsewhere.
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How Baraka Could Appear in Mortal Kombat 1
Baraka has been a fixture of theMortal Kombatfranchise since its early days, first appearing inMortal Kombat 2alongside 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 toMortal Kombatwith his arm blades and razor-sharp teeth. He would go on to appear in nearly every other majorMKrelease thereafter, building a sort of cult following for his brutal fighting style alongside otherfighters like Noob Saibot.
When it comes toMortal Kombat 1,Fire God Liu Kang’s new eraintroduces a unique challenge for the inclusion of Baraka. At the time of writing, Baraka is not a confirmed fighter forMortal 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 previousMKlore, Mileena was a clone of Kitana whose DNA had been combined with that of a Tarkatan, contributing to her signature look. InMortal Kombat 1, however, Mileena’s origins have changed considerably.
As it’s explained in her bio onMortal 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 withinMK’s realms.
Mortal Kombat 1’s roster looks to be one of the more unique the franchise has ever seen, especially with the introduction ofMK1’s Kameo fighters. With dead fighters resurrected, staples of the series getting new origins, andMortal Kombatlore 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 1releases September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
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