Since the initialMortal Kombatgame released in 1992, the series has seen a combined total of 97 playable characters between its main and spin-off series. With such a long history of creating memorable fighting game characters, some players have become attached to their favorites, which will sometimes result in tweeting angrily at Ed Boon when characters likeMileena aren’t included.
Moral Kombat 11’s initial roster as well as its DLC characters have been an interesting batch so far. Mainstays like Ermac and Reptile have been left by the wayside in favor of characters like Frost and Fujin which both haven’t made an appearance sinceMortal Kombat: Armageddon. And with arumored 19 moreMK11DLC characterson the way, there are many beloved fighters that probably won’t make the cut if NetherRealm decides to keep with this trend.
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Quan Chi
The demonic sorcerer from the Netherrealm,Quan Chi, made his first playable appearance for theMortal Kombatfranchise back inMortal Kombat 4. Specializing in necromancy, Quan Chi has made appearances as one of the primary antagonists over severalMortal Kombatgames with his latest entry beingMortal Kombat X. He has a history of committing heinous crimes against other characters such as slaughtering Hanzo Hasashi’s clan, the Shirai Ryu, before resurrecting him as Scorpion and pitting him against Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei.
Despite the impact of Quan Chi’s actions in theMortal Kombatuniverse, it’s likely players won’t see him make another appearance until the next game. Quan Chi has traditionally been seen as a secondary antagonist, assisting in Shinnok’s schemes for dominance over the Realms, and some players seem to have the opinion that he isa lesser version of Shang Tsung. Quan Chi also met his demise by the vengeful hands of Scorpion inMortal Kombat X, which doesn’t eliminate him entirely, but probably doesn’t help his case.
Kenshi
Theblind psychokinetic swordsman, Kenshi, quickly rose as a fan favorite of the 3D games following his initial appearance inMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Kenshi is no stranger to the newest trilogy ofMortal Kombatgames being added as DLC forMortal Kombat 9and appearing on the initial roster forMortal Kombat Xwhere he played a prominent role in the game’s story alongside his son, Takeda Takahashi.
While it hasn’t been expressed that Kenshi won’t make an appearance as a DLC fighter, his inclusion is probably not likely. Unlike Quan Chi, whose death was inMortal Kombat Xand hasn’t been discussed since, players can find Kenshi’s corpse inMortal Kombat 11’s Krypt where they gain access to his blindfold. It’s perhaps more likely that his son Takeda will return in the DLC, or other older fighters that could use a much needed reintroduction like how Frost received.
Goro
Goro is perhaps one of the most infamous mini-bosses inMortal Kombathistory. Despite the epithet of “mini,” there is nothing mini about Goro with players likely spending quarter after quarter trying to defeat him on the originalMortal Kombatarcade machine. The Shokan has made an appearance, whether playable or not, in almost everyMortal Kombatgame with some seeing him as one of the hardest enemies to face outside of Shao Khan.
However, much like Kenshi, the Prince of the Shokan’s corpse can be found within The Krypt, seemingly sitting on his throne awaiting a new challenger. It’s probable that Goro will remain dormant for the remainder ofMortal Kombat 11’s life, allowingSheeva to shine as the Shokan representativeon the roster.
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Stryker
In a series devoted to demon ninjas, ice ninjas, reptilian ninjas, and ninjas comprised of thousands of souls, Stryker is one of only a few characters that could be seen as out of place. Unlike other fighters in theMortal Kombatroster,Stryker has no powersor anything that makes him particularly unique. He’s just a cop from the NYPD, making him the most “normal” character on the roster. As such, there’s plenty of more “interesting” characters that fans would sooner see take his spot.
Chameleon
Chameleon is an interesting character in that they are not one fighter but many. Making their first appearance inUltimate Mortal Kombat 3on the SEGA Genesis and SNES, Chameleon acts as an amalgamation of other ninjas characters from the series like Scorpion, Rain, Reptile,Noob Saibot, and Smoke.
Although they haven’t been seen sinceMortal Kombat: Armageddon, Chameleon is probably unlikely to return inMortal Kombat 11. The game seems determined to include characters that have a level of depth to their backstory, and that is something that characters like Chameleon andTriborghave lacked. Mashup characters like these, while fun to play, ultimately seem to fall by the wayside in favor of characters with distinctive and memorable fighting styles.
Mortal Kombat 11is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
