Summary
Mortal Kombat 1’s campaign features many recognizable faces in very different circumstances from what fans are used to. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are brothers, Raiden is a simple farmer, and Johnny Cage is a struggling actor nearing the end of his rope. By the time the campaign wraps up, many of these iconic fighters have endured pivotal struggles that echo previous canon, but it’s still clear that their futures are uncertain. If players are looking for a hint toward what’s next forMortal Kombat 1’s roster, they need only to complete the game’s towers and watch the ending for each character.
MK1’s tower endings have major implications for a sequel, with each of them serving as an epilogue for every fighter. While many of them could greatly affect NetherRealm’s future storytelling, one tower ending could also be setting up potential DLC fighters. That would be the ending of Kenshi Takahashi, who suffers a great amount of loss but also gains a great amount of power inMK1. In a move that creates a link to previousMKlore, Kenshi’s tower ending could serve to tease the addition of fan-favorites Sonya Blade and Kano as DLC fighters in a future Kombat Pack.
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Kenshi’s Tower Ending Explained
Kenshi’sMK1tower ending picks up with the blind swordsman pursuing the goal he had at the beginning of the campaign, restoring honor to his family’s name. As he fights against the Yakuza, Kenshi finds an ally manyMKfans should be familiar with. Jackson Briggs, more commonly known as Jax, joins Kenshi in his fight against the gang. Jax works with Kenshi only briefly, but that changes whenShang Tsungattempts to steal Kenshi’s sword in front of Jax. It’s here that Jax is first exposed to the world outside Earthrealm, and it motivates Jax to create a government agency to handle such a revelation.
After Kenshi tells Jax all about Outworld, which Briggs thought was just made up forJohnny Cage’s movies, he convinces the FBI to start the Outworld Investigation Agency. He offers Kenshi a job with the OIA, which Kenshi accepts, stating how important it is to be making an honest living. This new agency is reminiscent of the Special Forces, which featured heavily in previousMKgames as a taskforce meant to handle otherworldly threats. It’s with the introduction of this agency that Sonya Blade and Kano have their best shot of coming intoMK1as future DLC.
How Sonya Blade & Kano Could Appear In MK1
Mortal Kombat 1already has its first Kombat Pack planned out, but there could be room in a second Kombat Pack for Sonya Blade and Kano. Now that the OIA has been established, Sonya could be introduced as a new recruit for the agency who works closely with Jax and Kenshi. Kano could fill his usual role as leader of the Black Dragon, causing trouble for the OIA as they investigate disturbances in Outworld. They may not get very much development ifMK1doesn’t include story DLC along with Sonya and Kano, but their status as iconicMKfighters would likely require little need for it.
Mortal Kombat 1features Sonya Blade and Kano as Kameo fighters, but there’s already precedent for Kameos to crossover with fighters on the roster. It’s hard to say right nowhow many Kombat PacksMK1will get, let alone who will be in each, but many longtime fans would likely appreciate it if Sonya and Kano made their way into the action. Kenshi’s tower ending already provides a way for the fighters to factor into canon, and now it’s just a matter of NetherRealm deciding it wants to expand Fire God Liu Kang’s new era by bringing Sonya and Kano into the fold.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
