Summary
Mortal Kombat 1is shaking up the franchise like few entries have ever done before. After 2011’sMortal Kombatrevitalized the violent fighting series,Mortal Kombat 1is soft rebooting the franchise’s narrative once again in favor of Fire God Liu Kang’s new era. Familiar faces like Scorpion and Raiden have all-new origins, and long-forgotten Kombatants like Havik and Li Mei are getting a second chance in the spotlight. More thanMK’s characters are being changed up in this new entry, however, as perhaps the one thing most fundamental to the series is also being revised for NetherRealm Studios' newest project.
Mortal Kombat’s gruesome fatalitieshave always been the star of the show, but the heart of the franchise’s narrative is its namesake tournament. The Mortal Kombat tournament drives the majority of the conflict within many franchise entries, as it often decides the fate of Earthrealm and many of the game’s biggest heroes.Mortal Kombat 1is taking the tournament and rewriting its origins to be more in line with Fire God Liu Kang’s status quo. This new interpretation should add some depth to the Mortal Kombat tournament, while also remaining familiar to those who have followed the franchise for so long.
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How The Mortal Kombat Tournament Worked Before MK1 Explained
The exact motivation behind the Mortal Kombat tournament has changed somewhat over the years, but more recent entries provided a clear backstory that many fans are familiar with. Asthe world ofMortal Kombatis divided into several realms, the tournament was designed as a way to fairly determine whether one realm should be allowed to invade and merge with another. One realm must win ten consecutive tournaments to be granted this right, and any violation of the tournament’s terms is considered a severe infraction to the Elder Gods who established it.
The most fleshed-out depiction of the tournament’s stakes comes from 2011’sMortal Kombat, often referred to asMK9. InMK9, Outworld is challenging Earthrealm to Mortal Kombat after nine consecutive victories. Much of the ensuing story plays out similarly to the first threeMKgames, with players defeating Goro,Shang Tsung, and Shao Kahn to ensure the safety of Earth. SubsequentMKgames see the tournament fall away to larger threats like Shinnok and Kronika, butMK1appears to be bringing it back in full, with a revised origin that makes the stakes far more personal.
Mortal Kombat 1’s Tournament Explained
In NetherRealm Studios' newest entry, the Mortal Kombat tournament wasn’t organized by the Elder Gods. Rather, it was created by Fire God Liu Kang and King Jerrod, the late wife to Sindel and king of Outworld. It’s unclear if the terms of this tournament are the same as in previousMKgames, but the threatening words ofGeneral Shao inMK1’s newest trailerseem to suggest the Mortal Kombat tournament is meant for more than sport. If previousMKlore is anything to go off of, General Shao will likely play a significant role in subverting the sanctity of the tournament just as Shao Kahn did before.
Mortal Kombat 1seems to be riding a very thin line between doing something completely new and holding on to the past. Whether this is an intentional narrative decision meant to demonstrate Fire God Liu Kang’s inexperience as an Elder God remains to be seen, but one thing fans can be sure of is that the Mortal Kombat tournament is taking center stage once again. With so manyreturning faces fromMK’s long history, one of the biggest mysteries ofMK1is how it’ll make this tournament stand out from the many that have come before.
Mortal Kombat 1releases September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
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