NetherRealm Studios’ Ed Boon recently participated in an interview with GameSpot following the release of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. During the conversation, Boon was asked about the decision-making process to bring back characters like Fujin and Sheeva. The interviewer also wanted to know if there are more fighters NetherRealm Studios would like to return to one day.
“There always is,” Boon replied. “If you count, there are probably around 80, probably more now, Mortal Kombat characters that we released in various versions.”
“It’s not that we don’t love them that much, but we always have to have Scorpion and Sub-Zero in a Mortal Kombat game.” – Ed Boon
Like Ryu and Ken from the Street Fighter series, there are apparently a number of characters that are too important to exclude from a Mortal Kombat game. It really is hard to imagine a modern Mortal Kombat game without Scorpion right now.
“Some are basic to Mortal Kombat like Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Raiden, and Liu Kang, while others are not seen as frequently as Fujin, Stryker, and Sheeva,” Boon continued. “It’s not that we don’t love them that much, but we always have to have Scorpion and Sub-Zero in a Mortal Kombat game.”
Ironically, Scorpion was actually not a playable character in the original Mortal Kombat 3 that was released in 1995. Liu Kang was also absent (outside of a scene) in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance due to plot reasons.
“Because of that, it’s almost like a revolving door,” said Boon. “Everyone has their chance in the sun and maybe we will give someone a break. When they return, the players are much happier to see them.”
The only characters that appeared in Mortal Kombat 9, Mortal Kombat X, and Mortal Kombat 11 are Jax, Johnny Cage, Kano, Kitana, Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Sonya, and Sub-Zero. These 10 are likely the basic fighters Ed Boon was referring to.
Although Mileena was present in Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat X, she is mysteriously absent from Mortal Kombat 11 outside of quick references like Kitana’s Friendship. Even Ed Boon himself has noticed the fan outcry for adding Mileena to the latest entry in the franchise.
Interestingly, the end of the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath storyline gave the impression that the series could go through yet another reboot. Boon also stated that Liu Kang’s journey in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is essentially over. At the moment it is not entirely clear what this means for the inclusion of Liu Kang and other “basic characters” in future installments.
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