Shocking Return of Ultimate Villain Teased in Mortal Kombat 1 – Exclusive Details!
Mortal Kombat 1 teases the return of a legendary villain, poised to make a surprising comeback in a totally unexpected capacity, shaking up the game's dynamic
A newly-released character biography for Mortal Kombat 1 hints at the return of Shao Khan in a different role. In this latest installment, Mortal Kombat 1 has reintroduced classic characters from the series, each with a fresh backstory and dynamics, thanks to Liu Kang's reset of the MK timeline in Mortal Kombat 11's Aftermath DLC. As the release of Mortal Kombat 1 approaches, NetherRealm has been gradually unveiling these reimagined warriors to fans through gameplay trailers and online character bios.
During the recent Kombat Kast livestream, two new main characters for Mortal Kombat 1's roster were announced, along with a number of supporting fighters. The first addition is Smoke, a loyal member of the Lin Kuei who joins forces with Scorpion and Sub-Zero under Liu Kang's leadership to protect Earthrealm. The second character is Rain, a malevolent sorcerer who employs water-based magic to oppose them.
Yesterday, shortly after the release of the Mortal Kombat 1 trailer, Twitter user RealmKast shared the official character bios for Smoke and Rain on Discord. Of these bios, Rain's has generated the most discussion. It briefly mentions his master, referred to as "General Shao," who recognized Rain's magical abilities and helped him rise to the position of Outworld's High Mage.
It is highly likely that "General Shao" refers to Shao Khan, the ruthless ruler of Outworld who was first introduced in Mortal Kombat 2. Shao Khan has appeared as a recurring antagonist in subsequent Mortal Kombat games. In Mortal Kombat 11, a past version of Shao Khan arises after his demise in Mortal Kombat 9. In the previous Mortal Kombat timeline, Shao Khan is the adoptive father of Kitana and Mileena, the twin heirs of Outworld, both of whom are set to make a return in Mortal Kombat 1. Additionally, Rain's character bio mentions his former lover, referred to as "Empress Sindel."
Shao Khan is set to make a return in Mortal Kombat 1, but this time as a general in Outworld's army rather than its ruler. This suggests that the game's characters may eventually take on their old roles, and it remains to be seen if General Shao will regain his former rank in the rebooted timeline. Mortal Kombat 1 is scheduled to be released on September 19, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
