The Untold Story of Motaro: Unraveling the Mystery behind Mortal Kombat 1's Iconic Villain

Highlights

The reveal trailer at Gamescom for Mortal Kombat 1 not only brought back iconic characters Sindel and Shao Khan but also thrilled fans with the surprise appearance of Motaro as a Kameo fighter.

Motaro, the centaur character from the original Mortal Kombat titles, makes a comeback as a support character in his original form. With his distinct and striking design, his limited presence may make him less familiar to newer players.

Motaro's journey in the Mortal Kombat series has been turbulent. Initially a formidable sub-boss, subsequent games saw him undergo a controversial design transformation that dampened his popularity. Nevertheless, his upcoming role as a Kameo assist raises optimism for his future within the franchise.

Gamescom showcased some major announcements this year, including the highly anticipated reveal trailer for the newest installment of Mortal Kombat. In this trailer, Sindel and Shao Khan are introduced as playable fighters, both receiving a modern update in line with the other characters in the series. While many fans were focused on the main fighters, the surprise appearance of Motaro as a cameo fighter garnered just as much excitement.

Although Motaro only serves as a support character, he returns in his original centaur form from the early days of the Mortal Kombat franchise. As a relatively lesser-known sub-boss during Shao Kahn's reign, newer players may not be familiar with this unique Centaurian character due to his limited appearances over the years. Motaro's design has always been considered extreme and outlandish in the Mortal Kombat series, making it challenging to incorporate his infamous centaur body as a playable fighter. Despite his mixed reception in recent titles, Mortal Kombat 1 seems to finally do justice to his original design.

Motaro's Early Mortal Kombat Roots

Starting as a subordinate boss in Mortal Kombat 3, Motaro is undeniably one of the most outrageous concepts in fighting games from the arcade era. Although he wasn't initially playable, he possessed similar characteristics to Goro and Kintaro, pushing their monstrous forms to the extreme. Despite being underrepresented in the game's lore, Motaro's abilities extend beyond just his horse-like body, including a projectile attack and teleportation.

Given his ferocious nature, it is fitting that Motaro has always played a villainous role in the Mortal Kombat universe. Hailing from Outworld as a Centaurian, he has consistently served as a trusted general under the tyrant Shao Kahn. By establishing supremacy over the four-armed Shokan, Motaro has earned his place alongside his sub-boss predecessors. While it is logical that his character was initially underdeveloped due to his challenging sub-boss status, what followed for him is often considered a weak point for the series as a whole.

Motaro's Decline and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

After missing out on several subsequent titles, Motaro made a comeback in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, but with a significant change. According to lore, the Shokan cursed Motaro's race to transform into bipedal minotaurs, abandoning his centaur form. This unexpected transformation disappointed players during the PS2 era. Motaro's presence became scarce in the rebooted timeline, but his upcoming appearance has sparked new hope.

Although he finally gets the opportunity to shine as a Kameo assist, it seems that Motaro may not be considered a canonical part of the Mortal Kombat world, unlike other classic Kameos. However, his original design is being honored, much to the delight of loyal fans. Despite this, Motaro still has yet to appear as a playable character in the main roster. As a highly requested fighter since the arcade days, the future of the series holds the potential to further develop one of Mortal Kombat's most peculiar characters.

Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.