Unleashing the Untapped Potential: Transforming a Minor Character in Mortal Kombat 1 - A Thrilling Evolution

Highlights

In Mortal Kombat 1, the character Harumi Hasashi, now known as Harumi Shirai, plays a more important role compared to her past iterations.

Harumi, Kuai Liang, and Bi-Han, previously known as Sub-Zero, are childhood friends from Japan who find themselves caught in the midst of the battle between good and evil.

With the aim of protecting Earthrealm from the malevolent Lin Kuei, Harumi and Kuai Liang establish a fresh clan called the Shirai Ryu. Over time, their bond grows stronger as they eventually tie the knot. As fate would have it, a revived Hanzo Hasashi, now going by the name Scorpion, becomes a member of their clan.

Characters from the Mortal Kombat universe have withstood the test of time, remaining largely consistent over the course of 30-plus years. However, the release of Mortal Kombat 1 marked a refreshing restart of the timeline, resulting in redesigned and re-established versions of the beloved characters. While each character offers a slightly different take on their story, they still retain similarities to their previous iterations. Among the classic characters who made a comeback in Mortal Kombat 1, one character stands out due to the increased significance of their role: Harumi Hasashi.

In the new timeline, Harumi Hasashi is now referred to as Harumi Shirai. Traditionally, she served as the wife and mother to Hanzo Hasashi's son. Previously, Hanzo Hasashi bore the alias of the ninja specter Scorpion. However, in Liu Kang's revised timeline, Scorpion is now known as Kuai Liang, the brother of Bi-Han, also recognized as Sub-Zero. Both Kuai Liang and Bi-Han remain members of the Lin Kuei clan, just like in the past, but their backgrounds have been reimagined. They hail from Japan and grew up alongside a reintroduced character, Harumi Shirai. As childhood family friends with Harumi, their stories become even more intriguing as the events of Mortal Kombat 1 unfold.

Harumi's New Role In Mortal Kombat 1

Throughout the Mortal Kombat 1 story, Kuai Liang and Bi-Han's divergent perspectives lead to their eventual enmity. Bi-Han, as before, embraces evil, while Kuai Liang fights for good. In the altered timeline, Bi-Han survives instead of transforming into Noob Saibot, continuing to lead the Lin Kuei down a dark path. This prompts Kuai Liang to depart from the Lin Kuei, accompanied by his adopted brother Smoke, and seek sanctuary in Japan. Enter Harumi.

Harumi Shirai, now a warrior and leader of her own clan, comes across Kuai Liang and Smoke in dire need of protection, surrounded by Lin Kuei assassins. Without hesitation, Harumi offers them sanctuary. Having been childhood friends with Bi-Han, Harumi also feels betrayed by his descent into darkness. She agrees to join forces with Kuai Liang, forming a new clan dedicated to defending Earthrealm and standing against the now-evil Lin Kuei. As Kuai Liang and Harumi join forces to establish this new clan, their bond strengthens and eventually leads to marriage. In honor of his beloved bride, Kuai Liang chooses to name the newly formed clan the Shirai Ryu.

The Shirai Ryu's initial goal was to recruit capable individuals. However, their efforts faced challenges until one night when an enraged child attacked Smoke while sneaking around Harumi's compound. Upon realizing that the attacker was a child, Smoke decided to train him alongside Kuai Liang and Harumi. This child turned out to be a reincarnation of Hanzo Hasashi for Mortal Kombat 1's new era.

In previous iterations, the Shirai Ryu suffered a massacre at the hands of Quan Chi's forces, who posed as the Lin Kuei. In those timelines, Harumi, like the rest of the clan, always met a detrimental fate, which spurred Scorpion to seek vengeance as a Revenant. However, in the Invasions mode storyline that occurs after the main plot of MK1, Titan Scorpion travels across different timelines to find one where Harumi survives. He eventually arrives in MK1's new timeline and becomes enraged upon seeing Harumi married to Kuai Liang. Titan Scorpion attempts to obliterate the new timeline but is ultimately thwarted. Lord Liu Kang then brings Titan Scorpion to a timeline where Harumi assumes the role of Scorpion after losing her Hanzo, allowing them to fight side by side for eternity. Both of these narratives highlight Harumi's increased significance, which is a refreshing change.

Mortal Kombat 1 is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X|S.