Unveiling Liu Kang's Epic Journey in the New Mortal Kombat Universe

The Mortal Kombat franchise's timeline is far from straightforward. While the original arcade games had a simple plot, where Liu Kang defeats Shao Kahn in the Mortal Kombat tournament and saves Earthrealm, the story becomes more complex as new villains emerge and characters meet their demise. However, just as it seems like the Mortal Kombat universe is reaching its end, Raiden sends a message to his past self, altering the course of the future. Now, after further time-bending events, Mortal Kombat 1 is set to reboot the universe once again.

In Mortal Kombat 11, the villain Kronika brings past versions of iconic characters into the present through rifts in reality. Ultimately, she is defeated, but not before Raiden merges himself with both past and present versions of Liu Kang, transforming into a Fire God. After foiling Shang Tsung's attempt to conquer the realms using Kronika's hourglass, Liu Kang decides to reset the entire universe according to his own vision. And so, Mortal Kombat 1 begins anew. However, as fans of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse may understand, certain canon events must unfold, regardless of the universe in play.

What Liu Kang's Canon Events Could Be In Mortal Kombat 1

Liu Kang, often overshadowed by Scorpion and Sub-Zero, is actually considered the main protagonist of the Mortal Kombat franchise. As the champion of Earthrealm, he has been chosen by Raiden to defend the planet against Shao Kahn's impending invasion. Throughout the various universes, Liu Kang consistently assumes this role, although the outcomes are not always favorable for him.

In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Liu Kang is killed right at the beginning of the game by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. In Mortal Kombat: Deception, he is resurrected as a zombified shell, serving as a weapon. The rebooted timeline in Mortal Kombat 2011 sees Liu Kang accidentally killed by Raiden in a massive altercation. Once again, he is brought back to life and becomes an undead servant to Quan Chi, similar to his previous timeline. In Mortal Kombat 11, his past self is transported to the present day. After facing off against his undead counterpart, Raiden combines all three versions of Liu Kang to form the powerful Fire God Liu Kang.

Liu Kang's fate in the Mortal Kombat tournament has always been a predictable cycle of victory, followed by a gruesome death and subsequent resurrection as a mere puppet. These events are considered canon in Liu Kang's story, but there is a significant factor that could disrupt this pattern. Surprisingly, in Mortal Kombat 1, Liu Kang is depicted as the creator of the entire universe.

Liu Kang has painstakingly crafted every aspect of this new timeline and universe, controlling not only character relationships, but also shaping world events. The trailers released so far suggest that Liu Kang has already made substantial alterations to the dynamic between Scorpion and Sub-Zero, while also restoring Raiden to his mortal form. This implies that if Liu Kang has the power to change these significant aspects, he likely has the ability to alter anything within his universe.

Therefore, while it has been established that Liu Kang's canon events involve his death and resurrection, it is reasonable to assume that he now wields control over his own universe and timeline. As a result, he may choose to prevent these previous canon events from occurring again.

Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.