Unveiling the Revamped Realms: A Deeper Dive into Mortal Kombat 1's Timeline Alterations

Highlights

Mortal Kombat 1 offers a rebooted timeline with significant changes to character origins and each realm's appearance.

In Mortal Kombat 1, Earthrealm has undergone minimal changes, with Raiden taking on the role of a farmer and Liu Kang, the Fire God, serving as the realm's guardian.

Contrarily, Outworld in Mortal Kombat 1 has attained a greater sense of tranquility, spearheaded by Empress Sindel's leadership. However, the realm's populace faces a looming threat in the form of a novel disease.

Released for nearly a week now, and even longer for those who purchased the Premium Edition for early access, it is highly likely that numerous players have already invested several hours into Mortal Kombat 1 and its various modes. However, despite the abundance of content available, it is also probable that many fans have only scratched the surface of what Mortal Kombat 1 has to offer. Although technically possible to complete the story mode of Mortal Kombat 1 in just 5-6 hours, it may take multiple playthroughs for fans to identify all the differences in this revamped timeline.

Set after the events of Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath, the story mode of Mortal Kombat 1 follows the journey of Fire God Liu Kang as he resets the universe, resulting in significant alterations to numerous details, both minor and major. While the changes to the origins of each character are the most intriguing aspects of this new Mortal Kombat universe, they are not the sole significant modifications to the timeline. Each Realm also exhibits noticeable differences this time around.

Mortal Kombat 1's Earthrealm

The Mortal Kombat universe consists of various dimensions called Realms, each existing separately in its own plane. While most Realms are aware of and can freely travel between each other using portals, Earthrealm is an exception. The inhabitants of Earthrealm are largely unaware of the existence of other dimensions.

In Mortal Kombat 1, Earthrealm remains largely unchanged from its previous timeline iterations, representing Earth's modern society. However, there is a significant change in Earthrealm this time. Raiden, who used to be the god protecting the Realm, now takes the role of a simple farmer. Earthrealm is now protected by Liu Kang, the Fire God. For ages, Liu Kang has ensured that the other Realms do not invade by participating in a fighting tournament that demonstrates the strength of his Realm.

Mortal Kombat 1's Outworld

In the revised Mortal Kombat storyline, Outworld holds the distinction of being the largest Realm, formed by merging several invaded Realms. In this version, including Mortal Kombat 1, Outworld remains the principal Realm, encompassing sub-Realms like Edenia and Tarkata, which have always been integrated into Outworld rather than obtained through conquest. Notably, Outworld in Mortal Kombat 1 is comparatively more tranquil as Empress Sindel assumes a benevolent leadership role, while Shao Kahn, now demoted to general, is removed from power. Nonetheless, beneath Outworld's seemingly peaceful surface, issues persist with the emergence of the Tarkat disease, posing a looming threat of transforming the population into monstrous shadows of themselves.

Mortal Kombat 1's Orderrealm

Although not prominently featured in Mortal Kombat 1's main narrative, it appears that Orderrealm has remained largely unchanged from previous iterations of the timeline. Also referred to as Seido, Orderrealm represents an ideal utopian society, where an emphasis on structure and justice takes precedence over everything else. However, the tranquility of Mortal Kombat 1's Orderrealm stands on the brink of peril. Within the story mode of Mortal Kombat 1, a citizen of Orderrealm named Dairou, aligns himself with Quan Chi and the rest of the Deadly Alliance, seeking to inflict chaos upon his homeland. As Dairou transforms into the fierce combatant known as Havik, his ambitions come to fruition, plunging Seido into an era defined by turmoil and disorder.

Mortal Kombat 1's Netherrealm

The Netherrealm, known as a hellish world, does not make a direct appearance in Mortal Kombat 1. However, its existence is confirmed multiple times throughout the game, and it serves as the origin for various antagonists such as Quan Chi and the Brotherhood of Shadows. Fighters like Sareena and Ashrah also hail from the Netherrealm, with the latter initially being a demon but ultimately deciding to embrace the path of righteousness.

You can now play Mortal Kombat 1 on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.