WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Mortal Kombat, now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.
Mortal Kombat (2021) ends on a triumphant note for Lord Raiden’s (Tadanobu Asano) charges as they defeat the first wave of Shang Tsung’s (Chin Han) forces. The sorcerer tried to eliminate Earthrealm’s champions before the tournament began, but, thankfully, Cole Young (Lewis Tan) rallied the troops to victory. However, seeing as the finale sets up the heroes to go out and find new allies, let’s look at five characters who’d be perfect for joining the mission.
Princess Kitana
The fan-favorite princess makes perfect sense because apart from being popular, Kitana fits right into the arc of Lord Raiden wanting to explore other realms to see who can help. In the game, Kitana’s kingdom, Edenia, was taken over by Shao Kahn’s legion, with her dad killed and Sindel made into the Emperor’s queen.
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Thus, this opens up the path for Raiden’s team to discover more about Shao Kahn and how he’s been using Shang Tsung’s minions. Kitana could hold key intel as an assassin for the Emperor, not knowing he laid siege to Jerrod’s throne. It’d also open up a romantic route for Liu Kang, who’s hurting after losing Kung Lao. Kitana inspires a movement amongst other kingdoms to stand up against oppression.
Lord Fujin
Fujin, the Wind God, could aid Raiden, his brother, as it seems the Elder Gods have left Shang Tsung to his devices. They’re quiet for some reason, so Raiden needs help figuring out why they’re allowing such incursions and the rules to be broken. Fujin has always been an ally to Earthrealm, so he’d likely help train these warriors and find new partners for Team Raiden as well.
Fujin’s presence also opens up the possible angle of an Elder God rivalry with Shinnok and Co., adding a lot of mystical drama that was popular in the source material, especially in MKX and MK11. The Thunder God trusts Fujin a lot, so if Raiden dies, there’d be a worthy successor on hand and, more importantly, someone Liu Kang trusts and who everyone else will follow due to his selfless nature.
Kenshi
With Scorpion at peace after killing Sub-Zero, Kenshi could be key to bringing him back. He had such a powerful, brother-like bond with Hanzo, training together in the past and even leaving his son, Takeda, for Scorpion to mentor. The blind swordsman being in trouble may give the wraith new purpose, emerging from the hellfire of the Netherrealm once more.
In addition, with his sentient sword, telekinesis and array of badass moves, Kenshi is the kind of character that delivers bombastic fight sequences as one of the Mortal Kombat games’ most formidable and lethal soldiers. Kenshi can also help Cole level up, adding more ninja spark to his repertoire, while aiding the heroes against enemies like the Red or Black Dragon, Shang Tsung and Ermac. He’s always been disciplined and one of Raiden’s favorites, plus he has a wealth of experience against Shao Kahn’s armies, so he could balance off the testosterone with Johnny Cage already added in.
Kai
Kai’s been given a raw deal in the Mortal Kombat games, only really making an impact in MK4. Nonetheless, he’s also a favorite of Raiden, with the Thunder God once bequeathing his lightning staff to him. Thus, Kai is perfect to enlist, as he’s been part of the White Lotus Society, fighting to be their best warrior. He could easily partner with Liu Kang following Kung Lao’s death. They’ve had the same training and an established brotherhood.
This arc could deliver insight into how Bo’ Rai Cho found underprivileged kids like them and put them down this heroic path. It’d also add more substance because a Black Shaolin monk is such a great topic to dive into, breaking stereotypes and adding even more diversity to the film. Kai represents two worlds. He can even connect with someone like Jax, addressing the importance of soldiers of color.
Jade
Mortal Kombat (2021) did Sonya Blade an injustice by having the one woman in the heroic troupe work for her dragon mark, so there’s a feminist edge that’s desperately needed to course-correct things. Jade could be just that because, while she’s another character fans love, she’s one of the deadliest warriors in the lore. She quickly turned on Shao Kahn’s forces, moving from being an assassin to one of Raiden’s allies, making her redemption intriguing.
She’s also Kitana’s protector, so it’s a natural connection, especially as she has it out for Shang Tsung and the Emperor. With her stick and teleporting powers, Jade’s also a great, dynamic fighter to have in the place of the deceased Mileena. The idea of someone switching sides could also prove to Team Raiden there is hope across the other realms. As such, they might be able to redeem and expand their army in a bigger fashion than first assumed.
Directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by James Wan, Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Mehcad Brooks as Jackson “Jax” Bridges, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Matilda Kimber as Emily Young and Laura Brent as Allison Young. The film is now in theaters and available to stream on HBO Max.
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