Nothing can prepare you for what's next, becayse Mortal Kombat 11 is coming in April 2019. It'll be released four years after the critically acclaimed Mortal Kombat X and has a lot to live up to. Judging by the trailer reveal at The Game Awards 2018, however, it looks like NetherRealm Studios has upped the ante once again and produced a blockbuster. Reportedly, there's even a new feature called "Character Variation Customization" that'll allow you to tweak your fighter to your heart's content.

While it looks gorgeous and the features sound nice enough, we'll reserve our opinion until the final product is in our hands. That said, there are some non-negotiables that we expect in the game – most notably, certain characters. It's no secret that Scorpion, Raiden, and Shao Kahn will be a part of Mortal Kombat 11, but what about the other usual suspects? There's always the possibility that NetherRealm Studios might freshen things up, much like what happened to Mortal Kombat 3's cast back in 1995, or it'll choose to not rock the boat too much. In the meantime, we'll speculate about whom we definitely want to see in the game and who shouldn't get an invite to the party.

20 YES: JOHNNY CAGE

Johnny Cage, the true king of action films, needs to appear in Mortal Kombat 11. While he's a daddy now and growing a little long in the tooth, he's still one of the best fighters in the series. Coupled with his over-the-top, parodic personality of Hollywood culture, he's the go-to guy when you want to "dance" through the tournament.

In all likelihood, the chances are good that he'll appear in Mortal Kombat 11. While he was absent from a few games in the past, NetherRealm Studios has realized the error of its ways and included Cage in subsequent titles. He's the star of MK and the show can't go on without him.

19 NO: JACQUI BRIGGS

Introduced in Mortal Kombat X, Jacqueline "Jacqui" Briggs is part of the next generation of MK characters. She's a chip off the old block and has similar power moves as her old man, Jax. Yet, there's something deeply unlikable about her; she comes across as the "Despacito" of this universe.

That said, it's probable that she'll form a part of the cast of Mortal Kombat 11, since she started a relationship with Kenshi's son, Takeda Takahasi, and played a big role in the previous game. If she does make an inevitable comeback, let's hope that she brings with her more personality and less forced toughness.

18 YES: SONYA BLADE

Let's not beat around the bush here: Sonya Blade is the original femme fatale of Mortal Kombat. As the only female character in the first game, she became a fan-favorite of players everywhere as her Leg Grab became an attack of choice and destroyed numerous coin-op specialists.

Modeled on the first lady of action films, Cynthia Rothrock, Blade is a premier character of this franchise and an MVP that needs no introduction. While her and Johnny's daughter, Cassie Cage, is earmarked as the future of MK, there's still a spot open for Blade to do what she does best – and that's take down a host of chumps.

17 NO: STRYKER

We don't know if it's just us, but Kurtis Stryker felt the poor man's Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 3. Despite a few cool movies and fatalities, he never reached the same level of popularity as the action film star. Heck, not even Ron Perlman voicing him in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm aided him in becoming a fan-favorite.

Whereas Cage is the Jean-Claude Van Damme of MK, Stryker is Steven Seagal. Basically, he's okay and tolerable in small doses, but you'd never admit you're a fan in public. He really is unnecessary in Mortal Kombat 11, except to his fan group of three people.

16 YES: LIU KANG

Liu Kang is to Mortal Kombat what Ryu is to Street Fighter. Quite simply, he's the greatest fighter around. Even though Scorpion and Sub-Zero are the regular faces of the games (and the most popular figures), Kang is the character that's the most useful in the hands of beginners and experts.

Lately, we've seen Kang portrayed as a darker character and it's a real pity. While it's fun to see characterizations change up here and there, he's always been at his best as the quintessential hero of Earthrealm. Hopefully, Mortal Kombat 11 will restore order and allow him to be the beacon of hope for this universe.

15 NO: CYRAX

On paper, Cyrax sounds like an appealing character. A cyborg with ninja skills? Sign us up! Unfortunately, he's nothing more than a glorified clone. By the time Mortal Kombat 3 was released, gamers had caught on to the fact that the developers would change the color of the sprites and position them as new characters.

Yes, the "newbies" would have their own specific move set, but do you honestly know the difference between Cyrax, Sektor, and Smoke's move sets if we asked you to write them down? While Cyrax isn't a bad fighter, there are others much more deserving of his slot in Mortal Kombat 11.

14 YES: KABAL

In Mortal Kombat 3, Kabal was one of the hardest characters to master. If you got him right, though, we feel genuinely sorry for your opponents. If you had the unfortunate experience of facing an expert Kabal player, it's likely that you still have nightmares about it to this very day. He was a juggernaut who couldn't be stopped once his dashing combo started.

Kabal appeared as a non-playable character in Mortal Kombat X, but he still doesn't receive the love he deserves. Perhaps Mortal Kombat 11 will be an ideal opportunity to reintroduce him into the franchise and show everyone what he's all about.

13 NO: GORO

We get it. Goro is one of the most iconic characters in Mortal Kombat. His image was plastered everywhere when the first game was released and he's featured in other franchise media. He's super-duper fun to play and his appearance in Mortal Kombat 11 will undoubtedly delight longtime fans.

But what has been the growth in Goro's character arc? He literally feels like the same dumb meathead from 1992 who clobbers things because he can. If he was an era of film, he'd epitomize '80s action flicks – all-out action and zero story development. Let's face it: Goro is fun, but he isn't exactly doing anything productive in the series.

12 YES: ERMAC

When you think of all the palette-swapped ninjas in the franchise, Ermac is the one who's come the furthest. He actually has his own unique design now and doesn't look like a Scorpion knockoff anymore. Additionally, he has the coolest backstory of anyone in Mortal Kombat as he's literally the merger of the souls of perished warriors.

Now, we don't know about you, but the amalgamation of souls makes him one of the most accomplished fighters in the entire series. He's also aided by the fact that he has outstanding attacks and finishing moves. Sure, Ermac has appeared in recent games, but let's also chuck him in Mortal Kombat 11.

11 NO: RAIN

Yes, it's another palette-swapped ninja in Mortal Kombat. Though Rain is ranked as one of the worst MK characters in the series, we're big fans of his because of the interesting origin of his name. You see, NetherRealm Studio's Ed Boon is a fan of Prince and his song "Purple Rain", so you can see where the connection comes in.

Rain sat on the sidelines for Mortal Kombat X, watching and waiting for Mileena to reclaim the Outworld throne so he could betray her and take it for himself. He's a total slimeball and weasel and that's why he'd make such a fantastic addition to Mortal Kombat 11.

10 YES: KUNG LAO

We all know about Kung Lao and how he's a descendent of the Great Kung Lao, who knocked around scum and took the Mortal Kombat title eons ago. Much like Finn Jones' Iron Fist, NetherRealm Studios never misses a beat to remind us of his prestigious bloodline and achievements.

At this point, though, he does need a kick in the teeth and a little bit of rejuvenation. With the introduction of fresh energy and characters in the franchise, it's time for him to step up as the champion he should be and become an A-lister. He's played his part for so long, but there's more for him to achieve.

9 NO: SINDEL

Sindel, the mother of Kitana and unwilling wife of Shao Kahn, made quite the impression in Mortal Kombat 3. She was one of the better additions to the series, and fans found her a formidable force in the game. Plus, it didn't hurt that she looked and acted like a banshee.

Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation destroyed all her credibility as Musetta Vander's interpretation of Sindel has to go down as one of the worst pieces of acting in cinema history. Her lines were cheesy and you never got a sense that she posed much of threat to anyone – except the marketing team for the film. Sindel has never recovered from her fall from grace.

8 YES: NIGHTWOLF

In the mid '90s, Nightwolf was a favorite of all those older kids who wanted to be rappers and rocked their cargo pants to the arcade. He was one of the OP characters in Mortal Kombat 3 and you were in deep, deep trouble if he was controlled by an MK veteran.

Amazingly, he never really took off in the franchise and has remained on the fringes for so long. He last appeared as a playable character in 2011's Mortal Kombat so he's due another round soon. Considering the long list of NPCs in Mortal Kombat X, we'd bet that Nightwolf is one of the names being mooted as a playable character for the follow-up.

7 NO: KANO

Kano is the sort of character that pops up here and there in the franchise. He was a part of the Mortal Kombat X cast and pretty much did the same thing he's been doing for the past 26 years. Sorry not sorry, but Kano is a one-trick pony and Sonya Blade really deserves a better class of criminal to chase down.

We're even willing to accept him in the background of the next game, but not as a playable character. For real, how many times has this guy gone to jail and then escaped? Are all the prison guards from Gotham City or something?

6 YES: CASSIE CAGE

Out of all the new characters introduced in Mortal Kombat X, Cassie Cage is easily the most interesting and entertaining of the bunch. Mind you, it also doesn't hurt that she possesses the fighting prowess of her mother and father. She's become a fan-favorite character after only one game, so it's only natural that she should return for Mortal Kombat 11.

Considering how well Cassie was received, we'd bank on her being a shoe-in for forthcoming titles. Heck, her selfie finishing move is still a stroke of genius. Not only is it a stinging commentary of our times, but it also pokes fun at it.

5 NO: JADE

Much like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile were literally palette-swapped ninjas in the beginning, the same was true about Kitana, Mileena, and Jade. The thing is, Jade is a terrific character, but she shouldn't be included in Mortal Kombat 11 for one reason: the overzealous fans.

Mortal Kombat X producer Shaun Himmerick had to quit social media because of a string of threats after the announcement that Jade wouldn't be in the game. This is abhorrent behavior and shouldn't be rewarded under any circumstances. Life shouldn't be about bullying someone until they give you what you want. For that reason alone, Jade should remain on the sidelines until people learn some decency.

4 YES: SUB-ZERO

There's simply no way that Sub-Zero will be absent from Mortal Kombat 11. NetherRealm Studios might as well cancel the whole game if it decides to ignore the ice master. In fact, we're sure there would be a bigger gamer outrage than the whole debacle around Star Wars Battlefront II and its infamous microtransactions.

That said, we do wonder what other tricks the developers have up their sleeves for Subby. He's a mainstay of the franchise and easily the most recognizable character (along with his frenemy Scorpion). That doesn't mean he's immune from criticism, though, and he's due a major story upgrade right about now.

3 NO: FUJIN

Interestingly, Fujin hasn't been a playable character for a while now. He cameoed in 2011's Mortal Kombat and appeared as a non-playable character in Mortal Kombat X. The question is, did you even notice or miss him at all? We didn't.

His powers as the God of Wind might be impressive, but he isn't exactly a flexible or exciting character in the games. Additionally, he fails to capture the imagination of the fans. If you ask for someone's top 50 MK characters, he's normally at the bottom of the list. Maybe Fujin is living proof that there's room for only one god in Mortal Kombat.

2 YES: BARAKA

Baraka might have a face for radio, but he's one of the best character additions in Mortal Kombat. Ever since Mortal Kombat II, he's established himself as one of the best fighters in the game. His move set and razor-sharp combos are next level, and you can do some real damage with him if you practice long enough.

Sadly, the warrior appeared in Mortal Kombat X as an unplayable character and met his demise (which led to the birth of the Alien in the game). As we've learned with MK, though, nothing is ever permanent, so hopefully Baraka makes his comeback and slices and dices his way to victory.

1 NO: QUAN CHI

To be fair, Quan Chi was a late addition to the series, making his video game debut in 1997's Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. Since then he's served a major role in most of the titles, appearing as an opportunistic antagonist who allies himself with whomever gets him further ahead. Yes, he's a real leech.

Unfortunately, he's grown tiresome. Mortal Kombat has always featured a blistering host of villains and evildoers, with most of them being able to co-exist within the same storyline. The rumors hint at a new villain (or should we say familiar face as the main rogue?), so we don't need the sorcerer hanging around and waiting for scraps again.