Since 1992, the franchise known as Mortal Kombat has become a staple of arcade fighting games. Known for its iconic game mechanic of "fatalities" (special moves that allow a player to finish their opponent using excessive, flashy, and often gory methods), the series was largely responsible for creating the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Many of its games are even banned in certain countries.
Nevertheless, the franchise has expanded far beyond video games, spawning multiple films, several television series, and a live-action tour. The games themselves have enjoyed significant development, eventually growing to establish an overarching plot and timeline of the series involving most of its roster. Still, some characters' histories are more than a little cloudy -- especially considering the recent timeline splinter in Mortal Kombat 11. Though there was the comic series of Mortal Kombat X, having solo series and comics dedicated to characters would allow for better development.
10 Tanya
Out of all of Mortal Kombat's characters, Tanya is without a doubt the most deceitful. Having been an ally of villains like Shao Kahn, Shinnok, and Shang Tsung, she was responsible for the invasion of her own homeland, Edenia, in the original timeline. In the series' reboot, Tanya had become the lover of Mileena and sought to aid her thanks to Mileena's promise of liberating Edenia from Outworld.
Tanya has not been seen since Mortal Kombat X. Dialogue between Rain and Mileena supports the theory that she's dead, but her fate is largely still a mystery. Combined with the fact that Rain implies Tanya had always intended to betray Mileena, it would be interesting to delve deeper into her character.
9 Shang Tsung
One of the first original characters of the franchise and the first final boss, Shang Tsung rivals Shao Kahn as one of Mortal Kombat's most iconic villains. A soul-stealing sorcerer, Tsung's only true ally is himself, often finding ways to double-cross his alliances. The nature of his powers was fully revealed during the events of Aftermath, with Kronika explaining she had "crafted" his destiny -- and abilities -- for her to have a backup resource of power.
It could be speculated that he had always intended to overthrow Kronika, given his history, but the concept of his actions being for another is relatively new to his character. Seeing his past interactions and communications with her would certainly flesh out this new part of his history and explore the dynamic between the two outside of hostility.
8 Cetrion
An ancient and powerful Elder Goddess, Cetrion is the polar opposite of her brother, Shinnok, and the two represent the universe's balancing forces. She embodies life, nature, and virtue, while he embodies death, destruction, and sin. As the daughter of the Titan Kronika, Cetrion believes that her mother's will is absolute and aids her in her quest to start a New Era.
There were several hints throughout MK11 that Cetrion's virtuous nature prevented her from aiding her mother to her fullest potential. A comic series could further explore this idea, perhaps even a timeline where Cetrion sides against Kronika to aid Raiden and Liu Kang.
7 Noob Saibot
Known as the original Sub-Zero, Bi-Han, Noob Saibot was born from the sorcery of Quan Chi. Chi resurrected him following his death at the hands of Scorpion. In fact, the sorcerer had manipulated Scorpion into committing the murder, using his magic to confuse and enrage him. Thanks to Chi's magic, Saibot could control and manipulate darkness and shadows but was bound to the sorcerer's will.
Saibot later allied himself with Kronika following Chi's death, but his quest for revenge against Scorpion and his brother has not died. He was not seen during the conclusion of MK11, which leaves his fate unknown and open to exploration.
6 Skarlet
Skarlet's history has always been a bit all over the place. Her inclusion on the Mortal Kombat roster being speculated as early as Mortal Kombat II due to a coding glitch with Kitana, which caused her to appear red. Skarlet was later fully integrated into the series in Mortal Kombat (2011) and established as a street urchin Shao Kahn had conducted experiments on to infuse with the power of Blood Magik.
Like Mileena, Skarlet's loyalty to the Kahn was unbreakable, and she became his most faithful enforcer. Besides that, she's not a character of much substance -- despite having some of the most gruesome fatalities in the game. A comic series exploring her past or following her exploits in Shao Kahn's name would help develop her outside of: "blood ninja woman."
5 Ermac
Another one of Shao Kahn's creations, Ermac is the physical manifestation of countless souls from the Kahn's conquests. He possesses telekinesis and is seemingly adept at Soul Magik, similar to Shang Tsung. His role in the series usually finds him pledging loyalty to the Kahn of Outworld, serving under Shao, Mileena, and Kotal.
However, his character has far greater potential. Among the many souls composing his form, King Jerrod - the former king of Edenia, husband to Sindel, and father to Kitana - is housed in Ermac's being. Ermac's arcade ending in Mortal Kombat (2011) touches on this aspect, but there have been little to no storylines that explore this. Fleshing out Ermac is also an opportunity to flesh out Sindel and Kitana, both fan favorites.
4 Jade
Personal bodyguard to Kitana and her childhood friend, Jade has been one of the most popular supporting characters of the franchise since her playable debut in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Following Edenia's forced merging with Outworld, Jade accompanied Kitana and Sindel to Shao Kahn's court, where she met and fell in love with Kotal.
Jade's present counterpart was slain in battle against a brainwashed Sindel, and she later became a Revenant and a servant of Quan Chi and the Netherrealm. During the time splinter in MK11, another "good" Jade was brought into the future, where she had to face her own Revenant and confront the changes of the newer world. Getting a more introspective look at Jade's past and her inner thoughts would be a welcome treat for many franchise fans.
3 Kronika
Keeper of Time and considered the true antagonist of the series, Kronika is a Titan, an ancient being of immense power greater than even the Elder Gods. She constructed each character's destiny and became dissatisfied with how Raiden's influence on the timelines changed and altered her plans. Seeking to restart with A New Era, Kronika's machinations form the main plot of MK11.
Though she seemingly perished following her defeat at the hands of Liu Kang and Shang Tsung, there could be multiple timelines where she is technically still alive. A story that explored the Titans further or followed her influence throughout the other parts of the series would be the perfect opportunity for her character to gain more substance and help to flesh out the involvement she's supposedly always had.
2 Baraka
Aside from Mileena, Baraka is the only named Tarkatan character in the series, serving as their leader and war-chief. Originally following Shao Kahn's lead to ensure his tribe's survival, Baraka later sided with Mileena during her bid for the throne of Outworld, which resulted in both of their deaths and the extinction of the Tarkatan race. When the timeline was fractured in Mortal Kombat 11, Baraka and the Tarkatans were brought into the future, again roaming Outworld.
The Tarkatans' history has been subject to several changes over the years. However, the current canonical history of their race explains that Shao Kahn conquered their realm and that there were never natives to Outworld. With a solo series, both Baraka and his people could be more deeply explored, which would help better ground them in the series following the various retcons of their background.
1 Sindel
Empress of Edenia and Outworld, Sindel is the mother of Kitana and Mileena. Originally a benevolent queen and ruler, she was forced to marry Shao Kahn after he conquered Edenia. She was later killed by Quan Chi, who staged her death to look like a suicide, only for her to be brought back by his magic - and bewitched under his control. She was resurrected again through the efforts of Shang Tsung, Fujin, Nightwolf, and Sheeva, apparently restored to her original, good-willed mind.
During the events of Aftermath, it was established that Sindel was, in fact, never good at all and willingly carried out Shao's orders before her first death. This retcon was poorly met by both fans and critics, as it essentially destroyed her entire character. Reestablishing her through a comic series would be more than welcome and hopefully set her back on the path of righteousness. Or, at the very least, try to explore her sinister nature during the previous installments of the games.