One of Mortal Kombat's greatest strengths is its capacity for producing great characters. Ed Boon's mammoth fighting game has always featured an array of diverse warriors from a raft of backgrounds and in all shapes and sizes. Over the years, NetherRealm has added more names to the roster, with Mortal Kombat 11 introducing the likes of nature-themed goddess Cetrion, time-bending bodyguard Geras, and sinister four-armed minion Kollector. Most of the time, new characters are integrated seamlessly into Mortal Kombat's epic, if ridiculous, story, and while those that don't pan out are often soon jettisoned, NetherRealm has a knack for making its fighters work.

The signs of this creative proficiency were also evident when the studio introduced Kotal Kahn, the Emperor of Outworld and powerful member of the Osh-Tekk race. An Aztec-inspired, godlike figure who looked set to become a rival for the series' most infamous big boss Shao Kahn, Kotal seemed like another home run for NetherRealm. Fast-forward to MK11 and its expansion Aftermath, however, and Kotal's string of misfires has led many fans to cite the Osh-Tekk Kahn as nothing more than an incompetent fool whose lack of skill consistently lead to his humiliation and, ultimately, his demise. This feels like a shame for a character that had exhibited so much potential.

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Kotal's introduction in Mortal Kombat X felt like the dawn of a new era for the franchise. Not only had the game made great pains to introduce newer, younger combatants to the fold, but it had also moved the story away from the classic Liu Kang vs. Shao Kahn throughline that had been the focus of the older games and the 2009 reboot. This time, it was the necromancer Shinnok looking to secure power, while the narrative's main subplot centered around the struggle for power between former Outworld empress Mileena and new ruler Kotal Kahn.

Already, Kotal had become a major player in the new era of Mortal Kombat. A companion comic book series helped flesh out Kotal's backstory, revealing the new Outworld leader to be a morally ambiguous yet ultimately fair-minded ruler who was as ruthless in battle as he was in the political arena. The prequel comics even reveal that Kotal bests the series' iconic four-armed brawler Goro and ends up removing each of his arms as revenge for the death of Kotal's father. Beating the Shokan warrior and one of the most feared champions in the history of the Mortal Kombat tournament is hardly a trifling accomplishment.

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This made Kotal seem set to become one of the strongest and most feared characters in the entire Mortal Kombat roster. However, NetherRealm never committed to making Kotal its main hero (or villain), leaving him often defenseless as a victim of the game's plot rather than as a driving force, often beaten or attacked by other characters for the story to progress and acting as an obstacle to the plot rather than its active driver. Worst still, Kotal's clear fighting ability often ended up being completely disregarded, and he is bested by a relatively inexperienced Kung Jin in MKX, not to mention suffering defeats at the hands of Shao Kahn, D'Vorah, and even Jade in MK11.

Kotal's greatest indignation came during his teaser for MK11. Despite being labeled at the time as Kotal Kahn's reveal trailer, NetherRealm flipped the script and had Jacqui Briggs perform her fatality on the Outworld emperor in what ended up being one final humiliation. In fact, MK11 provoked ire among Kotal fans, reducing him this battle-hardened warrior to a punching bag so that the plotline could see Shao Kahn reinstated as the series' predominant force. When Kotal is eventually dispatched in MK11: Aftermath, his actual death doesn't even happen on screen, with fans only treated to the aftermath as the warrior's head is tossed down the ramp of Kharon's ship.

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It seems likely that, even with the unusual nature of the Mortal Kombat timeline and the slightly ambiguous ending of Aftermath, that Kotal's race has likely been run. The only chance for salvation would likely come from a full-scale reboot of the franchise, something that has been mooted on many occasions following speculation about where MK12 will take things next. Either way, Kotal Kahn's downfall is an immense shame. For such a brilliantly designed, intriguingly crafted and hugely powerful figure, the great warrior-emperor never lived up to his potential.

On the one hand, NetherRealm was clearly trying to put the Osh-Tekk titan as being capable of taking on Shao Kahn himself and a hugely significant player in the battle for the various realms. On the other, the studio and its writers undermined this message by having Kotal suffer myriad failures, humiliations, and setbacks that seemed at odds with the image of strength they hoped to portray. Ultimately, Outworld's former ruler became a victim of the game's overarching narrative, becoming an obstacle in the way of other Shao Khan's more dominant storyline. Once that happened, there was simply no room in the MK universe for two rival Kahns.