Released in 2019, Mortal Kombat 11 is one of the most active modern fighting games. While its crunchy action and pulse-pounding combinations may serve as attractive selling points to the game, much of its appeal draws from the diverse roster it sports, from exotic princesses to multi-armed avaricious demons.
However, many of the roster's unique characters come with fun pieces of trivia. It's time to break into the bare bones of unique facts on each fighter, listing things you might not have known from the game's story mode.
10 Kano's Accent
In MK 11, Kano's role eclipsed that of his other iterations. He had several Black Dragon themed stage and finally squared off with Sonya Blade for their final confrontation. However, it may come as a surprise that he did not always have his legendary Australian accent and origin; in fact, he was originally British.
The decision to make him Australian came after Trevor Goddard's brilliant depiction of the character in the first Mortal Kombat movie. The creative director enjoyed it so much, they made it a permanent facet of his identity and one which distinguishes him in the roster.
9 Sonya's Voice Actress
Sonya Blade's voice might seem dramatically different from previous iterations of her character, and for good reason. Her voice actress was none other than the WWE's Ronda Rousey. It was the first time a character would be portrayed by someone for accolades unrelated to acting, and the results it yielded were controversial.
Fans questioned Rousey's disputable past as well as her lack of experience in the profession, some claiming it diminished their storytelling experience. Regardless of one's opinion, Ronda's Sonya Blade added a unique take to the character that will not soon be forgotten.
8 Liu Kang's Combat Noises
Liu Kang's combat sounds may seem bombastic or goofy to a passing observer, though they are not random ~ the noises he makes are part of his source inspiration, Bruce Lee.
Kang and Lee share many more qualities in common. One of the best examples is their blinding speed. The Shaolin is said to be the fastest warrior in the Mortal Kombat tournament, much like Bruce's propensity to throw punches at blinding speed. Additionally, they share similar mentalities, approaching trials with unwavering confidence ~ courage which is usually justified by their skill.
7 Johnny Cage's Sunglasses Brutality
Mortal Kombat 11 handles brutalities much different than fatalities. Brutalities require certain criteria to be met in a fight before finishing your opponent off with a designated move. One of Johnny Cage's brutalities is when he throws his sunglasses at his opponent, pointing his fingers at them immediately before their death.
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This is reminiscent of his classic line against Goro in the original Mortal Kombat movie, "Those were five hundred dollar sunglasses, a**hole," spoken before he kicked him off a cliff and to his timely demise. Cage may be one of the more humane characters on the roster, but when he kills someone, he ensures it's memorable.
6 Kung Lao's Iconic Hat
To an avid pop-culture consumer, Kung Lao's hat trick may seem familiar. With a combination of speed and precision, he uses it to slice through his opponents, much like James Bond's Goldfinger antagonist, Oddjob.
According to Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias, Oddjob was a deliberate inspiration for Kung Lao's primary accessory. Though this cinematic counterpart may rely much more on brute strength and durability to win his battles, it is validating to confirm that his origins came from the '60s most murderous hat chucker.
5 The Many Voices Of Shao Kahn
In addition to being an announcer option for the game, Mortal Kombat 11's Shao Kahn (voiced by Ike Amadi) is also the voice for Cyrax, as seen in the Lin Kuei factory and Atrocitus from Injustice 2.
Surprisingly, he is not the same actor as the Kahn featured in Mortal Kombat 9, where he was featured as the main antagonist. MK9's Shao Kahn was voiced by the talented Bob Carter, who is also known for voicing Street Fighter's boxing brute, Balrog.
4 Kollector's Motion Capture Nightmare
Mortal Kombat 11's beautiful graphics can be attributed to the hard work stuntmen put into them behind the scenes through motion capture technology. Since most of the roster's body types are similar (using scales like medium male, large male, medium female, large female), it's easy for one acrobat to capture multiple characters.
However, since the Kollector has four arms, they needed two acrobats standing in close proximity to one another to pull off correctly. Ed Boon recounted the headache and hilarity which ensued in the studio, contemplating whether or not the inconvenience justifies the character's ultimately negligible role in the story.
3 Shang Tsung's Familiar Face
Shang Tsung's face and voice might seem familiar to some of the series's most loyal fans; that's because it is! After Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's first depiction of the character in the original Mortal Kombat movie, fans clamored for that iteration of the character to be placed in-game.
Though it did not take as quickly as Kano's inspiration, eventually Netherrealm Studios listened and took the sorcerer's disappearance between Mortal Kombat 10 until recently to revitalize the character. Not only does the new Tsung share his predecessor's cinematic likeness, but he is also voiced by him accordingly.
2 Kronika's Initial Concept
Kronika revolutionized Mortal Kombat bosses. She was the first antagonist the player could not successfully pull a combo on, had multiple endings depending on how the fight occurred (one with two consecutive victories to the character, another with an even split, and one with a decisive villain ending).
It may come as a surprise that when the idea of Kronika was first conceptualized, she was a male villain (much like her current time themed servant, Geras). However, the reconsideration of this decision adds another component which makes her a unique entity.
1 Scorpion's Old Voice Actor Is Bitter
Scorpion was voiced by Patrick Seltz in Mortal Kombat 9 and 10, becoming distinguished for his intense and smoldering voice. However, when Ron Yuan was given the role instead in the most recent game, Seltz was not even notified ~ a fact he would share to his verified Twitter profile.
When the Mortal Kombat 11 trailer was first released, he tweeted, "Well, that's a hell of a way to find out I'm not voicing Scorpion in #MortalKombat11..." Though the decision may have disappointed him, he has filled other memorable roles since (such as Endeavor in My Hero Academia's English dub).