After showing up in multiple trailers, the Mortal Kombat 11 Liu Kang gameplay breakdown stream also showed off Kung Lao along with newly revealed klassic kombatant, Jax. Each had been unveiled at an earlier date but this is the first look we’ve gotten at each in action.
Each is (more or less) familiar to their past installments but with an array of upgrades. Liu Kang is still a pretty fast fighter and has his signature bicycle kick and fireball at his disposal. But he also uses his nunchucks in some instances like he did in some of the oft-neglected 3D games. He’s also got some command grabs but fans of his Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat X appearances should feel at home after some minor adjustments.
His Shaolin partner, Kung Lao, also has a good weapon, albeit his signature one. Kung Lao’s bladed hat is part of his repertoire more often as he can do more than just toss it around. Some abilities let it circle enemies, boxing them in and forcing them to stay put. One move even lets him control the hat with the analog stick while another turns his hat in a slower but more powerful projectile. The Great Kung Lao, the Kung Lao that killed Shang Tsung in the first game, also returns as a spirit that can help his descendant in different ways during the match. While that move is quite bizarre, Kung Lao also gets his dive kick and teleport back, but the latter has a different animation and gives the player access to more mixups.
Jax was the final part of the stream but has the biggest amount of changes. His metallic arms now heat up as the player lands punches. Once they hit full heat, the player will get access to more Krushing Blows and will do more damage. There are some other abilities that can either get him to heat up his arms more quickly or can expend the heat as a projectile. While he still has his ground pound, a form of his dash punch, and some of his throws, he’s quite unique from his previous iterations.
The Mortal Kombat 11 Liu Kang stream showed yet more peeks at the ever-growing roster, which you can view right here.
Mortal Kombat 11 Rejects
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Characters You Won't See in Mortal Kombat 11's Roster
Few fighting game franchises introduce as many new challenges as Mortal Kombat. This can be a blessing, but also a curse. You might get an evergreen warrior with your new addition, or you might get a generic reject. Not everyone can make it into MK11, but these guys definitely won't make the cut. -
Bo' Rai Cho
Perhaps a controversial pick due to his many appearances, but Bo' Rai Cho never felt like a genuinely popular character. His unique moves and drunken demeanor make him stand out, but that goofiness also leads to a clash with the rest of the cast. Mortal Kombat works best when it's as straight-faced as possible, and that means you can't have vomit attacks. -
Drahmin
Introduced in Deadly Alliance. This Netherrealm Oni relies heavily on his spiked club for combat. In the days between the original trilogy and the modern games, Mortal Kombat introduced character specific weapons to stand out. So, while Drahmin had a place back then, he'd need a full redesign to fit in now. -
Khameleon
Khameleon has made two weird appearances in the franchise so far. She was a new character in the N64 version of Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Then, after being left out of the "everyone in the pool" Armageddon, she premiered in the Wii version due to fan outrage. It would be very strange to see her pop up again unless she somehow ends up in the Switch version of the game. And that is pretty unlikely. -
Kira
Premiering in Mortal Kombat Deception, Kira is a recruit for the "new Black Dragon." She's a generically heroic character despite her resemblance to an MK version of Harley Quinn. With the Kombat Kids filling the roles of new heroes, we probably won't be seeing much of Kira going forward. -
Kobra
Kobra is Kira's counterpart in Deception. He's a fiery recruit that's most notable for resembling Ken from Street Fighter. Kobra was briefly mentioned in Mortal Kombat X, but only as someone who Erron Black killed before the events of the game. That probably rules him out as a future entrant in the tournament. -
Mavado
Debuting in Deadly Alliance, Mavado uses Kabal's hook swords and grappling hooks in combat. With both Scorpion and Kabal present in Mortal Kombat 11, it'd be hard to fit such a fighting style in without repetition setting in. Plus, in a game filled with flashy ninjas and otherworldly creatures, Mavado is just a dude. -
Sareena
Despite looking like a human, Sareena is actually a demon, and that's the most notable thing about her. She fights with a pair of knives and her only appearance outside of Armageddon was a Game Boy Advance port of Deadly Alliance and a brief cameo in MKX's campaign. She has some story significance, but she'd basically be a new character if they were to bring her back. -
Taven
Taven is one of two new characters introduced in Armageddon's Konquest mode. Since he only appears in Armageddon, he's also one of only two characters who's never had a fatality. There may be some hardcore Konquest fans out there, but considering that his greatest deeds are written out of the current timeline, he's probably not popping up again. -
Tremor
We will admit, Tremor is pretty cool. He's a ninja who controls rocks, making his debut in PlayStation action game Special Forces. His first appearance in the fighting series was as a DLC character in Mortal Kombat X. He might be the most likely candidate for a revival out of these 10, but NetherRealm's ninja quota is probably already spent for 11.
