If there’s one thing players know Mortal Kombat for, it’s probably its ridiculously bloody fatalities. Take those away, and you might say it’s known for its signature roster of ninjas and otherworldly warriors. However, unlike a lot of fighting game franchises, Mortal Kombat has shown no fear when it comes to changing things up. Even in its classic trilogy, it was changing the identities of key figures in its lore and introducing new kombatants. Nowadays, there is a whole slew of characters that were once new and fresh and now don’t rate. When you’re speculating who will be in Mortal Kombat 11‘s roster when all’s said and done, you can probably rule out these guys.
Looking at the list as a whole, you can probably see a few patterns. Human characters in Mortal Kombat tend to be a lot more expendable, especially ones that joined later in the saga. As cool as Stryker is in gameplay, he’s still just a human cop that doesn’t fit in well with the story. When you’re fighting against gods and monsters, a somewhat heroic human with knives and pigtails just isn’t going to cut it. No pun intended.
It’s true that players know Mortal Kombat for its elaborate story modes nowadays. It is easy to wonder if the studio would ever try something as ambitious as Konquest mode in a modern setting. Sure, the very long and complex story modes could drag a bit, but these are the best settings to place the entire roster of the franchise. Members of the Black Dragons just aren’t main quest material, but they shine as someone to make you go chop up 10 totems for a side endeavor. Plus, a modern Konquest game would probably have a roster the size of Armageddon, and we’d love to see them take a crack at that lunacy once again.
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.
