Mortal Kombat is an American fighting video game franchise that debuted in 1992 with the video game of the same name. Mortal Kombat started off as a video game series, but it developed into a full media franchise that now includes movies, animated material, toys, and other merchandise.
The game itself was created from an early idea by Ed Boon and John Tobias, who wanted to create a game starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. That idea was scrapped and the concept was changed into a fantasy-themed fighting game, with the creators referencing their earlier idea through the character of Johnny Cage, who was modeled after Van Damme.
The main series of games has a total of 11 titles, as of March 2021. There are also several spin-off series, crossover titles, and updates to the main series, which adds up to a total of 26 titles. In today’s article, we are going to bring you a chronological guide to all these titles so that you know how to play them and what to do with the series. Here we go!
Mortal Kombat (1992)
Release Date: October 8, 1992
Platform(s): Arcade, Amiga, Game Boy, MS-DOS, Sega CD, Game Gear, Genesis, Master System, SNES, TV game, LCD game
Plot
Since the forces of Outworld want to subjugate the earth empire, the Elder Gods introduced the Mortal Kombat tournaments. Before the warriors of Outworld have won ten tournaments in a row, they are not allowed to invade Earth (for this reason Shao Kahn, ruler of Outworld, uses a ruse in the pre-history to Mortal Kombat III to attempt an invasion anyway can). Since each character has its own story including its own credits and these can partly contradict each other, only parts of the plot remain in the following part.
The film adaptations are based on the events of the game series, but sometimes differ considerably from each other. For example, Liu Kang, monk of the White Lotus Society, is cited in the film series as the descendant of Kung Lao (about which the series Mortal Kombat: Conquest revolves), who was killed by the Shokan prince Goro 500 years before the plot of the first film and game , although this only applies to the Kung Lao, which is not represented in the films and also belongs to the White Lotus Society, in the game series.
Since the Shokan prince Goro defeated the great Kung Lao 500 years ago, he has been the reigning champion. For various reasons, partly under duress (Lt. Sonya Blade belongs to a special unit set up against the criminal Kano, whose other members are held captive by Shang Tsung and for whose freedom they have to stand) or at the invitation of the magician Shang Fighters fighting Tsung must prevent Goro and Shang Tsung from obtaining a tenth victory. But some of the fighters want to compete out of curiosity or other reasons.
Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Release Date: April 3, 1993
Platform(s): Arcade,Game Gear,Genesis/Mega Drive,SNES,Game Boy,32X,Amiga,Master System,MS-DOS,Saturn,PlayStation,PlayStation Network
Plot
After his defeat, Shang Tsung begs his master, Shao Kahn, to spare his life. He tells her that the invitation to the Mortal Kombat tournament cannot be refused, and that if the tournament takes place in the Underworld, the warriors of the Earth Kingdom must be present. Kahn agrees with this principle and restores health and youth to Tsung.
He extends Raiden’s invitation, who in turn invites his fighters to join him, and all of them go to the Underworld. The tournament is dangerous because Shao Kahn has the advantage of being in his element, and a victory for the Kingdom of Evil would unbalance the situation and allow evil forces to overwhelm Earth. The story follows that of the first opus, and overall, this installment is richer than the previous one.
Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Release Date: April 15, 1995
Platform(s): Arcade, Genesis,Super NES,PlayStation,Game Boy,Game Gear,MS-DOS,IBM PC compatible,R-Zone,Master System
Plot
Shao Kahn, defeated by Liu Kang during the Mortal Kombat tournament (which should have been Shao Kahn’s minions tenth in a row, which would have allowed him to take over Earth), in the Outworld, sets up a new plan . He asks Shang Tsung, helped by the shadow priests, to resuscitate his former queen Sindel, unexpectedly dead in her young age. A former Empress of the Outworld, she possesses the ability to come to Earth, a talent envied by Shao Kahn and which he intends to use.
So, once Sindel finds her body, Shao Kahn crosses the dimensions with his help. As a result of its action, the Earth Kingdom became part of the Outworld, and millions of human beings were immediately killed. However, a few may have been spared, as Raiden (protector of the Earth Kingdom) was able to protect their souls. He tells his fighters that Shao Kahn should be stopped, however as the Outworld merges with the Earth Kingdom, Raiden loses his powers and therefore no longer has the ability to stop Shao Kahn’s troops. Shao Kahn unleashed extermination squads across the Earth Kingdom to annihilate all of the survivors.
Further, Raiden’s protection is effective only to the soul, and not to the body. So his warriors will not only have to fight these platoons, but also repel Kahn.
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Mortal Kombat 3 received a standalone update titled Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which was released later that year. The update had a different gameplay system, it featured some new characters and the return of some popular ones omitted from the original game (like Kitana and Scorpion), as well as some additional features. The update received mostly negative reviews. The Game Boy Advance version of this update, Mortal Kombat Advance, was released in 2001 and was dubbed the worst GBA game of 2002. In 2007, a Nintendo DS version, Ultimate Mortal Kombat, was also received to generally positive reviews.
A second update, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, was released in 1996. This update was better received, but it wasn’t a major hit. This update added the “Aggressor” bar, and a new finishing move calledBrutality, a long combination of attacks that ends with the opponent exploding, and it also adds characters and stages restored fromMortal KombatandMortal Kombat II.
Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997)
Release Date: October 1, 1997
Platform(s): PlayStation,Nintendo 64,LCD game
Plot
In Netherrealm, Sub-Zero finds Quan Chi, but it teleports away, leaving him surrounded by the Brotherhood of Shadows. He manages to get rid of everyone and goes to a prison, where he ended up being captured. Thrown in a cell, Sub-Zero meets Scorpion, now a specter, who intends to take revenge on the warrior Lin Kuei for allegedly murdering his family and clan. Sub-Zero tries to explain that the culprit was Quan Chi, but Scorpion attacks with his new powers, being defeated again by Sub-Zero, who escapes from prison and eliminates the guard who arrested him.
Sub-Zero finds the Quan Chi fortress, and within it defeats his personal killers: Kia, Jataaka, and Sareena. Sub-Zero decides to spare Sareena’s life and proceeds to the Pyramid of Shinnok. Finding Quan Chi, the sorcerer says he has already handed the amulet to Shinnok and that Sub-Zero was only able to enter the Netherrealm because of the evil in his soul, and offers a place among the members of the Brotherhood. Sub-Zero denies it, being unexpectedly helped by Sareena in the fight against Quan chi, who is from the bridge where they fought.
Sareena then says that she wants to leave the Netherrealm and go wherever Sub-Zero wants. Shinnok kills Sareena, but Sub-Zero retrieves the amulet and escapes through a portal created by Raiden. Sub-Zero delivers the amulet to Raiden demanding thanks, but Raiden says that he only defended the harm he caused. Sub-Zero asks about what Quan Chi said, and Raiden confirms by saying that if Sub-Zero dies now, Quan Chi and Shinnok will have control over his soul, but that he could change if he wanted to. Sub-Zero returns to the Lin Kuei clan, and the Grand Master says that a person wants to see him.
Shang Tsung appears, inviting him to the Mortal Kombat tournament. Sub-Zero accepts, and when Shang Tsung leaves, the Grand Master explains that a very wealthy client paid very well for Sub-Zero to kill Shang Tsung. Sub-Zero accepts and leaves.
Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)
Release Date: October 15, 1997
Platform(s): Arcade,Microsoft Windows,Nintendo 64,PlayStation,Game Boy Color
Plot
Thousands of years before the events of Mortal Kombat began, Shinnok, one of the Ancient Gods who controlled the six kingdoms of the Mortal Kombat universe, driven by the thirst for power, opposed them and waged war against them to become the undisputed master. The god of thunder Raiden, managed to oppose and defeat him after a battle lasting many centuries and to confine and seal him in the Netherrealm.
Here Shinnok was tortured by demons led by Lucifer, the ruling entity of the place until he meets the sorcerer Quan Chi. Thanks to his help, he manages to defeat the entity and thus become the emperor of the Netherrealm, while working out in his mind a way to escape and take revenge on Raiden, but without success. The big breakthrough comes when Quan Chi frees the fallen god from his dimensional prison, thanks to a powerful amulet that breaks the seal inflicted by Raiden.
To thank the sorcerer, Shinnok promises him a place of honor in the empire he will build. After Shao Kahn’s defeat in Mortal Kombat 3, the Outworld crumbles and Edenia’s kingdom is reborn and Kitana is its new queen. Shinnok takes advantage of the state of weakness in which the two kingdoms find themselves to invade and conquer them: the Earthrealm due to the attempted and recent invasion by Shao Kahn and Edenia due to its recent re-foundation, within which there are still conflicts between the Outworld supporters of the late Shao Khan and supporters of the present kingdom.
He thus organizes an army composed of the former members of the Brotherhood of the Shadow, the army that he led against the Old Gods thousands of years ago, and, at the same time, is supported by the warriors who were loyal to Shao Kahn and others from the Netherrealm and by Edenia. All settled, the fallen god prepares to conquer the two kingdoms, and the Old Gods charge Raiden and Fujin (god of the wind and brother of the god of thunder), to reunite the warriors of Edenia and the Earth and face the threat of Shinnok. and Quan Chi.
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An updated version of the game, titled Mortal Kombat Gold, was released in 1999. It was released exclusively on the Dreamcast console as a launch title, but it featured little to no additions compared to the original game. It received mixed reviews and is known for being the only Mortal Kombat game released on the Dreamcast console.
Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000)
Release Date: June 30, 2000
Platform(s): PlayStation
Plot
The game is based on the story of the confrontation of special forces with a group of especially dangerous criminals. The wanted Kano frees his accomplices from prison – the Faceless, Tasia, Jarek, and Tremor. While Jax is in town, Field Officer Gemini reports on the radio that prisoners have escaped, allegedly hiding in an abandoned warehouse in the southern part of the city, and it is also known that someone is helping the fugitives. Jax suspects it must be Kano.
Intending to start the operation, Jax asks to inform Lieutenant Sanchez, whose squad, pursuing the fugitives, has already arrived at the scene, to wait for his appearance. After the connection is suddenly cut off, Jax arrives at the warehouse and discovers that Lieutenant Sanchez’s squad has been destroyed. He places all responsibility for what happened on Kano and swears that he will avenge the crime he committed. Infiltrating the warehouse, Jax eliminates his attackers, and then confronts the Faceless and kills him. During the radio broadcast, Gemini informs Jax that all the suspects are members of the Black Dragon Club.
Jax has to wander through the sewers, descending into the sewers, where he subsequently neutralizes Tasia, who has resisted. In a radio conversation, Gemini informs him that the Black Dragon is using one of the corporate buildings in the city center as cover for their base of operations. While examining the cars parked in the underground garage of the building, Jax finds the key to the Black Dragon’s office, and then conducts searches in the offices, collecting evidence. Climbing to the roof of the building, Jax kills Jarek, who was already waiting for him upstairs. On the radio, Jax sends Gemini the coordinates from the map he found. Further investigation leads Major Briggs to the lost city of Sin Kiang, where he kills Tremor, who guards the portal to Outer World.
Assuming that the portal is somehow connected to Kano’s plans to conquer world domination, Jax enters there and enters the Outside World. In the end, he finds Kano there, who by that time had already obtained a powerful artifact – The Eye of Chitian. Jax manages to neutralize Kano, and then, using the artifact, he takes the defeated enemy back to Earth to imprison
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)
Release Date: November 16, 2002
Platform(s): GameCube,PlayStation 2,Xbox,Game Boy Advance
Plot
While attempting to escape Scorpion in the wells of Netherealm, Quan Chi discovers an ancient tomb that contains the remains of the mummified bodies of the very powerful army of the Dragon King, the first emperor of the Outworld. Quan Chi then decides to find a way to implant warrior souls to fully resuscitate this evil army. To achieve his ends, he proposes an alliance with the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung and promises him immortality if he agrees to help him resuscitate the army.
Shang Tsung accepts and the Deadly Alliance is thus created. However, before claiming total domination of the realms, the two wizards decide to destroy the only two beings that could prevent their goal of absolute conquest. The first was Shao Kahn, the Emperor of Outworld. Once killed, they then traveled to the Earthrealm through a powerful mystical portal known only to the two wizards and certain gods, and attacked the undisputed champion of the Mortal Kombat: Liu Kang.
While Tsung was clearly losing the fight, Quan Chi joined in and eventually gained the upper hand; Shang Tsung was eagerly eager to take revenge on his loss to Liu Kang in the first Mortal Kombat. Liu Kang is dead. After consuming his soul, they returned to the Outworld where the souls of defeated warriors are used to resurrect the Dragon King’s army. If they are successful, the two wizards will be invincible. Meanwhile, in the Earthrealm, another alliance is formed by Raiden and the greatest warriors of the Earth Kingdom to fight the New Alliance of Evil.
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The same game was also released on the Game Boy Advance as Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition. Unlike the previous GBA spin-off releases, this game received mostly positive reviews.
Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)
Release Date: October 4, 2004
Platform(s): PlayStation 2,Xbox,GameCube
Plot
During the attack on Shang Tsung’s Palace, the forces of the Earth are overwhelmed by the waves of the Tarkatan, the only one left alive is Raiden, the god of thunder, who, gathering his strength, lashes out against the two and engages in a hard fight. He seems to have victory in hand, but is then defeated thanks to a joint technique of the two sorcerers. The victory does not last long, because the thirst for power grows between the two sorcerers, who thus try to eliminate each other in order to reign alone over the realms.
Quan Chi ultimately manages to defeat Shang Tsung. At this point, a gigantic figure enters the palace while all the mummies of the army begin to kneel. Quan Chi recognizes Onaga, the legendary Dragon King, who has returned to reclaim his kingdom and his army. Shang Tsung and Raiden stand up and team up with Quan Chi in a desperate attempt to annihilate the new threat until Raiden causes a devastating explosion, as a last, desperate attempt to eliminate Onaga, and razing the palace to the ground, killing the sorcerers and himself but the Dragon King is not scratched in the least.
Onaga thus comes into possession of Quan Chi’s amulet, necessary to command his army, and then runs away. But, among the flames, someone witnessed the scene: that man is Shujinko, deceived by the Dragon King, who allowed him to come back to life thanks to mysterious keys to the realms known as Kamidogu that he sought throughout his life. Only he can stop this threat, born of deception.
Shujinko then absorbs all the fighting skills of all the Fighters and reaches Onaga’s palace. Meanwhile, Ermac frees the surviving warriors of the Earth from Onaga’s hypnosis. Shujinko reaches the Dragon King, destroys the Kamidogu who gave him immortality, and finally kills him, restoring peace in the realms.
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A somewhat updated version of the game, Mortal Kombat: Unchained, was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2006. It featured all the characters from the Game Cube edition of the game, as well as four additional characters from Deadly Alliance. The game was a success.
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005)
Release Date: September 16, 2005
Platform(s): PlayStation 2, Xbox
Plot
The game takes place between the first two chapters of Mortal Kombat. Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Sub-Zero, Kano, Johnny Cage, Scorpion, and Reptile are fighting in a dojo under the eyes of Shang Tsung until Liu Kang attacks him. Unable to defend himself, the sorcerer sends his bodyguard, the gigantic Goro, against him. Liu Kang confronts him until Kung Lao arrives, joining the fight against Goro. Liu Kang then attacks Tsung and the two begin to fight until the dojo begins to collapse. Raiden appears to allow the heroes to escape, but Liu Kang and Kung Lao fail to escape in time and fall into Goro’s lair, from which they are able to escape.
Liu Kang has therefore won the first Mortal Kombat, but Shang Tsung proposes another one in the Outworld. Following an invasion of Tarkatan, Raiden agrees to include the warriors of Earth as well. From there begins an adventure that leads the protagonists to defeat Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn in order to save their kingdom. During their adventure, the two Shaolin monks wander the realms and kill Jade, Reptile, Baraka, Goro, Scorpion, Kano, Ermac, Shang Tsung, and Kintaro in order to undermine Shao Kahn’s power. Eventually, they fight against the Outworld emperor, defeat him and save the kingdom of Earth. After Raiden, Kung Lao, and Liu Kang leave after defeating Shao Kahn, Quan Chi takes his amulet just before the credits.
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006)
Release Date: October 11, 2006
Platform(s): PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox
Plot
This part, which is played in the Konquest mode in a similar way to an RPG, is about a warrior named Taven, who comes from the Golden Dragon clan. It’s about a kind of game, created by Tavens and Daegon’s parents, in which it is about the succession of their father as the god of Edenia. It is important to prevent the forces of light and darkness from inadvertently destroying the realms by using the forces of the realms as a weapon.
Taven also wants revenge for Daegon killing his family a long time ago. On his way, he has to fight many fights against powerful opponents such as Raiden or Sub-Zero. Puzzles and fights against less significant fighters fill the game. In the end, Taven kills Daegon and Blaze, but his mission to prevent Armageddon fails, and looks for another way to stop it.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)
Release Date: November 16, 2008
Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Plot
Shao Kahn has failed the invasion of Earth and is joined by Quan Chi who scolds him for his failure. Raiden appears, decides to take both of them to punish them, and while talking to Shao Kahn, Quan Chi creates a portal to escape. Raiden hits Kahn with a bolt of lightning sending him into the portal, without transferring him to the other side. Suddenly, there is an explosion and Kahn disappears along with the portal.
Raiden takes Quan Chi and takes him to the Elder Gods to punish him. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Superman has defeated Darkseid and is about to capture him. Lex Luthor intervenes and tells him that he has allied himself with Darkseid only to save humanity and prevent his harm. Darkseid uses a portal to escape, but Superman hits him with a heat beam, creating the same effects as Raiden’s attack on Shao Kahn. The portal disappears along with Darkseid, and Superman arrests Lex Luthor.
These events destabilize the order of the two universes, which begin to merge. The fighters begin to teleport to the other universe, while a mad rage begins to possess them. This anger causes them to lose all logic, even making them fight among allies. Eventually, old grudges cast aside, friends and enemies unite to fight the invaders. After a battle where neither side can prevail over the other, only Raiden and Superman remain standing, who, after a fierce battle, join forces against Dark Kahn, the fusion of Shao Kahn and Darkseid, as well as the only thing that keeps the two universes still merged.
Superman and Raiden defeat Kahn and the two universes are re-stabilized, with the difference that the two evil ones, namely Shao Kahn and Darkseid, find themselves in opposite universes, where they are weakened. Darkseid is trapped in the Netherrealm, while Shao Kahn in the Phantom Zone. The arcade endings of some characters show that the universes have not completely re-stabilized; for example, Raiden has contracted the weakness in the sun of Earth, characteristic of Superman, or the Pyramid of Argus (around which the plot of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon revolves) finds itself on the planet of Green Lantern, Oa.
Mortal Kombat (2011)
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows
Plot
Raiden, about to be murdered by Shao Kahn, casts a spell on his now-broken magic amulet, directing him to contact his alter ego in the past with the message “He must win!”. Before being “killed”, Raiden transports his essence to himself in the past and thus has a second chance to change events and fulfill his mission: to protect the Earth (Earthrealm) from the invaders of Exoterra (Outworld). During the events of the first tournament (organized by Shang Tsung), Raiden, in the past, has visions of the future of the now amulet party. The Thunder God comes to the conclusion that Liu Kang will win the tournament and save Earthrealm from Outworld.
Despite Liu Kang’s success, Raiden’s amulet continues to deteriorate: a sign that the events of the future remain unchanged. Disappointed by the defeat of Outworld, Shao Kahn orders the execution of Shang Tsung, but changes his mind when the wizard suggests a second tournament in Outworld. Raiden tries to change the timeline, replacing Liu Kang with Kung Lao as champion of the second tournament. Shao Kahn, however, kills Kung Lao after his victory. Liu Kang reacts, beating the wicked emperor with all his fury, almost killing him. Despite this, Raiden’s amulet continues to deteriorate. Shao Kahn allies with his benefactor (Quan Chi) and invades Earthrealm. Nightwolf, Raiden and Liu Kang, among others, unite in an attempt to stop Shao Kahn, but many of the allies are killed by Shao Kahn’s now resurrected wife (Sindel).
Shao Kahn disintegrates Shang Tsung, giving Sindel the power of the wizard. In an attempt to kill Sindel, Nightwolf sacrifices himself. Raiden, confronting Quan Chi and knowing of his alliance with Shao Kahn, concludes that the message “He must win!” refers to Shao Kahn himself, but, if Kahn were allowed to unite Outworld and Earthrealm, he would be punished by the Elder Gods for violating the Mortal Kombat code. Liu Kang, however, blames Raiden for the death of his allies and decides to fight alone against Shao Kahn. In trying to preserve the future, Raiden tries to stop Liu Kang, but accidentally injures the warrior. Liu Kang eventually dies, a victim of his injuries. Blamed for the death of Liu Kang, Raiden surrenders to Shao Kahn, who, taking advantage of the passivity of the Thunder God, gives him a humiliating beating.
When he is about to kill the Guardian of Earthrealm, the Elder Gods intervene: Raiden is seized by powers far greater than he has, in addition to being temporarily possessed by the Elder Gods! After Shao Kahn’s sentence is announced, Raiden fights him, but this time, the God of Thunder slays the emperor! Using what little strength he has left, Kahn gets up and goes over to Raiden. Without hesitating, the hero unleashes the mystical asps, which poison the villain with lethal energy, causing his body and soul to explode and disintegrate in the stratosphere, taking away the black aura of the Earth and, thus, ending the portal between the our world and Exoterra.
Raiden is relieved at Kahn’s death, but blames himself for the death of the other warriors and for not having arrived in time to help them. Sonya consoles him, saying that he did everything possible to protect the world and that in wars, casualties were inevitable. After killing Shao Kahn, Raiden promises to rebuild Earthrealm with survivors Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. In a post-credit scene, it is discovered that Quan Chi is secretly allied with his master Shinnok, who plans to take advantage of Shao Kahn’s chaos and death to conquer Outworld and Earthrealm in the name of Netherrealm.
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An updated version of the game with all the additional downloadable content was released in 2012 under the title Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition. The original American release contained codes for a music album and the first movie. The game has since been discontinued for some platforms.
Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (2011)
Release Date: August 31, 2011
Platform(s): PlayStation 3,Xbox 360,Microsoft Windows
Plot
It includes the original Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 video games,;what differentiates the Ultimate version from the normal one is the addition of playable characters. It basically contains everything that the original versions of these games had, the only thing that changes is that they are adapted to the new platforms. Other notable changes are: the addition of the online mode (which is considered the main attraction of the game) and the achievement and trophy system. In addition, various things in the game can be modified through an interactive menu that was not present in the original games. Before starting the game, a guide can be placed at the bottom of the screen, it serves to show new players the secrets of the game. Nothing about the gameplay of the original versions is changed in this version. The online mode includes ranked fights, friendly matches, and like other fighting titles, Halls.
Mortal Kombat X (2015)
Release Date: April 13, 2015
Platform(s): Microsoft Window, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Plot
The story of Mortal Kombat X is a direct sequel to the events told in the previous game. Shao Kahn was forever doomed by the Elder Gods, as he invaded Earth without winning the tournament. Five years later, Quan Chi, along with Shinnok, invades the Earth, weakened by the invasion of the Outer Realm. With the help of the resurrected warriors (called revenants) and the demons of the Occult Kingdom, the two want to infect the Jinsei, the source of life on Earth: their advance is opposed by the Special Forces of the Earth kingdom led by Raiden, Kenshi, Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage.
Johnny defeats Shinnok and, with the help of Raiden and Fujin, traps him inside his amulet, while Quan Chi escapes. They track him down to his fortress where, thanks largely to Sonya, Quan Chi is defeated, and Scorpion, Sub Zero and Jax are freed from the sorcerer’s spells. 20 years later, in the Outer Realm there is a civil war over the struggle for power between Mileena and Kotal Kahn. Shao Kahn’s daughter manages to tip the scales on her side thanks to Shinnok’s amulet, given to her by Kano. Cassie Cage, the daughter of Johnny and Sonya, aided by her team (consisting of Jacqui Briggs, Takahashi Takeda and Kung Jin) captures Mileena, who is executed by D’Vorah.
In reality, she works for Shinnok and makes sure that he can be freed from the amulet, which she steals. Jax, making his way into Quan Chi’s fortress, captures the evil sorcerer and takes him to the refugee camp. However, the camp is attacked by the Shirai Ryu, the Scorpion clan, with the intent of killing the sorcerer who years earlier exterminated his family and his clan. D’Vorah arrives in the field with the amulet and before Scorpion can kill Quan Chi, he performs a magic that frees the Elder God from the amulet. Shinnok captures Johnny, invades the Temple of Heaven where Raiden and Bo ‘Rai Cho reside, infects the Jinsei, becoming a more monstrous and powerful version of himself, and expands his power across the Earth; Cassie and her team face Kotal Khan who has invaded Earth to retake the amulet previously in her possession and defeat him thanks to Sub-Zero’s intervention.
Cassie finally manages to reach the mad fallen god and defeat him, using the same power her father used 20 years ago. Raiden purifies the Jinsei and steals Shinnok’s powers, restoring peace on Earth. In the after-credits scene, set sometime later, it is revealed that Liu Kang and Kitana are now the rulers of the Occult Realm. Raiden, corrupted by the Jinsei and in possession of Shinnok’s amulet, warns them that they will face fates worse than death if they threaten the Kingdom of Earth. Raiden throws Shinnok’s head (still alive, impossible to kill as he is an Elder God) as a final warning and teleports leaving them alone. The story is divided into 12 chapters each with 4 battles.
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An updated version of the game, Mortal Kombat XL, was released in 2016. The biggest novelty was the fact that this version contained all additional content that had been released up to the release of the Kombat Pack 2.
Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Plot
Following Shinnok’s defeat at the hands of Cassie Cage in Mortal Kombat X, Dark Raiden plans to defend Earthrealm by destroying all possible enemies. But a mysterious woman named Kronika, also known as the “Keeper of Time”, is trying to restore order in the Universe by any means, including getting rid of Raiden for interfering with the events of the past, as shown in Mortal Kombat 2011, which upset the balance between good and evil. Two years have passed since the end of the events of the last part. The fallen god, the ruler of the Downworld, Shinnok, was defeated at the hands of Cassie Cage and became a prisoner of the thunder god Raiden.
While purifying the energy source of the Earth Kingdom, Raiden absorbed a lot of demonic corruption and changed. He abandoned his pacifist outlook on life and continues to fulfill his duty as the Protector of the Earthly Realm in an aggressive way. Prologue. Jinsei Temple. Dark Raiden has once again tortured the captive Shinnok with lightning. In between tortures, the fallen god informs Raiden that he is pleased with the changes and notices that he is wearing his amulet. To which the Dark Raiden replies that he is fed up with the arrogance of the enemies of the Earth and decides to make a frightening warning out of the fallen god for them. Shinnok sarcastically remarks that it is impossible to kill him, since he is the Elder God, albeit a fallen one.
To which the Dark Raiden replies that “there is a more terrible fate than death” and cuts off Shinnok’s head. The head of the fallen god, deprived of its body, is experiencing clinical death and comes to life on a stone table. Raiden informs the head that he is going to present it to the new rulers of the Underworld – Liu Kang and Kitana as a warning. And disappears from the temple. Immediately after Raiden leaves, an unknown woman who can manipulate time visits Shinnok’s head. She informs Shinnok that she did not want such a fate for him. Despite the lack of a voice, Shinnok recognized the unknown and is very shaken by this. Also in the MK11 plot, it became possible to choose two different plot forks associated with the main characters of a certain chapter.
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Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate is an updated version of the game that was released in 2020. It contained all the downloadable content released up to that point and was released as one of the first titles for the next-gen consoles.
Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath (2020)
Release Date: May 26, 2020
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Plot
After Kronika’s defeat, Liu Kang and Raiden attempt to use the Hourglass to restore history, but are interrupted by Shang Tsung, Fujin, and Night Wolf; all of whom Kronika imprisoned in the Void for refusing to join her until her death freed them. Shang Tsung clarifies that due to Liu Kang destroying the Crown of Souls when he defeated Kronik, the Hourglass cannot be used to change history without destroying it. He convinces Liu Kang to send him, Fujin, and the Nightwolf back in time to steal the Crown of Souls before Centrion retrieves it.
Although Raiden distrusts Shang Tsung’s motives, Liu Kang agrees and sends them back to protect the Hourglass. Fujin, Shang Tsung and Nightwolf are transported to the Colosseum just as Kitana confronts Shao Kahn. They try to escape unnoticed, but news of their arrival spreads, prompting Kronika to retaliate. To meet Centrion on his island, Shang Tsung decides that the best option for them is to resurrect Sindel, so they head to the Nether Realm and seize her revenge. Back in the outside world, Shang Tsung uses Shiva’s bloody debt to Sindel to grant him access to the Hall of Souls and restore Sindel despite fierce opposition from Kitana and her allies.
Sindel joins Shang Tsung and the others on a journey to his island, where Fujin defeats Kronika’s forces and convinces the modern Jax to switch sides early, while Sindel defeats Centrion and helps the group capture Crown. With the Crown in their hands, Fujin and Shang Tsung travel to the Garden of Fire and convince Raiden of Shang Tsung’s alliance. When Kronika tries to intervene, Raiden, Fujin, and Shang Tsung fight her off, although she reveals that the sorcerer was the one who created the Crown. When the assault on Kroniki’s fortress is about to begin, Shang Tsung signals Sindel to free and heal Shao Kahn. Together they destroy Geras, imprison the Kage family, defeat Kitana, Liu Kang and Jade, throw Kung Lao into the Sea of Blood, and kill Kotal. In the process, Sindel reveals that she killed her previous husband, Jerrod, as she considered him weak compared to Shao Kahn.
While Fujin spearheads an assault on Kroniki’s fortress, Raiden discovers Shang Tsung’s conspiracy and Sindel’s betrayal by battling Liu Kang’s ghost after he is traumatized by his past. Raiden arrives too late to stop Shang Tsung by tricking Fujin to hand over the Crown to him, and the sorcerer gains Kronika’s full power; showing that he has planned everything since he was imprisoned in the Void. He overpowers and drains the souls of Raiden and Fujin before using Sindel and Shao Kahn to reach the Hourglass. Once Kronika’s remaining allies are defeated, Shang Tsung drains Sindel and Shao Kahn’s souls and absorbs Kronika. As he begins to manipulate the hourglass, he is interrupted by the thunderfire god Liu Kang, who reveals that he was always aware of Shang Tsung’s intentions and deliberately allowed him to win so that the Crown of Souls would be preserved when Kronika was defeated.
From this point on, the player can choose which character to fight with: If Shang Tsung is chosen, he defeats Liu Kang and absorbs his soul before turning Fujin and Raiden into his slaves as he embarks on a campaign of conquest around the world. If Liu Kang is chosen, he defeats Shang Tsung, wipes him off the face of the earth and returns the Crown of Souls. Once he begins his New Era, he visits the Shaolin Temple to train his ancestor and Kung Lao ancestor, the Great Kung Lao, to become a champion in Mortal Kombat.
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Mortal Kombat: The Chronological Order of Playing
Now, before we conclude our article, we are going to give you the exact chronological order of each of the games. Namely, while most games did follow a linear timeline, some spin-offs have different places in the timeline. This is why we have decided to list all of the titles chronologically, so that you know how the plot of Mortal Kombat evolved. The first Mortal Komba game is, of course, our reference point, i.e. our zero year, after which everything starts.
1. Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997) – prequel spin-off
2. Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (2000) – prequel spin-off
3. Mortal Kombat (1992)
4. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005) – non-canon spin-off
4. Mortal Kombat II (1993)
5. Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
6. Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)
7. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)
8. Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)
9. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006)
As far as Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008) is concerned, it is a non-canon spin-off game set somewhere in the original timeline, after Raiden’s forces defeat Shao Kahn. Since that happened more than once, we weren’t able to pinpoint the exact moment, but we would assume that it happens before Armageddeon, and sometime after Mortal Kombat 4.
After Armageddon, the franchise was rebooted, as we’ve already said above, with the 2011 game Mortal Kombat. With the original studio going bankrupt, the franchise got a new owner and want back into the past and created an alternative timeline, with Raiden alternating what had already happened. The new timeline is as follows:
1. Mortal Kombat (2011) – described as a retelling of the first three games (by release date), so it serves as “year zero” of the new timeline
2. Mortal Kombat X (2015)
3. Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
And that’s it for today. We hope you had fun reading this and that we helped solve this dilemma for you. See you next time and don’t forget to follow us!
