Mortal Kombat 1 breathes new life into the series. But with over 60 fighters having figured into the Mortal Kombat series, the game doesn’t see the return of every character. So if you’re wondering who all the characters and voice actors in Mortal Kombat 1 are, here’s what you need to know.
All Characters and Kameos in Mortal Kombat 1 (MK1)
There are twenty-three playable characters in Mortal Kombat 1 with six more arriving via the first Kombat Pack. Unlike the previous three games, several of these characters hail from the PlayStation 2/Xbox 3D era. Here’s who you can play as and who voices them.
Ashrah (Susan Eisenberg)
She may be clad head to toe in white but Ashrah is a former demon, having purged herself of all her evil. I’m sure that’ll work out fine and it won’t inconveniently come rushing back in the middle of MK1. She debuted in Mortal Kombat: Deception and was last seen in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
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Baraka (Steve Blum)
As in previous games, Baraka is a toothy outworld resident with blades in his arms. But his condition here is the result of a disease, Tarkata. The disease mutates its victims, then turns them completely feral. As a couple of people have pointed out, it’s more than a little suspect that Liu Kang has turned an entire species into a disease.
General Shao (Ike Amadi)
General Shao is Shao Kahn, minus his title. Previously the ruler of Outworld, here’s one of Queen Sindel’s loyal followers. I’m sure that’ll work out fine.
Geras (Phil LaMarr)
After serving Kronika in the previous game, the sand-powered Geras is now one of the good guys. He’s also one of few people who knows that reality has been reset.
Havik (Jacob Craner)
Introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deception and last playable in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Havik is a disturbing-looking fighter who has the ability to tear his own limbs off and, while it’s never absolutely confirmed, seems to be undead.
“You cannot kill what does not live,” as Judge Dredd antagonist Judge Death once put it. But previous Kombatants have had little trouble previously, so we think they’ll be okay this time around. He’s voiced by Jacob Craner.
Johnny Cage (Andrew Bowen)
Hollywood braggart Johnny Cage is back, probably minus all the character development that made him tolerable. He’s once again voiced by Andrew Bowen, though you can also get your hands on an alternate skin that turns him into Jean-Claude Van Damme. That skin has him voiced by Van Damme, instead of a soundalike.
Kenshi (Vic Chao)
Blindfolded swordsman Kenshi has featured in several post-2D Mortal Kombat games. Vic Chao voiced him in previous games and returns in that same role.
Kitana (Kari Wahlgren)
Kitana is a princess of Outworld, though this version isn’t Liu Kang’s love interest. She’s once again voiced by Kari Wahlgren.
Kung Lao (Sunil Malhotra)
Kung Lao was Liu Kang’s best friend and, like him, was a Shaolin Monk. He’s known for dicing people up with his hat and, knowing the series, will be back at it. In Mortal Kombat 11, he was voiced by Sunil Malhotra and Malhotra returns to voice him this time around.
Lei Mei (Kelly Hu)
Lei Mei debuted in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and was part of a group tasked with protecting Outworld’s royal family. Played by Kelly Hu, she’s looked down upon because Kitana’s father died on her watch.
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Liu Kang (Matthew Yang King)
Liu Kang, currently Fire God Liu Kang, is the former Shaolin Monk who has recreated the world after the events of Mortal Kombat 11. Matthew Yang King reprises his role as the character.
Mileena (Kari Wahlgren)
Also returning is Mileena, Kitana’s toothy sister. This time around, she’s not half Tarkatan. Instead, she’s caught Tarkata, the disease that transforms its victims into sharp-fanged mutants. She’s also played by Kari Wahlgren.
Nitara (Megan Fox)
Vampiress Nitara is back, her loyalties uncertain. She’s voiced by Megan Fox and, despite her performance in Jennifer’s Body, it’s not a great advert for putting Hollywood celebs in video games.
Rain (Noshir Dalal)
Rain was originally a palette swap of Sub-Zero and Scorpion, but he’s now very much his own character. He’s a demi-god with the power to command water and, in the previous game, was voiced by the excellently named Dempsey Pappion. This time around, Noshir Dalal voices the character.
Raiden (Vincent Rodriguez III)
Raiden returns but while he has lightning powers he’s not a god. This is Raiden as reimagined by Liu Kang. He’s voiced by Vincent Rodriguez III .
Reiko (Derek Phillips)
Another 3D era character, Reiko is a commander Sindel’s army, a loyal follower of General Shao.
Reptile (Andrew Morgado)
Previously painted as a villainous character, the last of his species, Mortal Kombat 1 flips the script on this series regular. Reptile, real name Syzoth, has the ability to morph between his lizard form and an altogether prettier appearance. Andrew Morgado voices this character.
Sindel (Mara Junot)
The queen of Outworld, who was not evil, then evil, then not evil, then evil, is back. She’s voiced by Mara Junot, though you’ll have to play to find out whose side she’s on this time.
Smoke (Yuri Lowenthal)
Smoke is Scorpion and Sub-Zero’s adopted brother who hasn’t been turned into a cyber-ninja. Yuri Lowenthal, Peter Parker in Insomniac’s Spider-Man games plays the character. Surprisingly, he’s not Hanzo Hasashi, who was Scorpion in the previous games. He hasn’t had his identity switched up and is still Tomas Vrbada.
Smoke’s MK1 Tower ending reveals that Vrbada does adopt a young Hanzo Hasashi. However, the woman that original Scorpion married, Harumi, ends up with the new Scorpion. Let’s hope things don’t get too weird in MK2.
Image via Warner Bros. Games.
Scorpion (Daisuke Tsuji)
Spear-hurling ninja Scorpion is back, though he may not be the vengeful, undead spirit featured in many previous games. He was previously voiced by Ron Yuan, but that was as Hanzo Hasashi. This time around, Scorpion is Kuai Liang, brother of the original Sub-Zero and voiced by Daisuke Tsuji.
Shang Tsung (Alan Lee)
Shang Tsung is a long-running series antagonist, though he begins the game stripped of his powers. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa played the character in Mortal Kombat 11 (and the 1995 movie). But here he’s voiced by Alan Lee, emulating Tagawa’s sneering performance. He’s available as a pre-order bonus.
Sub-Zero (Kaiji Tang)
Another series favorite, Sub-Zero is back. In this timeline, he’s Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero. He’s voiced by Kaiji Tang.
Tanya (Cherise Boothe)
Tanya is a resident of Outworld and Edenean who’s known for aligning herself with the series’ villains. Is she a bad ‘un this time? You’ll have to play to find out. She’s voiced by Cherise Boothe.
All Kameo Fighters Confirmed
These characters are also confirmed as Kameo Fighters, most of whom have been shown in their original MK trilogy clothes. Kameo Fighters can also pull off fatalities. Here are known Kameo Fighters:
- Cyrax
- Darrius
- Frost
- Goro
- Jax Briggs
- Kano
- Kung Lao
- Motaro
- Sareena
- Scorpion
- Sektor
- Shujinko
- Sub-Zero
- Sonya Blade
- Stryker
All the DLC Kombat Pack Characters
Amazon had accidentally let slip the fighters featured in the Kombat Pack, which were subsequently confirmed. The characters are as follows and, while we don’t know who’s voicing all of them, J.K. Simmons will be reprising his role as Omni-Man:
- Quan Chi
- Ermac
- Takeda
- Peacemaker
- Homelander
- Omni-Man
As part of a separate leak, Elder God Shinnok is also rumored to be joining the roster. Leaked footage from San Diego Comic-Con confirmed that Reiko and Motaro were in the game, though only one of them turned out to be playable.
On the subject of all the characters and voice actors in Mortal Kombat 1, that’s what you need to know.
If you’re looking to catch up on the franchise’s story, check out what you need to know about the Mortal Kombat series’ story so far.
