TheMortal Kombatseries is much more than its arcade fighter origins. Over the years, the franchise has developed a deep and complicated mythology, with each subsequent release building upon what fans know of the Mortal Kombat Tournament and its role in history.Mortal Kombat 11introduced the villainous Kronika, a goddess of time who had been altering events throughout the entireMortal Kombattimeline. The title’s story saw the past and present converge as characters met their past selves, laying a unique foundation for the forthcomingMortal Kombat 12. Given a renewed focus on past events, the future ofMortal Kombatmight be continuing the legacy of a failed TV show from the 90s,Mortal Kombat: Conquest, in which some of lore’s earliest events were explored.
Mortal Kombat 12has yet to be officially announced, but all signs point to an imminent reveal. The title was accidentally confirmed by Warner Bros. during its quarterly earnings call in February 2023, which was soon followed by a humorous Twitter post from series creator Ed Boon. During this week’s Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary presentation, an apparent teaser forMortal Kombat 12was shared. Despite being only a few seconds long, many fans are speculating that it teased a radical change to the timeline, perhaps even a complete reset.
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The Legacy of Mortal Kombat Conquest
Mortal Kombat: Conquestwas a 90s martial arts TV show that explored theMortal Kombattimeline’s early history. The show was a direct prequel to theMortal KombatandMortal Kombat: Annihilationfilms and portrayed the training of a new team of Earthrealm’s fighters, 500 years prior to the mainline events of the series.Mortal Kombat: Conquestcentered around the Great Kung Lao, Earthrealm’s first champion, and his efforts to create a team to defend the realm in the next Mortal Kombat Tournament. While the show was ultimately a failure, its focus on the Great Kung Lao was monumental, as the character is essential to the series' past and present.
The Great Kung Lao is the ancient ancestor ofMortal Kombat’s Kung Laoand the first-ever champion of Earthrealm. He is directly responsible for sparing the Earth from Outworld’s conquest, having won the Mortal Kombat Tournament 500 years prior and becoming Grand Champion. Fifty years after his defeat, Shang Tsung corrupted the tournament, leading to Kung Lao’s defeat, after which his soul was taken by Tsung. The Great Kung Lao appears during the Fire God Liu Kang ending ofMortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, where Liu Kang starts a new timeline and chooses the ancient Kung Lao to be his champion.
Mortal Kombat 12 Might Pick Up Right Where Aftermath Left Off
Mortal Kombat: Aftermath’s time travel narrativeopens the door forMortal Kombat 12to set off in a variety of directions. Were the title to pick up where the Fire God Kung Lao ending left off,Mortal Kombat 12could continue the legacy ofMortal Kombat: Conquest. With the timeline seemingly reset, after both Kronika and Shang Tsung’s attempts to alter it, the Great Kung Lao’s story could be the primary focus of the Mortal Kombat series, moving forward. If so, the next entry could mirror the TV show’s slightly altered events and explore Kung Lao’s foundational victory and creation of Earthrealm’s team of ancient champions.
Thefirst teaser forMortal Kombat 12was finally revealed this week, leading fans to speculate as to what its brief seconds of footage may reveal. Seemingly portraying the sands of time, one stops midair, before exploding. This may align with the theory of a reset timeline, with the origins of the Great Kung Lao thrust to the forefront. Fans who have been hoping for more news surroundingMortal Kombat 12’s narrative may not have much longer to wait, as it appears the floodgates are about to open following this first teaser.
Mortal Kombat 12is in development.
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