The Best Mortal Kombat Characters That Were Canceled

Key Takeaways

Characters like Khameleon, Harley Quinn, and Master Chief almost made it into the Mortal Kombat roster.
Unused characters like Belokk and Quan Chi were scrapped due to various reasons, leaving fans disappointed.
Popular characters like Michael Myers and Ash Williams were also considered for Mortal Kombat but faced copyright issues.

As a long-time fan of both the horror and fighting game genres, I must say that the list of almost-included characters in various Mortal Kombat games is nothing short of heartbreaking. Each one represents a tantalizing “what if?” scenario for us fans who eagerly awaited their addition to the roster.

It’s astonishing to see the growth of the Mortal Kombat universe, with Mortal Kombat 1 consistently expanding its cast through DLC characters. Each installment seems to introduce fresh faces and bring back familiar ones, ensuring each roster has a unique identity.

In every game, there are challenges that not all characters manage to overcome and make it onto the roster. For various reasons, Midway and Netherrealm Studios have either scrapped or postponed the inclusion of certain characters in Mortal Kombat, with the intention of featuring them prominently in future installments instead.

8 Khameleon

A Forgotten Ninja Who Almost Debuted In Arcades

Almost appeared in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat Trilogy

The character Khameleon, who is not as widely recognized as others, has made a limited number of appearances within the Mortal Kombat universe. Their first appearance was actually in the Mortal Kombat Trilogy, although they were initially intended to debut in an earlier game titled Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which introduced other characters like Rain.

In Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, they were eliminated, but their data remains hidden and can be unlocked using cheat codes. Much like Reptile, Khameleon was initially concealed as a character, only to be discovered in the Mortal Kombat Trilogy – a game that amalgamated features and personalities from all three initial installments into one title.

7 Harley Quinn

Before Injustice, She Was Almost In Mortal Kombat

Almost appeared in Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
First Appearance: Batman: The Animated Series

Prior to achieving her massive success with the popular Batman: Arkham series, Harley Quinn was initially planned to join the roster of Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe as a downloadable character. However, these plans were scrapped when Midway Games faced bankruptcy and shut down their operations. Given the game’s limited representation of female characters from both Mortal Kombat and DC universes, Quinn would have been an excellent addition to the roster.

Over the years, Harley Quinn has been featured in a variety of video games and eventually became a key character in the Injustice series, which originated from Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe. Nevertheless, fans often ponder how Harley Quinn might have performed using Mortal Kombat controls, as Ed Boon hinted at this possibility during X.

6 Master Chief Or Marcus Fenix

Xbox Players Almost Got Their Own Exclusive Character

Almost appeared in Mortal Kombat (2011)
First Appearances: Halo & Gears Of War

In discussions, it was unclear which character might have been selected, but Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat, mentioned that there were talks about incorporating a unique character for Xbox 360 users, possibly Master Chief from Halo, in Mortal Kombat 9. This idea aimed to even out the roster as PlayStation 3 owners had previously been given Kratos from God of War.

At the conclusion of the Mortal Kombat 9 game’s lifespan, a collaboration never materialized because the Netherrealm Studios team opted against it. There had been hints of Marcus Fenix from Gears Of War, but before any official confirmation, they chose to scrap the DLC character entirely.

5 The Terminator

The T-800 Nearly Joined Other Horror Characters

Almost appeared in Mortal Kombat X
First Appearance: The Terminator

Initially intended to fight alongside iconic horror characters like the Xenomorph and Jason Voorhees in Mortal Kombat X, the Terminator was not part of that project by Netherrealm Studios. However, several years later, the T-800 character made its way into the spotlight as a prominent member of the Kombat Pack 1 in Mortal Kombat 11.

In various elements of the Mortal Kombat series, inspiration can be traced back to the Terminator films. This influence is evident in features like Kano’s cybernetic eye, the Cyber Lin Kuei, and specific fatalities. Consequently, the inclusion of the T-800 in Mortal Kombat 11 and the T-1000 in Mortal Kombat 1 has completed a loop, bringing the franchise back to its roots.

4 Belokk

Eurocom’s Long Lost Original Character

Almost appeared in Mortal Kombat Gold
Never appeared in the franchise after.

When Mortal Kombat 4 was being upgraded and moved to the Sega Dreamcast as part of Mortal Kombat Gold by Eurocom, the studio aimed to introduce an exclusive character known as Belokk. This tall, demonic figure had numerous horns, but fans only caught a glimpse of him in poorly-quality screenshots that were leaked to GameInformer magazine.

As a result, Belokk has gained notoriety as an overlooked original character, with various fan-created additions for games appearing throughout the years to include him. It is believed that Belokk was scrapped due to time constraints experienced by Eurocom and Midway during the development of Mortal Kombat Gold, which was primarily intended as a straightforward adaptation for Dreamcast.

3 Quan Chi

The Evil Sorcerer’s Small Role Teased His DLC

Almost appeared in Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat: Defenders Of The Realm

Chi Quan has solidified himself as a classic antagonist within the Mortal Kombat universe, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with heavyweights such as Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung. His highly anticipated return as downloadable content (DLC) in Mortal Kombat 1 was much talked about, but his debut as DLC actually took place initially in Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe. A previously unused character model for him was unveiled by Ed Boon roughly X years back.

In this game’s story mode, Quan Chi appears as an NPC without a clear reason, much like in the original Mortal Kombat where his inclusion was a hint at a necromancer joining the roster later on. However, unfortunately, he was one of the characters that didn’t make it to the final game due to Midway Games closing down before completion.

2 Michael Myers

Fans Almost Had The Ultimate Slasher Crossover

Almost appeared in Mortal Kombat X
First Appearance: Halloween (1978)

In the game Mortal Kombat X, several characters typically found in slasher films were included: Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Xenomorph, and Predator. This made it feel like a real slasher tournament for fans, something they had never experienced before. However, many fans were surprised that Michael Myers from the Halloween movies was not present, despite his iconic status being on par with Jason or Leatherface.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve always been intrigued by the tidbit that Michael Myers, the iconic slasher, was once thought about for Mortal Kombat X. Sadly, things didn’t work out due to a variety of unmentioned factors. However, he’s since made his mark in other games like Dead By Daylight. I suspect the rights to the character might have been an obstacle, and with both Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees sharing similar terrifying roles, it was probably quite a challenge to differentiate him from the hockey mask killer.

1 Ash Williams

Copyrights Ruined The Chances Of Bruce Campbell’s Famous Hero

Almost appeared in Mortal Kombat 11
First Appearance: The Evil Dead

Easily the most infamous case of a canceled Mortal Kombat character was Ash Williams, as his files were found via datamining, he was teased multiple times, and an advertisement used the name Ash Williams for Kombat Pack 1. Unfortunately, due to rights issues with every Evil Dead movie, trying to acquire different versions of Ash and, possibly, the production of Evil Dead: The Game led to Ash being dropped.

Fans looked forward to Ash Williams, known for his witty remarks and unique weapon combinations (like a chainsaw and shotgun), but were taken aback when The Joker from DC comics was introduced instead. However, fans found Joker enjoyable to play, though they continue to hope that Ash Williams might eventually make an appearance in the Mortal Kombat roster someday.

2024-11-28 06:07