Top 10 Most Underrated Mortal Kombat Characters

10 Most Underrated Mortal Kombat Characters

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Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re putting the spotlight on the 10 Most Underrated “Mortal Kombat” Characters! With a roster as expansive as the “Mortal Kombat” franchise, there are a number of characters who don’t get a heck of a lot of time in the spotlight. Out of all them, these are the ones we feel are criminally underappreciated. Who do you think is the most underrated “Mortal Kombat” character? Did your pick make the list? Share with us in the comments!

Rain

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We know what you’re thinking: “Rain isn’t underrated! He was in MK9, X, and 11!” While that’s true, his roles in all three games were minor. In MK9, he was just a DLC character who had no place in the story. MKX gave him a small role where he teamed up with Mileena to bring down Kotal Kahn only to betray her moments later. You get to fight him ONCE and then he doesn’t show up again! MK11, on the other hand, shoveled him back into DLC status. The guy has never had a prominent role in any of the games! Will Rain ever have a proper place in the story? Seriously, we need to get this guy out from behind the paywall!

We’re still shocked that Nitara managed to make it into the 2021 “Mortal Kombat” movie and the animated movie “Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge”, considering her history with the franchise. Nitara has only appeared in “Deadly Alliance”, “Tournament Edition”, and “Armageddon”. Every other appearance was a cameo. As the only vampire in the cast, Nitara is ripe for a deeper story. Her people are enslaved by Outworld, she can be cunning enough to fool the likes of Reptile and Ashrah, and - oh yeah, SHE’S A VAMPIRE! We NEED more Nitara!

Speaking of Ashrah, this is another exceptional character that the developers quickly dropped, having only appeared in “Deception”, its PSP port “Unchained”, and “Armageddon”. Despite this, Ashrah has a compelling backstory. This Netherrealm resident was a member of Quan Chi’s Brotherhood of Shadow before she defied an order from him. While trying to escape his wrath, Ashrah obtained a mystical sword that purified her soul with every demon she defeated. Basically, she was born an evil-doer and turned good much later. This is a narrative that’d be perfect enough to turn into a spin-off game or, at the least, revisit in another MK game. See? Don’t judge everyone by the style of their hat, even if it looks a little like a knock-off.

Kira

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Kira was a hell of a blend of two unlikely adversaries. Well, in terms of gameplay, that is. Her moveset is a mix of Sonya and Kano’s abilities, and it meshes surprisingly well. However, we aren’t just putting her on here in hopes of her getting in MK11. What makes Kira so interesting is that she was born in Earthrealm yet chose to live in Chaosrealm. The games have gone into detail about her doings with Black Dragon, but not once have they properly explained what made her choose to side with Chaosrealm. She does know that place is nothing but madness, right? What made her such an anarchist? Simply put, she’s just never been fleshed out more.

Admittedly, we know this Angry Elsa can be a bit irritating at times. Really, how many movies, TV, and games have played the “frustrated student betrays master and turns evil” stereotype? Even so, Frost’s appearance in MK11 was a pleasant surprise, and we aren’t just saying that because of her sick cybernetics. Whereas Sub-Zero focuses more on laying traps and freezing opponents, Frost is more honed in on mobility and zoning. In terms of mechanics, she takes Sub-Zero’s core idea and toys with it in a way that feels like a mix of Cyrax and Mileena. It's pretty cool, and she doesn’t get enough appreciation due to her place in the story.

Just why in the Netherrealm has Shujinko been disrespected!? We’re talking about one of the most powerful characters in the MK universe here, and he’s only appeared in “Deception”, the PSP port, and “Armageddon”. Sure, the guy screwed up and gave all the Kamidogu to Onaga, nearly dooming the entire universe. But the man has gone through all the trouble to learn every single known fighting style! Do you know how useful that amount of knowledge is?! With MK11’s customizable movesets, Shujinko could have been a fun addition as a character that lets you mix and match every interchangeable move in the game. Or just give moves from various characters that will never appear in an MK game again. Take your pick.

While Kira chose to live in Chaosrealm, Havik is actually from there and would make an ideal Chaosrealm representative in the new timeline. But he’s yet another character who debuted in “Deception” and never appeared again after the PSP port and “Armageddon”, except for cameos. Since the reboot, he’s only had major roles in the MKX comics and was killed off by Quan Chi. And yet, Havik meets up with Joker in the Clown Prince’s MK11 ending? Look, if you’re going to erase a character from the timeline, stay consistent - don’t tease the fans. Just bring the dude back.

Seeing Tanya appear in MKX was something of a dream come true as she was sadly neglected after her debut in MK4. For once, Tanya had an actual role in the story and would later become playable in MKX’s DLC. Now, we want more. With a new place in the new timeline, there’s more reason to explore Tanya’s backstory as a former Edenian and Outworld resident. Both she and Rain were about to die before Cassie convinced D’Vorah to let them go; what exactly became of them after the events of MKX? Are we going to explore that? We want to know more about Tanya, and not just as Mileena’s possibly non-canon lover and partner!

Many probably know Sareena for her brief appearance in MKX, but hardcore MK fans will know her as one of the few cool characters that was introduced in “Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero”. While she would appear once more in “Tournament Edition” and “Armageddon”, Sareena has always been kind of...there. And nothing more! She only pops up in MKX for a few minutes, and then we never see her again. Basically, she’s been forever labeled as a forgotten boss from a crappy spin-off who was shoved aside to be Kabal’s wife. Oh, but let’s bring back Tremor because rocks are cool and we don’t have enough ninjas! RIGHT!?

How, you ask, is Baraka underrated when he’s made WAY more appearances than most of the characters on this list? Yeah, we understand the confusion. Thing is that Baraka is easily discarded as the guy with the grossest fatalities in the franchise. There’s actually more to his character than being a set of teeth sharp enough to break bone and cartilage. This is a leader who is tired of his people being viewed as the trash of Outworld. This is someone who takes pride in his species and only wants Tarkatans to be viewed as equals, even if some of them possess arm blades and have the dentition to put a wood chipper to shame. Isn’t that enough to give Baraka a little more respect? On second thought, we’ll keep it situational…