The 10 BEST And WORST Mortal Kombat Character Redesigns
WORST: Ermac
“Mortal Kombat 1” (2023) We’ll start off with the most obvious and horrid one we’ve seen in recent years - Ermac in MK1. We can get behind some of the mummy-like designs we’ve seen between MK9, MKX, and even a couple of the 3D era games. But MK1, what’s going on here? Ermac looks like he could be literally anyone else had it not been for the red! The sentient collection of souls has seen so many better designs, but we suppose this design is an example of MK1 dropping the ball.
BEST: Scorpion
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“Mortal Kombat” (2011) We don’t think there is such a thing as a bad Scorpion design. Throughout the franchise, Scorpion has always had some of the most badass costumes of the entire roster. But if we had to choose a favorite, it has to be MK9 Scorpion. Come on, the motif is obvious yet fitting for the character! Just look at the mask, the armor, and the way his swords are jagged and end like the tail of a scorpion. Somehow, he just looks the coolest in every single game.
WORST: The Joker
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“Mortal Kombat 11” (2019) Now, we’ll admit that we’re kind of cheating a bit because the final design actually turned out pretty good. Honestly, Netherrealm Studios really turned things around with Joker’s design for MK11, and he wound up being the most fun character of the roster. But that initial reveal… Good god, that design was incredibly rough to look at. The makeup, hair, outfit, even the smile - it was all so wrong. Thankfully, his face got touched up a bit along with the smile, and all was right again.
BEST: Kitana
“Mortal Kombat 11” (2019) We have almost no problems with the previous designs for Kitana. She's had the same general outfits - primarily blue unitard with some revealing aspects for sex appeal. The MK11 design of Kitana manages to strike both elegance and sexiness. It isn’t obnoxiously revealing, and it still exudes the same grace and beauty that define Kitana’s character. And damn, does she rock the look!
WORST: Johnny Cage
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“Mortal Kombat X” (2015) Johnny Cage is the ultimate Chad of the franchise. That's been his schtick. We get it. However, what was up with his look in MKX? Sure, he has the same snark and douchey mannerisms, but this does not look like Johnny Cage at all. The face, maybe. The hair and Special Forces armor, on the other hand? Absolutely not. He looks like someone allowed a soldier from "Call of Duty" to smile more. At least they managed to bring back the superstar we know and love in MK11.
BEST: Reptile
“Mortal Kombat X” (2015) Of the MKX cast, Reptile absolutely got the best design of the bunch! We just couldn't stop gushing over the focus on a more animalistic style with the boney armor and how his mask looked like the skull of a bird. It really complements how vicious and feral his attacks can be. Also, his reptilian appearance here surprisingly works with the Klassic outfit.
WORST: Liu Kang
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“Mortal Kombat: Deception” (2004) Can we all just agree that the whole Zombie Liu Kang thing was stupid? We understand that folks were mad about him getting killed off in "Deadly Alliance", and he needed to be brought back in some way for "Deception". But really, man? As a murderous zombie? Maybe this was done to give Liu Kang some more violent finishers, but Midway could have done better than just recycle the same design but zombified.
BEST: D’Vorah
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“Mortal Kombat 11” (2019) D'Vorah was kind of gross in MKX, yet she was still disgusting in MK11. So, why pick on one design over the other? See, MK11 D'Vorah kept most of the appearance of MKX D'Vorah. What MK11 did differently was take away the panties and make her look more insect-like for her lower half. The design in MKX implied some human-like anatomy, which we'd rather not picture. In other words, MK11 fixed D'Vorah in a way that didn't come off sexual and human and instead chose to lean more into her bug-like appearance.
WORST: Shao Kahn
“Mortal Kombat 11” (2019) Look, we understand the motifs that Shao Kahn's designs should have. He should be big, brawny, menacing, utterly intimidating to make anyone go, "oh, s**t!" But in MK11, NRS was trying way too hard. Just about every cosmetic item made for Shao Kahn feels excessive between the size of his helmet and the spikes on his armor. Was there really nothing better he could have been given? You can evoke "big, bad boss" in more ways than just going nuts on horns and spikes.
BEST: Liu Kang
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“Mortal Kombat 1” (2023) We have seen Liu Kang with the same kind of outfit for decades: typically shirtless with just a headband and pants. If there was anything MK1 did right, it was Liu Kang's new look. It manages to balance out his monk clothes with the same might and power as Raiden's designs when he was Earthrealm's protector. He truly looks like a powerful being, and the touch of blue in his fiery attacks helps contrast with his primarily red attire. Which character do you believe has the best wardrobe? Share your thoughts with us in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to MojoPlays for more Mortal Kombat videos!
