Summary
Mortal Kombat 1has been building anticipation, by revealing its extensive roster of fighters in a series of announcement trailers. This week’sEVO 2023signaled the end of an era, as the bestMortal Kombat 11players in the world bid farewell to the title before the release ofMortal Kombat 1.Developer Netherealm Studios used the platform to reveal another group of fighters, including a much-anticipated first look at the new timeline’s Reptile. However, the trailer’s biggest surprise was the announcement that Havik, a unique fighter fromMortal Kombat’s PS2-era entries, would feature inMortal Kombat 1’s new timeline. Havik is among the series' most gruesome and chaotic fighters, and his addition toMortal Kombat 1opens the door for the character to play a much larger role within Liu Kang’s new universe.
Mortal Kombat 1will serve as a reboot of the series' lore and characters, following the events ofMortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Early trailers confirmed that Fire God Liu Kang has successfully created a new timeline, in which peace and prosperity reign. However, it appears that this status quo will begin to crumble, as an unknown evil - alongside the villainous Shang Tsung - attempts to disrupt the timeline and its inhabitants. Developer Netherealm Studios and creator Ed Boon promise thatMortal Kombat 1will be unlike any other timeline reboot, as classic characters will feature entirely new origins, leading to the forging of new and unique alliances.
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Mortal Kombat’s Havik is Pure Chaos
Mortal Kombat 1’s EVO 2023 trailerconfirmed that Havik will be making his return in Liu Kang’s new timeline. The character was first introduced in 2004’sMortal Kombat: Deception, marking the debut of theMortal Kombatseries' most bizarre and destructive fighting style. Havik was the first, and only,Mortal KombatKombatant that hailed from Chaosrealm, where he holds the title Cleric of Chaos. Existing between both good and evil, Havik’s chief pursuit has long been to spread discord and mayhem. InMortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Havik was confirmed to be alive by Shang Tsung, who briefly banished Geras to the Chaosrealm. He also appears in the Joker’s ending, where the two throw the Orderrealm into chaos, creating the League of Misunderstood Maniacs.
The nature ofthe Chaosrealmallows Havik to devastate his opponents mind, body, and soul. Rather than pain, Havik experiences pleasure through injury, and wields the ability to heal from nearly every type of injury, including those that would be fatal, with very little effort. Havik utilizes both Blood Magik and his innate abilities to savagely defeat opponents, leveraging his healing ability by wielding ripped-off parts of his body as weapons to strike opponents. In past iterations, he was able to possess any character, regardless of god-like status, as long as they were cut with his blades. There appears to be no limit as to how many people Havik can corrupt at one time, and his ability to do so while in an entirely different realm sets the stage for an unprecedented level of chaos.
Havik May Play an Enormous Role in Mortal Kombat 1
Havik’s status as the lone Kombatant from Chaosrealm opens the door for him to play a significant role inthe disruption of Liu Kang’s new timeline.Mortal Kombat 1has yet to reveal how Liu Kang’s reboot of the universe has affected other realms. While Earthrealm and Outworld have long fought in theMortal KombatTournament, others have been pulled in by certain events or Outworld alliances. Chaosrealm is likely opposed to Liu Kang’s new status quo. InMortal Kombat 1, a rebooted Chaosrealm may mount an effort to reintroduce chaos to the universe, with Havik at the forefront.
The events that kick offMortal Kombat 1’s narrativeare still largely a mystery. Early trailers confirm that Shang Tsung will play a part in the narrative, but the titles big bad is still unknown. Chaosrealm could be revealed asMortal Kombat 1’s main antagonist, as no realm has more to lose in an era of peace and prosperity. Fans don’t have much monger to wait before this true villain reveals itself, asMortal Kombat 1is set to release next month.
Mortal Kombat 1releases on September 19 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
