Summary
TheMortal Kombatseries has amassed quite a reputation since its gory debut in arcades in 1992. Its first game helped lead to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Since then,it has crossed over with the likes ofThe Boys,with the streaming seriesbecoming only the latest in a long line of popular violent media inMortal Kombat’sorbit. As a tongue-and-cheek response to the initial backlash against the gory fatalities,Mortal Kombat 2also featuredfriendships;finishing moves which tend to feature the player’s character doing something more lighthearted than killing off the competition.
Friendships also appeared inMortal Kombat 3,as well as in the game’s updated versions, and later reappeared once more as part of theMortal Kombat 11: Aftermathexpansion pack. Like fatalities, each character’s friendship is specifically tailored to them. While many friendships are merely silly,some are genuinely quite wholesome to watch unfold.
InMortal Kombat 2,the action starJohnny Cagetakes a moment toautograph a photo of himself for his “best fan.“Part of what makes this friendship a bit more wholesome than average is the interactive nature of it. Many fighters typically perform silly but self-contained actions. Johnny Cage breaks the fourth wall, and gives this autograph directly to the player, throwing it up onto the screen after writing it out. Whether this act is viewed as an attempt at being kind to the player, or simply another show of his arrogance, it probably feels a lot better than being decapitated by a Rogue uppercut.
The autograph is arguably the most famous friendship, persisting in games where “friendships” do not exist, such asMortal Kombat X,where it instead becomes a standard victory pose for Cage. It even makes an appearance in the originalMortal Kombatmovie, where Cage kills Scorpion but still throws an autograph his way, right after his explosive remains rain down.
4Baraka
Friendship: Gift
A recurring antagonist inMortal KombatisBaraka, the general of the Tarkartan race. He is an agile but ferocious fighter, with sharp retractable claws and teeth, capable of turning his foes into mincemeat. In short, he seems at leastan unlikely candidate for a particularly wholesome friendship.
However, most friendships, while life-saving, tend to be non-interactive between the fighters. A fighter will spare their opponent, but then simply do something goofy that doesn’t involve them. Even Johnny Cage’s autograph is an extension of this, as the autograph is for the player rather than the opposing fighter. Instead of upholding this status quo,Baraka gives his opponent a gift, turning directly to them with outstretched arms.
Like many antagonists,Baraka was retooledto be a full-on hero inMortal Kombat 1.But perhaps an initial sign of the character’s goodwill was his friendship inMortal Kombat 2,giving a gift to his foe as either a form of respect or a simple peace offering.
3Nightwolf
Friendship: Matokan Sideshow
The Matoka tribe warriorNightwolfis a man of many talents. He’s an excellent fighter, a skilled shaman, and even a computer whiz. A less-appreciated feat of his, however, isa penchant for parlor tricks.
In the N64 version of theMortal Kombat Trilogy, Nightwolf’s friendship involved juggling tomahawks. For his appearance inMortal Kombat 11,Nightwolf decided to use his shaman skills to enhance his friendshipas well as his fighting. The result is an impromptu circus act featuring the wolf spirit, Kiba, jumping through a flaming hoop, followed by a falcon resting on Nightwolf’s arm, as the bear spirit, Komo, manages to balance its large self on a much smaller ball.
The wholesome element here mostly comes from the animals. They are shown to often work in sync with Nightwolf during his most brutal attacks, so it’s sweet to see that this also applies to times when the mood is less tense.
2Raiden
Friendship: Earthrealm’s Got Talent
Raidenis one of the most consistent fighters inMortal Kombat.In spite of his many incarnations and appearances, he remains a powerful fighter who is imbued with lightning and dedicated to protecting Earthrealm. While Raiden is shown to be kinder than other gods, wholesome may not be the first descriptor one comes up with when speaking about him.
However, his friendship inMortal Kombat 11shows a more playful side to the character. He summonsKidd Thunder, a lesser known character who appears almost exclusively in Raiden’s friendships and is essentially his mini-me. Over 20 years since their last appearance together in 1996 (Mortal Kombat Trilogy) the pair returned to put on a laser light show, complete with synchronized dance moves.
While Kidd Thunder’s exact relationship with Raiden is not explicitly known, (save for a card game which refers to him as Raiden’s “favorite nephew”) there’s something quite endearing about continuing to see the pair celebrating Raiden’s victories after all this time.
Whether the reboot,which turned Raiden into a mortal championrather than a god, affects the appearance of Kidd Thunder is not yet known, due in part to the current lack of friendships inMortal Kombat 1.
Kitanadebuted inMortal Kombat 2, concurrently with the friendship mechanic. However,her most wholesome friendship(and perhaps the most wholesome friendship overall) would have to wait untilMortal Kombat 11.
This game’s friendship featured Kitana running into her estranged twin sister/clone, Mileena. The pair are typically enemies,due to Kitana siding against their stepfather, Shao Khan. However, this friendship shows the sisters as being affectionate in a childish yet endearing manner. When Mileena runs in, Kitana plays patty-cake with her sister, before the pair share a hug.
What truly makes this one wholesome is the realignment ofMileena inMortal Kombat 1. Like Baraka, Mileena is currently on the side of good. Despite retaining her Tarkartan appearance, she is still beloved by her family, and even has a genuine lover in Tanya. In a way, this sisterly friendship preceding the reboot feels like a harbinger of the current world ofMortal Kombat 1.
