Why Were These 5 Fighters Missing From Mortal Kombat 11?

Reptile

It’s a damned shame that a Mortal Kombat 2 party was thrown in Mortal Kombat 11 and all the classic characters that showed up for that tournament weren’t invited. Just because Reptile crashed the first game as a secret character doesn’t mean that he should be uninvited from the reunion 17 years later.

Not only has Reptile been there since the beginning (in his current form since MK2) and should have a permanent roster slot by now, but what makes matters even more puzzling in this case is that he’s been in the last two games.

I have to imagine considering how closely the game and many of its fighters play in MK11 versus MK 10, that it couldn’t have been a herculean effort to include Reptile again if NetherRealm wanted him in MK 11.

If it was because of the story, NetherRealm could have found a way to have Reptile just show up out of no where and fight someone. If that sounds lame, it is, but it’s basically what Erron Black and Skarlet were reduced to in MK 11. At least Reptile has some history going for him in his case.

There’s a small Krypt cameo, but it’s not enough for this iconic character.

Mileena

Mileena is another example of a fighter that was in the last two games, and unfortunately didn’t it to MK 11 to pad out a roster that desperately could use some padding.

Her situation though is a bit more unique than the other four fighters on this list. Mileena was properly killed off in the last game’s story mode. You could make the argument that there’s at least a narrative reason for her to not appear in MK 11.

That is until you remember that the story of MK 11 opens up a portal to MK 2 and fighters from that era pour into it.

Not only would it have made sense for Mileena to walk through that portal just like everyone else that did but unlike Reptile, who admittedly has never had a major part in the overarching MK plot, Mileena actually would have enhanced the story of MK 11.

In the last game Mileena was killed for trying to claim the vacant Outworld throne left by the death of her adoptive father, Shao Khan. Having Mileena team up with her father in the present in opposition to Kitana and Kotal Khan would have been an awesome moment.

It still worked out fine, the story in MK 11 is great regardless, but seeing past Mileena and Kitana go at it again for supremacy in the present would have been a neat angle.

Ermac

Ermac is another of the colorful MK ninjas that were sadly cut from Mortal Kombat 11 despite having appeared in the last two games. Most of the ninja characters are fan favorites because… I’m not sure… the idea of there being lots of colors is just something that has fascinated us MK fans, let’s try not to over think it.

Ermac though has a really neat angle of being able to use telekinesis in battle and while fighting well with him can be tricky, it’s really satisfying to pull off long kombos that mix in his flashy psychic powers.

He does technically appear in Mortal Kombat 11, but he’s unceremoniously killed off in the Krypt of all places in a cutscene that if you blink, you would miss it. We’re as confused as you are on this one.

Sektor

This one is probably the most frustrating of all the entries on this list. Why you ask? It’s not because Sektor is necessarily the most iconic character to be left out of Mortal Kombat 11, although you could make that argument if you’re a big fan of the Cyber ninjas.

No, it’s because Sektor is literally in the game. You fight him in the story multiple times. He has lines and actually has a fairly significant role in the plot. He certainly does a lot more than Erron Black or Skarlet, that’s for sure.

I can’t think of a single reason why NetherRealm would choose to exclude Sektor other than maybe he was too hard to balance? That or they just want to sell him as DLC instead, which would be super lame if that’s the case.

Kenshi

At least Ermac got a death scene, as stupid and small as it was. Kenshi, another fan favorite, was just killed off-screen sometime before the events of Mortal Kombat 11 so you could get a stupid key item in the Krypt that is designed primarily to give you jump scares and is more of a nuisance than it is helpful. Seriously.

Like Reptile and Ermac, Kenshi was playable in MK 9 and MK 10, and his absence from Mortal Kombat 11 is unfortunate. He mixes telekinesis attacks with sword strikes and he was one of the more fun, and well-received fighters in the newer era of Mortal Kombat.

If NetherRealm felt that Ermac and Kenshi were kind of similar, and they wanted to go with one or the other, I could wrap my head around that choice. But to banish both of these fan-favorites to the Krypt is a head-scratcher.

That’s our picks for the five most head-scratching omissions from Mortal Kombat 11. What are yours? Let us know down in the comments below.