Mortal Kombat 1is swiftly approaching, bringing the fighting game franchise into its latest era. After having gone through two loops of the classicMKtimeline, this entry will jump into an entirely new one. Set in a new universe governed by Fire God Liu Kang,Mortal Kombat 1will be populated by new takes on old characters and storylines. Not only does that mean that staple fighters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero could finally get significant reworks, but more obscure characters also have a chance at much-needed overhauls.
Not only will this highlight how far the core cast has come, but it could also show characters like Stryker in a new light. Although he’s currently just a Kameo Fighter used for retro-styled assists, that doesn’t mean he and other minor characters aren’t enjoyingnew lives inMortal Kombat 1. It will be especially interesting to see what canon events from the first two timelines will be worked into the rebooted backstories ofMK1’s remade cast. Stryker may not have been around for long inMortal Kombat’s wider multiverse, but he definitely has several defining moments to recycle and reinterpret.
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Stryker Is Mortal Kombat’s Unsung Hero
Among the originalMortal Kombattrilogy’s cast, Kurtis Stryker sticks out. Instead of being a fantastical martial artist, Stryker leads the NYPD’s Special Riot Control division. His position affords him plenty of weapons, but even next to Johnny Cage, he is strikingly plain. Despite Midway’s intent to introduce Stryker as early as the originalMortal Kombat, Stryker emerged fromMK3’s era as its most divisive fighter. Some even lump him in with 3DMK’s other maligned characters despite him only participating inArmageddon, and then featuring as part ofMortal Kombat 9’sUMK3throwback cast.
With that said, Stryker’s life is anything but normal. Once Shao Kahn invades Earthrealm inMortal Kombat 3, every soul in New York City is stolen except for Stryker’s. As it turns out, across the different interpretations of Stryker’s character, he’s usually a chosen member of Raiden’s assembled team.
Whilehis NYC SWAT self inMK9ended up in the thick of the action before proper recruitment, Stryker still worked with the heroes and repelled several recurringMKvillains before formally joining Raiden’s squad.MK1may delay Stryker’s playable debut as one of Liu Kang’s warriors, but fans can rest assured that he will stand for Earthrealm no matter how bad the odds look.
Stryker Accomplishes Great Things, But At Great Cost
That courage, coupled with a surprising amount of competence, makes up the core of Stryker’s character. In the original timeline, Stryker got his chance to shine in the opening ofMortal Kombat: Armageddon, where he is actually the first member of the Forces of Light to charge at the Pyramid of Argus. He makes it partway up its steps as well, taking out a couple much more prominent characters before being downed by Kano. Similarly, Stryker’s chapter inMortal Kombat 9sees him defeat several of Outworld’s finest, includingKintaro, one ofMK9’s few unplayable bosses.
Unfortunately, there’s a reason Stryker isn’t known for his accomplishments. All of these dramatic feats are quickly followed by his death, though typically by an opposing force strong enough to kill many heroes. No one survives the Battle of Armageddon except Raiden and Shao Kahn, and a resurrectedSindel murders Stryker alongside many otherMK9heroes. Stryker does return as a Revenant inMKXbut doesn’t do anything noteworthy. This doesn’t bode well forMortal Kombat 1Stryker, but if his new self can match the old super cop’s moxie, he should be able to go down swinging.
Mortal Kombat 1releases on September 19 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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