Summary
Mortal Kombat 1is offering fans an incredibly funny explanation for the series’ mirror matches: it turns out the opponent is really Johnny Cage in disguise. Likeany other major fighting game series,Mortal Kombatallows players to engage in mirror matches, or battles between two versions of the same character. While this lets players pick their favorite fighter without having to worry about their friend choosing the same one, it can be rather strange for Scorpion to face off against a duplicate of himself in a brutal and bloody fight to the death.
While most fighting games are content to just let carbon copies of playable characters battle without any sort of explanation, NetherRealm has tried to give context to mirror matches in its later titles. For example,theInjusticeseries features DC’s multiverse, so match-ups between identical foes can be dismissed as lookalikes from parallel Earths. BothMortal Kombat 10andMortal Kombat 11have specific dialogue between combatants, allowing them to explain that they are different versions of characters from the past or an alternate timeline.
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Mortal Kombat 1,on the other hand, seems to provide a more straightforward (and hilarious) answer for mirror matches, as shown in a video post from Reddit user dreamsdontdie. This clip shows a seemingly normal bout betweentwo versions of Kung Lao, but a funny twist comes as the pair locks up in a Clash. The real Kung Lao reveals that he is actually fighting Johnny Cage, who credits his appearance to Hollywood make-up and special effects. Other users in the comment section of dreamsdontdie have started joking about Johnny’s acting skills and now wonder if every mirror match scenario will be explained this way.
Pretending to be other fighters is certainly on-brand for Johnny Cage, asthe ultra-violentMortal Kombatmainstaystarted as a well-regarded actor and stuntman who sought out greater thrills as a defender of EarthRelam. Even without his newly revealed penchant for mirror match cosplay, Johnny will get the chance to impersonate somebody famous inMortal Kombat 1thanks to his pre-order alternate Jean-Claude Van Damme skin, which is a reference to Johnny himself being modeled after the famous action hero.
Now it looks like Johnny Cage will really get to show off his acting chops inMortal Kombat 1, at least during mirror matches against Kung Lao. It isn’t clear if all battles between identical opponents in the game will consist of Johnny Cage flawlessly impersonating other fighters through the magic of cosplay, but the idea of the former Hollywood A-lister copying his fellow warriors’ appearances, moves, and special powers for the sake of a playful sparring contest is a funny and inspired explanation forMortal Kombat 1’s mirror matches.
Mortal Kombat 1launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
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