Ever since the arcade days, Mortal Kombat drew attention for not just its signature gore, but also the secrets hidden within their games. The biggest secrets were hidden characters in certain titles, who could be fought or unlocked by meeting certain conditions within specific titles. Many secret characters would later become fully fledged fighters in the series, but some stand out more than others.
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The best secrets Mortal Kombat has to offer are usually characters who aren’t on the main roster of whichever game they’re in. Many start off as rumors, from older forum discussions from the 90’s or even modern day conversations on Twitter or Reddit. Even the most recent Mortal Kombat game has its share of secrets, creating a fun tradition of community players working together to discover which characters have been hidden from view.
13. Blaze
Blaze is the final boss of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, the final game from the 3D era in the series. However, before that, he was a minor background character in Mortal Kombat 2, long rumored to be playable as a fire elemental, but never was that way until Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. In that game, players could select Blaze by inputting secret commands on the character select screen, highlighting Raiden and using a combination of buttons to choose Blaze instead.
Blaze is like many secret characters in Mortal Kombat, using borrowed moves from multiple characters in strange amalgamations. Only selectable by one player, Blaze has no weapon style or finishing moves, making him a simple but effective cameo. The simple design of Blaze does make him forgettable compared to others, especially considering his role in Armageddon is much more impactful later.
12. Floyd
The most recent guest character in the series is Floyd, the pink ninja from Mortal Kombat 1. Debuting during a DLC update for the game, Floyd is one of the hardest characters to reach, requiring players to complete random challenges in single-player Towers of Time or Vs. modes to face him a secret duel. Floyd is fought on a hidden stage called The Field, a battleground from the game’s very first trailer, which you unlock by defeating him in combat.
As a reference to Pink Floyd, this character is pretty much the final palette-swap ninja character the franchise has seen, making him lower on this list simply for how little his legend has grown so far. Floyd is an impressive character, using moves from Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Noob Saibot, Reptile, and Rain to face off against his opponents. Some attacks are even taken from Mortal Kombat 11‘s Shang Tsung, making Floyd a unique fighter that is sure to leave an impact in future Mortal Kombat games.
11. (Classic) Sub-Zero
Many of the secret characters throughout Mortal Kombat‘s history have been “Klassic” renditions of older fighters. 2011’s Mortal Kombat was a good example of this, featuring versions of Reptile, Smoke, and Noob Saibot with moves from their first appearances rather than the ones they have as main roster fighters. Yet, “Classic” Sub-Zero is the first time this happened, adding another version of the cryomancer to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3‘s list of playable characters.
The version of Sub-Zero in the original Mortal Kombat 3 is Kuai Liang, the brother of the slain Bi-Han, the Sub-Zero killed by Scorpion in earlier games. His moves are much different than his brother’s, creating a non-traditional form of Sub-Zero that would later adopt many of the same techniques his family once held. However, for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, “Classic” Sub-Zero was the original many players remember, keeping his same moves from past titles as a secret character players could unlock.
10. Mokap
Another Deadly Alliance character, Mokap is a secret fighter whose appearance is simply an actor in a motion capture suit. This ridiculous design is unlocked as a playable fighter once the game’s Konquest mode is finished with all other characters, making Mokap a bit of a grind to find compared to other secret fighters. On character select, players can pick Mokap by inputting certain commands while hovering over Cyrax, but only one person is allowed to do this.
When speaking of gameplay, Mokap isn’t anything special, as he barely has an signature moves to help him stand out. His design alone is what makes him memorable, as it still remains as one of the best “joke” attires in Mortal Kombat‘s history. Moves are mainly borrowed from other fighters, but no weapon style simply makes this secret character a fun cameo who shouldn’t come back to future titles.
9. Meat
Meat is a character that was originally a model glitch, using the version of characters whose skin was stripped away during certain fatalities. In Mortal Kombat 4, this glitch became an entire character when players win matches with every fighter in the game through the “Group” option at character select. This causes Meat to assume the form of the next fighter in that group, with his moves reflecting whoever he took over.
Meat in Mortal Kombat 4 simply uses the same moves of the character he’s based on, acting as that fighter without their skin. In later games, Meat would become a fully fleshed character, with new attacks such as a bloody teleport and similarly body-horror themed attacks. Meat’s appearance reflects Mortal Kombat‘s infamous ultra violence, but there is an over-the-top quality to the fighter that almost makes him goofy at the same time.
8. Chameleon/Khameleon
Palette-swamp ninjas are nothing new to Mortal Kombat, but Chameleon and Khameleon were the ones that pushed that idea to their limits back in Mortal Kombat Trilogy. These characters are extremely similar, with the male Chameleon imitating all other male ninjas while a female Khameleon copied the women of Mortal Kombat‘s history. Each character can be fought in their respective games, or played in MK Trilogy through specific actions.
Chameleon and Khameleon are similar in how extensive their moves are, taking ideas from past secret characters and simply putting everything together into a single package. Chameleon’s colors would change periodically while he fights, while the character also stayed transparent when on screen. Similarly, Khameleon would disappear in and out of visibility every so often, making her even more dangerous to fighter. The female Khameleon would even gain recognition as a Kameo fighter in Mortal Kombat 1, showing how players remember her unique mechanics well.
7. Cyber Sub-Zero
Cyber Sub-Zero is the rare case when a secret character is actually a playable fighter from a past game, as this version of the iconic ice-wielder is originally from 2011’s Mortal Kombat. When Mortal Kombat X released, the character Triborg was added to its second wave of DLC, acting as a new fighter with variations dedicated to cyborg ninjas of the series’ past. Cyrax, Sektor, and cyborg Smoke were all represented, but a special input at character select saw a hidden fourth variation for players to use.
This character is a complete variation, using completely unique moves to battle alongside universal attacks Triborg normally has. Cyber Sub-Zero can free targets and summon ice drones, a feature he didn’t even have in past titles. With Mortal Kombat X‘s faster pace, Cyber Sub-Zero is almost like a brand-new character, making him easily one of the best secret characters the series has included in recent years.
6. Jade
Many who remember Mortal Kombat 2‘s arcade days would remember Jade as one of the game’s most prominent secret characters to find. The first hidden female character in the series, Jade acts as a palette swap for Kitana and Mileena, but with additional properties that helped solidify her as a permanent fighter in future games. Aside from increased movement speed and Kitana’s attacks, Jade was immune to any and all projectiles, making her a difficult opponent to fight head-on.
Finding Jade in Mortal Kombat 2 is a test of patience, as she can only be fought, not unlocked as someone playable. Jade only reveals herself to players who reach the fabled “?” stage, then only use low kicks to win that fight. Players can’t block either, so this match in the single player tournament is crucial to finding Jade. The elusiveness of this character combined with her special powers made her a mainstay in Mortal Kombat, evolving into a more complex character over time.
5. Smoke
Many who have played multiple Mortal Kombat games will recognize Smoke as someone who has shifted between human and cyborg forms throughout the years. However, Smoke’s original appearance was human, as seen in Mortal Kombat 2. Much like Jade, Smoke was a palette swap character you could fight, but not play. This white-clad ninja was similar to Reptile, with smoke constantly erupting from their body to create a distinct looking fighter compared to others like Scorpion or Sub-Zero.
When on the Portal stage, players can input Down and Start when the “Toasty!!” cameo appears on their screen during a match to face Smoke in battle. This character is much faster than any other character in the game, creating a template of mobility that would be used in the fighter’s design in later titles. Smoke has always been a popular character in every Mortal Kombat, no matter what form he takes to be included on a main roster.
4. Rain
Based on the song “Purple Rain” by legendary artist Prince, Rain is the purple palette-swap ninja in Mortal Kombat that first showed up in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 as a hidden fighter. Originally, this character was so secret that it was a joke to mention him, as a elusive fighter players in arcades lost sleep trying to prove was real. While he didn’t exist in arcades, Rain did appear in the SNES and Sega Genesis version of UMK3, sporting his own moves that would become a standard in future games.
Rain uses weather-related powers, summoning bolts of lightning and using a water projectile he can freely control to trap opponents. With a kick that knocked enemies around a screen to the other side, Rain was already special from his debut, instead of using moves from other characters. This alone made Rain someone players adored, making him one of the most requested characters in each game. Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat 1 both have editions of Rain, albeit ones that are slightly different in their own ways.
3. Ermac
Players once obsessed over Ermac as a potential secret character in Mortal Kombat 2, where a glitch in the game’s code called “Error Macro” or “ErMac” for short changed Scorpion’s yellow attire to red. Many believed Ermac existed then, but the character did not become playable until Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. The amount of rumors behind Ermac alone gave him the infamy to eventually become a legitimate secret character, establishing a fighter who always captured the attention of Mortal Kombat‘s audience.
Even in UMK3, Ermac is an individual fighter who doesn’t copy moves. Ermac uses telekinetic powers to fling opponents, setting up flashy juggles that became a staple of the character in future iterations. The popularity of Ermac would make him become a secret character even in spin-offs like Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, before appearing multiple times in mainline games.
2. Noob Saibot
There are few Mortal Kombat characters like Noob Saibot, whose name is even a secret blend of names from series creators Ed Boon and John Tobias. Noob Saibot is perhaps the fighter used as a secret combatant in the most games, appearing in Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat 4, and Mortal Kombat Gold as someone just outside the main roster of playable fighters. However, it’s his first appearance that is likely his most iconic.
Noob Saibot is simply a black palette swap of Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat 2, which makes sense, as it would later be revealed that the original Sub-Zero Bi-Han was behind the mask of this mysterious fighter. Hard to track due to their lack of distinct color, Noob Saibot had enhanced speed and combos, but nothing original until UMK3. That game gave Noob Saibot a teleporting slam, with the SNES and Genesis versions giving him a move-disabling shadow projectile and shadow clones that helped him gain a long-lasting identity.
1. Reptile
Reptile was the secret character that started it all in the original 1992 Mortal Kombat, acting as a green palette swap of Scorpion and Sub-Zero that was teased in the arcade version. This character was a rumor that grew into a legend, with players unsure of how to summon the green-clad ninja other than playing nearly perfectly in arcade matches. When fought on a secret stage below The Pit, Reptile had access to both ninja’s moves, making him a dangerous opponent that was as tough to beat as they were to find.
Reptile’s elusiveness would set the standard for hidden characters, causing players to constantly go looking for figures like Ermac, Rain, or Floyd in the future. The popularity of Reptile made him a secret character in other games like Mortal Kombat 4, but for the most part, many games in the series have featured the character as a main roster fighter in some way. Mortal Kombat 2 established the reptilian traits of Reptile further, giving him an acidic spit projectile, balls of energy to knock up foes, and a slide similar to Sub-Zero’s.
Even to this day, players look back fondly on the mystery and community effort it took to find Reptile, with the fervor surrounding this character inspiring many, many others. Without Reptile, Mortal Kombat would likely be missing half the icons on its roster, easily making the fighter the best secret character in the series without question.
What secret character from Mortal Kombat‘s history is your favorite? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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Courtesy of David Production
