Mortal Kombat 1 players may have already figured out who the game’s main villain is on the very first day of the Mortal Kombat 1 stress test. Based on some teasers that Mortal Kombat players have picked up on, one of the running theories right now is that the main villain in the game and likely the big boss players will eventually have to fight is none other than Onaga, the Dragon King. The Mortal Kombat fighter has long been out of the spotlight and has only been a cameo in recent Mortal Kombat games and adaptations with Shang Tsung instead being the big bad, but there’s reason enough to believe now that Onaga could be making a comeback.
There’s of course always the chance that the references to Onaga could just be nods towards the character’s history in Mortal Kombat games and that the main villain could be someone else, but for now, here’s what Mortal Kombat 1 has to say about the character:
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Mortal Kombat 1’s Onaga Teasers
Though Onaga was nowhere to be found as a playable character or Kameo Fighter in the recent roster leak, players have already found a reference to him in the stress test. When two Fire God Liu Kang players go up against each other, one of them asks the other about their timeline and if Onaga exists in it. The other Fire God Liu Kang responds by saying “Exists in it? He rules it.”
Now, Onaga has been referenced in more than one Mortal Kombat game over the years. He was a cameo character most recently in Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11 (a real cameo, not a Kameo Fighter which is a new feature in Mortal Kombat 1), though he was never seen and only references to him were made. That means that players have been teased more than once with his return, but it might actually happen this time.
Is Shang Tsung Mortal Kombat 1’s Main Villain?
Shang Tsung is the obvious choice for anyone trying to predict who the main villain in a Mortal Kombat game might be. He’s been the main baddie in many games over the years and has had the same presence in most movies, too, though in things like the animated Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind movie, fans were happy to finally see someone else as the main villain.
Shang Tsung is definitely a villain in Mortal Kombat 1 (as well as a DLC and a playable character), but director Ed Boon has already confirmed he’s not the only villain. Boon said as much in an interview with Warner Play, the Brazilian social media channel for Warner Bros. Games.
“Well we’ve already confirmed that Shang Tsung is in the game,” Boon said after a period of contemplation when asked who the main villain in Mortal Kombat 1 was. “He’s not the only villain. There’s other villains in the game. But certainly Shang Tsung is one of the big ones.”
It wouldn’t be reading into it too much to suggest that Boon almost certainly had someone pop into his head when asked that question, and given that the conversation turned to Shang Tsung instead, it’s also not too much of a stretch to imagine that Shang Tsung probably isn’t the main villain.
Who Is Onaga in Mortal Kombat?
So, who’s this Onaga character anyway? The Dragon King made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deception as the main boss and was playable later in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, but all’s been quiet on the Onaga front since then. He’s depicted as the dead ruler of the Outworld prior to Shao Kahn, has incredible strength and combat powers, and can raise the dead. With all that and a name like “Dragon King,” it’s no wonder why players are now hoping that he’ll be returning in Mortal Kombat 1.
But again, all of this is speculation until we hear more about the game’s full roster and more story details. Mortal Kombat 1 releases on September 19th, so we’ve got until then to hopefully hear more about Onaga’s possible return.
