Since Mortal Kombat 1 appears to be a soft reboot, it’s helpful to know what’s happened in the Mortal Kombat series so far. So we’ve taken a look at the entire series, excluding spinoffs, to get a sense of the situation. Here’s a complete rundown of the main storyline in the Mortal Kombat game series so far.

A Story Summary of Each Main Mortal Kombat Game

If you’re just curious about the new continuation that led up to Mortal Kombat 1, fast forward. Mortal Kombat 2011 also took this route, making Mortal Kombat 1 the second soft reboot of the series.

Also, I’m assuming confirmed or generally accepted canon since the first few games have different endings depending on which character you play. But here are the story elements of the Mortal Kombat games you should probably know, play by play. I left out Mortal Kombat Trilogy because it’s a collectible game.

Mortal Kombat (1992)

Mortal Kombat is a tournament held roughly every 50 years, hosted by the soul-stealing sorcerer Shang Tsung on his private island. The tournament participants are Liu Kang, Raiden the Thunder God, Scorpion, Sonya Blade, Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, and Kano Bos5000.

But it’s no ordinary tournament; it’s a way to stop the forces of Outworld (a not-so-fun fantasy realm) from conquering Earth. Shan Tsung’s champion, Four-Armed Goro, has won the tournament nine times, and if he wins the tenth time, he’ll be able to invade Outworld.

The Shaolin monk Liu Kang is the winner. He defeats Goro and Shang Tsung and saves the Earth.

Mortal Kombat II (1993)

Despite losing the final game, Shang Tsung convinces Emperor Shao Kahn to hold the next tournament in Outworld. There they will face the Emperor himself and, if all goes according to plan, their heads will be smashed with a sledgehammer.

No, it’s not even fifty years yet, so it’s unclear why Raiden, the self-proclaimed guardian of Earthrealm, doesn’t just tell Shao Kahn to go to hell. But as the series progresses, the Elder Gods presiding over Raiden are portrayed as unwilling or unable to intervene.

Liu Kang defeats Shao Kahn and wins the tournament again.

Mortal Kombat 3 / Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)

Shao Kahn returns, even though Liu Kang left him in ruins. He resurrects his late wife, Queen Sindel, to Earth and opens a portal so he can conquer the world. This Mortal Kombat storyline is full of loopholes. He is defeated, Earth is saved, and Shao Kahn is out of the series for now.

Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)

A new threat appears in the form of the renegade Elder God Shinnok. Originally defeated by Raiden, he was imprisoned in the Netherrealm, the franchise’s scorching underworld. Aided by his own sorcerer Quan Chi, he seeks to conquer nearly everything, empowered by Shao Kahn’s defeat.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)

Quan Chi and Shang Tsung team up to kill series protagonist Liu Kang. With their combined powers, they can not only compete with the series regulars, but also kill Shao Kahn, who is surprisingly still alive. The ending is a bit muddy, but the beginning of the next game suggests that they will manage to defeat our hero Bos5000.

Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)

Shang Tsung and Quan Chi’s alliance falls apart, and their actions lead to the resurrection of the Dragon King Onaga, ruler of Outworld, long dead. He is the game’s main antagonist, but like Shao Kahn and Shinnok before him, is ultimately defeated.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006)

Shao Kahn returns, even though Liu Kang left him in ruins. He resurrects his late wife, Queen Sindel, to Earth and opens a portal so he can conquer the world. This Mortal Kombat storyline is full of loopholes. He is defeated, Earth is saved, and Shao Kahn is out of the series for now.

A new threat appears in the form of the renegade Elder God Shinnok. Originally defeated by Raiden, he was imprisoned in the Netherrealm, the franchise’s scorching underworld. Aided by his own sorcerer Quan Chi, he seeks to conquer nearly everything, empowered by Shao Kahn’s defeat.

Quan Chi and Shang Tsung team up to kill series protagonist Liu Kang. With their combined powers, they can not only compete with the series regulars, but also kill Shao Kahn, who is surprisingly still alive. The ending is a bit muddy, but the beginning of the next game suggests that they will manage to defeat our hero.

Shang Tsung and Quan Chi’s alliance falls apart, and their actions lead to the resurrection of the Dragon King Onaga, ruler of Outworld, long dead. He is the game’s main antagonist, but like Shao Kahn and Shinnok before him, is ultimately defeated.

A Story Summary of the New, Reboot Mortal Kombat Continuity

As of 2011’s Mortal Kombat 9 — called just Mortal Kombat — series continuity has been reset. Here’s what happens in this new trilogy.

Mortal Kombat / Mortal Kombat 9 (2011)

Mortal Kombat 9 begins where Armageddon left off as Shao Kahn attempts to kill Raiden, the God of Thunder and protector of the Earth Empire. Raiden sends a cryptic message to his original self: “He must win!” The original Raiden receives this message through a broken amulet. He also finds his vision of the future beginning to fall apart as he tries to avert Shao Kahn’s victory.

His efforts to prevent Armageddon go horribly, horribly wrong. The game follows the events of Mortal Kombat 1-3, including the Earth invasion. Many of the combatants die, including Liu Kang and Kitana, but it is almost too late when Raiden realizes, “He must win!” referring to Shao Kahn.

By letting Shao Kahn win without a formal tournament, the Elder Gods are able to help Raiden. With the extra power they give him, he defeats Shao Kahn. It is a victory, but one that comes at a terrible cost.

Mortal Kombat X (2015)

As in Mortal Kombat 4, Shao Kahn’s death helps the exiled Elder God Shinnok gain a foothold on Earth, which is still suffering the effects of Outworld’s invasion. Many of the characters who died in Mortal Kombat 9 are resurrected as revenants under the control of Shinnok and Quan Chi.

Shinnok is defeated and exiled by former Hollywood actor Johnny Cage, but surprisingly he actually underwent personality development. The resurrected return as their normal, living selves, but not without psychological damage.

After Shinnok’s return, heroes from Earthrealm and Outworld, including Scorpion and Sub-Zero, band together to stop him and make peace. Shinnok is defeated by Johnny Cage and Cassie Cage, daughter of series star Sonya Blade.

Raiden, corrupted by dark energy, removes Shinnok’s head. He presents it to the revenants Liu Kang and Kitana (who now rule the Netherrealm) as a warning to stay away from the Earth realm at all costs.

Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)

This part of the series is all about time travel. Shinnok’s mother, Kronika, can control time using the hourglass, but she is not happy about her son’s death. As the villain of the game, she teams up with revenants Liu Kang and Kitana, as well as other villains from the past and present. Her plan is to create an entirely new reality, which she calls “New Era”.

The past and future will intertwine, and characters will encounter alternate versions of themselves, with dramatic consequences. Eventually, Raiden transfers his powers to Liu Kang, fusing the former Liu Kang with the current revenant Liu Kang to create the Fire God Liu Kang. The Fire God Liu Kang prepares to defeat Kronika and create his own new timeline.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath continues the story as Shang Tsung attempts to take Kronika’s crown, which is needed to use the hourglass. But eventually (as seen in the Mortal Kombat 1 trailer), Liu Kang defeats him and uses the crown to create a new reality.

Do You Need to Know All This to Play Mortal Kombat 1?

You don’t need to know the entire Mortal Kombat timeline, old or new, to play Mortal Kombat 1, but you’ll obviously get more out of this soft reboot if you do. The new game takes place in the reality of Liu Kang, the God of Fire, and to truly understand the changes, you need to know how events unfolded in at least one of the timelines.

It summarizes the main storyline of the Mortal Kombat series so far, giving you the knowledge you need to start Mortal Kombat 1.