Summary
Mortal Kombatis one of the gaming kings of great villains, with many iconic baddies in the fighting pantheon coming from this landmark franchise. Shapeshifting soul stealers, boasting world conquerors, and nihilistic fallen deities;Mortal Kombat’svillains are as varied as they are challenging. However, in this new era of Kombat, there is an unprecedented opportunity to capitalize on the untapped potential of one of Mortal Kombat’s fan-favorite returning fighters: Havik.
The post-credits stinger forMortal Kombat 1sets up a potential plotline involving a version of Havik from another timeline who absorbed the powers of Kronika, letting him survive the chaotic battle between timelines during the game’s climax with a cadre of fellow likeminded fighters, ominously promising to usher in a new era of chaos. Fans have long speculated thatMKwas preparing for theOnaga’s return to the series, what with the frequent references in the game and the presence of his immortal undead army inMortal Kombat 1’sstory. However, this ending cutscene might indicate that his fellowMortal Kombat: Deceptioncharacter is stepping into the spotlight instead. While this doesn’t eliminate the possibility of Onaga’s return, potentially having Havik assume the mantle of antagonist opens up a plethora of new storytelling opportunities.
Havik Could Be A Sympathetic Main Villain
Divorced from his origins as a Cleric of Chaos from the fittingly named Chaosrealm, this reboot’s rendition of Havik shares the backstory of another 3D Era character: Dairou. He is a former guardsman of Seido, one ofMortal Kombat’s many iconic realmscentered around the conept of absolute order and control. Echoing his original timeline counterpart in a fashion, he chose to revolt against his world’s regime and acts as a revolutionary freedom fighter rather than stick to his world’s unbending rigidity.
Rather than embodying all of the traits of the average chaotic neutral warlock inDungeons and Dragons, this new rendition of Havik comes across less like an uncontrollable force and more like a relatable tragic villain. He’s not a devotee of entropy and disorder; he’s a mutilated freedom fighter whose backstory makes him one ofMortal Kombat’s most nuanced characters. This opens up doors for new storytelling opportunities and interactions with characters who share a similar backstory, such as fellow freedom fighter Li-Mei or classic rival Hotaru.
Paying Off Plot Threads from Mortal Kombat: Deception
Havik’s debut appearance inMortal Kombat: Deceptionestablished him as a character driven by his own ambitions and desire for chaos above all else. Not only this, but he is an ambitious character with his own goals in mind, as seen through the Konquest story mode and various character endings. This neutral mentality and firm stance on chaos established him as one of thefan favoriteMortal Kombatcharacters, with fans anxiously awaiting his return to the series proper withMortal Kombat 1.
What he eventually planned to do if he was in a position of power remains unclear, aside from resurrecting the seemingly dead Shao Kahn in order to destabilize Outworld. How Havik’s desire to bring about chaos would have unfolded in the long term is a mystery, as the series was subsequently rebooted inMortal Kombat: Armageddonand Havik was let without a mainline appearance as a playable character for 17 years. This untapped villainous potential finally has the chance to blossom if Havik is to take the reins as thenext main antagonist inMortal Kombat.
Havik Would Be a Unique Challenge for All Fighters
If ever there was a wild card inMortal Kombat’s roster, Havik would be it. He’s not moral in the traditional sense, aiding and hindering characters from both sides of the morality aisle as long as they worked towards his goal of greater chaos in the long term. This puts him at odds not only with the traditionally moral characters like Liu Kang and Sonya Blade, but even characters who are typically in antagonistic roles like Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung would be on the receiving end of his ire. Were Havik to become a major threat, he would have all sides gunning for him, opening up plenty of unique story opportunities for begrudging alliances between characters who would normally be seen throwing down on principle.
Were Havik to become a major threat, he would find enemies on all sides, opening up opportunities for begrudging alliances between characters who would normally be at each other’s throats.
Though another mainlineMortal Kombattitle is likely years away due to the continued live service support forMortal Kombat 1, the future is shaping to be eventful for fighting game fans. Whether Havik’s stinger cutscene is hinting atHavik becoming a central villainfor the sequel or simply is teasing him as an event boss for the Invasions mode, he nevertheless brings to the table a great deal of potential as a unique villain in the series’ pantheon ofMortal Kombatantagonists.
Mortal Kombat 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.
