We haven't seen Hsu Hao in a Mortal Kombat video game since Armageddon, but a new teaser image posted by Ed Boon is throwing a bone to one of the series' least loved characters. Take a closer look:
The image shows an out-of-focus portion of a background scene where there appears to be a billboard promoting a Hsu Hao branded wrist watch.
Similar background gags have been included in most of the recent Mortal Kombat releases, such as Mortal Kombat (2011)'s billboard for Johnny Cage movie Ninja Mime, seen on the Rooftop arena.
The billboard includes a red insignia that differs from the classic Red Dragon clan logo, but is reminiscent of the Special Forces brand. Hsu Hao originally debuted as a Special Forces fighter in Deadly Alliance, only to reveal his double agent status in character endings that told of his explosive betrayal. Fans of the "3D Klassic" era will remember collecting Hsu Hao's watch during the Konquest mode of 2006's Mortal Kombat: Armageddon [pictured below].
Hsu Hao has been widely unloved since the intrigue of his initial reveal as the mysterious "Khan" in 2002. Absent from games for a decade; he was unceremoniously killed by Scorpion in the opening scene of the first issue of Mortal Kombat X tie-in comic books. Ed Boon had already ruled out a return in MKX.
Boon's most recent teaser of this type forecast the reveal of Johnny Cage. Even with Kronika's time bending plot, we won't expect to see Hsu Hao making a return, despite the reference. Think you'd like to see him make a comeback? State your case on the Mortal Kombat 11 forum!
