Mortal Kombat has made a business out of incorporating pop culture guest characters into its playable roster, but what about the other way around? MK has crossed over with a select few franchises in the past, and the director of Tekken 7 has revealed who he'd choose to enter the iron fist if the opportunity presented itself! Read on for more:
Katsuhiro Harada has been with the Tekken series in various roles since the very beginning, becoming the Ed Boon of the franchise as its creative lead and public face. As Director of Tekken 7 he oversaw the incorporation of guest fighters from Street Fighter, King of Fighters, Final Fantasy XV, and The Walking Dead. Asked by a fan on Twitter which Mortal Kombat guest he'd choose he went straight for two of the series' evergreen icons: Sub-Zero and Raiden!
Sub-Zero or Raiden.
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) June 12, 2021
By the way, I’m in charge of the commentary interview in the theater pamphlet of the movie version MK. For some reason Warner Bros. Japan chose me as a movie promotion ambassador. https://t.co/5tXBwkOaiF
NetherRealm Studios chose Sub-Zero and Raiden to be crossover guests in their DC Comics fighting game: Injustice 2. The pair also entered Midway Games sister projects NBA Jam: Tournament Edition and The Grid as unlockable characters, while Raiden additionally flew into Midway's NFL Blitz and Unreal Championship 2!
Outfitted with instantly recognizable designs and special moves, they represent the franchise well and would offer Tekken something compatible, but a little bit different. Harada got to know the characters a little bit better recently as Warner Bros Japan's ambassador for the promotion of the Mortal Kombat movie -- a fact Harada also noted in his tweet.
Will such a crossover ever happen? NetherRealm has looked to the movies for most of its guest characters, but God of War's Kratos was included as a PlayStation exclusive in 2011's Mortal Kombat reboot. Ed Boon has noted in the past that he's been a fan of the Tekken franchise, and with both series investing in crossover characters, it doesn't seem impossible.
In the past a full-fleged crossover with the Street Fighter franchise was considered inevitable, but a MK11 guest character proposal was rejected by Capcom. The developer has also had near misses including characters from Twisted Metal and Gears of War.
Which Tekken characters would you like to see in Mortal Kombat? Share your thoughts about crossover potential in the comments and speculate wildly in the Future Mortal Kombat forum! Or enter the Fan Koliseum to discuss fantasy match-ups and vote for the 2021 Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion!