Since the release of Mortal Kombat X, there have been Samurai skins, Horror skins, Kold War skins, Brazil Skins, Predator skins, Future Raiden, Farmer Jax and a few retro klassics. The kosplay has been great and all, but what does it really do for Mortal Kombat characters?...
Fortunately, more downloadable content is coming to Mortal Kombat X! There\u2019ll be fresh playable characters, a new arena, and more character skins! We now know several newcomers will get new skins [full story], but we\u2019ve been looking back through the canon at some of the klassic kostumes yet to be touched!
There were simply too many kostumes to narrow it down, so after much deliberation -- and a few fist fights -- Mortal Kombat Online staff have come up with the Top 10 Klassic Kostume DLC Packs we want to see in Mortal Kombat X! That\u2019s right! Not just ten costumes - but ten packs of three! Brace yourself for controversy and fashion show tantrums.
Keep hitting NEXT to join us as we tick through the Top 10 in our MKOuntdown! Are there skins left unmentioned you still want to see? Did we go too far with our outlandish choices? Register to share your thoughts and your own Top 10 on the Mortal Kombat X forum! Supporting the kommunity by liking & sharing via @MK_Online and Facebook! It\u2019ll be like Armageddon!
#1 Deadly Alternates Pack
Skins Include: Raiden, Scorpion & Kung Lao
Mortal Kombat X packs in its fair share of alternate costumes, but downloadable content has ensured there is an inevitable overflow into post-release extras. We\u2019ve gushed about many of the untapped Deadly Alliance designs - so it sort of makes sense that our top picks are Deadly Alliance alternate costumes! Faithful, yet different. Unusual and striking. Deadly Alliance had an excellent eye for design, likely benefitting from the push to create new definitive appearances. From this overflow come some incredible character skins - and one or two awful. The less said about Jax\u2019s MKDA alt - the better!
In Deadly Alliance, Raiden looked amazing with a loose, caped embellishment of his MKII/MK4 blue tunic look. Rather than compete with it, the MKDA alt goes in another direction, making the first visual references to a Japanese sensibility. The games show the movies how its done, letting Raiden\u2019s impressive white locks flow sans hat. He still crackles with energy, but now his body is more exposed, like depictions of the storm god Raijin. Make no mistake - this is not a recreation. It remains very much in the MK universe - still our Raiden. Which is what we love about it. While the main was unmistakable, the alt told us more than we already knew!
Scorpion has many skins in Mortal Kombat X, but there is one granddaddy missing! The flaming skull variant of Scorpion is perhaps the most memorable alternate skin in the history of the game. It was there as part of his Toasty fatality, but it became a selectable look with MK4. Working from a superior base, Deadly Alliance brought the ninja spectre to life in higher fidelity - so just imagine what it would look like in MKX! Lore says mortal Scorpion is less inclined to take this form, but since he\u2019s already doing it routinely in the comic and game, he might as well just flame on! Of all the times MKX chooses aesthetic over logic, this would be the least offensive.
Kung Lao was tastefully subdued in his Deadly Alliance main, but you can\u2019t ignore the classics. We loved the novelty of tossing his hat from his back, but he just looks so bad ass wearing it! His MKDA alt kept the classic hat (which trumps dorky MKX variants), but updated his classic attire to look better than ever! The return of blue tones over tan gave him a cool, slick look, accented well with the debut of red belt and metallic gauntlets. Shaolin Monks and MK2011 gave us the definitive Kung Lao, but this is right behind it for a premium look!
Don\u2019t forget to tell us what you think! Register to share your Top 10 and post your thoughts on the forum!
#2 Deadly Icons Pack
Skins Include: Scorpion, Raiden & Sub-Zero
If you\u2019ve read through the rest of our list, you\u2019ve already soaked in the splendor of Deadly Alliance. As a resource largely untapped by Mortal Kombat X, it\u2019s perhaps the most logical place to look for future potential "klassic" DLC. These were among the best designs the series has ever seen, fuelled by an explosion of creativity that built characters up into definitive, individual icons beyond the 2D color swapped, spandex clad, digitzed actors.
Scorpion was one of the first characters we saw when the series returned from a 4 year hiatus. He was instantly recognizable, yet totally reinvented! For fans growing up in the arcades watching games improve with each installment, it was the culmination of everything Mortal Kombat promised. Gone was the baggy fabric shared with two more other fighters. Yellow became gleaming gold, sewn into a lightly armored tunic that matched a now hardened facemask! Skulls referenced Scorpion\u2019s Netherrealm origins, but everything here screamed ninja - while others did not! Mortal Kombat X challenges this look for definitive design, but fails in its usage of paintball masks and superfluous buckles. MKDA Scorpion leaves room for improvement, but gets it right.
Raiden has worn variations on this design ever since, but with the exception of his Mortal Kombat X design, he may never have looked better in blue and white. The thunder god commanded respect in layers of pure white robes and gold trimmed accessories! His entire body coursed with electricity and he emanated a sense of light, wrapped in a white cape. A white mane was a shock when Mortal Kombat reached cinemas in the mid-nineties, but a loose fitting hood with visible was a reality we\u2019d been waiting for by 2002. Adding to the grandeur of it all was a hat fit for a god! Nobody could mistake MKDA Raiden for an old beggar and we liked it that way! He may be headed for darkness and corruption, so one more dance with MKDA Raiden is all we ask!
Sub-Zero updated two looks when he returned in Deadly Alliance. Promotion understandably put forward his mask and cowled version early on, but his game feature design was based more on the maskless MK3 look. We already have a version of that in MKX, and the alternate design has a lot to like. While it may harken back to the palette swaps we were eager to move on from, it does so with admirable finesse. Rather than mirror Scorpion\u2019s gold tunic - Sub-Zero is asymmetrical, favoring one side where he pins the dragon medallion that has enhanced his powers! Those powers ice his forearms and create steam in the air - a trademark look no longer restricted to the alt, as in MK4. His mask refines the idea to a modern peak. The entire ensemble says klassic Lin Kuei Sub-Zero. These days, Sub-Zero has gone in more elaborate variants, so the simplicity of this one would actually be a breath of fresh air!
#3 Deception Pack
Skins Include: Sub-Zero, Ermac & Scorpion
The icons of Mortal Kombat were looking very different by the time 2004\u2019s Deception came around! Part of Mortal Kombat\u2019s era of definition, many characters were still receiving much needed updates from their 2D origins. In other cases, experimentation began to set-in, producing mixed results.
As we learned more about Sub-Zero\u2019s heritage as a natural born cryomancer, we saw it manifest in the form of a strange new design. Dubbed the "Shredder Armor" by fans - this fur-lined, helmeted, armor plated look was so strange it worked! It had all the hallmarks of an iconic Sub-Zero design, with blue facemask and sash, but it turned them on their head in ways we had never imagined! Armored accessories have been a staple of Sub-Zero designs ever since.
Ermac was the find of 2004, exploding into the spotlight as an unlikely favourite from Deception! To that point, his evolution had gone from April Fool prank, to UMK3 red palette swap. Deception built on a relationship with Kenshi established in Deadly Alliance, backing it up with a whole new ensemble that captured the imagination and announced Ermac as his own man (or men)! Covered head to toe, the creature comprised of lost souls had no discernible traits. Just a red and black outfit that completely reinvigorated him! This was Ermac\u2019s greatest design and signifies what went wrong in MKX. With no plotlines to back-up his unravelling, Ermac meandered through MKX as an aimless goon, with far too much of himself exposed. The Deception design is overdue a comeback!
Scorpion fell into bad habits in Deception, most prominently in a nauseating wetsuit recreation of his MK4 design (his MKD alt). The main costume stayed much more in keeping with the unique presentation of the era, but bulked Scorpion up with much more armor since his return from visiting the Heavens. It\u2019s a precedent that\u2019s stayed with the character, but it was at its most tasteful in Deception with discernible pieces - instead of abstract, space filling black moulds (MK2011). A golden ninja look we\u2019d like to see again.
#4 Armageddon Pack
Skins Include: Shinnok, Zombie Liu Kang & Raiden
Mortal Kombat history will show Armageddon as the final installment of the original timeline. It was also the close of the design era begun by Deadly Alliance. A few final characters received much needed, personalized updates: Rain and Reiko two of the more memorable characters, who unfortunately haven\u2019t made the playable MKX roster (yet). Like the game itself, we\u2019re playing mix and match to produce a skin pack we\u2019d love to see!
Shinnok looks pretty fantastic in Mortal Kombat X, but exposed skin and tight attire means a sense of wonder is slightly missing from the fallen elder god. Weak design has always plagued Shinnok, ever since fans rejected him as a playable MK4 boss with a move-stealing gimmick. Armageddon was responsible for prompting a much needed rethink about the character. Robes added scale and grandeur to the Netherrealm ruler, recalibrating his original color scheme into a more tasteful display. Likewise, the large solid hat projects more strength than MKX\u2019s headgear, which appropriates baroque references too easily mistaken with jestful triviality.
Liu Kang returned to MKX as a revenant after being accidentally killed in the 2011 MK Trilogy do-over. It\u2019s not the first time he\u2019s come back from the dead! Armageddon fans will remember the clatter of chains and shuffle of dislocated limbs as Zombie Liu Kang came for his killer in the 2006 intro. He debuted in Deception, and was a chained slave to Raiden. Chains beg the temptation of new moves, but we\u2019d more than accept a skin that merely decays Liu Kang\u2019s flesh and unleashes his undead corpse upon players!
Raiden finished MKX with a corrupt spirit, which may yet lead to a do-over of events from Deception and Armageddon. It\u2019s a fitting conclusion for a character whose ancient mythology is much less friendly than the wisened mentor kombatants know him as. MKX already has a version of the Dark Raiden attire, but we\u2019d love to see his Deception alt return, with its warrior beads and glowing red eyes! This is Raiden unchained and looking like a warrior not to be trifled with!
#5 Deadly Legends Pack
Skins Include: Kano, Kung Lao & Sonya Blade
Competing with Mortal Kombat X for the greatest design era in MK history is Deadly Alliance. The 2002 soft-reboot is fondly remembered for its role in revitalizing the series with the first decisive step toward fully realized, individual characters. This meant an end to color swapped enemies, and the introduction of a whole new sensibility!
Kano put cartoon black & red karate gis in the past and embraced the mercenary within, dressing the part with a black boot, brown slack, leather vest combo. He carried knives in shin holsters, strapped on some basic armor, and even wore a lock of Sonya\u2019s hair around his neck as the ultimate taunt! Hairy chested, black gloved, and scalp slicked - he oozed Black Dragon scumbag! Knocking this naturalistic look down a few ranks is the fact Mortal Kombat X may not support the bare chest, adding bulky traffic colored heart gear.
Kung Lao was poised to be the next big Earthrealm champion in Deadly Alliance: Liu Kang was dead, and Kung Lao was stepping up with new moves and a whole new look. He\u2019s never been more Wuxia, tapping into MK\u2019s kung fu movie inspirations to look like he stepped right out of a Shaw Brothers classic! Simple fabrics, a pony tail, and the hat on his back gave Kung Lao the humble look of a true martial arts hero! This is history we never want to see Mortal Kombat forget!
Sonya Blade\u2019s long and winding design evolution began in Deadly Alliance. Solid color gym spandex may have been good for the digitization process of the 2D 90s, but it wasn\u2019t going to fly in 3D polygons! We like the khaki military uniform of her alt, but it\u2019s tough to go past the more iconic qualities of her main. It shares a lot in common with her MKvsDC look, minus some of the detail. Fortunately, it adds a tough looking bomber jacket, drops the shirt a little lower, and backs it up with black leather that says business. It\u2019s a simple but effective design for an off duty Special Forces officer.
#6 MK Universe Pack
Skins Included: Jax, Liu Kang & Sonya Blade
Superhero inspired designs are fun, but Mortal Kombat X already has more kosplay than we really need. Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe was more miss than hit in a great many ways, but we\u2019ve narrowed it down to three MKX playable characters who would look good slipping back into their 2008 designs.
Jax has undergone a lengthy evolution throughout the series, coming out the end in Mortal Kombat X with two of his best looks. His Revenant design offers over-the-top otherworldly thrills, while his main skin balances all elements to come up with a definitive Jackson Briggs. At the time, MKvsDC Jax was the most utilitarian look for the character. His cybernetic arms were chunky and light, his uniform more in keeping with Sonya\u2019s latest Special Forces suit. It wasn\u2019t quite "realistic", but it balanced everything we love about Jax and the MKSF in one respectable uniform!
Liu Kang was divsive then, and largely forgotten now. The large MK Championship belt was viewed as an oddly hokey idea, but in a world where Johnny Cage fights WWE wrestlers and Brazil skins are a thing -- it\u2019s not so silly! What we really like about Liu\u2019s MKvsDC look is its humility. Spikey arm guards, red headband, black pants and rope tied boots. What more do you need? It\u2019s heroically no frills, but still identifiable. Plus - that title belt would go down a treat while dominating King of the Hill online! It gets our vote for superior tournament skin to the palette swapped Blue Steel Sub-Zero.
Sonya Blade went similarly simple into MKvsDC, with a white cropped tee, Special Forces beret, and... tan lines. With punky hair and an unnecessary number of buckles [on her boots], she was years ahead of Mortal Kombat X - but with an assortment of practical flourishes, she\u2019s got enough redeeming qualities to put the joking aside. With mostly tactical attire in MKX, something a bit more casual might not be so bad.
#7 Edenian Deception Pack
Skins Included: Mileena, Kitana & Tanya
Edenia\u2019s deadliest assassins received some of their greatest designs in Mortal Kombat X, so it\u2019s difficult to recommend any previous appearances on the basis of upgrade. What the era of Mortal Kombat: Deception offers is merely an alternative take on their progress from identical swimsuits - to bad asses and warrior princesses!
Mileena received definitive upgrades in most of her MKX skins, never looking better. That said, we fondly remember her first design upgrade in Deception. Baggy sleeves with pink trim and exposed mid-riff played with Mileena\u2019s developing character as an ironic vixen. The famous MK face mask became a veil in a switch that was functional for her fangy fatalities, and an artful nod to the palette swaps the series was evolving beyond.
Kitana was a little on the bland side in Deadly Alliance, but her long flowing ponytail, and modest one-piece with fishnetting offered the first sense of a princess behind the assassin. With MKX Variations, masked and unmasked won\u2019t be a defining trait. Purple instead of blue, however, is a regal nod to her Edenian Queen mother, who is yet to be playable pending a 2016 update.
Tanya herself didn\u2019t join the playable MKX roster until she became downloadable. That means no extra costumes yet - and there\u2019s really only one place to look! Deception has two excellent Tanya designs to choose from, but if you look closely at the image above, we\u2019re cheating, proposing a combination of the two. An MK4 inspired yellow one-piece is distinct from her MKX look, but the sash and long hair with bangs fill it out with yellow-on-black layers to create a definitive visual identity for Tanya. Which is needed, because as much as becoming downloadable gave Tanya an upgrade from Story Mode -- she\u2019s still one of the weaker designs in MKX.
#8 MK Krossover Pack
Skins Included: Green Lantern Sonya Blade, Vigilante Sub-Zero & Shazam Liu kang
Capes? Glowing rings? SHAZAM?! These are the skins inspired by what might have been if Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe had gained a sequel!
In this unlikely elseworld, the champions of Mortal Kombat are forever changed by their encounters with the heroes of another reality! To fully realize their potential, these designs would need a fresh perspective. Ending sequences from the game [pictured] merely present the ideas - they don\u2019t follow them through to redesigned fruition.
Sub-Zero dons a cape and prowls the snowy skyscrapers of modern China, watching down upon the criminal fraternity below! Inspired by Batman; this Vigilante Sub-Zero turns his back on the corrupt Lin Kuei to use his mastery of kori to put bad guys on ice! The cape is a defining feature, but to get the most out of the skin, we\u2019d like to see a fresh take on Sub-Zero\u2019s usual attire, with more blacks and dark blues to reflect his Dark Knight persona. When you consider Kuai Liang\u2019s altruistic past - it\u2019s not such a leap!
Sonya Blade possesses great willpower! She is without fear! When a Green Lantern died and its ring sought a new worthy wielder -- it only makes sense that it would find her! Green Lantern rings don\u2019t come with a handbook, but there\u2019s a general uniform to adhere to. A costume that combines her Special Forces uniform with a Green Lantern motif would be pretty interesting - especially if her moves could be updated to add green energy, instead of pink! Fans might like to look at the recent Simon Baz incarnation to see one way Sonya might re-interpret the design!
Liu Kang was Earthrealm\u2019s greatest defender as champion of Mortal Kombat. Imagine what he could do with the power of gods! Inspired by the Rock of Eternity, Raiden devises his own version of DC Earth\u2019s mightiest mortal: Captain Marvel! Thus, when Liu shouts the magic word (RAIDEN) - he transforms! Heroes power by Shazam typically wear union suits with the lightning bolt insignia. Liu\u2019s magic attire should be suitably MK, using the dragon logo and Eastern influences to devise a super-heroic design! What are his new powers? The power of Raiden, the wisdom of Argus, the foresight of Delia, the courage of Izanagi, the ingenuity of Erlang, and the humanity of Nu-gua! RAIDEN!
#9 Mortal Kombat 4 Pack
Skins Included: Shinnok, Reptile & Sonya Blade
As part of the reboot started in 2011, Mortal Kombat X retold and repurposed the plot originally featured in Mortal Kombat 4. In 1997, MK4 was the series\u2019 first foray into three-dimensional graphics. Because of this, it was an interesting time in the evolution of MK designs. Series co-creator John Tobias was still close at hand, and the look of characters reflected it with the a consistent sensibility from the 2D era - converted into three dimensional polygons.
For the most part, MK4 is a mixture of slight variations on Klassic Trilogy era costumes, or designs already represented in MKX [see; Quan Chi]. Remaining are some interesting alternate attires, but we\u2019re going down the middle with three character designs that represent the era most vividly!
Shinnok had his problems as a playable boss in \u201997, and new designs played a big part in elevating his station above mediocrity, but there\u2019s a lot to like about the bold simplicity of the original design. With the right balance of colors, MK4 Shinnok could get a fresh lease on life in MKX with what might be the best hat of them all!
Even more controversial: MK4 Reptile always illicits a strong response! It was a strange adaptation of the traditional palette swaps, but its quirks make it unique and memorable. Purple & green are a classic combo for a villain\u2019s wardrobe - and as a servant of Shinnok, that\u2019s where he was in \u201997! As the first design to flaunt his scaly green skin permanently - this design will always be an important step forward for the character! Some love it, some hate it. Recreate the color and details of his actual skin and we\u2019ll be big fans!
Sonya Blade is a mild but safe choice, wearing what was her most practical attitre to that point. MKX has given Sonya her most utilitarian look, keeping her peak cap and upgrading the form fitting excess of her \u201997 design - sans color. A military green would be a nice return, but we also like Sonya\u2019s MK4 palette swap - a strong red.
#10 Special Forces Pack
Skins Included: Jax, Kano & Tremor
After a decade and a half of bad memories and executive denials: something somewhat good was finally able to come out of ill-fated 2000 spin-off: Mortal Kombat: Special Forces! No, not Mortal Kombat Online\u2019s notorious 2014 April Fools Prank -- we\u2019re talking about Tremor!
In 2015, the MKSF sub-boss left a history of obscurity behind to finally make the jump to the main series! As one of the Mortal Kombat X DLC fighters in the original Kombat Pack, he became a totally revamped playable character!
While he isn\u2019t quite the same burly Black Dragon brawler he was in 2000, there\u2019s still been a strong completist cry from fans who want to see a "Klassic" Tremor skin. His newly rock laden exterior might elevate the old palette swap look, but what we\u2019d really enjoy is a full MKSF pack! The throwback designs go a step better than the 2D Klassics, cladding Jax in military green, bandana and back-pack, while Kano goes simple but tasteful with a mercenary look of khaki pant, black vest, and Trevor Goddard inspired hair. You may remember the MKSF Kano design from its revamped appearance in Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe [read more].
For the real extra mile, NetherRealm could also consider Sonya Blade - whose promoted inclusion as a playable protagonist was excised from the final game. Producer turned documentarian Josh Tsui showed us just how good Lieutenant Blade could be in never before seen deleted scenes! When you consider how strongly she featured in MKX\u2019s Special Forces storyline, it\u2019s a klassic nod we\u2019d appreciate!