Here's my roster.

Returning:
Scorpion
Sub-Zero
Johnny Cage
Sonya
Raiden
Liu Kang
Reptile
Mileena
Baraka
Cyrax
Sektor
Smoke
Noob Saibot
Jade

New:
Sareena
Skarlet
Rain
Kenshi
Fujin
Kai
Reiko
Tanya
Bo'Rai Cho
Ashrah
New Characters (+4)

DLC:
Havik
Kitana
Tremor

1.Scorpion
2.Sub-Zero
3.Whatever

Ashrah and Bo Rai Cho would be pretty cool.

Returning

1. Scorpion
2. Sub-Zero
3. Raiden
4. Cyrax
5. Sektor
6. Sonya
7. Cage
8. Reptile
9. Kenshi
10. Quan Chi
11. Rain
12. Mileena
13. Noob Saibot

MK4-MKD

14. Fujin
15. Tanya
16. Kai
17. Nitara
18. Havik
19. Ashrah
20. Hotaru
21. Reiko
22. Sareena
23. Shinnok

24. New Character
25. New Character
26. New Character
27. New Character
28. New Character

DLC-

29. Kitana
30. Shang Tsung
31. Liu Kang
32. Kung-Lao
33. Bo' Rai Cho
34. Hotaru
35. Khameleon

If this is in fact a multi-universe thing, mine would be

Scorpion
Sub-Zero
Fujin
Sareena
Hotaru
Havik
Motaro (Centaur!)
Blaze (Normal)
Drahmin
Li Mei
Frost
Bo Rai Cho
Noob Saibot
Ermac
Kung Lao (The way he was in Deadly Alliance with the long hair)
Smoke
Quan Chi
Shinnok
Kai
Reptile (Human form and Reptilian form please)
Tanya
Rain
Nitara
Cyrax
Sektor
Shujinko (With his own unique set of moves)
Johnny Cage
Sonya Blade
Liu Kang
Kano
Shang Tsung
Raiden
Khameleon
Chameleon (With an actual story this time!)
Stryker
Nightwolf
Kitana
Mileena
Jade

DLC:
Tremor and Kahn are about all I can think of.

I'm sure I missed a couple I would like to see, but in all honesty I don't really want THAT many characters playable... even though I like them, I'm not down for another Armageddon...

Only way I'd be down for another Armageddon type game with the entire library of characters playable would be if it was non cannon and something in the vein of Tekken Tag 2. Something that's nothing more than a fun entry in the series.

Yeah that would be cool, I'd like something like that maybe next time around, I'm just dying for story right now lol.

It's already been established that MKX is going to be a "cinematic experience" with a (possibly) convoluted story. I don't think Mortal Kombat: The Dream Match 2015 is all that likely.

This list is based not so much on favoritism rather than practicality.

Of course, I'm definitely throwing in some faves.

1. Scorpion
2. Sub-Zero
3. Raiden
4. Johnny Cage
5. Sonya Blade
6. Mileena
7. Baraka
8. Reptile
9. Quan Chi
10. Kenshi
11. Sektor
12. Skarlet

13. Bo' Rai Cho
14. Tanya
15. Kai
16. Jarek
17. Reiko
18. Fujin
19. Havik
20. Sareena
21. Ashrah
22. Drahmin

23. Jax
24. Kitana
25. Kabal
26. Smoke

27. New Character Male
28. New Character Female
29. New Character Male
30. New Character Female

Not bad at all! Somewhat similar to mine. Needs more Rain though. ;)

While I would like for Rain to return, I'm not entirely sure of the likeliness of it happening.

I feel even worse for Sheeva. It would be a fine surprise if her return was to be announced.

Gee-golly, these are always a tough one!!

The PERFECT roster IMO would be as follows:

Besides the confirmed Scorpion/Sub-Zero

1. Chameleon
2. Jarek
3. Darrius
4. Bo Rai Cho
5. Mavado
6. Meat
7. Shujinko
8. Hotaru
9. Hsu Hao
10. Nitara
11. Drahmin
12. Frost
13. Li Mei
14. Daegon
15. Khameleon
16. Mokap
17. No-Face
18. Tasia
19. Zombie Stryker
20. The Flash (guest character)

Returning (MK9)
1.) Sub Zero
2.) Scorpion
3.) Quan Chi
4.) Raiden
5.) Sektor
6.) Cyrax
7.) Ermac
8.) Mileena
9.) Baraka
10.) Reptile
11.) Kenshi
12.) Rain
13.) Noob Saibot

MK4
14.) Tanya
15.) Reiko
16.) Fujin
17.) Kai

MK: DA
18.) Nitara
19.) Sareena
20.) Bo Rai Cho
21.) Mavado
22.) Li Mei
23.) Frost

MKD
24.) Hotaro
25.) Havik
26.) Ashrah

27-30.) New Characters

Hidden Characters
31.) Liu Kang
32.) Kung Lao
33.) Smoke
34.) Kitana
35.) Jade


Sub Boss
Moloch
Goro
Quan Chi

Boss
Shinnok

Some of these rosters are way too big, in my opinion. But Im of the mindset of fewer, better designed and balanced characters than just MOAR! Id honestly be happy with 15 then some DLC.

Ive never made one of these rosters, but I might once we see whats up at E3. I need to have some small notion of what this beast is first.

Just my personal line-up I'd like.

1) Shinnok (Playable Version)
2) Bo' Rai Cho
3) Tremor
4) Tanya
5) Fujin

I think we'll see a few old favourites/reliables returning for DLC. Not really involved in the story, maybe in a cutscene or two. NRS will want to drum up sales and Liu Kang will sell more as DLC than Sareena. They do care about their fans so I dont expect any Capcom shenanigans but they are still a business and thus I expect some popular characters to be held back as DLC. This is my expected roster, not my top 20 MK characters. Obviously, we dont actually know the story yet so I'll revise it next weekend. With the crossovers, the roster could actually be anything

1: Scorpion (confirmed)
2: Sub Zero (confirmed)
3: Cage (makes sense)
4: Sonya (makes sense)
5: Raiden (necessary)
6: Quan Chi (likely necessary)
7: Kenshi (makes sense)
8: Tanya (all but confirmed)
9: Rain (makes sense)

The next ones are more speculative, and some are rank with speculation
10: Cyrax (unfinished storyline)
11: Sektor (unfinished storyline)
12: Mileena (still alive, series mascot, unifying leader for Outworld)
13: Fujin(do it properly this time)
14: Ashrah (just found the Kriss, thinks she can purify herself by killing Shinnok)
15: Kai (do it properly this time)
16: Ermac (leaderless without Kahn, finds the Shaolin, becomes Kai's BFF (obviously that is total speculation))
17: Smoke (really want to see something done with that enenra)
18: Noob Saibot (I think he'll be the one to cause Shinnok's defeat, knife in the back, reveals to Scorpion that Quan was the killer of the Shirai Ryu, Scorpion kills Quan and swears Noob his loyalty, not knowing that Noob is Bi Han)
19: Tremor (at long last) (leads the defection of some Black Dragon members against Kano) (not as a ninja though)
20: Reptile (defector to Shinnok, need a punching bag in Story)
22: Baraka (defector to Shinnok, kills Mileena)
23: Kano (allies the Black Dragon with Shinnok)
24: New
25: New
26: New


DLC
Liu Kang
Kitana
Jax
I expect these guys to play a role in the story from the crossover but not as direct battles: kind of teaser cutscenes where they wreck shop. Maybe a staredown between Raiden and Kang at a pivotal moment.


Finally, I expect a guest character, unfortunately. Someone from DC who could fit in with the MK murder-spree. Deathstroke? Joker?

So that's 30 with DLC.

No Drahmin: Boon hates him
No Hsu Hao: everyone hates him
Seemingly no Mavado
I think Havik and Hotaru will feature in the next MK game as big characters, hopefully an expansion of the mythos kind of deal.

I'm not set on this however. I also think we should bear in mind the schism between next gen and previous gen. I will be very surprised if the PS4/XBO doesn't get exclusive content. Hopefully this is something small, like an arena or a guest character (I have a PS3 and wont be upgrading for at least 4 years, planning for the next MK which will likely be PS4/XBO only.)

1. Kung Lao
2. Raiden
3. Kitana
4. Jade
5. Havik
6. Bo Rai Cho
7. Sonya
8. Cage
9. Sub-Zero
10. Scorpion
11. Reptile
12. Kenshi
13. Cyrax
14. Sektor
15. Drahmin
16. Quan Chi
17. Shinnok (unless he's a boss)
18. Kai
19. Tanya
20. Kabal

4 new characters

Phew.. that's gonna a tough decision.

i only post my favorites.. so..:


MK9:
1. Baraka
2. Sektor
3. Cyrax
4. Shang Tsung
5. Quan Chi
6. Ermac or Kenshi
7. Cage
8. Kung Lao
9. Raiden
10.Reptile

Remastered ;D
11.Nitara
12.Havik
13.Moloch (as a Human)
14.Fujin
15.Hotaru
16.Tremor
17.Bo Rai Cho
18.Shinnok
19.(Reiko)
20.(Kai)

Complete New:
21. XY
22. XY
23. XY
24. XY


24 Fighter should be really enough. And maybe 4-6 Fighter as DLC.

Hopefully they forget the Orderrealm/Chaosrealm bullshit ever existed.

1. Scorpion
2. Sub Zero
3. Raiden
4. Jax
5. Sonya
6. Ermac
7. Noob
8. Cyrax
9. Quan Chi
10. Reptile
11. Kitana

12. Fujin
13. Tanya
14. Jarek
15. Kai
16. Drahmin
17. Ashrah

4-6 new characters and Shinnok as a boss

I don't understand. You're acting as if people are posting Armageddon sized numbers. Most of the roster numbers in this thread fall between 17-30 which is the amount for a typical fighting game.

Just because someone wants more than 15 characters doesn't mean they want quantity over quality. That's absurd. NRS studios can very well handle 20-30 characters well. This isn't 1996.

MK to MK3:

Scorpion
SubZero
Raiden
Sonya
Kano
Jax
Kitana
Shang Tsung
Noob Saibot
Sektor
Cyrax
Sindel

MK4:

Tanya
Fujin
Reiko

MKDA:

Mavado
Nitara
Frost

MKD:

Ashrah
Havik
Kira

Hidden Characters:
Rain
Jade
Smoke
Sareena

sub boss:
Moloch or a new character

Boss:
Shinnok

** Plus 5 new characters. Two females and three new males.

I think they should bring back three characters from every MK game post MK3. Those that we haven't seen since their debut so they can either continue their stories or end it for good.

Returning:
Kenshi
Kabal (unlikely)
Reptile
Noob Saibot
Smoke
Kitana
Scorpion
Sub-Zero
Ermac
Rain (unlikely)
Skarlet (very unlikely)
Quan Chi
Johnny Cage
Raiden

MK4-MKD:
Drahmin (very unlikely)
Havik
Hotaru
Tanya
Reiko
Shinnok

7-10 New fighters

DLC:
Fujin
Sonya
Baraka
Bo Rai Cho
New character

It seems that most people on here only want 4-6 new fighters, and with good reason. Most New fighters post-MK4 sucked. However, I think time constraints really limited them and I'd like to see them take a shot at a bunch of new people for this game.

My Ideal Roster would be

Excluding Confirmed Characters, Sub-Zero and Scorpion

1) Sareena
2) Kitana
3) Skarlet
4) Khameleon
5) Rain
6) Reptile
7) Mileena
8) Jade
9) Reiko
10) Smoke
11) Noob-Saibot
12)Tanya
13) Fujin
14) Kai
15) Sonya
16) Johnny Cage
17) Ermac

And that's all I can think of for the moment.

Looks pretty legit to me. Out of the lists people post with characters they "want" to return (like Kitana, Kung Lao, Liu Kang) even if they just died, this makes the most sense to me. Maybe replace Noob with Bo Rai Cho, since the latter was mentioned in MK9's storyline so I take it he will play some part in MKX's story mode.