Summary
SinceMortal Kombat 1was revealed, the developer has been steadily drip-feeding more and more news about the game. While some details have been leaked well ahead of time, others have remained under lock and key. For example,Reptile was recently revealed as aMortal Kombat 1character and NetherRealm appears to have completely rewritten his story for the better. The inclusion of Li Mei and Tanya, however, may have given fans a clue as to who the big bad inMortal Kombat 1will be.
Despite all the publicity, who themain antagonist inMortal Kombat 1will be has remained one of the game’s best-kept secrets. While characters like Baraka, Shang Tsung, and Shao Kahn have all but been confirmed as antagonists, it’s not clear who the game’s ultimate villain will be. The inclusion of Li Mei and Tanya however does suggest that Onaga, the Dragon King, may be on his way to the upcoming game.
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Who is Onaga in Mortal Kombat?
Onaga was first mentioned inMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliancebefore making his first full appearance in the sequel. The character was described as the one true ruler of Outworld and was Shao Kahn’s predecessor. According toMortal Kombat’s lore, he ruled the realm with an invincible army and was trying to find a way to become immortal. Those plans were brought to a halt when he was poisoned by Shao Kahn, who took over Outworld until Onaga was resurrected in the franchise’s sixth main installment.
In the game, theMortal Kombat: Deceptionantagoniststricked a man named Shujinko into resurrecting him, which resulted in the apparent deaths of Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi. Shujinko would later defeat Onaga and cast his soul to the Netherrelm where it would remain until the events ofMortal Kombat: Armageddon. The character was killed at some point during the story’s final battle and while he has been referenced in the newer games, Onaga has yet to make a full appearance in the newer games. This, however, may be about to change.
How Li Mei and Tanya Inclusion Suggest That Onaga is Coming
Li Mei and Tanya were revealed inSan Diego Comic Con’sMortal Kombat 1trailerwhich also unveiled a ton of new info about the game’s story. The two characters are both members of Edenia’s elite guards, and it’s suggested that the death of their king will be a major plot point, with Li Mei being cast out of the order because of it. Tanya also appears to be loyal to Mileena and distrustful of Li Mei. In the original timeline, however, both characters have a connection to Onaga.
In Li Mei’s original story, her soul was stolen by Shang Tsung and placed in the body of a soldier of the Dragon Army. Her soul was eventually freed from said body, and she would go on to aid in the battles against the series antagonists. Tanya, on the other hand, has been around sinceMortal Kombat 4and has always had fickle loyalties. At one point, she pledged her loyalty to Onaga and remained his servant until his defeat. While none of this confirms that Onaga is coming, including these characters with connections to the Dragon King suggests he may arrive inMortal Kombat 1.
Mortal Kombat 1releases on September 19 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
