Shao Kahn, Sindel & Motaro return to conquer Mortal Kombat 1

What you need to know

• A new trailer for the upcoming fighting game, Mortal Kombat 1, has been unveiled at Gamescom 2023.
• The new trailer reveals that iconic Mortal Kombat villains Shao Kahn and Sindel will be returning for Mortal Kombat 1 as playable fighters and that Motaro and Shang Tsung will return as Kameo Fighters.
• Mortal Kombat 1 is scheduled to be released on Sept. 19, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC and will feature Omni-Man, Homelander, and Peacemaker as playable guest characters.

Ed Boon took the stage at the 2023 Gamescom event to announce a new trailer for NetherRealm Studio’s upcoming reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise, Mortal Kombat 1. This new trailer (which can you watch on Youtube) reveals two returning classic Mortal Kombat villains as playable fighters to Mortal Kombat 1’s roster – Shao Kahn and Sindel. In addition, the trailer confirms that Motaro and the original Shang Tsung will return as a Kameo Fighter.

Originally, Shao Kahn was the ruler of Outworld and the main villain of Mortal Kombat 2, 3, and 9 who invaded the Earthrealm to conquer it and enslave its people. In Mortal Kombat 1’s new rebooted universe, Shao Kahn is simply known as Shao and is a general serving Empress Sindel’s army but his lust for conquest and war still remains. If you cross Shao, you had better be prepared for a fight to the death as his strength and great axe will crush you like a grape if you’re not careful.

Sindel originally debuted in Mortal Kombat 3 and served as Shao Kahn’s queen ruling over the denizens of Outworld with a tyrannical fist. The new rebooted version of Sindel is still the empress of Outworld but she seems to rule it with more compassion and wants to create a more peaceful kingdom. However, Sindel still retains some of her sadistic nature during combat as she viciously rips her opponents apart with her magical hair and sonic screams.

Lastly, the trailer reveals Motaro, a centaur mini-boss from Mortal Kombat 1, and the original version of Shang Tsung from the first Mortal Kombat game will make an appearance as Kameo Fighters. Do note that Shan Tsung will also be playable but as a pre-order DLC character. Kameo Fighters are non-playable characters that assist playable characters in combat by extending combos, helping a player escape being pressured in the corner, by providing passive buffs.