Mortal Kombat 1's Story Ending Explained

Mortal Kombat 1 officially releases today, and apart from killing your friends with gruesome fatalities, there are plenty of other things to check out. One of which is the Story Mode, which focuses on Liu Kang trying to keep his timeline stable from a new and dangerous threat. The ending is wild, as we were told by Ed Boon in our interview with him at Gamescom, but if you've not yet got to the ending, or you want to see what it means for the future of Mortal Kombat, we've got you covered.

Of course, massive story spoilers are in this article, and if you want to go in blind, we suggest turning away now. But if you've read this far, we're guessing you're not one to shy away from spoilers.

Once it has been discovered that Shang Tsung and Quan Chi have been granted their powers not from the mysterious entity Damashi, but from another Shang Tsung from a different timeline, Liu Kang gathers allies from other timelines in order to face this ultimate threat. It's a bit of a multiverse mess, really, but it ends in Armageddon, a battle between all the forces of good and all the forces of evil. Multiple versions of familiar characters show up, and you'll have to choose who you take into the final showdown against Shang Tsung, with Liu Kang at your side as a Kameo.

Depending on who you choose, you'll get a few different dialogue options, but otherwise your fights will consist of one-round brawls against random combinations of familiar faces. Quan Chi mixed with Sub-Zero, for example. Sindel and Reptile blended into one reptilian femme fatale. It's weird and wacky, but a lot of fun, combined with that cinematic quality often associated with MK's stories. We also see cameos from the Kombat Kids, Ninja Mime, and plenty more, with pretty much everyone meeting a gory end as you climb your way to the top of the hill.

There, you'll face off against Titan Shang Tsung after a cutscene which takes Liu Kang out of the fight. Once beaten, you'll be transported back to Fengjian Village, where the story starts. Our heroes of Earthrealm are enjoying some tea and Johnny Cage talks about the movie he's making of their adventures. All is well, and Liu Kang has restored order to his timeline. Still, there are new threats, such as the Lin Kuei, which have turned against Earthrealm.

This effectively ends the story of Mortal Kombat 1, taking us back to Armageddon but with an increased scale as Titans now litter the battlefield. But, this isn't all that there is to see. In the mid-credits sequence, we see that not everyone died at the final battle, and Titan Havik was waiting in the wings, enjoying the chaos unfolding before him. He kills Jax, and sets himself up as the next major villain.

It seems that Havik will be our villain as Mortal Kombat 1 moves into more of a multiverse story. Havik in this version of the universe will still be from Chaosrealm, but this time he's more powerful as he will have control over his own hourglass as a Titan. Many fans will be happy to ditch the typical villains of Shang Tsung, Quan Chi and Shao Kahn and move towards the more chaotic nature of Havik. The multiverse offers endless potential for Mortal Kombat, but let's just hope it doesn't fall as flat as the Marvel multiverse has done so far.

What did you think of Mortal Kombat 1's ending? Where do you think the story goes next?