The Joker is in the unique position of both being the subject of the most nominated film at the 2020 Academy Awards and the next DLC fighter in Mortal Kombat 11. His arrival was long rumored before his announcement, of course, but now we’ve finally gotten a look at his move set and one of his fatalities.
The Clown Prince of Crime is no stranger to the Netherrealm though, having appeared in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe in 2008 and continuing to be a popular fighter in the Injustice games. This means his playstyle and moves aren’t a huge surprise to fans, though there are some modifications here.
However, one thing that will tickle longtime Mortal Kombat gamers is the fatality we see in the trailer. This pokes fun at the ‘Friendships’ introduced in Mortal Kombat II way back in 1993. Here, Joker hands his unwitting opponent a gift, with the familiar cutesy ‘FRIENDSHIP’ sign appearing behind him. But, predictably enough, this is a cruel ruse and Mr. J proceeds to violently murder whoever’s unlucky enough to be facing him. By the time he’s done, his victim is riddled with bullets and the ‘FRIENDSHIP’ sign is revealed to read ‘FATALITY.’
To mark his release, Warner Bros are also bringing us a set of DC-themed character skins for the game, including “Time Lord of Apokolips” Geras, “Darkest Knight” Noob Saibot, “Killer Kroc” Baraka and “Katwoman of Outworld” Kitana.
Of course, Joker is one of the final members of Kombat Pack 1, which has already released Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, the T-800 and Sindel, and will round out its roster with Spawn on March 17th. But what of Kombat Pack 2? Well, while it probably won’t be announced until Spawn is out, we already have a pretty good idea of at least some of the characters in it.
Data-miners last year found references to legacy fighters Sheeva and Fujin in the game’s data, as well as ‘Ash.’ Most assume this will be Ash Williams of Evil Dead fame, with Bruce Campbell returning from retirement to do the voice. That leaves two mystery upcoming characters, with popular fan choices being Judge Dredd and DOOM’s Doomguy. Or maybe they’ll finally cave and satisfy the fans by putting Shaggy in Mortal Kombat 11? We live in hope.