Mortal Kombat 2 seems to be using a classic character as an establishing threat, which makes it unlikely that the films will adapt his best storyline from the games. Mortal Kombat 2 brings the action to Otherworld, forcing a handful of human combatants to face off against Shao Khan’s forces for the fate of the world. Despite the film’s staggering cast of combatants, the focus seems to be largely on Johnny Cage and the other defenders of Earth. This makes sense from a storytelling perspective, but it does mean some characters likely won’t get their full potential depth.

This includes Baraka, who has been a consistent presence in the series since Mortal Kombat II hit arcades in 1993. The trailers and early pictures of Baraka seem to depict him as an early opponent for Johnny Cage, establishing the stakes of the fighting tournament with a 1-on-1 brawl. Given Johnny Cage’s apparent role as the film’s main character, this means Baraka will likely just be a minor bump in the road instead of a major player in the narrative. That’s a shame, because his most recent game storyline would have been great for the movies.

Baraka Will Likely Be An Early Causality Of Mortal Kombat 2

The trailers and images audiences have seen of Baraka in Mortal Kombat 2 imply that Baraka will likely be an early casualty of the new film’s fighting tournament, which is a shame given the strength of the character’s storyline in the recent reboot of the video game series. The trailer for Mortal Kombat 2 has already teased how Baraka will fight Johnny Cage in the film.

In fact, Baraka seems to be positioned to be Cage’s first opponent, establishing the fatal stakes of every battle with what seems to be the film’s audience POV character. Given the general nature of the Mortal Kombat universe and Cage’s prominent role, it seems likely that Cage will win their duel.

If that’s the case, Baraka will likely die, either by Cage delivering a fatal blow or as a result of the surrounding landscape. This is supported by the fact that all footage released of the fighters only depicts Baraka in this setting and facing off with Cage, who seems to also face off with Kano and Kitana in different settings.

Baraka makes sense as an early opponent for Cage. With his monstrous design, brutal fighting style, and distinct abilities, he’s a great threat for Cage to comically underestimate (which the trailer already hints at) and then overcome. This also makes it likely Baraka won’t be alive for the second half of the film, which is a shame given his recent evolution.

Mortal Kombat’s Game Reboot Made Baraka A Much Better Character

In the history of Mortal Kombat, Baraka was usually a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly minion for bigger villains. His commitment to the bloodthirsty Tarkatans and his hatred for more heroic characters like Kung Lao positioned him as a minor antagonist who would occasionally fight alongside heroes. However, the story changed in Mortal Kombat 1, which rebooted the universe and reimagined many characters.

This includes Baraka, who became a much more noble character. In this new timeline, Baraka was a decorated soldier in the Outworld army and a successful merchant before being infected with the transformative disease known as the Tarkat. Left alone after his family perished from the virus, Baraka became a grieving leader to his people, protecting the other exiles infected with Tarkat.

That version of Baraka joined the main heroes halfway through the storyline and plays an important role in combating the machinations of Mortal Kombat 1‘s villains. It was a surprisingly likable and interesting version of the character, a subversion of expectations regarding a character who looks monstrous but proves to be heroic.

Adapting this version of Baraka to the movies could have been interesting, especially if it could have helped flesh out the other characters and cultures of Outworld. With Mortal Kombat 2 focusing more heavily on that setting and the various characters who live within it, a heroic Baraka could have been used for much more than just early combat fodder for Johnny Cage.

Moral Kombat II’s Roster Explains Why Baraka Is Getting Short-Changed

Baraka makes sense as an early opponent of Cage, someone who can establish the dangers of the fighting tournament without requiring the entire plot to revolve around them. On some levels, it’s disappointing to see how little of the overall movie Baraka seems to be in, at least going by the trailer and promotional pictures.

However, it also makes sense given just how many named characters and known Kombatants are set to appear in the film. Mortal Kombat 2 already seems to have 12 confirmed fighters, with the lingering possibility that more might be held back until release. Baraka’s arc was so involved in Mortal Kombat 1, and would distract from other characters like Johnny in the new movie.

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There simply wasn’t the room for Baraka’s character arc to play out, especially with the film bringing back several previous characters alongside Cage. From a narrative standpoint, it makes sense to give Johnny Cage a visually compelling first opponent, which can highlight two things at once: Cage is out of his depth in this world, but has the combat skills to stay alive.

This makes it unlikely that Baraka will survive the typically fatal face-offs that fill the series. This means the cinematic version of Baraka is pulling more from the original games instead of the reboot. While the new Baraka would have made a compelling character in Mortal Kombat 2, it makes sense why that storyline will likely never play out in this series.