NetherRealm Studios have officially revealed that Li Mei, Tanya, and Baraka will return in Mortal Kombat 1. The news comes from a trailer officially revealed during NRS’ San Diego Comic-Con 2023 panel.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be the next entry in the famed Mortal Kombat franchise. Several characters from prior entries will return including Shang Tsung, Smoke, and Rain.
Li Mei, Tanya, and Baraka
The official trailer reveals the faction of warrior priestesses in Outworld. Known as Umgadi, they are sworn to defend Princess Mileena and her entire kingdom. The first character we see is Li Mei, voiced by Kelly Hu. She implements a mix of magic and melee attacks. Tanya, on the other hand, utilizes a nunchuck and staff combo. Lastly, there is Baraka. Baraka operates normally, using his arm blades to chop enemies into bits. Steve Blum, the same actor who portrayed him in the last few Mortal Kombat games, voiced him.
Li Mei was first introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance when Mortal Kombat was still a 3D fighter. Tanya was introduced far earlier. She first appeared in the franchise with Mortal Kombat 4, released in 1997. Tanya has not been seen in the franchise since Mortal Kombat X. Li Mei’s last appearance was in Mortal Kombat Armageddon over fifteen years ago.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be a soft reboot of the franchise after Mortal Kombat 11 when “Fire God Liu Kang” reset the universe and ended the eternal war between the Netherealm and Earthrealm. At the moment, the roster of Mortal Kombat 1 includes:
- Johnny Cage
- Liu Kang
- Raiden
- Kung Lao
- Scorpion
- Sub Zero
- Smoke
- Rain
- Kenshi
- Mileena
- Kitana
- Li Mei
- Tanya
- and Baraka
Mortal Kombat 1 will release on September 19, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. More information will be revealed at EVO 2023 in early August. For more information about San Diego Comic-Con 2023, check out our official tag here.
