Summary
Homelander’s entrance intoMortal Kombat 1cannot lose sight of one important trait that sets him apart from the rest of the cast. While he is a surprising new addition to the universe, he is not the only supervillain making his debut, with Omni-Man and Peacemaker arriving alongside him. For that reason, it is especially important to make sure that he manages to feel like an accurate depiction of the character. There are a lot of traits of Homelander’s that should be carried over to hisMortal Kombat 1appearance, but one will surely differentiate him from the others.
With therelease ofMortal Kombat 1’s first Kombat pack, Homelander will be one of three guest characters thus far in the game. It’s not that hard to see how he ended up in the game. The Kombat Pack clearly has a supervillain theme, and with Homelander being the main antagonist of the Amazon Prime hitThe Boys, he fits right in with Omni-Man and Peacemaker. It helps thatMortal Kombat’s own schemer Quan Chi is joining the game alongside them, strengthening the pack’s villainous gimmick. Although only Omni-Man’s gameplay has been shown thus far, the others will assuredly be just as exciting.
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Homelander May be the First Mortal Kombat Fighter With Nearly Nonexistent Fighting Skills
Homelander’s Ferocity and Power Comes from Powers, Not Skill
There is a good reason for players to expectHomelander to feel unique inMortal Kombat 1, and it may not be for the reason that they think at first glance. ThroughoutThe Boys, it is made excruciatingly clear that Homelander is as powerful as he is cruel. In his universe, he’s practically invincible, because there is virtually no one that can match his power level. That goes a long way toward making him a frightening antagonist in his series. However, that is not what makes his inclusion notable. The thing that separates Homelander from every otherMortal Kombatcharacter is the fact that he simply cannot fight.
Martial arts training and serious combat experience are not among thestrengths that Homelander brings toMortal Kombat 1. InThe Boys, Homelander’s threat level comes not from his fighting ability, but the fact that he’s so much stronger than everyone else. He relies on his near-invulnerability to tank damage while using his lethally powerful eye beams to destroy anything in his path. It isn’t until a fair bit into the series that he has to fight anyone even remotely close to his level. In fact, the YouTube seriesDeath Battleexplicitly cited this as a weakness of his in a serious fight.
Homelander is Joining a Roster of Highly Trained and Skilled Combatants
Homelander’s fighting style inMortal Kombat 1should embody his smugness and lack of proper combat skills. WhileHomelander’s fatalities inMortal Kombat 1will certainly be impressive, the rest of his moveset should not be. For example, rather than flashy combos that the rest of the cast throws out, Homelander’s basic moveset could consist of dismissive slaps, shoves, and unprofessional-looking punches and kicks that emphasize his lack of polish.
His brutally efficient eye beams should be his only truly impressive-looking ability, while the rest of his fighting style is only effective due to his overwhelming strength. Homelander is not a fighter, andMortal Kombat 1should make that clear.
While his strength and brutality make him seem like a good fit, Homelander’s lack of fighting ability makes him an odd addition, even though he’s aguest fighter that makes sense inMortal Kombat. He may be a monster, but that doesn’t mean that the developers can’t have some fun by showing off how untrained he is compared to the rest of the cast.
Homelander is dangerous and omnipotent, but he won’t be replicating Liu Kang’s Shaolin skills or Mileena’s slick ninja moves anytime soon. Instead, Homelander may well establish himself inMortal Kombat 1as the least impressive fighter in the series.
Mortal Kombat 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.
