The Mortal Kombat Blunder They DON’T Want You to Remember

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In the annals of Mortal Kombat history, Stryker stands out not for his prominence but for his successive series of blunders and near-misses. Easily one of the least esteemed characters, he ranks alongside the likes of Darrius, Jarek, Reiko, and Mokap.

Mortal Kombat Seems To Have Forgotten One Of Its Biggest Heroes

While other fighters dazzle with fireballs, fantastical weapons, or magic, Stryker’s pedestrian choices – a gun for his neutral special and a police baton – diminish his appeal. Questions arise: why, in a realm of otherworldly powers, does a simple cop choose to wield grenades? Such disparities surely played a role in his lacklustre reception in Mortal Kombat 3.

Yet, an intriguing fact remains: Stryker was originally slated for the inaugural Mortal Kombat game. Developers, realizing the all-male roster lacked balance, chose to introduce a female character, echoing Street Fighter 2’s success with Chun-Li. Thus, Stryker was shelved in favour of Sonya Blade. It seems intuitive, as omitting an original god character or the Bruce Lee-esque fighter would be blasphemous. Given Sonya’s subsequent success, it was a prudent decision.

But the tale doesn’t end there. Mortal Kombat 2 saw Stryker, intended as Sonia’s superior officer, replaced by Jax. This substitution worked in the game’s favour, with Jax’s grabs and impressive moveset outshining what could’ve been a mundane gun-centric character.

Mortal Kombat 1 Review

Fast-forward to Mortal Kombat 3, Stryker’s appearance was anticipated. However, his introduction fell flat. His atypical cop attire, perhaps an attempt at modern chic, failed to resonate. Although some fans appreciated Stryker, a significant portion derided or completely ignored him. This animosity saw him