At its very heart, Mortal Kombat is a franchise that’s a love letter to 80s action movies, and several 80s icons have found their way into the game, like John Rambo, the Predator, and Robocop.
MK11 already delivered players a playable Arnold Schwarzenegger with the T-800 Terminator, but MK1 has found a different way to bring back one of Hollywood’s greatest icons.
Conan the Barbarian in Mortal Kombat 1
As per the official gameplay reveal, here’s a look at Conan the Barbarian:
The official logline for him reads: “Crush your enemies and see them driven before you. Conan THE Barbarian joins Mortal Kombat for early access players on January 21. May Crom help us all.”
Conan the Barbarian is available via the Khaos Reigns Expansion, Bundle, or Kollection. Players can also purchase him as an add-on like they do with many other DLC fighters—just in case buying the whole pack didn’t seem worth it.
The trailer didn’t showcase any other skins for Conan the Barbarian, but it’s possible that they could have many other outrageous Barbarian looks for him; in the movie alone, he has warpaint on, as well as a goofy Viking helmet.
With the franchise so steeped in 80s iconography, what are the odds that Conan won’t come with a He-Man skin? Since the T-1000 will also be a playable character down the line, maybe there’s a way to give Conan a Terminator skin—even if it didn’t make sense for a T-800 to be wielding a sword.
How Does Conan Play in the Game?
Conan doesn’t have much in projectiles, and it looks like most of his attacks will have him swinging his sword. He has a lot of damage to deal with anyone who is close range, and it also looks like he has a parry where he just stands up, and he’s invulnerable to damage.
There’s also something special about the Atlantean Sword that Conan wields. He also can deflect projectiles back to enemies.
Conan also has a penchant for throwing people. Not only can he throw his enemies multiple ways during a fight, but he can also summon his kameo fighter and throw them at an enemy.
One very particular skill that Conan also has is that when he’s low on health, he can coat himself in blood for one more boost, and if an opponent kills him in this state, Crom will appear, and Conan has a chance to earn back just a little health to keep him in the fight longer.
It’s one of the sillier aspects of the character, but it’s great to see that NetherRealm doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Conan the Barbarian comes to Mortal Kombat 1 on Jan. 21. The game is now playable for PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.