Renowned movie murderers Predator and Jason Voorhees are both playable fighters in the upcoming Mortal Kombat X, meaning Scorpion and Sub-Zero will get to trade blows with two of pop culture's biggest icons. This isn't the first time a special guest has entered gaming's bloodiest tournament -- Freddy Kreuger was playable in the Mortal Kombat reboot of 2011 -- and it likely won't be the last.
With that in mind, we've compiled a list of seven combatants we'd most like to see in NetherRealm Studios' hit franchise. Mortal Kombat X newcomers such as the wisecracking Cassie Cage and the omnipowerful Kotal Khan sure look to pack a punch, but we think they'd have a tough time with our roster of gaming mainstays, movie stars and even dead presidents.
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Darth Vader
Mortal Kombat's warriors wield spears, sais and deadly swords, but what good are any of those weapons against a lightsaber? Star Wars' most iconic Sith Lord has plenty of fighting game cred from his stint in Soul Calibur IV, and we'd love to see how his dark-force powers stack up against series sorcerers Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. With the ability to choke foes from afar and a lightsaber that can make quick work of any opponent's limbs, Darth Vader's potential for brutal Fatalities is virtually limitless. And if you strike him down, he'll become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
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Liam Neeson
Since Liam Neeson pretty much exclusively portrays brutal butt-kickers in his films, the actor himself may as well slug it out with NetherRealm's deadliest warriors. Mortal Kombat X's new variation system would be perfect for Neeson -- one version of him could run-and-gun a la Taken, another could go hand-to-hand like his version of Ra's al Ghul, and a third could swing swords like the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn. Neeson might not have the mystical power of Raiden or Liu Kang, but if you kidnap his fictional daughter, it's over for you.
Ryu (Street Fighter)
If you grew up playing fighting games at your local pizza parlor in the early '90s, you were either a Street Fighter kid or a Mortal Kombat kid. A special appearance from Street Fighter's leading man in an MK game would let fighters finally settle the dispute of which game is better. Ryu's moveset of fireballs, hurricane kicks and powerful uppercuts would be even more entertaining if they could knock opponents' heads off, and being able to pit him against Scorpion would make many a fighting fanatic's dream match come true.
Pennywise the Clown
Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees both inject a strong dose of horror into the Mortal Kombat mythos, but neither of them are as flat out terrifying as Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King's chilling "It." Pennywise's default appearance would already give players an advantage over their clown-phobic friends, and his ability to shapeshift, teleport and regenerate himself would give the fighter plenty of tactical potential.
Talion (Shadow of Mordor)
Now here's one kombatant that could rule them all. The star of last year's hit Lord of the Rings game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Talion is a resurrected Ranger who spends the majority of his quest decapitating Orcs. Talion's mix of blade-based and ranged attacks would make him a dynamic addition to the Mortal Kombat cast, and his myriad executions in Shadow of Mordor are every bit as bloody as a classic Fatality. Aside from fitting the bill aesthetically, Talion is a pretty practical pick -- Warner Bros. publishes both properties, and the character's perpetual state of un-deadness provides canonical reasoning behind any disembowelments he might recover from.
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Link (The Legend of Zelda)
Sure, Nintendo would never let its green-clothed Hero of Time spill even a drip of blood, but how cool would it be? As demonstrated in his Super Smash Bros. incarnations, Link is the quintessential fighter, rocking a diverse arsenal that includes arrows, bombs, boomerangs and his signature sword. While the Legend of Zelda protagonist has been limited to cartoon violence, we'd love to see him ditch Hyrule for NetherRealm and show the world what the Master Sword is truly capable of.
Andrew Jackson
Not even the mighty Shao Khan can stand up to the wrath of the seventh U.S. president, Andrew Jackson. The late, battle-hardened Jackson had plenty of experience leading armies, and when a man once insulted his wife, Jackson killed him in a duel. The 248-year-old Jackson would fit right in among Mortal Kombat's elder gods, and we'd love to see the sorcerous Quan Chi revive the deceased president and let Jackson use his deadly aim to take down Earthrealm, one headshot at a time.
Mike Andronico is an associate editor and resident fighting game fanatic at Tom's Guide. Follow Mike @MikeAndronico and onGoogle+. Follow us @TomsGuide, on Facebook and on Google+
