6 Mortal Kombat Characters Most Likely To Be Mortal Kombat 3's Main Villain

Published Jul 25, 2026, 7:15 PM EDT Anthony is a news reporter and a guide writer who has covered the entertainment industry for five years. He has covered a wide range of genres, including aviation incidents and international crime, and has a keen eye for details that may slip under the radar. When he's not writing, Anthony can be found at Brands Hatch race track or at home watching indie horror movies nobody has heard of. Mortal Kombat II was a treat for fans of the video games and the 2021 movie. The film contained dozens of respectful nods to the source material and felt like a celebration of the franchise. Even if you've never played the games, the story built on the foundations laid by Mortal Kombat 2021, and introduced some charismatic new characters, including Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. Audiences were also treated to a great portrayal of Shao Khan and a series of battles in a tournament setting. The tournament was also part of a grander story. Mortal Kombat II featured a resolution, but it also left many lingering questions for a sequel to answer. One big question is what happened to Liu Kang (Ludi Lin). Another is who would Earthrealm face after Shao Khan. Earthrealm forces appeared to have captured Quan Chi by the end of Mortal Kombat II, hoping that he could resurrect their fallen comrades. Shang Tsung also remains at large, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will be the main threat if we get a sequel. Mortal Kombat has rich lore, and it's surprisingly complex, with alternate timelines and decades of content. As the ending of Mortal Kombat II was so open-ended, it's hard to tell who the next main antagonist will be. It could be an established villain. Alternatively, it could be someone like Shao Khan who was only teased before the 2026 movie. 6 Shao Khan Shao Khan is arguably one of the most well-known antagonists in the entire Mortal Kombat franchise. He features prominently in the video games and is even the main antagonist in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Kitana ultimately defeated Shao Khan during the finale of Mortal Kombat II. He is a formidable villain in the 2026 movie, and Martyn Ford did a great job of bringing such an imposing character to the silver screen. Shao Khan may have died in Mortal Kombat II, though we know death is absolutely not permanent in the new movies. Quan Chi (Damon Herriman) was introduced in the latest film, and his existence has wide-reaching implications. He's a necromancer and can ultimately bring fighters back from the dead. Just before the credits, it appears that Earthrealm plans to use Quan Chi to resurrect their fallen comrades. There's nothing to say Quan Chi couldn't use his magic to revive Shao Khan in a potential sequel. However, it would arguably make the events of Mortal Kombat II wholly pointless and would diminish Kitana's feats in the movie. 5 Onaga Onaga is among the least likely candidates for a Mortal Kombat III villain on this list, though it's not impossible. Audiences know Shao Khan as the ruler of Outworld. Onaga is also known as the Dragon King and ruled before Shao Khan poisoned him. That poison killed him, but Onaga was so formidable that many feared his return. As we mentioned earlier, Quan Chi and his powers of resurrection make it so the story of Mortal Kombat III can go in many directions. Onaga is so strong that he would be far more deadly than anything we've seen in the movies thus far. At the beginning of the Mortal Kombat Deception video game, we get a terrifying glimpse of Onaga's power. He manages to stand against Quan Chi, Raiden, and Shang Tsung as they attack him at once. Onaga is certainly a respected Mortal Kombat antagonist, though arguably too strong to come out of nowhere with no buildup. He could certainly appear if more Mortal Kombat movies happen, but looking at everything in the franchise that has yet to transpire in the canon of the films, it would be too early for him to appear in any capacity in the next title. 4 Quan Chi Quan Chi's existence in the Mortal Kombat reboots has massive implications for the existing cast. We've seen him resurrect Kano (Josh Lawson), for example, and he will likely play a massive role in Earthrealm's plans in a potential sequel. Quan Chi's necromancer powers make him a deadly foe in the video games. What he lacks in strength, he makes up for in cunning, and resurrected fighters in the games return as revenants. Those revenants are bound to do his bidding, and he has created armies of these undead warriors before. The necromancer could pose a grave threat in a potential Mortal Kombat III and is definitely dangerous enough to be a boss-level threat. One major issue with Quan Chi being the big villain in a future movie is that he's not shown to be as dangerous as Shao Khan, for example. Quan Chi is arguably powerful enough to be the major antagonist, though he may seem like a downgrade from what we've seen before. 3 Shinnok The Amulet of Shinnok was a major plot device in Mortal Kombat II. Shao Khan was already a deadly villain and the ruler of Outworld and was unstoppable while tied to the Amulet's power. Audiences know the strength of the Amulet, and fans of the games know more about who it belongs to. Considering the Amulet of Shinnok exists, it's fair to assume that Shinnok himself could also appear in a future movie. He's not a regular fighter. Instead, he's a fallen Elder God capable of ruin and destruction on a scale we've not seen in the movies. In the video game lore, Raiden defeated him. The Elder Gods banished him to the Netherrealm, but he returned, allied with Quan Chi. There are definitely avenues to have him appear in Mortal Kombat III, but other characters are more likely. Shinnok is so powerful that he's arguably a Thanos-level threat. His appearance may benefit from some setup, especially in a universe where Quan Chi and Shang Tsung are still alive and formidable adversaries to Earthrealm. 2 Shang Tsung Shang Tsung (Chin Han) is one of the most likely candidates for the major villain in a Mortal Kombat II sequel. Audiences know about him from both new movies, and he seems like the most formidable Outworld fighter by the end of the 2026 movie. Considering his power, Shang Tsung has not had much time in the spotlight in the reboots. He defeated Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat 2021, but seemed to have his own agenda behind the scenes in Mortal Kombat II. A Mortal Kombat III could reveal Shang Tsung's plans and how Earthrealm tries to defeat him. Mortal Kombat II seems to prime him as the next major villain, considering Shao Khan is defeated and Quan Chi is a prisoner. Shang Tsung is an iconic antagonist in the Mortal Kombat games and the 90s movies. Han's portrayal of the sorcerer is very different from Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's. Nevertheless, Tsung is clearly smart and manipulative and could be playing for a prize grander than simply beating Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat. 1 The Deadly Alliance Fans unfamiliar with Mortal Kombat lore may think this pick is a little cheeky as it's a pair of villains we've already covered. However, this pairing is so formidable there's even a game named after it in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. That alliance is between Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Both are powerful magic users, but there's clearly animosity between them. They set aside their differences and form an uneasy partnership, plotting to put a destructive plan into motion. In the games, that plan actually involves Onaga. The movies don't follow the stories from the video games, so the Deadly Alliance could still be the main threat, albeit with a different goal. By the end of Mortal Kombat II, Shang Tsung is still a threat, and Earthrealm has captured Quan Chi, hoping he will resurrect their friends. Quan Chi is a crafty antagonist. If he gives the heroes the slip, he could ally with Shang Tsung after Mortal Kombat II. In the games, the Deadly Alliance is so powerful that it could overwhelm Raiden. Both villains are already established, and a partnership would make sense as Outworld has lost its greatest fighter in Shao Khan. Release Date May 8, 2026 Runtime 116 Minutes Director Simon McQuoid