The main draw of a fighting game is rarely its narrative, but that hasn't stopped the Mortal Kombat franchise from developing a rich and thorough lore over its 30-year history. Ever since the original game hit arcades, the developers behind Mortal Kombat have fleshed out fighters, realms, and an extended history of the series that could rival properties like The Lord of the Rings. Even with Mortal Kombat 1 recently rebooting the MK timeline, those many years of lore remain a present and essential aspect of the franchise's storytelling.