All Mortal Kombat Realms Explained: Outworld, Netherrealm & More

The Mortal Kombat reboot primary takes place in the worlds of Earthrealm and Outworld, with a bit of time spent in the Netherrealm, but there are many more realms in the franchise, each with their own distinct nature and role in the story. The fantasy universe of Mortal Kombat has expanded dramatically in the years since the first video game released. Given how loyal the new movie is to the source material, it’s likely that other realms could appear in future films.

Mortal Kombat’s creation myth revolves around the Elder Gods – a group of primordial deities blessed with supreme power – and an even stronger creature called the One Being. According to legend, the One Being kept the Elder Gods subjugated, eventually leading to them rebelling against it. To keep the One Being’s strength in check, the Elder Gods divided its essence into six artifacts called Kamidogu, and hid them in far corners of the universe. Those six pieces of the One Being created the six main realms, described in the lore as independent dimensions tied to each other through magic. A number of lesser realms were also created, but the six main realms remained strongest due to their basis in the One Being’s power.

Wanting to become whole once more, the One Being used what remained of its power to try to merge the disparate realms back together into one. This goal manifested primarily through the Outworld Emperor Shao Kahn, who was subtly influenced by the One Being’s power to conquer and merge the other realms back into one. Outworld’s desire to win the Mortal Kombat tournament and conquer Earth is part of that grand scheme. Here’s everything you need to know about the different Mortal Kombat realms.

Mortal Kombat’s Earthrealm Explained

In essence, Earthrealm is simply Earth. It is the home of many of the series’ main characters, including Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Kano, and Jax Briggs. Some parts of the Mortal Kombat mythology describe Eathrealm as the most important of all the realms, which may be why Raiden was appointed by the Elder Gods as its sworn protector. Other than the presence of magic in hidden corners of the world, Earthrealm doesn’t vary much from the real world. By battling back against Outworld’s conquest, Earthrealm also becomes a leader in the Mortal Kombat universe’s fight for good.

Mortal Kombat’s Outworld Explained

Outworld is the primary antagonistic force in Mortal Kombat, both in the new movie and throughout the games. Ruled by the brutal Emperor Shao Kahn, the realm has sought to conquer and merge other realms into itself for thousands of years. Many of those attempts were successful, and so the Outworld seen in Mortal Kombat is in fact an amalgam of several different realms. These include a number of lesser realms mentioned in the video games, including Vaeternus, a dark world inhabited by vampires like Nitara; Zaterra, home to Reptile’s lizard-like Saurian race; Osh-Tekk, an Aztec-inspired realm home to game character Kotal Kahn (teased in the film); and the Arnyek Islands, home to the insectoid Kytinn. Through these various conquests, Outworld’s population has grown more and more diversified, leading to an army of different races from different dimensions, all brought to serve Shao Kahn and his lead sorcerer, Shang Tsung.

Mortal Kombat’s Netherrealm Explained

The Netherrealm, where Scorpion spends his afterlife in the Mortal Kombat reboot, is the franchise’s equivalent of Hell. It is an infernal land of fire and lava, shrouded in darkness and populated by the souls of the evil and monstrous demons. In the games, Netherrealm is most often ruled by the fallen Elder God Shinnok and his sorcerer Quan Chi, who lead the Brotherhood of Shadows cult. Under Shinnok and Quan Chi, the Netherrealm occasionally rose up as would-be conqueror of its own, waging war on other realms as Outworld had.

Though the Netherrealm plays a relatively minor role in the Mortal Kombat reboot, it could be much more important in future films. In the games, Sub-Zero becomes one of the primary agents of Quan Chi after being killed by Scorpion, transforming into the shadow ninja Noob Saibot. That storyline will likely appear in Mortal Kombat 2 given Sub-Zero’s role as the reboot’s primary villain.

Mortal Kombat’s Edenia Explained

Edenia is the first of the major Mortal Kombat realms not featured in the reboot, but it plays a pretty big role in the video games. The realm is a lush, beautiful world filled with greenery and life – or at least, it was before it was conquered by and merged with Outworld. By the events of the 10^th Mortal Kombat tournament (the one alluded to in the film), Edenia has been a part of Outworld for thousands of years, and its former queen, Sindel, lives in a forced marriage to Shao Kahn. The hero Kitana, who’s teased in the reboot when her iconic fan appears in Raiden’s temple, is the former princess of Edenia, and she’s a likely addition to the film cast if Mortal Kombat 2 gets made. Eventually, after Shao Kahn is defeated, Edenia regains its autonomy and de-merges from Outworld, returning to its former glory.

Mortal Kombat’s Orderrealm Explained

Orderrealm, or Seido, is the fifth of Mortal Kombat’s six main realms. It’s less important to the overall story than the ones previously mentioned, but it could still appear if the film franchise continues. Visually, Orderrealm resembles a futuristic alien world, filled with pyramidal structures and other stark architectural designs. The realm’s primary race, the Seidans, are humanoid in appearance, though they possess more inherent magical ability and generally live longer than humans. Seitan characters in the games include the extremist leader Darrius, the mercenary Dairou, and the warrior Hotaru.

Mortal Kombat’s Chaosrealm Explained

The last of Mortal Kombat’s six main realms, Chaosrealm is the opposite of Orderrealm in just about every way. The residents of the realm, called Chaosrealmers, worship the idea of chaos the center of their society. There is no organized government or societal institutions, but the realm’s residents are zealous in their religious dedication to disorder and entropy. Even the realm’s geography reflects this focus on chaos, with landmasses floating in the sky and existing in other seemingly impossible ways. Chaosrealm has frequently clashed with Orderrealm.

Mortal Kombat’s Heaven Explained

Not one of the six main realms, but a central location to the Mortal Kombat story nonetheless, Heaven – or The Heavens – merits a mention on this list. The home of the Gods, including Raiden (though he spends most of his time on Earth), Heaven is less a physical location in the games, mostly because few can travel there, and more a backdrop for some of the story’s more cosmic elements. It’s possible that a version of Heaven could appear in future Mortal Kombat films, as could more of the various lesser realms that occupy the franchise’s multiverse.

About The Author

Rick Stevenson
(1221 Articles Published)

Rick Stevenson is a writer, editor and performer based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s written on TV, film and games for over six years, in addition to assorted stints in bookselling, carpentry, and TV production. Rick studied writing at the College of William & Mary and Oxford University, and can report with some authority that they are both old. He lives and dies for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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