Bringing Conan the Barbarian’s Sword Mastery to Mortal Kombat 1
For many, the 1980’s was a golden age of entertainment, music, and most of all movies, with its cultural impacts reverberating to this day. In 1982, Conan the Barbarian hit the big screen and was destined to become a classic. It was one of those movies where the story, character, and choice of actor all complemented one another perfectly.
The original story of Conan dates back decades prior to the film, and in many ways pioneered the fantasy genre and inspired countless future sword and sorcery heroes. Conan lived in a barbaric age where his village, including his mother and father, were massacred by a cult leader and his army of raiders. This led Conan on the path to become a powerful warrior, a barbarian set on a quest for adventure and vengeance.
Developing guest fighters for Mortal Kombat 1 is an honor, and one of the more enjoyable aspects is the opportunity to revisit a character’s lore and look for ways to weave in their most memorable moments into a gameplay experience. It should be no surprise that Conan’s fighting style was developed around his mastery with a sword, but also some of his more colorful barbaric behaviors.
For instance, we designed a special move around a notable exchange the character had with a camel in the Conan the Destroyer (1984) film. In one scene, Conan is walking through town drunk when he punches a camel in the face for no real reason. As it turns out, this particular camel has a good memory, so when it sees Conan again riding through town, the camel takes revenge and spits all over him. This leads to the camel getting bopped on the head yet again – and the moment itself finding a special place among other attacks in Conan’s arsenal in Mortal Kombat 1.
Drawing references from the films was a general theme throughout the design and development process. Part of that equation was looking at the most compelling and memorable sequences for opportunities to incorporate those references in meaningful ways. Often certain actions stick in our heads and ultimately get translated into the gameplay experience. Notably, there is a scene with a massive cauldron of boiling body parts that we gravitated towards as we planned his Fatality.
Conan the Barbarian in Mortal Kombat 1 is designed around an arsenal of heavy sword attacks, along with his physique being a focal point, so it was important for us to visually convey his strength and power in ways that set him apart from other characters. This meant we needed to account for the sheer size of his muscles, while adding complexity to the way his body moves and flexes as he attacks.
In true barbarian fashion, Conan has rush down playstyle and excels at shutting down his opponent’s options. He has several special moves that allow him to rush in and utilize a range of sword strikes. Instead of a traditional projectile option like most characters, Conan being the barbarian that he is, hurls his Kameo teammate across the screen as a projectile, potentially also destroying an opponent’s incoming projectile. Additionally, I think one of the more exciting special moves he has in his arsenal is the ability to resurrect after being killed. Reminiscent from the film, Conan can come back to life in the final round and regain a small amount of health effectively acting as a second wind.
We know Crom would be pleased with the addition of Conan the Barbarian to the Mortal Kombat 1 roster. The opportunity to “crush your enemies and see them driven before you” is at hand and we couldn’t be happier. Conan the Barbarian is available now as part of the early access period for Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion owners on Xbox Series X|S, followed by wide availability for purchase on January 28.
Mortal Kombat
1: Khaos Reigns Kollection
Warner Bros. Games
Includes instant access to the Base Game, Kombat Pack, and Dragon Krystals. Gain access to the upcoming Story Expansion, Kombat Pack 2 and more!
Khaos Reigns Story Expansion
Kombat Pack 2*
Khaos Reigns Fighters Available At Launch:
Noob Saibot
Cyrax
Sektor
Guest Fighters Available Post-Launch (includes 1 week early access)
Ghostface (Scream Franchise)
T-1000 (Terminator 2)
Conan the Barbarian
Kombat Pack (Available Now):
Omni-Man (Invincible)
Quan Chi
Peacemaker (DC’s Peacemaker)
Ermac
Homelander (The Boys)
Takeda Takahashi
Kameo Fighters (Available Now):
Tremor
Khameleon
Janet Cage
Mavado
Ferra
Jean-Claude Van Damme Skin for Johnny Cage (Available Now)
1250 Dragon Krystals (Available Now)
*Separate Kombat Pack 2 character bundle not available
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