How Nitara From Mortal Kombat Should Really Look

While the 2021 movie "Mortal Kombat" is the latest entry in Hollywood's long list of video game adaptations, it stands unique from many of its fellow inhabitants of the genre in that this doesn't mark the first film adaptation of the video game series. "Mortal Kombat" fans have, in fact, previously seen animated and live-action feature films, as well as a web series, all of which have tried to bring the story from one medium to another. This meant that director Simon McQuoid and screenplay writers Greg Russo and Dave Callaham had expectations from both the games and the previous adaptations to contend with when making their version of the story.

One of the ways the newest incarnation sets itself apart is by introducing characters who had previously been seen only in the games. Ahead of the movie's release, Russo teased one such appearance on Twitter: that of Nitara, who would be making her first appearance outside of the games with this movie, played by Mel Jarnson. The transition, however, did lead to a change in the appearance of the character, and if the creative team behind the movie had recreated her look from the games, Nitara's appearance would've been quite different.

In the new "Mortal Kombat" movie, Nitara swoops into frame and unfurls her wings, a signature aspect of the character. Nitara doesn't have feathery wings like a bird — her wings are more akin to a bat and sprout from her back, which reflects the fact that she's a vampire. Nitara also sports short hair that is tied into two neat buns on either side of her head, with elbow-length gloves and a sleeveless black and red top that lets the audience see that her veins below her neck are visible. Her ensemble is finished off with black pants and a pair of tall field boots.

This is a marked difference from how Nitara appears in the games, with the bat-like wings being the only common trait between the two versions. One of the most prominent aspects of Nitara in the games is a crystal she wears around her neck that gives her the ability to travel between realms. In the game, Nitara's signature look also includes a red bandana that encircles her forehead, with an eyepatch extending from it that covers her left eye. In addition, she wears her hair in two loose strands coming down to her neck and ties the rest of it into one high bun on top of her head, with two hair sticks protruding from it. She wears red sleeves with a cape-like collar and carries a dagger at her waist attached to a red waist cape belt with a gold chain and buckle. Her ensemble is rounded out with heels that have a red, grey, and gold color scheme, which she wears over brown over-knee socks.

Based on the way events unfold in this film, Nitara is unlikely to make an appearance in any potential sequel in an outfit that is closer to the version seen in the video games. However, given the numerous adaptations that "Mortal Kombat" has seen, a future appearance by Nitara wearing a more familiar costume in some other project is very much in the realm of possibility.