Baraka

Story

The race of Tarkatans is one of the lowest social classes in the Outworld Empire. These people live in a hard, deserted area, struggling to just survive. That makes the military career of Baraka in the imperial army a special achievement. He is a Tarkatan, but he also plays an important role in Shao Kahn’s forces.

Baraka participates in the ambitious plans of the Emperor to conquer the Earthrealm. This fearsome monster is a decent opponent for such heroes as Liu Kang. But in his heart, Baraka does not have any hatred towards the Earthrealm and its people. His service to the Empire is strictly limited to following the interests of Tarkatans. Betray Quan Chi in one of the missions? For sure, if that is beneficial for Baraka’s race.

He has the biggest rank among all Tarkatans — and only Mileena is above Baraka in this hierarchy. But she is the princess, the daughter of Shao Kahn. Baraka is sincerely loyal to Mileena, even if she is considered half-Tarkatan.

Like the whole race of Tarkatans, Baraka is kind of terrifying. His many fangs are iconic in the Mortal Kombat series. His body has spikes in various places — which may be helpful for harming opponents. Baraka’s forearms have hidden retractable blades.

The story of Tarkatans is rather obscure and mysterious. It was thought that they appeared from mixing Netherrealm demons with some Outworld races. Later, a new legend appeared — stating that Tarkatans were conquered by the Empire a while ago. Shao Kahn wanted to suppress and assimilate them, making strong part of the Empire. To a specific extent, this plan succeeded.

Can the timeline reset by Liu Kang give more information on the roots of Tarkatans? The new perspective reveals that Baraka fell victim to a dangerous virus of the Tarkat plague. The disease has transformed his body, turning into such a monster. The Empire has a special place for these people, a remote colony.

This tragedy doesn’t break Baraka. His whole personality is different now. He sees Tarkatans as unique people and wants to help them overcome despair, find a new identity, and create a better world for themselves. Any means are good on this path!

Personality

Despite being rather an aggressive warrior, Baraka demonstrates quite a surprising feature when it comes to Tarkatans — he becomes a caring and considerate person. The well-being of his people is the main priority for Baraka, and this personality feature affects everything the guy does within the Outworld army and actually during all his Mortal Kombat adventures.

Playstyle

Baraka may seem like a pretty straightforward character with his massive aggressiveness and strong moves. It helps him shine even on the beginner level. But in fact, the character has good options for scaling your skills and going deeper into MK1 mechanics.

Appearance

Baraka is a pretty scary monster, as his appearance is deeply affected by the Tarkat plague. The mouth, full of sharp teeth, is the first thing you notice for the whole race of Tarkatans. Baraka has spikes all over his body and a tattoo on his right hand.