Mortal Kombat, arguably the greatest fighting game franchise of all time, has captivated an entire generation of gamers and I don't believe it is going anywhere any time soon. "Mortal Kombat X" (that's ten) brought a new generation of fighters to the game play, but some old blood is needed. Here are just a handful of characters that should make their returns to the games:

1. Bi Han/Noob Saibot

Noob Saibot, who many know orginally as Subzero or Bi Han, seemed to die in Mortal Kombat 9 when he was kicked into a soulnado; however, a particularly interesting interaction between the revenent Kung Lao and Kuai Liang (now Subzero) leads to be believed that not only is Noob alive, but that he will likely (and should) make a return in Mortal Kombat XI.

Kung Lao: "Talk to your brother lately?"
Kuai Liang: "Noob Saibot's whereabouts are unknown."
Kung Lao: "He calls to you from the other side."

2. Onaga

A character not seen since Mortal Kombat 9, Onaga is overdue for a return. One of the most powerful characters in all of Mortal Kombat, he would provide a major challenge not just story wise to characters, but also to the player controlling said characters.

3. Shang Tsung

Yes, Shang Tsung died in MK9, but death is hardly permanent in Mortal Kombat. As Ermac's ending in MKX asserted, Shang Tsung was back and began absorbing souls from Ermac. Bringing back Shang Tsung could easily facilitate returns of other characters such as:

4. Mileena

The half-Edenian, half Tarkatan clone of Princess Kitana met her end at the hands (or at the mouth) of D'Vorah. Again, Mileena's return hinges heavily upon if Shang Tsung were to make his return and bring her back as well.

5. Shao Kahn

Shao Kahn met his end in Mortal Kombat 9 by the hands of the Elder Gods; however, death is hardly permanent in these games. If Shang Tsung were to return, why wouldn't he bring back Shao Kahn. (Side note: it would be great to see Kung Jin try to avenge his cousin Lao).

6. Reiko

With as many references to "the Reiko Accords" that there were in MKX, surely Reiko could come back. Traditionally, Reiko has been a General in Shao Kahn's army, but who's to say he might not look to take control of Outworld along with a slew of other characters?

7. Havik

With Kotal Kahn defeated in Mortal Kombat X, there is a certain degree of chaos between the realms. This could be the perfect opportunity to reboot Havik. In my opinion, the best way to bring Havik into the game is (potentially) having Noob Saibot escaping the Chaos Realm, with Havik trying to gain control over him and cause general discord in the realms.

8. Hotaru

Hotaru is the opposite of Havik, coming from the Realm of Order. If Havik were to be included, Hotaru would be a nice compliment to him If the above scenario happened, with Noob escaping the Chaos Realm, Hotaru could be brought in by Raiden to help him destroy Havik (maybe Noob too).

9. Nitara

Nitara's power comes exclusively from blood. She is a vampire in most respects and is really self-serving. In a story mode, she could play a huge role, being a master manipulator. She has played this role before manipulating characters to their ultimate point of desperation.

As DLC

Mokap

Used in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mokap was a secret character. He is not just a guy in a motion-capture suit, but he has extensive knowledge of martial arts. I would actually love to see Mokap in the story mode of the game as well, but I am unsure to what extent he would be used, if at all.

Meat

This character was a partial experiment of Shang Tsung that managed to escape before he could be completed. An interesting character, using blood as part of his power, but his inclusion would be unlikely.

Various WWE Superstars

This one is a little bit of a stretch, but hear me out. Mortal Kombat is made by Neatherrealm Studios. There is a lesser known game by Netherrealm called WWE Immortals. The basic concept of this game is a fighting game that has WWE Superstars, such as Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Triple H, and Roman Reigns. Including a few of the characters from this game would be not only unique, but imagine The Undertaker giving a Tombstone Pile-driver to Johnny Cage. Gameplay gold!

Recommended characters used: The Rock, Undertaker, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Paige, Brie and Nikki Bella

DC Characters

Sure, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe SUCKED, but that doesn't mean DC characters can't be put in a game. Given the nature of how the X-Ray attacks have gotten, it would be interesting to see how these might translate to the proper forum. MK vs. DC took a lot from the nature of Mortal Kombat putting in "Heroic Brutalities"; however, this could change given the tone that DC has taken as of late.

Recommended characters used: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Deathstroke, Doomsday, and Lex Luthor