How to unlock all characters & Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1
There are a handful of characters that need to be unlocked for use in Mortal Kombat 1, here is how to fill out your fighter and Kameo Fighter roster in MK1.
If you are looking to unlock all of the characters in Mortal Kombat 1, we have you covered. Mortal Kombat 1 has a handful of unlockable characters across both the main fighter roster and the Kameo roster.
To unlock all characters you are going to need to put some time into the game, specifically some single-player modes, and you will need to fork over some cash early. Here is how to unlock every character in Mortal Kombat 1.
How to unlock Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 1
Shang Tsung is the pre-order exclusive character for Mortal Kombat 1. This means that in order to unlock him, you will have to pre-purchase the game via the PlayStation Store, the Xbox Store, the Nintendo eShop, or Steam.
Fans who purchase the game in a physical format will get a code with their game that allows them to download Shang Tsung. Anyone who is late to the party should be able to purchase Shang Tsung separately.
At the time of writing this is not available, but considering Shao Kahn was the pre-order character in Mortal Kombat 11 and he was available to purchase for around $6 once the game launched, it seems safe to say that Shang Tsung will be available for individual purchase soon.
- Check out our Mortal Kombat 1 best fighter tier list for tips on who to play
How to unlock Havik in Mortal Kombat 1
To play as Havik in Mortal Kombat 1, you must first complete the main story once. We have a more in-depth guide on how to unlock Havik in Mortal Kombat 1 which explains the ins and outs of how this works, and potential reasons why Havik is locked at the start of the game.
Havik is the only character who is locked like this, the rest of the roster is available from the get-go. If Havik is a priority character for you, you will need to complete the story first.
- Is Scorpion Hanzo Hasashi in Mortal Kombat 1? Click here to find out
How to unlock Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1
To unlock Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1, you need to increase your overall level. As you play Mortal Kombat 1, you can level up your fighters, Kameo Fighters, and an overall level.
There are rewards and unlockables for increasing your level and the level of your characters, but specifically, you unlock the five locked Kameo Fighters as such:
| Kameo Fighter | Unlock requirement |
| Scorpion | Reach level 5 |
| Sub-Zero | Reach level 10 |
| Kung Lao | Reach level 15 |
| Shujinko | Reach level 20 |
| Motaro | Reach level 25 |
You gain experience for your overall level from playing any content, whether it be single-player modes like Invasions or Towers, or competing against other players online. If you want to unlock these Kameo Fighters faster, we recommend sticking with Invasions mode as this grants the most experience over time.
That is it for our guide on how to unlock characters in Mortal Kombat 1. For more, head to our Mortal Kombat 1 homepage, or check out the Mortal Kombat 1 voice actor list or the Mortal Kombat 1 system requirements for playing on PC.
About The Author
Dave McAdam
Dave is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon, after several years of freelancing across the industry. He covers a wide range of games, with particular focus on shooters like Destiny 2, RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, and fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8.
