Chapter Three: Chosen One - Mortal Kombat 1 Guide - IGN (2024)

Now that you've played through Chapter One and Chapter Two, it's time to tackle the third Chapter of Mortal Kombat 1. From here, the combat gets steadily trickier and you'll get to learn more about some of the key players in the game's main story.

Act One doesn't have the hardest combat in the game by any means, but some of the fights can still be very challenging.

Make sure to take a minute to refresh your knowledge with our Tutorial Hub where needed, or even with our Character Guides if there's a particular character you're struggling to get the hang of while playing.

Mortal Kombat 1 Chapter Three Walkthrough

We've separated the walkthrough by each subsection that the game offers, so you can jump to a particular section if needed.

• Pop Quiz
• Midterms
• Final Exam
• Another World
• Master of Arms
• Bait and Switch
• General Quarters

For a complete walkthrough of Chapter Three, keep reading below.

Pop Quiz

The third Chapter opens up with monks training in a beautiful monastery. The title on the opening shot mentions Raiden, showing who's going to be the central character for this Chapter.

Raiden, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, and Kenshi Takahashi are all here, training alongside the monks and getting ready for the tournament. Kung Lao has created his iconic blade hat, inspired by the blade he used against Sub-Zero and shows it to a concerned Raiden.

Johnny mentions how they've been there for months and how he just wants to get on with it.

Lord Liu Kang appears on cue, saying that today is the day that they will fight for the honor to represent Earthrealm in the tournament.

Interestingly, only one of the four will be able to fight in the tournament. Lord Liu Kang tells the group this, along with more crucial information about the tournament and what it will entail.

This means that - playing as Raiden - you're going to need to tackle a gauntlet and take down the other characters in order to progress.

First up, you'll need to take down Johnny Cage. The game has translated his arrogant personality to his fight style well as he's decently aggressive and doesn't play defensively.

The main thing to watch out for with Johnny Cage is his ability to quickly switch what side he's on. Cornering him is a decent tactic as Raiden's attacks are very quick and you can catch Johnny in a Kombo, but this isn't a long-term strategy.

Johnny has a few aerial moves, so make sure you're ready to use a Juggle Attack if you see him leave the floor at any time.

Once you've defeated him, you'll be up against your next opponent.

Midterms

Your next opponent is significantly trickier to take down than Johnny Cage. You'll need to defeat Kenshi Takahashi, and he has the same advantages as the last time you fought him.

Kenshi's use of a sword gives him quite a lot of reach, and his Kombos are absolutely lethal. This is a fight where Blocks and Dashes are essential, so wait for him to come to you when the fight starts and then move on from there.

Kenshi doesn't use too many Jump Attacks but he's very effective when it comes to Blocks. Make sure to add plenty of variety to your attacks and Kombos, and utilize the ability to stay down if you get knocked over as he's quick enough to catch you again immediately when you get up.

When you've won against Kenshi, Lord Liu Kang will tell Raiden to rest as his final battle will take place in the evening. Kenshi is much more of a gracious loser than Johnny was.

Final Exam

The scene will change to an evening view of Wu Shi Academy, with the monks and Liu Kang still seated in the battle area. Kung Lao and Raiden are kneeling in front of each other, preparing to fight.

Johnny tries to make a bet with Kenshi on who will win, but Kenshi doesn't want to take part unless Johnny gives him the Sento blade.

Lord Liu Kang speaks about how the upcoming tournament will be challenging and how Raiden or Kung Lao could turn away here without any dishonor. Neither Raiden nor Kung Lao wants to turn away, so the fight continues on as planned.

This fight is, unsurprisingly, the hardest out of the three Wu Shi Academy battles.

Kung Lao is fast and he has some truly powerful abilities thanks to his blade hat. He also has a whirlwind ability of sorts and some charged kicks, so this is a fight where you'll need to be watching for visual cues (the attacks of note are generally light blue) in order to succeed.

Avoid Jump Attacks if possible here, Kung Lao has some great aerial counters.

If you get knocked down, stay down for a moment to catch him off guard. Kung Lao can grab you immediately if you stand straight back up, so the important thing is to try and disrupt his rhythm in any way possible.

Once you've won this battle, Raiden will help Kung Lao to his feet and Lord Liu Kang will walk over to speak to the pair. He notes that Kung Lao has trained hard but that Raiden has excelled.

Another World

With that, Raiden has officially proven himself as the Earthrealm's Champion.

Lord Liu Kang gives him a gift to help him during the tournament. It's a lightning amulet, which ties into Raiden's iconic lightning abilities, and it's very powerful.

Raiden questions whether it's fair, but Liu Kang assures him that he will be up against people with magic abilities and that it evens the playing field.

Kung Lao expresses concern for his friend, worrying that he may be hurt or even killed, but Liu Kang says that no tournament Champion has ever been grievously hurt or even killed. He then ironically says 'I would never willingly send my Champions into Mortal Kombat'.

The plan now is to leave for the Outworld capital, Sun Do, in seven days.

The group heads back into the Wu Shi Academy and Liu Kang opens up a fiery portal, noting how Outland can be a challenging place for Earthrealmers.

The group walks through the portal, entering Outland for the first time.

They end up in the Palace, being greeted by the daughters of the Empress (Mileena and Kitana) and some other key players in the lore. The group bows and - for the most part - greets their hosts with respect.

Princess Mileena steps forward to greet Lord Liu Kang. The group speaks for a moment, with Mileena expressing her fierce desire to win, then Tanya (another key character) approaches and informs the Princess that Empress Sindel is waiting.

The group then leaves and joins a procession heading through the city to meet Empress Sindel. The city is vibrant and Raiden is in awe at all of the different people that live there.

Lord Liu Kang and Princess Mileena discuss Mileena's late father and how the tournament is being held in his name.

The procession is interrupted by what appears to be a group of prisoners being escorted in front of the carriage. Princess Milena is furious and gets out to confront the guards.

The First Constable, Li Mei, angrily responds that she couldn't leave it and 'let Tarktans infect the city', much to the annoyance of Mileena.

Mileena tells her that she should know better and that the Earthrealmers cannot know Outland's secrets.

Raiden comments that Mileena seems to dislike Li Mei, and Lord Liu Kang informs him that Li Mei used to work for the Palace guard and that she was on shift when Mileena's father was killed.

The scene changes, showing Sindel's palace.

Raiden is beginning to get anxious and Liu Kang consoles him. An imposing figure emerges from the crowd who is instantly named as General Shao. Liu Kang warns the group to not let General Shao goad them into a rash decision with trash talk.

After a vaguely heated exchange of words, the Empress and her daughters enter the room, and the crowd falls silent.

Lord Liu Kang steps forward to greet the Empress again formally and she briefly discusses the tournament before turning to Raiden. Liu Kang officially introduces Raiden and the Empress notices how nervous he is. Raiden agrees that he is.

The first competitor of the tournament is then introduced- the First Constable, Li Mei.

Li Mei is quite a tricky opponent to take down. If you played through the tutorial, you may remember that her firework abilities can lead to some pretty lethal Kombos, and she's incredibly fast and aggressive in battle as well.

The best thing to focus on here is Blocks and move variety. Don't just stick to one kind of attack- switch it up and keep her on her toes.

Importantly, Raiden now has access to his lightning abilities and can summon a lightning version of himself with the Kameo ability. This means you can set up nice Kombos and finish them off with a Kameo. If you knock Li Mei down, you can line up a Kameo to immediately take her back off her feet when she stands back up to continue.

Once you've finished the fight, Li Mei will walk away in shame and the Empress will congratulate Raiden on a successful battle.

She will then ask for the next opponent to be introduced.

Master of Arms

General Shao will introduce the next competitor as his second in command, Reiko.

This fight is quite tricky, as Reiko hits hard and has an aggressive style of fighting. He's got quite a few knock-down moves and a decent ranged attack, and plenty of aerial based abilities as well.

While it can be tempting to assume that larger, visually stronger characters may be less agile, don't make that assumption in this game. Reiko is very strong but also very agile.

To win this fight, you'll need to be on it with your Blocks. When the rounds start, guard and wait for him to come to you- it's likely he'll use a flying knee attack. Remember to use Raiden's Lightning Elemental during this fight, as it can make a huge difference.

When you're finished with this fight, Raiden will immediately ask for his next opponent. The Empress will ask him to be patient, saying how the tournament will resume at first light, and ask everyone to come to a banquet that night.

Bait and Switch

The scene changes, showing a beautiful banquet with all the Champions and their companions eating together.

Johnny is, predictably, trying to flirt with Princess Kitana, and Raiden asks Liu Kang what he sees in Johnny.

Liu Kang replies that Johnny is a hero but that he just doesn't know it yet.

Then, they discuss the other people at the banquet. When asked if he recognizes everyone, Raiden confirms that he does except for one person- a mysterious hooded figure sat nearby. Liu Kang introduces him as Rain, a powerful water mage who is the High Mage of Outworld.

Nearby, Princess Mileena is in visible pain but is trying not to cause a scene. When Tanya comes to her side, Mileena sends her away and insists that she's fine.

Raiden asks whether he will have to face Tanya as well as Mileena, but Liu Kang says that thankfully, he does not. Tanya is immensely powerful as she is one of the Umgadi (Palace guards) who are warrior priestesses, picked from the firstborns of Outland and trained from birth.

After this, the Empress will stand and give a speech. A slightly drunk General Shao will interrupt her, showing obvious distaste for the Earthrealm and disagreeing with Raiden's earlier sentiment about the tournament showing the similarities between Outworlders and Earthrealmers.

Later, the Empress will be scolding General Shao in private, noting how it's possible that Outworld will lose the tournament.

General Shao mentions a prophecy that shows Liu Kang overthrowing the Empress and taking over Outworld. The Empress is clearly frustrated and sends him packing.

As General Shao leaves, both of the Princesses arrive.

The Empress notes how she 'saw what happened this evening' in reference to Mileena being ill, then informs the Princesses that Kitana will fight tomorrow so that symptoms of Mileena's 'illness' do not manifest in the fight.

Both the Princesses are shocked, as this spot in the tournament is usually reserved for the next heir to the throne- which is Princess Mileena.

Empress Sindel notes how Mileena's condition is 'her fault' and that she shouldn't have left the palace unattended. Kitana tries to calm both her mother and sister down, mentioning how Mileena's condition could lead to her being banished to the Wastes, but Mileena leaves the room in tears.

The scene changes to the next day, with the Empress reeling off the names of the combatants that Raiden has defeated off-screen.

The next fight is introduced, pitting Raiden against Princess Kitana. It is noted that Princess Mileena is 'away on official business' which causes the crowd to stir.

The fight against Kitana is suitably tricky. She's incredibly agile and great with defensive moves, so when the fight starts, let her come to you first and make sure you're blocking in advance so that you can get the first strike of the match.

The Lightning Elemental can be particularly handy in this fight. In the second round and in the third round if needed, try opening with this as it's a great way to immediately knock Kitana down.

Kitana tends to Delay when she's knocked to the floor, so make sure you're using your lower attacks and quicker attacks where possible.

The fight ends on amicable terms, leading to the final section of Chapter Three.

General Quarters

The final fight in Chapter Three is against General Shao. Predictably, he's an incredibly aggressive opponent who can catch Raiden in some lethal Kombos.

He's introduced with a long list of military accolades, showing off how powerful he is. Raiden comments on the impressive nature of the list and General Shao brags that it's not even close to half of his deadly accomplishments.

Something to watch out for with General Shao is his ability to pull off Juggle Attacks. He's got a few attacks that can sweep Raiden into the air, and he's very good at keeping this up consistently.

You'll need to be on top of your Kounters for this fight.

Raiden's long-distance attacks can be very handy here.

In fact, try cornering Shao with these long-range attacks. If you can keep him away from you but in one place, it makes the fight much easier. He can hit very hard up close but doesn't have much of a chance against ranged abilities. The Lightning Elemental Kameo is very handy here, too.

Once you've finished this fight, the Empress will congratulate Raiden. He's officially done it- he's won the tournament for the Earthrealm.

This brings Act One to a close and kickstarts Act Two. Next up, you'll get to play through Chapter Four- and it's packed to the brim with tricky fights.