A Tarkatan balaclava that's being paired with pre-orders of Mortal Kombat 1 at a South African retailer has fans hoping that it's a soft confirmation that Baraka will be part of the launch roster.

It's only been a few days since Mortal Kombat 1 was officially revealed, but it's already starting to feel like a long wait for more information. Thankfully, not only has the reveal trailer started plenty of discussion and theory-crafting, but there have also been some interesting leaks and rumours surrounding pre-orders and store listings, including one a few days ago that suggested Invincible's Omni-Man and The Boys' Homelander will be part of the game's first Kombat Pack.

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Speaking of pre-order bonuses and Mortal Kombat 1's roster, a listing for the game at South African retailer BT Games includes a pre-order bonus that some fans think might be hinting at the return of everyone's favourite Tarkatan, Baraka. As pointed out by Twitter user mkonearthrealm, BT Games is offering a balaclava that makes the wearer look like they have the iconic Tarkatan fangs.

The balaclava itself also has the Mortal Kombat 1 logo printed on it, suggesting that it's been made specifically for the launch of this game, and not just repackaged from, say, Mortal Kombat 11. Although Mileena also has Tarkatan teeth and was confirmed to be in the game in its reveal trailer, the look is more closely associated with Baraka and seems like more of a hint towards him. If it was based on Mileena, it'd likely have more of her usual flourishes to distinguish that, like including the colour purple anywhere on the mask.

That being said, it's possible that the mask is just meant to resemble a Tarkatan in general as a fun pre-order bonus and not meant to be tied to any one character. We'll have to wait for more characters to be revealed, but considering Mortal Kombat 1 is aiming to reinvent the universe and start fresh, it'd make sense to bring over one of the series' most iconic characters.

Mortal Kombat Baraka wielding his built in weapon daggers during a fight.

Baraka appearing in Mortal Kombat 1 seems especially likely considering the backlash that NetherRealm Studios had when it randomly decided to kill him off during Mortal Kombat X at the hands of D'vorah. The toothy Tarkatan wasn't even playable in that game, which made his inclusion in Mortal Kombat 11 a popular choice that felt like a way to please the fans who had to watch a newcomer decimate a series veteran. Let's hope that Liu Kang's universe is a little kinder to him this time around.

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