Among the large roster of combatants that have accumulated over the years in the Mortal Kombat series, the particularly lethal Shokan warrior, Sheeva, has been absent as a playable character for far too long.
Sheeva first appeared as a playable character in Mortal Kombat 3 and was distinct from most other fighters in that her corpse sprite included her four arms, and her blood was green when exposed, as opposed to red like most other fighters.
Fans of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, one of the worst video game movie adaptations ever made (and that includes the live-action Super Mario Bros.) might recall seeing the character of Sheeva portrayed briefly by Marjean Holden. The script called for a meaningful and lengthy fight between her and the character of Raiden, played by James Remar, but this was scrapped like many parts of the film meant to develop the story and characters.
Instead of her fight scene, Sheeva was killed by a falling cage while preparing to fight Liu Kang and Kitana in Shao Khan’s throne room, which was a major disappointment to everyone expecting to see her in action.
In Mortal Kombat 3, Sheeva was chosen over all others by Shao Khan to act as Queen Sindel’s personal bodyguard. However, her race has always been at odds with that of the Centurions, of which Motaro was a part of. Her connection to Sindel often put her at odds with Earthrealm, though her relationship was complex since much of her motivation was fueled by wanting to bring peace and stability to her people, the Shokan.
The Shokan should be familiar to veteran players of the Mortal Kombat series, both because Prince Goro has often been a fan favorite since the first game was released, and because they posses such unique physical characteristics. The Shokan are subterranean people from Outworld, and are often tall, muscular, and lethal with their four arms.
It has now been eight years since Sheeva was a playable character in the game series, excluding the mobile version of Mortal Kombat X, though she has been present in many of the main story modes of recent games and comic story tie-ins.
In Mortal Kombat 11, she appears as the Warrior Queen of the Shokan race and an ally of the protagonists. In the story mode, Kitana is seen attempting to persuade Sheeva to join the cause against the return of Shao Khan, however there is hesitation to involve her people and risk their lives unless there were a real chance at victory. She agrees to join only if Baraka and his Tarkatans also agree to join.
In the end she becomes instrumental in the final defense against Kronika’s armies while Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kitana face off against the main antagonist herself in her time chamber.
Although the first Kombat DLC pack has already had its entire roster revealed, it would be great if Sheeva were eventually be added to the game as well. She is clearly instrumental to the main stories of the series, and her character model looks fantastic in the cut scenes. Given her relationship with Sindel as well, it would not be unreasonable to expect to see her added in 2020, though for now this is pure speculation.
Source: mortalkombat.fandom.com