He's the big green Saurian from the outer worlds and he is bad! Since first debuting as a hidden character in the original Mortal Kombat, Reptile has been a shifty, shadowy, snake-like entity in the viciously intense fighting-game staple. He's come a long way from just being a bizarre hybrid of Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Like all of the rainbow ninjas in the series, Reptile has grown and developed a look, fighting style, and character all his own. From a green-clad ninja to a sadistic serpent of Outworld. With his claws, fangs, acid spit and snake-inspired kung fu stylings, it's no wonder Reptile has joined the roster in nearly every entry to the series.

Reptile is easily one of the more popular characters in the series, but let he who is without flaws cast the first claw. Like many of his video game counterparts, Reptile has several inconsistencies, strange design choices, glitches, and flaws that just don't make sense. These things don't make him unplayable by any means, but it does make us scratch our heads at what the designers were thinking when they sent our scaled friend into the arena. From a complete species change to several wardrobe malfunctions, Reptile has had to slither out of some pretty weird scenarios in his day. Let's peel back the scales on one of our favorite fighters and see just how strange things get, and don't forget the antivenom. Here are 20 things about Mortal Kombat's Reptile that just don't make sense.

19 A Very Hidden Character

Via: Wallpaper Access

As any gamer-historian worth his salt will probably tell you, Reptile originally debuted as a hidden character in the original Mortal Kombat. No doubt this would influence other arcade fighters to follow the same practice, but very few are as complex to find as this green ninja. On an arcade cabinet, this was no easy feat.

Reptile was often hidden in different stages, but to face him, a series of commands had to be met. Hidden messages would appear periodically during the single-player tower, requiring a double flawless at The Pit or waiting until something specific flies across the moon. It was a real brain-buster and would go on to be repeated for characters like Jade and Smoke. Don't ask us why.

18 Fire And Ice

Via: HDQ Walls

We've mentioned the rainbow of MK ninjas before, but if you think about it, Reptile is technically a palate swap/hybrid of both Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Yellow and blue do make green, after all. But here's the issue we have with that.  If Reptile was made so difficult to find, why not just make a new character?

We get it, it was the 90s and photo-sprites weren't exactly an art form yet, but would it really have been too much to create a new character for that slot? It just feels like a lot of build-up to little payoff. Call it a missed opportunity or a case of gamer-griping, but we feel like something could have been done better.

17 Some Scaly Stealing

Via: IGN Middle East

The costume isn't the only thing the original Reptile ripped off of his colorful cohorts. Seems that there's more than just a chameleon-like quality to this lizard because he takes not only the stance, poses, and costume of the two ninjas, but their powers and special abilities as well. We definitely have some questions on this one.

It all goes back to the concept of an original character. Instead of making reptile his own entity, they made him a Scorpion/Sub-Zero clone, including giving him Scorpion's spear and Sub-Zero's ice blast. It's kind of cool in theory to face off against some freaky ninja hybrid, but in practice, it just comes off as lazy.

16 Monkey Business

Sindel Animality in Mortal Kombat Trilogy.

The animalities of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 were clever and creative for the most part, but some of them definitely missed obvious opportunities. The most glaring of these rough animalities were definitely Scorpion's and reptiles. You would think characters with animal-themed names would be easy to nail for moves like these, but such was not the case.

Come on, Scorpion not turning into a giant scorpion or Reptile turning into a monkey? There's definitely something wrong with that picture. If Liu Kang can turn into the Mortal Kombat dragon, surely Reptile could have turned into some serpentine creature without batting an eye.

15 Piece By Piece

When Mortal Kombat 2 hit the gaming scene, Reptile was, at last, an established character, though still a palette-swapped ninja that took some notes from Scorpion. His Fatality, like Scorpion's, had him remove his mask to reveal an intense surprise underneath. Reptile revealed his raptor-like form and consumed the losing player in one gulp. This was definitely cool as it was in MK2, but MK3's version has us on the fence.

Instead of slurping them in one bite, Reptile eats his opponent a piece at a time. Arguably it is slightly more unsettling, but it lacks the intense-factor it needs to complete the effect. It's one of those cases of if it ain't broke don't fix it. At least it looks good in MK9.

14 Spooky Show

via denofgeek.com

The film adaptation of the famous fighting game became one of those "so bad it's good" movies that scattered the 90s. Johnny Cage, Raiden, and Scorpion all got the same altered-universe treatment, and reptile was no exception. What could have easily been done with makeup ended up a spooky CGI monstrosity that looks more at home in a Doom level than Mortal Kombat.

The creature does transform into a more game accurate ninja, but it still feels like a cartoonish effect. Though reptile's species was a little more developed for MK2, we don't think the film's version was exactly what they were imagining. Then again, what part of the film was all that accurate anyway?

13 Is He A Shapeshifter?

via youtube.com

When we're first introduced to Reptile, he appears just as Scorpion and Sub-Zero do, ninjas in bright colors, right? But when unmasked, we're shown a scary reptilian, raptor-like face. Much like Scorpion's skull, this is done for shock and surprise. If that's the case then, how is it that Reptile has progressively become more and more lizard-like in the series.

We'll discuss designs later, but up until MK4, Reptile has a more humanoid appearance, save for the face behind the mask. But from that game onward, he's become more monsterlike and at times nearly draconian. Is he evolving? Did he go through some sort of metamorphosis? Or did the designers just want to go all the way with the lizard motif?

12 The Classic Creature

8- Reptile
Via: Screen Rant

There's something really different about the classic Reptile and the Reptile who wears the Klassic costume. The classic reptile was a humanoid character with a reptilian face, the classic version presented in MKX seems to be a strange hybrid of the two ideas. One thing we've noticed though, there might possibly be a species difference

MKX's default Reptile is more like a spiny lizard, but his Klassic skin gives him a deeper green complexion minus some of the more Shokan-like features. The default's skin is more jagged where the Klassic's is darker and smoother. Perhaps this was to evoke his earlier designs, but we're not entirely sure.

11 Reptile's Re-Designs

Since MK4, Reptile has gone from humanoid ninja with a raptor head hidden underneath to full-on lizardman from underground. His costumes have ventured from the classic black hood and green overwear to tight purple leather and a weird facemask. He's worn anything and everything a lizardman could possibly wear, but not always want.

From the spikey, draconic features of Deadly Alliance to the Ermac-esque wrappings of Armageddon, Reptile's design has certainly been diverse, but not often the ninja he's supposed to be. Thankfully, this isn't a frequent problem, but it is one we can't leave out.

10 You Call That Classic?

via: syanart.com

Speaking of the mix and mingle of designs, there is no better example of this idea than the "Klassic" costume seen in MKX. The bodysuit might be reminiscent of MK3, but that unholy hybrid of a mask/faceplate is nothing like its arcade counterpart. Yet another unfortunate case of "what were they thinking?"

Alright, we'll admit it would be easier for him to spit venom with a slit in the mask, but that wasn't a problem for his MK9 design. What changed? We get it, the designers were going for a grittier, dangerous look with their most recent installment, but surely they could've given him a better mask than that. It looks too much of a modern hybrid to be considered a classic in our eyes.

9 More Mask Madness

via: pintrest.com

We don't mean to linger long on the subject of masks, but we're not exactly a fan of what's going on with his MKX designs. His default skin is miles away from what we saw in the previous game, and it looks too armor-ish for a sneaky, snakey, ninja. The mask is also trying too hard to be either a giant scale or something like a crocodile mouth. Either way, we don't think it works.

It flaps too much like an extended jaw and without it, there's something missing from the sudden scary face reveal that's followed the character most of the series. Call it a nitpick, but we're not on board with this facial feature. Here's hoping for a makeover for MK11.

8 Vanishing Claws

Jumping back to his classic look in Mortal Kombat X, here's something that might have slipped past the eyes of your typical Saturday-night-gamer. We've already discussed Reptile's fleeting humanoid form and a transition to something more bestial, but if that's the direction they've decided to go, why did they cut his claws in his classic outfit?

Perhaps this is the attempt at trying to capture the more humanoid qualities of his classic design, but it also takes away some of his reptilian edge. Don't believe us? Check it out next time you decide to visit the character roster before your next fight.

7 Earth Dino Or Outworld Lizard?

Reptile
via CriticSight.com

The mythos of the Saurians is a mixed bag at the very best. It's a hodgepodge of different media, but for the most part, the Saurians are raptor-like creatures born of Earthrealm but transported to Outrealm where they thrived until the events of MKX where, according to his Tower ending, Reptile discovers a whole new race of his kind. So does that make him an Earthworlder or an Outworlder?

This might sound like a nitpick at first, but it really irks some of us, because it changes where his loyalties should lie. If he's an earthborn dino, shouldn't he fight with Raiden and Johnny Cage? But he's also a shifty snakey dude, so would it really matter. It just has us all scratching our heads.

6 What is he?

As if our last point didn't scramble your brain enough, another issue tossed back and forth amongst MK buffs is not what Reptile's species is, but what the Saurians are as a whole. The general verdict is Raptors, but other games have depicted them as lizards, snakes, dragons, and even fish. It's a regular herpetarium of species.

It can be seen in Reptile's various designs that his kind has gone through more than their fair share of revisions. They're shapeshifters in the film, humanoids in the original trilogy, and a race of subterranean beasts in the new series.

5 Reptile With Acid

One of the character's most recognizable moves is his acid spit, a stunning move that leaves the opponent open for attack. And then there's the acid/force ball, a move that launches a ball of acid at the opponent knocking them back. It's all cool and very much in character, but why doesn't the ball do more damage?

We don't mean in terms of HP, we mean why isn't the opponent in question dissolving in a puddle before us with that kind of move? A large ball of acid would not just bounce someone back a few feet, but totally scorch them. Then again, it is Mortal Kombat, when have they ever been realistic?

4 At The Speed Of Acid

via polygon.com

This is more of a gameplay choice than a chemistry question, but why are there different speeds for an attack like an acid ball? It just seems curious that one would ever need a slow version of an already impressive move. It just feels a little counterproductive in our minds.

Ok, granted, if it's for stacking up combos, then maybe different speeds might be required. But if that's the case, why not make a heat-seeking acid ball or something of that manner? That would be a much better idea, and definitely worth seeing. We might be nitpicking, but it's something that would just make more sense.

3 Acid Control

Via: Gamefaqs

This is one that we've just kinda been curious about for a long while. Can Reptile control the strength of his acid or how concentrated it is? The acid balls are strong enough to force opponents back and not burn them, but he possesses the ability to melt his victims with acidic vomit. Does that mean Reptile has some sort of biological acid control?

It doesn't make sense, but it's a fascinating concept to consider into the mythos of the character. It gives him yet another interesting evolutionary trait and is certainly worth discussing amongst fan circles. In a way, that sort of brings us to our next spot.

2 Lizard Brain

How smart is Reptile really? Is he a monster, a mindless minion, or a devious creature of Outworld? In MK9, the best he could do in terms of communication was growl and snarl. Plus, he also behaved more like a scaly attack dog than a freethinking individual. What happened between the previous two games?

In MKX, he speaks fluent English, has a position of power, and certainly has a malicious streak. Is this really the same Reptile from before? Perhaps it's a sudden species evolution, who knows? But we're definitely calling out some sort of shenanigans with this pile of scales.

1 Nearly Never Consistent

The biggest problem we've seen on this list is the consistency of the character. Think about it, Reptile is possibly the most frequently changed character in the entirety of the Mortal Kombat roster. There are few games outside the original trilogy where he looks remotely similar, and it's definitely noticeable.

Scorpion is still the yellow ninja with the flaming skull, Johnny Cage has always been the hotshot movie star with the big sunglasses, but Reptile differs from game to game. Granted, there is some connection between MK9 and MKX, but otherwise, the likenesses are few and far between. Who knows, Reptile might just shed his skin once more for MK11.