| Overview |
Baraka and his warriors are part of the brutal nomadic species
The Tarkata, also known as Tarkatans, Mutants, and Nomads, are a brutal species of warriors situated in Outworld. They are one of the many mainstay species within the series and have gone through various changes since their inception.
About the Tarkata
The Tarkata are a race of nomadic warriors from different sections of Outworld depending on their depiction within the series. They have been rejected by some for their cannibalistic nature as well as their horrid appearance but also used as soldiers within Outworld's armies. They are often, however, as unintelligent, bloodthirsty brutes that serve the currently most powerful leader. There are certain cases of Tarkatans displaying more intelligence and cunning. They are well known for their kombat prowess throughout Outworld, Sheeva recognizing that "there is no victory without the Tarkata."
The Tarkatans' most distinctive physical traits are their long, sharp teeth, large mouths, and extendable, retractable Arm-Blades protruding from their bodies, especially their arms, which possess the ability to quickly regenerate after being broken. These blades are sharper than steel that can cut through tissue, bone and other strong objects with little to no effort. Clashing the blades allows for a spark of energy to be shot at opponents as a burning projectile, showing the intensity of the blades. Tarkatans are able to break off and regrow these arm-blades to uses as weapons or projectiles. Some can even shoot sharp bone fragments from their backs in a similar manner.
Tarkatans possess their own language, with characters such as Raiden, Skarlet and Mileena being fluent in the language.
Original Timeline
Tarkatans are depicted as the cross-breed of a demonic, unknown race from the Netherrealm and Outworlders. They gain recognition from Shao Kahn due to Baraka prowess in kombat, becoming part of the konqueror's armies with Baraka leading the mutant race. Baraka is eventually killed alongside many kombatants during the original Battle of Armageddon, with the Tarkatans' fate being unknown.
The assassin Mileena is made from Shang Tsung's sorcery using Tarkatan physiology and the DNA of Princess Kitana.
Second Timeline
In the alternate timeline, Tarkatans now hail from their own realm that was merged into Outworld when it was conquered by Shao Kahn. As such, they are no longer depicted as a hybrid race of Outworlder and demons, rather being their own race. They still serve under Shao Kahn, with Tarkatan males joining Shao Kahn's army once they came of age and survived the brutal Ritual of Blood. Mileena is still created from Shang Tsung's sorcery using Tarkatan physiology and the DNA of Princess Kitana, this time due to Shao Kahn finding his adopted daughter Kitana to be inferior to his visions for Outworld.
When Mileena took the Outworld Throne after her Shao Kahn's death, the Tarkatans would serve under Mileena, with Baraka remaining as the leader and General of the Tarkatan Horde. When Kotal Kahn, Reptile and D'Vorah planned to usurp the throne from her tyrannical rule just like her father's, Baraka is killed in the process and Kotal is crowned Emperor. This would lead to the Outworld Civil War, with the Tarkatans siding with Mileena. After Mileena is executed, Emperor Kotal Kahn ordered the genocide of the Tarkatans for their role in the war, even those that didn't participate, including women and children.
When the Keeper of Time Kronika had merged the timelines, she had not only brought a past variant of Baraka to the present but also restored the Tarkata as part of a ploy to entice Baraka to her side, as well as using them as a supporting factor in a restored Shao Kahn's army. Feeling his people were mistreated by Shao Kahn and Kronika, Baraka talks with Kitana and the other Outworld Champions, Baraka sides with Kitana to end the constant conflict between Outworld. He makes amends with Kotal Kahn for the Tarkata's extinction and serves Kitana as the new Empress of Outworld.
Current Timeline
In the current timeline, designed by Liu Kang when he became the Keeper of Time, he did not make the Tarkata a species. During some unknown time however, a disease would begin mutating the Edenian and Outworlders of Outworld into the Tarkatans from previous timelines, contracting what is called the "Tarkat" infection. Victims begin to develop deteriorated skin, followed by deformities to their face, body and later limbs, creating sharp bone fragment growths, eventually turning into the traditional arm-blades of the Tarkatans of the previous timelines.
The illness worsens by affecting the internal organs such as the heart and lunges and eventually affects the brain, regressing the mind to a primitive state that completely transforms the infected into unintelligible monsters. As Baraka says "Death is our only release".
Tarkatans are banished from Outworld, contained and executed if they manage to get into Sun Do, Outworld's capitol city in this timeline. Due to the hostilities of Outworld's citizens and after losing his family to the disease, Baraka establishes the Tarkatan Colony for the ill to protect them from Outworld's wrath. Mileena is also infected with the disease but it is kept secret as she is heir to the Outworld throne. Shang Tsung becomes close to the throne due to secretly experimenting on the Tarkatans, including Baraka, creating a temporary treatment that reduces the effects of Mileena's Tarkat.
After the events of the Story Mode, Mileena becomes Empress and reveals her illness to Outworld to much praise and Baraka becomes an emissary for the Tarkatans, who Mileena meets and begins bringing supplies to at the Colony.
Members
Major Characters
- Baraka
- Mileena (Genetic Experiment: half-Tarkatan, half-Edenian in the original and alternate timelines; Tarkatan in the Current Timeline)
Minor Characters
- Tarkatan Soldiers
- Tarkatan Leader
- Tarkatan General
- Tarkatan Fighter
- Tarkatan Clone
- Super Tarkatan Clone
- Tarkatan Brute
- Tarkatan Banner Grunt
- Tarkatan Warrior
Non-Canon
- Karbrac
- Nania
- Xenomorph (guest character, born from a Tarkatan host and adopting Tarkatan physiology)
Super-Tarkatans
In Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, Shang Tsung's ending indicates that the sorcerer was both impressed and angered by Captain Marvel defeating him. Using his magic, he mixed the blood on a torn piece of Captain Marvel's cape with that of a Tarkatan warrior creating a horrific race of Super-Tarkata that would be loyal to Shang Tsung.
In Mortal Kombat 1, Super-tarkatans were one of Shang Tsung's creations, bloated tarkatans that grew to a much larger size and became much stronger and deformed than their common variants.
TV & Movie Appearance
The Tarkata in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm.
The Tarkatans first appeared alongside Baraka in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. They are seen wearing cloaks, with the exception of Baraka himself, who disposes it in favor of preparing a battle against Liu Kang.
They later appeared but without Baraka in the animated film Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins and the MK cartoon series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (here, they were called Nomads, because the term Tarkata was mentioned for the first time in Deception, a game that was released years after the premiere of Defenders of the Realm).
The Tarkatans are also featured in the webseries Mortal Kombat: Legacy, and while still retaining their bloodthirsty demeanor and trademark blades, their distinctive teeth seem to have been toned down. They are shown invading the realm of Edenia, led by their general, Baraka.
Trivia
- In MK 2011's Challenge Tower, there are several challenges in which the opponent(s) are Tarkatans of various rankings: Soldier, Leader, and General.
- Originally, Tarkatans were going to be the native inhabitants of Outworld.
- It is possible to make a Tarkatan character in Kreate-A-Kharacter, though lacking their distinct arm blades.
- Interestingly, there has only been three playable Tarkatans throughout the entire series; Mileena, Baraka, and the Xenomorph (spawned from a Tarkatan host).
- Of the three, Baraka is the only pure-bred Tarkatan that has been playable, while Mileena and the Xenomorph are hybrids with Tarkatan genes.
- The Xenomorph's appearance is the only one of the three that is non-canon.
- Of the three, Baraka is the only pure-bred Tarkatan that has been playable, while Mileena and the Xenomorph are hybrids with Tarkatan genes.
- Baraka was given subtle changes for MKX to help easily identify him when amongst other Tarkatans and Mileena was given a change for her Tarkatan teeth to give her a more human-like appearance. Her teeth would be reverted to her original Tarkatan teeth in Mortal Kombat 11.
- Mortal Kombat X is the only game thus far to feature three Tarkatans in the main game; Baraka, Mileena, and Xenomorph (a Tarkatan-Xenomorph hybrid)
- However, Baraka is a Story Mode NPC, while Mileena and Xenomorph are playable in the Arcade.
- In the DC fighting game Injustice 2, although the species is not mentioned by Sub-Zero or Raiden, who are featured as playable guest characters, the species' name appears on some pieces of Raiden's gear.
- The first female pure-bred Tarkatan appears in Mortal Kombat 11's Story Mode alongside other Tarkatans.