We demand this one specific ‘The Last of Us’ video game crossover

Image via HBO and NetherRealm Studios

The Last of Us has set the highest possible bar for video game adaptations. The hit HBO show sees creator Neil Druckmann teaming up with Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin to retell the story that’s faithful to the themes while taking some big detours. Slightly miraculously, even the most ardent fans agree that all the changes they’ve made are for the best.

One of the neatest differences is that the show is able to use way more real-life references than fictional ones. For example, in the game, Ellie is mesmerized by the fictional fighting game The Turning. In the Left Behind DLC, she and Riley find a broken cabinet, and Ellie has to imagine the action onscreen. In the series, HBO was able to secure the rights to Midway’s 1993 arcade smash Mortal Kombat II, and we watched them giggle in delight at the bloody fighting action.

Getting Mortal Kombat II looking this good was harder than you might assume, but after seeing a poster for the game in Ellie’s room – as well as a previous episode showing her wistfully looking at a damaged cabinet her joy at actually playing it and executing Mileena’s ‘maneater’ Fatality – the rush was palpable.

We now know that Ellie is a huge Mortal Kombat fan… so we demand that she appears as a bonus character in the newly confirmed Mortal Kombat 12.

A new fighter approaches

You might wonder how the relatively down-to-earth Ellie would fit into a roster composed of undead ninjas, thunder gods, monstrous beasts, and sci-fi special forces soldiers. Well, Mortal Kombat isn’t shy about bringing characters across from other franchises. The franchise has featured John Rambo, RoboCop, Leatherface, Kratos, the Terminator, and the Xenomorph, so tossing Bella Ramsey’s Ellie into the mix isn’t really too out there.

Even better, the rights situation might not be too tricky to untangle. Warner Bros. owns both HBO and Mortal Kombat developers NetherRealm Studios, which is what allowed the show to feature Mortal Kombat II in the first place.

Admittedly, any guest appearance by Ellie would probably need to also be signed off by Naughty Dog and PlayStation Productions, potentially limiting her to only appearing on the PlayStation 5 release. Some may also question whether Neil Druckmann wants the grounded and emotionally complex Ellie to engage in Mortal Kombat‘s very silly antics, though if we can get Pedro Pascal twerking with a Clicker on SNL, we think all bets are off.

Another hurdle might be getting Ramsey to sign off on using her likeness and voice, particularly as entering the Kombat means you’ll inevitably be the victim of grisly fatalities. That might not be a problem if they use the game’s version of the character though, as Ellie’s death animations are already extremely gory and violent.

She’s already a skilled kombatant

So, how might Ellie play? Mortal Kombat already features characters with firearms and blades, so a move set based around her switchblade, pistol and bow feels like a no-brainer. We could also see some inspiration from the games, like tossing out bricks, bottles, and detonating nail bombs against Scorpion and pals.

And as for Fatalities? There are multiple instances in the games where Ellie uses the infected as a weapon against human opponents, so her summoning a Clicker to consume a hapless opponent would be awesome to see. And, as the show goes on, we’re going to see Ellie taking out opponents in close range with blades, so transplant some of those into the game and we’re set.

If they wanted to go for a full crossover, why not a The Last of Us stage set in the ruins of Boston, potentially opening the door to stage fatalities based around attracting the attention of background infected?

We just learned that Mortal Kombat 12 is officially on the way, and may even arrive this year. Scoring Ellie as a bonus character would spike interest in the game after the global popularity of the show, so we see it as a win/win for Warner Bros. So, c’mon Ed Boon; give the people what they want. Let’s have Ellie not just play Mortal Kombat, but take a trip through a portal into OutWorld, step into the brutal arena, and show off her killer moves.