Summary
Since the beginning of theMortal Kombatfranchise,Johnny Cagehas been a fan favorite and that continues to be the case inMortal Kombat 1. From his endless quips to his memorable gameplay, the movie star turned Earthrealm champion remains a highlight in the story and gameplay.
To help Johnny Cage shine even more, Netherrealm Studios went all out in giving him a collection of skins that can be unlocked in various ways through the different modes and stores. Some skins are nice original designs for the game, others are throwbacks to the character’s past or homages to iconic movies.
10New Era - Laurel Canyon
The Original Movie Continues To Influence The Games
Johnny has several variants of his baseNew Eraskin that shine, includingLaurel Canyon. Intentional or not, this skin is a treat for longtime fans because it’s nearly identical to what Linden Ashby wore as Johnny Cage in the 1995Mortal Kombatmovie, with the green shirt and brown pants.
While theMortal Kombatmovie was not loved by critics in 1995, it continues to have an impact on the franchise today and has become a bit of a cult classic. That version of Johnny Cage has become iconic as well, just as Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa continues to be the definitive Shang Tsung (and also influenced Mortal Kombat 1), and the movie’s theme song is still what most people think of when it comes toMortal Kombatmusic.
9New Era - Splits And Fists
This Outfit Proves That Johnny Has A Hot Fashion Sense
From the first season ofMortal Kombat 1came a lot of fire-themed skins for characters, includingSplits And Fistsfor Johnny Cage. It takes theNew Eratemplate and decorates the shirt with a subtle glossy flame pattern that makes it really pop. A nice added touch is a tiny flame resembling a brand logo over his left pectoral and belt buckle.
In addition to the shirt, Johnny has dragon and fire tattoos on his forearms and is wearing the Splits And Fists palette. This look makes him appear as though he’s ready to host a celebrity cooking show orteam up with his ninja ally Scorpionto defend the realm from the corrupted Lin Kuei clan.
8Union Of Light - Hollywood And Vein
A Healthy Mix Of Old And New Johnny Cage
If the movie star look is a little too opulent for some people, theUnion Of Lightskin achieves a proper balance between looking like a professional fighter with a little modern style added to the mix.The Hollywood And Veinpalette changes the look with a pleasant dark gray shirt with blood-red gloves and pants.
The Hollywood And Vein palette’s colors could also be seen as a reference to Johnny Cage’s first design in the originalMortal Kombatarcade, where he sported red and black. As a result, the skin feels like a nice balance betweenolder and newer versions of Johnny Cage.
7New Era - California Freezing
A Johnny Perfect For The Winter Season
Little details go a long way in theCalifornia Freezingpalette, with ice-like patterns on Johnny’s shirt and pants, the glowing tattoos, and scars that partially resemble freezing damage. Even his shoes look like he is generating coldin the same vein as Sub-Zero, which fits, as the skin was part of the Sub-Zero event.
The white hair and glowing eyes are also nice touches, giving the California Freezing skin a bit more personality to lend to Johnny. In a way, Johnny Cage almost looks like aMortal Kombatversion of Jack Frost, in the best way possible.
6Order Of Darkness - Golden Boy
Evil Johnny Looks Like A Flamboyant Crime Lord
TheOrder Of Darknessis intended to be the evil counterpart of Johnny Cage, and theGolden Boyis perfect for that concept. Rather than being humbled by his adventure, the Golden Boy variant looks like a Johnny who took the opposite path, becoming as pretentious and arrogant as possible and resembling a rich gangster.
The golden chains and coat mix with the white shirt well, showing off what Johnny Cage could have looked like in another reality. The Golden Boy was given to fans for free by Netherrealm Studios as well, so no grinding in any towers or in the Invasion mode is necessary to unlock it.
5Wu Shi - Dragon Fist
The Whole Roster Gets The Wu Shi Academy Treatment
One of the harder skins to get, theDragon Fistskin for Johnny Cage can only be unlocked by reaching Level 80 in the Seasonal Tower. The reward is the orange gi worn by Johnny and the other Earthrealm fighters in the story mode whenthe powerful Fire God Liu Kangis training them in preparation for the tournament between Earthrealm and Outworld.
The mainWu Shiskin is a nice change up from all the flair that fans are used to seeing with Johnny Cage. There are no fancy watches, necklaces, or modifications to make the gi appear more hip. Instead, Johnny Cage resembles a traditional member of the Wu Shi Academy aside from whatever sunglasses the player decides to wear.
4JCVD - OG Action Hero
It Took Over Three Decades To Get Van Damme Into Mortal Kombat
TheMortal Kombatfranchise came full-circle with theJCVDskins, which feature the face and voice of Jean-Claude Van Damme. TheOG Action Heropalette of the skins even featured Van Damme wearing Johnny Cage’s original outfit from the firstMortal Kombatgame. This made longtime fans happy, asMortal Kombatwas initially going to be a Jean-Claude Van Damme game.
The OG Action Hero palette and its variants were available immediately for those who purchased the Premium Edition and Kollector’s Edition of the game at launch. In contrast, the JCVD skins can be purchased with Kombat Pack 1 as one ofmany pieces of DLC from Year Oneand are available on all systems if players own the Standard Edition.
3Illinois Johnny - Method Actor
A Costume That Belongs In A Museum
In Johnny Cage’s introduction, fans got to see the beloved character making one of his movies, which is an homage to/parody of Indiana Jones.Mortal Kombat 1further celebrates this connection with a skin calledIllinois Johnny, and the base palette isMethod Actor, which looks nearly identical to Harrison Ford’s character inRaiders Of The Lost Ark.
Johnny Cage’s Method Actor skin, featuring items like a fedora and a satchel, is one of the several variants available. The skin allows players to customize their character’s appearance to their liking for something more outlandish, even if it doesn’t quite fit the themes of gods and mystical battles between realms.
2WWII Johnny - Baptized By Fire
Another Johnny From Another Dimension
Thanks to theKhaos Reignsexpansion forMortal Kombat 1, fans were introduced to an unexpected alternative version of Johnny Cage who fought in World War 2, resulting in the palette known asBaptized By Fire. Johnny was pulled into Titan Havik’s Chaosrealm, where he fought in the resistance against his anarchist rule.
Similar to the Illinois Johnny skins, the appeal comes in the radical difference from most of his typical skins. There is also a bit of homage toCaptain America from Marvel Comicswith the star-spangled pauldron and other details found in the skin. Even in theKhaos Reignsstory, Johnny tries throwing a shield in the same vein as Captain America.
1Infiltrator - Earthrealm Action Hero
Liu Kang Created A Perfect Hero Suit For His Warriors
TheInfiltratorsuits are a set of skins worn by Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, and Kenshi when they go on a mission for Liu Kang in Outworld.Earthrealm Action Herois the base version for Johnny and arguably the best one of the bunch, making him look like a superhero version of Johnny Cage.
With sleek armor and military-like pouches, the Infiltrator suit was an impressive suit that, sadly, wasshort-lived in the story mode. It does make a welcome return if the player chooses Johnny Cage to be the final champion who stops Shang Tsung in the multiversal climax on the pyramid, but later on, the skin was released for free to all players.
