The Best Johnny Cage Skins In Mortal Kombat 1

Summary

• Netherrealm Studios created various skins for Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 1, from OG Action Hero to Illinois Jones.
• The Golden Boy skin offers an evil version of Johnny Cage, with luxurious gangster vibes, and is free for fans.
• Johnny Cage’s Baptized By Fire skin is a nice homage to Captain America for everyone who plays the Khaos Reigns ​​​​​​story expansion.

Since the beginning of the Mortal Kombat franchise, Johnny Cage has been a fan favorite and that continues to be the case in Mortal 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.

10

New Era – Laurel Canyon

The Original Movie Continues To Influence The Games

• How To Unlock: Reach level 10 in the Johnny Cage mastery

Johnny has several variants of his base New Era skin that shine, including Laurel 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 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, with the green shirt and brown pants.

While the Mortal Kombat movie 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 to Mortal Kombat music.

9

New Era – Splits And Fists

This Outfit Proves That Johnny Has A Hot Fashion Sense

• How To Unlock: Defeat the Dark Star Cage boss during Season Of The Specter

From the first season of Mortal Kombat 1 came a lot of fire-themed skins for characters, including Splits And Fists for Johnny Cage. It takes the New Era template 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 or team up with his ninja ally Scorpion to defend the realm from the corrupted Lin Kuei clan.

8

Union Of Light – Hollywood And Vein

A Healthy Mix Of Old And New Johnny Cage

• How To Unlock: Purchase for 1000 Koins from the Seasonal Store during Season Of The Blood Moon

If the movie star look is a little too opulent for some people, the Union Of Light skin achieves a proper balance between looking like a professional fighter with a little modern style added to the mix. The Hollywood And Vein palette 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 original Mortal Kombat arcade, where he sported red and black. As a result, the skin feels like a nice balance between older and newer versions of Johnny Cage.

7

New Era – California Freezing

A Johnny Perfect For The Winter Season

• How To Unlock: Purchase for 1000 Koins from the Seasonal Store during Season Of The Cryomancer

Little details go a long way in the California Freezing palette, 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 cold in 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 a Mortal Kombat version of Jack Frost, in the best way possible.

6

Order Of Darkness – Golden Boy

Evil Johnny Looks Like A Flamboyant Crime Lord

• How To Unlock: Log into the game to get the skin for free

The Order Of Darkness is intended to be the evil counterpart of Johnny Cage, and the Golden Boy is 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.

5

Wu Shi – Dragon Fist

The Whole Roster Gets The Wu Shi Academy Treatment

• How To Unlock: Complete Level 80 in the Seasonal Tower

One of the harder skins to get, the Dragon Fist skin 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 when the powerful Fire God Liu Kang is training them in preparation for the tournament between Earthrealm and Outworld.

The main Wu Shi skin 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.

4

JCVD – OG Action Hero

It Took Over Three Decades To Get Van Damme Into Mortal Kombat

• How To Unlock: Purchase the Premium Edition, the Kollector’s Edition, or Kombat Pack 1

The Mortal Kombat franchise came full-circle with the JCVD skins, which feature the face and voice of Jean-Claude Van Damme. The OG Action Hero palette of the skins even featured Van Damme wearing Johnny Cage’s original outfit from the first Mortal Kombat game. This made longtime fans happy, as Mortal Kombat was 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 of many pieces of DLC from Year One and are available on all systems if players own the Standard Edition.

3

Illinois Johnny – Method Actor

A Costume That Belongs In A Museum

• How To Unlock: Randomly found via the Shrine

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 1 further celebrates this connection with a skin called Illinois Johnny, and the base palette is Method Actor, which looks nearly identical to Harrison Ford’s character in Raiders 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.

2

WWII Johnny – Baptized By Fire

Another Johnny From Another Dimension

• How To Unlock: Complete the Khaos Reigns expansion Story mode

Thanks to the Khaos Reigns expansion for Mortal Kombat 1, fans were introduced to an unexpected alternative version of Johnny Cage who fought in World War 2, resulting in the palette known as Baptized 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 to Captain America from Marvel Comics with the star-spangled pauldron and other details found in the skin. Even in the Khaos Reigns story, Johnny tries throwing a shield in the same vein as Captain America.

1

Infiltrator – Earthrealm Action Hero

Liu Kang Created A Perfect Hero Suit For His Warriors

• How To Unlock: Log into the game to get the skin for free

The Infiltrator suits 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 Hero is 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, was short-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.