In the Mortal Kombat 2 trailer you might have seen that Jade, the warrior from Edenia, looks a little different. If you’re like me you probably raised an eyebrow or two. Let’s talk about why Jade looks different in the new movie.
The most obvious change is Jade’s hair, or should I say, the fact that she doesn’t have any. In almost all the Mortal Kombat games Jade has long hair which is usually in a ponytail or fancy braids. In the Mortal Kombat 2 trailer Jade, played by Tati Gabrielle, has a shaved head. This has caused a lot of buzz among fans.
So why the big change? Tati Gabrielle is a talented actress known for her roles in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and The 100. In many of her roles she has a shaved head or very short hair. It looks like the creative team of Mortal Kombat 2 decided to go with Gabrielle’s usual look or her current hairstyle might have influenced their decisions during production.
It’s common for shows to change character designs to fit an actor or to handle scheduling issues with other projects. Producer Todd Garner said there’s a reason for Jade’s appearance in the movie. He said it’s not just a style choice but something important to the story. He said to watch the movie and see that there’s a plan for her in the future of the franchise.
Besides her hair her costume seems to have a different vibe. It keeps the green and gold colors but they look a bit less bright and more practical. This matches the down to earth, tough style of the first Mortal Kombat movie. It’s common for live action adaptations to make video game costumes less flashy. Designers do this to make the outfits look more realistic for movies.
Another big difference is she’s not wearing her mask. In the games Jade usually wears a mask that hides the bottom part of her face. In the movie you can see all of Tati Gabrielle’s face. This might give the actress more ways to show her feelings which is important for a movie where time is of the essence. It helps the audience connect better with how the character reacts.
Just remember Mortal Kombat has a long history of changing and reinterpreting its characters across multiple games and media. Jade herself has had different looks and even ethnicities throughout the series. So the shaved head may be new for the character on film but it’s not unusual for the series to update the designs.
In the end it’s cool to see a new take on a beloved character especially when brought to life by an actress as talented as Tati Gabrielle even if some fans may be initially shocked or maybe a little turned off by the changes. To see the full context of these design decisions and how they impact Jade’s role in the story we’ll have to wait till Mortal Kombat 2 hits theaters on October 24, 2025. I for one can’t wait to see this new aggressive Jade in action!
