CLOSE THIS, LOCK IT, DELETE IT, I WANT IT GONE
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posted12/11/2010 05:02 AM (UTC)by
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XiahouDun84
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02/19/2004 05:54 PM (UTC)
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UlcaTron
02/17/2007 07:40 AM (UTC)
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Ummm... Wow... I read that all in about 30 Minutes and Those are very good points! I never really thought of any of that... Though you see, I have had pictures of that. I can see Sub-Zero as a protagonist. I like that. Nice Post Man. And Yes, yes I am alive lol



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Sub-Zero_7th
02/18/2007 11:06 PM (UTC)
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Cool thread, XiahouDun84. It's a long but interesting read.

Regarding the big plots you listed so far....

Liu Kang plot

I think Liu Kang's storyline is generally underrated. While I'm not a fan of him, what seems to get overlooked are the difficulties he has to go through as Champion of Mortal Kombat, a title that I think he partially feels is a burden. You're definitely right regarding him in Shaolin Monks. That should've been the game in which we explore on Liu Kang's personality, ESPECIALLY on how his victory in Shang Tsung's Mortal Kombat tournament lead to the death of his fellow Shaolin monks. I hated that they had him and the other heroes there during the attack.

Now that he's no longer the "main hero" along with the status of his spirit, I don't see him making it to the future unless he becomes something like Jaga from Thundercats. I'm not sure if you've seen that show, but if you have, you'll know what I mean.

Sub-Zero/Lin Kuei clan

Given that Sub-Zero was raised in an ancient, secretive clan of warrior assassins for hire, I can't really imagine him having a mentor type figure in his story like Liu Kang has had.

I think one thing they need to do is to have one or two more neo Lin Kuei characters. That way, we can really see Sub-Zero act his role as a mentor figure. For the foils, I guess that's also where the other Lin Kuei characters can come in. Hell, possibly even Cyrax could fill that role if they were to team up someday.

As for love interests, I think it would seem kind of out of place for him. I imagine Sub-Zero being a very asexual person, and I'm not sure about a Sub-Zero/Sareena relationship.

Sub-Zero's anthithesis? You know, I might actually have to go with Noob Saibot despite the contrast between Sub-Zero and Sektor. The reason why I'm going with Noob Saibot is because with the way Sub-Zero's story is, they seem to want to set up Noob Saibot to be his main antagonist, and there's the factor of Sub-Zero straying away from the path that could've led him to the same fate like his brother's.

Then there's Cyrax and Sektor. Cyrax values his humanity while Sektor doesn't, and with Sektor being enemies with the Special Forces, the group that Cyrax is currently a part of, I definitely see those two cyborgs having more of that connection.

I see more room for Sub-Zero's story. There's the whole thing about his Cryomancer ancestry, something I'm surprised you didn't mention. I see this as being a big part of his next-gen story. I'd love to see how it can be explored and what can be done.

Kitana/Edenia

Kitana's storyline is somewhat like Sub-Zero's in that they were assassins raised from a young age who eventually become heroes, trying to forge a new destiny for themselves. What separates Kitana's story from Sub-Zero's, and one thing that gives her more of that "main protagonist" feeling than him, is her connection to Shao Kahn, one of the main villains in the story.

I feel that the Edenian sub-plot kind of drags her story down a bit, especially since we have characters like Sindel and Jade, both of whom I like a lot but haven't gotten much development. Let those two handle with matters like that.

Like with Liu Kang, Shaolin Monks was a blunder for Kitana. MK2 is the MK game that introduced Kitana, and I think Shaolin Monks, which is supposed to have fleshed out the events after MK1 - the battle against Shao Kahn in MK2, should've shown how Kitana slowly went to the good side and how she helped the heroes and stuff.

Armageddon could've been the game in which Kitana went back to becoming the "main heroine", leading the Forces of Light against the Forces of Darkness. However, with Johnny Cage doing that, there's a wonder as to what the hell Kitana is doing instead. Either way, at this point, I don't see a "main heroine" of MK.

We could possibly see characters like Sindel, Jade, or even Li Mei fill that role, something I wouldn't mind seeing.

Kitana's potential future lies within what exactly she could do and where things can go from there.

Sonya Blade/Special Forces

I think when people think of the Special Forces in MK, there'd usually be a mental image of Sonya and Jax, more so Sonya as she's been in MK since the first game and that she has more of a prominent role than Jax.

You hit it on the nail when you brought up Sonya's lack of character development. This is what separates her and her story arc from Sub-Zero and his. We've seen Sub-Zero grow and evolve into the leader and mentor that he is today. Sonya, on the other hand, hasn't changed much, if at all.

I think Deception or Armageddon should've been the game in which we see some sort of drastic and interesting change in her, namely due to her time serving Onaga. Like with the other 4, I would've liked to have seen some insights as to her experiences and whatnot during her servitude to the Dragon King.

In her own story, yeah, she's the protagonist, but I don't see much else going for her. Who is her antithesis? Is it Kano? Is it Mavado? Some other character? Or maybe there's no antithesis for Sonya at all. Perhaps if she were to continue on, Jax could potentially become Sonya's antithesis.

Scorpion

I'm not going to go much into Scorpion as he's just one big mess that needs lots of sorting out. He's got his own story arc, one that doesn't play much relevance to any of the main stories.

Reptile

I'm not sure if I'd count Reptile as a protagonist, but he sort of does have his own story arc. What confuses me about Reptile's overall story is when he knows of Kahn's involvement in the enslavement and destruction of his people. I see him having the potential of stepping out of the henchman role and doing something more, unlike characters such as Baraka, who've been very 1-dimensional throughout the series.

Overall, clarity is one big problem MK's story faces, especially regarding little plot things such as Shinnok's amulet, which seems to have a multitude of different uses. A clear and consistent explanation of events greatly helps give a better understanding of the MK storyline and stops the fans from having to sort out what they feel/think is canon or not.
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Shinnok-fan64
02/18/2007 11:43 PM (UTC)
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great thoughts, XiahouDun, i agree with almost all of them. I personally think Scorpion's MK2 wasn't canon, as it seemed he wanted to kill Subby even after he vowed not to.

Still, awesome thoughts.smile
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XiahouDun84
02/19/2007 06:32 AM (UTC)
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Sub-Zero_7th
02/19/2007 10:29 PM (UTC)
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So you are familiar with Thundercats then. In that case...*impersonates Red Eye*

And the trrrrreasssurrre will be ourrssss!!!!

Ok, now that I got that out of my system...tongue

I'd rather see Liu Kang go, but I wouldn't mind him having a role similar to that of Jaga's. I just don't want him to be a playable character and not someone who will have much in the story.

For Sub-Zero, having foils could be interesting for him to have. The question lies within thinking up some pretty original ideas for those particular kinds of characters, which I'm sure is hard to do.

I do remember and understand your points about the Sektor/Sub-Zero and Noob Saibot/Scorpion thing. I'm sure that back then in the olden days, when Sub-Zero and Sektor (as a human) were serving the Lin Kuei, Sub-Zero perhaps saw Sektor as a bit of a brown-nosed son of a bitch. It'd be nice to see an MK game based on the story for the Lin Kuei, delving into their origins and all that. I have some origin ideas that I think would be neat to have. I haven't quite fleshed them out though.

While I like Daegon, I don't know if he really has the potential for the next-gen like Rain does. I kind of see him as more of a "one-time only" type character, and I think Rain would be nice to see as an antagonist for Edenia.

Perhaps Edenia could use some new antagonists and even characters who perhaps fall closer to the grey area. Like with the concept for Sub-Zero's foils, I'm sure coming up with new Edenian antagonists would be difficult in terms of finding something original and not cliche. I think it'd be nice if there were an Edenian character that isn't involved in the Edenian sub-plot at all. I guess Kitana could be that character if she were to be in the future games.

One story idea for Edenia could involve Sindel's death and Kitana's refusal to take the throne, thus putting Edenia in a bit of chaos and having to find a new ruler. Then that can bring in Rain, who would gladly take the thrown and have some characters oppose him for whatever reasons.

I wouldn't be surprised if Armageddon won't be much of an "end of the era", and I think we can thank Vogel and the other storywriters for that. So I guess in a way, it's a bit of a "Fuck you!" to whoever decided to have (almost) all the characters in MKA and try to end this saga.

Li Mei in a future post? Ok, I'll wait for that along with Raiden, who I'm looking forward to discussing.

Sonya's chances of returning, imo, are kind of a 50/50 thing, maybe even less. She is quite popular, but she doesn't have much going for her other than that (ok, ok...there are those perky breasts of her's, but that's not going to do much tongue). I think one big question is how far can they really take her story. Also, how much can they really do with her to keep her fresh and interesting? Maybe exploring her past would help, thus introducing a new character. I don't know.

If she's going to return, which I am more so against, she's in desperate need for character development. I'm not sure about Kira possibly becoming her antithesis, especially with the way they seemed to have no interaction, at least none that we know of so far.

Well, that's all I can say here.
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Drifting_Ravage
02/20/2007 02:10 AM (UTC)
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I don't really have anything to add right now, but this has some excellent points. Well worth the read.
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Hikari715
02/20/2007 11:28 PM (UTC)
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Wow... fantastic as always, XD84. *claps*
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PsychoFight
02/21/2007 03:58 AM (UTC)
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I just wanna say that I kind of enjoy the fact that as far as characterization goes, the creators are vague. It's all about how deeply we read into it. And we can go as deep as we want. As long as it doesn't contradict the plot, we can really make our own interpretations as to how they evolve or grow or whatever - like that thread about our perceptions of what the characters' relationship may be like. I kinda like it like that.

I'll give my own opinions later.
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XiahouDun84
02/22/2007 03:46 AM (UTC)
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02/22/2007 05:28 AM (UTC)
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Great work, and an excellent read; I appreciate you taking out the time to write all this. You've put down most of my ideas and thoughts into words, especially about Quan Chi, and the Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Noob circle.

About Sonya, I believe her antithesis would be Havik. I doubt Sonya even knows Havik exists, and vice-versa, but Havik does seem to be the root of the thorn in Sonya's side in a way. Havik took Kabal under his wing, turning him evil again, and the Black Dragon clan is born anew. Havik is very contrasting to Sonya, as Sonya represents order and good, and Havik is to chaos and evil (good in his eyes, I suppose).

I don't know where this would go though. Havik doesn't have much concern with controlling the world, he just seeks to create chaos and disorder, whereas Sonya wants peace. Sektor and Mavado could pose as enemies to her, but both characters seem to be headed in Sub-Zero's direction. Sektor, as you explained, has enough reason to attack Sub-Zero, and not the Special Forces.

The Red Dragon clan was enlisted to destroy the Lin Kuei in DA, but that didn't take flight apparently. Mavado did defeat Kenshi, but I don't know if he defeated Kano or not. Kano seems to have a knack for feigning death, so if he did fight Mavado and lose, I have a hunch he somehow survived. The Red Dragon rivalry with the Lin Kuei has not been established, even non-existent at this point, as neither resulting game has made note of it.

So, bottom line, I'm drawing a blank for Sonya right now. I was thinking Havik at first, but Hotaru could be Havik's antithesis, and rightfully so. That could also be flipped though, as Sonya seeks rightful order, whereas Hotaru is more aggressive and pretty much considered evil by his actions.

Jax would be an interesting antithesis though. Although her bio is very vague about Jax's disappearance, it could go both ways. Sektor and the Tekunin could kill Jax, thus fanning the rivalry, or Jax could actually join the Tekunin as another member pointed out prior to this thread. Sektor, I agree, should face off with Sub-Zero though.

Looking forward to more.
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XiahouDun84
02/23/2007 06:07 PM (UTC)
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02/23/2007 08:56 PM (UTC)
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I didn't even think of Kira. With what we know about her right now, I'd agree that Kira could be Sonya's antithesis. However, we don't know where Kira's headed, and whether or not they'll change Sonya's storyline. I think, if they decide to keep Kira's persona and story the same, but moved Sonya up to an A-list character in the central plotline, then it'd be worthwhile.

Kira could also be bumped up to an A-list character, along with the Black Dragon, but we'd probably have to resort to that "Sonya hates the Black Dragon clan, arrgh" crap again, as I don't see Kira being the kind to complete something on her own. She does seem to be calculating; I suspect she's using the Black Dragon for some greater purpose, but who knows where they take her.

Both characters have potential, but neither seem to be going anywhere. Sonya has had more time to develop compared to Kira--several games worth--and they seemed to have missed that chance. Kira is new though, and she might be the door to let Sonya in the mainstream storyline and make her important again. That MKDA story was new, but Armageddon really did cripple any chance Sonya had there. There isn't much to do as a slave under a spell, yeah, but something could have been added I feel.

Frost just came to mind right now. I read somewhere that there was a feud between Sonya and Frost in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, but I have no idea where that came from. Was there actually some conflict between them, or was that just speculation, or something from Konquest that I missed? Frost doesn't seem to be her antithesis as much as Kira, but it does seem like there was some bad blood between them in the first place.
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Sub-Zero_7th
02/24/2007 12:15 AM (UTC)
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Yeah, there's a hatred between Frost and Sonya as mentioned in MKDA's Konquest.
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PsychoFight
02/24/2007 12:48 AM (UTC)
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Sonya was doing a mission in Arctika and as she was coming near the Lin Kuei Temple, Frost perceived her to be a spy. She was trespassing. So she went at her.........and yeah.

That's according to Frost's Konquest in DA. In Sonya's Konquest, it mentions that "her first meeting with Frost wasn't good. She had a score to settle." So she didn't get turned off by Frost at that moment, because it wasn't the first time they met. THAT was how it went down.
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02/24/2007 09:56 AM (UTC)
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*Opens up 2 "tabs". One for reading the looong posts--one for typing thoughts as I read* lol


A Few Interesting Answers

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
As of now, it seems Liu Kang is no longer the "main hero," so the big question is not only who will take his place...but if Liu returns after Armageddon, will he still be a main protagonist? The most likely candidate to take up after Liu Kang has always been considered Kung Lao. It seemed in Deadly Alliance we were going to see the start of Kung Lao stepping up. However, we then got the introduction of Shujinko who was touted as the "next generation Liu Kang." Shujinko though, was rejected by fans and now in Armageddon we've been introduced to Taven. However, since the main storyline of Mortal Kombat has been primarilly about Earth's defence, it would seem strange for an Edenian character to be the "main hero."
(I'll get into Shujinko & Taven in greater detail another time)

Liu Kang was no doubt the "main hero" of the old generation of Mortal Kombat. And as stated, this made him one of the main protagonists pretty much by default. They seem to be looking for someone new to take the mantle of "main hero," so will Liu remain one of the main protagonists? Will Kung Lao take up the mantle? Will Liu adopt a new role as a "mentor" to a new character?
Guess we'll see.


You know, I never pictured Shujinko like the succeeding hero//protagonist//Liu Kang type character....ever really. Even after they explained him in Shujinkos' card I still really only thought of him as an insightful addition to the roster. I even think the way that they chose to explore Shujinkos past was by far the best way they've built up any new character thus far. Which you can probably imagine by this point, made it really hard for me to understand how people couldn't like him. I mean, considering we all virtually grew up with this character. Y'know what I mean?

I know the dislikes, but to me, they seem really small in contrast to how well Shujinko was made up -- How much thought was given to make him recievable.....to the fans. My reaction to others' dislikes about him was like: "Wow." And though I understand what the dislikes are about him....I simply choose not to believe the complaints are exceptable. Especially considering the malnutrition most of the other new characters have suffered and furthermore...All the damn bitching from people wanting a character with depth and meaning, wanting to know all the details in the past of a character, ect... I think he's got about as much potential as we can ask for from a new character. "Ungratful" rings when I think of the reception of Shujinko.... Idk, I'll stop about that for now though, and just say I like "Ol' Jinko" regaurdless of the masses oppinion.

====

About Liu returning in anyway, I think the best way to take him in the story would be to retire him....All the way. He should go the way the Elder Kung Lao went (since that has always been cannon) "honorable, yet not so fair death". The interesting difference between Liu and the Elder K. L.? I feel like the deciptful death of Liu should provoke any new protagonist to have Liu as a kind of "spiritual influence". Maybe even the Elder K. L. along with him. That certainly would certify any new "hero" and more than solidify " the chosen one" title. It could even give insight to how these champions make characters like Raiden and Fujin "connected" to the main hero. Not just "favorite pupil", allowing purpose to the relationship instead of just favortism.

I never liked that the connection was drawn between them like that. Especially because Gods aren't supposed to be that way about anything anyway...right?

=====

About a new protagonist, I would be interested in seeing Kai as the new champ of EarthRealm. People like him like that already. He's already aligned Good, . Besides that, , he's got all the makings being apart of the White Lotus Society, and he's not doing anything in his story right now but soul searching. Aheh....Let him "find" Liu Kang within his purpose as a warrior. Lol!

I feel like Kung Lao should be that semi-bitter sensei. Leather tough teacher. Very strict, very wise about his place in conjuction to the tournaments history and forth. But at the same time, uncontrollably concerned about the pupils he takes on to teach. Kung Lao's personalitly is Pai Mei from Kill Bill. Especially after years of mostly only being the "right hand man"or "winner by association". He should replace Bo Rai Cho to me because, there's a long time defined understanding of why he could train anybody....And that is, because he was the best....but only essentially.

I think if Kung Lao ever did become the main guy, it should be kind of instantaneous in his story. He might "come out of retirement" to assist a pupil, similar to the way Bo Rai Cho does, but consequently avenge Liu Kang and his ancestor, The Elder Kung Laos' death's in one swoop. Making him "official" once and for all, it'd be wonderful if he destroyed Goro & Shang Tsung in the process of assisting his pupil on thier mission.... Nobel, Wise, Sensei, Compassionate, Patient, Redeemed, are a few words that come to mind when a story like that blossoms..
But that's just my take on it.

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
If anything held Sub-Zero down as a protagonist, it's that he's always...and still currently is...distant from the main storyline. He has no real direct ties to the "hero squad" of Liu Kang and co. He's always been sort of an outsider to that group...which serves him because it helps establish him as a protagonist of his own, but also holds him down as an "important" figure. However, as the story has progressed, we've seen Sub-Zero slowly growing closer towards becoming something of a "main hero." Some have speculated that he will be the one to take that role after Liu Kang.

So where will the Sub-Zero/Lin Kuei story go after Armageddon? Will he become the new "main hero" as some are predicting him to be or will he remain "the other hero" of the story? Will it even be the current Sub-Zero in the next generation? He wasn't the first...who's to say he'll be the last? The Sub-Zero character and the Lin Kuei storyline remains consistantly fresh and always changing...so regardless of where happens, Sub-Zero is and probably always will be one of the main protagonists of Mortal Kombat. And rightfully so, I think.


Lord, I hope he doesn't "replace" Liu Kang like that. Phew! That was a little scarry to consider....lol

Anywho, I've always liked that about Mk. To where, each character had thier own life and problems going on. Like a "Living Forrest" of things and events if you will. "Fruitful", once that kind of a concept hits the minds stomach. It's really why I think people love the Mk story.

So with that said, no matter what happens with Sub-Zero, as long as he has his own little portion of the MK "Living Forrest".....I'll love to read of him.

Actually, I take that back, the "no matter what" bit. I wanna see Sub Zero ascend to GrandMaster for real. I think that if there ever were a real spin on the whole Darth Vader thing(cuz I know that's been mentioned in association to Noob Saibot), it should be Sub-Zero.

I also would love more insight on the workings of the Lin Kuei (recruiting ect...). For a long time actually, Sub Zero was the only understanding of the Lin Kuei. I wanna see how they work....how they acquire more of their members. Even further than that, how many tpyes of the Lin Kuei are there? And who are they//they're leaders and factions of// How do you earn your stripes? Ect..ect..ect....


XiahouDun84 Wrote:
What does the future hold for Kitana and/or Edenia? The Edenia storyline has been thus far, Kitana's storyline...so the question is: after Armageddon, will this continue to be so? If Kitana retires, will Edenia go with her, or will Jade take up the mantle and grow into a protagonist of the next generation? Or if not Jade, perhaps Taven? Introduced in Armageddon, he is a figure in Edenia, will he be the new central Edenian character? And how will the Edenia sub-plot remain revelant in future storlyines? And what if Kitana does return? Will she still be the center of Edenia or will she goes solo? And if Kitana can or will no longer be the unofficial "main heroine," who will take her place in that role?
Guess we'll have to see.


I've expressed this before once actually. I think Members like Kitana or Sindel should fall back and delegate after MkA. I think I feel that vibe of irrelavancy that you mentioned coming on as a result of Shao Kahn not being so...uhm..."important"? to the story anymore. I'm not exactly sure with Kitana, though I was thinking along the lines of a "Femme Lin Kuei" even. Secret society of female ninjas//assasins//protectors...ect. More along the lines of Rome though, and all the whole Royalty ties being involved. I feel that would be extremely interesting and more-over believably correct considering the chain of command-in-royalty. She..They "should" create//form an army and send their best soldier(s)//warriors to fight in Mortal Kombat....

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
So what will become of Sonya Blade for the next generation? If Jax turns evil, it will likely be Sonya's problem to deal with...unless she passes the mantle to someone else. But who? I personally don't see any of the current cast taking Sonya's place as the central Special Forces character. Maybe someone new? And if a new "main hero" emerges and Sonya returns, will she continue to play a role there?


I thought Jax was Sonyas superior officer? Is that right or wrong?

Besides that, I think Sonya should get older, more mature still, then retire. She could even retire to my Kitana concept, and become the leading "systematic" officer in the "army" of Edenian Royalty. That would give way to a new Main character for the SF.

I don't have much for her right now because I love what they're doing with her. The Tekunin vs SF was nicely set up for a strategic battlefield type confrontation between the two. I feel like I've been waiting for the SF to come alive all these games. Reason being, the SF in real life are--IT. Like, those m-fers are trained like no other to where, if you ever were a female, let alone the leader who is a female in the SF, you would have to be half pass insaine with skills on the battlefield. From that, you may be able to draw my disappointments in her representations in the movies. Not bad, just not even close to accurate.

The whole "chase Kano" plot never got a bunch of my attention because it just seemed too cliche. Women(hot chick) chases the Man(bad boy) in this case . Instead, she is a favorite to me because she is most defined by her appearance, and that she is tied to Higher-end law enforcement. Not a ninja woman...




XiahouDun84 Wrote:
Scorpion is more or less the icon of Mortal Kombat. He's been pretty much guarateed to be in every game. This goes a long way into making Scorpion a major character in the series. However, his messy storyline and developement make his status as an actual protagonist and/or the "anti-hero" questionable. Where will he go after Armageddon? Will he reclaim his role as the "anti-hero" or will he become an antagonist? Or will simply just be there, just because he's Scorpion?


I think unless they ever explore his pre-Mk1....or even futher Pre-Shirai Ryu stuff he will only be there with some justification of a story "just because he's Scorpion". I mean, you're largely right on point with Scorpion man, "we need more concrete."

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
But is that enough? He has no supporting cast of his own...save Khameleon. And while there is the question of whether or not he can be redeemed, his role throughout the series has been little more than a henchman. A well developed one, but still a henchman. And while fairly well-known, he isn't an iconic character on the level of say Sub-Zero or Scorpion. He doesn't have the guarantee that he'll always have a presence in the game.


No.

IF they don't exploit events tied to his past, he might just go away for good. For Reptile to become a defined protagonist, the Reptilian race needs to ressurect, or come unto the spotlight on a more noticable scale. Once that happens Reptile and maybe even Khameleon should reside as a sort of king and queen of their own species. Two leaders//supporting characters///protagonist for their own reasons separate from the main plott of the games' story line. Reptile would be another that..."we need more concrete" on. Otherwise he or his race may not survive....

(All this NOT considering Chameleon btw)

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
Does Kahn have a future in the story and if so, what does that future hold? Armageddon claims to be the end of the era, so logically, Kahn would be pretty high on the hit list. Of all his many enemies, I think Kitana is the one who deserves to be the one to end him. Being his step-daughter and having the most developed relationship with him (Sindel should also play a part as well). But what if Kahn does survive and keep going? I don't think he should be the main villain anymore. That time is over. So what would the future hold for the former Emperor? Maybe they'll explore his past and how exactly he was once like Raiden. Maybe he'll develop into a protagonist?
Guess we'll see.


As my favorite Badguy to this day....Kahn is frustratingly done for. The thing is this, it's that SO many things//characters should trump him right now. Onaga, and then Blaze...those two would've been enough to "chain of power" him out of the picture alone. But then we got Quan Chi in the process, we also kept reforming and making more agile a character out of Shang Tsung, who is another one of my favorite badies as of the latest couple games. Shinnok, where the hell is he now on the scale? THEN, you gotta consider Raiden as somewhat of an equal to him depending on where they show thier stuff at. Taven? Nah...And probably most frustrating to come to terms with, is whether Shujinko is even more powerful. That depends on if Shujinkos' MkD ending was cannon. Which I believe was, confirmed at Fight Night.

You see, taking the power from the main "Big Evil Guy" is a curse only curable by a show of irrefuitable majesty. If you take his Land, His Army, or if you take too many of his allies away from him in any fasion(you know, they dissapear or dispurse or trade or die...ect), Or if you take his life....you kill his story pretty much. All I'm sayin is, the only two ways I see Shao Kahn coming back in any way is if he takes Earth...Or if they rewind the MK clock...Or what if we tried to take OutWorld?? Is Raiden crazy enough to do something like that? It could be justified because he's "overly-protective" of earth right now. That would force Shao Kahn to defend himself..?.. Maybe that's too....(insert an opinion)


===============================================

Probably Editing....Catch up the rest later...

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XiahouDun84
02/24/2007 09:31 PM (UTC)
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reppy
02/26/2007 11:58 PM (UTC)
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Just finished reading this entire post. I love in-depth stuff like this. Very cool, and keep it going!

Regarding Sub-Zero as a mentor character or as having a foil in the form of Frost. Here I thought was a great opportunity for Sub-Zero to really shine. He's reformed the Lin Kuei, he's gone through this lengthy process of selecting a new candidate to become a Lin Kuei member and was so impressed with her skills, that he took her under his wing.

But they decided to plug Frost into the most cliche'd mold they could find. Yet again we get the story of the disciple that stabs their master in the back and attempts to take power for themselves.
*YAAAAWWN*
It almost could've been turned around. In Sub-Zero's MKDA ending we see him carrying a wounded Frost back to the Lin Kuei temple and a lot of people theorized that even after trying to betray him, Sub-Zero still saw something worthwhile in her. Perhaps, after recovering from her MKDA ending and finding herself in the care of the Lin Kuei, she would've matured a bit, and vowed to do anything to redeem her dishonorable actions.
Instead, she's pronounced dead, comes back to life, and vows revenge on Sub-Zero. Oh. My. Frickin. God. This story hasn't already been done to death has it?

Love your insight about Scorpion/Noob and Sub-Zero/Sektor. Really interesting and makes a lot of sense.

About Reptile... like you said, he has the potential to be a protagonist if that one event (whatever it is) would allow him to see the big picture. His role as a protagonist may stem from his constantly getting stomped on by his allies
.
Shang Tsung plans to enslave what's left of his race.
Shao Kahn promises to ressurect his race, then refuses to.
He's assigned to work with Jade only to be double-crossed and left for dead by her.
Shinnok promises to send Reptile back in time to live with his race, then can't be bothered by it.
Nitara gives Reptile purpose for a while, but ditches him the moment she gets her hands on Cyrax; her real objective.

It's the classic case of wanting to see the underdog finally come out on top for once. Also to consider is that Reptile more often than not seems occupied with the greater good of his people rather than his own ambitions. It's this element that makes Khameleon an integral key to his story. Because if the two of them were to hook up (and his MKA ending seems to indicate something along these lines), his greatest need would be fulfilled.
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XiahouDun84
03/01/2007 03:33 AM (UTC)
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03/01/2007 06:29 AM (UTC)
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Woo, finally. I was beginning to think you forgot about this thread! Awesome, where to begin...

I always liked Raiden. In Mortal Kombat, he didn't have much weight (except for being 350 lbs). He did receive a personal invitation from Shang Tsung, if that would hold any merit. However, that "I'm bored, time to play with humanity on the line" depiction did not really appeal to me.

By Mortal Kombat II, he seemed to shape up a bit. He warned the gang, gave up his Elder God status, and if I remember correctly, sacrificed his immortality in order to assist them in killing Shao Kahn.

By the time Mythologies came out, his role as a mentor was already created. Although the events with Sub-Zero and Shinnok's Amulet occured before the Mortal Kombat tournament, Raiden seemed to be much more wiser. He told Sub-Zero that he was evil, though he didn't take drastic measures to change that. However, I don't feel there was much to do, as only Sub-Zero could have changed that himself.

Dark Raiden is fairly interesting though. The original Raiden looks cooler, to me, but Dark Raiden opens up a new road, steering off the mentor route. By resurrecting Liu Kang, there's Liu Kang's anguish in knowing that his father figure had basically defiled his body and used it as a tool of evil. Also, this allows Fujin and possibly Kung Lao to step up.

Fujin's role as protector of Earthrealm could become more prominent, and Kung Lao could possibly have to defeat Liu Kang on his own, or face some more personal challenges. Perhaps some final showdown between the two gods and shaolin monks is in order; although the winner is clear, as demonstrated in the last few games...

Just wondering, when can we expect an update, and who are you planning to bring up next?
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03/01/2007 10:33 AM (UTC)
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A Few Interesting Answers


XiahouDun84 Wrote:
So yeah, Quan Chi's firmly established himself as the intellectual evil of Mortal Kombat as a villain who seems to take a very distinct satisfaction in making people's live miserable. A character who seems to always have a "Plan B" ready. I think Quan Chi's accomplishments and presence in the story should solidify him as Mortal Kombat's Number 2 villain after Shao Kahn.


I don't think of him as #2 so much actually. I've always been inclined to think of him as "the leader of some faction outside the main plot of the game." A great methodical manipulator no opposal, but he's always been presented to me as the "not exactly" guy. The Brotherhood of the Shadow fits him perfectly for that main reason. He actually didn't even ring as a serious character until late after MkG was released. MkDa is where he really got on my nerves as an evil guy. I think it was just because his relavance blossomed for me in that game....(i.e. didn't really care about him til then..lol)

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
Like Kahn, does Quan Chi have a future beyond Armageddon? Being one of the main antagonists, it would be logical for him to meet his end now. The most popular candidate to put an end him is Scorpion, which is fairly fitting. Since Quan Chi more-or-less created Scorpion and used him as his weapon, finally getting his comeuppance at Scorpion's hands is a nice touch of poetic justice. However, Scorpion's Armageddon gives no indication that'll happen any time soon. Quan Chi does also have issues with numerous other characters and can keep going. I don't see him ever reforming, so who knows. And if Quan Chi were to come back, could he perhaps surpass Shao Kahn as the "big bad" of Mortal Kombat? He has the mind, but what he lacks is the imposing physical presence. What if that were to change?


Umm, yea I think he will stick around for a little while longer actually. Quan Chi just has that about him. Like you mentioned, he always has a plan B. As far as him surpassing Kahn? No wai d00d. I believe he will reep what he's sewed before that happens. Quan Chi is not the Snake...he's the worm. The parasitic type that has a flaw tangled within all his methology. Simply put, he'll miss one teeny detail and it will cost his life. Either that or he'll meet his match in "the hungry hawk". That said, I don't see him in the next game, but maybe the following one..Mk9 or whatever...No specific concepts yet for him.

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
And finally, there's Shang Tsung...the original "bad guy" of Mortal Kombat. While Shang Tsung can be seen as simply a lieutenant to Shao Kahn, he is a strong enough character and has enough of a presence to be considered among the main antagonists on his own. Dubbed the "symbol of evil" by the MK team, I think it's safe to say Shang Tsung is more than a mere henchman character.


And right you are sir. The true cameleon of the series to me, and the only real antagonist for anybody on-the-roster at any given time....I still want to know all about his entire past. Reason for that is because you never know where he's going or what he's gonna look like next. Ha! So how did this monster come to be? Arguably the only person you can't just put in jail or hold down and expect him to go away. If Shang Tsung hasn't already, I wanna see him master his powers. From decipt to sorcery to shape changer and power inheritor. They got it right when they dubbed him the face of evil, the dude is a beast all by himself.

On a more serious note. I really doubt that, without a controllable type of Quan Chi character, Shang Tsung would know how to maintain the power he seeks to have. That's why I think it was so fitting that an individual close to him (Quan Chi) in the MkDa intro, over-power him like he did. Leads to believe that during his young age, Shang may have been a winner of things....but a spoiled little brat...lol. So inflicted that when something didn't go his way, he would cheat and steal to make it his way. (Can you hear the child fussing?) It's always fun to watch those evil little spawns get what they deserve. His problem though, is that he never learns from these "get what you deserve" lessons correctly, and to make things worse, he has acquired the powers to let him experience those lessons repeadedly. Eternal life through others' deaths..."Soul snatching". Such a nice little touch of irony there isn't it?....

Look, I'm crazy enough to wanna see Shang Tsung reform to the side of good, max out his power potential, maybe teach one pupil his mastery, conceed the fact of life refusing to snatch another soul, and die of plain and simple old age. He might just whither dramaticly....that's all I would ask for to satisfy the demise of Shang Tsung. Until then, I want to see Shang Tsung effect Mk everytime. Just being there to "rub the spot" with some other selfish, evil motive for power is enough to keep seeing him change his face and clothes...lmao

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
Why not Shinnok? He was built up as the main bad guy after Shao Kahn and was the final boss of Mortal Kombat 4. But what hold him down, aside from only being the boss of one game, is he was completely overshadowed by Quan Chi, who turned out to be the real threat. We found out that Shinnok was really just a pawn for Quan Chi since the start. He allowed everyone to think Shinnok was the real threat when he was just secretly waiting for the time to screw him over and reveal he really had the Amulet. In the end, Shinnok's greatest contribution to the story was helping establish Quan Chi as the greater threat.



You called it better than I could here. The vibe everyone hates Shujinko for is the vibe associated with Shinnok for me(and another person. It'll becime evident later). It's the fact that Elder Gods are the "supreme". Supposedly knowing all but just not interfering in any way. To not only regress from that position...that status, but to also be jaded by mediocraty, AND just be a pawn in a lessor beings power hungry-- methological plots....is simply A SHAME. Furthermore, what is all the hooplah about being an elder god if that's all a fallen Elder God looks like//is capable of? I guess I just expected too much from him in comparison to Raiden - a regular god.


Spoilers: (Highlight to reveal)
Come on now, Shinnok should own Quan Chi....mind control and manipulation are easy powers I see even an ex-elder god possesing. He should see it coming. He was probably the biggest powerful let-down in Mk history for me. I hope they go ahead and banish him in the same stupid fasion they did in the movie....Yea, I really don't like Shinnok. More just really REALLY dissapointed.


XiahouDun84 Wrote:
And why not Onaga? Mainly because he's too recent. He's a recent addition to the story that they haven't explored very deeply yet. And because he's too recent, he hasn't much of a chance to have as much impact on the story. He was introduced in a big way with Deception's intro, and seemed like he was going to be a major foe...but it seems as of now, he'll just be a place-holder villain, which is too bad, because I thought he had the potential to be something good.


One thing: He should've been the only one to follow Shao Kahn as the "Big Boss". I know I would have liked him even more given the fmv. The feeling I get is just like you said: "because he's too recent". It's almost as though he decerves a "do-over" or something...hm.

Antithesis Characters:

Kitana: Mileena

Plainly said, I think thier rivalry should be defused in any further Mk games/story-lines. I feel it's enough already. They should find different avenues to explore. I think it's time.

My fore-mentioned concept is an opportunity, and I think their paths have already traveled far enough(as little as they have) away from eachothers to merit such a change... I think it was one of the best we could've gotten between two women ever, but I think Mileena should end up becoming a force of some sort for Kitana in the Militia that is Kitanas' Edenian Royalty....somehow anyway. And maybe a problem with a pupil, volitile race that Mileena has to "deal with" should arise. Creating her own worth-while, "coming episodes" to spawn.

Maybe even give her a very young and ignorant//abused//tormented Tarkata' to take on as a son or daughter type figure?....Idk, but it would be really interesting to see Mileena as a "mother-figure". Other than that, I don't really have much for their likeness/differences....

Sub-Zero: Sektor or Noob Saibot?

Good points man! And btw, Sektor here too. Just reading the underlined provoked the thought.

I feel it's more immediate considering the story his elder-brother has already developed. Noob Saibot doesn't even recognize the younger S-Z as an advesary. Just some-dude with the power of freeze. "I don't care about their relationship, so why would the characters?"- Is the way I see it.
It also makes sense to the mind.....once people think about it.

"Levels" or "Grades" come to mind here. Elder Subs' the guy who went all the way to the 12th grade...but didn't graduate(because somebody killed him)...Scorpion was in his "grade"....if you will. The younger SZ can have an issue with Sektor becasuse, they are both still alive now, which would make perfect sense to the living. Sektor was the elder S-Zs' mess left behind for the younger brother to deal with.....It's just not recognized by the young S-Z at first because he's living his life...He has his own(for lack of a better word) "stuff", going on and will have to come to this problem "in progress".....with an ally.........."Sonya" and the SF.


That's how I see that being interestingly played out....

Scorpion: Noob Saibot

Nail on the head:

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
They also still share an elemental quality...Scorpion being fire, represents light, while Noob Saibot, being shadow, represents darkness. And it also provides a nice full circle feeling. Sub-Zero created Scorpion and Scorpion created Noob Saibot...and in the end, it comes back to Scorpion and the original Sub-Zero.


^^My thoughts written out......^^

I was thinking one day, "what if" y'know? What if Scorpions' Shirai Ryu were to ever be ressurected amongst all our "fun" cannon material? What if?....
Then I thought-- NOOB SAIBOT AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE SHADOW!!!

Listen, just like you said, light vs dark....the ultimate battle of the two most loved ninjas in M-K. Scorpion would have to be redeemed of course, and everyone watching this unfold would need to pay close attention. Who would win? Amongst these two iconic Mk figure-heads? The bitter -cold of the heartless, emotionless Sub-Zero-now Noob Saibot? OR, The now redeemed, yet tainted by his past Spectre Scorpion?... IdK, but it sure as hell would be lovely to see happen....

haha!

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
However beyond that, I don't see that much between the two. Perhaps if they further developed the ways Shang Tsung is Liu Kang's "evil mirror image," their rivalry would have been better and perhaps even brought some development to Liu Kang. Showing how he responds to seeing what he could've been if he was corrupted by evil. Or maybe Liu is aware of that connection and that was part of the reason Liu chose to spare Shang's life at the end of the first Mortal Kombat?


They both kept coming back to fight up until right after MkA?

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
No character who represents he own dark potential.


It's systematics vs (what's a word that negates formality that would accurately describe Kano in this case?) irraticy? sparatticy? non-conformate? Tyrant? idk exactly how to word it, but I can see it in my head...lol

===============================================

I NEED to do Raiden and Master Bo Rai Cho in thier own post...

Layd-

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Barakaz_cuz
03/01/2007 09:53 PM (UTC)
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ThePredator151 Wrote:
Kitana: Mileena
Plainly said, I think thier rivalry should be defused in any further Mk games/story-lines. I feel it's enough already. They should find different avenues to explore. I think it's time.

My fore-mentioned concept is an opportunity, and I think their paths have already traveled far enough(as little as they have) away from eachothers to merit such a change... I think it was one of the best we could've gotten between two women ever, but I think Mileena should end up becoming a force of some sort for Kitana in the Militia that is Kitanas' Edenian Royalty....somehow anyway. And maybe a problem with a pupil, volitile race that Mileena has to "deal with" should arise. Creating her own worth-while, "coming episodes" to spawn.

Maybe even give her a very young and ignorant//abused//tormented Tarkata' to take on as a son or daughter type figure?....Idk, but it would be really interesting to see Mileena as a "mother-figure". Other than that, I don't really have much for their likeness/differences....


I agree, their rivalry has gotten stale and needs to end.

I highly doubt that Mileena would stoop that Low and just suddenly join Kitana and friends. Even if their rivalry was to end, they are not going to become best friends. Her hatred for Kitana goes deep...I doubt it will ever really go away.

I would love to see Mileena become Emperess of Outworld. If Onaga and Shao Kahn die in MKA, this would leave Outworld Ruler-less. And Techincally, Mileena is the only thing close to an Heir he has, she would be a good canidate. Also she wouldn't be after Kitana and everything she owns, she'll have everything that she can call her own. That would lead to some conflict with other characters such as:

1.) Perhaps she favor's centurians as compared to Shokan? Or maybe even the Tarkatans? Either Way, it could lead to a Civil War in Outworld, which would be interesting.

2.) Anyone wanting power for themselves would be pissed. (Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, etc.) They could try and Coup her or maybe even Marry her to become Emperor!

3.) Characters like Bo Rai Cho, Ermac, and Li Mei. They would be thrilled to have gotten rid of Tyranny in Outworld, then all of a sudden, Mileena takes the throne and all hell Breaks Loose and goes into a civil War. Ermac, "Shit..."

There are many other possibilites as well. Also even if she doesn't become empress, she still has potential.

I always liked the idea of Mileena harboring Baraka's Child. Telling him that his/her grandfather was Royalty and his/her father was a great general of Outworld. And Outworld is being run by someone else (Could be anyone Really). Telling him that he is the real Heir to the throne, that would make an interesting New Character.

Also I don't know how it would work, but I would love her to have a rivalry with Tanya.

But those are just my Opinions.
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XiahouDun84
03/01/2007 10:43 PM (UTC)
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03/03/2007 10:39 AM (UTC)
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A Few Interesting Answers



XiahouDun84 Wrote:
Raiden started out in Mortal Kombat as kind of a wild card character. In the early games, he was simply an angry mystical guy who entered the tournaments because he was bored. However, as the sries progressed...and due to the movies...Raiden was changed from a rampaging nutbar into the benevolent Guardian of Earth that we know now. And with this...we've seen Raiden adopt a "mentor" role.


You mention the very fabric of why I am a #1 fan of Raiden today. "Angry Mystical guy".....and then...."Mentor"....

Raiden, in the begining was a bit more feirce a character than games like Mk4. Which was probably the only game I utterly dissaproved of what they did with him. Other games had little unappreciated fluxes, but for the vast majority, Raiden remains "right at the top of the pyramid" for me.

In the movies, I liked the actor, not so much the portrail of MY character. Which wasn't so bad I guess, but I firmly believe he should consistanly relate to that initial Raiden, back in Mk1-2. So I won't complain, so much as I'll probably never stop suggesting....aheh (fav character, wuddayagunnado?)


I actually liked the adoption of the mentor role in Raiden. For me, and considering that he to Mk, has always been a god, that aspect was always simple...almost common sense to me. Like "What Else would a God and only Protector of Earth do?"


XiahouDun84 Wrote:
"Mentor" characters are very common, especially in stories like Mortal Kombat. They are hardly ever depicted as central protagonists. Their roles in the story is mainly to guide and teach the hero/heroes in their journey. Their puprose is to enable the hero or heroes with the skills or confidence or whatever they need to overcome their obstacles. In Mortal Kombat 3, we see Raiden choosing a specific group of warriors to fight Shao Kahn's invasion...later in Trilogy personally joining them in the battle. And we see this trend continue on in subsequent games and it has since been retconned that he served a similar role in the first two Mortal Kombats.

Raiden is most commonly depicted as Liu Kang's personal mentor, however unlike Bo' Rai Cho (who also served as a mentor to Kang), Raiden's mentoring goes beyond just Liu Kang himself to the overall hero group. We don't have much insight on Raiden's personal relationships with the other heroes or how exactly he's mentored them....but it's been pretty established that he is sort of their Gandalf. Whenever a new evil emerges, it's been Raiden to gather the good guys together and point them in their direction. Oftewn willing to sacrifice his own god-hood for them.


There. See, the fact that this is Mortal Kombat distorts him being a true mentor for me. The mention or view of him being that "Angry or Aggressive, Mystical, Mentor". I never minded him not being a fore-front character of any sort becasue he would be overwhelming if he was. Considering the element(s) he holds godhood over (thunder and lightning--the most volitile force on earth) It simply made him even more an intriguing character to follow. So, since the retcon, I was always slightly disturbed that they neglected Raiden's back-story and current actions in the mean-time.

What else could they have done with him in the dry spots? establish those relationship with "other" characters as you mentioned they really haven't. Sub-Zero was one who Raiden "appeared" before once or twice, but besides him, nobody else got that particular type of attention from Raiden but Liu....

As I've mentioned, I never really favored that they did that to the Raiden/Kang relationship (or any god for that matter). To where "The Chosen One has a whole God as a mentor. I've recently come to realize the potential significance in the "fallen" prior champions for that particular part of Raidens' involvment with the lead protagonist. The way I did fully approve of Raidens' relationship with Liu was in MkSm, where he would pop up every now and again in the begining of the game....and then even more rare in the later parts of the game....

I feel like that's the persona of "God" in general. "Never on time, but always there when you need him." Add to that an aggressive enough to physically fight God, and there you pretty much have my perseption of what//how Raiden should be. Look and fighting styles would have to compliment, but that's another subject I think....

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
However, Raiden...like Gandalf actually...does more than the traditional "mentor" character. We see him frequently taking a more active role in the story (which makes sense, since he's a playable character). He even has a small supporting cast of his own. Fujin acts as sort of his Kung Lao and he has his own personal nemesis in Shinnok. In Mortal Kombat 4 in paticular, we Raiden as being a little more than a simpe "mentor" since the battle with Shinnok was a personal one for him and also dealt with a war between the gods.


I simply wish that situation to be exploited...or re-exploited if you consider MkMyth-Sub-Zero to be cannon.... That whole sequence to this day is still a mess for me....

Besides that, my interpretaion of "The War of The Gods" is that Raiden would win in his rivalry with Shinnok. He should have a time with Shinnok as a fallen Elder God, but "most volitile element" ?, effects even those who are masters of the inanimate and Dead//Undead.(Raiden by comparison is X-Mens' Magneto)

I liked his "supporting cast" in the comics actually = "Wynd & Rayne"...Though they were nothing alike, kinda made it easy to recieve Fujin, but it makes it really wierd that Rain is there and not associated with Overseeing a different realm.....Sorta since he's the prince , and newly found, a relation to a God.(IF that's all cannon)

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
However, we's now seeing a change in Raiden. With Deception, we're starting to see Raiden possibly taking the first steps away from the "mentor" role and crossing over into being an antagonist. We see him adopting a "darker" attitude and more ruthless approach to defending Earth. Also in Deception, they revealed that Shao Kahn was once like Raiden. I don't think that's coincidence. I mentioned earlier that it seemed Shao Kahn's antithesis was Raiden. Perhaps this will is the beginning of Raiden becoming the new Shao Kahn?


Now, this is new. The first time in history I've ever seen a video game character, who is a God revert to "by any means nessasary" to put a more pertinent grasp on what he was protecting. It's not a new concept objectively, but just new considering the type of character we're dealing with here. That's what I believe makes this change in Raiden so interesting. He just, wasn't supposed to do that. However, I will say that I don't even begin to see him as an antagonist. WHY NOT???......

Because commonly, parents take on a similar role. That's not antony. Something, hypehteticlly, could "taint" the head of the household....making the overall perception of that houshold seem a way.... Then, it just depends on what side of the fence you're on. Which is how I'm viewing Raiden right now. He's not "Evil" or an antagonist-to-be by any means....to me, it just seems like he's extremely pointed in his objectives right now. When usually, letting things do what they do is the mantra of a God. I relate closely with Raiden right now because it looks alot like what I would do If something threatened my comfort. Like, if "they" get pass the first line of defense, then I'm/the ones dear to me are next. See what I mean? Cain't let that happen....by a-ny.....means....ness-a-sary"

So essentially, the "darker" attitude is perfectly justified for me. It's like what would be demanded of any other character (Scorpion, Smoke..ect..) if they were persistantly provoked or tested...jerked with over and over. What's a God supposed to do really? He's supposed to portect. So--Be--It.

The only thing I question is the "trigger", or more-over the initial affect-to-turn that way. Commonly, man is motivated by hunger, pain, or pleasure.....My main question is: "Who//What tipped the cup?" -- Cuz If you, or what you are about gets violated to that point, the activist will emerge...Raiden is both passive aggressive...and aggressive aggressive. Psycologicly speaking...

Lastly...Nope. Both Raiden and Shao Kahn are favorite characters of mine..but Raiden shouldn't ever become a type of Shao Kahn...Ever. From my p.o.v. that would be just too typical man. And it would take away from why Raiden is where he is, and why Shao Kahn is where he is in their separate lives..... Raiden would loose all nobility and Shao Kahn is already done for.... That concept for Raiden rings "Follow Shao Kahn to the Mk Graveyard." That's nothing I wanna see for the God of Thunder and Lightning...and "Protector" of Earthrealm and it all too predictable.

I really hop they don't do that to Raiden.


XiahouDun84 Wrote:
If they develope him right, Raiden can make for an interesting antagonist. Unlike the ones we've already had, Raiden would be a "bad guy" who thinks he's fighting for a good cause. Would lead to troubling conflicts with his allies whom he's led and guided for so long (depending on who returns and who doesn't).


Naturally, I disagree here. I feel like, if he is developed right. He will:

1. Get his hands all bloody...
2. Be dramaticlly confronted or have a tramaitic revalation(flash back of why he sacrificed..Or something that sorts out the lunicy in Raidens head and lets us see it unfold.
3. Re-Re-form and return to the path of his ascention to Elder God-hood. Not with-out consequense or tribulation of course...

I don't like the idea of Raiden "thinking" he fighting for a good cause, simply becasue, the way I see it....it is a righteous cause to be doing what he's doing..."Protecting". Well within his "realm" of jurisdiction for his duties on Earth. "Thinking" -- infers he doesn't know why he's doing what he's doing...or what force is behind what he's doing.... or Ignorance to some degree.

Raiden knows full well why he's doing this and what he's doing it for.
The only undisclosed detail about his current state is: What exactly changed his demenor?
Suggestions include MkD's Shujinkos' ending. Which proclaims sheer irritance....... Essentiallly now, I perceive a more comprehensive =
"Angry Mentor", absent the Mystical factor....hm.

At the same time, I loved the suggested "PuppetMaster" concept applied to Raiden. That's really the freshest aspect of his attitude right now since his bio was released. Any conflicts with a character like Raiden + an undead Liu Kang are futile I beleive. Just get the hell out the way...lol


XiahouDun84 Wrote:
So Raiden served as the overall "mentor" character in Mortal Kombat. While not exactly a central protagonist, he still plays a large and crucial role. I consider Raiden as the unofficial third icon of Mortal Kombat, after Scorpion & Sub-Zero, so I think he will stick around.However it seems his time as the benevolent mentor to the heroes has come to a tragic end. If Raiden is to return, it seems he will evenbtually become one of the main antagonists.


Unofficial 3rd Icon is about how I see it too.

I don't think he's done "mentoring" just yet..

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
Other Mentors
Aside from Raiden, there haven't ben many characters that serve a "mentor" role. Mentors are usually paired with the central protagonists and the only one to have one...aside from Raiden...is Liu Kang with Bo' Rai Cho.

Bo' Rai Cho is an archetypical type of mentor figure. The guy who acts real goofy and you assume shoulnd't be taken seriously, only to find he's a actually a wise and skilled warrior. The best example of this archetype I can give outside of Mortal Kombat is Yoda from Star Wars. When you first saw Yoda, he acted very goofy and Luke didn't believe he could possibly be a great Jedi master...only to discover he was.

I think Bo' Rai Cho is the same way. You first see him and he acts like a drunk and disgusting buffoon, yet he was the guy who managed gave Liu Kang the skills he needed to overcome Goro and Shang Tsung. What makes Bo' Rai Cho a little more interesting than a typical mentor is that Liu Kang is apparently his only success. Kung Lao and Kitana were taught by Bo' Rai Cho and they did not defeat Shang Tsung & Quan Chi. He's teaching Li Mei, however she appears/appeared to be slipping into corruption. His lack of confidence was a factor in his Deception storyline. So like Raiden, Bo' Rai Cho has a more active and persona role in the story than the traditional "mentor" character.



Where I think they missed with Master Bo is in showcasing at least a glimpse of his greatness. Or even just a story-line retrospect that let us know why he should be honored as a sensei. Sure, he appeared in the MkD Conquest, and that exposed us to him, but it did'nt show us what he was personally capable of. For that reason, and why they would ever never reveal his worth is why I can't respect the direction they took Master Bo. He just seems like a drunk from Outworld that Raiden has confidence in....

My questions are: "WHY?" What can he do//has he done that merits him our champions' trainers//teachers//sensei?

I gave him a chance after that (non-cannon)MkConquest series episode vs Shang Tsung,...... but he just "puked" all over my expectations in-game.

Spoilers: (Highlight to reveal)
I don't like him and hope they just get rid of him.....Three games now and he still ain't shit but a Nasty Old Drunk Man with a Stick...


XiahouDun84 Wrote:
Beyond that we've seen no real mentors for the other central protagonists. As mentioned earlier, Sub-Zero has none that we know of. Kitana doesn't....although maybe when she was evil, Shao Kahn could've been considered her mentor. And none for Sonya or Scorpion either. At this point though, if those character did or do have mentors, it's best they're left in the past or backstory. I don't think we need a dozen playable mentor characters.


I think Sub-Zero is a mentor now considering Frost. Or at least has been a mentor. I even think "took her under his wing" was used in that inference...On this point here, S-Z should naturally acquire that aspect of becomeing the Grand Master. I think he should stop at a tribunal. "Fire, Water/Ice, Earth"...or even Wind....pupil or successor of Fujin = = Trained//Mentored by Sub-Zero...

He's worthy to train successrs for the Gods...?....*shrugz*

XiahouDun84 Wrote:
As for future mentors...with Raiden going nuts, Fujin seems like the most likely candidate to take his role. It's been suggested that Kung Lao or Liu Kang's spirit act as mentors for future protagonists. Perhaps if Sonya retires she will be the mentor of whoever takes her place in the Special Forces sub-plot.


Lolz, you know I agree..haha!

Layd-

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03/03/2007 05:22 PM (UTC)
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One quirk: the death or/and defeat of Kung Lao and Kitana was not Bo' Rai Chos failure of tutorship, but the victory of the tenacity of the Deadly Alliance
separately.
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