Group 1: Vipehr
Group 2: Blight
Group 3: Mizrath
Group 4: Ameerah
Mirror match! Umbrascitor versus his own creation in
Full-Kontact Character Beatdown! EASTWIND Name: "Eastwind" immediately brings to mind Clint Eastwood, and looking ahead at the character's Western-inspired design the connection might be a little bit too close. Many characters in MK have their origins based on movie personalities: Johnny Cage
is Jean-Claude VanDamme; Raiden is based on a
storm entity from Big Trouble in Little China; Kano was inspired by the
Terminator and re-inspired by his own portrayal in the MK movie; Darrius takes his cues from characters like
Williams from Enter the Dragon, and (unofficially but very possibly) Morpheus from The Matrix, who is a similar sunglass-wearing black terrorist/resistance fighter. Yet in all those cases the name doesn't seem nearly as much like a direct reference as Eastwind is to Eastwood.
That being said, the name on its own does work very well for the character. It incorporates a compass direction to indicate his wandering nature, and the wind element to mark his connection to the desert. The feel of the name is a good match for his themes. However, it might sound slightly awkward coming from the announcer. "Eastwind Wins" has a double-"win" thing going on that, if spoken too quickly, might come out a little funny. But it's probably not a big problem, since the announcer is pretty good at enunciating -- which is probably why the Elder Gods hired him to preside over all the Mortal Kombat fights.
Appearance: His overall look is fairly unconventional for MK (especially the duster coat in his alternate costume) but it does seem to fit in pretty well. The Western/Southwestern archetype is notably missing from the series (except maybe Kabal's embarassing attempt at an
Elvis impersonation) and Eastwind manages to dodge the "Texas cowboy" stereotype that might have seemed cheesy among the MK roster. Small, personal details like his Aztec God tattoo and medallion, and his distinctive scar pattern, give the character an immediate sense of history; his practical, weatherbeaten clothes and accessories are built around his lifestyle, showing us that he actually has some kind of life outside of getting into Mortal Kombat fights, but he's also adaptable and ready to brawl at a moment's notice. The patterns and textures on his clothes also make him visually interesting enough to be worthy of MK9's focus on graphical detail.
A potential weakness of this design is that the Western theme is highly polarizing in our culture. Some people absolutely love Country-Western music and will listen to
nothing else, while others detest it and avoid it like it's some kind of musical syphillis. Along those lines, some MK fans might embrace a Western character while others might say
NO, MK doesn't have this character already because it doesn't need one -- Mortal Kombat is for ninjas only, and people who fight ninjas all the time like Shaolin monks, samurai, army guys and action movie stars, and
fuck Nightwolf what the hell is he doing here?
Fortunately, Eastwind seems to strike a balance here: Western enough for those who would enjoy it, but not so stereotypical that he'd draw too much ire from those who would hate it.
Story: Years ago, Eastwind was severely beaten and left to die in the desert by Mavado, proving that Mavado's moronic habit of
assuming people are
dead and leaving them behind began at a very early age. The whole "Mavado tries to kill somebody but they're rescued by a mystical stranger" story arc has already been done
twice with Kenshi and Kabal, so either this was a grievous oversight in Eastwind's story or Mavado has somehow been cursed to forever suffer this horrible plot device.
But on further reading, the story claims that Nightwolf's "timely arrival was no coincidence," and that Eastwind's rescue and power boost were meant to happen. So while Havik stumbling on Kabal and Sub-Zero spotting Kenshi in the vast wastes of Outworld were just nigh-impossible accidents, Eastwind's stroke of plot luck actually seems to have a mystical purpose behind it. Maybe Nightwolf was spiritually called to the Aztec God Rock at this particular time, which patches up the plot hole nicely in a perfectly in-character way for everyone involved.
So Eastwind travels the world using his desert powers to become an itinerant superhero shrouded in mystery. He meets "many extraordinary warriors in his travels," whom we assume to be other Kombatants, meaning he probably has some history with figures like Jax, Kano, Stryker, Kai, or even possibly some out-of-realmers who happened to be passing through. The vagueness of this allusion leaves open the possibility for further development without making too many claims. He's not necessarily a Shujinko or Taven who somehow runs into every single character in MK. But for all we know, he might have had a fling with Sonya five years ago after saving her from a Black Dragon ambush. The possibilities are fun to think about, and may or may not ever be answered.
He travels under false names, presumably to stay under the Red Dragon's radar. But keeping out of sight is no longer an option in his ending, when he attracts attention to himself by openly murdering the Emperor of an entire planet. Good thing Mavado leaves so many people for dead that he couldn't possibly recognize any one of them (let alone from twenty years ago), or Eastwind might have gotten into a spot of trouble here. Instead, Mavado seeks to make use of the warrior in the Red Dragon. And unlike what any other MK character would do in this situation, he passes up the opportunity for instant-gratification revenge against Mavado and goes for the
bigger prize -- a free chance at taking down the whole Red Dragon and possibly saving the realms from a lot of future headaches. Like, you know,
Daegon instigating Armageddon. Gameplay: His fighting style is distinctive in that it sounds like a practical, realistic way of fighting that he cobbled together through raw experience rather than formal training. But it's also flashy and characteristic enough to be fun to play. Mixing in an elemental power and weapon has shades of Sub-Zero, and his fighting pace and Quicksand "freeze" move also bear some resemblance. But it's quickly apparent that this guy plays
nothing like Sub-Zero and is actually closer to a grappler. A grappler who can probably long-juggle the
shit out of you.
His moves have both a strong desert-elemental
and brawler theme, with his Throw and his Sandblaster enhanced specials being great examples of blending the two. Most of his specials have innovative tweaks on existing tools in the MK toolbox, but in general they're not
so special that it's like playing a different game from the rest of the roster. There is a glaring exception though, a signature move for Eastwind that plays like nothing else in MK9, and that's his Air Kombos.
This version of the Air Kombo is based on the ones from MKA, but are really just glorified Air Throws and are initiated the same way. And that's good, because we don't want this to replace the universal jump punches and jump kicks that are basic strategy tools for every character. Once he catches you in the air, he has a brief opportunity to do a short combo string, which presumably cancels if you mess it up like any other combo. It's a fun-looking and well-devised system that really makes more sense than in MKA, when everybody was flying around the screen like a
Crouching Dragon Flying Asian movie for no good reason. But it might be a problem since it's an unfamiliar tactic to pull off in a fast-paced game, and thus comes with a higher learning curve than other, simpler characters. And it's also a ripe breeding ground for programming bugs, possibly allowing 100+ or infinite combos for the glitch-savvy player. MKA was
festering with these things and the wounds still haven't healed. A feature like this is cool but needs to be programmed carefully.
His X-ray and Fatalities are unique and full of character. The "Triple Tombstone Takedown" shows quite a sense of humor while also looking devastating and brutal, and the fake-out stands out among the other characters' X-rays. Both Fatalities seem like incredibly gruesome ways to die, and "Written in Stone" uses skeletons in the character models in a way we've never seen.
Personality: Eastwind is suave, gruff, manly, and while he's a good-humored guy he won't take no guff from nobody. He'd rather spare you and walk away (as indicated by his ending, victory pose and X-ray), but he will kill you where you stand if he has to (indicated by everything else). He's been some places and he's seen some things, and he brings a lifetime of experience to the arena. He's everything you'd expect from a true Western hero, minus the hokey cowboy hat and spurs and whip-and-lasso themed specials. Like the immortal figures of Western cinema, he's a humble badass who can be your best buddy or your deadliest enemy depending on the shade of your hat.
Conclusion: Eastwind is a totally Flawless character and everyone should vote for him
even if he's not in the current matchup. Anyone who doesn't is a jerk and a blockhead who has no taste in what makes a good character.
What, you think that was a joke? Seriously, go vote for Eastwind, right now. We'll wait.
... Okay, yeah, that was a joke. No character can be absolutely perfect, even (especially) the characters who are already actually in Mortal Kombat. Eastwind has some weaknesses like everyone else, but all things considered his execution is very strong and he'd be a unique, fun, and fitting addition to MK's diverse roster. If you agree, show him some support and give him a vote.
And also -- who really cares about
the author's opinion on Eastwind anyway? If anyone has any flower bouquets or
rotten fruit to throw his way, all comments are welcome.
Beatdown Lineup: Ekimaru, Gragtek
art by fear-sAs
big thanks to flameshang for the sig. 
