XiahouDun84, Chrome, or any other story junkie, how would you analyze Kabal? Psycopath, or savior of humanity?
2D Kombat Klassics
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XiahouDun84, Chrome, or any other story junkie, how would you analyze Kabal? Psycopath, or savior of humanity?
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posted07/18/2005 05:30 AM (UTC)by
I've been trying to figure it out for a while.
Brief Background:
Kabal started as a hardend criminal, hated and loathed across the planet. As a Black Dragon he probably loved it and whole heartedly raped and destroyed peoples lives. Then Motaro got a hold of him during Kahn's invasion. He survives, although mutilated, and joins Earth's fighters in destroying Kahn's rule.
After this, Kabal turns over a new leaf and vows to fight against the very people he ran with not so long ago. Sometime later, he and Mavado meet. Kabal is defeated in mortal kombat and his hookswords were stolen by his opponent. With his life hanging in the balance, Havik steps in and saves him.
Educated in the ways of Chaos by Havik, Kabal returns; his first order of business: find his Hookswords. Mavado is dead, his Hookswords are where they belong, and his next plan is to reform the Black Dragon. Kira and Kobra are his first recruits.
Analysis:
Kabal loved being bad, he had to. The Black Dragon were all about mayhem and to be a full-flegde member, you've got to love what you do. Pre-occupied with himself and his own problems, he probably didn't heed Raiden's warning prior or during the invasion, which might have led to his attack. Only after his defeat by Motaro did he join the fray, where after which he became so focused and obsessed with his goal of vengence, that it was the main thing keeping him going. I believe if Kabal hadn't been attacked and mutilated he might have joined Kahn's side just like Kano did.
Anyway, he found the other survivers and got the details on Kahn and his plans. Still obsessed only with revenge, he joins the heros and sets off. Spending time with Liu and the others changes him yet again. During this time, something shook him to his core and jolted a change in him. Maybe Raiden or another one of the warriors talked some sense into him, or maybe it was just the fact that he was part of a real team. Whatever the case, he did a complete 180 and chose to fight for something other than himself.
His change was genuine, and after Kahn's defeat he continued his fight against injustice. Soon after, he meets Mavado and loses to him in mortal kombat. His life hanging in the balance, Havik saves him from certain death and teaches him the ways of Chaos. After all of this, Kabal changes again; now he wants the downfall of civilization. But I'm not so conviced he's evil, Kabal falls in the same category as Darrious and/or Hotaru. They both fight for what they believe is right and Kabal may be doing the same.
Kabal was trying to change the world, or a small part of it, by fighting against the bad people and doing the right thing, but it didn't work. As a "good guy," he most likely had a line he didn't cross as he would be breaking some code, but post Havik, Kabal has been re-educated and could be ready to save the world from it's self...by any means necessary.
Also one other thing that's interesting is Kabal never killed Motaro, so he never got his revenge. But at this point, he might not even care, leading me to believe that he thinks of his scars as a reminder of his past, and motivation for his future. He can't go back to being a criminal or bad guy, and won't let anyone else follow in his shoes.
Or I could just be reading way to much into this.
Brief Background:
Kabal started as a hardend criminal, hated and loathed across the planet. As a Black Dragon he probably loved it and whole heartedly raped and destroyed peoples lives. Then Motaro got a hold of him during Kahn's invasion. He survives, although mutilated, and joins Earth's fighters in destroying Kahn's rule.
After this, Kabal turns over a new leaf and vows to fight against the very people he ran with not so long ago. Sometime later, he and Mavado meet. Kabal is defeated in mortal kombat and his hookswords were stolen by his opponent. With his life hanging in the balance, Havik steps in and saves him.
Educated in the ways of Chaos by Havik, Kabal returns; his first order of business: find his Hookswords. Mavado is dead, his Hookswords are where they belong, and his next plan is to reform the Black Dragon. Kira and Kobra are his first recruits.
Analysis:
Kabal loved being bad, he had to. The Black Dragon were all about mayhem and to be a full-flegde member, you've got to love what you do. Pre-occupied with himself and his own problems, he probably didn't heed Raiden's warning prior or during the invasion, which might have led to his attack. Only after his defeat by Motaro did he join the fray, where after which he became so focused and obsessed with his goal of vengence, that it was the main thing keeping him going. I believe if Kabal hadn't been attacked and mutilated he might have joined Kahn's side just like Kano did.
Anyway, he found the other survivers and got the details on Kahn and his plans. Still obsessed only with revenge, he joins the heros and sets off. Spending time with Liu and the others changes him yet again. During this time, something shook him to his core and jolted a change in him. Maybe Raiden or another one of the warriors talked some sense into him, or maybe it was just the fact that he was part of a real team. Whatever the case, he did a complete 180 and chose to fight for something other than himself.
His change was genuine, and after Kahn's defeat he continued his fight against injustice. Soon after, he meets Mavado and loses to him in mortal kombat. His life hanging in the balance, Havik saves him from certain death and teaches him the ways of Chaos. After all of this, Kabal changes again; now he wants the downfall of civilization. But I'm not so conviced he's evil, Kabal falls in the same category as Darrious and/or Hotaru. They both fight for what they believe is right and Kabal may be doing the same.
Kabal was trying to change the world, or a small part of it, by fighting against the bad people and doing the right thing, but it didn't work. As a "good guy," he most likely had a line he didn't cross as he would be breaking some code, but post Havik, Kabal has been re-educated and could be ready to save the world from it's self...by any means necessary.
Also one other thing that's interesting is Kabal never killed Motaro, so he never got his revenge. But at this point, he might not even care, leading me to believe that he thinks of his scars as a reminder of his past, and motivation for his future. He can't go back to being a criminal or bad guy, and won't let anyone else follow in his shoes.
Or I could just be reading way to much into this.
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Kabal went from good back to being evil, cause supposedly that's what he was all along. I thought that was real interesting, how it seemed as if he vowed to turn his back on the underworld - only to decide later to return to it. It's rare you see a good-to-bad transformation. I'm glad they thought that up. I had to admit that if Kabal had reformed the Black Dragon for good, I would've been pissed. So I thought it was really cool of them to make that storyline instead of what we were expecting.
First of all, Kabal was never good, and never became evil.
it isn't yet stated wether Kabal left the Black Dragon becouse of "good-ness" or desire for redemption. I think kabal retained his way of a murde-rer and rogue when he left the Black Dragon only to hunt for those of whom he was disillusioned, or disappointed. He hunted for criminals (never stated that he would actually spare them in his ending) and his name became feared in the underworld.
Kabals so called "turncoatism" is simple: he joined the lawfull side, but still remained a murderer or at least a criminal. He was never good, he just used this as a way to justify his actions, as his new way of life.
Now, i think Havik gave him a reason, a goal worth of devotion. Kabal swapped the chaotic ideology simply becouse it justified everything. He would no longer have boundaries or would no longer care about good or evil. Almost like a zealot, Kabal is tempted by the means of complete freedom from sperficial moral codes.
it isn't yet stated wether Kabal left the Black Dragon becouse of "good-ness" or desire for redemption. I think kabal retained his way of a murde-rer and rogue when he left the Black Dragon only to hunt for those of whom he was disillusioned, or disappointed. He hunted for criminals (never stated that he would actually spare them in his ending) and his name became feared in the underworld.
Kabals so called "turncoatism" is simple: he joined the lawfull side, but still remained a murderer or at least a criminal. He was never good, he just used this as a way to justify his actions, as his new way of life.
Now, i think Havik gave him a reason, a goal worth of devotion. Kabal swapped the chaotic ideology simply becouse it justified everything. He would no longer have boundaries or would no longer care about good or evil. Almost like a zealot, Kabal is tempted by the means of complete freedom from sperficial moral codes.
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Analyzing Kabal is tricky since we still know little about him. But I think Kabal is, at his core, a man seeking direction or purpose in life amidst a life of violence and chaos.
We know nothing about his past or upbringing, but he's often described as a crazy nomad, so he probably had a rough life. Growing up to be an ill-tempered fighter, but with nothing to focus his rage on. Growing up in the underworld as a crazed fighter is probably how he met up with Kano.
According to Kano or Mavado's MK:DA Konquest, Kabal actually was not a member of the Black Dragon for very long. They also say Kano was furious when he heard Kabal was supposedly killed, so I guess he like Kabal and maybe even brought him into the Black Dragon.
I suspect he joined the Black Dragon because he believed being part of a clan or organization would give him the direction he desired.
In Deception Kabal often claims his Black Dragon will be nothing like the old one, so perhaps he was not satisified being a Black Dragon. It would give more explanation to his anandoning the clan to fight crime.
As Shao Kahn invades and Kabal is nearly killed, he does find a purpose for himself in revenge. Of course, a quest for revenge is finite. Kabal probably knew he would eventually be back where he started.
In his quest he finds himself joined with the other Earth heroes and you may be right, being amongst other good guys is probably what led Kabal to become a crime-fighter.
Since being a Black Dragon thug did not satisfy Kabal's search for purpose, maybe he believed fighting the Black Dragon and criminals like them would.
Unfortunatly for Kabal, his new choice of direction doesn't last long when he's found by Mavado. Once again Kabal is brutally beaten and left for dead.
Enter Havik. I think Kabal took to Havik because Havik provided an answer that satisfy him: there is no sense or direction to the world. There is only chaos. Kabal's failed attempts to find his place in the world probably left him even more angry and disillusioned and Havik gave him the answer he wanted. Law and order is a lie. Chaos is the way of the world.
Now a believer in chaos, Kabal probably wants to spread this truth to the world creating even more chaos. He's probably like Tyler Durden. He feels anarchy and chaos is the way of things and everyone needs to see that.
I think Kabal basically is man who was seeking a place and direction in the world. He tried to be a "bad guy." That didn't work. He tried to be a "good guy." That didn't work. Then Havik tells him there's no point in binding oneself to anything.
We know nothing about his past or upbringing, but he's often described as a crazy nomad, so he probably had a rough life. Growing up to be an ill-tempered fighter, but with nothing to focus his rage on. Growing up in the underworld as a crazed fighter is probably how he met up with Kano.
According to Kano or Mavado's MK:DA Konquest, Kabal actually was not a member of the Black Dragon for very long. They also say Kano was furious when he heard Kabal was supposedly killed, so I guess he like Kabal and maybe even brought him into the Black Dragon.
I suspect he joined the Black Dragon because he believed being part of a clan or organization would give him the direction he desired.
In Deception Kabal often claims his Black Dragon will be nothing like the old one, so perhaps he was not satisified being a Black Dragon. It would give more explanation to his anandoning the clan to fight crime.
As Shao Kahn invades and Kabal is nearly killed, he does find a purpose for himself in revenge. Of course, a quest for revenge is finite. Kabal probably knew he would eventually be back where he started.
In his quest he finds himself joined with the other Earth heroes and you may be right, being amongst other good guys is probably what led Kabal to become a crime-fighter.
Since being a Black Dragon thug did not satisfy Kabal's search for purpose, maybe he believed fighting the Black Dragon and criminals like them would.
Unfortunatly for Kabal, his new choice of direction doesn't last long when he's found by Mavado. Once again Kabal is brutally beaten and left for dead.
Enter Havik. I think Kabal took to Havik because Havik provided an answer that satisfy him: there is no sense or direction to the world. There is only chaos. Kabal's failed attempts to find his place in the world probably left him even more angry and disillusioned and Havik gave him the answer he wanted. Law and order is a lie. Chaos is the way of the world.
Now a believer in chaos, Kabal probably wants to spread this truth to the world creating even more chaos. He's probably like Tyler Durden. He feels anarchy and chaos is the way of things and everyone needs to see that.
I think Kabal basically is man who was seeking a place and direction in the world. He tried to be a "bad guy." That didn't work. He tried to be a "good guy." That didn't work. Then Havik tells him there's no point in binding oneself to anything.
About Me
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Damn man!! are you a psycologist or some thing? how the hell do you do it, that was awsome!! and probably right. Midway seriously needs to hire you.
thanks alot. I would ask for an analysis for each character but I think you already did all the interesting ones. Unless you have one you'd like to share.
thanks alot. I would ask for an analysis for each character but I think you already did all the interesting ones. Unless you have one you'd like to share.
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