THE BASIC IDEA
--------------------

This project has come a long way.

It began as a Mortal Kombat III project with largely drawings only, and has ever since run through multiple stages of evolution. Some of the characters, moves and plotlines I've come up with have overtime grown so familiar to me that I need just a wee bit of imagination to imagine my fantasy of the "perfect MK game" come true. Over the years, some of the ideas I came up with were also thought of by Midway (Chameleon, Jax with a gun, Liu Kang dead or gone, Shinnok playing a larger role, Shang Tsung returning, the alliance between the Shokan and Edenia etc etc) which convinced me that at least I must have ideas that, should they ever reach Ed Boon, should be at least partially useful.

The "Mortal Kombat Legacies", hopefully my final MK project I've come up with, and hopefully one that may finally reach the MK creators at Midway, is not just a wishlist, but a fully fleshed out game that only needs programming ƒo. Everything has been considered, ranging from gameplay to play modes, from costumes to moves. Where I didn't come up with ideas myself the (first) people who made it up are credited for it; in the original Word document their names are hyperlinks, here you may only see their names between brackets.

This Mortal Kombat Legacies, which I will from now on simply refer to as MKL, has 27 characters. Ten of them are playable from the start, fourteen can be unlocked, there is one hidden character and two unplayable characters. Nine are new and the rest is either returning or was in MK:DA. Each character has four fighting styles.

Oh yeah if anyone wants the original Word doc (with better structure) pm me.

DISCLAIMER
-------------------

Some of you may like what I wrote here, others may hate it. However, to anticipate future criticism, here is my counter-criticism to ideas that DID NOT make it into my Mortal Kombat Legacies, or, ideas that are in it that may be controversial.

Q: Hey, that's MY idea over there and you didn't credit me for it!

A: This may be because:
* I came up with it before I read your posting.
* Someone else came up with it before I read your idea, or I read someone else's first.
* Your idea was repeated or implied by too many people. I can't credit 50 people for one idea.
* I forgot (if so, pm me).

Q: Why didn't you describe *all* moves and combos?

A: Because it would be quite pointless. And most people wouldn't read it anyway. A short description per style would do, in my opinion.

Q: Why didn't you include [insert character here]?

A: There are 50 existing characters I could chose from, and 31 characters I had created myself. Some characters are mentioned or are involved in the storylines, but don't participate. And if [insert character here] is neither in the game nor in the storyline, that's probably because I consider the character (a) useless for the story, (b) useless as a warrior (usually because there is too much overlap with other characters, especially in the case of clones) or (c) both. 27 characters is more than enough for a game. More would be overkill, in my opinion. Like a Dutch proverb goes: mastery lies in limitation.

Q: What about the special moves? Why are there so few? Why doesn't [insert character here] have [insert special move here]?

A: Because the game needs to be balanced. The answer to this question all relates to balance. A character with eight special moves may be very cool, but they should all be useful ànd they should also not lead to a character being broken or overpowered.

Q: Why did you still keep [insert non-human race or type here]? That's goofy man!

A: Mortal Kombat is Mortal Kombat. It has a strong fantasy and sf element. Most players seem to like it. The purpose of this project is not to "tekkenise" or "virtuafighterise" Mortal Kombat. The franchises mentioned have their own many merits, but I am convinced that Mortal Kombat needs to remain distinct from the rest. When I first heard of cyborgs being in MK3, I feared for the worst. However, Midway did an admirable job at combining the modern elements with the old Eastern atmosphere. Fantasy is cool.

Q: What about [insert idea here that was posted already]?

A: I may not have read it. Or I thought it was useless.

Q: Why only fatalities? What about the rest?

A: Most players agree friendships and babalities were a bit too goofy and, certainly in MK3, spoiled the spirit a little. Brutalities were, in my opinion, completely over the top. Even for the fantasy element of MK, this was simply too much to stomach. And admit it, if you've seen one of them, you've seen all of them.

Q: Why is blocking weapons attacks still possible? Many people had objections to this.

A: Tough nut to crack. But the answer mainly lies in gameplay. If weapon attacks could only be blocked by weapons, MK would evolve too much in the direction of weapon-combat only, unless severe and strict limitations would be imposed on the weapons. This would, in turn, limit the fun factor. Therefore this feature, stupid as some may think it is, was kept in MKL.

Q: Why are only some backgrounds not barriered?

A: Diversity is good. Limitless backgrounds only is a little boring, and many people thought that having backgrounds all barriered was wrong. To cater to all tastes there are now backgrounds of all types.

Q: What happened to the create-a-character-mode?

A: MK is not WWF. First, the next MK will be played online. As such, custom characters would be quite dangerous and threaten the balance of the game. My second objection is aesthetical in nature. Lots of people will want to make some sort of absurd ninja, spoof characters or characters that are plain idiotic and will actually spoil the fun and take away the neatness of MK. No doubt some people would make excellent, cool characters but it's not worth the effort for all the clowns you're going to have.

STORYLINE
----------------

<< Kung Lao walking away from Shang Tsung, who crawls up from the floor of his palace, ready to attack the Shaolin warrior from behind >>

The Deadly Alliance was broken. Quan Chi had disappeared after a battle with the Oni tormentor Drahmin. The warrior monk Kung Lao thought he had slain his arch enemy, the demon-sorcerer Shang Tsung, while in he reality he had only played dead, waiting for his chance to take the Shaolin warrior by surprise. When the opportunity arose, he seized it.

<< gloved fist of Johnny Cage hitting Shang Tsung's with a crunshing uppercut, sending him into his own soulnado. Kung Lao lies on the ground unconscious. >>

Before he could deliver the critical blow and might yet have saved himself, the Earthrealm warrior Johnny Cage intervened and after a fierce fight, Cage hurled the evil sorcerer into his own soulnado. The energies of the ray of souls consumed and devoured Shang Tsung and ended the threat the Deadly Alliance had posed to the free realms. The Earth warriors returned home.

<< black screen >>

However, in the wake of their leaving new terrors had awoken and old ones had resurfaced.

<< image of the Lava Shrine >>

According to the ancient legends of the Lava Scrolls, the Dragon King, the ancient and mythical ruler of Outworld before Shao Kahn seized the realm as his own, would be resurrected when the egg of the last Great Dragon would hatch and when Outworld would be in existential peril.

<< image of Nitara patting the head of the baby Dragon and Reptile standing behind her in a commander outfit >>

This day came when the creature Reptile discovered the hatching egg and when his mistress, the vampire Nitara, was able to tear her own home realm away from the clutches of Outworld, causing the realm to break up slowly, and to dissolve into its former parts, Outworld itself only constituted one of, originally. Nitara quickly discovered that Reptile and the Great Dragon had a strange affinity and exploited it to further her own pursuits.

<< image of the Dragon King surrounded by flying vampires, sitting on a bombastic throne / dark shades, nocturnal background, moonless >>

The Dragon King was still mentally confused and weak. Nitara and Reptile broke sacred codes of honour by taking advantage of this and neutralising the influence of the Dragon cult that had watched over the egg for so long. However, in order to regain command of his own army, Nitara needed the powers of the amulet Quan Chi had once possessed. Meanwhile, she had sent Reptile away on missions to terrorise the people of Outworld. He was told by Nitara that this was the only way he could regain his lost realm of Zaterra.

<< image of Shang Tsung, surrounded in green flames, showing signs of getting older physically, his eyes betraying an evil, demonic power lurking within >>

Shang Tsung had not been killed by the soulnado. Perversely, it had only increased his powers although it had left him weakened physically. Recognising the soulnado as a source of great knowledge and power, he had to find a way to reopen it. There was only one man who possessed the keys to open this portal again: Quan Chi. As such, he and Nitara struck a deal to locate the necromancer and bring him back to Outworld; Nitara needed the amulet and Shang Tsung needed the soulnado.

<< black screen >>

Quan Chi was found, trapped again in the Netherealm.

<< image of Quan Chi, Lord Shadow and Noob Saibot escaping through a mechanical dimensional gates in blasts of purple energy / shadows of Special Forces units >>

The first warning for Earth came when Quan Chi and his new accomplices escaped from the Netherealm. Although all inter-realm portals were guarded by Special Forces units or specially trained monks and magicians from Edenia, the evil necromancer was able to identify the weakest link in the system by means of his amulet and vital information given to him by Shang Tsung. The soldiers guarding the portal were massacred, but the three sinistre warriors escaped into Outworld as quickly as they had fled the Netherealm. The Agency was only able to close the portal to the Netherealm with great difficulty.

<< image of a council-like building in a strange mixture of traditional Eastern and gothic architecture, with Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Nitara and Lord Shadow surrounding the Dragon King, who stands up in the middle of the court, displaying the amulet proudly >>

Quan Chi had paid his freedom dearly: the amulet was handed over to the Dragon King himself. The Court of Immortals, the governing body in imperial times, was reassembled. Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Nitara and Lord Shadow were installed as prime members of this Court and were now continually influencing Outworld's new ruler to further their own plans. As a first step, they all agreed that, even before Outworld would be fully reunited, that their most vital threats should be eliminated.

<< image of Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, Jax and Kung Lao standing before Raiden / background of thunderstorms >>

Shortly after, disappearances began to take place. Special Forces agent Sonya Blade, investigating a new, global network of crime and terror, disappeared during her activities. The Lin Kuei ninjas Smoke and Frost disappeared during a retreat in the Arctic mountains not far from their headquarters. The roaming Shaolin warrior Kai was also reported missing now. In a vision, the shaman Nightwolf saw Outworld ruled by a dragon with four heads, consuming all that was good. The day after he was found dead, murdered by unknown assassins. Lin Kuei grandmaster Sub-Zero, Grand Champion Johnny Cage, Special Forces leader Jax and the Shaolin master Kung Lao then received invitations to compete in a new Mortal Kombat tournament on Outworld, with as grand prize: the lives of their comrades.

<< image of the three invited warriors, joined by Raiden, Cage, Kenshi, Cyrax, Falcon, Kabal and Tygrus marching through a sandstorm on Outworld / rather grim-looking scene / Raiden holds his hand on his hat to keep it from flying away / camera view is somewhat distant, giving an air of despair to the whole scene, with a spark of hope >>

Now a band of coureagous Earth warriors marches into Outworld, looking for their lost friends. Aided by friendly allies and opposed by unknown enemies lurking in the marshes and forests, each one of my comrades is determined to put an end to this evil once and for all, but none of them, not even I, can forsee the many dangers that lie ahead.

GAMEPLAY
---------------

1. PLAY MODES

* Arcade: as it used to be. Only this time each player's list of opponents is fixed. This means you get to fight opponents who really do oppose you or are at least not your own allies, eliminating the possibility that, eg Jax would do a fatality on Cyrax. There are five difficulty levels:
- novice
- easy
- medium
- hard
- master

* Versus: good old versus mode.

* 2 on 2: returned from the dead!

* 16 or 8 player tournament: as in MK3/UMK3/MKT

* Endurance: endurance with a number of players each, minimum 2, maximum 20.

* Survival: survive as long as you can, Tekken-style.

* Practice: practice mode, a bit more like VF4. Here so-called autokombatants come into play:
- The dummy you face in training mode can be set to a certain style but he can also be switched on to copy or to learn the attack and defence pattern of a character played by one of your human opponents. And saved as, e.g. Dummy1 or something (CanadianGuy).

* Konquest: revamped and expanded.
- You can only select conquest after you have defeated the game with all characters and have opened all koffins.
- Konquest with each character involves them moving through their storylines so far, going back before MK:DA, fighting previous opponents from other games even, etc etc (Sub-Zero_7th).
- The landscape you move through evolves as you go along the storyline.
- The "chapters" of each character's story can be revisited later.

2. OPTIONS

* Profiles can be EDITED now!

* Elimination: in this mode there are three options.
- none: no elimination mode
- weak: warrior cannot be selected anymore if they have been killed by a fatality.
- strong: each defeated warrior cannot be selected anymore.

* Forces on/off. If this is turned on, it means that as soon as one player selects someone of the forces of Light, for instance, the opponent can only select someone from the forces of Darkness. Neutral or unknown characters remain selectable throughout.

* Realms on/off. Same, but with realms. As soon as a player selects a warrior from, e.g., Earth, the other player will only be able to select a warrior from another realm.

* Tag mode (kenshihearsall)
- destiny: tag teams are fixed or can only be choosen from a fixed set
--> Jax / Falcon (Jax can also go with: Cyrax, Kenshi, Kabal, Johnny Cage / Falcon can also go with: Cyrax, Kenshi, Johnny Cage)
--> Cyrax / Kenshi (Cyrax can also go with: Jax, Falcon, Sub-Zero / Kenshi can also go with: Jax, Falcon, Ermac)
--> Lord Shadow / Noob Saibot (Lord Shadow can also go with: Quan Chi / Noob Saibot can also go with: Quan Chi)
--> Quan Chi / Shang Tsung (Quan Chi can also go with: Lord Shadow, Noob Saibot, Valin Vijar / Shang Tsung can also go with: Gnorado, Orcata)
--> Sub-Zero / Scorpion (Sub-Zero can also go with: Cyrax)
--> Mavado / Hachiman (Mavado can also go with: Quan Chi, Sektor / Hachiman can also go with: Sektor)
--> Raiden / Tygrus
--> Reptile / Nitara
--> Kung Lao / Li Mei (Kung Lao can also go with: Johnny Cage)
- virtual: free choice

* Advantages (background advantages) on/off

Ok I'll be posting more within an hour, please refrain from commenting until then. Thanks.

Q

3. GAMEPLAY

* THE FIGHT ITSELF
- Before facing off, the characters "greet" each other like in MK4, but depending on the fight they may use different animations or may even have the odd piece of dialogue if they are good friends or hated enemies (Starwinderbeta).
- All characters have different fighting styles, (intelligible) voices and victory poses (Starwinderbeta).
- Each character has four styles. Usually this will be two unarmed and two armed styles. In the cases of Mavado, Raiden and Tygrus it will be three unarmed and one armed fighting style. The end bosses, Twilite/Thrak and the Dragon King, are exceptional cases, too.
- There are, for some styles, so-called sub-styles which make other moves possible (Starwinderbeta). Look further for the character breakdown.
- There is a good balance between offence and defence. Most characters will have nasty moves to destroy an opponent's block but likewise it will be able to counter more moves. The distinction high-mid-low would be replaced again by a simple high-low distinction. Added would be the ability to dodge or roll in much greater variation than previously available in MK:DA (Mobster4Christ; Starwinderbeta).
- When blocking a string of hits or a combo, the character may step backward a little instead of just standing there and having the hits delivered to their forearms (turkish_legend)
- Facial detail as characters scream or talk (The-SuiT)
- Escapes in different directions are also possible (Starwinderbeta).
- Attacks can be performed on characters lying on the floor (Bleed)
- Replay of last moves after a round is won (dewey79).
- When someone loses the round in their armed style, they drop their weapon (Fallen_SaintY3K) and pick it up again at the beginning of the next round.

- Here is a list of other, new gameplay features:
--> No custom combos after counters (Versatile), meaning that it's not possible anymore to do whatever move after a reversal to prevent abuse. This will now be limited to a number of fixed moves only.
--> No more backdash cancels and universal tracking (Versatile).
--> Greater variation in throws, possibly chain throws (Versatile; Starwinderbeta). Opens up a window for bonebreakers and hyperextends to return (ko-jah).
--> Return of the run button and run meter (a109837).
--> Return of the knee, the elbow jab opens up more possibilities for close fighting (Sub-Zero_7th)
--> Neijin remains but with a different animation (short flexing of muscles or sparks going through the warrior's body) (The-Mortal-God)
--> Ripped clothing and bruises on other body parts visible; also, blood and sweat stains stay on the clothing (and environmental effects such as rain, snow, mud excact their toll too).
--> When projectiles are ducked or avoided they don't just fizzle but either fall down (like Kung Lao's hat) or then disappear or they make a sound as they hit the walls or barriers (Sub-Zero_7th)
--> The blood level is not overdone. When characters get hit in their stomach blood shouldn't spray out of it at the drop of a hat.
--> Extra koins are awarded for fatalities or skillful, damaging combos during the match (RaPaX).

* ARENAS
- On several stages it is now possible to use the background interactively (ecclesiastes).
- Ridges and ledges can be used for acrobatic moves (which may sometimes even differ per character).
- Characters may pick up weapons from walls (which will replace their 2nd weapon style throughout the round), provided that these are available, of course. Weapons that can be picked up are:
--> Mace
--> Iron whip
--> Wind blade
--> Torch
--> Bowie knife
--> Pickaxe
--> Mallet
--> Warhammer
--> Battle axe
- The stage fatalities return.
- Backgrounds will be wider in terms of space and depth. There will be both unlimited backgrounds, backgrounds with barriers or closed arenas.
- Normal gravity. No gravity-defying bullet-time-esque stuff (ko-jah).
- Each character has one background on which he/she has a certain advantage.

* PLAYING AGAINST THE CPU
- There are fixed kombat lists for each player, each time fighting 10 warriors before the sub-boss and the Dragon King.
- After your fifth match you will face a Trial. There are different types of trials:
--> Trial of Stealth (Kung Lao, Li Mei, Cyrax): evade as many attacks as you can and win a round.
--> Trial of Blood (Orcata, Reptile, Quan Chi): as in MK:DA.
--> Trial of Fire (Scorpion, Tygrus, Gnorado): win a round while avoiding jets of steam and fire coming up from the ground (can be on whatever background, if a sky is visible it's tinted more red).
--> Trial of Ice (Sub-Zero, Falcon, Mavado): win a round while avoiding geysers and pikes of ice coming up from the ground which may freeze you (can be on whatever background, but the sky, if visible, is tinted more blue or white).
--> Trial of Steel (Hachiman, Kenshi, Kabal): win a round with your weapons equipped only.
--> Trial of Lightning (Raiden, Valin Vijar, Nitara): each time you try to block you are struck by a lightning, weakened and stunned so you have to win without blocking, basically (if the sky is visible it's cloudier, and it invariably rains if you're outside).
--> Trial of Water (Noob Saibot, Johnny Cage, Jax): win a round before the water level rises too high (which causes you to drown) – the background here is always the Flower Lake.
--> Trial of Souls (Shang Tsung, Ermac, Lord Shadow): arena you fight in has the screaming souls that normally only occur in Shang Tsung's palace. Your energy bar is depleting slowly and your purpose is to win one round while catching enough of these lingering souls to replenish your health.
- Mirror match returns (turkish_legend), before facing Twilite/Thrak and the Dragon King.

* MINIGAMES
- Test Your Might / Sight return in roughly the same settings (only now in full 3D, no sprites this time).
- Test Your Knowlegde (got the name idea from RaPaX): every once in a while a question is asked from "The Book of Blood", usually a trivia question about the MK world, with a multiple choice answer (the room would be some sort of cave where a wise, elderly monk in simple clothes sits before a fire while the question rolls over the screen on an old-paper as background).

4. PLAYING ONLINE

* Only versus mode and tag mode are online game options (you can also tag with someone over the net, of course)

* Standard match of two rounds, blood is on

* You can specifically search for an opponent by nickname or by character they are playing

* There are ranking systems per country, per continent and finally, in the whole world
- Example: someone may be #56 in the ranking for Denmark, #289 in the European ranking and #3224 in the world ranking
- Open issue: will PAL and NTSC be able to fight each other?

* You gain points by defeating adversaries:
- standard 3 points for each round won
- extra 3 points if the entire match is won
- extra 4 points for a flawless victory
- extra 10 points for a double flawless
- conversely, you lose the same number of points you could win if you lose a round, match or are defeated with a flawless victory
- fatalities don't earn extra points

* It would be sweet if all versions could fight each other but this is very unlikely

ARENAS
-----------

There are 25 backgrounds (as much as there are playable characters), and as with the chars, 10 are playable from the start, the rest is unlockable (they are unlocked with the characters).

1. SELECTABLE FROM THE START

* Deep Falls (Forests like these can be found all over Edenia and harbour a lot of bizarre and exotic wildlife. And roaming warriors.)
- Multiple-leveled jungle-like arena (very green, primitive impression). Full noon.
- Giant waterfall featured.
- Has two parts seperated by a bridge over the waterfall.
- Barriers.
- Stage fatality (being knocked down the waterfall and eaten by river predators).
- Orcata is quicker.
- Sometimes tropic rains (then it's clouded, of course) or mists.

* Scorpion's Lair (Although one can barely speak of a home, this is the closest thing to it Scorpion has and where he is left alone by demons and other hostile creatures in the Netherealm)
- Multiple-leveled arena with ledges (options to perform special moves with them).
- Like in the first MK movie.
- Limitless background.
- Scorpion regenerates.

* USSF Base (This is a part of the Special Forces military base.)
- Army base lodge
- Tanks and Humvees in the background
- Supporters stand nearby, shouting and clapping (no pixels, real polygons!); they react to certain moves, hits or combos
- Barriered but when fighters approach barriers crowd moves back
- Jax regains 5% of his health when hit beyond danger (94-99% health depletion)

* Flower Lake (One of the rare fertile and green valleys on Outworld.)
- Lake with waterlillies on it
- Warriors wade knee-deep through the water
- If they fall their clothing shows visible water effects (so does their hair)
- Lush background scenery; clear, open sky with only a few clouds
- Open arena, hills in the background, bridges across rock slopes visible
- Li Mei is faster in this background

* Lotus Gardens (Monks of the Wu Shi Academy come here to meditate or to relax from their excercises.)
- Temple-of-Light-like (can be seen in the background), with lively spring trees and Asian design. Pastel shades. Evening or morning.
- Limitless background but a small meditation square in the middle.
- Trees and statues can be used for special moves.
- Kung Lao takes 10% less damage.
- Sometimes has blossom rains.

* Shifting Fortress (Quan Chi's modified fortress that constantly shifts under magical conditions and moves through layers of black rock underground.)
- Dark, dense background, owing to MK4's prison, MK3's balcony and DA's Quan Chi's fortress.
- Barriered background
- Quan Chi's inner sanctum is visible and has an eerie purple glow to it.
- Torches light the walls (they can be used as weapons).
- Walls can be used to jump off.
- Slanted walls.
- Quan Chi's opponent's health bar slowly depletes.

* Shang Tsung's Palace (The shapeshifitng demon has long lived on this estate, which was granted to him by Shao Kahn. Now it is also home to the infamous soulnado.)
- Much like MK:DA's background, but now it's possible to go up the stairs, too.
- Weapons can be picked up on this background.
- Limited background, but without barriers.
- Stairs and walls can be used to jump off.
- Shang Tsung can rip a soul from his Soulnado to regain 15% of his health.

* Lin Kuei Headquarters (Sub-Zero rebuilt the Lin-Kuei headquarters six years ago near the Arctic circle, on an undisclosed spot, to train his next generation of warriors in secrecy and peace.)
- Much like in MK:DA, only wider. Daylight.
- A weaker spot in the ice has you falling through it if you land on it after being knocked into the air; under the ice there is some sort of cave.
- Sub-Zero's freezing powers have a prolonged effect.
- Sometimes snow, hail or blizzard.

* The Dungeon (Lord Shadow's private chapel where he is allowed to experiment with his dark magic. Regulary violent screams and blood-curtling bellows are heard from these depths.)
- Is modelled like Moloch's lair, only wider and more straight
- Has an altar with purple candles
- Has light falling in from a high conic ceiling, but only in very small rays
- Torches on the wall (can be picked up)
- Purple banners on the walls
- On the walls some abducted warriors are shackled (Sonya, Kai, Smoke); the shackled warriors can be hit by projectiles or warriors slammed against them; they look as though they are in pain, tired or tortured
- Limited, not barriered
- Lord Shadow takes 10% less damage

2. UNLOCKABLE BACKGROUNDS

* Elder Gods Senate (The ethereal august body of Elder Gods that preside over matters of universal life and death.)
- Largely as in the sketches on the MK:DA disc. Impressive, classic design.
- Elder Gods in the background are as in the Annihilation movie.
- Closed arena with energy barriers.
- Raiden regenerates.

* Forest of Rage (The twisted forest where Mavado had left the warrior Kabal for dead. Aggession and anger seems to radiate from the very trees themselves.)
- Forest with twisted, evil-looking trees that appear to bend over the warriors. Night.
- Closed but without a barrier.
- Muddy ground, warrior's clothes are soiled if they fall (muddy sound effects, too).
- Kabal's moves are 10% more powerful.
- Sometimes rains here.

* The Construction Yard (The construction site for a large industrial complex in the middle of the desert that was never actually finished. Now it is an escape route for bandits.)
- A set of multiple-leveled bridges in a nocturnal background.
- In the distance the beginnings of a mechanical construction can be seen.
- What is not mechanical looks sandy. Technological tools lie around.
- Weapons can be found in this background.
- Barriered.
- Stage fatality: being knocked off the bridges and, before falling to your death, being cut a part by a mechanism of blades and axes, leaving the body cut open and bleeding.
- Mavado's moves are 10% more powerful.

* Lava Furnace (Deep below the surface the legendary Lava Furnace has been built, which is said to produce the best weapons in the realms of Kombat.)
- Styled like MK2's Armory, with weapons on the walls
- Gargantuan machinery operating on lava
- Gives the impression of having been built underground
- Intense heat, sometimes has dust clouds
- Barriered
- Tygrus' opponent's health bar slowly depletes

* The Pagoda (Nitara's private quarters on Outworld. Nobody that has trespassed her gardens has left them alive.)
- Dark garden, in Japanese style.
- Dark pagoda with a black roof and red lanterns at the centre of the stage (roofs can be used to jump on and off but the building itself can't be entered).
- Moonlit, sometimes cloudy.
- Each time Nitara hits an opponent, 20% of the damage she deals is added to her own health.

* The Dojo (Hachiman's training dojo, which he acquired when he killed his own sensei ten years ago.)
- A typical Japanese dojo with tatami mats on the floor
- Japanese signs and flags on the walls
- Closed arena but not barriered
- Weapons can be picked up from the walls
- Hachiman's weapon moves are 25% more powerful

* Kahn's Arena (This used to be an arena of brutal slaughter when Shao Kahn was emperor. Now the Dragon King has reopened as a zone of Mortal Kombat to increase his popularity with the locals.)
- The 3D version of the MK2 background
- Constant cheering and shouting of the crowd that is watching the match
- From a place up in the crowd the Dragon King is watching the match
- No barriers; walls of the arena can be used.
- Gnorado's moves that stun have a prolonged effect
- Twilite/Thrak are fought here

* Moonship (Valin Vijar's ship which she uses to transport herself with over long distances. It is said that Quan Chi raised her oarsmen from the dead for her.)
- Long, wooden Egyptian-styled ship moving slowly over a river
- Rowers can be spotted on either side of the kombat zone
- Nocturnal, starry background
- Barriered
- Valin Vijar regenerates

* The Desert (One of the many infertile, bizarre deserts in Outworld that once contained vital realms that are now lost forever.)
- A bit like Jade's Desert in UMK3/MKT, only this time it's in 3D
- Always sunny, high noon, but sometimes has a small dusty wind
- Limitless background
- In the distance a few nomad tents can be spotted
- Warriors are a bit limited in speed due to the sand
- Visible sand effects when warriors fall or move
- Cyrax' recovery time from blows and lag time from combos is shorter

* Zaterran Ruins (A remnant of the once great Zaterran civilisation, it's the only landmark Reptile has found that testifies of the glorious past of his race.)
- A bit like the House of Pekara in MK:DA but in a forest background
- Reminiscent of Inca architecture as found by archeologists in a dense jungle, overgrown and eroded by nature
- Has statues of the Matriarch and other Zaterran warriors
- Reptile regenerates

* The Gallery (A hallway that is now part of the Dragon King's palace but has been there ever since Outworld existed, built by the gods themselves.)
- A long, sobre gallery with rows of white columns
- The floor is light blue marble
- Shadows of the columns fall in at regular intervals
- The gallery leads up to a portal in the distance
- Outside the rows of columns a temple complex is visible
- Columns can be used for acrobatic moves
- Limited, but without barriers
- Ermac's special moves are 25% more powerful

* Fields of Glory (On these fields an important battle was once fought between the armies of the Dragon King and one of his most powerful opponents. His opponents were massacred and now the fields are peaceful, but the defeat still lingers.)
- Slanted field of gold-coloured grain
- Slight, very slight breeze
- Limitless background
- Dark, stormy clouds in the distance make the background a grim place
- Moody, looming atmosphere
- In the distance there's a lake and some trees visible (nothing human-made)
- The grain can actually bend (by falling or running into it) or be chopped off by weapon hacking and make appropriate sounds
- Kenshi's weapon power is increased with 25%

* Nebulon (Nebulon is the name for the place in the skies where the Wind God Fujin resides and controls Earth's winds from. Fujin remains neutral in this conflict.)
- Only the sky and huge packs of white clouds as a background
- Tiny, circular platforms constantly follow the warriors as they move (when the warriors hit each other the platforms connect and melt into each other)
- Background gives the impression of constantly moving at high speeds
- Sensational feeling of fighting a few miles above ground level
- In the distance (if you look very sharply), every now and then a huge castle can be spotted that seems to sit atop a massive pack of clouds
- Limitless background
- Falcon's recovery time from blows and lag time from combos is shorter

* The Beach (The tropical beach of Shang Tsung's Lost Island, which is now abandoned.)
- As in the MK movie where Liu Kang fights Kitana
- The Dragon King presides over the battle
- Limitless in terms of length, but not depth (warriors can wade through the water only a small bit)
- Johnny Cage takes no damage when blocking

* The Living Forest (One of the oldest forests of Outworld, its heart is rotten and one of the purest evil.)
- Has the grim, gloomy impression from MK2
- Has the same music as in MK2!! ƒo
- Is no more an open spot, but a limitless background
- Trees can be used to perform acrobatic moves
- Every now and then the trees, with distorted faces, seem to scream or moan (in much more ghastly ways than before, as if in terror themselves)
- Animals can be heard in the distance
- When Noob is not fighting there, sometimes he can be seen running through the woods like a shadow in the distance
- Every now and then leaves fall from the dense canopy
- Noob Saibot is quicker

* Bloodstone Mine (Shao Kahn once assumed that bloodstone would be a potential source of power but this idea was abolished when he found that black magic was more effective. Over five thousand miners found their grave in the bloodstone mines.)
- Limitless background
- Tunnels, sometimes with a little water
- Dark and abandoned, similar to the cave Liu Kang and Kitana visit in the second MK movie
- Now and then in the mine walls there are semi-transparent spots where you can see dead people and skeletons in the walls (which have shades of red)
- Pickaxes can be found in this background
- Sektor takes no damage when blocking

UNLOCKABLES & BASICS
----------------------------

1. CHARACTER SELECT SCREEN

There are 24 characters on the select screen. Of these, 10 are selectable from the start and 14 can be unlocked later. The sub-boss (Twilite and Thrak) and the boss (the Dragon King) are not playable. There is one hidden character, Sektor. He can be selected, if unlocked, by performing a special code while the cursor is on Cyrax.

bold = unlockable

Lord Shadow -- Kung Lao -- Orcata
Jax -- Hachiman -- Scorpion
Gnorado -- Kabal -- Nitara
Falcon -- Raiden -- Noob Saibot
Reptile -- Ermac -- Johnny Cage
Valin Vijar -- Cyrax -- Mavado
Li Mei -- Tygrus -- Quan Chi
Shang Tsung -- Sub-Zero -- Kenshi

2. UNLOCKABLE STUFF

(no. of required koins between brackets)

* Falcon: win the game with Jax (500 koins)
* Noob Saibot: win the game with Lord Shadow (1500 koins)
* Raiden: win the game with Kung Lao (2000 koins)
* Ermac: win the game with Kenshi (3600 koins)
* Johnny Cage: win the game with Shang Tsung (4100 koins)
* Valin Vijar: win the game with Quan Chi (4550 koins)
* Tygrus: win the game with Raiden (5000 koins)
* Hachiman: win the game with Falcon (5670 koins)
* Mavado: win the game with Hachiman (5800 koins)
* Gnorado: win the game on novice (6200 koins)
* Nitara: win the game on easy (6350 koins)
* Kabal: win the game on medium (7000 koins)
* Reptile win the game with Nitara (7300 koins)
* Sektor: win MK3 or UMK3 or MKT (7500 koins)

* Elimination mode: win the game with Orcata
* Realm mode: win the game with Li Mei
* Tag option: win the game with Sub-Zero or Scorpion

* Mortal Kombat 1: win the game on hard
* Mortal Kombat II: win the game on master
* Mortal Kombat 3: win the game in tag mode
* Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3: win the game in forces mode
* Mortal Kombat Trilogy: unlock everything in the Krypt
* Mortal Kombat 4: have 100 globes in MK:DA on your memory card (BenDover)
* Mortal Kombat Gold: win the game with Kabal
* Mortal Kombat: DA: win MK1 or MK2

3. STYLE STATISTICS

Note about the statistics per style:

To describe every style I sought to turn it into statistics. "0" is the minimum and "5" is the maximum. Note that for "lag time", 5 means virtually no lag time! Also, for "amount of moves", 5 does not mean that there are five moves.

- power: the average power of this style
- offence: how good it is offensively
- defence: how good it is defensively / recovery time
- lag time: how long it takes to recover from blocked moves
- amount of moves: how many moves the style has
- juggle opportunities: self-explanatory
- throws: how many throws there are
- combos: how many combos there are
- mixups: what mix-up possibilities it has
- reach: what the reach of this style is
- speed: how quick the style is
- sm: what special move the style has
- total: total score
* EDIT: I eliminated the statistics from my postings about the characters. Who wants to read them can ask me for the original Word doc through pm, msn or e-mail.

PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
--------------------------------

1. CYRAX

Agent Cyrax almost immediately offered his assistance to Jax after it appeared that Sonya Blade had been abducted to Outworld. Jax appreciated this gesture of loyalty and friendship, and allowed Cyrax to come with him on his mission. Cyrax believes that his talents of surviving in barren wastelands for days without food or water could serve their common purpose well. Although he has increasingly become more human again, he retains his special cyborg abilities that make him an excellent agent for the Special Forces, much more than an assassin in his dark Lin Kuei past.

However, what Jax is unaware of, is that Cyrax bears the mark of guilt. Years ago when the Earth born warriors fought the Deadly Alliance Cyrax was stranded on Outworld, his arm console damaged, depriving him of his means to return to Earth. He was then forced by the vampiress Nitara to aid him in retrieving a magical orb which would seperate her realm from Outworld. Fulfilling the condition, he brought her the magical orb, and she sent him home. However, Cyrax always felt he was responsible for the state of chaos Outworld got into, and is eager to confront Nitara once more and make up for his mistake.

DATA

Status: Special Forces
Height: 177cm
Weight: 156kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Karachi, Pakistan
Race: Cyborg

STYLES

* Ninjitsu (faster and power powerful now // sm: escape)
* Sambo (packs more punch now // sm: power-up)
* Pulse blade (makes a groovy Star Wars sound this time and has combos // sm: "helicopter" move (Cyrax spins the blade in front of him until you let go of the sm button)
* Shang gou (sort of blade with multiple forks/hooks // sm: "stun" move (Cyrax sends electricity through the weapon which stuns the opponent on impact))


SPECIAL MOVES

* Jigsaw Punch (a small chainsaw comes out of Cyrax' forearm to hit the opponent)
* Detonator (close/far) (now with a wider range and a quicker lag time)
* Exploding teleport
* Grasshopper
* Plasma net

FINISHING MOVES

* Ripsaw (Cyrax uses the jigsaw from his chest to rip the victim open)
* Self-destruct (classic)

COSTUMES

* MK:DA costume #1
* MK:DA costume #2
* Cybernetic outfit similar to the first two, with camouflage coating and some mechanical weaponry attached to his belt. His face is covered by a black mask with two red stripes that look as though they are used for aiming.

OUTCOME

Cyrax and Nitara finally met each other in Mortal Kombat. Although words were not exchanged during their battle, Cyrax' sensors could pick up strange vibrations coming from the female warrior. Making up for his mistake so many years ago, Cyrax crippled and defeated Nitara. As she fell to the ground, he found, embedded in the jewel she wore around her neck, a shard of the orb she had smashed to free her realm from Outworld. The Special Forces agent took the shard and then met up with the other Earthwarriors, to go back home. The threat had been fended off once more.

VOICE

Mechanical cyborg voice as in MK3, however sometimes has a distorted human element (Cyrax is able to talk, after all, as was demonstrated in MKG).

OPPONENT LIST

1. Noob Saibot
2. Hachiman
3. Valin Vijar
4. Gnorado
5. Orcata
6. Sektor
7. Mavado
8. Lord Shadow
9. Reptile
10. Nitara
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

2. JOHNNY CAGE

To everyone's surprise but his own, Johnny Cage became the new Grand Champion as he delivered the final blow that sent Shang Tsung into his own soulnado. After a year of celebration, success and fortune, sceptics and other martial experts began to spread the rumours that Cage's victory was a hoax and that his title was undeserved. The ever-present suspicions that his skills were nothing more than a show of stunts resurfaced. Disgusted by Hollywood, Cage left and retreated to the Shaolin temples of his friend and ally Kung Lao.

Although the simple lifestyle of the deeply religious monks did not particulary affect Johnny Cage, it taught the martial arts moviestar that his true strength, the strength to which he had owed his victory, came from within. It was then that the disappearances and attacks began to take place. When Johnny Cage was then invited to compete in a new Mortal Kombat, he accepted the invitation without hesitating. He is determined to secure his position as Grand Champion bolstered by his victory in the previous tournament.

DATA

Status: Grand Champion
Height: 181cm
Weight: 74kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Venice, California (United States)
Race: Human

STYLES

*Jeet kune do (sm: taunt)
*Streetfighting (raw, movie-fighting like style that looks improvised // sm: power-up)
*Manrikigusari (like nunchakus but longer, metallic and only one chain // sm: sidestepping throw)
* Nunchakus (sm: sidestepping pop-up attack)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Energy ball
* Shadowkick
* Shadow uppercut
* Nut punch

FINISHING MOVES

* Super uppercut (MK2 classic)
* Brain basher

COSTUMES

*. A bit like in MK:DA, only the sunglasses are black and his hair is somewhat shorter. He wears the same pants as in MK4, with the sneaker shoes, and has, instead of a lion's head, the dragon symbol stitched into his belt.
*. Cage wears black costume pants with sneakers, and a black shirt that has one button unbuttoned (his sleeves are unbuttoned too). He still wears the sunglasses.
*. Cage wears a tight black t-shirt and a white, typical martial arts belt. His pants are black and loose. He wears black gloves with forearmguards and has the foot bandages he wore in MK:DA. Both of his weapons dangle on his belt. Still sunglasses.

VOICE

* Active, lively voice. Sounds confident.
* When hit and then immediately hitting back, sometimes says "those were 500$ sunglasses you asshole"
* When hitting, sometimes says "ouch, there you go!" or "where do you get these guys?"

OUTCOME

Johnny Cage had always been used to competition against impossible odds. In fact, where others would retreat or avoid the fight, Cage would enter it precisely because of this. He silenced his opponents by repeating his stunt of three years ago, and defeated the vile sorcerer Shang Tsung once more. He then faced and slew the unikorn guardian of the Dragon King and then took on the ruler of Outworld himself, emerging confident and victorious. However, deep in the dungeons of Outworld, Cage found that in spite of his smashing victory, he had not been able to save the lives of his friends and comrades that were held in captivity. In a surprising gesture, Cage relinquished his title as Grand Champion and recluded from society, bitter about his own career and the world.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Orcata
2. Hachiman
3. Noob Saibot
4. Valin Vijar
5. Mavado
6. Reptile
7. Nitara
8. Lord Shadow
9. Quan Chi
10. Shang Tsung
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

3. ERMAC

The entity known as Ermac was, for a long time, an enigmatic, rogue warrior roaming the wide lands of Outworld freely. His existence is made up of the souls of dead warriors, much like Shang Tsung. Although they possess similar abilities, Ermac never used them violently and feels his gifts to be more of a curse than anything else. Years ago he trained the Special Forces agent Kenshi how to use telekinetic powers but Ermac has since advanced well beyond this level and appears to have been growing stronger ever since.

Although he entered the tournament for unknown reasons, it is believed that Ermac is drawn to the power of Shang Tsung's soulnado. His soul thirsts for this inexhaustible supply of spirits and knowledge. Kenshi believes that his former tutor may be yet convinced to join the right cause, as he despises Shang Tsung as much as the Earth warriors do. However, ultimately Ermac's goals remain known only to himself. Sooner or later, he will have to come to terms with his abilities.

DATA

Status: Ninja-sorcerer
Height: 177cm
Weight: 81kg
Alignment: Neutral
Origin: Outworld
Birthplace: Unknown
Race: Unknown

STYLES

* Aikijitsu (elegant, quick style // sm: reversal)
* Hagakure-ryu jujutsu (style of Kage Maru in VF // sm: power-up)
* Chain (long chain with a spike on the end // sm: chain lashes out and, when connects, fetches the opponent like Scorpion's spear move)
* Halberd (sm: sidestepping mid-hit slash)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Soulblast (his former projectile)
* Telekinetic hammer (Ermac's hands glow green as he makes a swiping movement with them; when hit the opponent is sent flying sideways and then smacks to the ground)

FINISHING MOVES

* Soul destroyer (Ermac's right hand glows bright green; the soul of his opponent seems to writhe in terror with otherwordly sounds and then explodes, leaving the lifeless body fall to the ground in a heap)
* Teleripper (Ermac's left hand glows bright green as he telekinetically extracts the heart of the victim, painfully slowly, and lets it fall to the ground before the very eyes of the victim)

COSTUMES

* Head is similar to masked Sub-Zero¡¦s, only his mask is red and the stripes are gold, stretching past his mask and meeting at the back of his head. He also has a symbol on his forehead and his eyes are green-glowing. He has red, ornamented shoulder guards. His arms are covered in black but he doesn¡¦t wear gloves, although the sleeves of his body suit stretch over his hands. He has two leather belts running vertically over his torso, parallel to one another. He has a green rose in flames on his back. The rest is covered in black save for two red shin guards that end in similar curls like his mask and meet at the back of his calves. His skin tone is dark, a bit South-East Asian or Indian.
* Unmasked. Ermac¡¦s face has expression of seriousness and force, not as fanatical as Scorpion but not as cold as Sub-Zero. His hair is like Mavado¡¦s but better combed ƒo. He wears a "pirate's shirt" in shades of black, with red on the edges. He has gloves and black, spiked boots with wide, black trousers that have red symbols on them.
* Unmasked. Ermac's right arm is bare and only has one black wrist bandage. His other arm is covered in plated metal and he appears to wear a glowing ring over his black glove. One red leather belt runs diagonally across his chest and connects the red shoulder cap from costume #1 to his main belt. On his back he has the rose tattooed. His pants are the same from costume #2.

VOICE

Deep, with a barely suppressed fury, as if constantly clenching his teeth.

OUTCOME

Ermac confronted and defeated the vile sorcerer Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat. As the shapeshifter died a ray of souls escaped from his body and lunged into the whirling soulnado. The enigmatic ninja stared at the soulnado with admiration and desire, his eyes reflecting the otherwordly power that exuded from the unholy portal. As Ermac stepped into it, he felt new powers surge through his body, as if a whole universe was born inside of him and renewed both the vigour of his spirit and his body. His life would never be the same again.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Li Mei
2. Reptile
3. Johnny Cage
4. Valin Vijar
5. Scorpion
6. Kung Lao
7. Sub-Zero
8. Lord Shadow
9. Raiden
10. Shang Tsung
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

I'll post the next parts within a few hours. Please, again, refrain from commenting until everything has been posted. Thanks in advance.

Peace,
Q

4. FALCON

Falcon is one of the most promising recruits of the Special Forces. She decided to join the Special Forces after reading about the heroic adventures of Sonya and Jax on Outworld and how they and the other Earth warriors were able to repel the invasion on Earth by Shao Kahn. After five years of training, Falcon was assigned to guard the portals of Netherealm to see to it that no more Oni would escape or that other evil entities would get out and roam the free realms. When she was not on duty however, Noob Saibot, Quan Chi and Lord Shadow were able to get out of the realm and travel to Outworld. During this escape the Special Forces units guarding the portal were slaughtered.

When Sonya Blade was abducted, Falcon and Jax immediately linked it to the escape of the infamous necromantic trio and began preparations to leave for Outworld. Falcon unquestionably follows Jax' orders and is fiercely determined to get Sonya, her great example, back from Outworld alive. She is also vaguely haunted by the notion of guilt and contends that if she had been on duty the night Quan Chi escaped, she might have been able to stop them. Although she was trained in martial arts by Sonya herself, Jax thinks that Falcon's wild fury still needs to be tamed and therefore keeps her close to himself.

DATA

Status: Special Forces
Height: 173cm
Weight: 60kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Washington DC (United States)
Race: Human

STYLES

* Ensei-ken (like Pai Chan's style in VF4 // sm: reversal)
* Tae-kwon do (sm: shove)
* Machete (your typical African machete // sm: impale)
* Battlesnare (twin snares that come out of Falcon's forearm guards and she can use as mini whips, strangulation cords or even as small cutting weapons; the ends of the weapons glow red so you can see where they are; they are controlled by some sort of neural link; makes an agitated "zing" sound // sm: sidestepping sweep (with left snare) and facial blow (with right snare))

SPECIAL MOVES

* Square wave punch (Sonya's classic move)
* Leg takedown (Scorpion's move from MK2, but much quicker)
* Boiling ray (a ray of boiling water shoots from Falcon's forearm guards, pinning the opponent back)

FINISHING MOVES

* Wrist cutter (the battle snare zings and cuts the opponent's wrists with a scream and a splash of blood; the opponent drops to their knees and dies slowly)
* Skin boiler (a wider boiling ray moves over the opponent's body and cooks them alive in their own skin, their face or visible skin turning red and limp)

COSTUMES

* Falcon has dark red hair in a messy pony tail. She's wearing a black bandana that is covered by most of her hair. She wears a ribbed grey skin suit with a black, segmented belt that seems to hold her machete. Her boots are similar to those Sonya had in MK:DA and her forearm guards are thick, grey with red-stripes and very small lights on the ends that blink.
* Falcon wears her official ceremonial military outfit, in light green, with a darker coloured baret. She has only few decorations and a metal shoulder plate that is connected to the hem of her jacket. Same boots as in #1. Her hair is tied under her baret. Her forearm guards are hidden under her sleeves.
* Falcon wears a short leather jacket with vivid flames on the sleeves and the back. Her pair of jeans ends wide and covers sneaker shoes. Her hair is still tied loosely, but without the bandana. She has lipstick on, and wears a white t-shirt under her jacket. Her forearm guards are now black with red stripes.

VOICE

* Young, but not overly girlish
* Loud, high-pitched screams when attacking as well as being hit (see Taki in SC)

OUTCOME

Falcon had achieved the impossible. When the other Earth warriors were lured away by the Red Dragon members, Falcon sneaked into the Dragon King's palaces unnoticed and confronted the mighty sovereign herself. After a long and exhausting battle, Outworld's ruler was defeated. Falcon found the keys to the dungeons. She quickly found and freed both Kai and Smoke but was unable to find her mentor Sonya. When she finally did, she found Sonya dying. Her last words were choked in Falcon's tears as she held her cold and shivering body. Captain Sonya Blade, decorated war heroine, was given a burial befitting of her character and achievements. Falcon knew she had a tough legacy to live up to.

OPPONENTS LIST

1. Sektor
2. Reptile
3. Quan Chi
4. Noob Saibot
5. Nitara
6. Orcata
7. Gnorado
8. Hachiman
9. Shang Tsung
10. Mavado
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

5. GNORADO

Gnorado functions as contact person between the realm of Edenia and the Shokan. After their terrible defeat at the hands of Shao Kahn's general Kano the Shokan began emigrating from Outworld to Edenia. In this emigration Gnorado played and plays a pivotal role. His ultimate ambition is to become the leader of his people but in order to do that, he would need to prove himself as a warrior first. Gnorado will not have an easy time fighting the memory of prince Goro and the tradition of monarchy that has ruled the Shokan people for so long. He would hate to see an incompetent nephew or cousin of Goro come to power and spoil the Shokan future.

Gnorado now sets out on a quest to stop the Court of Immortals from corrupting the Dragon King and defeat him if necessary. Although he is relatively unaware of the many dangers that lie ahead of him, Gnorado has enough courage and bravery to face them. Even his allies in Edenia fear, however, that Gnorado might not resist the charm of Shang Tsung's talks and will be tricked into betraying his ideals and will ultimately destroy himself. It is true that a part of him still feels some resentment towards the Earth warriors for having defeated Goro so many years ago, and Tsung will certainly be so clever as to try to abuse these feelings of hurt pride.

DATA

Status: Ferryman
Height: 236cm
Weight: 184kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Outworld
Birthplace: Guar, Shokan Realm
Race: Shokan

STYLES

* Half-dragon (very powerful, agressive wrestling style // sm: reversal)
* Boxing (as practised by boxers :) // sm: power-up)
* Spiked club (a large spiked club, as displayed by Reiko in MK4; Gnorado holds it with two hands // sm: crushing pound (one extremely slow but destructive hit that deals 25% damage)
* Flameblades (four curbed, dark obisidian blades in the shape of flames // sm: impale)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Shokan stomp (classic Shokan teleport move)
* Shokan quake (classic Shokan ground stomp)
* Fireline (a rapid line of fire across the ground, can only be blocked by ducked block)

FINISHING MOVES

* Headburner (Gnorado casts a flame that tears away the facial skin in horrible screams)
* Skull cracker (finishing move similar to the way Goro finished off Art in the MK movie)

COSTUMES

* Gnorado is barefoot but is, from the knees up, clad in metal armour that shines in the sun. The armour is more oriental in style. He has spikes on his knees and elbows, and belts running over his plated chest that connect in a yin-yang symbol. He wears no helmet but his neck is also protected by the armour. From his elbows downwards his arms are bare again. He has foot and hand bandages. His face is painted in war colours. He has black, shoulder-length hair, with tails in it on the sides and on the back.

* Bandages return. He wears a thick black belt and a red piece of cloth before his crotch with an Eastern symbol on it. He has black vertical belts across his chest held together by a simple solar symbol. His back appears to have stripes similar to those of a raptor.

* Gnorado wears a white tunic with a simple belt. The foot bandages return, but his hands now only have (leather) caps around the wrists. His hair is loose, giving him a wild, free style like a true ferryman.

VOICE

* Shokan growls and grunts, but with a more human touch.
* Voice sounds relatively young.

OUTCOME

Gnorado had been guided to the tournament by apocalyptic visions of the God of Fire. Feigning loyalty to the persuasive Shang Tsung, Gnorado served the Court of Immortals he despised so much very well. He took on the Earthrealm warriors and won the respect of the diabolical Court. However, Gnorado's hunger was not at all satisfied. Following the cinder visions he received every night from his God, he then turned against his allies and took control of the Dragon King's army, finally defeating the Dragon King himself. Gnorado assumed the throne of Outworld. Guided by his immaterial visions, he then went on pursuing grander goals and conquests

OPPONENT LIST

1. Ermac
2. Nitara
3. Valin Vijar
4. Lord Shadow
5. Kenshi
6. Quan Chi
7. Kung Lao
8. Johnny Cage
9. Raiden
10. Shang Tsung
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

6. HACHIMAN

Hachiman is a member of the Red Dragon, the most secretive and longest operating criminal circle Earth has known for the last five hundred years. Originally only engaging in criminal activities for profit, through their destruction of their rivals the Black Dragon they slowly reset their goals to manipulate and eventually dominate Earthrealm. Their base of operations then changed to Outworld where they know the Special Forces cannot reach them. Quan Chi however informed Mavado that the Lin Kuei were a potential threat to the Red Dragon, and thus a new plan was born.

In order to lure Sub-Zero to Outworld, Hachiman abducted a number of Earthrealm warriors, among whom Sub-Zero's closest friend and ally Smoke. Knowing Sub-Zero would rescue his lost clanmembers at any cost, Hachiman acts as bait to lure him and his allies further into the lion's den, where the secretly reforged Deadly Alliance will await them. Hachiman himself is a brutal but highly disciplined sadist.

DATA

Status: Red Dragon
Height: 181cm
Weight: 86kg
Alignment: Evil
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Busan, South-Korea
Race: Human

STYLES

* Kenpo (like Sonya's MK:DA style, of course in a masculine version // sm: power-up (Hachiman grunts loudly and primitively, clenching his teeth and fists))
* Aikido (Kano's MK:DA style, with more joint locks and submissions // sm: reversal)
* Fencing blade (sm: battle lance (see below))
* Battle lance (a medieval battle lance carried with only one hand // sm: fencing blade (see below))
* Lance and blade (Hachiman carries one in each hand // sm: impale with lance (if opponent is lying down) / impale with blade (if opponent is standing))

SPECIAL MOVES

* Bloodbarge (Hachiman performs a quick elbow dash to the opponent's nose, knocking them down with a long trail of blood)
* Miniblades (Hachiman throws two small knives – one with each hand)

FINISHING MOVES

* Impaler (Hachiman impales the victim on his battle lance and leaves it hanging there, writhing in pain, like Baraka's MK2 fatality)
* Skinner (Hachiman cuts around with his fencing blade; when he's done the opponent's skin is flayed and their clothes ripped a part, blood seeping out everywhere)

COSTUMES

* The way he looked like in the MK:DA concept art. Lean, evil and menacing. Only not as thin as in his concept. His skin is also more an olive colour, evoking his Asian origins.

* The way Dariou looked like in his concept art for MK:DA, only with a black fencing mask.

* Hachiman wears black Chinese shoes and black shin guards that are strapped to his legs by white bandages across his calves. There is a white, moving stripe running across his red pants (a bit like the blue-coloured part of Sub-Zero's alternate MK:DA outfit). He has a black belt. His torso is covered by a black wooden cuirass, and so are his shoulders and forearms. Under the cuirass than runs up to his neck, there is a red shirt visible that has parallel white stripes on the sides. His face is, again, covered by the fencing mask. The only thing bare are his upper arms.

VOICE

* Eager voice, normal pitch
* Partially choked by his fencing mask

OUTCOME

Hachiman proved his loyalty to the Red Dragon and his discipline as a warrior by defeating the Special Forces agents, taking revenge on Jax for killing Hsu Hao and slaying the Lin Kuei grand master Sub-Zero. Now recognised by Mavado as one of his most skilled warriors, he was promoted within the ranks of the organisation and learnt more about the true destiny of the Red Dragon: in service of their new overlord, the Dragon King, they would prepare Earthrealm for his coming, and would become his most powerful and influential elite guard.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Ermac
2. Kung Lao
3. Johnny Cage
4. Kabal
5. Cyrax
6. Kenshi
7. Scorpion
8. Falcon
9. Jax
10. Sub-Zero
11. Tygrus
12. Raiden

7. COL. JAX BRIGGS

It’s not the first time Jax travels to Outworld to retrieve Sonya. Years ago he competed in a similar tournament, hosted by the emperor Shao Kahn, to free Sonya and her arch-nemesis Kano. This time, however, Jax is personally invited to compete and has long since become a player more than a pawn in the everlasting conflict between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Assembling a small elite force to accompany him, Jax is aided by agents Kenshi and Cyrax and by his newest recruit Falcon.

Jax, promoted to colonel, is convinced that stability should be returned to Outworld. However, should they fail to win the tournament, Jax’ superiors have threatened to send large armed forces to Outworld to bring back stability. Jax himself is opposed to these plans, having witnessed the terrible destructive power of the Dragon King’s lost army, but has no other option than to obey commands. The last few years Jax has grown increasingly bitter and appears to be consumed by an irrational anger. It is rumoured this is caused by an implant he took from the first Red Dragon he had slain in battle, Hsu Hao.

DATA

Status: Special Forces
Height: 204cm
Weight: 98kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Detroit, Ohio (United States)
Race: Human

STYLES

* Muay thai (sm: taunt)
* Judo (sm: reversal)
* Tonfa (sm: sidestepping pop-up attack)
* Bionic blades (his bionic implants reshape into two claw-like blades // sm: wide strike that knocks the opponent down)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Ground pound (as in MK:DA)
* Gotcha grab (classic move)
* Bionic blast (his MK4 missile move; only from his armed stances)
* Machine gun blasty (his MK:DA missile move; only from his unarmed stances)
* Machine gun punch (his MK:DA move)

FINISHING MOVES

* Crumble (his MK2 head splat)
* Arm ripper (his MK2 classic)

COSTUMES

* His primary MK:DA costume. Under his belt of bullets the faint glow of the heart implant is visible, which is connected to his left shoulder by a bionic metal strap.

* Similar to #1, but with a leather jacket much like Kano's, a dog tag and pants that seem to fit wider, in camouflage colouring. Jax also has camouflage paint on his face.

* In this costume Jax is styled after sgt. West in the movie "Basic".

VOICE

His MK:DA voice. Still with his over-the-top-taunts and everything! :)

OUTCOME

Jax and his elite team of Special Forces units had dealt with the threat of the Dragon King's minions successfully, eliminating them one by one. Teaming up with their comrades they also vanquished the Red Dragon members. Driven by anger and bitterness, Jax finally faced the ruler of Outworld himself and defeated him in mortal kombat. His rage only increased however when he found that captain Sonya Blade had already been killed by an unknown assailant. Seeing that the Dragon King was still alive and Outworld still in chaos, Jax returned to Earth to report to his superiors, fearing the inevitable. They sent a large armed force through the portals to Outworld and were ultimately defeated in an onslaught against the Dragon King's undefeatable army. Ignorant of the teachings of the Elder Gods, the Earth's governments broke the rules of inter-realm war, and by this they allowed the Dragon King to invade Earth himself. During this invasion on Earth Jax is killed.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Shang Tsung
2. Lord Shadow
3. Orcata
4. Reptile
5. Gnorado
6. Noob Saibot
7. Quan Chi
8. Sektor
9. Hachiman
10. Mavado
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

8. KABAL

Kabal once belonged to the criminal gang known as the Black Dragon when Shao Kahn illicitly invaded Earth so many years ago. It took a near-death experience and a horrible mutilation at the hands of an extermination squad to realise he was a chosen warrior, destined to fight for good. After the invasion was repelled Kabal devoted his life to crime fighting and as such, was one of the first to encounter Mavado, the leader of the Red Dragon, in battle. Mavado was eager to confront Kabal, since he was not only an ex-member of the ring the Red Dragon wanted to eradicate but also because Kabal now possessed information fatal to him.

Kabal was defeated and once again left for dead out in the woods. Swearing to take revenge, he began preparing for a quest to find and kill Mavado. Honing his skills and training himself to perfection, he felt ready to join the other Earthrealm warriors as they undertook another journey into Outworld to find their lost friends. Like Sub-Zero, Kabal also believes that the Red Dragon is somehow responsible for these disappearances. However, what Kabal doesn't know is that Mavado possesses information which might cause him to rethink his loyalties to his travelling companions.

DATA

Status: Crime fighter
Height: 182cm
Weight: 79kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Unknown
Race: Human

STYLES

* Hakkyoku-ken (Akira Yuki's style in VF, only with more powerful accents // sm: reversal)
* Tourou-ken (Lion Rafale's style in VF // sm: shove)
* Kabal's Hookswords (he and Mavado have distinct moves and properties for this weapon // spinning sidestep (mid-hit))
* Dragonblade (like Liu Kang's weapon in MK4 // sm: impale)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Whirlwind barge (the victim now actually spins around rather than having a lame sprite)
* Hedgehog blades (much quicker, can only be blocked when crouching)
* Eyeblast (classic move)

FINISHING MOVES

* Head exploder (Kabal grabs the victims throat and, under choking protests, shuts it tightly; then he inserts a plug from his articial respiratory system in the mouth; the head begins to swell and finally explodes)
* Slice & dice (Kabal hacks and slashes with his hookswords for a few moments, his weapons a whirl and blood splatting in every direction; moments later the victim, carved and bloodied, falls a part in a bloody heap)

COSTUMES

* As in MK3. Instead of the strange white socks/shoes, however, this time he's wearing combat boots. This time, the sleeves of his jacket are also longer, covering all of his arms up to his gloves. His clothes are tinted much darker than his MK3 appearance.

* Kabal wears a cotton blue pullover with a zipper. On his arms he has three black parallel stripes running. The zipper is opened a little bit to allow for his artificial respiratory device to connect to his gas mask. His hair is in a loose tail. He still wears gloves. His pants are black and he wears sneakers. Overall this outfit resembles that of a raver at parties.

* Kabal wears a long, brown trenchoat which makes him look fairly impressive when standing. The hem of this coat is straight up, hiding most of his mask. Under the coat he's appearently wearing a tieless, black tuxedo. He still has gloves. His hair is also hidden by the long coat.

VOICE

* Fairly high-pitched, but no effeminate
* Sounds as if in rage and terror
* Warped through his respiratory mask, sometimes only has the hissing breathing sounds (like Voldo in SC)

OUTCOME

The coolness and deliberation of Mavado was no match for Kabal's brutality and strength this time. With a decisive swipe Mavado was forced to release the weapons he had once stolen from the chosen warrior, and another brought him to his knees. Kabal, fueled by rage and a feeling of justice, heaved his chromed weapons to deliver the final strike that would kill his adversary. However, before he did, Mavado raised his hand and asked him to spare his life if he wanted to know the truth about his defeat against the Red Dragon. Kabal listened. He spared Mavado's life and walked away, never to be seen again.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Noob Saibot
2. Gnorado
3. Reptile
4. Nitara
5. Valin Vijar
6. Quan Chi
7. Sektor
8. Shang Tsung
9. Hachiman
10. Mavado
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

9. KENSHI

Kenshi had been found near death and unconscious after the last tournament. He had been ambushed by a mysterious warrior in service of the Deadly Alliance, who had prevented him from taking revenge on Shang Tsung for stealing his ancestor's souls years ago. The Special Forces agent healed quickly, however, and was soon able to be deployed in several missions. All this time however the thought of vengeance never left his mind and although the Deadly Alliance had been defeated, he knew that Tsung was still alive.

When the strange disappearances began to occur and when Quan Chi broke loose from the Netherealm, Kenshi guessed that the Deadly Alliance was reforming. As Kenshi was formerly the Special Forces' agent on Outworld, he was included in Jax' elite team that was to travel to this hostile world to get to the bottom of this matter. The blind swordsman has sensed the presence of his tutor Ermac in the area and hopes that he can convert him to the side of good, so they together could bring down and slay Shang Tsung.

DATA

Status: Special Forces
Height: 178cm
Weight: 70kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Race: Human

STYLES

* Tai chi (sm: shove)
* San-shou (sm: power-up)
* Pekara Katana (moves are distinct from Scorpion's sword – his katana glows fiery red at the end of a combo // sidestepping strike)
* Three-sectional staff (as in the MK:DA extra content; the sound of the three sections moving is clearly audible; hard plastic sound // sm: auto-counter)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Telekinetic push
* Telekinetic slam
* Telekinetic ride

FINISHING MOVES

* A stab in the dark (Kenshi walks around the victim and hits them at the back of their knees, forcing them to kneel; he then takes out his katana and slams it into the victim's back; they die with an expression of pain and anguish)
* Death slam (like Ermac's fatality in UMK3, only this time around the victim does not explode, rather unpleasant sounds of bones breaking can be heard)

COSTUMES

* His MK:DA outfit. He now has a faint mark of stubbles.

* His second MK:DA outfit, only this time the kimono isn't torn and he really looks a bit more Japanese! Also, his hair is a bit shorter and he wears foot and arm bandages.

* Kenshi wears a black military strike team outfit with boots, gloves and a bullet-proof vest. The red bandana that covers his eyes has been replaced by something more stylish (similar to what the Geordi wears in Star Trek: TNG). The rest of his head is bare.

VOICE

* Average Japanese dude voice
* When he powers up he should say something in Japanese ;)

OUTCOME

The revenge against Shang Tsung did not taste as sweet and fulfilling as Kenshi had thought it would be. His ancestors' souls had swirled back into the lighting katana, the soulnado had been closed and yet a voice rang in his mind that his quest was not yet over. The Dragon King had been severely injured but was still alive, and Quan Chi's grip over the ruler was strengthening, turning the ancient king to the side of evil more and more every day. It was then that Kenshi realised, with a sudden insight, that the blade he carried and the amulet the Court had in its possession were somehow linked, their destinies intertwined. Kenshi and his comrades returned home with their friends and began preparing for the next confrontation.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Scorpion
2. Reptile
3. Sektor
4. Quan Chi
5. Mavado
6. Lord Shadow
7. Nitara
8. Hachiman
9. Orcata
10. Shang Tsung
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

10. KUNG LAO

Kung Lao almost killed Shang Tsung three years ago in a fight to avenge the death of Earth's greatest champion Liu Kang. Tsung got away before Lao could place the critical blow and was then neutralised by Johnny Cage. Kung Lao returned home and kept training new Shaolin warrior monks along with his friends Kai and Bo' Rai Cho, who had returned to the Wu Shi Academy.

When Kai disappeared and Kung Lao received an invitation to compete in Mortal Kombat, he immediately sensed the grim presence of Shang Tsung behind this. Determined to succeed where he had failed in the past, he and his old friends, who had also received similar invitations, travelled to Outworld. However, this time Kung Lao not only plans to finish off what he started, he also has plans to reshape Outworld into a stable, peaceful realm.

DATA

Status: Shaolin monk
Height: 180cm
Weight: 72kg
Alignment: Good
Origin: Earth
Birthplace: Lhasa, Tibet
Race: Human

STYLES

* Mantis (sm: power-up)
* Shaolin fist (sm: taunt (a Tibetan sorcery perhaps)
* Butterfly knives (used in a totally different way than Kano did // sm: impale)
* Shaolin blade (very smooth, long blade that seems to wobble but is very sharp; has some ribbons attached to the heft; makes a singing sound // extended mid-hit)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Hat toss (classic)
* Whirlwind kick (can also be executed from mid-air, spiralling downwards)
* Shaolin aura (same as in MKG)

FINISHING MOVES

* Vertical ripper (his MK2 fatality)
* Legless brutality (Kung Lao uses his shaolin blade and, twirling around in a typical fluid, gracious style, flashes through the opponent's legs with his blade; the victim, cleft from their thighs and onwards, falls off their feet and lower legs which are still standing and bleeds to death while screaming)

COSTUMES

* His MK:DA costume #2 (this time they should mind the hair colour and make him look more Asian)

* His MK:DA costume #1 (same comments apply)

* A typical Tibetan monk costume in gold and orange, a bit like the monk dude in VF4. He still has hair, however, and of course his everlasting hat. He has sandals.

VOICE

A gentle, fairly normal voice, with neither extravagant screams nor the juicy taunts.

OUTCOME

Truly living up to the legacy Liu Kang left behind, Kung Lao had taken care of Shang Tsung for good. The sorcerer had died and the Court of Immortals disbanded now that the Dragon King was weak and defeated. Kung Lao freed his imprisoned comrades but did not immediately return home. Recognising her skills as a warrior and the purity of her soul Kung Lao decided to support Li Mei in her people's struggle for freedom and eventually, with the help of his superior knowledge of the Wu Shi teachings, puts her on the throne as Queen Li Mei of Outworld. Kung Lao is offered a place at her side as King of Outworld but declines and returns to Earth to devote himself to peaceful, solitary study as a monk.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Gnorado
2. Orcata
3. Sektor
4. Noob Saibot
5. Valin Vijar
6. Reptile
7. Nitara
8. Lord Shadow
9. Quan Chi
10. Shang Tsung
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

11. LI MEI

Freeing her people from the slavery under the Deadly Alliance three years ago, Li Mei still lacked the power to keep Outworld from falling a part and was barely able to secure the lives of her own people. Although never planning to become a leader, a military personality or a warrior she was forced to fight when she and her village were caught in the middle of a conflict between what remained of Outworld's former armed forces, lead by Kano and Baraka, and the rampaging army of the Dragon King under the command of Reptile.

During this conflict the necromancer Quan Chi appeared and made Li Mei an offer she could not refuse. In return for competing in the upcoming tournament hosted by the reestablished Court of Immortals, Li Mei and her people would be transported to a safer spot in Outworld under the protection of the Dragon King. Li Mei accepted and left her family and friends but, this time, she comes to the tournament prepared.

DATA

Status: Rebel
Height: 165cm
Weight: 57kg
Alignment: Unknown
Origin: Outworld
Birthplace: Ming Huang, Lowlands
Race: Outworld

STYLES

* Baji quan (sm: taunt)
* Lui he ba fa (sm: shove)
* Sais (with more unique combo possibilities, unlike the daggers'// sm: impale)
* Boomerang (a wooden boomerang which can be used to deliver strikes with and can be thrown without losing it; it can also be used to impale – if it misses then it's lost // sm: impaling toss)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Cartwheel kick
* Flip kick
* Astral dust
* Many hands

FINISHING MOVES

* Torso seperator (her old MK:DA fatality)
* Flip kick decapitator (her flip kick move with an extra power boost, ripping off the victim's head and sending it high up in the air, until it ultimately falls to the ground again)

COSTUMES

* Her primary MK:DA costume. This time her face looks more realistic. Her sais are visible behind her belt, on her hips.

* Her second MK:DA costume. This time there are flowing red and pink ribbons with Outworld glyphs on them attached to the rings in her costume. She also has her hair in a ponytail in this costume.

* Her hair is loose again but covered by a veil. Her costume is somewhat Arabic in design, in shades of pink, red and blue, with long sleeves and pants that widen at the feet. The attire is held together by a belt in a rough texture with a ribbon floating behind it.

VOICE

Grown woman's voice. No excessive screams.

OUTCOME

On the camping grounds Li Mei had met up with Kung Lao and they arranged a secret deal: Kung Lao and his comrades would keep Shang Tsung occupied long enough to allow Li Mei to slip past the Court of Immortals and get at Quan Chi. She caught the necromancer off guard and defeated him, fulfilling her end of the bargain. However Quan Chi, humiliated by his defeat, told Li Mei that her people had been massacred in an attack by the armies of Outworld. Li Mei trapped her enemy in his inner sanctum and sealed it tightly with an ancient spell, so he would be tortured forever, haunted by the energies of light. Li Mei then gathered what was left of her people and emigrated to Edenia.

OPPONENT LIST

1. Noob Saibot
2. Scorpion
3. Orcata
4. Tygrus
5. Hachiman
6. Nitara
7. Shang Tsung
8. Valin Vijar
9. Reptile
10. Quan Chi
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King

12. LORD SHADOW

Lord Shadow is the leader of the Brothers of the Shadow, a fanatical and dark cult which worships the fallen Elder God Shinnok. Although Shinnok himself was banished to the 5th plane of the Netherealm once more and had proven to be useless in Quan Chi's plots to gain more power for himself, once again fate drove Quan Chi into the arms of the ancient cult when he stranded in the Netherealm. Lord Shadow immediately approached the necromancer and offered his assistance in his plans if Quan Chi would later use his amulet to free Shinnok once more. Quan Chi agreed. Lord Shadow and his bodyguard escaped the Netherealm.

Lord Shadow is a powerful sorcerer in his own right and draws his unusual strength from the Netherealm rather than kombat skills or brute force. He can automatically link himself to a plane and appear at will without the need for intra-realm gates, so it seems. It's clear that Lord Shadow and his cult pose a vital threat to the Earthrealm warriors but at the same time his peers in the Court of Immortals consider him to be just as dangerous.

DATA

Status: Brother of the Shadow
Height: 210cm
Weight: 90kg
Alignment: Evil
Origin: Netherealm
Birthplace: Unknown
Race: Unknown

STYLES

* Whale (a slow style involving a lot of sweeping moves and defensive manouvres with wide range; a vast arsenal of moves involved in this style – has substyles SHARK and HAMMERHEAD // sm: shove)
* Shadow (a fast, stealthy style not unlike ninjitsu; this style has a lot of moves as well // sm: diagonal escape (Lord Shadow disappears and appears again with his arms folded over his chest, locked into one another a few feet backwards ànd sideways))
* Battle staff (Shinnok's weapon from MK4; can only be accessed from whale stance; is a long black staff with bladed wings on the end and a long pike // sm: impaling toss)
* Tanto (short Japanese, dagger-like blade, can only be accessed from shadow stance // sm: sidestepping stab)

SPECIAL MOVES

* Teleport (Lord Shadow disappears, leaving behind some faint trails of black smoke, and appears again behind the opponent; for the animation, look at the way Nightcrawler can teleport in the 2nd X-Men movie)
* Distorting wave (Lord Shadow raises his hands and quickly lowers them suggesting some sort of impact; a deep blue wave follows which seems to distort the screen and background as if it were an airquake; its path is diagonal, from Lord Shadow to the ground)
* Circular teleport (like Reiko's move in MK4)
* Levitation (Lord Shadow levitates a few feet above the ground; his levitation can involuntarily end when hit by jump kicks or projectiles; various moves and combos will only be accessible through this mode)
--> Dive of doom (Lord Shadow dives down and delivers a pound with one glowing hand which knocks the opponent down to the ground)
--> Distorting wave (from whale stance only)
* Teleport (from shadow stance only)

FINISHING MOVES

* Rapid age (Lord Shadow seems to cast a blue haze around the victim's feet, and as the glow becomes more intense the victim rapidly ages until it becomes a corpse and ultimately crumbles into dust)
* Enclosing circles (Lord Shadow casts a series of magic circles with a purple glow – similar to the circles which radiated from Tsung after his MK:DA fatality – which go into the victim faster and faster, moving up the length of their body, until it finally explodes)

COSTUMES

* Lord Shadow appears to wear a long, black robe with only a very narrow opening. Along the opening of his robe there is a segmented purple stripe on each side (velvet-textured). He wears regular black shoes and his hands constantly exude a very faint purple glow as he moves. His hair is combed backwards and is jet black. His complexion is very pale, bordering on sickly, zombie-like green and his appearance seems to suggest Slavic origins. His eyes are white but glow purple when he finishes a combo or performs a special moves. His robe smoothly flows along with all of his moves.

* A similar costume, only this time Lord Shadow also has the hood of his robe on, and wears a diagonal, segmented belt in steel, ending in a spiked shoulder cap. He wears boots and has gloves on. Every now and then only his eyes are visible from the darkness the hood has dressed the rest of his face in.

* Lord Shadow has a deep purple, almost black cape that covers the back of what appears to be a gothic-style harnass. It really looks like a medieval knight's, only it is tinted black. The belt and spiked shoulder cap return. His face is visible.

VOICE

A very deep, grave-like voice. He never, ever shouts, yells or screams. Sometimes he grunts.

OUTCOME

Having been freed from the Netherealm, Lord Shadow had planned his next moves carefully. He first killed the hostages and then incriminated Shang Tsung with false evidence of a plot and had him executed. Continuing his evil charade he fended off the most dangerous Earthwarriors and then lured both Reptile and Nitara into a trap while instructing Noob Saibot to steal the real amulet from Quan Chi. With the commanders of the army dead and the amulet in his possession, Lord Shadow squelched the remaining opposition himself and slew the Dragon King in a fierce battle. Now ruler supreme over Outworld, Lord Shadow revealed himself to be an ancient enemy from a long forgotten age

OPPONENT LIST

1. Li Mei
2. Gnorado
3. Kabal
4. Johnny Cage
5. Reptile
6. Nitara
7. Sub-Zero
8. Kung Lao
9. Tygrus
10. Raiden
11. Twilite/Thrak
12. The Dragon King