Mick-Lucifer Wrote:
I think the biggest tragedy of killing Liu Kang off was not sticking with it.
If they'd really committed to killing him off, we'd probably still be talking about it as one of the biggest moments of the series! A major milestone around which a lot of the series could've grown, rather than the passing thought it is now.

It was the perfect storm of a character who still had major relevance to the series, an untouchable quality, but an entirely disposable and tired role that a lot of people were completely sick of. It was the perfect way to take the series forward with maximum impact! You put your title bad guys over in the biggest possible way; elevate overdue heroes like Kung Lao; and arguably make Liu Kang an even bigger legend than he actually was.

I'm of the mind that we never really got to see Liu Kang get the full treatment he deserved, but having him be anchored in the mythology as a dead hero to aspire to could've been a fantastic way to actually develop the character! He was too important to entirely disappear from reference, but the key would've been in the absence -- something that's just about always been to the betterment of MK story.

There'd always be a contingent who wanted him back, but if they'd stuck to their guns, we'd also probably be looking at a lot of the other characters in a different way. It would've been very interesting to see -- particularly in a world without the 2011 rewrite. A great chance to start making first-person legends of the characters we've spent the last twenty years with, perhaps with the objective of finally reaching a new generation of characters.