Well, I like the idea of Kabal reforming the Black Dragon, but not changing it, they're still after money, power, and respect in the criminal underworld. If they give a good reason for WHY Kabal is keeping it the same, then I'll be cool with it. But I still like the idea. Turning it good would've been too predictable.
As for Noob Saibot, he doesn't have leadership power YET. He's on a quest to get it, so he's STRUGGLING for power, he doesn't have it yet.
So, so far, the only character with new leadership authority that have been confirmed is Sub-Zero.

I think that Kabal is trying to reform the Black Dragon, for his own benefits; for example he can be seeking revenge and needs people to help him and now he is using the Black Dragon as a way to get what he wants.

Alright, MAYBE he's finds the world to vile and greedy to ever be worth saving, so he's given up on redemption. Or maybe he's just an asshole and nothing in MK3 ever happened. I don't know.
I like the idea of Kabal just being an asshole.

Actually, I think I've figured it out. Kira has to test her skills by going against the Dragon King? I think that Kabal is still a good guy in the sense of going against the Dragon King with the good Outworlders/Earth warriors. So, he tells the Black Dragon they have to go against the Dragon King to help his "allies."
But back on Earth, it's all business.

I think we are seeing the formation a few clans too many at this point. Sounds like MK7 is going to be just one big gang war. Though it could be a fresh getaway from the standard "good vs. ultimate evil" plot.
Personally I like Noob's clan. It sounds like the replacement for what the Lin Kuei. Now the Sub-Zero is turning the Lin Keui into a force of good, Noob is trying to forge the new ulimate assassin's guild. Perhaps Smoke didn't find going completely good appealing, and saw Noob's clan to be the closest thing to the Lin Keui's old way of running business.

Ok so my take, cause I'm opinionated you know?
Kabal hasn't been around for a very long time now and who knows what has happened since MK3. If they leave his bio as is, which I'm sure there will be more, then I'll be pissed. If they expand his Bio to give a better explination of where he's been and why he's doing what he's doing then Great.
Sub-Zero lead on Mister.
Noob?? Not so sure, yeah he's been around but he hasn't been a major player in any game and he has had so many positions none of which have had power. I think this is a way to give him an Identity and perhaps he's been deceiving everyone all these years making them think that he's been everyones bitch when in reality he's just been waiting for the right oportunity to come forward as a leader.
Look at Mileena she's just been this bitter other sister/clone to Mileena for years and BOOM now has made herself practically ruler of Edenia.
If you watch Soap Opera's, which I'm sure most of you don't, then you'll see that this story is much like a soap opera or any prime time show with COnsecutive storylines. Anyone can have power in the correct circumstances. You just need the opportunity.
But agreed with an earlier post TOO MANY GROUPS/CLANS. I was hoping at the end of MK:DA that the BLACK/RED Dragon side story crap was gonna fizzle out. But no here we are again, simply with different players....again.
Sorry so long.
Kiss kiss

i dont really mind the different groups with the new leaders. We cant really say its a subpar sequel based on the limited bits and pieces of the actual story we have. Having Kabal as a bad guy with some new people behind him isnt that bad. I just wish some of the Red dragon was in it so that there could be a rivalry between the two. Im not sure about Noob having his own group too. but story wise though im going to wait to pass judgement.

i think what midway is doing by making so many gangs/clans/wateva is so it is easier for them to explain who are allys and who are enemies its juss the easy way out rather than writing a 10 page essay on who this character is and wat he has to do with it all where he comes from why he doesnt like this person etc and i like the idea of clan rivalry i liked where tha black dragon/red dragon thing was going i juss didnt like mavado and hsu hao i liked the idea it was black D vs Red D but at the same time they had a mutual enemy The Outworld Investigation Agency i didnt like the fact that kenshi was in it i felt he was a story all on his own but then we will have to wait and see in deception

I'm fine with who they've decided to take control. As long as Sheeva doesn't lead the Shotokans in a revolt or Stryker rallying together troops to head out and make the Earthrealm a "Safer" place for the future children!

TemperaryUserName Wrote: When it was divulged in MKDA that Subzero had reformed the Lin Kuei under his rule, not only were people shocked, but they were exhileratingly happy. The idea of taking one of the coolest characters from Pawn-to-King was amazing, and I seriously don't think anyone saw it coming. Yet apparently, the MK team must have figured, "the more the merrier," because now we have Noob doing the exact same thing, only with a different alignment, and with not nearly as much success. This scenario makes sense with Subzero because he's grown wiser with time, pain, and experience. Noob has gone from pawn, to tool, to bitch ever since MK started. With that resume, no wonder he could only get one recruit. And now Kabal? Seriously, this guy is about as evil as Robert Downey Jr., yet he wants to restore the corruption of the Black Dragon and "Bring the world to it's knees?" Alright, MAYBE he's finds the world to vile and greedy to ever be worth saving, so he's given up on redemption. Or maybe he's just an asshole and nothing in MK3 ever happened. I don't know. What I do know is that this is getting ridiculus. He should have been a nomad living by his own morals instead of another classic character restoring another classic establishment in a not so classic MK sequel. Thoughts?

I totally agree. I was really glad that the classic character have evolved in great ways like SubZero.
The one I hope he'll evolved is Scorpion. He desperatly needs a purpose to keep coming back. Yes he is the fan's favorite character but storywise, he needs something more ...

After hearing about Kabal being a bad guy, I thought to myself, "Gee, that's really nice. Seems as though we just totally ignore past stories of characters and pull a 180 giving them a completely new story. WTF."
Problem is that the MK team is trying to put way too many twists in plot lines which is going overkill. The other one is the fact that players move along or grow with the way a character develops. Now you're going to change a good guy to a bad guy and get some pissed off peeps. I swear sometimes I wonder if there even was MK3.
They should've kept Kabal as a "justice seeking nomad" Now we have, yet, another fuckin Sub-zero wannabe doing the opposite of what Sub is doing. Guess Sektor wasn't enough.
His only saving grace will be an acceptable bio explainging this bullshit.

Remember, MK4/MKG was very rarely mentioned in MKDA.
Here are all the logical reasons for why Kabal might be changing his ways:
1. Kabal was actually killed by Mavado, & was resurrected with Kano's soul by Onaga.
2. Kabal reformed it without his own free will, with the reviving part intact.
3. MK3 never happened.
4. This could be a plot for the Red Dragon. Kabal could've faked his own death for the Red Dragon.
5. Onaga must be threatening Kabal to reform the Black Dragon, otherwise, he'd be eaten alive by the Tartakans or something.
Those are all the things I can think of. As long as Kabal is in the game, I don't care how f'd up his story is, but I still wonder.

MK3 did happen. Believe me, it did. Every MK happened.

I think they are making insane story moves to fit in old characters. Besides random characters taking over certain groups there is also the dying and reviving thing that pisses me off. I know the devteam hardly takes Mortal Kombat serious, but I'd like the story been taken as such. Then again. They're not George RR Martin :3

Well, I dunno if anyone mentioned this but the Lin Kuei is a much larger and more powerful clan than the pety clan of criminals that is the BD. Im saying that the BD could have easily been taken over by a number of characters. Because Kabal is now the leader does not mean he is all powerful to have gotten there. Even the RD is more powerful, its basically the weakest of the factions.

Well understand, these characters are getting older. Sub-Zero was probably under 30 when we first saw him. Now, he's a middle aged man, much wiser, and more authoritarian.
Noob Saibot, I'm iffy about. He's just a bitch. I think he should stay that way, or a lone assassin. Not a leader. He's a follower.
Kabal I think is fine; he's the perfect replacement for Kano, so they keep Kano dead.

Sub-Zero's Lin Kuei
Sektor's Tekunin
Special Forces
Kabal's Black Dragon
Mavado's Red Dragon
Noob Saibot's Brotherhood Of The Shadow (mentioned in Ashrah's Bio)
Earthrealm Warriors
Baraka's Tarkatan Hordes
Onaga's Invincible Army
Nitara's vampires
Shao Kahn's Extermination Squads
WELOME TO GTA: MK
But on a serious note, Kira's bio mentions that her adversaries are Shujinko and the earthrealm forces. That would imply that Kabal is against them for whatever reason.
Time changes people. Who knows why Kabal was ever a chosen warrior in MK3? His endng did hover around the fact he was going to go vigilante. Maybe he did, and years of bloodshed corrupted him.

Some scattered thoughts...
I don't mind Kabal remaining on the side of evil. Who says his MK3 ending ever happened? It sounds like a good twist to me.
I do agree, however, that there are too many warring factions as of now. Noob's Brotherhood of the Shadow not being merely a tool of Shinnok anymore is indeed pretty dumb. And like many people, I'm waiting for a good explanation what Smoke is doing there.
I'm probably one of the few people here who really likes the Red Dragon. Two criminal organisations facing off against each other sounds good to me. A "good" or "reformed" Black Dragon would essentially be very bland and dumb: the Special Forces, Lin Kuei and Wu Shi Academy are already fulfilling these tasks on different levels.
Were the Tekunin ever canon? It was just something thrown in in Sektor's MKTE ending, not something that really happened. I remain sceptic to the whole idea.
In my opinion Baraka has not really "risen" to any position, he has always been an army officer, now he's just serving Onaga.
What I do hate, is that time and again Edenia is the butt of everyone's plans for konquest, and that by imprisoning or bypassing Sindel/Kitana, the realm is conquered. Sheesh, aren't there any other Edenians? And if Mileena is posing as Kitana, wtf is the Edenian army doing with Bo' Rai Cho on Outworld?
As for no mention being made of MK4/MKG, I guess that's because these had the worst storylines of all Mortal Kombats so far. Nearly all of them were dull, repetitive, or simply didn't make any sense at all.
Well, we'll see!
Cheers,
VQ

the hole rise to power theme is a proven way to make a great story. look at scarface and goodfellas

the hole rise to power theme is a proven way to make a great story. look at scarface and goodfellas

PsychoFight Wrote: Actually, I think I've figured it out. Kira has to test her skills by going against the Dragon King?

No, Kira isn't going against the Dragon King, she's going against the Dragon King's foes. That means she's basically eliminating the DK's enemies.

Well, I appreciate all the replies, peeps. For what it's worth, I'm hoping that Kabal is just pulling a deception. My theory is that Kabal is merely assembling the Black Dragon under the notion of becomming the strongest criminal establishment in the world, when he's really just trying to create a Temp army that will decimate the Red Dragon, and thereafter he'll hand this "Reformed Black Dragon" right into the hands of the special forces. The reason he sent Kira to fight in the outworld was so that she would be oblivious to his clandestine alterior motives. Hell, he probably took kind to her "disciplined nature" because she would be easier to control/manipulate.
But I'll admit, this theory is merely a longshot. It would be almost naive to think it Kabal is still good. But it's not impossible, and therefore, I'm throwing it out on the table.

Wanderer Wrote: Alright, MAYBE he's finds the world to vile and greedy to ever be worth saving, so he's given up on redemption. Or maybe he's just an asshole and nothing in MK3 ever happened. I don't know. I like the idea of Kabal just being an asshole.

I like the idea of MK3 never happening. It means the whole "Die then get resurrected 50 times" trend never happened. But then again I do like the Apocalypse theme going. Whatever.

Hello Temp you have some very exquisite and intriguing theroys in this htread keep it up.
~KodyPowell