If not a new character for the main hero, i say Kung Lao.
He deserves it, period.

He deserves it since Liu Kang's demise, but no, Midway had to come up with two jerks to take over the main protagonist place... I mean, Shujinko i can bear, i like it in a way, but Taven... just kill him Boon, please, DO kill him.

That's it.

A new, unsuspecting character that can be developed into the role.

Much like MK1 did with Liu Kang. Remember what you did?

Went to the select screen, picked the first person you thought was "cool" or whatever, but by the end of the game, you knew who the champ was.

I don't want to know right away who the "champ" is...as a matter of fact, I don't think that the person that is the hero in Mk8, should be the hero in Mk9, or 10 or whatever.

I'd like to see the Hero, become the hero, based on "what they were excellent at -- At the time". We'd see champs who were aligned with good, and champs that were aligned with evil as a result....and get to play through that respected way of thinking.

It's a contest so...different types of people win for different reasons all the time. It's just what happens.

I'd like to see a new character to be the "Hero"...I'm pretty tired seeing Liu Kang being "The Chosen One"...Maybe Kung Lao could be the next hero he deserves it after all....

I would've liked Kung Lao around Deadly Alliance, but I feel the ship has sailed now. It's too late for him to really fullfil the role, especially when we just can't seem to get rid of Liu Kang.

As much as I prefer Scorpion, I think Sub-Zero's been groomed well for the spot.
There's a logic there if you maintain Scorpion as champion of the elder gods, but I think the story in MKA is pretty indicative of that unlikelihood of that. I guess fan backlash played a part in steering Scorpion back to a perceived "darker" path, and really, that's probably inadvertantly for the better. The obligatory 'chosen one' might keep him around post-curse, but is pretty vanilla.

If you look at Sub-Zero's journey through the last few games, he's definitely been lurking, but hasn't really had a prominent role. He seems to have been quietly pottering away, amassing skill and power in B-plots, while also becoming further intwined with the rest of the cast.
I think if you look at Sub-Zero from a perspective of something like comics writing, he makes a lot of sense as a character who's very logical, but not necessarily bone-dryingly obvious.

If we're to believe there'll be a genuine effort to push MK forward, I think a new character would probably be for the best, as already suggested.
I've kinda warmed to the idea of a mostly new cast of characters, with a small handful of unlockable characters from the past. I think I'd enjoy it if through story we see that the existing characters have sort of been elevated to a status we might have regarded Goro or Reptile with, in the first MK.

It'd be a lot of fun if we have to really strive to earn time with a Sub-Zero, or a Scorpion, or whichever legend may take your fancy. It'd be really nice to go back to that entry point where our characters are still growing, and the obstacles put before them are mysterious and powerful.
I think this notion of succession is something most long running beat 'em ups are capitalizing upon, and certainly MK's existing generational bent really lends itself ot that.


Then again, I also hold out hope for a sequel to Special Forces, too...
Jax and Sonya, with Cyrax and Kenshi unlockable! MKSM style only really urban and with guns and shit! It'd be awesome! MKGTA! Woooo!

It's time for Kung Lao to step up to the plate and take over Liu Kang as Earth's champion. Sonya could also take up the protagonist role.

It really depends on how the story is done. Whoever the main hero is going to be, he/she should not be forced on us like Shujinko and Taven were. Like ThePredator151 said, the character should be built into that role. In addition, it would be nice to see more than one character that has the potential to be the main hero so that it makes things a bit more unexpected and a bit less linear.

If we were to have one of the older characters be developed into the main hero role, I'd say that Kung Lao or even Sub-Zero should fill that role.

Taven or Kung Lao
But doesn't Liu Kang have a brother?

Hmm....I personally would like to see Kung Lao. Taven wouldn't be bad either, maybe Sub-Zero. (I HIGHLY doubt it though)

Taven should carry over as the Hero. He should be older and stronger and a lot smarter. He should have a heavily black and white viewpoint on good and evil. He should be viewed as a hero by the rest of the good guys.

He should then be killed fairly quickly by the main boss, either before the tournament or at the end. This will lead to another (new) character rising up to become the hero.

If those were to happen, in your opinion, who would be the character used for Konquest? Taven? or a choice?

Sub-zero

But I would like to see Kai built up to the role as hero

I have no idea how Konquest is going to work. But i would definately prefer a choice. You could play as any of the new good guys, and for most of the story you'd be in Taven's shadow. Until he is murdered. The next game will reveal who took charge of the situation and came out on top.

I think it should be choice but bad guys should be playable as well.

Yes, but that would force the creators to create a whole other storyline for bad guys. So, I don't think that would happen.

If there isn't a new character set as the main hero, Sub-Zero or Kung Lao. (Basically the majority of this thread says him)

But both have opportunities to be the main hero.

I always thought that Kung Lao was the hero in Deadly Alliance, and Sub-Zero, technically both his older brother when he was Sub-Zero at the time and the younger brother Sub-Zero were and are both good guys (Despite Noob's evil alliance) both would qualify for the main charcter seat. Heh, this is reminding me of a MGS4 trailer of Snake and Raiden competeing who's getting the main character seat.

CHEERS!

lol yah. It is kinda like that.

Maybe not. But evil character are just as well liked as the good characters. Especially Shao Kahn(I hope he kills Onaga). Even tho I bet he dies, it would be awesome for there to be a good side konquest and a bad side. Maybe you dont get to pick what character you play. The story will just bring up the characters in a story line order and you have to play their part of the story. That would be alright with me.

I agree that Kung Lao definitely deserved it during MKDA and should have still had the spot through MKD and MKA. Since he didn't, I still say he deserves it most definitely, but I doubt he'll get that spot, assuming this "new" MK is all new story and such, as in changing it up a lot. At the same time Sub-Zero has been making remarkable strides at entering that main event spot. Especially since the ending of MKDA. If you think about it, he was the only hero at the island meeting not killed by the DA with the exception of whatever you call happened to Raiden. Granted I know he never faced them, but still. I could see him taking the spot, but at the same time, what I think is best is to let Kung Lao take it for this game by saving Liu Kang once and for all and then retire both those characters. Thus allowing Sub-Zero to take the lead for the next.

This is assuming MKA's ending with Taven happened, and thus Armageddon practically did nothing.

Of the current cast, I would go with Sub-Zero or Kung Lao. As said, they've been built up for it and "deserve" it...Sub-Zero, especially IMO.

If they want a new character to be the "main hero" they should build him...or her...up for it over a few games. Even though they both had their own Konquest modes, Shujinko and Taven still felt very forced. Sub-Zero and Kung Lao work because they grew into the roles.

I'd like Taven to be the main hero again... he's far more convincing than Liu Kang or Shujinko.

Shujinko was a waste of time. Although I did like the whole growing-up phases in Konquest, they should have made Shujinko better. I didn't like the fact that we had another Special Move Copier character. We have that with Shang Tsung. If you want a character to perform the same moves as the other characters that exist in the game, then Shang Tsung should have his morphing abilities back.

But getting to the topic...

If there is a Konquest, we should see this "Growing-Up" Phase with it. I think it would be cool to see if, let's say Sub-Zero is the hero, have him be played in Konquest as a young person, see how he got the title as Grandmaster by playing his entire life through Konquest up to this moment. Or any other character that deserves to be the main guy.

CHEERS!

Mileena

umm i would have to say Liu Kang,Kung Lao,or Raiden

I think it is too late for Kung Lao to become the "champion". Taven shouldn't get the seat either. Sub-Zero could have a chance, but unlikely. Maybe a younger Sub-Zero could be brought into MK 8, as the main character. If not, it could be, Fujin, Kai, or ya.... a new character. I'd love to see a female as the main character. It'd be a new change in MK.

Why are they (the makers of MK), so sexist? No female has never been a sub or main boss ever, as for the main character. So, why is this??? We need answers from them!