Battlecries? More like KFFC (Ken Fucked Fried Chicken) battle meows.

Aside that, Kang's shrieking in the MKA intro is more than noteworthy. The problem lies within the complete lack of anykind of personality. Even the more stoic and devoted good guys (Batman, Colossus from X-men) have
defining quirks, but Liu Kang both served his purpose and both lacks any-thing disntinguishably important.

I'm not saying Scorpion is my favorite, just want to establish that. He's not, however I do think he's still an important character in the MK universe. Even though a lot didn't like how he was the Elder God's pawn recently, that move made him a very important part of the storyline in MKD did it not? He failed inevidable and Jinko winded up doing his job initially.

As for Sub-Zero, well I believe his character is also very important ever since he became the new Grand Master of the Lin Kuei personally. It shows leadership, strength and the fact that he's one of the best fighters in MK he has an army of warriors behind him to help in the fight against evil now.

However, if you want to talk about "50/50" endings, although I liked Sub's a lot hated it the fact that he becomes and Ice God and the Elder Gods sent others after him to kill him.

That's not better or worse the Ermac's ending IMO.

Now, don't get me wrong I liked Sub's ending too. IMO it makes sense and wouldn't mind seeing that however I'm sure you're well aware that a lot of sub fans on here didn't like that.

Now, back to Ermac. Well, I don't believe the souls should be laid to rest because they just realized recently they were set free to help earthrealm and do good.

Why would they want to just rest or do nothing to help when they were finally released by Kenshi? It makes no sense to me, especially since they brought him back and all that ending would be pointless and extremely disappointing if they did that to Ermac.

Either have a similar idea of that to which I posted earlier in the future or just bring back Ermac like he is now all together.

He's much a much too important character right now in the MK timeline to be laid to rest if his body were to be destroyed.

mkflegend: When you say that Scorpion is an overall important character to the MK universe, are you saying that from a story perspective?

I'm not really complaining about Scorpion's MKD story. I'm complaining about how a combination of his MK4 story and his MKDA bio retcon his MK2 and MK3 stories in such a horrible way. If you read the start of his MKDA primary bio, it states that he has assumed for MANY years that Sub-Zero killed his family and clan. So this has been going on before MK4. We are left to question why. The possible answers that can given either make him ignorant or stupid.

If we go with the possibility that he knows full well that he's dealing with the younger Sub-Zero and either started to blame him instead of the older Sub-Zero or blamed him along with his brother, then Scorpion is definitely ignorant as he would be unaware of the younger Sub-Zero's compassion and mercy.

If we go with the possibility that Scorpion never found out that the Sub-Zero he's been hunting since MK2 is not the same Sub-Zero he believed murdered his family and clan, it really makes Scorpion out to be a total moron.

Either way, his personality has been negatively altered and he did almost nothing in MK2 and MK3.

Regarding his MKD story, his role didn't make him that important to the story as Shujinko was the central protagonist and the Konquest mode is about his journey and ultimately leads to him trying to fix his mistake. So it's because of Shujinko that Scorpion's importance in MKD isn't as high as it could've been.

Another problem stems from the fact that Scorpion's personality and story have been altered in a bad way. Had he stayed the way he was back in MK1-MKT and developed in a better direction, his ascension to becoming the Elder Gods' Champion would've flowed nicely and worked better.

As for Sub-Zero, he's had progression, something that Scorpion lacks. Sub-Zero stepped out of his brother's shadow and forged a destiny for himself. Scorpion, on the other hand, continued to do more of the same, learning absolutely NOTHING. He didn't grow as a character. He continued to display his incompetence.

Sub-Zero's ending was pretty mediocre like some others. I guess he would want to become an Ice God, but I don't think it's that good of an idea. It's at least not as bad as Scorpion's ending.

Back to Ermac...

Regarding his souls, I have to dispute with you on that. They weren't freed to help Earthrealm and do good. Remember that it was Kenshi, someone who doesn't like to be caught in the whole "good vs. evil" thing, that freed them, not that it makes an impact into Ermac's freedom. What I'm getting at is, after Ermac's freeing, he chooses his own destiny, deciding to atone for the atrocities that he's committed under Shao Kahn's name. So it's not like he was freed to do good. Ermac himself eventually chose that path.

I wouldn't say Ermac is much too important of a character, especially given that he's recently gone in this new direction. I just think that he should continue on, still being the Ermac he is now, and develop into a hero in Outworld.

Chrome: I don't know if it's really accurate to compare post-retcon Scorpion's persona to that of a horrid version of Hannibal Lecter. He seems more like Ghost Rider + Hulk...on crack.

On the Scorpion thing, I'm not sure if you forgot or not but you are aware that Quan-Chi manipulated Scorpion at the same time framing Sub-Zero all those years therefore it was assumed right? Let's face it Scorpion and Subby were pawns of Quan-Chi for many years until Scorpion realized the truth via MK4 time period. I'm not saying Sub/Scorp never had any rivarly but Scorpion killed Sub's younger brother(Noob now) for no reason....Quan figured with the clans rivalry and such, this will be the perfect plan.

I noticed you didn't seem to go much into that part of the Scorpion/Subby storyline so I figured I'd bring that up.

Scorpion grew because he became more of his own independant self, rather then a clan member wanting revenge. He's always been a neutral character for the most part(some what evil in the beginning) but that changed as you've noticed. I liked the direction with him.

As far as the ending between Scorp and Sub, I like the both of them personally. IMO they both make sense of some levels, more often then not. Scorpion has the power of the resurrected army of his old clan and his family once again, he orders them to kill Quan-Chi..how does that not make any sense concerning all that's happened to Scorpion?

As far as Chromes comparison or yours I don't see that as either personally. My opinion.

As for Sub, I like the Ice God thing. He should get some kind of reward afterall for his good doing and what better then becoming the God of Ice, something he's the master of?

Onto Ermac now, well that's what I'm saying. I'm never said Ermac's destiny was to protect Earthrealm, however HE himself chose to do good once kenshi freed him, therefore he can make a difference.

If his ending is canon, I doubt he'll choose to just lay the souls to rest. IMO that would be a cowardly move, which I don't believe Ermacs would do. That on top of making up for doing evil under Kahn's control in the past, he knows he can do good and use his powers for better.

I think that's one reason why his ending was what it was in MKA, if he felt his job was finished the souls would have been laid to rest, instead they choose to fight whole as an army of ermacs.

I like the idea, if it's canon it's canon. If not, not a problem.

in my opinion..

the best:
Kung Lao (MK:DA costume)
Shang Tsung (MK3 costume)
Frost
Sub Zero (2nd)
Scorpion
Liu Kang
Reptile
Smoke (human version)
Motaro (as he appears in MK3)
Goro
Baraka

the worst:
Stryker
Nightwolf
Kabal
Kano
Johnny Cage (not that bad..)
Sonya Blade
Jax
all the robot ninjas
Shinnok

I'm afraid you're mistaken regarding the Scorpion/Sub-Zero ordeal.

Quan Chi had manipulated Older Sub-Zero and Scorpion to retrieve the Map of Elements from the Shaolin Temple. Later on, Quan Chi framed the Older Sub-Zero for the death of Scorpion's family and clan, which adds to Scorpion's anger towards the Lin Kuei assassin. It wasn't until MK1 that Scorpion was finally successful in his revenge.

Scorpion killed the OLDER Sub-Zero, not the younger one. This is what leads to the Lin Kuei sending the YOUNGER Sub-Zero to complete the unfinished task of Shang Tsung's assassination. So since Quan Chi framed the older Sub-Zero for the death of Scorpion's family and clan, why does Scorpion go after the younger Sub-Zero in MK2-MK4? Well, let's see. Scorpion learns of Sub-Zero's return and is granted the right to leave the Netherrealm in order to stalk him.

In the pre-retcon storyline, he learns that this is not the same Sub-Zero he killed and that this Sub-Zero is merciful and honorable. Along with that, I'm sure Scorpion had felt a bit guilty for what he did hence vowing to protect the younger Sub-Zero.

In the post-retcon storyline, Scorpion either fights Sub-Zero and loses to him or he doesn't fight him at all. *yawns*

The reason why his post-retcon storyline is like that is because for many years, Scorpion has assumed, as in making an assumption but not gathering the information to support it (so much for him being a Ninja), that Sub-Zero had killed Scorpion's family and clan. And this is the younger Sub-Zero that's being referred to as it mentions Scorpion hunting him for many years with that assumption in his mind (or lack thereof).

Like I said before, there are those who think that Quan Chi convinced Scorpion that the younger Sub-Zero is also responsible and that Scorpion's MK4 ending even confirms it. However, we have to once again take Scorpion's MKDA bio into account, which states that he has been hunting Sub-Zero for many years under the assumption that Sub-Zero killed his family and clan. And also given Scorpion's MK4 bio, which mentions an ulterior motive for him joining Shinnok and Quan Chi, it seems clear that Scorpion had long blamed the younger Sub-Zero.

This is why I got to one of those two conclusions. It HAS to be one or the other. There can't be any other possibility than those two, and neither of those conclusions do anything good for him either.

Scorpion did not grow at all. That's total bullshit. He became his own indepedent self rather than a clan member wanting revenge? Are you fucking serious? Out of the 7 main game stories, 6 out of 7 of them have been about him trying to get revenge, 6 of them!!! And has he grown as a character? NO! At the end of the day, he's STILL going after someone and he's STILL bitching about his family and clan!

Scorpion's MKA ending is terrible for the following reasons:

1. His family and clan are brought back to life.

Part of the tragedy with Scorpion is the death of his family and clan, especially his wife and son. For them to be brought back is very sugarcoated. It would be much preferred if he had been destroyed along with Blaze and finally reunited with his family in the afterlife. That would've been much better. But instead, we get this cheesy mess.

2. Quan Chi appears and kidnaps Scorpion's son, apparently taking him to the Netherrealm, most likely for molestation purposes.

This is even worse as it leads to even MORE revenge. Most of his story has involved revenge and not much else. For his story to once again be about revenge is redundant and boring.

3. Scorpion seems to be the new leader of the Shirai Ryu.

This doesn't make any sense at all. First of all, if Scorpion's family and clan were revived, don't you think that the Jonin of the Shirai Ryu would also be revived? Secondly, why would the others take orders from him anyway? As far as we know, Scorpion was never a leader in the Shirai Ryu, and we don't know how high up his rank was. And lastly, Scorpion doesn't even have the qualties of a leader due to his ignorance, stupidity, and anger.

He does not use Ninjutsu tactics but instead rushes, driven by anger, hatred, and vengeance. He does not use the Taijutsu of the clan but instead uses two Chinese martial arts styles (Pi Gua Zhang and Moi Fah Kuen) and a Korean martial art (Hapkido). He does not display the qualities of endurance, patience, and perseverance as he hasn't developed Seishin (correct heart/mind). So why would the other Shirai Ryu Ninja want to follow the orders of a revenge-driven imbecile? And besides, do we really need another clan, especiall a Ninja-like one?
---------------------
Perhaps he should get some kind of reward, but keep in mind that the Elder Gods aren't exactly "the good guys". They only care about the continued existence of the realms and don't give too much of a shit as to what goes on in them. The only exception of course is if events in the realms lead to their destruction or if it leads to the One Being returning...something like that.

The Elder Gods were pissed at Sub-Zero as he became a god without their consent. So even though Sub-Zero is a noble and honorable warrior, they don't like the idea of him becoming a god unless they themselves grant him that power.
-------------------
About Ermac, do we really need to have an army of Ermacs? Couldn't his ending have been different, as in him having god-like power as opposed to splitting into various entities?

I forgot to mention MK:M Sub-zero along with MK 4. Hear me out. I forgot to mention MK:M my fault.

Actually, (before I forget) as Midway said man I'm not mistaken as far as the storyline connection between the two games because just to remind you dude they said themselves on this video I have that says MK:M and MK4 have a lot in common. It was in MK:M first you're right when Quan-Chi fooled everyone, but that also carries into MK4 so you know what's been going on all those years. The video I'm referring too btw was an exclusive "making of MK:M Sub-Zero" that was really difficult to get and most fans aren't even aware of it.

They say it themselves(midway) the whole ordeal with Quan manipulating both sub and scorpion happened during the MK4/MK Mythology timeline and explain everything and how/why the two games are linked in certain ways.

I have it, it's a good vid(most MK fans aren't aware of it)(at the time Tobias was apart of midway)

That is one of them to which you said that Quan-Chi manipulated both Scorpion and original Sub-Zero(no Noob-Saibot)

I think it's just safe to agree to disagree as far as Scorpion's storyline, I liked the direction of his personally as oppose to just "the ninja spectre longing for revenge" in which he was dooped in the first place no less...

IMO, I felt he owes Sub-Zero(younger one with scar that's good and current subby) more. The MK4 ending was ehh, Scorpion should have made a better deal with Sub rather then just "You're free from my curse" lol ohh yeah thanks Scorpion, sure you've only been trying to kill me and my brother this whole time(in fact you killed my brother) who now thanks to you is Noob and evil brotherhood of the shadow corrupted thanks Scorpion...

I guess if you want to get technical Quan is to blame for all of this, but Scorpion did kill Subby(original) so...he's to blame on certain ends.

I just think Sub-Zero was a bit of a pansy about it that's all, too nice no offense to Sub lol.

I would have been like, Scorpion YOU OWE ME for this fuck that whole" you're free from my curse" lol too easy IMO...

But yeah, let's just agree to disagree with Scorpion lol.

His ending, in MKA I see what you're saying but I think after all he's gone thru he deserves the right to become the new leader IMO.

Just think, Sub and Scorpion started out as just warriors for their respected clans. Now, they're the leaders of their clans. I think it's awesome how they moved up in rank over time(despite the fact that they happened totally different.)


Well, on the Ermac thing...well I like the souls becoming an army to do good over Ermac becoming a god of something.

I wouldn't mind that I guess, but every other character in MKA becomes a god in their ending...I don't think Ermac would fit well IMO as a God.

Unless he became the god of TK which sounds...odd lol.

Either Scorpion is watching too much Naruto between vendettas or he is plainly nothing short of a brute. Even Hsu Hao is more complex than that.

Hsu Hao is one of the worst MK characters ever made... lol

Yes, I know there's a connection. It's known to me since I pay attention to MK's story.

I think you're still not understanding what I'm getting at.

You talk about the connection between MK4 and MKM: SZ, but you seem to be ignoring what I was getting at in regards to the confusion about the Scorpion/Sub-Zero ordeal.

In the pre-retcon storyline, Scorpion learned that the Sub-Zero taking part in Shao Kahn's tournament is the younger brother of the Sub-Zero he killed in Shang Tsung's tournament.

In the post-retcon storyline, Scorpion either knows of the current Sub-Zero's identity and still goes after him, blaming him for the same thing that he blames the older Sub-Zero for OR he does not know that the current Sub-Zero is not the same Sub-Zero he killed. This is because Scorpion's story in MK2 and MK3 were retconned thanks to his MKDA primary bio, which goes along with his MK4/MKG ending.

You say you like the direction of his personality as opposed to just "the ninja specter longing for revenge", which supports the fact that you don't understand what I'm trying to say.

The whole "just the ninja specter longing for revenge" thing IS post-retcon Scorpion's personality, NOT pre-retcon Scorpion's personality. Pre-retcon Scorpion actually used his head and his heart, unlike post-retcon Scorpion, who goes around looking for trouble, only to get his ass handed to him on a regular basis.

This is why we can't agree on Scorpion's story. You're simply confused about it, thinking that post-retcon Scorpion is more than just revenge when in fact post-retcon Scorpion is only about revenge.

I don't see how Scorpion's actions give him the right to become the new leader when he is not skilled or disciplined. What qualities does he really have that make him leader material?

It's because of the way Scorpion has been fucked over is why I don't consider him one of the best characters ever made. But even pre-retcon Scorpion probably wouldn't be considered one of the best, even though I like him and find him to be far superior to his post-retcon self.

When it comes to the whole god thing for Ermac, I was thinking more along the lines of him becoming Outworld's Protector God at the end of his next-gen story.

I understand totally what you're saying, it sounds to me that you're just not understanding my point of view.

I still believe that part of your view on Scorpion has to do with the fact that you're a "Sub-zero" fan on part but I can't prove that, that's just the vibe I'm going on since I've seen other sub/scorp fans look for billions of reasons to bash the other one on this site dozens of times. For every point you're bringing up on Scorpion, let me tell ya man. I can find someone with ease I'm sure on here that will say the same about Sub-Zero. I'm not saying me, I have no hatred/dislike for either character just stating a fact on this site in general concerning these two characters.

I don't see how his post retconn story is so bad as you're making it out to be, I enjoyed the fact that he's more of "new dark path" kind of a wild card in the MK storyline. I mean if you don't like his story, that's fine but to say he's just a horrible character now all together? ehhh I must say I don't agree with that. I feel he has a future in the MK storyline and will no doubt since it's Boon's favorite character.

I know Scorpion is often about "revenge" on some level, first he kills the brother of current Sub-Zero, then when he finds out later on that Quan-Chi did it, he tells subby that he's freed from his curse then vows vengence on Quan's head lol.

Ok, so there's a pattern with Scorpion on the revenge take. Granted, however can you blame him? I mean I'm sure you and I would want revenge on someone who killed your family, clan, friends etc if that happened right?

As for the MK:M thing and MK4, I was merely stating that the reason why they came out in the same year around the same time was partially because Midway wanted the fans to know some facts about characters like Quan-Chi, Sub and Scorpion this way once you played MK4 and watched the endings it wasn't all "so sudden" because if you played MK:M SZ you prior to MK4 you won't be in the fog.

As for Ermac again, ehh I don't know personally I think he could be one of the good agents for Outworld under Bo's watch maybe, Ermac could also go to earthrealm and form his own clan of warriors or train new fighters like Sub is doing.

I think personally, another good idea for Ermac would be to join forces with Fujin, Kung Lao to help Raiden/Liu Kang down the line.

No. My view on post-retcon Scorpion has to do with the fact that I used to like Scorpion back when he had more going for him than just a revenge-driven specter. It has to do with how angry I was at how badly they changed him and how I long for them to bring Scorpion back to his former persona and not stick with the moron we have now. Please do not compare or equate me to those Sub-Zero fans who hate Scorpion just because of the old Sub-Zero/Scorpion rivalry. Back in the day, I liked Sub-Zero and Scorpion as they were pretty much my two favorite characters. But nowadays, Scorpion has become an absolute joke who is almost completely irredeemable.

You're sure that you can find someone that will say that Sub-Zero is an incompetent jackass who starts trouble and is driven by anger and vengeance? If so, that person would have to back that up with actual evidence, something I doubt they can find. With Scorpion, on the other hand, there's clear evidence.

His post-retcon story is so bad, because it's so flat, 1-dimensional, shallow, and redundant. In MK1-MKDA, his story is about revenge, nothing else. In MKD, he puts his revenge mission aside to take down Onaga. In MKA, his story is once again about revenge. There isn't really much else that he does in those stories, hence why it's flat and 1-dimensional.

What future does Scorpion have in the storyline? What can really be done with him that's actually worth caring about?

It's not that Scorpion wanting revenge is what's bad. It's the fact that he has been consumed by anger, hatred, and vengeance that he's been acting like an imbecile. He uses no strategy and doesn't use common sense. There's also the fact that he doesn't have much else going for him in his story. He has little to no depth.

The fact that there was more to him than just a revenge-driven specter is why I prefer pre-retcon Scorpion. We see that despite his flaws that he is a noble warrior. Post-retcon Scorpion, on the other hand, is an asshole who has no moral standards, hence being more like a Nusubito and not really like a Shinobi Mono (Ninja).

Right now, Scorpion is just a character who has gimmicks going for him. He doesn't have the wholesomeness that characters like Shang Tsung has.

I would rather Ermac be a protagonist in the Outworld side of the story though him siding with good guys like Kung Lao and Fujin would work. However, the idea of him going to Earthrealm to form his own clan of warriors would be overdone and unnecessary.

Well, first let me get the Ermac out of the way lol.

Well, as a hardcore Ermac fan for a while now ever since UMK3 days I must say the idea of him training new warriors to aid earthrealm is hands down a better idea then him becoming a god of any type...

Granted, there are way too many god like characters now in MK and just like you said there are quite a few clan leaders doing so ie, scorpion now, subby, sektor etc.

Ermac IMO shouldn't be in outworld, he should have a higher rank in the good guys plans for MK8+ he's got more power then most of the good guys, he should have a powerful rank of leader.(not a god though)

For scorpion well I'll just say to be brief, I disagree with you man lol. I definitely sense some resentment towards this character lol. You didn't call him a moron before, hatred I sense in you young subzerothe7th lol.

I have to go now, we'll continue the Sub-Scorp debate tomorrow man. Later

best(in order)-Dairou
Kung Lao
Scorpion
Jax
Goro
and Noob

worst-Mokap
Meat
Chamelon
Khamelon

I can see Ermac helping out the Earthrealm heroes, but I don't see him not going to Outworld at all.

I resent post-retcon Scorpion, because they took Scorpion and bastardized him to the point where he has become almost irredeemable. I think it's better that we continue the Scorpion discussion here.

Anyway, I still don't see why you think that characters like Sheeva and Liu Kang are some of the best created characters in MK. I know you like Sheeva, but I don't see what makes her to be one of the best. For example, I may like Jade, but I don't consider her one of the best, because she doesn't have enough going for her.

I know, I just feel differently about him that's all. I also take into account a lot of other bios/stories then when compared to Scorpion, Ermac, Sub etc I say to myself how can anyone really have a beef with any of these guys?

But hey to each his own, I like Ermac's direction and will regardless of what happens with him unless he dies(then I'll be mad) In some point in time, I think I can see him in Outworld aiding Bo in some cases. Actually, an even better idea I think would be to have to have Ermac train warriors on earth then bring some of them to Outworld for part of their training under Bo's mentorship.

As for Scorpion's, I'm not saying it couldn't be better but it's not absolutely horrible. When you read some others endings or stories now, Scorpion's seems like one of the better ones IMO.

Nah. Scorpion's story is definitely horrible and one of the worst as most of his story is just about revenge and nothing else. And considering how he hasn't grown and evolved as a character, it really makes him lackluster. Then we have his overratedness due to his large fanbase caring about the surface things. How many characters' stories is his story better than?

I mean, we have the joke characters like Mokap and Meat, but we aren't really supposed to take him seriously like we are with Scorpion. Then there are characters like Kintaro and Motaro, who haven't had many appareances while Scorpion has had several. Even Johnny Cage, whose story before MKA was garbage, has more story and character development than Scorpion.

But anyway, we should really continue the Scorpion-related discussion in that thread I linked.

I wouldn't call it horrible, come on lol it's not that bad poor scorpion. Smokes was utterly disappointing IMO...a big cloud? umm ok lol now that's horrible.

Subby's is not bad also.


Yeah, I'll check it out sometime man.

But yeah I like Scorpion, he'll be fine. I can't wait for MK 8.

So, more worst and best MK characters people!

You don't consider a storyline that mostly involves just revenge to not be a horrible storyline, especially if the character does not develop? Even Smoke's story is better than Scorpion's. Cloud, my ass. Smoke may not have had too many appearances, but he has more to his story than Scorpion does.

Yeah, Scorpion will be fine in the sense that he'll continue to be in MK games due to his large fanbase, most of which is shallow. I used to like Scorpion, but he has indeed become a shallow, washed up, has-been.

Anyway, I think Kitana is another well-made character, maybe even one of the best despite my list. In terms of story, she has come a long way and has a pretty solid storyline. She is pretty well-known in terms of MK characters and is recognizable for her blue ninja-ish outfit and especially her Steel Fans.

Depends on the storyline, there's a lot of movies that I like and enjoy that revolve around revenge. If the reason is good, I'm fine with it. I honestly don't believe smoke's ending is better then Scorpions lol. No way lol.

His nanobot technology creates this huge cloud called Smoke? I was like WTF lol

For such a good character, he had IMO one of the worst endings in MKA.

Scorpion is far, far from washed up. Without him, MK would be hurt big time...in the end the fans would bitch I'm sure of it. My view.

Majority anyway...

As for kitana, yeah I like her. She's a very important character in MK much like Sonya. Those two are IMO two of the most important girls in the MK series.

kintaro:copy of goro he just looks uglier.

the Worst is Mokap. He could have had potential but his physical appearance makes him so unappealing.

the Best Characters are those from Mortal Kombat 1 to 3.

Correct.

One might think their favorite character is the best...but that doesn't make it so. Reiko maybe be one of my favorite characters, but I'd be a fucking idiot if I tried to convince someone he was one of the best characters created. It's about being aware of one's own bias or subjective opinion.


I'll explain why I chose the characters that I did...

- Raiden
I credit the MK team for taking was initially little more than a homage to "Big Trouble in Little China" and making it their own. I don't remember seeing many characters like Raiden in other fighting games when MK1 came out and I think even now (I could be wrong), there still aren't very many. Although he didn't start as one, he's been an effective "mentor" type character who's managed to be more than just that archetype. He's remained vital throughout the story and his appearance has changed...and his recent change is a welcome development that breathes new life into him.

- Sub-Zero
What makes Sub-Zero one of the best characters is how he pregessibely and naturally developed over the course of the series. He started as a neutral assassin, loyal to his clan....became a rogue ninja, doing his own thing....to sort of an outsider hero....to a leader and counted among one of the main good guys. They didn't just have an ending said flat out explained "Sub-Zero was evil then turned good." He grew and developed...really one of, if not the, only characters to do this. While counted as one of the "ninjas," he has managed to remain unique and keeps changing his appearance as time goes on. They try new things with him, regardless of how fanboys might bitch ("What? Sub-Zero's unmasked now! That sucks!"...."Why's Sub-Zero so old now? That sucks!"...."Why does Sub-Zero look like Shredder now? This sucks!"). And while characters with ice powers are common, Sub-Zero managed to make it his own and become much more than a mere "ninja who shoots ice."

- until Gamecube's Deception, I might have said Goro
Goro was an effective creation as a fearsome boss character in MK1. They did a good job as presenting him a something to be feared and make you say "Oh fuck" when it came time to fight him. A massive four-armed beast was also a fairly unique creation at the time...might still be. I also give Goro credit because...while in his first appearance he was little more than a muscle-bound brute...when they brought him back, they actually gave him some character and some development. Making him more than the evil muscle. In MK:DA, they also gave him an effective and worthy ending that would've been good closure for his character. Unfortunately, his return in Deception kind of shat on that and his character development...leaving a behind bad taste.

- Shang Tsung
I am no Shang Tsung fan...but I'll acknowledge his worth as a character. While I'm sure he wasn't the first or only character who's power involved stealing souls...it is not an ability I recall seeing often. Even now, when I think of soul-stealing, I think of Shang Tsung first. And that power is an effective one...displaying an evil in a man who doesn't even allow his victims peace in death. In his first appearance, they effectively presented him as a threatening force. An ominous, decrepit old man who floated over the ground when you fought him. Since then he's managed to remain vital and proved to be more than an archetype.

- Reptile
I credit Reptile for starting as a simplistic and rather absurd basic idea...a humanoid reptillian creature disguised as a ninja....and running with it, making him in sort of MK's Gollum. He'sa surprisingly well-developed and somewhat tragic character...one of the few MK villains that one can actually sympathise with. His design has gone from a simple green colored ninja into a the unique looking thing he is now and he's managed to maintain a presence in the story. While he is essentially a henchman...he's developed into more than just that.

- Kung Lao
Kung Lao worked well as a classic archetype: "the reluctant hero." What worked so well is, due to his backstory and history, he is the character that should've been the hero...yet he isn't (ignoring, of course, his presentation in Shaolin Monks which was so cliched and lazy it's sad). His presentation was also very well done...owing I think much of his charisma to the performance of Tong Marquez. The hat was an effective and unique choice of weapon and he displayed a presence and persona that drew attention in a way that Liu Kang failed to. He's also played well thoughout the games and has a unique and stand-out appearance.

- Kitana
Kitana at her core is essentially two pretty popular archetypes: "the reformed assassin" and "the heroic warrior princess." However, the way they're put together and the way Kitana is presented within the context of Mortal Kombat makes her a worth-while character. The fans remain a relatively unique weapons of choice and they give her a stand out recognizability. While she at her core she can be simplified into two basic archetypes, she has developed beyond simply those and is a very well-rounded character who has evolved throughout the story. I also give Kitana credit for (thus far) not falling into very common female character cliches (with the exception of Shaolin Monks, of course). She's, for the most part, managed to remain an individual with her own stake and presence. Kitana is no damsel in distress and we actually got a reversal of the Gwen Stacy syndrome with her and Liu Kang (he's dead...she has to clean up after it).
While granted she recently has started to run out of steam, her abyssmal appearance in Shaolin Monks tainted some of her credibility, and nowhere outside the games has ever faithfully presented Kitana....she still has a ways to go before she gets completely ruined.

- Mileena
Like Kitana, Mileena is essentially a collection of fairly common archetypes..."the evil clone" plus "the jealous sister" plus "the ugly girl who wants to be pretty." However once again, the way they're put together and Mileena's presentation within MK's context makes her a worth-while character. There have been plenty of the types of character Mileena is...but she, in my opinion, manages to stand out amongst them. Like Reptile he is also fairly unique amongst other MK villains as being one of the few somewhat sympathetic villains and her rivalry with Kitana has been pretty well-done. Also, her hidden deformity makes her stand out and while in the early games she was simply a purple Kitana she now has her own & pretty unique appearance.

- Noob Saibot
A very unlikely choice, I'll admit. Obviously, very little thought went into Noob Saibot's initial creation. He was a joke bonus character thrown in for fun. His appearance was simply an all black Scorpion. Yet they took this two-bit joke and decided to make him an actual character; giving him his own moves and a story of some actual relevance...being the first mention of the Netherealm and that storyline. He remained a fairly effective henchamn-type character, until Deception when they decided to have him desire to take his own power. But here's where I start to consider Noob Saibot among the best characters: they revealed he was the original Sub-Zero...thus adding, on top of everything else, a layer of tragedy to Noob's story and character. They took a worthless joke character who in all honesty, should never have gotten the time of day...and made him a well-developed and key character with an effective storyline. Also good about him, is the timing in which they did it. He progressed from a mysterious shadow figure...into a henchman...to a higher-ranking fighter...to leader of this clan...to ruler of the Netherealm. Had they tried to push him as the old Sub-Zero brought back and ruler of the Netherealm right away in Trilogy or MK4 he would've failed miserably. They wisely built him up for it.
(Just want to add a slightly off-topic footnote here: just because they made Noob Saibot into a good character when he was originally created as a joke, DOES NOT mean they should do it with every single other joke, rumor, glitch, abandoned concept, and throwaway character. Just because it worked with Noob and Ermac does not mean they should've tried with Mokap, Meat, or Mimik. It does not mean they should try it with Tremor, No-Face, Skarlett, or Nimbus Terrafaux. They did it with Noob and Ermac and it was funny and clever and it worked. It's done now. No more.)

- Shao Kahn
Shao Kahn is a success firstly in terms of presentation. The successfully gave him a commanding and fearsome presence...not just in looks, but in how he acted. Taunting you during your fight with that deep bassy voice. More importantly though, while Shao Kahn at first glance can be written off as a standard evil megalomaniac trying to rule the world, we've gotten indications that there is more to him than that. And also, usually a character Kahn's size is merely all brawn and no brains, but we often see him utilize strategy and cunning in his ambitions....however, he is more than willing to break someone with his own hands if need be.

- Quan Chi
Quan Chi is a character they did a good job at presenting as a true intellectual threat. He follows a pattern of creepy evil albinos, but manages to hold his own as a stand-out character. From his subdued appearance in Mythologies, in which they nicely intergrated him into the backstory they established Quan Chi as the thinking villain very well. They wisely protected his credibility by showing him almost constantly have a back-up plan and gave him a uniquely sadistic and nihilistic motivation as opposed to other villains who simply seek to dominate....as seen in Baraka's MK Gold ending.

- Kenshi
An interesting concept...a blind fighter. Solid backstory, personality, good design, and good execution.

- Bo' Rai Cho
I personally am not that into Bo' Rai Cho. Doesn't paticularly interest me and I've never been into playing as him. However, I cannot deny that he a well put together and quality character. He's an effective variation of the classic "mentor" archetype, and yet still has his own motivation and individual purpose in the story. He adds comic relief, but also still moves the story forward....unlike Johnny Cage. His design is solid and I doubt you're going to find many other characters like Bo' Rai Cho in other video games which usually, when presenting older martial arts masters/trainers, follow the very common Pai Mei-like model.

- Drahmin
I count Drahmin because they took what could've been a very simplistic and basic concept..."the psychotic bloodthirsty monster"....and actually took the time and effort into making him an actual character. They could very easily have simply left Drahmin as "some crazy demon from the Netherealm that likes to kill people." But they gave him a developed backstory (and a good one too, IMO)...an individual presense (one of the chief torturors in the Netherealm)...and they gave him defining quirks (such as having to channel his rage into his mask in order to maintain some kind of control over himself, among other things). Drahmin is a quality character that could very easily had been just a simple throwaway or another Baraka.

- Hotaru
A solid concept with a driving motivation and distinct personality. What's good about Hotaru is you don't have to like him. He's a character who offers a point of view that some may agree with and some may not. Although he believes in bring peace and order, he's often seen as a "bad guy" to his overbearing zeal. He's a character that actually had some thought put into his creation and can provoke some thought from the audience by offering a sense of ambguity, which I feel is a good thing. He's also well-designed and plays fairly well in his two appearances.

- Havik
Basically the same deal of Hotaru, only offering the counterview.


...and worst...

- Kano
Kano was a decent one or two time character. A ruthless criminal who found himself drawn into this big war between realms. Good for one or maybe two games. Yet he's still around. He's a low level character who's treated like a major star. He's a shallow, one-dimensional, one-note filler character who only gets special treatment because he had the great luck of being one of the original MK1 characters. And because of that, he keeps coming back. They keep dragging him out. The only thing he ever had going for him is a rivalry which itself was pretty shallow. His design is nothing to shout about...some hairy thug with a metal eye. As a henchamn, there are better characters.

- from MK4 and on, Scorpion
Up until MK4, Scorpion was a decent character. He was a reasonably developed character who was evolving and he had a relevent presence in the story. After MK4, he started to sink. They started to shallow his character and presence and started to put more emphasis on his fanboy-bait qualities. He could've been salvaged, but Armageddon was pretty much his final nail in the coffin. Scorpion is no longer a character anymore. He's a marketing tool. Nothing more. A collection of buzzwords..."hellspawn," "ninja," "revenge," "spikes & skulls"... specifically designed to draw in young fanboys. All Scorpion's missing now are chains attached to his belt. I count Scorpion among the worst not only becaue is he no longer an actual character now...but also because he was once a character. And a not bad one either. And what's worse is, despite how shallow, nonsensical, and downright stupid Scorpion has become...he's constantly presented as this ultra-cool super bad ass.

- from MK3 and on, Jax
Jax wasn't bad in MK2 or MK3. After MK3, it started to feel like Jax was only being kept around so there'd be an African American character. But by MK:DA, he went from being the token black man into being the stereotypical token black man...which is much worse. Not to mention, after MK3, he's had pretty much no story save backing up Sonya and a rivalry with Hsu Hao....which no one cared about. If they do turn Jax evil though and stop presenting him as a comic relief character, he may be salvaged.

- Mimik
This...thing...should never have seen past Trilogy. Okay, in Trilogy they threw in some bonus character who had all the powers of the ninjas....playing along with the fanboy obsession with ninja characters. Now let's compare with his female counterpart...Khameleon had a story. He did not. He wasn't even a true pallette swipe. Khameleon at least had her own color..she wore gray. He did not have a color of his own. It's stupid to have two different characters with the same name. Khameleon had the "K" gimmick name. He does not. No story, no moves, no color, and no name. This "character" should've been forgotten and never thought of again. Yet he gets brought back in Armageddon. And as opposed to Meat and Mokap...who, while crappy joke characters, are harmless and not meant to be taken seriously....this turd might actually get an actual story behind him and might actually have to be taken seriously as a character. For no other reason than for the sake of completion and to appease fanboys who can't get anough jack-offs in masks. The worst character in Mortal Kombat. Bar none.

- Jarek
They wanted Kano in MK4...but didn't want it to actually BE Kano because they needed new characters. So they took Kano, subtract his eye-plate, and you got Jarek. Kira, they at least gave her her own look and an actual backstory and some personality. Jarek was just Kano.

- Reiko
They wanted Noob Saibot in MK4...but at the last minute decided there weren't enough new characters. So they altered Noob's appearance a bit and named him Reiko and gave him a two sentence "story." They maybe could have salvaged this and made Reiko at least an acceptable character by making something of his hinted connection to Sareena. Probably wouldn't have been much, but maybe could've helped. But they didn't follow through on it and left Reiko as a character with no story. THEN, they made "no story" into a "bad story" by deciding he secretly wants to be Shao Kahn. That's it.
.....'nuff said.

- Meat
Meat wasn't even an actual character. He was a bonus costume that Boon decided to throw into MK4 because he thought the fatality corpse model looked funny doing characters moves. So why did this thing get made into a character and brought back in Armageddon? Because fans demanded it. "Hey, Ermac was just a glitch but now he's a good character! Surely they'll do the same with Meat!" At least the MK team was wise enough to present Meat as a joke character in Armageddon. It'd have worse if we were actually meant to take him seriously.

- Mokap
Mokap was just a joke. Not a very good one. The joke characters have kind of worn out their welcome in MK.



Basically, I looked at the characters' presentation. The thought and effort that went into creating or developing them and how effectivly they were executed. Their presentation and context. For older characters, have they remained vital over time? If the character is based on an archetype, do they provide a good variation or twist on it? Do they offer something unique or interesting to the table? Could this character be worth a damn outside of Mortal Kombat?

BEST
NITARA
Scorpion
Mileena
Jade
Kitana
Sindel
Reiko
Ermac
Havik
Bo Bo
Sub-Zero
-----------------------------
WORST
Drahmin
Hsu Hao
Mokap
Stryker