.

Let's see Skarlet.

A real "ninja" character, and no I don't mean a Mortal Kombat ninja. I mean like a Tenchu or Ninja Gaiden type ninja. Give people who want a female character that isn't half naked some love, I say.

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You mean like Ibuki? Also how does Frost not fit the bill?

I guess I'm having a hard time understanding what you (and a couple of others) mean by including a real "ninja" chatacter. You're implying that Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and co. aren't ninja-like enough in either aesthetic design, backstory, or gameplay. I don't get it. Are you wanting to see some throwing-stars and ninjato action?

Frost comes from the Lin Kuei... Lin Kuei are not ninjas... That is why Frost doesn't count.

Wait...what!?! I mean the only way I'm guessing you can even remotely make a statement like that is that you're operating out of the idea that Ninja = bad guy assasins in pajamas and currently in the MK verse the Lin Kuei are good guys in pajamas.

That's some serious canon hair-splitting as Sub-Zero (and as a result Frost) is a frickin spitting image of what people associate with the word "Ninja". Not to mention they played the Lin Kuei assassin angle (the other part of the ninja archetype) for the vast majority of the MK storyline.

It'd be like opening a law firm where everyone dressed in funny wigs, white face paint, bright colors, and big floppy shoes. You might really be a lawyer but don't be surprised if people throw pies at you and parents hire you for birthday parties.

I'm going to be technical on this... As I have stated this in a previous thread about ninjas... There is no ninja character in MK despite they dress like them... Appearance doesn't mean they're ninjas, they have to act like them. No character is acting like a ninja.

If you played Mythologies you will hear Sub-Zero clearly telling Quan Chi that he is not a ninja, he is Lin Kuei... That statement alone tells the audience that Sub-Zero is not a ninja.

Ermac isn't a ninja
Reptile isn't a ninja
Rain isn't a ninja
Smoke, Cyrax, Sektor aren't ninjas
Kitana isn't a ninja
Mileena isn't a ninja
Jade isn't a ninja

Because of what Sub-Zero stated, Frost isn't a ninja either... Neither is Noob Saibot. "Oh he has throwing stars for weapons," that doesn't signify that he is a ninja.

The only character that acts like a ninja is Scorpion, yet at times he doesn't.

So...

Ok two things:

1. We're arguing semantics here as you're clearly operating on some definition of Ninja that differs from "Assassins in black pajamas that kill people for money with crazy ridiculous kung-fu." So with that in mind I ask; What the hell is your definition of Ninja that all of those characters don't make the cut?

2. Lets play a game where we pretend that you're talking with someone unfamaliar with MK who asked you to describe Sub-Zero as best as possible (powers, appearance, etc.) to them in two words or less. Explain to me why your answer wouldn't be "Ice Ninja".

I'm going to take a wild guess that Icebaby is working from the technical definition that a ninja is someone trained in Japanese ninjutsu.

That said, in MK, Japanese ninjutsu is a modified form of Lin Kuei training, and Ermac, Rain, and the girls are all clearly the Outworld equivalent to ninja. So it's nitpicking.

If you've played the game of Tenchu, you will see a perfect example of a ninja. Someone who wonders into the shadows, who don't engage into battle immediately, and always protects the innocent. Disciplined, hard working creatures with strict rules of honor.

Do you see any characters like that? No, I don't. I don't even see Sub-Zero because as I said, Lin Kuei are not ninjas.

If I had to described Sub-Zero in two words or less? Simple... Ice man.

we are not playing x men...i think he meant if you were unfamiliar with the whole mk story and what subzero or scorpion or ermac is, then you would most deffinitely describe them as ninjas ;)

I know what he meant. And I'm still calling him "Ice Man" because Sub-Zero isn't a ninja.

But, we're not talking about ninjas in this thread, it's about females. Can we change the discussion back to that please?

Here's a ninja, out in broad daylight, seen by dozens, jumping into battle immediately. Most of the game is like this, actually. Don't believe he's a ninja? The game is CALLED "Ninja Gaiden".


If you want to get extremely technical, the ONLY ninja in ANY video game is the ninjas of Tenchu, because no other "ninja" follows that same sort of historically accurate code. Ninjas, technically, were Japanese assassins, and they didn't even wear black. A good ninja was one that didn't LOOK like a ninja. In reality, ninjas looked like this:


But we prefer to imagine them like this:


For all intents and purposes, the MK ninjas are ninjas. People have been calling them ninjas for years. Even Quan Chi, after being CORRECTED by Sub-Zero that he's not a "ninja" but a "Lin Keui warrior", continues to call him a ninja behind his back and when talking to others about him.

Is he really a "real" ninja? No. He's Chinese-American for starters. But the MK ninjas meet all the criteria the genera public has for "fantasy ninjas", from the outfit to the moves to the occupation.

So, I'd also consider Kitana, Frost, Mileena, and Jade to be female ninjas as well. They definitely look, act, and "feel" like fantasy ninja girls to me.

Hell, I could name many non-ninja MK girls that are more ninja-like than other established "ninjas".

Why do you people always argue in semantics? When I said what I did, I was referring to style alone. Mileena does not qualify for what I was talking about because she fights in a bathing suit and high heels. I'm talking about a style, not a historical fact or a storyline.

Sigh, sometimes I think I need to go back to just posting the news and moderating and just saying nothing.

Relax, Crow and Icebaby. People's perceptions of ninjas have been skewed for awhile now... at least since the late 80's.





But, yeah... here, let's get back on topic with a sexy picture of Kitana.

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Crow dude, it's only arguing semantics because we're using a pretty general and subjective statement like "being a Ninja character" and using a "Ninja style" which (as proven by the above posts) has all types of interpretation in context. The convo gets further muddied ESPECIALLY when discussion plays out in a semi-ambigous medium like an internet forum.

But yeah...again, my whole point was to honestly ask how and why Frost isn't viewed as a female ninja entry to the series. That's why I quoted you.

My perception isn't "skewed" because I clearly cited two different sources on the type of ninja I was referring to. I couldn't care less about the historical facts or any other interpretation of "ninja" in fiction, because again I'm referring completely to a style.
Also, sure Frost can fill the roll of the style (completely ignoring anything else like story or powers) I'm talking about to some degree. That is part of the reason I like her, but she's clearly not going to be in this upcoming game so I was making a suggestion for someone who might could be.

Females of Mortal Kombat... such is the title to this thread... and I have now read the 5 pages that makes this thread to where it is now. As a thread this long, things tend to stray from the original path intended with the thread which it has now. So let's go back to the main topic, shall we?

Females of Mortal Kombat...
I would like to state my opinion about the warrior women that has graced this game series over the years and also state if I believe they should return in the upcoming game or not, and of course say something about the already confirmed women as well.

Let us start with Mileena, the first shown woman of the upcoming title. She was more or less the main female character of Mortal Kombat Deception, having Kitana being in the background. I love what they did with her this time around. I preferred her alternate outfit of MKD, not because it revealed so much of her skin, as such do not really interest me (believe me or not), but because I think it fit her character much better than the arabic-inspired main outfit of hers. Leotard and thigh-high boots is what I see as the Edenian amazons' warrior attire, and though Mileena is not Edenian of birth, she is a clone of Kitana none the less who indeed is Edenian. And making her appear to be slutty in attitude to match her way of dressing just fits her perfectly.

Kitana returns as the second shown female character and I must admit I had my doubts from the beginning about her whole attire. As many others have stated, she seems to have borrowed elements from other female characters and looks more princess-like rather than assassin-like this time around. And such a bright blue with white/silver lacing along with a tiara just seems foolish to me, because that is not the Kitana I know from when she was an assassin for Shao Kahn. It would fit her much better later in the series... actually, I would rather see her in her MKvsDCU outfit than this princessy outfit, because it fits her better. I hope there will be a storyline reason for her to dress like she does. So all we have to do is just wait and see. And as a last note on her new appearance... is Kitana using her ass to attack with in her Square Wave Punch? That's just hilarious! XD I love it...

Sonya Blade has yet to be shown, but has indeed been confirmed to be in the upcoming title and in my opinion, it wouldn't be proper to leave her out of it. She is the main, and only, blonde woman of the series and I think she really blossomed for each game. I admit, I grew tired of her eternal hatred for the Black Dragon and her hunt for Kano, but when I come to think of it, a MK game without that rivalry would feel... lacking. Her appearance in MKvsDCU is by far her best one. A military woman with a certain toughness and sex-appeal is what have defined her in every single appearance she's had. She may not have changed much over the series, but what is there to change? She was cool from the start and have kept it like that ever since. She is the Chun Li of Mortal Kombat, but just much better.

And now my favourite MK character... Jade. Those who have seen my previous posts about Jade already know what I am about to say here... so let me just skip Jade for now. ;P

I definately think Sindel should return. She is a key character of the MK3 storyline and very important for many of the other characters' storyline, especially Kitana's. She is the bride of Shao Kahn, the queen of Edenia, the mother of Kitana and is overall a cool character. I loved her in MK3 and she was unique in that game, being the only character who could fly around on the stage and spit fireballs from above. They should bring that back and expand the gameplay of her flying, giving the player a reason to stay airborne while fighting. Other characters I could see using this kind of gameplay are Ermac and Fujin, maybe even Raiden to some extend. Anyways, Sindel should definately return.

Sheeva was a nice addition to the character roster in MK3, finally having a more monstrous female character instead of being just another pretty girl character like the rest of them. She should be more her own character and less like Goro and Kintaro though, like the large electric ball she threw in MK3. I loved that. I also like that she was Sindel's bodyguard in MK3 and I think her storyline should expand on that instead of her dying by Kano's hands, because that is just sad to see her storyline end like that. She returned in Armageddon, but her storyline was severely lacking like many of the other characters'. I'd like to see her return in the upcoming Mortal Kombat.

Sareena showed up very late in the main MK series as a fighting game character, however, her actual appearance happened some time before MK1. Her first appearance was in MK: Mythologies which according to the MK timeline happened before MK1 as an assassin for Quan Chi. She has since struggled to get out of Netherrealm which she was banished to for betraying Quan Chi and Shinnok by helping out Sub Zero. Unless something happens which takes her out of the Netherrealm, I don't see her return in the upcoming title. She is however quite a cool character once she returned to the series in MK: Tournament Edition and even more so in Armageddon, so it would be cool to see her return, though I have my doubts that she will.

In MK4 we were introduced to Tanya. Tanya was originally supposed to be Kitana, however, the MK Team decided to make a new character. There have always been something cool about Tanya, being more a sorceress character than a ninja character in my eyes which I think is just awesome, but she has always been a background character. Yes, she was responsible for Shinnok's invasion of Edenia, but that was about it. I would like to see more of her though in the future, but she isn't an important character before Shinnok's invasion.

Frost... I admit, I have never liked Frost. She was cool looking (no pun intended), but she was nothing more than a Sub Zero clone. She didn't even have her own moves and is not an important character of the MK universe in my opinion. She needs individuality. She needs to be her own character! The story is there to build on, she has attitude, she has a goal... She just needs to develop!

Li Mei was introduced in MKDA along with many other new characters, but was originally supposed to be Mileena. I liked her storyline and how she developed as a character, but to me she is much like Tanya in the sense that she is not important to the storyline before MKDA. She is somewhat an original character though, being very chinese kung fu inspired, and I love her wicked flip kicks. The flying punches seems like a hint to chinese kung fu movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, though the move in itself seems a bit odd. I don't see a reason for her to return to the upcoming title though, other than maybe a downloadable character.

The whole concept with Ashrah is rather cool, her being a demon who seeks redemption and then finds this holy sword to slay the wicked and evil. And I absolutely love the twist about the sword actually being of vampiric origin which kind of ties her to Nitara, but the tie should have started already in MKDA and not in MKA, because that was just too late in the series and it never really evolved from there. Her moves are also quite cool, throwing sparks of holy light at her foes and spinning oddly with her head first and such, and one of the few female characters, if not the only one, who covers her whole body with clothes, not counting in her alternate outfit. The exact time of when she obtained the sword was never fleshed out, so she -could- appear in the upcoming title, but I don't think she would fit in just yet as she might just be the less dark character in the whole MK history, and the new MK is quite dark.

I love vampires and always has, and I saw Nitara as a very welcome addition to the MK world. Her looks, her storyline and her moves are quite cool and I see much potential in her and would love to see her develop, and maybe even see more vampires in future MK games. They had planned to make a male vampire as well, perhaps the one mentioned in Ashrah's MKA storyline, but due to lack of time the MK team only finished Nitara. I don't complain though, because I like Nitara alot and would love to see her return. I don't think she will return in the upcoming title though, but maybe as a downloadable character.

Kira is much like Frost in that she lacks individuality. However, I like her storyline much better, being the right hand woman of Kabal in reviving the Black Dragon as a group of anarchists and terrorists. But her moveset really needs to be changed out with moves of her own, just like Frost.

And well... that's what I have to say about that. ^^

I don't give a flying fuck about how many chicks there will be but I do care about them titties so make sure they're rocking hard.... and round.

lol. um...well said.

Okay, so I'm going to just assume that all 6 women from UMK3 will be in. Kitana and Mileena are already announced, and that's good. They are staples and they have a duality to each other that I absolutely love and it's made apparent in all kinds of ways: the long vs short hair, the classy vs slutty outfit, and obviously what's hiding under the masks.

Sindel I would say is a given. She has a big part in the story, being a queen and all, plus Kitana's mother. Plus she had a lot of uniqueness to her special moves. Jade also gets a mention for being one of the few characters from the older games to use a weapon, and an impractical one at that. I always loved her bo staff and I'd love to see it make a comeback now that Scorpion is pulling out daggers and Nightwolf is throwing all kinds of spirit weapons into his combos. It would give her a bit more uniqueness with the staff holstered on her back, and I hope they keep some of that Arabian-style look that she seemed to have in Armageddon.

Sheeva is trickier. See, I think they WILL have her, but I hope they do right by her if she is in. The shokan arm animations ALWAYS looked wonky in the 3D games and it REALLY shouldn't be that hard to remedy. She is an excellent character for being an actually brutish, battle ready female character that can tear you in half with 3 arms tied behind her back. I hope Goro also makes the cut (at least through DLC if not initially) so these two can go on a Tag Team rampage.

As for other female characters, I never really cared for any of them post-UMK3 outside of 2: Nitara and Ashrah. Nitara is a great character both looks-wise and gameplay-wise. The wings really make her stand out to me. Being a vampire makes her a unique character and I think her special moves could make her a powerhouse in a 2D game. She has both a ground-based and an aerial fireball making her a serious ranged threat if you don't have a good way to get in like a teleport. Plus she has her fly back evade special which would give her the space she needs to play a projectile game.

Ashrah has potential in that she has a cool story and could have a great moveset. A demon seeking redemption is unique to the MK world and even though it's a bit of a cheerier plot, she could still fit into this new dark MK. Maybe she's on a path to redemption no matter what. She's slaughtering hundreds, to bring peace ideally, but really it's for her own ends. I can just picture her shouting "I will be redeemed!" before lopping Scorpion's head off with her kriss. All I hope is that if they do bring her back, they style her more after her alt costume. The big round hat thing has already been done twice before and better. They really should ditch it, but the white "I'm trying to be pure" outfit is great in its own right.

I agree with a lot of what I read here! Great post!