I've said this before, but everyone dismisses it with "Nah, storymode is the main canon."

In the past NRS has always used parts of endings to use in the story of Mk. However, we won't know until the next game which ones are canon. I'm thinking Scorpion and Sub-Zero will team up to bring down Quan Chi (a mix of Scorpion and Sub-Zero's endings from MK9.) Jade will indeed be brought back to life and know of the changes that have taken place. Also, Smoke will turn into his demon form.

I don't believe that these characters being dead neccessarily means their dead.

I would have sworn up and down that Scorpion was killed in the soulnado after Moloch and Drahmin threw him in there but he wasn't.

I would have sworn Sub-Zero had met his end when Noob and Smoke captured him in the netherrealm in Deception, but it wasn't.

Johnny Cage has died countless times, and countless times he has came back.

The storymode deaths honestly mean absolutely nothing to me. I still think that any one of them are up in the air for returning in the next game, and a completely different story could be formed around it.

Death in MK means nothing in general. Nobody ever really dies, it's a fact. However, Hsu Hao is a special case. He was retconned out of the story, so he could very well be dead. Of course, NRS could always write him a new story.

I believe the Story Mode is the absolute canon storyline, but that the Arcade endings can add some spice to the storyline of the next game. And I hope NRS will continue to make a Story Mode to tell the story of future games as well, but maybe in a different way. I would personally prefer you can choose a character and then we see the story from that character's perspective. Like, there is ONE storyline, but we see thta story be played out from each characters' point of view.

For example, if I was to choose Noob Saibot in this game, I would first start out as Bi Han in the first tournament then see his transformation to Noob Saibot and how he accompanies Quan Chi while plotting behind his back, then at last help Quan Chi make the Soulnado but is interrupted by Cyborg Subbie and Nightwolf which ends with Noob flying up into the Soulnado and dies with it.

And then if I chose Jade, I would first see her on a mission given to her by Shao Kahn to hunt down and kill some of the competitors, like she did in the original MK2 timeline, and then see her be a bodyguard for Kitana, trying to save her and at last fight Sindel who eventually kills her.

I would like it if Story Mode was played out like that in the next game. And it should be available to ALL the characters, not a selected few like it was in this game.

As for the plot of the next game... I have many ideas for each character, but basically I would like for Shinnok to pose a threat and the surviving good guys fight him and it all ends with Shujinko awakening Onaga which has happened in the background - a cliffhanger to the next game.

I agree with pretty much everything here. I would really like for the Arcade endings to add to the Story Mode.

Considering Mileena's ending has her killing Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung, then setting out to kill Raiden while Kitana's ending has Mileena becoming Edenian royalty and fighting for... le good, obviously tons of the endings won't work out even if they do let the endings dictate the future of the story.... That's a tangled mess for whoever has to figure out what happens in the next game.

One thing I definitely think would be significant is Jade's ending.

As endings go I don't think these have any room for truth

Kitana
Mileena
Baraka
Reptile
Sindel
Nightwolf
Jax
Kano
Stryker
Cyber-Sub
Sheeva

Ones that'd be cool to consider Shang Tsung/ Liu Kang I think it'd be cool if he was out to get raiden and could possibly succeed. Shang Tsung could be revived by raiden ( I don't know why the f he'd do that but okay) for protection.
Raidens docent have to split his soul instead he can pick fujin to replace him and choose four warriors (Kai Cage Sonya and Kenshi).
Cages ending could just be a tag on to raidens. Sonyas could be true as they rebuild the stress gets to her and she goes vigilante. If for some reason Tsung returns hen Kenshi could be distracted. Scorpion should learn the truth sub zero can help him if we see subs return. Smoke could come back due to his enemera. Other dead should stay dead. Jade could be possessed and the lady could be canon. Ermac could be going through a transition maybe sit out this game due to it or appear as DLC. Kanal could be restored just not this next game please. Scarlet could be added to the "I hate quan chi" club. Noob could have a deal with chaos or he could have been revived or saved in chaos after the soulnado, with a netherrealm taint and chaos trainig he'd be brutal( cross-breeding). Cyrax could be good too while sektor conquers Lin keui.

As for how story mode should be I LOVED deceptions story but with 2-D gameplay is the best so I say keep the chapters but instead make it cinematic. You play as different characters with one character being your main. OR
Keep it the same just add bad guy chapters.

It's funny...the Arcade endings did pick up where Story Mode's ending left off in MK vs DCU, which wasn't even a canon game...but in this one, which has the exact same format, all of a sudden the endings go the goddamn non-canon "Your character kills Shao Kahn and this happens next" route.

I mean sure, SOME of the things in the endings could be used in the next game. I wouldn't be surprised if Sonya, Cage's, and Sektor's were true. Jade could get possessed by some crystal-chick who wants to undo the timeline rewrite, Noob Saibot could've been sent to Chaosrealm by the Soulnado and join forces with Havik. Liu could challenge Raiden to a fight for his role as protector-god since Raiden's such a fuckup, and win, then go mad with power...and Smoke's isn't even a what-if scenario, it's his backstory, of course he's gonna learn that eventually. Similar deal with Ermac having Jerrod in him.

...but most of them would require that character to first come back from the dead. Kind of a big obstacle since it'll take until the end of the next game, halfway through it at the least, to get to the point where they're broken free of Quan and Shinnok's control...and by then, who knows where the plot will have taken them? Might be past the point of no return on some of these plot ideas by that point in the story. Hell, who even knows whether Shang Tsung even EXISTS anymore? Stolen souls are SUPPOSED to be set free when the person who has them dies, but when Sindel died, where did Shang Tsung go? We didn't see him standing with the others in Hell...and Kenshi's ancestors' souls, which Shang had...and thus Sindel had...didn't go back to Kenshi's sword either, as far as we know. So does that mean they're like double-dead? You have to resurrect Sindel then kill her AGAIN to set them free? WTF?

Oh, and Kung Lao's is straight-up fucking impossible. Also, retarded. The whole thing was "it turns out he's Great Kung Lao reincarnated", but a reincarnation is an old soul reborn in a new body, so you absolutely cannot be the reincarnation of someone if their soul's already inside Shang Tsung!

Keep in mind that the MK/DC Story Mode differed from MK9's counterpart by the fact that it focused in two factions that you could choose in the beginning whereas the MK9 Story Mode put an emphasis on the good guys. I think it would be awesome if MKX would have a Story Mode like in WarCraft III where the Story Mode consists of multiple parts, all of which are for different factions (Netherrealm, Earthrealm & Outworld) and unlike with MK/DC, the Story Mode wouldn't just start over when you jump into another's bandwagon but continue where the earlier one left. Earth may not play that much of a significance in the Outworld–Netherrealm War.
WarCraft III was a great game, yet its way of storytelling hasn't yet been utilized much by other developers for some reason. Realistically, a war isn't all that black and white, "good vs. evil". I think that Shinnok will just be a tip of an iceberg; the real threats that the war would trigger will reveal themselves, later on. The death of Shang Tsung and then Sindel could've caused unexpected things to the succumbed souls. I think that the ending system in MK9 is different from its predecessor's because it plays a tribute to the MK-MK3 era in a way, but MKX should be more "free" in this matter.
The Story Mode of MK9 can be considered canon at this point but it's possible that MKX will retcon some things of it. Casual players wouldn't complain a lot about the minor changes, conversely they could be happy about some of the changes. The MK:A intro was "decanonized" pretty much as soon as the biographies came out, so Vogel is prone to such.

I agree with you Zmoke, while MK9's story mode was excellent, better than any other fighting game (and better than some games of many other genres too!), a perspective from the baddies/neutrals for the next one would be awesome.

This is especially true considering the black and white distinction between good (Earthrealm) and evil (Outworld) should not occur in MKX.

WC3 (and StarCraft 1) did a great job of delivering the stories of their games. My favourite story mode of any game I've ever played is that of Command and Conquer 3; despite some of the actual events in the story being silly sometimes, the way it was delivered, with each of the 3 campaigns covering the same events from the perspectives of each faction (apart from the final mission for each) gave an even perspective of the war; the initial Scrin invasion, taken from each faction's viewpoint was done really well. (Especially from the Scrin's "WTF something's not right here!?" point of view :P)

This would require too much time, money and effort.
That's why I thnk they'll stick again to the "interactive film" formula. Maybe they'll add some special events like in the challenge tower, for istance survive an assault by 5-6 tarkatans, a QTE or maybe they'll give you the possibility of choice during certain fights. You can pick your character and decide who lives and who dies.
But the main formula won't change.

NRS have Warner Bros in their back now. They will have the time and money to put into the effort that is required to do this.

I like Jaded's idea, but I don't think NRS would do it. I'm sure if the fan demand was up and out there for it they'd take it into consideration for the next game, but that's looking at having a story for each character that expands the next game and as of yet we don't know how big the roster is even going to be. They run the risk of introducing it, but not having long enough chapters for each character due to time restraints.

What I would like to see happen though would be something along these lines. These are just examples I thought of:

Baraka
With Shao Kahn dead, the many races of Outworld are now in disarray, fighting for terrain and dominion. Baraka takes advantage of this fact, leading hordes of Tarkata to pillage and conquer the villages and towns of Outworld. As a dangerous Outlaw, he no longer serves the Outworld throne. Baraka intends to amass power for himself and assert the Tarkata's dominence over Outworld. With his forces steadily growing, he set's sight on his next objective: claim the throne of Outworld for himself

Ermac
With Kahn dead, the sorcery which bound his enslaved warriors has dissipated, something which threatens Ermac's very existence. Overwhelmed with guilt for the atrocities he's committed whilst serving the former Emporer, Ermac approaches Raiden, pledging his allegiance. With his life slipping away, Ermac intends to die with honour by atoning for his sins and challenging Shinnok's forces in the upcoming battle.

Johnny Cage
The trauma of the invasion causes Johnny to lose control of his chi abilities, resulting in large explosions of power from Johnny's body. As a result, Cage was brought before the Elder Gods by Raiden to seek counsel and advice. In need of a new champion, the Elder Gods harness his ablities, and in turn make him their new Champion. His newfound strength will be needed to survive the oncoming invasion of Nether Realm

Sonya
Having lost her closest ally, Jax, Sonya Blade's personality and outlook on life changed drastically. Colder, Harsher, Aggressive. Although she has willingly served alongside Raiden, she holds him accountable for the loss of her friend, and as such her trust and camaraderie in the Thunder God has diminished. After witnessing Jax amongst Quan Chi's army though, her resolve becomes set in stone. She'll go through hell and back to rescue her friend before this war has settled.

Mileena
Now the Empress of Outworld, Mileena has quickly earned a reputation for being a malicious, sadistic Queen, using her Father's Kolliseum to publically execute and torture those who dare oppose her rule. With the Tarkatan hordes uprising across Outworld and a war brewing between Earth and the NetherRealm, Mileena see's this as a perfect opportunity to surpass her father's legacy and assert her own dominance over the throne. Whilst "serving" Shinnok, she intends to attack the winning team after their forces are weary from battle, and effectively claim both Earth and the NetherRealm for herself.

Skarlet
Replenished by blood, it is essential that Skarlet absorbs the blood of other fighters to retain her human form. The dark magics which created her have died off with her Lord, and now Skarlet finds herself free to do as she pleases, but at a terrible cost. With nobody to regulate or inhibit her, this bloodthirsty warrior takes no alignment in the war between Earth and the Nether Realm, her only concern is to maintain her lifeforce by absorbing the blood of more warriors. She will use this war as an opportunity to replenish herself before she loses her human form to the dark magic which created her.

Cyrax
Whilst Sektor and the Lin Kuei managed to escape after their battle with the forces of light, Cyrax was left stranded after his teleportation module was damaged. The damage from the battle to his exoskeleton resulted in his neural-inhibitor malfunctioning, which caused him to experience flashbacks of his former life and assist in regaining his conscience. With the corrupt Sektor now Grand Master of the Lin Kuei clan, Cyrax has turned his back on the Lin Kuei to help restore his realm with Raiden's warriors.

Ideally, I'd like to see elements taken from all of their endings, and in correlation to the story, both work together. So long as the character's grow and we can see them come into a darker era in the story, I'm happy.

Wow. These were all great.

I'd see Liu coming back rogue, scarred & neutral.

I think NRS can use certain endings to "test the waters" with fans, as previously mentioned endings have been made partially true in the next game in MKDA-D.

If there is any truth in any of these endings, with Story Mode still being canon:

Scorpion - He's going to find out about Quan Chi sooner or later.

Liu Kang - I don't think he's dead, but I think he's going to become bitter. Maybe not a fire god though.

Kung Lao - Probably true.

Ermac- Probably true, though he'll probably just change as a character. Maybe want revenge on Quan Chi for Kitana, Sindel, and Jade.

Johnny - That potential could still be hidden from within.

Jade - Still could have that hidden potential, even while dead.

Cyrax - Will probably be a hero in the next game, with Sonya's help.
Smoke - Probably canon, and the main reason why I think Smoke will be in the next game.

Sektor - 99% sure this will happen.

Sonya - Everything, save for the ghost of her father.

Quan Chi - He's probably planning that.

Sheeva - Probably going to become a hero.

Skarlet - While she didn't kill Shao Kahn, I fully believe that she's going to completely be on Quan Chi's ass, ready to kill him at any minute.

Rain - I think he's going to TRY to achieve this.

Thanks! I was going to do a lot more for other characters but wasn't sure if it was necessary to. I can think of a million different directions the warriors can go in the next game that works with the ending of Story Mode and their endings in the Arcade Ladder. Realistically, every character has potential to branch out on their own now, even if they do chose to serve Shinnok in the next game.

Its time for Mileena to go neutral.

Here's my ideas of how this story's gonna go through these endings.
Scorpion - He'll find out the truth with Sareena's help

Sub-Zero - He'll return human

Liu - He'll return rogue

Kung Lao - He'll come back revived as one of Shinnok's minions and he'll know the truth of his origin.

Kitana - A slave under Quan Chi's control and she'll be freed and maybe have Mileena join her despite being a clone.

J. Cage - His powers will be unleashed and controlled.

Sonya - Same as her ending.

Ermac - Jerrod controlling Ermac.

Noob Saibot - Will destroy Quan Chi and Shinnok, but lets them destroy each other until he has the chance.

Smoke - Reborn as an enenra

Jade - Reborn by the woman

Sheeva - a good guy

i agree with you on most counts with the exception that Sareena will help Scorpion. I don't even know why or how that would happen.

Seeing Raiden stripped of his Protector status and having it granted to Liu Kang instead would be a huge and more interesting change. The best part is that regardless of which mode is canon, Liu Kang becoming a God and Protector of Earthrealm in Raiden's place can still happen. It's not like his soul was consumed, he still exists, and odds are went to the Heavens.
As for Noob Saibot being consumed in the Soulnado, since it happened to Scorpion and he was sent to the Heavens, what if Bi Han returns as the original Sub-Zero as the Champion of the Elder Gods? Now that Kuai Liang's a Cyber-Zombie working for Quan Chi, maybe he could become the key to saving his brother.

The soulnado that sent Scorpion to the Elder Gods was actually a portal to Heaven, though.

The soulnado Quan Chi was making in MK9 would've been a portal to Outworld.

It's true, I forgot that DA's Soulnado went there... Makes me now wonder why the Elder Gods and Gods didn't do anything about it back then, but anyway, that shoots a huge hole into my little hopeful idea. So it's entirely possible that Noob Saibot's just nursing one heck of a bad headache in Outworld.

The lesser gods mostly live in their own realms, I'm not sure any of them reside in Heaven fulltime, and they're not all-knowing like the Elder Gods are, they might not have even noticed a portal sucking souls away. We have no idea what Heaven looks like or how big it is, after all. If opening a portal there causes a giant torrent of souls to pour out, it could just be a giant ocean of souls or some shit for all we know...or since it's "Heaven", it could look differently to each person. You'd think the realm of eternal reward would be much more...abstract, and metaphysical in nature than the other realms, which all appear more or less material and planet-like.
I mean sure, Hell looks like a solid place with ground and sky and the dead there walk as corpses rather than floating as green mist, but the difference could make sense, since A) Shinnok deliberately changed its appearance to look more like Earth when he took over and B) torment requires more frame of reference than bliss does I think, the environment would have to look like something the souls there recognize as horrible and torturous, and you need some kind of flesh to feel pain with.

But I digress. As for the Elder Gods, they do apparently watch the realms and know everything that's going on at all times - they and Scorpion were watching the DA fight Raiden and the Dragon King's return, for example. They also watched Quan and Shang kill Liu and Kahn and rise to power. It's just that the Elders have a strict non-interference policy, they'll only get involved with mortal affairs if there's a very sudden risk of the entire universe being destroyed. Raiden had to give up being an Elder God to stop the DA. They only made Scorpion their champion because Onaga nearly awoke the One Being. They only stepped in at the end of MK9 because unlike in the original MK3 where despite him breaking the rules of MK, they didn't do shit, this time Kahn was on the verge of actually winning, which would've made him powerful enough to directly threaten them.
As for Noob, I hope they go in a direction inspired by his arcade ending and say the Soulnado tearing apart flung him into a random realm - Chaosrealm, where he meets and makes an ally of Havik somehow.

Too bad Jax, Kung Lao, Kabal, NIghtwolf & Stryker will have to sit this one out for a while until they're brought back to life.

I mean Cyrax is taking Jax's place for a while with Sonya. But what about... the other guys?