MKX is 25 years after MK4.

Very informative. That still doesn't answer the OP's question.

Where Kai is and what he's up too is still a mystery. The comics I believe explain Fujin/Jarek/Reiko's whereabouts but nothing on Kai.

I keep feeling as if Kai should've had Kung Jin's place in the roster.

If they didn't explain even Jade's absence from this game when she was a revenant like all the others that died in MK9 and appeared in MKX*, I don't think they'll bother to say Kai whereabouts, which is bad.

But IIRC they did plan to have Kai in the game in early development...

How was she "very alive" at the end of MK9 when Sindel ripped out some of her innards and she became one of Quan Chi's revenants?

The beginning of MKX(the first fight with Shinnok) is the equivalent of MK4 in the original timeline but things have changed a lot.

Kai probably wasn't in Asia at this point. I think there's a few months between the attack of Shinnok in MKX and the original attack during MK4.

Kano was believed dead. Sonya went hunting for Jarek, the last known Black Dragon member. Shinnok attacked around the time they had caught up to Jarek so they asked him to help. The Special Forces were too busy rebuilding the earth to care about Jarek's whereabouts.

Fujin is in the game, right there are the beginning, fending off demons with Raiden. He's exactly where he needs to be. Him being an NPC doesn't change the fact that he was there.

Meat was created by Shang Tsung. Shang Tsung is still dead at this point.

Cyrax didn't spend all that time stuck in the desert in the new timeline. It didn't affect his system to the point where he went to the Special Forces for help. The Lin Kuei kept doing his thing until Sub-Zero cleared them out.

Noob was alive and well at the end of the original MK3. This time around he's MIA. His absence isn't that surprising.

In the old timeline, Baraka joined Quan Chi when they met in Edenia and Quan Chi requested his help. This time around Quan Chi already has an army and Edenia is still fused with Outworld.

The same explanation for Baraka can be given to Reiko. Reiko fought with Shinnok during the first war against the Elder Gods but unlike in the old timeline Quan Chi had enough warriors. Calling in an old general that was now working under Shao Kahn isn't something he wanted to do.

Let's talk Tanya too? She wasn't there at the beginning because Quan Chi didn't need help to release Shinnok in this timeline.

Yes but Tanya was in Mortal Kombat 4/Gold and she is in this game too, so is Fujin but he is not a playable fighter. I asked on the characters that were in MK4 and MKG that are not in MKX, more or less playable than anything else. I am not referring to the MKX comics because from what I've read they have strayed away from the game storyline into their own storyline now. They do hold as true as can be to the game story but they've recently started to become two different stories.

MK4 / Gold Fighters were: Shinnok, Raiden, Liu Kang, Reptile, Kai, Reiko, Johnny Cage, Jax, Jarek, Shinnok, Tanya, Sonya Blade, Quan Chi, Fujin, Sub-Zero, Sektor, Cyrax, Kung Lao, Mileena, Kitana, Baraka, Goro, Meat and Noob Saibot

Who on that list is not present as a playable fighter: Kai, Jarek, Fujin, Sektor, Cyrax, Meat and Noob Saibot.

Who on that list didn't physically appear in MKX at all: Kai, Jarek, Cyrax, Meat and Noob Saibot. You can technically count Sektor if you are to say Sektor as an actual character didn't make it in the story. He was just in a flashback sequence and it wasn't Sektor in person, just a holographic memory from his severed head.

What are they doing? Apparently nothing important enough to tell us about lol

Seriously though, Fujin and Baraka were in the game, the comics covered Cyrax, Sektor, Jarek and Reiko, and Noob is still a mystery.

Meat is probably just retconned out of existence for now, and Kai is kind of a mystery too at this point, don't know if he still exists or if they just haven't gotten around to bringing him back yet, who knows lol

The story in the comic takes place in the 25 years gap between both Shinnok attacks. It's its own story, yes, but it's canon. And really, in the end, so everything wrapped up nicely.

The problem with your question is that you don't go further than : "If this is supposed to be MK4, then where are these guys?". I explained to you why not everyone from MK4 made the MKX roster in great detail by outlining the differences in the timelines. If you need more than that, then I can't help you.

After MK4 Kai went on a travel to self-enlightment in order to reach immortality.
Perhaps he is around the world, that's why he didn't help Raiden.
But you dan ask the wwme thing about Kenshi: where the hell wqs the blind swordsmwn during Shao Kahn's invasion?
Fighting sword duels with asian masters?
Infiltrating the Red Dragon and knocking up a thai woman?

Meat was a failed experiment of Shang Tsung, I don't even know how could he survive without skin. He died shorty after the creation.

Baraka and Fujin are accounted for. They appear in Story Mode.

Reiko is dead after a brefly godhood. But remember the original story, when Raiden died and his body reformed elsewhere?
Jarek is just a thug in Kano's group. He helps Erron Black in kidnapping Cassie and Jacqui in the comics.

The events of MK4 were essentially Chapter 1 of MKX story mode. The rest of the game was an entirely new direction created by the situations that occurred during MK9. Also, I wouldn't go by MK Gold...the only thing that came out of MKGold that was canon was Cyrax gobbling up cyber Smoke's storyline, and cyber Smoke becoming irrelevant. MK Gold otherwise wasn't anything int he MK lore, just a very badly programmed cash grab Dreamcast exclusive (i.e. MK4 with a Kombat Pack).

Kai - probably one of the most irrelevant characters ever in the series. "Hey Kai, you would be a great protector of Earthrealm." "Hey cool thanks Raiden. But i'm gonna backpack through Europe instead."
One could theorize that, since Liu Kang and Kung Lao were both dead and the White Lotus in disarray following MK9, Liu and Kai never met, therefore he was never recruited. There was a running theory that Fox, from the comic, was actually Kai using a Shirai Ryu codename.

Sektor - Dead, destroyed by Sub-Zero off-screen per story mode. Story likely to be expanded upon via Tri-borg.

Cyrax - whereabouts unknown, not even a mention. Bad planning by NRS. Possible his whereabouts/fate will be covered with Tri-borg's story.

Reiko - terrible oversight by NRS. I get the feeling Reiko is not an important character to them. He was the most pointless character ever in MK4, but made into a regular bad ass in Armageddon and the comic. Killed off and made irrelevant by the comic.

Fujin - not missing from the game, but his omission as a playable character was another terrible oversight by NRS. I think they underestimated his popularity. His absence was noticeable and inexplicable.

Meat - not a character.

Noob Saibot - a mystery. Sucked up into the soulnado and missing for 25 years. Considering how bad ass MK9 made him and how widely his story has been expanded, not to mention his relevance to the Netherrealm, his absence was, like Fujin, inexplicable. ANOTHER terrible oversight. He easily could've replaced any of the dead characters that were put in for tournament player appeasing.

Baraka - not missing. He's dead as of D'Vorah's chapter in story mode.

Jarek - he was originally a crappy Kano replacement, never really all that popular. He emerged when Kano was thought to be dead, and the Black Dragon wiped out. In this timeline the Black Dragon are thriving. He's just another henchman along with Tasia. Maybe he'll appear in a future game.

LOL I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT

What I meant to say was they didn't bother to explain why she wasn't there even when all the others renevants were.

Kai, if memory serves, was who Raiden originally meets at the Sky Temple in Story Mode but then they switched him with Bo' Rai Cho. So it's possible he is working with or under Bo' in this timeline if that's still the case.

Shit the comics showed more love to Reiko than NRS ever has lol

Kai : Searching for his soul that kind of thing lol.
Jarek : Stealing another boat with cash in it for Kano and Tasia.
Reiko ; Killed in comics the end for this character for now.
Noob Saibot : Got destroyed in the previous game so he no longer exists for now.
Fujin : Saved Jax in a deleted scene and was sent to protect the Jinsei Chamber but I think he was kidnapped by some ungodly force that may be presented in MK11.

Speaking of Kai...thinking about him now, I advocated for his inclusion in MKX before release.

My ideal KP2 would of been along the lines of


-Kai
-Bo'Rai'Cho
-Tarkatamorph
-Triborg


Oh well, now with Liu Kang taking the position he did in MKX maybe just maybe Kai can be one of the main protags in MK11, if not just him being on the roster would suffice. Not trying to derail the thread but OP's questions have pretty much been answered :D

Thing is, them being absent is a big mistake in my eyes. Each of the remaining MK4 cast each have something unique to bring to the table gameplay wise.

Kai - Imagine just for a minute playing Mortal Kombat X and your opponent selects Kai. 20 seconds into the match, your opponent is suddenly rushing at you from across screen on his freaking hands! The legs start whipping out at you and he started juggling you in the air while doing a handstand. I mean, c'mon, this shit practically begs to be seen.

Fujin - A lot of aerial attacks are expected but fully utilize the Wind Staff as well. As far as flight is concerned, he should be Ermac x2 with a lot of possibilities for mid-air attacks or specials.

Jarek - Fuck Jason, give this guy some serious daggers and let him be a maniacal slasher. Let him get real up close and personal but since he's Black Dragon, outfit him with some techno-firepower as well. Maybe some flash grenades to momentarily stun the opponent or a laser device to connect him to Kano.

Reiko - I highly doubt our dear old friend Shao Kahn will be playable anytime soon in the near future so give him some Shao Kahn-inspired moves mixed in with some rush-down, brutal and heavy-handed gameplay. This guy should feel and play like an absolute brute.

There's no real reason any of these guys should've been skipped over or passed over in terms of roster or even cameos. They all have something different and special to contribute to either the plot or the gameplay.

Why are people saying we don't know where Cyrax is? He blew himself up in the comics.

Chances are, the mysterious woman from her MK9 ending may have helped her escape without Quan Chi or the other revenants knowing behind the scenes.

While I would in no way say I am happy with the way all the charcaters up to MK4 have been accounted for as some were glossed over poorly or dismissed unceremoniously I think they have all been accounted for. The only real mysteries or lose ends I can see are;

Kai - They probably didn't bother with him in the game because he was never a very popular or relevant character and I think he was trialled in MK4 as a possible replacement for Liu kang similar to Fujin/raided however that never eventuated. He will probably be explored in the next series in comics.

Jade - I used to think NRS were holding charcaters like her and noob back for bigger and better stories in the next game but now I just believe they left her out of this game to save time and money on designing her character giving her a story role, voice acting etc. I believe that she will be back in future games or comics but I think her exclusion from this game was pure laziness.

Jarek - Like Kai an unpopular pretty irrelevant character designed to replace Kano that once again didn't work out. He appeared in the comics but not the game but I guess there was no real requirement for him in game because like I stated above he is pretty irrelevant and just a Kano clone. I see him dying the next series of the comics.

Noob - I know some will say he got obliterated in the soulnado but there is no way NRS would just kill off a character like him he is to popular and to interesting story wise to just wipe out. Like with jade I believe they left him out to save time and money and with the revenants making up shinnoks army this time round there was no real need for him. He will definitely be back next game in some form.

Meat - Not a real character no relevance story wise his exclusion was obvious although he is still more interesting and relevant then leatherface.

But that's about all I can think of like I said some of the charcaters up to Mk4 were dealt with very shittly like reiko and Fujin in my opinion but I believe that they were dealt with none the less. I am excited for the next chapter of mortal kombat it's just such a shame we have to wait four years to see what it's going to be about. My guess will be a different take on the deadly alliance story with some more new charcaters and maybe just maybe some redone 3D charcaters.

I'm glad to see you agree with me about Jade, but I think Kai and Jarek deserve better. I read that Kai was supposed to be in MKX's story mode, but was replaced by Bo' Rai Cho. Brian Chard did state on Twitter that Kai definitely has a chance to return in the future. About Jade, as I said before, they could possibly be doing that whole thing with her and the mysterious woman from her MK9 ending. I imagine her being in the Dream Realm training under the woman.

Kia - is one of the worst characters NRS ever came up with followed closely by Jerek

Jerek - Clone

Cyrax - Will probably be explained in Triborg

Fujin - Major miss by NRS hopefully they have big plans for him in MK 11

Rieko - Same as Fujin

Meat - Should be in every game

Kai is deserving of another chance. Also, Jarek can be made better. I don't understand why people still call him a clone even after he got his own moves in Armageddon.

Kai had an update in Armageddon also. His MK4 incarnation, iirc was mostly seen as a copy of Eddie Gordo, from Tekken.

I don't recall Kai/Jarek's MKA overhauls too much, I was too busy with KAK, and MK1-3 matchups. I tried some 4 ones, dunno why I can't easily remember them.

Wish I still had all my old games/systems.

Anywho, since his introduction, I've felt that Kung Jin kinda inherited Kai's part of the story.
Kai's up/down fireballs were too easy to sidestep in MKA, they'd be effective again now.
Fujin is a complete WTF?! HE JUST DISAPPEARS, gone with the wind, as it were.



Ka-Tra