Just to clarify, I was thinking more along the lines that when//if they die, his soul (Scorpion turns back into the spirit of Hanzo and...) gets to rest. But your answer is interesting nonetheless.

When I first read you though, I thought "changed the nature of his being into what?, Mr. Super Dead Guy Ninja?"....and the whole Elder Gods Champ thing, is that even canon for Scorpion? My opinion here but, I thought that whole scenario was just a bad joke for MKD that they ended up letting slip into the game at the last minute. I felt there was nothing there that merited such a dramatic change in his character (going from being an spectre from Hell to Heaven's "#1 guy" can't be that easy. That's lame, c'mon). He didn't work his way up, no "good deeds" done, nothin'.

Anyway, your idea makes me think that once applied, it'd seem like a cheap cop-out, instead of addressing the issue with greater substance. Then again, and as you can probably tell I'm not a big fan of Scorpion's at all. I just figure that if they're gonna do something with one of the leading characters in the game, that it should be more substantial....more elaborate even, than a "puff of smoke" affect.

"poof!", he's an awesome ninja spectre now...."poof!", he's the elder gods champ now..."poof!", the elder gods changed him into something else..

*Poof?* Next thing we know, he'll be a God character. Smooth as butter without the churning. No real work for the reward. How do you damn someone, let them get their ass handed to them for almost 20yrs of games, and then just "bless" them? Just like that?

I tell you what would qualify in my book for a jump from Hell to Heaven; Let him save Earth or something....or how about Scorpion becoming the Champ for Earth in some legit, but really odd fashion.

hm..idk I'm good with your answer at the end of the day though I guess.



In what? Highlander? Warlock? Skulls? Anything having to do with a Vampire or a Werewolf?

Looking for some kind of example is all. Otherwise, I've only seen it work a few of ways:

1.) Spell is a simple one, not permanent, and when you distract the concentration of the magic user, the effect of the spell fails.

2.) Spell is permanent, but when the caster dies, the spell dies too. Even if the caster doesn't remember they did it, they're wasting energy on maintaining the spell//curse. Which in turn weakens the caster in more, simultaneous, spellbinding.

3.) In the case of Vamps and W.Wolves, the most popular one right now, its a pretty recent myth from Masquerade Lore". But, it's that Cain killed Able and got mixed in with the Devil, and the Devil is not "dead". Nor is God, so the curse persist.

==

Although ya know, I'd love to see them break the mold. It'd be quite nice on this sort of thing for a change. I don't disagree with you here, I rather hope that Scorpions situation doesn't "work like that".

//

Well, most of my exposure to sorcery in fiction is Dungeons and Dragons and fantasy novels along that same line of thought, and I've never seen killing a spellcaster end their spells before. The spells are either simply permanent forever unless you can perform some kind of counterspell, or they end at a specific time limit, and obviously, transforming the dead into the undead is not going to be one of the time limit ones.
And once again, I must point out that opinions are completely irrelevant. Whether you like it or not, Scorpion did become Champion of the Elder Gods.

D&D and the like are a good enough example for me. I get a strange "Yu-Gi-Oh!" vibe from how normal time restraints in sorcery have become, but I do still accept the methodology.



Just answer the question next time, Jesus Christ. Stating fact and being rude at the same time aren't connected at the hip..or the head. I didn't dispute it, I asked whether it was true or not. Then I proceeded with my opinion of it. Whether I liked it or not is not in question.

And stop telling people their opinions are irrelevant about the fact of a thing. This is a fan site.

When the followers of Onaga transformed Blaze into the guardian of the dragon egg, he was altered on a level that affected his core being and his ability to do what he was originally made for. It seems to me that if the Elder Gods were to do something similar to Scorpion, it would have a similar side effect. I should note that I said it would be the simplest explanation. It would also be a pretty cheap cop out, but I never claimed otherwise.


As for why they would make him into their champion in the first place, I'm pretty sure it was circumstance and desperation. Everything went to hell with the deadly alliance, they lost a lot of their major champions, and Onaga had returned with the intent to merge the realms, unmaking everything. Meanwhile, an undead spectre is in some kind of limbo after barely holding his spirit together, and it turns out that he's a fairly capable warrior. They can't do nothing with what's going on (after all, they're being threatened this time, which is the difference between this and their other instances of non-action). They need to send someone, so they cut a deal with the spectre and send him on his way. The way I interpret it at least.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound rude. The topic's just starting to make me a little bitter.

I'm so tired of talking about Scorpion, especially that vow/retcon crap. This topic is 12 pages long, I think by now, we've said all there is to say about him. THAT is probably why I feel like I'm repeating myself so much. Maybe if we could move on to one of the other sixty-some characters for a while?

I gotcha. There's always more of the hypothetical to sort through, but I get what you're saying,




I think I always knew that, but always kinda...silently denied it at the same time (heh). One of those things where "It can't be that stupid..can it?" (lol)

"Stupid" in that instance, really just means "basic". The point though, is how many reasons between Earth and Hell can a guy be mad at something? Add to that, how many issues one spirit can be propelled to be "awesome" for what ever reasons. Add to that, why gods of the entire universe would choose the one lost soul who has been getting his ass whipped for the last 20 game yrs, out of every other similar case that is not being spoke of at the moment(Ashrah damn near qualifies for the same job if seriously considered..she's done more "asskickery" to justify the position of "Elder Gods Champ", really) .....and then add to that why the Elders can't figure out that there's a simple spell on the guy, and at least get somebody on the job of handling that stupid situation to begin with.

lol.

It just gets funny to me how really unthoughtful the whole plight is after a bit. I see your point though. So I'm not arguing with it. I just figure that if they're gonna choose a champ, shouldn't it be of someone who's had some kind of success though out all of this rage? Shouldn't they make Scorpion a "successful badass" first, before they give him power to contend with Taven, the elemental gods, Argus, Fujin, Raiden, and Shinnok?

Boi I tell ya...



Understandable....

Pick your poison:

What's one of the most lasting stoyline issues you've had about a character?

I don't know that I have any "issues". I do wish we had more backstory for certain characters, particularly Shao Kahn.
But there's no continuity snags that stick out for me. I'm pretty good at determining logical solutions for those sorts of things when they crop up anyway.
For instance, everyone would like to know "How did _____ come back to life in Armageddon?"
The obvious answer, of course, if you think about it, is the fact that Armageddon's main villain is Shinnok, who has the power to resurrect anyone who went to Hell. Well ALL the dead characters were evil, and thus, went to Hell. And Shinnok's goal is to create the biggest battle possible and force Armageddon to happen so he can get Blaze's "prize", so of course he's going to rez as many warriors as he can get.

I think Shao Kahn is one of the characters that has been ruined, to tell you the truth. I mean, I would definitely want to know alot more about his past and everything, but I think now I'd much rather get that in the fashion of a "legacy". The sort of hindsight that looks into his character after he's been confirmed dead.

But I think that if they wanted to keep him around, the only sort of thing that would redeem his character would be to delve into his past during a period of utter struggle. In other words, he'd be currently going though some extremely tragic struggle, maybe even about to die, but they take a minute to reflect on how he came to be in that situation. Can't member if you agreed with that thinking at any point, but I think that look into the core of this character would do him some good if they are to redeem his presence in the mortal kombat world at all. I figure that by the end of it all, we'd almost root for him except for we already know what he's capable of.

Along with that though, they'd have to stop letting us play with him. There's no way he should be a playable character because it destroys the mysterious evil that's necessary to emanate from his sort of character. I just feel like it degraded the character once they did that.

Anyway, a way I've always kinda thought of Shao Kahns character construction is that of someone who was an "all-star" in his own right. Making all the right decisions, and attracting other "good guys for his cause", except that he cannont come to terms with the fact that those decisions, completely disagree with most of the other planets.

Hm...how can I say that better...

Imagine being the best you can be at something, and understanding that it is right in your mind because all things point to that righteousness. Morally, it is correct for you to behave a way, because you have been praised for that behavior. Logically, everything matches up correctly to you because all the science you know conclusively equates that you are doing the right thing. Not only that, but you have been rewarded for such "positive" results from using certain "correct" methods. Tactfully and ambitiously, the only way you know to do things adds up, because of the success you've had behaving a way.

So far we know that to someone, at least those who choose to pledge to him of their own will, Shao Kahn is a "good guy". He's "attractive" to some type of demographic. I simply ask; "Why is he a good guy to whoever follows him?" What makes the tactics that he uses correct for those that follow him?

After that, suppose his teachings and ideologies contradict with the rest of the universe. How should Shao Kahn come to realize that "his way" isn't right for the rest of the universes civilizations? I think he'd be getting a glimpse of this realization right around the time he failed at conquering Earth.

I think you'd have to damn near kill him for a full realization though, and even then, him being his own "all-star" would prevent him from seeing that his sort methods could be terribly wrong. It's sort of like watching all of our good guys behave heroically, and finding out that they are all superbly mistaken through their course of action.

It's kinda psycho-silly but, who in their right mind believes that taking over other worlds is the right thing to do? We already know that person is Shao Kahn "in his right mind", right?..... So, what makes him think that's the best way to get things done? And then, how do you beat that thinking? And what happens if you beat him, but you don't kill the ideology that motivates him? That's what I wanna see happen to Shao Kahn. Relentless ambition, driven by the fact that he's actually a hero to...somebody, somewhere.

So you see, more than just circumstantial information in his past, I'd like to see them build him back up from the inside out. Almost a Darth Vader sort of story, but that neglects Shao Kahn ever "switching" over to any "dark side".

iMo, Shao Kahn should be presented in a way that shows him always being "good" at doing what we'd call tyranny, but that he'd probably call "sharing the wealth of his leadership". Which in turn, has always been "bad" for Earth.

I don't want to ever see him portrayed as a "good guy, then a bad guy". But I would like to "love" the power of the character before all the "conquer earth" stuff. I want to see him making all the correct choices to become who he is (which should seem logically and morally right to us), and at the end of that journey, what he became was always going to disagree with...everyone else. lol

Hey Xia, are you doing anymore analysis? When I reference this thread, I not only reference it, I like to depend on it for those periods in time as a one stop shop for fact and fan speculation.

Nothing that I've needed so far is really "missing", however I've traveled into the Sub-Zero, Quan Chi, and Sareens situation a few times, for which I've had to dig a bit. There's also Rain, Ermac (basically Edenia as a whole, but those two stick out right now), all three of the Cyborgs, Fujin, Kai (I pretty much just make up my own stuff from scratch for him though. but I think you know that.), Nitara, Drahmin, and Havik.

Your input, and the ensuing conversations about these individual characters matter. At the end of it all though, I really wonder if you'd do something pertaining to your take on the future based on where we are now. What about a comparison between if they preceded from MKD, or MKA?

Just fyi too, I'm still sending people to this thread (MkTeam about 4 times now. Latest was an impressed John Vogel -- It's impressive work, what are ya gunna do, eh?), and I'm probably gonna stickie it soon here. Sucks forgetting that it's a hotlink in my signature sometimes. Sucks trying to find a post of mine, to get the hotlink from my sig, lol! I end up searching it and everything regardless..haha...

That's all I got right now though.

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I'd be interested in seeing that. I think we should try and understand Kasanoff's claim in context, though. They didn't want to lose the MK movie rights and thus stated their impact on MK games. For example, Sonya's impulsiveness, Raiden's gray hair instead of black, Kano's Australian accent, Raiden/Kahn = brothers?, and even the character Quan Chi himself all have made their way into the games and originated from the Threshold MK Universe.

Truth be told, this is common in entertainment. For example, Kryptonite was invented for the Superman radio program and is a staple of the comics. Characters such as Batgirl and Harley Quinn were also invented for television and have spilled back over into the comics. It's happened with MK too.

Hey there Xia. I know it's been a long while. I'm glad you're still around on the forums, and I look forward to your future analyses. I'd like to see you finish Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Paragon and I are trying to get Mortal Kombat: Resurrection done, but it's taking some time due to both of us being busy with our lives.

There have been thoughts going in my head about a kind of format for what could be a movie trilogy that would essentially be a re-telling of MK1-MK3, so maybe I'll throw my two cents here and there when you get to your analyses on the movies.

To Pred: That's awesome man. I'm glad Vogel likes this thread, and it'd be great to see more direct involvement from him, though that's wishful thinking.

To be fair, Quan Chi's first appearance was DotR probably ONLY because they knew what Midway was doing in Mythologies and MK4 and their cartoon just aired before the games came out. He's still a John Tobias creation.

He seems quite tolerant actually. But yea, publicly he was impressed with the organization and sheer size of this threads posts. The rest was the implication of being impressed for obvious reasons. Y'know, he probably can't come right out and say anything about this thread tbh.



Dudes, you guys don't know about them being on Twitter? You can talk to 'em just as I have been. Here's my page, go through who I'm "following" for Ed, John, Shaun, Hector, Dan, Rich, and a few others.

I little heads up though, what I've learned so far is that most of the time he (John) can't speak on...stuff we're concerned about cuz it would let-on to the future too much.

I'm not gonna be posting up stuff from over there, but I will say he told me he can't answer most of the content that this thread addresses because it's too spot on. lol He just....can't respond to it at all. That's simple and complex at the same time, so... I've just been posting up stuff per w/e character I'm on slowly, and over time. He said he didn't mind reading concerns and questions one character at a time so, there ya go.

Also, judging by his habit, he seems apprehensive about addressing stuff pre-MKDA. Just cuz he didn't work on that material or whatever. Y'know? You'll see him say stuff like "ya gotta ask Tobias". ect Of course I can't know for sure, but based on what he has said, he seems to catch everything tho. idk I've brought up MK1-4 stuff because it relates for example.

But yea, Twitter is not for everyone, but I think it's alright. Again, here's my page if you wanna keep a tab on what I'm talking to him about. Jump on Twitter and follow them & or me if you wanna...

Oh PS: he's got the Fan Assessment recording we did too. I gave him the story portion of it and the links to the rest of it about 2wks ago. He said he took a peek in this thread once or twice, and would check out the recording. *shrugs* What else could I have ask him for? lol

We'll see what happens since the Midway thing changed.

Later

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Very good posts! I think the reason why there's been so little in the way of responses lately is because the thread is stickied. I swear, that once a thread is made sticky, my eyes just skip right past it and I couldn't find the thread even if I tried. In fact, the only reason I even found this thread again is because you put it in your sig.

So....

In response to your Quan Chi post - Probably the only "Fan Favorite" introduced in MK4 or later.

People still really want to see the lost/deleted scene with him from MK Annihilation.

When you think about the past deals made between Shang Tsung and Quan Chi (in both non-canon sources like MK Conquest, and canon ones such as MK Mythologies), you can see why they make a perfect team and why it was such a logical step to take the story in. Not saying this team was built to last, by any means.

I would have liked to have seen your feedback on Quan Chi's disappointing appearance at the end of MKSM and throughout MKDC... very confusing indeed and in the case of MKDC, really blurring the lines between the movies and the games even more.

A side note about Quan Chi: I saw an interesting fan idea somewhere that was based entirely on his established role as a behind-the-scenes manipulator and instigator. Namely, that the entire Shokan/Centaurian conflict was started by Quan Chi in an effort to weaken Outworld and prevent them from becoming too powerful... perhaps to even set it up for an eventual take over by the Netherealm itself at some point.

Now, on to your post about the movies.



I'm going to disagree with you here. When Classic released their MK1 trading cards - and this was before MKII had even come out in arcades, as special "MKII Preview Cards" of the up-and-coming sequel were a small part of the cards that they offered - they specifically mentioned that Liu Kang was unknowingly fulfilling his fate as a descendant of Kung Lao.



.
Keep in mind their subplot wasn't dismissed entirely.... there was a whole fight sequence between the two in MK: The Journey Begins (which pretty much follows Threshold's MK Movie universe)... not to mention Shang Tsung's line in the move, "Scorpion and Sub-Zero". It's like, they wanted to give the fans a little more service in regards to these two, they're not pretending that they're the best off friends, but in order to keep the movie simple and fast-paced (or possibly due to budget concerns) they're not showing all they could be in regards to their feud.

I admit it's disappointing to see Sub-Zero meeting his end at the hands of Liu Kang and not Scorpion. It just doesn't complete the circle right and give Scorpion the kind of closure he deserves. But I digress.



I remember seeing a quote from Kasanoff somewhere that his vision for Rayden to make him powerful enough to destroy like fifty Barakas. You might remember this happening quite literally in the journey begins against a group of Tarkatan Hordes (then called nomads) or in the MK movie when he singlehandedly held off an attack by a bunch of masked guards.

With him having this much power, why doesn't he simply destroy all of Kahn's generals in the first five seconds of Annihilation? Some kind of weakness needs to be introduced, or else Raiden's a complete moron.

So, like Superman, we need to prevent him from being all too powerful.

And, like Superman, what greater "weakness" than to expand on his source of strength, or origin of strength - the Earth itself. When outside the Earth, their powers may not be operating at 100%. (One reason why Superman/Raiden fit so well in MKDC when they were shown to be each others counterparts, in a way.)

Of course, Rayden's powers work in other realms just fine in ALL the games, but this is one area where Threshold's impact on how we see the MK characters really shows through. Many fans still consider Raiden to be almost powerless when outside Earth.



The ten-rule thing, while perhaps not too well known at the time, was definitely a Tobias creation that was kept in the movies, and not the other way around as commonly believed. From the MKII comic, page 13:

http://mortalkombatblackout.com/gallery/comics/mortalkombat.php?issue=2&page;=13

Sub-Zero's line in the bottom left panel... "You know the myths – ten wins a row, all Hell is gonna come through a portal."



Actually, this was also established before the movies came out. Again going back to the MK trading cards by Classic, they spell it out pretty clearly that Kano had killed Sonya's partner.

In addition, the (non-canon) original MK novel by Jeff Rovin makes mention of Kano killing Sonya's fiancee (named Cliff LoDolce in the novel), it was published in 1995 before the movie came out and colored the public's perception of the characters.

---

You've made some very interesting points, especially in regards to Liu Kang's character in the movies being very heavily borrowed from Kung Lao. While I think I've demonstrated that Liu's being a descendant of Kung Lao did happen to exist in the games beforehand, I really enjoyed reading a lot of the other connections you pointed out that I hadn't even considered. Just some more enjoyable posts by XiahouDun84. Thanks a lot for posting these, and keep it up!
Edit: To verify some of the information, such as about Kano killing Sonya's fiancee and Liu Kang being the descendant of Kung Lao before the movies were released, I've scanned in the relevant MK1 Classic Trading cards (92 and 94).
http://www.kombat-pavilion.com/mk1_classic_cards_92_and_94.png
In addition, I found the quote from Larry Kasanoff stating that Rayden is powerful enough to take on 25 Barakas at once:
http://www.kombat-pavilion.com/egm2_scan_mk_movie.png
And another interesting page, from the same article:
http://www.kombat-pavilion.com/egm2_scan_mk_movie_2.png
What's interesting about this last scan, is Kasanoff explaining what a great story MK already has, and how the movie is not based on the game but based on the story that the game is based on.

I am coming into this thread WAY too late. I just want to say that this thread is amazing, and I pretty much entirely agree with Xia's analysis of the story, and I have long been in love with Mortal Kombat because of the interesting story it presents, and the wide array of fascinating characters it offers. I am only up to about page 8, but I just cannot hold back anymore. I want to talk about something MK story-related.

For the hell of it, I am going to discuss Mortal Kombat: Deception. Why? Because I feel this is partially where the series started to spiral out of control a bit story-wise. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance was a brilliant fresh start for the franchise, but then the story got really muddled really fast. A lot of great characters were dropped, chopped or misdirected. I'm going to start talking about them now.

First of all, I agree that the intro, while cool, was done merely for shock value, and was perhaps a bit short-sided as far as re-enforcing the credibility of certain characters goes. Here are just some of my thoughts:

Kung Lao
For some reason, people want to see him as the new main protagonist of Mortal Kombat. To each their own, I guess, but while I would have accepted Kung Lao evolving from the reluctant hero into the reluctant Champion of Mortal Kombat, after being killed by the Deadly Alliance and becoming a slave to Onaga, I just can't buy it anymore. It's kind of sad, because it almost seems like Lao shafted Kai a bit to get the role in MK:DA, and then Shujinko comes along and knocks Lao out of the story.

The Deadly Alliance winning was no doubt an exciting twist in the story, but it really made Kung Lao look amateurish, in my opinion. Now, if Kung Lao had beaten Shang Tsung, the sorcerer had pled for mercy, and Lao sliced him open with his Hat Slice Fatality, releasing the souls Tsung had consumed, this would have done many things:

1) Kung Lao would have shown a mean streak that Liu Kang never had. He succeeds where Kang failed, in finally stopping a major threat to Earthrealm, in the demon sorcerer, Shang Tsung. Where Liu Kang showed mercy, Kung Lao showed none, and sort of kicks up the bad-ass notch on Earthrealm’s defence list.

2) It increases the stock of Bo’ Rai Cho as a mentor figure. Many didn’t like the character, but when you truly analyse it – there is a lot of worth to him. His background explains why he has not been a prominent figure in past instalments, and it makes being trained by BRC a big deal – which in turn helps out Li Mei.

3) Given his Deadly Alliance story, Kenshi would have some tension with Kung Lao. What I’ve gathered about the blind swordsman is that he is not a pure soul. He’s competitive, has a strict sense of honour, and Kung Lao vanquishing his target could create a rivalry of such which in turn gives Kenshi’s character a bit of added focus. With Lao most likely being considered Mortal Kombat Champion after hypothetically defeating Shang Tsung, who defeated Liu Kang; Kenshi challenging Kung Lao to Mortal Kombat for the title would be a bizarrely interesting event. It likely would not be a fatal fight, but Kenshi fighting for the honour of the ancestors he never properly avenged, and perhaps even being intrigued by the concept of the eternal youth that comes with being MK Champion, could further flesh out his persona a bit more.

4) It progresses Kung Lao’s character, which has been established as a reluctant hero by this point. By killing Shang Tsung, he accepts the responsibility that he always evaded, and he becomes arguably the main protagonist of the story. It flows nicely from his original story at this point in time, and that is proper development.

5) While I do appreciate Shang Tsung getting a victory once in a while (he is a great character), if you were going to kill him, why not have him establish other characters on the way out? I guess he sort of makes The Dragon King look like a legitimate threat, but it’s really Raiden who kills The Shanger; not Onaga.

All things considered, I think it was a mistake to not bring Kung Lao back to the fold. While I do appreciate the thought that went into introducing us to Shujinko, there could have been ways to include his character without stepping on Kung Lao’s toes as the new Mortal Kombat Champion. Lao has a bright future at this point, which is only dragged under by his death, resurrection, and taking a back role to Shujinko and Taven in future games.

Kitana
The poor girl. Xia pretty much sums up what makes Kitana an awesome character, and I feel that her failure to defeat the Deadly Alliance, while explainable (she never completes her training with Bo’ Rai Cho), and possible fuel for her character (her growing stress), ultimately weakens her stance in the series. A win over Quan Chi in Deadly Alliance would have been a big boost for her, and allowed her to move up to the main event of the series. I mean, when did the girl last get a big victory of her own? It could be theorised that she defeated Sindel in Mortal Kombat 3, but in Mortal Kombat 4 she emailed Liu Kang for help. Like Kung Lao, Kitana could have used a time of peace to reflect, and try and get her head around the deaths of Liu Kang and Goro (who should have been killed by Noob Saibot, which makes Saibot look more dangerous, and allows Kintaro to fill the role that Goro actually had – although I liked the idea of the Deadly Alliance successfully killing Shao Kahn).

Plus, and many might not find this idea nearly as intriguing as me – like Kung Lao’s potential tension with Kenshi, a more violent ire could be earned from Scorpion if Kitana killed Quan Chi before he had the chance to. A lot of people don’t like Scorpion being fuelled by revenge, but really, that is what his character is – a violent spectre (with some honour, yes), who is looking to find his own measure of peace. If Kitana had killed Quan Chi, what would Scorpion do? I could imagine him getting very pissed off at Kitana. A fight between the two icons of Mortal Kombat would at least be interesting, come on.

Sonya Blade, Jax and Johnny Cage
I’m not the biggest fan of any of these characters, but I feel they sort of got put on the back-burner in a very anti-climatic way. Sonya had a nice rivalry with Mavado being set-up. There is no reason that should have not continued in Deception. Jax’s progression from being a brute was also something that could have been followed. You can feel him losing a little faith in his government (something that was established in MK3), and by ripping out a guy’s heart, he’s more than taking justice into his own hands. I don’t know exactly how I would write it, but Sonya eventually feeling that her superior needs to be stopped could have been really interesting. It would at least be something personal for Sonya. You know, something personal that isn’t Kano?

As for Johnny Cage, I fluctuate back and forth on his worth as a character. He has his moments, and while he is comedic relief, there is a likability and association with the character. I think he deserves something more than to go out and become a slave to Onaga, although that could have made an interesting story for him in Deception. Instead of throwing five characters under Onaga’s control, having just one unwillingly serve The Dragon King could have been tremendously interesting for them. Their relationship has never been specifically elaborated on, but if Sonya Blade had to deal with Johnny Cage being enslaved to The Dragon King’s will, it advances her personal stakes in the story. And if Jax got to him first, and squished his head when there was no reasoning with him, then Sonya might be more than a little upset.

Mavado
“Hi, my name is Mavado, and I had tremendous potential before I was killed by the guy I thought I killed. Yeah, turns out I was a bitch.” I really liked Mavado at first, but after he got aced by the guy he took his weapons off, it is so hard to take the guy’s future seriously. It’s such a shame, because he was established as a potential adversary to both Sub-Zero and Sonya Blade, which could have been built on. Mavado would also have problems with Kenshi, Jax and his alignment during the whole “what the hell is going on with this Dragon King” business would be interesting. So they drop him for Kabal?

Now, I don’t hate Kabal, but I was never a big fan. He served his purpose, and then he gave the rub to a newer character with a lot more relevancy to the story. That was more purpose than he really needed to serve. Mavado got set-up so well, and then it is literally reversed on him. This was a mistake, in my opinion. Instead of bringing in Kira as a Black Dragon, why not have had her serve as a new Red Dragon member, looking for Mavado? With the Red Dragon in opposition to the Special Forces, Kira could have been set up as a better opposition to Sonya this way. Kira was far more than a sum of her parts, and there was potential there, but she got thrown into a revived story that didn’t really flow with things, other than for nostalgia’s sake.

Nitara
Not her biggest fan, but she served such an important role in Deadly Alliance and then doesn’t do much of anything. Sometimes one-note characters work. Hsu Hao, for example, worked fine as the henchmen who does some bad stuff and then gets killed. Nitara could have perhaps felt responsible for the return of The Dragon King, or even just felt threatened by his presence enough to return. I feel that she needed some work, but I felt that the potential was there.

I mean, Frost had more of an impact on the Deception story. Frost was a character that was perfectly fine with one appearance, as she did her thing, and put some doubt, regret and a desire to become a better teacher into the head of Sub-Zero; but was there really a need for her to return after apparently dying in Deadly Alliance? I feel that Nitara was abandoned here.

Sektor
The Tekunin storyline was never a central part of Deadly Alliance, but I remember it being well received in Tournament Edition. The fascinating thing about Sektor’s Tekunin, is that its enemies seem to be synonymous with the Red Dragon. Now, while I wouldn’t amalgamate the groups, and feel there are too many floating around Mortal Kombat, if something is well received, and pretty much writes itself, the work is done for you.

Sektor didn’t even need to be a playable character. With the Deception storyline again taking place away from Earth, Sektor could have sat comfortably on his robotic throne, and sent some goons into the storyline to make sure Earth’s forces never make it back, or whatever. Perhaps he could have even captured Cyrax upon his return to Earthrealm, and re-programmed him to serve the Tekunin? Now that would be a tragic thing for Cyrax to have to endure, given how he had restored his humanity, somewhat; and this also adds to Sonya’s loss. Johnny Cage could be working for Onaga, Jax could be becoming more and more of a rogue, and now Cyrax is back to being a drone. It’s a lot of pressure for a character who hasn’t had much development.

Baraka
I’ll be honest: I do not like Baraka. I think the character is bland, shallow and without the blades would not have made it past MK2. In the story, he is essentially fodder. Technically, he has not died yet, but it feels like he gets wasted every game. His most monumental addition to the story was when he hacked up the Shaolin monks, and that was pretty much his introduction. He’s old, he’s tired, and quite frankly, the blades could be lifted off him, implanted into another character’s armour, or something and it’d probably be more interesting.

That off my chest, I would have rejoiced if something interesting where done with the Baraka character. The Dragon King had an undefeatable army – why does Baraka need to be just another henchman? Because he is evil? What if the Tarkatans only really came to prominence under Shao Kahn’s rule of Outworld? What if Onaga had discriminated against them, and perhaps even loathed them for their “impurity?” Hotaru’s bio compares the differences between Shao Kahn and The Dragon King, and what we can gather from that is that Onaga brings order (an undefeated army, for example), and Shao Kahn brings chaos (say...a savage pack of mutants?). If Onaga had returned, been disgusted with the Tarkatans, and ordered their extermination, Baraka could have potentially stepped up as a protagonist of his own story.

I would never like to see him fighting with “the good guys,” but Baraka being forced against a wall and deciding “fuck this, I’m going to do something for myself” could have actually been the boost his character needed to match his iconic association with the Mortal Kombat games. It’d almost be like what Xia suggested Reptile could be – a representative of his race fighting to restore/keep them alive. I can imagine an ending for Baraka where he realises that his race do not have the numbers to survive and that the Tarkata will all but die off...unless he becomes the Mortal Kombat Champion and defeats Kung Lao – who sliced him up with his hat a few years back. This would give him eternal life, and become a living tribute to his kind. There’s almost a tragedy in how hard Baraka fights for his people, and then there’s also the tragedy that he just cannot let go and accept that his people sucked.

Sindel and Jade
I know a lot of people like these characters, but they just do not do it for me. Mainly because they all pretty much have the same goal as Kitana. I felt that Sindel and Jade cluttered the story, just for nostalgia’s sake, when really, all we needed was Kitana. I guess it gives Edenia “fresher faces,” but if the Edenian story needs that, it might be time to get a move on with it, aye? There is the fascinating dynamic between Sindel and Kitana, which is sort of reversed from Mortal Kombat 3, with Sindel trying to save Kitana from Onaga, but ultimately that went nowhere.

Jade could have been brought back in a more constructive way, too. Like telling us where she had been all these years when Edenia needed a little help? I would actually like to see her with completely different intentions to Kitana and Sindel one game. Say someone got in Jade’s ear and provided evidence that her family are actually the rightful rulers of Edenia. What if Jade sees Kitana slipping, and Sindel pass away, and she decides that maybe she is the best choice to rule the realm? There are elements to her story that just feel...undeveloped.

Order and Chaos
Now don’t get me wrong, I like Hotaru and Havik, and think that Darrius has potential and Dairou was kind of cool. I just agree that the Seido storyline seems to come out of nowhere. Did we really need another realm, for that matter? Chaos and order could become themes even in the current realms we have. Hotaru hints that about Shao Kahn and Onaga.

But assume that they did want there to be an Orderrealm and Chaosrealm. Even with that, I agree that there is no reason to introduce Darrius yet. He’d have been great in a sequel to Deception, with a nice rivalry with Dairou all ready to go. Hotaru and Havik seem like the most natural fits for the main plot, and they had a lot of potential, but they almost seemed...disconnected. I think removing Darrius from one game, and maybe even considering holding off on Dairou for yet another round, might have slid us into the Order/Chaos thing a bit easier.

It’s a shame, because with the story being streamlined, this plot actually has a very good chance of being dropped, even though Hotaru has got a world of potential, and Havik is such a versatile character. Darrius was at least a favourite of the MK Team, so I hope that there is enough going for them that we can get more on these guys later. I could imagine a zealous Hotaru joining forces with Raiden, who is sick of unpredictable humans.

Raiden
Speaking of the Thunder God, I feel that his change of character in this game might have been too sudden. I guess they are running with the idea that something “corrupted” him, but when you really look over Raiden’s past, it doesn’t seem too out of character for him to get a bit more aggressive in his protection of Earthrealm. In the first game, he seemed to view himself as above humanity, and Raiden has come full circle since then. I’m just not sure I like how sudden things were. I mean perhaps frustration that Liu Kang is killed, and that one evil is just replaced by a bigger evil can sort of “stress” the Elder God?

The Gods have human qualities in Mortal Kombat, but a lot of what Raiden does could be mysterious to our human perceptions. Does Raiden need a reason to become more aggressive? I’m just toying with some possible ways to get to the end without the means of poor Raiden exploding himself.

Smoke
Here is a character that I believe was solely brought back due to popularity. I’ll admit this one – I do not like Smoke. I’ve never felt anything special about the character, and truthfully, I feel he is a lackey that could have stayed de-activated without hurting the story one bit. That Smoke gets a role while other characters don’t see the light of day (Kung Lao, Sonya, Kitana, etc.) makes me very sad.

There’s nothing really in Smoke’s story that says anything other than “Hey, I’m back, guys!” Noob Saibot could have done what he was doing on his own. I mean, I know he has got his Shadow Stalkers thing going on – but teaming up with Smoke hardly gives you an army. I think Noob would have stood stronger solo.

Sareena
I’m becoming a bigger fan of Sareena every day. After she made a popular appearance in Tournament Edition, would it really have hurt to bring her back for the next instalment? You have Ashrah going around trying to kill demons to ascend from the Netherealm. The obvious parallels between Ashrah and Sareena have been brought up already, so there’s no need for me to point them out. There’s also the whole Sub/Noob factor that really could have been played on further in this game via Sareena’s story.

Tanya
Now, do not get me wrong, I do like Tanya. I would love to know her motivations for betraying Edenia. Maybe Tanya remembers what Kitana was like as Shao Kahn’s “daughter,” and holds some sort of grudge against her, and even Sindel and Jade, for “abandoning” Edenia? I think the character is really interesting, but I don’t know if she warranted a return over more pressing characters. At least not yet. The idea of the character going into hiding, and one day coming out and causing Kitana further stress is perfectly fine, but in a game as cluttered as Deception was, Tanya might not have been truly necessary.

Ermac
See, I am on the fence about Ermac. On one hand, I have to be honest: I feel Ermac sort of steps on Kenshi’s toes a little bit. How many red-wearing telekinetic warriors do we need on one roster? I certainly wouldn’t boot Kenshi from the story in favour of Ermac, as I believe Kenshi to truly be one of the more charismatic new characters the MK franchise has seen in a long time. I think he is a keeper. On the other hand, however, Ermac was mentioned in Kenshi’s MK:DA Konquest, and owes Kenshi a favour. This could have been used to reel Ermac into the story a bit. Ultimately, I like Ermac’s presence, but feel he should have been secondary to Kenshi in the story.

An ending for Ermac where he decides to split up into the thousands of souls he was comprised of, and is absorbed into Kenshi’s sword, to give him more skill than ever to defend Earthrealm helps evolve Kenshi’s character, and moves him along as a major protagonist for Earthrealm. I know that will earn some criticism, because a lot of people love the progress Ermac made as a heroic figure in Deception. And I do, too, it’s just too cluttered for him right now, I feel. I see Ermac as more a tragic hero, anyhow.

Liu Kang, Shao Kahn and Goro
Their deaths were excellent, but unfortunately, Liu Kang was back in Deception and Shao Kahn and Goro were just playin’. I agree that it should have been Kintaro, and not Goro, which would have fleshed out Kits more. It was too soon to bring them back, in my opinion, although I do love me some Shao Kahn.

Two stories that I felt were done superbly, though: Bo’ Rai Cho’s and Li Mei’s. Their respective tales pretty much evolved from what happened to them in Deadly Alliance, which is cool. Nightwolf’s story also made me a fan, as I felt his “Sin Eater” thing was very well done, and added darker, yet altruistic tones to the Shaman’s character. That he played a part in the defeat of Onaga was also very impressive, and does a lot for his character, who would make a great guide in later games, even if he is retired from combat. It just seems that the story in Mortal Kombat: Deception was based almost entirely around nostalgia, though, and dropped a lot of what made the plot of Deadly Alliance great.
So ultimately, I think the roster in Deception is a bit nuts. Some might like getting glimpses of older characters, which is all well and good, but there are ways to do it. If Raiden went a little more nuts in later games, he could force "retired" Earthrealm fighters like Kai, and even Stryker back into the fray. Jade and Tanya just needed a few more hints dropped about them before their returns, I think. Kabal should have been Mavado, and Goro should have been Kintaro. Nightwolf proves that nostalgia in the story can be done right, because it is easy to imagine why he hasn't been involved in the on-goings, and he does something important and different when he returns.
I think it would have fit better with things if Tanya, Jade, Kabal, Kobra, Darrius, Dairou, Frost, Liu Kang, Goro, Sindel and Smoke were out, and Kung Lao, Kitana, Sonya Blade, Jax, Johnny Cage, Mavado, Cyrax, Nitara, Sareena, Kintaro and maybe a new Tekunin warrior were in.

Sorry for the double-post. I just feel like discussing the Mortal Kombat story, and my own assessments of the characters. If someone would like to join me, feel free to steer conversation in another direction, and I will be more than obliged to go along with it, but for now, I think I’m going to go realm-by-realm and discuss the characters from those realms, and my thoughts on them – just to give my ramblings a little structure.

The first realm I am going to focus my attention on is Edenia. I find the characters there oddly interesting, as I feel that they have perhaps the most untapped potential of any in the series. Perhaps this is due to the realm becoming more prominent in the later sagas, and thus the characters there only really getting developed as individuals (or even introduced) now?

Blaze
I will use Blaze’s section to initially voice my disappointment with the lack of story in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. What we did get was also a mess. Of all the characters to become the final boss in the first grand saga of Mortal Kombat, the palette swap of Liu Kang set on fire in the background in Mortal Kombat II is it?

The way I look at Blaze, is like a supernova. He begins his life as a “star,” and is just burning contently, or whatever. But all things must come to an end, and Blaze’s purpose now becomes to swell up and explode magnificently. I can’t find much true value in the story of Blaze, and he is really only a plot device. There is no further reason to bring him back once he has been defeated, and wipes out a good majority of the current Mortal Kombat cast.

Daegon
I actually find this character quite interesting. The son of a God, Daegon awakens early, finds himself corrupted by how crappy people are, and creates his own gang – which gives the Red Dragon a powerful figure to lead them, at least. He sort of reminds me of a male version of how I envision Tanya, and there is more on that later. He seems to only be there to lose to his older brother, which is not entirely a bad thing, as it allows focus on characters that were introduced in such a mess of a story. Daegon served as a worthy one-game antagonist, but his death serves more of a purpose than his life.

It almost seems that the most worthwhile thing he did was re-establish some potential credibility for the Red Dragon, whom I initially loved. Something that is awesome about Daegon, is that he does have ties to previous characters in the series, and that he almost serves as social commentary, in a bizarre sort of way. I find him more fascinating than Taven, but the dude pretty much gets punished in even his own ending, which should perhaps seal his fate.

Hypothetically, though, it would be interesting to witness the relationships between Daegon as Protector of Edenia and Kitana, Sindel and the other heroes of that story arc. Why exactly does Daegon want to be the Protector of Edenia? There is a chaotic element there that could spark tensions between numerous other characters in the series. Staples such as Raiden and Scorpion may want his head. The same could be said for Kitana. In fact, it may actually make the story simpler if Daegon were the Protector of Edenia. All that would need to be changed about his ending is that he did successfully kill Argus and Delia.

If they went with a story centred on Edenia in MK9, Daegon with power in the realm simply creates enough tension to justify that as it is. He’s a lot less boring than Taven, I will give him that.

Jade
While Jade is an undeniably popular character, I can just not get on board with her...yet. Introduced as a loyal assassin to Shao Kahn, I felt she was merely a filler character. She is apparently the childhood friend of Princess Kitana, but has this truly been explained? One thing I would like to know is Jade’s age in comparison to Kitana. The games merely state that she is close to Kitana. While Kitana does not remember Shao Kahn taking over Edenia, if Jade is older than Kitana, perhaps she does? This would raise questions between Kitana and Jade, which has not been the stated case within the games.

So let’s assume that Jade was also very young and raised as an assassin along with Kitana and Mileena, which would also justify why she was faced with the epic decision between staying with a man she knows as a mentor, and just going on a limb with her comrade and friend, and fighting against a force she may not have truly believed defeatable. This creates a sense of pure good within Jade, which supports her Armageddon ending where all darkness is conquered by good, in her ideal mind. But even so, this raises my second problem with Jade: Her goals are almost identical to Kitana’s.

Kitana’s development is coming from her gains and her losses. The death of Liu Kang greatly effected her, as did the apparent death of Goro. To Jade, these were merely lost allies in the war against Shao Kahn. This is what progresses Kitana forward, and ultimately makes her either a weaker or stronger character, and it is what keeps Jade stoic – and undeveloped.
If Jade is to progress further in the series, I believe she needs to separate her intentions from that of Kitana’s. There are ways to do this. Perhaps the stoicism of Jade could be used to her advantage? While Kitana is becoming more and more stressed; Jade’s more absolute approach to fighting for Edenia could lead her warrior mind to believe that Kitana is no longer fit to serve in a leadership role. A bitchy tension like this could progress Jade further than being just a “sidekick.”

One idea I would like to explore, is just what role Jade’s ancestors played in Edenia before Shao Kahn took over. What if someone with knowledge of Edenia’s history got in the ear of Jade, and informed her that her family were actually once the rulers of Edenia, but that Jerrod’s line, or perhaps even Jerrod himself, usurped the mantle? Jade has gone out on a massive limb for Edenia, and if her faith in its foundations is shaken, then she can potentially grow as a character away from Kitana, or even in opposition to her, which I think is a positive direction for a very popular character.

Jade, as she is – the ridiculously loyal best friend, and detached fierce warrior – are not worth a penny to the ultimate story of Mortal Kombat. Moving forward, these are exactly the kind of characters we need to cut. Jade is in a “develop or get out” situation, and I personally see a lot of potential directions for her, and this untapped potential makes me quite saddened.

Kitana
I’ve already stated what a strong and integral character she is, so I won’t repeat that – plus Xia has already done a nigh-perfect assessment on her journey throughout the games. So, I will instead focus on her direction in the future.

On the issue of whether Kitana should return: I am sort of split, but leaning more towards a “yes” than a “no.” The only reason I would not want to see her return, is that there are so many loose ends in Edenia that I think bringing more than one character from that realm would be valued; and that sort of defeats the purpose of streamlining the story. Right now, I almost feel as though Edenia could have its own spin-off fighter, with the personalities being explored there a lot more. But ultimately, I feel that Kitana is too iconic in the story, and has too much of a journey to go to be denied re-entry in some form.

The most fascinating aspects of Kitana right now are her growing stress with the deaths of Liu Kang and the betrayal of Goro, and her short-comings stopping the Deadly Alliance. If Kitana were to play a key role in future games, I would like her focus to be shifted to the theme of “obsession.” Her workhorse attitude towards rebuilding her realm should be causing her darkness to bubble to the surface.

Kitana cannot be rebuilding Edenia forever. I am imagining a story where Kitana and Sindel succeed in rebuilding Edenia through Armageddon, but then Shao Kahn, being the witty survivalist that he is, is discovered to be alive, without an army. Kitana abandons her realm in an obsessive pursuit of him, giving into the darkness and wanting nothing more than to slaughter the man who claimed her as daughter millennia ago. No, this would not a return of Shao Kahn as a main villain, but as his own force, trying to re-establish himself – possibly fighting against a greater villain, giving it an instant rub of credibility. Kitana could then return to Edenia, either succeeding or failing in her mission to kill Shao Kahn, and discover that her realm has been brutalised in her absence...or something of the like.

Yes, this entire post is dedicated to Edenia, and its characters, but perhaps the best way to keep Kitana in the story is to take her out of Edenia. Give her goals to enter Earthrealm, Outworld, or wherever, creating a situation where she has to balance being a leader with being an individual with her own goals to achieve.

Mileena
I find Mileena to be one of the most fascinating characters in all of Mortal Kombat. Her relationship with Kitana is really quite tragic, and I am one of those people who sees Mileena as a potential protagonist of her own story. Yes, Mileena has a savage nature, but she is also capable of bizarre forms of loyalty. When you look at Kitana through Mileena’s eyes, she really does appear to be an ungrateful bitch. Kitana has the looks and the favour, and she spits on it and kills her own “sister?” Bitch!

Deception was an interesting point for Mileena, because she finally got her first taste of real power, and she wielded it well. I was in awe of how her story was handled, and I love that there is almost a sense of responsibility that kicks in for Mileena. She controls these armies, and while she originally decides to send them into an ambush, she perhaps realises that instead of turning against them, she could perhaps just merely lead them.

I’ve always wondered just how much of Kitana is in Mileena. Is she a natural leader? While Kitana seems to struggle with being a leader, perhaps Mileena has the natural ability to make it happen? Maybe Kitana would finally have something to be jealous about in Millie? I would never advocate a path of “atonement” for Mileena; I think there could be legitimate triumph in her story. Kitana has pretty much forced herself down a path turning away from what she is, whereas Mileena seems to go with her natural chi. If Mileena became more and more comfortable with her role in existence, and Kitana became more and more troubled and stressed, you could almost do a unique turn around in the story from their positions in MKII, where Kitana was the stronger one.

I’m not really explaining this as well as I’d like to, but I could see a situation where some players might actually be rooting for Mileena over Kitana, and where the lines between good and evil are blurred more than you’d think.
The relationships Mileena has are bizarrely interesting, as well. Shang Tsung technically created her, but her interactions with him are never revealed. There is potential for almost a father/daughter relationship there – one that is more nurturing that the one shared between Shao Kahn and Mileena. Perhaps Mileena could earn the approval of Shao Kahn one day, which does fulfil her story somewhat, as Kitana continues to try and take on too much. There is also this bizarre dynamic with Bo’ Rai Cho, that isn’t much, but I find interesting:

In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Kitana commenced training with Bo’ Rai Cho, but perhaps did not have the patience to stick it out with him. In Deception, while under the guise of Kitana, admittedly, Mileena successfully leads the Edenian and Outworld armies – originally she does look to betray them, granted, but I wonder if a wise mentor like Bo’ Rai Cho could see virtues emerge in Mileena. A natural leader and someone that has not disrespected him like Kitana has done in the past. I am so very tired right now, I again I must apologise that I am not making the most clear sense. Basically, I think a wise mentor like Bo’ Rai Cho might be able to forgive Mileena her corruptions, and see positives in her that perhaps Kitana doesn’t have. He could even have more respect for Mileena than he does Kitana, in the end.

As for her future, I really want to see Mileena back. Her stories often seem dependant on what everyone else is doing, but I believe Kitana is likely to be back, and with Kitana growing more and more unstable by the game, and Mileena having more and more triumph, a “switch” could almost take place – like one referenced in Mileena’s Armageddon ending, but not to the literal extent.

Rain
Originally seeming like a joke character, Rain got a development in Armageddon that was immensely interesting. Just to clarify – I do believe that Kitana approached rain in the MK3/Trilogy saga and tried to turn him against Shao Kahn. I believe that Rain listened to Kitana, and then did some soul-searching, before Quan Chi told him of his origins. Now, if this story is true, it leaves Rain so much to do in the Mortal Kombat universe. His stakes in Edenia have suddenly gone up, and he probably believes he is entitled to a slice. Where this leaves him with Kitana, Taven and possibly even Sindel is anyone’s guess.

Now, Rain’s story would possibly imply that he was merely raised by an Edenian general, and that Kitana had no knowledge (and perhaps nor did Rain’s “father”) that he was in fact a son of Argus. Now, Rain’s canonical power in the story goes up, and it seems a shame to have him die off in Armageddon without following it to a conclusion – unless, of course, Rain is merely being deceived by Quan Chi, and he is just an Edenian with bizarre powers – which knowing Quan Chi, is not entirely out of the realm of possibility. This is way to discontinue Rain without ever really addressing the whole “demi-god” thing.

One thing that intrigues me about Rain, is his control over the element of water. Taven and Daegon, the “full” sons of Argus, have elemental control over fire. So why does Rain manipulate an element seemingly on the opposite end of the spectrum? I have devised a theory about this, that may be very unpopular:

What if Rain is not only a direct descendant of Argus, but if Argus chose to carry out an affair with a Cryomancer? While this is only back-alley science, the “fire powers” in Rain could mix with the “ice powers” in his bloodline, and create a watery effect. I mean, this is Mortal Kombat, let’s not look into things too much. The Cryomancers seem to be a select few these days (we only know of two existing lines in Sub-Zero and Frost), and for some reason they fled Outworld for Earthrealm (or had some sort of knowledge of inter-realm travel). What if to cover up his affair, Argus had sent someone to end the Cryomancer race, leaving no trace of them (it would fit Argus’ “hang ‘em all” attitude), which has sent them into hiding?

This admittedly amateurish storyline ties together Rain’s origins with not only Kitana and the other Edenians, but it could potentially make him the great-great-great-great-great-great uncle to both Sub-Zero and Noob Saibot. Now how is that for a messy family tree? Sub-Zero vs. Rain would be a bizarre confrontation. Also, with red being a colour associated with fire, and blue being the chosen colour of the Cryomancer people – purple becomes an appropriate symbol for Rain, although I would like to see Rain drop the purple theme, to distance himself from his past of being a Prince reference, a palette swap, and everything else that was holding back the character at one point.

If Rain were to appear in future games, I would like him to get a new name. “Rain” feels too much like a codename, and now that has disassociated himself with Shao Kahn, and would no longer be a “joke character,” I think Rain taking on a “God name” would be appropriate for his direction. Perhaps he could even start calling himself “Argus,” after his father, just as a way of getting back at his father for trying to cover him up so much?
Granted, this is not very likely, considering how much of a “joke” Rain seems to be, but hypothetically, I think Rain could offer a tremendous amount to the series if selected to return.

Sindel
Was never a big fan of the bitch-banshee, but I am developing more of an appreciation for her now. There is nice symmetry between her stories in MK3 (where Kitana tried to save her from Shao Kahn’s control) and Deception (where she is trying to save Kitana from Onaga’s control). I can’t see much farther use of the character, though...especially with streamlining coming into place.

The biggest problem with Sindel is that her quest is roughly exactly the same as Kitana’s. Unlike Jade, I do not see a way to separate her story from her daughter’s. Sindel is the good Queen of Edenia, trying to do right by her people. Her role in the story now would probably best be used to further the stress of Kitana, and the status of Edenia, via her death. A true chance to develop Sindel was missed without a true sequel to Deception, of which I feel she could have played a part. Perhaps losing her daughter permanently? The problem with Sindel, is that the only way to really further her is to scrap Kitana, who I believe is a far more iconic and popular character. It’d be like discontinuing Coke solely for Sprite.

That Sindel currently has so much more to offer in death than in life makes me fairly certain of what I feel her future should be. Sindel could survive Armageddon, as a nod of respect to the character, but then successfully killed by an assassin, driving Kitana to obsession in finding her killer, and questioning whether or not she is ready to be “Queen Kitana.”

Tanya
Some see her potential, and others hate her. I see her journey as being one with potential, but that hasn’t been built enough on. Xia has talked about the mystery behind her motivations for betraying Edenia and trying to take power for herself. One stage of her life that hasn’t really been addressed is the period she lived through where Edenia was fused with Outworld. Was Tanya around before Shao Kahn invaded the realm? I would love to know how Tanya feels about the being that was, at one point, her Emperor.

Although not much thought seemed to have went into the Armageddon endings, Tanya’s has Shao Kahn bowing to her. This could just be her desire for power and control, but a woman who was quick to make quick alignments with powerful forces – we have never seen Tanya fighting with Shao Kahn. The Deadly Alliance recruited her, but during that time she was in hiding; not drawing any alliances. It has only been when Shao Kahn leaves the picture that Tanya comes out to play.

While one could simply chalk up Tanya’s betrayal of Edenia as her own ambition and selfish desire for power, what if it were a plan driven by something else: revenge? Let’s say Tanya was alive during Shao Kahn’s invasion of Edenia. She witnesses the King that was meant to protect them slain. Sindel, their Queen, chooses to end her life rather than stick out life with them. Kitana, the daughter of Jerrod becomes a loyal servant of Shao Kahn and kills in his name. If Tanya experienced a bad life during Shao Kahn’s rule (and let’s face it, a bitch like that obviously has run into some trouble), then it provides her with, in her warped mind, a legitimate reason to feel betrayed by Sindel, not exactly trustful of Kitana, and perhaps doesn’t give her the same faith in Edenia that they have. Tanya strikes me as a wounded puppy, always trying to make sure she is never in a weak position. This would logically be a reaction to some great event in her life, and given that we can assume she spent most of her life under Shao Kahn’s rule – perhaps this is it.

It is interesting that the character that sparked Kitana’s story, could have also sparked Tanya’s, but pushed her in an opposite direction. While Kitana seeks atonement, Tanya has been too warped and wounded by dark times, perhaps more-so on the receiving end of them, rather than the instigator, and is unable to let go of darkness, even when light becomes available to her.

Now this is all pure speculation, but we do not have any real information on the motivations behind Tanya. They could merely be superficial reasons; but I find it much more interesting to see Tanya as a victim during Kitana’s time under Kahn’s rule, which shows the potential repercussions the good characters can instigate with their failure.

However, that being said, I think Tanya has offered all she can and all she should to the story. She is not nearly a popular enough character to return, and all of her back-story could be summarised in a blurb on a loading screen, explaining what happened to her during Armageddon. If the final instalment of this current saga was truly the “closure” it planned to be, it would have been nice to have seen her story at least nicely wrapped up. My vote: Abused girl who is poisoned by her experiences in Outworld and her lack of faith in characters that others now put trust in. As such, Tanya is void of characteristics such as loyalty. She could be Kitana’s bad karma.

Taven
Ah, Armageddon, how you somehow made a mess of things even more. The story in the “final chapter” of the old saga has left me with far more questions than answers. Taven’s new role after Armageddon should not be Protector of Edenia, but rather fielding questions thrown at the MK Team about the stories of other characters.

As I said in Daegon’s section, I just do not believe that Taven is as interesting as Daegon. If he achieves his goal, and defeats both Daegon and Blaze in Mortal Kombat, then we do get closure on the story, which is good, but what does Taven then do? Does he become as involved in his realms defence as Raiden is of Earth’s? Perhaps fighting with and against mortals might actually enhance his appreciation of them – and that Daegon’s corruption can serve as a big indicator to him of the problems they face.

I have to admit, Taven defeating Blaze would add a lot of closure to the story – perhaps the right amount of intended closure, and Taven could either disappear or return as a parallel to Raiden when need be. Attaining Taven as an ally might be what Kitana needs to give Edenia the stoic peace it needs...for now. But Taven’s relationship with Kitana might make the potential struggles of her relationships with Jade and Rain nearly worthless. Perhaps this is for the best in a most muddled story?

Edenia needs to sort of get some closure, I feel. They can’t be rebuilding the realm forever. Taven defeating Blaze and helping Kitana and Sindel before something shakes that is probably the cleanest way to do things. Give them an era of peace before something abrupt shakes it and Taven has to decide just what path he walks as a God – involved or detached.

Quan Chi's always been an interesting choice for a character to me, and although I believe I understood what they were shooting for with him (the "black hole character" or "absolute evil" as you put it), he just wasn't impressive enough on that spectrum. First, I don't think I accepted the idea that he had been behind the scenes pre-MK1 on the timeline, and his emergence was supposed to be significant in the ways they mapped him out to have plans for all the subsequent events. I didn't buy into it in the least because, on some levels that makes him a greater influence on the MK saga than Shinnok, Onaga, Shao Kahn, and Shang Tsung.

Just as a breeze effects the velocity of a boat on water. It suggests that the paddlers in the boat, were mere pawns in the winds game. Quan Chi of course, would basically be the breeze in that metaphor, regardless of who's doing the paddling inside the actual boat.

The way I received him between Mythologies and MK-4 was as this basically "nobody" who's been there "forever", comes out of "nowhere", and tangles himself in the "behind the scenes" of MK enough to now be manipulating all those who are established? Some of whom are undoubtedly more powerful, smarter, and very likely more cunning and manipulative than he is. Nah man, I'll pass. I think it was a good attempt to try and sew his seed in a prequel first, but I didn't appreciate the presentation considering how soft a brush he was (even as a behind the scenes manipulator) as a pure evil, black hole sort of character.

In this context, I'd definitely see Shinnok fit in that "black hole" role better. But then again, he was mis-represented on a host of his own separate issues too. I guess my basic complaint about Quan Chi is that he's not bad enough to be who they tried to make him be. And they didn't really specify his character, and so now he's anything and everything that may or may not be captured through other characters on the roster.
Which is kind of a question of potency and alot of personal preference actually. To me, they made a "tornado" of a character, they didn't make a black hole with Quan Chi. He's not that heavy. His level of sorcery hasn't even been shown or suggested to be very potent at all. Which I think is why there is still a good debate about who between Shang Tsung and Quan Chi is better.

They need to make him more impressive. Actually model him after an all consuming entity like a black hole, the plague, and or the Grimm Reaper. And then give his character definite traits and habits like the living//dead skull-like look, black widows poison, and traps.

Until they more precisely show me someone, or something falling for//getting tangled up into one of his traps, until they can show what the parameters of his specific sort of sorcery//necromancy is, and (now, since he's established himself) until they tell me where or what the force is that he specifically is, he'll be an inadequate absolute to me. What does that mean? That means I like the type of character they're trying to present through Quan Chi, but I don't think the art of suggestion is his forte'. But that's essentially the role he's apparently been playing since his induction into the MK cast.

The Spider//Black Widow: So, I'd like to see him trap someone....all by himself. His own elaborate scheme that solidifies him as the harsh, vile, black widow that he looks like he's trying to be. THAT aspect, should be presented in some obvious fashion. Nothing jovial about him...nothing merciful about it...he's not gonna "reveal his big scheme" at the end of the plot. lol You will just be trapped.
Stuck, and at the mercy of a merciless individual. He should obviously enjoy that his trap worked on you, and it should be quite amusing in hindsight to see the mistakes made by someone who actually managed to get caught up in a mess with this guy.

A good comparison is how the Onaga//Damashi vs Shujinko plot worked out. In that no matter how clever or actually intelligent the choices were that you made along your path, Quan Chi is still that much better at planning the trap, and anticipating all your possible decisions along the way. Unlike Damashi vs Shujinko, Quan Chi will not be guiding you. He will set the trap in ways that will affect your choices. Which makes the path that you travel, littered with these heavily suggestive situations. The "fork in the road". To where you probably know you should go to the right, but the left looks so much better. lol

That's the spider in Quan Chi to me because that shit is trap, and you know it! But you're gonna go the way he wants you to go anyway. lol

A great example of this that he has actually been the trigger for, is the Scorpion storyline. So maybe I'm just looking for something new? Dunno.
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Another aspect of the spider in Quan Chi that pertains to suggestion, is sexual insinuation or love to trap someone. In MKConquest (t.v show), we saw Shao Kahn using this sort of method to try and kill Kung Lao. Milleena was sent to Kung Lao posed as Kitana through Kahns sorcery. She slowly made him sicker and sicker. Well, sure that's a part of Kahn's character, but that's absolutely an obvious Quan Chi trap method that we could be watching unfold.

Lust is a Sin....Quan Chi is an absolute evil that is originally from Hell. Gimme? I mean c'mon that matches. Let Lust be one of the tools in his bag of tricks. We don't need a sex scene for that, but if played correctly, maturely, and cleverly enough, we wouldn't even have to see Quan Chi. But we could obviously know that this odd event is the doing of the black widow. It's been done effectively before.
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The Black Hole//Grimm Reaper//The Absolute:

These kind of characters are rarely ever seen loosing, or being the victim. And even if they do loose, the result of the loss is that they managed to give themselves a backdoor, or some sort of advantage at the same time that they lost. If their plans fail, they get away. But again^^. They do not run, YOU run. They don't cower, back down or back off. Black Holes "silp away"...

With all that said. Absolutes represent the plague for a mortal society. They're unstoppable, typically. Death is unstoppable. Death is an absolute. A Black Hole is an absolutely unstoppable force. The Grimm Reaper is an entity that represents all of those qualities. Which is what Quan Chi is modeled after.

So even in a side game like MkvsDc, how impressive a black hole can Quan Chi be, if he gets smacked around by anyone? Even Shao Kahn at the beginning of that game? lol He starts the game off in a loosing posture. Why fear any scheme he may come up with, when there is an easy trump card like Shao Kahn everytime?

Sure, I think he should be a weaker force by a God characters standards, but he should be capable of even giving them problems through the messes that he causes, per contradicting the gods job to keep things nice and orderly. Let me step back a second though, because I realize Quan Chi does have this quality actually. But it's such a faint subtly, that if forces alot of insight and an assumptive reading in order to get the basic point.

In MKDA's intro, of course he's not gonna fight Raiden by himself. That would be completely foolish of him. But I would love to know for sure that Quan Chi knew that the only way that situation could work in his favor, is if Raiden was in mortal form, fighting in mortal kombat, and he had help from another fairly powerful sorcerer. Instead, we're left to assume that these circumstances are so, and forced to accept the inadequacy.
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Anyway, black hole characters are far more impressive. They bring death with them and spread it oround unconscionably. But Quan Chi does not do this, and therefor, in my honest opinion, Quan Chi is not an absolute force. He a cumulative force, which means he came from somewhere and his force was developed somehow (which is actually present in the explanation of his character). I just wanna know how...

To kinda skip way down your post Xai, the example you gave about Darksied might not have been the best one. Even he has an established backstory, and pathway into who we know him to be. There is a rise to being who he is, and a thorough understanding of events that make an absolute power like Darkseid exist. Now, of course I'm not saying that all absolutes need to have this sort of structure, but if they are not going to have it, I actually expect a stronger presence from the character as a pure force.
Looking at Quan Chi for me, was very close to seeming like adding him for the sake of making another bad guy.

So of course, I'm not accepting of the lack of info on Quan Chi as a whole, but even in the context of specific reasons to like or dislike the character, there's too much left to speculate about in order to allow this sort of "absolute force" character to truly shine through iMo.

One idea that I have had for a long time now, is that he may actually be a former member of that "ancient sect" that Raiden demolished a long time ago (maybe even its leader). His soul went to Hell in the same fashion as the elder Sub-Zero//Noob and Scorpion (just a long while before them), actually began as a demon in the NetherRealm, and as a result of possibly being the leader of that ancient sect, was able to teach himself in-to what we now know him to have become. He's unique, but when you die you loose things, when you grow you gain things...ect

That might make sense because then he would already be capable of necromancy, he was already intelligent, but it may have just taken him a long while to adjust to being in the NetherRealm and re-develop his power and intellect. It could also explain why Quan Chi's power weakens within the NetherRealm, rather than gets stronger.
Which as it is now, really doesn't make any sense for him to get weaker IN Hell, where necromancy should probably have the greatest presence in the MK universe. A way it could make sense is if the origin of Quan Chi's necromancy is not-from-that-realm. And so the potency of that realm, even though he developed his sorcery//necromancy there, dwarfs his Earth-bound brand of necromancy.

Still doesn't make complete sense, but it makes more sense than it is right now because it's location sensitive. Which is plausible because your origin matters. At first glance though, I figured that if you're a necromancer, and you go to hell, you should theoretically get stronger, and blend in as an average denizen of hell. But eh, whatever...
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Now I will say that it got better with MKDA. I started to be able to appreciate his role in the plot better with that game. But again, when they open the game up, he's running from Scorpion. That's not a black hole // absolute. Although true to his character, he's letting Shang Tsung get his hands dirty with Liu Kang, but it doesn't lay out his contribution much the way of planning and executing a trap well to me. It really just looked like they jumped him while he was training. Which makes it more an effort of Shang Tsung than Quan Chi to me at that point. Same deal with Kahns doppelganger. That seemed more like a snakely Shang Tsung move rather than having anything real to do with Quan Chi. Quan Chi was just the partner in crime.

Same deal with the undead army and transferring the souls. The only things Quan Chi really did do, is what? Obtain the Amulet, unlock the soulnado, and help fight Raiden? Beyond that, he ran away a couple of times, and played assistant to Shang Tsung. I don't wanna discredit the character too much though, because I guess the whole event would require orchestration. Y'know, do which thing when...ect.

But as a pure force character, shouldn't Quan Chi have dwarfed Shang Tsung's actions the whole way through? As a necromancer, shouldn't he be able to control or subdue Scorpion much like Wolverine vs Magneto? It's the same sort of contrast really (one is a spectre, one is a controller of the dead). I give them the team-up on the doppelganger, but shouldn't Quan Chi have simply slipped the ruler a mickey or something slick like that? If Quan Chi is this absolute force, shouldn't we have seen him use Shang Tsung as the distraction for the fight with Liu Kang? Maybe to construct some overpowering spell while Shang and Kang were fighting, that just killed him? Sucked the skeleton right out of his body or something to that effect?

THAT would be a force like the Grimm Reaper. That would be devastating, nihilistic, and it would absolutely establish Quan Chi as the greater sorcerer between the two of them. Let alone having Quan Chi be the one who obtained the amulet and construct the plan. Add to that, using Shan Tsung for a particular talent when it came to infusing souls into the undead army.

That lines up better to me. But right now he just seems like a coward with a couple of magic tricks, and the ability to think critically. That's really not so different from Shang Tsung to me. More or less.
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So, before getting into the things he'll do or not do in his future, I'd love to see them nail down his particular type of character better. Just as I'd like to see for many of these characters. These things constitute behavior, and behavior dictates the development of the story. If we don't really know "who" and "what" he is, what kinds of "when, where and how" can we draw for the character?

Overall I disagree. He is a schemer, a bit of an instigator or aggrivator, and a sorcerer...but he is not an absolute force, a black widow, black hole, a Grimm Reaper, and never has been. They make a nice proposition at Quan Chi being one though. But this is why I don't see what the fandom for the character is all about. He falls short on so many levels of his character.

A broad problem with him and most of the other characters on the roster is that the allure, or the insinuation of a type of character is really present. The actuality is not.

They have some explaining to do.

pointless

Quan Chi is a character that earned my respect. At first there were walls up to me buying into him, but Xia has again hit the nail on the head with how he assessed him. Essentially, in Quan Chi, you have a mystical being who has been around for the longest period of times imaginable, and has been absorbing whatever dark knowledges he can.

I remember putting in me old MK3 cartridge into the Super Nintendo, and it flashing up with a screen saying "There is no knowledge that is not power" (or maybe it was "which?"). This is something that I believe Quan Chi would hold in his heart...or whatever it is that he has.

To really break Quan Chi down, I see his greatest strength being his intelligence, which I think makes Quan Chi a rather charismatic character. How often do we get a villain that is perhaps smarter than just about everyone else around him? I agree that he is no coward, and that any "retreat" Quan Chi shows, is merely him assessing the risks and deciding that there is a smarter way to go about things. It's how he's stayed alive for so long, and how he has chewed through so many others to get to the top.

Quan Chi separates himself from other villains in the series as his goal is perhaps the most extreme of any of them -- it seems Quan Chi is happy with complete waste to the realms. While Shao Kahn wants to conquer, and Shang Tsung wants to feel worth as a ruler -- Quan Chi is, to quote a now famous movie -- a man who just wants to watch the world burn.

There is the purity in the Quan Chi character, and ultimately where it draws its strength from. He is a cancer on the realms, with his existence always ensuring that darkness can survive. Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn both have qualities which can, eventually, grow them into protagonists of their own story. Shang Tsung is a lot more "human" than Quan Chi is, with appreciation for the superficial, and a fear of death. Shao Kahn could potentially become the fallen Emperor, trying to regain his throne. It seems that everything Quan Chi does is so evil, that I don't even think Quan Chi would consider himself to have virtues. I can almost imagine a knowing smirk on Quan Chi's face while he observes the pathetic mortal behaviour of Shang Tsung, and even Shao Kahn.

If we were to learn anything else about Quan Chi -- I would like to know his origins. From what we can gather, he was an Oni who became a necromancer, but what was he before he was a demon? I like to think that perhaps Quan Chi has his origins in Earthrealm, and that he essentially got the story that Shang Tsung was going to have: a human on Earth who angers the Gods, and perhaps earns their wrath, and as such is cursed to the Netherealm.

A fascinating aspect of Quan Chi's character, is the way he treats his demon followers. Sareena and Ashrah are good examples. He treats them so cruelly that these demons revolt and cannot stand Hell anymore. Now, this might be too much speculation for some, but I like to imagine Quan Chi as seeing his demons as beneath him for the simple reason that he rose and became all-powerful, and yet they do not have the "intelligence" or "courage" that Quan Chi had. And he is one evil sonbitch.

It might add too much "rhyme and reason" behind the character, but the idea of Quan Chi almost being disgusted by Oni because they are essentially animals, seems to add a little note of fear to the character. If Quan Chi were afraid of anything, I think it would be being stripped off his powers and returning to his original Oni roots. If Quan Chi were fuelled by anything, I think it would be his ambition, and his desire to be more than "nothing."

No one but Shao Kahn makes sense as the one responsible for the Shokan/Centaur rivalry.

Think about the reason they fight each other. What is their war about? Well, we found out in various sources like MK3 itself and the MK4 comic book that it's about two things:

1)Land/borders. This would be a natural side effect of the fact that whenever Kahn merges a new realm with Outworld, the terrain changes. And if the Shokan and Centaurians had their own realms once and aren't native to Outworld, then when Kahn conquered them, they suddenly went from owning an entire planet to owning just a portion of one. How DO you draw up the borders when you smash two worlds together?

2)Gaining Kahn's favor as soldiers. What more needs to be said?

So where in that is there a need for an uninvolved third party to show up and be manipulative? It's unnecessary. They don't need help to fight each other, they've got reasons to do it all on their own.

Besides, didn't Tobias used to describe the two races as "natural" enemies when MK3 came out, as though it's instinct for them to be going at it, like cats and dogs?
As far as Quan Chi goes, I just want to point out in response to:

It doesn't really work like that. There are a few exceptions where a man dies and his soul is so tainted that he becomes a demon, like Drahmin and Noob Saibot, but for the most part, it's distinctly established in MK Mythologies that most demons are born AS demons, right in the pits of the Netherealm.
An evil so pure as Quan Chi, the way I see it, could never have been born a man. Logically, he would have memories of life and normal human emotions like joy, love, and sadness that would taint his motives and make him less believable as someone who actively WANTS every living thing in all the realms but himself to die and has no secret goodness or weaknesses anywhere in his thoughts.
Besides, like you said, Shang Tsung already HAS the "born as a man, cursed by the gods, became a demon-sorcerer" story. Why give it to both of them?
Not to mention Vogel has actually said "Quan Chi may be as old as the Netherealm itself", which implies that to be his place of origin. It also rather suggests that Quan Chi has been alive far longer than Earth has HAD human life on it. The human race is only something like 300,000 years old.

I agree with you on the rivalry between the Shokan and the Centaur. That is something that Shao Kahn himself should be responsible for. I'd like to talk about Quan Chi a bit more.

From what I can gather, it is all speculation. How can we know if Quan Chi were born a demon or something else? Yes, some demons are born that way, but we do see that questioned with the background information on characters like Drahmin. It'd be deeply ironic and make a poetic point if the "root of all evil" was actually once a mere man, with dreams and desires. Then he fell into darkness, was cast further into it, and then embraced darkness entirely.

Don't get me wrong -- I understand where the concept that "Quan Chi is just evil. That's just what he is," comes from. I just don't think it would be impossible for Quan Chi to have been born a man. What if he used sorcery to distance himself from his thoughts and memories? Almost like he chose his path, instead of being born into it? Maybe he has been around so long that he has just plainly forgotten?

As for Shang Tsung, I have a strange feeling his story was retconned. I think there may have been the intention to have made Shang Tsung an Earthrealm character who fell to darkness, but that just doesn't fit too well with what he turned out to be. Going by the games, we can identify his origin as "Outworld."

Who is to say that there weren't an ancient people in Earthrealm that we don't know about? This is a game which embelishes a bit much with fantasy. That Quan Chi could be as old as the Netherealm could also be taken to mean he could not be as old as a Netherealm, anyway. I think it makes more a comment on the patience and journey Quan Chi has had to go through than it does his specific origins.

Sorry again to double-post, but I just read the Reptile analysis, and I have to say, I found it fascinating. Reptile is far from my favourite character, and in fact, I feel he is a mere lackey, and that too much stock is put into his story. He basically goes from one game to the next,fighting for the big bad, with loose reasons being attached to his decisions. And when they can't think of reasons, he's just "insane" and "animalistic." But I do really love the heart you put into looking at him, Xia.

I'd be interested in the previous relationships Reptile had with Kitana, Jade, Mileena and even Rain. Now, we don't really know at what stage of his life Reptile went to fight for Shao Kahn. There is a good chance he was taken as a youth, or that he, for example, emerged as their Champion and then decided to fight with Shao Kahn. If it is the latter, this creates an interesting parallel for Reptile with a character like Liu Kang.

Liu Kang was Earth's Champion, and fought with a pure heart and made the decision to stand for his own beliefs against a great force. Reptile could have been a glimmer of hope to the Saurians, but he then chooses to work for Shao Kahn, which right then and there, even if for the right intentions at the time, is the exact opposite choice a pure hero made. This early decision for Reptile, and even his people, could be the precursor to the constant failings Reptile has throughout the series.

Anyway, onto his relationships with Kitana and co. Was Zaterra taken before or after Edenia? This could greatly effect his relationships with these characters. There has been mention of the hints in some loosely accepted material of a close relationship between Mileena and Reptile. Perhaps Reptile was like a brother to her, or even a mentor? But, with Kitana a trained assassin along with Mileena and Jade, perhaps Reptile was also close with Kitana, Jade and even Rain during the years prior to the games? This could explain why Jade and Kitana do not kill Reptile after they defeat him in UMK3.

It also adds a sadder tone to his de-evolution process. Kitana, Jade, Mileena and others knew him when he was perhaps civilised, and was perhaps like an older/young brother to them. Then he goes completely backwards. He follows the master that they, even raised as his daughters, turned against. He can no longer string together a sentence. It'd be like seeing a grade-A student fall into a life of mindless drinking and drugs. Where there was once respect, there is now just waste.

I'd also like to suggest that I would have liked Reptile to have fought Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat I. I saw it mentioned somewhere that Sub-Zero could have fought Reptile if he had tried to make a take of Shang Tsung's life. I think this should have happened in MKI. Prior to his fight with Scorpion, Sub-Zero tries to find Shang Tsung, and Reptile cuts him off. The two fight, and Reptile is victorious, perhaps spitting acid into the eyes of Sub-Zero, which impairs his vision and effectiveness against Scorpion -- allowing him to be killed rather easily.

This could, in turn, be the cause of why Scorpion feels his revenge against Sub-Zero in the original game was "dishonourable," and can fuel his vow to protecting the younger Sub-Zero. I don't know, I just feel it connects Reptile to the story a bit more, and starts him off with an important win, before the guy pretty much goes on a losing rampage (until he "becomes" Onaga).

Now, maybe there is something to blatantly contradict this -- but even though Shao Kahn promised to keep the Zaterrans alive when he perhaps had no intention to -- maybe Kahn could have focused his intentions on consuming their souls more and more as Reptile failed him. After Shang Tsung and Reptile return without victory after MKI, perhaps Kahn then decided he was going to destroy the race at a more rapid pace.

This does not seem to change much about Reptile's story, but I think it adds more tragedy to it. Instead of just being ignorant that Shao Kahn is killing his people, Reptile's inability to succeed is actually causing their destruction. It's only that if he does succeed, his people won't be brought back like he naively believes. Reptile essentially enters himself into a lose-lose situation, with the first being that his people are slowly dying, and the second being that his people are quickly being killed off.

While I think Reptile should have died with The Dragon King, as it sent Reptile down in a big ball of irony -- I'd like to infer Reptile's presence in Armageddon to have him deciding he no longer wants to be a pawn. He is his own man, and he decides to go to the Red Dragon base because he knows of their experiments with dragons and such, somehow, and he looks to rebuild Zaterra using their experiments.