#raiden followed because fuck shao kahn

[den-kunn]

"Eat the rich but instead of cannibalism we stealing their ships and become famous outlaws and makeout in the loneliness of the ocean where only the moon will be our witness."

[mrstsung]

I'm doing this shang tsung MY WAY!

Which ignoring canon that he was in. And placing him in my version of mortal kombat. (Which aligns more to the original timelines)

So a young shang tsung,who was once an earthrealm warrior,felt betrayed and was cohersd by shao kahn to join his court in outworld and fight on "his side" so to speak.

As for the dark magic/soul magic. He was always curious,but only curious. He only dived deeper because he was 1. Forbade to without so as much as a decent explanation on why it's "forbidden" and 2. Because he was trying to help earthrealm in any way possible,by any means. But he was again told no. So in his mind. It's like "wtf do you want me to do? It's like i bring a solution and you don't like me playing by the rules you created,which i try to follow yet. I get it spat back in my face" type deal. Course there's nuance to this and it's mainly raidens falt for not telling shang properly and handling things better. And yes,shang was his chosen and student before great lao. Great lao came in a tad bit later. Then came the tournament. He was actually trained by the shadow priests,who worked for shao kahn but revered shang. As they saw a prodigy in him. And magic aside. That man was a fucking excellent warrior,deadly as is. Add sorcery to him and he's a beast. <3

But anyways

Like i have a whole backstory more on shang tsung and i feel alan lee's shang is a good baby days shang tsung. Freshly cursed,freshly courtly mage,etc.

When we get tagawa's shang,is only after he gets his island. Which i hc was given to him by shao kahn as a gift. He wasn't gonna use it. So it was shang's dominion. In doing so he kinda fucked up because now,shang tsung was a lord of his own realm or pocket dimension. He has full jurisdiction and power over his island. The island's natural soul well was fortified to work in shang AND ONLY SHANG TSUNGS favor. He made the island self sufficient. (More on shang's island in another post) now. Only after spending years there,gaining knowledge,power,secrets,etc and a bit of forcefed defeat. Does our lovely sorcerer become more of the shang tsung we know and love. Wisdom and decades even centuries of knowledge gained.

Now back to young shang.

Young shang(alan lees shang/ mk12/mk1 shang) is a tad more prideful,maybe even jovial,always ever confident but in a youthful way. A spirit never breaking no matter how many times kicked down. These traits are amplified in his youth. He gets chiller and more relaxed and composed as he becomes more and more like out like elder shang tsung (tagawa's shang tsung/mk 95/mk11 shang) so that being said. Not too much difference,yet the aura is different and more of someone genuinely scholarly. Tagawa's shang is already a master,to get to that part. We need more development.

Now Lee's shang has great potential but i doubt that nrs ever would give him that genuine opportunity given how the script and story is being written. It feels its holding him back. And that kills me because it's such an amazing talent.

Now a young shang tsung to me is ever the curious. Not that ever stopped. But in his youth,he was always asking why or how. He wants to just know. He has to know. That can bite him in the ass or save his ass. Either way that is a core trait.

Shang tsung not being given an opportunity to join earthrealms warriors is a crime and honestly really really stupid on nrs.

It's rushed and they know it but they dont care because $$$ and micro transactions...

Anyways. Young shang tsung to me also needed a lot of reassurance not because of that lack of confidence,nah it's more of a reminder of "is this good? Is this wise? Am i crazy for feeling this or is this pride getting in the way?" He is confident in skills,he is not with other aspects more so he just doesn't want to disappoint. And Because he doesn't want to screw things up for the long run. But as trial and error happens,he gets more confident in his decisions.

He has his moments too and showing vulnerability and humanity in antagonists is very important. But not done in a backhanded slap to the character and audiences intelligence. Which unfortunately mk12/mk1 kinda does unfortunately.

And honestly,i felt bad for him. More than i ever did.

In conclusion,young shang tsung should be shown and given an opportunity to show with that an insight into shang's mind,heart,and things we actually don't see.

And some things in mk12/mk1 shang i absolutely am like "YES YES YES!" but because of everyone else,it's hard to enjoy because everyone else is insufferable.

Genuinely. Insufferable.

Like compared to shang tsung who gets something real,raw,human,believable,grounded,and interesting.

Nobody else in the story feels like characters,they feel like action figures playing along. And in a way that feels forced and fake to fit a boxed in trope. The script and writing feels ai generated.

Shang tsung seems to be the only one given some kinda agency and not even 100% either. It's not the greatest and it has flaws but by comparison it's great. Comparing that shang to every other shang tho? Kinda rushed and sloppy. And a disappointment. But it sucks because i want to really like that shang tsung.

So i jusy said fuck it. Im rewriting that shang.

Young shang tsung,mr. Alan lee. You deserve better. And honestly i think it's a wasted opportunity to have a shang centric game for once. It would be different,fun,and a change of pace.

*kisses forehead* lemme save you from shitty narrative and writing shang. Plz.

[tobiasdrake]

I was a huge Mortal Kombat nerd in my teenage years. I ravenously consumed every scrap of information I could get about the characters - which wasn't easy because this was in the Sega Genesis days when all the games had to go off of were bios, endings, plus little snippets of lore in strategy guides and comics and stuff.

But a byproduct of being obsessive about Mortal Kombat lore is that it means I get to constantly be disappointed by modern Mortal Kombat lore. XD Because it's never as interesting to me as the story that those little teensy-tiny glimpses implied.

All of this is to say, I want to talk about Raiden. And why his treatment in adaptation and reboot materials always leaves me a little underwhelmed. Like. He's nice. I don't dislike him. I just. I long for the Raiden I grew up with.

Raiden is probably the character that has been most completely rewritten by modern and adaptive canon, pretty much from the very first adaptation: The 1995 film. As the Protector God of Earthrealm, Raiden is the Big Good heroic patron who blesses our heroes to act in his name.

This is not entirely divorced from original canon; It's something that was first introduced to the games in Mortal Kombat Trilogy in 1996, following on the heels of the 1995 film. And I do like it. It's just. I also like what came before.

Raiden is a character who's undergone a trajectory throughout his appearances. In his first appearance in Mortal Kombat, Raiden was unrecognizable from who he is today. He was an arrogant god who looked down and saw all these mortals competing, and thought, "Pfft. These fuckers think they're cool? I can do better."

Raiden entered the Mortal Kombat tournament for the specific purpose of rubbing everybody's nose in divine superiority. He had a chip on his shoulder and wanted to prove that mortals ain't got shit on gods.

And here's the kicker: Raiden lost. He entered the tournament and somebody kicked his shit. Probably Liu Kang but it'd be funnier if it was Johnny Cage.

This humbling experience clearly had an impact on Raiden because, by Mortal Kombat 2, he'd gone from "HAHAHA Fuck Mortals" to a full-blown tsundere relationship with them. He shows up to warn everyone about Shao Kahn's new evil plan, then refuses to go with them even though he's planning to go into Outworld on his own anyway.

MK2 Raiden is just like, "Look guys, because I respect you now, here's the details of everything I learned with my God Powers. BUT I'M NOT COMING TO HELP YOU. We're just going the same way that's all. IT'S NOT LIKE I LIKE YOU OR ANYTHING."

Which then brings us to MK3 - Well, the Trilogy expansion. By this point, Raiden has fully come around and is Team Earthrealm. So much so that when the Elder Gods forbid him from interfering - by this point, something that's well-established as a thing Raiden likes to do - Raiden screams, "FUCK YOU, Mortals are cool actually and if I can't fight Shao Kahn as a god then I'll fight him as a human!"

This is a fucking amazing character trajectory. Raiden the arrogant, meddlesome god learns the value of humanity and goes from mocking their foolishness to sacrificing his own godhood to stand against Outworld as one of them.

It also sells his later transformation into Dark Raiden better when he was kind of shit to begin with. Like. it's so much easier to buy a transformation of

1 - LOL Fuck mortals I'm so much cooler than they are and I'm gonna prove it. 2 - Mortals are cool actually and I love them and I collect them like Gandalf collects hobbits. 3 - NOBODY fucking better mess with my mortals. I will slaughter anyone who dares encroach on my realm! These people are mine.

than it is with a Raiden who was the embodiment of good incarnate from day 1.

I don't have a problem with the Good Incarnate interpretation of Raiden. He's fine, and serviceable in the roles he's typically given to play.

But I do miss my Raiden. There was a very interesting and engaging character in the margins of those early games, that I feel has been lost to time.

[arttrampbelle]

I know it's actually the horrible writing of ed boon himself. But it got me thinking......

If the new mk game is supposed to be liu kangs vision of a "perfect world" got me thinking.

What if this is just how liu kang sees everyone?

Goes to show you how fucked up that is. And kinda fucked up how they did my boy.

So unless liu kang is a villain in this. And we get to see him go dark. None of this make sense outside of that.

But that in the same vein is sad.

That liu kang thinks nothing of mileena and tarkatans as nothing more than a "disease"

Puts kitana and rain and edenians on a pedestal.

Put raiden as some chump wannabe follower. Kung lao as lesser 2nd banana but saves face because he's also a fellow shaolin.

Thinks sub n scorp are the same because of course all ninja are the same right? Wtaf liu?!

Is nrs actively trying to sabotage liu kangs character to make themselves feel important?! Wtaf boon.

And erasing the importance and impact that shang tsung and shao kahn had as main antagonists and problems in the lore.

Shang tsung hated being forced to make mileena. Never cared for her outside of a science project. However erasing his play in her creation is dogshit of nrs.

And shao kahn ordered mileena to be created. He basically was her father and creator. She was his heir. That was her point to replace kitana because shao kahn couldn't manipulate kitana and for sindel to have another heir probably the other way.

Shang tsung hated every moment of that but again. To erase that fact is asinine of them.

Mileena didn't have a choice in how she came into this world. But to go about,erase her importance,autonomy,history,and erase shao kahn being her creator. To erase shang tsungs play in this. To erase her whole fucking characters point and purpose.

To be edgy or different. Is an absolutely asinine thing to do.

All to make "kitana" look cool and the nice "baby sister" ,liu kang to look "cool" and more important than he ever needs to be.

To completely ruin a characters purpose in a story just because you can.

It's ridiculous.

I still don't understand how people can still wanna buy this game and call themselves a fan.

Fr. Im not joking.

Like there is many many many many

Things wrong with this mortal kombat game.

Like i could go on but finding out more stuff makes me go.

"I pray,i hope. NRS fucks up so bad. They go bankrupt. They cause people to boycott this game. I pray and hope there is a scandal. Fr"

Like there is too many people dissatisfied to not have something happen.

[loverofthewindgod]

Sienna's Dialogues (pt.2)

Queen Sheeva

Sienna: I am honored to face you, Queen Sheeva.

Sheeva: You will die in honor as well.

Sienna: Does death always have to be the case with you?

Sheeva: You have fire raging in your eyes.

Sienna: My soul carries the Autumn Blaze

Sheeva: Unleash that fury in this battle.

Sheeva: So you're Fujin's wife?

Sienna: I fight alongside him to protect Earthrealm

Sheeva: Perhaps he does have some competence.

Sienna: You will pledge not to invade Earthrealm

Sheeva: You have my cooperation, Princess

Sienna: Oh wow. That was easy.

Sheeva: You are the only shaolin woman?

Sienna: I'm up there with Kung Lao and Liu Kang

Sheeva: Truly you prove to be promising and formidable

Hanzo Hasashi

Hanzo: Your mother allied with Shao Kahn?

Sienna: I assure you it was only for my protection

Hanzo: Mere words will not convince me

Sienna: I admire your strong will, Grandmaster Hasashi.

Hanzo: You share the same strength.

Sienna: Gotta keep pushing through, no matter what

Hanzo: I still grieve my wife and son

Sienna: You have guardian angels watching over you.

Hanzo: Your kinds words are much appreciated.

Sienna: You've mastered Hellfire

Hanzo: Can the Autumn Blaze prove worthy?

Sienna: We'll find out after this battle

Hanzo: My clan, My family. How is this possible?

Sienna: I felt you were way past due some well deserved happiness

Hanzo: You have my eternal gratitude, Lady Sienna

Kuai Liang

Sub-Zero: You've bested Bi-Han in kombat.

Sienna: I'll admit he was a challenge for sure

Sub-Zero: I'd advise you instruct your husband.

Sub-Zero: I admire your determination, Sienna.

Sienna: and I your honor, Grandmaster Kuai Liang

Sub-Zero: May you continue to flourish in life.

Sienna: Me? Join the Lin Kuei?

Sub-Zero: Only the best are asked to join the clan.

Sienna: I'm honored, but I belong with the Shaolin.

Sienna: Subby Buddy!

Sub-Zero: You may call me grandmaster.

Sienna: Oh right! Grandmaster Subby Buddy.

Nightwolf

Nightwolf: I sense trouble in your spirit

Sienna: Still trying to forgive my past mistakes

Nightwolf: The Great Spirit offers you her counsel

Sienna: Kiva and Saraya are at it again

Nightwolf: Perhaps we should follow their example

Sienna: What if they just want some attention?

Nightwolf: The Lone Lioness

Sienna: Against the Mighty Nightwolf

Nightwolf: Let us unleash our inner beasts

Sienna: You killed Sindel

Nighwolf: You defeated Onaga

Sienna: We're not ones to be fucked with

Rain

Rain: You do not belong with Fujin.

Sienna: Then explain why my heart chose him.

Rain: Because your heart is blind.

Sienna: You're the son of Argus?

Rain: He decived my mother and abandoned me to the streets

Sienna: Damn, that's really fucked up

Rain: How is it others revere you?

Sienna: I humbly serve and fight to protect them, Rain.

Rain: And you call yourself a Goddess?

Sienna: You shouldn't let ambition overtake you

Rain: We are not of the same mind, woman

Sienna: You're making it really difficult to feel sorry for ya.

Shao Kahn

Sienna: Useless, pathetic, hammer-weilding piece of shit.

Shao Kahn: I will have your tongue Earthrealmer!

Sienna: I'll have your head and your warhammer

Shao Kahn: Fujin. Raiden. I'll crush them all

Sienna: You'll have to go through me first.

Shao Kahn: Ha! With pleasure, monk.

Sienna: You tortured my mother

Shao Kahn: Her punishment for deceiving me

Sienna: I'll severely punish you on her behalf

Shao Kahn: You dare stand against the emperor

Sienna: You're in my kingdom now, asshole

Shao Kahn: Blasphemy will not go unpunished

Sienna: You took everything from Kitana

Shao Kahn: I care not for that weak disappointment of a daughter.

Sienna: You embody disappointment, bastard kahn

[puttingfingerstokeys]

a matter of time

Once again, I’m back on my MK bullshit. This one’s kind of delving into morals, ethics, philosophy, and Liu Kang having a hard time of it, generally, but hey, ain’t that just the way of Kombat? 

Ft. First Person Present Tense horseshit--Raiden being a dad. Liu Kang doing his fucking best. 

As usual, tumblr doesn’t preserve italics and I’m too lazy to find ‘em. Unedited, blah blah blah

Broken Timeline (references to Restored Timeline)

“I cannot do this, Lord Raiden—there simply…. There is just no way…” The young fire god paces before Kronika’s hourglass, eyes shot through with sparks of anger, moisture shining on his cheeks. God he may be, but his heart is still that of a mortal and it bleeds for the pain he must cause. There are no words of comfort for him, nor of description to properly depict the true horror of that place into which he has just stepped. I do not envy him. I was born with this burden—not of time, of divinity—but that does not mean I cannot sympathize.

“What is it you cannot do?” There is time for reprimand later, as he is the Lord now, and I am not. I regard him carefully and the hourglass even more so. What it has done to him, the lines upon his young-old face, the worries that I see prowling through every inch of his body; this, too, pains me. He settles upon a large stone, fists tight, eyes downcast.

“Over and over, no matter what I do to shift the sands,” he grunts, keeping his voice low, hating the tears of frustration which he has already shed and fighting those that have yet to fall, “I cannot save them all. Someone falls—someone always falls, sometimes many.”

“…the Shirai-Ryu massacre.” The guess is a simple one, but weighty. He looks up, surprised, for but a moment, that I have guessed the current source of his distress. “I know this because I know your heart, Lord Liu Kang, and I have always known it… Furthermore, I have come to respect and appreciate its openness, warmth, and honesty—it is that heart which makes your fires burn so hot, but…”

“It… is a two-edged sword, isn’t it?” His shoulders sag and I am compelled to move closer, to stoop before and lay a hand upon him.

“Love is that way, yes—all emotions are, but love is the sharpest… not hate, or fear, or joy… Love. It is a root, remember that, and leads to all else.”

“I wish I didn’t—”

“No!” I snap vehemently, perhaps even more strongly than I’d anticipated doing. “No, do not speak those words aloud here, at the dawn of time… This void before all things is sacrosanct—our words affect it, even if we do not realize…” His eyes are wide, searching my face for exaggeration. He will find none. “More importantly, it affects us.”

“Forgive me, Teacher—I… it was the boy, Satoshi…” Liu Kang trails off. He need not finish his thought. I understand. As a deity, I have watched the lives of many mortals—they come and go, so fleeting in the grand scheme of things, but no less important for all that. I ache for the thought of those I have lost. He knows this pain as a mortal and perhaps is now beginning to understand that it is not unique to those with finite lives. Perhaps it is worse still for those who persist through the eons; we live with our grief, never quite mastering it.

“There are events which, in all of history, are pivotal to a certain outcome,” I explain gently, “as was our inevitable kombat to Kronika’s plans.”

“But we overcame it,” Liu Kang insists, his fists still clenched, hard, upon his lap. “You saved me—your decision to do that tipped the scales past where she could hope to control that outcome.”

“A one in a billion chance, nothing more,” I remind him, squeezing his shoulder and standing, hoping he will follow, hating to see him in this desperate position and myself, helpless to assist beyond my words.

“No!” This time, it is his turn to snap. “You can’t believe that—you can’t say that here, to me, like this… It isn’t…” He straightens and finally looks up at me. There are tears caught in his eyelashes, but resolution in the set of his jaw. Good. He will need that for what is to come. “It is not the Lord Raiden who chose me.”

“Even gods change.”

The look upon his face is one I remember well. It is frustration, stymied by words of someone he considers far wiser than he. If only he could know just how incorrect that supposition is. By virtue of my endless life, I should, by all rights, be wiser than the young Liu Kang, but I am not. I have been a fool, have known defeat and failure, and have carried grief and remorse as constant companions. That alone will change a person.

“It is that changeability which granted us a chance to defeat her. Kronika underestimated a great many things, including mortals… and the depths of my ire for those who would harm them. I became a god of vengeance at the ends of her strings, but she did not anticipate the desperation that would arise from my grief-tainted rage.” I cannot meet his eyes, not now, remembering that, so many times, in so many other timelines, Liu Kang had met his end at my hands.

“But Shinnok’s amulet!” His voice rings out in the roaring darkness and he claps his mouth shut, realizing the curse upon that name in this blank canvas of a place and time—or a lack of place and time; such things are difficult, verbally, to describe. “And the tainted Jinsei…”

“It was the lure of my father’s trinket, not the trinket itself, Lord Liu Kang, which corrupted me, the power granted by that tainted stream of life force which called to me,” I confessed, eyes upon the hourglass. “I am a recursive being, defined by myself; my sins are my own and my nature—which I have fought from my inception into this and every other timeline—is that of a god of destruction.”

The silence drifts between us. I consider him, Liu Kang, and what he has suffered. I wonder if perhaps I am not speaking to the lamb of his own slaughter, to which I have led him. Am I the author of some future madness? But it does not bear meditating upon—it cannot. It has been done and it was, I am certain now, the only way to overcome Kronika. All paths led to destruction except for this one and that, I think, was due in part to my nature, not his.

“So Sh—so he was your father, and Lord Fujin’s.” He seems disappointed, somehow, that this whispered legend or rumor has proven to be the truth. “I guess I knew that—or I thought I did… I’d heard it, but… Asking about family, among our friends?”

We both seem to recall, at once, the multitude of strange circumstances which had brought together the representatives of Earthrealm in the first place.

“Not a wise choice, were tact to be maintained,” I agree, “but the sire is no reflection upon the offspring—or it does not need to be. I knew that immediately when I looked upon my brother and saw someone I loved and someone I would always seek to protect.”

“You’re more human than you ever let on, Lord Raiden,” he observes. “Maybe we’ve softened you.”

“I have always been ‘soft’,” I assure him, “and it may have been my downfall, but for the memories of friends I keep stored up in the very core of my being. You strengthen me, even now… And so you must be, Keeper of Time, strengthened by love and compassion, tempered by reasonable logic and justice… and softened by empathy, but never destroyed by it.”

“So how, then, can I do this? How can I allow it?” He gestures to the glass, standing and straightening, wiping his cheeks and eyes with the other hand. The gesture is so reminiscent of his childhood, it brings a pang to my chest. In this moment, Liu Kang looks more boy than man, and like no god at all, despite his divine attributes. The shining markings which once adorned my flesh now wrap about his, with his own additions, variations to suit him. Never, in all the eons of my existence, have I felt more certain that I had made the correct choice.

“You choose the shift of the sands which, to you, seems most just.”

“The death of an innocent boy is not just, Raiden! How can you demand this of me?”

I shake my head. “I cannot,” I admit quietly. “It is your choice to make. I am not the Keeper of Time. I conferred my divinity upon you for a reason, Lord Liu Kang. This, as it turns out, was your ultimate purpose… All the Shao Kahns of every timeline—all the Raidens… could not stop you. Your inevitability and unpredictability are, at least in part, why Kronika did not see us coming. This, in the end, is why I chose you and why you alone are the appropriate choice to be time’s keeper. Her numerous, repetitious attempts only served to build the foundation of her defeat. She had intended to use that unpredictability to reverberate through time, shattering our alliance and, thence, every timeline, using our konflict to reset existence. She made a mistake.”

“So I must choose the lesser of two—no,” he corrects, “the least of many evils. Raiden, in one shift, I see Bi-Han himself leading the charge—I see the Shirai-Ryu fighting to the last man, but each time, Harumi and Satoshi die at his hands. Quan-Chi is always behind it, no matter who strikes the final blow and always, Hanzo’s family suffers and he…”

“He becomes a wraith.” I nod quietly, gesturing back to the hourglass. “But then what happens?”

“He… fights his way through Netherrealm and confronts Quan-Chi, every time.”

“He is also inevitable.”

Liu Kang nods, “yes, but, such suffering…”

“It builds him into the man we see today, fighting alongside Grandmaster Kuai Liang, for the protection of Earthrealm. Would the Shirai-Ryu and the Lin Kuei not still be at war, were it not for that avalanche of fate?” It is, admittedly, a question even I am not equipped to answer, but it stops him, makes him consider. He sighs and then shrugs.

“I… do not know.”

“So, rather than the least of many evils, Lord Liu Kang, you have been called upon to serve the purpose of balance—true balance—and justice… and to choose that which fulfills your duty.”

“You have always spoken of duty as if it is the only choice,” he observes, though the verbalization clearly pains him, “yet your duties, in service to the Elder Gods, have led you down many paths of destruction.”

I am silent a while, considering the truth of this. There is no simple answer, because he is correct. He has learned much over the years and now has the wisdom of many timelines from which to pull. Experience is the harshest teacher, but the best, by far—we do not soon forget those lessons taught us by pain and force.

“I served their purpose as a dutiful son and… I believe that purpose was, in many ways, to illustrate to me that fighting my nature could only lead to the inevitability of the Storm. I was wrong to follow and obey as I did. You will not be so unwise because you have many lifetimes to recall and to relive… infinite possibilities of wisdom and foolishness, infinite lives and deaths. You were… built to bear this burden.”

“Would you... take it from me?”

“Yes, Liu Kang, I would.” His countenance changes as I lay aside the deified title. It is as if I have regained my student, at least for a time. “My divinity prevents me taking up the crown with the same efficacy as a mortal, however—as I said, you are perfectly suited to its weight.” The pain in his eyes lances deep into me, but I hold his glowing gaze, as he always held mine. “You haven’t the arrogance of a titan or a god; your humility is yet another great strength.”

Liu Kang observes his hands, then me, then the hourglass. He takes in a breath which fills his lungs and then, closing his eyes, he releases it, slowly, through his nose. I watch his countenance shift once more, to something I have not yet seen. There is a certain serene nobility to it and not a note of resignation to be seen. He has begun to truly understand what his duty truly is, what a joy that burden will be to bear—and what a terrible tragedy.

“I understand,” he says finally, opening his eyes once more. Lifting off the foundational stones of all timelines, he moves to the hourglass and begins, once more, to manipulate the sands of time. There is security in his movements, a certain sureness that each decision is being made the right way—even if it is not the “right” decision. After all, at the beginning and the end of all things, one often finds one’s moral compass to be somewhat useless. There is no grander scheme than the one which Liu Kang now manipulates with novice hands and an open, empathetic heart and I could not be more proud of him.

[dalekofchaos]

How I would fix Mortal Kombat 11

Mortal Kombat 11 is good, but the story was awful. NRS has made it clear they don’t care about the lore, continuity or the fans. So this is how I would’ve handled the story for MK11. Similar to how I would’ve fixed MK9 and MKX

Here’s how I would handle the story

Few things first

Kung Jin and Takeda would be in the game. It was such a baffling decision not to have Kung Jin and Takeda in the game. 

Kenshi would be alive and playable instead of killed off in a easter egg.

Smoke would be in the game and playable.  Source

Sektor and Cyrax would be in the game and not just NPCs in the story mode. 

Reptile would be in the game Source

Ermac would be in the game. They already have the look for Ermac in the game, so why not just have him be playable?

The changes

Raiden is the villain of the story. You teased Dark Raiden and did nothing with him. His goal is to destroy threats to Earthrealm before they happen. His war with Liu Kang and Kitana is threatening to destroy the realms and speed up Armageddon

Jade is the hero of the story. Because of her MK9 ending and her disappearance from MKX, we were all to believe Jade’s return was meant to be crucial, in my version. She is brought back by Argus and Delia. They instruct her to stop Raiden’s madness and bring order back to the realms. This will also gives Jade the chance to bring her friends back

There is no Kronika. Kronika, was just a bland villain. We needed Raiden and The Revenants

There is no Jade/Kotal Kahn romance. It was pointless and unnecessary and just derailed Jade’s character. 

Mileena is alive. When Jade was restored by Argus, he also brings back Mileena. Mileena’s role is to help Jade bring her sister back. And this is something Mileena actually wants. 

On Jade’s journey she is joined by Mileena, Reptile, Tanya, Taven and Rain. They all join with Special Forces. Most are mistrustful towards Mileena, but they come around

There would be an invasion of Outworld by Raiden, this results in Raiden killing Kotal Kahn. Outworld is in sheer chaos. This makes the Special Forces start to distrust Raiden. An all out civil war for Outworld happens. Shang Tsung, Sheeva, Skarlet and Baraka fight for control. Ultimately, Shang Tsung would win. We would see Shao Kahn brought back since he was pre-order, however Shao Kahn is only brought back so we can witness Shang Tsung stealing his soul. We would also see Shang Tsung killing D’Vorah and burning down the Kytinn hive, because fuck D’Vorah, absolutely everyone hates her.

Jax is not butchered. Something will happen that brings Jax to return to Special Forces. Sonya has had enough of the lies and deception, challenges Raiden, but Raiden is too much for her and causes an accidental death. Johnny and Cassie are hearbroken over her death and vow to bring Raiden down. This is where Jax comes in. Jax takes charge of the Special Forces to honor and avenge his best friend. Jax being back in the Special Forces would show Jax slowly coming to respect Jacqui serving the Special Forces and together they become a kickass father and daughter team.

A mini arc of a war between the Lin Kuei vs the Tekunin. Scorpion succeeds in killing Sektor while Sub-Zero frees Cyrax from the Cyber Initiative’s control. Cyrax takes backs his life and rejoins the Lin Kuei

Instead of pointlessly wasting Frost, she joins the Kombat kids. She is not a cyborg, she is Lin Kuei. Sub-Zero successfully makes her his apprentice and she chooses to follow his teachings and makes friends with Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda and Kung Jin. Her character arc is basically overcoming the Lin Kuei’s past conditioning and seeing Scorpion and the Shirai Ryu as an ally

Noob Saibot. Noob Saibot becomes twisted and his goal is to corrupt the Lin Kuei, similar to how he did so in Armageddon’ Konquest mode, you could even throw in Smoke as Noob’s partner,  so it’s up to Kuai Liang and Hanzo to stop them. Bring Bi-Han to light or put him to rest for good. Noob Saibot’s return was meant to be something horrific. He was tossed into a soulnado and throughout MKX we were told that his return is something that needs to be avoided. We needed something that makes all the speculation worth it, not a generic evil for the sake of being evil. But it ends with Kuai Liang able to restoring his brother and Smoke. Bi-Han making peace with Hanzo and together Kuai Liang and Bi-Han become joint Grandmasters of the Lin Kuei.

Taven, Takeda and Kenshi face off against Daegon and the Red Dragon.  Takeda and Kenshi get their revenge for Suchin.

Sindel. Before Kitana and Mileena can even think of bringing Kitana back, they have to test it out on Sindel. Sindel is the key to bringing Kitana back. A mother and daughter are reunited, but Kitana extends a hand to Mileena. Kitana realizes Mileena had no say in her creation and just wanted love and validation, Kitana gives her this and offers a chance for them to become “sisters”

Kung Jin. Kung Jin is the key to bringing back Liu Kang and Kung Lao back to light

Kabal overcomes Kano’s manipulations and remembers who he was and puts an end to Kano. It bothered me that they just decided to retcon Kabal’s character in MK9. So having Kano manipulate Kabal and after Kabal’s humanity is restored, Kabal finally takes revenge by taking his head off.

Mileena and Kitana unite Sheeva, Baraka and Skarlet to bring an end to Shang Tsung’s rule. Ermac will be used to fight Shang Tsung. Ermac’s primary soul in control and we see Ermac, Sindel and Kitana facing Shang Tsung, his drained of his soul supply and Mileena delivers the killing blow.

Kitana, Mileena and Sindel bring peace to Outworld’s chaos.

The final battle is Liu Kang and Raiden. This fight ends Raiden’s corruption. Jade empowers Liu Kang with the gifts of Argus and Delia while Fujin blesses him with the Elder Gods powers. Thus Liu Kang becomes Fire God Liu Kang to equal that of Raiden. 

The game ends with Raiden joining the Elder Gods and brings back Sonya to write his wrongs and the Cage family reunited and Jax embracing his old friend, Liu Kang becoming Earthrealm’s protector and looking on Kung Lao and Kung Jin proudly, Mileena Kahnum of Outworld with Tanya, Reptile, Skarlet, Sheeva, Erron Black and Baraka ruling by her side. While Kitana becomes Queen Of Edenia with Jade, Sindel, and Taven ruling by her side. Both sisters bringing peace to their perspective realms. Kuai Liang, Bi-Han, Frost, Smoke, Hanzo and Takeda uniting their clans and providing the ultimate protection for Earthrealm. There is a tease for MK 12. The One Being is finally returning.

[angel-of-death-2015]

For the fandom ask let’s do Mortal Kombat 💖

Message me a fandom and I will answer the questions

1. The first character I fell in love with:

JACQUI. AND THEN TAKEDA.

2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

Erron, Kabal, Nightwolf, and a bit with Hanzo.

3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t:

Frost, Kollector, and MK11 Cassie, a bit with Kung Jin

4. The character I love that everyone else hates: 

JACQUELINE SONYA MOTHERFUCKING "SAY MY NAME BITCH" BRIGGS.

5. The character I used to love but don’t any longer: 

A bit with Kotal considering how much of a double-crossing ass and liar he is. I only say Cassie because MK11 botched the fuck outta her. Same with Jax but only counting his story.

6. The character I would totally smooch:

Erron, Nightwolf, Kabal, Hanzo, Kuai, Lao, Liu, Jax, Takeda, Kenshi, Shang Tsung, Jacqui, Jade, Kitana, and Sindel. I SAID WHAT I SAID.

7. The character I’d want to be like:

Jacqui, Jade, Kitana, and Old Skool Sindel

8. The character I’d slap:

MK11 Cassie for just being the embodiment of an edgy white teen trying to be black, D'Vorah for killing Hanzo before he and Kuai can make their mixtape IcyHot (NEVER LETTING THAT ONE GO. I WAS ROBBED OF A FIRE ASS MIXTAPE), JAX FOR BEING A WHOLE BITCH ASS NIGGA FOR LETTING CETRION TRY TO KILL JACQUI FOR A LOST CAUSE, Cetrion for being a shit elder god and not actually attempt to think for herself for once and just blindly follows her mother's bat-shit insane plan until the very end, Shao Kahn because he's one ugly motherfucker, Kollector and for just being a waste of a slot, Frost for being an edgy waste of a slot, Ret-del, Kotal for being an asshat that was willing to kill innocent Tarkatan women and children because he can't get over Mileena trying to kill him even though she's been dead for two years and tried to spin his side of the story to past Raiden when Kotal was the one that did the double-crossing to Earthrealm, Kano because of his lies to Kabal and because I can, MKX Kitana for just being a total bitch to everyone, MKX Liu for being a homophobic edgy asshole, and Kung Jin for his snide comment about Jax in MKX but almost caused an interrealm war all because he was sad for a dude who (rightfully) stole bread and got all in his feelings when he was punished for stealing.

9. A pairing that I love:

Jacqui x Takeda, Jacqui x Erron, Liu x Kitana, Jade x Kotal, leaning towards Nightwolf x Jade, Jax x Character Development That Sticks, and Raiden x Rest and Cookies

10. A pairing that I despise:

Cassie x Erron, Erron x Jin, Kabal x Sareena, Kano x Sonya, Skarlet x Erron, MK11 x Shit Writing

[arttrampbelle]

The thing is cary hiroyuki tagawa MADE and brought life to that character back in the 1995 movie. And mk11 while it has its own problems narratively. That shang tsung still holds up because of his presence alone.

He's always had that neutral vibe to him. He's not for nor against but to whatever feels right in the moment. He is a survivor and an opportunist.

He is capable just as much of genuinely connections as any of our "heroes" but he never in the narrative gets a chance to be. Because they always want someone to blame instead of adding true grey morals and complexities to the narrative and it's characters and their journeys. Which mortal kombats world HAS ALWAYS BEEN.

And it sucks that most of todays mk media at least offical media. Has been soiled by corporate greed and all about "$profit$" instead of just telling a story with the love and passion it once had. It has to one up itself or be on par comparison to its rival giants like tekken or street fighter. Which in their own right,have their own formulas. Mk used to be niche,and unique. Standing out on it's own. It was wacky,weird,bloody,and fun. Now it's fallen into "pop culture hounds" type of writing. But i feel that is warner bros meddling more so than nrs. But it seems that mr.boon doesn't truly listen to fans and only when it suits him for his and the other game devs and writers plan for the games. So unless it's convenient and people complain enough. Only then maybe they will throw fans a bone. Look how long it took for them to even add mileena in mk11. Look at how long it took for them to listen to the left field "romances" in mk. When nobody's playing mk for romance. We are playing to beat up our besties in a fighting game. Like 1v1 me bro! Type of fun.

Like sure some things are ok. But when done sparingly and to where it doesn't feel forced or feel like they are legit reading from an ai generated script.

All I'm saying at the end of the day. Is shang tsung as a character deserves so much as a character. They all do really. However shang tsung was THE first boss of mk. I think he deserves an easy win or a win period.

In fact,he deserves to be left tf alone on his island,to do his magic and alchemy and make fucked up creatures and run his little cult... er i mean loyal servants and followers.

(Like you can not look at old man shang tsung and tell me he doesn't look like he runs a cult on his island? Srsly foxy grandpa got a snek club)

Bottom line. Shang tsung is awesome. But more so mk11 shang tsung. (Again not saying alan lee's shang isn't good,i just feel like the script and poor writing holds him back and his potential as shang. And it sucks. Because he could have been a great young shang,before his betrayal of earthrealm,when he was training under raiden(or whatever earthrealm god and protector you want but i say raiden because not only i hate fire god liu kang and that version of him. But i prefer raiden because the amount of bitterness,regret,hurt,and history those two had was legendary. And to take it away is bullshit. But more so of its potential. Like shang looked up to raiden,trusted him,then something happened to change that. Which is why shao kahn oh so easily coerced shang into switching sides so to speak. But shang did regret it but it was a bed he laid in,and he decided if that's what its gonna be. Bridges burned,then he's gonna cultivate that shit. He was gonna turn crap to gold. Dug himself out of the trenches.)

Also to add.

It's not that shang tsung couldn't be kind,heroic,noble,or have his own sense of honor. He always had that. But the narrative wants him to be in a box.

I felt tagawa-san always wanted shang tsung to go down that direction,at least his attitude in general to these character types. And it would have been amazing to see him take shang tsung and basically show the hypocrisy of the gods and the whole situation of mortal kombat in general. Thus coming a 180 and turning the whole thing upon its head. And thus becoming the ultimate master of mortal kombat. A god of mortal kombat if you will.

And it would have tied up oh so neatly.

Plus it was about time the liu kang truly retired. Either in death,legitimately stepping down,or actually just retiring the character and making kung lao the champion and new chosen one. Because that's what they were doing till someone had a hate boner for lao for some unholy reason.

It would only make sense for kung lao to take the mantle because of the characters history together,the friendship and brothership lao n liu had. The fact kung lao is the great kung laos descendant. Aka directly related to the og champion (after maybe shang tsung,but i hc great pappy lao won that title by beating shang. And he's a tad salty bout that. But not that much.) So it only makes sense narratively for him to give it to kung lao. Not a young copycat liu kang coded raiden who legitimately is not raiden it's just liu kang's personality slapped onto raiden. And not the kombat kids because they haven't earned it nor had story development beyond a point.

Like there is so much more mk could do. So so much more. But they wanna keep a status quo,instead of biting the bullet,growing some confidence,and actually taking a real risk instead of half assing it and rushing things like they always do.

Anyways i am so sorry for this being so long. I am passionate about character development,story archs,character archetypes and analysis,and world building.

But more so shang tsung if y'all couldn't tell. >:3

I also wanna say thank you to any who have liked and reblogged this. I appreciate it. If i had the ability or the skillset. I would totally make a podcast,video series,or just love to talk with fellow fans and discuss world building and storytelling. And maybe practice my voice acting too. 👉🏻👈🏻 i shy tho on that. Because i can do a good mimick of mk11 shang tsung and I'm scared that i might freak people out. Or it may not be up to par at worst.

Ah i wanna give so much back to mk fans because we,y'all,deserve it. Because we've been getting crumbs and light meals of kontent for yeeeeeears! And all fans make the good stuff! Offical media dont do jack anymore. I still stand by mk11 was better because the characters looked believable. It was kooky but not so much. The story was mod but it made up for that in aftermath and the fact the amount of stuff you can do and still do even after you get almost everything is great. The accessibility,the customization,etc. Incredible. The krypt i heard was gonna expand more but they didn't have time nor funds. Which is a shame because that was so much fun. Plus shang tsung yelling at you. Lol. Exploring his island is fun. (Tho personally i hate they always make it decrepit. Shang wouldn't wanna live in squander,not by choice. He lives lavish and deliciously. Not to say it can't have dangerous parts or even errie and uncanny features. It is magic. And his full reign dominion and domicile. But im saying gloomy isn't shang tsungs style. Gothic with and asian flair and like an old chinese sorcerer would have. Classy,luxurious and believable but also Otherworldly and ominous.)

For tldr: shang tsung deserves better and i hope y'all thanked cary hiroyuki tagawa for his character and performance as the character over the years!

Shang tsung isn't evil but a product of corruption and the environment that surrounds him. He's not evil in the sense of black n white thinking of morality. Especially from a western,psuedo Christian American perspective that so many people wanna shoehorn him into. (No shade here but im calling it like i see it nrs)

How is he evil when everyone in mortal kombat kills?

Also shao kahn quan chi and shinnok has arguably done worse

And even more so he's worked more with them,and under them(shao Kahn namely) and had no choice but to follow orders. Namely some things sure were aligned in benefit. But truly can you really argue that it was all his doing? No to say so is ignorant and undermining the other villains and antagonists of the series and their own contributions to the story narrative in opposition of protags and other characters.

The most evil is those who hide behind self righteousness and say they are for peace when they are being manipulated by promises of a better realm or timeline(cough fire god liu kang. COUGH)

Like nah guys mk12/mk1 don't make sense even for the narrative they are trying to pull. Shang is wonderful but yall missed the point even tho the storymode sucks and everything about it makes me nauseous, shang tsung shines thru because of what he represents. The story,It falls through the crack simply because of the fact

In mortal kombats chaotic and cruel world. You kill or be killed. You do what it takes to survive. Or be food for the gods. As you are nothing but entertainment for them.

Everyone kills in mortal kombat. So shang tsung killing means fucking nothing and is a moot point. He does it,everyone does it,how is he truly any different than anyone at that point. Thru mortal kombat,a supposedly Divine system,he's doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing. And what his character is designed to do. Period. So killing,moot point and argument.

Im not talking about. MK12/MK1 specifically. Tho that grinds my gears for many other reasons. Im talking shang tsung,overall as a whole as a character thru the 30+yrs the games and mk has been around. These are common arguments for that shang is "tHe EVil OnE" when there's no such thing in mks world. Truly. It's posturing and posing flowery words at that point. Period.

Stealing souls? He has to,to survive. He is cursed by the very gods and mentors that once swore to protect him. But did nothing.

Climbing for power? He does so because he wishes not to rule over. But so he doesn't have to worry about going to bed hungry,to suffer. He wants stability,comfort,and most of all security. A thing that long ago was robbed of him.

See you can't say shit about my man without having many reasons why he's not.

Could he be evil,nasty,and dowright fucking cruel? Oh you bet your ass he could. But does he enjoy it? Not really. He takes no pleasure unless it's out of necessity or you're considered an enemy.

He is no different than a hungry hunter. Trying to find his next meal or the next place of dwelling. Until he finds his true place of being and achieves a stable life.

Like ffs people it's right fucking there fine print and that still,STILL GOES OVER YOUR HEADS!

Like y'all who don't understand nuanced villains WANT him to be stereotypical,y'all want him to be easy to pinpoint. Because that means you dont get to critique your beloved "Heroic" characters. And use your brains,and critically think that maybe,just fucking maybe. Your nice dudes were wrong for once.

In mortal kombats world (if you can call it that because the world building sucks)

It's kill or be killed. Morality be damned. Shang tsung found that out long ago. Hiding behind morals in a world that could care less than about you. Gods that only see you as food,throw away entertainment,etc.

He may have respect for someone who despite all that crap,has some moral backbone. But isn't blind to the truth,it's survival. Dont be a pushover boot licking lapdog. As long as you don't hide behind your self righteousness and "goody goody" attitude. He'll respect that you have a noble heart. In fact,that may make him actually enjoy your company. But dont be a condescending jackass about your morals. And he'll be fine.

Shang tsung is just playing the game that the world is built upon. The rules,the gods,the empires,have made. And plays them well into his advantage.

And y'all pissed he plays it better than you. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

That my dears is a truly well done villain,antagonist,and just a beautifully complex character.

That's how you do or are supposed to do shang tsung. Period.

*slams hand down on table and leaves*

🔥💯🔥