Sooo in MK4...

[Onilordasmodeus]

@onilorddasmodeus
Those were great reads I had kept up with the MK plot till MK4 and seeing more of quan chi's power and evil in detail is great. He has such a great design, wth the best special (DABIDAFBEHUHU foot stomp) and his leg rip fatality is humiliating. I had played sub zero mythologies way back then and had the suspicions that that necromancer had more underneath his sleeve.

I'm still completely clueless about DA, deception, and armaggedon. Maybe you could give me some on Insight on why the villains are as great as Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, or the almighty Quan-Chi.

Well, for starters the villians in MKDA were Shang and Quan, and while they never reached "Shao Kahn" status in that game, they were the 'big bads' during that time, and they did do some pretty interesting things during their tenure as Outworld's top dogs.

Acouple things to remember/know:

• During MK3, Sheeva and the rest of the Shokan were dissatisfied with Kahn and the way he was favoring the Centaurs over them. The Centaurs and Shokan never liked/respected each other, and that all came to a head at the end of MK3 when after Liu beat Kahn, and he and his forces retreated back to Outworld. Sheeva got the upper hand on Motaro and killed him, and after that she was going to make a move on Kahn to take him out as well. Kano inturn ratted out Sheeva to Kahn, and Kahn killed Sheeva for her insolence. At that point, Kahn made Kano the General of his Army (kind of a last resort type thing), but the biggest take way after Kahn was defeated in MK3 by Liu, is that though Kahn didn't die after that battle, his power war fractured greatly, both his magic and his military might, and it would take years for Kahn to recover in both those areas.
• MK4 had absolutely nothing to do with Kahn or his forces, but after MK4 Kitana and her Edenian Knights were able to broker a semi-peace treaty between the Shokan and the Centuar, and then they all (at least the Shokan and the Edenians) turned their attention back to Outworld in order to free that realm of Shao Kahn's presence in its entirety. During this time, the Realm of Edenia and the Shokan race became close allies in the fight against Kahn, with Kitana and Goro becoming "friends" and fighting together on the battle field many times in the months/years to come.
• At the end of MK4, Quan Chi still had the Amulet, but because of Scorpion he was pulled into the Netherrealm where he was trapped for sometime. During his time there, Quan just got weaker and weaker while Scorpion got stronger and stronger, so after a while all Quan could do was run from Scorpion who was hunting him, and torturing him. Quan eventually made a deal with 2 Oni (powerful demons) at some point during this ordeal, to which he promised them freedom from the NR if they helped him; the 2 Oni agreed and chose served as Quan's enforcers against Scorpion. After that, Quan figured out a way to free himself from the NR using the Amulet, so he did so...leaving his 2 allied Oni behind.
• During MK4, while Kahn was recovering his power, Shang chose to stay secluded in his own home far from Kahn's palace. At this time Shang was at a pretty low point of his own, and he pretty much was in hiding as his favor with Kahn was everything but good. Shang basically was having to prey on weaklings in order to just stay alive; he was scraping the bottom of the barrel. It was during this time that Quan Chi, who after escaping the NR landed in Outworld, approached Shang with a business deal he couldn't refuse: unlimited souls for his help in reviving the Dragon King's fabled "Undefeatable Army".

That is pretty much where MKDA picks up. Shang and Quan decide to go after Liu and Kahn (their 2 biggest obstacles) and after they are out of the way they take over what is left of Kahn's army, enslave a bunch of villages and cities in order to have the man power to move the DK's entire Undead Army to a new Palace being built by those "slaves". And they also set up their own tournament to find worthy souls to transplant into the DK's undead soldiers in order to reawaken them.

At this point Raiden returns to Earthrealm and tells all his old fighters what the deal is - remember, Raiden had become an EG at the end of MK4, and though he gave up his status as an EG he never retook the mantle of Protector ofEarthrealm. Raiden at the point is a sort of rouge God; a prelude to his "fall from grace". Anyway, Raiden and his fighters all decide to venture into Outworld in order to fight for this reason or that, but ultimately they are all separted and only some of them comeback together as this story comes to a close.

As more and more of the DK's army is revived, Shang and Quan's might grows more and more, as at this point they have Kahn old army, the DK's army, the Tarkatans on there side, as well as many others who are backing them. Shang and Quan are seemingly becoming a force who can contend with other realms at the point, but it isn't until the last one of the DK's army is revived that things start getting really interesting.

In the last stand of MKDA, Jax, Sonya, Cage, Raiden, Kung Lao, and Kitana are the one things that stand in the way of Shang, Quan, and the entirety of their armies from taking Outworld. Ultimately, Kung Lao and Kitana confront Shang and Quan, while the others pretty much go on a sucide mission to fight EVERYONE else, and at the end of it all, all the good guys die except for Raiden. Radien decides to take on the Deadly Alliance by himself...and he looses to. Regardless though, the seed of destruction had already been sown as when the last the the DK's army had been revived, so was the Dragon King himself, and soon after, all witnessed as he strolled into the DA's new place in order to take his army back, as well as Quan's Amulet.

If you've see the into to MK Deception you know most of this stuff already...that Raiden got back up after being KO'd by the DA, and joined them in the fight to take on the DK. The short of it is that the DK was unstoppable, and Raiden sacrificed himself to try and stop him but he only succeeded in killing himself and Shang Tsung, while Quan escaped through a portal and the DK was left standing there unscathed with the Amulet in hand.

The MK Decpetion story is WAY longer and more indepth than the MKDA story, and in my opinion better once you take everything into account.

• Scorpion becoming the Elder Gods Champion
• Shao Kahn returns to power with both Goro and Shang Tsung at his side (this is one of my favorite side stories)
• Subzero finds his lost heritage and dons the Cryomancer Armor coupled with the Dragon Medalion (Subzero is a fuggin beast at this point)
• Lie Mei (a 'good' character introduced in MKDA), and the last soul used in order to awaken the DK in MKDA, is now bound to the Dragon King through her tainted soul
• Bo Rai Cho (introduced in MKDA) is greif strikened with the death of Liu Kang but finds his resolve and becomes the General of Outworlds resistance against the Dragon King
• Mileena coming back and finally fulfilling her "destiny" of becoming Kitana and thus a true (false) Princess of Edenia (a pretty indepth story in itself that is intertwined with Baraka very well)
• Chaos and Order - Havik and Hotaru and the parts they play in this whole struggle against the DK
• Dark Raiden! And the ressurection of Zombie Liu Kang
• Nightwolf becoming a "Sin Eater" and his lone journey into the NR to bind the DK's soul
• The fact that all the dead heroes of MKDA are revived by the Dragon King and forced to fight on the side of evil
• Ermac coming into his own and proving that his is a true force to be reckoned with

Everything I mentioned above (and there is plenty more) are basically side stories that help more fill out the main story line of that game. Overall, MKD is Shujinko's story from a young boy to an old man (which I haven't even touched on), and the part he played EVERYTHING from before the first MK tournament, to the end of MKD; about 60 years or so, and back story even reaches to the "creation story" of the MKU. A LOT happened, to say the least, and the story is epic, though it does have the occasional plothole here and there. At the end of the MKD story arch though, Shujinko, who has the ability to absorb the fighting skill of any warrior he comes in contact with, absorbs ALL the MK warrior's fighting skills at once to become the Ultimate MK fighter, and he then goes on to fight the DK in a titanic battle.
Off Course at the end of it all, it ends with the DK loosing, but not without much fall out as this is MK after all...no happy endings.

In MKA:

• Scorpion is screwed over by the EGs and gets an insane power boost because of his unending rage
• Shinnok shows back up (again stuck in the Netherrealm), but this time he creates an alliance with all the villians (choosing to "forgive" past indesgressions), and alignes them with Deagon, a Son of Argus. (Argus was the former proector of Edenia, and is father to both Deagon and Taven, as well as Rain)
• Cage becomes the new "leader" of the Earth fighters
• Dark Raiden steps out of the shadows, and Fujin steps up to confront him (somewhat)
• The Tekunin come onto the scene (this is Sektor's new Clan)

...as well as a few other things.

Overall MKA is a decent story about the Sons of Argus, and their quest to either save or destroy the realms. For all the awesomeness that is packed in this story (in some ways is blows MKD out of the water), it lacks much of the depth that MKD did in it's side stories as they never truly finished it. MKA is the only game in the entire series that release without Bio's for the characters, and though some of the bios were released in the weeks after the game dropped (about 15 out of the 60 characters), many characters were left with no purpose at all in the MKA story, and that is a real shame.

Everybody in MKA had an ending though, and many were in the acutal story mode so there motives could/can be infered to a "good enough" degree from there. But characters like Kai, Tanya, Motaro, etc., never got to be revived proper IMO, so yeah, here's hoping NRS didn't forget the MKA debacle.

At this point if you know the MK9 story, you know how MKA ended...so yeah, MKA is an over and done, albeit unfinished, deal. Shao Kahn was the last man standing (so to speak), and it was he who defeated blaze and was poised to destroy the Universe...but Raiden stopped him...

*WHEW*

Anything else you want me to go over?

 

[legion666]

Well, for starters the villians in MKDA were Shang and Quan, and while they never reached "Shao Kahn" status in that game, they were the 'big bads' during that time, and they did do some pretty interesting things during their tenure as Outworld's top dogs.

Acouple things to remember/know:

• During MK3, Sheeva and the rest of the Shokan were dissatisfied with Kahn and the way he was favoring the Centaurs over them. The Centaurs and Shokan never liked/respected each other, and that all came to a head at the end of MK3 when after Liu beat Kahn, and he and his forces retreated back to Outworld. Sheeva got the upper hand on Motaro and killed him, and after that she was going to make a move on Kahn to take him out as well. Kano inturn ratted out Sheeva to Kahn, and Kahn killed Sheeva for her insolence. At that point, Kahn made Kano the General of his Army (kind of a last resort type thing), but the biggest take way after Kahn was defeated in MK3 by Liu, is that though Kahn didn't die after that battle, his power war fractured greatly, both his magic and his military might, and it would take years for Kahn to recover in both those areas.
• MK4 had absolutely nothing to do with Kahn or his forces, but after MK4 Kitana and her Edenian Knights were able to broker a semi-peace treaty between the Shokan and the Centuar, and then they all (at least the Shokan and the Edenians) turned their attention back to Outworld in order to free that realm of Shao Kahn's presence in its entirety. During this time, the Realm of Edenia and the Shokan race became close allies in the fight against Kahn, with Kitana and Goro becoming "friends" and fighting together on the battle field many times in the months/years to come.
• At the end of MK4, Quan Chi still had the Amulet, but because of Scorpion he was pulled into the Netherrealm where he was trapped for sometime. During his time there, Quan just got weaker and weaker while Scorpion got stronger and stronger, so after a while all Quan could do was run from Scorpion who was hunting him, and torturing him. Quan eventually made a deal with 2 Oni (powerful demons) at some point during this ordeal, to which he promised them freedom from the NR if they helped him; the 2 Oni agreed and chose served as Quan's enforcers against Scorpion. After that, Quan figured out a way to free himself from the NR using the Amulet, so he did so...leaving his 2 allied Oni behind.
• During MK4, while Kahn was recovering his power, Shang chose to stay secluded in his own home far from Kahn's palace. At this time Shang was at a pretty low point of his own, and he pretty much was in hiding as his favor with Kahn was everything but good. Shang basically was having to prey on weaklings in order to just stay alive; he was scraping the bottom of the barrel. It was during this time that Quan Chi, who after escaping the NR landed in Outworld, approached Shang with a business deal he couldn't refuse: unlimited souls for his help in reviving the Dragon King's fabled "Undefeatable Army".

That is pretty much where MKDA picks up. Shang and Quan decide to go after Liu and Kahn (their 2 biggest obstacles) and after they are out of the way they take over what is left of Kahn's army, enslave a bunch of villages and cities in order to have the man power to move the DK's entire Undead Army to a new Palace being built by those "slaves". And they also set up their own tournament to find worthy souls to transplant into the DK's undead soldiers in order to reawaken them.

At this point Raiden returns to Earthrealm and tells all his old fighters what the deal is - remember, Raiden had become an EG at the end of MK4, and though he gave up his status as an EG he never retook the mantle of Protector ofEarthrealm. Raiden at the point is a sort of rouge God; a prelude to his "fall from grace". Anyway, Raiden and his fighters all decide to venture into Outworld in order to fight for this reason or that, but ultimately they are all separted and only some of them comeback together as this story comes to a close.

As more and more of the DK's army is revived, Shang and Quan's might grows more and more, as at this point they have Kahn old army, the DK's army, the Tarkatans on there side, as well as many others who are backing them. Shang and Quan are seemingly becoming a force who can contend with other realms at the point, but it isn't until the last one of the DK's army is revived that things start getting really interesting.

In the last stand of MKDA, Jax, Sonya, Cage, Raiden, Kung Lao, and Kitana are the one things that stand in the way of Shang, Quan, and the entirety of their armies from taking Outworld. Ultimately, Kung Lao and Kitana confront Shang and Quan, while the others pretty much go on a sucide mission to fight EVERYONE else, and at the end of it all, all the good guys die except for Raiden. Radien decides to take on the Deadly Alliance by himself...and he looses to. Regardless though, the seed of destruction had already been sown as when the last the the DK's army had been revived, so was the Dragon King himself, and soon after, all witnessed as he strolled into the DA's new place in order to take his army back, as well as Quan's Amulet.

If you've see the into to MK Deception you know most of this stuff already...that Raiden got back up after being KO'd by the DA, and joined them in the fight to take on the DK. The short of it is that the DK was unstoppable, and Raiden sacrificed himself to try and stop him but he only succeeded in killing himself and Shang Tsung, while Quan escaped through a portal and the DK was left standing there unscathed with the Amulet in hand.

The MK Decpetion story is WAY longer and more indepth than the MKDA story, and in my opinion better once you take everything into account.

• Scorpion becoming the Elder Gods Champion
• Shao Kahn returns to power with both Goro and Shang Tsung at his side (this is one of my favorite side stories)
• Subzero finds his lost heritage and dons the Cryomancer Armor coupled with the Dragon Medalion (Subzero is a fuggin beast at this point)
• Lie Mei (a 'good' character introduced in MKDA), and the last soul used in order to awaken the DK in MKDA, is now bound to the Dragon King through her tainted soul
• Bo Rai Cho (introduced in MKDA) is greif strikened with the death of Liu Kang but finds his resolve and becomes the General of Outworlds resistance against the Dragon King
• Mileena coming back and finally fulfilling her "destiny" of becoming Kitana and thus a true (false) Princess of Edenia (a pretty indepth story in itself that is intertwined with Baraka very well)
• Chaos and Order - Havik and Hotaru and the parts they play in this whole struggle against the DK
• Dark Raiden! And the ressurection of Zombie Liu Kang
• Nightwolf becoming a "Sin Eater" and his lone journey into the NR to bind the DK's soul
• The fact that all the dead heroes of MKDA are revived by the Dragon King and forced to fight on the side of evil
• Ermac coming into his own and proving that his is a true force to be reckoned with

Everything I mentioned above (and there is plenty more) are basically side stories that help more fill out the main story line of that game. Overall, MKD is Shujinko's story from a young boy to an old man (which I haven't even touched on), and the part he played EVERYTHING from before the first MK tournament, to the end of MKD; about 60 years or so, and back story even reaches to the "creation story" of the MKU. A LOT happened, to say the least, and the story is epic, though it does have the occasional plothole here and there. At the end of the MKD story arch though, Shujinko, who has the ability to absorb the fighting skill of any warrior he comes in contact with, absorbs ALL the MK warrior's fighting skills at once to become the Ultimate MK fighter, and he then goes on to fight the DK in a titanic battle.
Off Course at the end of it all, it ends with the DK loosing, but not without much fall out as this is MK after all...no happy endings.

In MKA:

• Scorpion is screwed over by the EGs and gets an insane power boost because of his unending rage
• Shinnok shows back up (again stuck in the Netherrealm), but this time he creates an alliance with all the villians (choosing to "forgive" past indesgressions), and alignes them with Deagon, a Son of Argus. (Argus was the former proector of Edenia, and is father to both Deagon and Taven, as well as Rain)
• Cage becomes the new "leader" of the Earth fighters
• Dark Raiden steps out of the shadows, and Fujin steps up to confront him (somewhat)
• The Tekunin come onto the scene (this is Sektor's new Clan)

...as well as a few other things.

Overall MKA is a decent story about the Sons of Argus, and their quest to either save or destroy the realms. For all the awesomeness that is packed in this story (in some ways is blows MKD out of the water), it lacks much of the depth that MKD did in it's side stories as they never truly finished it. MKA is the only game in the entire series that release without Bio's for the characters, and though some of the bios were released in the weeks after the game dropped (about 15 out of the 60 characters), many characters were left with no purpose at all in the MKA story, and that is a real shame.

Everybody in MKA had an ending though, and many were in the acutal story mode so there motives could/can be infered to a "good enough" degree from there. But characters like Kai, Tanya, Motaro, etc., never got to be revived proper IMO, so yeah, here's hoping NRS didn't forget the MKA debacle.

At this point if you know the MK9 story, you know how MKA ended...so yeah, MKA is an over and done, albeit unfinished, deal. Shao Kahn was the last man standing (so to speak), and it was he who defeated blaze and was poised to destroy the Universe...but Raiden stopped him...

*WHEW*

Anything else you want me to go over?

I always wondered what Quans powers exactly were, because he does steal opponents powers for Fatalities in MK4 like Shinnok or Shang before him. And he is always stated to be the superior sorcerer. But he also needed Shang to transplant souls into dragon army, although we saw him steal souls in his ending in MK9 ladder and in MK9 story mode, where he uses souls of earth troopers and the souls of the dead at the cemetery to creat a soulnado, which Shang did in the original story. I think he was weakened by the Netherealm at the time that he required Shang's help to transplant souls because even in his DA ending he steals Kano's life force and soul after which lui's soul leaps into Kano. And of course him still having those damn tatoes of the Dragon kings sorcofague in the new storyline!!!!!!!What do you think about it?

And was Shujinko absorbing all kombatants thing canon in the Deception? Because he does it again in his non canon Armageddon ending. And I also thought that in the new MK9 storyline if we follow Shang's and Lui's endings - Lui becomes a new god and Shang can stop him only by learning new technique from Bo Rai Cho, who was Shujinko's tutor as well. So maybe Shang will become Shujinko in this new storyline????

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

With all you know about the previous MK lore

How do you think they proceed from here after mk9.

edit: I learned more from your two posts about MK that i even dreamed

I'm also a huge SZ fan

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

I always wondered what Quans powers exactly were, because he does steal opponents powers for Fatalities in MK4 like Shinnok or Shang before him. And he is always stated to be the superior sorcerer. But he also needed Shang to transplant souls into dragon army, although we saw him steal souls in his ending in MK9 ladder and in MK9 story mode, where he uses souls of earth troopers and the souls of the dead at the cemetery to creat a soulnado, which Shang did in the original story. I think he was weakened by the Netherealm at the time that he required Shang's help to transplant souls because even in his DA ending he steals Kano's life force and soul after which lui's soul leaps into Kano. And of course him still having those damn tatoes of the Dragon kings sorcofague in the new storyline!!!!!!!What do you think about it?

And was Shujinko absorbing all kombatants thing canon in the Deception? Because he does it again in his non canon Armageddon ending. And I also thought that in the new MK9 storyline if we follow Shang's and Lui's endings - Lui becomes a new god and Shang can stop him only by learning new technique from Bo Rai Cho, who was Shujinko's tutor as well. So maybe Shang will become Shujinko in this new storyline????

Quan is a master of Necromancy and a master manipulator; he can revive the dead, and/or drain life forces, but he has never been able to absorb said life force, or transplant that lifeforce into another host. Yes, Quan can mimic powers and stuff similar to Shang or Shinnok, he's even shape shifted and done some other things like that, but the only thing he wasn't, and isn't, able to do (as of right now) is absorb and/or transplant souls. Hence why he needed Shang in MKDA.

On the transplanting thing, specifically in MKDA, I think the DK's army needed some special incatation in order for those ressurections to work. In MKDA, Shang and Quan bound those warriors to whoever held the Amulet which was why (at least it was one of the reasons why) they they fought in the intro of MKD. In MK9, what we saw Quan do was ressurect Sindel (an ability granted by necromancy), and we saw him create a soulnado similar to what he did for Shang in MKDA (Shang didn't create the soulnado in MK3, Kahn did when he stole all the souls of Earth). In Quan's MK9 ending, yeah it says he "stole their souls", but no he didn't absorb them, nor bind it to another body. He basically was doing the same thing that he did to Scorpion, Noob, and Sindel, he twisted their souls (somewhat), and was making them his slaves.

About Quan's tatoos, let me blow you mind...Quan had those tattoo's in Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks as well, and he had them in MKvsDCU; both games took place before MKDA in the timeline. What does that mean?

I have no freaking idea. Quan Chi is such a freaking mystery at this point that it's not even funny.

There are many possiblities out there of what the presence of the tattoos could mean, but for me it always comes down to 1 of 2 different possibilities. 1) It could be that NRS is just a little lazy with what they want to do with Quan Chi's design (always a possibility), or 2) it could be NRS is doing the time travel thing that they had been hinting at all the way back when MKD and MKSM first dropped (what I lean towards).

Personally, I think the time travel thing would be the explanation that would make the most sense, and should be/is the one that is most pre-baked into the current story. In the next MK game I'd like to see Quan reveal that he knows full well what Raiden did (rewinding time and all that), and then he goes on to reveal some master plan that incorporates the EGs, Scorpion, Noob, Shinnok, (everybody really) and that said plan would tie all the way back from the existence of the One Being, all the way up through his MKA ending and to the "present".

If it was revealed over the course of the next few games that Quan is officially the center of the corruption in the Realms; that Scorpion, being the fallen 'Champion of the Elder Gods' that he is, is now is ultimate enforcer, that Noob - FYI Noob is one of Earthrealm's finest Chosen Warriors EVER, that he also works for Quan; that the Amulet IS Actually Quan Chi's essence repurposed - like a Raziel/Soul Reaver type deal - and he is the pardox that is set to bring about the One Being's return.

Damn. I'd flip my shit! LOL. Anyway, that would my dream outcome.

Oh, and entirety of Shujinko's ending in MKD is a part of the canon ending for the main story of that game. Other endings were completely canon as well, like Nightwolf's binding of Onaga in the NR and then being ejected from it, same with Ermac's ending where he defeated all five of Radien's MKDA warrior's (Jax, Sonya, JC, Kung Lao, Kitana) at the same time; and even some of the other endings of the game were partially true. But it is stuff like Havik's ending, or Hotaru's that have proven themselves to be completely non-canon.

In MKA, the only ending that has been shown for sure is that Kahn and Raiden were the last ones standing at the end of that battle, but that it was Kahn who landed the killing blow on Blaze and gain his power to become the Supreme Being of the realms. There are parts of a few endings that are more than likely true and canon to the overall MK series (the parts that reveal story bits of a character's past, or history of the MK series as a whole, but aren't dependent on the engery of Blaze or anything like that), but largely I think most of the endings in MKA were non-canon.

Example of what could be canon from endings in MKA:

• Non-canon (100% sure) - Shujinko's MKA ending isn't canon because he didn't defeat Blaze. The only way he would have gotten the power boost that he did in that ending is if the power of Blaze went through him, and we know that not to be true because of MK9.
• Canon (99% sure) - Something that would be/might be canon from an MKA ending would be that Radien was corrupted and became Dark Raiden due to his suicide in Outworld. That is revealed in Liu's ending, but isn't dependent on anything; it just is.

 

[Eddy Wang]

With all you know about the previous MK lore

How do you think they proceed from here after mk9.

From my prespective.

Noob Saibot - Finds himself alive in Chaos Realm meets Havik, betrays the brotherhood and start a new future with the Chaos Realm
Scorpion - Will find out that Quan Chi actually killed his family and clan, this will make him switch sides
Fujin - Will be the new protector of earthrealm
Kai - Will be the main character along with Raiden
Sareena - Will escape netherrealm and will be tracked for elimination by the brotherhood of shadow generals (Kia, Jataaka, and possibly Reiko)
Sonya - Will join the outerworld team investigation
Jarek - Will join Kano somehow.
Raiden - Will defeat Shinnok
Skarlet - Will try to avenge Shao Kahn by attempting killing on Shinnok
Firegod - Will evolve
Frost - Will replace Sub-Zero
Cage - Will look even more with Ed boon
Quan Chi - Will be fucked up by Scorpion
Cyrax - Will regain his memory and will join Raiden

Allies forces - Raiden, Kai, Sonya, Cage, Fujin, Sareena, Cyrax (later on story)
Evil Forces - Tanya, Quan Chi, Shinnok, Baraka, Reptile, Kia, Jataaka, Reiko, Jarek, Kano, Sektor,
Wild Cards - Scorpion, Skarlet
Neutrals - Mileena, Frost, Ashrah, Goro, Noob Saibot, Havik

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

With all you know about the previous MK lore

How do you think they proceed from here after mk9.

edit: I learned more from your two posts about MK that i even dreamed

I'm also a huge SZ fan

I really don't know where they will go from here. I have my own ideas of what I'd like to see, but NRS has a history of just throwing past endings out the window in favor of doing something new and unforseen. While MK9 ended with MK4's story seemingly on the horizon, I really don't see them going down the alt-MK4 timeline route as 1) they sort of already did that with MK9 and its retelling, and 2) too many things have changed, or could change, and will allow them to bring in new folds to the story.

Some things to think about that have changed the landscape going forward:

• Sindel, Kitana, and Jade are now dead so Edenia, unless they write in someone new as the Leader of the Edenians, will stay a part of Outworld and never be freed. Shinnok can't/won't have his same jump off point.
• Since Shao Kahn is dead, their is a vaccum of power left in Outworld, and with Shang dead the Dragon King will presumably stay dead. Since the only 2 known sorcerors who can manipulate souls (Shang and Kahn) are no longer around, I see no way, as of now, that the DK can be revived.
• Since Liu Kang and Kung Lao are dead, the White Lotus, as it was, can never be rebuilt therefore Earthrealm is now leaderless unless someone steps up (I think Johnny will/could take this role).
• With Subzero dead, Sektor more than likely will transform the Lin Kuei into a faction similar to the Tekunin. In later games the Tekunin align themselves with Shinnok.

Things/characters i think have a good potential of being in the next game:

• Liu Kang joins Shinnok's Brothers of the Shadow in order to combat Raiden (who he thinks has lost his way).
• Raiden becomes Dark Raiden and goes rouge; Fujin becomes Earth's protector either before or after Raiden's fall from grace.
• Shujinko makes an apearance (during all the event in MK9, he is in the Netherrealm).
• Havik (I think) is a pretty popular character, he could be in there doing his "Cleric to Chaos" thing. If havik is in then I think Hotaru is a shoe is as well.
• I love the Red Dragon Clan, Movado especially (who is one of Boon fav characters mind you), and I think it would be awesome to reintroduce them to the series, and bring in the fact that Deagon is their leader, and they are looking for Taven.
• BoRaiCho being brought into the fold would seem to be a no brainer.
• Kai being reintroduced and placed with the main heroes (JC and Sonya are really the only ones left) would be cool.
• With Kano never going to Outworld to become Kahn's General, he could rebuild the BDs with Jarek, Tremor, and whoever else (Tasia, No Face, Kira, Cobra), Kabal should stay dead IMO to make room for other characters.

I'd actually love to see all/most the lesser known characters of the 3D games get some love and be brought back in to the fold, but IDK; like I said before, NRS could do anything for the next game, and throw out all the old characters in favor of making a half new and half old roster for the next game. And though nostalgia keeps me tied to ALL the old characters, so new ones being thrown in will more than likely be a goo thing...maybe.

 

[Cobra]

Shinnok is an OG.

 

[MKF30]

Eddy Wang

Shinnok never wanted Outworld or Edenia, he was just using Edenia as his jump off point to assault Heaven. After Shinnok left to take Heaven, he left Edenia to Quan Chi, and it was he and his minions who held Kitana and the rest of the Edenians captive. Liu (on his own) ventured into Edenia to save Kitana but failed, and after that he contacted his friends to go back and try to get her again. Raiden was kind of MIA sort of while that was going on, as when Shinnok assaulted Heaven, he and his fellow Gods (Fujin) went into Heaven to help that fight.

The end of MK4 is kind of up in the air. Some info point to Liu Kang "winning" the battle (beating Shinnok), but I think Raiden was actually the one to finish that fight which ultimately ended with Raiden taking Shinnok's place as and EG. Since Scorpion was the one to "beat" Quan Chi, I think it was Liu who defeated Goro (again) and freed Kitana, and all the other characters just played their part in the overall story while also taking part in their own side storys.

What this guy said. This, plus Shinnok never took down the Elder Gods either...he was but a minor threat, Raiden had defeated him centuries ago and banished him to Netherrealm before Shinnok came back in MK4. But yeah I always got the idea that Raiden's ending was no doubt canon, since MK: DA he relinquishes his status as Elder God to help the mortals again. MK4-MKDA, Fujin is technically the Protector of Earthrealm.

It looks like MK9 sets up MK 4's events again for the most part but few things have changed no doubt while others remained the same.

 

[legion666]

Quan is a master of Necromancy and a master manipulator; he can revive the dead, and/or drain life forces, but he has never been able to absorb said life force, or transplant that lifeforce into another host. Yes, Quan can mimic powers and stuff similar to Shang or Shinnok, he's even shape shifted and done some other things like that, but the only thing he wasn't, and isn't, able to do (as of right now) is absorb and/or transplant souls. Hence why he needed Shang in MKDA.

On the transplanting thing, specifically in MKDA, I think the DK's army needed some special incatation in order for those ressurections to work. In MKDA, Shang and Quan bound those warriors to whoever held the Amulet which was why (at least it was one of the reasons why) they they fought in the intro of MKD. In MK9, what we saw Quan do was ressurect Sindel (an ability granted by necromancy), and we saw him create a soulnado similar to what he did for Shang in MKDA (Shang didn't create the soulnado in MK3, Kahn did when he stole all the souls of Earth). In Quan's MK9 ending, yeah it says he "stole their souls", but no he didn't absorb them, nor bind it to another body. He basically was doing the same thing that he did to Scorpion, Noob, and Sindel, he twisted their souls (somewhat), and was making them his slaves.

About Quan's tatoos, let me blow you mind...Quan had those tattoo's in Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks as well, and he had them in MKvsDCU; both games took place before MKDA in the timeline. What does that mean?

I have no freaking idea. Quan Chi is such a freaking mystery at this point that it's not even funny.

There are many possiblities out there of what the presence of the tattoos could mean, but for me it always comes down to 1 of 2 different possibilities. 1) It could be that NRS is just a little lazy with what they want to do with Quan Chi's design (always a possibility), or 2) it could be NRS is doing the time travel thing that they had been hinting at all the way back when MKD and MKSM first dropped (what I lean towards).

Personally, I think the time travel thing would be the explanation that would make the most sense, and should be/is the one that is most pre-baked into the current story. In the next MK game I'd like to see Quan reveal that he knows full well what Raiden did (rewinding time and all that), and then he goes on to reveal some master plan that incorporates the EGs, Scorpion, Noob, Shinnok, (everybody really) and that said plan would tie all the way back from the existence of the One Being, all the way up through his MKA ending and to the "present".

If it was revealed over the course of the next few games that Quan is officially the center of the corruption in the Realms; that Scorpion, being the fallen 'Champion of the Elder Gods' that he is, is now is ultimate enforcer, that Noob - FYI Noob is one of Earthrealm's finest Chosen Warriors EVER, that he also works for Quan; that the Amulet IS Actually Quan Chi's essence repurposed - like a Raziel/Soul Reaver type deal - and he is the pardox that is set to bring about the One Being's return.

Damn. I'd flip my shit! LOL. Anyway, that would my dream outcome.

Oh, and entirety of Shujinko's ending in MKD is a part of the canon ending for the main story of that game. Other endings were completely canon as well, like Nightwolf's binding of Onaga in the NR and then being ejected from it, same with Ermac's ending where he defeated all five of Radien's MKDA warrior's (Jax, Sonya, JC, Kung Lao, Kitana) at the same time; and even some of the other endings of the game were partially true. But it is stuff like Havik's ending, or Hotaru's that have proven themselves to be completely non-canon.

In MKA, the only ending that has been shown for sure is that Kahn and Raiden were the last ones standing at the end of that battle, but that it was Kahn who landed the killing blow on Blaze and gain his power to become the Supreme Being of the realms. There are parts of a few endings that are more than likely true and canon to the overall MK series (the parts that reveal story bits of a character's past, or history of the MK series as a whole, but aren't dependent on the engery of Blaze or anything like that), but largely I think most of the endings in MKA were non-canon.

Example of what could be canon from endings in MKA:

• Non-canon (100% sure) - Shujinko's MKA ending isn't canon because he didn't defeat Blaze. The only way he would have gotten the power boost that he did in that ending is if the power of Blaze went through him, and we know that not to be true because of MK9.
• Canon (99% sure) - Something that would be/might be canon from an MKA ending would be that Radien was corrupted and became Dark Raiden due to his suicide in Outworld. That is revealed in Liu's ending, but isn't dependent on anything; it just is.

I agree for the most part, but doesn't Shinnok's Amulet make Quan like the most powerful sorcerer. Can't he learn to manipulate souls with it?

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

I agree for the most part, but doesn't Shinnok's Amulet make Quan like the most powerful sorcerer. Can't he learn to manipulate souls with it?

The Amulet potentially makes Quan Chi, or who ever is holding it, the most powerful being in the Realms hands down, right under/next to the Elder Gods that is.

The Amulet is said to be an artifact similar to the Kamidogu, the "tools of the Elder Gods", and through it Quan Chi should have access to the power to do whatever he wants. The Problem though is that Quan doesn't have the knowledge that he would need to do everything under the sun.

Cardinal rule of the MK Universe: There is no knowledge that is not power.