The History of Mortal Kombat, Chapter 1: Genesis

[Charybdis]

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[JBeezYBabY]

Uncle JBeezY cant stop looking at those NIPS!

 

[NothingPersonal]

Good. Only thing is the Mortal Kombat tournament is held once in 500 years, not 50. Also, winning the tournament gives right for the victor to merge, invasion can begin at any time, but without merging (this is told in the MK9 story). Also I'd begin counting the timeline from the victory of The Great Kung Lao, which was 500 years before MK1.
EDIT: unless I'm wrong, and MK1 is the 10th tournament Outworld would win to have the right to merge with Earthrealm, thus making it indeed 50 years between any new tournament (since a realm has to win 10 times in a row to merge with the loser).

 

[NickDaGreek1983]

Thank you for this @Charybdis !
The 12year old greek geek inside me woke up and got pumped.
I read every word you put down, learned some minor details that I've missed between the Deception/Armageddon era of the franchise and I'm anxious for the next chapter.
Take care!

 

[xXRagingFlameXx]

Holy moly! I love the Mortal Kombat lore so much I can't even begin to explain it. I can't even tell you how many times I've read up on it and how many hours I've put into studying it all because it's just that entertaining to me. The lore of Mortal Kombat always is the priority for me, where I feel a lot of people are in it strictly just for the gameplay, the story holds a lot of weight for me as well.

I can't wait for the next chapter of this!

 

[HeavyNorse]

Uncle JBeezY cant stop looking at those NIPS!

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[Charybdis]

Good. Only thing is the Mortal Kombat tournament is held once in 500 years, not 50. Also, winning the tournament gives right for the victor to merge, invasion can begin at any time, but without merging (this is told in the MK9 story). Also I'd begin counting the timeline from the victory of The Great Kung Lao, which was 500 years before MK1.
EDIT: unless I'm wrong, and MK1 is the 10th tournament Outworld would win to have the right to merge with Earthrealm, thus making it indeed 50 years between any new tournament (since a realm has to win 10 times in a row to merge with the loser).

Once every generation, so roughly once every 50 years. MK1 is indeed the decisive tournament in that regard. We'll get to the Great Kung Lao in due time but there's a lot that happens before him. You need to win ten in a row: otherwise, once Goro beat the Great Kung Lao, Kahn could've just invaded then and there.

 

[NothingPersonal]

Once every generation, so roughly once every ten years. MK1 is indeed the decisive tournament in that regard. We'll get to the Great Kung Lao in due time but there's a lot that happens before him. You need to win ten in a row: otherwise, once Goro beat the Great Kung Lao, Kahn could've just invaded then and there.

You're wrong here. For one realm to be free to merge with another it has to win 10 mortal kombat tournaments in a row. You're right that if whatever streak is broken until the tenth win, the count starts all over. So after Goro killed The Great Kung Lao, he was undefeatable until Liu Kang in MK1, which was supposed to be the 10th tournament Outworld would've won (hence the 500 years after The Great Lao's defeat), which makes it 50 years (a full generation) for the realms to prepare for the next tournament. Also, in MK9 Shao Kahn cconfirms this by saying he'd have to wait another 500 years to be able to merge the realms after Shang's defeat. Invasion is not a problem, by the elder gods standards (again from MK9 story), but the right to merge is what the tournament is for.

 

[Charybdis]

You're wrong here. For one realm to be free to merge with another it has to win 10 mortal kombat tournaments in a row. You're right that if whatever streak is broken until the tenth win, the count starts all over. So after Goro killed The Great Kung Lao, he was undefeatable until Liu Kang in MK1, which was supposed to be the 10th tournament Outworld would've won (hence the 500 years after The Great Lao's defeat), which makes it 50 years (a full generation) for the realms to prepare for the next tournament. Also, in MK9 Shao Kahn cconfirms this by saying he'd have to wait another 500 years to be able to merge the realms after Shang's defeat. Invasion is not a problem, by the elder gods standards (again from MK9 story), but the right to merge is what the tournament is for.

.....that's exactly what I'm saying....?

 

[NothingPersonal]

.....that's exactly what I'm saying....?

It's every 50 years, not every 10 years.

 

[Charybdis]

It's every 50 years, not every 10 years.

I'm quoting the article here

What constitutes a generation is unclear, particularly as it relates to the lifespan of certain beings (Edenians being so long-lived as to appear almost immortal to Earthrealmers), but the most famous series of Mortal Kombat tournaments, fought between Outworld and Earthrealm, featured a tournament every 50 years.

There was a typo in a comment later, as I made it while making dinner, but I've always maintained the tournament occurs every 50 years.

 

[NothingPersonal]

I'm quoting the article here



There was a typo in a comment later, as I made it while making dinner, but I've always maintained the tournament occurs every 50 years.

You go make dinner, I'll be watching your typos

 

[MKF30]

Nice write up, just want to add a few things. The Gods of the realms(this case Earthrealm like Fujin, Raiden etc) can fight to protect Earthrealm IF there's invasion a la MK 3 into MK 4 arc as we've seen Raiden do when he killed Motaro and K.O.ed Mileena. It's no longer Mortal Kombat. And the other thing I wanted to mention was in Mortal Kombat, a God(let's say Raiden) can compete IF directly challenged as he states in MK 9, he can't enter but IF he's challenged directly he can fight but given as how Outworld knows he's pretty OP, he's never challenged lol and thus is limited to a mere mentor, trainer and protector if need be.

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

@Charybdis Thumbs up dude! Great write up! I really enjoyed reading it all.

Here is my feedback...*Fixes glasses*

Using these weapons, the Elder Gods cut the One Being into many pieces

• The term used in game and in the guides is "shattered" not "cut". It's not a big thing, but to me the terms imply different things. "Shattered" to me is more like a "big bang", where as "cut" seems to imply some more purposeful meaning behind the EG's actions. The EGs "created" the realms at a byproduct of "defeating" the OB. It wasn't their intention to become stewards of the cosmos, it happened only because they couldn't kill the OB outright, and because now they don't want it to return to it's true form.

The six largest pieces became the primary realms of the universe: Earthrealm, the Netherrealm, Outworld, Edenia, Seido and the Chaosrealm.

• The line "The six largest pieces" implies something in the lore that never was. The only thing "special" about those six realms is that they have Kamidogu associated with them. All the other realms are just as important / powerful, it's just that our story revolves around a few.
• You didn't mention the fact that the EGs brought sorcerers together to create all the portals throughout the realms. We still don't know why they did this, but it was the EGs that knit the realms together. Just a fun fact at this point I guess.

Each of these realms hides the Kamidogu which caused the One Being to split into that realm itself.

• The OB is split between all realms and all the beings within them. All things are a part of the OB save for the EGs. This is why the EGs don't want to get involved with the realms / mortals. They don't want to unwittingly help the OB, or unintentionally be influenced/corrupted, by the OB.
• It is possible that the Kamidogu could have been corrupted by the OB, but there is nothing out there that states that.

Outworld as a realm is notoriously rife with warfare and combat and it has been observed that Shao Kahn grows in strength from being near combat. It has thus been hypothesised that Shao Kahn was the God of War before renouncing his godhood to seize control of Outworld directly. This would also provide some reasoning behind his ceaseless thirst for conquest and the power he seemingly draws from battle itself.

• I just wanted to point out that this is some great insight here. I've heard this theory before, but it's been a pretty long time. Regardless, I like it, as it would explain a lot about Kahn's character, and would put into context what time of "Advisor" he was to Onaga back in the day.
• Another thing to think about to is that Kahn may not have given up his "god-hood" at all, hence why he wants to merge realms.
  • If Kahn was/is still a god, as the realms merge, his jurisdiction / influence / power would grow. People always point to the fact that Kahn absorbs people's souls (billions), but they seemingly discount the fact that he is the one who merges worlds, manipulating the energies of entire planets (the Jinsei as of MKX).
  • Also, Kahn never enters another realm, possibly for fear of being vulnerable; i.e. Raiden being vulnerable in Outworld.
  • Also also, it was said that Shang was cursed by "his gods", and we know that Kahn is the one who trained / gave Shang his power. It was sort of there out in the open the whole time.
• You mentioned the OB as it relates to Kahn. It's worth mentioning the theory that as the realms become one, the OB's influence becomes greater, thus Kahn is becoming more of it's puppet with each Konquest.

 

[TackyHaddock]

What role, if any, has Chaosrealm played in any of the MK games? Shouldn't it at least be a playable stage in MK11?

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

One more thing...

The sacred rules of Mortal Kombat are as follows.

Two more rules to add may be the "Mortal" part, and the "Kombat" part.

• Mortal. It isn't that you have to be mortal to enter, but you give up your immortality to take part. If you are a god and you take part in the tournament, you essentially give up your divinity (for a time at least). If you are a spectre (Scorpion) you can "die" again; i.e. can be sent to the Netherrealm..
• Kombat. You have to fight in "fair" kombat. There is no devising a plan to poison your competition in-between fights (this is a really fuzzy rule with all the happenings in MK9's story mode).

 

[HeavyNorse]

What role, if any, has Chaosrealm played in any of the MK games? Shouldn't it at least be a playable stage in MK11?

Well, in MK Deception, it was one of the realms Shujinko travelled to in order to collect the Kamidogu of the Chaosrealm. Havik is from that realm and is a Cleric of Chaos, trying to spread its influence on other realms - something the Seido Guard from the Orderrealm tries to prevent, amongst them Hotaru. Funny enough, though Havik and Hotaru are natural enemies, they have never really clashed, at least not directly. And as representants of their respective realms in the games, that just seems odd, imo.

Havik returns in the MKX comics, but Chaosrealm as such doesn't play much of a factor.

 

[Onilordasmodeus]

What role, if any, has Chaosrealm played in any of the MK games? Shouldn't it at least be a playable stage in MK11?

Chaosrealm was introduced in MKD, during Shujinko's adventure. It plays no part in the early story of MK, and was never mentioned in the background lore before the earth tournament. The most notable thing about CR is Havik, as he is THE Cleric of Chaos, sowing Chaos through various realms.

• He is the main antagonist to Orderrealm, sowing anarchy there
• He resurrects the Black Dragon in MKD to sow chaos in Earthrealm
• He helps bring down Onaga in MKD, in hopes to bring Kahn back (to power) as he would sow more chaos than Onaga would.
• In the MKX comic he devises a plan to summon Shinnok's Amulet and sow destruction.

So yeah, the realm itself plays a small part, but it is its denizens that play a more major role.

 

[TackyHaddock]

Chaosrealm was introduced in MKD, during Shujinko's adventure. It plays no part in the early story of MK, and was never mentioned in the background lore before the earth tournament. The most notable thing about CR is Havik, as he is THE Cleric of Chaos, sowing Chaos through various realms.

• He is the main antagonist to Orderrealm, sowing anarchy there
• He resurrects the Black Dragon in MKD to sow chaos in Earthrealm
• He helps bring down Onaga in MKD, in hopes to bring Kahn back (to power) as he would sow more chaos than Onaga would.
• In the MKX comic he devises a plan to summon Shinnok's Amulet and sow destruction.

So yeah, the realm itself plays a small part, but it is its denizens that play a more major role.

Damn, Havik seems metal AF

 

[stokedAF]

I have never heard of the one being used in Mortal Kombat. It’s in everything else like marvel and such but I don’t remember that lol. It’s a great storyline don’t get me wrong, reading this makes me want this Mortal Kombat game again. But why would the elder gods devise a system in which it allows the one being to merge? When the entire point is to keep them separated and support the life on their respected elements. I get not messing in the affairs of mortals but the one being is not a mortal affair. I love the potential the one being has as the new final boss in this arc, desperate elder gods making super powerful characters.

 

[STB Sgt Reed]

This shit is such a fun read! Thanks for the write up man!