mattteo
Noob
In my opinion:
As for Shao Kahn, he was portrayed too much as one dimensional and....actually stupid. With his age and experience, I see him differently. He was marvelously portrayed in MK Conquest though, where he actually won the game.
Same with Shinnok, a temper tantrum for a God his age....he's seen and felt everything, there should be nothing to surprise him anymore, he's lived the lives of everyone countless times again. He should have just accepted defeat smiling, he would eventually rise again in thousands of years. But I'm nitpicking now, I guess he was okay, except for that temper-tantrum scene.
What do you guys think, who are the eldest and wisest characters of Mortal Kombat?
- The Elder Gods (including Shinnok)- …..........unknown age, possibly more than the estimated age of the Universe, around 13 billion years (if they're not liars, which wouldn't surprise me)
- Emperor Onaga..................................................unknown age, at least multi-million years old, as his power had become so great in the past that it rivaled that of the Elder Gods themselves. His manifestation (Damashi) lived on even after his physical body was destroyed, without binding him to the Netherrealm, searching a way back. Is still remembered in the recorded history of the seidan and edenian people, so his death may not have actually happened more than several thousand of years ago. Seidans refer to his rule as a just one (perhaps similar to Kotal Kahn's).
- God of Thunder Raiden.....................................unknown age, little is known about his past, whether he was a humanoid made a God or created directly as a God. He fought against the rebelled Shinnok in a War that ravaged the planet, which some sources say was “millennia ago”, therefore causing fans to think about the extinction of the dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event around 66 million years ago. Other sources, such as the intro of the game MK: Mythologies says it was “thousands of years ago”, causing fans to speculate it caused the event known in many human myths as “The Great Flood”, theorysed to have happened about 8.000 BC or 10.000 years ago. Therefore, Raiden's age can vary from between 100.000 to millions of years.
- Emperor Shao Kahn...........................................unknown age, served as adviser to Onaga and is once in konquest mode referenced to have been “what Raiden is to Earthrealm”, meaning the Protector of Outworld, before he became disillusioned with the Elder Gods. He carried Onaga's legacy of merging the realms even though he was the one to poison and kill the Dragon King (I can even imagine an alliance of Shinnok, Raiden and Shao Kahn fighting against the weakened Dragon King and still having problems defeating him- like in the Deception intro-, with Shao Kahn finally providing the killing blow!- one can dream, no?)
- Lord Quan Chi...................................................unknown age, little is known about his past, but writers have claimed off the record he was born/forged in the Netherrealm (of course, all this could be misinterpreted). He was there when Shinnok got banished and made an alliance with the former Elder God to take over the realm. The won the war that followed and reigned in Hell. Also, in Armageddon's konquest mode, awoken Taven claims to have heard before the name “Quan Chi”- maybe in the Edenian society or political life of thousands of years ago?
- Lord Ermac........................................................unknown age, forged by Shao Kahn 10.000 years ago (with help from a certain sorrcerer?) from the Edenian souls which had fallen during his conquest. However, considering the already long age of King Jerrod and the other Edenians, he may actually be considered to have knowledge stretching back hundreds of thousands of years.
- Queen Sindel......................................................unknown age, but she does look close to middle-aged, and for an Edenian this would be more than 40.000 years of living.
- General Reiko....................................................unknown age, but did fight alongside Shinnok in the first war with Raiden. He also has a long-time adversity for Quan Chi. One of Shao Kahn's eldest warriors (dare I say friend?), the leader of the Outworld armies.
- God of Wind Fujin.............................................unknown age, but known and respected in the inner-circles of the Edenian aristocracy. Very possibly fought alongside Raiden against Shinnok and his forces in the first war, as he was later assigned to guard the Amulet in a secret location (The Temple of Elements). From thousands to million of years old
- Oni-demon Moloch............................................unknown age, a natural denizen of the Netherrealm. He does appear in Eathrealm mythologies as Moloch, ancient cannibalistic deity, so he may have escaped the Netherrealm on numerous occasions. Portrayed as somewhat dim-witted for as old as he is, but that's an ordinary problem in gaming.
- Oni-demon Drahmin...........................................unknown age, a former Warlord of Outworld. His original bio says he had been residing in the Netherrealm for centuries (so hundreds to thousands of years). He is also shown in his majestic appearance as a Warlord, before his death. He is very likely to have been is Shao Kahn's employ, as he was allowed to rule a part of Outworld.
- Hotaru................................................................unknown age, but he has knowledge of Emperor's Onaga previous rule which brought stability to the Universe. This means that he lived in that period or that he has access to old recorded history and lore. He says himself “For centuries I have imposed order on those who would wreak havoc”. For how many centuries remains a mystery.
- Havik..................................................................unknown age, similar to Hotaru. He also has knowledge of the secrets of the Dragon King, deciding to consume the former Emperor's heart to reanimate the dead. He also has ancient healing powers, bringing Kabal back from the brink of death.
- Lord Taven.........................................................unknown age, ranging from >10.000 to millions of years (though his actual living years are much fewer). As Shao Kahn had already been trying to annex Edenia and had been pushed back by Argus and his sons once (as seen in the Armageddon konquest mode intro and subsequent scenes), we know that he was put to sleep shortly before the Edenian War of conquest 10.000 years ago. However, this is not supported by the fact that he knew Shinnok as an Elder God. So....sh***ty writing or......the Raiden-Shinnok War was actually much closer to our time that the destruction of the dinosaurs, meaning it's actually the basis of the “Great Flood” myth which covered much of the planet and, as the game says “plunged the realm into centuries (not millennia) of darkness”.
- Lord Daegon....................................................unknown age, pretty much the same as Taven, only with him being younger (which, relating to Gods, can be younger by a margin of up to 1.000 years). His actual years of living are actually more than Taven's, as he was awoken shortly after being put to sleep (through Shinnok's manipulation of having Blaze captured by Onaga's holy men and Caro receiving the wrong message) and his murder of Argus and Delia practically left Edenia without protection against Shao Kahn and his troops, who had the right to attack ever since the 10th tournament had been lost. He seems to have been really young and corruptible 10.000 years ago, therefore this is roughly his age. He now is a villain from the shadows, having formed the mythical Red Dragon clan and living in Earthrealm for thousands of years, as a God in ancient Levant was worshiped as Dagon. He has info on the Dragon King's lore, though it doesn't necessarily mean they lived in the same time.
- Firespawn Blaze.............................................unknown age, but has been guarding the Last Dragon for thousands of years. Was created (from nothing or from an Edenian follower?) by Lady Delia in order to prevent Armageddon during the same time that the brothers were put to sleep.
- Ambassador Tanya..........................................around 10.000 years old or maybe more, as her appearance is that of a young woman, but not necessarily in her twenties, more likely a little older than Kitana. Daughter of a former Ambassador of Edenia, before the realm was conquered.
- Prince Rain.....................................................around 10.000 years old, was a child when the Edenian War of conquest began
- Princess Kitana................................................around 10.000 years old, as well as Rain, was a child when the Edenian War of conquest began
- General Jade....................................................around 10.000 years old, as well as Kitana and Rain, a little younger than her childhood friend Kitana.
- Master Bo'Rai Cho..........................................despite his appearance, he may in fact be younger tha Kitana or other Edenians. There was no mention of Outworld humans living that long, as even Li Mei is shown to be aging. Perhaps Bo'Rai Cho has indeed found ways of slowing down his aging (as he has been around training even Shang Tsung), but can't be older than a few thousands of years.
- Price Goro of the shokan.................................around 2.000 years old, having been born from the line of King Gorbak in the Ancient City of Kuatan.
- Kintaro, Motaro and Sheeva...........................thousands of years old, as shokans have very extended lifespans than ordinary humans and references of multiple-armed Gods like Shiva are also found in Ancient Earthrealm.
- Royal Sorcerer Shang Tsung............................around 1.000 years old, according to most sources he is from Earthrealm, the greatest champion of his generation, trained by Bo'Rai Cho to protect the realm in Mortal Kombat. Corrupted by the Emperor's promises and by eternal power, Shang Tsung cheated in Mortal Kombat and broke the sacred rules. Made a deal with the Royal family of the shokan and trained Prince Goro to win Mortal Kombat, which led to his rise in the Imperial Council of Outworld.
- Nitara..............................................................she is wise and has a lot of power similar to sorcerers'. She has been searching for a way to liberate her realm for a long time. She, however, is not the eldest of the vampires, as we are told there is a Council of Elders, almost immortal vampires, with access to ancient vampire texts and Edenian prophecies.
- Ashrah.............................................................a demon of the Netherrealm and once a valuable member of Quan Chi's Brotherhood of the Shadows, Ashrah appears much younger than she truly is.
- Sareena............................................................just like Ashrah, another demon of the Netherrealm, who rebelled from Quan Chi in recent years. She is younger than Ashrah as she was in the service of Quan Chi until a few years ago, when she helped Bi Han.
- Emperor and War God Kotal Kahn..................around 500 years, because as he was still young, he fulfilled the ancient rite of “realmwalk” and survived in Earthrealm where he was worshiped by the mayans as the War God Buluc. He killed the first arrived conquistadors, but the mayans began dying after taking his habits of eating hearts. He rose in the Court of Shao Kahn in the subsequent years, as a military commander and warrior, alongside General Reiko, with whom he formed a friendship.
- Advisor D'vorah of the Arnyek Islands..........her species, the kytinn, were conquered by Shao Kahn and his armada ages ago. She was forced to feign servitude. She rose in the ranks of Shao Kahn's Imperial Court.
- Kenshi..............................................................it was never really stated, but he does seem to have been around since Medieval Japan. His ancestors, the ancient warrior-kings of Pekara, who are somewhat responsible for the sword Sento, may be the reason why he has lived for so long. He eventually renounced his original mission of assassinating Shang Tsung and fell in love with a Thai woman, Suchin, with whom he had a son.
- General Mavado...............................................though never stated clearly, his conquistador look may suggest that he is of that age (I wonder if he ever came in conflict with Kotal Kahn and the mayans?). His allegiance to Daegon and the Red Dragon may have allowed for his long lifespan.
- Queen Khameleon, Chameleon and Reptile....the ages of the first 2 may be greater, but the third one is definitely a few hundreds of years old. He was the only saurian the Emperor spared in the genocide of Zaterra (the reason for this being wonderfully portrayed in MK Conquest). Reptile lived more like a slave than a member of Shao Kahn's inner circle, until the man who was supposed to assassinate him, Kotal Kahn, apointed him in a high position of power. Khameleon is a little older as she knows the truth about their race's genocide while Chameleon remains a mystery.
- Queen Mileena.................................................at least in the original timeline, she was hundreds of years old, created by Shang Tsung and trained together with Kitana, who believed she was her sister (only way this worked is if Kitana was brainwashed into forgetting her past, cause no way was Shang Tsung alive when she was very young-10.000 years ago). In the new timeline, Mileena is a lot younger (or is this a different Mileena clone?- her ending in MKX shows there may have been many Mileena clones in the past)
- Baraka.............................................................the leader of the tarkatan hordes, he can't be more than a few hundred years old, as he's not very wise or intelligent. Or maybe that's just how tarkatans are...He is though shown to have a sense of loyalty, both in MK Deception's konquest mode, as well as in MKX.
- Nightwolf......................................................the old shaman of his tribe, his age is probably slowed down in the same way as Bo'Rai Cho, through meditation. He is probably a few hundreds of years old. Raiden leaves him in charge when he can't lead as his trusts his judgment. Nightwolf is shown to be very wise.
- Erron Black....................................................around 180 years, rewarded by Shang Tsung with the slow aging process.
- Master Shujinko.............................................almost 100 years old, maybe more after the events in the new timeline. He was a young boy training in early 20th century China in order to represent Earthrealm at the upcoming Mortal Kombat games. He never had the privilege, however, as his life's mission became to collect the kamidogu. He received training from Bo'Rai Cho, a Sub-Zero ancestor, Nightwolf, Hotaru, Queen Sindel and others and eventually became a master himself. Atone for his mistakes in Deception, when him and Nightwolf defeated the reincarnated Onaga.
- The first generation of Earthrealm warriors: Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Lt. Sonya Blade, Kung Lao, Mj. Jackson Briggs, Bi Han, Kuai Liang, Hanzo Hasashi, Tomas Vrbada, Motswanan Cyrax, heir to the Lin Kuei Sektor, Kabal, Kurtis Stryker, a generation containing the spirit of the dragon, Liu Kang, the last descendants of the cryomancers of Outworld and the enenras, and Johnny Cage as the result of thousands of years of genetic experimenting done by a Mediterranean cult serving the Elder Gods in order to create a genome that could be used against Shinnok's power. Around the same age are Li Mei, Tremor, Hsu Hao and Dairou. Darrius of the Seidan Resistance may be a lot older.
- The second generation of Earthrealm warriors: Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda Takahashi, Kung Jin, Frost, even Kai who was younger than the others in the original timeline. Here we can add Kira, Kobra, maybe Jarek. From Outworld, Ferra appears to be young as she is shown to mature in her ending and Skarlet can't be very old, as Havik refers to her as “wanting to learn” in the comics.
As for Shao Kahn, he was portrayed too much as one dimensional and....actually stupid. With his age and experience, I see him differently. He was marvelously portrayed in MK Conquest though, where he actually won the game.
Same with Shinnok, a temper tantrum for a God his age....he's seen and felt everything, there should be nothing to surprise him anymore, he's lived the lives of everyone countless times again. He should have just accepted defeat smiling, he would eventually rise again in thousands of years. But I'm nitpicking now, I guess he was okay, except for that temper-tantrum scene.
What do you guys think, who are the eldest and wisest characters of Mortal Kombat?
