Last chance to shine!

[Barakall]

Of all the characters that could possibly be in this game you think really won't have a chance to be playable again if they don't make it into MK11? So basically which characters would have to be in to get a last chance to shine before they are really dead and never to appear again - like Mokap and Hsu Hao - or characters that have a last chance to win fans and NRS over so they can have a chance to appear again the future?

In general I think NRS should really just make up their mind and just kill of characters, because you cannot keep teasing fans for so many years if characters keep appearing in story modes and not be playable. I rather they just move on.

Here's my top 3, again of characters that could be playable (please explain why, since many just don't make sense and you just know they won't return as playable like ones stated, but also Motaro among others):

1. Fujin - this is basically do or die for him. If they somehow killed him off after / during MKX events or MK11's story mode then the ship has sailed on him ever appearing again in my opinion. He had such a great design and was a major slap in the face to not even him as DLC. Just don't even mention him maybe in this game, so Fujin fans know where NRS stands on him as a character. Though I don't get why you'd then include him in MKX story in the first place. As if fans are waiting for their favorites to only appear in some silly story. I think most people will agree it's about the actual fighting, the story is always much less important.

2. Kai - yes, Kai. Since Liu Kang is no longer the main hero - and shouldn't - I'd love for once for an African warrior to have a chance to shine and actually be meaningful. Don't even bring up Jax, it's not a colour thing, it's just with Kai's MK4 look - tiger stripes - in my opinion he was clearly African and they could even add some shaman type powers to him and give him a typical Zulu spear and shield or something. They nailed his look regardless of his background, so regal and calm. They messed him up for Armageddon and while he hasn't appeared since, he was meant to be part of the MKX story so there's a chance for him. If he's not playable, Kai is definitely never coming back.

3. Havik - read the OP-ed about 3D characters if you want to know why it makes so much sense to have him return, scour the net and see how many people want him back (gamefaq polls) and with Kittelsen now involved he definitely has a chance. This timeline shifting story and how bad ass he was in MKX comics, so fresh in everyone's minds, would make a perfect comeback. That is all the more reason to fear for his disappearance from MK going forward if they do not include him as a playable character.

 

[HeavyNorse]

Reiko. If he isn't in this game, I don't think we'll ever see him again. Which saddens me as he's one of my favourite characters. Loved him since MK4, loved his redesign in MKA and absolutely loved him in the MKX comics! Though he met his demise in the comics, I'd still love to see him back and playable, even if just as a non-canon DLC... and it would be cool if he had a bit of that cool blood-magic he obtained.

Possibly Rain as well. People seem to be very ambiguous about him. Some people, like me, think he's awesome and would love to have him playable again. Others are very dismissive of him and can't get past the "purple rain" thing, only seeing him as a joke character who won't ever be anything more than that. We know he won't be DLC, so if he's not on the main roster, well... I think that's it for Rain then...

And then Nitara. I love vampires and blood-magic, and I loved how she was just kinda running her own show, manipulating people and situations into her benefit so she could get what she wanted. Her not being in MKD saddened me (though Jade was there, so I had my main), but then in MKA her story was expanded on which gave her more incentive to be in more games... but then BAM! Reboot button was pushed! Which means we might never see some of the less popular characters of the 3D era ever again.

And yes, I am aware that there's a pattern here, that I'm falling for characters who end up only appearing playable in very few games in the franchise. Even my top fave character, Jade, is only in every second/third game. Her chances of being in MK11 fortunately seems very high, so there's that, at least. ^^

 

[Espio]

Mokap isn't a character that NRS treats as more than a funny joke type of character. It's like how Meat is not someone that has fans that are not just simply trolling for their inclusion.

I agree with Fujin. Raiden being off the rails and unhinged coming into MK11 is the perfect excuse for him to lead the MODERATES of Earthrealm, which is what I feel was being set up near the end of MK11. Scorpion seems to be more radical like Raiden so he will give favored status to him I would expect and put Takeda in a moral conundrum along with Jacqui. Kung Jin, Cassie, and Sub-Zero will probably be team Fujin moderates who think Raiden is going too far and out of control. MK11 is no better time for Fujin to make his playable return and bringing him into the forefront at the beginning of MKX and to not do something with him would be a massive waste and I couldn't imagine him breaking through if he doesn't get his due this next game. The best thing they can do with Fujin and a lot of the Earthrealm heroes is have that moral ambiguity going on with Earth almost fighting against each other in an arc.

I don't agree though on your other point because giving characters a role in story shows more respect than pretending they never existed or what have you. I'm more inclined to believe Fujin was not brought on to be DLC to be saved for the sequel.

Li Mei is probably the only other one that I feel if she isn't dealt with this next game she probably won't show up again. She's a Deadly Alliance era character that isn't terribly unpopular but also probably doesn't even crack top 30/probably loses out in popularity to most Trilogy characters, Quan Chi, Kenshi, Tanya and Fujin to name a few. I suspect since she is a refugee from Outworld's civil war that is now in Earthrealm that they intend on doing something with her the next game and maybe interwork her with Dark Raiden's hostility to Outworld.

 

[ImperatrixSindel]

It's definitely the last real shot for Fujin and Li Mei to matter. Tanya is also in a dubious position if she doesn't make the jump to base roster -- apart from Kenshi, the DLC characters so far seem to be one-and-dones.

While the trilogy roster is always liable to return, I think the non-ninja/robot MK3 characters are mostly done for if they don't show up here: Sindel, Kabal, Nightwolf, and especially Sheeva and Stryker. It's hard to avoid the feeling that NRS just doesn't care about them the way they care about the MK1/MK2 roster.

 

[KiD INsAnitY]

Not the last time for Fujin at all. He’s a God they can literally pull him out the background when ever they want to serve the story..5 MK’s from now Fujin will still be around

 

[Sablicious]

All characters can return in a Mortal Kombat game... For one thing, because it's a... *drum roll* VIDEO GAME; and for another, if they're willing to twist and warp the so-called "canon" of the story (using temporal tactics, magicks or whatever), there is no reason why anyone and everyone could not be brought back. The only deciding factor really is just whether a character is deemed popular enough and its archetype up to par for the developers to build a move-set around.

Example: "Meat" might have a hard time getting back in (unless there is another 'Armageddon' style MK game and 100 roster slots of fill out with joke characters), because he is... well, meat; while the Fujins and Raikos of the MK universe, have plenty of substrata supporting them.

In reality, no character will ever be "not playable again" -- it's just a matter of when, not if. After all, Shao Khan was "unplayable", "dead" boss character, right...?

 

[Espio]

All characters can return in a Mortal Kombat game... For one thing, because it's a... *drum roll* VIDEO GAME; and for another, if they're willing to twist and warp the so-called "canon" of the story (using temporal tactics, magicks or whatever), there is no reason why anyone and everyone could not be brought back. The only deciding factor really is just whether a character is deemed popular enough and its archetype up to par for the developers to build a move-set around.

Example: "Meat" might have a hard time getting back in (unless there is another 'Armageddon' style MK game and 100 roster slots of fill out with joke characters), because he is... well, meat; while the Fujins and Raikos of the MK universe, have plenty of substrata supporting them.

In reality, no character will ever be "not playable again" -- it's just a matter of when, not if. After all, Shao Khan was "unplayable", "dead" boss character, right...?

Shao Kahn is not a good example because he is a very popular character so nobody should expect him to not come back ever again even if their role is non-canon DLC. Those similar nostalgic or pre-order money making perks don't apply to everyone.