Liu Kang - Blog Posts

(MK1/12) Kitana and Mileena Headcanons

Kitana:

-Kitana likes Raiden but doesn’t want to pursue a relationship because of their different lifespans.

-She was unintentionally compared to her sister because she wasn’t as interested in combat and was weaker than Mileena.

-She had a small crush on Liu Kang for a couple of years (nothing came of it).

-Kitana is interested in traveling to Earthrealm and experiencing the culture, especially after watching some movies Johnny recommended.

-Kitana chose the fan as her weapon because it matched her more defensive fighting style, but added the blades on the ends for offensive purposes.

-She is very apprehensive of Tanya because she comforted and helped Mileena through her breakups. Kitana sees how much her sister loves Tanya and doesn’t want to see her get it hurt.

-After Jerrod’s death, Kitana became the mediator of Sindel and Mileena’s arguments. She often wonders how he did it so well.

-Her and Sindel had a closer relationship because there was no pressure to train Kitana to be the next Empress and their different personalities matched well. They would often have tea or plant flowers in the gardens.

-The idea of Kitana being Empress became more favorable after her frequent visits to the cities and helping citizens when needed. Her compassion became well renowned.

-As children, Mileena would call her “Kitty”.

Mileena:

-Along with Li Mei, Mileena was trained by General Shao since their brutal fighting styles matched. The two were close when Mileena was a child and young teen but it faded when Shao grew resentful towards Sindel and Jerrod’s rule.

-She’s had multiple secret affairs throughout her teens and early adulthood. They usually ended after Mileena learned she was being taken advantage of or a mutual break up because betrothment was not possible.

-Mileena was a troublemaker and would sneak out multiple times without anyone knowing until she contracted Tarkat from one of those outings.

-Her relationship with Tanya began after Jerrod’s death and Tanya comforted her during the grieving process.

-Mileena came out to Kitana first since she trusted her sister would be there for her and not tell their parents before she did. Kitana and Mileena hugged and the former told her that nothing would break their sisterly bond. She was nervous about coming out to her parents because she didn’t want them to view her differently and the idea of producing an heir weighed heavy on her. She was happy when they assured her that they still love her and nothing would change that. Mileena cried during both instances.

-Mileena chose the sai as her weapon since it matched her aggressive fighting style and made her focus on defensive fighting.

-Mileena chose Kitana to replace Shao because of her sister’s compassion and wish to unite Outworld, something Shao lacked.

-Her and Jerrod had a closer relationship because she could vent to her father about her worries and frustrations with being the future empress without judgment. They also spent time walking in the gardens and having picnics.

-After Sindel started training Mileena, their relationship soured since it became the basis of it and led to many disagreements.

-As children, Kitana would call her “Milly”.

i really liked your headcanons about johnny cage and general shao. could you write one for bi-han?? that would be most interesting

Thank you for the kind words! I’ve had a lot of fun making headcanons for MK1 characters. Compared to Johnny, I don’t have that many headcanons for Bi-Han, but I do have some on his childhood and familial relationships. Sorry if this turns out really long. Hope you enjoy!

Bi-Han was very close to his mother. She would comfort him whenever his father was very harsh towards him during training and reassured him that he would be a great leader and makes the Lin-Kuei strong. Her death was the catalyst for Bi-Han believing his father was unfit to lead the Lin-Kuei since she was killed by a vengeful former member. 

His father loved and cared for Bi-Han but his duty to train him to be the rightful heir to the Lin Kuei overshadowed that. He would train his son until near exhaustion, which led to Bi-Han being mostly isolated from the rest of the family in his early and late teens. He would tell him a great leader has to be strong and perceptive enough to lead. Bi-Han admired his father as a leader though rarely considered him his father- mostly calling him “Grandmaster” compared to “father.” His admiration turned to anger after his mother’s death and realizing how involved Liu Kang is in Lin-Kuei’s business. Bi-Han saw this as a weakness since Liu Kang wasn’t an official leader and perceived it as against his training and philosophy. Years later, his father was suffering a terrible illness. His father’s death occurred during a battle against rogue Lin-Kuei members who believed him to be too weak to continue as Grandmaster. By the end of the battle, Bi-Han found his father under rubble with a stab wound to the abdomen. Bi-Han decided to leave him to die so his father wouldn’t suffer from the illness and his belief that he is capable of succeeding as Grandmaster. 

Bi-Han and Kuai Liang were very close as little boys. There’s a headcanon where Kuai Liang was born too weak to wield cryomancy- he was even close to death. Liu Kang healed Kuai, giving him his fire powers. Being two years old at the time, Bi-Han was unaware of the situation’s severity though felt protective towards his little brother when he held him. Before mastering his pyromancy, Kuai’s body couldn’t handle cold temperatures or the frequent colds he’d get. Bi-Han would sleep with his sick brother to make sure he didn’t overheat or in case he needed help. While their parents were anxious about letting Kuai Liang fight, Bi-Han saw his potential to be a great fighter and his right-hand man when he became Grandmaster.

Although Bi-Han was very harsh towards Tomas, he saw his adoptive brother as family. The reason why he sometimes treats Tomas badly is because of resentment and jealousy. Bi-Han resented Tomas since his father gave him “leniency”- welcomed Tomas to the Lin-Kuei almost immediately- and acted more fatherly. He was also jealous of Kuai Liang and Tomas’s growing brotherhood during the bulk of his intense training. In a way, Bi-Han felt like he was being replaced. He tries to not hold it against Tomas though his unresolved anger gets in the way. 

MK1 Characters Ages Headcanon

Vaeternus: 1 year = 6k years

Edenian: 1 year = 400 years

Draconian: 1 year = 250 years 

*For Vaeternus, I made these calculations based on a Nitara intro. I believe Kung Lao asks her how old she is and Nitara says that she was a little girl when humans discovered fire. There were many differing accounts on when that happened but I decided to pick the one that said fire was a widespread, controlled source 125,000 years ago. It was the second most recent account- first being 12,000 years ago. I chose 125k since I assume the intro I mentioned is meant to hint how much older Vaeternus is than most races.  

*Since the story confirmed that Kitana and Mileena were 10,000 years old, I used the number to find an estimated number of Edenian years that equals a single human year. I considered Kitana and Mileena to be 25 in human years since it divides 10,000 evenly and the sisters look close to that age- dividing those numbers equaled to 400 years. So, 400 Edenian years is equal to 1 human year. 

*In the story, Sindel confronted Shao and mentioned how she remembered the sickly boy he was. This is evidence that Sindel is older than Shao by a few years- ten years at minimum; however, in my opinion, Shao looks older than Sindel so I believe the Draconian species have a shorter life span than Edenians, but they are still much larger than human’s. Unlike with the Edenians, I decided to have 250 Draconian years be equivalent to one human year because of an idea of an estimated range.  

*Liu Kang is slightly older than the Big Bang in the New Era. I couldn’t calculate Geras’ age since he’s experienced a ginormous amount of timelines. Calculations over a trillion is too difficult for any calculator to compute. 

Ashrah: 29 (human years) 

Baraka: 22k (Edenian years), 55 (human years) 

General Shao: 12,500 (Draconian years), 50 (human years) 

Geras: Can’t Calculate

Havik: 27 (human years) 

Johnny Cage: 28 

Kenshi Takahashi: 28 

Kitana: 10k (Edenian years; canon), 25 (human years) 

Kung Lao: 24 

Jerrod: 20k (Edenian years), 50 (human years)  [If he were alive]

Li Mei: 18,400 (Edenian years), 46 (human years)

Liu Kang: 13.8 billion 

Mileena: 10k (Edenian years; canon), 25 (human years) 

Nitara: 150k (Vaeternus years) or 12k (Vaeternus years), 25 (human years) 

Raiden: 24 

Rain: 10,400 (Edenian years), 26 (human years)

Reiko: 26 (human years) 

Reptile: 29 (human years) 

Kuai Liang/Scorpion: 26 

Sindel: 19,200 (Edenian years), 48 (human years) 

Shang Tsung: 27 (human years) 

Tomas Vrbada/Smoke: 25 

Bi-Han/Sub-Zero: 28 

Tanya: 9,600 (Edenian years), 24 (human years)

General Shao (Childhood) Headcanon 

Warning: mentions of child abuse, bullying, terrible parent

Ever since General Shao’s backstory was revealed on the website I’ve believed he had a terrible (borderline hellish) childhood. 

To recap, Shao had the enthusiasm and brilliance to be a great warrior, but his body was too sickly to handle the physical training. Shao’s father did not like this and decided to design a strenuous program to build Shao’s strength. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong but I believe Shao went through awful circumstances that made him the man he is. 

In Outworld, especially in professions that involve fighting, strength is considered the most important thing for a person. No doubt Shao’s father, a renowned Outworld general, would express these ideals and hate the reality of one of his children being considered weak. He would do anything to ensure his legacy was considered strong, which he did by ignoring Shao’s physicians and crafting a training program that could potentially worsen Shao’s condition. 

Because of his family’s reputation, Shao would be tormented by other children. Being pushed around and called worthless or a “sorry excuse to his family tree.” This would fester Shao’s anger and his drive to become stronger like his father, so he’s willing to go through the program. 

In other people’s eyes the program would be considered abusive, but Shao saw it as his father caring about him. He would excuse the days long training, survival training alone in the woods, his father’s harsh words, and not letting Shao eat or drink until he perfected his moves. 

Shao would also inherit his father’s demented beliefs in what being a warrior is and what Outworld needed. He would hear his father complain about the kingdom’s alliance with Liu Kang, hearing him call the fire god a “scoundrel” and “the bringer of Outworld’s downfall.” He’d be taught that domination is the true way to live rather than peace, compassion is considered weakness, death in battle is the greatest honor, and the only way to fight is on your terms. 

(Some of Shao’s intros inspired this headcanon, such as one of his intros with Liu Kang where he admits that he’s wanted to kill Liu Kang all his life, and an intro with Reiko where he tells him, “fight on your terms or don’t fight at all.” Also, Shao’s disgusted reaction to Raiden offering to help him to his feet after their fight inspired the part about Shao being taught that compassion is weakness.) 

Unfortunately Shao never learned that his father’s behavior was abuse since the bullying he faced stopped after being able to defend himself, instead he continues this cycle with Reiko. When it comes to his relationship with Reiko, I believe Shao cares about Reiko like a son but only learned how to express love through his father. He saw his old self in Reiko and wanted to share his feelings of strength with the young boy. He trained Reiko the same way as his father did to him and the results were the same- Reiko became a great warrior. I don’t think he’s manipulating Reiko to tame Onaga; Shao genuinely believes that his young ward is capable of doing the task, but thinks Reiko dying would be okay since his father taught him that dying in battle is an honor. Hopefully if Reiko dies taming Onaga (it’s highly possible with how powerful and rabid Onaga is), Shao lowers his guard and shows genuine care for Reiko. At least a sweet goodbye or a burial scene where we see him mourning his lost ward/son. 

I don’t think Shao would be redeemed if my headcanon turned out to be true, but I would hope that other characters would learn about his past and use it as a cautionary tale on how striving for strength is not worth losing your humanity. The possible tragedy Shao’s story could take would be interesting, especially when Liu Kang somewhat created the beginning of Shao’s life to give him the chance for redemption, yet it’s someone Liu never considered that turned Shao into the person he is. 

MK1 Rain Theory/Idea

I have a theory/idea that Rain was a god but was cast down by his parents and became a mortal. Because I hoped for demigod Rain to be explored in this timeline, I don’t like the idea of Rain being a sorcerer. It’s not the worst decision since Rain can still be a well-written character, though I was still disappointed. 

This idea came to me randomly so it’ll most likely be disjointed which I apologize for. I was inspired by Greek mythology. There is a story of Zeus stripping his children, specifically Apollo, of their powers and making them mortals so they learn a lesson. 

Here is my theory/idea:

Born the youngest son of the gods Argus and Delia, Rain was a powerful god of water. He had a happy life with his parents and brothers- Taven and Daegon, but grew to be arrogant and believing mortals were lesser than him. This attitude led to his downfall. Alongside his brothers, Rain threatened to harm a country due to them not worshiping his family to his satisfaction. Disgusted by their children’s behavior, Argus and Delia stopped their children and planned to punish their children accordingly. With the help of Liu Kang, Argus and Delia decided to strip their sons’ godhood and have them reborn in the mortal realm- Outworld- so they learn to appreciate and care for mortals. Rain- regressed to a baby- would be raised as Zeffeero by a woman called Amara. He would grow to be kinder and ambitious, leading him to learn sorcery and become the kingdom’s high mage; I headcanon that Rain used his water magic to heal people as well. He’d live his life on the right path until Shang Tsung manipulated him and unleashed his darker impulses. His actions in the game would still be the same, including his sort of redemption in his tower ending. 

In a future game, the Taven/Daegon plot could return though, instead of their quest is to prevent Armageddon, Rain, Taven, and Daegon would race to their family’s original temple (through memories and clues left by their parents) for the chance to regain their godhood as long as they are deemed worthy. Other characters can be involved by the villains learning this and trying to achieve godhood while the heroes try to stop them. This gives NRS the opportunity to bring back Taven, Daegon, Argus, Delia, and Blaze into the New Era. Rain’s story could end either with him being a god again but with a better understanding and care for mortals or he decides to stay mortal. 

I don’t think this will happen in the game since I think the canon reason why Rain is not a god/demigod is because Liu Kang didn’t want to risk him becoming the arrogant, power-hungry person he was in previous timelines. Also, the Armageddon tower was already referenced in MK1 so it'll most likely not come back.

Thank you for adding your thoughts to my post. One of my favorite things to do in fandoms is to discuss with other fans about the story, characters, etc.

I see your point about Liu Kang and his abilities but I think Liu Kang had a hand at Smoke being orphaned. In one of his intros with Liu Kang, Smoke asks him if he intended for his family to die. Here’s a link to the video: https://youtu.be/z-r4UecW7PM?si=sHMb4gmKGddNA9oY&t=485 (The intro is at 8:05). Liu Kang’s reply was a bit cryptic and can be interpreted in different ways but I believe it alludes to Liu having to make a hard decision to make sure the timeline went accordingly, such as Smoke joining the Lin-Kuei and befriending the brothers. Also, Liu made plans for Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi to live meaningless lives. I don’t think he would’ve risked letting them live freely without careful planning to make sure the plan kept its course, so I believe Liu Kang is capable of planning people’s lives but in varying degrees. Unfortunately, the game wasn't very clear on Liu Kang’s capabilities and restrictions so most fans have different interpretations of Liu Kang's involvement in how the new timeline turned out the way it is. I do give Liu Kang some slack since he gave up his powers decades (most likely centuries) before Hanzo was born.

Anyways, I should’ve been clear when I said Hanzo’s life seems bleak. I meant before being taken in by Smoke. I don’t think Hanzo not being the leader of the Shirai-Ryu is a bad life. My critique was about how Liu Kang made sure Shao Kahn didn’t have extensive capabilities to become emperor and have Mileena, who was his enemy in the old timeline, be Kitana’s blood sister- a change he must have done before relinquishing his powers- while Hanzo’s life before the Shirai-Ryu was hard. I had that expectation that Liu Kang would give Hanzo what he truly desired- his family- since he did that for Mileena- her MK11 ending hinted at her wanting to be a part of a family. I’m fine with Kuai having the Scorpion mantle because it gives the Scorpion/Sub-Zero a bit more depth and new intrigue. Right now, I’m neutral with MK1 Hanzo. There isn’t anything to go by about his character so I’ll be waiting until future installments to give my full thoughts. I do have some faith that NRS will write MK1 Hanzo well. All I hope is they don’t kill off Kuai Liang only to make Hanzo Scorpion again. It would make the change kind of pointless.

I wanted to be clearer on why I don't like Harumi and Kuai together so far. It's not because I see Harumi as only Hanzo's life. I've grown to like Kuai being Scorpion since it gives the Sub-Zero/Scorpion rivalry more depth, and he still feels like Kuai Liang but with a different title. Going as far as to have Harumi and Kuai get married feels like a tamper to that balance. With that decision, he feels like Hanzo but with a different name right now. I'm still open to changing my mind once new story content is released.

Sort of a side note, but I don't think is a young adult (I searched online and a young adult is usually a range between 18 and 25 years old). Based on his height and appearance, I think he is 14-15 years old (adolescent/early teens range). It is possible for 18-year-olds and above to be short but, in MK1, most male characters are around the same height. If NRS wanted Hanzo to be in the same age range, they would've made him closer to Kuai and Tomas' heights. However, I could be wrong since I'm basing this on the tower ending's art style instead of the game's 3D modeling.

Thank you for reblogging my post and adding your opinion. My favorite part about fandoms is to see fans’ different perspectives on story elements. I enjoyed reading your post. Btw, your art is really good! Your Scorpion Harumi’s design is my favorite.

My Thoughts on MK1 Hanzo

(Spoiler Warning: Smoke’s Tower Ending is discussed)

I saw Smoke’s tower ending and was surprised to see Hanzo in the new timeline, let alone as a child. Although I’m open to how the writers will handle his character, I’m kind of disappointed that they went this route. When I learned that Kuai Liang would be Scorpion in the new timeline, I expected Hanzo to either not even exist or live a nice life with Harumi and their son. Instead, Kuai Liang is married to Harumi and Hanzo is much younger than them, which is so weird. I really hoped Hanzo would have a happy life and only be involved in the games through mentions at least.  Also, this decision paints Liu Kang in a bad light. It’s no secret Liu Kang made sure his allies had a good life while making some of his enemies’ lives (Shang Tsung and Quan Chi) insignificant to prevent them from turning into their past counterparts. So, it makes me wonder why Liu Kang didn’t think to give Hanzo a good life or at least watch over him. It’s shown that Hanzo is a starving orphan forced to steal for essentials. I have no doubt Liu Kang knows about Hanzo’s past since he met the older and kinder Scorpion in MK11 and Raiden has disclosed Hanzo’s past in MK 9. Plus when Liu Kang fused with the Hourglass, he most likely became aware of what happened in MK9 and MKX. He gave Shao Kahn the chance to be a better man by being the Kingdom’s general- a risk that didn’t pay off, yet didn’t give Hanzo what he always desired- his wife, son, and the Shirai-Ryu. It feels so out of character for Liu Kang to not make sure Hanzo had a good chance at life. 

If I had the opportunity to write Hanzo’s character, it would’ve been very different. I would’ve made him a former Lin Kuei member(he would be 5 or more years older than Bi-Han) who held the Scorpion title until he retired to Japan- where met Harumi and had their son. Hanzo would’ve also been the one to train Kuai Liang in his fire powers in the latter’s childhood. In his honor, Kuai would take the Scorpion mantle after Hanzo retires. Hanzo could also help Kuai and Smoke form the Shirai-Ryu but Harumi helps in recruiting and training while he takes care of their young son. 

Though, I still hold some faith that NRS will write the new Hanzo well. I guess I’m just disappointed because I wanted Hanzo to finally live a happy life where his family stays alive. He was one of my favorites in the MK9-MK11 era so I can’t help but feel a connection towards him.

My MK1 Fatalities Tier List (Main Roster)

Note: The placements are based on the average rating of both fatalities. For example, if I gave a character an S and a B then they would go to an A rank since that would be the average. Also, if rankings are next to each other then I will round up to the higher rank. For instance, I gave Li Mei an S and an A for her fatalities so she would go to the S rank since I'm rounding the overall rating to the higher one.

Here's a more detailed ranking (where I add + and -) if you are curious:

Ashrah

Fatality 1- B+

Fatality 2- B

Baraka

Fatality 1: B-

Fatality 2: S

General Shao

Fatality 1: C

Fatality 2: B-

Geras

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: S

Havik

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: B+

Johnny Cage

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Kitana

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A-

Kenshi

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Kung Lao

Fatality 1: C+

Fatality 2: A

Li Mei

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: A+

Liu Kang

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: S+

Mileena

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: C+

Nitara

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: C+

Raiden

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: A

Rain

Fatality 1: A-

Fatality 2: B-

Reiko

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Reptile

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: B

Scorpion

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: A+

Shang Tsung

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: S

Sindel

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: B+

Smoke

Fatality 1: C

Fatality 2: C-

Sub-Zero

Fatality 1: B+

Fatality 2: B

Tanya

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: B+

Kameos (Bonus):

Cyrax: S

Darrius: C-

Frost: C

Goro: A

Jax: B

Kano: C

Kung Lao: C

Motaro: C+

Sareena: A

Scorpion: B

Sektor: B+

Shujinko: A

Sonya: C

Stryker: C+

Sub-Zero: B

Why Do You Think Liu Kang Couldn’t Fully Remove Tarkatan’s Existence?

(If the answer is in Liu Kang's intros, I didn't know because I haven't seen all the character intros.)

I always wondered why Liu Kang had to convert Tarkatans from being a race to a colony of diseased people. It could be that a rule on making a timeline is you can't remove a significant aspect that's involved in every timeline.

I have a theory that Liu Kang tried to remove the Tarkatan race but couldn't because of the Hourglass' interference, so he believed that making it a disease that's hard to spread was the only solution.

I kind of wished that MK1(story or intros) hinted at the limits a Time Keeper has when making a timeline and being involved in it. Maybe I've missed that in the intros since I haven't finished watching them.

How I Would Write Kronika As MK1's Villain?

During the period when the first 20 minutes of gameplay came out, I thought Kronika might be the villain. I was mixed about the idea because I was nervous that the writers might fumble her writing like in MK11, but I had some hope that she could improve. Plus, her new design is a massive improvement compared to her previous one and it kind of sucks that her character is just a disguise. I really wanted MK to have a well-written female main villain.

Overall, I enjoyed the ending we got but the multiverse idea seems a bit too much. I would've preferred Liu Kang's and Shang Tsung's timelines to be the only ones that exist since, in canon, they were in Titan status in MK11 Aftermath. But, MK1's ending does not make me hate the game or the franchise. I'm still invested in it.

Anyway, this is my idea: (I really like the setup/base of the story so most of my changes are minor except for the final battle.)

Instead of MK11 Shang Tsung disguising as Kronika, Kronika would disguise herself as a high priest called Damashi, who is connected to Outworld's royal family. She plots with Shang Tsung and Quan Chi on how to overthrow the kingdom and rule the realms (a lie). To keep Geras convinced that Kronika is dead, Kronika wiped the knowledge of her having a failsafe plan to become a mortal if she is near death. As Damashi, I’d have her appear throughout the story but in the background and for only a few moments, watching the events unfold, to hint that something is wrong. Shang Tsung is still very manipulated and is the cause of General Shao, Rain, and Reiko betraying the royal family.

When Shang Tsung introduces “Damashi,” it will be Kronika in her true form instead of Titan Shang Tsung. She would berate Liu Kang and his timeline, saying that balance is the true way to create a timeline. Liu Kang argues that giving people free will to be good instead of taking away that choice is the right thing to do. Kronika then reveals that she created another failsafe within Geras- if she ever loses her Titan powers then she can steal Geras’. She extracts his powers, reverting him back to his MK 11 self. Geras' corruption causes the Hourglass to break, slowly destroying Liu Kang's timeline. Some of the characters start dissolving/disappearing so this leaves Liu Kang on his own. He travels to the Hourglass and the final fight starts with Kronika as the main fighter and Geras as her Kameo. If Liu Kang does damage to Kronika, it causes her life bar to steadily increase. Instead, Liu Kang would have to hit Geras, who is much weaker since Kronika absorbed most of his powers. The player would have to wait for Geras to appear on stage while avoiding Kronika's attacks. Kronika is defeated and Geras is healed. Out of wanting to properly protect the timeline, Liu Kang decides to reabsorb his Titan powers.

I intended this to be a parallel/comparison between Liu Kang and Kronika’s ideals on how a timeline should be and their treatment of Geras. While Kronika believes balance is the best way to handle a timeline and treats Geras like a servant/tool, Liu Kang believes people are more capable of good and sees Geras as a friend.

I really wanted MK1 to focus more on Liu Kang's struggles with being a Titan and Earthrealm's protector, such as making sure the timeline gives all or at least most people the free will to choose their destiny, his melancholy with not being with his friends like in previous timelines, and seeing them die in the future.

MK1 Character Writing Review

I'm curious about other fans' opinions on MK1's character writing. Personally, I think it's improved most characters but there are some issues.

Ashrah: I'm happy she's back because Ashrah was the 3D-era character I wanted to return. I really like that they kept her story from the 3D era but improved it. I'm curious to see if she'll get corrupted by the Kriss in the next game.

Baraka: His story improved immensely. I never cared for Baraka in the previous games since he wasn't developed enough and was just one of Shao Kahn's henchmen. Baraka being a victim of Tarkat makes him more sympathetic and interesting. I hope he gets a happy ending but I think he'll die in the later games.

General Shao: I'm a bit disappointed in how he was written. I was hoping we'd learn about his past and how it affected his personality. Shao was born with a weak body, so I expected his father to be abusive by forcing Shao to go beyond his limits. This would cause Shao to believe being strong is the only thing that matters. Hopefully, the next story portrays Shao as more than a stock villain.

Geras: I really liked this version of Geras compared to MK11's since he's more than Kronika's minion. He's loyal to Liu Kang but they are friends/partners, and Geras wants to protect Liu Kang's timeline because he believes in its potential.

Havik: I was really interested in learning about Havik, his powers, and the Chaos realm. I was disappointed that Havik was a minor character and his powers weren't explained. I heard that there will be a story taking place in Seido/Order Realm so I'm crossing my fingers that we'll have a great story for Havik and other Order/Chaos realm characters.

Johnny Cage: His backstory and personality didn't change that much which I'm glad for because MK9-11 Johnny had one of the best character arcs in that era. I really enjoyed his bromance with Kenshi and his comedic moments were really fun (my favorite was the Alien reference).

Kenshi: Kenshi's story was already good but it was improved upon and explored further. Kenshi wanting Sento to protect his family from the Yakuza and bring back the Taira clan made me sympathize with him, and actually seeing how he loses his sight was horrifying and broke my heart. His bromance was Johnny was one of my favorite parts and I hope they are in future games together.

Kitana: I found Kitana kind of bland. Unfortunately, with her old goal of wanting to be an Empress going to Mileena, she lost what made her interesting. She felt more like Mileena's sidekick rather than her own character. Maybe that'll change in future games since she's a part of Mileena's council.

Kung Lao: Kung Lao was likable and enjoyable. I don't have much to say other than that. I want the next story to explore his ego/arrogance and why he has that attitude. Although I really like Raiden as Earthrealm's champion, I sort of wish Kung Lao was the champion since he's wished for that opportunity for so long.

Li Mei: Li Mei is an okay character. She's kind of boring since she's a "follow the rules" character. Her and Sindel's friendship was the most interesting aspect of her. Li Mei's powers are really cool though, and I'm a big fan of Kelly Hu (her va).

Liu Kang: Having Liu Kang as Earth's protector and Time Keeper made his character more interesting compared to him being the "Chosen One." I am slightly disappointed in the way he was written. I expected/wanted Liu Kang to be a neutral good character where he's willing to do bad things to keep the peace. They kind of did that with Liu Kang creating meaningless lives for Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi, but he was never called out for those decisions. I also wanted the other characters to start questioning Liu Kang about why there are still tragedies occurring and why doesn't he intervene. Though we get it in the battle intros, I wanted it explored in the story. The writing for how Liu Kang's time powers was also pretty unclear. The power's restrictions were never specified so it's not obvious which events in the timeline are Liu Kang's mistakes or not.

Mileena: Adored her in this game! I love seeing Mileena happy for once with a loving family and a good life. I expected her to be overtaken by Tarkat the whole but was happy to see her with a regular mouth for most of the game. Having her as Empress is really interesting and can't wait to see more of that.

Nitara: I really wanted to like Nitara, yet she's so bland. I thought we would learn about Vaternius, and see Nitara being a truly neutral character. Compared to the other 3D characters in the game, she was the most disappointing.

Raiden: This version of Raiden is way more likable than previous iterations. He's nice, humble, handsome, and strong. He's literally the perfect man! I'd like his anger issues from the previous iterations to be developed in the next story. His anger would get out of control after a tragedy and he feels like being more ruthless is more beneficial to protecting everyone.

Rain: I don't have much to say about Rain. He's kind of boring and was sidelined in the game. Maybe he'll have some kind of connection to Delia and Argus, which will introduce them to the new timeline.

Reiko: Reiko's okay. The only thing I'm really interested in is his relationship with General Shao and it's mostly me wondering whether Shao is capable of caring/loving someone.

Reptile: Love this rendition of Reptile! Like Baraka, Syzoth is more complex and isn't only Shao Kahn's minion. He has one of my favorite designs in the game and his backstory shows the issue of internal racism. The only thing I'm iffy about is his family that was murdered was his wife and son since that is very similar to Baraka's backstory to losing his wife and children to Tarkat. Plus, it's kind of weird that he moved on with Ashrah relatively quickly. I would've preferred if his family were his parents or siblings.

Scorpion: At first, I was a bit iffy about Kuai Liang being Scorpion but think it was a good choice since it makes the rivalry between the Lin Kuei and the Shirai-Ryu more personal. I'm excited to see how his and Sub-Zero's story moves forward.

Sindel: Good queen and mom Sindel is best Sindel! She was very likable! I had a feeling she would die in the story though her soul being absorbed into Ermac was unexpected. I'm interested in where this story will go.

Shang Tsung: I really enjoyed how sassy Shang Tsung was, and was glad he was the main villain after so long. The only thing I'm disappointed in is we didn't see more of his backstory. Also, the idea of Shang Tsung being evil all along NRS was going with was pretty lame. I wanted to see whether Shang Tsung was truly born evil or if was he made that way because of his hardships. It being the latter would've been intriguing because it means Liu Kang technically created Shang Tsung.

Smoke: Smoke is a sweetie, but didn't have much going for him. I was really interested in Smoke when he was in MK9 so I expected him to have his own chapter and develop. Maybe the Lin Kuei/Shirai Ryu war will give me that.

Sub-Zero: I hoped Bi-Han would be an interesting antihero instead of a generic villain. His betrayal is fine, but I wish he was more indecisive or slightly regretful of his choice since he lost his brothers. For example, when he slashed Kuai Liang's eye, I wanted to see him be regretful and sorry for hurting his brother. We didn't get that, which is one of the biggest disappointments of the story.

Tanya: I'm neutral with Tanya. Personally, her role and personality are too similar to Jade's. She felt like a totally different character who happened to have the same name as the original Tanya. Changing a character's story is okay, yet there should be some part of the original iteration that stays. I do find her and Mileena super sweet and I hope they live a happy life.

OUUUUGHHHH IM DYING

🥹 they got together again, my poly couple <3

I just finished watching MK1 story

Imagine if these two bros meet

🎀"MISTRESS OF MAGIC"🎀

mortal kombat men & zatanna! reader intros | sfw

characters - liu kang , shang tsung , johnny cage

cw! mk1 styled intros, gn! reader, could be seen as either platonic or romantic

part 2

LIU KANG

You: God and Keeper Of Time? Talk about powerful.

Liu Kang: No need to flatter me.

-

Liu Kang: I look forward to your magic show.

You: I know you will! Johnny and I worked hard on it.

-

You: Belief is a rather fragile thing...

Liu Kang: You would know that better than anyone.

-

Liu Kang: You're father's fate was hardest thing to softened.

You: Is that so, then thank you for trying.

SHANG TSUNG

You: Rather egotistical man you are?

Shang Tsung: You're too polite, my dear.

-

Shang Tsung: Such a waste of power.

You: Thank the gods it never laid itself in your hands.

-

You: In another world your a good sorcerer.

Shang Tsung: Considering your supreme belief I'm almost inclined to believe you.

-

Shang Tsung: The battle of sorcerers begins today.

You: You lost this battle the moment you started using your gift for evil.

JOHNNY CAGE

Johnny Cage : Think about it, Johnny Cage and the Mistress of Magic!?

You: I quite like that idea, Cage.

-

You: With my magic anything is possible.

Johhny Cage: Not as powerful as movie magic.

-

Johnny Cage: is it true your a descendent of Leonardo Da Vinci

You: The one and only, Johnny Cage.

-

You: Would you help me show Outworld the wonders of showtime?

Johnny Cage: Say no more dollface.

Happy Chinese New Year!

They are performing at the Shaolin Temple

:( Not easy being Earthrealm's protector

Bro these Liu Kang and Kitana leaks got me all the way fucked up, I didn’t even okay MK9 or MK1 yet but I’m tripping OUT! How am I already crying😭

I’m done bed rotting for now chat 😍😍

Honestly they low key own this song ❤️❤️

She hasn’t smiled in a while

@lordarsonizzzzt wanna do a collaboration I LOVE UR ART ❤️❤️

My favorite sillies 🥺😭

Didn’t think that I was going to finish this 😍🫶

Poor Liu kang they slapped his face with stars 😭

Just a colored version 😘

Should I color it? Art block FUCKING SUCKSSS DIC-

Liu kang tired of these fools 💀😭

Johnny CAN NOT be talking 🥲

Liu Kang ft. a minor appearance from my MK OC, Nariah

Mk1 Incorrect Quotes pt. 9:

God Liu Kang: “You’re not ascending to godhood, you’re just dehydrated!”

Shang Tsung: “Outta my way, gayboy! I’m about to liberate my divine self from this mortal shell!”

Shang Tsung, later, laying on the ground on Yamcha position: “hopital”

Mk1 Incorrect Quotes pt. 8:

Liu Kang as a (human) child: “I can’t wait to grow up and have cool adventures!”

Liu Kang now: “I can’t wait to go to sleep.”

Mk1 Incorrect Quotes pt. 7:

Liu Kang, freshly after defeating Kronika: “God is no longer with us, I’ll take over.”

I’ve been thinking about that one “The last Unicorn” audio, the one that says “You hear me? You lost her! You trapped her in a human body, she’ll go mad!” “What have you done to me? I’m a unicorn. I’m a unicorn! I wish you had let the Red Vault take me. I wish you had left me to the harpies! I can feel this body dying all around me!”

Now imagine that but with Liu Kang. We know from his ending that [SPOILERS] taking back his power and title of Keeper of Time took a toll on his body. Nearly killing him and taking his immortality. And we know that Liu Kang had been a god for a good billions of centuries now. Even if was once a human, it’s not weird to think that after so long of being a Titan, he would’ve forgotten how aging felt. What it felt like to being able to die. Do you guys think he experienced something similar to body dysmorphia when he became mortal again? And that the same happened when he became a god the first time?

I feel so sorry (not really) for Sektor (she can go suck on a lemon for all I care). She’s trapped between the situationship of her boyfriend and their literal creator.

I swear Bi-Han has said Liu’s name more times than he’s ever mentioned Sektor and I’m here for it.