Dark Raiden and the Revenants | Wasted Plotential
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- čas přidán 4. 11. 2021
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#MortalKombat #JusticeForDarkRaiden #RevenantmanAndTheKytinn - Hry
Not gonna lie, the idea of revenant Liu Kang sending visions back to his younger self to prevent all of this is pretty genius and pretty much makes him a hero considering how messed up the time line has gotten.
No. First of all, how does Liu Kang know about the amulet and the event behind it? Second, why would he do this if this exact action led to every bad thing that happend to him in the first place. That doesn't sound like Liu Kang. Liu Kang doesn't feel like the sort of character to make exceptions for himself like this.
@@AstridRuna I'm pretty sure raiden told him about the amulet in mk9, and if that's really a problem you can always make a flashback, I think you're right, why would he do this? but here is the answer, he's corrupted, he's not going to act in a logical way.
@@AstridRuna My theory is that Liu Kang doesn't like being a revenant. If he sends a message to his past self, his past self will probably become disillusioned with Raiden and maybe even try to alter the events so that he doesn't become a revenant.
@@AstridRuna Raiden told him about the amulet, hence why he mentions the visions in X. Also him being a revenant makes him much more of an egocentric ass than his regular self
@@dalion6745 yeah but nothing about Blaze. Nothing about Armageddon or what has to happen to get to that point. Yeah, but being corrupted doesn't make you a different person, otherwise the fighting styles that Liu Kang and Revenant Liu use would be different. Even then the motivations would be off. So, why would he want to cease to exist instead of killing Raiden himself? Wouldn't he think that he can't risk that? Risking his old self not seeing eye to eye with what he wants, considering that his old self has dramatically different experiences and priorities? It doesn't make sense. Just too many discrepancies .
Dark Raiden in MK X
"No longer will I simply defend EarthRealm but seek out all those who threaten it."
Dark Raiden in MK 11
"By the Elder Gods!" (Disappears)
I love how they set him up in the post credits scene of MKX only to have him thanos snapped in the beginning of the next game
@@kamulecPL12 So friggin LAME
@@kamulecPL12💀like bruh what was even the point lol
They really did him dirty.
"Dark Raiden? Nah, who needs that?!" - NRS, definitely
Lets focus on kronika and pretend that the old boss of our favourite character dvorah,kotal kahn,becomes a good guy despite being a complete asshole on the last game!
@@vcsa681
Honestly, Kotal was all over the place...I really feel like the writers had no idea what to do with him
Yeah, Kotal from super badass in MKX comic, into a complete asshole in MKX, and then a literal punching bag in MK11.
@@myyoutubeaccount4167 Exactly
@@vcsa681 they completely forget of who shao and kotal was And we don’t even get a badass fight between the two
Bro how did I _not_ think of the Revenants triggering Armageddon solely to forge a better timeline where they don't get corrupted before?
That's simply genius of you to conceptualize, Snake
Ikr
This is canon now. MK11 isn't. Can we all collectively agree?
I'll say!
It makes perfect sense too. The Revs want a better world, they're not just evil for no reason.
When you mentioned the revenants triggering Armageddon to restart the timeline, I was shook because it was so genius and it makes so much sense. It was honestly the best WP, in my opinion.
Agreed
Mate this video genuinely gives me chills and then makes me feel sad because it shows how insanely good mortal kombat can be when done right
@@petertracycarrollThing is mortal kombat writers are bunch of apes that just bash their keyboards and use auto fix on the random words to make the story.
@@WhiterunGuard50 oh yeah... now you need to fight baraka for some reason
@@blood-reaper I like mk game's but to be honest writer's suck ass.
Damn~ Riaden calling for a Mortal Kombat tournament against KK was an Arcade ending concept I would have really liked to see~ And your idea seems soooooo cool XD
Also that Revenant Kung Lao skin BS sounds horrible XD
is kk still in a wheelchair?
@@juggei_jugsxd2841 kk in a wheelchair
@Charles Hastings this could have happened for mk11 aftermath part 2 where Raiden and Fujin create a weapon but it all goes wrong
Raiden would better hope kk isn't in a wheelchair or he's screwed
No dark Raiden vs good Raiden is such a waist
Dark Raiden and Revenant Liu Kang being the Deadly Alliance of this timeline is genius.
@@charleshastings7260what does this have to do with anything?
@@charleshastings7260He did.
Late but it's also a dark and kinda tragic irony. The mentor and hero are united once more...but on the wrong side meaning both of them now have to be fought
Man,the Cliffhanger and Potential of the rivalry/animosity/bad history behind Dark Raiden and Revenant Liu Kang and Kung Lao going to War with each other is one of the most frustrating things to come out of this mortal Kombat Trilogy,next to wasting Mileena and her relationship with Sindel and Kitana.
Ikr
I'm reminded of one of the early pitches for MK11, before the time travel idea was brought in, would be Dark Raiden declaring war against the Netherrealm and the heroes would have to pick sides. Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Sonya would be convinced Raiden is mad and join forces with Revenant Liu Kang and Kitana to stop him and his path of conquest and destruction. (Shawn referred to this as them forming a deadly alliance.) Raiden would have teamed up with Kotal Kahn and gathered an army of warriors from...purgatory which is a weird thing since I think that's never been brought up in MK. But regardless, that army would feature past characters returned to life. The two sides would come together in the final battle and ultimately after being defeated, the player would decide Raiden's fate. Either he'd be released, imprisoned, or brutally executed for his crimes. This pitch was the one lasting the longest, but Shawn felt there wasn't a lot good about it, but did seem to like how it put the pieces together from MKX and he doesn't like it that much looking back, but it doesn't sound that bad to me.
Apparently, him and others also felt it was a bit predictable and nobody was really excited for it. Which is kinda a bummer, as I would have liked this true sequel to MKX and this just confirms for me that most of the time you try to subvert expectations, it can very often fall flat. Ultimately, it was Ed Boon's call that they come up with something the players won't expect.
Another was like a group of MK characters get kidnapped into hell, possibly by Dark Raiden, and meet halluincations and personifications of their worst fears and enemies. Some of the characters may even be from alternate dimensions or timelines.
One of the final pitches had the final boss be Onaga. Dark Raiden, Revenant Liu Kang, and Kotal Kahn would be shocked when their strongest allies left them in favor of a fourth rival, Onaga. The mystery of why they left them would be solved by Raiden, who discovers they have been replaced by Shang Tsung clones. Onaga had saved Tsung from death and now Shang was kidnapping characters to clone and build Onaga's army. Raiden, Kang, and Kotal would be forced to team up to save their allies and defeat the Dragon King. One of the problems Shawn felt with this pitch was, "Were clones exciting?" and ultimately thought that they could do cooler stuff.
Another was Dark Raiden's corruption and power would cause the dead to rise in the realms. He would have blamed Revenant Liu Kang, but eventually learn the truth. Earthrealm and Netherrealm would have teamed up, but it would be too late and the curse summons a spirit that threatens all realms, with said spirit being like an even darker version of dark raiden.
Ultimately, it was Ed Boon's call to go with the time travel pitch that became MK11. (Though there were some differences here, such as Kronika being a guy, there being three eras, MKX, MK1 and Future,)
There's some more in the video I watched (History Behind the Warrior The Secrets Of Its Creation! Featuring MK11 Writer Shawn Kittlesen), but this comment is already way too long.
My point in bringing this all up is that they had numerous different pitches that would have properly tied into MKX, especially the first one. But it seems they mostly scrapped it because it was too predictable and, at least based on what Shawn says in that video, because they would have too many iconic stuff gone from the game. That's why some of the pitches they had involved ways to bring characters back. You know, sometimes doing what people expect is the better call and you can try to include stuff to not make it entirely predictable.
It's a shame that instead we got something that rather than building upon its predecessor, it instead chose to almost completely ignore it.
I like your idea as well, it's certainly a good way to continue the plot of MKX and I can't wait to see more of the MK11 fixes
Indeed
Too predictable, they say, before choosing something that wasn't at all hard to predict.
I think they made the classic mistake of misunderstanding "Unpredictable/Unexpected" = "Good". Shao Kahn becoming a strip-teaser would be unexpected but certainly not good.
Most of these pitches are way better than what we got in mk11
Well a lot of these sound cool, I think it would have been too ambitious for the devs. I would love to see these stories be created in comics or novels.
Having evil undead versions of good characters could’ve been so cool. I like to imagine it as a kind of character regression thing and a chance to show the growth of the characters when they were alive
But instead they have less character then robo cop or the terminator
@@kingsman5121 Ikr
@Charles Hastings heck add sindel and jade there and then it's pretty much perfect
@Charles Hastings Even if they bring those concepts back, they'll shit all over them again. Remember the MK9 retcon making Shao Kahn the winner or Cassie beating Shujinko somehow? That's the way NRS is, shitting on the 3D era while pandering to MK1-4 fans over and over again.
I wouldn't be surprised if they completely scratched the idea of the Great Kung Lao's story for MK12 and made it a MK1-4 reboot with the same cast again.
Your stories makes me weep when I think about how much potential was left on the table for this reboot trilogy. At the very least they should have you write the comics!
Just give snake his own comic series and he’ll do more with the characters in 3 months than Neatheralm could in 10 years
Wasted potential.
Hard Agree. Holy shit, this is a good idea.
Some of his ideas absolutely suck though.
@jaccblikky8977 eh, I mean you're not always going to have banger ideas, but what I've seen from him so far I like more than the current MK. MK1 does seem promising, however
The "I must win" at 7:01 put a big ass smile on my face. Good shit, this is a great video
I do like the idea of Kronika being one of the Elder Gods, if only because it would be nice for them to have distinct characterizations instead of a hive mind in MK9, and just Cetrion in MK11.
Nothing will ever beat the dissapointment of everyones reaction too finding out dark raiden got dusted for klassik raiden instead:*(
Besides scorpion lol
Mk11 should've just been about raiden being the main villian waging war against all realms and kotal kahn should've been the main protagonist,make outworld be the good guys this time around as they make a pact with earthrealm to stop raiden
Or at least have Fujin be the protagonist considering he’s apparently his bro now
@@nabilahmed579 i don’t think that’s a good idea but fujin can def be like someone who try’s to get through to raiden but is with kotal and the earth realm mortals
@@omarxperez Or worse following the evil ending of Aftermath Dark Raiden kills Shang Tsung but Fujin quits and unwillingly tries yo defy his brother and from the background Kotal enjoys the sibling fight
@@nestorsifuentesaguirre2722 imagine Dark raiden going ng through shang’s head like sentry did with the celestial. That would be so sick
"That Raiden would declare Mortal Kombat against Outworld."
Damn, I remember getting insanely hyped after playing MKX, and it seemed like that was the direction the games were going. Even Bo' Rai Cho's ending, where we might have gotten to see characters like Reptile have his own Chapter would be epic.
Now I'm sad because I remember how hyped I was.
I was thinking about a week or two ago about how cool it would have been if the Seido Civil War factions got involved with a battle between Raiden and Kotal Kahn. Now here's the 4thsnake bringing up that idea in this video. I also like to think Darrius would try and ally with Kotal as it would give him a better chance at defeating Hotaru now that he allied with Raiden, and that Kotal fought in his own civil war and won.
I know I’ve said this various times before, but, my dude, this actually sounds like a legitimately good Mortal Kombat scenario
Agreed!
U could even have rain be on dark raiden’s side as well as he might want to take control away from sindel and kitana, learning how to fully master his lightning powers.
Kinda like liu kang and dark raiden, he sees rain as more of his son (except rain will try to betray him) instead of trying to save liu kang, scorpion, sun zero, Johnny and Sonya etc can try to convince that rain will never be his true son even if he does adopt the same principles, his main personality will never be in favour and in favour of what dark raiden stands for. Dark raiden and rain win. And since we can include time travel, raiden can make a bargain with rain to bring back his father with the hourglass. Rain is hesitant about this as messing with time messes with edenia as a whole but he is so vengeful in wanting to hurt his father so bad. Rain being the backstabbed he is, he tries to form an alliance with other characters but he’ll eventually fall short with raiden beating mocking him for how really wanted to rule edenia for himself.
If u want to see how fucked dark raiden can go, have him disrespect his mother’s grave.
This will be after raiden destroys outworld and starts attacking the edenians next
There’s so much potential with dark raiden and they waste it just like that
@@nabilahmed579 I don’t think dark Raiden would ever really trust a non-earthrealmer. I don’t think he’d easily trust earthrealmers, either. But, when he does, his thirst for vengeance, if he ever felt betrayed or even slighted, would far exceed any level of comradery or bond or kinship with anything, outside of his role and purpose, he could possibly have as dark Raiden.
The slow to trust but quick to anger type.
I think he would work with outside affiliates and people not from his realm, if the situation requires it, but he would see it as a compromise more than anything
@@boyoboyo2272 true however the main representatives that we have now are basically full on evil
Kotal Kahn seems like the only level headed character in this game but in saying that, kotal Kahn is also a betrayer in this series too considering mkx.
I would imagine an ultimate deadly alliance between dark raiden, cetrion, geras and shao Kahn (considering he made some promises with him back in the day).
All 4 of them have their own motivations (unfortunately for geras and cetrion, they don’t have this as they are not shown to be major villains in mk11 when they would have been far better than kronika)
All of them would betray each other ofc with maybe shao going down first then dark raiden or Geras going up against cetrion.
The entire thing would’ve been miles better without kronika
NRS: "Why should we listen to this snake?"
Revenants existed Earthrealm heroes was killed by the Deadly Alliance and Onaga brought them back to serve him and good Ermac saved all of them wish we seen that in this timeline cause instead of the revenants being freed their past selves came back and some didn't even confront their revenants Kitana and Kabal the only two didn't confront their revenants.
Yeah
While I didn't care for MKX story the ending stinger did get me interested in where MK11 could go. Instead its like someone in the writer room said "eh fuck that" and just threw everything they set up in the garbage.
Watching Shawn Kittleson on HBTW's video talk about some of the Beta ideas for MK11, Really makes you see that there were actually some really good ideas for this game that they for some reason turned down
I blame Dominic "My OC is above The One Being" Cianciolo.
It would have been super cool to have more dynamics and interactions between Earthrealm natives and Outworld/Edenia natives , trying to cooperate and befriend each other despite their worlds's differences .
Ikr. Would also make some organic social commentary too, instead of the woke bs we got.
Writers or WB "We cant have the flagship characters and protagonist turn evil, fans want the good guys to be good guys. Even though we setup a plotline that could make them morally questionable and possibly intresting, no we need a bigger threat that threatens time itself. If the steaks are that big than surely players will be invested! Right?"
This was so good I had to replay it at least once. This made me want to rewatch every Wasted Plotential.
Seriously, sometimes, I'm tired of MK because of NRS' bullshits and the latest movie, but I just need to watch a Wasted Plotential video to feel better. This makes me love Mortal Kombat even more, its lore and potential.
I like this version of MK11. I was also anticipating a story centered around Raiden's face-heel turn and actively attacking Earth Realm's enemies. And your version of it where Earth Realm is depicted as the threat that Outworld used to be sounds really enticing. Also the dynamic of a revenant Liu Kang and Dark Raiden is definitely more interesting than just bringing in a brand new villain like Kronika.
I think your part 3 is where it got really good. The idea of pulling the story back to how the Netherrealm era games started works very well as a bookend and to think that it would be perpetrated by the biggest victim of it Liu Kang makes it all the more interesting.
That said I do want to nitpick a little. As far as I know Armageddon was dropped on them. Nobody saw it coming until it happened and the explanation is a little arbitrary. Why exactly did the fighters become too powerful only then and not any time before? I would argue that MK11's story already points to too many overpowered characters so why wasn't Armageddon triggered already?
Anyway that alone makes your part 3 - awesome as it would be - impossible because how would they even know about Armageddon? You could have Taven or Daegon awaken during this time with the excuse that there were enough overpowered fighters but why would any of the revenants trust in what these newcomers had to say? While you do complain that revenants Liu Kang and Kitana become Kronika's lackeys the game did a good job explaining that they did so out of necessity. Remember Raiden destroyed their stronghold and killed most of their Nether Realm army. They were vulnerable and then all of a sudden you have this person who can undo the damage just like that. If my goal was to protect myself against a Thunder God that just beat me this badly I would also ally with Kronika. And then to top it off her promise of a New Era with all the damage repaired and no meddling from Raiden would definitely convince me to also be ok with becoming a thoughtless lackey. Keep in mind that the promise Kronika made was that everything would be reset. So who cares if I have to side with my father's killer for now? Bigger picture. The New Era stops Edenia from being conquered in the first place at least in Kitana's mind.
Which tosses your suggestion about unlikely tag teams for the greater good into the fray. You've (hopefully unintentionally) made both arguments here. On the one hand arguing that Kitana and Kung Lao wouldn't side with Shao Kahn based on their personal issues then suggesting that Sonya could tag with Kano ignoring their issues.
And technically while you point out that MKX had the opening chapter about defeating Shinook and they had him return by the end MK11 didn't just leave off the MKX ending for the Kronika stuff. It started off by dealing with the revenants and Dark Raiden's aggressive approach and the costs of these actions were the deaths of Sonya and many soldiers as well as the destruction of the Nether Realm stronghold. Then weaved in between that stuff was the arrival of Kronika because this new timeline deviated too much from how Kronika usually ran things namely the Midway timeline. So imo the setup made sense even if the payoff wasn't as interesting as having a fully fleshed out revenant and Dark Raiden arc.
That's why I don't really agree that they were nostalgia baiting either. You made a point in your older videos about how the mirror matches were between very few characters and you make another point here that Netherrealm is milking the 2D era elitists. But even with the time travel stuff it doesn't go back to the 2D era. The past characters are from MK9 and all the references are from the Netherrealm games. Sure Johnny says "go back to the 90s" but that's because MK9 technically takes place in the 90s since it was revisiting the Midway era with its new spin. As for the mirror matches they were impactful. Scorpion and Hasashi for example. The Jax's. Killing off the Kano's. It wasn't every character and they definitely left tons out but it isn't as bad as you've made it sound imo.
As for the rule about sides I think it should be made into a new rule Raiden comes up with for the same reasons you stated BUT that the Lin Kuei in an act of rebellion side with Outworld even with the rule in effect. It's better than having some Outworld ancestor loophole. This could set up another story arc for them where maybe Sektor gets a little more agency than just being the spoiled nepotist. Maybe while still being who he is he needs to work honestly with the protagonistic Lin Kuei members in order to stay on Kotal's and Outworld's good side because he needs them just as much as they need the Lin Kuei against the threat Raiden poses. The uneasy alliance would open up drama and character development that could continue into future games.
Going back to how Kitana and Kung Lao will work with Shao Kahn or Scorpion will work with the Lin Kuei. Since Kronika is promising a New Era where everybody gets a fresh start I think this ends up making sense for all parties involved. I mean this is premise of Jax's story right? He doesn't want to side against his own daughter and Earth Realm but the trauma he's been through convinces him that the only choice he has is to bet on the New Era where hopefully all of the bad stuff gets wiped clean. Scorpion also mentions these terms that Kronika will resurrect his lost family. Hasashi's arc in MK11 is paying for his sins by convincing his past self to look forward for once instead of hoping to fix the past which was growth he showed in MKX. While his death was utter BS and I hate the bug even more for it Scorpion's lines when he arrives at the Fire Gardens is touching and missing from MKX thanks to that time skip.
I disagree about too many sides being invested in Raiden's tournament. I'm not sure if you saw my comment in your other video but in MK12 it's my hope they depart from the tournament setting. At this point Mortal Kombat is a sham. MK2 already made it pointless since Shao Kahn can just make another one and MK3 threw the tournament's rules and prize out the window. But you can play into that. Instead of the revenants sending a representative to show their vested interest in the outcome have them working behind the scenes to undermine it. They have the heaviest focus throughout the game where any time they are in a match during the tournament arc they are the player and they have to win. Similarly have the Lin Kuei screw the tournament and work as underground agents for Kotal also to undermine Raiden's tournament. And then have Raiden's side still end up winning causing the next arc to be a desperate struggle for the revenants to get their mission completed before Raiden has the chance to solidify his power base. At the same time Outworld and its allies figure out the revenant's scheme and have to race against time to stop both them and Raiden.
Also revenant or not if you want to give Liu Kang agency killing Kitana wouldn't work. It just makes him seem like a villain for the sake of villainy. Yes you can set it up that he's become arrogant as a revenant with the knowledge that he's the Chosen One + Champion + God candidate but if the goal is to right the wrongs of Raiden's altered timeline then murdering your Edenian allies because you don't care about them just makes Liu Kang look even worse than Netherrealm already made him in MK9 and MKX.
Anyway those would be my notes on your idea. I definitely love it more than the MK11 we got but at the same time I think credit should be given where it's due and I still consider MK11 better than MK9 and MKX and that they did a time travel story much more consistently than even Endgame and to a much more satisfying conclusion too. Plus the fact that it sets up a brand new MK12 storyline is hopeful. It gives me the hope fleeting as it might be that Netherrealm will come up with a decent game after the garbage so far.
On an unrelated note:
Kung Jin as a representative for the LGBT crowd is nice and all but until the exhibition intros I never got that vibe from him. During the events of MKX the story I got was that Kung Jin and Cassie were alike. They were both legacies with big shoes to fill. Cassie has it easier since her parents are big time Earth Realm heroes now while Kung Jin has to shoulder the burden of his relatives having become Earth Realm's greatest threat but were even bigger heroes than Cassie's parents beforehand.
It left me feeling a comradery between the two characters just like we saw with Takeda and Jackie but even better developed. I feel like he shouldn't even be LGBT because it doesn't really serve a purpose while matching him with Cassie really worked out well in MKX's story.
Nice concept with The Revenants wanting to trigger Armageddon. I would definitely prefer that over what we have.
I want them to explore the tigrar shokan. Kintaro is definitely stronger then sheeva, so why isnt he the king? I headcanon that only the dragon shokan were allowed, thus showing theres a discrimination in the shokan ranks.
Yh bro took a nuke and wasn’t knocked out
Yeah, and maybe even see if there were other subspecies of Shokan. Maybe there could have been an ancient species of Shokan that were fully dragon, having dragon-like features such as scales, horns and a tail that where more prevalent on them than they are on the regular present-day Shokan. Heck, maybe the Saurians could have some sort of tie to these Shokan, perhaps being an off-branch of these Dragon Shokan or maybe even a common ancestor that evolved to the point of being an entirely new species.
This is the type of stuff I'd like to see in MK again, getting to explore its lore and the many realms like how you did in Deception.
“I’ve been looking forward to this”
-Count Dooku
The fact that one person wrote a better more coherent story with a few hours of spare time than a team of writers with months or years of planning says how bad they fucked up
Also at 7:01 nice way to bring this full circle
I absolutely agree with you, the Outworld tournament should have been the focus, also I never got the you must be from that realm to represent it in the tournament. Because if that rule exists why did Shang Tsung, a man from Earthrealm be able to fight for the Outworld?
Shawn and Dominic: Dark Raiden and The Revenants are bad because we don't like turning heroes being villains
Also Shawn and Dominic: Let's retcon Kabal and Sindel into villains
If he said that, then I genuinely wonder how he got employed in the writing team
MK 11 ruined Sindel and contradicted MK 9. In MK 9, Shao Khan reveals that Sindel sacrificed herself to create a ward to stop Shao Khan invading Earthrealm. MK 11 just goes "Nah. Fuck that" and makes Sindel a bad guy
Jebus; other than killing Kitana - as her canonically stated/ignored LI - Why are they not hiring you to write the plot??? No, seriously, tell me. I think you've thought about these plots a heck of a lot longer than anyone designing the games. That is a compliment.
Once again, you prove that you should be in charge of this franchise. Another great video.
*Insert gif of Snake seeing “Kept you waiting huh”*
I love how you came up with a SUPER DOPE story idea in one video and Netherealm can’t do that with years and a studio
What up, J rock
@@nabilahmed579 aye nabil 😂
It’s crazy how much better this idea is than mk11’s story lol.
I figured the reason why the Lin Kuei fought for Outworld during MK9 was because Shang Tsung paid them to team-kill Earthrealm fighters then take a dive when it was time to fight Outworld's own, which as the tournament's grandmaster was his right.
This always bugged me a bit. Shang Tsung is from Earthrealm yet clearly supports Outworld during the tourney and the Elder Gods were okay with it. You figure Raiden would be allowed to remove the sorcerer and put someone with Earthrealm's best interests in charge.
Bro how can this man better tie the trilogy than the studio that worked with it for 10 years!
I think there's a lot of grey area we could play with in terms of soul lore and how it effects one's alignment in Mortal Kombat. Like Shang Tsung is born on Earth but represents Outworld. Have him sell his soul to Shao Kahn and receive a native Outworld one in return. It's a profane act that Bo Rai Cho is too pure to ever consider. Have the revenants souls be "reborn" in the Neatherrealm so they are a wildcard that sort of take over the tournament and win for Neatherrealm. Something like that.
If Hotaru wanted to, could he send a champion to hijack an Outworld v Earthrealm tournament and establish the first win against either for Seido? If they ever treated the lore with as much respect as some of us do, they could iron it all out into a fascinating and deep sci/fi and fantasy world.
How tf did one guy came up with a better Story in 10 minutes than mk11 a Story Forged by an entire studio in 4 years
I really appreciate your channel because you hold a lot of investment in the lore and characters of this franchise. You don’t give the series a pass for making new pretty lights or cool gameplay, and you often make suggestions to improve on what’s been made.
As a long-time Sonic fan, I share a lot of the same frustrations with that franchise, because just like Mortal Kombat, that franchise is being run by people who just do not understand it despite so many obvious solutions.
Love this video, and the idea that you brought up for an alternate version of MK11. After playing the game and seeing how the story was, I was a little inspired to come up with an idea for a different version of MK11. A concept name for MK11 I had was “MK XL”.
MK XL:
In this version, it would’ve used a couple of connected endings from MKX. Dark Raiden along with Scorpion and his clan would’ve faced off against Kotal Khan and his realm as seen in the endings from MKX. Kotal Khan would’ve created a tournament as a response against Raiden. In the story, I would’ve had the Revenants team up with a revived Shang Tsung (shown from Ermac’s MKX ending), and Outworld against Dark Raiden and Earthrealm. I would’ve also had some of the revenants be revived like Kung Lao (shown in his ending and Kung Jinn’s ending from MKX), Nightwolf, Jade (later in the story), and Kitana (towards the ending). Sonya could’ve been killed like in MK11, but return as a revenant. The ending could have revenant Liu Kang and Dark Raiden fighting again, but Raiden sparing him as he’s still adjusting to his Dark Raiden role, and possibly giving Liu Kang one last chance. I also thought about having another clone of Mileena showing up in the game. Fujinn could also appear in the game to help defend earthrealm, and there could be tension between him and Raiden.
MK 12:
For MK12, I would’ve used a similar plot to MK11, but it would be more like Armageddon. The hour glass could be the ultimate weapon to use, and Cetrion could’ve been the main villain or at least be more neutral and would want to actual help the timeline instead of what Kronika was trying to do. I would’ve had all the heroes and villains coming together for a final fight. I would have Kung Lao finally kill Shang Tsung and avenge The Great Kung Lao. The ending could possibly have Dark Raiden killing revenant Liu Kang, and taking the hour glass to reset the timeline and destroy all the realms except earthrealm. Liu Kang could be brought back, and restored to his human self and defeat Dark Raiden once and for all, and reset the timeline to undo the events of MK9, and make it into a perfect balanced timeline that could possibly resemble the Midway Timeline.
One of the worst parts about MK11 is that Dark Raiden ceased to exist and they never even bothered to explain why. He should've at least had a conversation with Past!Raiden.
Edit: This is actually a really good plot. NRS needs to hire you.
The fact that every plot line Netherrealm introduces gets half assed makes me question why put in the effort to even introduce them in the first place!
10 minutes worth of fanfic plot is more compelling than the entirety of a +2 year anticipated game which was SUPPOSED TO BE A NEAT CONCLUSION OF PREVIOUS GAMES.I'm actually disappointed that we're never gonna see what they could've done with dark raiden and revenant liu kang.Pain man,just absolute pain...
Aw, yes. The story we all thought it will be and deserve but sadly didn't get. Keep up the work Netherrelam is too lazy to do. 👍
I would love to see a Revenant Mileena, but NetherRealm said, "Nope!"
"Actual interesting plot idea? Hahaha good one!" NRS story board meeting
But wasn't quan chi weak of where he couldn't make one?
Mileena allying with the revenants would have been interesting considering liu, kitana and sindel are now corrupted by evil now and they might take mileena in
But tbh. Why can't noob saibot be brought back by the elder gods like scorpion in mkd? And plus more powerful?
@@Honestlynothingelse that is acc another good question. U’d think of them to create people to enforce their will onto people considering elder gods are basically like the watchers except they are dickheads.
But they don’t even care.
this is interesting. it also opens the possibility of different ending chapters depending on which side you picked, sorta like how injustice2 tried to do but with actual reasons for it rather than dumping all the character development to have a conflict.
one ending is the revanants side where if they win Liu kangs does his plan to send a message back to his past self, perhaps it even leads to past liu kangs not trusting past raiden to further build in to revenant liu kangs distrust of raiden. or if raiden helped revenant liu kang(forming a new deadly alliance) hen while the visions sent to past liu kang still lead him to distrust raiden he is still lead to believe that both of them are necessary for a better future.
the other ending is after seeing what this new deadly alliance is trying to do many of the previous warring sides join up and but their differences aside for the greater good. even some of the revenants joining them after seeing just how far gone Liu kang has gone(example is jade joining them after seeing liu kangs kill kitana). some of them might join the new deadly alliances side as well at the beginning either out of selfishness or to finish up conflicts from before(like scorpion originally joining them to repent for dooming the revenants in the first place, maybe even facing both the current sub-zero and the previous sub-zero(noob saibot) who are working together now to save the realms, perhaps even noob saibot saying he is sorry for what the lin kuei did to scorpions clan and that he forgives the former specter for what he did to him). if this side wins(don't know who would be the final character for the final match, but perhaps its cassie to solidify her new 'choosen one' status or fujin since he is uncorrupted unlike raiden, or maybe after beating one or both of the deadly alliance they are brought to their senses and they do it but don't do their twisted plan.) but regardless who ever wins on this side uses the godly power given to them to restore the revenants and clear dark raiden from their well- dark thoughts. after that not sure what will happen to build up mk12, but perhaps like you said kronika could be actually built up as the villain in the next game by having her bring back dark raiden and possible even shinnok from the previous timeline to , and if MUST, make time travel shenanigans the main plot of the next game.
another possible ending is dark raiden going against revenant liu kang and instead choosing to make his twisted way of saving Earthrealm with armageddon. if he wins he forces all realms to merge with earthrealm and be under his godhood thumb, bringing a ironic twist against his past goals of protecting his realm from a similar fate(though maybe this fits in more with a character ending rather then a possible ending in the story)
In order to come full circle Dark Raiden should have killed a resentful and tired Johnny after Sonya dies in the new tournament and the thunder realizing how far he has gone, it would be similar to injustice superman killing Lex Luthor but it would work
Dark Raiden and the revenants would be an awesome band name
I have a similar idea. Except that Dark Raiden and Revenant Liu Kang have to settle their differences, since they're the new Shao Khan and the new Goro respectively. Johnny Cage even proposes himself as the new Shan Tsung. It makes more sense, if I told you the whole story.
Nah the new shang tsung should be liu kang,while dark raiden is new shao kahn that makes more sense,than johnny cage
@Charles Hastings or even better, dark Raiden and rain have a father-son relationship, similar to Liu and raiden
That feeling, when you don't need to share a video with your enemies, so they could suffer along with you
I feel like unlocking skins for characters shouldnt be entirely removed, but instead you would have all unlocked but one and have that one be unlocked once you beat the ladder for that character, this makes sure that the player must get good at the character to unlock it but not have to rely on stuff like online
Raiden being the main antagonist in this situation has me baffled, though.
Kotal was already shown to act like a spineless coward, quick to throw Earthrealm away to appease Shinnok. Not to mention, Outworld is a dangerous realm, even with Shao Kahn gone, it’s a threat to Earthrealm, and to get rid of it, would be good for everyone, regardless if Raiden wears goth makeup or whatever.
I’d prefer if Kotal, unable to act as a powerful ruler like Shao Kahn, and scared of powerful threats like Raiden or Shinnok, ends up searching for power, concluding with Onaga taking possession of him, then wanting to merge all realms and yadda yadda yadda
Hmm.. Maybe both rivaling realms could be no better than the other, which could lead to both of them waging a bloody war with each other on who gets to control the realms, with many characters either fighting for Dark Raiden or for Kotal. There could even be some small neutral groups like Sub-Zero's Lin Kuei, the Vaeternas vampires like Nitara, and maybe even the Black Dragon who could be working for both of them as double agents and suppliers for weapons.
Maybe if Scorpion fights for Raiden , he fights Sub-Zero , who convinces him of his mistake after losing to him .Hanzo realizes his error and defends him (Maybe mirroring their relationship in MKII) from Raiden when he insists Kuai Liang be "finished" for not only being a "threat" but a "traitor" .Raiden beats both to set him up as dangerous and threatening , almost killing both .
Raiden would’ve gone after scorpion first since his obsession over revenge nearly got raiden fucked over
Every fighting game channel has their masterpiece of a wasted concept. A.B.I.torial had Ryu's V-Trigger 2 turning him into Kage, and now you have posited the idea of Liu Kang recreating Armageddon
I was a bit iffy on this at first but then you dropped the Time Travel bombshell, and boy did it hit like one. That idea is GENIUS.
Also to add in the Ermac/Jerrod plotline and facilitate a time travel game, have it so that Revenant Shang Tsung consumes Ermac as the Edenians are killed off and at the end of the game have him create the crown for Kronika.
I also hated the fact that after regaining his humanity, becoming a father figure to Takeda and getting his revenge on Quan Chi in X present Scorpion is killed off so his past stale angry revenant "I will avenge my family and clan" self can come back.
while I prefer the 2D games over the rest of the series, I really don't like the idea of NRS clinging onto the 2D era for nostalgia since it's beyond lazy & extremely uncreative to keep doing. I don't mind seeing classic characters return every now & then, but I've always been more interesting in seeing new characters & stories and occasionally bringing past rumored/dropped characters to life like Hydro, Aqua, Khrome, Hornbuckle, & Belokk. hell, I would even be in favor of a MK game where all of the characters are original and none of them are legendary characters. they could focus on a completely new story that had no connections to the previous games and I would be perfectly fine with it. but NRS doesn't seem to get the damn hint.
I agree. Reminder that some of the classic beloved characters like Noob or Rain started out as joke characters. For example, they could continue Meat's story and make him an actual character. Hell, they did it with Stryker in MK9, he was the best part of that game.
@@ChamChamRealSmooth I don't mind fleshing out past characters like with Noob, Rain, & Meat, hell, I don't mind fleshing out characters such as Chameleon, however, that can also be an advantage since he's the only ninja whose still mysterious while we know probably too much of the other ninja characters. my point was basically that I don't mind seeing some classic characters come back on a case-by-case basis, but I don't want this franchise to just cling onto nothing but the legendary characters and repeat the same old games due to nostalgia and/or lazy writing. which is sadly what these games keep doing aside from god awful writing and the disrespect to the lore, which can easily be comparable to the Star wars Sequel Trilogy. they really needed to do something new & different and give us new things, but either they don't seem willing to commit to it.
>no revenant smoke interactions with Sub in X
>no smoke at all in 11
"Nether God Liu Kang"..... damn that's good
Imagine if they made the revenants and Dark raiden the plots of mk11 and saved Kronika for mk12. The whole time theme would makes sense since all of time would reset after the 12th game like a clock would go back to 1 after passing 12.
Bro singlehandedly came up with the best plot they could have gone for. Also kind of foreshadowed MK1 with the clashing timeline thingy
It's depressing to know that we will probably never be heard nor our ideas ever be considered.
Entireseries of MK11 Wasted Plotential?
Take all my money!
Dude really gave us a better excuse to have a Scorpion vs Sub Zero fight at the 2 minute mark alone than the last 2 games with an entire writing team...
I thought NRS writing "team" was just two dudes who don't have the first clue about MK lore?!
@@EndoScorpion oh right
well the writing team for a decades old franchise that brings forth millions being that is not very good look either
Firstly I'd like to say this is a *very* good plot idea. Secondly, have you considered doing a Wasted Plotential on the Outworld Civil War? I felt it could have been interesting if done better, like have Reiko or Goro instead of Kotal and make Mileena's faction not be pathetically weak, or at the very least more sympathetic. I mean, Mileena *is* biologically the daughter of King Jerrod and Queen Sindel, maybe leverage that somehow? Allude to Sindel's ending in MK9, with Mileena promising that all the realms Onaga and Shao Kahn conquered in the past would be made separate and independent if their inhabitants helped her become ruler of Outworld, though as the sole blood heir to the previous king, Mileena would still be Princess/Queen of the split Edenia. Could also allow Nitara to make an appearance as one of her allies and expand on her character. Maybe show Ermac-Jerrod teaching her all he knows about running a kingdom for the years between MK 9 and 10.
Nether realm should hire you your story is infinitely better than mk11s
Dark Raiden Literally had more screen time in mk1 than the game where HE was supposed to be the big bad lol
All the revenants should of been restored back to their normal self by MK11. I was hoping to see human Smoke again
And still no explanation where revenant Jade was in MKX she was the only one missing and where was revenant Smoke, Stryker and Sindel in MK11 revenant Sindel pop up in Aftermath but what was she doing?
I have an idea for that in one of the other MK episodes.
Yeah
@@The4thSnake Looking forward to the Jade/Kotal video
"I must win..."
Wow! Chills!
1:09 I say the zombie Liu Kang from MK Deception/Armageddon was more interesting. Yeah, he was just a mindless corpse, but at least that gave him a cool look. Revenant Liu Kang is just "I am evil and I get bossed around by everyone".
1:38 Yup, that's Ed Boon for you - thinking everyting 2D MK was pure gold and everything after that was total trash. Watch guys like Ferra/Torr, Erron Black and especially Kollector become punchlines and killed off-screen in 10 years like PS2 era characters are now.
Hey, remember how we set up the Cage bloodline as having super-duper power that can kick gods' butts and Cassie seemingly being the new champion of Earthrealm? Well, forget about that, cause we back-paddle super hard on that and not only get Liu Kang back in that slot, but also give him Ultra Instinct and make him the uber god of time. It also negates any tension in a future story cause no matter what Onaga shows up to be the threat, time god Liu Kang can just Thano-snap him away.
This fanmade story is so fucking HYPE!, I literally screamed out of exitement
Dark Raiden could have been other Raiden's bad traits dialed up to 11 AND he would put Raiden on the back foot as Raiden is essentially fighting himself
Yo this storyline playing out would be so good! Much better thought out than what we got.
Former enemies making alliances with each other is really cool idea. Bi-Han and Scorpion would have been dope af!
I love this plot line you’ve constructed. I think it’s safe to say that MK9 had the best story set up. It was tragic, it was suspenseful, it was breathtaking. The writers for MKX had some great ideas and I enjoyed the direction it went besides the fact not all the revenants were used and that the fights didn’t feel as dangerous as MK9. Raiden fighting all the revenants in MK9 and then restricted to fighting them in a cutscene was pretty lame. The camera work on MKX for when Mileena used the amulet and the pained yet furious look in her eyes, the callback to Raiden’s sin and regret over killing his sons. The settling of blood feuds between Scorpion and Tundra along with Sektor making an appearance. It all made the game valuable to me. The story of MK11 was trash. I think you came up with a way to solve that issue. I think every revenant should’ve had to explain their hatred while being a revenant. Nightwolf about his tribe, Stryker about his doubts about Raiden, Kabal’s anger towards Kano and trusting Raiden, etc. I would have loved to see the plot of the revenants causing Armageddon through two games where they slowly sabotage the tournament only for them to reset the timeline. I don’t think Kronika was a necessary plot line. I get the gods play a role in this universe but I prefer it when they aren’t the focus. I get bored as is with Zeus and all those other god tales that I don’t need to listen or watch a different god do the same cliche thing. I’d rather the gods play the role of guidance and pillar for a height of power. That’s what Shao Kahn was. He was a man to threaten that power. That’s what the bar should be set for big climatic storylines: can this bad guy become as powerful as the elder gods? Or focus on entities within the lore such as the komidogu and Onaga and Shujinko. Tavin and Dagon were also important plot points as well as the story of Takeda. It was all leading somewhere until MK11 rolled out. Now it’s just a pile of doodoo and I won’t be donating my money to a waste of time like that when I can watch it for free through a walkthrough and stop when I’m done dealing with it lol
I remember been hyped after MKXs post credit scene, I believed they were going to do the current timelines version of Deadly alliance with Kitana and Liu Kang instead of Shang and Quan chi so I was quite disappointed when they didnt go along with whatever they were setting up with that scene
I love your ideas 4thSnake!
While I really enjoyed Mortal Kombat 11 and its story but I do see your point. Gave me a lot to think about.
Thanks for the video.
I get why there was never a revenant Mileena, as she died when quan chi was in custody, but why was there never revenant Shang, Baraka, or Shao? Imagine how interesting the dynamic between revenant Liu Kang and Shang Tsung could've been.
Tbh i think for shang his soul was already with sindel and for mileena. Quan chi was like weak after bringing back the revenants but tbh if shang was still alive and works with quan chi. Hell. We would've got the great revenant kung lao
I have my own idea for the Revenants that I used in an MK11 ‘Reimagined’ fanfic:
Have Dark Emperor Liu rule the Netherrealm, having accepted his new evil side, out of vengeance towards Raiden and Earthrealm, which he plans on conquering. He feels like he is the one fit to rule it, as the former Mortal Kombat Champion.
Meanwhile, both Jade and Kung Lao resent what they have become and the atrocities they committed, so they instead decide to break away from Liu Kang and join the Earthrealm forces, in hopes of finding a way to restore the revenants.
Kitana would be stuck in the middle, conflicted. Would she choose her best friend, Jade, or her tyrant lover, Liu Kang?
That way, it would keep the ‘Evil versions of Earthrealm Heroes’ idea going but give each revenant their own identity and motives, rather than being evil because…reasons. And have it so that some of them instead choose to see the light instead of being trapped in the darkness.
Storywise, have Shang Tsung re-emerge (let’s say, he was freed after Shao Kahn’s death) and help Liu Kang find the Kamidogus for a ritual similar to Shinnok’s Jinsei corruption in MKX. Meanwhile, Dark Raiden sets out to stop Liu Kang, and is forced to participate in a Mortal Kombat Tournament in the Netherrealm, where their Kamidogu is on the line.
Eventually, it all comes down to Raiden returning to his heroic form and Shang Tsung betraying Liu Kang to have all the power to himself. Then Raiden transfers the last of his energy to restore Liu Kang, who defeats Shang Tsung and uses the Jinsei to restore the Revenants.
Loving this channel, lol, this is exactly what I've found ridiculous about how MK has been written. keep up the good work
If the retcons weren't egregious enough, I dislike when NRS seemingly write over previously established ideals that were better than the retconned variant; MK11 Kabal, MK11 Sindel, MK11 Jade (especially regarding her and Kotal's romance) and MK11 Skarlet to precisely prove my point
This video deserves more viewership, I definitely would've preferably have MK11 be centered around preventing Armageddon thus the trilogy feels connected as its the battle of Armageddon that began it and I also don't see this aspect be mentioned as much but, I personally value the idea of MK returning to a more tournament-styled setting which is what the series was initially centered around up until MK4 or technically MK3 and its invasion. the Dark Raiden and Revenants' rewrite really make me appreciate what MK could've been had they not decide on a third reboot. You also deserve an instant like for suggesting MK12 be The New Timeline characters versus their Original Timeline counterparts, pretty good stuff overall
It's always nice to hear you incorporating the time travel stuff from MK9. I was pretty much was introduced to the series through the story mode.
And MKX just felt off when it didn't bring it up at all. And MK11... well I much prefer your version as it goes full circle with MK9 and Armageddon.
Your ideas are way better than the plot in MK11.
"By the Elder Gods!"
- Raiden, probably
You know, at first I was starting to question how the Revenants would know about Armageddon since only Argus, Delia, Blaze, Daegon and Shinnok know about that...then I remembered, SHINNOK knows about it and was their leader at one point so he could have easily told them. So its absolutely possible for the Revenants to be aware of both Armageddon which should still be a thing in this timeline since even with time alterations, Taven and Daegon were still sealed so Delia, even in this timeline foresaw it as well as Blaze because Shinnok wants Daegon to get the power or at least wants control over it. Would make him seem more intelligent as you could retcon that he wanted the Jinsei to amp him up enough to fight Blaze who is guarding Onaga's egg and with both Jinsei and Blaze's power, he'd be a threat unlike any other.
Also as I type this I realize, Daegon is on Shinnok's side and he leads the Red Dragon, why wasn't the Red Dragon assisting Shinnok in MKX? That could have been a good way to bring back Red Dragon characters, give them a redemption (as in, make them cooler so fans like them) and have Kenshi have a more personal stake in it. Instead we just get Mary Sue Quan-Chi and D'Vorah and Fallen Chump God Shinnok.
I really liked this episode, certainly one of the best i can remember.
I always thought it was really bad how they wrote dark raiden out of the story. the only good thing was that the logic which "killed" dark raiden was used later again with god lui kang, but that was not worth it as the pay off and especially not for screwing everything relevant happening in mkx.
I want this game to be made!
Dude I love this take on the story mode. Like I wish this is what happened like omg this is so good and the idea of Lui Kang sending vision to his past self so he can reset time to make a better timeline In his image. And absolutely NO Kronika
Can I just say what I'm sure others already have said; Your idea is fucking brilliant. Reminds me of the glory days of the likes of the likes of Deception's story.
I really appreciate the effort put in to make the 2-second clip at 6:19
Not a bad video at all. Enjoyed all the mini points you brought up. The end rant about the future proofing killed men 😂😂
Ah, the Revenants. So much writing potential. And it all went down the toilet. Just like MK11's writing.
This video shows a great potential that exists in the entirety of the Revenant plotline. But I will also explore the potential in each individual Revenant's story (+ the potential of one more undead character). What I will present are multiple ideas for multiple storylines for each character and not just a single script for each character, due to the many different ways that potential can be approached. Also, some of these ideas have been inspired by some fan-works from other people, including this video. If you're curious, I could give you the titles of said fan-works.
First, some general ideas.
The Revenants are in a way a big family. A group of people who were fighting for a common goal, a lot of them were friends before, most of them got killed together, they all served together a common master for more than two decades and all have now lost said master alongside their newly found sense of purpose. Maybe now that Shinnok and Quan Chi are gone and their influence on them no more, some of the Revenants' old better traits have started rising back to the surface. The Revenants are either disgusted by that or those older traits of theirs are resurfacing in a more twisted and distorted version, changing the Revenants' motovation from taking over the realms to wanting to save them but in a twisted way. The Revenants are a legitimate threat in the story. If we do the past and present fusion, the Revenants are shown to be more powerful than their past versions. They had more time to develop their powers and skills, they are more experienced, are not holding back during fights, have gained new powers and abilities, now their past versions' moves and tactics, have higher resistance to pain and can survive some otherwise fatal injuries. To balance their power level, some of their older skills and powers are a bit rusty, they are more prone to anger and emotional manipulation and their bodies are more fragile and easier to damage. Alongside the story, the Revenants' find out about their fates in the original timeline. Depending on the Revenant, their reactions might differ. Perhaps, the Revenants get mad or depressed upon finding out the horrible fates they had, maybe they desperately try to undo it, maybe they question their new goal wondering if the only way for the realms to be saved us by them suffering horrible fates or fearing that they might not manage to accomplish anything and might only make their fates and the fates of the realms just as bad or even worse. Also, each Revenant's views and relationships with the other Revenants will be explored. Some relationships will be explored below.
Liu Kang
His role and personality is mostly the same as in the video. Perhaps we explore his view on his fellow Shaolin and his former allies who are still sided with Raiden. We also get to hear what he's got to say about Dark Raiden. Maybe he actually grows a bit of respect for him and that's why he reveals his plan in Snake's rewrite, hoping to result in them making a Deadly Alliance of some sort.
Jade
Oh, boy. That's a big one. Jade's rewrite is based on the lore in her MK9 and MK11 endings and Kitana's MKX ending. Her new-found power comes from her mother, who's a former Elder God, a former Titan, some other kind of deity or just some higher-level powerful being, and it grants her strength and might beyond any mortal in the cast, ability to see the future/alternate realities and immunity to time-stopping. During her time at Shinnok's service or at any point from her death to the start of the main plot of MKX Jade discovers those powers of hers and Shinnok or Quan Chi, recoginising those powers and realising the benefots they could provide them sends Jade to some sort of special area in the Netherrealm or any other realm to practice said powers, thus explaining Jade's absense in MKX. At the start of MK11, Jade has reached a good enough mastery of her powers for the Revenants to call her back and thanks to her start their plan. She could be used as the one to charge Raiden's amulet, with the main plan being to steal it so as Liu Kang can be the one to use it, or she could simply look at alternate futures/realities so as the Revenants can decide how to act. If we use Kronika in the story, then the reason why Kronika shows up the moment she does is because Jade has awakened a good portion of her powers by that point and Kronika ensures to show up at just the right moment when Jade is still not a threat to her plan, but also when she can still prove herself useful. Kronika keeps Jade alongside her in the room of the Hourglass explaining herself as needing her to create her "perfect timeline". Whether genuine or a lie, Kronika's decision can be justified by a plethera of things:
-Kronika is interested in Jade's potential, either because of her ancestry or because Jade never reached that level of power before, and wants to keep a close eye on her.
-Kronika wants some kind of apprentice to continue her work. Shinnok has failed multiple times and Kronika either feels that Cetrion is easily influenced by her beliefs over power of life or has started noticing Cetrion's doubts over the plan and maybe even Cetrion's betrayal scheme. Perhaps she also feels that neither of them fully grasps her scheme since they each represent only a half of the balance she plans to bring. In Kronika's eyes, Jade seems like a potentially competent apprentice who she can manipulate to follow her ideology.
-After thousands of failed attempts, Kronika feels like a second yielder of the Hourglass could bring success. She chooses Jade over Shinnok and Cetrion for the aforementioned reasons.
-Kronika considers Jade a threat to her plan and wants to keep her in check.
In terms of what Jade herself does in the story, we could explore her stance during all this. Maybe her being Kronika's apprentice and learning about her ancestry has inflated her ego and she got tired of being delivered from master to master. What happens when she learns that Kotal is now treating her past version as her? Maybe she feels she feels that Kotal left her, abandoned her, replaced her with a version of herself that he preferred.
Also, her design has changed and it is more in line with the costume her past self wears during the story mode, basically giving a dark priestess/royalty arsthetic.
Maybe we could have the powers she already had before becoming a revenant as a slight showcase of the powers she inherited from her mother Johnny-Cage-style.
Smoke
At some time from his death in MK9 to the start of MKX, perhaps by similar circumstances as Jade, Smoke unlocks his demon powers and thus refers to himself with his demon persona. We could explore a bit the Mortal Kombat world with the existense of demons. Maybe Shinnok's army back when he fought Raiden consisted of demons of Enenra's kind, therefore Enenra has a feeling of loyalty/subservience to Kronika and of natural hatred to Raiden. Perhaos thanks to Kronika, Cetrion, Jade or through petsonal training, Smoke and Enenra can be temporarily seperated, thus allowing Smoke to summon Enenra in a physical form to fight alongside him for a temporary amount of time. Perhaps, Smoke and Enenra can be voice-acted by the same VA who gives different takes for either of them (or Enenra's voice has simply some sort of filter effect over it) and the two voices being on top of each other when the two are not seperated, giving a feeling of Smoke and Enenra a true creepy feeling of the two of them being distorted versions of the same being. Gamepley-wise, Smoke and Enenra can both be seperate skins or they could have a moveset similar to Noob and take his place in the story mode, which in a way makes more sense to do onstead of shoving in a character whose story was over and whose character was assassinated 2 games prior.
As for Smoke himself, he was turned into Shinnok's forces alongside Sub-Zero, his best friend, and Jax, who the two were put together during the invasion and we could assume were in OK terms. Scorpion was also amongst Shinnok's forces and, despite his original hatred for him, Smoke accepted him as an ally due to their shared allegiance. So, him and Sub are still BFFs, him and Jax kinda like each and he has accepted him and Scorpion on the same side.
Then, Scorpion, Jax and Sub-Zero get turned back into humans, Sub-Zero throws black stone behind him, Jax comes back just to criticise them, beat them up and take their master and Scorpion with his actions tells them to literally go to Hell and kills their master and their last remaining sense of purpose as well as their chance of escaping their undead fates. He considers the major good guy team a bunch of hypocritrs, he loathes Sub-Zero for following the Lin Quei morality of "duty over family", a.k.a. the morality that was placed on them by the same clan to kidnapped them as infants and betrayed them and despises Scorpion, considering him responsible for everything wrong with his life: Bi-Han's death, Quai Liang getting captured by the Cyber Lin Quei, him and his friends getting stuck as Revenants with no purpose and his two best friends, Quai and Cyrax, getting taken away of him.
Maybe having knowledge of his fate in the original timeline gives Smoke the idea to ally himself with Noob Saibot (if we decide to put him in the story mode anyway) and together to create their own Deadly Alliance similarly to the original timeline in order to taunt Raiden and Sub-Zero. If Noob has his MK9 or MK11 characterization, he will most likely agree. But what if that's not his characterization?
This comment continues in the replies.
Thank you for video. I love very so much Revenants.
As grandmaster, blueberry ice one said “such wasted potential”