Scorpion and His Counterparts - A Brief Analysis
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- čas přidán 7. 06. 2024
- Deep dive into Scorpion and his 2 offshoots - Smoke and Takeda - their powers, backstories and symbolism. If you're reading this, then.. w-why are you reading this? Just watch the thing, subscribe, click 'like', 'dislike', do something.
Timestamps:
00:00 Fire Intro Bruh
00:50 The 'Anti-Ninja'
01:57 Shirai Ryu History
02:53 What Makes Scorpion Interesting
04:22 Powers & Abilities
05:31 Quan Chi Tangent
07:27 Duality, Symbolism & Masculinity
08:42 Parallels & Contrasts with Sub-Zero
10:57 The Tragedy of Scorpion
13:03 Neutrality
15:12 Smoke
20:57 Takeda
#scorpionmortalkombat #smokemk1 #takeda #scorpion #mortalkombat #mortalkombat1 #mk1 #netherrealmstudios #powersystem #lore #essay #analysis - Hry
I never thought I'd hear Smoke get called a walking identity crisis.
Neither did he.
I like this idea his colors being a distraction tactic for his comrades . This make him more than a warrior more than a spy or a assassin.
Yeah, which the newer iterations kinda gravitate towards anyway, with the samurai shtick, and it's the only way I can think of explaining the colour choices.
It's also just a subtle nod to Frank Miller's interpretation of Batman and his yellow Bat Symbol, so nice job.😉
@@Nick-up5wv Oh yeah, good point. Draw attention to what is bulletproof.
@@CynicalWarlock Exactly. Like you said Scorpion is a protector, so the yellow clothes serve as a diversion. I heard before somewhere that the Shiri-Ryu wear yellow as a form of mockery against the Lin Kuei. Basically the Lin Kuei are cowards and should wear yellow like the Shiri-Ryu. I don't remember where I heard it from, but it sounded cool at least.
@@Nick-up5wv I read that too. That's the iffy part, for me, cause if all of them wear yellow, that's kinda where my suspension of disbelief ends. The idea of mocking the Lin Kuei is badass though.
I cant believe you just turned Mortal Kombat into an Allegory for Psychopathy
Too much time on my hands.
I mean where there is smoke there is fire
damn. Hearing you call Smoke out like that made me realize that ur right. Mans has no agency in his own story because its not really *his* story.
Fan base: Smoke has no agency.
NRS: We'll make Smoke build an advertising agency.
@@CynicalWarlock okay but you might be cooking tho.
If smoke can't be a standout character, why not make him the glue that binds such important factions and people together.
Kinda like how Tomas is a weird tagalong for Kuai Liang's Shirai Ryu in MK1. Make him the Ryu's...idk receptionist or some shit.
@@YaGirlGumption You and I could talk our way out of jail.
@@CynicalWarlock decided to play Mk1 Smoke's arcade story. He's the one that discovers Hanzo Hasashi and introduces them to the Shirai Ryu. Only giving us more fuel for the fire. And proving that Smoke is only there to be a bridge that connects the actually important characters together.
@@YaGirlGumption Smoke discovering Hanzo is the single best expression of his "where there is Smoke, there is Fire" catchphrase.
this new intro is something i would see in early 2010s, amazing
Totally had fun making it.
I feel like mortal kombat nowadays is heading forward without a purpose, kind of like Scorpion and becoming more destructive to itself.
That was deep.
@@CynicalWarlock As deep as the Netherealm
@@deadset15-hrvavik17as deep as the as early 2000s Lui kang killing you in kombat 💯💯
@@HannibalLecterXM4 just like this comment section, getting deeper now, literally :)
If 26 minutes is your idea of "brief analysis", then the world should fear the day you make a "long analysis" (Imma still watch it anyway, I just thought it was funny)
Yeah I thought it was funny too.
Diggin' that Takeda fic at the end.
Yey.
Absolute 🔥, no pun intended, on the direction of Takeda. You got ME now supporting him. Hopefully YOU'LL write ✍️ for NRS one day.👍
@@CynicalWarlock Thanks for explaining smoke properly and his abilities and I am curious about the totem magic you mentioned in the outworld rulers video (because i watched that video after I watched this one)😅😅 also I think it would be great if you explain magic and tech and how they interact with elemental shenanigans according to your headcanon
@@vishaldutta4375 So the end-screen worked (cue evil laugh).
I'll cover the totems in a dedicated Kotal video. Poor man deserves that much.
If I find enough meaningful things to say about MK tech, I'll make that video too.
@@Nick-up5wv One of my better ideas. Glad you liked it.
This was a great analysis of 3 awesome characters; I don't even know where to start. The bit on "The Tragedy of Scorpion" really hit - the way it highlights the theme of loss throughout the narrative for many characters, but very pronounced in his case. Also wish we had more of the neutrality essence with him (and the series in general).
I like the comparison between Smoke and Scorpion, as the former possessing the same aptitude for lethality and sheer ferocity as the latter (the fire element), yet in a more subtle and subdued or "calculated" manner (the air element). It's how I've come to think of their synergy or dynamic, and why the power system idea was so brilliant in attributing a character's abilities into their persona and journey/arc; the Bi-Han -> Noob Saibot one being among the most intriguing reflections of how an innate power can manifest through one's journey into transformation.
With Takeda, the thing that I loved immediately since his debut was of course the hybrid mix between Scorpion and Kenshi. The idea of two beloved icons, who debuted in two different eras prior, influencing a character for the third era - it's kinda poetic when you think about it, both in design and gameplay. The pulse blades in particular I figured as a nod to his father and the fact he descends from a lineage of swordsmanship - but with a hi-tech flare. I remember back in the day I had hoped "Possessed" Kenshi was more than a mere variation, as the concept seemed like something that could make for an interesting plot point - sadly wasn't the case, however your reimagining of it was pretty cool.
Right? I was butthurt for weeks, after discovering Possessed Kenshi; I was like "this is so cool - why isn't it a plotline, in the game?". They conceived a really cool story idea for Kenshi.. but then didn't write the story.
I initially didn't give Takeda a second thought, but I've come to appreciate him more. Pairing the heavily Japanese-themed characters together and using them as the foundation for a new character makes sense.
And yeah, you pretty much perfectly described my thought process for Smoke, Scops and Noob.
So yeah.. you get it. 👏
bro is over analyzing a mythos and i love it
Call me Cynical Overanalock.
@@CynicalWarlock hello mister cynical overanalcock
i love the fact thats totally coincidental. Ed boon never told us what Scorpion's clans name was in the earlier games, nor his actual name. Later we find out he's Hanzo Hassashi. in real life, Hanzo hattori was a samurai general with Iga Ninja at his command. Fire was a major componet to their tactics. be it setting rival villages on fire, flaming arrows, gunpowder explosive attacks (rifles). the Iga Ninja were essentially arsonist....now we have Hanzo HAssashi aka scorpion who uses hellfire and is beholded to an underworld demon (quan chi)...not bad for a guy who started off as a yellow ninja who only exist because John Tobias was fan of GhostRider (even in the comics he does a penance stare....heck Qun chi fits the role of Mephisto if you think about it, because for a lord of hell, Miiphisto is kinda a joke....he gets knocked around by the likes of Doctor Doom, whichi is not a shade against Doom)
The Ghost Rider connection blew my mind; never connected those dots.
Hattori Hanzo was deliberate. The fire tactics thing is so cool.
Excellent video. There's a lot to talk about Scorpion and Smoke this days with MK1 (and nothing good, precisely).
I think when he worked as a ninja, Scorpion would assassinate solely by day, that's the only way I find it makes sense that he would use yellow, it would be quite ironic considering he's a ninja, unlike Sub-Zero, who is not a ninja, but would attack solely at night.
I feel like what you say about Scorpion's characterization is very true. Scorpion isn't just a fire bending ninja, he's an undead ninja out of hell who uses hellfire. This is very different in MK1, where he's just a ninja (he's not even a ninja anymore, really) who uses fire, and that's it. Scorpion was hurt badly in MK1, having been turned into Kuai Liang. I first thought it was interesting, but then I realized it doesn't change anything. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
It only detracts from Hanzo Hasashi, and what's the reason Liu Kang turned Kuai Liang into Scorpion? We are never told why he decided to do this. Plus Kuai Liang falling in love with Harumi makes Hanzo look like a cuck. There is only one Scorpion, and that is Hanzo Hasashi.
Smoke is one of my favorite ninjas (not thanks to MK1), even though he always turns into a mindless minion.
I don't like his version in MK1 because he does absolutely nothing, I don't even think he has a chapter in the story. His personality and voice don't appeal to me, it's just so absurd how that they made him into this enthusiastic and cute and adorable and I HATE MY FUCKING LIFE.
He's a killer, and Lin-Kuei are known to be cold-blooded, his characterization only serves people who ship him with Kuai Liang. Also, I think they chickened out a lot with his hairstyle. The hair he had in MK9 didn't look very good, but I think if they did it again with the new graphics and physics, it would look pretty cool. Maybe they could have made it longer, at the end transitioning from hair to smoke or something.
Finally Takeda, I like this guy, I think his best design is in MK1, at least what was seen in the trailer. I like the dialogues he has in the MKX intros, he's a funny guy, but I think that kind of personality doesn't make much sense for a Shirai-Ryu member. He grew up being trained by a ninja who had his family killed, he had to murder his only friend, never met his real father until MKX, etc etc. I don't understand how his personality could have developed into such a nice guy. I think they should have made him more rude and tough, so he was a bit different from the other Kombat Kids, because if you notice, all four have the same personality: a light-minded teenager who tells jokes and makes fun of people.
Excellent video, hope to see more.
Hanzo, Kuai Liang and Smoke were done DIRTY in MK1
Good point about Takeda, his backstory conflicts with his personality a lot. You could have your cake and eat it, by making him rude and rough until he unlocks his telepathic powers, then mellow out once he feels the pain of someone other than himself.
The smoke-hair extensions idea is lowkey brilliant. Can't believe I never thought of it.
And you're right: turning Kuai Liang into Scorpion brings absolutely nothing to the table. It's this 'illusion of change' tactic that NRS have gotten a little too good at, over the years.
A Smoke rewrite would be awesome. Also I remember how in MK1, they originally wanted to make a story revolving around Hanzo, Kuai Liang and Bi-Han which would have been much better
Instead, they mixed them up.
Next, they're gonna gender-swap them.
@@CynicalWarlockDon't forget they're gonna make a yellow Sub-Zero and a blue Scorpion too
As you can tell smoke is my favourite character and I’m happy you pointed out everything they’ve done wrong with him, he’s just kuai liangs cutie pie hype man in the new game and him being a walking identity crisis as you put it is the perfect way of describing him, I hope in the story dlc he’s not just captured and converted or killed off to trigger kuai liangs inner rage. Let’s hope Nrs can save this timelines smoke character AND his haircut (give me his mk9 hair PLEASE NRS)
Kuai Liang in MK1 is still full of rage. He was immediately ready to finish off Sub Zero, his own brother, with chains
Hope is definitely my strong suit.
Facts.
Femkeda sounds pretty fun actually... im talking about gameplay ofc.
Absolutely.
Another thing I hate is people who act like Scorpion is a mantle even though it was never a mantle, and the name was specifically given to Hanzo Hasashi and there was no other Scorpion before him.
People act like it doesn't matter who's wearing the colors of Scorpion and Sub-Zero, even though the games made the effort to develop the man known as Scorpion and give him a name and backstory, so this idea that it doesn't matter who Scorpion is, is stupid. It does matter.
And I've always felt that Hellfire is probably stronger than regular fire that people such as Liu Kang use.
Liu Kangs is Dragon fire too
pyromancer Kuai Liang might be interesting. If only his title of Scorpion had a backstory. His own backstory, but he doesn't really have it, and he was given Harumi by stealing the story from Hanzo. They had an interesting character, two interesting characters that they made into a horrible chimera and left the other one with nothing. This is upsets me more than anything
@Tevi_L7151 I hate pyromancer Kuai Liang too. He should always be a Cryomancer
@@JustinJohnson-vc1gr Cryomancer Kuai Liang could be a cameo fighter as Tundra. If we believe leaks bof the story DLC, Bi-Han loses his cryomancy there again, meaning Kuai could again become a playable cryomancer. Still, technically Kuai was originally a replacement, a placeholder, because in the previous story Bi-Han dies
While I still don't completely hate the idea of pyro, it's just that the execution in mk1 is very lazy
@Tevi_L7151 They wanted to do a story with the two Sub-Zero brothers and Hanzo Hasashi, they could have done it in the game and made Kuai Liang into Tundra
I think the quality of a franchise can be seen on how they treat their iconic characters. A good franchise, I think, would treat them with respect but will still fundamental make them apart of the setting. If there story naturally leads them to dying or having a reduced role in the broader setting then a good writer would do that. Because the appeal of these iconic characters are their characters and what they mean for the franchise. Not them being the guy who has to be involved in everything and has to play a major role (unless that is their character).
It feel like Mortal Kombat kinda does it poorly. At least what you have said. Because it seems to keep pulling them along for the ride even though their stop was long past. Again correct me if I am wrong but that is the feeling I have.
Also nice video. I enjoyed just listening to the history of each character and your thoughts on it.
They are begrudgingly pulled along for the ride sometimes, yeah.
Very underrated channel thank you Pact of the Tome Warlock
The best Warlock.
Probably.
yooo 4thsnake mention
He's the man.
I'd honestly love to see you write a timeline of your own Mortal Kombat canon. Seriously this is the 4thSnake levels of piecing together the stuff that works.
I started juggling some ideas for that. It will take some time, but eventually, I'll get there.
P.S.
The 4th Snake compliment made my day. Thanks.
Thank you thank you thank you for making this video. I’ve always seen the amount of layers and nuance towards these characters especially scorpion. It’s an absolute shame WB trashed all of it. Fantastic analysis regardless.
You're very welcome. Glad you liked it.
ain't in deception and Armageddon the cyborg version could turn in to smoke was because he was made out of nanites or used nanites
Yeah, in Deception. He had that cool alternate costume where he was almost entirely made of smoke.
Honestly we need more shirai ryu characters
That's fair - we have so many iconic Lin Kuei and only one Shirai Ryu.
@@CynicalWarlock isnt takeda a shirai ryu
Absolutely banger of a video
Petion to have a Smoke rewrite video just like the one for Kung Lao and also a full video on Kenshi's Ronin variation story ,please 😢
Many thanks. I suppose the Kenshi plotline could be its own video.
@@CynicalWarlock Indeed
25:00 I never thought about it like this but now I cannot unsee it.
Curses!
It. Makes. Sense.
Very in-depth video ⛓️🔥
I'm all about in and depth.
Just found your channel and it's been pretty cool binging this stuff.
Glad to hear it. You're in for a lotta binge material.
I knew it would be all of them in the video
You figured me out.
Love your content keep up the great work
🤜🤛
I really like your statement that Scorpion is quasi Chaotic Neutral in that he always fights for his own side. He was in mk1 just to kill Subzero and bamfed out of the tourney after that. Then in mk2-3 he fought on behalf of Outworld until he learned that Kuai Lang was in danger. Heck, in mk4 he even fought for Shinnok until he learned Quan-Chi murdered his family. The guy is always doing his own thing unlike the other heroes.
Exactly. Need more characters like this.
Amazing video, waiting for the next one
Love your MK videos
Would like to see you doing something similar to other games
Been thinking what other games I could tackle in this way, actually. Any favorites?
I love your takes man, really helps me see what MK CAN be, a great base that needs true character. That would be an amazing day to see 😅 Been a scorpion fan boy since I saw him in the original MK movie my grandfather showed me.
Your grandfather is an awesome human being. And thank you, that is exactly what I'm trying to show with these videos, so I'm glad it's working.
@@CynicalWarlock damn man THANK YOU. Just lost him recently, so it’s just good seeing all these reminders of him. And thank you so much for your kind words. Keep up the amazing work brother
@@edd4131 My condolences. Playing MK now must carry a lot of weight.
I appreciate your depth of analysis here. Great job
Thank you! Appreciate the feedback.
As always, amazing !
Waiting for my boy Reptile video :)
CZcams ain't ready for that shit.
Bro i was genuinely shocked that you don’t have over 100k I’ve been dying for a channel that discusses MK the way you do keep it up brother
Glad to be of service. Thanks for the feedback.
I wish Takeda had a codename like "Spider." You know, because Hanzo doesn’t go around being called Hanzo, but instead Scorpion, cause that's his codename. 🤷♂️
Good point. Yeah, I miss the nicknames.
Interesting interpretation of Mavado. A guy who will do whatever it takes to fulfill his goals, including allying with the good guys. I like it.
that intro beat though. Great video as always.
Missed "fire beat" joke opportunity.
@@CynicalWarlock Shit you're right.
Great video keep it up!
Keeping it up.🥒
I'd accept a girl Takeda only if Frost gets her own properly distinct identity from Sub-Zero; have her shoot jets of boiling hot water when she can't cut it with her cryomancy. That way, the two of them could become the next gen female Scorp and Sub, without being exact copypastes of them (avoid the Jacqui route).
Fits right in with the altered Kombat Kids roster.
I like your idea for Quan Chi being "you are in the Netherrealm, there's nothing you can do in here, join me and sign this paper so you can have a purpose" kind of guy is exactly like mine..
An extra bit for Quan Chi's mind here
Quan Chi: hmm... a Specter and a Wraith in my hand, both are reborn from the Netherrealm. Is it possible to-
Wait! It is! Remember the sect of Houans (murmuring) that Raiden destroyed
*HAHAHA!* IM GONNA BE A *NECROMANCER*
(outro music)
That's hilarious. And outro *has* to be Looney Tunes music.
About your first paragraph, didn't Quan Chi do something like this in the MKX Comic, one of the web series (Conquest IIRC?), and Scorpion's Revenge? Or am I tweaking?
@@Takejiro24 i never read the comics, so.. i don't know..........
@@Takejiro24 In Conquest (which is not a web series), he tries to get Kung Lao to do evil things so that his soul ends up in the Netherrealm, and under his control, once he dies.
@@CynicalWarlock that i also don't... know........
Another awesome video. I’d love to see your take on the lore and powers of the various Earthrealm characters such as Sonya, Jax, Kano, and Kabal
Working my way to them. Their powers may be included in larger videos.
@@CynicalWarlock Love to hear it. Kano in particular seems to be a mess in terms of narrative, but someone with untapped potential. Never been a huge fan but a Black Dragon/ Red Dragon plot and ties to so many characters are right there.
@@yungjeezy5232 Yeah, been thinking about those. Black and Red Dragons should have more bearing on the story, but not overtly. Manipulation from the shadows, that actually counts for something.
@@CynicalWarlock Yess. My ideal “rebooted” Kano spends the first few games spouting about the Black Dragon’s millennia long mission to eliminate the Red Dragon and everyone looks at him like “bro you’re indoctrinated into a terrorist cult. There is no Red Dragon”. They’re mentioned here or there but it’s unclear if the Red Dragon even exists until Armageddon approaches (so around Deadly Alliance). The way it was told originally was messy and clearly not mapped out but as your videos point out, the lore for a great story and power system is all there. Just that nobody has fully capitalized on it yet imo.
Once again another entertaining and OUTSTANDING video by you mr cinical warlock. Thank you and much respect from one mk fan to another. Keep up the good work and much positivity and good luck to you in the future mr cynical warlock.
Why you so wholesome dude? This is the internet.
For real though, greatly appreciate it. Cheers, fellow fan.
Man I wish they made Scorpion neutral again. At his core he's the scariest of all the ninjas and has the flashiest powers but on the inside he's a family man who just wants peace. I liked him a lot better when he followed his own agenda, same thing with Kenshi.
1000%.
A vid on my glorious king😊
Yeah... Which one?
Could you do a video on some of the fake/myth Mortal Kombat characters like Khrome???
I'll consider it.
At this point, you’re the only guy who’s capable of making Mortal Kombat’s story sound way more deep and complex than it actually is lol
What about The4thSnake?
@@vaggos2003 Well his whole thing is critiquing the story, so not really
@@FookMi69 Eh, fair enough, tho he does have MK Khronikles, a.k.a. his own MK rewrite, so here's that.
He definitely shares constructive ideas in most videos, I think. May not always be the lion's share of the video, but they're there.
Really like all of your videos. You bring humor and a sense of logic to these characters. I would love to see you do Goro, now why Goro you may ask? Goro is a Shokan but I notice he is the character with both a green force ball “Shokan blast” and fire ball attacks Not to mention he also has a jump that is like a teleport but instead crushes the player to the floor, it would be interesting for you to break down that character if you wish to add it to this channel
He's definitely on the list, and a worthy one to analyze. As you pointed out, he's one of the few characters that uses like 3 different elements.
Story-wise, I touched on Goro quite a bit in my Kung Lao video, but yeah, powers and abilities have yet to be discussed.
And thanks a bunch for the feedback. Really appreciate it.
The best character next to Kuai Liang Sub-Zero. The fact we haven't gotten a SINGLE game with him as the protagonist when I'd say him and Kuai Liang are objectively more interesting than a lot of the cast is criminal.
Also I absolutely DESPISE Kuai Liang Scorpion. It lacks what makes Scorpion so interesting, and they straight up disrespected Hanzo Hasashi in that games lore.
In a way, turning Sub-Zero into Scorpion is more disrespectful than having Scorpion kill him in every bit of promo material.
Also, having 2 Sub-Zeros was confusing enough, but now we have to specify "Kuai Scorpion" vs "Kuai Sub" vs "Hanzo Scorpion" vs "MK1" vs "MK1 (1992)"...
It's like the fuckin Spider-Man meme.
@CynicalWarlock MK lore seems to lack consistency and purpose, and honestly it was fine with 2 Sub-Zeros, but now the needless changes are too much
As much as I like Smoke in MK1, he really feels like a “filler” character to me. He’s cool to play sure, but in terms of story he’s definitely “just there” to the point I feel we could’ve had a different character take his place on the base roster and I probably wouldn’t have minded.
I also hate his haircut.
wow great video
Thank you. Glad you liked it.
Back in the early days of the franchise it was established that Scorpion’s original costume was a yellow replica of Sub-Zero(Bi-Han) suit as a form of mockery
Which is pretty cool, gotta admit.
So well said I’m on the same page in every video but especially this one. I really miss the old scorpion his character arc up until mk11 was outstanding
Hell yeah, a big part of what made Scorps interesting was that he wasn't a static character; he evolved. Whereas many of the others either stayed the same, or took one step forward, one step back.
Appreciate the comment.
Please a re write for smoke again outstanding video my friend
He'll get his due.
Late but your ideas for Takeda and especially smoke were awesome and smoke kind of being a in between of Kuai and Hanzo and possibly a bit of Bi-Han is why he is my favorite Ninja and love the compare and contrast with Scorpion and both Sub-Zeroes. 12:44 also off topic but I like how Quan Chi and Shinnok's dynamic is a swap between Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn's, where Tsung is the fallen turncoat and Kahn is the pure evil one, Shinnok is the fallen turncoat and Quan chi is the pure evil one.
Oh man, that's such a good point about the Netherrealm vs Outworld duos. And it should be reflected in the storytelling, I think.
That intro goes hard, mind telling what's the song?
Okay, but that intro song is so good. What is it? please :D
I wasnt expecting the switching topics to smoke
Complete non sequitur.
1:31 this is from a wolverine comic on why he wears yellow
Happy coincidence.
I really enjoyed how you described Smoke; I never really thought of him as a walking identity crisis, but I definitely see it now😂 also, I think even Smoke’s name and abilities are very symbolic: smoke (the gas) is unclear, hard to distinguish, shapeless, and even confusing, much like how you described Smoke. He has no inherent direction unless someone sways him (unclear), he doesn’t really know what or who he is (hard to distinguish, confused), and he has had several personalities, none of which are entirely concrete (shapeless). Also, just like you can’t physically grab smoke, Smoke cannot really grasp an identity.
Eloquently put. I was just thinking about this recently, and it kinda ends up making some sense of all the schizophrenic writing. Still, it should be in the context of an ongoing story, rather than "let's make him Tomas, this game; ok, now let's make him Bob, from accounting".
@@CynicalWarlock Oh, definitely. It would make for a much more enticing, believable, and relatable narrative if they centralized his character around that instead of changing his character/motives spontaneously, like you mentioned.
The color of the Shirai Ryu is, if I'm not mistaken, a mockery of the Lin Kuei like the rest of the getup. Yellow is a color associated with fear, so he's basically calling them cowards
Yeah, I read that bit. Still seems silly to have all the ninja wear the same flashy color.
Great vid. Even if my boy was only the last tiny bit. Honestly Takeda is genuinely such a cool character and in my opinion, one of the only two kombat kids with any genuine merit, and unfortunately both were swept under the rug in favor of Jax but a Girl and "I can't tell if this is Johnny Cage with Sonya moves or vice versa". Plus all the intro dialogue teases in MK11 pissed me the fuck off. Takeda being caught between the Special Forces and his family of the Shirai Ryu is an incredibly interesting story. Maybe the two factions come to blows simply because Scorpion fears losing what is essentially his second son. Maybe he hangs on too tightly and refuses to let Takeda do things with the SF so Cassie and whatnot have to take action. There could be his own identity crisis storyline, and in either or he may have to run to his estranged father for advice. I have so many ideas of where his story could go, who it could involve, and the fact NRS seems hellbent on ignoring any possibilities for the one Kombat Kid that has almost universal love just because the Kombat Kids as a whole were a fuckin meme is...well it's unfortunate. And frustrating. And jesus fuck can you stop rebooting shit, MKX genuinely had shit going for it and then MK11 fucked it up and then MK1 fucked it up even more. Even if Reptile reclaimed his throne.
Yes, Takeda has a lot of potential. Alas, untapped potential is wasted plotential.
Those are some good ideas for him, though; imma hold on to them. He'll definitely get his own video, at some point.
And NRS did seem to (finally) notice his popularity, at least a bit, since he's in the Kombat Pack.
Also, very apt description of the Kombat Kunts. The more I think about it, the more ambitious I think that inevitable video will end up being.
Some would say Reptile became a soy boy. What say you to those people?
@@CynicalWarlock I say to those people "imagine getting less bitches than a fictional character who is also the victim of constant racism. embarrassing."
@@CynicalWarlockI don't know if my reply just never went or got deleted upon post, so on the topic of Reptile being accused of being a soy boy...
I say something along the lines of "you are simply just sad and jealous that a fictional lizard is not only far more attractive than you, but also actually gets bitches despite how much racism he experiences"
Solid video I do like your analysis of Smoke and yeah that should be the point of the story: Smoke discovering who he is without being enslaved or being somone's yes man. Id like for Smoke to also figure out his Why in life. Lets say hes free of the lin kuei what would his purpose be. Don't know why writers wouldnt hop on this.
Idk if you mentioned Kai or done an in depth talk about him, but id like to hear your analysis and ideas you would do for the character
Haven't gotten to Kai yet, but I do have some pretty radical ideas on that front. He'll get his turn, at some point.
@@CynicalWarlock alright cool I got some ideas for him as well especially to keep him intact even in the new MK1 continuity
@@kobebrewster2549 Do share. Might take inspiration.
@@CynicalWarlock ok sorry for the late reply. Kai from what I remember was supposed to be added to show a variety of black characters because they didn't just want a big strong guy like Jax but an agile fighter like Liu Kang. Kai was trained along Lui Kang and Kung Lao but very underused. He uses fire which is similar to Liu Kang. Perhaps they've been trained under the same way on how to use their chi. Perhaps have a cool friendship between the two on how chi fire represents a healthy balance of a zeal towards a goal (like scorpion) but still a balanced person.
As for his story I would capitalize on the fact he's not used and have Raiden use Kai in missions stopping threats in different places while the main team fighters are in the main story. So say when there was a tournament and the Shaolin monks were kidnapped. Kai could've been that guy to rescue them while Lui Kang and Kung Lao face Shao Kahn and co at the tournament. That type of stuff.
Also he had two interesting endings in MK. One where he's given the staff of Raiden and in Armageddon where he sees all the history of the midway verse and when seeing the universe sees nothing. I was thinking what if during these timeline changes Kai is immune due to the staff of Raiden. It's said the staff can make him immortal but also immune to energies like time shifts. Again being the background guy what if he handles the things off screen that helps heroes in the main story and him being immune to the time changes he's hip to how things can go.
He may also be a neutral character that's looking for balance and not the total destruction of the universe like he saw in Midway.
Correction: Raidens staff can lead to immortality and his Armageddon ending had him linked to the One Being's mind so I think between those two the idea can still work. I think the neutrality still works since he can see what the One Being thinks and how the elder gods think from his time in the midway verse. So not siding with one of the other but more so for balance to keep stability of the realms
A lot of movies and games popularized "stealth" as hiding in the shadows, and sneaking through corridors. Actually, stealth can be simply walking through the front door like you own the place. If done right, people will think you belong there and not raise questions. So Scorpion wearing bright yellow clothing isn't too far fetched.
Well a guy in a ninja uniform walking into a palace and beelining for the throne room without being stopped by a single guard *is* kind of far-fetched. He'd have to say least wear regular clothing and try to keep out of sight. But in other venues, what you're saying can work, yes.
@CynicalWarlock Well, the ninja can just say he's here for the costume party. I'm not sure if this true, but I heard of a story where a guy got into several US military bases with an ID that had a picture of Marilyn Monroe. The guards just looked at it and said "good to go."
@@louiscipher2939 That's hilarious.
And probably true.
I admit i still do enjoy smoke being bff supporter. I wonder if in the story you gave him he could better resolve his identity crisis by turning to the shirai-ryu alongside takeda when it is being rebuilt. It gives him the ability to find himself and they can keep the bff angle, although to a much less outgoing degree so as to maintain his cunning skill and intimidation.
That idea could be a winner. Perhaps Smoke's destiny is to be the bridge between the 2 clans, since he's a Lin Kuei who copies a Shirai Ryu.
In terms of Scorpion's powers and abilities, I'd like to add that some games imply that in his specter form, other than hellfire, he can also summon the Netherrealm's paranormalia.
To begin with UMK3, where in Scorpion's second fatality, he takes the opponent to Hell and summons a bunch of clones of his that slaughter the opponent. The concept of this finisher is that Scorpion summons the undead of his clan, but in practice it just looks like himself copypasted over and over. The idea would return, however, in the MKA Konquest, where Scorpion DOES summon a bunch of undead SR ninjas, not ctrl+C/ctrl+V's of himself. Furthermore, he also summons a giant flaming skull in that section, power which I'll be back to in the next paragraph. By the way: His UMK3 fatality also debuted his ability to take anyone to the Netherrealm with him, which he does to regain advantage in battle as he'll heal and grow stronger there.
Then in MK Trilogy, comes perhaps the most bizarre one: In Scorpion's second fatality here, he summons a gigantic, magmatic skeletal hand that crushes the opponent and pulls it down to Hell. I can see this being Scorpion's most destructive ability, since if he can call upon a giant lava-filled skeleton to pull anyone into Hell, he could just bring the entire giant up into the field as a weapon of mass disaster, and this might also be THE reason he just keeps the big skeletion as a "crush-you-to-hell" move. Now, I also picture his summoning of a huge skull in MKA's Konquest being a nod, but not a direct callback to the summoning of the giant hand, both then showing that Scorpion summons huge skeletal entities.
After that, we would stay with Scorpion just summoning hellfire up to MKX, where he can summon demons as an assistance in one of his variations; arguably a subtle nod to the summoning abilities I covered here. There's also the fatality where he summons a rock to impale the opponent's head in, meaning that he also summons chunks of rock from the Netherrealm, but then that fatality's all we ever see him do this for.
Personally, I like how they tried to further develop Scorpion's specter-based capacity with these summoning abilities; Certainly, that further emphasizes him being supposed to reemerge stronger from the dead. In my interpretation, he would normally just stick to his hellfire and ninja skills, but start recurring to his other invocations as a last resort.
Didn't know about the UMK3 stuff; very interesting.
I, too, picture Scorpion as more of a lone wolf who prefers to dispatch enemies himself, instead of resorting to more hellish powers and minions; more of a reluctant creature of hell, kinda like Spawn.
The hand Fatality from Trilogy is probably one of the coolest I've ever seen. Always liked it. It could be a giant minion, or it could be a representation of his own hand and fury, manifested through hell, as his arm animation seems to mimic what the hand is doing; that's kind of how I always interpreted it. Either way, cool as it is, it's probably good that they didn't bring it back, since it kind of infringes on Shinnok's territory, aesthetically.
@@CynicalWarlock If you mean it infringing with Shinnok's ability to summon a skeletal hand, he pretty much copied Scorpion lol. Scorpion's magmatic hand came first, but they readapted it into being a Shinnok's fatal in MK4, the hand then just being of a pure skeleton.
And yes, Scorpion is of the kind of a lone warrior, who only fights by himself and for himself. But, as I said, I also picture him keeping these more destructive hellish invocations as a resource for extreme situations; like, go REAL FAR in battle and he'll start summoning his undead minions against you, call upon the big hand to hold you back, or even take you to Hell before doing all of that.
Exactly, that's how I see it too. When he's cornered and completely enraged, that's when he shows the *true* extent of his power. Maybe even make it so the more he uses those more demonic powers, the more he gets dragged back to the Netherrealm.
And yeah, chronologically speaking, Scorps came first, but the damage is done. At this point, the big skele-hands are part of Shinnok's identity. But that doesn't mean Scorps can't display his own version, every now and then.
Scorpion also holding off from his bigger specter powers to preserve the human side still within him is kind of a good interpretation too: Use all of his bigger abilities too much and he'll be losing control of his hellspawn side, possibly succumbing to it.
That idea of Scorpion losing himself to his specter nature can kind of be pictured by the fight against him in MKSM, where after you defeat Scorpion and throw him into the lava, he jumps back from it stronger, even more enraged and with his skin becoming charred red (that form of his being called "Inferno Scorpion" in the game). But, I can also picture that being Scorpion losing control of his rage, rather than his specter nature.
Now, yes, Shinnok has fully taken the concept of big skeletal hands. But Scorpion's version, a magma-based skeleton rather than a pure, purple aura'd one, could still work. Hell, you could even use both that and the summoning of undead ninjas to say that Scorpion kinda takes after his two masters in terms of abilities; controling his undead clanmates resembling Quan Chi mastering the specters and, most obviosly, the magmatic skeletal hand resembling Shinnok's purple aura'd one.
I always thought there was a missed opportunity to give Smoke a storyline similar to that of Morph in the Xmen animated series. Since he was brainwashed and constantly wrestling between old allegiances and new programming
Morph is a great analogy. The only thing that keeps bugging me is that him and Cyrax have kinda samey parts to play; thinkin how to distinguish them from one another.
@@CynicalWarlock the issue is that they retconned Cyrax a little in mk9. I think the best way to differentiate them would be that Smoke was converted against his will, and Cyrax initially was on board, but later regretted being turned into a robot
@@pedromenchik1961 That's a good start; that way you cover the whole spectrum of compliance: Sektor who's a true believer, Cyrax who's half-ass-ing it, and Smoke who hates it.
Ah, yes, Episode 2 of the Ninja Trilogy. Can't wait for the last one to drop. For those that may or may know know what I'm talking about, I'll give you a hint: what do you get when you mix blue and yellow? 😏
A vomiting dinosaur ninja, apparently.
My favorite is The Blue Scorpion 🦂 since 1994
Sub?
@Cynical Warlock I believe Scorpion's alignment is Chaotic Neutral.
Sounds about right. Akin to the adventuring barbarian. An argument could be made for Lawful Neutral too, because of his strong sense of honor and family.
Perhaps that's his journey, from chaotic to lawful neutral.
"MK1" Kuai as Scorpion seems a bit backwards cuz Kuai never really died like Hanzo did to harness hellfire🔥
He was sick of being cool, and wanted to be fire, bro.🔥
The reason scorpion wears yellow is to mock the sub zero's clan (yellow is the colour of cowardice) by wearing theire clan uniform with that colour
Yeah, I read that. Doesn't quite work out for the Scorps, does it, since he's the one who wears coward..
I always thought that he just leaned more on his teleportation abilities when it came to sneaking around. personally I'm more of a Noob Saibot and Kung Lao guy. But I cant argue, MK just isn't the same without scorpion. Even though he is almost never the main character in any story. Speaks volumes about his coolness factor if he can pull that off
Hanzo couldn't teleport while he was alive.
And yes, the cool factor is off the charts.
On the idea of Smoke I believe he had Cyrax's story. The way Human Cyrax was and how Cyber Cyrax was used in MK11 as a sacrifice to save Sub-Zero he could've very EASILY been a stand in for Cyrax. Cyrax was to Smoke what Human Sektor currently is to Bi-han. Bi-han is acting like Human Sektor and Cyrax is acting the way I'd assume Smoke should be. Also Jax's ending in MK11 should've either been Cyrax's OR Kai's ending. If Kai WERE given the chance to come back HE should have Jax's MK11 ending; which I'm not going to discuss the controversy, just that it'd be better suited to a character like Cyrax or Kai; correct answer being Kai, and that Jax's ending was wrong for his character and should be changed. Now he's been reduced to a Kameo; along with Sonya, because NRS wants to sell us "member berries" and has NO idea what to do with Jax's character moving forward. But that's a different discussion for a different time. I think Smoke should spend time as Enra and than gain control of himself as sorta a Noob/Scorpion story arc. Basically he loses himself completely like Noob for a bit, but learns to become at peace with himself and redeems himself like Hanzo. Tragically Hanzo found peace and died and now Scorpion is on a quest to learn from Hanzo and ultimately become him. Hanzo is the BEST version of Scorpion, but died robbing Scorpion the chance of becoming whole. Noob is completely gone. Kui-Liang struggles to do right, but is still kinda corrupted. Smoke could be the character that sets the stage as to what all the other characters SHOULD become. Smoke should represent the perfect balance of ALL of the other characters good qualities and be the example of all of them. Basically Scorpion, Noob, AND Kui-Liang could benefit by ALL becoming MORE like Smoke.
Meditate on this I shall.
I don't want Smoke's arc to be too samey to ones we already have, but if the end point contrasts them enough, it could work; goes with the theme of Smoke being a more level-headed Scorpion.
Also, I just realized this.. I don't think I've ever seen *anyone* use the Jax kameo.
Netherrealm outweighs Street fighter. It's as if Capcom tries to imitate Netherelms while simultaneously dropping the pretense that it's a Mortal Kombat ripoff.
That's one way to look at it.
Triborg isn't any of the ninjas. It's its own thing.
None of them and all of them.
@CynicalWarlock
It's a robot that has Special Forces files of stored Cyrax, Sektor, Smoke, and Sub data. It's not necessarily one of the ninjas embodying a cyborg with multiple personalities/abilities. It's just a super advanced robot with like a Stark tech level of science.
I liked Smoke better before they tried giving him a face and a personality since MK9. Originally he had menace and mystery; it would have been cool to see him as a character who never speaks and his background and motives are unknown, yet his principles and alliances are demonstrated purely by his actions.
Exactly my point.
This part here 12:30 about "god status" i felt it also konected to Shao also. Well as an head kanon ofcourse
MK never explain this but, here's my idea:
Mythology
(my·thol·o·gy: a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition) this explaination was shown in MKMS intro, to tell that MK have its own myth (i know oddly specific)
The story takes place Before Mortal Kombat.
The ElderGoons task each Lesser Gods to be the Protector of each realms.
Raiden with earthrealm
Shao with outworld
And
Lucifer with netherrealm
(Idk about the rest of the Protector Gods)
The focus here is on Shao
Shao is a God and he doesn't want to be a protector, but what he got is being a divine advisor for an emperor of that realm, this position makes him feel lower and envious and whats worst is that the ruler is mortal
Even with Shao's divinity he is no match agains the Dragon King (its fricking Onaga and the answer is ofcourse)
So his planing to poison Onaga (succeeded) and took the throne and make him Khan of that realm, giving up his status but not his divinity
In his mind: Rather be a Khan than be no God at all. What need to protect if Outworld's gonna be the konqueror
I should have comment this in your Shao Khan Video, but this timestamp triggers my thoughts
Might have actually happened that way, for all we know. Pretty seamless fanfic. And it informs Shao's motivations.
Good job.
Argos is the protector of Edenia. And the ones for Orderrealm and Chaosrealm are mentioned in some games too, but I forgot their names
@@pedromenchik1961 oh i forgot about him, thanks
Never really like scorpion killed my boy sub and he was innocent… on killing his clan anyway. Now we have deal with threat of noob saibot now. Couldn’t keep his promise to raiden.
Yeah, he's a sweetheart. Well I mean he killed Scorpion first, but why let that ruin the point?
@@CynicalWarlock …self defense while on his mission
@@grownmannn2 Coulda just knocked him unconscious.
But they were from rival clans, and he was trained to be an assassin and the back and forth continues.
@@CynicalWarlock man warlock we got no time for no back and forth. We got to get to the bag cough cough I mean shinnoks amulet
Okay, okay. Apologies on the late comment.
- Quan chi is quite the twisted fuck, credit where credit is due( although he is stupid enough to rat himself out to scorpion and get himself killed) That white albino(stole that form trueunderdawg). Exactly, what you said about Quan chi raising strong warriors, in the defenders of the realms animated series(dotr), the other souls were just skeletons, perhaps because they aren't fully not fully resurrected like scorpion so they can't don physical features or use powers, but there are so many far more formidable warriors who died deaths where they could be revived as mindless zombies (just to avoid the " oh Hanzo died with anger and vengeance and oh, Bi- han died with fucking tweedle Dee sadness of Sha Sha Sha because he didn't die, with any fucking thing , maybe his innocence or maybe the explanation is dying with out taking his PS5 console with him) but after listening to your explanation it makes sense that he has to be involved, that would make a nice explanation for why he can't raise warriors that existed b4 him (don't think he is that old) or those that have closed chapters of their lives that he can no longer meddle with.
If I were him I'd become the master tricko killer and trick everyone into killing each other so that I can raise them only to have them kill each other and later, and inevitably, me or I could just run out of soul juice. I get if he is not involved he can only raised them as undead servants; revenants or just servants like sindel. Meaning he needs to give these souls a purpose to be back, meaning, a master.
I do need to check out the sub zero vid.
You always find a way to make things more poetic and metaphorical than they actually are, which is a nice talent that helps your videos.
- Subzero, subzero, subzero, subzero, had to get that out of my system, I prefer bi han, liked the 2021 menacing one but he didn't have a drive he was just straight up bad like most villains in that movie. His story is truly sad, even sadder when they made noob saibot a jobber, he didn't go through any more development after he became noob saibot (the dark side of himself a side never shown in the netherrealm timeline). Always wondered if the writers intended for these kind of parallels or if they are just a brilliant coincidence. Also, I want you to use your iq of 700 and literal abilities to explain to me how on earth ice turned to shadow, unless the I've was the good side of him and he lost all of that and became noob. I do enjoy your avatar and SpongeBob references. Lin kuei ninjas are basically dead; no families, no ties the flaw Quan chi exploited in scorpion.
- Mkx scorp and sub's suit were sleek, the best yet in my opinion. I would also suggest you do a collector vid,maybe pair him up with ferra and gorr although they isn't much dynamic to them, I trust you can still make compelling videos about them( If the video isn't great, don't blame me).
- Thing about loss is actually, true although Sonya actually lost two partners according to the writer's guide to mk dotr. Kitana lost a father and kingdom.
- White, black and grey. I see scorpion as good, and just any other actually good person he can be swayed to the sides of evil under the right circumstances ( genocide, anger, anger, vengeance)
Mk battle of the realms (not dotr) turned him into a fool, goody two shoes yes he educates kuai on the disadvantages to revenge but not in the way scorpion would, the previous movie before that mk legends scorpion's revenge did him justice and ticked every box of his character arc.
- Again, dotr handled subzero and smoke's relationship quite well. What you suggested for smoke's story would have been such a good way to develop him, from been everyone's side chick to an independent character like how scorpion's story would end. You made me realise that scorp and smoke actually do have a lot in common, scorpion is a raged filled, instincts first version of smoke. Was about to brag about my scientific knowledge of smoke, but u spoiled that.
- Didn't know that that was how takeda was pronounced(which is wrong considering that I attack people who mispronounce mk names), also appreciate that you pronounce bi han as be han not like every transgender CZcamsr out there who pronounces it has byhan(also in the legacy series the scorp actor was japanese although bihan is a Chinese name he is supposed to know the real pronunciation)). I fucking hate the Kombat kids can't believe John Tobias was gonna bring them in mk5 although he would have focused on liu and kitana's child and characters like kung Jin probably wouldn't exist, it might have been Great but way too early. Since you were able to make me appreciate takeda more,I would like to see a Kombat kids video although there is only little you could do to convince me. Cassie is the one most people find likable other than takeda cause she is your averaged spoiled sexy teenager, and that is the majority of her fan base, perverts and other girls (no offense) or in rare cases, people who just like her gameplay cause she, to that person is his or her main.
Takeda got fans from scorpion. Possessed variation looks neat, not now that every character looks mumbo jumbo with the new customizations. It could actually be that in attempt to get ermac's souls to agree with him he gets them to a minimal degree of unison which like you said harmonized him.
Also about female takeda, just admit, you are a pervert, I do understand your perspective not that I agree with it, but making takeda female and Jacqui male to me is an improvement, I guess there is need to balance out the gender numbers not that I see it. Fuck kung Jin and Jacqui's relationship. But in reality muscular men like Jax tend to give birth to female children like most wrestlers (scientific fact, I'm lying) . And I I'm not sure but I think there is this idea that Jacqui, a female has to live up to her alpha male father but in combat and shit. Jacqui is a missed opportunity she is supposed to be her own unique character, rather instead of actually surpassing her father in some ways she ends up been the lesser version of him. ( Lesser weapon, lesser character) that is why she was buffed in mk11..... I'm tired, sorry for the long reply, enjoy.
Also, almost forgot, you shouldn't have said that smoke was cool, subzero's cool, smoke is SMMMMOOKIN'. You should become a screenwriter, you'd make a great one.
Also, nice intro
Thanks for the novel.
I was just thinking of MK: Legacy's "By Han" pronunciation, before I read your mention of it. So stupid. I mean it kinda sounds cooler than "Be Han", but still, stupid.
The Ice to Shadow thing I already explained in the Sub-Zero video.
Jacqui is a non-character, to me. I'd probably just delete her.
Guess I should watch dotr.
You're right, SMoke is SSSSSMOKIIIIN. As a fan of The Mask, I should've totally used that.
Thanks for the screenwriting compliment. That took me aback.
[Fans stop cherishing and honoring an ip more than the very people who create them challenge (impossible)]. I honestly never thought about Scorpion's Yellow color scheme that way until now, even with me being familiar with the irony of Naruto characters wearing brightly colored gear, I mean fuck, how could I not see it that way? It really does make Scorpion much more compelling. I've said it before in other places, but, even though Mortal Kombat may have never been truly destined to live beyond the 90s (as many of the games are built on a distinctly 90s philosophy), it just might be able to maintain some breath of life if Netherrealms, and by extension, we the players, allow the franchise to elaborate on the rich lore. Yes, we can still have the all the crazy gore and brutalities, but we can't just forget that there's more to MK than JUST that, less we allow the franchise to continue down a path of flandardization.
This one gets it. Characters and lore should be the foundation that you build the fluff and the gore on top of, instead of the other way around.
Hooy shit this was good
Glad you liked it.
@@CynicalWarlock the intro was fire. Where did it come from?
This was a deep dive into Hanzo. I wish the video was longer lol
25:24
I know what kinda man you are...
( you real for it though, and btw you shoukd low key start a discord)
Yeah, tryna figure out how best to do that. Discords always confused me, a little bit. Too many channels/sections.
I am subzero forever!!!!!!!!
I respect that.
Because I always used Quan chi I kind of hated scorpion. I always thought that anger=weakness. Losing his family is awful but I feel like if he killed Quan in a collected manner I'd have more respect for him TBH.
Anger does equal weakness. At least expressed, uncontrolled anger.
And that's interesting - how maining a character can color your opinions and impressions of other characters.
@@CynicalWarlock definitely. I feel like in most fighting games you can't connect on the level you can with mortal Kombat. Initially you pick a character because you think they're cool and then you branch out from there
@@stevesardi4826 This is one of the things non-fans don't get, or even gaslight. But honestly, the generic buff blond dude with a full tube of styling gel in his hair from every fighting game ever can't compete with your average MK character.
@@CynicalWarlock so true 🔥🔥🔥
Scorpion is Sasuke, still waiting for them to replace harpoon with handsnake from 1995 movie.
Yees.
Although, it's interesting, cause Naruto's the will of fire guy with the yellow hair and orange onesie, and Sasuke's the cold, aloof one.
But I think Quanchi did make more revanents all the main characters besides Johnny cage and Sonya blade bro had Jax, LIU KANG, kung Lao, night wolf, smoke, striker,sindel, kitana, and kuai Liang and kabal after losing noob cause the revanents were originally under Quan chi control to before shinok was free in the ending chapter with raiden in mk9 to mkx and he had davora under his belt too
Quan pointed out that those were Shao Kahn's payment for Netherrealm's allegiance, which implies, just like I said, that Quan isn't powerful enough to raise them on his own.
@CynicalWarlock but he is cynical enough to have them in his arsenal considering that he and shinok tricked shao kahn which brings into question if he isn't strong enough to do it on his own then how come Johnny cage almost become a revanent in mkx with him only getting stabbed only for the revanent version of Johnny to rise up faster than someone using viagra
@@edwardmurray750 Good question. Gotta rewatch that scene. Maybe it had to do with them being in Quan's lair, or in the Netherrealm.
Lore wise Hanzo & Takeda are technically the only ninja on the roster
Yeah, cause everyone else and their mother is a Lin Kuei, who are a Chinese organization.
@@CynicalWarlock minus Reptile, Ermac, Rain, Chameleon, Noob & whatever the hell Tremor is
@@ggguNeck And the female ones, yes, obviously. Tremor's Black Dragon, so I guess he doesn't give a shit about this ninja business.
@@CynicalWarlock true😂 but I meant more on his origin. We know he's from Earthrealm but similar to Bi Han & Kuai Liang he's an elemental but there's never been any lore behind his powers. I always assumed he was a decedent of Edenia
@@ggguNeck No, apparently he is, in fact, from Earthrealm. But that's literally the extent of this man's backstory.
I'm starting to happily hunt for the "technical difficulties" parts in these videos, they're weaved in masterfully .
But I digress... Just to be clear, that whole Takeda thing - that was a "what if" right? I mean I just got absorbed in the whole thing that now I'm confused if it was fiction or already part of the games.
Not the gender-swap thing though, that for sure wasn't part of the games :D
Complete fanfic, yes. "Possessed Kenshi" is just a gameplay thing, and Takeda does nothing, the boy does nothing.
My only issue with mortal Kombat it feels like they're not using any original ideas anymore they're just reusing certain elements and now it's just getting old
Saves time, I guess. As long as people keep eating the regurgitation, it'll keep happening.
Guess i was right. Mk3 Smoke being scorpion but better witth a launcher is peak game design
With every video this channel become more insufferable. You made one banger.
Glad you liked it.
Inb4 a million views
Inb4 my channel gets shut down.
Look how they massacre my boy in New games
Yeah. Takeda's telepathy would be OP... until it meets Ultra Instinct. Oh sorry, wrong franchise
Would be a sick crossover, though.
Are you saying people don't want BDSM Takeda because he's a guy? Because I'm pretty sure there are people who want BDSM Takeda even though/because he's a guy. Also, all of this just reminds me of Ivy from the Soul series. ☠️
Not at all. I'm saying female BDSM Takeda would be even better.
Making Takeda female would've worked good cuz of Frost.
How's that for girl power?
@@CynicalWarlock 😁 The more I think about it, the more I like it! Frost could've gone all purist Lin Kuei, thinking Shirai-ryu style as a bastardization. Takeda, could be attacked by Frost again and again. That could change her personality, give her PTSD, OR you know, something other than, "Lord Lui Kang hits the reset button. All "Kombat Kids" deleted."
@@MetaSynForYourSoul Most entertaining cat fight in history. And then you could have other forces, shapeshifters, maybe Khameleon posing as one or the other to antagonize them further.
Cynical Warlock: MK not 1 is a bad game. Cynical Warlock after MK not 1 gets a female Takeda skin in a skimpy outfit: MK not 1 is the best game ever.
Accurate.
Yeah bro don't you dare ever recommend them making takeda female again, Cassie was enough, and she defeated an elder god now you've given the problem community another thing to nag about
Only one nagging here is you.
@@CynicalWarlock perhaps I overreacted a little bit, you see I'm not an American, I'm not even on the American continent, I'm a script writer, 3d animator and game developer, after all the woke nonsense ruining everything good in the world, and after seeing what NRS has done to the game that introduced me into gaming, I'm definitely on the edge of bezerk with these guys, so I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from, and yes if they turn takeda female at that point I think I'll be done with NRS, the only game keeping me is MKX, so I stand by that point, and I don't agree with that idea at all, and yeah NRS has completely killed the dept of their characters, now they seem like npcs even for an npc
@@basixs88 I've been done with NRS since MK11.
Perhaps we're more similar than it appears - I also periodically rage against woke garbage on this channel.
I did preface the idea by saying I'll sound like a madman, and I definitely don't advocate changing things just for the sake of it, or to fit some braindead narrative. It would have to make sense, in the context of the story being told.
I personally see Takeda as a cool but underused character. That said, I can see why such a change would rub one the wrong way, if they're a fan of him.
By the way, always nice meeting a game dev. What kind of stuff do you work on?
Curse you and these entertaining videos
[evil laugh]
Scorpion is definitely one badass mofo. But its all about Sub Zero. And hed not a ninja.
Ninjassassin.
Lol I dig it. Great video man.