#analysis mortal kombat

[scaryspears]

Johnny: Opinions and Thoughs

These are my thoughts and opinions on Mortal Kombat that a bunch of people probably won't care about, but I thought I should post them here. Now I will be using past games as reference, even though every character's interpretation/counterpart is different, they still play part to the canon storyline.

[Warning: This post is very long. Slight mention of sexual oral practise.]

I think every single character in Mortal Kombat is prideful and egotistical, the best example would be Jade in my opinion. With that being said I think the way they treat Johnny is a bit unfair. A lot of these will fall in line with my Neurodivergent Johnny headcanons and theory post, I suggest checking that out for context. I know the intros aren't canon and are more what if scenarios, but they mean something.

I have a lot of things to say regarding his character, for starters he gets invited to a tournament and sees it as a chance to show people he isn't just some actor but is legit in his martial arts. Good for him, (I've seen posts that demonise this and say it's pretty selfish as if we shouldn't be allowed to be selfish when situations call for it. Bro didn't like that people were calling him a fake and wanted to prove that he wasn't, there's nothing wrong with that.). When he shows up at the tournament half of the contestants are wearing costumes, can't blame the guy for not thinking it was real at first. There's a lady dressed as a hot soldier (I understand that it gets retconned), a bunch of ninjas standing around, and his opponents are wearing alien makeup.

First of all Johnny doesn't know about the existence of other realms, second of all it's the 90s and he's a Hollywood actor meaning he's no stranger to makeup and practical effects not to mention stunts. He probably figured it was something comic con related (as I've said in another post) and while questioning it he went along with it. He had no reason to think that Reptile and Baraka were real creatures.

When Johnny is told to finish his opponent he responds with "Yeah, right.", and I gotta say, it took me years to find out there was a sexual innuendo to that. Dude straight up thought they were demanding him to perform 'you-know-what'. That was just an example of what's to come (I'll be using the word 'example' lot). (Hollywood must be a wild place even in fiction).

First I'll start with his interactions. He's not very good at bonding with people. In mk9 we see a lot of this. I get that Johnny has his problematic moments, but in comparison to the other characters he's an angel. I'm the sort of person to sweep them under the rug, but I have to address them.

Examples:

"And I'm taking you down. I'm taking you down. I'm taking you out. I'm taking you out. And I'm taking you out... for dinner." I genuinely interpreted this as Johnny being playful. To be fair, I first saw this interaction when I was a child (say 7-9) so the fact that I could see myself doing that probably had to do with my immaturity. But everytime I rewatch it I only have fondness and not annoyance because I found it adorable just how proud he was of himself. I also appreciate how open he is about how he feels towards Sonya, I stan an honest man. However, it seems a lot of viewers saw this as him being stupid or something along those lines. If this was any other character they would be told to go to horny jail, but Johnny is met with hostility from most of the fandom.

"Nice hat :)." Johnny to Raiden in mk9. "You should be more respectful of Lord Raiden!" Liu Kang says to Johnny right away. SonicXD commented on this in his mk9 sucks video, I don't need to say anything. Johnny wasn't interested in saving Earthrealm at first, he straight up told Raiden and Liu Kang that they should call the military if Shao Kahn was that much of a threat (he was speaking facts tho). Also, I think he was still questioning what he got himself into, so Raiden and Liu Kang approaching him probably made him think he was surrounded by insane people. And then he finds out that it's all real and that he's not allowed to leave.

There's also when Johnny saved Sonya from Kano. How that went down was that Johnny was trying to escort her. By the way, this is minutes after he realised that he was in a death match and not some comic con related fighting tournament, everyone was waiting for him to kill Baraka and it dawned on him just how serious they were. So Johnny got worried for Sonya's safety by that alone. But it's also understandable on Sonya's end: here comes this guy trying to chat her up (get into her pants) and not getting the hint that she's not interested, and then tries to convince her that he needs to be by her side.

Cyrax got annoyed just by hearing him talk, you can see it on his face. I saw it as friendly banter on Johnny's side but Cyrax didn't. "Not everyone gets to rumble with a celebrity. Ready for a beat down, Sunshine? Here it comes." I think Cyrax was gonna kill him by that alone if it wasn't for Raiden's disapproving dad stares. Every single Lin Kuei is super serious so I think Cyrax didn't take it as banter.

Next is Jax. Johnny Green, Jax Purple: "So what's the deal with you and Sonya anyway? She is smocking hot." "It's not like that. I'm her CO." "Honey like that under my command-" "You'll wanna stop talking now." "...So if it's not like that- Then you won't mind if I-" "That's it!" And then Jax proceeds to beat him up.

Now I understand that Johnny was talking too much, and was a tad bit slimy about his hornyness, but he didn't want to get between her and Jax if they were a thing. He just has no filter. Now following my Neurodivergent headcanons for him this may have an occasion where he wasn't reading the social cues. Jax says "You'll wanna stop talking now." but Johnny has no intentions to stop talking nor does he want to stop talking. Johnny doesn't answer immediately, perhaps confused about the reply and ultimately deciding to ignore it. I too choose the wrong times to start talking to people, and most of the time I don't realise it unless it's pointed out. Happens way often than I'd like to admit.

I know that a lot of the characters call Johnny a clown or see him as a joke (Spawn, Kotal, Shang Tsung) due to how he operates, but I don't see that as the case. There's one specific quote in mk9's story mode that he says to Raiden: "Sure, let's go and ruin someone else's life." This is why I think Johnny was very aware of what was going on. He's also very open about his ego, he doesn't hide it like everyone else, and yes they are hiding it.

Now don't get me wrong, he does randomly antagonise people, but he's in a tournament so he can do that. And it's not like he was getting personal for most of them. I think the only time he says something personal is when he feels like he's being personally attacked.

"We have something in common?" - Johnny

"I too was once young and foolish." - Nightwolf

"But I looked good doing it." - Johnny

What Nightwolf said sounded like a backhanded comment to me. Uncalled for. This is the same guy that intentionally risked the invasion of Earthrealm just to teach Scorpion a lesson or something. Johnny can tell that Nightwolf is like the others, very serious and tolerant, so he's surprised that Nightwolf can even manage to see himself in him.

Relationships: Even in the intros it's shown that he has a better chance at friendships with the villains than with the good guys. It's more like they (good guys) are tolerable of him, especially Jax. I think Sub Zero allowing Johnny to get away with calling him Grandmaster Blueberry Ice is out of respect rather than fondness. This section can extend to interactions, as I think a lot of people misinterpret him as a person, which extends to a lot of things he says such as statements and nicknames.

Johnny asks the other characters if he can make movies based on their stories, meaning he's (in a way) asking for permission. Johnny could've easily made a movie about their lives without asking them, make money, and get away with it because it's not like they would even watch his movies (they hate him), especially non-Earthrealm characters. But he's respectful. So I guess he understands boundaries to a certain degree.

-----

"Heard you gave Cage a shiner." - Young Jax

"He pushes every damn one of my buttons." - Old Jax

"You, me and everyone else." - Young Jax

-----

"Not surprised I have a kid, but you." - Jax

Why can't he have a kid, Jax? He's so condescending about it too.

-----

"Actions speak louder than words." - Liu Kang

"Yeah, that's why I make action movies." - Johnny

"With fake fighting." - Liu Kang

-----

"We come from different worlds, Johnny." - Liu Kang

"Aren't you from Earthrealm too?" - Johnny

"I mean I come from the real world." - Liu Kang

Liu Kang is such a bully.

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"The answer remains no." - Scorpion

"But you'll be co-starring with yours truly." - Johnny

"Exactly." - Scorpion

I think a true friend would consider it.

-----

"What kind of name is Kabal?" - Johnny

"Got a better suggestion, Cage?" - Kabal

"For now on you're Carlos." - Johnny

Never change, Johnny. Kabal clearly finds Johnny annoying, but was able to humour him enough to answer with a question of his own, perhaps encouraging Johnny's curiosity.

-----

"Looking forward to a kindler, gentler Outworld." - Johnny

"Why? Because I'm a woman?" - Kitana

"Well that, and you're banging Liu Kang." - Johnny

I have a lot of opinions about this one. On Johnny's part I interpreted this as him giving her a thumbs up on becoming the new Kahn, and since Kitana is supposed to be on the good side she is expected to rule fairly. You know, like a good person. But then Kitana made it about feminism, so Johnny delivered a line to counter it. I honestly think Kitana was reaching at something that wasn't there and Johnny picked up on it. I'm probably making excuses for him, but that's my take. Her response annoyed me so much.

-----

"So you were to defeat Shinnok." - Kitana

"What is with people? Is it so hard to believe?" - Johnny

"Yes." - Kitana

Kitana this is literally you:

-----

"If it's tail you want I can get that." - Kano

"Johnny Cage doesn't pay for it, Kano." - Johnny

"A scrubble? Note the date and time :D." - Kano

Kano is so pleased.

-----

"You stole my face for Ninja Priest!" - Kano

"Art imitates life, Kano." - Johnny

"Taking my cut outta of your hide." - Kano

A call back to what I stated in the relationships, Johnny didn't ask for Kano's permission for inspiration on a character.

-----

"Why a Russian fan club?" - Johnny

"Just going where the fans are." - Kano

"You have a showman's instincts there Kano. :D" - Johnny

-----

"I won't play your lackey, Cage." - Baraka

"Really? 'Cause I'm feeling a BFF vibe here." - Johnny

So this one is pretty wishy washy, but thought it would be beneficial to this post. I would lowkey enjoy a storyline where Johnny is buddy buddy with Baraka, who is reluctant to accept friendship but slowly gets used to it. 

-----

"Oh, dude! I love westerns!" - Johnny

"The bullets are real, Cage" - Erron Black

"So are my fists." - Johnny

I'm pretty sure Johnny was just admiring Erron for what he is, kind of like meeting a nun in real life after years of only hearing about them... something like that. But Erron interpreted it as Johnny not being in the real world and treating everything as a joke.

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"Where is your fear?" - Noob Saibot

"Must've left it in my other pants." - Johnny

"We will find it." - Noob Saibot

Aww, Noob Saibot is so nice~ [Delusion] I love how Noob doesn't go out of his way to insult Johnny or belittle him, unlike some other characters.

-----

"Hey there, Tall Dark and Gruesome." - Johnny

"An apt description." - Noob Saibot

"Do you not get I am mocking you?" - Johnny

I headcanoned that Noob/Bi Han would take things literal, but he's also very analytical. I'm sure he was able to pick up on Johnny mocking him but didn't mind it, meaning he might have interpreted it as a nickname, which Johnny gives everyone. Wishful thinking, there could've been a lot of banter between these two.

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"You are more smug than usual." - Fujin

"I'm the new assistant thunder God." - Johnny

"Raiden should not have healed you." - Fujin

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"You know the evil overlord bit's played out." - Johnny

"What would you suggest?" - Shao Kahn

"Right now it's all anti-heroes." - Johnny

Is that kindness, Shao Kahn?

--------------

I think they did Johnny dirty in MK11, not gonna lie. To be fair, his storyline also didn't make sense in mkx thanks to discovering his new powers even though he's shown using them in mk9. If he was playable in mk9 story mode and his powers were usable, then the mkx part where he mysteriously saves Sonya because of the green light doesn't make sense. I think he should've been able to always use his green glow, that way Hollywood critics thinking he's fake has another tone to it. His green glow can be spotted in his movies, which is why viewers think he uses special effects, which led him to try to prove himself in the tournament.

I think the problem should've been that he couldn't control it, also as a call back to his mk9 ending. I think it's even referenced in an intro with Raiden. "Seek out the Wu Shi for instruction."

It also would be funny if everyone else was aware of it, but only Johnny wasn't. Like they all assumed he could use the green glow out of choice, but he didn't know or notice that he would go green. The fact that it happened during fights means it would only ignite in stressful situations or on instinct. He was also wearing shades for the majority of mk9 (because he likes shades), in fact he always wears shades so I think he's the only one who didn't notice the glow.

Johnny says "Yeah, those things are real." when referring to Baraka's blades, meaning he didn't feel that they were real. I'm not sure what that means, but it gives insight to his power level. Johnny defeated Shinnok. I get that Johnny 'softens him up' but he still defeated Shinnok, so I think he should've been able to at least handle Sindel. The reason Shao Kahn was defeated in mk9 is because the Elder Gods possessed Raiden which is how Raiden defeated Shao Kahn. They nerfed Johnny's character and I am not happy about that.

Now, with his upbringing and history. I think Johnny had narcissistic parents, and depending on who he got his powers from it was an inherited narcissism (don't know which parent had the powers, someone will probably say his father but let's not assume).

I think there was taught narcissism on Johnny's behalf. The thing about growing up with narcissistic parents is that you grow up thinking that their behaviour is normal, so he must've not seen anything wrong with the behaviour he learned. We also need to take a good look at his personality. He's a bit childish in terms of maturity, and this is common in individuals who grew up with a narcissistic parent. Johnny talks as if he's a teenager rather than the average 25+ year old man. To his credit he doesn't throw tantrums or lash out when his odd behaviours are called out (unless I missed something), but dude is childish. Only lashes out when his face is even slightly ruined and even blindly attacked some Black Dragons for getting a scratch on his face. However he is also very independent, from what I know. And he's a bubbly man, even when he changed, that's a character I can appreciate. I think him and Joey from Friends would be friends, even though I haven't watched Friends to confirm this.

Morality wise Johnny doesn't have wicked intent. In his mk9 story mode he says he's not gonna kill anyone when told to kill Baraka, realising that it's not an everyday tournament. He's okay with fighting people for sport (let's establish that tournaments are basically a sport) but not killing people. The tournament is like a perverted form of kill or be killed, one Johnny was forced into participating in some form (I'm talking about the killing and fighting for Earthrealm part). I don't think Johnny likes killing people or anything dead related. In mkx story mode he rolls a head off the helicopter in a fit of heeby jeebies and disgust.

"Have you killed anyone?" - Terminator

"Yeah, but they were all bad." - Johnny

"Why make that distinction?" - Terminator

Like a rationale of what he's experiencing.

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"Discard your jesters mask." - Kotal Kahn

"What you see is what you get, Feather Head." - Johnny

"I thought you merely played the fool." - Kotal Kahn

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"You revel in childishness." - Kotal Kahn

"Gotta stay sane somehow." - Johnny

"How are you a warrior?" - Kotal Kahn

----

"He was insufferable. Just like you." says Fujin about Johnny's great-great grandfather. Dude might've been a mega narcissist. Narcissism is taught and learned. Another example would be old Johnny and young Johnny: 

Young Johnny - "Dad always said "Hungry people eat lunch, humble people serve it."

Older Johnny "Dad was an a**hole, Hollywood made us an even bigger one."

So based on those facts alone, Johnny comes from a long generation of egotistical people. Then we have Hollywood. I think Johnny got into Hollywood not just because of creative thinking, but I think there's also a sense of longing there. Narcissistic parents, ignore, abandon and degrade their children. Along with making movies being a hyper fixation, their abandonment played a part in his need for spotlight. Johnny divorcing Sonya for her neglect might be more personal because it was a reminder of his parents.

I heard that there's a lot of narcissists in Hollywood, so with Johnny surrounding himself with people like that...(yikes!) The thing with narcissists is that they are always out for themselves. An autistic person struggles with social interactions, while a narcissist will manipulate the social interaction. Johnny (and Kung Lao) doesn't do that. He very much cares about the people around him and doesn't see them as tools.

Now back to his family.

"Grandma Carlton told you my secret?" - Johnny

"(Snicker) Johnny pee pants?" - Cassie

"I had one accident! One!" - Johnny

Judging from how Johnny both asked the question and responded, I theorise it came from a place of trauma. For his mother to tell Cassie the story as if it's a funny story and give him a nickname is suspicious. I think I already mentioned this in another post but I would like to elaborate. Me personally, I don't think anyone pissing themselves is a laughing matter. People don't piss themselves for no reason, or at least most people don't. Humiliating their child is a narcissist's past time. While his mother may not have played a part in humiliating him, she still found it funny enough to tell Cassie, who also for some reason found it funny.

(I have mixed opinions on Cassie and I might get in on her in another post. I don't know how many of these I'll be making.)

Going back to the interactions between young and older Johnny, I think older Johnny hates his younger self. Movie making is something Johnny loved, cash grab or not creative thinkers like doing creative things. 

I think I mentioned in another post that it's something he learned, so I'll like to continue that theory. Johnny wasn't that much of a bad person, sure he has flaws, but he's not evil or anything. So older Johnny's reaction to his younger self eagerly trying to convince him to make movies and stuff was kind of unnerving. 

It should've been something he could smile fondly at, but instead he reacts as if his passion has been beaten out of him. He finds his younger self annoying, just like everyone else. Everyone else = Sonya, Jax, and pretty much everyone else. As a person who likes coming up with stories and wants those stories to be known, I feel crushed by this conclusion of analysis. Poor Johnny.

Another fact about Neurodivergent people is that no matter what they will always be the same person no matter how much their opinions and belief change overtime, they will still have the same personality. Johnny still likes making his jokes and still gives people nicknames, but he lacks creativity in creating things. I guess applying his need for action into training the Kombat kids and working with the Special Forces counts as a slight change.

I'm coming close to an end so I'll sum it up by saying that Johnny shouldn't have got back together with Sonya. I don't ship them and I'm making it clear that I hate them together. Even before mk11 I thought the ship didn't make sense and it needs to be a character that doesn't tolerate him but actually enjoys his company from the beginning. It took me everything not to write that Johnny is a national treasure that should be protected.

[raineydaze070]

i think about tomas. a lot.

he's a hunter at heart, he always has been. i believe before he was taken in by the lin kuei, he was already surviving off of what he/his family could find. he's always been a survivor !

and it frustrates me when he is mischaracterized as "soft."

he's a man who has experienced enough tragedy for a lifetime, let alone at such a young age. he's gentle because he chooses to be.

if he wanted (and canonically does,) he could always revert to that hunter instinct. perhaps he bottles up those negative emotions, all for the sake of survival.

yay smokey bear !

[kenshimybeloved]

Hi! Part 2 of Part 2 lol

The scene continues with Liu Kang calling everyone over to begin determining who will be Earthrealms champion, and of course Johnny and Kenshi start bantering again. Johnny calls Raiden weak only to be beaten by him immediately, and Kenshi is next to face Raiden. As Johnny walks off and Kenshi walks up, Kenshi gives Johnny a smug look.

[side note: as they exchange looks, the camera slows, just for a moment, emphasizing the tension that’s being built. It’s been made clear that the thing Kenshi dislikes about Johnny is his ego, so it brings him joy to see Johnny being humbled. However, I get the feeling Johnny is just enjoying being acknowledged. Kenshi caring about anything to do with Johnny even a little bit is a step forward.]

Kenshi then loses to Raiden, which ends the scene. When it’s time for Raiden to face Kung Lao, we see Kenshi and Johnny standing off to the side watching. IMO, the most important part of this scene isn’t what’s being said between the two, it’s the body language. But for contexts sake, Johnny proposes a bet on who’s going to win the fight, and Kenshi replies “make it interesting. Bet me Sento.” When Johnny first offers the bet, you see him leaning into Kenshi with arms on his hips, smiling. In contrast, Kenshi is standing with perfect posture, arms crossed, frowning, and looking straight ahead. Kenshi doesn’t look towards Johnny until he says “bet me Sento”, challenging Johnny. He’s continuing to make his motive clear to Cage- he just wants Sento. But also, realistically, he knows Johnny would never give it up that easy. Wether or not he can admit this to himself- in his own way, he’s just doing playful banter with Johnny (something he seems incapable of doing in front of others. Although the banter isn’t exactly completely lighthearted here, it has a softer vibe than what we saw when interacting in front of Raiden and Kung Lao). Johnny then also turns his head to make eye contact with Kenshi (literal inches away from his face because of how much he’s leaning into him), and replies “ha, not on your life” and looks him up and down, challenging him back. They are in some weird unsaid game of gay chicken at this point to be perfectly honest.

[criminalmutantsins]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[dei2dei]

Look at all the stuff in that mansion. It's full, in that carefully-organized-by-a-designer way, and it's fantastic--and it's also utterly, horribly terrifying and makes me sad on behalf of MK1 Johnny Cage, what little I can see. Because as much money has been splashed around, as glorious and gorgeous as that Cage’s Mansion stage is… that's a showpiece, not a home.

Johnny has Sento, a true Japanese katana with a history--and it's famous enough, presumably, he'd know its name. It's on display in a really nice setup with all its elements neatly aligned and included so you can see every bit of it.  

He has a very fancy glass chandelier, and what looks like a bust of Nefertiti. Open windows and he keeps the temp at 72F. Lots of white furniture, the random vases full of sticks (aromatherapy diffusers?), a variety of bar carts. Abstract art and sculpture, and what may be a bra abandoned by the one chair and ottoman by the fireplace. One chair and ottoman. Not two, where you'd expect to cuddle up with family if you had one, or a partner. Just one.

This place can seat dozens. There are at least four discrete seating areas (maybe five?) on the bottom floor, plus the infinity pool, and an outdoor porch/patio. Then there's the second floor and all its seating that we can glimpse. It’s made for filling with people, and not in a lived-in dinner parties and kids running around kind of way.  This is a place you fill with people for parties. It's a place you expect to need dozens of chairs and bottles and bottles of liquor for your get-together. But there's very little Johnny on display. 

It's all about external appearances- the bust of Nefertiti is a well-known piece of art, and historically she was considered an icon of feminine beauty. He's got one of the world's most beautiful women to look at, a fancy Japanese katana, and yet all of it smacks to me of a man who is desperate to find pleasure, to chase the high in acquisitions and throwing big parties and having lots of people, to drown and forget the emptiness inside.

We don't see pictures of people here. No photos of family, of a girlfriend, or even of himself (no posters or award photos on the wall). Johnny is a man on his own, and anyone who comes to his place is an ephemeral guest, leaving very little of themselves behind. What there is of him is hidden away from public view, where perhaps only a few guests would get to see--and if we're stripping down to bras in the main space and then heading to skinny dipping in the pool, it'll be a wonder if they make it to a bedroom. There's no dining room here, or kitchen (that we see)--all those private areas are hidden. All public-facing here, all carefully cultivated and maintained for appearances.

I think this new Johnny, the little bit we've seen, is hungry for something. He wants something and he doesn't know what it is. Acting lets him chase that; maybe he'll find what he's missing in a role, in a mindset, in a co-star. Maybe he's tried to buy things and see if one of them will fill the hole in him, but nothing takes. Maybe if he surrounds himself with enough people, he'll meet The One (or two, if it's a poly situation). But right now... he's flying solo. This isn’t a place you raise a kid in, curl up with your significant other on a couch in front of the fire and laugh or watch TV (is there even one?).

It's an ostentatious display of wealth and a desire to be a party animal, to be the one people come to hang out with, the social butterfly that has alcohol and plenty of space. I think Tony Stark would absolutely be comfortable in a place like this (in fact, that's what my first thought was - MK/MCU mashup when?), but what we're missing is the equivalent to Tony's lab and bedroom. There's no passion here on display, nothing that makes this an individual, unique home that says "Johnny Cage" on it. He's presenting a face to the world, and hiding the rest away where he has to be a real person who eats and sleeps. There’s a scene in the MKX comics where Sonya is gearing up for an op in their kitchen, and the incongruity is great, Johnny stumbling out in fuzzy slippers and bathrobe and her checking her gun with the fruit bowl on the counter. That wouldn’t happen here; that’s too human, too vulnerable, for this Johnny.

Until - I hope - he meets The One, and realizes that he can stop chasing after external happiness because he’s got somebody who makes all those paintings and awards pale in comparison. Someone who's worth putting another chair next to the fireplace for, maybe making that pristine mansion a little messy for. Someone who's going to shake him down to his well-heeled shoes and upend his world. And if MK1 isn't going to give him someone, well. That's what fanfic is for.

[mrstsung]

I'm doing this shang tsung MY WAY!

Which ignoring canon that he was in. And placing him in my version of mortal kombat. (Which aligns more to the original timelines)

So a young shang tsung,who was once an earthrealm warrior,felt betrayed and was cohersd by shao kahn to join his court in outworld and fight on "his side" so to speak.

As for the dark magic/soul magic. He was always curious,but only curious. He only dived deeper because he was 1. Forbade to without so as much as a decent explanation on why it's "forbidden" and 2. Because he was trying to help earthrealm in any way possible,by any means. But he was again told no. So in his mind. It's like "wtf do you want me to do? It's like i bring a solution and you don't like me playing by the rules you created,which i try to follow yet. I get it spat back in my face" type deal. Course there's nuance to this and it's mainly raidens falt for not telling shang properly and handling things better. And yes,shang was his chosen and student before great lao. Great lao came in a tad bit later. Then came the tournament. He was actually trained by the shadow priests,who worked for shao kahn but revered shang. As they saw a prodigy in him. And magic aside. That man was a fucking excellent warrior,deadly as is. Add sorcery to him and he's a beast. <3

But anyways

Like i have a whole backstory more on shang tsung and i feel alan lee's shang is a good baby days shang tsung. Freshly cursed,freshly courtly mage,etc.

When we get tagawa's shang,is only after he gets his island. Which i hc was given to him by shao kahn as a gift. He wasn't gonna use it. So it was shang's dominion. In doing so he kinda fucked up because now,shang tsung was a lord of his own realm or pocket dimension. He has full jurisdiction and power over his island. The island's natural soul well was fortified to work in shang AND ONLY SHANG TSUNGS favor. He made the island self sufficient. (More on shang's island in another post) now. Only after spending years there,gaining knowledge,power,secrets,etc and a bit of forcefed defeat. Does our lovely sorcerer become more of the shang tsung we know and love. Wisdom and decades even centuries of knowledge gained.

Now back to young shang.

Young shang(alan lees shang/ mk12/mk1 shang) is a tad more prideful,maybe even jovial,always ever confident but in a youthful way. A spirit never breaking no matter how many times kicked down. These traits are amplified in his youth. He gets chiller and more relaxed and composed as he becomes more and more like out like elder shang tsung (tagawa's shang tsung/mk 95/mk11 shang) so that being said. Not too much difference,yet the aura is different and more of someone genuinely scholarly. Tagawa's shang is already a master,to get to that part. We need more development.

Now Lee's shang has great potential but i doubt that nrs ever would give him that genuine opportunity given how the script and story is being written. It feels its holding him back. And that kills me because it's such an amazing talent.

Now a young shang tsung to me is ever the curious. Not that ever stopped. But in his youth,he was always asking why or how. He wants to just know. He has to know. That can bite him in the ass or save his ass. Either way that is a core trait.

Shang tsung not being given an opportunity to join earthrealms warriors is a crime and honestly really really stupid on nrs.

It's rushed and they know it but they dont care because $$$ and micro transactions...

Anyways. Young shang tsung to me also needed a lot of reassurance not because of that lack of confidence,nah it's more of a reminder of "is this good? Is this wise? Am i crazy for feeling this or is this pride getting in the way?" He is confident in skills,he is not with other aspects more so he just doesn't want to disappoint. And Because he doesn't want to screw things up for the long run. But as trial and error happens,he gets more confident in his decisions.

He has his moments too and showing vulnerability and humanity in antagonists is very important. But not done in a backhanded slap to the character and audiences intelligence. Which unfortunately mk12/mk1 kinda does unfortunately.

And honestly,i felt bad for him. More than i ever did.

In conclusion,young shang tsung should be shown and given an opportunity to show with that an insight into shang's mind,heart,and things we actually don't see.

And some things in mk12/mk1 shang i absolutely am like "YES YES YES!" but because of everyone else,it's hard to enjoy because everyone else is insufferable.

Genuinely. Insufferable.

Like compared to shang tsung who gets something real,raw,human,believable,grounded,and interesting.

Nobody else in the story feels like characters,they feel like action figures playing along. And in a way that feels forced and fake to fit a boxed in trope. The script and writing feels ai generated.

Shang tsung seems to be the only one given some kinda agency and not even 100% either. It's not the greatest and it has flaws but by comparison it's great. Comparing that shang to every other shang tho? Kinda rushed and sloppy. And a disappointment. But it sucks because i want to really like that shang tsung.

So i jusy said fuck it. Im rewriting that shang.

Young shang tsung,mr. Alan lee. You deserve better. And honestly i think it's a wasted opportunity to have a shang centric game for once. It would be different,fun,and a change of pace.

*kisses forehead* lemme save you from shitty narrative and writing shang. Plz.

[thecollectivefixation]

A deep dive into the MK1 cinematics (PT1?)

Hi, I'm a nerd and I like breaking apart scenes for small details and hidden meanings that adds to the overall story. For my first official post on The Collective Fixation blog, Mortal Kombat 1 is going to be topic subject today. I’ll be talking about random scenes in the game and trailer that I found really cool and some of the relationships between characters. (I actually blame my family for introducing me to MK1 the other month and I’ve literally not stopped thinking about it so lets get into it hehehe.)

!WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Ok MK1 is definitely in my top three list of best looking cinematics in video games.

This scene from the trailer was my favourite because it uses the lighting in the building as a medium for foreshadowing. Scorpion (Kuai Liang) being in the warm, bright lighting while Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) being in the cool, dark lighting. The light side referring to Liu Kang as he is first seen with light around him as he ascends down and Shang Tsung representing the dark side as he steps out of dark shadows revealing himself in the trailer. Foreshadowing the betrayal and the two sides of the story that occurs further on in the story.

When Smoke first gets introduced he is seen under red light which can indicate danger or a sense of evil, paired with the dramatic shift in music from calming to almost a startling shift into a intense music. This convinces the audience to think that he is the antagonist in that current moment. The extreme close up on his face shows off his emotions, which is difficult to do since he has the mask on, so actors have to get creative with their facial expressions. We see this with the intense look Smoke has when surveying the area, indicated with his eyebrows and eyes. Also the camera pans left to show off more red light on his face. The camera is below his face making a low camera angle, low camera angles most commonly indicate a sense of power, strength and intimidation to the subject in frame.

(Side note: Live Laugh Love low camera angles, you see them so much in this game and I love itttttt)

The film codes (technical and symbolic) in the scenes between Johnny Cage and Kenshi Takahashi play an important part in the growth of their relationship. When Kenshi is revealed to the audience, the camera pans up from his feet to his sword to his face leaving in at a low camera angle. This increases dramatic tension by slowly revealing to the audience what Johnny sees. When taking in account of the music changing to a upbeat fighting kind of soundtrack the audience makes the conclusion of you guessed it danger, antagonist.

(Ofc cause he isn't the actual villain in the game but as the time he is lol)

(Side note: i love the way the game developers made it so the cameras seems hand held or on a dolly and not fixed in place, seems like we are in the game/story experiencing everything with the characters.)

Not that important but I love how the light from the pool reflects off both Johnny and Kenshi, its all about the details.

Now lets talk about THE SLOW MO BETWEEN JOHNNY AND KENSHI. Gotta admit, it caught me off guard a little, because normally a slow mo is used to focus on a character’s emotional reaction to a person, place or event in that current moment. And after thinking long and hard, I have come up with a conclusion on why the directors made this decision.

To show the tension between Johnny and Kenshi. Kenshi at the beginning of the story does not like Johnny or his ideals, its shown between dialogue when talking about their reasons to becoming Earthrealm defenders and Kenshi disapproval. And is the base of why they interact in the first place, because Kenshi wants Sento and Johnny wont give it over. The slow mo focuses on kenshi’s facial expression of aggravation and intensity about his fight with Raiden and about Johnny’s bad sport man ship in the previous scene with Johnny vs Raiden when Johnny’s ego was talking was basically he talked down Raiden’s abilities. This contrasts Kenshi’s ideals of honour.

(side note again, I haven't done a full deep dive on their characters nor have I done a deep dive on a character so I may have gotten some stuff wrong but I haven't fully played the entire game yet I'm like halfway rn so yea)

Ok that’s all for now, I’ll maybe talk about more scenes once I fully play through the game. Feel free to share your options because I love talking about these kind of things.

-Bookworm

[chaoticbreadcrumbs]

HOW OLD WOULD MK1 SHANG TSUNG BE IN HUMAN YEARS?

We all know that in most games Shang Tsung is 1,000 years old but keeps his youthful appearance by absorbing souls. As a result, he appears much younger than he actually is. In the new timeline, his age is unknown. All we know is that Liu Kang forged his destiny to be that of a common Outworlder and he most likely doesn't know how to use souls to make himself younger. ①

But how old do you think MK1 Shang would be if his life span were the same as that of a normal human from Earthrealm? Let’s analyze it.

EARLY MK GAMES:

Shang Tsung first appeared as an elderly man in his mid-eighties (Mortal Kombat 1992). Then he became a younger man in his late-twenties to early-thirties (Mortal Kombat II 1993). According to GamePro magazine in 1993(4), the Mortal Kombat II version of Shang Tsung was 19 years old. In Deadly Alliance, he is roughly 45. ②

MK1 2023:

Depending on the timeline, Shang Tsung resides from the Outworld or Earthrealm, making him either an Outworlder or a Titan, but his age remains consistent across both. He doesn't have a birthdate. ③

->

To determine his human age in MK1, we can either rely on our own speculations or seek assistance from AI. Please consider that Shang Tsung is a fictional character from a video game, and determining his precise age is going to be hard. Let's start by making an estimate. If I were to guess based on his physical and facial appearance, I would say he appears to be in his mid to late 30s. Despite his vitality, there are subtle hints of age lines and wrinkles. Analyzing how his wrinkles have developed, it would be fair to suggest an age range of 35-38.

He has a mature countenance, characterized by prominent facial features and a weathered complexion.

->

Now let’s have a look at what the AI has to offer. For that, I will be using the websites howolddoyoulook.com and age.toolpie.com to confirm if the two sites match the age analysis. Remember that things as light or different emotions can be detected by AI and decrease or increase the age.

Both AIs detect him to be in his early to mid-30s.

->

In addition, I asked ChatGPT:

ChatGPT agreed with my estimate and said Shang Tsung appears to be in his mid to late thirties.

->

I also tried to ask Redditors what they think:

WELL, I SAID I TRIED. After waiting 9 days that is the only coherent answer I got:

->

In conclusion, even though his exact age remains a subject of speculation and interpretation, a compelling case can be made for Shang Tsung being in his 30s in the events of Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), my opinion being that he is in his mid to late thirties.

And how old is Shang Tsung in your opinion?

Sources:

①-

https://www.reddit.com/r/MortalKombat/comments/1abh8g7/comment/kjndx27/?context=3

②-

https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Shang_Tsung#cite_note-19

https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/t/mkx/getting-to-the-heart-soul-of-whether-shang-tsung-could-be-in-mkx/85p8VTL2YW7V

https://www.mksecrets.net/mk2/eng/mk2-bios.php

③-

https://www.thegamer.com/mortal-kombat-1-every-characters-age-height-birthday/#sektor

[cienie-isengardu]

[MK1] Bi-Han & Kuai Liang. Good brother? Evil brother? Nah, just different reactions to trauma, part 3

part 1, part 2

The previous part helped me lay a ground to establish the main difference between Kuai Liang and Bi-Han. Scorpion, as a dedicated follower of father and Liu Kang’s authority is what I had called the Believer. He does not question the nature of Lin Kuei duty, as he built his life around it. Bi-Han on another hand is definitely a Questioner, as he questions and undermines not only the wisdom of Fire God or even his own father but also the reasons why his clan should serve Earthrealm in the first place as he sees such servitude as enslavement. So one brother follows orders of those he considers to be his superiors while the other, the same as all know to us major cryomancers, has a rocky relationship with authority.

Being the sons of Grandmaster definitely influenced their life by how they were raised, because beside the hardship of physical training they, as heirs, needed to be prepared for their future duties to the clan. As the eldest, such additional education was aimed primarily on Bi-Han, and depending on how big is the age gap between brothers, he could be more involved into clan politics - and in result more aware of the inner working of Lin Kuei and the unrest of his people than Kuai Liang or Tomas were. I will expand this thought soon, for now let's talk about the Grandmaster and Mother, as the first authority figures that shaped and influenced both brothers.

FATHER

There is no doubt that their father played a great role in shaping Kuai Liang and he meant a lot to the younger brother. During story mode we had 6 main scenes in which Lin Kuei brothers interacted with each other:

waiting together for Liu Kang

before infiltrating Fortress

after Bi-Han defeated Nitara and Ermac

before brothers separated to carry on their parts of mission

Bi-Han’s betrayal

the second confrontation between brothers that lead to Kuai Liang and Bi-Han fight + Kuai Liang and Tomas talking over unconscious body of Sub-Zero 

Out of 6 examples, four was focused on the ideological conflict between Sub-Zero and his brothers - and in all of those scenes, Kuai Liang was talking about father in one way or another

“His teaching did not pass with him. They should still guide us." “We must honor his vision Bi-Han." “Bi-Han!! How could you?! Father would turn in his grave if he saw this!" "We must chart a new course. One that both honors our Father's legacy and serves Earthrealm."

but outside the importance of father and his teaching, had almost nothing meaningful to say in the presented interactions. What is frankly a pretty alarming detail. Not only because Kuai Liang barely interacted with Tomas before he needed his support (6th interaction scene), but also he does not contribute much to the mission - the only one time he does say anything relative to the job at hand is when Smoke is out of the picture.

In contrast, Bi-Han and Smoke talked about how to process the mission on two separate occasions - before and during infiltrating the fortress, even though Tomas is the least battle experienced out of the three brothers (confirmed by his BIO and the falling scene) and the one about whom frustrated Bi-Han said to not have Lin Kuei blood.

And this is very surprising choice of creators, as it was Kuai Liang to whom other characters will look up for leadership during battle to close the portals, so A) he doesn’t lack the skills and self-confidence to lead a mission and B) he was no afraid of Bi-Han nor Tomas as he spoke his mind openly around his brothers. 

For the majority of Bi-Han’s chapter, literally all Scorpion has to say was to critique Sub-Zero even for things not worth the scorn[1] or bring father into discussion despite perfectly knowing this will only frustrate his elder brother more. 

Again for contrast, during the same chapter Bi-Han spoke of things not related to his father or ambitious plans for Lin Kuei’s future. As in:

discussing mission with Smoke on two different occasions

enjoying the fight for his own personal reasons (glory, testing his skills against worth opponents)

childhood memory - hearing the stories about Nitara’s people as a child

Sub-Zero’s chapter alone gives us a good hint of differences between Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. Scorpion is all about father and tradition to the point he barely interact with Smoke despite his own assurance “We may not share blood, but we are brothers” and has little to nothing nice or supportive to say to his elder brother despite their close bond (as provided by intro dialogues: Kuai Liang believing their bond couldn’t be broken and Bi-Han wishing to rule with Kuai Liang at his side).

In all fairness there is something almost fanatical in the way Scorpion acted at this point in story mode and it would be easy to claim this blind-like dedication to father is what Kuai Liang was at the core. However, like I said in the previous part, the same as Bi-Han’s behavior was influenced by emotion out of his control, the frustration we were told by Scorpion and shown through Sub-Zero’s angry gesticulation, the same assumption should be made for Kuai Liang. The best hint comes from the interaction between brothers before they attempted climbing on the wall.

Sub-Zero: “We must find a less guarded section before attempting an ascent. Finally we face a worthy foe. Victory will bring us glory." Scorpion: “Glory? We fight for duty." Sub-Zero: “Does our Father's ghost possess you? All I hear is his voice."

Saying someone is possessed is a strong way to emphasize how a person is acting differently than usual. By Bi-Han’s frustrated reaction we can assume that the way Kuai Liang behave and speak mimic the behavior of their parent - and if Sub-Zero was constantly rebuked by father the way he is rebuked by his younger brother over everything, whatever big or small matter, it could be the origin of his growing frustration. 

However we need to keep in mind that Kuai Liang was deeply affected by the unexpected death of their father, so this event could influence the way he interacted with his brothers, especially with Bi-Han. There is no reason to doubt they were once close, but I think the moment when Kuai Liang lost not just a parent but the most important authority figure, he started treating father’s wisdom not as just a guidance but some sort of Sacred Laws he - and his brothers - needs to follow to the letter.

At first in story mode Kuai Liang only says “His teaching did not pass with him. They should still guide us” to which Bi-Han replies that father’s wisdom can guide them but not “shackle” (limiting). But the more conflict escalates, the more Scorpion insists “We must honor his vision Bi-Han” yet he does not provide any real argument why they must do it actually. Like yes, sons should respect their father and be obedient while tradition is an important part of one’s culture, but Kuai Liang never goes out of his way to provide any example of what is good about that wisdom in the first place.

In contrast, the more tense became their interaction, the more vocal Bi-Han was about why he reject their father’s teaching:

Sub-Zero: "Vision is what he lacked. He was blind to our superiority. We settle for defending Earthrealm when we could help lead it."

and later, at his breaking point, 

Sub-Zero:"He was doddering old fool! He did us a favor, having that accident. And I was right to let him die.[...] Father had doomed the Lin Kuei to mediocrity. Now we will achieve greatness."

At the same time, despite the harsh criticism toward father and considering his death as “favor” done to Lin Kuei (brothers) and having no regrets for letting him die, Sub-Zero’s relationship with his parent is not so one sided as it may look at the first glance. 

Through intro dialogues, Bi-Han still considers his father a foolish, short sighted man

Scorpion: Father would be ashamed of you. Sub-Zero: Only because he lacked vision.

and

Smoke: Father wanted us to be brothers. Sub-Zero: Yet another of the old man's foolish dreams.

or

Sub-Zero: My father was a fool to follow you. Liu Kang: He wisely honored Earthrealm with his service.

but at the same time he does not completely reject the notion of the father’s greatness

Sindel: I knew your father. He was a great man. Sub-Zero: Yet he never understood the Lin Kuei's potential.

or that the man’s wisdom had some merit

Sub-Zero: Father was right about one thing: never trust a sorcerer. Quan Chi: Truly, he was a wise man.

nor Sub-Zero's action was motivated by hate or spite

Reiko: Is it true: you let your father die? Sub-Zero: What war's ever been won without losses?

or

Ashrah: What kind of son betrays his father? Sub-Zero: One who sees his father's time has passed.

(And there is something really weird how Reiko bothers to ask Bi-Han about his father’s death yet Fire Lord, who praised the previous Grandmaster as a wise man to serve Earthrealm, has nothing to say about the matter? No anger, no rebuke, not even a simple comment for what Bi-Han did? When he expressed regret on various occasions for the ill fate of Sindel and her husband? I guess this could add to the pile of reasons why Bi-Han resents Liu Kang’s authority for not treating his Lin Kuei allies with the same or similar level of respect he express toward Outworld Royal Family).

Scorpion in his intro dialogues does not question father’s authority at all. He does speak about him with

Sindel

Scorpion: Your husband's murder haunted my father. Sindel: All those close to Jerrod were devastated.

and

Sindel: Both your parents were excellent fighters. Scorpion: I can only hope to live up to their example.

Geras

Scorpion: I want to see the moment my father died. Geras: You are not ready to receive that knowledge.

and Bi-Han (“Father would be ashamed of you”) however I didn’t find any example he directly mentioned father to Smoke, who, like Sub-Zero, had a more complicated relationship with the man[2].

He also expressed to Johnny and his mirror match burning anger at Bi-Han for father’s death:

Johnny Cage: Bi-Han's got you all fired up, eh? Scorpion: He'll burn for betraying my father.

and

Scorpion: I won't be consumed by vengeance. Scorpion: How can your father's death not burn you?

This fierce reaction to father’s death is understandable, as Scorpion’s Bio said, 

Like his cherished father, Scorpion is dedicated to the Lin Kuei and its defense of Earthrealm. When his father died, Scorpion was bereft. 

Now, let’s focus on the choice of words. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, bereft means:

suffering the death of a loved one but also being deprived or lacking something needed, wanted, or expected.

Which is why I think the loss of a father is for Kuai Liang something more than just missing a beloved parent. He also lost the guidance that was constant in his life since he was a little kid and he tries to fill the emptiness by honoring and in result, mimicking the authority figure he built his life around. 

Kuai Liang’s character theme is HONOR

and as much as it is about his integrity and loyalty to father’s teaching (protecting Earthrealm), I think this is also a keyword to what Scorpion dedicated his life: to honoring the past but only through father’s idea of tradition, duty or his legacy[3].

Story mode: "We must honor his vision Bi-Han."

and

Story mode: "We must chart a new course. One that both honors our Father's legacy and serves Earthrealm."

and

Smoke: With you as grandmaster, our new clan will flourish. Scorpion: Only if we honor tradition.

If we agree that Father was the authority Kuai Liang followed and built his life around, then he did not just lose a parent but also a central part of his world, a source of comfort and security. And Bi-Han, the closest remaining blood-relative, the eldest sibling is NOT PROVIDING THE NEEDED COMFORT and/or STABILITY because Sub-Zero does not follow father’s teaching anymore and slowly is building his life around different values and goals than were accepted by previous Grandmaster. 

Which is why I believe Kuai Liang so desperately clings to it, and honors the man’s teaching like it is some sort of sacred code and can’t anymore interact with elder brother the way they used to. Because he is afraid to lose the last connection to cherished father - if Bi-Han casts away their father’s teaching, they will be forgotten with passing time and then lost forever. And the dislike of changes father would not approve and fear of being forced to act against his own brother are part of Scorpion’s BIO:

[...] he took pride in knowing that his brother, Sub-Zero, would succeed their father as the Lin Kuei's grandmaster. But Sub-Zero's unprecedented moves to cast off the Lin Kuei's traditional duties have frozen Scorpion's enthusiasm. He fears that one day he may have to battle his brother for control of the Lin Kuei's legacy.

- even if Bi-Han prior to his betrayal scene did not do anything that cast off the tradition. We could hear him talking about his ambitions to change Lin Kuei, but only between his closest family and never openly questioning or challenging Liu Kang’s authority. Like yes, Bi-Han was frustrated and lacked patience for back talks of Kung Lao who still didn’t figure out Lin Kuei pulled out their punches and acted violently once Johnny grabbed his arm - and how much it was a learned reflex to respond with violence and a simple excuse to hit him is up to debate. But each time Liu Kang got involved in the “conflict” Sub-Zero fell back to his place and obeyed. The same as he did not argue about the mission he and his brother undertook on Fire Lord’s order.

As the story mode provides, the clan was more than ready to reject the past because only Kuai Liang and Tomas refused to follow Sub-Zero’s leadership. Which speaks a lot both about Lin Kuei as a society and Kuai Liang’s dedication for tradition and father. The story mode really made him look to be in the minority in that matter. To the point that he openly admitted to Smoke how small are chances for him to replace Bi-Han as the Grandmaster even though he is the second in line to that title:

Smoke: “What are you doing? Once he's exposed, won't you be made Grandmaster?" Scorpion: "You forget Cyrax and Sektor. Their loyalty to Bi-Han is absolute. They'll sooner abet his corruption than follow me."

At his breaking point, Bi-Han explained to brother he lied about father’s death because 

"[...] you couldn't, and still can't, face the truth. Father had doomed the Lin Kuei to mediocrity. Now we will achieve greatness."

what is of course a very subjective opinion, but considering how sources presented Kuai Liang and how narrow-minded he can be, especially during mourning father, I’m willing to give Sub-Zero some benefit of doubt. Not if father worsened the Lin Kuei situation or not, but about Scorpion and his inability or lack of will to face the truth. Lin Kuei has changed and Bi-Han alone is not the source of problem, because he is the clan leader for relative short period of time while the whole clan rejected the centuries old traditions honored by Kuai Liang’s father despite knowing it puts them on the collide course against Liu Kang, Earthrealm and Outworld. What is more, just because the previous Grandmaster died, it does not erase all the older members who served Earthrealm longer that Bi-Han or Kuai Liang lived and they too support Bi-Han’s independence streak as far as sources implies. Would they reject Sub-Zero if they knew about his part in Grandmaster’s death? Maybe or maybe not, all depending how long and how deeply the dissatisfaction about the Lin Kuei situation runs. Something that Kuai Liang may not be aware of - or quite the opposite, he was in fact painfully aware about it and this is why he feared Sub-Zero's desire for change, because he knew the clan will gladly support it.

The same as for tradition, brothers have a different approach to their father and what he symbolizes in their life. For Kuai Liang the man was a cherished family member and moral guide, the first and final authority while for Bi-Han a source of frustration and limitation. Understandable then, they have an opposite reaction to his death, one is heartbroken and the other sees it as an opportunity for his own growth and realization of ambitious plans. 

The Lin Kuei brothers’ feelings for mother though are drastically different matter and this will be the subject of the next part.

SIDENOTES

[1] The best example happened here: 

Sub-Zero: “We must find a less guarded section before attempting an ascent. Finally we face a worthy foe. Victory will bring us glory." Scorpion: “Glory? We fight for duty."

as Bi-Han can’t even express the joy he finds in fighting without Kuai Liang cut in and bring it down again to duty and in the wider perspective what father trained them for. An excitement that in itself is not inherently a bad thing, especially since the Sub-Zero’s quotes after losing the fight against Nitara or Ermac shows how Bi-Han would graciously accept defeat and praise his enemy (“You are a superb adversary. More than worth the wait” and “You are as formidable as promised. Let’s continue.” respectively) thus his attitude is about something different than bloodthirst or fun. Sub-Zero was warned about the danger Nitara and Ermac posed:

childhood stories about Lin Kuei's effort against Nitara’s people: “As a boy I heard tales of battles against your kind.”

Liu Kang’s warning about Ermac: “You are Quan Chi’s creation. Liu Kang warned about you. I had hoped for the chance to battle your dark magic.”

and so Bi-Han hoped to face worthy opponents against whom he could test his skills. And though it may sound selfish, we can’t forget that Sub-Zero was raised as a warrior - only facing strong opponents and overcoming the danger allow a warrior to make progress. Lin Kuei warriors were always striving for perfection, and if this mindset did not change in Liu Kang’s timeline, it is understandable why the prospect of facing danger after years of idleness pleased the Grandmaster.

Bi-Han looking out for a chance to perfect his abilities, wishing to test himself and earning a recognition for fighting skills he dedicated his whole life doesn’t sound as something deserving such a negative reaction. Especially since Bi-Han at this point has never done anything that put the mission or his brothers at risk. And though he was frustrated about his and Lin Kuei's situation, it never stopped him from doing his duty - until the capture and Shang Tsung’s offer scene. An offer he wouldn’t be otherwise interested to listen to, as was seen during his fight with sorcerer

and Sub-Zero’s intention to eliminate the enemy for good (even if Liu Kang clearly said to capture the sorcerer not to kill him).

This leads me to think Kuai Liang’s rebuke was uncalled for but also supports my feeling mentioned in the previous part - Scorpion did not enjoy fighting but was doing it because tradition (father) demanded that from him.

[2] Tomas’ complicated feelings toward Lin Kuei Father are rooted in his trauma - it was Grandmaster’s own people who killed his mother and twin sister. As much as an adult Tomas respect his adoptive parent and maybe even became emotionally close with he man over the years, there is still something in the way he spoke about the past events that indicates it was not always the case - and maybe he still feels some resentment to the man that at least indirectly destroyed his childhood

Kitana: You are Kuai Liang's adopted brother? Smoke: His father's honor demanded that he take me in.

and

Reptile: Lucky for you, Kuai Liang's father took you in. Smoke: It didn't feel that way at the time.

And I guess this is just the nature of intro dialogues, but it feels off to me that when Tomas is talking with non Lin Kuei characters, the father is always connected down solely to Kuai Liang (and not for example to both brothers) and Tomas never corrects them or say anything implying that despite not sharing the same blood, the man became his father too. There is also something to say how Tomas twice brought father in his dialogues with Bi-Han: 

Smoke: Father wanted us to be brothers. Sub-Zero: Yet another of the old man's foolish dreams.

and

Sub-Zero: You were never truly one of us. Smoke: Were Father here, he would disagree.

None of the brothers adds “my” or “our” father - and Bi-Han could do so, if he didn’t consider Tomas part of the family. Interestingly Sub-Zero only once said “my father” in his intro dialogues and between the three brothers, Sub-Zero's ones revolve the most around the man (I counted 8 separate, direct intro dialogues), while Kuai Liang does not talk directly about father with Tomas at all in their pre-fighting interactions. Which is quite surprising, considering how important father is to Kuai Liang and how often Smoke brought the man’s authority in story mode and intros.

[3] At this point I think it is not the burning anger that Kuai Liang shares with the original Scorpion that should concern other characters (and us), but his “blind” clinging to the past that brought Hanzo Hasashi a lot of suffering and made him an easy target for manipulations. Now, I know this may sound too harsh, especially at such an early stage of exploring a new timeline and having no clue what is NRS’ final goal for his character development but hear me out. Kuai Liang’s Shirai Ryu is not an improved version of Lin Kuei, but it's replacement. For now Scorpion needs to find and train willing adepts to secure Earthrealm and his new clan’s safety, so it’s understandable his focus is set on the most urgent matters at hand, but if he is not willing to closely examine past and question it - be it father’s teaching or what lead Lin Kuei to follow rebellious Sub-Zero than following their traditional duties, he will recreate the system that objectively speaking is unfair to people born into it. As far as we know, Lin Kuei members weren’t paid for their dutiful service, they lived in isolation and secret, forced their children to endure hardship since childhood to turn them into superb soldiers (tools) so Liu Kang’s Earthrealm could be safe and sound and even in times of peace, the warriors could die for unspecified reasons that aren’t related to natural death out of old age (presumably what happened to mother). There is much more to talk about, so I’m gonna leave this matter for another part. Just signaling that Kuai Liang’s fierce loyalty to father (past) can be as dangerous as Bi-Han rejecting it.

[escrupulo42o]

WELCOME TO THE BRAND NEW SEGMENT OF MY BLOG CALLED "INTELLECTUAL TOÑO TIME‼️‼️"😎😎🤓‼️⁉️🔥🔥

in this segment i will show you a song i really like, ill translate it if needed, ill explain/analyze the lyrics and apply them on to my favourite characters!

in the translation, you might see this sign (+), it means that i will later add details that might have gotten lost in the translation or stuff like that. and if you see something between brackets like these [...], its probably some small notes i leave to carify some small detail or explain the use of certain words.

the first song will be "Carismatico" by the argentinian band Babasonicos and the character will be Johnny Cage :D

the translated lyrics are the following:

i thought i saw two clowns

with scared faces, closing the shop

pretend (+), they have their costumes on

they are going to the circus to get the camels

they look a bit spooked

(straight) out from a painting that is about to fade

pretend, they are very sweaty

they carry a bucket with confetti

i have to learn to pretend more

and to not show my emotions

i have to learn to pretend more

and to pilot (+) what i think

i try to reach a door

and i hear a swarm of flies whistling

pretend, they are buzzing my name

we have to leave and i dont know how (+)

i have to learn [the rest of the chorus]

…

[chorus x3 -> as in 3 times, not the silly face]

[theres a secret second chorus that plays over the first one, i will add it by puting between parenthesis]

(some nights im easy)

(i dont abide by limits (+))

(some nights im easy)

i have to learn to pretend more

(i dont abide to limits)

…

i have to learn to pretend more

(i dont abide by limits)

i have to learn to pretend more

and to pilot what i think

ok so now on to clarifications

on the first (+) you see, theres the word "pretend" (or in the original lyrics, "disimula"). in this case it is a way of saying something like "pretend you didnt see/hear it" or "pretend it doesnt affect you"

the second (+) is for the word "pilot" ("pilotear" in spanish). it is an expression used to say something like "manage/stabilize the situation" in the way a pilot would stabilize a plane when going through turbulences (in this case the turbulences would be his thoughts)

third (+), the original lyrics do not actually say that but i had no idea how to translate it + google translate and word reference were not helping, so i had to change it in order to not put a whole ass explanation in the middle of the lyrics. the original text is something along the lines of "we have to leave and i dont know where to leave through". im not even sure if thats grammatically correct but what its trying to say is that he does not know where the exit is.

fourth (+), i genuinely dont know XD. i confess i used google translate for this one

if you are curious about the secret chorus its from the song "Yegua"

now ANALYSIS TIME‼️

the song talks mostly abot social anxiety and feeling like everyone is watching everything you do. at first it would seem like the concept of social anxiety has nothing to do with the egocentric, confident and cocky Johnny Cage, but youd be wrong. in my headcanons, he grew up as an undiagnosed autistic kid in a small town inthe fucking 90's, of course he has social anxiety. he just made himself be this big extroverted and confident person to make up for it. hes constantly worrying about how people percieve him (in his looks, in the way he talks, in the way he moves), about people talking about him behind his back (yk celebrity shit + this can be connected with the flies mentioned in the song), about his emotions being too big, about being too intense, being too much. he was around people who told him he was "bad" (annoying, loud, dumb, etc.) so much that it became a part of his subconsious, a part of his thoughts. they hunt his every move, a constant monolgue of every tiny thing he does wrong. specially when he was younger, this thoughts would get so intense that they would overwhelm him, but it doesnt happen very often anymore. everyone usually assumes he has a pretty high self esteem but he has just gotten really good at hiding his insecurities under layers upon layers of braggings, fake self confidence, borderline narcissistic tendencies and a lot of jokes. he basically made himself charismatic, a.k.a, the name of the song. also, if you listen to that second chorus its kinda like a response to the main chorus. it refers to someone that parties a lot and doesnt care about anything or anyone. it is a conversation between a very insecure and shy person (the first chorus) and an over confident and social person. alternatively, it is a conversation between John Carlton and Johnny Cage.

aside from the lovely lyrics, this song is AWESOME when it comes to the music. it genuinely makes me go insane like AAAHSVAAH i highly recommend listening to it with headphones

i think thats all i had to say about it :P

[cessmaga]

mini analysis why I ship cageblind

they are kinda both similar but just in a different font, not in a bad way and they blend each other so well

one of the themes of their movies in perspective is fighting people who use their people for bad

cage fight! johnny literally said something like people who bully are just weak

snow blind isn't really explicit but snow blind! kenshi also thinks people like these are just weak

they are both aware that the world is full ups and down

none of them are malicious people, they are pretty much good people despite having flaws

they pretty much share the same common with each other in general,

also au where they are the same universe and they are some sort of arc, I would like to like that they are already dating but as some shit they have been through their relationship gets stronger

I feel like their dynamic is playful bantering and teasing and never go too far

also extra cageblind headcanons cuz lol

I like to think kenshi has a higher metabolism than johnny (this also implies to the mk1 too) (cuz I find it really funny loll)

they are both bi! johnny has a preference in women while kenshi has no preference at all

kenshi's 25 yrs while johnny's 26 yrs old

controversial take but they are actually switches but johnny mostly tops 🤷‍♀️

[xfallen-flowersx]

Just now remembered that if titan Liu Kang and Titan Kitana are from the same timeline than when Raiden asks Liu Kang why he chose Johnny cage, Liu Kang remembers his Johnny and his help in defeating Shao Kahn and Shinnok

[criminalmutantsins]

My Thoughts on MK1 Hanzo

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

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

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

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

[dubiousdisco]

you know how they keep repeating johnny acts like a little kid

do you think he forgot that kenshi is still upset with him and thus he has to be angry at kenshi back because he was enjoying his company, like little kids tend to do

[s-e-v-e-n-24]

Me? Obsessing over a game I've never played? More likely then you think

Tomas <3 I think he should be allowed to go apeshit

Sketch under the cut

[scaryspears]

Mileena: Thoughts and Opinions

These are my thoughts and opinions on Mortal Kombat that a bunch of people probably won't care about, but I thought I should post them here. Now I will be using past games as reference, even though every character's interpretation/counterpart is different, they still play part to the canon storyline.

[Warning: This post is very long. Revealing cosplay.]

I always saw Mileena as eccentric rather than crazy. The eating people thing? She's not human and is a fang faced creature, we are not to be surprised.

Appearance: Now before Mkx the female characters were sexualized for marketing purposes, but a lot of the fandom recognises Mileena to be the go to when it comes to sexualization. Even when Mkx took the designs more seriously Mileena still has that flare of... marketing. In mk11 that goes out of the window. Now mind you, I like the costumes and skins for Mileena in this game, I'm a sucker for kimonos, and that kimono still has a titty window and comes off as more revealing than Kitana's. Even when you put Mileena next to Kitana, knowing what she looks like without the mask, she's still seen as the 'hotter one' out of the two.

I think it's just the fact they babied her. And when I say they babied her I don't just mean her childish attitude that is significantly different to mk9, I'm talking about her face model. In another post I headcanoned that Kitana is 17-19 in human years because I genuinely believe she looks like she's around that age. In the previous games Kitana and Mileena both look like they are in their mid to late 20's which is how they were able to get sexualized.

Because of the redesigns I think it retconned the interactions that took place between the characters.

Ships

I find it bizarre that most of the male roster roasts the hell out of her, yet have an undertone of flirting based on interactions I've seen. Now, that's probably me being delusional and pulling at strings just to make a ship happen, but it's there.

Mileena + Kung Lao (If I'm feeling bold), Liu Kang (If I'm feeling bolder), Kuai Liang, Hanzo (childhood ship), Takeda ("You can look but you can't touch"), Stryker (watched Sonic XD's mk9 sucks video), Erron Black (I mean he did date Nitara and Skarlet), Bi Han/Noob Saibot

Out of all these ships I've listed I feel the most strongly about shipping her with Bi Han. It's mainly because of a post I saw, which was based on a meme. 

Kitana: Am I ugly?

Liu Kang: No. 

Mileena: Am I ugly

Bi Han/Noob Saibot: Yes. 

Mileena and Bi Han are dating in this meme, btw. I think it was built on the fact that Bi Han can see her for the tarkatan she is but it doesn't disturb him. I don't think he goes out of his way to mock her, either, he's merely analytical of her. Following one of my headcanons, he takes things literal, meaning he has no intentions of harming her emotionally.

Yes, I ship him and Sereena, but I like to try new things.

"We have met before." - Mileena

"In the Netherrealm, where I consumed your soul." - Bi Han/Noob Saibot

That wasn't supposed to sound sweet, but it did. To me. There's also this video.

They both have sibling problems and were killed unfairly. Mileena's crown was snatched from her while Bi Han was made a slave alongside Scorpion. You know, the guy that killed him. They fought Kabal together.

Oh, and they can both teleport :).

It could be argued that Noob has a better chance with Skarlet since she reminds him of Sereena, but I like her interactions with Sub Zero.

I'm starting to think I should write a yandere Liu Kang/Kung Lao x Mileena (one sided), I mean Kung Lao wanted Kitana too so he could see Mileena as some kind of replacement.

Family:

I think Shao Kahn does feel some kind of fatherly attachment to her, although I headcanon that he's a narcissistic father. In Mk11 story mode he was ready to kill D'Vorah the second he found out she killed Mileena. Protective dad. I think some of it comes from the father-daughter bond he has with Kitana. While Shao Kahn did say that he kept her around just to appease Sindel, he had no need to do that after her death, so he technically adopted Kitana just because he could. And then teenage rebellion kicked in and he had her replaced by Mileena.

"Where's this boldness been hiding, Kitana? Had you shown it before, I'd have no need for Mileena." I think Shao Kahn did care for Kitana but not in a way that his mind can fully address. But he prefers Mileena, as she's the version of Kitana that won't betray him. Even though Mileena was created as a replacement he still recognised her as an heir, and his daughter.

I also think Shao Kahn can't produce children... I mean I still see Skarlet as his adopted child. Dude's straight up just picking up daughters.

Shao Kahn being a dad:

"Raiden chooses champions poorly." - Shao Kahn

"This from the man who chose Mileena?" - Liu Kang

"Do not mock my daughter!" - Shao Kahn

-----

"Those who betray me suffer, Black." - Shao Kahn

"Our contract died when you did." - Erron Black

"You should've served Mileena." - Shao Kahn

-----

"You'll pay for Mileena, D'Vorah." - Shao Kahn

"This one did Outworld a service." - D'Vorah

"And so shall I." - Shao Kahn

-----

"With Sindel's return our family is complete." - Shao Kahn to Mileena

-----

"Daughter, you have returned." - Shao Kahn

"To reclaim my place at your side from Skarlet." - Mileena

"First prove yourself her better." - Shao Kahn

Yeah, he's a narcissistic parent.

-----

"You didn't teach me blood magic." - Mileena

"Sorcery is Skarlet's gift, not yours." - Shao Kahn

"You'd never know, you never gave me a chance." - Mileena

That sounds like sibling jealousy, Skarlet was certainly adopted.

-----

"Back from the dead, I see." - Rain

"You must answer for scheming against Mileena." - Shao Kahn

"Your daughter got exactly what she deserved." - Rain

-----

Bonus: Kitana

Kitana is just so out of pocket. Now to be fair, she reacted in a way that is understandable. If I found out someone cloned me and I was face to face with that clone I would freak out too. But it's what happens afterwards. Kitana claimed that Mileena attacked her when it was the other way around.

Now if we follow the events of mk9 and not the events that came before it, Kitana never got to even know Mileena, so that comment was uncalled for. Not only that, but Mileena was welcoming towards Kitana upon first meeting her. While she was created to replace Kitana, that was not her priority when she woke up and saw Kitana for the first time. It's very clear that Kitana has absorbed Shao Kahn's narcissistic habits.

Now with some interactions:

"You're more my sister than Mileena." - Kitana

"So why must we fight again?" - Jade

"Where there are siblings there is rivalry." - Kitana

-----

"I don't suppose you have a sister." - Kung Lao

"There is only Mileena." - Kitana

"Thank you. I'll pass." - Kung Lao

I think Kitana actually carries pride over being the pretty one. I also think she took pleasure in making Kung Lao uncomfortable.

-----

"You will be queen of the damned." - Noob Saibot

"That honour is Mileena's" - Kitana

Out of pocket, no one said Mileena's name yet Kitana brought her up just to insult her.

-----

Skarlet and Mileena should've had a bond of some kind that wasn't antagonistic. I already wrote a post about this some years ago on my old Tumblr account, but I deleted it so I have to start over with this post. In Skarlet's original story (before the retcon) she was created in the flesh pits and even appears a few times during the mk9 story mode, so by that alone Mileena and Skarlet have a connection.

In the retcon Shao Kahn is the one to teach Skarlet blood magic, but I always saw sorcery as Shang Tsung's speciality since Shao Kahn has his kingly duties to fulfil so I think it would be much more fitting if Shang Tsung taught her under Shao Kahn's orders, that way her and Shang Tsung have a bond of their own being teacher and student to compliment the fact that he created her back in mk9.

Now, Kitana has Jade so it was an opportunity to have an evil doppelganger situation with Mileena and Skarlet. They both like gore, they both hate Kitana because Kitana was mean to them, and they both don't like Jade. They both also have a thing for Sub Zero, which means they have similar tastes. They should get along. And for them to not get along I think it should've been the normal sibling dynamic where they would easily get into fights and do little things that annoy the other, but deep down are fond of each other. Something that counters Kitana and Jade's you're like a sister to me that you don't see real siblings experience.

If we're gonna follow the fact that they should get along, then Skarlet could've been the cool older sister. She had a boyfriend (Erron), she is good at what she does, and she's just as feral as Mileena but is more laid back. I can picture her helping Mileena with her makeup and her training. The sister that Kitana never was and refuses to be. On Skarlet's part it could be a thing where she remembered how it felt for Kitana to belittle her and for Jade to shun her for not being Edenian, and decides that she refuses to be the same to Mileena.

I have said a bunch of times that Shao Kahn sort of adopted Skarlet or sees her as a child of his. He took her away from the streets because she showed fire, and that's how a lot of adoptions go from what I heard, there's something about the kid that sparks something in that parent. But I think because Skarlet doesn't have royal blood and is a street urchin is what doesn't make her worthy of the title of daughter in Shao Kahn's eyes even if the bond is potentially there.

As much as I would love them to get along, Skarlet is jealous of Mileena. The fact that a clone was able to be given the title 'daughter' in a blink of an eye in comparison to Skarlet who had been serving him for more than centuries. "Shao Kahn needs no more Kitana clones!" is her way of saying that she wants to be recognised, loved and appreciated. "A pity you will never be his daughter." from Shang Tsung wasn't just any statement, he can see that this street urchin orphan who will not be mourned wants a parental figure in her life, and that unfortunately became Shao Kahn. There could've been the potential that it would be Shang Tsung, but we all know what he's like, he would see her as nothing more than a student who wants something more.

Skarlet lusts for power, and I theorise it is because she's trying to fill a hole, which is common in people who lack certain things in their life such as emotional stability and parental support. Having power will give her that sense of control over her life, supposedly.

Following my headcanon that Skarlet desiring Skao Kahn is a sign of her insanity, her need for security, appreciation and love has been perverted by the very thing that gives her power. Poor Skarlet.