Despite the gory and bloody claim to fame of Mortal Kombat, the acclaimed franchise packs a lot of lore beneath its infamous Fatalities. In fact, beyond breaking bones and dismembering opponents, Mortal Kombat and its eponymous Mortal Kombat Tournament continue to change the lives of its many participants. As such, each installment will have fans on the edge of their seats as they wait for yet another scheme from Shang Tsung or a brutal demonstration from Shao Kahn.
Courtesy of Mortal Kombat 11, folks from NetherRealm Studios seem to hint towards major developments for its cast in future entries. However, eagle-eyed fans might want Mortal Kombat to resolve some glaring inconsistencies in its lore that can ruin its iconic story.
9 Raiden Not Having Met Kotal Kahn Doesn’t Make Sense
Kotal Kahn made his presence known as one of the new Kombatants in MK11. Worshipped as an Earthrealm God by the Mayans around 500 years ago, Kotal takes on the role of Kahn after the death of his tyrannical predecessor. When Earthrealm’s protectors ask Raiden who Kotal is, Raiden says he hasn’t met him before.
This answer doesn’t make sense, especially given Raiden’s status as Earthrealm’s protector for millennia. According to Kotal’s backstory, he served Reiko as one of Shao Kahn’s generals during his reign, with Reiko being a Kombatant that Raiden is familiar with.
8 Liu Kang And Raiden Haven't Always Been Hostile
The whole crux of Kronika's plan for timeline domination lies in the fact that hope "breaks down" the moment Liu Kang and Raiden fight. It's this disagreement that became the cause of Earthrealm's loss in MK9 that also became Shao Kahn's downfall in the same game. Thanks to this realization, Raiden bestows Liu Kang with his godly powers so he could stand a chance against Kronika.
Story connection aside, this "big deal" wouldn't make much sense for most fans. Prior to MK9, there hasn't been any noticeable animosity between Raiden and Liu Kang. While others argue that MK11 tries to fulfill the plot points established in the "new" storyline, the conflict emphasis still doesn't make sense with the older games into consideration.
7 The Powerset Of Fire God Liu Kang Doesn't Make Sense
When Raiden bestows Liu Kang his godly powers, Liu Kang becomes Fire God Liu Kang. Instead of being a mere mortal, Liu Kang now possesses powers of both fire and lightning, getting enough juice to eliminate Kronika and restore the timeline.
Thing is, Raiden is simply a God, an agent of the Elder Gods. If Kronika is a Titan, a mother of Elder Gods like Shinnok and Cetrion, then how exactly did Raiden's pre-existing powerset contribute to Liu Kang's success?
6 Elder Gods Have An Inconsistent Powerset
Aside from Fire God Liu Kang, the majority of what could be considered divine in the series have absurdly inconsistent powersets. For instance, Kronika likely stands at the top of powerful Kombatants based on her powerset as a Titaness. Prior to her appearance, Onaga the Dragon King became the closest the series has come to surpassing the Elder Gods in terms of powers. After Onaga would likely be Shinnok, an actual Elder God (albeit fallen), and gods like Raiden and Fujin, and even the elemental Blaze.
However, it’s within every story mode where this classification falls down the drain. It’s plausible for beings like Shao Kahn, Quan Chi, and Shang Tsung to outmatch Shinnok and other bosses due to their training and abilities. However, it’s rather unlikely for mortals like Liu Kang and especially non-major character Kombatant to achieve the same feat.
5 What Happened To The Cage Family's Green Energy?
One of the biggest surprises of the Mortal Kombat franchise was how it explained the occurrence of green energy in Johnny, and eventually Cassie, Cage. As it's revealed, it seems Johnny Cage and the Cage Clan descended from a line of warrior-mages tasked with protecting Earthrealm from various threats. Johnny had so much potential that he's proved capable of fighting the likes of Shinnok.
However, with that powerset in mind, it seems Johnny is the one best capable of standing up to Kronika based on power hierarchy alone. Sadly, this development was glossed over during Kronika's fight. Aside from Liu Kang, perhaps Johnny Cage could've been the recipient of Raiden's godly powers.
4 How Could Kronika Not Foresee Fire God Liu Kang?
Kronika persists in taunting Earthrealm's defenders that she's seen all possible moves they could make and they all end up the same: Liu Kang and Raiden being in conflict. As such, it's become such a surprise for Liu Kang to transform into a God himself to take matters into his own hands.
However, for someone who can actively see the passage of time, how could Kronika not anticipate Raiden giving his powers to Liu Kang? And even if this was unforeseen, why did Kronika not just stop Fire God Liu Kang in his tracks?
3 What Is Shinnok The Fallen Elder God Of, Exactly?
The franchise continues to position Shinnok as the mastermind of some of its largest conflicts due to his nature as a Fallen Elder God. As such, he's bent on combining all the Kamidogu to become the One Being and dominate all the realms.
However, things become weird when Kronika arrives with Geras and Cetrion. She reveals that, like Cetrion, Shinnok is both her child and a representative of another half of reality. Whereas Cetrion serves as Light, Shinnok represents Darkness. If Shinnok's evil plans fall under the purview of Fallen, what exactly would Shinnok being the Elder God of Darkness mean?
2 The Other Elder Gods Didn't Intervene With Kronika's Plan
Raiden's "I must consult the Elder Gods" finally came full circle when Shao Kahn made the wrong move of conquering Earthrealm amid an ongoing Mortal Kombat Tournament. In turn, the Elder Gods bestowed Raiden with extraordinary power to finally take the Kahn down and claim victory.
However, it's interesting how the Elder Gods made no move trying to stop Kronika's plan of timeline domination. Considering how Kronika's ideal timeline would probably not have the chaotic "randomness" of Mortal Kombat tournaments, the Elder Gods would've likely seen Kronika's presence as a threat.
1 Where Does Kabal Fit In The New Storyline?
Although not as key a character as Scorpion, Sub-Zero, or Liu Kang, speedster Kabal remains a fan-favorite throughout the series. In MK9, it's revealed that Kabal formerly served as a cop before a freak accident burnt him. It's thanks to Shang Tsung's magic that Kabal came back to life with superhuman speed.
However, this is where things get weird with MK11. In Sonya's story, Kabal as a cop already exhibits superhuman speed without Shang Tsung's interference. Moreover, how come Present Kabal became unaffected after Kano's death? It's through Shang Tsung's magic and Kano's cybernetics that Kabal got resurrected in the first place. Losing the creator of his cybernetics could've crippled Present Kabal.
Mortal Kombat 11 was released in 2019 and is available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, and Google Stadia.