Gamers that watched the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath reveal might be wondering about the DLC's time travel-oriented approach. Since when did Mortal Kombat become Doctor Who? Fans curious about how time travel in Mortal Kombat began should remember events that happened before Mortal Kombat 11.
In MK: Armageddon, Shao Kahn defeated Blaze and gained his overwhelming power after the battle royale at the End Times. This victory gave Shao Kahn the power to conquer all realms, something even Raiden cannot stop. Before Kahn slays Raiden, he sends a message back in time to change the future. These are the events that transpired afterward:
10 Visions of the Future (MK 2011)
Mortal Kombat 2011 begins with Past Raiden receiving visions. He starts seeing events happening in the previous games, culminating in Armaggeddon. The phrase "He must win!" echoes throughout them.
Raiden believes Liu Kang or Kung Lao should "win" the tournaments, as their victories guarantee Earthrealm's protection. However, visions of the future still haunt Raiden. Things go awry when Shao Kahn launches an Earthrealm invasion despite Outworld's losses.
Raiden and Liu Kang convene with the Elder Gods to ask for their intervention. However, they said invasion is legal for any realm - it's merging that isn't. Growing desperate, Raiden tries to ally with Quan Chi. Raiden offers his soul and the souls of all of Earthrealm's fallen warriors to the sorcerer. Quan Chi refuses, revealing Shao Kahn already gave him the souls for his cooperation.
9 He must win
Quan Chi tells the Thunder God that Shao Kahn already won, and no one can stop the Earthrealm's conquest. Raiden rejects this, as the Elder Gods won't allow Kahn to merge realms without winning Mortal Kombat. Raiden finally realizes what his future self was telling him: Shao Kahn has to win his conquest.
The Thunder God returns to the war to explain this idea to Liu Kang. The Earthrealm champion insists on fighting Shao Kahn, and Raiden accidentally kills him as he tried to approach Shao Kahn. Raiden bows in defeat to the Outworld Emperor.
Shao Kahn begins merging the two realms while pummeling Raiden. However, the Elder Gods intervene before Kahn can land the killing blow. The Elder Gods, through Raiden, manage to banish Shao Kahn for breaking the rules of Mortal Kombat.
8 Peace, at last? (MK X)
Mortal Kombat X begins after MK 2011. Shinnok, freed by Quan Chi, launches an Earthrealm invasion as he plans to corrupt the Jinsei, Earth's lifeforce. Thanks to Johnny Cage's intervention, Raiden manages to imprison Shinnok. Earthrealm's defenders also defeat Quan Chi, and Raiden returns the Revenants of Scorpion, Jax, and Sub-Zero to normal. Earthrealm enjoys peace for 25 years.
Johnny Cage starts a team to deal with threats from other realms. His fighters include Cassie (Johnny and Sonya's daughter) and Jacqui (Jax's daughter). In MKX, the team will help settle a civil war between Outworld Emperor Kotal Kahn and Mileena's rebels. Kotal executes Mileena after discovering she has Shinnok's amulet. Kotal kidnaps Cassie's team, but they escape after D'Vorah, Kotal's advisor, reveals her allegiance to Quan Chi.
The heroes eventually capture Quan Chi, who manages to summon Shinnok. Raiden "heals" the Jinsei after defeating him.
7 Fixing the Timeline (MK 11)
Shinnok's essence in the Jinsei corrupts Raiden. This Dark Raiden beheads Shinnok, showing his conviction of mercilessness to Earthrealm's opponents. Titaness Kronika emerges and tells Shinnok that she plans on restoring the timeline. This event officially begins in MK 11.
The Revenants of Liu Kang and Kitana now rule Netherrealm and plan to conquer Earthrealm. Dark Raiden discovers this plan and accompanies Earthrealm's forces to attack Netherrealm. Present Sonya dies in the mission. The Netherrealm rulers meet Kronika after their retreat. The two join her after the latter promised a New Era without Raiden, as Raiden's actions had caused this in the first place. An ensuing timequake erases Dark Raiden from existence.
6 Past and Present collide
Kotal encounters past versions of Earthrealm's defenders and Shao Kahn's forces. Past Raiden explains that Kung Lao had just defeated Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, an event Kotal says happened years before. A battle ensues, and Past Kahn's forces retreat with D'Vorah. Kronika appears before Kahn and asks for assistance, as she wants to make a New Era without Raiden. Kahn accepts.
Kotal and Jade try to locate Shao Kahn but are captured by D'Vorah. Meanwhile, Past Raiden learns of the events that will transpire. He tries consulting the Elder Gods but find them gone except for Cetrion, Goddess of Virtue.
Cetrion reveals Kronika is her mother, and Shinnok, her brother. She tells Raiden that light and dark should fight to maintain balance across the realms. Unfortunately, Dark Raiden's actions upset this balance, and Kronika wants to change this.
5 More trouble arises
Earthrealm's heroes fight Sektor, who has led Shao Kahn's forces and the Cyber Lin Kuei into their base. Past Sonya and Johnny Cage get kidnapped, while Present Johnny Cage is out of Commission. Cassie manages to rescue the Past versions of her parents. Raiden saves Cassie's team soon after from Sektor's nuclear attack.
Meanwhile, Past Jax and Jacqui managed to find Kronika's Crown, which Kronika won't benefit from if not in her hands. Cetrion forces Past Jax to give her the Crown after threatening to kill Jacqui, something Present Jax - now allied with Kronika - begged Past Jax to do.
4 New allies emerge
Kronika's machinations bring Past Kitana to the current timeline. Past Kitana & Jade convince Baraka and Sheeva to join forces with her. Kitana saves Kotal, who relinquishes his title of Kahn to the former after his injuries.
Meanwhile, Present Scorpion and Sub-Zero try to get to Kronika's Hourglass, but Past Scorpion intercepts them. The two Scorpions fight, with Present Scorpion enlightening the Past Scorpion that Shinnok, not Sub-Zero, is their enemy. Present Scorpion dies after D'Vorah slices him, and Past Scorpion returns to the Fire Gardens to oversee the return of the Shirai Ryu to its former glory.
3 This has happened before
Sub-Zero and Raiden confronted Past Scorpion when he arrived in the Fire Gardens, where Earthrealm's forces currently reside. Past Liu Kang tries to reason with Raiden to listen to Scorpion, who refuses. When they fight, Raiden realizes: "This has happened before."
Raiden soon realizes that Kronika needed him and Liu Kang to fight to add power to Kronika's Hourglass, which the Titaness can control to shape the New Era to her whim. He surmises that Kronika should've seen this happen multiple times, and she always finds ways for the two to fight.
2 Liu Kang & Raiden, Fire & Thunder
Raiden realizes that he and Liu Kang have to work together, but the Keeper of Time told Raiden this would fail as she already saw timelines of this happening. Kronika challenges Raiden to face her without Kang. Meanwhile, she takes Past Liu Kang to her island, where his Revenant version consumed him for power.
In the ensuing war, Revenant Kang demands Raiden to face him, but Raiden refuses and merges with him instead. As a result, Kang's Revenant body calls the soul of the Past Kang while tapping into Raiden's power. This new Fire God Liu Kang fights Kronika. He manages to destroy Kronika's Crown and eliminate the Titaness herself.
1 A New Era begins (MK 11: Aftermath)
The Present Mortal Kombat timeline ends with Fire God Liu Kang's victory over Kronika. Raiden splits himself from Liu Kang's body, becoming a mere mortal. He passes on his title of Earthrealm's Protector to Liu Kang, with the latter now in charge of molding the new timeline. The Aftermath DLC begins its story here, with Liu Kang and Raiden greeted by the arrival of Wind God Fujin, Nightwolf, and Shang Tsung. Raiden is surprised not by Shang Tsung's aged appearance, but his intentions.
According to Shang Tsung, Liu Kang risks destroying all realms if he manipulates time without Kronika's Crown. As such, Liu Kang tasks Shang Tsung, Fujin, and Nightwolf to travel back in time and get the Crown before Liu Kang destroys it in his previous battle with Kronika.
The biggest question for this DLC is Shang Tsung's true intentions. He is never without an ulterior motive.