Ten years ago, I was finally able to get a PS3 at a discount and played Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition. Sure, I didn't play the game when it's hyped and new and that's okay. Right now, I'm more concerned about real life now. I think the reason why Mortal Kombat 12 is called Mortal Kombat 1 is because it's yet another reboot. Lord Liu Kang gets Kronika's Crown after he defeats Shang Tsung. Lord Liu Kang gets Kronika's Hourglass and starts to craft a new era. In one line Lord Liu Kang said to Shang Tsung, "They will live again in my New Era."
I found this one which may help explain the Yugas:
Yuga (Devanāgari: युग) in Hindu philosophy is the name of an 'epoch' or 'era' within a cycle of four ages. These are the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dvapara Yuga, and finally the Kali Yuga. According to Hindu cosmology, life in the universe is created and destroyed once every 4.1 to 8.2 billion years, which is one full day (day and night) for Brahma. The lifetime of a Brahma himself may be 311 trillion and 40 billion years. The cycles are said to repeat like the seasons, waxing and waning within a greater time-cycle of the creation and destruction of the universe. Like Summer, Spring, Winter and Autumn, each yuga involves stages or gradual changes which the earth and the consciousness of mankind goes through as a whole. A complete yuga cycle from a high Golden Age of enlightenment to a Dark Age and back again is said to be caused by the solar system's motion around another star.
The first time the timeline rebooted was in Mortal Kombat (2011)
The opening scene has the disaster called Mortal Kombat Armageddon. I can't help but feel sorry for Dark Raiden after Shao Kahn won the last great contest. I think the people who created Taven hated him so they decided to retcon it and let Shao Kahn win instead. My original assumption was that Taven defeated Blaze then the third unexpected outcome came. Shao Kahn became the final winner after the third unexpected outcome. Raiden gets battered by Shao Kahn. Shao Kahn then delivers the finishing blow. However, Raiden prays to the Elder Gods and sends a message, "He must win." Raiden hopes to undo Shao Kahn's victory in the past. However, the message presumably ends up in a new era instead.
If Shao Kahn's ladder ending in MKA was made canonical then this is what may have happened. My speculation was that Shao Kahn's descent into madness may have caused the reset. What if Shao Kahn discovered his victory was hollow? As a result, Shao Kahn ends up resetting the timeline with desired (and undesired) effects. As a result, I believe that everyone got reincarnated from the old timeline (Midway) to the New Timeline (Netherrealm Studios). In fact, MK (2011) should be viewed as the franchise's REINCARNATION.
A lot of things happened after MKA. There's the concept of Yuga or the cycles of time. I guess this is where MK is getting itself at. Shao Kahn's victory was probably a Kali Yuga when all Dharma was lost. The timeline reset starts another Yuga which leads to the events of MK (2011). This would allow the characters from the previous timeline to be reincarnated into the Netherrealm Continuity - which is another Yuga. It may seem that Raiden was saying "future self" but it's actually his past life communicating with him. That may have been a sign that Raiden was going full senile in MK (2011). Basically, MKA would mean that Shao Kahn's victory in the final battle started the Kali Yuga. Shao Kahn's descent into madness caused the Kali Yuga to end and start a New Era.
That's why I believe MK (2011) had characters reincarnated. Kabal would be reincarnated into Stryker's partner in apprehending crime. Milenna's next life would be that she never grew up with Kitana but was only awakened later. Goro's next life would be that he would still retreat back to Outworld even after losing his champion status. Kintaro's next life is that he wouldn't be trying to avenge Goro's death. Basically, the alternate timeline from MK (2011) up to Mortal Kombat 11 was another Yuga after the previous Kali Yuga.
MK11 might be a huge headache unless you know about the Yugas
Apparently, Kronika herself might actually be MK's version of Kali as the Elder Goddess (or Titan) of Time herself. Kronika is the mother to both Shinnok and Cetrion. Personally, I think Kronika wasn't given much to work with even if she's quite interesting to me. Kronika ends up what I'd call a villain with OCD who wants to make sure the world is in perfect shape. She's already been doing the job as the Keeper of Time or responsible for the Yugas in the Universe. Kronika shows up doing Kali's job with extreme OCD.
MK11 has Kronika manipulating time, even bringing Shao Kahn back after Armageddon was supposedly subverted. That's why we have some characters meeting their past selves. What amused me the most was how the more mature Older Johnny Cage gives his younger self a lesson. Younger Sonya Blade isn't too flattered to learn that she's DEAD in this era. Kronika desires to create the perfect timeline.
It turns out Kronika has been manipulating the timelines all along! Raiden gets a vision that in every timeline - he and Liu Kang end up fighting! Raiden must realize that they must defy Kronika's machinations. Past Raiden speaks about memories from MANY TIMELINES. In many past lives, both Liu Kang and Raiden were manipulated. Eventually, Liu Kang becomes Lord Liu Kang after merging with his darker, more evil self Evil Liu Kang. Lord Liu Kang destroys Kronika by shatering her to pieces. However, the crown was destroyed along with it.
MK11 released the Aftermath package. I guess Netherrealm wanted to give Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa his chance to reprise his role. Shang Tsung ends up becoming the final antagonist to put things in full circle. I do get disappointed at how Shao Kahn becomes way too trusting when he was smarter in the original timeline. I do feel Sindel loving Shao Kahn all along was probably a result of some timeline effect. Maybe, Sindel did love Shao Kahn in some previous timeline too! That was never explored though.
There were two endings in MK11 Aftermath. It turns out Shang Tsung's ending was non-canonical. Instead, we have Lord Liu Kang opening the New Era. If Kronika's return triggered another Kali Yuga then Lord Liu Kang would start the Satya Yuga (which he starts a new era of peace). This Satya Yuga may explain why he met the original Kung Lao and we'll get new events soon enough.
Characters get reincarnated again in Lord Liu Kang's new timeline
Several different versions of characters now exist. I can't be certain of what happened to Hanzo Hasashi in the game. What can be certain is that in this New Era - it's a new reality after the Kali Yuga. For example, Tarkatans are humans hit with the Tarkat disease rather than a race of vicious monsters. The Shokans and Centaurs are at peace. Shao Kahn is reincarnated into a general and he's called General Shao. Mileena is reincarnated into Kitana's biological sister and true daughter of Jerrod and Sindel. Raiden is reincarnated from a humble farmer to reversing his role with Lord Liu Kang. Kung Lao is reincarnated to be Raiden's BFF. Many new versions like Rain as a magician, Shang Tsung as a swindler who's eventually given powers yet again by a reincarnated Kronika, etc.
I think MK1 deserves its title since it's practically back to Square One. After the Dark Age ends in both MKA and MK11 - the New Era begins. In this case. Lord Liu Kang starts the Satya Yuga where he admits that mortals must prevent the Kali Yuga themselves. When Lord Liu Kang said, "They will live again my New Era." - I believe that his friends will be reincarnated soon enough. Would Lord Liu Kang be able to balance the task of this yet new era after several Kali Yugas?
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