After writing on Mortal Kombat characters I hate the most -- I'd like to write about characters who are not-so-popular or unpopular but love them. Yes, I will be vocal and not let my opinions on these characters go unheard. They're in the order of their appearances instead of ranking them.
Kintaro
I'm always going to be in that crowd of Kintaro was better than Goro. Yes, I'm aware that Goro was more popular. However, Mortal Kombat II defined Mortal Kombat -- NOT the first game. I remember someone at the arcade cussing over how Kintaro was that difficult to defeat. Kintaro's original storyline was his desire to avenge his good friend Goro. Over time, that storyline gets retconned AND he becomes less and less developed. Kintaro made a roar at the beginning of Mortal Kombat Armageddon. However, Kintaro becomes even more ambiguous as the "Kintaro" that Taven defeated WAS one of Shinnok's illusions.
Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks and Mortal Kombat (2011) did it more dirty. Unlike the original timeline -- Goro was able to return to Outworld. Shaolin Monks was probably meant to rewrite the original Mortal Kombat II and was meant to be a retcon. Kintaro gradually got sidelined and only served to be one of Shao Kahn's top enforcers. However, Goro was getting more development in the second tournament in the reboot timeline. Talk about giving Kintaro initial good development in his past life. However, Kintaro gets reborn to become underdeveloped. However, I'll still credit Kintaro for seriously injuring Kabal with his fire breath and helping Goro.
Mortal Kombat X comic does give Kintaro some story but not like GORO. Sure, Kintaro showed he wasn't someone to be messed with. Kintaro didn't end up like Hsu Hao (who's hated presumably because of Creator Backlash). However, Kintaro could've used more appearances. Kintaro died a warrior's death at the hands of Possessed Sonya. Sheeva guaranteed Kintaro died an honorable death. Kintaro probably still gets respect -- even if he's less popular than Goro.
Quite interestingly, Mortal Kombat 11 gave homage to Kintaro. Shang Tsung's second fatality helps make amends for that ridiculous Mortal Kombat II fatality. Yes, the one where Shang Tsung must hold LP for 30 seconds during the round and win in that final round! Kintaro gets reborn in the character's body. I'm glad that Kintaro made that kameo. However, there's no sign of Kintaro in Mortal Kombat 1.
Kurtis Stryker
The first time Stryker showed up in Mortal Kombat 3 and its updates -- he was BLAND. Yes, Stryker's the most generic character in contrast to Kabal. Stryker's so basic he was laughable. However, Mortal Kombat Armageddon gave him a bit of a makeover treatment. However, I think Stryker got his best incarnation in Mortal Kombat (2011).
I had fun playing as Stryker in Mortal Kombat (2011) in both Story Mode and Arcade Mode. It was a relief that this Punisher-style guy had his redemption. It was interesting to have him fight Kintaro. Kintaro proceeds to burn Kabal to a crisp. Stryker's chapter has him engaging in some of the best villains such as Mileena (I prefer her OG story better), Ermac, and Kintaro. I also love how he was given more brutal versions of his OG fatalities. My favorite has to be the grenade fatality. The improved taser fatality with blowing off the head was nice too.
I'm simply upset at how he's reduced to a Kameo character in Mortal Kombat 1.
I had fun playing as Stryker in Mortal Kombat (2011) in both Story Mode and Arcade Mode. It was a relief that this Punisher-style guy had his redemption. It was interesting to have him fight Kintaro. Kintaro proceeds to burn Kabal to a crisp. Stryker's chapter has him engaging in some of the best villains such as Mileena (I prefer her OG story better), Ermac, and Kintaro. I also love how he was given more brutal versions of his OG fatalities. My favorite has to be the grenade fatality. The improved taser fatality with blowing off the head was nice too.
I'm simply upset at how he's reduced to a Kameo character in Mortal Kombat 1.
Shinnok
It's very easy to say that Shao Kahn is the main beef antagonist. However, Shinnok is a Fallen Elder God and he's got lots of potential. Come on, no one in Mortal Kombat ever overthrew the OG god of the Netherrealm (termed as Lucifer though I prefer calling him Yama)!
Shinnok is most likely based on the fallen Elder God known as Tongtian Jiaozhu. Tongtian challenged the Elder Gods in the Chinese pantheon. Google "Tongtian Jiaozhu" and discover an Elder God who menaced the Chinese pantheon. Tongtian Jiaozhu was the main antagonist of the 1998 TV series Legend of the Eight Immortals. Tongtian Jiaozhu was also the founder of a renegade Taoist sect called Jie. The Jie Sect's members devote themselves to worshiping Tongtian Jiaozhu. In the Forbidden Kingdom -- he would be the Jade Warlord. Colin Chow would probably play Shinnok the best.
It's a shame that Mortal Kombat 4 made him an anti-climatic boss. Goro was in the home consoles and was harder. Shinnok was faster but not necessarily harder. Shinnok was easily defeated. Where are the SNK stats that the fans know and love? Shinnok was supposedly more powerful than Shao Kahn. Instead, we're given the storyline where Quan Chi stole his real amulet from him. Shinnok didn't have his own moves (at first) but was only a poor man's Shang Tsung. It's probably because of hardware limitations. An interesting note is that Tongtian was later betrayed by his right-hand man Pangolin in the 1998 TV series. Pangolin would be Quan Chi. Did the 1998 TV series producers get inspired by the plot from Mortal Kombat 4 or did Tongtian Jiaozhu get that fate in the legends?
Mortal Kombat Armageddon gave him his own moves and involvement in the storyline. It was nice to see Shinnok get moves based on the skeletal hands. Shinnok was last seen leading the Forces of Darkness. However, it turns out Shinnok used a clone of himself. I don't like how things later unfolded. Shinnok is JUST A REGULAR CHARACTER in that game. I've already stopped playing the first eight entries though. Yes, blame it on that really cool reboot!
Mortal Kombat (2011) revealed Shinnok was THE MASTERMIND behind the events. I was anticipating the guy to become that cool menacing figure. Shinnok has control of the slain heroes as REVENANTS. Seeing Revenant Liu Kang (or I prefer to call him EVIL Liu Kang) as one of his top enforcers added layers. However, Mortal Kombat X made him a villain with so little screen time. I'm still mixed at how Johnny Cage and Cassie Cage beat him in two different settings. I could accept Johnny and Cassie winning IF there was some intervention by the Elder Gods. The Elder Gods arranged the legendary Eight Immortals to maintain balance in the Universe. Did the writers ever forget the Elder Gods or do they want the players to hate the Elder Gods? The latter seems real since Mortal Kombat (2011) did just that! IMHO, I still think Raiden, not Cassie or Johnny should settle the scores.
Mortal Kombat 11 came and Kronika can be an interesting concept. Kronika was a Greater Scope Villain though her fight is BORING. Yes, I'm going to stay that. Sure, it was satisfying to see Shinnok beheaded by Dark Raiden. However, I was hoping Shinnok could be developed in that game. Instead, Netherrealm Studios brought back fan-favorite SHAO KAHN. I may enjoy playing Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 11. Shinnok was fun in Mortal Kombat X with his Boneshaper variation IMHO. Shinnok's demotion to just a head really hurts my heart.
Mavado
Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance can be a divisive game. I actually hated it for killing off Liu Kang. Playing it is nowhere near as fun as Mortal Kombat Deception. Mortal Kombat (2011) makes it even more unplayable. However, I'll give credit where it's due. In fact, Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance's character select screen model is used in the reboot! I'd say that the Red Dragon was an interesting concept. The Red Dragon helps make Kano look really cool. I may hate Hsu Hao but I do love Mavado. Mavado looks really deadly and has done much on paper!
Mavado's storyline had him defeat Kabal and claim the Hookswords. Yes, that's just one. Mavado is an assassin who can lunge at his opponent from long distances. Mavado later had a power-up in Mortal Kombat Armageddon. Unlike Hsu Hao -- Mavado had the potential as Daegon's lackey. Hsu Hao was still a waste of space. Mavado could've done a better infiltration job than Hsu Hao.
It was good to have Mavado get fleshed out in the Mortal Kombat X comic. Mavado was later killed by Cassie and Jacqui. However, don't forget that Mavado was also the one who KIDNAPPED THEM. Later, Mortal Kombat 1 makes him a Kameo character. There's still hope for this guy to be redeemed.
Bo Rai Cho
It's effortless to make fun of this fat guy. However, Bo Rai Cho reminds me of why no one should mess with Sammo Hung. Bo Rai Cho's character design matches that of Sha Wujing from Journey to the West--the obese drunken guy. Bo Rai Cho wasn't interesting during his debut in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance. However, Bo Rai Cho trained Earthrealm warriors even if his moves don't tell it -- gameplay-wise. I was glad that Mortal Kombat Deception gave him better moves. Call me crazy but I'm also a fan of his FARTALITY -- something I wish returned during his return as a DLC in Mortal Kombat X. I'm a fan of other really oddball fatalities such as Kabal's head inflate, Liu Kang's arcade drop, and maybe even Quan Chi's giraffe.
Mortal Kombat X may not give him that many roles in Story Mode or DLC. However, Bo Rai Cho gets a good storyline in the comic mode. Bo Rai Cho may not be my main but I love his introduction dialogues. It's interesting how Bo Rai Cho's interaction with Revenant Liu Kang (I only got the Dark Emperor costume) saying, "Raiden and I will restore you." It's also interesting that he means it when he says Kung Lao is his favorite pupil.
Mortal Kombat X may not give him that many roles in Story Mode or DLC. However, Bo Rai Cho gets a good storyline in the comic mode. Bo Rai Cho may not be my main but I love his introduction dialogues. It's interesting how Bo Rai Cho's interaction with Revenant Liu Kang (I only got the Dark Emperor costume) saying, "Raiden and I will restore you." It's also interesting that he means it when he says Kung Lao is his favorite pupil.
Havik
Mortal Kombat Deception can have good and bad new characters. It's disappointing how Havik never returned as a playable character in the 2D era. I'll confess I'm neutral on Hotaru and Dairou -- I don't hate them or love them. However, Havik's one character that I ended up liking because of the Mortal Kombat X comic. I was neutral on Havik when he first showed up. However, Havik's concept was interesting such as turning Kabal back to the side of evil and trying ot reform the Black Dragon -- under newer leadership.
Many events in the Mortal Kombat X comics are really his fault. Sure, one can think of Reiko who I prefer to be neutral with. Havik's chaotic appeal in the comics was one of the best plots ever. I must question Netherrealm Studios why they NEVER bothered to return Havik as a playable character during Mortal Kombat X? The guy has chaotic appeal and he could've had interesting dialogue. It just got wasted that he never showed up in Mortal Kombat 11 either. Imagine how Havik could've served Kronika!
Onaga
The concept of somebody more powerful than Shao Kahn is always good. I'm afraid it's only used as a plot device -- to show us why Shao Kahn rocks. Onaga was more powerful than Shao Kahn. That's why Shao Kahn had POISONED Onaga while the guy was sleeping. The fact Shao Kahn used covert tactics to win proves that Onaga is NOT SOMEONE you can mess with. Onaga could resurrect the dead COUNTLESS TIMES. Onaga's army was something Shang Tsung and Quan Chi sought to bring back. Heck, I even love how the Desperate Alliance couldn't even destroy Onaga. Onaga came out without a scratch! Talk about crazy!
Mortal Kombat Deception is titled as such and rightfully so -- even before Mortal Kombat (2011) proved to be the better game. Onaga could still cause trouble even without a body. Onaga tricked Shujinko into a long quest to gather the Kamidogu. Sure, I don't like Shujinko because of his gameplay but the guy had an interesting story. Onaga would proceed to cause so much trouble that the Elder Gods had to intervene. The Elder Gods even had to turn Scorpion into their champion. Shujinko even had to gather the power of every warrior just to defeat this guy.
Mortal Kombat Armageddon proved Onaga to be a formidable foe. The introduction has Onaga getting even with Shao Kahn. It's so sad that Onaga was never fought in Konquest Mode. Was the guy created it to make Shao Kahn look cooler? Shao Kahn even said, "NOT ANYMORE!" when Onaga demanded to be called emperor. Onaga even wanted to claim the prize for himself and beat SHINNOK. That's really a lot of cool stuff there.
However, Onaga never made a return at all. I expected Onaga to return in Mortal Kombat 11 as the FINAL BOSS but we got Kronika instead. Kronika's not bad per se but her execution was PLAIN WONKY. Onaga could've benefited from a 2D fighting plane as the final boss. I think Onaga was more qualified to become Mortal Kombat 11's main antagonist before the reboot. It've been funny if Shao Kahn ran into Onaga in Mortal Kombat 11 and MOCK THE GUY. Make Onaga the final boss and not just a plot device. Sadly, Onaga gets shamed further in Mortal Kombat 1 as just another genetic experiment.
As I was replaying Mortal Kombat 11 -- I felt that Onaga could've been better to creating a new era plot. Have Onaga take advantage of Shinnok's decapitated state and make him want to rule supreme. However, Onaga accidentally brings back Shao Kahn along with the others in his quest to create a New Era under his rules. I'd want to see Fire God Liu Kang destroy Onaga instead.
As I was replaying Mortal Kombat 11 -- I felt that Onaga could've been better to creating a new era plot. Have Onaga take advantage of Shinnok's decapitated state and make him want to rule supreme. However, Onaga accidentally brings back Shao Kahn along with the others in his quest to create a New Era under his rules. I'd want to see Fire God Liu Kang destroy Onaga instead.
Taven
I may prefer the way Lars Alexanderson plays out in Tekken 6 to Taven. I still think the sibling rivalry between Kazuya and Lars may have been better played than Taven and Daegon. However, I'm not going to discount Taven's role. Mortal Kombat Armageddon is something I don't want to play again --especially with the Kreate-A-Fatality STUPIDITY. However, the Konquest Mode IMHO is better done there than what Scenario Campaign did in Tekken 6. Sure, I enjoy Tekken 6 better but I think Scenario Campaign wasn't exactly properly implemented.
Taven's role in the Story Mode isn't something to discount. The end of the world is coming as the characters know it. There's this crucial quest that would either murder the Kombatants or nullify their powers. However, as Taven progresses and meets several characters, it turns out that his victory would create a third unexpected outcome. Instead, everyone got more powerful. IMHO, I think the best way to interpret Mortal Kombat's (2011) opening scene is Shao Kahn as the winner of the third unexpected outcome. Taven would've failed in his mission AFTER DEFEATING BLAZE and Shao Kahn became the winner.
I believe it's just dirty what John Vogel did. Vogel verified that it was Shao Kahn and not Taven who won. Is Taven all that hated by the fans even if he's WAY BETTER than Shujinko? I'd like to raise it that Shujinko's lack of original moves was a real problem. Taven may not have the coolest of moves. However, Taven defeated several warriors and proved he was indeed a son of Argus. Taven may not be as cool as Lars but HE ISN'T A BAD CONCEPT. I feel like, "WTF Warner Bros.? Why can't we just have it that Shao Kahn became the winner after everyone got more powerful? I even feel Taven should've returned in Mortal Kombat 11 to help stop Kronika. I'd gladly have Taven beat Kronika over Fire God Liu Kang! Sure, Liu Kang's my favorite but I prefer Liu Kang as a flawed mortal.
I guess the Red Dragon's always getting unfairly beaten. Daegon is the leader of the Red Dragon. Sure, Daegon doesn't get so much room in Mortal Kombat Armageddon. However, seeing Shinnok aid him was why I actually grew to like him. Daegon was prematurely awakened and became corrupted. However, Daegon probably was already corrupted to begin with before he was sealed away. I believe Daegon had a moral compass when he did what he did in Mortal Kombat Armageddon.
It's interesting to see him in the comic books. The reboot featured him as a devotee of Onaga the Dragon King. It's a shame that Mortal Kombat X comic books never continued beyond Goro's armless state. Mortal Kombat 11 revealed that Goro died from that ordeal with Onaga. Like Onaga -- I believe Daegon deserves more love. If Goro was willing to risk himself to see Daegon -- the latter must be one incredibly good villain!
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Which not-so-popular or even unpopular Mortal Kombat characters do you love?
Which not-so-popular or even unpopular Mortal Kombat characters do you love?
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