Six years. Damn. For six years now, with the help of many others around here, I've been putting together this guide for PAX attendees. Whether PAX East 2017 is your first PAX or your eighteenth, this is for you. Most of the tips remain unchanged at this point, but I'm also including a schedule of all panels involving anyone who's part of the Giant Bomb Family™. Despite years of refinement, if you have something that needs to be added, let us know in the comments.
Boston
The commish is back in charge.
It's gotten better in the last couple years, but the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center is still kinda in the middle of nowhere. Logan International Airport is just a few minutes from the convention center, but it's about a mile walk from there into the heart of Boston where most of the fun stuff is.
If you're landing at the airport, you should almost definitely hop on the Silver Line. It's FREE going into the city from Logan and, if you were lucky enough to get a hotel near the convention center, it'll take you right past most of them. If you weren't so lucky, the Silver Line will drop you at South Station, which is a hub that will get you to basically anywhere else in the city. If you're going to be in town all week(end), throw $10 or $20 on MBTA "Charlie Card" since each ride you take is going to cost about $3.
Check for your hotel on Google maps, locate the closest "T" station (it'll be real easy), and work backwards to South Station. Even if you're not a city kid, it's quite simple. If you need help, there's plenty of Boston natives hanging around on the site, so ask away in the comments below.
We probably won't have to deal with six feet of snow this year.
Giant Bomb @ PAX
You might spot a Giant Bomb staff member randomly on the show floor (just don't bother them if they're shooting something), but your best bet is one of these panels. There's at least one panel every day of the show that features one of your favorite Vine Stars international meme legends.
For popular panels, you're going to need to line up early if want a good seat. As a general rule, I'd suggest going to most panels an hour early. For the super popular ones, there's a bit of loitering skill involved. Enforcers will not allow you to line up until the line for the previous panel goes inside, so...do what you need to do to get in the actual line as soon as that happens.
Enforcers are a legion of volunteers that make PAX run efficiently. It would be a hot mess without them. In the old days, they would don the black. But, now that there are multiple versions of PAX, East Enforcers are coated in red. If you need help with anything, just look for one of them. They’re never too far away. And if they ask you nicely to do something (like move out of an aisle/walkway), please do so.
They don't always wear armor like this guy to the right. Just most of the time.
#PAX
Even if you don’t normally use Twitter, you should sign up just to follow these accounts while you’re at PAX. It’s the best and easiest way to get up-to-the-minute updates on what’s going on.
@pax_lines - Updates on theatre/panel lines and when they get capped.
@pax_tourney - News on the dozens of tournaments going on upstairs.
@paxparties - An unofficial feed for the unofficial parties going on all weekend.
Welcome home.
The Packing List
Here's what you need to bring with you especially if you're coming in from out of town.
Money
Most places (including vendors in the expo hall) will take credit/debit cards, but it’s probably a good idea to carry a little cash just in case. And if you need to hit an ATM, do it early in the day as they sometimes run out of money later on.
Backpack
Whatever your style of choice is, bring one. Don’t rely on getting a free bag at the show. They’re often cumbersome and there’s no guarantee you’ll find one anyway. Trust me…carrying a bunch of random stuff you pick up throughout the day is going to suck without a backpack.
Phone & Charger
Duh. You need your phone. But don’t be a dumb and forget your charger and/or wall plug. Pro Tip: Turn your brightness down as far as you can tolerate. Keeping up with your friends at night through texts and/or Twitter is gonna be tough if your phone dies by 2 PM.
Battery Pack
Consider buying an external USB battery pack. It’s been a life saver for me the last couple years. Worth every penny.
Switch/3DS
You will undoubtedly find some downtime (like waiting in line), and you will never be in a better place for local multiplayer. So, whether you're taking your Nintendo Switch out for an inaugural test run or getting one last run at StreetPassing, bring it with you.
Hand Sanitizer
There will be dispensers scattered around the buildings, but do yourself a favor and toss a little bottle in your bag and use it every time you play something.
Poster Tube
If you can fit it in your luggage, this is a veteran move. You might get a cool poster at PAX. You might even get it signed by Todd Howard. Make sure you have a way to get it home without crushing it.
Trash Bag
Yep. A trash bag. Just throw it in your luggage. Use it later for dirty clothes, which will keep your stank-ass, sweaty socks off of the cool stuff you bring back on the way home.
Be wary of celebrating your victories.
The Daily List
Here's a few things that you should do every day. Every. Day.
Shower/Deodorant
For the love of Bristlebane, please! It’s not difficult. You're probably paying an arm and a leg for that hotel room you got, so use those amenities.
Eat/Drink
Walking around for eighteen hours a day for three days requires fuel. It may sound crazy, but you might actually forget to eat and stay hydrated. There aren't a ton of options real close to the convention center. There is a food court on the north side of the convention center, but it's super crowded and generally shitty. There's carnival-type food in the back of the expo hall usually too. But, scope out some of the few nearby locations ahead of time and maybe hit those instead. Try to eat two actual meals a day and carry some snacks for in-between. Alternatively, you could attempt to live on Dunkin for three days.
Sleep
Time is precious at PAX, but you can’t go non-stop for 72+ hours. Try to get at least 5 or 6 hours a night.
Get Out
Don’t spend all of your time in the convention center. Get out of there once in a while, get some air, grab some real food, see some of the city, etc.
Be Yourself
There’s a special vibe that envelops PAX. If you’ve ever felt weird or strange about the nerdy things you love, know that you’ll never be in a place with more people that enjoy the same things that you do than you ever will be. So, be yourself. Talk to random people in lines. You’re going to have a blast. Welcome home.
That big red block is the convention center. It's about a mile from there to the Regina Pizzeria in the middle. As you can see, most of the food options are on the other side of the bridge.
The To-Do List
Now that you've got a checklist of what to bring and some daily advice, here's some tips on how to prepare.
Download Guidebook
Guidebook is the best, easiest way to keep up with all the official PAX info (schedule, maps, announcements, etc.) Plus, Dave & Coonce work there now, so you know it’s gotta be awesome.
Gameplan
The schedule is out now, so start making a list right now of the panels you may want to see and any potential games you want to play. Compare your list with your friends and get a rough idea of what you want to see and do. Inevitably, you’re going to have make some tough decisions as multiple things you’re interested in will overlap. Accept the fact now that you can’t see/do everything, but if you go in there with no plan at all, you’re going to be overwhelmed.
Plan a Backup
Shit happens. Panels get full faster than you thought. Lines get too long to be worth it. The game you wanted to play might actually just be a presentation. Try to have a backup whenever you can. If all else fails, just go spend some more time in…
Indie Megabooth
Arguably the best part of PAX is the slew of indie games available. And, over the last several years, the Indie Megabooth has established itself as a primary feature of PAX. It houses over seventy games from nearly as many developers and you could spend hours there. It’s also great because you can play a bunch of games without waiting too long. If you see an open station, play it! I don’t care what it is.
Escape the Expo
The expo hall is an amazing spectacle. No doubt about it. But, it's also a trap. Get the hell out of there and do some other stuff once in a while. PAX has so much to offer aside from the expo hall and you shouldn’t miss it. Head upstairs to the Classic Console rooms or the Kickstarter Lounge. Head to the back with the massive Tabletop arenas. You get the point. Go do stuff.
Come to PAX. Meet your heroes.
The To-Don’t List
A couple little words of warning from a PAX veteran. You'll thank me later.
SWAG
We all love free stuff, but seriously…don’t be that guy. Don’t wait in line for 45 minutes to play a game you don’t care about just to get a shirt. And please don’t loiter around a headphone booth hoping to catch an inflatable hat. You will get free stuff without trying too hard, so don’t let SWAG ruin your PAX.
Lines
Okay, lines are unavoidable. If you want to do much of anything at PAX, you’re gonna wait in some lines. But, this is on the “don’t” list simply to help you make good decisions. Do you really need to wait in line for an hour to play NieR: Automata when it just came out a few days before? Think about it. Do you really want to wait in line for an hour to watch a new Prey trailer that will be online Monday morning? Time is precious at PAX. Choose wisely.
This year's Expo Hall is set to be larger than ever.
The Optional List
Three PAX traditions that should not be ignored. Your interest will likely depend on who is involved, so take note.
Keynote
The “Storytime” session is typically a great opening ceremony for PAX, especially for first-timers. The Penny Arcade Q&A is once again immediately after this, so if you're a fan of those guys, you should probably go to the keynote to get a good seat. It's one of the few times they don't clear out a theatre before the next event. This year’s speaker is Jake Solomon from Firaxis.
Music
On Friday and Saturday night, the Main Theatre will be rocking late into the night. Whether you know anything about the performers or not, the concerts are a great time especially if you don’t have any other late night plans. Friday’s lineup includes Videri String Quartet, Bit Brigade, and Protomen. Saturday night will feature the One Ups, MC Frontalot, and Viking Guitar.
Omegathon Finals
The Omegathon is an elimination tournament that takes place throughout the entire weekend between a couple dozen attendees who were randomly selected prior to the show. The final game is always kept a secret until the very end. It’s usually a great closing ceremony, but it totally depends on the game. I’ve seen some great ones like Vs. Excitebike, Ikaruga, Trials Evolution, and (inexplicably) a stuffed animal crane game. But, I’ve also seen some pure train wrecks like Spaceteam and Cornhole. So, I can’t recommend it as much as I used to, but it still has the potential to be awesome.
Come to PAXAMANIA III at your own risk.
<>
Celebrating 5 years of British people groping Americans at PAX.
Well, that's all I've got. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, let me hear it. As always, hopefully this will help some people out and maybe I'll see some of you at PAX. Let me know if you spot my Mii in StreetPass too. It'll probably be the last time. Anyway, it's gonna be a blast. Have fun. And, yes, fog machines are still banned.
Back in the good ol' days of 2011, I began giving advice to help people get the most they possible could out of their PAX adventure. Over the years, with the help of countless duders, we've built what I think is a pretty great strategy guide. Whether you're a PAX rookie or this'll be your 16th PAX like me, this is for you. As the last few versions have been, this one is mostly unchanged aside from some minor updates and of course the info specific to 2016.
Seattle
The Washington State Convention Center is a little old and a little small, but it is in a perfect location. Anything you could possibly want to see or do in Seattle is within walking distance (or maybe a short monorail ride). From the moment you get off your plane at SeaTac, you can walk to the Lightrail, pay less than $5, and ride all the way into downtown. At that point, you’re close to all the major hotels, the Pike Place Market, dozens of great places to eat, an arcade, a 5-minute monorail to the Seattle Center (Space Needle and music/sci-fi museums), and, of course, the convention center.
Giant Bomb @ PAX
For popular panels, you're going to need to line up early if want a good seat. As a general rule, I'd suggest going to most panels an hour early. For the super popular ones, there's a bit of loitering skill involved. Enforcers will not allow you to line up until the line for the previous panel goes inside, so...do what you need to do to get in the actual line as soon as that happens.
Fortunately for us, the panel that is in the main theater before Giant Bomb/CAH on Saturday is ending an hour and a half before GB/CAH starts. So, even though there's not a panel immediately before it, I'm sure some of you crazy duders will be trying to line up super early. It's never been in the main theatre before, so please listen to the Enforcers and line up where you're supposed to.
Note: The Main Theatre is at Benaroya Hall, which is a symphony hall located several blocks away from the convention center. It's located at the corner of Union & 3rd. Make sure you give yourself enough time to walk down there.
Enforcers are a legion of volunteers that make PAX run efficiently. It would be a hot mess without them. In the old days, they would don the black. But, now that there are multiple versions of PAX, Prime Enforcers are coated in blue. If you need help with anything, just look for one of them. They’re never too far away. And if they ask you nicely to do something (like move out of an aisle/walkway), please do so.
The Parlor Live (the comedy club CBSi rented out) shut down a couple weeks after this happened last year. Coincidence?
#PAX
Even if you don’t normally use Twitter, you should sign up just to follow these accounts while you’re at PAX. It’s the best and easiest way to get up-to-the-minute updates on what’s going on.
@pax_lines - Updates on theatre/panel lines and when they get capped.
@pax_tourney - News on the dozens of tournaments going on upstairs.
@paxparties - An unofficial feed for the unofficial parties going on all weekend.
Just because the expo hall closes at 6pm doesn't mean PAX stops.
The Packing List
Here's what you need to bring with you especially if you're coming in from out of town.
Money
Most places (including vendors in the expo hall) will take credit/debit cards, but it’s probably a good idea to carry a little cash just in case. And if you need to hit an ATM, do it early in the day as they sometimes run out of money later on.
Backpack
Whatever your style of choice is, bring one. Don’t rely on getting a free bag at the show. They’re often cumbersome and there’s no guarantee you’ll find one anyway. Trust me…carrying a bunch of random stuff you pick up throughout the day is going to suck without a backpack. If it has weight reduction effects, all the better.
Phone & Charger
Duh. You need your phone. But don’t make a rookie mistake and forget your charger and/or wall plug. Pro Tip: Turn your brightness down as far as you can tolerate. Keeping up with your friends at night through texts and/or Twitter is gonna be tough if your phone dies by 2 PM.
Battery Pack
Strongly consider buying an external USB battery pack. It’s been a life saver for me the last few years. Worth every penny. Plus, if you get an adapter, it'll keep your 3DS and/or Vita truckin' too.
3DS/Vita
You will undoubtedly find some downtime (like waiting in line), and you will never be in a better place for local, handheld multiplayer. And then there’s StreetPassing. Oh…the StreetPassing. You gotta get them puzzle pieces! And Nintendo is notorious for releasing new puzzles during the show.
Hand Sanitizer
There will be dispensers scattered around the buildings, but do yourself a favor and toss a little bottle in your bag and use it every time you play something.
Poster Tube
If you can fit it in your luggage, this is a veteran move. You might get a cool poster at PAX. You might even get it signed by Todd Howard. Make sure you have a way to get it home without crushing it.
Trash Bag
Yep. A trash bag. Just throw it in your luggage. Using it for dirty clothes will keep your stank-ass, sweaty socks off of the cool stuff you bring back on the way home.
Bring your handheld of choice. You never know who you'll get to play with.
The Daily List
Here's a few things that you should do every day. Every. Day.
Shower/Deodorant
For the love of Bristlebane, please! It’s not difficult. You're probably paying an arm and a leg for that hotel room you got, so use those amenities.
Eat/Drink
Walking around for eighteen hours a day for four days requires fuel. It may sound crazy now, but you might actually forget to eat and stay hydrated. There’s a ton of awesome places to grab food in downtown Seattle. Try to eat two actual meals a day and carry some snacks for in-between. Alternatively, you could attempt to live on doughnuts for four days. Just don’t get trapped by that Subway on the 4th floor. You’re better than that.
Sleep
Time is precious at PAX, but you can’t go non-stop for 100+ hours. Try to get at least 5 or 6 hours a night.
Get Out
Don’t spend all of your time in the convention center. Get out of there once in a while, get some air, grab some real food, see some of the city, etc.
Be Yourself
There’s a special vibe that envelops PAX. If you’ve ever felt weird or strange about the nerdy things you love, know that you’ll never be in a place with more people that enjoy the same things that you do than you ever will be. So, be yourself. Talk to random people in lines. You’re going to have a blast. Welcome home.
Seattle has many great places to eat.
The To-Do List
Now that you've got a checklist of what to bring and some daily advice, here's some tips on how to prepare.
Download Guidebook
Guidebook is the best, easiest way to keep up with all the official PAX info (schedule, maps, announcements, etc.) Plus, Dave & Coonce work there now, so you know it’s gotta be awesome.
Gameplan
The schedule is out now, so start making a list right now of the panels you may want to see and any potential games you want to play. Compare your list with your friends and get a rough idea of what you want to see and do. Inevitably, you’re going to have make some tough decisions as multiple things you’re interested in will overlap. Accept the fact now that you can’t see/do everything, but if you go in there with no plan at all, you’re going to be overwhelmed.
Plan a Backup
Shit happens. Panels get full faster than you thought. Lines get too long to be worth it. The game you wanted to play might actually just be a presentation. Try to have a backup whenever you can. If all else fails, just go spend some more time in…
Indie Megabooth
Arguably the best part of PAX is the slew of indie games available. And, over the last few years, the Indie Megabooth has established itself as a primary feature of PAX. It houses over seventy games from nearly as many developers and you could spend hours there. It’s also great because you can play a bunch of games without waiting too long. If you see an open station, play it! I don’t care what it is.
Escape the Expo
The expo hall is an amazing spectacle. No doubt about it. But, it's also a trap. Get the hell out of there and do some other stuff once in a while. PAX has so much to offer aside from the expo hall and you shouldn’t miss it. Head upstairs to the Classic Console and Console Freeplay rooms. Hunt down the Classic Arcade. Head down the street to the Tabletop arenas. You get the point. Go do stuff.
The Indie Megabooth is always a good time!
The To-Don’t List
A couple little words of warning from a PAX veteran. You'll thank me later.
SWAG
We all love free stuff, but seriously…don’t be that guy. Don’t wait in line for 45 minutes to play a game you don’t care about just to get a shirt. And please don’t loiter around a headphone booth hoping to catch an inflatable hat. You will get free stuff without trying too hard, so don’t let SWAG ruin your PAX.
Lines
Okay, lines are unavoidable. If you want to do much of anything at PAX, you’re gonna wait in some lines. But, this is on the “don’t” list simply to help you make good decisions. Do you really need to wait in line for an hour to play Deus Ex: Mankind Divided when it just came out the week before? Think about it. Do you really want to wait in line for an hour to watch a new Final Fantasy XV trailer that will be online Tuesday morning? Time is precious at PAX. Choose wisely.
Welcome home.
The Optional List
Three PAX traditions that should not be ignored. Your interest will likely depend on who is involved, so take note.
Keynote
The “Storytime” session is typically a great opening ceremony for PAX, especially for first-timers. But the Penny Arcade Q&A no longer immediately follows the keynote, so unless you're a fan of the speaker, it may not be worth it. This year’s speaker is Amy Hennig, who most people will know from Uncharted and whatever that Star Wars game is gonna be.
Music
On Saturday and Sunday night, Benaroya Hall will be rocking late into the night. Whether you know anything about the performers or not, the concerts are a great time especially if you don’t have any other late night plans. Friday’s lineup includes "The Video Game Pianist" Martin Leung, Bit Brigade, and MC Frontalot. Saturday night will feature the Triforce Quartet, The Oneups, and Super Guitar Bros.
Omegathon Finals
The Omegathon is an elimination tournament that takes place throughout the entire weekend between a couple dozen attendees who were randomly selected prior to the show. The final game is always kept a secret until the very end. It’s usually a great closing ceremony, but it totally depends on the game. I’ve seen some great ones like Vs. Excitebike, Ikaruga, Trials Evolution, and (inexplicably) a stuffed animal crane game. But, I’ve also seen some pure train wrecks like Spaceteam and Cornhole. So, I can’t recommend it as much as I used to, but it still has the potential to be awesome.
The 2012 Omegathon Finals.
PAX. PAX Never Changes.
Magic is weird, y'all.
Except when it does. There’s a few notable changes to PAX West this year that everyone who’s been before should be aware of.
The registration desk is back at Level 1 of the convention center after being over at the Grand Hyatt last year. That means if you did not get your badges mailed to you, you will need to pick them up at the in the WSCC. You can do this on Thursday if you get into town early, which will be a lot faster than doing it Friday morning for sure.
Swag Bags (free stuff) pickups are now on the 2nd floor of the Sheraton (formerly at the Westin).
Autographs are now on the 2nd floor of the Westin (formerly at the Paramount).
The Classic Arcade has moved to the Grand Hyatt (formerly in the WSCC).
Console Freeplay/Tournaments have moved to the Annex (formerly 6th floor WSCC).
Wizards of the Coast have taken over the Paramount Theatre (formerly in the Annex).
The Nintendo Indie Lounge has moved from the Sheraton to the 6th floor in the WSCC.
An "Adult Swim Arcade" has been added to the 6th floor of the WSCC.
Courtyard by Marriott no longer has a booth.
<>
Well, that's all I've got. If you have any suggestions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, let me hear it. As always, hopefully this will help some people out and maybe I'll see some of you at PAX. Let me know if you spot my Mii in StreetPass too. I'll probably be the idiot who's most recently played game is the Seattle Mariners logo. Anyway, it's gonna be a blast. Have fun.
Please don't break kayfabe in public.
P.S. - Don't forget to get all your eSports Entertainment news at LeagueOfHeels.com!
The Electronic Three of 2016 is officially over. We laughed. We cried. We learned a lot about games and ourselves over the past week. For me, this was my fifth consecutive year being in charge of getting all of those E3 trailers onto the site. It's a simultaneously hectic and fun job. Finding the balance between writing decks that are both informative and sometimes funny while also being fast about it can be difficult, but I have a great time doing it. I went E3 from 1997 to 2006, but haven't been since, so it's fun to be involved even if it's remotely.
Monday, as usual, was especially crazy because those companies don't give us access to trailers ahead of time, so I have to snatch them as soon as they post them (usually right after they air), and get them uploaded as fast as possible. I usually have multiple tabs open encoding stuff. But, by Tuesday and Wednesday, I'm mostly digging around for smaller/indie stuff that wasn't highlighted in the press conferences. In total, I uploaded 143 trailers this year, which is just shy of last year's total. So, which ones were the most popular? Let's find out together.
The Top 25 Most Viewed Trailers
Straight up these are the trailers that were watched the most. Keep in mind that the numbers can be and are slightly skewed for several reasons. For one, a few them get special promos that show up in those top slots on the front page. Also, there's the whole time issue. Since there are so many trailers being posted, some of them don't spend much time on the front page feed. Anyway, here they are.
It's been five years now that I've been writing guides for anyone and everyone who wants to get the most out of their Penny Arcade Expo experience. If you’ve seen one of my guides in the past, you likely know that I’ve been through ten E3s, two Dragon*Cons, one PlayStation Experience, and what is about to be my fifteenth PAX. As I've said before, even with all this personal experience at video game conventions and trade shows, it’s thanks to help from a lot of y’all that I think we’ve got this guide thing down to a science. Even so, if you have something to add or if you have any questions about anything, please post them below.
Boston
I know...it looks confusing if you're not from Boston.
I've been to Boston many times even before PAX started coming there, and it's easily one of my favorite cities. If you've been to Prime/West, but not East, it's gonna be like bizarro world to you. At Prime, the airport is far away and the convention center is in the middle of everything downtown. In Boston, Logan International is a few minutes from the convention center, but it's about a mile walk from there into the heart of Boston where most of the fun stuff is.
If you're landing at the airport, you should almost definitely hop on the Silver Line. It's FREE going into the city from Logan and, if you were lucky enough to get a hotel near the convention center, it'll take you right past most of them. If you weren't so lucky, the Silver Line will drop you at South Station, which is a hub that will get you to basically anywhere else in the city. If you're going to be in town all week(end), throw $10 or $20 on MBTA "Charlie Card" since each ride you take is going to cost about $2.
Check for hotel on Google maps, locate the closest "T" station (it'll be real easy), and work backwards to South Station. Even if you're not a city kid, it's quite simple. If you need help, there's plenty of Boston natives hanging around on the site, so ask away in the comments below.
We probably won't have to deal with six feet of snow this year.
Giant Bomb @ PAX
You might spot a Giant Bomb staff member randomly on the show floor (just don't bother them if they're shooting something), but your best bet is one of these panels. There's at least one panel every day of the show that features at least one member of the staff, so no matter what day you're going to be at PAX, you've got a shot at seeing some or all of the Giant Bomb crew in person. Make sure you line up early (especially for the GB panel)!
When/Where
What
Who
FRI - 2:00 PM
Condor
The Mario Maker World Championships: Klepek vs Ryckert
The Giant Bomb panel at PAX Prime 2013. One of the best photos I've ever taken at PAX.
The Enforcers
Enforcers are a legion of volunteers that make PAX run efficiently. It would be a hot mess without them. In the old days, they would don the black. But, now that there are multiple versions of PAX, East Enforcers are coated in red. If you need help with anything, just look for one of them. They’re never too far away. And if they ask you nicely to do something (like move out of an aisle/walkway), please do so.
They don't always wear armor like this guy to the right. Just most of the time.
#PAX
Even if you don’t normally use Twitter, you should sign up just to follow these accounts while you’re at PAX. It’s the best and easiest way to get up-to-the-minute updates on what’s going on.
@pax_tourney - News on the dozens of tournaments going on upstairs.
@paxparties - An unofficial feed for the unofficial parties going on all weekend.
Welcome home.
The Packing List
Here's what you need to bring with you especially if you're coming in from out of town.
Money
Most places (including vendors in the expo hall) will take credit/debit cards, but it’s probably a good idea to carry a little cash just in case. And if you need to hit an ATM, do it early in the day as they sometimes run out of money later on.
Backpack
Whatever your style of choice is, bring one. Don’t rely on getting a free bag at the show. They’re often cumbersome and there’s no guarantee you’ll find one anyway. Trust me…carrying a bunch of random stuff you pick up throughout the day is going to suck without a backpack. Make it at least a 10-slotter. If it has weight reduction, all the better.
Phone & Charger
Duh. You need your phone. But don’t be a dumb and forget your charger and/or wall plug. Pro Tip: Turn your brightness down as far as you can tolerate. Keeping up with your friends at night through texts and/or Twitter is gonna be tough if your phone dies by 2 PM.
Battery Pack
Consider buying an external USB battery pack. It’s been a life saver for me the last couple years. Worth every penny. Plus, if you get an adapter, it'll keep your 3DS and/or Vita truckin' too.
3DS/Vita
Choose your weapon of choice…or dual wield! You will undoubtedly find some downtime (like waiting in line), and you will never be in a better place for local, handheld multiplayer. And then there’s StreetPassing. Oh…the StreetPassing. I see that green light flashing in my sleep.
Hand Sanitizer
There will be dispensers scattered around the buildings, but do yourself a favor and toss a little bottle in your bag and use it every time you play something.
Poster Tube
If you can fit it in your luggage, this is a veteran move. You might get a cool poster at PAX. You might even get it signed by Todd Howard. Make sure you have a way to get it home without crushing it.
Trash Bag
Yep. A trash bag. Just throw it in your luggage. Use it later for dirty clothes, which will keep your stank-ass, sweaty socks off of the cool stuff you bring back on the way home.
Bring your handheld console of choice. You never know who you might get to play with.
The Daily List
Here's a few things that you should do every day.
Shower/Deodorant
For the love of Bristlebane, please! It’s not difficult. You're probably paying an arm and a leg for that hotel room you got, so use those amenities.
Eat/Drink
Walking around for eighteen hours a day for three days requires fuel. It may sound crazy, but you might actually forget to eat and stay hydrated. There aren't a ton of options real close to the convention center. There is a food court on the north side of the convention center, but it's super crowded and generally shitty. There's carnival-type food in the back of the expo hall usually too. But, scope out some of the few nearby locations ahead of time and maybe hit those instead. Try to eat two actual meals a day and carry some snacks for in-between. Alternatively, you could attempt to live on Dunkin for three days.
Sleep
Time is precious at PAX, but you can’t go non-stop for 72+ hours. Try to get at least 5 or 6 hours a night.
Get Out
Don’t spend all of your time in the convention center. Get out of there once in a while, get some air, grab some real food, see some of the city, etc.
Be Yourself
There’s a special vibe that envelops PAX. If you’ve ever felt weird or strange about the nerdy things you love, know that you’ll never be in a place with more people that enjoy the same things that you do than you ever will be. So, be yourself. Talk to random people in lines. You’re going to have a blast. Welcome home.
That big red block is the convention center. It's about a mile from there to the Regina Pizzeria in the middle. As you can see, most of the food options are on the other side of the bridge.
The To-Do List
Now that you've got a checklist of what to bring and some daily advice, here's some tips on how to prepare.
Download Guidebook
Guidebook is the best, easiest way to keep up with all the official PAX info (schedule, maps, announcements, etc.) Plus, Dave & Coonce work there now, so you know it’s gotta be awesome.
Gameplan
The schedule is out now, so start making a list right now of the panels you may want to see and any potential games you want to play. Compare your list with your friends and get a rough idea of what you want to see and do. Inevitably, you’re going to have make some tough decisions as multiple things you’re interested in will overlap. Accept the fact now that you can’t see/do everything, but if you go in there with no plan at all, you’re going to be overwhelmed.
Plan a Backup
Shit happens. Panels get full faster than you thought. Lines get too long to be worth it. The game you wanted to play might actually just be a presentation. Try to have a backup whenever you can. If all else fails, just go spend some more time in…
The Indie Megabooth
Arguably the best part of PAX is the slew of indie games available. And, over the last couple years, the Indie Megabooth has established itself as a primary feature of PAX. It houses around 80 games from nearly as many developers and you could spend hours there. It’s also great because you can play a bunch of games without waiting too long. If you see an open station, play it! I don’t care what it is.
Escape the Expo
The expo hall is an amazing spectacle. No doubt about it. But, it's also a trap. Get the hell out of there and do some other stuff once in a while. PAX has so much to offer aside from the expo hall and you shouldn’t miss it. Head upstairs to the Classic Console and Console Freeplay rooms. Head to the back to the Tabletop arenas. You get the point. Go do stuff. New stuff.
The Indie Megabooth is always a good time!
The To-Don’t List
A couple little words of warning from a PAX veteran. You'll thank me later.
SWAG
We all love free stuff, but seriously…don’t be that guy. Don’t wait in line for 45 minutes to play a game you don’t care about just to get a shirt. And please don’t loiter around a headphone booth hoping to catch an inflatable hat. You will get free stuff without trying too hard, so don’t let SWAG ruin your PAX.
Lines
Okay, lines are unavoidable. If you want to do much of anything at PAX, you’re gonna wait in some lines. But, this is on the “don’t” list simply to help you make good decisions. Do you really need to wait in line for two hours to play Uncharted 4 when it will be out two weeks later? Maybe not. Do you really want to wait in line for an hour to watch a Deus Ex: Mankind Divided trailer that will be online Monday morning? Time is precious at PAX. Choose wisely.
It's a jungle out there.
The Optional List
Three PAX traditions that should not be ignored. Your interest will likely depend on who is involved, so take note.
Keynote
The “Storytime” session is typically a great opening ceremony for PAX, especially for first-timers. The Penny Arcade Q&A is once again immediately after this, so if you're a fan of those guys, you should probably go to the keynote to get a good seat. It's one of the few times they don't clear out a theatre before the next event. This year’s speaker is Jonathan Blow.
Music
On Friday and Saturday night, the Main Theatre will be rocking late into the night. Whether you know anything about the performers or not, the concerts are a great time especially if you don’t have any other late night plans. Friday’s lineup includes Bit Brigade, MC Frontalot, and The Protomen. Saturday night, you can see Sammus, Paul & Storm, The Doubleclicks, and Video Game Orchestra.
Omegathon Finals
The Omegathon is an elimination tournament that takes place throughout the entire weekend between a couple dozen attendees who were randomly selected prior to the show. The final game is always kept a secret until the very end. It’s usually a great closing ceremony, but it totally depends on the game. I’ve seen some great ones like Vs. Excitebike, Ikaruga, Trials Evolution, and (inexplicably) a stuffed animal crane game. But, I’ve also seen some pure train wrecks like Spaceteam and Cornhole. So, I can’t recommend it as much as I used to, but it still has the potential to be awesome.
At the 2012 Omegathon Finals, the greatest Crokinole match ever played took place.
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Well, that's all I've got. If you have any suggestions, comments, suggestions, or complaints, let me hear it. As always, hopefully this will help some people out and maybe I'll see some of you at PAX. Let me know if you spot my Mii in StreetPass too. I'll probably be the idiot who's most recently played game is Nintendo Fan Network. Anyway, it's gonna be a blast. Have fun. And remember...fog machines are banned now.
The Commish wants YOU to be ready for PAXAMANIA II
Normally, when I do these for PAX, I leave out almost any context to what any of the bullet points are referring. But, at PAX, I'm usually with a sizable group of friends who will get the inside jokes. At PSX, it was just @Trace and I, so it'd be kinda lame to be so cryptic. Plus, I thought it'd be a good place to share a bunch of the pictures I took on the trip. If you want to see more of what PSX looked like, you can check out over 600 photos on the PlayStation Experience 2015 wiki page.
Hornbuckle (aka "Green Liu Kang") is the fan-made name given to the guy on the left in the background of The Pit II in MK2. The series has yet to officially acknowledge him, but the man on fire became known as Blaze.
This is the fifth and final installment of my series on reviewing the status of every character in the MK universe after the events of Mortal Kombat X (including the comics). We're probably a few years away from whatever Mortal Kombat 11 is called, so hopefully some people can use this series as a refresher somewhere down the road. If you've missed any of the previous entries, you can check them out here:
I will also have a list recapping whose alive, dead, or unknown at the bottom of this entry.
Ashrah
Don't call her "female Raiden" please.
Ashrah is a white-clad demon from the Netherrealm who, in the previous timeline, is an ex-member of the Brotherhood of Shadow on a quest to cleanse her soul.
Comics: Ashrah does not appear in the comics.
Game: Ashrah does not appear in MKX.
Blaze
Hey! It's that guy from The Pit II!
Blaze was an elemental guardian created by Delia, the wife of Argus, an Edenian god. The idea was that Blaze would monitor the Mortal Kombat tournaments and, when the kombatants became too many and too powerful, one of Argus' sons (Taven and Daegon) would defeat Blaze to gain god-like powers to end the threat to Armageddon. No reference has been made about Blaze in the new timeline, but we know Taven and Daegon exist, which means that Blaze is likely out there somewhere.
Comics: Blaze does not appear in the comics.
Game: Blaze does not appear in MKX.
Chameleon
The rainbow warrior.
Chameleon, like Reptile, is a Saurian from the realm of Zaterra, which was merged into Outworld by Shao Kahn long ago. In MK Trilogy, he was basically a joke character who had all powers of all the palette-swapped ninjas.
Comics: Chameleon does not appear in the comics.
Game: Chameleon does not appear in MKX.
Dairou
Dai-who?
In the previous timeline, Dairou was a former Seidan peacekeeper fromOrderrealm who was imprisoned for killing a man who he believed had murdered his family. He escaped prison and joined Darrius in a terrorist cult. Darrius tasked Dairou with assassinating Hotaru, but whether or not that ever happened is unknown. A perfect ending to a triangle of characters no one cares about.
Comics: Dairou does not appear in the comics.
Game: Dairou does not appear in MKX.
Darrius
Nice shades.
Darrius is a Seidan terrorist who led a rebellion against the peacekeepers of Seido, a world in Orderrealm. He never played any relevant role in the main storylines.
Comics: Darrius does not appear in the comics.
Game: Darrius does not appear in MKX.
Hotaru
Probably the only Orderrealm guy people remember.
Hotaru is a Seidan warrior from Orderrealm who was devoted to Onagadestroying everyone, thus restoring order to the realms. He has not appeared in the new timeline, but his corpse can be seen in the opening cinematic of MK9, which shows all the dead kombatants at the end of Armageddon.
Comics: Hotaru does not appear in the comics.
Game: Hotaru does not appear in MKX.
Jarek
Jarek & Tasia arrive through a portal.
Jarek is a member of Kano's Black Dragon clan of mercenaries.
Comics: Jarek, along with Tasia, attempt to kidnap Cassie and Jacqui at a fight club. The girls escape briefly by running through a portal to Outworld. Later, Jarek is seen with Kano and the rest of the Black Dragons aiding Kotal Kahn during the defense of Z'unkahra City. When Kano demands payment after blasting the Shokan army with a nuke, Kotal orders them all imprisoned in the dungeons for their role in the kidnapping earlier.
Game: Jarek does not appear in the game. Kano and Tremor are no longer imprisoned, but we do not know the fates of Jarek and Tasia.
Kai
With both Liu Kang and Kung Lao "dead," I would've thought Kai would have shown up by now.
Kai is a Shaolin monk from Earthrealm. Similar to Liu Kang, he can wield fireballs. Kai often fights while standing on his hands.
Comics: Kai does not appear in the comics.
Game: Kair does not appear in MKX.
Khameleon
The last of her kind...for Nintendo.
Khameleon was a female version of Chameleon who was exclusive to Nintendo versions of MK Trilogy and Armageddon. She had the ability to mimic the powers of the female ninjas.
Comics: Khameleon does not appear in the comics.
Game: Khameleon does not appear in MKX.
Kira
Kira seen in the background of MK9.
In the previous timeline, Kira was a Black Dragon arms dealer. For a time, she appeared in MK9 as one of the prisoners in Shao Kahn's Arena, but was later replaced with Skarlet. So, whether or not she exists in the new timeline is unclear.
Comics: Kira does not appear in the comics.
Game: Kira does not appear in MKX.
Meat
He literally uses his own head as a projectile.
Meat was a joke, secret character in MK4 who was given a backstory in Armageddon. He is a failed experiment from Shang Tsung's flesh pits. Some believe he is the corpse on the altar in MK9's Cathedral.
Comics: Meat does not appear in the comics.
Game: Meat does not appear in MKX.
Mokap
This is a thing that happened.
Mokap is a friend of Johnny Cage. He does motion capture stunts. Yep.
Comics: Mokap does not appear in the comics.
Game: Mokap does not appear in MKX.
Nitara
MK had vampires before they were cool.
Nitara is a Moroi (vampire) from Vaeternus, which is a forgotten realm that was conquered by Shao Kahn and merged into Outworld long ago. In the previous timeline, she was on a quest to restore her realm, but didn't really play a role in the main storylines.
Comics: Nitara does not physically appear in the comics, but, near the end, Quan Chi reveals that the blood magik that allowed Havik to possess the other heroes originated from her. Whether she's alive or not is not clear.
Game: Nitara does not appear in MKX.
Onaga
The Dragon King
Onaga, the Dragon King, was the original ruler of Outworld. In the previous timeline, Quan Chi used his magic to awaken Onaga and his invincible army. Although he has not physically appeared in the new timeline, he does briefly appear in one of Raiden's visions in MK9. Seems he could be a potential bad guy down the road with the right circumstances.
Comics: Onaga does not appear in the comics, but he is mentioned by Goro at the very end of the story. Goro has studied the lore of the Dragon King and believes that Onaga's regenerative powers will help him regrow his arms. So, he seeks the help of Daegon and the Red Dragon to learn more. To gain their favor, Goro brings Daegon the half-dead body of Kenshi.
Game: Onaga does not appear in MKX, but the flying demons seen in the beginning of MKX do look a lot like Onaga.
Tasia
Tasia (middle back) and the rest of the Black Dragon clan.
Tasia is a woman from Earthrealm who is a member of Kano's Black Dragon clan of mercenaries. Previously, her only appearance was in MK Special Forces.
Comics: Tasia shows up multiple times in the comics including the abduction ofCassie and Jacqui as well as aiding Kotal Kahn in the war against the Shokan. She, along with the rest of the Black Dragons, are imprisoned by Kotal Kahn for their involvement in the kidnapping of the girls.
Game: Tasia does not appear in MKX. Since both Kano and Tremor appear in the game, it is unclear what happened to Tasia. Is she still imprisoned? Who knows?
Taven
Kenshi and Takeda find Taven. Is this canon?
Taven, and his brother Daegon, are sons of an Edenian god named Argus. In the previous timeline, Argus had visions of Armageddon, so he encased his sons in a cave. The plan was they would awaken prior to the events of Armageddon to defeat Blaze in order to become powerful enough to stop the end of the world. From the comics, we know Daegon is alive, which fits with the original timeline that saw Daegon awake early and went crazy. So, it is highly conceivable that Taven is still in the cave and could appear in the next game.
Comics: Taven does not appear in the comics.
Game: Taven does not appear in MKX's story, but he does show up in Kenshiand Takeda's endings where they discover and free Taven from his stalagmite chamber. Taven being encased in a stalagmite is consistent with the previous timeline, so being discovered by Kenshi and Takeda may be canon now. The ending then goes on to say the three of them hunt down the Red Dragon base and kill Daegon (Taven's brother and killer of Kenshi's wife/Takeda's mother) together. Whether this part is true, we shall see.
We should all hope for such a beautiful death as this.
It's Mortal Kombat. People die. Lots of people die. Sometimes important people die. Such is the case with Mortal Kombat X. And here is Part 2 of the list of characters who currently* dead in the new timeline, which was reset at the beginning of MK9.
Comics: Mileena had refused to ally with Earthrealm in the Netherrealm War, and Kotal believed it would have been in the realm's best interest. Mileena is overthrown and goes into exile, but not alone. Her closest advisor, Reiko, also becomes her lover. She is also backed by Goro (fueled by his hatred for Kotal) and the Red Dragon clan. After Rain and Goro are nearly killed by Kotal, Mileena retreats to the Setian Valley where Rain reveals to her that Reiko is actually working for Havik. Mileena, Ermac, and an army of tarkatans sail to Shang Tsung's island to confront Reiko, but they are defeated by Havik's legion of heroes corrupted by the Blood Code of the kamidogu. Mileena's blood, as well as the blood of Kotal,Sonya, and Johnny, is used by Havik as a sacrifice that briefly transforms Reiko into a blood god. Mileena herself is then stabbed by a kamidogu blade leaving her possessed by Havik too. She helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik. When Havik dies, and the Blood Code is broken, Mileena immediately attempts to enlist the help of Ermac to claim the unguarded throne back in Outworld. Ermac declines her invitation, siding instead with Kotal Kahn. Mileena escapes before the others realize she is gone.
Game: Immediately following the Netherrealm War, Kotal Kahn's rebellion succeeded and he is the reigning emperor of Outworld. Still supporting Mileena are Rain, Tanya, and Kano, but all of them seemingly have other motivations. Mileena doesn't give up easily as she has Shinnok's amulet, which can be used as a weapon of incredible power. Cassie and her team convince Kotal to allow them to help track down Mileena and reclaim the amulet. D'Vorah and Cassie find her in the Kuatan Jungle. Kotal then allows D'Vorah to execute Mileena, thus ending the war for Outworld's throne.
Comics: Moloch appears at the gates of the Netherrealm with Drahmin when Scorpion brings them the decapitated head of Havik. He and Drahmin are unable to prevent Scorpion from escaping the realm, which leads to Quan Chi to having them both killed. Kitana slices Moloch's head off with a single fan swipe.
Game: Though not named specifically, when Quan Chi enters a fight, he is often carrying the head of an oni that looks identical to Moloch, which lines up with the comics.
Motaro
Motaro's body is brought back to Shao Kahn in MK9.
Motaro was a Centaurian loyal to Shao Kahn. He was killed by Raiden during the invasion of Earthrealm after the second tournament.
Comics: Motaro does not appear in the comics.
Game: Motaro does not appear in MKX.
Nightwolf
Revenant Nightwolf during the Netherrealm War.
Nightwolf was a Native American shaman who wielded ethereal weapons. He sacrificed himself in an explosion that killed Sindel in The Cathedral after she had already killed many of Earthrealm's best.
Comics: Nightwolf does not appear in the comics.
Game: After sacrificing himself, Nightwolf's soul was then taken by Quan Chi. Nightwolf serves as a revenant fighting for the sorcerer during Shinnok's assault on the Jinsei Chamber at the end of the Netherrealm War. Kenshi defeats Nightwolf outside the cave and he is not seen again.
Noob Saibot
Noob being torn apart by the soulnado in MK9.
Noob Saibot was a wraith of the original Sub-Zero (Bi-Han). In MK9, Nightwolf throws him into Quan Chi's soulnado, which seemingly kills him (you can see purple bits swirling in the otherwise green whirlwind). So…uhh…what happens when a dead character gets killed? Is Noob double dead? I don't know. He may be the mostdead character in the franchise. Let's just say he's gone.
Comics: Noob does not appear in the comics.
Game: Noob does not appear in MKX.
Quan Chi
Hanzo (Scorpion) decapitating Quan Chi.
Quan Chi was a demon sorcerer from the Netherrealm. Through the events of MK9, Quan Chi's true motivation was returning Shinnok to power. He was successful in that quest and gained a legion of revenants by capturing the souls of many of Earthrealm's best fighters who died during the tournaments.
Comics: Quan Chi appears via flashbacks of Scorpion and Sub-Zero. When the first Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) killed Hanzo Hasashi, Quan Chi found him in the Netherrealm and infused his soul with the hellfire of the realm, which created the wraith known as Scorpion. After MK9, at the start of the Netherrealm War, Quan Chi dismantles Cyber Sub-Zero's (Kuai Liang) cybernetic body, salvaging what's left of his organs, and uses dark magic to reconstruct his human body as a revenant. Near the end of the series, Scorpion returns to Netherrealm and leaves Havik's head with Drahmin and Moloch at the gates. When Quan Chi later arrives, he stomps it crushing it into pieces. The last we see of him, he is with his revenants plotting how to retrieve the amulet now that Havik's plan failed.
Game: With a legion of revenants created from the souls of fallen Earthrealm warriors, Quan Chi leads an assault on the Jinsei Chamber at the end of the Netherrealm War, which nearly allows Shinnok to capture Earthrealm. Johnny Cage defeats Shinnok, and Quan Chi retreats to the Netherrealm. Not long after these events, Sonya leads a force into Netherrealm in search of the sorcerer. She defeats Quan Chi in his own fortress, but he escapes after losing control of the souls of Jax, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion. Years later, the Special Forces realize Quan Chi's power is diminished without Shinnok and the amulet, so Kenshi and Jax lead an assault into Netherrealm. Jax captures Quan Chi and returns to Earthrealm, where they plan to use him to free their other friends such as Liu Kang, Kitana, etc. Hanzo (Scorpion) spoils this plan by decapitating Quan Chi in his quest for vengeance. But, not before Quan Chi (with the help of D'Vorah) is able to release Shinnok from the amulet. With Quan Chi dead, it is said that the souls of his other revenants are lost forever.
Reiko
Reiko's body begins to literally melt under the immense power of being transformed into a blood god.
Reiko was a mysterious Outworlder who rose to become a general in Shao Kahn's army.
Comics: While conquering a small kingdom for Shao Kahn, Reiko receives a prophecy from an unknown goddess. The words "Reiko's blood reigns" would become his obsession. When Shao Kahn begins to favor Quan Chi over all others, Reiko contemplated suicide as he believed the prophecy was a lie and a curse. This is when Havik, the cleric of Chaosrealmfound him. Havik convinced Reiko he must lose everything to gain everything and stabbed Reiko, giving him a taste of blood magik. Havik promises Reiko will become a blood god. Reiko then embarks on a mission to collect each realms' pieces of the Kamidogu. At first, he is in a relationship with Mileena and helping in her quest to rule Outworld, but he is manipulating her all along. He makes a surprise visit to Jax's farm at one point, threatening to kill his family unless Jax relinquishes the Kamidogu dagger Raiden entrusted with him. Jax reluctantly obliges. Reiko fights Kotal Kahn when Kotal, Cage, and Sonya arrive at Shang Tsung's island. The fight is interrupted by Mileena's warship arriving. Mileena "kills" Reiko with Shao Kahn's hammer, but the power of the Blood Code regenerates Reiko to life. He is then killed again by the threesome of Kotal, Ermac, and Mileena who dismember him completely. After the battle, Havik commands the Red Dragon clansmen to take Reiko's remains to the Flesh Pits for resurrection. Later, Havik gives the blood of Sonya, Cage, Mileena, Kotal, and Ermac to Reiko to drink. Reiko becomes the powerful "Blood God" that he had always planned. But, he was not strong enough for godhood, and his body literally melted away as he could not handle the power. Havik knew this would happen, and used the power to summon Shinnok's amulet from the dark dimension where Raiden had hidden it. The amulet is found within Reiko's remains.
Game: Reiko does not appear in MKX, but he is referenced several times in relation to "The Reiko Accord," which is a peace treaty of sorts between Earthrealm and Outworld.
Sektor
Sub-Zero successfully ends the cyborg era of the Lin Kuei.
Sektor was a member of the Lin Kuei ninja clan and the son of the clan's Grand Master. He volunteered for the Cyber Initiative, which was his father's plan to convert the entire clan into cyborgs.
Comics: Sektor shows up near the end of the story when Sub-Zero breaks into the hidden Lin Kuei cybernetic cloning base and plants a virus in their system. Cyrax turns on Sektor and helps Sub-Zero fend off the clones, which gives Sub-Zero the opportunity to kill Sektor by cutting off his arms and removing his head, thus deactivating all the clones.
Game: Many years after Sektor's death, Sub-Zero convincesHanzo to come to the Lin Kuei temple. He shows Sektor's head to Hanzo, which has recorded memories within it. One of the holographic memories is Quan Chi admitting to killing the Shirai Ryu clan in a deal with the former Lin Kuei grandmaster, Sektor's father. Hanzo finally ends his hatred towards Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei and redirects his vengeance fully towards Quan Chi.
Shang Tsung
Shao Kahn killing Shang Tsung in MK9.
Shang Tsung was a human sorcerer from Earthrealm who, for centuries, attempted to capture Earthrealm for Shao Kahn by hosting the Mortal Kombat tournaments and consuming the souls of those who died there. Shao Kahn lost faith in Shang Tsung after the second tournament in MK9. The emperor siphoned all of Shang Tsung's souls away and gave them to Sindel, thus killing the sorcerer.
Comics: Shang Tsung does not appear in the comics.
Game: Shang Tsung does not appear in MKX. But, in Ermac's arcade ending, Ermac feels called Shang Tsung's island. There, a speck of dust touches his chest and begins to absorb the souls within Ermac. The dust quickly forms into Shang Tsung resurrected. This is likely not canon.
Shao Kahn
The Elder Gods destroying Shao Kahn at the end of MK9.
Shao Kahn was the emperor of Outworld for millenia. After conquering countless lesser realms and merging them with his own, he set his sights on Earthrealm. After many failed attempts to conquer Earthrealm through Mortal Kombat tournaments, Shao Kahn defied the Elder Gods and invaded the realm anyway. The Elder Gods destroyed him for breaking their laws.
Comics: Shao Kahn does not appear in the comics.
Game: Shao Kahn does not appear in MKX.
Shinnok
Raiden tossing Shinnok's head at the feet of Liu Kang and Kitana in the Netherrealm throne room.
Shinnok was once an Elder God, but was banished to the Netherrealm when he attempted to claim Earthrealm for himself. He created an amulet that weakened dimensional barriers and allowed him to enter Earthrealm without the other gods knowing.
Comics: Shinnok does not play a role in the comics aside from the fact that Havik's goal is to obtain Shinnok's amulet, which Shinnok is locked inside of at the time.
Game: With Earthrealm weakened after Shao Kahn's invasion, Shinnok finally launches his assault after waiting millenia in the Netherrealm. Aided by Quan Chi and his revenants, Shinnok attacks the Sky Temple in an attempt to taint the Jinsei Chamber, but he fails when he is defeated by Johnny Cage. Raiden and Fujin are able to imprison Shinnok within his own amulet. About 25 years later, Quan Chi is able to free Shinnok from the amulet mere seconds before Scorpion kills him. Shinnok captures Johnny, who he sees as a threat now, and immediately heads for the Sky Temple again. This time, he makes it into the Jinsei and corrupts Earthrealm with a crimson sky. He then attempts to kill Johnny, but he is saved by his daughter, Cassie, when she instinctively uses her green aura powers to block the blast just as Johnny did 25 years before to save Sonya. Cassie then defeats Shinnok, which gives Raiden time to enter the Jinsei and absorb Shinnok's power in order to cleanse the realm of corruption.
As an Elder God, Shinnok can never truly be dead. I'm listing him as dead because he is currently only a head. Raiden delivered it toLiu Kang and Kitana in Netherrealm as a threat in the event that Netherrealm attempt to invade Earthrealm ever again.
Sindel
Revenant Sindel in the Netherrealm.
Sindel was the queen of Edenia before it was conquered by Shao Kahn. He killed her husband, King Jerrod, and claimed her as his own queen. Sindel killed herself to create a magical ward preventing Shao Kahn from entering Earthrealm, saving it from the same fate of Edenia. Kahn later resurrected her as a revenant under his control and empowered her with all of the souls formerly held by Shang Tsung. With her increased power, Sindel was able to kill almost all of Earthrealm's best warriors before Nightwolf sacrificed himself in a blast that killed her (again).
Comics: Sindel does not appear in the comics aside from Sub-Zero remembering her killing him.
Game: After beign killed by Nightwolf, Sindel's soul was claimed by Quan Chi in the Netherrealm. As a revenant, she fights for Quan Chi in the Netherrealm War. She is knocked out by Raiden just outside the Jinsei Chamber near the beginning of the game. Years later, Sindel nearly kills Jax (again) when he and Kenshi lead a team into Netherrealm to find Quan Chi. Then, at the story's climax, she and the other revenants fail to preventCassie's team from stopping Shinnok and are forced to retreat back to the Netherrealm.
Smoke
Revenant Smoke refers to himself as "Enenra."
Smoke (Tomas Vrbada) was a Lin Kuei ninja originally from the Czech Republic. As a child, Smoke was to be sacrificed to demons by a cult. Instead, during the ritual, he was bestowed the demons' powers, then destroyed the cultists and escaped. He successfully avoided being converted into a cyborg by the Lin Kuei and joined Raiden's team of Earthrealm defenders. He was killed in The Cathedral by Sindel when she snaps his neck. His soul was then claimed by Quan Chi in the Netherrealm.
Comics: Smoke briefly appears in the comic when Quan Chi removes the cybernetics from Sub-Zero's body.
Game: Smoke, as a revenant, fights on the side of Shinnok in the Netherrealm War. When confronted by Johnny Cage, Smoke refers to himself as "Enenra," which is a term used for formless, vapor demons in Japanese mythology. Since Quan Chi was killed by Scorpion, it appears to be impossible to save him at this point. He is with Liu Kang and the other revenants at the end of the story, but they fail to stop Cassie's team from defeating Shinnok and are forced to retreat to the Netherrealm.
The term "dead" is such a nebulous term in the Mortal Kombat universe. When one of your primary locations is basically hell (Netherrealm), it's easy to see why characters who were thought to be dead will show up again later. They don't always return unchanged though.
In the new timeline (MK9, MKX, comics), many of our favorites and not-so-favorites have already died. Some of these dead characters are still active in the storyline as revenants. After Sindel killed off almost all of Earthrealm's best warriors in The Cathedral in MK9, Quan Chi claimed their souls in the Netherrealm and uses them as his minions. Three of them (Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Jax) were saved by Raiden and Sonya, and they are now alive and back to their normal selves. The other revenants, for the purposes of this list, are considered dead and gone forever due to Quan Chi's death (more on that later).
Baraka
D'Vorah performing a Fatality on Baraka.
Baraka was a Tarkatan, which is an Outworld race of vicious warrior nomads with razor sharp teeth and retractable blades in their forearms. He was not seen in the later parts of MK9, therefore, it was assumed he was still alive.
Comics: Baraka does not play an important role in the comics.
Game: Baraka and the tarkatans are devout followers of Mileena and defenders of her claim as emperor of Outworld. When others begin to side with Kotal Kahn, Baraka is the only one who continues to defend Mileena. For his devotion, he is killed when D'Vorah rips out his brain and heart simultaneously.
Cyrax
Cyrax turns out to be a good guy in the end.
Cyrax was a member of the Lin Kuei clan of ninja. He was converted into a cyborg during the Lin Kuei cyber initiative. Cyrax was last seen being defeated by Nightwolf in The Cathedral near the end of MK9, but did not die there.
Comics: Cyrax appears with Sektor in a hidden Lin Kuei cybernetic cloning facility when Sub-Zero breaks in to destroy it. Sub-Zero successfully plants a virus in the system and is able to convince Cyrax to join him. Cyrax fends off the clones, which gives Sub-Zero enough time to kill Sektor by removing his head, thus deactivating the remaining clones. The clones then scan for a new leader and choose Cyrax. Sub-Zero tries to convince him that de-cyberizing is possible, but Cyrax decides the Lin Kuei needs a clean slate to restore their honor. Cyrax initates a self-destruct sequence that obliterates the entire facility.
Comics: Drahmin appears at the gates of Netherrealm along with Moloch when Scorpion arrives with the decapitated head of Havik. He threatens Scorpion for betraying Quan Chi, but Scorpion escapes anyway. When Quan Chi learns of this, he has them both killed for being unreliable.
Game: Drahmin does not appear in MKX.
Havik
Havik showing his true colors.
Havik was a cleric from Chaosrealm. As such, his sole motivation was creating chaos within the MK universe.
Comics: Havik ends up being the primary antagonist of the comic series. He received a prophecy from an unknown goddess who simply said "Reiko's blood reings," which sent Havik on a quest to find the mysterious man. He finds him and together they plan to use blood magik, referred to as "The Blood Code" by Havik, to ascend Reiko to godhood. During that time, he resides in the ruins of Shang Tsung's island where he is plotting to capture all six pieces of the Kamidogu, which he claims are necessary for their plan. He has also allied himself the Red Dragon clan. Throughout the story, Havik uses the Kamidogu daggers to corrupt and/or possess various characters including Raiden, Shujinko, and Sub-Zero to do his bidding. Havik conveniently allows the war between Reiko/Skarlet, Kotal/Sonya/Cage, and Mileena/Ermac to play out on the shores of the island before he enters the fray. With all kombatants down, he commands the Red Dragon clan members to take Reiko's dismembered body to the Flesh Pits to be put back together. He then takes the barely live bodies of the other five to a chamber where he siphons their blood as a sacrifice. Reiko drinks the blood and becomes the Blood God, but only briefly. Reiko's body could not withstand his new powers and dies a horrible, melty death. Havik reveals he knew this would happen and used Reiko simply as a vessel. With the power of The Blood Code and having all six Kamidogu daggers, Havik is able to summon Shinnok's Amulet from the dark dimension. He, along with his corrupted slaves (Raiden, Cassie, Jacqui), successfully corrupt the nearly lifeless bodies of Mileena, Kotal Kahn, Sonya, and Johnny Cage. He then attempts to absorb the souls of Ermac into the amulet, which he believes will allow him to enter the Netherrealm. But, Takeda arrives at the last second and severs Havik's hand with his whips. While Mileena, Johnny, Sonya, Kotal, and Raiden deal with Takeda, Havik is able to reattach his own hand somehow. Havik offers Takeda a choice: sacrifice himself to chaos or die and be reunited with Hanzo. Takeda chooses to fight, which leads to Havik using the amulet on him. At the last moment, Hanzo returns (having defeated Scorpion in his own mind), decapitates Havik, and immediately teleports away with his head. Despite being just a head, he is still conscious until Quan Chi stomps on it crushing it into many pieces.
Game: Havik does not appear in MKX.
Hsu Hao
Hsu Hao is the first character to die in the comic series.
Hsu Hao was a Chinese member of the Red Dragon clan. In the previous timeline, he successfully infiltrated the ranks of the Special Forces before sabotaging them.
Comics: Hsu Hao is killed on the twelfth page of the first issue by Scorpion. Hsu Hao was attempting to capture and/or kill Kenshi and his young son (Takeda), but Kenshi purposefully led the pursuit into Shirai Ryu territory. Bye, Hsu Hao.
Game: Hsu Hao does not appear in MKX.
Jade
Sindel killed Jade (and almost everyone) in The Cathedral scene of Mortal Kombat 9.
Jade was an Edenian woman who was Kitana's bodyguard and friend. She was killed when Sindel ripped out her heart in The Cathedral.
Comics: Jade does not appear in the comics.
Game: Jade is dead, but one of Kitana's fighting styles, called "Mournful," sees the Edenian princess using Jade's staff, glaive, and several of Jade's classic moves. It's unclear as to why she is not one of Quan Chi's revenants like some of the other heroes that died in the Cathedral.
Kabal
Kabal (right) fighting alongside Quan Chi and the sorcerer's other revenants.
Kabal was a once a member of the Black Dragon clan, but had cleaned up his life and joined the NYPD as Kurtis Stryker's partner. Kintaro burned him alive during the invasion of Earthrealm, which left Kabal requiring an elaborate respirator to survive. He joins up with Raiden's band of Earthrelam defenders, but, like many others, he was killed by Sindel in The Cathedral.
Comics: Kabal does not appear in the comics.
Game: Kabal's soul was claimed by Quan Chi where he serves as a revenant. Kabal fought alongside Quan Chi in the assault on the Jinsei Chamber at the beginning of MKX and injured Raiden. Twenty years later, he rides with Quan Chi when Kenshi and Jax lead a SF battalion into Netherrealm, but is not present at the end of the story with the other revenants. Since Quan Chi is now dead, it is said that Kabal's soul is lost forever.
Kintaro
Sonya (possessed by The Blood Code) decapitates Kintaro much to the dismay of Queen Sheeva.
Kintaro was a Shokan from the Tigrar clan, a tiger-like breed of the half-human, half-dragon, four-armed warriors. He was defeated by Cyber Sub-Zero in MK9, but survived.
Comics: After Kotal Kahn defeats Goro, leaving him armless, King Gorbak enlists Kintaro as his army's General to lead a siege on Kotal's capital city, Z'unkahrah. The siege fails, King Gorbak is slain, and Kintaro refuses Kotal Kahn's request for Mortal Kombat between the two. Angered by this, Kotal has Kano drop a nuclear bomb on the Shokan army. Shocked, Kintaro refuses to surrender and requests that Kotal give him the dignity of killing him. Rather than executing Kintaro, Kotal convinces him to join forces against both Reiko and Mileena. Kintaro, as Queen Sheeva's top general, leads a battleship to the Shang Tsung's island where the battle between Reiko/Skarlet, Kotal/Cage/Sonya, and Mileena/Ermac is taking place. Sheeva commands them to wait it out. Kintaro disobeyed her and sent scouts, who were slaughtered byHavik and his newly found amulet. Havik then uses Shinnok's Amulet to blast Sheeva's warship from the shore. Kintaro survives the blast and is saved from drowning by Sheeva. The two swim to shore where they find D'Vorah slaughtering what's left of the Red Dragon on the beach. She tells them that Kotal Kahn had a backup plan and that they must help her now. When they enter Havik's base, they are attacked by the heroes possessed by the Blood Code. Kintaro is surrounded by Cassie, Jacqui, and Sonya, and is unable to fight off all three of them. Sonya viciously rips his head off. Moments later, Hanzo kills Havik, which breaks the Blood Code, thus releasing the heroes from possession.
Game: Kintaro does not appear in MKX.
Kitana
The new rulers of the Netherrealm.
Kitana was the princess of Edenia and, in MK9, she was the last to die in The Cathedral when Sindel, her mother, killed nearly all of Earthrealm's best warriors.
Comics: Kitana appears near the end of the storyline as one of Quan Chi's revenants. She kills Moloch for him.
Game: As a revenant, Kitana rides with Quan Chi some twenty years after MK9 when Kenshi and Jax lead a team of Special Forces into Netherrealm. Along with the revenants of Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Sindel, and Smoke, Kitana defends the Sky Temple as Shinnok attempts to corrupt the Jinsei. Kitana injures Jacqui and Takeda, but eventually must retreat when it is apparent that Shinnok has been defeated. In the post-credits sequence, it is revealed that Liu Kang and Kitana are the new rulers of the Netherrealm. Raiden warns them that he is no longer content with simply defending Earthrealm, that will be on the offensive, and that "there are fates worse than death."
Kobra
Kobra (left) as he appeared in MK Deception.
In the previous timeline, Kobra was a member of Kabal's new Black Dragon clan. He has not appeared in the new timeline, and that can be explained. In MKX, prior to a fight, Kano asks Erron Black if he's heard of the Black Dragon clan. Erron remarks that he has and that he killed one. "His name was Kobra, I think."
Comics: Kobra does not appear in the comics.
Game: Kobra does not appear in MKX.
Kung Lao
With Quan Chi dead, Kung Lao's soul is said to be lost forever.
Kung Lao was a Shaolin monk and was one of Earthrealm's best hopes in MK9. Raiden chose Kung Lao as the realm's champion to face Shao Kahn in the second tournament. Shao Kahn snapped his neck and his soul was claimed by Quan Chi to serve as a revenant.
Comics: Kung Lao appears near the end of the story as one of Quan Chi's revenants as they plan their next move after Havik failed to secure the amulet.
Game: Twenty-five years after MK9, Kung Lao rides with Quan Chi when Kenshi and Jax lead a team of Special Forces in search of information about Shinnok's amulet. Along with the other Earthrealm revenants, Kung Lao tries to stopCassie's team from entering the Jinsei chamber where Shinnok is corrupting the realm. They fail and retreat to the Netherrealm when Shinnok falls. Because Quan Chi is dead, it is said Kung Lao's soul is lost forever.
Kurtis Stryker
Stryker (left) lined up with Quan Chi's other revenants ready to fight the final battle of the Netherrealm War.
Kurtis Stryker was a NYPD police officer who joined Raiden's team of Earthrealm's best. He was killed by Sindel in The Cathedral and his soul was claimed by Quan Chi.
Comics: Stryker does not appear in the comics.
Game: Stryker appears as a revenant at the beginning of MKX, fighting against his former friends on the side of the evil sorcerer. The last we see him MKX, he is knocked out by Fujinoutside the Jinsei Chamber.
Liu Kang
Revenant Liu Kang in service of Quan Chi.
Liu Kang was a Shaolin monk who, in the previous timeline, was the chosen one; Raiden's choice as Earthrealm champion. In the new timeline, Raiden attempted to change the future to avoid Armageddon, which led to much distrust from Liu Kang. When Raiden suggested allowing Shao Kahnto enter Earthrealm, thinking the Elder Gods would intervene, Liu Kang tried to stop him. Raiden reluctantly killed Liu Kang and was proved right when the Elder Gods destroyed Kahn.
Comics: Liu Kang appears near the end of the story in Netherrealm as Quan Chi and his revenants plot their next move.
Game: After dying at the end of MK9, Liu Kang's soul entered Netherrealm where he has been serving Quan Chi as a revenant. Twenty-five years after the events of MK9, he rides with Quan Chi and other revenants when Kenshi and Jax lead a SF team into the Netherrealm. Jax defeats him on the way to capturing Quan Chi. When Quan Chi releases Shinnok from the amulet, Liu Kang and the other revenants appear through a portal into the Special Forces camp to help him escape. Raiden defeats Liu Kang at the Sky Temple, but is outnumbered and eventually subdued. Liu Kang and the other revenants fail to keep Cassie's team from defeating Shinnok, and are forced to retreat to the Netherrealm. The post-credits scene reveals that Liu Kang and Kitana are now ruling the realm together, seemingly setting them up as the main villains for the next game.
Mavado
Cassie Cage eviscerating Mavado as they make their escape.
Mavado was a high-ranking member of the Red Dragon clan known for using hook blades as well as powered grappling hook attacks.
Comics: Mavado appears after the Black Dragon clan kidnap Cassie and Jacqui. He and the Red Dragon intend to take the girls themselves. In the scuffle, Cassie ends up killing Mavado with one of his hook blades by slicing him straight up the middle.
The second entry in this series will continue with the second half of the characters who inexplicably survived the fatalities, brutalities, and double-crosses of Mortal Kombat X's complete story (game and comics).
One of the interesting things about the game is that a lot of the playable characters are presented in a non-canon capacity. For example, at no point in the story is Liu Kang an older man. He's been a revenant of Quan Chi ever since he died at the end of MK9. Same goes for others like Kung Lao and Kitana. So, unless you actually play the story and read the comics, it's kind of confusing. Anyway, let's get back to the rest of those who are still breathing.
If you missed Part 1, make sure to check that out as well.
Comics: Kung Jin appears near the end of the story as a thief employed by Bo' Rai Cho. Jin brings him a delivery, which he is paid for and then Bo Rai Cho offers him a place at the Shaolin academy. Jin refuses and leaves.
Game: About five years before the main events of MKX, Jin was living as a thief who blamed Raiden for sending Kung Lao to his death at the end of the second tournament. Jin attempts to steal a small statue from the Sky Temple believing that it belongs to his family, but Raiden stops him and convinces him to join the Shaolin academy. Johnny Cage selects him for his special task force which also includes Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, and Takeda. Jin makes an impact early in the story by defeating Kotal Kahn in Outworld, which binds Kotal to helping Earthrealm, albeit temporarily. At the story's climax, Jin is side-by-side with Cassie as they enter the Jinsei Chamber to confront D'Vorah and Shinnok. After Cassie defeats Shinnok, Jin helps Raiden into the Jinsei, which cleanses the corruption Shinnok had spread across Earthrealm.
Li Mei
Li Mei as she appears in MKX.
Li Mei is a woman from a small village in Outworld called Sun Do.
Comics: Li Mei does not appear in the comics.
Game: Li Mei leads her village and thousands of others to Earthrealm seeking refuge from the war between Kotal and Mileena. She provides information to Raiden and Special Forces about Mileena wielding Shinnok's amulet. She also inadverently tips off Sonya that Kano is somewhere in the refugee camp.
Raiden
"Dark" Raiden in the Netherrealm after absorbing the corrupted Jinsei at the end of MKX.
Raiden is the god of thunder and protector of Earthrealm.
Comics: After the Netherrealm War had ended, Raiden went to the Elder Gods to have Shinnok's Amulet destroyed. They refuse, claiming destroying would release Shinnok again. So, Raiden decides to hide it in a dark dimension that no one can ever find. The Elder Gods decide to use the Kamidogu as the lock and key. The six daggers representing the six realms were given to Raiden to entrust to those he thought could keep them safe. Some of them end up falling into the wrong hands, and, in desperation, Raiden invokes blood magik by cutting himself with one of the daggers in order to obtain a vision of the others' whereabouts. Unknown to Raiden, the blade has allowed Havik to possess him, which leads to Raiden attacking allies such as Scorpion and Takeda. He later realizes he has become corrupted by the use of the daggers and heads to Shang Tsung's island in search of Reiko. There, Havik is able to possess him again and casts red lightning on the Earthrealm and Outworld heroes coming to the island to stop Havik. Raiden uses one of the daggers to inflict the Blood Code onMileena too and then helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance after Havik presumably killed Scorpion. Raiden nearly kills Erron Black, but Havik's death at the hands of Hanzo breaks the possession. Raiden brokers an agreement between Kotal and Sonya to discuss interrealm conflicts before going to war. He then entrusts the amulet to Sonya and Special Forces.
Game: Several years after MK9, he aids Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade when they discover Quan Chi's fortress in the Netherrealm. Sonya defeats Quan Chi, which allows Raiden to cleanse the souls of Jax, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion (who had accompanied the sorcerer at the time). Raiden's plan is to do the same for the other revenants of Earthrealm, but he needs Quan Chi alive in order to do this. Unfortunately, in a fit of rage, Scorpion decapitates Quan Chi after the sorcerer had been brought to the SF refugee camp by Jax after many years in hiding. Raiden is unaware of this when Shinnok attacks the Sky Temple and defeats Raiden, trapping him in the clutches of an enormous skeletal hand. Shinnok corrupts the Jinsei, thus dooming Earthrealm, but is soon defeated by Cassie Cage. She and Kung Jin release Raiden and help him into the Jinsei, thus reversing what Shinnok had done. In the post-credits scene, Raiden (with fire in his eyes) visits the Netherrealm throne room. He proclaims that he is done simply defending Earthrealm and will now seek out any who threaten it. He tosses the head of Shinnok (who cannot be killed) at the feet of the new rulers of Netherrealm, Liu Kang and Kitana, and threatens them by stating "there are fates worse than death." In Raiden's arcade ending, he enlists the Shirai Ryu to attack Kotal Kahn's weakened forces before they could potentially rebuild and attack Earthrealm. Whether this part is canon or not is unclear, but what is clear is that Raiden is pissed off and is on the offensive.
Rain
Rain being incinerated by Kotal Kahn's sunburst.
Rain is an Edenian who claims to be the son of Argus, a god of the realm of Edenia.
Comics: When Kotal Kahn rides to war against Mileena early on in the story, Goro commands Rain to summon a storm because the Osh-Tekk are much stronger in sunlight. But, Kotal uses his Kamidogu dagger to invoke blood magic that allows him to summon a column of pure sunlight that incinerates Rain. Much later, near the end of the story, Mileena visits Rain who is still bed-ridden and covered with burn scars. He warns her that he overheard the Red Dragon clan members talking about Reiko and that his true allegiance is toHavik, not her.
Game: Rain sides with Mileena in the war for Outworld. He is defeated in kombat by Kotal Kahn, but is saved by Mileena moments before Erron Black was going to execute him. After Mileena uses Shinnok's amulet on Kotal Kahn, Rain teleports Mileena to safety. Rain is using Mileena, though, because he knows the amulet is slowly killing her. His hope is that by Mileena and Kotal killing each other in this war, he will have the opportunity to steal the throne himself and Tanya. After D'Vorahdefeats Tanya and Rain in the Kuatan Jungle, and Mileena is executed, Rain disappears.
Reptile
Reptile is quick to defend his emperor's honor.
Reptile is a Saurian, which is a lizard-like humanoid, from the realm of Zaterra, which was conquered by Shao Kahn and merged with Outworld long ago.
Comics: It is revealed that, during MK9, Shao Kahn lost faith in Reptile as a spy and sent Kotal Kahn to kill him. Kotal spared Reptile, which led to Kotal becoming his new commander in the emperor's army. Reptile is very loyal to Kotal, informing him of Goro's betrayal and the actions of the Red Dragon clan. He is the first to defend Kotal when Sonyaaccuses him of being involved in Cassie's kidnapping. And he saves D'Vorah during the Shokan attack. Reptile is injured in the battle and carried to safety by D'Vorah. He arrives late to Shang Tsung's island and joins D'Vorah's group of Outworlders as they enter Havik's base. He battles Mileenauntil Havik's death breaks the Blood Code.
Game: Reptile is one of the first to betray Mileena and join Kotal Kahn's rebellion having gained respect for Kotal during their time in Kahn's army. He supports Kotal through the end of the MKX story. Though he is defeated by Jacqui in the Dead Woods, he is not killed. He is last seen fighting alongside Kotal Kahn as the Lin Kuei enter the fray.
Sareena
Sareena enters battle with revenant Kitana in the Netherrealm.
Game: Sareena aids Kenshi and Jax in their plan to find and capture Quan Chi, who has been in hiding for many years. In a fight with revenant Kitana, Sareena tries to convince her that she can be freed of Quan Chi. Sareena says she can help her the same way Bi-Han (original Sub-Zero) helped Sareena, which is a reference to Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. This confirms that at least some of the MK Mythologies storyline still fits into the new timeline.
Scorpion
Scorpion battles himself within his own mind.
Hanzo Hasashi is ninja of the Shirai Ryu clan. He was killed bySub-Zero (Bi-Han) when the Lin Kuei raided the Shirai Ryu base. The last thing Hanzo saw were his wife and son frozen in ice. In the Netherrealm, he became Scorpion, a wraith bent on vengeance and guided by Quan Chi.
Comics: After his soul and humanity were restored by Raidenat the end of the Netherrealm War, Hanzo was aided byKenshi who taught him how to control the hellfire that still burned inside him. Hanzo rebuilt his clan with the mission of protecting Earthrealm. Kenshi came to him again seeking refuge for his son as Kenshi was being hunted by the Red Dragon clan. Hanzo killed Hsu Hao in the process. Hanzo raised Kenshi's son, Takeda, and trained him to become a Shirai Ryu ninja. Later, Raiden entrusts Hanzo with one of the six Kamidogu daggers. After an apprentice becomes possessed by the dagger and nearly kills Hanzo and Takeda, Hanzo takes Takeda on a journey to the Sky Temple to find Raiden. The thunder god finds them though as he too has been possessed by one of the daggers. Raiden nearly kills Takeda, and Scorpion nearly kills Raiden before he comes to his senses. Hanzo takes Takeda into the Jinsei Chamber to heal him. Raiden convinces Hanzo to find Kuai Liang (younger Sub-Zero) who never returned after being sent to retrieve a dagger from the Red Dragon base. They find a possessed Sub-Zero in Kahishari, Japan where the entire city has been frozen. Enraged, Hanzo becomes Scorpion again and defeats the younger Sub-Zero when he plants two swords into his stomach and leaves him to die there (he doesn't). The two then go to Henan, China to retrieve the Chaosrealm Kamidogu dagger from Shujinko at the Kang Shaolin Temple. Havik is waiting for them there and has already possessed Shujinko. Havik seemingly kills Hanzo as he refuses to succumb to the hellfire of Scorpion again. Havik leaves as Hanzo dies in Takeda's arms. He is not truly dead, though, as we see Hanzo struggling with his own subconscious, which leads to a mirror match in his own mind between himself and Scorpion. Hanzo is able to defeat Scorpion by devoting himself to justice rather than vengeance, then returns just in time to save Takeda from being killed by Havik, who is wielding Shinnok's Amulet. Hanzo decapitates Havik and immediately teleports away to Netherrealm with his head. There, he meets Drahmin and Moloch at the gates and tosses Havik's head to them to torture. He is able to escape their attempts to capture him and returns to Shirai Ryu base to help Takeda rebuild the clan.
Game: By the end of MK9, Scorpion (who has always been a wraith of Hanzo Hasashi) was still serving Quan Chi. A few years later,Cage and Sonya lead a team into the Netherrealm to investigate Quan Chi's fortress. There, they are attacked by the sorcerer along with Scorpion and revenants of Jax and Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang). Sonya defeats Quan Chi, thus breaking his hold on the other three. For the first time in the series, Scorpion is restored to his former self, Hanzo. He devotes himself to restoring the Shirai Ryu clan. Many years later, even Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) makes peace with Hanzo and reveals to him, through recorded memories from Sektor's cyberized brain, that it was Quan Chi who was ultimately responsible for the deaths of Scorpion's family and clan. This leads to Hanzo raiding the Special Forces base where Quan Chi is being held, and decapitating him against the will of the other Earthrealm heroes. With Quan Chi dead, the other revenants such as Liu Kang, Kitana, Smoke, Stryker, Kung Lao, and Kabal are forever trapped that way. The moment before Quan Chi lost his head, he was able to release Shinnok from the amulet once more. It is unclear where Scorpion goes from here, but he is not present at the end of the story.
Sheeva
Queen Sheeva and Kintaro plot their assault on Havik's base.
Comics: After the battle at Z'unkahrah, King Gorbak (Goro's father) is dead by the hands of Kotal Kahn. Kintaro and the Shokan army pledge to aid Kotal Kahn in the killing their mutual enemies; both Mileena and Reiko. The death of Gorbak leads to the rise of Queen Sheeva, who is aboard the ship carrying the Shokan to Shang Tsung's island, but they do not enter the battle immediately. Kintaro sends scouts without permission, who are slaughtered by Havik. Havik then uses Shinnok's Amulet to blast Sheeva's warship from the shore of the island. Sheeva and Kintaro survive the blast somehow and swim to shore where they run into D'Vorah just as she's been resurrected by bugs. D'Vorah tells them Kotal Kahn had a back up plan and they must help her carry it out. They battle the possessed heroes until Hanzo kills Havik, thus breaking the Blood Code, but Kintaro died in the battle when Sonyatears his head off with her bare hands. Sheeva does not blame Sonya for the death, as she was possessed at the time.
Game: Sheeva does not appear in MKX.
Shujinko
Scorpion arrives at the Kang Temple to see Shujinko.
Shujinko is a Shaolin master who resides at the Kang Temple in Henan, China. In the previous timeline, he was the protagonist in Deception.
Comics: Although Shujinko was very important in the previous timeline, he has not yet played an important role in the new timeline's games. He does appear in the prequel comics, where he is the master at the Shaolin's Kang Temple.Scorpion visits the temple in search of one of the Kamidogu pieces, but Shujinko refuses to give it to him. Shujinko is convinced that Raiden cannot be trusted, and has instead sided with Havik. It is revealed that Havik had previously corrupted him as well as Raiden in his quest to collect the pieces for himself.
Game: Shujinko does not appear in MKX other than inCassie's arcade ending, which involves Raiden sending her on a mission to investigate a rumor of Shang Tsung returning. Cassie kills the old man, but later learns it was Shujinko. Obviously, this may not actually be canon.
Skarlet
Skarlet & Reiko have big plans together.
Skarlet is a genetic experiment created by Shao Kahn. Instead of souls like Ermac, Skarlet is an amalgamation of blood from the hundreds of kombatants who've died in the tournaments. She is the embodiment of blood magik.
Comics: When Cassie & Jacqui are taken to Shang Tsung's island as Havik's captives, Skarlet fights Jacqui. With a Kamidogu dagger, Skarlet successfully corrupts both Jacqui and Cassie to fight alongside herself and Reiko when Johnny, Sonya, and Kotal Kahn arrive on the island. Skarlet and Reiko together plan to use the completed Kamidogu to transform Reiko into a blood god powerful enough to conquer all the realms. During the battle with Kotal, Cage, and Sonya, Mileenaarrives to the island with a ship full of tarkatan warriors and Ermac. Ermac grabs Skarlet telekinetically, which gives Mileena the opportunity to perform her rolling ball Brutality, thus severing Skarlet's legs. She is able to regenerate them rather easily, though. It is unclear if it is even possible for her to die.
Game: Skarlet does not appear in MKX.
Sonya Blade
Sonya and her crew arrive in Outworld in search of Cassie.
Sonya Blade is one of the founders of the Special Forces unit that protects Earthrealm from other worldly threats. She is also the mother of Cassie Cage.
Comics: The comics take place long after Sonya and Johnnyhave split up. But, after Cassie and Jacqui get kidnapped by the Black Dragon (and then the Red Dragon), they work together to the girls back. Before heading to Shang Tsung's island to find them, Sonya and Johnny help Kotal Kahn in the defense of Z'unkahrah City when the Shokan attack. Unfortunately, Sonya's entire squad is killed in the process. When they arrive on the island, they are attacked by Cassie and Jacqui, who are possessed by the Blood Code thanks toHavik and Reiko. The heroes are defeated and their blood is used in a sacrifice leading to Reiko briefly becoming a god. Then, Sonya, along with Johnny, Kotal, and Mileena, are stabbed by Kamidogu daggers, which of course led to them all being possessed as well. She helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik for killing Scorpion. Sonya kills Kintaro by ripping his head off just moments before Hanzo kills Havik, thus breaking the power he held over the heroes. She apologizes deeply to Sheeva, who simply responds by saying Kintaro died a warrior's death. With Raiden as mediator, Kotal and Sonya agree to "The Reiko Accord" that binds them discuss conflicts between Earthrealm and Outworld before attacking each other. Sonya then accepts Raiden's offer to protect the amulet in Earthrealm.
Game: Sonya and Johnny were the only two survivors of Earthrealm's warriors by the end of MK9. A few years later, she was instrumental in successfully defending the Jinsei Chamber, which led to the capture of Shinnok and the end of the Netherrealm War. Later, Sonya also defeated Quan Chi in the Netherrealm, which saved the souls of Scorpion, Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang), and her best friend, Jax. She and Johnny Cage then have a daughter, Cassie, but the two split up as Sonya's devotion to Special Forces seemingly put a strain on the family. Twenty years later, General Sonya Blade is still the first line of defense for Earthrealm. Hers and Raiden's plan to save the other revenants by using Quan Chi is ruined when Scorpion enters the camp and decapitates the sorcerer. She is then defeated, along with the rest of SF, when Shinnok is released and the revenants show up. We last see Sonya after Cassie defeats Shinnok, and it appears the Cage family is back together again.
Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero confronts Sektor in the hidden Lin Kuei cybernetic cloning facility.
Kuai Liang, the second Sub-Zero (formerly known as Tundra), is a cryomancer and member of the Lin Kuei clan of ninja. In MK9, he was forcefully entered into the Lin Kuei's cyber intitiative and became a cyborg. He was killed by Sindel in the Cathedral near the end of the story.
Comics: In a flashback, the comics reveal that Quan Chifound Sub-Zero's cyborg corpse in the Cathedral when he sensed his soul was still strong. The sorcerer viciously removes all the cybernetics from Kuai's body, then uses his dark magic to reform his human body as a revenant. After being saved and his soul restored (seen in the game), Raidensends Sub-Zero on a mission to reclaim a Kamidogu dagger from the Red Dragon clan. Kano, who was doing the same, attacks him with the dagger, which leads to the iconic eye scar of Sub-Zero. Being cut by a Kamidogu, Sub-Zero becomes possessed by the Blood Code until he is nearly killed by Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion). Left for dead, Sub-Zero is helped by Bo' Rai Cho who presumably takes him back to the Sky Temple for healing. After the events at Shang Tsung's island, Bo' Rai Cho brings Kuai Liang an envelope, which had just been delivered by Kung Jin. Inside is a USB stick, which he takes to the Lin Kuei's cybernetic cloning facility and plants a virus in their system. Cyrax ends up joining his cause and together they defeat Sektor. Cyrax then initiates a self-destruct sequence to destroy the entire facility in order to give the Lin Kuei clan a chance to start anew with Sub-Zero as the grandmaster.
Game: Sub-Zero served as a revenant under Quan Chi for several years until Sonya defeated Quan Chi to end the Netherrealm War, which broke the sorcerer's hold on him. Sub-Zero, with a second chance at life, devoted himself to restoring honor to the Lin Kuei. After eradicating the cybernetic ninjas (in the comics), he claimed the role of Grandmaster himself. Through the years, he maintained a friendship with Johnny Cage and remained a devoted defender of Earthrealm. He even made peace with Scorpion after Sub-Zero discovered it was Quan Chi who was ultimately responsible for the death of Scorpion's family and clan. Near the end of MKX, Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei save Cassie's team from certain death from Kotal Kahn's Outworld forces. He buys them time to get to the Sky Temple and stop Shinnok.
Comics: As a young boy, his mother was killed by the Red Dragon clan when they attempted to kill Kenshi. Knowing that his son would seek revenge, Kenshi took his son to Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion) to be trained as a Shirai Ryu ninja. Kenshi told Scorpion to tell Takeda that his mother died in an accident so that Takeda would not leave unprepared. Takeda aids Hanzo on his quest to help Raiden protect the Kamidogu, but Raiden becomes corrupted by Havik. Takeda seeks the help of Fujin, who gifts him with his bladed whip weapons. Takeda makes it to Shang Tsung's island just as Havik is attempting to absorb the souls of Ermac into Shinnok's Amulet. Takeda severs Havik's hand with his whips, then is able to defeat the possessed Cassie and Jacqui, but is unable to get to Havik when Mileena, Kotal, and Raiden attack him. Havik gives him a choice of joining chaos or joining Scorpion in death. Takeda chooses to fight and his met with the power of the amulet wielded by Havik. At the last minute, Hanzo returns, decapitates Havik, and teleports away with his head. With the Blood Code broken, the heroes return to normal and Takeda returns the amulet to Raiden for safe keeping.
Game: Years later, Kenshi and Scorpion reveal their secrets to Takeda, who expectedly doesn't take it very well at first. But, soon, he understands and even learns that he has his father's ability to read minds. Takeda is selected for Johnny's special task force withCassie, Jacqui, and Kung Jin. Through the main story, Takeda forms a romantic relationship with Jacqui. At the story's climax, he and Jacqui are injured by Kitana, but are still able fend off Quan Chi's other revenants to buy Cassie enough time to defeat Shinnok.
Tanya
Tanya as she appears in MKX.
Tanya is an Edenian who is known for being deceitful and out for herself while feigning concern for rebuilding Edenia.
Comics: Tanya does not appear in the comics.
Game: Tanya sides with Mileena in her claim as emperor ofOutworld. She does so because Kotal Kahn refused to help free Edenia after Shao Kahn fell. It is later revealed that she is actually in support of Rain, who has secretly been plotting against Mileena and Kotal simultaneously in an attempt to claim the throne himself. Together, as Edenians, they plan to rule Outworld. D'Vorah defeats both of them on her way to retrieving the amulet for Kotal Kahn in the Kuatan Jungle. Mileena is executed while Rain and Tanya disappear into the jungle. In her MKX ending, Tanya and Rain are hunted by Kotal Kahn. Tanya eventually gave up running. In return for handing over Rain to Kotal, Tanya was allowed to live...in prison. Rain was executed. This might not be canon of course.
Torr
Torr is Kotal's muscle...as if he needed more.
Torr is a hulking beast from Outworld who carries Ferra as a rider. They fight as a tandem.
Comics: Torr doesn't play an important role in the comic, but he and Ferra are seen several times as part of Kotal Kahn's crew.
Game: Together, Torr and Ferra support Kotal Kahn's claim as emperor. They are last seen near the end of the game when Kotal invades Earthrealm in search of Shinnok's amulet.Jacqui defeats them, but neither are killed. When Sub-Zeroand the Lin Kuei arrive, Sub-Zero tells Cassie he will push Kotal back to Outworld while Cassie's squad heads to the Sky Temple to fight Shinnok. So, it would appear Torr lives past that. In Ferra/Torr's arcade ending, Torr dies during the years of Ferra's transformation into a beast. So, it appears that while Torr is technically alive at the end of the game's story, we may never see him again.
Tremor
Tremor prepares to unleash a quake on the Shokan army.
Tremor, the brown-clad ninja, is a member of Kano's Black Dragon clan and wields the elemental power of earth including quakes, magma, and powerful gems.
Comics: Tremor (along with Kano and the Black Dragons) aidsKotal Kahn in the defense of Z'unkahrah City against the invading Shokan. He summons a massive earthquake that stuns the approaching Shokan army before Kano drops a nuclear bomb on them.
Game: Tremor is a DLC character in MKX, which is his first appearance in a main line MK game (he was briefly playable in the Challenge Tower on the Vita version of MK9). Recently, he was sent on a mission into a dream realm by Kano, which has left Tremor and Kano on bad terms. In his MKX ending, he becomes so powerful that he evolves into a true earth elemental on par with Raiden's thunder power and Fujin's wind power. This ending is likely not canon though.
It's been six months since the release of Mortal Kombat X. I've played quite a lot of it, and I've also read all thirty-six issues of the comic book series they released before and after the release of the game. Way back when MKX was announced, I made a list of characters ranked by their likelihood of returning. People seemed to like that, and now that the story of MKX is complete, I decided to put together a report indexing the 70+ characters in the franchise to determine who's still alive, who's dead, and who's...somewhere in between? Death is a fickle concept in the MK universe as we all know.
It should go without saying, but SPOILERS ahead.
The girl who saved the world.
The story mode in Mortal Kombat X takes place over the course of the twenty-five years after MK9, but it's generally only two specific time periods. The beginning of the story takes place during the Netherrealm War, which happens shortly after the events of the previous game. After Johnny Cage defeats Shinnok, Raiden locks Shinnok within his own magical amulet and all seems relatively well and good throughout the realms. The story in the game then jumps twenty-some-odd years into the future where some of our favorite heroes now have kids that are becoming adults. The story then focuses on the battle for the throne of Outworld, Quan Chi's quest to release Shinnok once more, and the rise of Cassie Cage as Earthrealm's champion.
The Elder Gods entrust the Kamidogu daggers to Raiden.
The comics do a great job of filling in the gaps and explain why everyone is in the predicament they're in for the second part of the game's story while telling a new story. To be somewhat brief, in order to permanently bind Shinnok within the amulet in a dark dimension, the Elder Gods summon the six pieces of the Kamidogu, which fans will remember from the previous timeline. In this timeline, the pieces are daggers, which have the power to invoke blood magik. Raiden keeps the Orderrealm for himself and entrusts the daggers to heroes of various realms (Earthrealm to Jax, Outworld to Kotal Kahn, Chaosrealm to Shujinko, Netherrealm to Hanzo Hasashi, and the Edenian one was stolen by the Red Dragon). Unbeknown to them all, the blood magik powers had been corrupted by Havik in order to control or possess those cut by one of the daggers via what would be known as "The Blood Code." (I know, right?) The majority of the comics' story revolves around this treachery while introducing characters that "debut" in the MKX game and also including many characters that have yet to show up in the new timeline's games. I'll go into more detail on a per character basis.
The first entry of this series is going to focus on the first half of the characters who have survived the events of MKX saga (including both the game and comics). So, let's get started...
Bo' Rai Cho
Bo' Rai Cho is a little less goofy than in the previous timeline.
Bo' Rai Cho is an Outworlder who now trains Earthrealm warriors in preparation for Mortal Kombat tournaments. He is good friends with both Raiden, Fujin, Sub-Zero, as well as the Shaolin monks.
Comics: Bo' briefly appears by rescuing Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) after Scorpion nearly kills him. Sub-Zero had been possessed by the Kamidogu at the time. He later appears receiving a delivery from Kung Jin. He offers Jin a spot at the Shaolin academy but is refused. Bo' accompanies Sub-Zero to the secret Lin Kuei cybernetic cloneing facility but waits outside until Sub-Zero returns.
Game: Near the end of MKX, Bo' Rai Cho arrives at the Sky Temple looking for Raiden. He fears Shinnok may have returned once again (he's right). While Raiden meditates in the Jinsei Chamber, Shinnok and his revenants attack the temple. Shinnok zaps Bo' Rai Cho with his amulet and says "when he dies," he will serve Shinnok. Raiden comments that Bo' Rai Cho is too resilient for that. So, it would at least appear the drunken master isn't dead yet.
Cassie Cage
Confirmed. The SNES version of Mortal Kombat II is better than the Genesis version.
Comics: Young Cassie and her best friend, Jacqui Briggs, go to a fight club where Cassie faces Frost. The match is interrupted when Jarek and Tasia of Black Dragon clan kidnap both Cassie and Jacqui, then escape through a portal. The Black Dragons are soon confronted by Mavado and the Red Dragon clan, which gives the girls a chance to escape. In the process, Cassie kills Mavado. They're later captured by the Red Dragon and both are corrupted by the Kamidogu thanks to Skarlet. Cassie, along with the other possessed heroes, attack Sonya and Johnny when they arrive at Shang Tsung's island to save her. When Hanzo defeats Havik, the possession is broken and the heroes return to normal. Cassie and Sonya make amends, which leads to Cassie enlisting in Special Forces.
Game: During the events of MKX, Cassie is the leader of Johnny's special task force, which also includes Jacqui Briggs, Kung Jin, and Takahashi Takeda. Through the course of the story, she becomes a formidable leader, earns the respect of her mother, and discovers her magical ability inherited from her father. At the Sky Temple, she defeats both Sindel and Kitana on her way to the Jinsei Chamber where she defeats D'Vorah and Shinnok, thus saving both Johnny and Raiden. She and Kung Jin carry Raiden into the Jinsei, which saves Earthrealm from Shinnok's corruption.
D'Vorah
D'Vorah faces off with Reiko, and...loses...badly.
D'Vorah is a Kytinn, which is a race of humanoid insects from a forgotten realm known as Amyek. This realm was conquered by Shao Kahn long ago and merged with Outworld.
Comics: D'Vorah is a devout follower of Kotal Kahn and supporter of his claim to the throne of Outworld. Near the end, she is killed by Reiko on the beaches of Shang Tsung's island when he literally rips her in half vertically. After the battle is over, we see many bugs reconstructing D'Vorah's body in the sand. She rises again just as Sheeva and Kintaro swim onto shore (after their ship was destroyed by Havik's forces) and tells them to follow her to Kotal Kahn's back up supplies. She leads a group including Sheeva, Kintaro, Erron Black, FerraTorr, and Reptile into Havik's base where they are met by the heroes possessed by the Blood Code. Kotal Kahn nearly kills her but, when Havik dies to Hanzo, the Blood Code breaks and D'Vorah lives. She later appears in the Netherrealm along with Quan Chi and his revenants as they plan how to reclaim the amulet and release Shinnok, thus revealing her true intentions.
Game: As a newcomer in MKX, D'Vorah made big impact on the MK universe. She is the first to support Kotal Kahn's usurping of Mileena's rule, and, when Mileena confronts Kotal, D'Vorah single-handedly kills Baraka. Five years later, she and Cassie infiltrate Mileena's camp in the Kuatan Jungle and D'Vorah kills Mileena as well. Once she and Cassie obtain the amulet from Mileena, Kotal refuses to let Cassie take it back to Earthrealm. D'Vorah then steals it without Kotal's knowledge and, later, is able to get it to Quan Chi seconds before Scorpion kills him, which is enough time for Quan Chi to release Shinnok one last time. D'Vorah escapes and is the last line of defense for Shinnok in the Jinsei Chamber at the story's climax. Cassie defeats D'Vorah, but she does not die. When Sonya's team comes in at the end of the battle, she commands the troops to isolate D'Vorah, so she must still be alive.
Daegon
Goro meeting with Daegon might be the last thing in the timeline before the next game.
Daegon, and his brother Taven, are sons of an Edenian god named Argus. In the previous timeline, Argus had visions of Armageddon, so he encased his sons in a cave. The plan was they would awaken prior to the events of Armageddon to defeat Blaze. Daegon awoke early and went crazy.
Comics: Daegon is referenced several times as the leader of the Red Dragon clan and the murderer of Kenshi's wife. He appears at the very end of the story, which may actually be post-game, when an armless Goro arrives at the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krimson Forest. Goro wants to learn about Onaga's regenerative powers in order to get his arms back. Daegon is reluctant to help him until Goro reveals that he has Kenshi held captive and delivers him to Daegon.
Game: In MKX, Daegon does not appear except for in Kenshi and Takeda's arcade endings. Kenshi and Takeda (along with Taven) hunt down and kill Daegon in their arcade endings, but since that might not be canon (yet), let's say Daegon is alive.
Ermac
Ermac and Mileena teaming up against Skarlet on Shang Tsung's Island.
Ermac is an amalgamation of souls created by Shao Kahn.
Comics: After the death of Shao Kahn, Ermac devoted themselves to Mileena as she was the decreed successor to his creator. When Mileena sails to Shang Tsung's island to confront Reiko at the end of the story, Ermac is still by her side. They are both captured by Reiko and Havik along with Sonya, Johnny, and Kotal Kahn. Havik is unable to possess Ermac like the others, so he attempts to absorb the souls of Ermac into Shinnok's Amulet, but is stopped by Takeda. After Havik is defeated by Hanzo, the possession is broken and Mileena immediately implores them to follow her back to Outworld to claim the vacant throne before Kotal has a chance to regroup. Ermac declines and pledges themself to Kotal, who they feel is a true leader.
Game: After some early scenes, which take place before the comics, Ermac stays with Kotal Kahn through the rest of the story. They are last seen when Kotal's forces use a portal into the Dead Woods in search of Shinnok's amulet. Jacqui Briggs defeats Ermac (revenge for her father who lost his arms to Ermac in MK9), but does not kill them. Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei hold off Kotal's forces while Cassie's team heads for the Sky Temple.
Erron Black
He's older than he looks.
Erron Black is a human from Earthrealm who prefers to apply his trade in Outworld. He doesn't just look like he's from the Old West, he is from the Old West. About 150 years ago, he was hired as an assassin by Shang Tsung, who considerably slowed Black's aging as a reward.
Comics: Erron supports Kotal Kahn's claim to the throne of Outworld. He accompanies Kotal and D'Vorah when they use a portal into Special Forces HQ uninvited to ask for help. Erron serves as Kotal's liaison with Kano, who is Kotal's arms dealer. Kotal loses faith in Erron when the Black Dragon kidnap Cassie and Jacqui under his watch, which Kotal believes will cause unwanted strife between Outworld and Earthrealm. He is given a chance for redemption when D'Vorah leads a group of Outworlders including Sheeva, Kintaro, Reptile, and Ferra Torr into Havik's base at the end of the story. Erron is tasked with taking out Raiden, who is possessed by the Blood Code. Raiden nearly kills him, but is stopped when Havik dies, thus breaking the Blood Code.
Game: Erron Black remains loyal to Kotal throughout the story as one of his deadliest enforcers. He nearly executes Rain, but is stopped by Mileena at the last second. He is last seen in the battle in the Dead Woods near the end of the game. When it seems clear that Kotal's team has bested Cassie's, Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei make the save and hold off the Outworlders while Cassie's team heads to the Sky Temple to face Shinnok.
Ferra
She's only gonna get bigger. A lot bigger.
Ferra is a small, female warrior who wields large claws and rides atop the hulking brute known as Torr. They are actually the same species, but more on that in a moment.
Comics: Ferra doesn't play an important role in the comic, but she and Torr are seen several times as part of Kotal Kahn's crew.
Game: Ferra and Torr support Kotal Kahn's claim as emperor of Outworld. They both follow him to the end when Kotal enters the Dark Woods in search of Shinnok's amulet. Jacqui defeats Ferra and Torr, but does not kill either. In her ending, it is explained that there comes a time in each of her species' lives when they go into exile and undergo a transformation that takes three Outworld years. Afterwards, a rider is chosen and the cycle continues. It would appear that Ferra may return in the future, as a hulking beast with a rider of her own.
Frost
A teenage Cassie Cage finds herself in a cage fight against Frost.
Frost is a member of the Lin Kuei clan who wields ice powers similar to that of Sub-Zero. In the previous timeline, she turned on Sub-Zero and stole the powerful dragon medallion.
Comics: Frost appears briefly in the comics as an MMA fighter in an underground fight club that Cassie and Jacqui find themselves in. Cassie defeats her in what is supposed to be a deathmatch, but Cassie hesitates to finish her, which is when Jarek and Tasia show up through a portal and eventually capture Cassie and Jacqui. She then appears at the very end of the story arriving at the Lin Kuei temple with a legion of other warriors who are hoping to join the clan. She tells Sub-Zero that Raiden told them there was a tournament being held to find new members, which Sub-Zero had no knowledge of before their arrival.
Game: Frost appears briefly when she interupts Sub-Zero's attempt to make amends with Scorpion. Frost's attempt at assassinating Scorpion is stopped when Sub-Zero freezes her in a block of ice. This scene takes place five years prior to the most recent events in the story, so when Sub-Zero tells Scorpion "Frost is strong, but lacks judgment. I will deal with her.", it is unclear what he intends to do with her.
Fujin
Fujin helping Takeda on his quest while protecting Earthrealm in Raiden's absence.
Fujin is the god of wind and one of the protectors of Earthrealm along with Raiden.
Comics: Raiden was obsessed with re-collecting and protecting the pieces of the Kamidogu. Unwittingly, he made it easier for Havik to collect them, and, in the process, Raiden became corrupted by the Cleric of Chaos and served Havik along with a corrupted Cassie and Jacqui. That left Fujin to protect the Jinsei at the Sky Temple and Earthrealm as a whole for a period of time. Fujin gave Takeda his famous bladed whip weapons to aid him on his quest to stop Havik.
Game: Fujin, although not playable, appears in the early events of the game's story as he helps Raiden and the Earthrealm warriors protect the Sky Temple and the Jensei Chamber from Shinnok and Quan Chi's revenants. Thanks to Johnny Cage, they defeat Shinnok and lock him back int he amulet...for a while.
Goro
Goro's in a bad way, but he's still alive and kickin'. Sorry.
Goro is the prince of the Shokan race, which are four-armed half-human half-dragon warriors from the underground kingdom of Kuatan in Outworld.
Comics: In a battle with Kotal Kahn, Goro loses all four of his arms to Kotal's sword. Kotal leaves him alive in an attempt to shame him. Instead, it led to Goro's father, King Gorbak, leading an all-out war on Kotal Kahn. When the Shokan retaliate, Kotal Kahn kills King Gorbak in battle. The Shokan council decides a handicapped Goro is unfit to lead and chooses Sheeva as the new ruler. Goro exiles himself and promises to return with a vengeance for those who wronged him. At the very end of the story, which may actually take place after the game's story, Goro arrives at the gates of the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krimson Forest. He seeks to learn about the Dragon King, Onaga, and gains the favor of Daegon by bringing him Kenshi. It is unclear how Goro captured Kenshi.
Game: Goro does not actually appear in the story of MKX. As you can see from the comics, there is a reason he is relegated to being a DLC character in the game.
Jacqui Briggs
Jacqui battles Skarlet at Havik's base.
Jacqueline Briggs is the daughter of Jackson "Jax" Briggs. As a teenager, she trained and competed in Junior Olympic kickboxing. Her best friend is Cassie Cage.
Comics: Jax never wanted Jacqui to get involved, but of course she does. Together with Cassie, they are attacked by Jarek and Tasia of the Black Dragon clan and eventually captured after running through a portal to Outworld. The Red Dragon clan ends up taken them to Shang Tsung's island where Skarlet, who is allied with Havik, uses the Kamidogu daggers to corrupt/possess Jacqui and Cassie forcing them to fight Johnny and Sonya when they arrive to the island in their quest to save the girls. After they too are corrupted, Jacqui helps Sonya kill Kintaro just moments before Hanzo kills Havik, thus breaking the Blood Code and returning the heroes to their normal selves. When Jacqui returns home, Jax concedes that he can no longer protect his little girl, and decides he must help train her to protect herself.
Game: Jacqui joins Johnny Cage's special task force with Cassie Cage, Kung Jin, and Takeda. Despite her father's wishes, she had gone to Sonya and volunteered to enlist in Special Forces. Near the end of the game, Jacqui gets some revenge on Ermac for what he did to Jax in MK9. Over the course of the story, Jacqui and Takeda form a romantic relationship. At the end of the story, when the team makes it to the Sky Temple to stop Shinnok, both she and Takeda are injured by Kitana, but together they are able to fend off the revenants of Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Smoke, Kitana, and Sindel long enough for Cassie to defeat Shinnok.
Jax
Jax fails to protect one of the Kamidogu daggers.
Jackson "Jax" Briggs is a cybernetically enhanced former Major in Special Forces. At the end of MK9, he was killed by Sindel and his soul was taken by Quan Chi.
Comics: The comics take place after Sonya, Johnny, and Raiden raid Quan Chi's fortress and free Jax's soul from the sorceror's control. Jax subsequently retires from the Special Forces to live on a farm as a family man. Despite being retired, Raiden entrusts Jax with Earthrealm's Kamidogu. Reiko shows up at Jax's farm demanding the dagger from Jax, but Jax refuses. Reiko demolishes Jax's home and threatens to kill his wife, Vera, and daughter, Jacqui, which leads to Jax handing it over.
Game: A few years after the events of MK9, Special Forces enter Quan Chi's fortress in Netherrealm. Sonya defeats the sorceror, which releases his hold on the souls of Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Jax. Raiden cleanses their souls, which returns them to regular human form. Many years later, his daughter, Jacqueline, follows in his footsteps and joins SF against his will, which leads to Jax returning after some convincing from Sonya and Johnny. Jax and Kenshi lead a team into Netherrealm in search of Quan Chi. Jax is able to capture the sorceror and bring him back to the SF camp in Earthrealm. Depending which arcade endings you believe (if any), Jax may end up being killed by either Kano or Erron Black, but whether any of that is canon is yet to be determined.
Johnny Cage
Johnny shuts up for once.
Johnny Cage is a Hollywood actor who has inexplicably become one of Earthrealm's greatest heroes. He and Sonya Blade were the only two Earthrealm warriors to survive MK9.
Comics: Sometime after the Netherrealm War, Johnny and Sonya have parted ways. Their daughter, Cassie, a teenager now, is caught in the middle. When Cassie and Jacqui are kidnapped by the Red Dragons, Johnny and Sonya reconcile at least temporarily in order to save their daughter. Johnny, along with Sonya's SF crew, help Kotal Kahn defend his city against the Shokan army, then make their way to Shang Tsung's island, where the girls are being held by Havik and Reiko. To their dismay, Cassie and Jacqui have been corrupted by the Kamidogu thanks to Skarlet. Johnny, Sonya, and Kotal are captured and their blood is sacrificed by Havik to turn Reiko into a blood god. The Kamidogu daggers are then used to possess Johnny and the others. He helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik. When Hanzo kills Havik, Johnny and the other heroes return to normal.
Game: A few years after MK9, Cage helps lead the defense against Shinnok's assault on the Jinsei Chamber at the Sky Temple, defeats Shinnok, and saves Sonya in the process thanks to his green aura super powers. Not long after, Cassie is born, Sonya devotes her life to Special Forces, Sonya and Johnny split up, Cassie grows up, and eventually joins SF. Johnny puts together a special task force including Cassie, Jacqui Briggs, Kung Jin, and Takahashi Takeda. Despite getting a cold shoulder from Sonya for most of the story, Johnny plays an integral role in helping Special Forces and Earthrealm as a whole. When Shinnok is released from the amulet by Quan Chi, they kidnap Johnny, likely because Shinnok knows now that Johnny has magical powers that are a threat to Shinnok's plans. D'Vorah encases him in some kind of cocoon in the Jinsei Chamber to torture him, but he survives long enough for Cassie to arrive and defeat Shinnok. At the end, the Cage family is reunited and all seems well.
Kano
Kano simultaneously gives Sub-Zero his famous eye scar and corrupts him with the Blood Code.
Kano is a cybernetically enhanced mercenary, arms dealer, and leader of the Black Dragon clan, which is an offshoot of the Red Dragon clan.
Comics: Kano is first seen infiltrating the Red Dragon's base in search of one of the Kamidogu daggers. He finds Sub-Zero there doing the same. In a fight, Kano uses his knife to give Sub-Zero his famous eye scar. In return, Sub-Zero freezes Kano's eye implant and rips it out of his skull. Later, after the Black Dragon have kidnapped Cassie and Jacqui, Erron Black comments that Kano is going to accidentally kill one of them with eye lasers, but Kano explains he's got a new one now with better upgrades. They are then attacked by Mavado and the Red Dragon. Outnumbered, Kano uses a portal stone to evac, leaving Erron, Cassie, and Jacqui behind. Later, Kano and the Black Dragon join up with Kotal Kahn in the defense of Z'unkahra in the war with the Shokan. Kano drops a nuke on the Shokan, eliminating more than half their army. He demands payment from Kotal afterwards, but is instead imprisoned for his role in kidnapping Cassie and Jacqui, which damaged Kotal's relations with Earthrealm.
Game: Kano, as always, is a double crossing, low life, son of a bitch. When MKX starts, he's been selling intel to Kotal Kahn about Mileena, but is actually setting up an ambush on the new emperor. After failing to assassinate Kotal, Kano gets stabbed through the back by Kotal's dagger after a brief battle. He survives and returns to Earthrealm disguised as a refugee, but is caught by Sonya. She almost kills him but is stopped by Johnny since Kano has info about Mileena and the amulet. We never see him again, so we can only assume he is still alive, either imprisoned by Special Forces or on the run again.
Kenshi
Kenshi leaving his son in the care of...Scorpion?
Kenshi Takahashi is an Earthrealm warrior with telekinetic powers who lost his sight when Shang Tsung tricked him into finding an enchanted katana known as Sento. The souls within the sword were released, blinding Kenshi and then were absorbed by the sorceror who left Kenshi to die in the dark. Kenshi survived and wandered the Earth on a mission to eradicate evil.
Comics: After Scorpion's soul was freed from Quan Chi by Sonya and cleansed by Raiden, Kenshi aided Scorpion in subduing his rage and returning to life as Hanzo Hasashi, the great Shirai Ryu warrior. Kenshi accepted a Special Forces mission to infiltrate the Red Dragon, but he was discovered and ran. The Red Dragon clan found Kenshi's wife, a Thai-American woman named Suchin, and his son, Takeda, which brought Kenshi out of hiding. Kenshi arrived in time to save his son, but not his wife. He fled with his son into Shirai Ryu territory, which led his pursuers into a trap. Scorpion arrived and killed Hsu Hao and the rest of the Red Dragon members with him. Kenshi left his son with Scorpion (Hanzo) to train him in the ways of the Shirai Ryu and hide him from the Red Dragon. Still hunted by the clan, Kenshi flees again but is successfully extracted from a battle by Sonya in Pakistan. At the very end of the story, which may be post-game, it is revealed that Goro (now armless) somehow captured Kenshi and has delivered him to Daegon at the Red Dragon stronghold in the Krismon Forest. Goro knows that Daegon worships the Dragon King, Onaga, who is said to have regenerative powers, which Goro thinks can help him regain his arms.
Game: Kenshi reunites with his son twenty years after leaving him with Scorpion. At first, Takeda is angry and feels abandoned by his father, but comes to realize why his father made this decision. Kenshi teaches his son how to use his telepathic abilities, then continues to aid Special Forces by leading a squad including Jax and Sareena to capture Quan Chi in Netherrealm. Scorpion is obsessed with killing Quan Chi and leads a raid on the SF camp. Kenshi tries to calm him down, but fails and Scorpion kills the sorceror. The last we see him is when Shinnok's revenants invade the Special Forces refugee camp. Kenshi is defeated along with the rest of SF, but is not dead.
Kotal Kahn
Kotal Kahn faces King Gorbak (Goro's father) at the Battle of Z'Unkahrah.
Kotal Kahn is a powerful, Osh-Tekk warrior from Outworld. Their realm was conquered long ago by Shao Kahn and merged into Outworld. Kotal's father, Kotal K'etz, surrendered to Shao Kahn and swore fealty to him. As a reward, Shao Kahn allowed him to keep his portal stone.
Comics: In a flashback to when he was young, Kotal Kahn is furious with his father's surrender to Shao Kahn. His father tells him if we wishes to lead, he must complete a "realmwalk." Kotal ends up finding the Amazon in Earthrealm and becomes worshipped as a god by the Mayans there after he slaughters a band of Spanish conquistadors. His father was not impressed. The Mayans, having adopted many barbaric Osh-Tekk practices, had become doomed by disease from the foreigners they killed. Upon returning, Kotal has no choice but to serve Shao Kahn in his army in Outworld. After Shao Kahn's death, Kotal Kahn leads a rebellion against Mileena's claim to the throne, which is seen in the game. In the early stages of this rebellion, Kotal Kahn is at war with the Shokan and he mutilates Goro, kills King Gorbak, then convinces Kintaro to join him in hunting down their real enemy; Mileena. Kotal, along with D'Vorah, Johnny, and Sonya, sail to Shang Tsung's island to confront Reiko and Havik. Mileena arrives with Ermac and an army of tarkatan warriors, so an all out battle ensues. Havik defeats them and, after using their blood to summon Shinnok's Amulet, possesses them with the Kamidogu blades. Kotal helps subdue Takeda when he arrives seeking vengeance on Havik, and also fights his own friends (D'Vorah & Ferra Torr) when they arrive at the base trying to save him. He nearly kills D'Vorah but Havik's death breaks the Blood Code. With Raiden as mediator, Kotal and Sonya agree to an "The Reiko Accord" that binds them to discuss conflicts between Earthrealm and Outworld before attacking each other. Kotal turns down an offer to protect the amulet because Outworld is still in a state of civil war with Mileena on the loose.
Game: In his rebellion, Kotal Kahn's notable followers include D'Vorah, Erron Black, Reptile, Ferra/Torr, and eventually Ermac. At first, it seems Kotal only wants what's best for his realm, but it soon becomes clear that he seeks more power. After allowing Cassie's team to help him find Mileena, he decides to keep Shinnok's amulet for himself rather than allow Cassie to bring it back to Earthrealm. D'Vorah ends up turning on him, which Kotal believes is to join Earthrealm, when she is actually siding with Shinnok. Kotal Kahn invades Earthrealm near the end of the game in search of the amulet and nearly eliminates Cassie's team before Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei make the save. Sub-Zero tells Cassie he will push them back to Outworld to give Cassie time to attack Shinnok, so Kotal is presumably still alive.
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