Speculation on MK 11
MKX has just been released and the game has ended with all previous villains being killed. Shang Tsung, Shao Khan, and Quan Chi are all dead. Shinnok is permanently incapacitated. Onaga and Blaze are nowhere to be seen (and were never great characters anyway). The epilogue hints at Dark Raiden becoming the new antagonist in the series as corrupted by Shinnok's essence he now appears to be a militaristic tyrant, (similar to Alternate Superman in Injustice League) more than willing to invade other realms to preemptively defend Earth. He gives a final warning in the Netherrealm to the wraith forms of Liu Kang and Kitana. For the next game I speculate that the Earthrealm forces led by General Blade and Cassie Cage will have become a resistance movement fighting a losing battle against Raiden. This of course does not account for what is happening in other realms, surely the politics of Outworld and other realms will come into play! What follows will be several vignettes written about possible epilogues from the next MK game.
Scenario 1:The "good" ending of Liu Kang and Kitana restored with Raiden defeated
The Elder Gods had warned wayward Raiden. Obey their rules and stop attacking other realms or suffer the fate of Shao Khan. He refused to listen and empowered by Shinnok's essence he challenged them and was on the verge of victory. The last Elder gods out of desperation pleaded with Liu Kang and Kitana for assistance. Willing to fight their old friend turned enemy they fought against Raiden and with their combined strength were able to destroy him. With Raiden defeated the Elder gods went on to destroy Liu Kang and Kitana's wraith forms. Free from the shackles they were both allowed to reincarnate as gods. Liu Kang was the new protector god of Earthrealm while Kitana was the new protector goddess of Edenia. Joined in the heavens as husband and wife Earthrealm and Edenia now enjoyed an alliance that would render both safe from invasion for ages to come.
Scenario 2: The "neutral" ending the Original Timeline forces itself in the Alternate Timeline
Raiden stood supreme against his fellow gods. He had learned his lesson well; the best way to protect something was through destruction. With his alliance with Seido (the Order Realm) he was about to impose order on all realms and keep Earth safe forever. Suddenly Raiden found himself having visions, of himself destroyed by Shao Khan's hammer atop a pyramid engulfed in flames. Suddenly a massive gate of flame erupted before him and out of it stepped Shao Khan with the power of Blaze. Defiantly he challenged Raiden to Mortal Kombat. The battle for all of the realms was about to begin.
Scenario 3" The "bad" ending where the villains win
(Same intro as 2) Raiden stood supreme against his fellow gods. He had learned his lesson well; the best way to protect something was through destruction. With his alliance with Seido (the Order Realm) he was about to impose order on all realms and keep Earth safe forever. Suddenly he felt it, the darkness, and the power of evil, of death. Raiden realized how much he had changed since Shinnok's defeat in the Jinsei chamber, he had absorbed Shinnok's essence and realized to his horror that had been Shinnok's intention all along. Shinnok had sent a duplicate of himself into battle that attacked the Jinsei chamber, and was trapped in the amulet all those years. During all of this time Shinnok had been patiently waiting in the Netherrealm, waiting to take over Raiden. He had to fight it! However the fallen Elder God's power proved to be more than a match for Raiden, Lord Shinnok possessed and transformed Raiden's body into his new one. All of the realms were now his to command while Raiden's soul was left as a wandering spirit on Earthrealm.
