Aztec Havik

Johnny: Opinions and Thoughs

These are my thoughts and opinions on Mortal Kombat that a bunch of people probably won't care about, but I thought I should post them here. Now I will be using past games as reference, even though every character's interpretation/counterpart is different, they still play part to the canon storyline.

[Warning: This post is very long. Slight mention of sexual oral practise.]

I think every single character in Mortal Kombat is prideful and egotistical, the best example would be Jade in my opinion. With that being said I think the way they treat Johnny is a bit unfair. A lot of these will fall in line with my Neurodivergent Johnny headcanons and theory post, I suggest checking that out for context. I know the intros aren't canon and are more what if scenarios, but they mean something.

I have a lot of things to say regarding his character, for starters he gets invited to a tournament and sees it as a chance to show people he isn't just some actor but is legit in his martial arts. Good for him, (I've seen posts that demonise this and say it's pretty selfish as if we shouldn't be allowed to be selfish when situations call for it. Bro didn't like that people were calling him a fake and wanted to prove that he wasn't, there's nothing wrong with that.). When he shows up at the tournament half of the contestants are wearing costumes, can't blame the guy for not thinking it was real at first. There's a lady dressed as a hot soldier (I understand that it gets retconned), a bunch of ninjas standing around, and his opponents are wearing alien makeup.

First of all Johnny doesn't know about the existence of other realms, second of all it's the 90s and he's a Hollywood actor meaning he's no stranger to makeup and practical effects not to mention stunts. He probably figured it was something comic con related (as I've said in another post) and while questioning it he went along with it. He had no reason to think that Reptile and Baraka were real creatures.

When Johnny is told to finish his opponent he responds with "Yeah, right.", and I gotta say, it took me years to find out there was a sexual innuendo to that. Dude straight up thought they were demanding him to perform 'you-know-what'. That was just an example of what's to come (I'll be using the word 'example' lot). (Hollywood must be a wild place even in fiction).

First I'll start with his interactions. He's not very good at bonding with people. In mk9 we see a lot of this. I get that Johnny has his problematic moments, but in comparison to the other characters he's an angel. I'm the sort of person to sweep them under the rug, but I have to address them.

Examples:

"And I'm taking you down. I'm taking you down. I'm taking you out. I'm taking you out. And I'm taking you out... for dinner." I genuinely interpreted this as Johnny being playful. To be fair, I first saw this interaction when I was a child (say 7-9) so the fact that I could see myself doing that probably had to do with my immaturity. But everytime I rewatch it I only have fondness and not annoyance because I found it adorable just how proud he was of himself. I also appreciate how open he is about how he feels towards Sonya, I stan an honest man. However, it seems a lot of viewers saw this as him being stupid or something along those lines. If this was any other character they would be told to go to horny jail, but Johnny is met with hostility from most of the fandom.

"Nice hat :)." Johnny to Raiden in mk9. "You should be more respectful of Lord Raiden!" Liu Kang says to Johnny right away. SonicXD commented on this in his mk9 sucks video, I don't need to say anything. Johnny wasn't interested in saving Earthrealm at first, he straight up told Raiden and Liu Kang that they should call the military if Shao Kahn was that much of a threat (he was speaking facts tho). Also, I think he was still questioning what he got himself into, so Raiden and Liu Kang approaching him probably made him think he was surrounded by insane people. And then he finds out that it's all real and that he's not allowed to leave.

There's also when Johnny saved Sonya from Kano. How that went down was that Johnny was trying to escort her. By the way, this is minutes after he realised that he was in a death match and not some comic con related fighting tournament, everyone was waiting for him to kill Baraka and it dawned on him just how serious they were. So Johnny got worried for Sonya's safety by that alone. But it's also understandable on Sonya's end: here comes this guy trying to chat her up (get into her pants) and not getting the hint that she's not interested, and then tries to convince her that he needs to be by her side.

Cyrax got annoyed just by hearing him talk, you can see it on his face. I saw it as friendly banter on Johnny's side but Cyrax didn't. "Not everyone gets to rumble with a celebrity. Ready for a beat down, Sunshine? Here it comes." I think Cyrax was gonna kill him by that alone if it wasn't for Raiden's disapproving dad stares. Every single Lin Kuei is super serious so I think Cyrax didn't take it as banter.

Next is Jax. Johnny Green, Jax Purple: "So what's the deal with you and Sonya anyway? She is smocking hot." "It's not like that. I'm her CO." "Honey like that under my command-" "You'll wanna stop talking now." "...So if it's not like that- Then you won't mind if I-" "That's it!" And then Jax proceeds to beat him up.

Now I understand that Johnny was talking too much, and was a tad bit slimy about his hornyness, but he didn't want to get between her and Jax if they were a thing. He just has no filter. Now following my Neurodivergent headcanons for him this may have an occasion where he wasn't reading the social cues. Jax says "You'll wanna stop talking now." but Johnny has no intentions to stop talking nor does he want to stop talking. Johnny doesn't answer immediately, perhaps confused about the reply and ultimately deciding to ignore it. I too choose the wrong times to start talking to people, and most of the time I don't realise it unless it's pointed out. Happens way often than I'd like to admit.

I know that a lot of the characters call Johnny a clown or see him as a joke (Spawn, Kotal, Shang Tsung) due to how he operates, but I don't see that as the case. There's one specific quote in mk9's story mode that he says to Raiden: "Sure, let's go and ruin someone else's life." This is why I think Johnny was very aware of what was going on. He's also very open about his ego, he doesn't hide it like everyone else, and yes they are hiding it.

Now don't get me wrong, he does randomly antagonise people, but he's in a tournament so he can do that. And it's not like he was getting personal for most of them. I think the only time he says something personal is when he feels like he's being personally attacked.

"We have something in common?" - Johnny

"I too was once young and foolish." - Nightwolf

"But I looked good doing it." - Johnny

What Nightwolf said sounded like a backhanded comment to me. Uncalled for. This is the same guy that intentionally risked the invasion of Earthrealm just to teach Scorpion a lesson or something. Johnny can tell that Nightwolf is like the others, very serious and tolerant, so he's surprised that Nightwolf can even manage to see himself in him.

Relationships: Even in the intros it's shown that he has a better chance at friendships with the villains than with the good guys. It's more like they (good guys) are tolerable of him, especially Jax. I think Sub Zero allowing Johnny to get away with calling him Grandmaster Blueberry Ice is out of respect rather than fondness. This section can extend to interactions, as I think a lot of people misinterpret him as a person, which extends to a lot of things he says such as statements and nicknames.

Johnny asks the other characters if he can make movies based on their stories, meaning he's (in a way) asking for permission. Johnny could've easily made a movie about their lives without asking them, make money, and get away with it because it's not like they would even watch his movies (they hate him), especially non-Earthrealm characters. But he's respectful. So I guess he understands boundaries to a certain degree.

-----

"Heard you gave Cage a shiner." - Young Jax

"He pushes every damn one of my buttons." - Old Jax

"You, me and everyone else." - Young Jax

-----

"Not surprised I have a kid, but you." - Jax

Why can't he have a kid, Jax? He's so condescending about it too.

-----

"Actions speak louder than words." - Liu Kang

"Yeah, that's why I make action movies." - Johnny

"With fake fighting." - Liu Kang

-----

"We come from different worlds, Johnny." - Liu Kang

"Aren't you from Earthrealm too?" - Johnny

"I mean I come from the real world." - Liu Kang

Liu Kang is such a bully.

-----

"The answer remains no." - Scorpion

"But you'll be co-starring with yours truly." - Johnny

"Exactly." - Scorpion

I think a true friend would consider it.

-----

"What kind of name is Kabal?" - Johnny

"Got a better suggestion, Cage?" - Kabal

"For now on you're Carlos." - Johnny

Never change, Johnny. Kabal clearly finds Johnny annoying, but was able to humour him enough to answer with a question of his own, perhaps encouraging Johnny's curiosity.

-----

"Looking forward to a kindler, gentler Outworld." - Johnny

"Why? Because I'm a woman?" - Kitana

"Well that, and you're banging Liu Kang." - Johnny

I have a lot of opinions about this one. On Johnny's part I interpreted this as him giving her a thumbs up on becoming the new Kahn, and since Kitana is supposed to be on the good side she is expected to rule fairly. You know, like a good person. But then Kitana made it about feminism, so Johnny delivered a line to counter it. I honestly think Kitana was reaching at something that wasn't there and Johnny picked up on it. I'm probably making excuses for him, but that's my take. Her response annoyed me so much.

-----

"So you were to defeat Shinnok." - Kitana

"What is with people? Is it so hard to believe?" - Johnny

"Yes." - Kitana

Kitana this is literally you:

-----

"If it's tail you want I can get that." - Kano

"Johnny Cage doesn't pay for it, Kano." - Johnny

"A scrubble? Note the date and time :D." - Kano

Kano is so pleased.

-----

"You stole my face for Ninja Priest!" - Kano

"Art imitates life, Kano." - Johnny

"Taking my cut outta of your hide." - Kano

A call back to what I stated in the relationships, Johnny didn't ask for Kano's permission for inspiration on a character.

-----

"Why a Russian fan club?" - Johnny

"Just going where the fans are." - Kano

"You have a showman's instincts there Kano. :D" - Johnny

-----

"I won't play your lackey, Cage." - Baraka

"Really? 'Cause I'm feeling a BFF vibe here." - Johnny

So this one is pretty wishy washy, but thought it would be beneficial to this post. I would lowkey enjoy a storyline where Johnny is buddy buddy with Baraka, who is reluctant to accept friendship but slowly gets used to it. 

-----

"Oh, dude! I love westerns!" - Johnny

"The bullets are real, Cage" - Erron Black

"So are my fists." - Johnny

I'm pretty sure Johnny was just admiring Erron for what he is, kind of like meeting a nun in real life after years of only hearing about them... something like that. But Erron interpreted it as Johnny not being in the real world and treating everything as a joke.

-----

"Where is your fear?" - Noob Saibot

"Must've left it in my other pants." - Johnny

"We will find it." - Noob Saibot

Aww, Noob Saibot is so nice~ [Delusion] I love how Noob doesn't go out of his way to insult Johnny or belittle him, unlike some other characters.

-----

"Hey there, Tall Dark and Gruesome." - Johnny

"An apt description." - Noob Saibot

"Do you not get I am mocking you?" - Johnny

I headcanoned that Noob/Bi Han would take things literal, but he's also very analytical. I'm sure he was able to pick up on Johnny mocking him but didn't mind it, meaning he might have interpreted it as a nickname, which Johnny gives everyone. Wishful thinking, there could've been a lot of banter between these two.

-----

"You are more smug than usual." - Fujin

"I'm the new assistant thunder God." - Johnny

"Raiden should not have healed you." - Fujin

-----

"You know the evil overlord bit's played out." - Johnny

"What would you suggest?" - Shao Kahn

"Right now it's all anti-heroes." - Johnny

Is that kindness, Shao Kahn?

--------------

I think they did Johnny dirty in MK11, not gonna lie. To be fair, his storyline also didn't make sense in mkx thanks to discovering his new powers even though he's shown using them in mk9. If he was playable in mk9 story mode and his powers were usable, then the mkx part where he mysteriously saves Sonya because of the green light doesn't make sense. I think he should've been able to always use his green glow, that way Hollywood critics thinking he's fake has another tone to it. His green glow can be spotted in his movies, which is why viewers think he uses special effects, which led him to try to prove himself in the tournament.

I think the problem should've been that he couldn't control it, also as a call back to his mk9 ending. I think it's even referenced in an intro with Raiden. "Seek out the Wu Shi for instruction."

It also would be funny if everyone else was aware of it, but only Johnny wasn't. Like they all assumed he could use the green glow out of choice, but he didn't know or notice that he would go green. The fact that it happened during fights means it would only ignite in stressful situations or on instinct. He was also wearing shades for the majority of mk9 (because he likes shades), in fact he always wears shades so I think he's the only one who didn't notice the glow.

Johnny says "Yeah, those things are real." when referring to Baraka's blades, meaning he didn't feel that they were real. I'm not sure what that means, but it gives insight to his power level. Johnny defeated Shinnok. I get that Johnny 'softens him up' but he still defeated Shinnok, so I think he should've been able to at least handle Sindel. The reason Shao Kahn was defeated in mk9 is because the Elder Gods possessed Raiden which is how Raiden defeated Shao Kahn. They nerfed Johnny's character and I am not happy about that.

Now, with his upbringing and history. I think Johnny had narcissistic parents, and depending on who he got his powers from it was an inherited narcissism (don't know which parent had the powers, someone will probably say his father but let's not assume).

I think there was taught narcissism on Johnny's behalf. The thing about growing up with narcissistic parents is that you grow up thinking that their behaviour is normal, so he must've not seen anything wrong with the behaviour he learned. We also need to take a good look at his personality. He's a bit childish in terms of maturity, and this is common in individuals who grew up with a narcissistic parent. Johnny talks as if he's a teenager rather than the average 25+ year old man. To his credit he doesn't throw tantrums or lash out when his odd behaviours are called out (unless I missed something), but dude is childish. Only lashes out when his face is even slightly ruined and even blindly attacked some Black Dragons for getting a scratch on his face. However he is also very independent, from what I know. And he's a bubbly man, even when he changed, that's a character I can appreciate. I think him and Joey from Friends would be friends, even though I haven't watched Friends to confirm this.

Morality wise Johnny doesn't have wicked intent. In his mk9 story mode he says he's not gonna kill anyone when told to kill Baraka, realising that it's not an everyday tournament. He's okay with fighting people for sport (let's establish that tournaments are basically a sport) but not killing people. The tournament is like a perverted form of kill or be killed, one Johnny was forced into participating in some form (I'm talking about the killing and fighting for Earthrealm part). I don't think Johnny likes killing people or anything dead related. In mkx story mode he rolls a head off the helicopter in a fit of heeby jeebies and disgust.

"Have you killed anyone?" - Terminator

"Yeah, but they were all bad." - Johnny

"Why make that distinction?" - Terminator

Like a rationale of what he's experiencing.

-----

"Discard your jesters mask." - Kotal Kahn

"What you see is what you get, Feather Head." - Johnny

"I thought you merely played the fool." - Kotal Kahn

-----

"You revel in childishness." - Kotal Kahn

"Gotta stay sane somehow." - Johnny

"How are you a warrior?" - Kotal Kahn

----

"He was insufferable. Just like you." says Fujin about Johnny's great-great grandfather. Dude might've been a mega narcissist. Narcissism is taught and learned. Another example would be old Johnny and young Johnny: 

Young Johnny - "Dad always said "Hungry people eat lunch, humble people serve it."

Older Johnny "Dad was an a**hole, Hollywood made us an even bigger one."

So based on those facts alone, Johnny comes from a long generation of egotistical people. Then we have Hollywood. I think Johnny got into Hollywood not just because of creative thinking, but I think there's also a sense of longing there. Narcissistic parents, ignore, abandon and degrade their children. Along with making movies being a hyper fixation, their abandonment played a part in his need for spotlight. Johnny divorcing Sonya for her neglect might be more personal because it was a reminder of his parents.

I heard that there's a lot of narcissists in Hollywood, so with Johnny surrounding himself with people like that...(yikes!) The thing with narcissists is that they are always out for themselves. An autistic person struggles with social interactions, while a narcissist will manipulate the social interaction. Johnny (and Kung Lao) doesn't do that. He very much cares about the people around him and doesn't see them as tools.

Now back to his family.

"Grandma Carlton told you my secret?" - Johnny

"(Snicker) Johnny pee pants?" - Cassie

"I had one accident! One!" - Johnny

Judging from how Johnny both asked the question and responded, I theorise it came from a place of trauma. For his mother to tell Cassie the story as if it's a funny story and give him a nickname is suspicious. I think I already mentioned this in another post but I would like to elaborate. Me personally, I don't think anyone pissing themselves is a laughing matter. People don't piss themselves for no reason, or at least most people don't. Humiliating their child is a narcissist's past time. While his mother may not have played a part in humiliating him, she still found it funny enough to tell Cassie, who also for some reason found it funny.

(I have mixed opinions on Cassie and I might get in on her in another post. I don't know how many of these I'll be making.)

Going back to the interactions between young and older Johnny, I think older Johnny hates his younger self. Movie making is something Johnny loved, cash grab or not creative thinkers like doing creative things. 

I think I mentioned in another post that it's something he learned, so I'll like to continue that theory. Johnny wasn't that much of a bad person, sure he has flaws, but he's not evil or anything. So older Johnny's reaction to his younger self eagerly trying to convince him to make movies and stuff was kind of unnerving. 

It should've been something he could smile fondly at, but instead he reacts as if his passion has been beaten out of him. He finds his younger self annoying, just like everyone else. Everyone else = Sonya, Jax, and pretty much everyone else. As a person who likes coming up with stories and wants those stories to be known, I feel crushed by this conclusion of analysis. Poor Johnny.

Another fact about Neurodivergent people is that no matter what they will always be the same person no matter how much their opinions and belief change overtime, they will still have the same personality. Johnny still likes making his jokes and still gives people nicknames, but he lacks creativity in creating things. I guess applying his need for action into training the Kombat kids and working with the Special Forces counts as a slight change.

I'm coming close to an end so I'll sum it up by saying that Johnny shouldn't have got back together with Sonya. I don't ship them and I'm making it clear that I hate them together. Even before mk11 I thought the ship didn't make sense and it needs to be a character that doesn't tolerate him but actually enjoys his company from the beginning. It took me everything not to write that Johnny is a national treasure that should be protected.

No cuz you don’t fucking understand

Look at his fucking suit bro.

DO YOU SEE THAT?????!

DO YOU FUCKING SEE THAT???!

MILES FUCKING COPIED THE “fly ambiance down the side” FROM AARON’S SUIT. DO YOU FUCKING GET IT???! DO YOU UNDERSTAND.

AND THEN EVERYONE FUCKING MADE FUN OF IT.

“It looks like your bleeding from your armpits.” Count your fucking days Peter.

Dairou has Potential

I'm talking about the one from the Midway era, not Havik.

I don't understand the Dairou hate. I understand that he is a forgettable character, but once I heard his backstory I didn't think he was so forgettable. His backstory is similar to Scorpion, but for Dairou I think there's no complicated magic involved, which makes him seem boring in comparison.

I think Dairou has some potential. I mean, he used to believe in the Seidan beliefs until he was wronged, punished for killing the man that killed his family. Leaves prison a changed man, becomes an assassin before joining the resistance, unknowingly working for the guy that ordered the hit on his family.

Scorpion's only objective is avenging his family and clan, but Dairou's is about being against the authority that wronged him. Being against Hotaru's extremist views, and becoming a puppet of Darrius.

I think most of the hate comes from the fact that none of the 3D era characters are given enough attention, thus are not given enough to work with. NRS' idea of 'continuing' the story is having Dairou become the new Havik, and have his motives be driven by anarchy.

Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa headcanons

Bellatrix has always been a little not alright, but never anything too severe. Most would say she was a bully, but so was Sirius based on whatever stories she heard about him in passing.

Bellatrix didn't get along well with Sirius, but she hoped he would clean himself up soon. He would deny it, but they were very much alike. He could be rehabilitated.

However, that started to change once Andromeda was burnt off. All for that muggle. Bellatrix hoped it was worth it, for Andros' sake. Sirius was burnt off in a blink, and Bella could do nothing but focus on herself.

Then Regulus died. This time it was different. Regulus was her dearest, and most precious baby cousin. Gone just like that.

If Bellatrix didn't get to have her loved ones, then neither did mudbloods. That included anyone that supported them.

Andromeda couldn't stand crazies. If she stayed in this family any longer she would become it.

The constant comparisons. The high expectations. The fake smiles, and high alertness.

She hated it. She could never trust anyone, knowing they were after something. If one couldn't go to Bella, they'd go to Andro. She was the backup plan, and always the backup. 2nd in command. Should anything happen to Bellatrix, Andromeda knew what to do.

Backhanded compliments. Gossiping behind her back. The hateful obsession with muggles. Mudbloods have never done anything to her, so there was no need to hunt them.

Ted wasn't just any old Hufflepuff. If that had truly been the case, she would've married a bloody Macmillan. Ted's kindness was influenced by his survival mode.

His kindness was always genuine, but his eyes were watchful, patient of any slight of hand. A peaceful life would be nice. So nice. She really could just disappear.

Narcissa absolutely had to be seen. She wanted to shine bright too. Unfortunately, she was her mother's daughter. Birthed for her mother to dote on, while Bellatrix and Andromeda were raised to be the perfect heiress'. Narcissa couldn't be the same, but she would show everyone that she was perfect. She would prove it. And prove it she did. She chose her husband wisely, and she played her cards correctly.

Narcissa Black is a clueless blonde? So be it. She would teach others to never underestimate her. Whether it was the personality she presented, or what was on her mind, it shall never be questioned again.

Although it was cruel, she took pride in it. While she missed her sisters dearly, it was great knowing she was the one who survived. Narcissa knew it was stupid to get the mark, and she knew the toxicity given to her was a sign of jealousy. She completed what both of them couldn't do. She handled what both of them couldn't handle.

Any influence she spread was through her husband. Her dearest lover and tool.

This time when family or anyone of importance saw her, there was hope. Admiration. She was seen and not heard, just the way that she liked it.

The warriors 4 aren't friends

This is something that I addressed in my fanfic https://archiveofourown.org/works/62259737/chapters/159281697, but I decided to post this opinion here in hopes to make a small discussion. (This a ramble, so everything might be all over the place. Sorry.)

I don't think the warriors 4 are actual friends. (I'm only talking about the MCU versions.)

First of all, their personalities might clash. Hogun, the quiet one. Fandral the ladies man, Volstagg who eats, and Sif... is a girl? Sif is smart(?). Has black hair? Obviously, that's not their only defining traits, but it's their most memorable ones because that's how they are portrayed. I understand that a lot of friend groups are like this, but when I look at the warriors 4 I don't see that same charm of "Oh, they enjoy each other's company and get along really well". If anything, they can barely stand each other, especially when tension is high. Now I know that's a tough claim to make considering I came to that conclusion based on this deleted scene, but it would make their dynamic more interesting.

I believe/theorise that the only reason they are friends is because of Thor, and their dislike for Loki. If you take Loki out of the equation they won't really have anything else to stand on friendship wise even with the warrior thing. Being Thor's friends I'd assume they are all from high ranking families, so were kinda pushed to be together anyways. Hogun for more diplomatic reasons, and going with the Frigga being a Vanaheim war bride theory, might also have something to do with her or is connected to her. Not sure about Volstagg, Sif or Fandral, and I don't care about them as much. So much is poured into these three by the fandom that I can't be asked to think of anything.

Despite sources saying that Sif and Hogun both despise Loki the most (Hogun even more), I first interpreted them as arguably the most tolerant of Loki, Hogun especially. Hogun is the most respectful towards Loki even if his opinion of Loki is clear. Whereas Volstagg and Fandral pick and choose when they want to be allies. They have both defended Loki, but do not hesitate to go on the bandwagon of threatening him and such. Also, "Silvertongue turned to lead?" They're bullies. The fact that you can't tell whether or not they are going to be your enemy makes them more dangerous. In other words, they're both kinda fake.

In a deleted scene Loki, Hogun and Sif are in a black haired trio. You'd think that Loki would be directly next to Thor and away from the other warriors, but instead there's a big distance between the brothers. Why is Loki standing directly next to two people who clearly hate him? Is Hogun Thor's spy or something? Is that why he's so observant?

I grew up thinking Hogun was the smart one, but his friendship with Thor would sometimes blind him from his own intellect. When they end up in Jotunheim he's the one that says "We shouldn't be here." to the others. Loki was the one who made sure they would be rescued should something go wrong, so they're the only ones with a brain cell it seems. It kinda makes me wonder why Hogun hangs out with them besides the warrior thing. He isn't so jolly, or loud, or spunky, or hungry, or even too eager (blood thirsty/prideful). He's observant and is dragged along for the ride, kinda like a certain someone. I think this is the MCU's fault when it came to writing his character, but he's kind of just there.

Another insight on Hogun, I believe he's only expressive with Thor. Everyone sees Hogun as this figure that embodies silence and restraint, and maybe even lacking emotion, but I can picture Thor not having that same view on him.

LOOK AT HIM! He's avoiding eye contact! He's all shy!

(I'm going to be real with you guys, the main reason I care this much about Hogun is because he's played by Tadanobu Asano. That's Kakihara.)

Edenian supremacism probably comes with the Sindel retcon. They were originally allies of Earthrealm and as much victims of Shao Kahn as anyone else - Kitana and Jade were actually freedom fighters for Edenia. Why they're now apparently all soulless pieces of shit (and why the narrative turns against Kitana beginning with Aftermath, seriously listen to how Spawn just dunks on her), I think, has to do with a change in society as a whole.

As more and more previously unheard people speak up and tell their stories, more and more narratives are getting flipped, and rightly so - those we've been told to admire all our lives are turning out to be bigots at best and greedy, power-hungry butchers or heartless religious zealots at worst. Conversely, the people society whose voices society wishes it could silence - BIPOC, LGBTIA+, workers, those with disabilities (ND included), really anyone who's suffered at the hands of the powerful and privileged - are finally starting to be vindicated, to have their complaints validated, and their stories heard.

In other words, our heroes are turning out to be way worse people than our villains ever were, and fiction is starting to reflect this; The Boys would be a textbook example, nobody with superpowers in that franchise is anywhere near heroic, and honestly I'm a little disturbed that anyone would want to play Homelander in MK. The Edenians were presented as the most virtuous in the original universe, so they were the obvious choice to be the rotten bastards in MK11 (not a choice I exactly agree with, or even the Sindel retcon at all, but if I got to make every choice cheese curds would grow on trees, so)

Having made that observation, I still consider having villains more sympathetic than your heroes to be an immense failure on the part of the author. Let's be real, "princess" is part of Kitana's identity, and that implies she's up to her eyeballs in some sort of privilege. The thing is, free will exists, and privilege does not (or should not) hard-lock you into being an asshole. Even Kitana could have chosen integrity and real compassion, to do what's best for the people even when it came at expense to herself, but nope, she chose to play footsie with Kotal's buddies and attack people for not meeting her sky-high standards.

This is not the Kitana Outworld deserves, and this is not the Kitana the MK community deserves.

I'm falling asleep at my laptop rn, so good night and thank you for pointing out that Sonya is trash.

Goodnight.

Not gonna lie, I always saw Sindel as an evil character even with the whole mind control thing. If their own queen was willing to kill her own husband, an Edenian, to have a stronger one (Outworld-ian) then they shouldn't be flabbering about supremacy.

I've been meaning to vent out about Sonya but didn't know when.

"I'm a little disturbed that anyone would want to play Homelander in MK" I thought this was a joke when I first heard it, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone actually meant it.

When it comes to villainising the heroes I think it's more of a Severus Snape situation, where we the viewers find out there's more to the villains and the heroes. I think NRS figured we were tired of goody two shoes and wanted to see those goody two shoes be more humanised, if humanised means less decent. And then proceeded to butcher some beloved characters, I guess. Harry's been told his parents were good people only to find out they did terrible things. When shown that Mileena just wanted a family we can hold some kind of sympathy for her, even though it doesn't excuse the fact that she's a blood thirsty killer.

One thing to be noted is that there's a lack of consistency when it comes to the games, and not just designs, so when you're talking about "those we've been told to admire all our lives are turning out to be bigots at best and greedy, power-hungry butchers or heartless religious zealots at worst." I think it's the writers changing their minds to fit the mindset of current audiences, acknowledging that it's not just kids playing the games nowadays and it's their way of making things more realistic.

As a Johnny Cage stan, I can very much tell you that there's a lot of things wrong with him, but he's an angel in comparison to the other heroes. (even if he was sexist and mouthy in the past, he is the most relatable) He is a good example when making a flawed character in my opinion, or maybe I'm being too soft on the guy.

I don't think Scorpion was held accountable for screwing everyone over, either. Or killing Bi Han. Poor Bi Han.

Hisoka: The Villain Who Surpasses Expectations

I recall going on a tangent about Hisoka's magical abilities before Togashi revealed nen to the audience, and I went on a bit of a rant about how he had me in a choke hold back when I was ten years old, and I'd like to continue that rant.

Hisoka is that villain who can never be outdone when it comes to creativity.

The first thing that got me was his appearance. I remember seeing him in the opening, where he wears an outfit that he's never seen wearing in any of the episodes (not important, but eh). I remember thinking that he looked like a Jester, mainly because of Harley Quinn. Hisoka never really struck me as a clown, and I remember getting triggered every time a fanfic referred to him as a clown.

I was used to villains who wanted to take over the world for whatever reason, or sympathetic ones who had a rough background or were doing evil things for someone they loved. Or villains who were evil because their job required it, like assassins and hit men. And then there were villains like Joker, who are evil just because. Hisoka was none of that. We are not given any motive for why he's the way he is until much later. When I was ten the pedo stuff flew over my head, and I was still pretty new to sex education. I thought to myself "Pretty weird that fighting is like sex for you, but whatever tickles your fancy." And it's not even in an "Ah, finally a worthy opponent" kind of way.

I remember being so entranced by him because he was so unusual. As a ten year old I interpreted things differently. In the clearing (during the 1st exam) I don't think he would've attacked anyone, but he was provoked into doing so. Kurapika and Leorio run off, so he calms down for a moment, but saw that Leorio wanted the smoke, so he delivered. When he was strangling Gon and stopped, I legit believed he thought to himself "Woah, I was about to kill a kid." I believed he had limits. (Later on with the Alluka thing I see that's not the case)

Hisoka is pure evil, but he isn't some Michael Myers. He has personality and doesn't kill everyone he comes across. When he warned Illumi I thought he was being protective of Gon, but expressed it the only way he was capable of. I was hoping for a future friendship between him and Gon, or at least Hisoka being a somewhat mentor figure of some kind.

There's also Heaven's Arena. He told Gon and Killua to go back downstairs. Instead of seeing it like "Get stronger first so that I can have more fun." I saw it as "It's dangerous for you here, don't come back until you're ready."

I remember seeing the spider tattoo in the bathroom scene, and I was surprised for a moment. Even with the him vs Chrollo situation, if you take that out of the equation, what's in it for him to be a part of the Phantom Troupe? I remember thinking "He's in a gang?" Hisoka didn't fit with the troupe, and I was curious as to how he met them, and why they accepted him. Hisoka didn't/doesn't seem to be the thief type. Once more, he didn't get along with most of the troupe, and they even seemed to avoid him despite being quite close knit. I figured that maybe Hisoka had a similar upbringing to them, which could be why they accepted him, but then there's Kalluto. Kalluto, whose father fought the troupe, and grew up in a beautiful (yet abusive) environment. Kalluto seems well off in comparison, and Illumi comes off as put together despite what he went through. So with the Phantom Troupe it's not about sympathy or trauma bonding. And no, I don't think Kikyo coming from Meteor city has anything to do with it. The only spider Hisoka arguably gets along with is Machi, but she merely tolerates him.

Hisoka worked better in a group setting with Gon and Killua, even though he is an open enemy to them. They were willingly welcome towards him, with Gon even offering him to accompany them. Even though Hisoka gave him the creeps by staring at their arse, Gon still seems to enjoy Hisoka's company (Somewhat???).

There's also that Dodge Ball scene.

Hisoka did that just because that wasn't how Gon wanted to win. He didn't need to do that, but he did. That's pretty damn interesting, and dare I say it, heroic and honourable. There is the potential that Hisoka started getting a soft spot for Gon.

Speaking of the Dodge Ball game, it was interesting seeing Hisoka suffer for once. It felt very out of character, especially since he always comes out on top. But this time the opponent was incredibly stronger, and less familiar. But of course, Hisoka is quick thinking, with one last trick up his sleeve.

When Illumi informs Hisoka about the Chimera ants fiasco and Gon being on his deathbed, Hisoka genuinely appears shocked and a bit fearful. The kind where you hear about something bad happening to a close friend. "What? (Insert name here) has (insert life threatening disease)?". He even put his life on the line to alert Killua of him and Illumi's whereabouts.

Hisoka is a villain that isn't just entertaining, he goes against the expectations of what a villain is presented to be, especially against shonen expectations. He doesn't have a tragic backstory, nor does he need one. While he isn't the main villain, he is very impact-ful to the story, and not just for the main character. Sometimes he can be a hero, despite having his own self-serving agenda behind it.

Shang Tsung x Bimbo Reader: Part 2

Part 2 on the request of @kissingyourgrl

To clear any confusion for those who have read my previous bimbo posts, mk11's bimbo reader is a sweetheart, mk1 bimbo reader is a girlboss. This is because mk11's bimbo is a descendant of chaos realm while mk1's is from Seido.

"I don't know, if I met another me there would probably be a competition between us. Or we can just paint each other's nails."

You two are a toxic couple that doesn't know it's toxic. You would promote each other's worst traits. Shang fed your vanity, you fed his ego. It's a strange duo but a win win. You gave the impression that you were convinced that you're a glamour girl and he's a nerd but there was much more to it than that. You were aware, but you could let a guy believe what he wants to.

Shang felt like he was being tricked when he was with you. You are a shallow person, only giving attention to things that were trivial in the long run. You came off as an idiot but were smarter than you let on.

You both argue often, but over things that aren't really important, and most of it comes from power play. You, a beauty queen, and him... he tried to take over only for his Titan self to double cross him so he was a great sorcerer at best.

If you weren't dating then the two of you would probably be frienemies, and it shows. The dynamic was decent, he took you out on dates and you watched him do his experiments and did whatever you could to support his needs.

Watching him unlock his potential and his eagerness to become powerful was adorable, even more when he learned a new spell and the amount of happiness that radiated off of him. A sinister kind of course, but adorable nonetheless.

He's met versions of you from other timelines, and they all seemed whiny. All had an echo of chaos he had trouble comprehending. Honestly, he's not sure which version of you he preferred, but he loved your ruthless self.

Let's be real here, if you were to attempt making yourself a lot more powerful and conquering the realms then you would succeed. It just isn't your thing.

Shang the type of guy to see you laid out on the experiment table with flirty eyes, but he would respond by tapping your thigh and saying he has work to do. You end up having your way anyways.

You were both the type of people to start making love on top of a moving carriage while there's a riot happening right (in front of/around) you.

That was your relationship: uncaring and disassociation.

On the healthy side, you loved doing his hair, and you both indulged in beauty treatment. Shang wouldn't let anyone else paint his nails, and it wasn't everyday that you listened to someone else's fashion advice.

Shang could picture you being his queen. You brought nothing to the table oher than yourself, and he did nothing but experiments and maybe planning on overthrowing Liu Kang. If he weren't such a diva he'd be a scientist, you were certain.