'Mortal Kombat 2' Ending Explained: How It Sets Up Even Bigger Stakes For 'Mortal Kombat 3'

"Unlike in the games, where Shao Kahn is a near-insurmountable obstacle all on his own, he's impossible to beat in the film thanks to Shinnok's Amulet, a plot device that allowed the scheming sorcerer duo of Quan Chi and Shang Tsung to steal Raiden's godly powers and transfer them in a manipulative plot involving the resurrected and corrupted revenant versio"

"The original era was pretty straightforward, if not a little shallow - from the original through MK3, the series revolved around the sinister forces of Outworld trying to invade Earthrealm, at first by winning tournaments that would decide the fate of our world, and then through deceitful manipulation of the rules."

"The 3D games killed off main character and shaolin champion Liu Kang and introduced generic Big Bads to replace Outworld tyrant Shao Kahn until 2006's Mortal Kombat: Armageddon culminated in a massive, apocalyptic final battle... that was retconned by 2011's Mortal Kombat 9, a time-bending reboot of the series that led to the modern games taking place across multiple timelines."

"The recently released movie, Mortal Kombat 2, is clearly pulling from the original canon of the games, especially MK2. Earthrealm's champions have to face off against warriors who serve Shao Kahn to win the tournament and prevent a full-scale invasion of their realm. However, the film also borrows some inspiration from later games, and based on those deviations, we might have a good idea of what to expect when Mortal Kombat 3 inevitably hits theaters in a few years."

The series narrative extends beyond simple battles between ninjas and supernatural beings, featuring a highly convoluted storyline. Early games centered on Outworld’s attempt to invade Earthrealm by using tournaments to determine Earthrealm’s fate, then by manipulating the rules. Later 3D entries killed off Liu Kang and replaced Shao Kahn with generic antagonists, culminating in an apocalyptic finale that was later retconned by a time-bending reboot. The movie Mortal Kombat 2 returns to original canon, especially MK2, with Earthrealm champions fighting Shao Kahn’s warriors to prevent invasion. It also incorporates elements from later games, including character shifts like Baraka’s hero turn. The film’s ending relies on Shinnok’s Amulet, which enables Quan Chi and Shang Tsung to steal Raiden’s godly powers and transfer them through a scheme involving a corrupted revenant version of Raiden.

Read at Inverse