The Pitiful Legacy of the Kombat Kids: Why They Failed

[@lifeonearth4223]

Imagine NRS took the path you laid out for Takeda's arc, and then followed it up with a Shaolin Monks style game featuring Takeda & Kenshi going after the Red Dragon.

[@VenomousHero993]

That may be one of the single best ideas I've heard in a minute. A game like that would've been dope as hell!

[@ggguNeck]

... this MF Stole my idea! 😠 I been saying this for about 4 years! 😂 Nah but Takeda WAS the future, and they made bro DLC (& a cousin 🤦🏾‍♂️)

[@seasonembrace3624]

It would be also pretty cool to see the Red Dragon’s leader Daegon as well again. He’s an underrated antagonist for this series. Since he’s only made one major appearance in this series. (Armageddon). Aside from his cameos in MKX’s comic & showing up in Kenshi's X & Rain's 11 arcade ending's and also had a chance of randomly showing up on MK9’s Pit stage alongside Sareena & Reiko. I also hope NRS finally includes Deception's Dragon King as a playable character as well in the future...it's already been 4 entries.

[@seido1160]

Imagine Mavado and Hsu Hao being bosses.

[@ggguNeck]

@@lifeonearth4223 bro I've been saying this, The Red Dragon literally could be the Court of Owls of the MK universe in terms of threat level. If Scorpion is the poster boy of the series (Ed Boon's Batman), then it's only right to pass the torch to Nightwing (TAKEDA 🐐 🤷🏾‍♂️). Imagine him unlocking his full power against Daegon. Kenshi sacrifices himself to save Takeda and gives son his sword 😤. No more multiverse, no more Liu Kang stories, no more op villains (except Onaga), just world building, character diving, story based plot and martial arts. Mortal Kombat

[@burntbobby]

Takeda could’ve been one of the coolest characters in MK

[@MarcelaConst]

He is

[@Donkehy-puncharello]

Tell us you haven't played mk1 yet without telling us

[@burntbobby]

@ MKX version was better. Also MK1 is ass

[@CalciForm-lk2fo]

​@@Donkehy-puncharelloHe's talking about the lore,

[@BigBrotherIsrael5]

Kombat Kids “failed” because NRS went back on the entire MKX newcomers to reestablish Liu Kang They can never move forward. MK1 literally is just moving backwards in every aspect

[@Donkehy-puncharello]

You can thank sweet baby for that.

[@Red_Lanterns_Rage]

right so we had a trilogy in the 90's Liu won the tournament then Shao invaded then we finally ended Shao's invasion, a new foe appeared Shinnok and was defeated like that then years later Liu is killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi then a bitter war erupted Liu returned as a zombo, a fool is tricked into releasing Onaga then the sons of Arda? Taven & Dagon are sealed away and awaken to fight in armageddon and the while cycle reset after that, the 3 tournaments repeated....new timeline then we get a post Shao kahn age again then another era ending war?? in simplicity this is how it went, explain how MK's story never evolved again? cus to me it seems like it did but i do agree this MK 1 is BS.... I woulda saved Kronica for later like 3 games after MK11 so there could be 2 trilogies worth of new timeline.... also when they made new characters, Mavado, Stryker, Nytara etc people slagging bitched about it so how do you evolve when the fans can't accept the new stuff?

[@Machete87]

​@@Donkehy-puncharelloit was Lionsbridge, not sweet baby. Lionsbridge have the same agenda.

[@Clyde-S-Wilcox]

Cassie was the only one of them with real personality, and even she was just a mashup of her parents.

[@Matt_Underwood]

And it was the same personality that we see in many other games, the edgy teenager who says fuck and shit a lot😊

[@rnorfor2002]

i LOVE CASSSIE CAGE

[@RazuX5]

No she definitely wasn’t lmao

[@Zaire_39]

@@Clyde-S-Wilcox cassie’s personality was either a shit version of Johnny or a shit version of Sonya. She was ass

[@anaknangfilipina5846]

I feel like Jacqui could work as a Rock. She’s the least problematic part of the group, becoming the stability of the MK Kids. She can work slowly trying to BE the rock, finding the stability within the dysfunctional group, especially when her overprotective father gets in the way.

[@VenomousHero993]

This is also a great take and would work well for her character and the story they tried to tell with her. An anchor for the team would suit her nicely

[@anaknangfilipina5846]

@ Thabks. Many people, including me, have a hard time remembering that character growth could also mean finding a place within a group despite having less hang ups. As a lore corrector for MK, have you also heard 4th Snake? Y’all seem to be in the same boat of bettering the flaws in MK lore.

[@VenomousHero993]

I've seen quite a few comments mentioning him and saying how we talk about similar topics in mk, but I've legit never seen a video from him. I should probably go check out his channel sometime

[@Donkehy-puncharello]

You obviously didn't play mk11 where they turned her in to a raging angry dyke that hates her father because Cassie turned her down. People forget that Melina and Tanya have been a lesbian couple since mk 4 back in 1998.

[@cosmicdubs8155]

I feel like the biggest problem with Mortal Kombat is the lack of commitment, they’re eager to try something new, but if that’s not selling or doing well, they’re quick to abandon ship and start over.

[@VenomousHero993]

100% agree. They never stick to their guns and commit to developing something. They just try it a bit and quit

[@cosmicdubs8155]

@@VenomousHero993That’s why I’m worried about MK’s future, did I like some of the changes in MK1, no. Could I live with them and see the Kast grow, absolutely. MKX and 11 did wonders for Scorpion and Subzero’s development. And don’t get me started on the GOAT, Johnny Cage. Since MK1, was divisive among fans, I’m worried they’ll reboot a third time or back track, because they’re afraid to commit.

[@Donkehy-puncharello]

You can thank the involvement of sweet baby Inc. And the liberal left for that. Can't release the game if there isnt every type of representation in it. No matter if it destroys the games sales or not.

[@Donkehy-puncharello]

Kung Jin an embarrassing angry gay man. Did that even need to be in a fighting game??? Who cares who he fucks.

[@shiningnightmare5616]

​@@Donkehy-puncharello crazy how no one even brought or mention anything about representation and you randomly typed this lol.

[@superstarultra28]

I mean, I liked them at first. Yeah, Kung Jin was pretty bland, but I liked the way they all fit into the MK world. Also, the actress who voiced Cassie in MKX knocked it out of the park, which is odd considering she's known for voicing Chloe Price, one of the worst video game protagonists in recent memory. Then, MK 11 ruined Cassie and Jacqui by stripping away the charm they had in the previous game. They were pretty much unrecognizable. Sure, they brought Takeda back in MK1, but without the others, what's the point?

[@jaborsey_joseph]

They probably would've had the DLC sold better

[@Zaire_39]

@@superstarultra28 Cassie & Jacqui had no charm to be honest

[@CalciForm-lk2fo]

Kung Jin was not bland lol

[@SilentSnake1998]

I love how Armageddon was supposed to set up a new era of fighters, but then got undone by the reboot. And then NRS tries the same thing, only to immediately back peddle and reboot even harder the second time. Why bother resetting the timeline to start a new generation, when Armageddon was already trying to give the franchise a new starting point?

[@ryuno2097]

That's because John Tobias was the main lore guy for the MK series. Without him, Ed Boon and his team of writers didn't know how to write a proper story. Hence why they keep on resetting the timeline and we have multiverses now.

[@CyberDragonEX13]

"They only care about what's in your heart, not for whom which it desires." is the best written line in any of the recent MK games (X - MK1) where it mentions Kung Jin struggling with himself rather than have everyone around him kiss his ass and tell him it's everyone else who's wrong. All without bashing me over the head with his being gay or making straight folks look bigoted or prejudiced in the process.

[@VenomousHero993]

100%. Its a great way of implementing it into his story. It's not overtop, in your face, and his entire personality. It's subtle yet still important to understanding Jin and his struggles

[@CoralCopperHead]

til "calling out bigots" = "acting like all straight people are bigots" You're showing your hand.

[@the-point-bearer6689]

You got that quote wrong, it's like this: “They care only of what is in your heart, not whom your heart desires.” But yeah, it isn't as pretentious or callous as others have done.

[@Tahu33446]

Oddly enough and I've mentioned this elsewhere on YT but I took this line as a line about his past as a thief and how the shaolin would forgive him for his crimes and past. I didn't even see it as a reference to his likes until a dev or some one pointed it out then I later saw his line to mileena about barking up the wrong tree.

[@Black_Frost212]

@@Tahu33446technically it was Tanya but I feel like that line is really obvious when you know that he’s gay. Because tf does being a thief have to do with him liking someone 🤣

[@chuenjinyang4513]

Mk really thought they were making a Tekken 3 lol. I really liked Ur idea of all the Kombat kids coming together and teaming up against shinnok. Not only from a narrative perspective but also gameplay. Picture this, Cassie goes in to fight shinnok on his own and is able to hold herself (not beat but is able to fight) with regular shinnok. THEN after shinnok goes super Saiyan, the make PURPOSELY makes shinnok actually impossible to beat. Inf plus frames, crazy damage, is able to react frame perfect to the player(Cassie's) moves and the player ACTUALLY LOSE. THEN when we get into a cutscene, the other Kombat kids go "Cassie, on you left" and they walk into the cave avengers endgame style and we get some corny dialogue about teamwork and Cassie concludes her character arc. THEN, in gameplay, you can tag in any character into the match like MVC or you get a scroll wheel on Ur right stick to pick a character to tag in. Of course you balance this with giving shinnok alot of health. OR ALTERNATIVELY, the easier route is in the match shinnok has 3 phases for each member of the team. Honestly, anything works as long as you incorporate a way to have everyone fight shinnok and have the player actually lose a match to progress the story

[@billmcdermott9647]

That would have made a lot of sense rather than Cassie losing every single fight but then defeating the one of the most powerful beings in the whole franchise So having her and her freinds slowly wear him down

[@VenomousHero993]

Exactly! They could have done some really unique gameplay things here exclusive to the story mode to allow the player to utilize every member of the team during the fight with Shinnok. It would make the final boss feel genuinely difficult and menacing, and it would be 100% believable that the team was able to do it together. Adding to the gameplay perspective, if you wanted to take a tag route here, it would also be cool to have Shinnok have certain moves/forms that would be weak to a certain team member. Prompting the player to switch between all 4 of the members throughout the fight so that the teamwork is felt in gameplay as well. Hell, you could also give each member a sort of kameo move while they aren't tagged in, too. They had similar things with test your luck/kustom kombat, tho its more akin to consumables i still think the story mode could've at least added it with special animations along with a tag system. However you do it, it just needs to make that final fight feel fun and engaging while emphasizing the teams growth within the story

[@nomad6956]

Because MK is not allowed to moved Beyond 3

[@lukejones7164]

Exactly

[@georgehernandez2156]

Thats because it's a fighting games where you want to play legacy characters.

[@shneoooo]

@@georgehernandez2156this is a stupid take. you can still add legacy characters without having them be part of the story

[@Traeger91]

@@georgehernandez2156 Unfortunately in a game based around brutally killing your opponent, you're never going to have a consistent roster. Which is part of the problem with franchise, not the killing but that it doesn't lend itself to keeping fan favorites around.

[@Traeger91]

@@shneoooo They'd likely be DLC at that point, meaning having to pay extra for a series staple.

[@JohnFromThere]

Their stories are absolute garbage anyways. This new gen stuff was always gonna fail lol

[@wildpig6986]

Yeah, an especially this late into franchise when the fans are still deeply attached with these characters, there was no way that they were gonna fully replaced their parents.

[@Zaire_39]

Not really, Takeda & Kung Jin had really good backstories but were treated like shit by the developers that wanted to push two clones of far better characters.

[@Superbox647-o5q]

Blame the writing for that

[@TheAbominableDrFaustus]

You’re an idiot. It’s a fighting game. Nobody is Othello.

[@dragonz9688]

Mortal kombat 9 story = decent Mortal kombat x story = letdown Mortal kombat 11 story = mess

[@Lektuerekurs]

They were a product of their time. The 2010s. Everything has to be complicated. And confliced. And unsure of itself, etc.

[@ryszakowy]

let it die in the past it's a product of its time we do not need ever again

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

Meanwhile, the 90s was trying to make things cool, bogus, and totally radical.

[@MGDAerodynamic]

Crazy thing is all of them are dope in their own way! All 4 of them were dope in the MKX storyline! They messed up leaving out Takeda and Kung Jin in MK11 fasho!

[@VenomousHero993]

Fs fs

[@javantayrs]

netherrealm studios & warner bros animation could’ve give Kombat Kids an animated series, they were thrown aside like garbage. But Fr they need an animated series.

[@VenomousHero993]

This would've been cool to see for sure

[@johnpaulgontor2362]

I know

[@Pennywise12528]

The best Kombat Kid was Kano's son in Kano's arcade ladder ending. He had no lines, less than thirty seconds of screentime via still images, and a decent premise. When that sets the bar for a cast you've dedicated an entire game into hyping up, there are problems.

[@doctorterror1788]

So glad this wasn't another "they failed because they went woke" video. Really good objective points made here. Hitting subscribe!

[@VenomousHero993]

Appreciate it, homie!🔥💯 I'm glad you enjoyed it. I feel that the issues with MKs story are way bigger than "woke-ness." I don't really think that's even an issue with MK's storytelling

[@ryszakowy]

they also failed because they went woke do not try hiding that fact

[@yurikendal4868]

It is with mk1. Yet beyond that mk1 has a weak story​@@VenomousHero993

[@billmcdermott9647]

Great video I think having them fight Shinnok together makes perfect sense Speaking of who I hope you do a Shinnok video one day

[@VenomousHero993]

Thank you! I'm sure I'll get around to making a Shinnok video at some point. There's a lot to talk about when it comes to the villains of the NRS era so I'm sure I'll get around to Shinnok soon

[@jeannin.wallace2795]

I disagree Kombat Kids where actually pretty interesting. Jackie was the most boring. Takeda the son of Kenshi, and Apprentice of Scorpion? And he's special forces to create a more Earth cultural connection with reallife players. Hes. Dope. KungJin, Shaolin Monk turned delinquent , Cousin of KungLao, struggling to find his way of life, overshadowed by his shaolin brothers and the great KungLao. Cassie, daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, Descendant of a race of powerful beings extinct from the world. Jackie. Well she's just Jax's daughter. All 4 are actually really fun to play as. Takeda and Jin especially. Cassie the brawler/Veritile moveset. Jacky pure brawler projectile character. DO I THINK they're cooler than the Ninjas? No. BUT are they a nice fresh addition ? I very much think so.

[@VenomousHero993]

Yes, I agree that their concepts and origins are really cool, interesting, and have potential. They were all great additions. My issue is how NRS failed to utilize them and their potential with the story

[@Sans_The_Skeleton942]

@@VenomousHero993 Sindel killed off most of the cast in Mortal Kombat 2011 so I don’t think they knew what to do from there in terms of new characters

[@VenomousHero993]

Unfortunately, I agree with you there. They wrote themselves into a corner with that. I talk a little more on that subject in my Sub-Zero video as well but overall a poor choice there in MK9

[@ryszakowy]

wasted potential

[@Zaire_39]

I always find it funny that people say Jacqui is boring & then compliment Cassie. She's just as boring and as unremarkable

[@joaovictor_of]

I feel sad Kung Jin was the first real gay character in Mortal Kombat (I mean, hidden beneath 100 layers but still) and they give him an insufferable personality and no second appearance in later games.

[@VenomousHero993]

Fr, he was on pace to be so freakin dope, too. His character arc would've seen him become a kinder and more likable person as he accepted himself. He also could've been built up to be as strong or stronger than Kung Lao. Great character, but its sad they gave up on him and the kombat kids

[@Iqzzy-KO]

Your Sub-Zero vid introduced me to your channel. I then watched your Raiden vid & now this vid, & I gotta say, you've earned a sub! Hope you do a Reptile vid, he's my boy my fav character & even though he finally got respect & done justice in MK1, I can't help but be worried because they did the same thing with MK11 Baraka where they finally made progress but then just erased it in MK1

[@VenomousHero993]

I appreciate it, bro! Means a lot, I'm glad you're enjoying the content. I absolutely will be making a reptile video in the near future. He has been one of my favorite characters for a while and would love to make an essay on him

[@Iqzzy-KO]

@@VenomousHero993 Of course, you're welcome, keep it up bro! Would also love to see vids on Hanzo Hasashi Scorpion, Ermac, & Noob Saibot

[@armorbearer9702]

Your did a good job explaining the problem and providing a good solution. I would add an element of player choice at the end. Imagine the beginning of the final chapter. The team arrives at the temple with a couple of Lin Kuei. The team sees the revenants, and Cassie starts forming a plan to storm Sky Temple. The player takes control of Cassie and decide how to deal with the revenants. The player will decide which two the Lin Kuei soldiers will ambush. The remaining three will be taken on by Kung Jin, Takeda, and Jacquie. The player decides who fights who. Cassie will go after Shinnok who defeats her in a cutscene. When Shinnok is about to finish her off. Her team jumps in and saves her. The final fight is the entire team against Shinnok who has 4 health bars. Each of the members of Cassie's squad has one health bar. The player decides the order in which the team fights Shinnok. This way of ending story mode shows how far Cassie has come as a leader.

[@VenomousHero993]

Thank you! Adding player choice to the story is a great idea as well, I like it🔥

[@yunehversomi1458]

A bit disappointed that Takeda and Frost never interacted. Felt like there was something potentially interesting there that could’ve explored but didn’t.

[@VenomousHero993]

I think the idea of having Frost join the Kombat Kids team would've been pretty cool. The interactions could have been interesting between her and Takeda fs

[@highlordlaughterofcanada8685]

And then they turned Cassie into a cringe millenial in MK 11 for some reason. At least in MK X she was actually funny.

[@christophergordon6250]

I don't know why people are just barely waking up to the realization that Mortal Kombat has sh!tty writing. Mortal Kombat's story writing has always been bad. It has not been a surprise for me. Even the 90's portion of Mortal Kombat's story started becoming convoluted once MK3 came out and started introducing robots and all of the other wacky plot points.

[@whitelasagna6786]

While I agree, it was at least fun. This shit ain't fun no more.

[@JasonTodd971]

Nah massively disagree

[@grindingtheaxe3027]

It's because X was the first time a story was the central focus. Yeah, we always knew MK's stories were a mess of inconsistencies, but it's cool. It's not about the story. Fast forward to X and now they're pushing an in game lore. Okay, Netherealm, let's see what you got when you're trying...and this was it.

[@joshgames1235]

Yoo I remember when u had 200 somthing subs ur doing good keep it up !!!

[@VenomousHero993]

🔥Thank you, homie! U have been there since the start, and I'm happy to have you along for the ride. It's only up from here!💯

[@acecashman1237]

If NRS wants to at least redeem the Kenshi and Takeda vs Red Dragon storyline, have Takeda join the base roster in MK13 and expand on Takeda's ending with the main game's story and have Kenshi along for the ride since he also wants to stop the Red Dragon. The dynamic would be different since it'd no longer be about justice for Sujin since she's still alive and Takeda is now Kenshi's cousin, but it's still something.

[@VenomousHero993]

Not a terrible idea and I'd be all for it but the damage is def done

[@jackdaone6469]

I always liked 4thSnake’s idea of the final battle between Cassie and Shinnok have Johnny in the mix as well, as he’s the veteran warrior who has greater mastery over the Cage family’s power and thus it would make Shinnok’s defeat less absurd, as Johnny had already beaten Shinnok once before. Plus, we could’ve had an awesome moment of a Cage Combo Nut Punch to finish him off.

[@RazuX5]

Takeda was the only one out of the group with the best potential while the others felt forced and unnecessary especially when the main lead (Cassie) was just a copy of her parents.

[@JJMcSkoozie222]

I liked them. It's NRS fault for completely leaving them hanging except for Cassie

[@GlamrockBunBun]

I really enjoyed how you put your thoughts into the characters. Especially for Takeda and Jacqui. I actually have an idea for Jacqui I don't think people noticed. There's concept art of Jacqui as a ninja in MKX and that got me thinking. Sub Zero could have been the one to help Jax get out of his trauma since they was both revenant that got freed. Sub zero could have helped Jax. Jax's wife could also be a part of the lin kuei too and that's how they met. Jax and Sub Zero could have had a deep and good friendship that was so close that Jax felt safe to have Jacqui be a fighter and learn from Sub Zero. Since Takeda played like scorpion and kenshi Jacqui could have played like Jax and Sub Zero but without the robot arms of course. This could have made Takeda and Jacqui's relationship more interesting since in MKX the two Clan still wasn't in good terms and for MK11 it could have been Takeda and Jacqui being engage and wanted to start a family. I know people would say she would be like Frost but Jacqui could be the one who only use ice technology or some of Frost's old moves from the 3D era but upgraded to fix Jacqui more. Jacqui could have been the old Frost gameplay since she's a cyborg now. That's a part of her playing like Jax's in a way and her and Frost could have had a sister like or aunt like relationship. I feel like with the route you made in the video could have added some good development between those two even more!

[@VenomousHero993]

This is an amazing idea, too, and would've added much needed depth to Jacqui’s character

[@sonicmoore6196]

Takeda was honestly the only one I liked and had potential

[@exavierreyes9902]

Personally going forward I hope the New Era does something for these characters. I know not all the changes are perfect or well liked but I find them genuinely interesting especially since it makes me feel like the story going forward could be less predictable

[@Lin_Kuei_1999]

tbh I agree with everything you've said here, but whats also a missed opportunity is also including Frost with them since she is technically the first kombat kid, she could've been interesting with these four instead of making her evil again with poor writing.

[@VenomousHero993]

For SURE. Having Frost join the team would add a very interesting dynamic to her and the group. Then, her and Takeda, being a reflection of the new relationship between the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei, would be cool too

[@ChrisX_212]

I think the issue with them is that in the process of boosting them up, NRS pushed the old guards into darker places and villain spots without making them a lot more interesting. I mean, when you see these kids beating down the renowned veterans like Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kitana, all because "Oh, they have fallen to the dark side"... it leaves a LOT of sour notes on these new kids. The kids are boosted at the cost of our beloved veterans being saddled with embarrassing roles. Imagine if in MKX, rather than being constantly antagonized by the now-revenant heroes, they are instead nurtured with care with the heroes still being sane and heroic, instead of just Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. Imagine Kung Jin being mentored by sane versions of Liu Kang and Kung Lao with a healthy relationship. I think things would've been a LOT better. At least that's for me anyway. But for NRS, that's not 'dramatic and engaging' enough of a conflict, it seems... Well, they paid the consequences...

[@VenomousHero993]

Yea I agree with this too. Having fan fav characters as revenants to get beat up by other characters only adds to how annoying the new characters feel. Would be better to introduce new minor threats/bad guys to beat up instead

[@ChrisX_212]

@@VenomousHero993 Perhaps using other lesser known characters as the punching bags instead of using the 'corrupted fan favorites' would've been a better way. Like instead of beating revenant Liu Kang, Kung Lao, etc, they instead beat up... Mavado, Kobra, Kira, Hsu Hao... Also, remember how D'Vorah, though not part of the Kombat Kids, earned the ire of the fandom, although just one of the factors: She killed a fan favorite: Mileena. Lesson learned: Respect the fan favorites instead of humiliating them to boost up the new additions! P.S: You know what, I think "analyzing whether the 'Revenant'-icization of the characters in MKX was badly executed or not" seems like a pretty solid topic to tackle. Just my opinion though.

[@acecashman1237]

it's especially weird considering the 3 of them had non-revenant forms as their base costumes in the game, with Liu and Lao specifically looking aged (Kitana still looks young for obvious reasons) meaning NRS definitely could've just had them be resurrected as well and play bigger roles in the story. You still had the other revenants (Smoke, Nightwolf, Sindel, Stryker) that could've served as the go-to punching bags instead.

[@VenomousHero993]

I agree. Respecting the fan favorites is a must. I also agree that having them best up lesser known characters would help, too. It would also help to shed a light on the lesser known ones I like the revenant video idea. I'll be sure to add that to my list of possible topics🔥

[@dandantsm6560]

Love your analysis and love your suggestions! Also as a person who loves character design (i'm an artist/illustrator who loves concept art) it also bothers me how they're part of a special forces of the military but they ALL use different uniforms, even Cassie and Jacqui who are more western. I wish they had a more unified look that made more sense when they're at work, but of course with a few diferent details to adapt their hand-to-hand kombat style. Would be cool too if they were a special kind of special forces, like "inter-dimentional special forces" or something, that would allow more freedom on how they work and make them more believable as part of the military. That would explain why not just straight up use guns all the time. I also wish they didn't turn Sonya's powers fully into technology so Cassie would have more variety in her power, resulting in a more unique mix for Cassie. And it would also be cool if her powers had a different "combined" color, like light yellow to signify the mix of green and pink or red light. Anyway... I hope if they ever return they handle them better. But Takeda is already back and i'm not sure how he'll turn out, he's now Kenshi's cousin, not his son.

[@VenomousHero993]

Great point, I didn't think about that. I also hope they bring them back and do them justice but idk how much I trust NRS writers at this point

[@FriedGamer]

If Shinnok got the jump on Jacqui, that would’ve been a good reason for Cassie to unlock green

[@ArchangelSteve]

My issue with the story ending and Cassie's victory is her whole story is about her proving she's a capable member of the group who got where she is by her own means and not because of who her parents are, and the end sees her winning thanks to her special powers that she got from her father, literally victory through nepotism. It was nothing she did herself, like she didn't distract Shinnok for Raiden to get a final blow or steal the amulet from him and trap him in it herself, she won because she's a Cage.

[@VenomousHero993]

Yep. I agree with you on that. Just felt like blind luck she was born a Cage. Good point

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

Sucks how the new game treated the Kombat Kids like they’re an embarrassing phase, in the base game’s storyline. Reminds me how Hso Hao was treated like a joke all because the designers hated him.

[@willfromphill]

Great video

[@richstar40]

I feel that Johnny’s team should consist of one member of each faction to represent a united Earthrealm. Cassie (SF), Takeda (Shirai Ryu), Jin (Shaolin), and Frost (Lin Kuei). SubZero would have chosen Frost after her attempt to kill Scorpion in hopes that she would learn to work with outside factions. His speech at the end of Jacqui’s chapter in MKX would hit different if Frost was there with the team. I wouldn’t get rid of Jacqui though. Just have her stay in Special Forces as an engineer. This is mostly because Sonya doesn’t want to further damage her relationship with Jax. Maybe Johnny sneaks Jacqui away from the base to go on a mission with the other kids, resulting in Sonya finding out. Let that be the reason why Sonya is really angry towards Johnny because he knows how much Jax means to Sonya.

[@VenomousHero993]

This is an amazing idea. I like this a lot. This would add depth to everyone and include frost while giving the adults solid arcs, too. The more i think about the more, I think Frost should've been in the group

[@JADub87]

I was okay with the Kombat kids tbh. I like the idea of them working as a team to defeat Shinnok. I must say although MKX was dope, the character models were terrible. They looked so generic.

[@juanmaldonado5280]

I really liked kung Jin mostly for his gameplay I don’t really remember much about the story but I was upset when they announced that the final kombat pass with kung Jin in it wasn’t gonna happen no more I hope they do drop it anyways cause I wanna whoop more ass with him

[@jackdaone6469]

It’s a damn shame the Kombat Kids failed. Takeda was a cool character and, quite frankly, I adored Cassie Cage.

[@krodmandoon3479]

"I am _____'s child." has never been enough to build a character. Look at Damien Wayne or Dakken for perfect examples.

[@VenomousHero993]

Agreed. Each character needs to be built. U can't make a character instantly good/likable off of the legacy of previously established characters

[@zxylo786]

Cassie and Takeda were the only cool ones, the rest fucking sucked.

[@mateuszmarciniak2828]

If I had a nickel for every time a hero's daughter named Cassie was a wasted character, I'd have two nickels

[@GanonAutumn777]

Wish this criticism was listened to a whole lot earlier cuz the fandom was busy stroking NRS's ego saying how this is "the best fighting game storytelling of all time in the history of ever" back in the 2010s which led to the dumpster fire that was mk11's story Takeda being absent from 11 in particular baffles me considering his arc and the ties he had as Hanzo's disciple

[@theepoopydoodoo]

It seems that no other fighting game franchise, whether it be Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, or Soul Calibur can get that "next generation" of heroes right quite like Tekken did. And I think what these franchises fail to realize is Tekken took huge risks both with withholding characters from the roster and story risks. Though I disagree with Heihachi coming back for Tekken 8, it's still ballsy not having him on launch. Idk MK could really use a writing refresh, not another reboot, but committment to an idea.

[@VenomousHero993]

Agreed 100%. Gotta commit

[@BigJonB36]

And to think, this was the 2nd attempt at Kombat Kids, with Li Mei (since aged to be a crone), Kira, and Kobra (and arguably Ashrah).

[@futureDreamer4]

Thanos snap all of them except for Takeda.

[@Zaire_39]

Let Kung Jin survive. Cassie & Jacqui needs to be removed

[@exavierreyes9902]

I don't mind them being the Kombat Kousins as long as they get good/better characterization and story arcs

[@thewebstergaming5805]

Out of the kombat kids Mkx Takeda was and is goated. I hate that the mk community dislikes Jacqui for just being herself

[@VenomousHero993]

I like all 4 of em. Jacqui is only boring to me cuz they didn't give her any real story or development

[@feuryie]

it seems takeda was fleshed out in the comics and i think jackie's stuff is mentioned a bit but is more fleshing out jax's problems rather than jackie's. that aside no one was really fleshed out further outside takeda in the books that you needed to get the books to see that

[@VenomousHero993]

I'd consider the comic more if they said it was fully canon and stuck to it. But they said that only SOME of the comic is canon, and some isn't, so idk what to believe from it and try to avoid using it to explain lore. I might make a full video on the comic alone at some point to help clarify what I'm talking about

[@feuryie]

@@VenomousHero993 yeah, it was their easy out, so they could leave out what was inconvenient but keep what they enjoyed. essentially it means nothing is canon cuz they'll just toss it out willy nilly.

[@chloeirnes]

Hard disagree. They were great and each game since X has been awful. NRS should have stuck with them instead of more LK and rebooting everything.

[@VenomousHero993]

Yea. I agree. I like them, want whats best for their (and everyone elses) story, and think MK should stop rebooting the game. That's why I make these videos. It's from a place of love for the franchise

[@justrandomstuff6828]

We? Who's we? Nintendo We? Jaqui and Kung Jin suck, Takeda and Cassie were absolute gems

[@soupermoviecritic8511]

If it was Takeda, who is the only one that’s good. The other three are just insufferable.

[@omegammx2]

I’m a Cassie Cage fan, she actually became my main. Made me mad that MK1 restarted the timeline. Literally uninstalled it and reinstalled MK11.

[@Stanlos]

Failed? I like them.

[@VenomousHero993]

I liked them too. I just think they failed them narratively, theres so much more that they could have done with their stories

[@Black_Frost212]

@@VenomousHero993thankfully we got can just make a fanfic for all that (although I don’t really trust many people with Jin seeing as how some people don’t care about some parts of his character or will just make him a gay stereotype, which is something I don’t want for him)

[@Black_Frost212]

Honestly, I blame the fact that we only got them as a team for one game and then the next game the two boys were cut off and 11 made the whole reset happen. Although I love each of them for what we got for them, as someone who happens to be a gay man having Jin exist and be ACTUAL decent rep for someone like me made me feel happy! Plus he’s voiced by JVB so that’s a bonus! (And if I had a nickel every time he voiced a character that happened to be gay I would have two nickels) Takeda is great especially with his story with his father despite everything I like Jacqui she to me feels like the one whose the heart of the team seeing how compassionate she can be for them (while also not being afraid to talk shit back when Jin is being a dick) Cassie is wonderful mixture of her parents and I love that for her and it helped Johnny mature so much and I just like a good father daughter relationship

[@sav9561]

All I’m saying was kitana was my go to character each mortal kombat game but baby when I saw Cassie and her gameplay in X oh she got benched along with mileena but after x she got so boring to play and I’m like wtf happened

[@CharellDavis-x4z]

To be fair, MK9 set the story of MKX up for failure. You can’t just have Sindel squad wipe half the roster and expect people to NOT want a proper follow up. MKX is honestly the most I liked all the Kombat Kids. I hope the New Era sets them up smarter, though.

[@VenomousHero993]

Agreed. I like them too. Just wish MK stuck with them and tried to complete their stories rather than reset everything again

[@SmokeGoneDead]

Possibly a bad take but they became lost after the departure of John Tobias

[@VenomousHero993]

I agree

[@splat-boy5414]

Tekeda is still my favorite nrs era character he’s so cool

[@magicwandstudio3141]

I hate them because all the spotlight that they can use for older charscter like Sindel, Li Mei, Kai, and even Sareena.

[@Dogofwar9]

They just arent better than their parents or Scorpion and Subzero. Alot of their stories feel like extensions for other characters rather than being their own.

[@yurikendal4868]

Takeda is in mk1.

[@Machete87]

only issue is his n Kenshi's backstory got tweaked in the worst way possible. yakuza no red dragon n some reason Kenshi happened to be Takeda's cousin instead of father n son backstory.

[@SapphoAi]

Thanks

[@gentlemanjared]

You can't have a New Generation if you don't have the old gen step aside.

[@ryyrahh9787]

If Liu Kang and Kitana & Kung Lao and Jade would’ve revenant kids while they was revenants and had them battling Cassie and Crew maybe they would’ve have a chance

[@VenomousHero993]

Good idea for sure. Could work too

[@SpiritAnimal-zi1rh]

I don't care about Jacqui and Kung Jin, but I actually like Cassie Cage and Takeda, Cassie Cage is a combination between Sonya's looks and intelligence with Johnny Cage's personality, and Takeda is great at the combination of Scorpion and Kenshi, these two are the only Kombat kids that I like, I only didn't like Jacqui and Kung Jin, Jacqui is a female Jax and Kung Jin is a thief turned hero, so only Takeda and Cassie Cage that are good in terms of the Kombat kids.

[@jordanthomas5222]

I know i love the Kombat kids but did you guys know that Kung Jin is Gay that's what's up

[@DuskMindAbyss]

Controversial opinion, i dont mind Takeda being Kenshi's cousin instead of his son now in M1K. Its a reboot, things are meant to CHANGE, and if they use this as a way to finally tell his story of vengeance, then its worth it to me.

[@VenomousHero993]

Sure. That's all well and good. They can do whatever in the reboot cuz ur right. It IS meant to change. I just wish we didn't reboot THIS quickly Edit: I also hope they tell that story and do it well. Unfortunately I dont trust these NRS writers

[@DuskMindAbyss]

@VenomousHero993 honest with how meh M1K did, i woyldnt be surprised Warner makes ANOTHER REBOOT yet again

[@VenomousHero993]

Me either bro. Id expect it in the next game or so

[@The_Texorcist]

I never really felt any love or attachment to the MK Kids. It just felt half baked of an idea, their stories weren’t horrible but their design wasn’t memorable. They all left me feeling that their parents could easily kick their ass. I mean even NR figured that out cause by the next game the focus was put back on the original roster with the original main protagonist becoming a god.

[@Crimefighter]

Who exactly made that determination that these characters were flops?

[@Rough_Estimates]

Compared to what we ended up with? I miss them

[@VenomousHero993]

Same

[@tylermeyer2163]

NRS is a mess in general right now and I feel the Mortal Kombat franchise is officially on life support.

[@jaytonius560]

That’s what happens when you don’t think ahead, try to please everyone, and sell your soul to a greedy corporation.

[@GhostDraggon_]

Honestly I liked all of them and was really looking forward to how they would further develop but since the timeline got reset we'll never see any of them again. Yes we have Takeda but this is a different version from a different timeline so he isnt even the same guy. And i gotta admit that as a gay man I had a bit of a soft spot for Kung Jin. It was nice having a gay character whose sexuality was a small piece of his overall character and not the majority of it. Its just so disappointing that they were thrown away like that

[@VenomousHero993]

Agreed, I wish we got more of them

[@JasonTodd971]

I LOVE the Kombat Kids… Kung Jin is my favourite but they are all AWESOME

[@cjbradley1197]

14:52 actually, Takeda was in the new era, he’s now Kenshi’s cousin instead of his son, which isn’t any better

[@VenomousHero993]

Yea, I'm aware. But that's the point that Takeda is not the same guy. Everyone except Liu Kang and Geras were wiped from existence and became something completely new. And Shang Tsung I guess

[@ThePizza3d]

Cassie and Jacqui are hot, so I still would like to have them being playable

[@VenomousHero993]

Based

[@GiuseppeMario-d8y]

I _refused_ to believe that Cassie was Johnny and Sonya's daughter in MKX, unless they had Cassie when they were _12!_

[@Black_Frost212]

Well in MKX they are like pushing 50’s so they had her when there where in there thirties 😂 it’s literally in Johnnys bio that’s pushing 50 😂

[@GiuseppeMario-d8y]

@@Black_Frost212 Yet apart from some touch of gray in their hair, neither of them *look* a day over 30. Maybe that was an oversight, but it looks weird all the same.

[@Black_Frost212]

@@GiuseppeMario-d8y honestly some people just age well ya know

[@GiuseppeMario-d8y]

@ Indeed! The late, great Tina Turner was fine brandy in human form. Yes, some people age well. And some character designers are horny. Some character designers aren't horny but have ghoulish executives ordering "No old people!" because their focus group of 13 year old boys didn't want to see people their parents' age in a Mortal Kombat game. Some character designers are ageist pricks. And some character designers are just plain lazy! Nuance is your friend. Makes life _so_ much more interesting. I don't know if one, or any, or even _many_ of those reasons were why 30-something-looking Johnny and Sonya had 20-something Cassie, but it's weird all the same.

[@VNvader]

I just liked playing kung jin and Cassie in Mkx

[@SaleemSchulden]

They should’ve made Shinnok ultra hard to beat and make 4 of our heroes fight him one after another like in KOF, so it would seem in movie that they beat him together like TMNT

[@VenomousHero993]

Agreed

[@LilDollFangs]

Takeda is now Kousin in mk1? unsure how that works at all.. I cant say I enjoy Cassie as a character at all. I miss jin but i doubt theyll bring him back

[@VenomousHero993]

Unfortunately, I think NRS gave up on them, and we will MAYBE see them as future DLCs who dont contribute much to the story. I hope I'm wrong tho and NRS can do them justice

[@Zaire_39]

Kung Jin & Takeda had so much personality but they decided to ditch them for two of the most uninteresting characters ever.

[@Izzythedestryr]

Good writing, bad characterization. Johnny should've had a son who was the opposite of him, Jackie should've been a criminal. These characters needed more obvious character arcs bc no one is looking for depth in MK characters irl. you could get depth, but you have to spell it out then make it complicated, not the other way around.

[@exavierreyes9902]

Next gen and legacy characters in fighting games are usually hit or miss

[@danteyoung5752]

The whole vid is very well thought out and the opinion posed is great....but it got me thinking. *Why did they do my girl Frost so damn bad* They couldve done so much more with frost but nah, lets have subby freeze her solid for X then in 11 we'll make her some weirdo cyborg that isnt interesting at all.

[@VenomousHero993]

Thank you! I appreciate it.🔥 Yea, Frost was done pretty bad. Was literally just a cameo in MKX and then a wacky cyborg in MK11. Imma have to make a vid on her at some point

[@oolooo]

This is what happens when you try to offer Mortal Kombat fans anything remotely different .You have to feed them shit and MKII-MKIII pandering (Plus Quan Chi for some reason) .

[@Axle3000]

For cassie I think her living up to her mother as a leader by rejecting everything about her father shouldve been added.

[@VenomousHero993]

Great idea actually

[@Black_Frost212]

@@VenomousHero993imo that idea is kinda ass when you take into account that Johnny is not only a good father to Cassie but he was also a present one 😂

[@VenomousHero993]

The idea wouldn't be about Johnny's competency as a father. It would be about Cassie going to extremes to meet expectations. A story like this would create tension between her and her father, where Johnny would feel like he struggles to be close with her, and Cassie ignores him because she's hyper-focused on living up to her mother. This hypothetical would likely end with Cassie learning to be close with her dad and accept that she doesn't need to be serious all the time. It's ok to lighten up and have fun

[@Black_Frost212]

@@VenomousHero993 that’s still causing an unnecessary strain in there relationship though…

[@VenomousHero993]

Yea, that's the point. Characters need flaws to overcome so that we can care and relate to them. At the end of the hypothetical, they would be closer than before, making it a stronger relationship

[@breez0670]

Part about Jaci is valid but by that logic liu kang is boring or a trash character he has no flaws and reveals around raiden and his flaws even when he’s evil liu kang is nothing special

[@VenomousHero993]

Well, yea. I don't particularly like NRS Liu Kang. I do think he's pretty boring. However, he does have some more things going for him in that era than Jacqui. Like, his disagreement with Raiden which led to his death and subsequent revenant form. It's not good, but it's better/more than what Jacqui got

[@ЁжикневТумане-р6и]

Я тоже согласен с тем, что Лю канг - самый плохой персонаж в плане сценария, которого можно написать вообще. Не побоюсь даже сказать, что это худший из всех персонажей, что мне довелось видеть вообще.

[@Nerdy_The_Punk]

I liked tekada I was angry he was not in 11

[@VOAN]

Mortal Kombat really needs to stop rebooting or retconning its story cause then it ruin the newer characters who could have had a great build up or benefit to the series.

[@VenomousHero993]

Exactly what I think man fr

[@jaytonius560]

They wouldn’t have to reboot their stories if they actually knew how to write them.

[@pettybee3860]

I did kind of enjoy Jacqui and Takeda's little love story though

[@VenomousHero993]

Me too. I liked the idea. I wish it would've held more weight for the each of them tho. As it stands it just felt like, "oh thats nice." When I believe the relationship could've been a nice way to reflect their growth and how they help each other achieve that growth

[@ЁжикневТумане-р6и]

А мне нет. Особенно с МК11. Там Джеки плохо отзываетесь обо всём, в чём Такеда вырос. Бывшего какого-то в диалоге с Кейси вспоминает. Зачем? + её концовка для него тоже плохая. И Джакс от Такеды не в восторге, хотя даже Китана за него вступается.

[@ChanceYolo]

Tbh I’ve always felt like the MK story-telling from NRS was dogshit. It feels like they want so badly for their stories to be amazing but it just never happens. A certain part of that is because it’s hard to write a great story that centers around making excuses for 60 different fights.

[@VenomousHero993]

Agreed. Its possible tho. Its simply a writing issue lol

[@xepicxyoshix5982]

Casey is not a teen, she is 25yo in MKX

[@patrickjennings431]

The kombat kids seems fine to me they're like the young justice of mortal kombat so I don't get the negativity with them

[@VenomousHero993]

I like the kombat kids. I don't like how they were written. I just wish MK's writers did better with their stories

[@greg.soular]

I will take the worst characters from MK 5 and 6 over the Kombat kids any day

[@DintheAbary]

Should have been a shaolin monks like spin off with the 4 of them taking on side missions. MKX was a great follow up to MK9 I hated MK11 onwards.

[@VenomousHero993]

Agreed