Mortal Kombat (2021) broke a 29-year-old franchise tradition regarding Liu Kang that only Mortal Kombat 2 can restore. As the first theatrical Mortal Kombat movie since 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, the 2021 reboot had the difficult mission of reigniting the live-action side of the franchise. Between the violence and the special effects, Mortal Kombat (2021) accurately portrayed the visuals and the tone of the MK games. That said, Mortal Kombat had flaws, including sidelining important characters like Scorpion and Liu Kang.

The cast of Mortal Kombat 2 is even bigger than that of the first movie, which makes sense considering that “death is merely another portal” in the MK universe. With returning characters joining new friends and foes for the sequel, the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 will have an even bigger challenge in giving everyone time to shine. This is something the first movie struggled with, as seen with the lack of attention given to Liu Kang.

Cole Young Was The “Chosen One” In Mortal Kombat, Not Liu Kang

Cole Young was the main character in Mortal Kombat (2021)

Unlike most Mortal Kombat game storylines and animated adaptations, Liu Kang was not the “chosen one” in Mortal Kombat (2021). In most versions of the Mortal Kombat universe, including in the original timeline that began with the 1992 game, Liu Kang is the Earthrealm champion whose destiny is to win the Mortal Kombat tournament and save the day. Even though Mortal Kombat has always had an impressive lineup of characters, Liu Kang was the franchise’s original protagonist and winner of the first Mortal Kombat depicted in the games. This wasn’t the case for Mortal Kombat (2021).

The Mortal Kombat reboot’s main character was Cole Young, who works as the “chosen one” in the 2021 film. Cole was born with the Mark of the Dragon, making him an instantly special character whose destiny was to participate in Mortal Kombat and save Earthrealm. Cole was an original character created for the movie and also worked as a replacement for Johnny Cage, who did not appear in the reboot. A descendant of Scorpion, Cole was tracked down by both Raiden and Shang Tsung, with the movie’s plot centering around him.

Curiously, there was not a tournament in Mortal Kombat (2021). Therefore, Cole Young did not actually replace Liu Kang as the winner of the tenth Mortal Kombat. Still, Cole Young was the protagonist whose role in stopping Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn was bigger than he imagined – a storyline that is usually given to Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat. Liu Kang was in the 2021 reboot, but the fan-favorite MK character was not given much to do. In the latest Mortal Kombat, Liu Kang felt like just another warrior.

Liu Kang Has Been Mortal Kombat’s Ultimate Hero Since The First Game

Mortal Kombat was synonymous with Liu Kang for years

Liu Kang became the face of the Mortal Kombat franchise following the release of the first game. Between the sequels and the live-action movies from the 1990s, Mortal Kombat was synonymous with Liu Kang. In addition to being the chosen one who was supposed to win the tournament, Liu Kang was also given a meaningful backstory that expanded the franchise’s lore and would later tie into Kung Lao, who was also sidelined in the 2021 reboot. Liu Kang was the main character in Mortal Kombat (1995) and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, the former of which saw him winning the tournament.

It must be noted that Scorpion has arguably matched or even surpassed Liu Kang’s popularity recently, with Hanzo becoming the new face of the Mortal Kombat franchise. For example, the first entry in the current series of animated MK movies was called Scorpion’s Revenge and focused on Hanzo’s journey to becoming Scorpion. Even still, the animated Mortal Kombat movies acknowledged Liu Kang’s importance to the story, particularly regarding how Raiden believes the Shaolin monk is the only one who can defeat Shang Tsung in the tournament and prevent Earthrealm from being invaded by Outworld.

In the games’ lore, Liu Kang’s first Mortal Kombat victory prevented Goro from winning 10 tournaments in a row, saving Earthrealm as a result. Liu Kang would also be the ultimate winner in Mortal Kombat 2 and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, not to mention all the storylines focused on his character. Liu Kang even received his own spinoff game alongside Kung Lao, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. The Mortal Kombat universe has gone through reboots and time-travel shenanigans, yet Liu Kang continues to be one of the pillars of the franchise.

Why Cole Young Was Made The Protagonist In Mortal Kombat

Cole Young was the “point of view character” in Mortal Kombat

The decision to include an original character in Mortal Kombat (2021) and make him the film’s protagonist took many by surprise. Considering how many established Mortal Kombat champions there were already for the movie to use, plus how there hadn’t been a live-action MK movie since 1997, the reboot was expected to focus on names like Johnny Cage and Liu Kang. Instead, Mortal Kombat took the risky decision of telling the classic MK origin story without the tournament and using Cole Young as the “point of view character.”

The point of view character in Mortal Kombat is usually Johnny Cage, which means he serves as the audience’s point of view in this complex world full of magic, monsters, and other realms. In most versions of Mortal Kombat’s story, including in the 1995 movie and the animated franchise, Johnny Cage is the regular human who has no idea what Mortal Kombat is and must learn the tournament rules alongside the audience. This role was given to Cole Young in 2021’s Mortal Kombat, which, combined with his Scorpion connection, made him the focus of the movie.

Mortal Kombat 2 Can Make Liu Kang Into The Saga’s Protagonist Again

Liu Kang can still win the tournament in Mortal Kombat 2

Mortal Kombat (2021) did not have a tournament, meaning Liu Kang can still be the character to win it all and save Earthrealm. Assuming Mortal Kombat 2 will include the tournament, there is no better opportunity to fix the first movie’s Liu Kang mistake. Even if Cole Young continues to be an important character in the sequel, Liu Kang should be the one to win the tournament for Earthrealm. A victory in Mortal Kombat would not mean that Earth is safe, though, especially because Shang Tsung has already broken the rules of the Elder Gods in the first film.

Therefore, there should be plenty of room for Mortal Kombat 2 and potential sequels to give all main characters their time to shine. Mortal Kombat 2 will have to balance the screen times of its protagonists, a list that has now increased with the arrival of Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage. Hopefully, not only will Liu Kang be given the time in the spotlight he deserves, but all characters will get to do something important in Mortal Kombat 2. Adding an original character into the saga is not a problem, but Mortal Kombat can’t forget its other champions.