I just want to say for the record that when I talk about MK4-MKD characters, half the ones in that image are absolutely NOT the ones I'm talking about.
A couple are.
The one thing that seems to be consistent about MK4-MKD characters is there's very little consistency to people's opinions. MOST of them have very little history or story established, beyond their first outing if any. So who people like and who people hate is largely based in the individual tastes of those people, and what kind of character YOU PERSONALLY are into...
I see so many people make blanket posts about, "These ones are obviously the good ones, the rest are trash" but the next person can completely disagree.
This is the truth of the matter, in my opinion:
MK4: Quan Chi is the stand-out that's almost universally considered "Good"
Tanya gets a little more fan momentum because of her MKD appearance and ties to the female ninjas. Shinnok gets a little more momentum as the former big bad. The rest are a complete crapshoot and a matter of personal taste.
MKDA: Kenshi is the stand-out that's almost universally considered "Good"
Bo Rai Cho gets a little extra credit because of heavy ties to the backstory of the series' chief protagonist and more face time than most. Frost gets a LITTLE extra because of that same female ninja cred as Tanya. Everyone else is a complete crapshoot and a matter of personal taste.
MKD: Havik is the stand-out that's almost universally considered "Good"
Everyone else is a complete crapshoot and a matter of personal taste. This one doesn't even get secondary picks, because there was no strong story to build any of these characters up past MKD itself. None of them ever got a second outing.
Armageddon wasn't a strong story for anyone but Taven, Daegon and Blaze, and we don't need any of them back desperately, as Armageddon didn't go over well with anyone. Blaze would have made for a fun character in MK9, as a nod to his MK2 appearance, but no one wants to see him back as a boss, or the main focus.
SO... ultimately the only ones you can make a strong case for are Quan Chi, Kenshi and Havik (and MK9 supports this). You can make a 50/50 case for Shinnok, Tanya & Bo Rai Cho. "What happened to Frost?" you might ask... well she dropped out of favor between the MKDA paragraph and now. Because that's how thin the ice she's standing on is (pun half-intended). She's really not that important or universally popular, she mostly just rides the Ninja/Lin Kuei coat tails to pseudo-popularity. And again, everyone beyond them is a complete crapshoot...
If for some reason you think someone beyond those is more favorable than the others, examine how much of that is actually real, and how much of it is your own personal bias making you delusional. The MK4 characters in particular, with this game, seem to be getting an extra-delusional kick in the ass, just based on the "Netherealm Wars" and the overlap with MK4's story. People are all of a sudden acting like Fujin, Reiko and Kai especially were popular characters? Are you kidding me? They vanished from MK4 'til MKA, came back for 10 lackluster minutes with all the other lamest characters in the series in Armageddon (most of which were from MK4, actually) then went back to being forgotten just as quickly. Let's not act like they were always strong presences or anything here.
"But that's just like, your opinion man..."
While it is my opinion, I assure you, I'm doing my best to remove my own personal bias delusion from this post and speak objectively here.
There are very few standout characters amongst the later games. Most of that is because Netherealm Studios, doesn't give half as much focus to those characters as they do the classics from MK1 and MK2, and that will probably never change. It could be argued some of them could be better characters if they got that focus (And they could! Reiko could! I admit.) BUT... thus far they haven't. And it's only wishful thinking at this point to ASSUME they finally will in MKX.
Beyond acknowledging those standouts that already exist, I'm trying to keep most of my opinions out of it.
THESE are my opinions...
(Potential for personal bias and delusion beyond this point...)
I personally hate Kenshi, but I acknowledge he's the most popular Deadly Alliance character with the community at large, and give him that nod. I personally love Nitara, but you'll notice I didn't even mention her up to this point, because I know that despite how awesome I think she is, no amount of my own personal taste is going to save her. I also actually really like Frost which may be why I gave her a slight nod, but acknowledge that she's really not that necessary at the end of the day, once you get past the fun of a female Sub-Zero.
I feel like the tale of Shujinko and Onaga will need to be addressed at some point, because it's a very big plot point from the old canon that should still be going on in the background of the new canon... but it doesn't ever NEED to be the focus again. I personally love Onaga, but I don't think he's so loved that he'll ever need to be the main antagonist again. It will likely be addressed through backstory. It will probably even play into MKX in some small capacity along the way of explaining why the Kamidogu are daggers in this canon.
I actually think the MKDA roster on the whole is one of the stronger ones, and doesn't get enough credit (Hsu Hao and Mokap not withstanding). I think MK4 and MKD are both weaker by comparison. But to each his own ultimately.
That's why it's such a crapshoot: To each his own.
None of these characters have much history. None of them have had much opportunity to endear themselves to fans. MOST of them haven't even made a second appearance that wasn't Armageddon.
And I think that plays a large part in making the MK4 and MKD rosters feel weaker than MKDA. Most of the MK4 and MKD characters never got a real followup appearance. Wheras many of the MKDA characters DID get a followup appearance in MKD, which strengthened their roll a little more and gave them a little more face time to endear themselves to the fanbase.
Why are Quan Chi and Tanya popular? Because they're good, or because they got a solid foundation in MK4, with more story built in MKDA and MKD?
Why is Kenshi popular? Why do fans acknowledge Bo Rai Cho more than others? Because they're good, or because they carried over from MKDA to MKD?
Why is MKD's cast one of the least liked and well-remembered? Because they suck, or because so far none of them have had that second chance to build into something more?
So ultimately what's my point? I dunno. A lot of people just don't seem to be separating themselves from their picks tbh... I guess.
Many of them have potential, but potential doesn't guarantee a followup appearance by a damn sight in this franchise, where MK1 and MK2 characters take 2/3rds of the roster most of the time. Too many people seem to be jumping the gun based on the handful THEY think are "the good ones"
It baffles me that some people are still 100% convinced Fujin has good odds, even though, the only sequel he ever returned in was Armageddon. He showed up in the comic wearing his MKA outfit, which seems like a kiss of death. And as if that weren't enough, he was mentioned to possibly be dead in the challenge tower info we saw recently.
Fujin's odds look god awful from where I'm standing, yet people who like him are completely convinced he'll be in.
I am under no delusions that Nitara will make it in. I heart her, but her odds are terrible.
The fans of Fujin and Reiko and Kai and Hotaru and Tremor and Ashrah and So on and So forth... need to evaluate how much of their vision is clouded by personal bias, and brace their expectations for potential disappointment. I'll be thrilled if some of these characters get that second chance they need, but I don't EXPECT it at all in most cases.
