I agree. I think there were plenty of other opportunities for create "generic" whipping boys to give not only Reptile a chance, but Baraka as well.

For example, look at Defenders of the Realm (that cartoon show). They created plenty of generic fighters that the main cast would beat up (Lin Kuei cyborgs, Reptilians, Tarkatans, etc.)

NRS should use a similar approach so their main characters don't lose fan respect. They need to stop pretending like there aren't any other inhabitants of Outworld (or any other realm for that matter) worthy of fighting just for fighting's sake.

I dunno, I mean... Didn't he become the Dragon King? Well, his body, anyways (if I remember correctly). It's not like ALL he does is lose.

But I agree, it's time for a lot of the lackeys to stop being lackeys and underlings. They need to start doing their own scheming, having their own solid plotlines and do more than simply serve the big bad guy.

Not a great comparison, but in Game of Thrones, everyone seems to have their own agenda, their own ways of trying to further their own agenda, good people do bad things, bad people do good things, there's shades of gray in everyone.

I'd kinda like to see MK get out of the early 90's "evil boss and minions versus good guys" motif and start making all of these characters more three dimensional and have them interact with one another more.

Have a good guy turn on everyone. Have a bad guy become the Chosen One (like they did in Shang Tsung's ending, only that obviously didn't happen in the story mode...). Stick a good guy and a bad guy together and force them to work together for something.

In other words, no one should be a "lackey" anymore. No one should have a role as just the minion serving the master. If NRS wants to take the story mode to the next level, it has to have characters that are fully rounded and not just good, evil, master, subserviant etc.

WELL SAID!!! Much like the old MK endings implied, they all had their own alterier motives. Now it seems like they're trying to run all the stories together (well most anyway) or the endings are so bizarre it makes you care less for the character.