razz2d2 Wrote:
What about DA's 'Liu Kano'?

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
Depicting him as permanently affected by the events of MK9 would not only give more lasting meaning to the some of the meaningless plot devices and stupid moments written into MK9, but would also perhaps make it easier for them to stomach writing a story that treats him like a villain and give him karmic retribution for all the fucked up things he said and did in MK9.

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
But I don't want to see it if they're going to paint Liu Kang as the bad guy and Raiden as the good guy because that would feel dishonest to me, like NRS artificially engineering the situation

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
Buuut I bet there's no way in Hell that's going to happen, I bet NRS doesn't believe Raiden did anything truly villainous, or that he deserves to be called the "God of Blunder" or that they've ruined the character's reputation in the eyes of the fans. He's gonna keep on wearing white and being the protector of Earth like nothing's wrong because that's the story they wanted to tell and they don't much care if the audience read a different message than what they intended from the end product. I could be wrong about that, maybe I'm just being bitter and cynical...but that's my prediction.

FerraTorr Wrote:


Sounds like it. From the way Boon was talking Liu Kang has been alive & aging. That would mean he's probably covered in burns and pissed off to boot.

Immortal_Kanji Wrote:
- Killer Instinct: Both except more brutal than peaceful

Immortal_Kanji Wrote:
How about for the three styles Liu will gain...

- Dragon Fire: Fire Attacks
- Shaolin Fist: Shaolin Techniques

cpleck Wrote:
If Liu does come back, I don't necessarily need him hooded, but I would want him to be covered in Lichtenberg Figures (scars left by being struck by lightning). I think that would definitely look sick as hell.

Sub-Zero_7th Wrote:
I'm of the opinion that he should just stay dead. Given the theme of MKX, we need more focus on new characters as well as post-MK3 characters.

thisiscourage Wrote:
I would really dig this idea. If lui comes back like nothing happened I will be beyond pissed. On top of it all I have never liked Lui's character. Just WAYY too good guy righteous. Hopefully now he is a little darker and less.. Annoying.

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
He wasn't out cold, dude. He was dead.

Not that he can't come back. It's MK, resurrections happen. He could even still have the scars. But what you saw was a corpse. We've been over that part before.

RazorsEdge701 Wrote:
To be fair, what was best about the original, heroic Liu Kang, the things that made him an interesting character for people who enjoy optimistic, hopeful/inspirational role model-type heroes, like Superman or Captain America, actually doesn't exist in MK9's universe. (And there ARE people in the world who want stories about that kind of hero, as you can see from all the people who complain on the net about stuff like that Godzilla was a better hero who destroyed less of the city in his movie than Supes did in Man of Steel)

At no point in Story Mode is he the Cartwheel-Uppercut guy who refuses to succumb to Shang's corrupt rules and kill people in the tournament. They gave that to Johnny Cage instead, while Liu gave him a dirty look about it for some bizarre reason, as if he has the opposite personality now.

And never in MK2 is he conflicted about giving up his No-Killing-Rule to avenge his slaughtered temple, they severely marginalized the importance of the Shaolin being attacked and made that scene all about Sonya being kidnapped instead. It's like Liu and Kung weren't even mad!


Not to mention He and Kitana have only two very short scenes together, they transferred the "conspires with her during MK2" role to Raiden.


He doesn't really do ANYTHING in MK9 except defeat bosses when they need to be defeated as lip service to the fact that the previous games SAY he's the only one who can, without ever getting into WHY he's the only one who can.

So he's more like a briefly seen plot device than a character in terms of role and development, they reduced his entire personality down to "typical blind-faith religious nut, totally devoted to Raiden and does whatever he says until Raiden's ideas do more harm than good, which shatters his faith and turns him into the equivalent of an angsty rebellious teen who just discovered Atheism to get back at his parents for forcing church down his throat."

Liu was the archetypal hero who stood out in contrast to the darkness of the rest of the characters, and that strength-of-character is why he was the main good guy. Now he's just another fighter in a cynical world, which means he doesn't really matter, you don't need him because he doesn't do anything someone else can't do. I mean it's not like he's the only guy who devoted himself to protecting Earthrealm and died for it, and he's far from the only guy who has a good reason to want to see Raiden lose his job for being a massive fuckup either.

Grizzle Wrote:

In MK2 I always felt like it was Kung Lao who kept Liu Kang in check with his shaolin beliefs even though he felt that Liu Kang's actions brought death and chaos on the shaolin temples.