It can be Onaga. As far as i know, Shijinko did everything to summon him, Shang Tsung & Quan Chi only summoned army, had nothing to do with The Dragon King's resurrection.
And Raiden didn't do about Shujinko in MK9. While we were playing the hero and trying to save Earthrealm, Shujinko most likely continued being stupid in the new time line as well.

Something tells me Shinnok is the first boss you get to and defeat, and then the story progresses afterwards...

I agree I just have this feeling there's a greater foe.

Agreed.
Possibly in the story Shinnok is the threat that takes place 5 years after MK9. Then after he is defeated, Sonya and Johnny have Cassie and settle down then jump forward 20 years Onaga could emerge as a new threat.

In ladder mode, much like Kintaro and Goro in MK9, the bosses could alternate or be sub-boss and boss in a way that makes sense to that person's ending.

I'd be down for multiple bosses.

I'm calling Havik for the new boss. Unexpected yet VERY capable of being a threat.

In the name of Daniel Bryan.

YES! YES! YES!

I didn't think of that before but that is definitely a good prediction and a great possibility.

Just played Story MK 2011. The elder Gods and Raiden defeat Shao Kahn but he is transported up to the heavens (I don't think he died - hence Kotal Kahn). I think he isn't dead, but builds a relationship with a female God and they have Kotal Kahn as their baby. Meanwhile on Earth is Cassie Cage and probably most of MK 4-7 happens. In MK2011 Only 3 people for SURE died in Sindel's rampage. Jade Jax and Smoke had death hits. The others could have been knocked out/seriously injured but not dead, they didn't feel like death blows. Even Nightwolf and Sindel could have been transported painfully somewhere. I think(hope) we might get a GOOD dose of Shinnok in the new game and that he reigns in this time line for a couple game storylines. He is so underplayed. I would like to see the integration of the Deadly Alliance and Dragon King if they happened or were sidelined due to another event.

Liu Kang.

I've always thought he was going to be an enemy in future installments from the moment I got to his death in MK2011's story mode. I just have a gut feeling about it. He'll probably be resurrected by Quan Chi or Shinnok and they will play puppet master, manipulating him and fueling his anger towards Raiden and the Earthrealm warriors that follow him.

Raiden or Argus?

Havik being a boss could be a cool twist and a possibility.

Belokk! :)

That'd be ok. Hopefully he's a formidable threat.

I'm thinking the boss will be shujinko. Total wild card.

Lol WUT?

But Shujinko is too busy being fooled by "Damashi" as we all know lol.

Wouldn't be the first time he did.

Hopefully he at least doesn't fall for the amulet trick again.

I'm not going to count in Zombie Kang or Dark Raiden they're too obvious.

Could Nitara possibly fit the boss category? I remember in Raiden's DA ending that one of the threats to Earth along with Onaga and the Onis could be the Vampire People (Moroi) but then again Nitara might still be looking for her orb to free her realm rather than populate the realms with vampire slaves. Their kingdom is called the Moroi Empire for some reason...

Sadly, Cyrax or Reptile may not be there to help her this time around.

I think it's going to take place already after the events of a failed Shinnok attempt to take over.
And starting from that frame in both direction in time as a reference point.

Havik would be a cool boss story wise, but from gameplay wise I can't see him being any better than the normal characters

If it's not just shunick, I can't vision anyone else becoming boss except lang and raiden.

Maybe sektor or another cyborg? Yes I'll say an enhanced sektor just to guess someone else.

@Greenroom:

Dude, you must have been smoking the good stuff when you came out with that theory about Kotal Khan. Lol. And all of the heroes that Quan Chi was controlling in the Netherrealm to fight Raiden WERE killed by Sindel. Yes, some of the blows didn't seem like death blows, but they were and there's no disputing it.

As far as Shinnok is concerned, I picture his role being the equivalent of Shang Tsung's in MK9. Shang was the main villain for the first third of that game until he lost his fight against Liu Kang in the Shaolin tournament; Shao Khan took over from there as the big baddie in the game. MKX is going to follow a different format with story taking place over 25 years, but because the ending of MK9 will be the starting off point, Shinnok will more than likely be a big presence early on in the plot.

Why not Sindel, she "is" Shang Tsung now, queen sorceress and evil. She would be the first female sorcer and boss! ;)

On the one hand, I don't want it to happen. I want him playable damn it haha.

On the other hand, its a damn good choice. Maybe Cage's arcade ending becomes true. He goes to the Order realm, controls his powers. Becomes the hero, shuts down any potential threats(Shinnok, Onaga, Dark Raiden, etc.) over the 25 year span, havik finds a way to go beast mode and brings anarchy crashing down on the ways of order...damn it that could be awesome.

I'm still going to consider Raiden being the final boss of this game.

Having to "accidentally" zap Liu Kang before fighting against Kahn was the starting point of him turning into this crazy nut case. Throughout the years, he, Sonya and Cage try to find ways to fend off against Shinnok and Quan Chi, but his ways, again, starts to turn sour. Cage and Sonya bails on him, and that's when they go ahead to make Cassie. Raiden tries to find a way to resurrect Liu Kang, there's nothing he can do. He grows madder and more insane that he is just in a frenzy and we have to stop him before anything else can happen.

Just a thought.

Great ideas I can see Raiden as a possible threat.