No, it has to be Kenshi's family name. Takahashi is Japanese. Takeda's mother Suchin was Thai.

I always assumed that Kenshi was his actual name, and not a codename like most of MK ninjas.

Yeah, in the initial art was referred as a nickname (the kenshi), but that's all, concept art. Kenshi isn't a real word, like Scorpion or Reptile.

I mean... it is in Japan. It means 'swordsman'.

"Nothing you said is right. Did you read the thread"
The ideas you're passing around are even more baseless than mine.

"It can't be Bi-han because he and his brother are the same age?"
Citation needed. Nowhere in the established canon does it say this. We have no idea how old either of them are other than the current Sub Zero is the younger brother, though the klassic sub zero's eyes in mk9 do have a strong resemblance to this painting.

"Kenshin was blinded by Shang Tsung's magic"
Why would this invalidate the idea that the woman is Kenshi's wife? Wouldn't Kenshi find kinship with another blind person, post-blinding? Really there is no information at all backing any claims about this other than her looking like a genderswapped Kenshi and her existence being mentioned in the story mode. Blindness is rarely genetic, dudes.

"It's Kung Lao's ancestor."
It's literally a bald Liu Kang. Even their clothes are the same.

"It's Sonya's old Partner"
Maybe. But again, it looks EXACTLY like Jean Claude Van Damme. It can be both. It's a nod to the franchise's history.

In the original MK comic by John Tobias, Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) was stated as being 32 years old.

Suchin wasn't blind. She appeared in one of the arcade endings and in the comics.

Kung Lao's ancestor, the Great Kung Lao literally is a bald Liu Kang. Always has been. (Originally, Liu Kang also descended from him too as noted in Goro's MK4 bio. Ancestor is incorrectly used tho.)

I can understand liu kang, kung lao and great kung lao being featured in a "hall if champions" but why would the "supposedly" original lin kuei grandmaster be there? Werent the lin kuei a clan of assassins with no morals? It was kuai liang who turned the mentality of lin kuei around and changed it into a force for good.

The other two characters I have no idea about.

My bad

"Suchin wasn't blind. She appeared in one of the arcade endings and in the comics. "
You can't tell someone's blind by their appearance. Though the pointless blindfold with Kenshi is a dead giveaway.

"Ancestral Kung Lao is just Liu Kang but bald."
Eww.

Top middle-an updated look to Kai maybe

What if that guy in the military get up is Kano's son as suggested in his ending? If I were Kano and I had an unknown son I'd plant him in the special forces to sabotage everything.

But what would he be doing in a painting on Raiden's wall?

Besides, just by the face, he looks a lot like Cage's 3D model in this game goes. I highly doubt that's coincidental.

And yeah, in MK1, Sub-Zero's official age is supposed to be 32. I remember Kuai Liang's age being established as 28 (whether as of MK2 or MK3 I'm not sure). I'm also not sure where the information came from, but it was common knowledge for the longest time, and everyone just seemed to state it as fact.

Did no one read my post besides @BiohazardEXTREME? lol it states in the concept art notes that they "Created portraits for the Great Kung Lao, the founder of the Lin Kuei, as well as ancestors of Johnny Cage and Kenshi".

Nope. People have a bad habit of skipping posts. lol

Hey, I read it, my post was mostly just attempting to try and construct some form of logical sense around Kenshi's ancestor lady also being blind and make it less stupid.

While it seems pretty clear that the next MK game is most likely going to be moving forward and continuing the current timeline, I have to say these kinds of things, along with Erron Black's ending make me wish they'd create an MK prequel, revolving around one of the previous tournaments that Earth supposedly lost. The story mode could simply go over each character's background, and could include characters' ancestors such as this Lieutenant General Cage, and a few others, and then end with the fateful tournaments that unfortunately sees the good guys lose.
Or something like that. I think it'd be pretty awesome.
Of course, nothing's to say that there won't be flashback chapters in the next MK, so it's always possible to get a glimpse of that, I suppose.

The "bald lin kuei guy" is the first Grand Master of the Lin Kuei, whose statue is the centerpiece of the Lin Kuei arena (that is NOT a statue of Quan Chi).

Ken-she could be an original wielder of the blade and not necessarily an ancestor of Kenshi. The sword may blind anyone who tries to possess it - the curse of the blade.

Army dude could be one of the first or most important fighters from Western culture to participate in Mortal Kombat...judging from the design of his pants, he's probably World War II or Korean War era, possibly even Vietnam War era.

Don't know why they made it Johnny Cage's ancestor. Would have worked better as Sonya's father or grandfather.

Where exactly is this concept art located in the krypt? I'd like to see it on my big screen. LoL

Not necessarily Johnny's relative. The Grand Master isn't directly related to Sub-Zero either. they were just important enough to have been recognized in a place of honor within the Sky Temple

It would make more sense to honour johnny rather than his ancestor (johnny plays a big part in the alternatibe timeline and lead the forces of light in the battle of armageddon -which im sure raiden knows about due to his visions/memories

I think the lin kuei grandmaster is an ancestor of sub zero because, unless im mistaken, the lin kuei insignia was found im the temple of cryomancers sub zero had found in the original timeline meaning that it was founded by a cryomancer. So theres def some link there.

Ken-She seems too random though.

Concept art note says it's a Johnny Cage ancestor.