Hey, hey people. Got nothing really to do, so I figured I'd assault you with one of my trademark long-winded rants. For this paticular tirade, I'm looking at the potential future direction of the Edenia sub-plot...a personal favorite of mine.
(before I continue, I'm operating under the theory that anyone could come back or not come back)
Okay ramblers, let's get rambling...


Mileena
One of the few older characters I definitely think should return. Deception gave Mileena a intriguing development in her character...now less concerned with simply proving she's better than Kitana and now seeking to actually take over Kitana's whole life. From what I've seen, most expect this to lead to an inevitable confrontation between Kitana & Mileena over who gets to be Princess. Some further anticipate that Mileena's Armageddon ending may in fact happen and allow the clone to finally take the throne (hey, that rhymmed...I'm a poet and I don't know it).

But that's where I have to balk on the expectation. Aside from the blatant predictability of that scenerio, it doesn't resolve anything.....for either of them. Mileena's Armageddon bio left off with her giving up control of Outworld...because Shao Kahn told her to...and deciding if she can't have that realm, she'll take control of Edenia. While I was pleased to see that, having finally tasted power for herself, Mileena was no longer content to merely be a servant....am I the only the one who wants her to stop and think to herself "Hey wait...even if I get Edenia, won't Shao Kahn eventually just storm in and expect me to hand over THAT realm, too?"

So yeah, first and foremost, I think before they move ahead with Mileena's storyline...be it usurping Kitana's identity or something else...she should first resolve her daddy issues alongside Kitana. As I frequently explained...at great length...in the months leading to Armageddon, proper closure for both Kitana AND Mileena (for this era of the story) is Shao Kahn's death.

With that aside, this brings me to where Mileena could/will go in the next generation should she continue...which I think she should. Most hope for her to continue with chasing Edenia's throne...as said, some anticipating her some parts of her Armageddon ending to come true. And therefore, by extension, we would then follow one of the good guys...an overthrown Kitana trying to reclaim her identity or a vengeful Jade or Sindel seeking to avenge Kitana and restore order...fighting to unmask Mileena's deception and save Edenia.

Again, I have to balk at the expectation. For starters, to be perfectly honest, I'm not at all interested in seeing Mileena posing as Kitana and one of the heroes trying to unmask her. Personally, I just find those those types of stories aggravating. More importantly, when it came to Mileena's deception, I was always more interested in what would happen AFTER when her coup would inevitably fail. That way, suddenly she'd be everybody's enemy, on her own, and just trying to survive. And I was always more interested in where she'd go from there and what she'd do. And how would the experiences change her.

BUT...I will grant that Mileena's usurption is a story that, if continued, should be seen through. In that case, it can be made interesting if they do it right.

For starters, they need to acknowledge that even if Mileena succeeds in getting Kitana out of the picture...she still has a long way to go before her status in Edenia is secure. See, this here something I never agreed with and one of the reasons I never bought into continuing the usurption angle. Most seem to expect she's just going to slide into the Edenian throne and it'll be all sorts of bad news for the heroes. From where I'm standing, Mileena actually appears to be the underdog in this scenerio. Even if Mileena succeeds in convincing the Edenians she is Kitana...it's not going to last. Won't the people of Edenia be just a little bit curious why "Kitana" never takes her mask off anymore? Roadblock #1. Well actually, maybe #3 since before she can even get that far she has to get Kitana and Shao Kahn out of the way.

But okay, let's say she finds some way of getting her face fixed. So now she's just going to rule Edenia however she wants? Um.....no. The people of Edenia just got themselves free from Shao Kahn's tyranny...we're supposed to believe they'll just roll over and let "Kitana" do whatever the hell she wants? In actuality, taking Kitana's identity is not really an end...it's a means. Mileena needs to find some way of subjegating the people of Edenia...THEN her rule is secure.

So yeah, if they're going to go ahead with the "Mileena's taken Kitana's identity" storyline, I very much hope they acknowledge that it's going to be an uphill climb for her. Having Mileena believe if she just wears blue and a mask she can rule Edenia however she wants for however long she wants makes her look stupid. Or I guess I'm supposed to buy the good guys & people of Edenia are just extremely fucking dumb.

Simply put, while I want Mileena to return in the next generation, I want her to grow up and start to think things through in her future. Those who've followed my next-gen stories may have noted that I've had Mileena actually thinking things over before jumping into whatever evil plot gets dangled in front of her face. I want to see Mileena wisen up and not be some two-bit, short-sighted serial villain mindlessly chasing power.

This is what I mean when I've said I'd like to see Mileena become a protagonist of her own in the next generation games. Because whatever she tries to do, she's going to have to earn it and overcome those who'll seek to tear her down. That would be her journey.

On the subject of people trying to tear Mileena down, that brings me to.....


Tanya
Now I know the odds of Tanya returning...much less surviving Armageddon...are slim to none at best. While I'm sure I am a minority, I think offing Tanya is a waste of some good story opportunities though.

Let's say Mileena moves ahead with her plans to rule Edenia. I already pointed out some of the obstacles she'll have to overcome. In addition to those, she'd have to inevitably deal with outside forces who would be onto her scheme and looking to tear her down. Most would and probably are expecting Jade or Kitana to be the primary foes Mileena would have to eliminate. Frankly though, I think Tanya would be the more fun opponent.

First compare the two: while Mileena is indeed an psychotic and evil crazy-lady, we can kind of understand WHY she is the way she is. Her evilness isn't entirely her fault and she can be seen as a somewhat sympathetic character. Tanya, on the other hand, has no redeeming qualities. As far as we know, she's lived a relatively comfortable and easy life. She has no excuse to be evil. There is no terrible tragedy motivating Tanya's bitchiness. She just is. Suddenly, Mileena appears to be the lesser of two evils. Despite being a "bad guy" we'll root for her before we root for Tanya. An interesting situation, in my humble opinion.

Say Tanya somehow or another gains leverage over Mileena? Suppose she somehow finds the means for Mileena to fix her face? Or supposing Mileena already had fixed her face...Tanya somehow has the means to undo it or prove that she really isn't Kitana. How could Tanya choose to wield this power? Will she wait until the oppurtune moment to unmask Mileena...making herself appear to be a repentent traitor who heroically rescued Edenia from Mileena's evil clutches (they forgave Kitana, why not Tanya)? Or maybe Tanya blackmails Mileena...letting her appear to be the ruler when in actuality, Tanya pulls the strings from the shadows? That way, if something goes wrong, Tanya can slip away leaving Mileena as her scapegoat.

Now in addition to everything else Mileena's going through to hold onto her throne, she's got Tanya to deal with. She's got to find some way of getting around this leverage Tanya's hanging over her head. And just imagine the interaction that would go on between the two. Priceless.

But that's not even all Tanya has to offer. Should she return, there's also that potential rivalry with Jade...


Jade
My opinion of Jade has gradually changed in recent months. Some may recall, I was once all about Kitana retiring along with the old generation and Jade stepping up. Seems logical. Jade, who'd always been the sidekick, would be the obvious choice to take up the slack in future games and get a chance at the spotlight. And maybe then, they'd address her lack of development and make her more than what she is.

However, in more recent months, I've been finding myself less and less interested in that probability. Let me put it this way: ask someone if the current Sub-Zero should be retired and have him pass the name onto a successor for the next generation. While I know some would be into that idea, I bet most would probably say something along the lines of it being a waste of a well-developed character who's come so far and still has much to offer to take chance on a character who may end up not living up to the old one. I would agree with them on that. And here's the thing...I'm starting to feel the same way in regard to Kitana and Jade. Like Sub-Zero, Kitana is one of better developed characters and one of the few who's evolved throughout the series. Like Sub-Zero, she's come very far and still can go places...which I'll look into later (come on, XiahouDun84 rambling about the Edenia sub-plot...did you really think Kitana wouldn't get discussed?). Why throw that away?

Jade's problem is two-fold. She needs to escape Kitana's shadow...which can be done easily. Just shuffle Kitana off to the side or get rid of her completely and force Jade to take up the slack. Then you've got problem number two, and this is the bigger one: now you need to develope Jade into an individual. This is a problem because as far as we know Jade's background is just like Kitana's...only less interesting. Like Kitana, she's an Edenian who served as Kahn's assassins who would go on to turn against him. Unlike Kitana...she has very little motivation, fewer character relationships, and a less rounded personality. Kitana has a laundry list of reasons for being the way she is. Jade has one reason: because Kitana's her friend.

I still like Jade, don't get me wrong. Thing is, the more I've been thinking about it, the less I think I'd like her as a star. Jade has the Wedge-appeal. Maybe she just is a character meant to be a supporting player? Now this line of thought makes me start to wonder if Jade should even be brought back or survive Armageddon. Even if Armageddon doesn't "wipe the slate clean" as they promised, I think they should at least streamline the story a bit...clearing some excess baggage; like for instance, characters whose only purpose is helping someone else. Sorry Jade.

But fear not! While the odds are stacked against her, all hope for Jade is not lost. As I've been thinking about this potential storyline involving Mileena usurping Kitana's identity and Tanya having her own ambitions for Edenia's throne...I noticed a hole: no force for good trying to save Edenia. We've got Mileena taking over. We've got Tanya trying to rule. Both evil. Rain could get involved. Also evil. One way or another, Kitana should be MIA, for reasons I'll look into when I get to her. If Taven returns, I suspect he'll be more occupied with his godly duties. So who does that leave?

Here's a scenerio that seems tailor-made for Jade (another rhymme) to thrive and perhaps come into her own. Suppose Jade also knows the truth about Mileena...but unlike Tanya, has no way of prooving it? Now suppose, Mileena knows this and frames Jade for (just an example) Sindel's death to get her out of the way. Now Jade's a fugitive desperately trying to find some way of saving Edenia from, not just Mileena, but Tanya and any other evil force eyeing the throne. Kitana's not around to help her and Taven's busy.

Now maybe confronting Jade with this situation...everyone believes she's a traitor and she's on the run while trying to save the realm...could develope new aspects of her character. How will she handle the pressure? Perhaps a feud with Mileena might reveal somethings about Jade we don't know that would differentiate her from Kitana. What are their opinions of each other? As mentioned, maybe they can develope the rivalry with Tanya and we can learn some new things about Jade's personality and past not yet revealed. Do they have history together? Also, this scenerio could create friction between Jade and her BFF Kitana. While Jade's going through all this hell to save Edenia...Kitana's nowehere to be found.

Sounds perfect, eh? Here's the catch though, which once again reflects the flaw of Jade's lack of development: why not have Sindel in this role?


Sindel
Sindel seems like a likely candidate for death in Armageddon. From a strictly predictable standpoint, the obvious thing to do to end the current generation is off the Queen and thus allow the Princess to ascend to the throne. Also, from the standpoint of spinning off characters...say you have a TV show or movie that focuses mainly on this one character and his/her supporting cast. Now say the show/movie has come to an end, but you want to spin off some of the supporting characters into shows/movies of their own. Who would be the more likely character to get spinned off: the best friend of the character or the character's mother? Amageddon being the send-off of the current era and them looking to clear some things and characters out, all signs seem to point to Sindel being on the hit-list.

Like Jade, Sindel has fallen into a trap of being in Kitana's shadow. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, characters need supporting players, but it has severely limited what Sindel brings to the table. Once upon a time, I thought the solution to this was to tie Sindel into Edenia's mythology. Few may recall, but a while back I made a little story where Sindel sets out to reawaken Edenia's goddess to again defend the realm. I never posted the ending to that, but the pay-off would've been Sindel becomes Edenia's new goddess and guardian. From there, she would confront the Elder Gods about how Edenia keeps getting invaded without being challenged to Mortal Kombat....which would've led to her being involved with the One Being story and what was happening with Raiden.

Unfortunately, with Armageddon, the slot of Edenia's god/guardian has been addressed. Thanks a lot Taven.

Anyway, I've been thinking lately if Sindel's demise is as necessary as it appears. Look at that little scenerio with Jade and ask: could Sindel theoretically fullfill that role instead and would it be better? Sindel is a more developed character (not much, but still) and while it would be difficult to not make Jade into a "Kitana version 2" Sindel can escape that trap much easier. The only trick would be explaining how Mileena made Sindel into a fugitive. Aside from that, the story can just as easily be applied to Sindel as it could've to Jade. We could see a rivalry with Mileena which has potentially interesting and bizarre mother/daughter implications. Feud with Tanya and anyone else after the throne. Friction with Kitana for disappearing when she's needed most...which has abandonment subtext. Sindel once abandoned Kitana, now Kitana abandons Edenia.

Some would probably suggest why not bring back both Sindel AND Jade, and have them pair off against Mileena and Tanya. This defeats the purpose of streamlining the plot and dilutes the drama. Having it come down to one of them on their own, be it Sindel or Jade, makes for better tension and drama than having them do a little team-up. Less is more.

Theoretically, there probably should be good character to counteract Mileena, Tanya, & whoever else. Who would be the better choice to serve that role, Jade or Sindel? If Jade, will they develope her into something other than just another Kitana? Or would Sindel be the unlikely better choice?


Kitana
Now where the hell is Kitana while all this is going on? I think first of all, it's relevant to point out that Kitana should not be too involved with all this wackiness. Reason being mainly because, as we know, Kitana's role as Edenia's heroic defender has grown stale. Her presence weakens tends to overshadow characters like Jade and Sindel, her rivalry with Mileena has gone on long enough (again, closure there is Shao Kahn's destruction), and if she should continue on, we need to see something new from her. Some would argue she should probably just be killed off or, following Mileena's Armageddon ending, locked in a dungeon never to be seen again. I'm not keen on that line of thought. It's an anticlimatic way to end Kitana's story and being a Kitana fan, I just find the prospect of a pitiful demise weak. Most important, I think what Kitana could bring to the table alive, but not involved, is more interesting. Another reason I'm losing interest in Jade....I'm getting more intrigued by Kitana's potential future than I am about Jade's.

So where the hell is Kitana in this time of Edenia's dire need? Why does she not care Mileena has usurped her identity and taken the throne? Why has she abandoned her realm, best friend, and/or mother? Those who've followed my past posts on the subject probably already know where I'm going with this. The past few games have established that Kitana is growing increasingly frustrated with her duties as Princess. She's grown tired of constant fighting and, let's face it, her life pretty much sucks right now.

Kitana spent a large majority of her long life under the belief that she was Shao Kahn's daughter and her place was to serve him. That life went down the shitter when she discovered he was not her real father, he had killed her parents, conquered her realm, and Mileena was actually a clone originally intended to replace her in spite of years of loyal service. Somehow, Kitana recovers from these shattering revelations and manages to pick up the pieces of her life and rebuild a new one for herself. She rebels against Kahn and against all odds, frees her realm from him, gets her mother back, and builds herself into Edenia's heroic Princess. Now that life is sinking down the toilet. No matter how hard she tries, Edenia just can't stay safe. Her boyfriend died. SHE died and was brought back & attacked her mother & best friend. She thought Goro died, but now he's alive and turned against her. Mileena's taken her identity. And on top of everything else, fucking Armageddon is happening right in her backyard. All it might take is one final straw to break the camel's back. Being Shao Kah's daughter didn't work. Being Edenia's Princess didn't work. So what next?

Bitter..? I'd be.

So yeah, the basic premise I see for Kitana in the next generation is she just doesn't care anymore. She renounces her title as Princess and abandons Edenia to its fate. She becomes more pessimistic and cynical about the world. Why doesn't she care Mileena usurped her identity? Because Kitana knows from experience being Edenia's Princess isn't all it's cracked up to be. I just think that would be cool of her to do. To look at what Mileena's doing and just throw her hands up and say "Go ahead Mileena. Find out what it's like to be me for a while. Have fun." And there's the friction that could develope between Kitana and Jade/Sindel. She could look at Jade and warn her she's wasting her time trying to save Edenia. When Jade doesn't listen, Kitana could simply say she's going to learn the hard way. She could look at Sindel and make some crack about how abandonment when things get tough must run in the family.

We could pick up on Kitana in the next generaton stewing in the shadows, wanting nothing to do with anything. And naturally this would create the excitement of seeing her forced to fight once again. The next tournament or threat emerges and Kitana finds herself drawn into the battle even though she doesn't really want to or care. And in this darker state of mind, she returns more to her assassin-like roots...as opposed to how she fought when she was Princess. And herein another problem that's started plaguing Kitana is resolved. Through the games, we've seen her evolve from the assassin/rebel into the heroic Princess she currently is now. This was good in it showed she was evolving and developing through the series and is an example of her complexity. Downside though was somewhere along the way, she seemed to lose that "killer's edge" she had back in MK2 and UMK3. That's something I think most would want back if she returns in future games, yes?

This direction would allow Kitana to go through another interesting story and character arc. MK2 to about MK4 was "Kitana the rebel." Escaping Shao Kahn's control and freeing Edenia from him. MK:DA to MK:A has been "Kitana the Princess." Defending the realm from evil and trying to ensure peace though the realms. In this thrid arc, we'd see Kitana unwillingly find herself in the role of hero again, which will inevitably lead to her returning to Edenia to finally set things right. The fallen Princess forced to regain her lost honor...thus redeeming herself for abandoning the realm. See: it comes back to redemption....which has always been Kitana's theme.

Furthermore, this third character arc would be her finding balance within herself. As said, when Kitana turned "good" she essentially became almost the exact opposite of what she was when she was "evil." Note the polarity in her development: when she was "evil" something was amiss that led her towards discovering the truth about her past and changing herself. Becoming the extreme opposite isn't working either, as we see her growing more frustrated and stressed out. This third arc, where she's stopped caring, but will inevitably find herself forced to fight once again will be where she finds the balance between "the assassin" and "the princess."

See why I've been getting more excited about Kitana's potential than Jade's now?


Taven
You're going to find, dear reader, that I have very little to say in regards to the latest edition to the Edenia sub-plot. It's not that I don't LIKE Taven, per se. Playing through Konquest, I found him to be a likable character. I think he has a decent backstory. Wasn't big on using him, but that sort of thing can be fixed. But here's the kicker with Taven in my book: before I said while I like Jade, I'm not sure if I'd like her as a main character. Ultimately though, it would depend on how she's developed. While I'm not sure about Jade, I KNOW I won't like Taven as a main character. Taven was okay, but I don't like him that much.

Kitana is the central Edenian character. It's her story. If she's to step aside and pass the mantle, I want it passed to Jade or Sindel. Or hell, even Mileena. I'm not buying Taven as the central Edenia protagonist and I don't want to see the girls get shuffled to the side or downgraded on account of him. I like him and all but not that much, and if Kitana or Jade or someone else gets bitched out to make him look good...I will hate him.

I've zero interest in Taven's future. I'd be content if he just stepped into the background as a non-playable character or something. Being Edenia's god/guardian and guiding it's heroes where they need to go...a'la Raiden. Indirectly helping Jade/Sindel; maybe appearing to Kitana and trying to get her to save fight again.


Rain
And hey, there's Rain...who ended up being bit of a surprise story-wise in Armageddon. Finding out he's Argus' third son, he's now running about claiming he's a Prince of Edenia and that he is the rightful ruler. Most, from what I've seen, seem to be most interested in the conflict this will create bewteen Rain and Taven. I am not one of those people. As said, I'm not that into Taven...and therefore, not into his prospective feuds. And besides....ANOTHER sibling rivalry? No, what I was intrigued about was Rain's insistence that he is a Prince of Edenia...and the implications that would have towards the Princess of Edenia.

As some may already know, I've always been a supportor of the idea that Rain might have some sort of crush on Kitana. So I just like the possibility of him running into Kitana and trying to convince her they should be together because they're royalty and the rightful heirs to the throne. I suspect Kitana response...especially if she indeed rnounces the throne like I think she should....would be amusing if nothing else.

I don't know if he should be involved with the Mileena thing...since his sights seem to set on higher goals; namely, becoming Edenia's god and that being how he plans on ruling the realm. But if Taven takes the spot, leaving Rain to settle with the throne, could be interesting. But truth be told, I'm most interested in Rain's future only in relation to Kitana.


I think that's more than enough. To wrap this up, I'll just finish with saying I've always been a fan of the Edenia sub-plot. Many of my favorite characters are involved....my number one favorite in paticular being the central character. I hope that it continues on in the future games, remains fresh & interesting, and gets worthy storylines.....that won't piss me off.