Mortal Kombat is a deeply silly series of games. The developers at NetherRealm (and Ed Boon himself) are fully aware of just how wacky the lore is. For awhile, these games took their stories seriously — and we’re delving into the deepest corners of Mortal Kombat lore to explain the entire story. Yes, we’re talking about everything from MK1 to MK10.
For newcomers looking to fully understand all the references in Mortal Kombat 11 — we’ve got you covered. If you want to know what the deal is with Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, Outworld, the NetherRealm, and the eternal screw-ups of Elder God Raiden, I recommend watching the video above. Raiden in particular is such an important character to the series — and he’s important for precisely one reason, he’s a complete screw-up.
Check out the series’ silliest fatalities with our video on the 16 WORST fatalities in Mortal Kombat.
Raiden, the Elder God of Thunder, has become the butt of every MK-related lore joke. He ruins literally everything he tries to help, and in every timeline he only makes the universe worse. The entire story of MK9 is about Raiden’s many, many mistakes. In the very first game of the series, Raiden gave up and decided to destroy the world in his arcade mode ending. This dark future for Raiden is even hinted at the end of MK10. These games are always referencing the silly, silly past and mining it for story material. That’s what makes the latest games so fun for fans that have stuck around from the beginning.
Although, I really doubt there will be a reference to Taven in MK11. Don’t know who Taven is? Check out the video. He’s incredibly important for one game, and then he’s never heard from again.
More Mortal Kombat 11 guides:
- Mortal Kombat 11: How To Unlock Every Area Of The Krypt | Key Items Locations Guide
- Mortal Kombat 11: How To Unlock Bug-Vorah, D’Vorah’s Playable Baby | ‘Total Disrespect’ Guide
- Mortal Kombat 11: How To Unlock Frost | Secret Fighter Guide
