In one of Mortal Kombat’s first scenes, we see a has-been mixed martial artist prep for a fight. He has the dragon sign on him, and right from that moment, he had my curiosity.
Through the film, I wondered which Mortal Kombat character from the game the writers are depicting. I waited for some sort of easter eggs, anything at all that could indicate this, but all I got was nada!
Even after he unleashed his arcana, aka the inner power, it didn’t quench my curiosity. I didn’t have my answer. Now all I wanted to do was finish the film quickly and find out the answer.
If you’ve come here wondering too, then don’t worry! Unlike the film, we won’t keep you waiting until the end of the article. So which Mortal Kombat character is Cole Young?
Cole Young is a new character that has been created exclusively for the cinematic universe of Mortal Kombat. He is a new character who hasn’t been adapted from the games.
1. The Character Arc
Cole Young is an orphan from Chicago and used to be an accomplished MMA fighter but hasn’t been doing so well in the last few years. After a fight, when Jax and Cole first meet, he had lost, and Jax mentions how he defeated Eddy Tobias to win his title.
A fun trivia for those who missed this easter egg: Ed Boon and John Tobias were the original creators of Mortal Kombat, and this mention is a tiny tribute to them.
Now, back to our hero! Cole Young now has a small family – his wife Allison and his daughter Emily that support him in all his matches, whether he wins or loses.
Jax meets Cole because of his birthmark – the dragon. Cole, who isn’t aware of the history behind this mark gets around to learning about it when he meets Sonya Blade and ends up at Lord Raiden’s temple.
There he comes to know that his ancestor was one of the greatest ninjas to have ever walked the face of this planet – Hanzo Hasashi, who also had the dragon mark.
Raiden had rescued his daughter, brought her to the temple, and thus preserved his bloodline. Cole Young was currently the last descendant of the legendary ninja.
Later in the film, when Outworld’s Goro attacks Cole and his family, he unlocks his inner power and unleashes his arcana.
It materializes in the form of golden armor that absorbs kinetic energy that he can use against his opponents. He is also able to create tonfas out of his arms as and when he wants.
It’s pretty intriguing to see writers include their spin on the films and introduce new characters! But not just this, there are many other new things in the films.
2. Major Differences Between The Film And The Games
2.1 The Dragon Mark
In the film, the champions have been chosen based on the dragon mark on their bodies. This dragon mark is either inherited from the previous generation or acquired if one kills a champion who has the mark. However, the films haven’t revealed how the mark appears in the first place.
In the games, though, there isn’t a singular way champions are chosen. Each of the Earth realm champions ends up in the tournament due to different circumstances and different motives.
2.2 Arcana
Another significant introduction in the film is the concept of arcanas. As Liu Kang mentions in the film that for a champion even to be able to compete in the tournament, they’ll have to unleash their arcana. Otherwise, the other realm champions will defeat them.
In the games, again, there’s no universal explanation for the different characters’ powers. They each either had it or had been granted them by the gods.
2.3 Sub-zero VS Scorpion
This is perhaps the most significant deviation in the storyline when compared to the games. In the movie, it is Sub-zero who kills Scorpion’s family. And that’s how the writers justify the rivalry between them.
However, in the games, we see a titular character called the Quan Chi who kills Scorpion’s family but convinces Scorpion that it was Sub-zero.
2.4 Kano Is Never The Good Guy
In the films, Kano is shown to be on Earthrealm’s side but decides to betray the champions and go on the outworld’s side. However, in the games, Kano never sided with the champions of Earth. He had been an out and out Outworld character.
2.5 Cole Young And Scorpion’s Relationship
In the films, as you know, Cole Young is a descendant of Hanzo Hasashi, aka Scorpion. However, since this character didn’t exist in the games, we see no other character named Scorpion’s descendant.
This new arc does make the plot more well-rounded when it comes to Sub-zero and Scorpion’s rivalry. At the same time, it also gives a lot of room for new character dynamics to be explored.
3. Will Cole Young And Scorpion Meet Again?
If there’s a sequel, there’s an excellent scope for these characters to cross paths with each other. In the first film, Scorpion had significantly less screen time, and considering he’s one of the important characters, he will be given more screen time.
Maybe it’s a personal bias, but scorpion is that character that can bring a certain amount of depth to the film. His transformation from Hanzo to Scorpion and the resultant transformation in his character is something that I personally look forward to.
To top it all, it’ll be pretty exciting to see a new blood and old blood fight alongside each other and see the similarities and differences between their fighting styles and how they approach a battle.
All of this we’ll only know after some time, and the wait is going to be a long one. So sit back and maybe watch the film once more, in case you’re missing it already. I know I am and will get right back to it!
4. About Mortal Kombat (2021)
Mortal Kombat (2021) is an American martial arts action fantasy film directed by Simon McQuoid. It is based on the video game franchise of the same name and serves as a reboot.
Hunted by the fearsome warrior Sub-Zero, MMA fighter Cole Young finds sanctuary at the temple of Lord Raiden. Training with experienced fighters Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and the rogue mercenary Kano, Cole prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions to take on the enemies from Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.
The film stars actors like Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada in various roles. It was released on HBO Max on April 23, 2021. A sequel is currently in development.
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