when you mentioned yin & yang, i immediately thought of edenias kamidogu

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Accidental brilliance!

@alessandrolizzio6338

Ай бұрын

​@@CynicalWarlock like a lot of things in this franchise ironically😂

@CynicalWarlock

Ай бұрын

@@alessandrolizzio6338 Word!

Sai are actually a blunt weapon meant for self defense more so then attacking,which means Mileena sharpened them herself and is intentionally using them in the complete opposite way which also plays in the trickery aspect imo.

Sindel being Yin and Yang matches her black and white hair

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Cool detail.

@syki-tp1tn

2 ай бұрын

Was about to say that kitana's hair is black and mileena's is white but then I realized...oohhh

Sindels weapon could also help with the symbolism you talked about. With Kitana using her fans to slash and Mileena using her sais to stab while Sindel can do both with her weapon.

@viniciusdavidosiki4217

6 ай бұрын

i was about to type the same thing

@JF59122

6 ай бұрын

What about Jade?

@JuanitoEsBonito

6 ай бұрын

​@@JF59122Jade doesn't really stab with her staff more so aggressively grabs with it, stabbing is what her razorrang is for tho she's very reserved with its usage.

@JF59122

6 ай бұрын

@@JuanitoEsBonito Yeah ig I wanted her in the video just cause she's my favourite character! Btw this video is really, a very unique and deep one!

@s0biektywnie

6 ай бұрын

​@@JF59122Jade isn't related to Sindel I think

I love this thank uuu! But I do feel in the new timeline mileena and kitana are obviously much more even weapon and element mastery as they are both 10,000 years old and in fact Mileena is older. Both pretty proficient in their respective element

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, the proficiency thing only really works in the MK9 timeline.

@musicislyfe1672

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock meaning the lack of experience more so pertains to her mk9 incarnation? Because in the current timeline she has just as much experience as kitana? Didn't lie mei train both kitana and mileena in this new timeline. Also, towards the end of the story mode we see Mileena and kitana shooting a beam of their respective color energy out of their hands to destroy the hourglass. Could that be wind also? Just pink for Mileena and blue for kitana? Sorry for all the questions lol I'm such a huge fan.🙂🙂

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@musicislyfe1672 Yes, MK9. In the new timeline, it obviously doesn't apply, and in the original one, I don't actually know when Mileena was created, but Kitana thought she was actually her twin, so it must've been when Kitana was very young. Didn't actually finish the story mode, yet, but it sounds like NetherRealm just wrote.. exactly what you said, in the script: "shoot colored beams out of hands". For Mileena, it's totally in line with my system, cause Illusion can be morphed into anything, basically. Kitana's blue beam however.. I dunno, I'll have to watch and see it. Sounds like something something magic.

@titanblade3706

6 ай бұрын

I’m confused. Wouldn’t Kitana be older? We’re talking about clone Mileena, right?

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@titanblade3706 There are 3 timelines, from what I can tell: -the OG one, where Mileena's a clone, but Kitana thought was her twin, which means she was cloned when she was a child -the MK9 timeline, where Mileena was cloned 10,000 years after Kitana was born -the MK1 (2023) timeline, where Mileena is the legit twin of Kitana What I mentioned about Kitana being more proficient than Mileena only applies in the second one.

I'm really loving these analyzations of Mortal Kombat lore from a perspective not seen often, especially with regards to the elements and their symbolic relation to a character's development, overall persona and backstory; very intriguing. Keep up the good work!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thanks you, I will. There's loads to dig into, in MK.

@TheEndKing

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock I'm actually curious to hear your take on the Shokans. Goro seems like a big earthy guy, but he comes from Dragons and he spits fire. And then Kintaro is a kittycat. I'm also curious on which element Leatherface uses.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@TheEndKing "I'm also curious on which element Leatherface uses." - The element of surprise. As for Goro, he's both a Fire and Earth user. Don't remember him using any other elemental abilities. The fire thing makes sense, considering his heritage. Kintaro always confused me. Obviously some kind of offshoot or mutation of his race. Either that or a Shokan got really drunk once and reached for the nearest cat. I actually always wanted to redesign the Shokan, a little bit, and emphasize their dragon ancestry a little. I don't see many draconic features in their portrayal.

On the skimpy clothes aspect: THEY ARE ASSASSINS. There’s nots supposed to be heavy armor to weigh them down or loose clothing to grab onto. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DRESS LIKE THAT 😭

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@pablovenegas6736

21 күн бұрын

True, but, if thas the case, the male ninjas are more covered. I think that the "eden garden of god" explanation makes more sense to justify the sluty part.

@pinktigger4393

20 күн бұрын

@@pablovenegas6736 Two things: The male ninjas aren't always viewed as ninjas. Rain was changed, Scorpion was a demon, reptile is.. well a reptile. All the women have going are that they're assassins, other than the edenian royalty. That's where the Garden of Eden aspect comes in to play. When you look and compare the designs of the Edenian women, it's clear they all have better costumes in past games.

I could watch 80 more mortal kombat meta-analysis videos like these from you. Keep them coming.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I'm installing a conveyer belt for them, as we speak.

Mileena is my main female always, especially in mkx where she literally is my main character, so fun to play with plus she has one of the deepest stories in mk

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Definitely an intriguing character.

@Fakaaaaaaaaa

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock Indeed, she is what it is, like here I am like it or not.. mkx version definitely is my top choice, I don't know how to feel about mk1 tho, she got the recognition as an empress but has not that bad blood no more

I love this video. What you said in the end about their mastery was actually spoken about in MK11. Mileena has a dialogue with Shao where she’s mad he didn’t teach her more dark magic. He said he wanted her to be a warrior and she tells him she will show him what she learnt herself. So it makes sense her magic is a bit simple and specific.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yes, the mastery thing works for - not all, but - some timelines.

I imagine that the reason she can use her hair to attack is both a combination between illusion and air. Specifically, air to actually make the hair move, and illusion to make it grow out. But that's all I got.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Not bad. Either that or it's her shampoo.

@TheEndKing

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock Maybe she's born with it.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@TheEndKing Yeah, mentioned genetics as a possibility.

@jmejocyrus3625

6 ай бұрын

@@TheEndKingin X she saves herself with her hair acting as a grapple rope

@baines803

6 ай бұрын

​@@TheEndKingmaybe its maybelline

Hey, I've been a lifelong MK fan since I first played Armageddon. All your discussion about elements has really made me look at my favorite game series of all time in a new light. So, thank you!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

That's so awesome. You're most welcome.

-Honestly? That intro is just _Yass queen skinny legend Versace boots the house down slay queen hunty momma ANNA OOP daddy werk _*_tongue click_*_ Charlie XCX snatch my WIG!_ and I love it. -I don't like the fact that Kitana doesn't have a chapter of her own in MK1's Story Mode, but I do appreciate that with the changes in the new timeline she gets to do more than just check over her shoulder every moment for any harm Mileena or Sindel might inflict on her. She's much more her own person now, defending Mileena's throne against General Shao, but of course all of this seems to come at the cost of rendering the role Jade, sorry, Kountess Jade, used to have in the story redundant. -13:03 For a goddess of virtue, we never actually see Cetrion being an actual good person, like ever. That's one of my gripes with the character; if we'd actually gotten to know her a bit before she betrays the Elder Gods and Raiden, that story beat might have had actual impact. -Sindel is supposed to be a subversion of the 'Dark Queen' archetype. She's actually a good mother underneath her foreboding and "evil" facade. That's why that MK11 retcon was for shallow brains only.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

-Pretty much what I was going for, with the intro. -Yeah, in their defense, I suppose it's hard to juggle that many characters, so Jade had to sit this one out. -Not too fond of Cetrion as a character, to be honest, but still thought I'd mention her. And NRS does have a penchant for introducing/retconing/portraying characters in their most fucked up state (Cetrion, MK11 Sindel, MK9 Raiden). -Needless to say, MK11 Sindel is garbage.

This is a great analysis wow. And I'm a huge Sindel fan, so I'm definitely happy to see her featured 😊 Thank you for this!

@Zertened

6 ай бұрын

Same

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

She deserves some attention. She's a great character.

NRS should consult this man to flesh out their lore.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

They can't afford me.

Interesting analysis. But how do you think Mileena's new MK1 portrayal would factor into your ideas about her morality? MK1 changed not only her origin story, but also completely changed her moral alignment. Also, I find it a bit ironic that you describe Mileena's character as a bad girl who wants a good man to fix her, when Mileena's most prominent love interest is actually a woman (Tanya).

@JohnnyPARADOX

6 ай бұрын

in the old timeline Baraka was her mate secretly. in the second timeline she had relations with reiko(Comics) Not that i agree with this video 100% but mileena has always been permiscous, tanya has been a love intrest in the old timeline as well though

@joannechoi8476

6 ай бұрын

@@JohnnyPARADOX That's true, but this video talks about the characters from the second timeline onwards, so I'm not too sure whether her thing with Baraka in the old timeline is relevant here. Also, her relationship with Reiko seemed to purely be physical, whereas her bond with Tanya seems more emotionally involved.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Haven't played the new one, yet.

@omegazero3844

6 ай бұрын

​@joannechoi8476 you could honestly say that what mileena is looking for is someone to accept her. With her physical looks, most people would want to be with her physically, but the mouth would instantly turn away most people. You could say that with Tanya it could either way based on her MKX ending with mileena genuinely being in love with tanya based on her mk11 ending.

@joannechoi8476

6 ай бұрын

@@omegazero3844 Yes, but the acceptance that Mileena seeks doesn't have to come from a sexual or romantic partner. In MK1, new timeline Mileena turns out to be a better person because she grew up in a loving family. Not really because of a love interest (although her love with Tanya certainly doesn't hurt).

Another great video. Made me appreciate these characters even more I know It's been talked to death, but maybe a video on masculinity would be pretty interesting in the world of Mortal Kombat. Maybe you could make a comparison of Liu Kang and Shao Khan or Shang Tsung, where Shao Khan and probably Kano too are the typical version of toxic masculinity, where Shang Tsung, a silver-tounged charlatan, who's not really physically strong but is still displaying those toxic traits of masculinity. Where in contrast to them, Liu Kang especially in MK 1, or Johnny Cage in MK X and 11. Or maybe something again with the world building, an explanation and maybe an analysis on the factions in Mortal Kombat. Or maybe an explanation of Shinnok or Quan Chi's backstory and why is he so loyal to the fallen Elder God. Also that intro was cold asf

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Funny you should mention that - I actually do have some notes on Shang, pegging him with some feminine traits, believe it or not (soul-sucking being the obvious metaphor), and there's a lot to dig into with Shao Kahn, so I might turn that into a full-blown video on masculinity. Thanks for the idea. Got some ideas for Shinnok too, but that will mostly be my headcanon. That'll probably be about the Elder Gods, in general. As for Quan, he's only loyal to Shinnok in MKX. Other than that, he generally tries to screw him over. Glad you liked the intro; was fun to make. .. No, not that way!

@davernfrazierjr3307

6 ай бұрын

Something very interesting to note about Mileena it's very possible that her use of magic is a result of her tarkatan side as almost all her magical techniques directly damage opponents or reposition her to better rip into them which is very in line with the ravenous fighting styles of the tarkatans. In contrast to Kitana whose magical moves are about finesse and repositioning her opponents into better position for her attacks even Sindel differs in this sense all her magical moves disorient and pick off does from afar

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@davernfrazierjr3307 That's a nice way to explain it, although we don't see Tarkatans use any magic at all.

1:42 "long loved female killing machines" Dunno why this description was so amusing to me, but it was and I laughed. This isn't unheard of, however; the notion of something like Chinese Amazon warriors appeared in other media, with the one example at the top of my head being from the manga Ranma 1/2.

Sindel is my favorite character from any media, and I love when I come across interesting videos exploring her rich lore. In many ways I think she has a lot in common with the newest iteration of Kratos. For the parent aspect of course, but also by being a ancient almost god-like creature but having such humane emotional conflict within. And I also like that she's more asian inspired in the newest game, because I always thought that she had an air of asian empress.

@scorpian2729

6 ай бұрын

I just wish they explored her age and her background more because her daughters are 10,000 years old so she must be like 50,000 or something and it would be interesting to know about her upbringing during Edenias golden age. Alongside how she trained and how she got her abilities.

@nicolasramos2170

6 ай бұрын

@@scorpian2729 I take anything I can get about her, I'd say explore her lore even further.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@scorpian2729 Imagine the wealth of media, animations, action-adventure games you could create based on that, alone. And yeah, this is a nitpick, but it irks me when writers just casually include 10,000 year-old backgrounds, without expanding on them at all. The large age ends up being needless.

@nicolasramos2170

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock I agree. They could go really far exploring the mythology behind her story. But i'd say keep a little mystery, because that is what makes some of her appeal alongside the ethereal/gothic look.

I would love to hear you analyze the Cyber Lin Kuei and Special Forces and how their Military-based/Technology moves fit in with the power system.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Not sure they do fit, that much - the cyber Lin Kuei still retain their former elemental/magical abilities, so that's pretty verbatim. And the rest is just fancy tech.

More.... I WANT MORE! I love these MK analysis videos

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

More on the way.

This is so interesting, as an Edenian fanboy thank you for this 💙 Love their lore and they’re my favorite characters. I like that you talked about the way they’re dressed too and have a chill opinion about it. I think the MK9 looks are a little too over the top - my favorite Kitana + Mileena looks are MKX and MK1. Also loved the comparison between Kitana and Sub Zero, I always shipped them lol and wanted them to team up. Sorry for the long comment, hope you do more lore videos. You have a great speaking voice 😇

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

"Long", lol. You clearly haven't seen some of the other comments I get. I agree that they overdid the skimpiness in MK9, a bit; MKX did have some really interesting outfits, like the "dark empress" one, for Kitana. Thanks for the voice compliment. Maybe I'll narrate the birth of the universe, or something.

dude i love your content keep making more:))

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Keep watching and I'll keep makin.😉

Underrated love the in-depth analysis of mortal kombat

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I'll go even deeper, then. That's what he said.

A little unrelated but I feel as though the tarkatan change in mk1 only takes away the nuance of mileenas character more than help her character. Her entire trait of appearing seductive out of her insecurities of not being as pretty is taken away since all she has to do is take the serum whenever the teeth appear, taking away all the seriousness it must be to have a messed up face you are born with and can’t do anything about. I’m not trying to say I miss when Mileena was skimpy (only her deception outfit got it right if you ask me, mk9 was too much) but you can’t say that aspect didn’t bring heavy attraction to her but always carried heavy nuance when you considered how it was all a result of her conforming to a world that would otherwise think her hideous compared to her sister

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Well said. It's kinda like making Professor X walk; misses the point of that frail body-powerful mind dichotomy.

Eyooooooo, what kind of a twisted philosophy is that? Sindel was evil I’m MK 9’s ending because she was brainwashed that was it. That whole thing about women being bad because of some bad boy in their life is wayyyyy off, that’s not how real life works. Anyone can influence anyone but women aren’t bad because their men are bad, their actions stand as a result of their individual choices.

@giu3077

6 ай бұрын

Fr I need to stop watching videos about women made by a man, they're always so off 😭

@Michelle-hz2rj

6 ай бұрын

Wait I'm so lost in this

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

To clarify: both men and women are highly influenceable. The ratio is just slightly higher on the women's side. Saying that people can be influenced to make bad decisions is strictly true and doesn't imply that I'm absolving people of said choices. My interpretation of Sindel's brainwashing was symbolic, not literal.

not as related but i dont understand how so many american devs get womens faces.... so off? they never look like the models at all. its like mid scan they get the entire shapes wrong. i remember someone highlighting this on every single mk11 face having a big syndrome of moonface, where all sharp features were neutered.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

'Moonface' describes it perfectly. A lot of it is deliberate, unfortunately, like how they changed Aloy, in the second Horizon game. It's died down a little bit, but it looks like a lot of companies' policies are still somewhat woke-friendly. Even in MK1, a prime example is Li Mei; based on Kelly Hu's face, yet they made her look so much more aged and masculine. There's no way a bunch of modders - who patch a lot of this stuff up - are so much more talented than the artists and modelers working at these giant companies, so it's deliberate.

Loving these Mortal Kombat videos

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Guess I'll keep makin em, then.

I love your video ! Everything is just so perfect you explain very well every side they have and you even made me realise some things i didnt knew about them even with Sindel being my fav sincer ever i learnd new things and for that thanks! I do think that Kitana and Mileena are the ones who help Sindel having a balance she naturaly rutheless and can be very egocentrique but her heart follows what she believe its the best and one of the main reason she is kind its because of her familly and people and that reminds her what really matters just like Kitana and Jerod bring out the best of her Shao khan and Mileena can bring the worst of her and either of this sides will have a huge impact as shes state by Kronika being one of the only mortals that can hurt Cetrion and even Centrion said that her role was to die so the balance could be intact, shes just so interesting and can either make a whole realm in peace for millennia or be the only ruler of her realm and try to rule over everything and everyone.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Appreciate it. Glad you liked the video. I like that idea of Sindel struggling between light and dark. It almost accounts for the massive retcon in MK11 that she was always evil, which was overkill. I think a good version would be her not necessarily conspiring with Shao to murder Jerrod, but definitely being a bit seduced by his power, ultimately making her redemption, by way of Kitana, be a bit more cathartic.

Of course it’s just inside your head, Warlock, but why should that mean it’s not real?

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I like the way you think.

These mortal Kombat videos have been great man

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I'll keep em coming, then.

another great video!!!! keep em coming bro

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I got videos for daysss.

I love this video, everyone has different perspectives and you put the royal family into perspective for me. I like how you broke down the magic and it’s elements in the MK universe. other MK channels don’t do that. I look forward to more videos

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thanks a bunch. More on the way. Sub to see them.

Great analysis and honestly i couldn't agree more with you it was very spot on from detail to detail and depth my friend. 👍

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thank you very much.

I absolutely love your analysis of this game. As someone just getting intot he franchise with MK1, its so nice to see someone explain this in a way thats easy to understand. I also really enjoy the format, being both informative and having a good mix of humor. Keept up the great work, I cant wait to see more from you!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot for the feedback. Good to know the humor dosage is right, cause I feel like too much of it can ruin this type of video. Welcome to the franchise, by the way. How are you enjoying MK1 (2023)?

@TheMagpieGuy

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock I love what they've done so far. I've been getting into a lot of past mortal kombat lore, and I really love it. I'm glad the community is still so alive 30 years later, even if it is a new time-line. I like what they've done with a lot of formerly jobber characters like Mileena, Reptile and Baraka (who are now some of my favs), and how they brought back some 3d era characters (Ashrah, Nitara, Havik and Reiko, Ashrah and Havik also being some of my new favorites). There's still so much to learn but so far I'm just really having a good time, especially with content like this to help me learn the past 30 years of lore lol

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@TheMagpieGuyGlad to be of help. Still need to finish MK1, myself, but if Reptile truly isn't a jobber anymore, that's a freakin miracle. The amount of shit that lizardman ate, over the past 30 years, is astounding.

Really cool video, but can you do a follow up of Jade and Tanya and their respective roles. Thanks 😊

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Their time will come.

@Nick-up5wv

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock Yay! 😁👍

I applaud and thank you for this video essay.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thank you, good sir.

I love these videos, your headcanon is the best headcanon. Also, damn you really put into words the plight of Milly and why she's so many fans' favourite MK character... 💔

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Heh, "Milly", I like that. Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it.

You’re getting decent views, and youre making good content. Dude if you love doing these MK lore videos then i say thats thre positives and you shoul keep em coming. Cant wait to watch this one when i get a chance

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Definitely gonna keep em coming.

Okay…so far I’m really enjoying the video. Had to pause to comment on your editing and how good and entertaining it is. I’m definitely an MK fan so throw in enough of the old sound bites and I’m sold, and subscribed 😂

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Oh yeah, been thinking about adding more classic MK assets. Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the video.

Great video, very well edited & makes a lot of sense. Very refreshing to see one speak positively about this franchise, thanks

@CynicalWarlock

3 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. MK has an amazing legacy.

@ShazeemKhan

3 ай бұрын

Aww thanks for the like buddy. Thanks & agreed. This video made me miss MK9 a lot tho

@CynicalWarlock

3 ай бұрын

@@ShazeemKhan It's funny cause I started seeing a lot of MK9 videos cropping up, by people disillusioned by M1K.

@ShazeemKhan

3 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock lol, IKR me too, I'm a sucker for MK easter eggs & call backs, that game was awesome though, that 2,3 or 4 player tag couch co op was epic. My A Side was Kits & Jade

@CynicalWarlock

3 ай бұрын

@@ShazeemKhan Oh yeah, teamed them up myself a bunch. But by far the tag team I used the most was Reptile and Ermac. Fun times. Also, that's hands down the best incarnation of Ermac, as far as I'm concerned.

First, I love your explanation for Edenia's reasons for why the women dress so freely and confidently. It reminds me of the fact alot of cultures see no problem with being exposed. We have people in my country who walk around bare chest and it's not seen as a problem because that's just our culture 🤷🏾. A main gripe i have with MK and games in general is that you can have sexy designs but that doesn't mean just having t1tties out for no proper reason. Then its just being tacky, with MK9 being a big perpetrator of this. Its possible to have sexy designs while being classy or creative. Ivy Valentine's soul calibur 5 design as well as Hilde in general (but that's probably because I love armor) are good examples of this. There are MKX designs that are "covered up" but still have sex appeal eg Kitanas default and Mileena's kahnum skins. And as a character designer, if your character is sexy at least tie it into their character and story. The female ninjas, Nitara, and Skarlet are more exposed because of their characters and abilities. Nitara and Skarlet, heck even Kotal use blood, being able to absorb or use blood with alot of clothes would be a pain. in the new MK1, Nitara claws her abdomen to draw blood for an attack from what I've seen. It's metal asf but looks weird with all the clothes. We already know Mileena's reason for it. Kitana, Jade, and Tanya are essentially assassins, armor is cumbersome and slows them down but their clothes are sexy without needing to be boobs and ass but covered by string bikinis. Also they're technically demi gods, they're clearly more durable than the average human, so armor isn't really needed. Also that idea of women being influenced by the men in their lives hit hard as someone who knows a lady who's became so unpleasant because of listening to her shitty boyfriend. Anyone can be influenced or influence but this is a particular problem with women who are more vulnerable, specifically emotionally.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I assume it's just the men who walk around barechested in your country, cause if it's the women too, I'm relocating there immediately. I'm totally with you on the sexy designs. I looked up Ivy Valentine and she's hot af. In fact, hotness isn't necessarily directly correlated with showing as much skin as possible; there are plenty outfits that I consider to be hotter than a bikini, and they're way less revealing. MKX did, indeed, strike a good balance - the 'dark empress' Kitana outfit covers her from head to toe (minus the cleavage), yet is extremely appealing. And it's funny that you mentioned Kotal - no one bats an eye that he's revealing more skin than a nudist beach, but everyone gets outraged that a kunoichi - who specializes in infiltration, espionage and seduction, and whose ability is to shoot and absorb blood from her body - does the same. The part about men influencing women is what I got the most pushback for. To me, it's common knowledge, but people took that in all the wrong ways.

@bubblycups

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock lol it's the women too usually during ceremonies and in some areas. People who talk about women needing to cover up, whether real or fictional, in order to be more respected or taken seriously make me roll my eyes. You'd think after years of pushing back against shaming women for their bodies people would realize the ridiculousness of purity culture and stop talking over others. But yeah I noticed a lot of people giving you flack for that and was surprised because I thought most people knew this 💀

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@bubblycups Where are you from, an anime?

To be honest I had no problem with the costumes I don't know I dreamt it or heard it from the lore or something but the way the edenias I always thought was part of their skill and training because there so beautiful why not use that to their advantage because most of them are assassins and one they used seduction as a way to get close and get a quick kill if that doesn't work second is hope the opponent loses focus during the fight I always thought the way they dressed fit into their fighting style and training and was part of the lore I still can't remember I if I read it or dreamt😂😂😂. Great vids man

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Good point. Forgot to mention this, but most of these female fighters are basically kunoichi; that's the inspiration. And a kunoichi does exactly what you wrote - she uses her sexuality to her advantage, in order to get easy access to places, seduce their targets and assassinate them.

@aaronmulenga8937

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock really I just thought kunoichi meant female ninja 😂😂😂

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@aaronmulenga8937 It does, but kunoichi were more involved in infiltration, espionage and subterfuge, than shinobi. Mind you, there isn't much historical evidence for this.

@aaronmulenga8937

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock interesting

Love this new video also hope you can talk about jade and tanya in the future

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I will make a video about all Edenians, yes; or better yet, all women in MK.

Alright, I had no idea you made the MK power system video. Ya got me, i’m subbed

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Guilty as charged. Thanks for the sub.

this is such a well edited video, good job man.

@CynicalWarlock

4 ай бұрын

Thank you. Glad you liked it.

One thing, not all Edenians are fair skinned. Jade, Tanya and Rain are darker :)

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Mistake on my part. Dunno why I thought "fair-skinned" meant.. you know, fair of skin, instead of just referring to the color.

@DiabolicalAngel

6 ай бұрын

All good! Still a fabulous video@@CynicalWarlock

Another great one

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it.

I just love love love this analysis....keep up the good work🎉❤ P.S. Why do I feel this guy is more sober than some random men doing podcasts😮😊

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Or swimming in cocaine. One of the two.

@sithumiperera5212

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock 😁

I'm so glad I came across this video.. somebody that appreciates the raunchy and raw of the original and classy conservative of the new! .. well done sir😎💪🏿

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I'm a purveyor of all tastes.. ..including no taste.

Hey man, that was a badass intro up to the 22 second mark.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

New I shoulda made it 2 hours long.

@zoeycroft2422

6 ай бұрын

@Cynical Warlock Could you add the name of this music ? because I'm interested so I can listen to the whole version

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@zoeycroft2422 It's not on KZread, sadly: noneofmany.bandcamp.com/track/strip-hop-3

Just discovered your channel, love your content!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much. Appreciate the feedback.

loved the vid , ez like n sub

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Much appreciated.

Have you ever thought that all the color ninjas can make into power rangers or the japanese super sentai like: Male ninjas Red rangers or sentai = ermac Blue rangers or sentai = sub-zero Yellow rangers or sentai = scorpion Green rangers or sentai = reptile or chameleon Black rangers or sentai = noob saibot Sixth rangers or sentai = between smoke, rain, tremor or takeda takahashi Female ninjas Red rangers or sentai = skarlet Blue rangers or sentai = kitana Yellow rangers or sentai = tanya Green rangers or sentai = jade Pink rangers or sentai = mileena Sixth rangers or sentai = between khameleon or frost For they zordon or mentor characters maybe = sindel

I just wanna say that the weapon of Mileena is called Sai and originally were meant as a defensive weapon meant to incapacitate criminals and blocking them however i like to think that they chose this "pacific" weapon as a way to showcase how Mileena savagery transforms this elegant weapons that need discipline and control into tools of sadistic destruction

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

That's a very cool way of thinking about it. Sai's weren't just used defensively, though.

i love how when the yinyang parts in totality characterizes Sindel and then i look into her head and then POOF ! her HAIR COLORS

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yeah the hair color is one; someone else mentioned Edenia's Kamidogu, which is a literal Yin-Yang sign. Blew my mind.

Another fire mk video!!!! You’re doing the elder gods work!!!! 💯🔥✌🏾 👑

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I am their instrument of vengeance.

Please keep making these Go over the light energy some characters have like kotal

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Fire.

I gotta say I have been enjoying this kind of journey I have been on with this series of videos looking at MK lore. I do believe that Nether Realms initially just wanted hot women in their fighting games but what it evolved into was pretty interesting. They dress and act sexy because that is what their culture promotes. It is quite an interesting lore reason for them to dress like that. On the femininity point; I do agree with what you said but I disagree with your framing. I rather think of it as how relationships can be misused and abused and not something tied to or majorly thought of as a women-ly thing. But I understand what you mean. Just a small nitpick. One of my favourite things about fighting games is how a character's moveset represents their character. And it is really cool to see how well each of the three women represents that. Not much else to say.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Great points, all-round. And I don't mean to overemphasize the femininity thing - both men and women are highly influenceable, I just make a minor distinction between how much.

@Knight1029

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock I did get your point. I felt like it could have been articulated a bit better. But what I have seen in the comments most understood what you meant. So, my point on femininity was a minor grip. Also thanks for making the video. I have continued enjoying your MK videos.

I have some mixed feelings about this video, while it's certainly got some good parts throughout it the section on Edenia feels like it's trying way too hard to justify the oversexualization, the parts at 7:07 and 10:48 feel to be painting a very harmful picture of women being reliant on men and the latter feeling especially obnoxious in it's reinforcement of heteronormativity given Mileena's relationship with Tanya. (Although I certainly give you credit for the piece at 8:42) Moving away from the topics in the video I have to give you credit on how smooth the pacing and editing of the video, it certainly feels professional and well done. So overall while I have a lot of issues with the writing of the video the other aspects are good. (Granted all of this is ignoring the issues inherent to a man trying to explain characters femininity.)

@B.B.B.BOO.

6 ай бұрын

i agree with you about the edenian/sexualization section. i think its obvious that the reason kitana, jade, mileena and sindel were dressed in oversexualizing outfits was NOT because they were edenian, but because they were WOMEN. In Mk9 sonya and sheeva are also "dressed" in extremely skimpy outfits with sonya's b00bs and sheeva's vajayjay literally hanging out and they arent even edenian.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Appreciate the well-balanced critique. Would like to add some perspective to the things you pointed out. Firstly, if I had said the reverse - that men, despite their strength and individuality - still need and/or benefit from having a woman in their lives, no one would've had a problem with that, yet it's somehow insulting to say the opposite. It's not an attempt to belittle women, but rather comes from a place of common sense. Men and women tend to do better together, rather than apart, and some.. heteronormativity, as you call it, will often naturally occur in such a union. Secondly, I want to make it clear that both men and women are highly prone to being influenced. Women a little more than men, not that it's a competition. And that's just been my experience. Thirdly, like it or not, Mileena is an outcast with daddy issues. The entire reason why she exists is to emulate or replace her much more popular twin, who doesn't have to hide her features like Mileena does; she's completely loyal to Shao Kahn - her "father" - and desperately seeks his approval, despite knowing that she's just a tool to him. None of this means she's reliant on men; Tanya may very well heal these wounds for her, however a) that still doesn't fill the father figure void, and b) retconning Mileena to be exclusively gay diminishes the character, given the motifs, flavor and symbolism associated with her. Lastly, I'm not trying to justify over-sexualization, I'm condemning hypocrisy. The characters can be covered from head to toe, for all I care (although it's funny that people only have a problem with the women showing skin; mk11 had over-dressed women and highly exposed, sometimes topless men, yet no one complained about that), but it is preposterous for people to complain about characters showing skin in a franchise where folks rip each other's spines out, at the end of each match, and it's even more preposterous for the developers to actually pretend to care about said complaints and bend over backwards for them. Skin should be way lower on the priority totem pole, and worrying about that in a franchise like Mortal Kombat is like worrying about skid marks during a Formula 1 race. And yes, men are well-equipped to define and explain feminity, just as women have the prerogative to deciding what is masculine and which masculine traits they want from their men. The customer decides, not the seller. All that aside, I'm glad the video made an impression on you, and that you enjoyed certain aspects of it. Cheers.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

​@@B.B.B.BOO.Sonya's outfit in MK9 is cringe-worthy and makes me chuckle every time I see it. Absolutely inappropriate for a human special forces officer, and I don't defend that in the slightest.

@JustASleepyFox

6 ай бұрын

​@@CynicalWarlockfirstly I'd like to thank you for taking the time to actually address a critique, although I still very much have to disagree with some of your counter arguments. I half agree with your first point in saying that it's ridiculous that people treat sexism as a one way street, but I disagree with the rest of your point. It's a given the people tend to function at their best when working together because we as humans are social creatures, but I wouldn't say that has anything to do with gender as you appear to be implying. Following that point, there's no reason that a relationship between a man and a woman has to automatically be romantic or sexual which leads me think you may have misunderstood the meaning or my previous usage of the word heteronormative. I never mentioned Shao Khan? and I certainly never said to make her exclusively a lesbian, from my understanding of her characterization in the series it's heavily implied that she's bi or pan, all I'm saying is that given the fact that she's actively in a sapphic relationship I take issue with you immediately defaulting for the "troubled woman needs a manly knight in shining armor to come "fix" her" narrative, that's what I'm calling a reinforcement of heteronormativity, while that specific narrative is harmful in general as far as I'm concerned wouldn't have an issue with a similar but less harmful idea being presented in your video if it weren't for the fact that her current love intrest is literally a woman. Again, while I agree with you that over sexualization of men is just as much as a problem as the over sexualization of women, this entire section seems to be less addressing concerns and more an attempt to dismiss it as a non issue. Just because the franchise is generally over the top doesn't mean it can't reinforce things that are already issues in society. I also agree that it's ridiculous that devs pretend to actually care about these issues when in reality they're just doing what will make the least people angry at the time to fill their pockets the most (granted that vast majority of that should be directed at upper management and not the developers.) To explain femininity? Perhaps. To define it? I do not believe they are. Both femininity and masculinity are deeply personal things that can mean entirely different things to different people, I can no better define another woman's femininity than I can define a man's masculinity. We all have different values and what femininity and masculinity mean is entirely unique to an individual there may be overlap between individuals but overall the way each person expresses their gender identity is unique; although that aside, the real issue I have with your take is your attempt to justify it. Not only does it once again reinforce heteronormativity, to me it implies that you believe we should treat ourselves as simply objects of desire, completely defining the value of our femininity or masculinity by our desirability to men or women respectively. (and that's not even addressing how that line of thinking ignores the feelings of those that are not cishet.) Now all that granted, there is a very real possibility that I'm reading way to far into this and assigning my overall issues with today's society to the opinions of a single person and directing all my general dissatisfaction towards you and if so I do very much apologize for that but all in all I appreciate you taking the time to have a conversation with me and hopefully my personal perspectives can broaden your view of the world in some way. Have a good day!

Great video!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Many thanks.

Sonya wasn’t a tomboy. Jade isn’t fair skinned. Neither is Tanya.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

That's my bad - dunno why I thought "fair-skinned" meant.. you know, having fair skin, instead of referring to the color. Sonya sure seems like a tomboy to me.

@parrisxsummers

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock Sonya is a Tom boy now 😂 she used to be sooo fem

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@parrisxsummers Interesting.

@mariaritadecassiaramos6022

4 ай бұрын

Sonya in new Mk is very tomboyish 😂😂 she looks like an pe teacher

@parrisxsummers

4 ай бұрын

@@mariaritadecassiaramos6022 she use to be a feminine gymnast that wore make up heels and visible thongs with crop tops and 80s blow outs. She use to be feminine Mk x is when she turned into more of a Tom boy I think That’s why i used wasn’t and not isn’t

I never really really would have had much of a problem with the female characters of this realm having skimpy clothing if the men also wore skimpy clothing, rain being a prime example

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

That's true, but Rain was first portrayed as a ninja, and his appearance evolved from there. So, considering his heritage - both within the lore and behind the scenes - we'll forgive him for not showing much skin, and wearing a mask. Then again, some of his designs - like the one in MKX - reveal quite a lot of skin.

Mate I am MK fan since 1992 and I love all these 3 female characters. This is best analysis of these 3 so far 👏👏

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

You beat me by a few years. Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!

in mk11 mileena does have a partial blue glow to her sais

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

True.

I don't have any f idea of the MK lore and I picked this video out of curiosity, so I was watching and raking my look away half of the time bc omfg this game is violent, but interesting vid, liked it a lot!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, the violence brought infamy to the series, but these videos are dedicated to the lore and characters, which I feel are underrated. Thanks for the feedback; glad you enjoyed the video. Thankfully, it's the kind of video you can just listen to, while doing other stuff.

It's hilarious that you made this while I'm having a AI RP with the three and a OC. The three really are an interesting family.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Good timing, then.

What a great video. Wow.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Thank you.

I strive to one day be called an Edenian in the wild... I'll just keep gliding around.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Kumbaya.

I always appreciate those who mention the stupid retcon of Sindel and how the female characters back then looked better with their sex appeal than what they did later to cover them up. All because they didn’t want to “sexualize” them and be “progressive”. Cus let’s be honest and say sex sells because it does. They did kinda let them show a little skin this time around, but u can tell they’re still playing it safe and especially how they look in the face cus man it was a riot when they showed Tanya and then compared everyone else looking “average” 😂

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Mortal Kombat is the last franchise that should be getting on the "progressive" bandwagon. One of many things that made MK11 a hobbled, misguided title. "We're fine with our characters eviscerating each other in the most graphically gratuitous ways, but cleavage is where we draw the line! Not on our watch!"

@Blacknight6577

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock ya and let’s not forget that Mileena was on PlayBoy back in Deception, but I’m sure they want to forget about that

Funny that Sindel signature color is the mix of blue and pink

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yes!

14:50 I really liked that concept Reminded me of the Quincy Blut Vene technique! Blood to Iron (VEIN) XD

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, I'm turning MK into an anime. Which it kinda always was.

The tiny musical (large visually?) clip@ 5:22 was very well done. Bush ftw lol

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Heey, someone got that. Rock on, fellow Bush fan.🤘

NRS Studios needed this video years ago (not the entire thing but some crucial portions)

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I'll give em some more to watch.

i really like your views on design

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Fashion design? :)) Just kidding. And thanks.

Nice analysis! Please make a video doing an analysis about Jade from mortal kombat pls!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

She's on the list. Subscriiiibe.

Now I can't stop imaging Shao Khan stealing the secret Edenian Pie recipe for himself and once he failed the events of MK3/UMK3 happened

@CynicalWarlock

2 ай бұрын

Anything for good pie.

In regards to having sexy outfits in media like video games men like sexy attractive female characters in sexy outfits same thing with women they like it too and really people shouldn't be shamed for liking sexy attractive fictional characters it just means like women. There can be sexy female attractive fictional characters with good character and story development.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Precisely. Short of a few situations where it becomes silly, it's a celebration of women, not a condemnation of them. Physical beauty is one of women's most powerful traits. Deliberately trying to inhibit that is the truly pernicious thing.

@WerewulfNerd2000

6 ай бұрын

I think people can get really dumb about female characters that are either covered up, with less curves, or are more skimpy, with curves. The two extremes against these designs are ridiculous. It's gone to the point that a female character wearing a bikini, or having curves is "hyper sexualized" even if the character is not sexualized. Context is important to understand why a character is designed the way they are. Mileena's MK9 outfit is great for expressing her personality in that game, though Kitana, and Sonya's outfits in 9 are pretty bad.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@WerewulfNerd2000 A female video game character wearing a bikini is cause for controversy, yet we're normalizing OnlyFans at the same time. I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning. As I said in the video, I can rationalize Kitana's outfit based on her culture. Same can't be said for Sonya, though. That's one of the niche cases where sexualization becomes laughable. Not a single soul in Earthrealm would believe she's 'special forces' with that outfit on. Everyone will assume she's on her way to a striper party.

@WerewulfNerd2000

6 ай бұрын

​@@CynicalWarlock That makes sense. I just think Kitana looked a lot better in X (tournament outfit), and Deadly Alliance.

@onisfury8264

6 ай бұрын

@@WerewulfNerd2000 sadly this is the world we live in female fictional characters are not allowed to be sexualized or be attractive but it's completely okay for male characters to be sexual or attractive.

Mileena Is My All Time Favourite Video Game Character & My Main In MK

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Such devotion.

@Andrew-ol7jh

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock When My Dad Started Playing Mortal Kombat 9 From 2011 & Then Saw Mileena For The First Time, She Was The First Character I Played & Mained (Played Her In Every MK Game Since)

Have you done one on jade, tanya and the other edenians. I find their powers very interesting.

@CynicalWarlock

3 ай бұрын

Not yet. I'll do a full Edenian video, at some point (or full female video, if I hate my spare time enough). I briefly mention Tanya and her abilities here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qGtrt9Cchc7FoLg.html

Very Good Analysis on Edenia, I had never thought about it, for my part I saw Edenia as a kind of Heroic Fantasy kingdom straight out of a Pulp of the 30s or their comic book adaptation of the 70s like John Carter, Red Sonja or Vampirella mixed with some sort of middle east Tale of the Arabian Nights, and Belly Dancing style and art. but after all it makes sense Mortal Kombat is an American license and when you know the importance of Christianity in the founding of this country , it's not surprising that even subconsciously this is playing into the artistic influence of Mortal Kombat. You have had excellent thinking and very good deduction and it is very well found. Once again Very Good Analysis .

@CynicalWarlock

5 ай бұрын

Actually, Vampirella + Belly Dancing sounds awesome. Not sure what you mean about the Christian remark, but thanks for the compliment.

@Alexcobra861

5 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock But quite simply, Your remark on Edenia and Eden where Adam and Eve lived entirely naked, or almost naked, depending on the representations, without embarrassment or shame. Hence the reference to Christianity, after all, I am an atheist, I do not know if the notion of Eden exists in Judaism or in other minority religions, I just made the link with the main religion that I know a little. another thought that I had in mind, could explain the desexualization in Mortal Kombat, after all, license also comes from America, America was founded by puritans, let's not forget that. Puritans who mostly left Europe because they found that it was too free from religious control (see for example all the laws passed for secularism throughout Europe). And many of them thought that we Europeans were not pious enough, even decadent. And we know that Americans' relationship to sexuality and nudity is extremely prudish, even quite accusatory and critical of women's bodies, compared to certain European and/or Asian countries. You just have to look at the hippie movements and social struggles of the 60s and 70s around the world to realize the cultural differences, where in the United States it was a movement of peace and universal respect (March for Rights blacks, march against Vietnam). War, etc., etc.), in Europe it was mainly about sexual liberation movements and the liberation of the female body (pill, contraception, abortion, etc., etc.) So it's not even necessarily surprising (it's a shame, but it's American culture and the American unconscious that is like that) that women's bodies and beauty are hidden and censored when we are in a country with such a passive religious history and a vision of women that is very rooted in religion.

Very well thought out video my friend especially regarding the lewdness in MK. The funny thing about people who constantly argue about the practicality of skimpy outfits, let alone larger than average curves, forget that to this day the ladies still wear heels which aren’t exactly the best for fighting irl, besides there have been tons of female pro wrestlers since the 80s who have worn outfits with the same level of skin showing as the 3D era and MK9 outfits had. Some even have straight up worn outfits from MK because IIRC there were 2 wrestlers who straight up wore Kitana and Jade’s MK9 outfits. I just hope that someday NRS just wakes up and allows for there to be options for both skimpier and more conservative attire so both parties are happy.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Good point about the heels; no one ever complains about those, even though they're way more impractical than cleavage. A cleavage that might, at the very least distract a male opponent, a little bit. Now, of course, what I said in the video doesn't really apply to someone like Sonya, for instance, who has nothing to do with Edenia's culture and is a cop. Her MK9 outfit looks like some leftover clothes she found in a stripper's dressing room.

@javiersoriano671

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock Sonya was special forces*, not a cop. But yeah it does look very stripper like. I feel if that outfit and her alternate were swapped I feel it wouldn’t be as controversial since it was only a tank top, shorts, and combat boots, all of which have been worn by Sonya in the OG 95 movie and even made a comeback in MK11 with Bridgette Wilson’s likeness

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@javiersoriano671 Special Forces*, my bad. And yes, swapping the outfits would've been so much better.

No notes, great video.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Comment always helps. Thank you.

All Edenias was born with magic unlike a select few earthrealmers

I work in in the fitness industry and I see girls on a daily basis wearing outfits so tight and revealing it would make a edenian blush, not all women are like that but acting like attractive people not only don’t exist but they tend to want to show off with more revealing outfits it’s hilarious and hypocritical, and not to mention they don’t have a problem doing it with men lol

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

100%. There's an arms race goin on, in this industry, to design the most provocative female gym attire possible, to the point where gym clothes look like beachwear. That industry isn't driven by men, but by women.

I really appreciate that you talk about their morality, especially Sindel's being dual-sided. I think powerful, complex characters can skew either way, and Sindel is supposed to be really powerful in that universe. Whether she uses it to protect or destroy, that's the interesting part, and I woudn't mind seeing it used either way. I did actually kind of like Sindel's portrayal in MK11 as super powerful, kill the gods kind of ego (maybe without the I don't love my family aspect). I liked her using and showing off her powers, and it kind of makes sense that she would want a rich and bountiful empire. Who's going to stop her with that power? Even (spoilers) in the new era, with her current self and dark self fighting was a nice touch. Her being this super powerful asswhooper, and the main one to stand up to her is... herself. I don't really like the finer writing of that scene, her little speech feels a little... meh. "Tenacious, aren't you?" "We are...strong (?) blah blah" I don't even remember exactly what she said, but it was a little too vague and out of nowhere. Why not say something about, "Is this who I become? A dark and greedy monster?" I like the concept of them facing each other, but the words are meh, and the ending of the scene is.... Did that really need to happen? Anyways, I like Sindel a whole lot as a character. I'm very happy you touched on all 3 of them in such a meaningful way that talks about their motivations, their powers, and how their designs tie back to each other. Very clever, blue, magenta, then purple. Like wow, intentional or not, it's just so cool

@CynicalWarlock

3 ай бұрын

MK11 Sindel is something I wrestled with quite a bit. I still think it's bad implementation, not least of which because it erases a much richer version of the character, but the idea of a truly bad (not just brainwashed) Sindel is not a bad one.. obviously, since I touched on the duality aspect. I think a better way to implement a dark Sindel would be right around the Deception era where, after seeing her realm and family broken so many times by so many tyrants, she decides enough is enough, and unleashes her most wicked self, becoming a very competent, politically savvy, but somewhat ruthless queen, in the process. And yeah, the color thing is just awesome; I love spotting this kind of stuff, and some of it actually came from the community/comments.

@mushublaze

3 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock yeah i agree! Give her a good reason to be bad and destructive. It would develop her character showing her grief and wrath over losing her family or her realm.

💜💙💗. I primarily use the female characters in MK and love playing as a female in games in general despite being a boy. There is just something about playing as femme fatales in high heels who can kick your ass and break your heart that always made me feel so satisfied or it's simply the fact that I'm gay and I love being a pretty princess in a fantasy world and wishing a prince charming would kiss me underneath the moonlight. Anyways, I really wish Sindel used her kwan dao (naginata in real life) more often as it fits nicely with an Empress having a long reach in terms of her power and rule and keeping her enemies at a distance, a nice bit symbolism. Mileena's relationship with Tanya in MKX was interesting as she chose the worst person to "save" her from her monstrous self which made Mileena more tragic imo. It is implied in Tanya's MKX bio (I could be misrembering here) that her relationship with Mileena was more dubious in nature and she had some ulterior motive. I feel that it is more disturbing with the fact that Mileena has a more juvenile nature and she is ultimately the victim of a master manipulator. In the end, I think Tanya would want Mileena reinstated as Khanum so she could weave her web of lies and whisper in Mileena's ear and essentially rule through her. I feel like M1K sort of did Kitana dirty in that she was just present and didn't do anything. The most likely explanation for this is due Mileena's prolonged absence in MK11 they wanted to give her back the spotlight. Which is a shame I would've loved to see a rivalry between the two. Have them start out as very close but the pressure of being heir when everyone even thinks Kitana should rule instead coupled with the fact that Sindel is a bit harder on Mileena and she has Tarkat, I imagine she would lose it and what takes over is a vicious and toxic personality, and this is where Kitana comes in where she is desperately trying to bring her sister back from the brink of madness but Mileena isn't thinking clearly and they fight. Not the most developed idea but I think those two could've been a bit more interesting in that game, idk.

@CynicalWarlock

16 күн бұрын

Never thought of the Tanya-Mileena thing like that, very interesting. And yeah, I think NRS progressively leaned into Mileena's popularity more and more, to the point where she overshadowed Kitana completely.

six main realm and a bunch of secondary realm huh? I'd like to hear more about that

@kylenguyen7371

6 ай бұрын

Per the original Midway era's sequence of events, the 6 primary realms were: Earthrealm; NetherRealm; Edenia; Outworld; Seido (OrderRealm); and Chaosrealm. Outworld would go on to conquer Edenia and a myriad of minor realms (the most notable of these being Zaterra, home to the Saurian race that Reptile belonged to) under the leadership of Shao Kahn and his predecessor (Onaga, the Dragon King). Other lesser realms are alluded to, but the only one that was mentioned with any significance was Vaeturnus - home of Nitara, and a dominant race of vampires. The Tarkatans (Baraka's race of nomadic cannibal tribes) are initially presented as a species of mutants borne from Outworld's forced mergers and conquests. We don't see Edenia separated from Outworld again until some point after MK4, although they allude to the separation taking place in MK4's character biographies.

God i can't wait for the eventual Johnny Cage and Shaolin crew video

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Their time will come.

on God this MF'er dont miss, another Banger of a Video!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

My aim is legendary.

Kitana lowering the volume on her phone when Sindel screams at her over a WhatsApp voicenote to do the dishes

@CynicalWarlock

5 ай бұрын

And covering up for her twin sister eating another boyfriend.

@quintinjansevanvuuren9638

5 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock "why can't I find a decent guy?" *rips flesh off bone*

@CynicalWarlock

5 ай бұрын

@@quintinjansevanvuuren9638 "Guys are so soft and mushy, nowadays.."

@quintinjansevanvuuren9638

5 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock Proposal : Nightmare crosses into MK and rizzes up Mileena with his general murderous awfulness. #powercouple

@CynicalWarlock

5 ай бұрын

@@quintinjansevanvuuren9638 Sold!

dayyym bruh you gotta get on the movie writing team asap!

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

And give em a wedgie.

@superpael

6 ай бұрын

@@CynicalWarlock one as tight as these ladies used to and still should wear !

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

@@superpael Lol.

It seems like Air users in the Mk universe are pretty powerful (Kitana, Sindel, Fujin, Cetrion) Kung Lao & smoke are pretty strong as well. I wonder if we’ll ever see what king Jerrod’s powers and abilities were??

@CynicalWarlock

14 күн бұрын

Interesting question - even just figuring out what element(s) would suit him. On the one hand, giving him something like Air or Water would make sense because, not only is it in line with other Edenians, it would symbolically show why he was defeated and killed by Shao Kahn, on account of them being insubstantial, flowy, feminine elements that offer no resistance. On the other hand, despite the high number of Air users, Edenian elements are quite diverse - Air, Water, Fire, Shadow, Illusion - so it would make sense to give Jerrod an element the others Edenians don't wield. We can try to account for both of these by finding an element that doesn't inspire resilience or warcraft (so not Earth or Fire) and also isn't possessed by any of the other Edenians. If we go through process of elimination, Fire and Earth don't fit, nor does Lava, Sindel has dibs on Illusion (which seems like a woman's weapon anyway), Shadow and Smoke are way too underhanded and wily for a guy who just stood there and got his empire pummeled, Force is too balanced (and a bit generic), Blood is too dark, so you're left with Sand, Lightning or Soul. Lightning is a cool option, since it's a callback to Rain and is appropriately regal, but perhaps a bit too imposing and domineering; Soul is good, as long as it's not Soul-stealing, so it'd have to be some form of telekinesis or enhanced strength and regeneration - which, man doesn't regenerate, he's super-dead, physically, symbolically etc. - which leaves you with Sand, - which is eroded Earth, has the Air element, can coalesce to become tough and hardened, but can also be dispersed easily, has an exotic flavor to it, which is appropriate for Edenia, inspires thoughts of drought and desert, which is kinda cool, cause it's a bit out of place in a lush garden world - it's both subversive and shows that Jerrod perhaps wasn't the right ruler for that realm - and also makes you think of time, because of the other, time-powered sand users, a fitting thing for the near-immortals that populate Edenia. As a side note, I just realized how each Edenian's powers are almost like a reaction to the failings of the realm: Sindel is free-spirited Air that also evolved Illusion to deal with Shao Kahn, Kitana was a victim of deception, so she strips the Illusion and sticks to just Air, Mileena has to use Illusion to survive, much like her realm, Jade's Shadowy powers are a reaction to the naivete of what came before, Tanya being confrontational, driven Fire means she's more successful at sabotaging the realm than the hippie royal family is at protecting it, and Rain is the most interesting, because he's technically Water - as soft as other Edenians - but also developed Lightning, which is the complete opposite of soft - swift, merciless, conquering plasma. And running electricity through water can be deadly, so the 2 are very much at odds with each other, just like Rain is at odds with himself and his heritage. Yeah, sorry for the info dump - I ended up outlining an entire video, based off your comment, so.. thanks.

Should've time a quan qui recap to land with dlc release ... At least they're still takida

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, that woulda been dope. Wasn't fast enough.

Mortal Kombat Portrays Masculinity and Femininity in Negative and Positive likes. Another good video man def

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Many thanks.

Please do a video on Reiko

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Pffff, now *that'll* be a unique video.

This was a very productive video. Actually explaining and genuine theorizing about these characters instead of whining whatever is considered "woke" these days. The part with the extremely revealing clothing, I do think previous games JUST wanted hot women and later ones just try to mix it up with their designs. By the way MK Deadly Alluance Kitana is best Kitana.

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, Kitana's Deadly Alliance outfit os pretty well-balanced. Obviously, the skimpiness was done for its own sake, particularly in MK9; I'm just saying it's not something to be up in arms about and can even be rationalized in the lore. The Edenians, anyway. Glad you enjoyed the video.

the colors of ying and yang being reflected in sindel hair color possibly signifying that she is both or am I just reaching with that ?

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

A bit of both, probably. Others have noticed this too, though, so that's cool.

17:28 Yaing?? Yinyan??? XD

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

Yeaeing

Would be interesting to hear about Jade and Tanya

@CynicalWarlock

6 ай бұрын

I assume you mean the gay relationship.

@lilmonstermin1103

6 ай бұрын

​@@CynicalWarlock lol