Theory: Mortal Kombat Movie’s Real Villain Is Quan Chi

Like the 1995 movie, Mortal Kombat 2021’s main villain appears to be Shang Tsung, but it might just be Quan Chi really pulling the strings. It’s been nearly 24 years since fans got a new live-action Mortal Kombat film to call their own, and it’s been nearly 26 years since the release of a Mortal Kombat film that wasn’t abjectly terrible. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was an absolute trainwreck, blowing every last bit of good will that the first movie had earned.

Based on the trailers and marketing released so far, Mortal Kombat 2021 is set to redeem the franchise for Annihilation‘s sins, providing fans with the R-rated, gory, crazy, violent, extravaganza that not even the popular 1995 film managed to. While bad films sometimes get good trailers, the fact that the trailer for Mortal Kombat received nearly universal praise can surely be considered a good sign for the quality of the final product, set to release on HBO Max in the middle of April.

Outside of the absence of Johnny Cage and the addition of Cole Young, the included character line-up in Mortal Kombat 2021 is fairly similar to the 1995 movie, right down to soul-stealer Shang Tsung as the seemingly final boss. Appearances can be deceiving though, and a certain other deadly adversary could well be waiting in the wings. Everyone should make sure their legs are tightly attached, as Quan Chi might be operating from the shadows.

Scorpion & Sub-Zero Stories In Mortal Kombat Games Explained

No two characters in the Mortal Kombat franchise are more closely linked than Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Born Hanzo Hasashi, Scorpion was a member of the Shirai Ryu ninja clan in life, rivals to Sub-Zero’s clan the Lin Kuei. Despite outwardly appearing human, the first Mortal Kombat game revealed that Scorpion was in fact undead, fueled by his desire for vengeance after the massacre of his family and clan. Scorpion kills Sub-Zero, a warrior named Bi-Han, who he believes to be responsible for their deaths. The Sub-Zero identity is then taken over by Bi-Han’s younger brother Kuai Liang. Bi-Han later returned as the mysterious Noob Saibot.

The Scorpion/Sub-Zero rivalry was turned on its head in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, then further expanded on in Mortal Kombat 4. Those games revealed that Scorpion and Sub-Zero had been manipulated and pitted against each other by the evil sorcerer Quan Chi, who convinced Scorpion that Sub-Zero killed his family in the first place. While Scorpion and Sub-Zero have since buried the hatchet in the recent games, Quan Chi was the primary reason they were enemies in the first place.

Noob Saibot’s Inclusion Could Mean Quan Chi Is The Villain

Mortal Kombat 2021 looks to capture the spirit of the games, but at the same time, it’s already clear that liberties are being taken, such as Kano’s apparent alliance with Raiden. The Scorpion and Sub-Zero rivalry will play a big role in the story of the Mortal Kombat movie reboot, but their backstory and feud will begin back in feudal Japan, placing it long before the current tournament, a marked departure from their traditional depiction. Sub-Zero will be Bi-Han and not Kuai Liang, despite the latter being Sub-Zero in all games but the first.

Actor Joe Taslim, who’s playing Bi-Han, has also dropped hints that Noob Saibot might appear as well during the film. How exactly that could work plot-wise is anyone’s guess, since Noob is what Bi-Han becomes only after Sub-Zero has been killed. Noob Saibot is basically Bi-Han with all his humanity stripped away, rendering him into a pure embodiment of evil, and this occurs in the games thanks to Quan Chi, after the sorcerer had also previously retrieved Scorpion from the Netherrealm and sicked him on Bi-Han. One of Outworld’s most powerful villains, Quan Chi is vital to Mortal Kombat lore, especially that surrounding Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Noob Saibot.

Quan Chi Fits With Mortal Kombat Using The Original Games As Inspiration

Based on what’s been seen of and said about Mortal Kombat 2021 so far, it’s storyline is based almost entirely on the original series of games, and not the reimagined reboot timeline first established in 2011’s Mortal Kombat 9. If one looks at the confirmed cast of fighters, every single one of them debuted prior to Mortal Kombat 9. In fact, outside of Nitara, who debuted in 2002’s Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, all of them made their first game appearance prior to the PS2 era.

This leaves the door wide open for Quan Chi to become involved, as he was first playable in Mortal Kombat 4, and in the aforementioned Deadly Alliance, graduated to being one of the boss characters of the series. It also makes perfect sense that Warner Bros. and Mortal Kombat 2021’s makers would want to include him in the film, as he’s been consistently popular since his debut. Much of that is due to his cool and frightening look, vast magical powers, and absolutely brutal fatalities, all of which could be amazing on the big screen.

What Quan Chi Being The Villain Would Mean For Mortal Kombat Sequels

As formidable and iconic as Shang Tsung is, Quan Chi being revealed on the villainous side of Mortal Kombat 2021 could serve to be a real game changer for sequels. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi teamed up to form a team so hard to defeat that they managed to kill Liu Kang and topple Shao Kahn. If Shang Tsung survives the 2021 film, and forms such an alliance with Quan Chi in the sequel, that could spell extreme trouble for Raiden and the defenders of Earth Realm.

Alternatively, if Shang Tsung is killed by the eventual winner of the tournament, whether that be Liu Kang, Cole Young, or someone else, Quan Chi could set out to avenge his fallen ally, and more importantly, seize ultimate power for himself. After all, Quan and Shang were never buddies, just business associates, and turned on each other the first chance it became advantageous to do so. Whichever way the team goes though, Quan Chi could handily serve as an additional behind the scenes big bad for Mortal Kombat 2021, and the main antagonist for Mortal Kombat 2.

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