Mortal Kombat Ending Explained

This article contains spoilers for the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat. Click here for our spoiler-free review of the movie.

We know what you’re thinking. Is there really a need for an ending explained article for Mortal Kombat? The movie is pretty damn straightforward. There aren’t really any big twists or major cliffhangers, and while there is some sequel baiting, the movie works very well as a self-contained standalone.

That said, if you are unfamiliar with the franchise, there is quite a lot of mumbo jumbo and gobbledygook to work through. Are you supposed to know who all of these characters are? What the hell is an Earthrealm? What’s up with that dragon tattoo and does it have anything to do with Lisbeth Salander?

Fear not, because we’ve got all the answers you’re looking for. So here you have it, a breakdown of everything you need to know about the 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat. There are plenty of spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

First up…

Who Are These Characters? Are They All from the Mortal Kombat Video Games?

Pretty much. Lest we forget, Mortal Kombat is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, spanning multiple sequels and spin-offs, and spawning everything from a comic book series, to a card game, to movies, to TV shows (both live action and animated), and even a platinum-selling album and a live-action tour. There’s a lot of material there to mine when planning a reboot and all of the other characters we meet in this movie have been featured in the franchise at one point or other over its (almost) 30 year history.

At the heart of this movie is the conflict between Bi-Han/Sub Zero (Joe Taslim) and Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada), two of Mortal Kombat’s most iconic characters. Caught in the middle are other faces that gamers will find familiar. Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), Kano (Josh Lawson), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang), and Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) are fighting for Earthrealm, while Mileena (Sisi Stringer), General Reiko (Nathan Jones), Nitara (Mel Jarnson), Kabal (Daniel Nelson), Reptile/Syzoth, Prince Goro, and Shang Tsung (Chin Han) are the bad guys from the Outworld.

What About Cole Young? Is He in the Mortal Kombat Video Games?

Cole Young, as played by Lewis Tan (Deadpool 2, Into the Badlands, Wu Assassins), is a new addition to the franchise. He is introduced in the movie as an MMA fighter for hire ($200 a fight!) who bears a mysterious dragon tattoo. In the movie’s mythology, the dragon tattoo gets passed on from fighter to fighter when one of them defeats and kills another who bears it. What makes Cole unique is that unlike the others, he is the only one who was born with the tattoo.

The reason why Cole was born with the dragon tattoo has to do with his heritage. Raiden reveals that Cole isn’t just a nobody orphan but in fact part of the Hasashi bloodline. Being of Hanzo’s lineage means that Cole is descended from one of the greatest warriors of all time. Thus chosen one. Thus required to fulfill prophecy. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda.

Cole is the only one who can stop Shang Tsung and his Outworld baddies from defeating Earthrealm’s warriors and taking over the world. Only he doesn’t. It really is more of a team effort.

What’s up With All of These Realms That Everyone Is Talking About?

There are three realms mentioned in this movie: Earthrealm (which is where we are), Outworld (where the bad guys reside), and the Netherrealm, or Hell (which is where Hanzo Hasashi is trapped).

In the video game’s mythology, the universe consists of eighteen (surviving) realms which were created by the Elder Gods. Other realms include Seido (the Realm of Order), the Realm of Chaos, and Edenia (the Realm of beauty and art).

The rules of this universe dictate that one realm can only conquer another by defeating the defending realm’s greatest warriors in ten consecutive Mortal Kombat tournaments. Which also sums up the plot of this movie.

How did Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion Escape the Netherrealm?

So it turns out that Hanzo Hasashi didn’t really die at the beginning of this movie but was in fact trapped in the Netherrealm and waiting to exact his revenge on Bi-Han/Sub Zero for killing his family. Before the final showdown, Lord Raiden gives Hanzo’s weapon to Cole, and when he uses it on Sub Zero, the blood on the blade triggers his return from hell. Only now he’s Scorpion.

Cue Techno Syndrome by The Immortals.

Do We Get To See the Characters Make Any Special Moves?

Yes we do! As we learn in the movie, each fighter needs to unlock their arcana in order to be able to access what Kano lovingly refers to as their “superpowers.” Besides their otherworldly abilities, like being able to freeze things and shoot lasers out of their eyes, the characters in the movie also indulge in some of their individual fighting moves from the video game.

Here’s a list of what we saw:

Liu Kang’s Bicycle Kick
Liu Kang’s Dragon Fire
Kung Lao’s Hat Throw
Sonya Blade’s Energy Rings
Jax’s Overhead Hammer Fist
Scorpion’s Spear
Kano’s Eye Laser
Reptile’s Acid Spit
Reptile’s Invisibility
Mileena’s Teleport Drop
Reiko’s Spiked Club
Goro’s Ground Stomp
Kabal’s Raging Flash

Throughout the movie, Sub-Zero freezes EVERYTHING!

What About Fatalities? Are There Many Fatalities?

There are plenty! There is a lot of fan service in this movie and there is no shortage of fatalities. Here’s a list of some of the ones we caught:

Kano’s Heart Rip
Liu Kang’s Dragon
Jax’s Head Clap
Kung Lao’s Hat Splitter
Shang Tsung’s Soul Steal
Mileena’s Devourer (Almost!)
Scorpion’s Toasty

The only major fatality we didn’t get was Sub-Zero’s Spine Rip. But we’re not sure if that had anything to do with our beloved Malaysian censors.

Note: Sub-Zero freezes Jax’s arms and does a version of Jax’s own arm rip on him. But since Jax doesn’t die, we’re not sure if that counts as a fatality.

What Happens After the Good Guys Win?

Here’s when all the sequel baiting happens. In defeat, Shang Tsung boldly proclaims that “death is only another portal,” which pretty much discounts all of the fatalities that took place in this movie. Don’t worry guys, all the bad guys will be likely be back for the sequel.

Shang Tsung also hints that a much bigger confrontation is at hand. He tells Lord Raiden: “Next time I see you, I will not bring fighters. I will bring armies.” This prompts Raiden to send his newly assembled Avengers on a quest to seek out and recruit more warriors for Earthrealm.

Mortal Kombat ends with Cole quitting his cage fighting gig and flying off to Hollywood in search of Johnny Cage!

Wait. Who the Hell Is Johnny Cage?

Johnny Cage was one of the OG game characters. Introduced in the first game as one of series’ seven playable characters, he was also one of the leads (played by Linden Ashby) in the 1995 Mortal Kombat adaptation. (This should not be mistaken for John Cage, the Ally McBeal character played by Peter MacNicol.)

If this reboot does well enough to warrant a sequel, then Johnny Cage will likely be one of the new Earthrealm fighters. They clearly haven’t cast the character, which is why the movie ends with the camera on a Johnny Cage movie poster where we only see him from the waist down.