Mortal Kombat ending explained: Who is Cole Young?

Mortal Kombat ending explained: Who is Cole Young? Mortal Komba spoilers followt. Mortal Kombat has finally landed in the United States. Warner Bros. ' R-rated movie, based on the iconic fighting video game series, is out now on HBO Max and while it's a visceral feast for the eyes, it's a pretty goofy movie overall. Still, you read this explanatory article to learn more about the Mortal Kombat ending. There are a few things to digest once the credits roll and you may be wondering where the film series could go from here, if there is a Mortal Kombat sequel. With that in mind, on this page, we'll explain who Cole Young is and his connection to Scorpio, how the movie ends, and whether there will be a sequel or four, depending on what triggers the final scene. Be warned, though: we're about to get into spoiler territory from now on. If you accidentally clicked on this article and haven't seen the movie yet, come back now or it's ruined for you.

Mortal Kombat ending explained: Is he Cole Young Scorpion's son?

Mortal combat (Image credit: Warner Bros.) Cole Young is an original character that was created specifically for the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie.. As such, he hasn't appeared in any video games, but that doesn't mean he isn't related to one of the series' most iconic characters. It turns out that Cole is a descendant of Hanzo Hasashi, who is one of the greatest ninjas that ever lived and the person who ends up becoming a Scorpion. After Bi-Han, also known as Sub-Zero, kills Hanzo's wife and eldest son in the opening scene of the film, Hanzo and Bi-Han fight to the death. Sub-Zero ends up defeating Hanzo and, believing that he has finally ended the Hasashi lineage, leaves Hanzo to die. Awakened by the screams of his youngest son, whom Hanzo's wife had hidden in a secret area of ​​the house before Sub-Zero's attack, a half-dead Hanzo desperately tries to reach them but is killed in the process. Consumed with revenge, his soul is trapped in hell, biding his time until someone releases him as a Scorpion to seek justice for the death of his family. Moments after Hanzo's death, Lord Raiden, the god of thunder, arrives and saves Hanzo's little girl. In doing so, Raiden ensures the survival of the Hasashi lineage, which is vital for an ancient prophecy about the Hasashi family to come true. This prediction heralds the arrival of a new champion, Hasashi, who will unite Earthworld's greatest warriors to prevent the evil Outworld from conquering the planet. Centuries later, Cole was born with a dragonmark, which identifies him as one of Earthworld's champions. He is a descendant of the Hasashi lineage, but is not the son of Scorpio. Hanzo and his family were killed in 1617, and Mortal Kombat takes place today. Cole's ancestors include Hanzo and his Shirai Ryu clan, but he cannot be Hanzo's son due to the time skip.

Mortal Kombat ending explained: Finding Johnny Cage

Mortal combat (Image credit: Warner Bros.) The Mortal Kombat ending sees Lord Raiden and his Earthworld champions pitted against Shang Tsung's Outworld invaders for the future of Earth. After what Kung Lao is killed by Soul Eater Shang Tsung in an earlier fight, a fight easily lost by the Raiden champions, Cole comes up with a plan to split Shang Tsung's forces, engaging them in head-to-head fighting and killing them. The group agrees to implement Cole's plan, but before doing so, Raiden offers Cole Hanzo's kunai to use in the final confrontation with Sub-Zero. Raiden obtained the kunai when he saved Hanzo's daughter in 1617, knowing full well that it would come in handy one day. Liu Kang and Jax kill Kabal and Reiko respectively, while Sonya Blade takes out Kano. The latter's dragon mark is transferred to Sonya, per Mortal Kombat rules, and she uses her new abilities to help Cole defeat Mileena. With Shang Tsung's other warriors dead, Sub-Zero appears and the Champions of Earth prepare to defeat him together. However, Sub-Zero captured Cole's wife and daughter, mirroring his fight with Hanzo at the beginning of the film, and lures an enraged Cole into a one-on-one battle at Cole's Cage Battle Dojo. Cole falls short of Sub-Zero's prowess and, in a final bid, unknowingly combines his blood with Hanzo's kunai to free Scorpion from Hell. Scorpion recognizes Cole as his descendant and the duo team up to overpower Sub-Zero and save Cole's family. Scorpion apparently kills Sub-Zero with a blast of hellfire, and before leaving, asks Cole to deal with the Hasashi bloodline. Raiden and the other champions reunite with Cole, but their joy is short-lived when Shang Tsung shows up. He tells Raiden that he will return to Earth with an army and sends the apparently dead Sub-Zero and Goro back to Outworld before Raiden banishes Shang Tsung from Earth. Raiden tells Cole and the others that they will have to prepare for Shang Tsung's return and sends them off to find new champions. In the final scene, Cole empties out his cage fight locker and tells his former employer that he's headed to Los Angeles to find someone. The camera pans to a poster on the wall as Cole leaves, confirming that he's heading west to find and potentially recruit another famous Mortal Kombat fighter: Johnny Cage.

Mortal Kombat ending explained: Will there be a sequel?

Mortal combat (Image credit: Warner Bros.) Mortal Kombat's final moments certainly suggest as much. While Johnny Cage is Cole's first assignment, there are other fan-favorite characters that haven't made an appearance in the film. Cole, Sonya, and the other champions will have to find more and convince them to join Raiden's cause, which would likely involve Mortal Kombat 2. Joe Taslim, who plays Bi-Han/Sub-Zero, has already revealed that he has signed up for four more movies if the first turns out to be a hit. The film has so far grossed less than €20 million at the global box office, but its revenue will have been hampered by the number of theaters open internationally due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, a sequel will ultimately depend on how Mortal Kombat performs in US theaters and on HBO Max. The film currently has a 55% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While it wasn't very well received, its HBO Max viewership numbers and domestic box office draw could convince Warner Bros. to greenlight the follow-up. It's unclear at this point if the studio will give director Simon McQuoid another entry in the series, but fans will certainly be looking forward to one, if not more than seeing Johnny Cage in action.