Rain Mk - Blog Posts

MK1 Characters Ages Headcanon

Vaeternus: 1 year = 6k years

Edenian: 1 year = 400 years

Draconian: 1 year = 250 years 

*For Vaeternus, I made these calculations based on a Nitara intro. I believe Kung Lao asks her how old she is and Nitara says that she was a little girl when humans discovered fire. There were many differing accounts on when that happened but I decided to pick the one that said fire was a widespread, controlled source 125,000 years ago. It was the second most recent account- first being 12,000 years ago. I chose 125k since I assume the intro I mentioned is meant to hint how much older Vaeternus is than most races.  

*Since the story confirmed that Kitana and Mileena were 10,000 years old, I used the number to find an estimated number of Edenian years that equals a single human year. I considered Kitana and Mileena to be 25 in human years since it divides 10,000 evenly and the sisters look close to that age- dividing those numbers equaled to 400 years. So, 400 Edenian years is equal to 1 human year. 

*In the story, Sindel confronted Shao and mentioned how she remembered the sickly boy he was. This is evidence that Sindel is older than Shao by a few years- ten years at minimum; however, in my opinion, Shao looks older than Sindel so I believe the Draconian species have a shorter life span than Edenians, but they are still much larger than human’s. Unlike with the Edenians, I decided to have 250 Draconian years be equivalent to one human year because of an idea of an estimated range.  

*Liu Kang is slightly older than the Big Bang in the New Era. I couldn’t calculate Geras’ age since he’s experienced a ginormous amount of timelines. Calculations over a trillion is too difficult for any calculator to compute. 

Ashrah: 29 (human years) 

Baraka: 22k (Edenian years), 55 (human years) 

General Shao: 12,500 (Draconian years), 50 (human years) 

Geras: Can’t Calculate

Havik: 27 (human years) 

Johnny Cage: 28 

Kenshi Takahashi: 28 

Kitana: 10k (Edenian years; canon), 25 (human years) 

Kung Lao: 24 

Jerrod: 20k (Edenian years), 50 (human years)  [If he were alive]

Li Mei: 18,400 (Edenian years), 46 (human years)

Liu Kang: 13.8 billion 

Mileena: 10k (Edenian years; canon), 25 (human years) 

Nitara: 150k (Vaeternus years) or 12k (Vaeternus years), 25 (human years) 

Raiden: 24 

Rain: 10,400 (Edenian years), 26 (human years)

Reiko: 26 (human years) 

Reptile: 29 (human years) 

Kuai Liang/Scorpion: 26 

Sindel: 19,200 (Edenian years), 48 (human years) 

Shang Tsung: 27 (human years) 

Tomas Vrbada/Smoke: 25 

Bi-Han/Sub-Zero: 28 

Tanya: 9,600 (Edenian years), 24 (human years)

MK1 Rain Theory/Idea

I have a theory/idea that Rain was a god but was cast down by his parents and became a mortal. Because I hoped for demigod Rain to be explored in this timeline, I don’t like the idea of Rain being a sorcerer. It’s not the worst decision since Rain can still be a well-written character, though I was still disappointed. 

This idea came to me randomly so it’ll most likely be disjointed which I apologize for. I was inspired by Greek mythology. There is a story of Zeus stripping his children, specifically Apollo, of their powers and making them mortals so they learn a lesson. 

Here is my theory/idea:

Born the youngest son of the gods Argus and Delia, Rain was a powerful god of water. He had a happy life with his parents and brothers- Taven and Daegon, but grew to be arrogant and believing mortals were lesser than him. This attitude led to his downfall. Alongside his brothers, Rain threatened to harm a country due to them not worshiping his family to his satisfaction. Disgusted by their children’s behavior, Argus and Delia stopped their children and planned to punish their children accordingly. With the help of Liu Kang, Argus and Delia decided to strip their sons’ godhood and have them reborn in the mortal realm- Outworld- so they learn to appreciate and care for mortals. Rain- regressed to a baby- would be raised as Zeffeero by a woman called Amara. He would grow to be kinder and ambitious, leading him to learn sorcery and become the kingdom’s high mage; I headcanon that Rain used his water magic to heal people as well. He’d live his life on the right path until Shang Tsung manipulated him and unleashed his darker impulses. His actions in the game would still be the same, including his sort of redemption in his tower ending. 

In a future game, the Taven/Daegon plot could return though, instead of their quest is to prevent Armageddon, Rain, Taven, and Daegon would race to their family’s original temple (through memories and clues left by their parents) for the chance to regain their godhood as long as they are deemed worthy. Other characters can be involved by the villains learning this and trying to achieve godhood while the heroes try to stop them. This gives NRS the opportunity to bring back Taven, Daegon, Argus, Delia, and Blaze into the New Era. Rain’s story could end either with him being a god again but with a better understanding and care for mortals or he decides to stay mortal. 

I don’t think this will happen in the game since I think the canon reason why Rain is not a god/demigod is because Liu Kang didn’t want to risk him becoming the arrogant, power-hungry person he was in previous timelines. Also, the Armageddon tower was already referenced in MK1 so it'll most likely not come back.

My MK1 Fatalities Tier List (Main Roster)

Note: The placements are based on the average rating of both fatalities. For example, if I gave a character an S and a B then they would go to an A rank since that would be the average. Also, if rankings are next to each other then I will round up to the higher rank. For instance, I gave Li Mei an S and an A for her fatalities so she would go to the S rank since I'm rounding the overall rating to the higher one.

Here's a more detailed ranking (where I add + and -) if you are curious:

Ashrah

Fatality 1- B+

Fatality 2- B

Baraka

Fatality 1: B-

Fatality 2: S

General Shao

Fatality 1: C

Fatality 2: B-

Geras

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: S

Havik

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: B+

Johnny Cage

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Kitana

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A-

Kenshi

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Kung Lao

Fatality 1: C+

Fatality 2: A

Li Mei

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: A+

Liu Kang

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: S+

Mileena

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: C+

Nitara

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: C+

Raiden

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: A

Rain

Fatality 1: A-

Fatality 2: B-

Reiko

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: A

Reptile

Fatality 1: S

Fatality 2: B

Scorpion

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: A+

Shang Tsung

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: S

Sindel

Fatality 1: A

Fatality 2: B+

Smoke

Fatality 1: C

Fatality 2: C-

Sub-Zero

Fatality 1: B+

Fatality 2: B

Tanya

Fatality 1: B

Fatality 2: B+

Kameos (Bonus):

Cyrax: S

Darrius: C-

Frost: C

Goro: A

Jax: B

Kano: C

Kung Lao: C

Motaro: C+

Sareena: A

Scorpion: B

Sektor: B+

Shujinko: A

Sonya: C

Stryker: C+

Sub-Zero: B

How I Would Write Kronika As MK1's Villain?

During the period when the first 20 minutes of gameplay came out, I thought Kronika might be the villain. I was mixed about the idea because I was nervous that the writers might fumble her writing like in MK11, but I had some hope that she could improve. Plus, her new design is a massive improvement compared to her previous one and it kind of sucks that her character is just a disguise. I really wanted MK to have a well-written female main villain.

Overall, I enjoyed the ending we got but the multiverse idea seems a bit too much. I would've preferred Liu Kang's and Shang Tsung's timelines to be the only ones that exist since, in canon, they were in Titan status in MK11 Aftermath. But, MK1's ending does not make me hate the game or the franchise. I'm still invested in it.

Anyway, this is my idea: (I really like the setup/base of the story so most of my changes are minor except for the final battle.)

Instead of MK11 Shang Tsung disguising as Kronika, Kronika would disguise herself as a high priest called Damashi, who is connected to Outworld's royal family. She plots with Shang Tsung and Quan Chi on how to overthrow the kingdom and rule the realms (a lie). To keep Geras convinced that Kronika is dead, Kronika wiped the knowledge of her having a failsafe plan to become a mortal if she is near death. As Damashi, I’d have her appear throughout the story but in the background and for only a few moments, watching the events unfold, to hint that something is wrong. Shang Tsung is still very manipulated and is the cause of General Shao, Rain, and Reiko betraying the royal family.

When Shang Tsung introduces “Damashi,” it will be Kronika in her true form instead of Titan Shang Tsung. She would berate Liu Kang and his timeline, saying that balance is the true way to create a timeline. Liu Kang argues that giving people free will to be good instead of taking away that choice is the right thing to do. Kronika then reveals that she created another failsafe within Geras- if she ever loses her Titan powers then she can steal Geras’. She extracts his powers, reverting him back to his MK 11 self. Geras' corruption causes the Hourglass to break, slowly destroying Liu Kang's timeline. Some of the characters start dissolving/disappearing so this leaves Liu Kang on his own. He travels to the Hourglass and the final fight starts with Kronika as the main fighter and Geras as her Kameo. If Liu Kang does damage to Kronika, it causes her life bar to steadily increase. Instead, Liu Kang would have to hit Geras, who is much weaker since Kronika absorbed most of his powers. The player would have to wait for Geras to appear on stage while avoiding Kronika's attacks. Kronika is defeated and Geras is healed. Out of wanting to properly protect the timeline, Liu Kang decides to reabsorb his Titan powers.

I intended this to be a parallel/comparison between Liu Kang and Kronika’s ideals on how a timeline should be and their treatment of Geras. While Kronika believes balance is the best way to handle a timeline and treats Geras like a servant/tool, Liu Kang believes people are more capable of good and sees Geras as a friend.

I really wanted MK1 to focus more on Liu Kang's struggles with being a Titan and Earthrealm's protector, such as making sure the timeline gives all or at least most people the free will to choose their destiny, his melancholy with not being with his friends like in previous timelines, and seeing them die in the future.

MK1 Character Writing Review

I'm curious about other fans' opinions on MK1's character writing. Personally, I think it's improved most characters but there are some issues.

Ashrah: I'm happy she's back because Ashrah was the 3D-era character I wanted to return. I really like that they kept her story from the 3D era but improved it. I'm curious to see if she'll get corrupted by the Kriss in the next game.

Baraka: His story improved immensely. I never cared for Baraka in the previous games since he wasn't developed enough and was just one of Shao Kahn's henchmen. Baraka being a victim of Tarkat makes him more sympathetic and interesting. I hope he gets a happy ending but I think he'll die in the later games.

General Shao: I'm a bit disappointed in how he was written. I was hoping we'd learn about his past and how it affected his personality. Shao was born with a weak body, so I expected his father to be abusive by forcing Shao to go beyond his limits. This would cause Shao to believe being strong is the only thing that matters. Hopefully, the next story portrays Shao as more than a stock villain.

Geras: I really liked this version of Geras compared to MK11's since he's more than Kronika's minion. He's loyal to Liu Kang but they are friends/partners, and Geras wants to protect Liu Kang's timeline because he believes in its potential.

Havik: I was really interested in learning about Havik, his powers, and the Chaos realm. I was disappointed that Havik was a minor character and his powers weren't explained. I heard that there will be a story taking place in Seido/Order Realm so I'm crossing my fingers that we'll have a great story for Havik and other Order/Chaos realm characters.

Johnny Cage: His backstory and personality didn't change that much which I'm glad for because MK9-11 Johnny had one of the best character arcs in that era. I really enjoyed his bromance with Kenshi and his comedic moments were really fun (my favorite was the Alien reference).

Kenshi: Kenshi's story was already good but it was improved upon and explored further. Kenshi wanting Sento to protect his family from the Yakuza and bring back the Taira clan made me sympathize with him, and actually seeing how he loses his sight was horrifying and broke my heart. His bromance was Johnny was one of my favorite parts and I hope they are in future games together.

Kitana: I found Kitana kind of bland. Unfortunately, with her old goal of wanting to be an Empress going to Mileena, she lost what made her interesting. She felt more like Mileena's sidekick rather than her own character. Maybe that'll change in future games since she's a part of Mileena's council.

Kung Lao: Kung Lao was likable and enjoyable. I don't have much to say other than that. I want the next story to explore his ego/arrogance and why he has that attitude. Although I really like Raiden as Earthrealm's champion, I sort of wish Kung Lao was the champion since he's wished for that opportunity for so long.

Li Mei: Li Mei is an okay character. She's kind of boring since she's a "follow the rules" character. Her and Sindel's friendship was the most interesting aspect of her. Li Mei's powers are really cool though, and I'm a big fan of Kelly Hu (her va).

Liu Kang: Having Liu Kang as Earth's protector and Time Keeper made his character more interesting compared to him being the "Chosen One." I am slightly disappointed in the way he was written. I expected/wanted Liu Kang to be a neutral good character where he's willing to do bad things to keep the peace. They kind of did that with Liu Kang creating meaningless lives for Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi, but he was never called out for those decisions. I also wanted the other characters to start questioning Liu Kang about why there are still tragedies occurring and why doesn't he intervene. Though we get it in the battle intros, I wanted it explored in the story. The writing for how Liu Kang's time powers was also pretty unclear. The power's restrictions were never specified so it's not obvious which events in the timeline are Liu Kang's mistakes or not.

Mileena: Adored her in this game! I love seeing Mileena happy for once with a loving family and a good life. I expected her to be overtaken by Tarkat the whole but was happy to see her with a regular mouth for most of the game. Having her as Empress is really interesting and can't wait to see more of that.

Nitara: I really wanted to like Nitara, yet she's so bland. I thought we would learn about Vaternius, and see Nitara being a truly neutral character. Compared to the other 3D characters in the game, she was the most disappointing.

Raiden: This version of Raiden is way more likable than previous iterations. He's nice, humble, handsome, and strong. He's literally the perfect man! I'd like his anger issues from the previous iterations to be developed in the next story. His anger would get out of control after a tragedy and he feels like being more ruthless is more beneficial to protecting everyone.

Rain: I don't have much to say about Rain. He's kind of boring and was sidelined in the game. Maybe he'll have some kind of connection to Delia and Argus, which will introduce them to the new timeline.

Reiko: Reiko's okay. The only thing I'm really interested in is his relationship with General Shao and it's mostly me wondering whether Shao is capable of caring/loving someone.

Reptile: Love this rendition of Reptile! Like Baraka, Syzoth is more complex and isn't only Shao Kahn's minion. He has one of my favorite designs in the game and his backstory shows the issue of internal racism. The only thing I'm iffy about is his family that was murdered was his wife and son since that is very similar to Baraka's backstory to losing his wife and children to Tarkat. Plus, it's kind of weird that he moved on with Ashrah relatively quickly. I would've preferred if his family were his parents or siblings.

Scorpion: At first, I was a bit iffy about Kuai Liang being Scorpion but think it was a good choice since it makes the rivalry between the Lin Kuei and the Shirai-Ryu more personal. I'm excited to see how his and Sub-Zero's story moves forward.

Sindel: Good queen and mom Sindel is best Sindel! She was very likable! I had a feeling she would die in the story though her soul being absorbed into Ermac was unexpected. I'm interested in where this story will go.

Shang Tsung: I really enjoyed how sassy Shang Tsung was, and was glad he was the main villain after so long. The only thing I'm disappointed in is we didn't see more of his backstory. Also, the idea of Shang Tsung being evil all along NRS was going with was pretty lame. I wanted to see whether Shang Tsung was truly born evil or if was he made that way because of his hardships. It being the latter would've been intriguing because it means Liu Kang technically created Shang Tsung.

Smoke: Smoke is a sweetie, but didn't have much going for him. I was really interested in Smoke when he was in MK9 so I expected him to have his own chapter and develop. Maybe the Lin Kuei/Shirai Ryu war will give me that.

Sub-Zero: I hoped Bi-Han would be an interesting antihero instead of a generic villain. His betrayal is fine, but I wish he was more indecisive or slightly regretful of his choice since he lost his brothers. For example, when he slashed Kuai Liang's eye, I wanted to see him be regretful and sorry for hurting his brother. We didn't get that, which is one of the biggest disappointments of the story.

Tanya: I'm neutral with Tanya. Personally, her role and personality are too similar to Jade's. She felt like a totally different character who happened to have the same name as the original Tanya. Changing a character's story is okay, yet there should be some part of the original iteration that stays. I do find her and Mileena super sweet and I hope they live a happy life.

I really liked @bugcreations arts on X, especially his interpretation of Rain, and it really inspired me to try to do something similar and draw Zeffeero with the same hair and color palette as this artist do.

Plus, I try different things in the drawing.

Just Rain in his husband's shirt just enjoying his free time (until Havik gets back)

Art for a post-church au, where Rain is no longer a monk, but just a family man with old problems

other cuts

I'm just learning how to work with backgrounds and lighting on a more serious basis. I promise it will get better one day.

FAKE ALL !This is not a real religious art. I do not want to offend or hurt anyone. All characters and religions are fictional!

This is the canon Rain's ending in my MK1 Church AU.

(More information under cut)

Some time after Rain leave the temple, he and Havik began a conflict, during which the monk decided to return back, but upon entering the doors, he was not greeted with warmth. Having learned that Reiko and Kitana were dead, Shao, suspected of killing the worker, fled, and Mileena's illness was progressing rapidly, Rain was horrified, but no one gave him time for grief and pity, and by order of the new priest, Kotal, they decided to execute the unfaithful monk in order to atone for the sins of the Church.

(As for the blood between his legs... I don't know why, it was a spontaneous decision. In fact, it is the result of the rough treatment of Rain when he was tied to this cross, as well as physical violence after Kotal's verdict. According to my second idea, it is the result of an early miscarriage due to severe stress (guess who the father of the child is...)

I'm sorry the quality is not very good, and the file can't be attached here, so, unfortunately, it will be a bit blurry. For some reason, I initially took a canvas smaller than usual, etc.

Well, no big deal)

After I learn to draw bodies more correctly, I will move on to studying the background. For now, this is it. Maybe I will redraw it later. On paper, it is clearer to me how to do this than in sai.

"Cause you're my religion...

...you're how I'm living"

Короче да, получилось немного не так, как планировалось, но сойдёт. Слишком много времени и нервов было потрачено на Рейна, а этих двоих я заспидранила за вечер 😔 Иначе я бы это бросила с концами...

Fragments of the alternate ending of the Church AU.

Rain thinks about whether he did the right thing by leaving his monastic life behind and running away from the temple. Looking back, he realizes he made the right decision.

In his arms he holds a lamb, which he named Reiko after his deceased ward. In Havik's arms is their daughter.

In general, they live on the outskirts of Edenia, alive and happy, but this does not cancel out the fears and problems that still torment their souls.

Баран заслуживает отдельного внимания

А вообще спойлер (единственный кусок, что мне во всей этой работе нравится) двухфреймового арта закину, который надеюсь, что закончу, если не разобьюсь башкой обо что-нибудь твёрдое раньше ☺

Это Рейн из церковной аушки...

Nun Rain...again...

It's funny that this shit on the right is the first and only concept of Havik in this AU.

(Explanation: Havik tells the monk about the cult, and Rain only thinks about cigarettes)

I don't really like it, but it'll do.

Nun Rain? Nun Rain.

This is the appearance and image of Rain from MK1 Church AU.

I still haven't decided on the filter and correction, so I'll throw everything I have.

| MK1 | CHURCH AU.

Warning: I do not mean to offend anyone or any religion. This AU is only based on the concepts and images of various religions, but does not relate to them.

Characters and roles:

Reiko is a laborer who grew up in one of the rotten areas of Edenia. As a child, he was promised the life of a mercenary, a murderer, a robber, anyone, but a man without a soul and a bright future. The young man attended church all his life, hoping to find there the promised peace and his place in life. Reiko dreamed of becoming a deacon in order to conduct services with Father Shao, but the church flatly refused to accept him until the priest himself decided to take care of the young man, seeing potential in him.

Shao is the Holy Father, beloved by the entire church. At the moment, he takes the place of Jerrod, a priest expelled for his forbidden relationship with the Abbess Sindel, which led to the birth of two girls. That's...probably all that can be said about him, if I really decide to write a fanfic for this au...

Rain is a monk/nun. IMPORTANT POINT He wears a woman's attire (because I like the way it looks) He is the one with dozens of responsibilities, tormenting his poor body and soul, and the appearance of Reiko did not make his situation any easier.

Havik is one of the representatives of the cult founded by Quan Chi. Satanist or heretic, I haven't figured it out yet. He occupies the second oldest place and always bothers the church with his vandalism, open rioting in the square and the corruption of the Rain minds of the inhabitants, calling them to serve the Devil.

Mileena is a novice, the daughter of Sindel, born in a forbidden union. There are rumors that she... has certain inclinations and forbidden romantic relationships with one of the nuns, and also often turned to cultism, after which the Devil himself moved into her young body and fights every day with the unfortunate girl’s soul, which spoils not only her life, but also the reputation of the Edenian Church.

Kitana is a novice, Mileena's sister, Sindel's daughter. She is more pious and pure than the other girl. Calm, gentle, smart and reasonable. Kitana accepts any people and is ready for any fate, in the hope of finding eternal peace and peace for her family after death. Perhaps she will have to pay for the sins of her parents and help Mileena with her problems...

I really really want to write a big work on this au. These are collages for the main actors. In general, yes...it will contain some sad yaoi...👉👈

(I associate this with Lana Del Rey songs)

Oooh! The agender cat Mileena icons you made are adorable! I hope you don't mind if I request some icons as well :)

If you don't mind, could you make some Rain icons with the transmasc flag? There are multiple versions of said flag but I'm not picky on which one you use. Thank you so much in advance!

Of course! You didn't specify so I did MK9, MKX, MK11 and MK1. Sorry some are low quality, I couldn't find good rain pictures.

Credit isn't needed but appreciated