Jax’s Mortal Kombat 11 Ending: “I’m Not Waiting Centuries for People to Get Woke”
Footage from NetherRealm Studios [easyazon_link identifier=”B07L6KD1K3″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Mortal Kombat 11[/easyazon_link] appears to indicate the entire game will have an underlying theme of wokeness.
Mortal Kombat 11 has come under increasing criticism for the way it has radically altered many of its female Kombatants with Liana Kerzner accusing the company of benevolent sexism. Mortal Kombat 11’s Art Director Steve Beran attempted to dismiss the criticism, he indicated the new designs were simply trying to make the game more realistic.
Now, footage featuring one of Mortal Kombat’s iconic characters Jax specifically details the game featuring “woke” elements. Newly leaked footage shows Jax claiming victory in Mortal Kombat. After obtaining victory Jax states:
“All I wanted was to fix my life. Now I have the power to fix history. Raiden warns me, I can’t fix everything. Change too much and I could lose Vera. Lose Jacqui. But this power’s bigger than us. If I think only about helping myself, what kind of office am I? What kind of man? I’ve been lucky. My family and I have lived the American Dream. But most people, who look like me haven’t had that chance. I owe it to them to put things right.”
Jax adds:
“And I’m not waiting centuries for people to get woke, when I’ve got the power to speed things up.”
He concludes:
“I don’t get it right the first time. Or the second. Or even the third. But eventually, I knock it out of the damn park. My family’s back. The world’s a better place for everyone. Turns out you CAN have everything. Anyone who says you can’t, needs to dream bigger.”
You can watch the entire ending below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skwd_OcK5Hg
While Jax reads his ending, players are treated to imagery showcasing the European slave trade and Jax in a fighting position with the American flag behind him. It ends with Jax in between his family, Vera and Jacqui. They are walking in a city dressed in what appears to be traditional African clothing. It definitely appears that Jax’s story derives much from Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, where he creates his own modern day Wakanda using the same thinking as Killmonger.
It’s unclear what Jax does to alter the timeline, but it appears he prevents the European slave trade from existing. However, it makes me wonder if Jax gave thought to the Arab slave trade that has risen to prominence in Libya today.
This is quite a turn for Jax’s character as well. Traditionally he has been depicted as epitome of an American soldier and police officer. He’s loyal, patriotic, pro-family, and very heavy on ethics. He had always been portrayed as the type of commander who believed in order and running operations by the books. Such a grab for power and manipulation seems quite out of place for the character.
Fans Not Happy With Jax’s Ending
Many fans weren’t happy with what was done with Jax. Some even claimed the move was racist.
So Jax an “all American” character stopped slavery of Black Africans and he remained African? Even though he probably had some white American ancestry. This is a good ending because All Africans stayed in Africa? This is some fourth dimensional Racist 💩.
— Alain Palmer (@alainpalmer06) April 21, 2019
#MortalKombat‘s Jax’s ending is one of the most racist thing I’ve ever seen; it’s filled with African and Black stereotypes and clichés.
White wokeness steams from the racist belief that blacks are different and cannot be equal without the intervention of white saviors.🤦🏿♀️ https://t.co/6ax9vgBs2v
— Christian Lind (@aMusicVideoaDay) April 21, 2019
Even if you didn’t really take a side on the issue, I’m pretty sure any longtime fan of Jax would look at how out-of-place this ending is for him (considering his backstory and all) and go: pic.twitter.com/YGfNEiT14J
— Lionhart16 (@R34PERx_x115) April 21, 2019
Oliver Campbell described Jax’s ending as “the cringiest move I’ve seen this year.”
THIS is that ending from MK11.
This is what they made Jax into.
A series that built its ENTIRE legacy on provocative content… reduced to this blubbering mess of intersectional wokeness. Holy christ on a cracker.https://t.co/ASX1idIbVt
— Oliver Campbell (@oliverbcampbell) April 21, 2019
NetherRealm. What the hell did you do with Jax’s ending?
This is one of the most embarrassing things I’ve ever seen. You spent all that time in the 90’s learning to NOT bow down to moral panic… just to end up bowing to it in the cringiest move I’ve seen this year.
Jesus. pic.twitter.com/HRSl5gSU31
— Oliver Campbell (@oliverbcampbell) April 21, 2019
[easyazon_link identifier=”B07L6K6YWH” locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Mortal Kombat 11[/easyazon_link] comes out on April 23, 2019.
What do you make of Jax’s ending? Will this effect whether or not you purchase Mortal Kombat 11?
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