Nani!? The 4th Snake saying something positive about Netherrealm's writing? Is this a sign
of Armageddon? Did Raiden change the timeline again?
Very funny, me.
Well, a recent comment on my MKX critique by MysteriousTomJenkins really got me thinking
about how Netherrealm handled Kung Jin in MKX. Plus, I was trying to come up with a
list of things Netherrealm does well that haven't already been undone, like casting
or content density, so let's isolate this thing and talk about it, yeah?
In case you're somehow not aware, MKX introduced us to Kung Jin, Kung Lao's younger cousin.
Jin is gay, though it's not explicitly stated in the game. It's heavily hinted at through
dialogue, though, such as:
Tanya: "Quite a handsome Shaolin."
Kung Jin: "Barkin' up the wrong tree, sister."
Raiden: "Join the shaolin. Like Kung Lao before you."
Kung Jin: "I can't... They won't... accept-"
Raiden: "They only care about what is in your heart. Not whom your heart desires."
Now, believe it or not, Mortal Kombat has produced a great example of LGBT representation
here. I'll let that sink in for a minute. You see, Kung Jin is not a gay character;
he is a character who just happens to also be gay. That may seem a might pedantic, but
trust me, I'm going somewhere with this. Jin's homosexuality is really not all that important,
in the grand scheme of things. After all, with the fate of the world at stake, who gives
a shit how you were born, as long as you can pull your weight? It's not used to earn brownie
points with the "progressive" crowd, who will praise pretty much any gay, minority or female
character, even if that character is terribly-written. We've all seen black characters or gay characters
and especially female characters, who are defined solely by this arbitrary physical
or sexual characteristic. But Jin is different. It's only a small part of his character. It
is a part of who he is, not all of who he is.
Now, even though it doesn't directly define him, one can easily infer that Jin's fear
of rejection over his sexuality is a major factor in his standoffish demeanour.
Raiden: "Self-loathing has always been an unfortunate part of your makeup."
He fears that the shaolin, a group that his family has been a part of for over five hundred
years, will reject him, which may be based on past experience. Even Edgelord Liu Kang
seems to detest him for his orientation.
Kung Jin: "You never could accept me!"
Liu Kang: "I am aware of your proclivities."
Kung Jin: "Wow, thanks for the reassurance!"
Jin is a dick in the early game, giving no fucks about who he insults or offends, even
when it's completely unwarranted. But, as his teammates accept him for who he is, he
slowly opens up to them and shows them the same level of respect. He's finally found
a place where he feels like he belongs, which even his family couldn't provide. Jin's sexuality
helps to give his character added depth, rather than being the extend of it.
Normally, I wouldn't praise someone for the incredible achievement of not fucking up,
but given the state of this kind of representation - often shallow, forced and insincere - it's
nice to see such an inclusion that feels like it's here because someone wanted it to be
there and used it to strengthen a character, rather than for the sake of marking off a
checkbox.
But it's not just a brand new character that's like this. They revealed two existing characters
as being on the spectrum as well. This is always a difficult tightrope to walk, because
you often end up looking like you prioritise being seen as progressive over good storytelling.
Mileena is revealed as bisexual in MKX. It's a little more explicit than Jin, but it's
relegated to optional pre-fight dialogues, with lines and exchanges such as:
Mileena: "Dearest Tanya..."
Tanya: "Shall we proceed, Empress?"
Mileena: "It will be my pleasure..."
Tanya: "Kano's domestic."
Tremor: "Mileena's concubine."
Mileena: "Repulsive human!"
Johnny Cage: "Sleeping with Baraka's repulsive."
Mileena: "Who told you this!?"
While it doesn't strictly influence her demeanour the way Jin's does, one could infer Mileena's
sexuality as being a result of her nature. I've discussed in the past how the revealing
outfits Mileena has been given over the years suit her more than any other MK lady because,
in her mind, her tarkatan mouth makes her ugly, so she wants to deemphasise that, and
draw attention towards her body, which is identical to Kitana's. One could, thus, interpret
her open sexuality as being similar, her accepting any partner who will have her. While Jin's
self-loathing is a result of his sexuality, Mileena's could be the inverse.
Obviously, it's not entirely that, though, as her relationship with Tanya is presented
(outside of story mode, at least) as being genuinely heartfelt on Mileena's part, if
not as strongly on Tanya's. Conversely, she's quite secretive about her relationship with
Baraka, seemingly becoming enraged not by Johnny's insult, but by his knowledge of their
relationship. It's possible that Baraka has a purely sexual relationship with her, while
Tanya means much more to her than that. Certainly explains why she has no reaction to Baraka's
death. She presumably cares a great deal about Tanya for not rejecting her for her tarkatan
features, which Baraka presumably finds attractive by default. There's almost this allegorical
element to it, like person finding acceptance outside of their racial or sexual community.
Again, proof that Mileena is a fascinating character, if handled correctly.
A problem faced by many characters included for representation, fleshed out for representation,
and especially revamped for representation, is that they're often treated as if that element
in and of itself is interesting. Being gay or black or female is not an interesting character
trait, any more than being straight or white or male. It can lead to interesting subjects,
such as how this aspect of their makeup can impact certain ways of life, like a gay person
or a mixed couple living in a very tradition-heavy region, for instance. But they need to be
an interesting character outside of that. This stuff should be icing on the cake, not
dumped on the plate in place of the cake.
Netherrealm handled it the correct way. They crafted one fascinating character and one...
eh, pretty alright character (previously discussed), and then added these elements on top of the
already interesting character and the potentially interesting character. Of course, there's
always room for them to fuck it up in MK11, but faith is earned, not freely given, and
I think Netherrealm does deserve the benefit of the doubt here, because they earned it
through MKX.
Now, as for their representation of minorities, we have Jade and Tanya, who...
Oh... well... You know, I'm sure it's just an oversight. I mean, it's not like they ever
put Jax in a gangsta...
b-but... Well, at least the black and yellow thing is...
Okay, maybe there's some room for improvement.
Kung Jin: "You never could accept me!"
Liu Kang: "I am aware of your proclivities."
Kung Jin: "I'm gay!"