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Mortal Kombat (2021) KILL KOUNT is the three hundred and fourteenth video of James A. Janisse's series, The Kill Count.
Overview[]
In 17th-century Japan, Lin Kuei assassins led by Bi-Han kill the warriors of the rival Shirai Ryu ninja clan led by Hanzo Hasashi, including Hanzo's wife and son. Hanzo kills the attackers before being killed by Bi-Han, resulting in his soul being condemned to the Netherrealm. Raiden, god of thunder, arrives and takes Hanzo's surviving infant daughter to safety.
In the present, the realm of Outworld has defeated Earthrealm in nine of ten tournaments known as "Mortal Kombat"; if Earthrealm loses the tenth tournament, the rules state it will be conquered by Outworld. However, an ancient prophecy states that the "blood of Hanzo Hasashi" will unite a new generation of Earthrealm's champions to prevent Outworld's victory. Aware of this, soul-eating sorcerer Shang Tsung, who has overseen the last nine victories, sends his warriors to kill Earthrealm's champions, identified by a dragon mark, before the next tournament begins. One such champion, a former professional MMA fighter named Cole Young, is attacked alongside his family by Bi-Han, who now calls himself Sub-Zero. However, Special Forces Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs rescues the Youngs, directing them to find his partner, Sonya Blade. Jax stays to battle Sub-Zero but loses his arms in the process.
Cole tracks Sonya to her hideout, where she is interrogating a captive Australian mercenary named Kano. She reveals that she and Jax have been investigating Mortal Kombat's existence and that the dragon mark can be transferred to anyone who kills the original bearer. They are attacked by Shang Tsung's assassin, Syzoth, but Kano kills him with Cole and Sonya's help. They travel to Raiden's temple and meet current Earthrealm champions Liu Kang and Kung Lao before being brought to Raiden, who is critical of the newcomers. They are joined by Jax, whom Raiden rescued and fitted with a set of mechanical arms. Shang Tsung attempts to attack the temple, but is stopped when Raiden shields it from intrusion. While Sonya helps Jax recover, Cole and Kano train with Kang and Lao to unlock their "arcana", a special power unique to all dragon mark bearers.
During an argument, Kano awakens his arcana, the ability to shoot a laser out of his right eye. Cole is unable to awaken his despite his persistence. Disappointed with Cole, Raiden sends him back to his family, while revealing that he is a descendant of Hasashi. Shang Tsung gathers his warriors, including Kano's former ally, Kabal, to attack the temple. Kabal convinces Kano to defect and sabotage the shield. During the fray, Jax awakens his arcana, granting him strength and upgraded arms. Concurrently, the Youngs are attacked by Goro. Cole rouses his arcana, giving him a suit of armor and a set of tonfas. He kills Goro and helps repel the attack on the temple. Shang Tsung and Sub-Zero are infuriated when Raiden discloses Cole's bloodline before he teleports most of the Earthrealm fighters to the Void, a safe space between realms. Lao, however, sacrifices himself defending Cole.
Cole proposes a plan to force Outworld's champions into a single combat with those from the Earthrealm before neutralizing Sub-Zero together, forcing the tournament that Shang Tsung tried to prevent. Agreeing with the plan, Raiden gives Cole Hanzo's kunai, which still has Hanzo's blood on it, telling him that using it would get Hanzo's spirit to fight alongside him. Raiden transports Cole and his allies to their targets. While defeating Outworld's champions, Sonya kills Kano and acquires his dragon mark, while also getting the ability to fire purple energy blasts as her own arcana, which she also uses to kill Mileena. Sub-Zero abducts Cole's family to lure him into a one-on-one fight. Overpowered by Sub-Zero, Cole uses the kunai and drains Hanzo's blood left on it, releasing Hanzo as the vengeful specter, Scorpion. Recognizing Cole as his descendant, Scorpion helps him defeat Sub-Zero and free his family before immolating Sub-Zero with hellfire. Thanking Cole for freeing him and requesting that he take care of the Hasashi bloodline, Scorpion departs as Raiden, the other champions, and Shang Tsung arrive.
Shang Tsung vows revenge as he sends his champions' corpses back to Outworld before Raiden banishes him. Raiden declares his intention to train new warriors in preparation for the next tournament and assigns his current champions to recruit them. Cole then departs to Los Angeles in search of Hollywood martial artist and movie star, Johnny Cage.
Deaths[]
Counted Deaths:[]
- Shirai Ryu Ninja #1 - Stabbed and sliced up - 1 min in
- Ninja Pal - Seen speared through back - 5 mins in
- Hanzo's Wife - Frozen solid by Sub-Zero - 5 mins in
- Hanzo's Son - Frozen solid by Sub-Zero - 5 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #1 - Sliced & stabbed by sword - 6 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #2 - Sliced & stabbed by sword - 6 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #3 - Sliced & stabbed by sword - 6 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #4 - Sliced & stabbed by sword - 6 mins in
- Shirai Ryu Ninja #2 - Killed offscreen - 6 mins in
- Shirai Ryu Ninja #3 - Killed offscreen - 6 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #5 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #6 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #7 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #8 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #9 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #10 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #11 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #12 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Lin Kuei Ninja #13 - Stabbed & sliced by Kunai on a rope - 7 mins in
- Ninja - Seen dead, killed offscreen - 11 mins in (Body seen)
- Hanzo Hasashi - Stabbed and left to bleed out - 11 mins in
- Bystander - Ragdolled by giant falling ice - 20 mins in
- Syzoth (AKA Reptile) - Heart ripped out by Kano - 34 mins in
- Nitara - Buzzsawed in half by spinning hat - 1 hr 12 mins in
- Goro - Sliced open and stabbed through eye w/ tonfa - 1 hr 16 mins in
- Kung Lao - Turned into a soul snack by Shang Tsung - 1 hr 19 mins in
- Reiko - Head smashed to bits by Jax's big boi arms - 1 hr 23 mins in
- Kano - Gnome way, José - 1 hr 25 mins in
- Kabal - Now that's firebending! Toasty! - 1 hr 26 mins in
- Mileena - Torso excavated by Sonya's energy bracelets - 1 hr 27 mins in
- Bi-Han / Sub-Zero - Burned to death by Scorpion's mouth flamethrower - 1 hr 35 mins in
Trivia[]
- The 314th kill count was supposed to be The Collector, but was changed after James watched them and then felt that he didn't want to do a kill count for that and its sequel the Collection since it felt meh to him to do it in December especially when they have lots of fans. Another reason was that the 3rd The Collector movie was cancelled.
- James accidentally put "KILL COUNT" on the title for this movie instead of "KILL KOUNT" for the Mortal Kombat grammar, despite saying "with a k" multiple times throughout the video.