Jade



"This will be easy!"

- Jade's Mortal Kombat (2011) Battle Cry

Jade is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. She first appeared as a secret, unplayable character in Mortal Kombat II, and first became playable in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

About Jade
Jade is a childhood friend of Princess Kitana. While her motives were unclear, she served Shao Kahn alongside Kitana and Mileena as his personal assassin for most of her life. When Kitana finally turned against Shao Kahn, Jade was ordered to capture her for the Emperor. She ultimately chose to join her friend, and has since loyally assisted Kitana in her quest to free their native realm and restore its beauty. Now residing in the freed Edenia, Jade is a General of the Edenian Army and continues to dutifully serve Kitana and her mother Sindel.

As a female assassin adorned in a green skin-tight outfit, Jade was initially very similar in appearance to Kitana and Mileena, the only noticeable difference being her darker skin. She appeared first as a hidden, unplayable character in Mortal Kombat II whose moveset were mostly like Kitana's including the use of the fan blade weapon. To reach Jade, the player would fight a one-player game on the match just before the "?" on the map of the mountain. If the player won at least one round of the match using only the Low Kick button (no punches, High, or Block button presses), they would immediately be warped to Goro's Lair to fight Jade. The player did not have to win the match -- only one round -- to fight Jade.

Jade would later become a regular character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Her main weapon of choice is a metal staff, but she also uses razor-edged boomerangs (dubbed "razorangs") as well.

Although her personality has not been revealed in detail, we can infer that Jade is a loyal and respectable person, or more fitting, Edenian. Her loyalty to her homerealm is apparent in all her appearances. Her rivalry with any and all traitors of the majestic realm is one of her most recognizable traits. Aside from that we can see that Jade is nice and kind. Willing to help any deserving being in need. And as that is the case she isn't above punishing evil beings in the most cruel of ways. As seen in her Deception ending she threw a glass orb filled with concentrated Tarkata essence on Tanya, causing the Tarkatans to attack her, mistaking her for a male from a rival tribe. Jade's friendship with Princess Kitana is a focal point in her story.

Storyline
It is assumed Jade was the back-up plan of Shao Kahn during the second tournament, in case his own warriors would fail to withstand the fury and anger of the Earthrealm warriors. In fact, although she was not present in the first Mortal Kombat tournament, she was hiding in the shadows and watching the events unfold. From there, she would have to return to Outworld and report to Shao Kahn.

Like Kitana, Jade's origins lie not in Outworld, but in the realm of Edenia. While it is not certain whether or not her parents made any significant contributions to Edenia, it is known that they were nobles of the realm and were loyal and faithful subjects who loved King Jerrod and Queen Sindel. Aside from the fact that she has been Kitana's friend since childhood, there isn't much information on Jade's background and early life. However, it is known that Jade was kidnapped as an infant along with Kitana when Shao Khan murdered King Jerrod and took over Edenia. Jade grew up with Kitana and Mileena and was trained as one of Shao Kahn's personal assassins.

At the time of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Kitana had been sentenced to death after pleading guilty for treason and murdering Mileena during the events of Mortal Kombat II. She escaped the evil realm and fled to Earthrealm. Shao Kahn became enraged and appointed Jade and Reptile to venture into Earthrealm and capture her. Jade was assured that Kahn wanted her back alive, but Reptile was secretly told to bring Kitana back by any means necessary, including and especially killing her.

The two then ventured into Earth to find Kitana. However, Jade found herself torn between loyally carrying out Kahn's orders and betraying her friend or joining her against the Emperor. She ultimately decided to help Kitana and thwarted Reptile's assassination attempt. With his defeat, the path was cleared for the two women to join Raiden and his Earthrealm combatants in the battle against Shao Kahn and his forces. Of immediate importance, however, was Kitana's personal mission to reach and warn the resurrected Queen Sindel about their true past together. Jade's assistance had made that possible. With Sindel's memories recovered, she too would turn against Shao Kahn. Shortly afterward, Kahn was defeated by Liu Kang. After Kahn's defeat, Kitana would go on to free Edenia from Outworld.

Jade was not present during the events of Mortal Kombat Gold. It was at this time that Tanya betrayed Edenia to Shinnok and earned Jade's wrath.

In Mortal Kombat: Deception, it was revealed that Jade had attempted to join Kitana and her allies in the battle against the Deadly Alliance. She had arrived too late, finding her friend's body lying on the ground with the other Earthrealm warriors. Heartbroken, Jade knelt beside her fallen friend's side and noticed a large creature approaching. She then hid in the nearby shadows and witnessed this evil menace, Onaga the Dragon King, resurrect the bodies of Kitana and her fallen friends. While they were resurrected, they were also placed under an evil spell and were told to meet up with the force controlling them at the Living Forest.

Jade followed in secret, only to discover that they were going to invade Edenia and hold Queen Sindel prisoner. Jade returned to Edenia to find Queen Sindel behind bars and guarded by her own daughter. Sindel could have fought for her freedom, but she couldn't bring herself to attack Kitana. Jade attacked Kitana and managed to trap her in a cage of her own while she freed Sindel. Kitana then began shouting for the guards to capture them, forcing Jade and Sindel to flee to the portal into Outworld. Before they went through the portal, Jade caught a glimpse of her enemy, Tanya, standing next to Onaga.

Currently in Outworld with Sindel, Jade has made it her personal mission to assist her Queen in rescuing Kitana from the Dragon King's spell and to seek justice (or perhaps vengeance) against Tanya, who has betrayed Edenia yet again.

In Mortal Kombat (2011), Jade appears at the side of Shang Tsung along with her best friend Kitana. When Sonya frees Jax from Goro's Lair, Jade and Kitana attempt to stop Sonya and Jax from leaving. They face Sonya in a two-on-one battle but ultimately are defeated.

Jade later appears in the Armory and finds Raiden, Jax, and a recently beaten Johnny Cage. She faces Jax in kombat but fails to defeat him, and the three continue on their quest to find Sonya. After Shao Kahn tells Kitana to leave, Jade follows Kitana into the Wastelands, where they have an argument. Jade leaves Kitana just before the Earth warriors appear. While Kitana leaves to go to Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits, Kitana calls out Jade, who she knows is following her again. Jade explains that she was told to prevent Kitana from ever entering the Flesh Pits, and the two battle, with Kitana proving victorious.

After Kitana brings Shang Tsung to Shao Kahn and informs Shao Kahn of the experiments happening in the Flesh Pits, Jade can be seen watching as Kitana is taken prisoner, having overheard everything Shao Kahn has done. Jade sets out to free Kitana. As Jade approaches Kitana, she defeats Baraka, and then defeats Sheeva. Before she is able to free Kitana, Kitana tells her to inform Raiden of everything and flee before she is also captured. Jade agrees, and flees back to the Wastelands, where she is met by Mileena. She defeats Mileena, just as the Earth warriors approach. Smoke sees Mileena, and believes that Jade has just defeated Kitana, unaware of the Flesh Pits experiments. Jade defeats Smoke and informs the rest of the Earth warriors of Kitana's capture.

Jade is later seen alongside the Earth warriors in their discussions. When the Lin Kuei cyborgs ambush the Earth warriors, she assists in defeating them. However, when Sindel arrives, Jade is one of the warriors who is killed by Sindel. Jade is last shown in the Netherrealm, resurrected with her soul in the possession of Quan Chi.

Biographies

 * Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3: "When the renegade Princess Kitana makes her escape into the unknown regions of Earth, Jade is appointed by Shao Kahn to bring his daughter back alive. Once a close friend of the Princess, Jade is faced with the task of betraying her friend or disobeying her Emperor."


 * thumb|250px|right|Jade's Bio KardBio Kard: "Longtime of the Edenian crown, Jade witness the arrival of the Dragon King and raced to Edenia to inform her queen of Kitana's fate. She arrived too late, however, for Tanya had already imprisoned Queen Sindel. She freed Sindel and the two escaped Outworld."


 * Mortal Kombat Deception: "I had arrived too late. Kitana and her allies from Earthrealm had been slain in the epic battle against the Deadly Alliance. At the least, they had killed many Tarkata before they died. As I knelt beside her, a menacing, dragon-like creature strode across the bridge to the palace. I leapt out of sight and watched as he resurrected the dead and ordered them to regroup near the Living Forest. I followed them in secret. The Dragon King's entourage crossed into Edenia and imprisoned Queen Sindel. He used Princess Kitana to guard her, knowing the Queen would not attack her own daughter. I fought Kitana and eventually managed to lock her in a cell of her own. Kitana furiously screamed, alerting the enemy. Before Queen Sindel and I escaped through a portal to Outworld, I caught a last glimpse of the Dragon King... and at his side... Tanya!


 * Mortal Kombat (2011): "An assassin for Shao Kahn, Jade has earned a reputation as an agile and stealthy warrior. Her family was Edenian nobility and served the emperor once he conquered their realm, giving Jade to him as tribute when she was a child. After years of rigorous training in the art of kombat, Shao Kahn awarded her the position of Bodyguard to Princess Kitana. Over the centuries she and Kitana have become close friends, which makes Jade's secret orders from Shao Kahn painful to accept: Should Kitana's loyalty falter, Jade must kill her friend."

Powers and abilities
When she was first introduced in MKII, Jade was the only secret character to possess an outright special ability: an absolute immunity to projectile attacks. Any projectiles thrown at her would fly harmlessly pass her. Aside from that, her style of combat was identical to Kitana's, wielding a pair of copper fans during gameplay.

When she was made playable, she displayed slightly more aptitude than her other counterparts. Unlike Kitana and Mileena, Jade wielded two weapons: a steel, sharp-pointed staff which transforms itself into a supply of 'razorangs' (a portmanteau of 'razor' and 'boomerangs'). She displayed the most effectiveness with the staff, preferring weapon combat over hand-to-hand combat. During one of her Fatalities and her win pose, the staff left behind purple energy trails, hinting at magical properties. The staff has also been redesigned twice, first displayed as mentioned above, but in Deception, given a larger spearhead at one end whilst in Shaolin Monks, it is a simple iron staff with no sharp ends. In MK 2011, the staff reverts back to its original steel design, but heavily features the purple aura during gameplay as well and has the ability to change length. She also displayed skill with the razorangs, able to retrieve her weapons as they returned to her without cutting herself and can alter their trajectory at will. Jade is able to emit a 'force rejection field' around her which seems to cause projectiles in particular to fly right through her like air.

Signature moves

 * Razor-Rang: Jade throws a razorang at her opponent. In the 2D games, there were three variations of this move: one that curved up, one that curved down, and one that returned if it missed the opponent. In MK 2011 this is renamed Boomerang, and has a straight throw, an upward throw, and a throw at the shin. (UMK3, MKT, MK:D, MK:U, MK:SM, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Reboomerang in which the razorang returns to strike the opponent a second time.
 * Blazing Nitro Kick: Jade illuminates herself with a green force and kicks her opponent. In MK 2011 this is called Shadow Kick. (UMK3, MKT, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Eclipse Kick.
 * Dodging Shadows: Jade puts a forcefield around herself which causes projectiles to go through her. This move is taken in reference to her automatic immunity to projectiles in MKII. In MK 2011 this is called Shadow Flash. (UMK3, MKT, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Shadow Glow and illuminates Jade in a purple glow instead of a green glow.
 * Vanishing Winds: Jade spins with a cloud of green smoke surrounding her and appears behind her opponent. (MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
 * Staff Overhead: Jade jumps up and smashes the opponent with her staff. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Staff Smash. Jade jumps and smashes the opponent quicker than Staff Overhead.
 * Staff Grab: Jade grabs the opponent by the chest with her staff and slams them behind her. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Staff Slam in which Jade slams the opponent multiple times.
 * X-Ray Move - Staff Buster: Jade rushes behind her opponent, grabs her staff and slams it in the groin. She then pulls it out and smashes them in the back with it, damaging their spine. (MK 2011)

Fatalities

 * Staff Shake: Jade stabs the foe in the belly with her staff and shakes it to the point where the body blows up. (UMK3, MKT)
 * Staff Impale: Jade uppercuts the opponent into the air and promptly holds out her staff as the opponent is pierced by it upon falling down. (UMK3, MKT)
 * Jade Cutter: Jade runs past her foe after cutting him/her and when she looks at the foe, the foe's upper torso and the lower body split apart and fall to the ground. (MK:D)
 * Head Kabob: Jade thrusts her staff into the opponent's head, then flips over and smashes the opponent to the ground, which separates the body and the head, the latter of which is still attached to the weapon, spilling blood. (MK:D)
 * Half Mast: Jade kicks the opponent into the air and plants her staff into the ground, after the opponent is impaled by the staff, she rips off his/her head and sticks it at the top of the staff. (MK 2011)
 * Head-A-Rang: Jade throws a Razorang at the opponent, cutting off their head. The head stays on the opponent's body as if it wasn't cut. Jade then kicks the body away, letting the head fall off. As she kneels down to catch the opponent's head with one hand, she catches the returning Razorang with the other. (MK 2011)

Other finishers

 * Animality: Jade turns into a cat and mauls the opponent to death. (UMK3, MKT)
 * Friendship: Jade hops on her staff like a pogo stick. (UMK3, MKT)
 * Hara-Kiri: Razorang Harvest: Jade throws her razor boomerang in the direction in front of her. Then it comes back and cuts off her head. (MK:D)
 * Babality: Giggling, Jade throws a razorang, but it comes back and hits her on the head, making her cry. (MK 2011)

Endings

 * Jadeend.gifUltimate Mortal Kombat 3 / Mortal Kombat Trilogy: (Semi-Canonical) "Jade makes the decision to assist her longtime friend, Kitana. She thwarts an assassination attempt by Reptile against the princess and fends off their other Outworld enemies. This clears the path for Kitana to turn Sindel against the emperor Shao Kahn. With Sindel removed as an enemy, Jade finds herself facing the emperor in kombat. She defeats him, and both Earth and her former homeland of Edenia are transformed to their original states. Jade has earned herself a place alongside the great heroes of Mortal Kombat."


 * Jadeend1.jpgJadeend2.jpgDeception: (Non-Canonical) "The traitor Tanya had given the Dragon King the information he needed to finish merging the Kamidogu. But before he conquered all the realms, Jade would see Tanya dead. Jade had allowed Baraka's soldiers to capture her, feigning defeat in battle. As Tanya approached her prisoner, Jade waited for the right moment... and threw a glass orb filled with concentrated Tarkata essence at her. The glass broke, splashing its contents across Tanya's body. Baraka and his vile savages worked themselves into an uncontrolled frenzy. They perceived Tanya to be a rival male and instinctively attacked. I doubt she survived the encounter."


 * Armageddon: (Non-Canonical) "Defeated, Blaze transferred godlike power to Jade and instructed her to make true that which she most desired. As if controlled by some divine force, she let out a tremendous shriek that split open the pyramid. As she inhaled, the forces of Darkness were sucked inside the ancient structure. It then resealed itself, trapping them there for eternity. Jade was celebrated as a hero -- and the pyramid stood as a reminder to those who would threaten Edenia."


 * Mortal Kombat (2011): thumb|200px|right|Jade's ending in Mortal Kombat (2011)"Shao Kahn was defeated, but the intense battle rendered Jade unconscious. She slipped into a dream-like state and found herself walking in an unknown realm. As she explored, her surroundings shifted and changed. Jade approached a lone figure who stood in the distance--a shimmering woman. She did not reveal her name, but spoke with an air of regal authority. Through the minds of countless mortals, the woman had been watching events as they unfolded over the centuries. She informed Jade that Shao Kahn's death was an outcome that must be re-imagined. Jade was defenseless as the woman possessed her body and emerged in the waking world."

Film
Despite her portrayal as a "good" character in the games, Jade appears in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (portrayed by Siberian supermodel Irina Pantaeva) as a character who remains loyal to Shao Kahn until her death. After failing to seduce Liu Kang and leading the other warriors to an ambush (not before testing Liu Kang and leading him to the Temple of the Elder Gods), Kahn himself has her eaten and swallowed by a living gargoyle in his palace due to her alleged failure at keeping the Earth Warriors from escaping. There is also little to no indication in the movie that Jade and Kitana know each other from the past. Instead, Kitana glares at Jade when she betrays the group during a later part of the film.

Literature
Jade appears in the novelization of both feature films. Her role in the first novel is very small, appearing only on one page before being tricked by Sonya and defeated with a single blow. It is interesting to note that instead of fighting with any of the three weapons she uses in the games (fans, staff or razorangs), Jade displays great proficiency with a pair of half-moon daggers, capable of moving them so fast around herself that she can shield herself from attack.

Jade's role in the novelization of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is expanded, and a history between her and Kitana is hinted at, but Kitana is disgusted by her arrival rather than friendly with her (which would explain Kitana glaring at Jade in the movie). She fakes subduing Sindel and lures the Earth Warriors into a trap, distracting them long enough for the Extermination Squads to get close, before escaping. Like in the film, despite Sindel's testimony to Jade's loyalty, Shao Kahn has her devoured by a living stain-glass window for allowing the Earth Warriors to survive.

Jade doesn't appear in Jeff Rovin's non-canon Mortal Kombat novel.

Comic books
Jade has a minor role in Malibu Comics second series Battlewave. Since her participation in Mortal Kombat II wasn't revealed during production of the comic, Jade's portrayal and personality is highly different from her in-game canon story and traits. In the comics Jade is an evil assassin under Shao Kahn's command, and shows no relation or ties with Kitana besides their shared looks. She is always paired with Smoke, possibly due to both of them appearing on the background of the Living Forest stage in Mortal Kombat II.

Jade and Smoke attempt twice to kill Jax (and later Johnny Cage) before they arrive in Outworld, but both times they fail to do so. Later they try to redeem themselves by killing Raiden during his fight with Kano (the third issue of the mini-series Rayden and Kano), only to be stopped by Kano himself. She is also present as one of the wedding guests for Shao Kahn and Sonya's wedding in issue #6 of the Battlewave series.

Character development


Jade's introduction to the Mortal Kombat series is quite similar to that of Reptile's. She was simply an extremely fast palette-swap of Kitana who could not be harmed by projectiles and, in all ports of MKII, (except for Sega Genesis/Megadrive, and Sega Saturn where she had Kitana's skin color) had brown skin. In the first Mortal Kombat, Reptile made his appearance as a green-colored version of Scorpion with both Scorpion and Sub-Zero's abilities. When Jade made her first non-secret appearance in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, she was given her own attributes and storyline. The same happened for Reptile when he made his first non-secret appearance in Mortal Kombat II. Jade's name was not superimposed over her MKII energy meter; its inclusion was likely forgotten by the programmers during production.

Jade could be seen peeking out from a tree in The Living Forest Arena in Mortal Kombat II, as could another secret opponent: Smoke. It was then further suggested in the comic book series that Jade and Smoke were in fact assassins working for Shao Kahn. However, the comic books were non-canon.

Jade also made an appearance in the game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks as an assassin that fought alongside Mileena and Kitana. Her appearance sparked some controversy about the validity of the game's story, compared to established Mortal Kombat canon. After battling her, she is stabbed in the eyes with Mileena's sai by the player and dies.

Original Timeline

 * Childhood friend of Kitana.
 * Assisted Shao Kahn in MK2 and UMK3/MKT.
 * Traveled to Earthrealm with Reptile to find Kitana in UMK3/MKT.
 * Betrayed Shao Kahn to fight for Kitana and the Earth Warriors in UMK3/MKT.
 * Defeated Sheeva along with Kitana in UMK3/MKT.
 * Tried to join the fight with the Earth Warriors against the Deadly Alliance, but was too late.
 * Witnessed Onaga's return and then he revived Kitana and the Earth Warriors.
 * Tanya became her sworn enemy.
 * Fought the manipulated Kitana and then put her in a cell of her own.
 * Freed Sindel out of her cage and allied with her to free Kitana out of Onaga's spell.
 * Joined the Forces of Light in the final battle in Armageddon.
 * Killed during Armageddon.

Alternate Timeline

 * Defeated by Sonya, along with Kitana.
 * Defeated by Jax.
 * Attempted to stop Kitana from betraying Shao Kahn, but was eventually defeated by her.
 * Betrayed Shao Kahn after Kitana.
 * Defeated Baraka.
 * Defeated Sheeva, who was guarding a captive Kitana.
 * Defeated Mileena.
 * Defeated Smoke after he thought Mileena was Kitana.
 * Joined Raiden on his quest.
 * Sent help to rescue Kitana.
 * Killed by Sindel.
 * Resurrected by Quan Chi to serve him.

Trivia

 * Jade was a representative of Mortal Kombat in Video Game Vixens - a special four-part TV show on G4 that features what they consider to be "the sexiest female video game characters of the year."
 * In the 1995 movie Mortal Kombat, Jade was scheduled to face off against Sonya in a secret area of the island that was slated to be a hidden Easter egg in the DVD version of the movie; but the scene was later scrapped due to time constraints.
 * Jade and Jax both seem to show some interest in each other in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
 * In her Girls Gone Wired video Jade reveals not only her measurements (36, 24, 36) but also that she is a Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 22).
 * In early versions of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Long Fist was supposed to be her unarmed fighting style.
 * In Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest Mode, Jade asks Shujinko to bring Rain to the Edenian Freedom Fighters, and in completing this, she defeats him. Afterward, however, she still asks Shujinko to bring him to her.
 * In Mortal Kombat II Jade occasionally drops down during a match and gives clues on how to reach her just as Reptile did in Mortal Kombat. One of her clues is a reference to the Ermac rumors from Mortal Kombat.
 * Also in Mortal Kombat II Jade leaves a clue saying "Chun who?" which was a jab at Street Fighter's Chun Li.
 * In the Sega Genesis version, Jade's fighting stance is a version of Mileena.
 * In the SNES version, Jade's fighting stance is a version of Kitana.
 * In Deception, Jade's costume color was taken from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
 * Her Babality in MK 2011 possibly is a parody of her Hara-Kiri in Mortal Kombat: Deception.
 * In MK 2011, her X-Ray Attack along with Sindel, Quan Chi, and Jax are the only ones that do not make the opponent bleed.
 * In MK 2011, Jade's skin tone has a noticeably lighter color in her early renders, however in actual gameplay her skin tone is that of her original appearances.

Jade Gone Wired
Much like Sonya Blade, Chun Li, and even Ms. Pacman, Jade has become a renown female character from video gaming. Her beauty accounts for this.

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