User blog comment:NaveNinja/My Official Mortal Kombat X Roster/@comment-422853-20110918054603/@comment-2195697-20110918121123

Many characters grow more when they are not in the spotlight. Ermac, Nightwolf, Kabal, are three examples of characters who were out of the game, so to speak, for two titles before their stories continued. This is something that simply happens in fighting games, especially the Mortal Kombat series. Think about many MK1-MK2 stars in Deadly Alliance didn't return for Deception. There is a bigger universe than just one female ninja made out of blood. Besides, she's new to the franchise and not that big of a deal. Rain and Kenshi are established characters with their own roles to play. Skarlet has played hers, at least in my canon. For now, that is.

Besides, Meat takes her place as the gore character rather nicely, as do Nitara and Drahmin, who in my redisign, has severed heads and hands hanging from his belt.

There is a distinct reasoning behind Noob-Smoke. Noob Saibot returns unexpectedly, his power magnified by the soulnado, and now completely independent. He now has the power to turn other beings into wraiths like himself. Proving to be a thorn in Quan Chi and Shinnok's sides, he attacks the sorcerer and steals from him the half-demon soul of Smoke, whom he resurrects and allows the Enenra to take a complete hold of Smoke's body and mind. Together, they built an army and take over the city of Nekros, turning it into a stronghold of revenants. With aid from Chaosrealm's clerics and warriors, Noob Saibot has been able to hold off any attempt on Quan Chi's part to kill him. As Shinnok is far more concerned with his invasion, he cares little about one rogue wraith in the infinate reaches of the Netherrealm. Quan Chi sends Scorpion alone to infiltrate and assassinate Noob Saibot, who is never seperate from his personal bodyguard, the mind-enslaved Smoke.

This also means that Smoke is going to return to a design similar to his MK:A primary and MK:D Alternate, though redesigned and updated.