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{{Character - Alternative
 
{{Character - Alternative
|image = [[File:Mortal Combat 2021 EW Stills 03.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cole Young]]
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|image = [[Mortal Kombat 2021 Cole Young character poster.jpg]]
 
|Name = Cole Young
 
|Name = Cole Young
 
|Real Name =
 
|Real Name =
 
|Gender = Male
 
|Gender = Male
|Status =Alive
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|Status = Alive
 
|Resides = [[Earthrealm]]
 
|Resides = [[Earthrealm]]
|Origin = [[Earthrealm]]
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|Origin = [[Earthrealm]] (Chicago, Illinois)
|Games =
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|Games =
 
|Species = [[Human]]
 
|Species = [[Human]]
|Allies =Raiden<br>Kung Lao<br>Sonya Blade<br>Liu Kang<br>Jax Briggs<br>Scorpion
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|Allies = Raiden<br>Kung Lao<br>Sonya Blade<br>Liu Kang<br>Jax Briggs<br>Scorpion
|Enemies =Sub-Zero<br>Shang Tsung<br>Mileena<br>Kabal<br>Reiko<br>Nitara<br>Goro<br>Kano
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|Enemies = Sub-Zero<br>Shang Tsung<br>Mileena<br>Kabal<br>Reiko<br>Nitara<br>Goro<br>Kano<br>Syzoth
|Weapons =[[Tonfa|Tonfas]]
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|Weapons = [[Tonfa|Tonfas]]
|Fighting Styles =Mixed Martial Arts, Okinawan Kobudō
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|Fighting Styles = [[Wikipedia:Mixed martial arts|MMA]]<br>[[Wikipedia:Okinawan Kobudō|Okinawan kobudō]]
|Alignment =Good
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|Alignment = Good
|Portrayers =[[Lewis Tan]]
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|Portrayers = [[Lewis Tan]]
  +
|Affiliations =
|Affiliations = |Family=Allison (wife)<br>Emily (daughter)<br> Scorpion (distant ancestor)|Occupation=Mixed martial artist}}
 
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|Family = [[Allison Young|Allison]] (wife)<br>[[Emily Young|Emily]] (daughter)<br> [[Scorpion/Film|Scorpion]] (ancestor)
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|Occupation = [[Wikipedia:Mixed martial arts|MMA fighter]]
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}}
 
{{Quote|Well, I'm willing to die for my family.|Cole Young to Raiden, ''[[Mortal Kombat (2021 film)|Mortal Kombat]]''}}
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'''Cole Young''' is the protagonist of the 2021 film ''[[Mortal Kombat (2021 film)|Mortal Kombat]]''. He is a descendant of [[Scorpion/Film|Scorpion]] through his infant daughter raised in [[Raiden's Temple]].
   
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==Profile==
'''Cole Young''' is the main protagonist of the 2021 film ''[[Mortal Kombat (2021 film)|Mortal Kombat]]''.
 
  +
Born and orphaned in the South Side of Chicago, Cole Young lives with his wife [[Allison Young|Allison]] and daughter [[Emily Young|Emily]]. A one-time champion, Cole is now making his earnings as a MMA fighter with a declining reputation. When [[Jax Briggs/Film|Jax Briggs]] meets up with Cole, he begins to learn of his heritage and soon finds himself fighting alongside the likes of [[Sonya Blade/Film|Sonya Blade]], [[Liu Kang/Film|Liu Kang]], [[Kung Lao/Film|Kung Lao]], and the Thunder God [[Raiden/Film|Raiden]] in a battle to protect [[Earthrealm]] from [[Shang Tsung/Film|Shang Tsung]] and his [[Outworld]] Champions.
   
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
 
[[File:Mortal Combat 2021 Stills 02.jpg|thumb|250px|Cole battling Ramirez in a cage fight]]
Born on the South Side of Chicago and raised as an orphan unaware of his heritage Cole is a former MMA fighting champion born with a mysterious dragon shaped birthmark and afflicted with strange visions, who is struggling to provide for his wife Allison and daughter Emily by fighting in cage matches for money. After losing a match against a man named Ramirez and taking his family out for ice cream Cole is shocked when an otherworldly [[Cryomancer]], [[Bi-Han/Film|Sub-Zero,]] appears to kill him under the orders of the Outworld sorcerer [[Shang Tsung]].
 
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Cole Young, once a champion MMA fighter, was now showing up for $200 a fight, simply to put on a good show and put food on the table for his wife, Allison, and daughter, Emily. Following one such fight with Ramirez, a man named Jax Briggs approached Cole, telling him that he could have won the fight if he had controlled the cage. Jax expressed interest in the unusual dragon "tattoo" that Cole bears, asking where it came from, while Emily explained that it was a birthmark.
   
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Later, Cole and his family were out having dinner when a [[Bi-Han/Film|strange individual]] then appeared and starts freezing everything around them. Just then, Jax Briggs showed up in front of the Youngs and sheltered them in his truck. He explained to Cole that the [[Mortal Kombat Logo|dragon marking]] was no birthmark and it actually meant he had been chosen to fight. He told Cole to get to [[Wikipedia:Gary, Indiana|Gary, Indiana]] and find a woman named [[Sonya Blade/Film|Sony Blade]]. Cole offered to stay and fight, but Jax warned him that this would only result in the death of both him and his family.
Unknown to Cole, Shang Tsung, not wanting to risk his conquest of Earthrealm by potentially losing the last of the necessary 10 inter-dimensional death match tournaments called '''''Mortal Kombat''''' had sent assassins to kill off anyone bearing the dragon mark thus leaving Earthrealm without champions and forcing them to default on the last match. Before the assassin can finish the job though [[Jax Briggs/Film|Jax Briggs]], a Special Forces Major who Cole met earlier that day and who bears a similar dragon shaped mark arrives to rescue him. Fearing for the safety of his family Cole drives them to safety in Jax’s car while leaving Jax to hold off Sub-Zero per his orders. Although successful in buying them time though Jax is beaten and left for dead after Sub-Zero freezes and smashes Jax’s arms off. Meanwhile after dropping off his family Cole heads to an address in Gary Indiana to track down Jax’s partner [[Sonya Blade/Film|Sonya Blade]] at her hideout where she is interrogating a captive mercenary named [[Kano (Mortal Kombat)|Kano]] who also bears a dragon mark.
 
   
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Following Jax's instructions, Cole travelled to Gary, where he discovered the ramshackle home of Sonya Blade. There, Sonya explained to him that the dragon marking is an invitation to something she had researched for years, a tournament known as [[Mortal Kombat Tournament|Mortal Kombat]]. Cole was skeptical of the idea, but before she can explain further, their discussion was interrupted by a man she has chained up, [[Kano/Film|Kano]]. Sonya told Cole that Kano was a member of the [[Black Dragon|Black Dragon Clan]] and she was tracking another champion, whose throat Kano slit, killing him and taking his mark. They are then attacked by <!--[[Reptile/Film|-->Syzoth<!--]]-->, the [[Reptile]]. They worked together to fight the reptilian assassin and eventually Kano managed to kill him by ripping out his heart.
After proving to her that Jax sent him by showing his birthmark, Sonya reveals that the mark is seemingly an invitation to the '''''Mortal Kombat''''' tournament and that she and Jax believed another match was imminent. She also reveals that Jax and her have been researching the tournament and trying to find other mark bearers ever since a mission 7 years prior in Brazil. During said mission Jax had acquired his own dragon mark after it transferred itself to him following his killing its original bearer, a wanted fugitive who had seemingly gained superhuman abilities from it. Just after revealing this the hideout is attacked by the inhuman assassin, [[Reptile (Mortal Kombat)|Reptile]], but Cole, Sonya, and a reluctant Kano defeat him, with Kano killing Reptile by tearing out his heart.
 
   
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Following this incident, Sonya told them that they need to get to [[Raiden's Temple]], where legends said champions of [[Earthrealm]] used to train for Mortal Kombat. Kano claimed to know where the temple was and Sonya bribed him to take them there for 3 million dollars, though she privately admitted to Cole that she did not have those amount of money. The group then journeyed to the temple. On their way to the destination, Sonya and Kano were at each other the whole way, until the trio were found by [[Liu Kang/Film|Liu Kang]], a member of the [[Order of Light]], who then guided the them to temple. There, Liu Kang informed the trio that time was short and they had to begin training for the tournament in order to defend [[Earthrealm]]. He introduced the trio to [[Raiden/Film|Lord Raiden]], who was immediately dismissive of them all, stating that Cole was in no mental or physical state to fight. Cole pleaded with him to help, explaining about the man who tried to kill his family. Raiden replied that only death awaited him, but he countered that he was willing to die for his family. "Let's see if you have what it takes," answered Raiden. Just then, [[Shang Tsung/Film|Shang Tsung]] and his forces of [[Outworld]] appeared, trying to claim victory by killing Earthrealm champions prior to the tournament. Raiden, however, expelled them by setting up a barrier around the temple.
After then unexpectedly learning from Kano that he knows the way to the temple of [[Raiden]] that legends indicate is supposed to train Earthrealm’s champions, the group travels there meeting Earthrealm champion [[Liu Kang]] along the way before being brought to Raiden himself, who is critical of the newcomers. They are also joined by Jax, who has been fitted with a set of mechanical arms after Liu Kang found and rescued him. Shang Tsung then attacks the temple alongside Sub-Zero and [[Mileena]], but the Earthrealm champion [[Kung Lao]] appears and assists his fellow fighters long enough for Raiden to arrive and erect an impenetrable shield with his dragon staff to stop the attackers.
 
   
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[[File:Cole Young Training With Kung Lao.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Cole training with Kung Lao]]
Safe for the moment Sonya sets about training and encouraging Jax to fight despite his condition, while Cole and Kano train with Liu Kang and Kung Lao to unlock their "arcana", the special power unique to all dragon mark bearers. During an argument with Kung Lao, Kano awakens his arcana while Cole is unable to awaken his despite his persistence. Raiden then reveals that the source of Cole’s birthmark and the reason he was targeted was due to him inheriting it from the Shirai Ryu ninja Hanzo Hasashi who previously bore the mark and who Cole has unknowingly been seeing in his visions. Cole as it happens is a direct descendant of Hanzo’s infant daughter, the only survivor of a massacre that Sub-Zero, then known as Bi-Han, and his fellow Lin Kuei assassins had lead against their hated rivals the Shirai Ryu some 400 years ago. Raiden also reveals that he had subsequently found the infant girl after the massacre and had taken her to safety hoping that Hanzo’s blood would prove strong and produce a worthy champion for Earthrealm who could lead them to victory as per an ancient prophecy he and Shang Tsung knew about. Given Cole’s disappointing lack of progress in unlocking his arcana though Raiden, believing Cole could be a liability to the other fighters, asks Cole to leave and be with his family something which Cole reluctantly agrees to do.
 
  +
As the training began, Liu Kang and his partner [[Kung Lao/Film|Kung Lao]] explained that the entire purpose of the training was to unlock one's "[[arcana]]", granting a special ability. It quickly became clear, however, that Cole was struggling with the training since he was repeatedly pushed to his limit and beyond. However, despite his pain and anger, nothing happened. He was even more annoyed when Kano managed to unlock his arcana through anger during a contentious dinner. Ultimately, Lord Raiden dismissed Cole following a training with Kano, telling him that he had failed to find his arcana and without it he was a liability to others. Cole asked how this could be the case, given his own dragon marking and the fact that he was the only champion who had had his marking since birth. At this, Lord Raiden revealed to Cole that he was the descendant of one of the greatest ninjas ever, [[Scorpion/Film|Hanzo Hasashi]]. Raiden explained that Scorpion descended to the [[Hell]] upon being killed by Sub-Zero, but he saved his child, allowing the Hashashi bloodline to live on. Raiden continues that he had hoped the power of the Hasashi bloodline still lived within Cole, but he now knew this was not the case. Raiden then used lightning to open a portal, telling Cole to go home to his family.
   
  +
[[File:mk2021-cole-film-arcanaarmor.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Cole's Arcana armor]]
Meanwhile, Shang Tsung gathers Sub-Zero, Mileena, [[List of Mortal Kombat characters#Reiko|Reiko]], [[List of Mortal Kombat characters#Nitara|Nitara]], [[Goro (Mortal Kombat)|Goro]], and [[Kabal (Mortal Kombat)|Kabal]] for another assault against the champions. Learning that Kano is among Raiden's champions and recognizing him from past dealings he’s had with him, Kabal convinces Kano to defect and destroy the staff powering the shield, allowing the Outworlders to attack the temple. During the resulting battle, Kung Lao manages to kill Nitara by cutting her in half however the other Earthrealm fighters struggle to fight their opponents with Sonya nearly being crushed underneath a rockslide caused by Kano until Jax manages to tap into his arcana and rescue her, upgrading his arms in the process. Concurrently, the Youngs are attacked by Goro at their home, but Cole awakens his arcana and kills Goro before using a portal provided by Raiden to return to the temple to help repel the attack. Following this Shang Tsung and Sub-Zero are infuriated when Raiden discloses Cole's bloodline shortly before he begins to teleport Earthrealm’s fighters to the Void, a safe space between realms. However before the teleportation is complete Sub-Zero manages to stop Cole from escaping forcing Kung Lao to sacrifice himself to save Cole at the cost of Shang Tsung taking his soul.
 
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Following this, Kano betrayed the group under [[Kabal/Film|Kabal]]'s persuasion and used his arcana power of eye laser to take down the barrier that Raiden had erected over his temple. Shang Tsung and his forces then attacked while, back in Chicago, [[Goro/Film|Goro]] the giant four-armed [[Shokan]] warrior showed up to kill Cole and his family. During the fight, Allison attempted to intervene but in vain. Cole, angered and upset by the danger to his family, finally woke his power and unlocked his arcana. This gave him a golden armor that appeared over his upper body as protection and the ability to absorb and redirect attacks, as well as duel [[tonfa]]s to fight with. Using these new powers, he was finally able to overcome Goro, tearing him apart. Afterwards, a flash of lightning appeared. Allison, worried, asked him what it was, while Cole assured that it was okay as the lightning was a doorway back. He stepped into it and found himself back at Raiden's Temple. "Impossible," declares Shang Tsung, and Raiden thanked him for helping his fighter find his arcana, further claiming that after 4,000 years, the Hasashi bloodline lived on.
   
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Lord Raiden then opened a portal to the [[Void]], bringing the remaining Earthrealm warriors with him. Aggravated, Shang had Sub-Zero to attack Cole, preventing him from transport away. Kung Lao tried to stop him, but Shang drew him over by using his magic and then began to suck out his soul. Liu Kang, hearing what was happening, raced over to try to stop him, but Cole restrained him, knowing that he would only get himself caught or even killed. The two watched helplessly as Shang drained Kung Lao until he was nothing but a shrunken corpse.
After mourning Kung Lao's death, Cole realizes their opponents are too strong as a group to fight and instead proposes a plan to force Outworld's champions into single combat with Earthrealm's champions before then neutralizing Sub-Zero together, effectively staging the very tournament Shang Tsung tried to prevent. Agreeing with this, Raiden gives Cole Hasashi's ''[[kunai]]'' before transporting him and his allies to their respective targets. Liu Kang and Jax slay Kabal and Reiko while Sonya kills Kano and acquires his dragon mark and her own arcana, which she uses to help Cole kill Mileena. However, Sub-Zero appears, having abducted Cole's family to lure him into a one-on-one fight. Initially overpowered, Cole's blood ends up on the kunai, releasing Hasashi from the Netherrealm as the vengeful specter [[Scorpion]]. Recognizing Cole as his descendant, Scorpion helps him overpower Sub-Zero and free Cole's family before burning Sub-Zero to death with hellfire.
 
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  +
After arriving the Void, Liu Kang lamented that Earthrealm was lost without Kung Lao, but Cole replied that it was not over yet as they had to fight. Hearing this, Lord Raiden presented Cole with a blade once used by Hasashi, telling him that Hasashi's spirit would fight with him if he used it. Cole then devised a plan by which the Earthrealm fighters would fight Shang Tsung's forces one by one, taking advantage of Raiden's ability to send people to anywhere within Earthrealm, and then saving Sub-Zero for last for them to take on together. He volunteered to the task of fighting [[Mileena/Film|Mileena]] and assigned others with specific targets.
  +
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Raiden dispersed the fighters to begin the battles. Cole and Liu Kang were sent together to battle Mileena and Kabal respectively. However, the fight did not go well for Cole as Mileena proved a fearsome opponent, able to extend her jaw to reveal row after row of teeth and constantly teleporting such that Cole found it hard to know where she was coming from. Still, he continued to hold on until [[Sonya Blade/Film|Sonya Blade]] appeared, having discovered her own arcana power after defeating Kano. "A little help?" he asked her and she shot Mileena with [[Sonya Blade#Signature Moves|Energy Rings]], blasting a hole straight through her body, killing her.
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Following the fight, Sub-Zero appeared, having paid a visit to Cole's home and trapping his wife and daughter in ice. He showed Cole a bracelet made by Emily before freezing and shattering it to taunt him. Enraged, Cole chased him back through the portal, negating his own plan to gather up the champions so that they could all face Sub-Zero together.
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[[File:Scorpion and Cole.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Scorpion and Cole together]]
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At first, things did not go well for Cole as he battled Sub-Zero in the ice palace that Sub-Zero had made out of the gym where Cole fought his MMA match. Nevertheless, Cole was able to hold off Sub-Zero and his fighting spirit resonated with Hasashi's blade. This connection summoned forth Hanzo Hasashi from the depths of [[Hell]], now going by the name "Scorpion". Scorpion taunted Sub-Zero, asking if he remembers his face, and then the two began an intense duel. While Scorpion was fighting the Cyromancer, Cole tried to chip away at the ice encasing his wife and daughter, but found himself unable to break it. He joined Scorpion and fight Sub-Zero together to a standstill. Scorpion helped to free Cole's wife and daughter during the fight before telling Cole to leave Sub-Zero to him. He then told the weakened Cyromancer that he hoped he would burn in the fires of hell, but instead he learned to control them. Scorpion then finished off Sub-Zero by breathing fire all over the Cyromancer, roasting him away and ending his life.
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After Cole successfully rescued his family, Scorpion then thanked Cole for freeing him and told him to watch over the Hashashi lineage before retreating back to the [[Netherrealm]]. Later, Raiden returned with the other champions and Cole introduced them to his wife and daughter as his friends. Soon afterward, Shang Tsung appeared, declaring that he would send armies, but Raiden sent him away with lightning. The Thunder God then told the champions they must seek out other champions around the world.
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Later, Cole Young packed up things in the gym and was leaving for Hollywood to recruit [[Johnny Cage]], the movie star of the film ''Citizen Cage''.
   
Thanking Cole for freeing him from his torment and requesting that he look after the Hasashi bloodline, Scorpion departs as Raiden and the other champions arrive. Shang Tsung also arrives, vowing revenge as he sends his dead champions' bodies back to Outworld before Raiden banishes him. Raiden then declares he is creating a new list of warriors in preparation for the next tournament and assigns his champions to recruit them. With this information, Cole departs for Los Angeles in search of Hollywood superstar [[Johnny Cage]].
 
 
==Combat Characteristics==
 
==Combat Characteristics==
Befitting his upbringing as an orphan on the rough South Side of Chicago Cole’s initial fighting style manifested as an extremely aggressive and furious style of Mixed Martial Arts that focused on him pounding his opponents into submission. Early on in his fighting career this style served him especially well and allowed him to defeat former MMA champion Eddy Tobias and claim his title. Over the years however Cole’s style began to become less and less effective as newer opponents began to take advantage of his form’s weaknesses like its lack of defense and poor battlefield control ability. After training at Raiden’s temple and realizing the fuel to his arcana is in fact his desire to not simply win but to protect others though Cole’s style shifts to incorporate more dodging and blocking as well as moves from Kobudō, a martial art that emphasizes weapon usage. This transition in fighting style is aided by his arcana, which manifests as a kind of extremely durable metal skin which can absorb the kinetic energy of his opponent’s strikes to empower his own blows and which can also generate weapons in the form of both normal and bladed tonfas from his arms.
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Befitting his upbringing as an orphan on the rough South Side of Chicago Cole’s initial fighting style manifested as an extremely aggressive and furious style of mixed martial arts that focused on him pounding his opponents into submission. Early on in his fighting career this style served him especially well and allowed him to defeat former MMA champion Eddy Tobias and claim his title. Over the years, however, Cole’s style began to become less effective as newer opponents began to take advantage of his form’s weaknesses like its lack of defense and poor battlefield control ability. After training at Raiden’s temple and realizing the fuel to his arcana is in fact his desire to not simply win but to protect others though Cole’s style shifts to incorporate more dodging and blocking as well as moves from Okinawan Kobudō, a martial art that emphasizes weapon usage. This transition in fighting style is aided by his arcana, which manifests as a kind of extremely durable metal skin which can absorb the kinetic energy of his opponent’s strikes to empower his own blows and which can also generate weapons in the form of both normal and bladed [[tonfa]]s from his arms.
   
 
==Character Development==
 
==Character Development==
 
Cole Young is an original character created for the 2021 ''Mortal Kombat'' movie. Screenwriter [[Greg Russo]], in publicity material for the ''[[Mortal Kombat (upcoming film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' film, stated that Cole Young's storyline came in part from his own life. As he began working on the project, he and his spouse were about to have their first child. He incorporated his own questions about what it meant to be a father and if he would be a good dad into the character.<ref name="Press Kit">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/t/media/mortal-kombat-2021-press-kit-revealations-spoiler-packked/NDLX8tlRqJV5|title=Mortal Kombat (2021) Press Kit Revelations|accessdate=April 16, 2021}}</ref> Cole was originally envisioned akin to a [[Shujinko]]-like character arc (an oft-used narrative tool of introducing a "newcomer"), facilitating the role of (re-)introducing the story via existing characters, providing the audience a new protagonist experience.
Cole Young is an original character created for the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie. He is portrayed by British-Chinese actor and martial artist Lewis Tan, who is the son of the renowned stuntman, actor and martial arts choreographer Philip Tan.
 
   
==Trivia==
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==Behind the Scene==
 
* Cole is portrayed by British-Chinese actor and martial artist [[Lewis Tan]], who is the son of Philip Tan, a renowned stuntman, actor and martial arts choreographer.
* Screenwriter [[Greg Russo]], in publicity material for the ''[[Mortal Kombat (upcoming film)|Mortal Kombat]]'' film stated that Cole Young's storyline came in part from his own life. As he began working on the project, he and his spouse were about to have their first child. He incorporated his own questions about what it meant to be a father and if he would be a good dad into the character.<ref name="Press Kit">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/t/media/mortal-kombat-2021-press-kit-revealations-spoiler-packked/NDLX8tlRqJV5|title=Mortal Kombat (2021) Press Kit Revelations|accessdate=April 16, 2021}}</ref>
 
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* In the HBO Max documentary "From Game to Screen", Cole Young's actor Lewis Tan admits to having played ''Mortal Kombat'' as a child and his parents not being happy about it, so he would sneak to play it late at night. "And now, look at me, Mom."
*Cole was originally invisioned akin to a [[Shujinko]]-like character arc (an oft-used narrative tool of introducing a "newcomer"), facilitating the role of (re-)introducing the story via existing characters, providing the audience a new protagonist experience.
 
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* In another of these documentaries, "Kombat Evolution", ''Mortal Kombat'' director [[Simon McQuoid]] describes Lewis Tan as an incredible fighter who just will not stop. Tan explains that he comes from a fighting background and that real martial arts is very similar to him to acting because it's about expression.
   
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
 
<gallery captionalign="left" position="center" spacing="small" widths="200">
 
<gallery captionalign="left" position="center" spacing="small" widths="200">
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File:Rev-1-MK-T1-0018r_High_Res_JPEG.jpeg
File:Mortal Combat 2021 Stills 02.jpg|Cole in a cage fight.
 
Mortal Kombat 2021 Cole Young character poster.jpg|Character poster.
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File:Mortal Combat 2021 Stills 02.jpg|
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File:Mortal Combat 2021 EW Stills 03.jpg|
 
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File:Cole Young's Dragon Logo.jpg|Cole showing off his "birthmark" to Jax
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File:Rev-1-MK-T1-0075r High Res JPEG.jpeg|Cole fights Goro
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File:mk2021-liukang&cole-film-kunglao-shangtsungsoultaker.jpg|Cole saves Liu Kang, who witnesses Kung Lao's death
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File:Mortal Combat 2021 EW Stills 08.jpg|Scorpion farewells Cole
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   

Revision as of 01:29, 14 May 2021

 
 
Well, I'm willing to die for my family.
 

 

—Cole Young to Raiden, Mortal Kombat

Cole Young is the protagonist of the 2021 film Mortal Kombat. He is a descendant of Scorpion through his infant daughter raised in Raiden's Temple.

Profile

Born and orphaned in the South Side of Chicago, Cole Young lives with his wife Allison and daughter Emily. A one-time champion, Cole is now making his earnings as a MMA fighter with a declining reputation. When Jax Briggs meets up with Cole, he begins to learn of his heritage and soon finds himself fighting alongside the likes of Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and the Thunder God Raiden in a battle to protect Earthrealm from Shang Tsung and his Outworld Champions.

Biography

Mortal Combat 2021 Stills 02

Cole battling Ramirez in a cage fight

Cole Young, once a champion MMA fighter, was now showing up for $200 a fight, simply to put on a good show and put food on the table for his wife, Allison, and daughter, Emily. Following one such fight with Ramirez, a man named Jax Briggs approached Cole, telling him that he could have won the fight if he had controlled the cage. Jax expressed interest in the unusual dragon "tattoo" that Cole bears, asking where it came from, while Emily explained that it was a birthmark.

Later, Cole and his family were out having dinner when a strange individual then appeared and starts freezing everything around them. Just then, Jax Briggs showed up in front of the Youngs and sheltered them in his truck. He explained to Cole that the dragon marking was no birthmark and it actually meant he had been chosen to fight. He told Cole to get to Gary, Indiana and find a woman named Sony Blade. Cole offered to stay and fight, but Jax warned him that this would only result in the death of both him and his family.

Following Jax's instructions, Cole travelled to Gary, where he discovered the ramshackle home of Sonya Blade. There, Sonya explained to him that the dragon marking is an invitation to something she had researched for years, a tournament known as Mortal Kombat. Cole was skeptical of the idea, but before she can explain further, their discussion was interrupted by a man she has chained up, Kano. Sonya told Cole that Kano was a member of the Black Dragon Clan and she was tracking another champion, whose throat Kano slit, killing him and taking his mark. They are then attacked by Syzoth, the Reptile. They worked together to fight the reptilian assassin and eventually Kano managed to kill him by ripping out his heart.

Following this incident, Sonya told them that they need to get to Raiden's Temple, where legends said champions of Earthrealm used to train for Mortal Kombat. Kano claimed to know where the temple was and Sonya bribed him to take them there for 3 million dollars, though she privately admitted to Cole that she did not have those amount of money. The group then journeyed to the temple. On their way to the destination, Sonya and Kano were at each other the whole way, until the trio were found by Liu Kang, a member of the Order of Light, who then guided the them to temple. There, Liu Kang informed the trio that time was short and they had to begin training for the tournament in order to defend Earthrealm. He introduced the trio to Lord Raiden, who was immediately dismissive of them all, stating that Cole was in no mental or physical state to fight. Cole pleaded with him to help, explaining about the man who tried to kill his family. Raiden replied that only death awaited him, but he countered that he was willing to die for his family. "Let's see if you have what it takes," answered Raiden. Just then, Shang Tsung and his forces of Outworld appeared, trying to claim victory by killing Earthrealm champions prior to the tournament. Raiden, however, expelled them by setting up a barrier around the temple.

Cole Young Training With Kung Lao

Cole training with Kung Lao

As the training began, Liu Kang and his partner Kung Lao explained that the entire purpose of the training was to unlock one's "arcana", granting a special ability. It quickly became clear, however, that Cole was struggling with the training since he was repeatedly pushed to his limit and beyond. However, despite his pain and anger, nothing happened. He was even more annoyed when Kano managed to unlock his arcana through anger during a contentious dinner. Ultimately, Lord Raiden dismissed Cole following a training with Kano, telling him that he had failed to find his arcana and without it he was a liability to others. Cole asked how this could be the case, given his own dragon marking and the fact that he was the only champion who had had his marking since birth. At this, Lord Raiden revealed to Cole that he was the descendant of one of the greatest ninjas ever, Hanzo Hasashi. Raiden explained that Scorpion descended to the Hell upon being killed by Sub-Zero, but he saved his child, allowing the Hashashi bloodline to live on. Raiden continues that he had hoped the power of the Hasashi bloodline still lived within Cole, but he now knew this was not the case. Raiden then used lightning to open a portal, telling Cole to go home to his family.

Mk2021-cole-film-arcanaarmor

Cole's Arcana armor

Following this, Kano betrayed the group under Kabal's persuasion and used his arcana power of eye laser to take down the barrier that Raiden had erected over his temple. Shang Tsung and his forces then attacked while, back in Chicago, Goro the giant four-armed Shokan warrior showed up to kill Cole and his family. During the fight, Allison attempted to intervene but in vain. Cole, angered and upset by the danger to his family, finally woke his power and unlocked his arcana. This gave him a golden armor that appeared over his upper body as protection and the ability to absorb and redirect attacks, as well as duel tonfas to fight with. Using these new powers, he was finally able to overcome Goro, tearing him apart. Afterwards, a flash of lightning appeared. Allison, worried, asked him what it was, while Cole assured that it was okay as the lightning was a doorway back. He stepped into it and found himself back at Raiden's Temple. "Impossible," declares Shang Tsung, and Raiden thanked him for helping his fighter find his arcana, further claiming that after 4,000 years, the Hasashi bloodline lived on.

Lord Raiden then opened a portal to the Void, bringing the remaining Earthrealm warriors with him. Aggravated, Shang had Sub-Zero to attack Cole, preventing him from transport away. Kung Lao tried to stop him, but Shang drew him over by using his magic and then began to suck out his soul. Liu Kang, hearing what was happening, raced over to try to stop him, but Cole restrained him, knowing that he would only get himself caught or even killed. The two watched helplessly as Shang drained Kung Lao until he was nothing but a shrunken corpse.

After arriving the Void, Liu Kang lamented that Earthrealm was lost without Kung Lao, but Cole replied that it was not over yet as they had to fight. Hearing this, Lord Raiden presented Cole with a blade once used by Hasashi, telling him that Hasashi's spirit would fight with him if he used it. Cole then devised a plan by which the Earthrealm fighters would fight Shang Tsung's forces one by one, taking advantage of Raiden's ability to send people to anywhere within Earthrealm, and then saving Sub-Zero for last for them to take on together. He volunteered to the task of fighting Mileena and assigned others with specific targets.

Raiden dispersed the fighters to begin the battles. Cole and Liu Kang were sent together to battle Mileena and Kabal respectively. However, the fight did not go well for Cole as Mileena proved a fearsome opponent, able to extend her jaw to reveal row after row of teeth and constantly teleporting such that Cole found it hard to know where she was coming from. Still, he continued to hold on until Sonya Blade appeared, having discovered her own arcana power after defeating Kano. "A little help?" he asked her and she shot Mileena with Energy Rings, blasting a hole straight through her body, killing her.

Following the fight, Sub-Zero appeared, having paid a visit to Cole's home and trapping his wife and daughter in ice. He showed Cole a bracelet made by Emily before freezing and shattering it to taunt him. Enraged, Cole chased him back through the portal, negating his own plan to gather up the champions so that they could all face Sub-Zero together.

Scorpion and Cole

Scorpion and Cole together

At first, things did not go well for Cole as he battled Sub-Zero in the ice palace that Sub-Zero had made out of the gym where Cole fought his MMA match. Nevertheless, Cole was able to hold off Sub-Zero and his fighting spirit resonated with Hasashi's blade. This connection summoned forth Hanzo Hasashi from the depths of Hell, now going by the name "Scorpion". Scorpion taunted Sub-Zero, asking if he remembers his face, and then the two began an intense duel. While Scorpion was fighting the Cyromancer, Cole tried to chip away at the ice encasing his wife and daughter, but found himself unable to break it. He joined Scorpion and fight Sub-Zero together to a standstill. Scorpion helped to free Cole's wife and daughter during the fight before telling Cole to leave Sub-Zero to him. He then told the weakened Cyromancer that he hoped he would burn in the fires of hell, but instead he learned to control them. Scorpion then finished off Sub-Zero by breathing fire all over the Cyromancer, roasting him away and ending his life.

After Cole successfully rescued his family, Scorpion then thanked Cole for freeing him and told him to watch over the Hashashi lineage before retreating back to the Netherrealm. Later, Raiden returned with the other champions and Cole introduced them to his wife and daughter as his friends. Soon afterward, Shang Tsung appeared, declaring that he would send armies, but Raiden sent him away with lightning. The Thunder God then told the champions they must seek out other champions around the world.

Later, Cole Young packed up things in the gym and was leaving for Hollywood to recruit Johnny Cage, the movie star of the film Citizen Cage.

Combat Characteristics

Befitting his upbringing as an orphan on the rough South Side of Chicago Cole’s initial fighting style manifested as an extremely aggressive and furious style of mixed martial arts that focused on him pounding his opponents into submission. Early on in his fighting career this style served him especially well and allowed him to defeat former MMA champion Eddy Tobias and claim his title. Over the years, however, Cole’s style began to become less effective as newer opponents began to take advantage of his form’s weaknesses like its lack of defense and poor battlefield control ability. After training at Raiden’s temple and realizing the fuel to his arcana is in fact his desire to not simply win but to protect others though Cole’s style shifts to incorporate more dodging and blocking as well as moves from Okinawan Kobudō, a martial art that emphasizes weapon usage. This transition in fighting style is aided by his arcana, which manifests as a kind of extremely durable metal skin which can absorb the kinetic energy of his opponent’s strikes to empower his own blows and which can also generate weapons in the form of both normal and bladed tonfas from his arms.

Character Development

Cole Young is an original character created for the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie. Screenwriter Greg Russo, in publicity material for the Mortal Kombat film, stated that Cole Young's storyline came in part from his own life. As he began working on the project, he and his spouse were about to have their first child. He incorporated his own questions about what it meant to be a father and if he would be a good dad into the character.[1] Cole was originally envisioned akin to a Shujinko-like character arc (an oft-used narrative tool of introducing a "newcomer"), facilitating the role of (re-)introducing the story via existing characters, providing the audience a new protagonist experience.

Behind the Scene

  • Cole is portrayed by British-Chinese actor and martial artist Lewis Tan, who is the son of Philip Tan, a renowned stuntman, actor and martial arts choreographer.
  • In the HBO Max documentary "From Game to Screen", Cole Young's actor Lewis Tan admits to having played Mortal Kombat as a child and his parents not being happy about it, so he would sneak to play it late at night. "And now, look at me, Mom."
  • In another of these documentaries, "Kombat Evolution", Mortal Kombat director Simon McQuoid describes Lewis Tan as an incredible fighter who just will not stop. Tan explains that he comes from a fighting background and that real martial arts is very similar to him to acting because it's about expression.

Gallery

References

  1. Mortal Kombat (2021) Press Kit Revelations. Retrieved on April 16, 2021.

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