New Era

Kronika shaping the Sands of Time.

The New Era was the name of the planned reset of history by Kronika, and later mentioned by other Kombatants who succeed in defeating Kronika. As the Keeper of Time, Kronika envisioned this new age once her son, the Elder God Shinnok, was permanently taken out by Raiden of an intricate game she designed for him: to be the bastion of death and darkness against his sister, also an Elder God, Cetrion, the bastion of life and light. With his exclusion, it was impossible for her meticulous plan to find perfection.

The main difference from the present timeline was that Raiden was to be wiped from history, and this was not only a necessary feature in order to avoid him unbalancing reality, but as a token of loyalty by using his enemies to defend the New Era, particularly Shao Kahn, Kitana and Liu Kang. While this was to be the main difference between present and possible future, the goal Kronika wanted to achieve was to revive Shinnok and put him once again to pose as an opposite to Cetrion, while both kept their complex and tricky battle against each other by feeding on the war between the realms.

Kronika promised other changes to those who would assist her plans, most of them Raiden's enemies. However, it is unclear whether or not she planned on honoring her commitments. These changes included:

• Shao Kahn regaining his throne and reigning over an empire vaster than that of Outworld.
• Making Frost the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei.
• Stopping Jacqui Briggs from joining the Special Forces and expanding the Briggs Family.
• The full revival of the Tarkata.
• The restoration of the Matoka Tribe without The Great Spirit.
• The formation of a clan Noob Saibot can lead, as well as altering his death at the hands of Scorpion.
• The survival of the Kytinn.
• The revival of the original Shirai Ryu clan and Scorpion's family for the younger Scorpion.
• The Black Dragon's successor-ship of the world.
• Sektor's revival of the Cyber Lin Kuei.
• Glory for Revenant Kung Lao.
• A new life for the Revenants Kitana and Liu Kang without Raiden.

If Kronika did succeed in resetting the timeline, what happens next for now depends on the ending of Mortal Kombat 11's Story Mode:

• If the player loses one round to her, Liu Kang is unable to keep her from resetting time and going back to the Chaotian Age, erasing everything that has ever existed. This way, only the Chosen One and Raiden remain to sculpt the Sands of Time.

• If the player manages to win both rounds, Liu Kang is not only successful in avoiding Kronika resetting everything by her own, but as the timeline still goes on, he is capable of bringing Kitana with him. Once he does, both reset time to erase Kronika's mischievous plans, and they assume the mantles of Keeper of Time and Protector of Earthrealm.

Aftermath

It is revealed that the ending where Kronika wins once and Liu Kang wins twice is the canonical outcome for this story. However, Liu Kang and Raiden were stopped by Fujin along with time-displaced Shang Tsung and Nightwolf from using Kronika's Hourglass to create the New Era due to the destruction of Kronika's Crown. Shang Tsung reveals that her Crown was not merely an amplifier, but the most vital component of the Hourglass. Without it, the Hourglass will begin to break and in doing so, doom all of reality. The following story will eventually end up with the 2 different scenarios at the end.

If Shang Tsung becomes the Keeper of Time:

• Raiden and Fujin become his loyal Dark servants.
• Shang Tsung conquers Earthrealm, Outworld, Edenia, and the Netherrealm.
• Shang Tsung plans to conquer Chaosrealm and Orderrealm.

If Fire God Liu Kang becomes the Keeper of Time:

• Great Kung Lao is chosen as Liu Kang's first champion.

Mortal Kombat 1

Liu Kang's New Era is expanded upon greatly in the game's Story Mode, revealing the fates of many inhabitants within the new timeline.

• Liu Kang renounces his status as Keeper of Time after completing the creation of the new timeline but remains as Earthrealm's protector as the Fire God after transferring his lightning abilities given by Old Raiden into an amulet.
• Both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi are Outworlders designed to have meaningless lives instead of powerful sorcerers, thus preventing the formation of the The Deadly Alliance. Shang Tsung is relegated to an Outworld con artist while Quan Chi is an Outworld miner.
• Like Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, Shinnok is designed as a common inhabitant in the realms, though it is never specified of which, instead of becoming the eventual Elder God of Death and ruler of the Netherrealm. As such, the Amulet of Shinnok does not exist.
• Geras, while remaining the same version of the character from the previous timeline, serves under Liu Kang and becomes the Protector of the Hourglass. He also has free will to use it, something Kronika did not give him. He also secretly stored Liu Kang's powers as the Keeper in a small statue made by the Great Kung Lao should he ever need to use them again.
• Raiden is mortal instead of the God of Thunder and Liu Kang's new champion. He is eventually granted an amulet from Liu Kang that grants him lightning abilities like his previous timeline counterparts.
• Kung Lao is trained alongside Raiden rather than Liu Kang.
• Kenshi Takahashi joins the Yakuza instead of the Red Dragon.
• Johnny Cage never possess the power of Mediterranean magic. He never begins a relationship with Sonya Blade, and instead already married to Cristina, later divorcing the actor because of his lavish lifestyle.
• Bi-Han is the legitimate successor of the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster rather than Sektor. He is also the son of the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster instead of Sektor and becomes Grandmaster after his father's death.
• Kuai Liang is now a pyromancer unlike his timeline counterparts, taking the mantle of Scorpion, and wielding powers similar to Hanzo Hasashi from previous timelines when he was resurrected as a Spectre.
• Smoke is the adopted brother of Bi-Han and Kuai Liang, although Bi-Han does not consider him family unlike Kuai Liang.
• Earthrealm and Outworld's relations are overall peaceful, with little to no animosity between the realms. Most Earthrealmers, however, do not know of Outworld's existence.
• The Mortal Kombat tournament is now one of honor, designed to test the skills between the chosen champions of Earthrealm and Outworld. It was founded by Jerrod and Liu Kang, and is hosted by Sindel rather than Shang Tsung.
• Edenia does not exist, however Edenians are a subspecies in Outworld. Due to this, Edenia was never conquered and merged with Outworld.
• Vaeternus was never conquered by Outworld, thus remaining its own separate realm.
• Sun Do becomes a capital city of Outworld, instead of Z'Unkahrah.
• Jerrod is not slain by Shao Kahn in Kombat. He and Sindel have an arranged marriage that stove off a rebellion. The two were adept and their rule was considered a Golden Age. Jerrod was murdered soon after, and his soul entered the Living Forest as most Edenian souls do.
• Mileena and Kitana are biological twin sisters of Jerrod and Sindel rather than Mileena being a genetic experiment created by Shang Tsung, while being the heir to the Outworld throne. The new Kitana will have no connection to Liu Kang from their past lives together.
• Li Mei becomes a First Constable of Sun Do and serves the royal family. Before that, she was an Umgadi and trained Kitana and Mileena. She resigns after Jerrod's murder, taking the blame despite not being responsible.
• Tanya is not treacherous as in previous timelines, but a loyal follower of Mileena and part of the Umgadi. She also has a closer relationship with Mileena compared to previous timelines.
• Tarkatans are the resulting deformities of the Tarkat disease, infecting Outworlders and Edenians, rather than its own race. Mileena is eventually infected with the disease.
• Baraka was a former Edenian merchant in Outworld with a wife and children before becoming infected with Tarkat, which later killed his entire family. He is once again the leader of the Tarkatans and resides in the Tarkatan Colony, a place he established to protect them from hostile threats.
• Shao was designed to be a loyal servant of the Outworld Army for Empress Sindel. He was physically altered by his unnamed father, improved to be a physical colossus and the perfect soldier, leading him to win many battles and conquests for Outworld as its finest soldier before becoming its top General, instead of becoming the tyrannical ruler of the realm like in previous timelines.
• Reiko is once again one of Shao's loyal soldiers, however Shao takes him in to train him, essentially becoming his adopted father.
• Rain is no longer the Demi-God prince of Edenia, rather an Edenian hydromancer and mage.
• Saurians don't become extinct and are referred as Zaterrans in this timeline.
• Syzoth, also known as Reptile, is a Zaterran with the ability to shapeshift, appearing as his normal reptilian form while being able to change to a human appearance, which ruled him an outcast amongst his people.
• Chaosrealm does not exist. Havik, now a denizen of Orderrealm, is hellbent on "freeing" his people and creating Chaosrealm through the influence of chaos.

Unknown to Liu Kang and Geras, his battle for the Hourglass in the previous timeline with Shang Tsung fractured time, breaking open the multiverse and allowing Shang Tsung to secure it in his timeline instead. After ascending to the status of a Titan, he finds a way to travel between the two timelines, where Shang Tsung arrives and irreversibly alters Liu Kang's New Era, changing the course of the timeline as a result;

• The Titan Shang Tsung begins interacting with Shang Tsung and Quan Chi under a false alias, turning them into the sorcerers they were never meant to become in this timeline.
• General Shao begins interacting with Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, beginning to despise Liu Kang and Earthrealm. The three eventually plot to overthrow the Outworld throne, with General Shao becoming the realm's new Emperor like in previous timelines.
• Shang Tsung begins genetic experimentation on other Outworld species, particularly the Tarkatans, allowing him closer to the Outworld throne due to Mileena's infection. General Shao allows the secret experimentation to go unnoticed. During this, he keeps Syzoth, or Reptile, as his servant in exchange for his family's freedom, not knowing the sorcerer had already killed them.
• Kenshi Takahashi becomes blind again after being attack by Mileena, something that wasn't supposed to happen like it did in previous timelines.
• Through his newfound sorcery, Quan Chi creates Ermac in the Living Forest instead of Shao Kahn in pervious timelines. Jerrod's soul eventually gains control over Ermac's body, allying with the Earthrealm and Outworld champions against Quan Chi.
• Bi-Han turns on his brothers, Liu Kang and Earthrealm in exchange for control over the Dragon Army by Shang Tsung & General Shao and freeing the Lin Kuei of Liu Kang's laws, becoming an antagonist like his previous timeline counterparts.
• Due to Bi-Han's treachery, Kuai Liang and Tomas defect from the Lin Kuei and plan to start a new path for Earthrealm's protection to replace the once again corrupted Lin Kuei.
• Liu Kang reveals he is formerly the Keeper of Time to Sindel, Kitana and Mileena, revealing he forged everyone's destinies. General Shao attempts to usurp the Outworld throne using Shinnok's Amulet, further leading to Liu Kang's realization that forces out of his control are tampering with the timeline.
• The Earthrealm and Outworld champions form an alliance to stop Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, with Titan Shang Tsung appearing and revealing his identity and intentions. A battle ensues, resulting in Sindel being killed by a counterpart of hers from another timeline, making Mileena Outworld's Empress as an unfortunate result.
• A revelation of the multiverse comes to fruition, leading to Geras helping restore Liu Kang's powers as Keeper of Time and bringing in Titan counterparts from across different timelines, leading to Shang Tsung doing the same thing.
• A second Battle of Armageddon then occurs in Titan Shang Tsung's timeline, with the Forces of Light prevailing in the ensuing battle. Titan Shang Tsung is then erased from existence as his timeline seemingly collapses.

With Liu Kang's timeline's destruction halted, Liu Kang and his ally return to their respective timeline with events happening afterwards;

• Despite Titan Shang Tsung's timeline seemingly collapsing, it is revealed it didn't, with a Titan version of Havik appearing with intentions to not miss out on a new battle.
• Liu Kang resumes his role as Protector of Earthrealm, however, in taking his powers as Keeper back, he loses his immortality but not his divinity. Due to this and his death now being possible, he anoints Geras as the new Keeper of Time.
• In Earthrealm, many of the Earthrealmers resume their lives, resulting in various events.
  • Kuai Liang and Tomas form the Shirai Ryu, with Kuai marrying Harumi Shirai and Tomas taking in a young Hanzo Hasashi as the clan's first student.
  • Bi-Han, now retreating back to the Lin Kuei, chooses not to take control of the Dragon Army, as it would draw Liu Kang's attention. Instead with the help of Sektor, they begin positive progress in the Cyber Initiative.
  • Johnny Cage resumes filmmaking as both director and producer instead of acting, pursuing creating a cinematic universe following his experiences in Outworld. Per discussion with Liu Kang, Johnny's goal is to slowly introduce Outworld as a concept through various media.
  • Ashrah remains in Earthrealm, joining the Shaolin Monks and White Lotus Society. She returns to Outworld to save Sareena with Liu Kang's help, later forming that timeline's Order of Light.
  • Kung Lao and Raiden continue their training, with Kung Lao becoming the master of a young Shujinko and Raiden getting training from the Shirai Ryu and Kuai Liang.
  • Kenshi joins the FBI, then later forms the OWIA (Outer World Investigation Agency) with Jackson Briggs.
• Outworld begins to stabilize under Mileena's rule, resulting in various events.
  • Mileena assumes the throne under Jerrod's supervision, while Kitana becomes Outworld's new General, replacing Shao, and Li Mei returns to her position as Sun Do First Constable. Tanya zealously routs out corruption within the Umgadi, assisting Li Mei in her investigations.
  • Syzoth and Baraka become emissaries for the Zaterrans and Tarkatans, respectively, with Mileena providing aid to the sickened Tarkatans.
  • After the circumstances around Jerrod's murder are revealed, the Umgadi are reformed, with Tanya as the new Matron Superior.
  • Mileena reveals her infection with Tarkat to her subjects. It is initially scandalous, but the shock paves way to respect for the empress's compassion and humility, and her reign is strengthened.
  • Rain retreats to Seido and is accompanied by Havik. There, Havik persuades Rain in using his powers to flood Seido, killing thousands of inhabitants. Havik basks in the glory of the chaos unleashed, while Rain, mortified by his actions, turns himself in to Mileena, where he is imprisoned in Outworld.
  • Jerrod loses control of Ermac, who frees Quan Chi from the prison to heal. However, after Quan Chi tries to re-enslave him, Ermac fights him off and roams the Outworld in search of a new purpose.
• Shao, Reiko, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi are all imprisoned for their actions, resulting in various events.
  • Shao and Reiko escape from prison with the intention of usurping the Outworld throne, amassing a legion of followers to their cause. In desperation, Shao sends Reiko to awaken the Dragon King Onaga as their ultimate weapon.
  • Shang Tsung retreats to an island to recuperate and take control of what he believes in a Soul Well. He later attacks Kenshi in an attempt to retrieve Sento but fails, leading to Kenshi and Jax forming the OWIA as previously noted.
  • Quan Chi escapes prison with the help of Ermac, retreating to the Netherrealm. He continues to master his sorcery, planning to take control of the Hourglass and achieve omnipotence.
• Nitara starts kidnapping people from both Earthrealm and Outworld to use as a breeding stock and end the hunger in Vaeternus.