Conquest Quan is so much better than video game Quan because video game Quan is a moronic Starscream most of the time. He can't be trusted because he's transparently treacherous...which just makes him like Shang Tsung. Conquest Quan, on the other hand, is a devious SOB that will honor his side of the bargain because HE NEGOTIATED IT. He was already getting what he wanted. It was rigged from the start. This means he is reliable. It makes him smarter. Smoother. More cunning. It makes him someone you have to deal with and know you can deal with...but don't WANT to deal with. You know he's going to one-up you. You know he's only agreeing because he has made the terms exactly what he wants and backed you into a corner...and, the worst thing about it, is that you might not know HOW he's done it...but you know it's happened. A devil that breaks its promises is nowhere near as dangerous as a devil that always keeps its promises. The latter is the smarter devil by far.
I would kill to see this version of Quan Chi with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's Shang Tsung palling around together. That's a Deadly Alliance I can get behind.
Heck, I wouldn't have complained if Maropis was brought back to reprise Quan Chi in MK1's new era. Despite the game's flaws, I feel like Maropis's Quan Chi would have had some excellent chemistry with Alan Lee's Shang Tsung. Besides, the Quan Chi we got was admittedly kind of bland.
I’m not sure if it was purely visual but Quan Chi seemed the most scary and intimidating in the 3-D era. As a kid whenever I saw pictures of him as concept art it throughout the games he spooked me as a kid. He felt like the darker version of Shang Tsung. Haven’t felt that way about him since then
Have my own characters that inspired that feeling, back in the day; it's a pretty special thing. And he *is* a pretty scary albino dude. With the muscles, bald head, and tattoos, he looks like some freaky escaped sorcerer convict.
@@CynicalWarlock As much as I love the Rich Divizio Quan Chi from Mythologies, his MK4 voice is what I hear in my head whenever I read his lines. Somehow, Herman Sanchez just nailed it from the get-go, achieving levels of smug that shouldn't even be possible. I can kinda hear the same tones in Maropis' performance, so I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he's done his homework and used Sanchez's take as inspiration to create something even greater.
I would've actually loved the idea of Quan chi's flamboyancy being cranked up to 11. His classic outfit already has flare to it but imagine if you will he constantly changes outfits every time we see him for specific occasions, like one for pimp time, one for meeting and dealings, one for sorcery, and one for combat with each have a Quan chi/netherralm touch to it. It would fit the TV counterparts very well considering his overall role
That's a superb idea, and if the show had more time/budget, they might have done something like that. As it stands, they only have a combat variation with no spikes, cause those would've been near-impossible to fight in.
“I choose to live in my domain, I was not banished there.” Hits so hard as a line. I’m going to have to watch this show. Never did despite my borderline obsession with MK throughout my life. But I’m convinced now. Also funny how a lot of people like to make Scorpion out to be like the Batman of MK yet they never have him go up against this Quan Chi. Conquest Quan Chi facing OG Scorpion or the one from MK9 and X would be the dream. I wouldn’t even have it be were Quan Chi killed his family, just have it where Quan Chi finds Hanzo in the Nether Realm and sees an opportunity to direct a storm upon those giving him a hard time. Then as Scorpion realize he’s been duped have him want to lash back at Quan Chi but Quan Chi can just toy with the specter in tell either Scorpion finally gets the one up or calms himself enough to make Sub-Zero an ally since he can be the hero that makes Quan’s life hard. Now this was basically the OG timeline’s story but I never liked the detail that Quan Chi was the one that killed Scorpion’s family. That should be pure Lin Kuei’s doing and Quan Chi just sees an opportunity.
@@RoninTacticalY23 Yeah, killing Scorps' family doesn't really fit this Quan Chi, somehow. If they had made a season 2, Scorps and Quan definitely should've interacted. Considering how they portray Scorpion in this show, pairing them together would've been solid gold. Lemme know your thoughts, if you do end up watching the show. Fair warning, it's pretty cheesy, especially in the first few episodes.
@@CynicalWarlock Will do, I’m all good with cheese, like if you give me characters I like I’m willing to tolerate a lot of camp and insanity. It comes with the territory when you’re a fan of often fantastical and edgy things.
@@Jasonv078 Personally I agree with that, I mean Sub-Zero’s ending in MK vs DC kind of hammers that idea in. It’s just a sentiment I tend to see when people discuss MK of comparing Scorpion and Batman. Now it could just be because Ed Boob Twitter profile picture is Batman and Scorpion, at least it was for a while, don’t know if it still is.
You gotta remember that starting from about MKD, Quan Chi has clearly become a favorite of someone on the team, because they started putting him over Shang at every opportunity. This trend eventually culminated in MK9, where Shang's been not just killed off, but cucked into utter irrelevance, while Quan has completed his transformation into the ultimate mary sue. Thankfully, the writers seem to have realized they've gone too far in a few places, so they've been trying to course-correct ever since. The ball-stomping scene from MKX was probably overcorrecting, but I appreciated the sentiment. :)
Thank you for this. Reminded me of those days when Mortal Kombat, video games and entertainment in general were about being fun, cool, stylish and creative without so many restrictions. Never knew Quan Chi could be this fun of a character.
I love the archetype of a powerful sorcerer politicking. There is just something about someone who could obliterate anyone but chooses not to. Instead uses politics to get his way. What I also love about that is when this archetype loses they they drop the politicking and start blasting. It's very fun and engaging. It's a crime MK doesn't use this version of.
Yeah, especially for Dragon Age stans like us, it's a treat. The Sorceress Lodge from The Witcher, too. They - along with shows like The Boys - are useful, because they show how brute force is no substitute for political influence. You can have all the power in the world; unless you're willing to kill everyone, you still have to play some kind of political game, to win people over.
@@CynicalWarlock I really enjoyed the plot of Witcher 2 being the Sorceress Lodge just influencing politics. It to me makes sense that these powerful magic users would eventually just be overt rulers or shadow government types. But it is just a great mental imagine. They could kill you but they choose not to. They choose to play the game and be better at it than anyone else.
Such a great performance by Adoni Maropis - among the best from the show, or even any live-action MK material for that matter. I really wish the games portrayed Quan Chi with the same level of smooth yet sinister charm, zest and humor. The actor's real life story is pretty incredible, as you touched on at the end. Also...... "3". 😏
Expected no less from such a nimble Enigma. Yeah honestly, MK: Conquest set me straight, as far as storytelling and characterization go. Probably subconsciously laid the foundation for a lot the ideas I juggle on this channel today.
Each iteration of the antagonist ls in Mortal Kombat are varying in effectiveness and it doesn’t help that NRS seldom gives there antagonists any wins with substance. This quan chi seems like thought was put into it which is cool to see
This video reminded how absolutely drop dead gorgeous Dana Hee was in the show. I mean the show had PLENTY of constant eye candy throughout its entire run. But I would always be happy to seen Quan Chi appear in any episode, because it almost guaranteed she wouldn't be far behind lol!. Can't even recall if I'd hit puberty yet around the time MKC aired here in the states. But I couldn't never take my eyes off her.
What's funny is guys would hail a show like this as a rare gift from the gods, in today's troubled, sexless times, whereas back then, we really were spoiled with this kind of stuff and didn't think much of it.
Same. It's also remarkable how resilient the games have been to taking any kind of inspiration from the show. Game Raiden, Shao and Quan are unbelievably drab.
I appreciate the deeper discussions of Mortal Kombat. There's not enough of them. I was so glued to Conquest's story, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Highly recommend to everyone.
My biggest gripe with Quan Chi’s (and my extension, Shang Tsung’s) depiction in the recent games, is that they’re left so undistinct from each other. Like one could do something that the other one just as easily could have and it wouldn’t have made a difference. I’ve never watched this show, but it seems like just from what you described, that Quan Chi comes into his own much much more and that’s very cool and intriguing.
From what I remember about this show, Shang Tsung was more like his classic personality, he was backstabbing and scheming, while Quan Chi was more like the Devil. You can make a deal with him and he will actually keep his end of the bargain, you will get what you want, however he will always benefit from that deal the most.
I never saw this show, but this makes me want to check it out - it definitely looks to have that trashy late 90's-early 00's charm. Can already tell he's a scene-stealer.
@@lordtrigon1733 He totally is; whenever he appears, you start smiling. And the show is totally a product if the 90s: cheesy and campy as fuck, but with good characters and worldbuilding; the kind of stuff MK currently lacks.
Conquest Quan as well as Jeff Meeks' Raiden/Shao are the best live action MK characters. They definitely deserve to be DLC on MK1. Quan always kept me entertained. I was also crushing on Vorpax/Tracy Douglas back then, she was ❤️🔥. Thanks for this video.
I remember watching this show as a kid. Most characters were total shit, some had literally 0 resemblance to the game. But damn Quan Chi looked AMAZING. This video is 100% on pointttt
Thanks. It gets some wrong, like Noob Saibot, but captures the essence of others, even if they're not the source material versions, verbatim. And a few of the more bold choices and changes actually work.
Thanks to this vid, I got 3 things, a fellow enjoyer of the conquest Quan Chi, discovered the actor himself got his own youtube channel, and then the quote about the devil and how he approaches you. LOVE this vid alot man!
Quan Chi in Conquest almost reminds me of a villain sue subversion and I mean that as a good thing. He possesses more abilities that 99% of the cast and displays a heightened sense of intelligence and control when compared to every villain barring Shao Kahn. Yet despite how OP he is and how varied his arsenal can be he's still got that mindset of a manchild. Showing more insecurity and abrasiveness when the women he controls start back talking him. It's like he achieved a power threshold in his universe but lacks the discipline and honor code that every hero in this series inherently possesses. Even characters like Scorpion and Reptile in the show's canon display codes of honor and respect for their opponents. Quan Chi has no respect for anyone, even his allies. He just does what he wants and will work with anyone for convenience. Definitely embodying more of a Neutral Evil standpoint.
@@nono9543 Pretty spot on - evil without variation. He's the immature masculine, spiteful in his relationships with women, lustful and thinking he can do anything he wants, because of his power.
I don't think game Quan is that bad but at the same time, the guy never really stood out to me more than just a plot device. This show's take is definetly more memorable and entertaining, honestly Conquest is easily one of the better adaptations based on a game, it's also better than stuff coming out today, it's one of the few adaptations that to me has better writing than the games do and I don't even hate the games' writing but Conquest was heads and shoulders above them. It even made it's cancellation work in one of if not the best, "villains owns everyone scenes" ever.
Yeah, I've been thinking about that a lot - part of what made Conquest stick out so much in our minds *is* that abrupt ending. Intended or not, "Shao Kahn wins, Mass Fatality", no recourse, no punchline, no post-credits scene, dead silence 'in the theater' is what made all of it so bold and impactful. It beat Infinity War to it by about 20 years.
@@CynicalWarlock And unlike Infinity War, the villain stayed the victor lmao. This might be one of the few times where getting cancelled might've been a blessing in disguise.
@@civilwarfare101 Hehe, it would've been tough and a bit redundant to follow that up, for sure. There are obviously a few loose ends, though, cause some characters died that shouldn't have died, like Shang and Kitana.
@@CynicalWarlock It's also weird to have MK with no Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Kano or Jax but almost every cancelled show is going to have loose ends to some degree, it's just amazing how the MK Conquest writers made it all work even if it was never their intention. Any other cancelled ending to a show I like would piss me off but MK Conquest turned something that would usually annoy me into one of the coolest moments ever.
I'll be honest I love it when you never stop talking about mk conquest and yes I agree this Quan chi is indeed sinister as hell when he is cooking up plans
@@CynicalWarlock good not going to lie you should make one on sub or perhaps scorpion or both oh shit the fire and ice episode oh man should cover that plot
@@Strikedown51 I taped that episode, back in the day. Must've watched it a thousand times. I obsessed over every line, acted out the script with my brother, loved every scene, talked shit about every scene.. It informed my childhood. It's weird, cause they didn't even do Scorpion's origin, at all, yet that depiction is so Scorpion, it's like the video game sprites come to life.
@@CynicalWarlock yes indeed that episode and the sub zero one I believe its called cold reality those two episodes were my favorites as well as the Quan chi episode it's crazy how the origins of sub and scorpion are so different yet it feels right I'm sure I'm not making sense but something about their origins just fit within the show damn it I wish there was a second season I love the show OUTSTANDING work my friend
@@Strikedown51 Thank you, thank you. I simultaneously want and don't want a second Conquest season. Ending the way it did obviously blue-balled us hard, and doesn't fit with the lore, but at the same time, it's such a baller finale, one that you just did not see back then. People rave about Thanos winning, in Infinity War, or Game of Thrones killing its characters en masse.. well Conquest did it first.
@@CynicalWarlock Indeed, I was disappointed with how they rushed the ending, but I was still pleased to see Shao Kahn win. Great content overall, keep up the good work!
Absolutely love this video, I really I discovered this type of content back when I was just getting into Mortal Kombat and it's lore. I never even really knew about Mortal Kombat Conquest until I stumbled on to this wicked channel, the most I ever heard about it when other channels would give a off handed mention about it being "some failed TV series back in the day..." I wish I could have watch this awesome series when I was younger and still fresh to Mortal Kombat cause OH MAN is this type shows are right up my alley. I'm just a sucker for video games that have a VERY expansive lore and stories like Skyrim and God of War. Honestly this show gives off this "Games of Thrones but it's set in the Mortal Kombat universe" vibe which I'm surprised that neither Netherrealm Studios nor Warner Bros have thought of trying recreate as brand new TV series. Tell me that wouldn't just print money like krazy for them, just as long they get the right type of people who ACTUALLY care about the kharacters and lore. Oh by the way, 3
This show introduced me to Quan Chi as a character, and so he'll forever be a creepy pervy demon pimp who rolls his Rs in the most pretentious way to me 😂 I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who prefers this version over the one from the games! This show is a gem of its time honestly - an official MK 🅿️0rn parody - highly underrated on the "so bad it's good" spectrum 😂👍 Also, had no idea Adoni did gangster hood Quan Chi skits, that's hilarious!
Yeah, Adoni's the man. Don't remember if we talked about the show before, but glad to see you're a Conquest connoisseur as well. Calling it a porn parody made me chuckle, but I guess the show really was asking for that moniker.
Well done as always!👏 You covered everything that makes this character great! The only reference you missed was the cartoon; which debuted before Quan Chi in the games. In it he uses a magical stone that brings out the heroes worse attributes and only does it for his own self amusement, not so much to help Shao Kahn. Nothing was known about his character yet, but his manipulative attributes were starting to take root. Than we got his first live action appearance in MK Mythologies and that was...certainly something. BUT after that we got Conquest Quan and THAT is when he became a WELL established character. He should carry on that personality for the games, but I will say all of his game portrayals were decent... until MK1. He sucks as a character, but I guess us cool as a fighter. However this portrayal is the absolute GOAT and you demonstrated that point FLAWLESSLY! Well done Warlock!🖤💜
Thank you, thank you. Yeah, I totally missed his Defenders of the Realm appearance; really should watch that cartoon. The writers working with what little they had resonates even more, then, since they adapted that whole discord-between-the-heroes idea; and pretty damn well, too. The game versions are fine; had I seen them before seeing Conquest Quan, I probably would've appreciated them more. I still jive with most of em, they're just a bit generic, minus MKX Quan, at least in his intro banter, some of which is really good. MK12 Quan - like most of the game - is very glossy and very shallow.
@@CynicalWarlock We'd be here all day if I told you everything NRS did with MK1, but they did manage to have SOME potential with certain characters. Some things you can mix with their previous history to make them feel more flushed out. SOME things were just stupid(Right Kui-Liang Scorpion?🤦♂️)
I'm still sour we never got the second season to this show. Great to see this Quan Chi get some much needed attention, great video showcasing that *dastardly* y3t loveable sorcerer. It's odd that this show was the last bit of Mortal Kombat I would consume until MK9 came out, and in that game Quan Chi was my immediate main. Saddens me that NRS hasn't been able to replicate the fun of that character with MK10 and MK12.
There were a lot of things in this show that didn’t land at all for me, but they did a very good job with Quan Chi’s character/personality, as well as his look (I wasn’t a fan of some of the out of place humor here and there that I felt made the tone too campy at times-a writing issue, not an acting issue-but the rest of the character worked really well). I’m currently dreading what we’re going to get from the character in the upcoming sequel to that late term abortion of a 2021 MK movie. That all said, the UA-cam skits are hilarious.
Yeah for me, it's the sappy/cheesy moments and some of the try-hard fight choreography that turns into weird gymnastics that haven't aged well. I don't mind the camp (or even perceive it all that much), probably cause it's inherent to MK, but I know it bothers some people and I get why. Like maybe sometimes Shao loses his shit a little too much for some people's tastes, or Quan chews the scenery so much he almost looks like he's breaking character. Again, I totally dig it, and the neat characterization and lore surrounding the show is enough to keep me invested, but I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea.
Random thought, but what if James Woods voiced Quan Chi in a way similar to how he voiced Hades in Disney’s Hercules? For some reason, Maropis’s portrayal of Quan Chi made me think of Woods.
His performance is one of the very best performances in the show, and I would have liked to have seen his aspects in the game versions of the character.
Oh hell yes! I enjoyed this performance way too much, when I was watching the series, if they had made more movies they would have NEEDED this Quan Chi in them..actually perfect 😂
Honestly I feel like for the most part Quan Chi has had a mostly solid actor portrayal of him. Shame we never got to see interactions with Cary Tagawa’s version of Shang Tsung along with this shows actor for Quan Chi or the MK 9 & MK X actor.
@@seasonembrace3624 That would be the dream, yes. Although he's more fitting in this context, against a young, brash Shang. Cary's Shang is way older and smoother, so him and Adoni's Quan might actually be best buds, now that I think about it.
"This Shang Tsung looks and acts like he listens to the Devil May Cry music" 😂 Yeah, shame Bruce Locke didn't have much to work with, he's a good actor. This Shang has nothing on Tagawa's charm, but honestly, he's the best looking live action Shang - as in closest to the videogame counterpart. He has his moments 😀 Also, if I remember correctly, it was this show's idea to pair them up into the "full of bullshit and backstabbing" alliance 😀
Yess, Conquest came out way before Deadly Alliance. I'd say Conquest Shang is extremely appropriate for that show - making him seem that youthful and bratty, yet still ridiculously powerful and knowledgeable made him play so well off of characters like Kung Lao, Quan Chi, Vorpax, Shao Kahn etc.
You should definitely do a long video of the best picked mk characters from mortal kombat entertainment media, movies,series. Like for example this best quan and best subzero from the 2021 mk movie and so on, will be a long video but a cool idea nonetheless.
I also thought MK9/X Qaun Chi was always a bit underdeveloped that he never really stood out for me personality wise, although I did enjoy his gameplay in X. I did like his permanent Crazy Eyes he has MK12 and his gear changing his tattos, but that's about it.
Yeah all the video game Quan Chis are on the cusp of something great, but they never quite get there. 'Personality' really is the key word - that's what separates Conquest Quan from his video game counterparts.
100%. It is a shame, although I've been pondering this a lot lately - in a way, the show was so memorable *because* it ended so abruptly, and with the bad guy winning. But for sure, I think there's a lot of additional characterization that Quan, Shang, Raiden, Shao, the ninjas, and a bunch of others could've gone through.
Yes! Amazing job recognizing the best Quan Chi. Conquest also has a fantastic Shang (2nd only to the GOAT) and the best Shao Kahn...and maybe the best Raiden. It's that good. Conquest is lowkey the best Mortal Kombat stuff.
@@yagamifire7861 It's absolutely my favorite Raiden. Hands down. The games adamantly refuse to give him any kind of flair or charisma. I'd go so far as to say the 2 Shangs are neck and neck, cause they complement each other. Bruce's Shang truly feels like the prequel/young version of Cary's.
@CynicalWarlock Raiden 1000% won me over early on in one of the episodes where Kung Lao accepts a challenge to save his friends and Raiden totally dresses him down about his responsibilities as a champion of Earth realm telling him he might be alive for thousands of years and will outlive generations of people so its irresponsible as hell to risk himself for sentimentality. Then he drops the bomb that he'd consider killing Siro etc HIMSELF if he knew Lao might do something that dumb just to avoid it being a possibility It was cold as ice but also showed how seriously Raiden takes protecting billions of lives, that he views things in a long game and that he's willing to lay harsh truths on Lao. By far my fav Raiden moment Also yes the two Shangs might be equal. Conquest Shang is DAMN good and Shao is UNTOUCHABLE. I love Conquest Shao
@@yagamifire7861 Such a good scene. If they had removed those few moments of gravity, the character would've fallen apart; it's this contrast that makes Conquest Raiden work. Cause usually he presents himself as the carefree uncle, just having fun with the kids, but then, when they do something *really* wrong, the strict, disciplinary father comes out, and you go "uh-oh". Much like actual children, the characters don't always know exactly how they fucked up, they just know they fucked up. Big time. I've always wondered what Raiden *actually* does when he's not on-screen. He's always late to the party, and because of his casual demeanor, he seems like he's just lazy (much like Kakashi, from Naruto) - to the frustration of Kung Lao and his friends - but in reality, he likely has sooo many other things to deal with (and he says as much, at one point); Earthrealm is a gigantic place, and there are many threats out there, not just Shao Kahn. Would've loved to have seen an episode from Raiden's POV; what he gets up to, in a day, and how hard it *really* is to be the god-protector of Earthrealm. And it makes so much sense, lore-wise. Raiden and Shao are descended from the elder gods, in this version - the life of any individual mortal is like an ant, to them. Raiden presents himself as pleasantly as possible, but ultimately, his responsibilities far outweigh being nice to the mortals. And Shao actually comments on how Raiden changed, in this respect: "You fiercely protect them. But you weren't always like that. What happened? Did you change them.. or did they change you?" Raiden's time with the mortals did soften him up and make him more compassionate. And Shao expertly exploited that. Yeah, I could drone on about Conquest for days.
Legit is the best Quan Chi wish they somehow either brought this show back for another season or made a new mk before the recent one with him as Quan Chi again he absolutely nailed this role
@@CynicalWarlock did you ever tell the actor you made a video about him? I've seen a couple of his videos and seen you comment on some. I think he would really appreciate this video
@@CynicalWarlock ah ok I understand, I went thru a phase when I was trying to do UA-cam and my friends said why don't you tell people to watch your stuff so I get it, felt weird to ask for likes too but in this case I wouldn't have taken it that way if I was the actor. I hope he does find this video tho one day
Wow, I 've never seen this depiction of him and I gotta I say I agree. I always thought he was a bit too boring compared to Shang Tsung who is my favourite of the Deadly Alliance, but seeing this version feels like we've been robbed. It would be cool to see the actor reprising his role in the games. It would be so cool if he and Cary Tagawa's Shang Tsung were in the same game, that would be fire. Speaking of Tagawa he was in MK11, so it's a shame that they didn't call Adoni for Mk1, that would be money well spent instead of wasting it on Megan Fox. I feel like M1K could've had that court sorcerer dynamic like you described because both he and Shang Tsung are court sorcerors deceiving Sindel, but we didn't see it. This is why I think that villains should be playable in the story which was something I liked from MK11: Aftermath. In this way we can see the villains actually be a threat and see their perspective on things and this presents an opportunity to give them a lot of depth which they don't have a chance to get if we're constantly beating them up all the time. From the new M1K I did like the idea of the Sisterhood of Shadow (a female cabal of demons) completely in service to him so we could've seen him be a pimp again, especially with the famous trio of demonesses: Kia, Jatakka, and Sareena, but I think this was avoided because they didn't think to take stuff from films/tv-series and just looked at the games, but it's anyone's guess). But I think seeing his harsh treatment of them would make the hero's victory over him feel more satisfying, especially now that Ashrah was his former slave, and his defeat was sort of poetic justice for her, instead of her beating a generic mustache-twirling villain. I hope in future incarnations we see them take more elements from Konquest, but sadly (and I hate saying this), but it seems like NRS is just allergic to good ideas lately which is a crying shame.
This one gets it. 'Boring' is the perfect word to describe it. Yeah, video game Quan is cool and competent and powerful and all that, but he's so boring, compared to this version. And whenever people bring up the positives I just listed, I go "so what?", cause every character is more or less like that. They're all such cool, powerful, cocky schmucks, they might as well be playing the same character. The thing that Mortal Kombat: Conquest did very well was it drew clear differences between the characters, and the universe just came alive because of it. Agree with everything you wrote - they should've given Adoni the MK11 Cary/Shang mocap treatment, and for a second stab at the whole Deadly Alliance shtick, it was pretty summarily done. Both times, actually, cause the big flaw in Deadly Alliance/Deception is that most of the interesting events (Quan escaping the Netherrealm, forging the actual deadly alliance, deposing Shao Kahn, defeating and killing the Earthrealm warriors) happen off-screen, so you don't see much of that courtroom sorcerer banter.
@@CynicalWarlock I wanted to ask if the problem is more so that the characters in the games are reduced to their motifs instead of exploring who they actually are. I don't want to sound too harsh and suggest that Quan's portrayal in the games is egregious (unlike some characters), but I think the games kinda stick to the surface-level elements of their characters and don't dig deeper (I could be wrong here). I think the chapter system is also to blame as basing the plot around which character needs to be in a fight puts constraints on the writers from expanding on everyone else as you're solely focused on who you're playing as. I would love to see you explore the Ashrah/Nitara rivalry as much like Tanya/Jade it isn't explored too much.
@@harveysidhu7030 Exploring who the characters are isn't something NRS does. They use them more like a kid would use his action figures; just enact some cool, iconic, or funny moments and action. I, like NetherRealm, used to think that's all the fans wanted, but this channel is proving me wrong. I actually talked about the chapter system in another video. Forcing you to fill an arbitrary quota of fights with one character leads to some very unnatural storytelling, like Johnny and Jax having an argument, during a pressing mission in mk9, which they pause so they can knock each other's teeth, with Raiden standing there, in the background, ignoring them, until they're ready to move on with the mission. I'll definitely get to the other characters and rivalries, eventually.
I've never liked Quan, I actually hate him but I guess that's the point of the character, and I know he's a good villain (Also Hanzo and Bi-Han are my favorite characters so that might influence my view of Quan Chi)
I can't believe they had Jaime Presley in a role as one of Quan Chi's slaves! That's fantastic! Hey everyone needs to start somewhere right? I also heard that Cameron Diaz was the original Sonya Blade but got replaced by Brigit Wilson due to an injury.
Yeah, I read that too. Sometimes I wonder what the film would've looked like with her as Sonya. I think Brigit helped to cement Sonya's tomboy attributes.
Ditto. It's frustrating, cause no other Quan ever comes remotely close. Actually have to force this version out of my mind, in order to fully appreciate the other portrayals.
@@CynicalWarlock I remember when it was announced that Shang and Quan where teaming up in DA, and thought they got the idea for that from the show, as well.
I loved that one mk4 ending where he gives shinnok a fake amulet and keeps the real one for himself, with bloody results. Deadly alliance was cool, But certain aspects of the mk4 plot could’ve made for a DOPE sequel with an alternate timeline. Let reiko take the throne of outworld, and let quan chi take shinnoks place. But they kept both (shang tsung came back) villains, and they did a tag team beatdown on raiden and thats cool too. And then they rebooted the series multiple times and brought shinnok back too, and that was less cool in this timeline.
@@nicks4802 Yeah, it seems like MK4 was prepping for a game like you just described, with Reiko and Quan at the helm, which would've been interesting to see.
Somehow I missed Mortal Kombat Conquest growing up, I was like 7/8 when it aired. May have to give the show a watch just to appreciate it for what it is 😂.
@@CynicalWarlock soap opera type MK has been something I never knew I missed out on! Only a few episodes in but it’s been a pretty enjoyable watch so far.
It Was A Cool T.V. Show, & It Had Great Character Interpretations, & Awesome Witty Back & Forth Banter. Weird Time Slot Though, It Was On At 4:00 A.M...
I honestly am willing to keep the mortal kombat timelines around if there is a chance we could get conquest Quan. Imagine he shows up in Liu Kang’s timeline, kills MK1 Quan and takes over. Shinnok would be overjoyed to have a devil that’s RELIABLE and isn’t obviously evil, with a great sense of humor. I actually can see this Quan working with MK1 Shang Tsung to develop monstrosities in the flesh pits and joking about the test subjects 😂
I would fork up double the price for that game. I don't have video game Quan, but seeing Conquest Quan kill him and take good place would be supremely satisfying. And then see him get angry at, belittle and punish characters like Sareena, giving more context to why she wants to escape the Netherrealm.
@@CynicalWarlock imagine your boss who was just some prick from outworld that learned nether realm magic is replaced by a suave demon Andrew tate 😂. Sareena might wanna leave and work with Ashrah, but the other 2 demons might find the change in management refreshing. Damn MK1 needed conquest Quan and he needed to be a low level demon that was trained by Titan Shang to achieve his power. The guy would have kept his end of the bargain helping mileena with her anti-tarkat serum, but definitely would have gotten Ermac created with less issues thanks to his charisma. Definitely would have kept Havik and Nitara happy to cooperate much better with his plans.
Hey, out of curiosity, are you familiar with psychoanalytic psychology because you mentioned Jung in your video, as well as archetypes. If you do, it certainly puts all your content into context and how you analyze the MK characters.
My knowledge of Jungian archetypes is cursory, at best. I do like Jung's overall approach (I also learned some of his stuff by proxy, through Jordan Peterson), but it probably just comes down to me loving movies and games and having experienced a shitton of them.
Mortal Kombat live-action: -Quan Chi is a CHAD; charismatic necromancer pimp/slave trafficker 10 keikakus ahead of everyone else -Shang Tsung is a SOIJAK; narcissistic emo boy that maxed out one (1) ability, Soul Steal Mortal Kombat games by NRS, after the 00's: -Shang Tsung is a CHAD; charismatic shapeshifting soulstealer 10 keikakus ahead of everyone else -Quan Chi is a SOIJAK; emo version of the nerd emoji that remained loyal to Shinnok to the very end, MK9 built him up as a villain sue only for him to job against people like Jax and Sonya and for his villain sue status to go to D'Vorah instead.
Quan becoming everyone's bitch, D'Vorah being god-tier, Shinnok getting beat by Cassie, Kotal Kahn high on stupid pills - MKX really did fuck up power dynamics, across the board.
I really enjoyed his conquest as a kid and his mk legends was pretty cool too. Just wished he was taken more seriously and not a dumb punching bag throughout the series 😂😂❤
@@mrowley7300 Heh, not so much a jab as it is an acknowledgement. I agree with his points on Quan Chi, but I think the Conquest version more than justifies his existence and role in the story.
Conquest Quan is so much better than video game Quan because video game Quan is a moronic Starscream most of the time. He can't be trusted because he's transparently treacherous...which just makes him like Shang Tsung. Conquest Quan, on the other hand, is a devious SOB that will honor his side of the bargain because HE NEGOTIATED IT. He was already getting what he wanted. It was rigged from the start. This means he is reliable. It makes him smarter. Smoother. More cunning. It makes him someone you have to deal with and know you can deal with...but don't WANT to deal with. You know he's going to one-up you. You know he's only agreeing because he has made the terms exactly what he wants and backed you into a corner...and, the worst thing about it, is that you might not know HOW he's done it...but you know it's happened.
A devil that breaks its promises is nowhere near as dangerous as a devil that always keeps its promises. The latter is the smarter devil by far.
"moronic Starscream" and "transparently treacherous" explains it so much better than I did.
Actually, this whole comment is worth a pin.
Funny you mentioned this, because the fourth snake too compared the game versions for quan chi and shang tsung!
@@CynicalWarlock. Tv tropes describes starscream as tracherous right hand man who makes zero secret about this fact. Did iether sorcerer?
@@erikbihari3625 Nope.
@@CynicalWarlock. Then case closed.
I would kill to see this version of Quan Chi with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's Shang Tsung palling around together. That's a Deadly Alliance I can get behind.
They'd be oozing charisma.
@@CynicalWarlock That game will sell out like hot cakes 🎂😊
Heck, I wouldn't have complained if Maropis was brought back to reprise Quan Chi in MK1's new era. Despite the game's flaws, I feel like Maropis's Quan Chi would have had some excellent chemistry with Alan Lee's Shang Tsung. Besides, the Quan Chi we got was admittedly kind of bland.
Not the Quan Chi we deserved, but the Quan Chi we needed.
1000%.
Yeah if future mk film brings him back then hopefully he can be like this version ❤❤❤
I’m not sure if it was purely visual but Quan Chi seemed the most scary and intimidating in the 3-D era. As a kid whenever I saw pictures of him as concept art it throughout the games he spooked me as a kid. He felt like the darker version of Shang Tsung. Haven’t felt that way about him since then
Have my own characters that inspired that feeling, back in the day; it's a pretty special thing. And he *is* a pretty scary albino dude. With the muscles, bald head, and tattoos, he looks like some freaky escaped sorcerer convict.
And that deep boom base voice. Plus having him as the announcer from MK 4 until after Armageddon was pretty sweet as well.
@@seasonembrace3624 Quan's MK4 announcer voice is my all-time favorite.
@@CynicalWarlock As much as I love the Rich Divizio Quan Chi from Mythologies, his MK4 voice is what I hear in my head whenever I read his lines. Somehow, Herman Sanchez just nailed it from the get-go, achieving levels of smug that shouldn't even be possible. I can kinda hear the same tones in Maropis' performance, so I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he's done his homework and used Sanchez's take as inspiration to create something even greater.
@@CynicalWarlockI enjoyed this video , now I want to watch the show 🦹🦹
I would've actually loved the idea of Quan chi's flamboyancy being cranked up to 11. His classic outfit already has flare to it but imagine if you will he constantly changes outfits every time we see him for specific occasions, like one for pimp time, one for meeting and dealings, one for sorcery, and one for combat with each have a Quan chi/netherralm touch to it. It would fit the TV counterparts very well considering his overall role
That's a superb idea, and if the show had more time/budget, they might have done something like that. As it stands, they only have a combat variation with no spikes, cause those would've been near-impossible to fight in.
*M I S E R A B L E S L U T S*
Literally his first words. Sets the tone perfectly.
Brutal and I wish he was like that more 😂😂
Iconic 😂
Like THREE RATS FROM A STINKING SEWER!!
videos like this make me realize how often the ball gets dropped with Modern MK
@@FlashX212 Mission accomplished, then.
“I choose to live in my domain, I was not banished there.” Hits so hard as a line. I’m going to have to watch this show. Never did despite my borderline obsession with MK throughout my life. But I’m convinced now.
Also funny how a lot of people like to make Scorpion out to be like the Batman of MK yet they never have him go up against this Quan Chi. Conquest Quan Chi facing OG Scorpion or the one from MK9 and X would be the dream.
I wouldn’t even have it be were Quan Chi killed his family, just have it where Quan Chi finds Hanzo in the Nether Realm and sees an opportunity to direct a storm upon those giving him a hard time. Then as Scorpion realize he’s been duped have him want to lash back at Quan Chi but Quan Chi can just toy with the specter in tell either Scorpion finally gets the one up or calms himself enough to make Sub-Zero an ally since he can be the hero that makes Quan’s life hard. Now this was basically the OG timeline’s story but I never liked the detail that Quan Chi was the one that killed Scorpion’s family. That should be pure Lin Kuei’s doing and Quan Chi just sees an opportunity.
@@RoninTacticalY23 Yeah, killing Scorps' family doesn't really fit this Quan Chi, somehow. If they had made a season 2, Scorps and Quan definitely should've interacted. Considering how they portray Scorpion in this show, pairing them together would've been solid gold.
Lemme know your thoughts, if you do end up watching the show. Fair warning, it's pretty cheesy, especially in the first few episodes.
@@CynicalWarlock Will do, I’m all good with cheese, like if you give me characters I like I’m willing to tolerate a lot of camp and insanity. It comes with the territory when you’re a fan of often fantastical and edgy things.
Let us know how it goes
I would say Sub-Zero is the Batman of MK, and Scorpion would be the Wolverine of MK.
@@Jasonv078 Personally I agree with that, I mean Sub-Zero’s ending in MK vs DC kind of hammers that idea in. It’s just a sentiment I tend to see when people discuss MK of comparing Scorpion and Batman. Now it could just be because Ed Boob Twitter profile picture is Batman and Scorpion, at least it was for a while, don’t know if it still is.
I swear ever since the first reboot in the games, Quan Chi been getting jobbed on so hard.
Turns out this is a tough character to balance.
You gotta remember that starting from about MKD, Quan Chi has clearly become a favorite of someone on the team, because they started putting him over Shang at every opportunity. This trend eventually culminated in MK9, where Shang's been not just killed off, but cucked into utter irrelevance, while Quan has completed his transformation into the ultimate mary sue. Thankfully, the writers seem to have realized they've gone too far in a few places, so they've been trying to course-correct ever since. The ball-stomping scene from MKX was probably overcorrecting, but I appreciated the sentiment. :)
Thank you for this. Reminded me of those days when Mortal Kombat, video games and entertainment in general were about being fun, cool, stylish and creative without so many restrictions. Never knew Quan Chi could be this fun of a character.
Before the dark times. Before the corporations.
@@CynicalWarlock Yup, before corporations and modern audiences.
I love the archetype of a powerful sorcerer politicking. There is just something about someone who could obliterate anyone but chooses not to. Instead uses politics to get his way.
What I also love about that is when this archetype loses they they drop the politicking and start blasting.
It's very fun and engaging. It's a crime MK doesn't use this version of.
Yeah, especially for Dragon Age stans like us, it's a treat. The Sorceress Lodge from The Witcher, too. They - along with shows like The Boys - are useful, because they show how brute force is no substitute for political influence. You can have all the power in the world; unless you're willing to kill everyone, you still have to play some kind of political game, to win people over.
@@CynicalWarlock I really enjoyed the plot of Witcher 2 being the Sorceress Lodge just influencing politics. It to me makes sense that these powerful magic users would eventually just be overt rulers or shadow government types. But it is just a great mental imagine. They could kill you but they choose not to. They choose to play the game and be better at it than anyone else.
@@Knight1029 Yeah, reminds me of the Bene Gesserit, from Dune. Exact same deal.
@@CynicalWarlock yeah! Such a great example!
Its a pleasant surprise hearing excitement in your voice, almost frightening even lol
Scares the fuck outta me too, really.
Like Conquest is so underrated as a show, Adoni really chews the scenery in every aspect, love his ughhhh grunts.
Yeah, i have no idea where he pulled those from, but they're genius.
Such a great performance by Adoni Maropis - among the best from the show, or even any live-action MK material for that matter. I really wish the games portrayed Quan Chi with the same level of smooth yet sinister charm, zest and humor. The actor's real life story is pretty incredible, as you touched on at the end.
Also...... "3". 😏
Expected no less from such a nimble Enigma.
Yeah honestly, MK: Conquest set me straight, as far as storytelling and characterization go. Probably subconsciously laid the foundation for a lot the ideas I juggle on this channel today.
As far as I'm concerned; Adoni Maropis' Quan Chi is to MK what Raul Julia's Bison is to SF.
Both Top Tier Entertainment.
Solid gold, from the first frame to the last.
Each iteration of the antagonist ls in Mortal Kombat are varying in effectiveness and it doesn’t help that NRS seldom gives there antagonists any wins with substance. This quan chi seems like thought was put into it which is cool to see
Oh yeah, he's one of the standout characters of the show.
This video reminded how absolutely drop dead gorgeous Dana Hee was in the show. I mean the show had PLENTY of constant eye candy throughout its entire run. But I would always be happy to seen Quan Chi appear in any episode, because it almost guaranteed she wouldn't be far behind lol!. Can't even recall if I'd hit puberty yet around the time MKC aired here in the states. But I couldn't never take my eyes off her.
What's funny is guys would hail a show like this as a rare gift from the gods, in today's troubled, sexless times, whereas back then, we really were spoiled with this kind of stuff and didn't think much of it.
Crazy that Conquest gave us the best versions of Quan, Shao, and Raiden all in one series. My favorite adaptation of MK.
Same. It's also remarkable how resilient the games have been to taking any kind of inspiration from the show. Game Raiden, Shao and Quan are unbelievably drab.
dayumnnn imagine this Quan Chi chewing up the scenery with (Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa) Shang Tsung
The ultimate power duo.
I appreciate the deeper discussions of Mortal Kombat. There's not enough of them.
I was so glued to Conquest's story, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Highly recommend to everyone.
@@nmkflvpttt I'm all about deep.
My biggest gripe with Quan Chi’s (and my extension, Shang Tsung’s) depiction in the recent games, is that they’re left so undistinct from each other. Like one could do something that the other one just as easily could have and it wouldn’t have made a difference. I’ve never watched this show, but it seems like just from what you described, that Quan Chi comes into his own much much more and that’s very cool and intriguing.
@@bababouille9707 Exactly. In the show, they're opposites, in many ways, despite both of them being sorcerers and having similar abilities.
From what I remember about this show, Shang Tsung was more like his classic personality, he was backstabbing and scheming, while Quan Chi was more like the Devil. You can make a deal with him and he will actually keep his end of the bargain, you will get what you want, however he will always benefit from that deal the most.
I never saw this show, but this makes me want to check it out - it definitely looks to have that trashy late 90's-early 00's charm. Can already tell he's a scene-stealer.
@@lordtrigon1733 He totally is; whenever he appears, you start smiling. And the show is totally a product if the 90s: cheesy and campy as fuck, but with good characters and worldbuilding; the kind of stuff MK currently lacks.
Conquest Quan as well as Jeff Meeks' Raiden/Shao are the best live action MK characters. They definitely deserve to be DLC on MK1. Quan always kept me entertained. I was also crushing on Vorpax/Tracy Douglas back then, she was ❤️🔥. Thanks for this video.
Hell yeah. Nice to see more Conquest fans coming out of the woodwork.
@@CynicalWarlock that show had some moments but it blew the first two films away... Despite it being on a television budget.
@@mrmonte1975 And the network didn't fully appreciate what they had. Another 1-2 seasons, and everyone would have Conquest on their lips right now.
@@CynicalWarlock are they still having issues getting a digital release?
I remember watching this show as a kid. Most characters were total shit, some had literally 0 resemblance to the game.
But damn Quan Chi looked AMAZING. This video is 100% on pointttt
Thanks.
It gets some wrong, like Noob Saibot, but captures the essence of others, even if they're not the source material versions, verbatim.
And a few of the more bold choices and changes actually work.
Thanks to this vid, I got 3 things, a fellow enjoyer of the conquest Quan Chi, discovered the actor himself got his own youtube channel, and then the quote about the devil and how he approaches you. LOVE this vid alot man!
Yesss.🤜🤛
Part of why I made this video is to come across fellow Conquest fans.
Glad you liked it.
Quan Chi in Conquest almost reminds me of a villain sue subversion and I mean that as a good thing.
He possesses more abilities that 99% of the cast and displays a heightened sense of intelligence and control when compared to every villain barring Shao Kahn.
Yet despite how OP he is and how varied his arsenal can be he's still got that mindset of a manchild. Showing more insecurity and abrasiveness when the women he controls start back talking him.
It's like he achieved a power threshold in his universe but lacks the discipline and honor code that every hero in this series inherently possesses. Even characters like Scorpion and Reptile in the show's canon display codes of honor and respect for their opponents. Quan Chi has no respect for anyone, even his allies. He just does what he wants and will work with anyone for convenience.
Definitely embodying more of a Neutral Evil standpoint.
@@nono9543 Pretty spot on - evil without variation.
He's the immature masculine, spiteful in his relationships with women, lustful and thinking he can do anything he wants, because of his power.
Quan Cheadle.
Squan Chee.
Quan Cheesey.
Jay Quan.
One of my favorite Mk characters of all time!
Cant forget the classic Rich Homie Quan Chi!
And there's also "Crun Chi".
Excellent video! This is indeed the best Quan Chi version and that show had so much potential
Leave it to the network to ruin a good thing.
I don't think game Quan is that bad but at the same time, the guy never really stood out to me more than just a plot device. This show's take is definetly more memorable and entertaining, honestly Conquest is easily one of the better adaptations based on a game, it's also better than stuff coming out today, it's one of the few adaptations that to me has better writing than the games do and I don't even hate the games' writing but Conquest was heads and shoulders above them. It even made it's cancellation work in one of if not the best, "villains owns everyone scenes" ever.
Yeah, I've been thinking about that a lot - part of what made Conquest stick out so much in our minds *is* that abrupt ending. Intended or not, "Shao Kahn wins, Mass Fatality", no recourse, no punchline, no post-credits scene, dead silence 'in the theater' is what made all of it so bold and impactful.
It beat Infinity War to it by about 20 years.
@@CynicalWarlock
And unlike Infinity War, the villain stayed the victor lmao. This might be one of the few times where getting cancelled might've been a blessing in disguise.
@@civilwarfare101 Hehe, it would've been tough and a bit redundant to follow that up, for sure. There are obviously a few loose ends, though, cause some characters died that shouldn't have died, like Shang and Kitana.
@@CynicalWarlock
It's also weird to have MK with no Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Kano or Jax but almost every cancelled show is going to have loose ends to some degree, it's just amazing how the MK Conquest writers made it all work even if it was never their intention.
Any other cancelled ending to a show I like would piss me off but MK Conquest turned something that would usually annoy me into one of the coolest moments ever.
I'll be honest I love it when you never stop talking about mk conquest and yes I agree this Quan chi is indeed sinister as hell when he is cooking up plans
Good. Cause I could drone on about MK: Conquest for days.
@@CynicalWarlock good not going to lie you should make one on sub or perhaps scorpion or both oh shit the fire and ice episode oh man should cover that plot
@@Strikedown51 I taped that episode, back in the day. Must've watched it a thousand times. I obsessed over every line, acted out the script with my brother, loved every scene, talked shit about every scene.. It informed my childhood.
It's weird, cause they didn't even do Scorpion's origin, at all, yet that depiction is so Scorpion, it's like the video game sprites come to life.
@@CynicalWarlock yes indeed that episode and the sub zero one I believe its called cold reality those two episodes were my favorites as well as the Quan chi episode it's crazy how the origins of sub and scorpion are so different yet it feels right I'm sure I'm not making sense but something about their origins just fit within the show damn it I wish there was a second season I love the show OUTSTANDING work my friend
@@Strikedown51 Thank you, thank you.
I simultaneously want and don't want a second Conquest season. Ending the way it did obviously blue-balled us hard, and doesn't fit with the lore, but at the same time, it's such a baller finale, one that you just did not see back then. People rave about Thanos winning, in Infinity War, or Game of Thrones killing its characters en masse.. well Conquest did it first.
I loved the that Mk tv show when I was a kid. It was awesome.
Looking back, I just now realize how much of my love for MK, in general, wasn't even because of the games themselves - it was because of this show.
@@CynicalWarlock Indeed, I was disappointed with how they rushed the ending, but I was still pleased to see Shao Kahn win. Great content overall, keep up the good work!
@@rebel4792 Thanks.
All these people losing their minds over Infinity War, when Conquest did it first.
Absolutely love this video, I really I discovered this type of content back when I was just getting into Mortal Kombat and it's lore. I never even really knew about Mortal Kombat Conquest until I stumbled on to this wicked channel, the most I ever heard about it when other channels would give a off handed mention about it being "some failed TV series back in the day..." I wish I could have watch this awesome series when I was younger and still fresh to Mortal Kombat cause OH MAN is this type shows are right up my alley. I'm just a sucker for video games that have a VERY expansive lore and stories like Skyrim and God of War. Honestly this show gives off this "Games of Thrones but it's set in the Mortal Kombat universe" vibe which I'm surprised that neither Netherrealm Studios nor Warner Bros have thought of trying recreate as brand new TV series. Tell me that wouldn't just print money like krazy for them, just as long they get the right type of people who ACTUALLY care about the kharacters and lore.
Oh by the way,
3
This show introduced me to Quan Chi as a character, and so he'll forever be a creepy pervy demon pimp who rolls his Rs in the most pretentious way to me 😂 I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who prefers this version over the one from the games! This show is a gem of its time honestly - an official MK 🅿️0rn parody - highly underrated on the "so bad it's good" spectrum 😂👍
Also, had no idea Adoni did gangster hood Quan Chi skits, that's hilarious!
Yeah, Adoni's the man. Don't remember if we talked about the show before, but glad to see you're a Conquest connoisseur as well. Calling it a porn parody made me chuckle, but I guess the show really was asking for that moniker.
"watch it or die" ok ok you got me, chill
Who the fuck reads video descriptions?
This guy and Deadly Alliance are the best versions.
Game-wise, Deadly Alliance is the first one that turned him into a badass.
1:15 also in Defenders of the Realm
Yeah, I didn't know at the time. My bad.
Well done as always!👏
You covered everything that makes this character great! The only reference you missed was the cartoon; which debuted before Quan Chi in the games. In it he uses a magical stone that brings out the heroes worse attributes and only does it for his own self amusement, not so much to help Shao Kahn. Nothing was known about his character yet, but his manipulative attributes were starting to take root. Than we got his first live action appearance in MK Mythologies and that was...certainly something. BUT after that we got Conquest Quan and THAT is when he became a WELL established character. He should carry on that personality for the games, but I will say all of his game portrayals were decent... until MK1. He sucks as a character, but I guess us cool as a fighter. However this portrayal is the absolute GOAT and you demonstrated that point FLAWLESSLY! Well done Warlock!🖤💜
Thank you, thank you. Yeah, I totally missed his Defenders of the Realm appearance; really should watch that cartoon. The writers working with what little they had resonates even more, then, since they adapted that whole discord-between-the-heroes idea; and pretty damn well, too.
The game versions are fine; had I seen them before seeing Conquest Quan, I probably would've appreciated them more. I still jive with most of em, they're just a bit generic, minus MKX Quan, at least in his intro banter, some of which is really good.
MK12 Quan - like most of the game - is very glossy and very shallow.
@@CynicalWarlock We'd be here all day if I told you everything NRS did with MK1, but they did manage to have SOME potential with certain characters. Some things you can mix with their previous history to make them feel more flushed out. SOME things were just stupid(Right Kui-Liang Scorpion?🤦♂️)
I'm still sour we never got the second season to this show. Great to see this Quan Chi get some much needed attention, great video showcasing that *dastardly* y3t loveable sorcerer.
It's odd that this show was the last bit of Mortal Kombat I would consume until MK9 came out, and in that game Quan Chi was my immediate main. Saddens me that NRS hasn't been able to replicate the fun of that character with MK10 and MK12.
That's so cool. This character must mean a whole lot to you then.
Hell yeah, MK Conquest was awesome. And yes, I absolutely loved their interpretation of Quan chi
Nice to finally spot a few other fans.
There were a lot of things in this show that didn’t land at all for me, but they did a very good job with Quan Chi’s character/personality, as well as his look (I wasn’t a fan of some of the out of place humor here and there that I felt made the tone too campy at times-a writing issue, not an acting issue-but the rest of the character worked really well). I’m currently dreading what we’re going to get from the character in the upcoming sequel to that late term abortion of a 2021 MK movie. That all said, the UA-cam skits are hilarious.
Yeah for me, it's the sappy/cheesy moments and some of the try-hard fight choreography that turns into weird gymnastics that haven't aged well. I don't mind the camp (or even perceive it all that much), probably cause it's inherent to MK, but I know it bothers some people and I get why. Like maybe sometimes Shao loses his shit a little too much for some people's tastes, or Quan chews the scenery so much he almost looks like he's breaking character. Again, I totally dig it, and the neat characterization and lore surrounding the show is enough to keep me invested, but I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea.
Random thought, but what if James Woods voiced Quan Chi in a way similar to how he voiced Hades in Disney’s Hercules? For some reason, Maropis’s portrayal of Quan Chi made me think of Woods.
There's a lot of crossover between the 2. And that's a great example of a villain that can be ridiculously funny, yet still menacing.
The Konquest show is soooo underrated….
Egregiously.
"I choose to live in my domain I was not banished there"
Cle🔥n
His performance is one of the very best performances in the show, and I would have liked to have seen his aspects in the game versions of the character.
Yeah, it would bring some much needed personality to the series. Almost every character's gotten a bit generic, somehow.
@@CynicalWarlock Sadly, it's a reflection of the times in which some stories and characters are done in ways with less nuance.
@@mrz4252 Yeah, why bother being creative, when people buy your shit anyway?
Agree completely! I fell in love with Quan-chi because of this series!
Same.
For the Quan Chi intro Wheres his 10 Second Kameo from Shaolin Monks's ending
In the Shaolin Monk ending. :D
Oh hell yes! I enjoyed this performance way too much, when I was watching the series, if they had made more movies they would have NEEDED this Quan Chi in them..actually perfect 😂
Show would've been so much emptier without him.
Just watched Conquest, glad someone is talking about it, it’s pretty underrated imo
Also 3 that was difficult to pause on lol
@@tbbanimations Yes!💪Was supposed to be.
Glad you liked the show. Must be nice to have it fresh in your memory.
@@CynicalWarlock Yes, although that ending was quite a shock
Quan-chi and Star-Screen should be homies if they don't betray each other first
@@Str8savage87 This Quan is actually pretty forthright.
"...a bunch of people, some of them very famous, who loathe this character with a passion."
We're talking 4th Snake, aren't we?
The one and only.
Honestly I feel like for the most part Quan Chi has had a mostly solid actor portrayal of him. Shame we never got to see interactions with Cary Tagawa’s version of Shang Tsung along with this shows actor for Quan Chi or the MK 9 & MK X actor.
@@seasonembrace3624 That would be the dream, yes. Although he's more fitting in this context, against a young, brash Shang. Cary's Shang is way older and smoother, so him and Adoni's Quan might actually be best buds, now that I think about it.
"This Shang Tsung looks and acts like he listens to the Devil May Cry music" 😂
Yeah, shame Bruce Locke didn't have much to work with, he's a good actor. This Shang has nothing on Tagawa's charm, but honestly, he's the best looking live action Shang - as in closest to the videogame counterpart. He has his moments 😀
Also, if I remember correctly, it was this show's idea to pair them up into the "full of bullshit and backstabbing" alliance 😀
Yess, Conquest came out way before Deadly Alliance.
I'd say Conquest Shang is extremely appropriate for that show - making him seem that youthful and bratty, yet still ridiculously powerful and knowledgeable made him play so well off of characters like Kung Lao, Quan Chi, Vorpax, Shao Kahn etc.
You should definitely do a long video of the best picked mk characters from mortal kombat entertainment media, movies,series. Like for example this best quan and best subzero from the 2021 mk movie and so on, will be a long video but a cool idea nonetheless.
@@sentrygolddenn2552 Not a bad idea yeah. Even picking the best version of each character from all the games is bound to be fun.
And controversial.
@@CynicalWarlock btw who agrees that the worst noob saibot is from konquest, man uses oil instead of shadow.
@@sentrygolddenn2552 Funnily enough, that seems to be where the games copied that tarry appearance that Noob's abilities have, on the NRS games.
Mortal Kombat Conquest version of Noob Saibot is what MK9-MK12 Noob Saibot is based off of.
Yeah, the tar monster. Conquest really doesn't get the credit it deserves.
I also thought MK9/X Qaun Chi was always a bit underdeveloped that he never really stood out for me personality wise, although I did enjoy his gameplay in X.
I did like his permanent Crazy Eyes he has MK12 and his gear changing his tattos, but that's about it.
Yeah all the video game Quan Chis are on the cusp of something great, but they never quite get there. 'Personality' really is the key word - that's what separates Conquest Quan from his video game counterparts.
I can hear Jaime Presley's southern accent come out in her dialog and I AM LIVING FOR IT!!! 14:49
"It is loaast. Browhkin in the faaight."
Conquest Quan Chi, Shang Tsung, Raiden and Shao Kahn were GREAT!
Very good versions of the characters. Shame we didn't get more of them.
100%. It is a shame, although I've been pondering this a lot lately - in a way, the show was so memorable *because* it ended so abruptly, and with the bad guy winning.
But for sure, I think there's a lot of additional characterization that Quan, Shang, Raiden, Shao, the ninjas, and a bunch of others could've gone through.
Omg! He made the comparison! :)))))))
Beware my comparisons.
3. I’m a dastardly diligent detective. 😃
That you are.
And you like to read.
It actually took me 3 trys to pause at the right time.
Brilliant.
Coincidence? Or are the lizard people watching?
Yes! Amazing job recognizing the best Quan Chi. Conquest also has a fantastic Shang (2nd only to the GOAT) and the best Shao Kahn...and maybe the best Raiden. It's that good. Conquest is lowkey the best Mortal Kombat stuff.
@@yagamifire7861 It's absolutely my favorite Raiden. Hands down. The games adamantly refuse to give him any kind of flair or charisma.
I'd go so far as to say the 2 Shangs are neck and neck, cause they complement each other. Bruce's Shang truly feels like the prequel/young version of Cary's.
@CynicalWarlock Raiden 1000% won me over early on in one of the episodes where Kung Lao accepts a challenge to save his friends and Raiden totally dresses him down about his responsibilities as a champion of Earth realm telling him he might be alive for thousands of years and will outlive generations of people so its irresponsible as hell to risk himself for sentimentality.
Then he drops the bomb that he'd consider killing Siro etc HIMSELF if he knew Lao might do something that dumb just to avoid it being a possibility
It was cold as ice but also showed how seriously Raiden takes protecting billions of lives, that he views things in a long game and that he's willing to lay harsh truths on Lao.
By far my fav Raiden moment
Also yes the two Shangs might be equal. Conquest Shang is DAMN good and Shao is UNTOUCHABLE. I love Conquest Shao
@@yagamifire7861 Such a good scene. If they had removed those few moments of gravity, the character would've fallen apart; it's this contrast that makes Conquest Raiden work. Cause usually he presents himself as the carefree uncle, just having fun with the kids, but then, when they do something *really* wrong, the strict, disciplinary father comes out, and you go "uh-oh". Much like actual children, the characters don't always know exactly how they fucked up, they just know they fucked up. Big time.
I've always wondered what Raiden *actually* does when he's not on-screen. He's always late to the party, and because of his casual demeanor, he seems like he's just lazy (much like Kakashi, from Naruto) - to the frustration of Kung Lao and his friends - but in reality, he likely has sooo many other things to deal with (and he says as much, at one point); Earthrealm is a gigantic place, and there are many threats out there, not just Shao Kahn. Would've loved to have seen an episode from Raiden's POV; what he gets up to, in a day, and how hard it *really* is to be the god-protector of Earthrealm.
And it makes so much sense, lore-wise. Raiden and Shao are descended from the elder gods, in this version - the life of any individual mortal is like an ant, to them. Raiden presents himself as pleasantly as possible, but ultimately, his responsibilities far outweigh being nice to the mortals. And Shao actually comments on how Raiden changed, in this respect:
"You fiercely protect them. But you weren't always like that. What happened? Did you change them.. or did they change you?"
Raiden's time with the mortals did soften him up and make him more compassionate. And Shao expertly exploited that.
Yeah, I could drone on about Conquest for days.
@@yagamifire7861 Don't say stupid things.
@@scottchaison1001 wtf are you talking about?
After this and It'sOfficial's Conquest Kahn video, we need a video about Conquest Raiden and the Holy Cobquest Trinity of videos shall be complete.
You have no idea what's coming..
@@CynicalWarlock By the Elder Gods!
This guy gave us the best quan chi. I was saying this to my friend that they need to bring this guy from mortal kombat conquest
@@3tone_Rythme Yeah, that did that for Cary's Shang, in MK11; why not this?
Great video on Quan Chi but what's up with that background noise? Is it from your mic or something?
Yeah, I need a new mic.
I've talked this one to death.
3 minutes in. I swear by him and hope he finally becomes the final boss/sole lead one day
If only..
There's quite a bit that Conquest got right. Easily one of my favorites peices of MK media ever.
Good stuff btw.
Thanks. And same - nothing else came to that level of dedication to these characters; Conquest was just genuinely interested in exploring them.
Legit is the best Quan Chi wish they somehow either brought this show back for another season or made a new mk before the recent one with him as Quan Chi again he absolutely nailed this role
Yes, man deserves to play Quan one more time.
Low-key making me wanna rewatch this show
Worth it. Just skip the filler episodes.
@@CynicalWarlock did you ever tell the actor you made a video about him? I've seen a couple of his videos and seen you comment on some. I think he would really appreciate this video
@@Ricki_47 Nah, don't wanna be like "hey I make video of u, plz watch".
Driving people to his channel felt more rewarding.
@@CynicalWarlock ah ok I understand, I went thru a phase when I was trying to do UA-cam and my friends said why don't you tell people to watch your stuff so I get it, felt weird to ask for likes too but in this case I wouldn't have taken it that way if I was the actor. I hope he does find this video tho one day
@@Ricki_47 Yeah maybe I'm overthinking it.
Wow, I 've never seen this depiction of him and I gotta I say I agree. I always thought he was a bit too boring compared to Shang Tsung who is my favourite of the Deadly Alliance, but seeing this version feels like we've been robbed. It would be cool to see the actor reprising his role in the games. It would be so cool if he and Cary Tagawa's Shang Tsung were in the same game, that would be fire. Speaking of Tagawa he was in MK11, so it's a shame that they didn't call Adoni for Mk1, that would be money well spent instead of wasting it on Megan Fox. I feel like M1K could've had that court sorcerer dynamic like you described because both he and Shang Tsung are court sorcerors deceiving Sindel, but we didn't see it. This is why I think that villains should be playable in the story which was something I liked from MK11: Aftermath. In this way we can see the villains actually be a threat and see their perspective on things and this presents an opportunity to give them a lot of depth which they don't have a chance to get if we're constantly beating them up all the time. From the new M1K I did like the idea of the Sisterhood of Shadow (a female cabal of demons) completely in service to him so we could've seen him be a pimp again, especially with the famous trio of demonesses: Kia, Jatakka, and Sareena, but I think this was avoided because they didn't think to take stuff from films/tv-series and just looked at the games, but it's anyone's guess). But I think seeing his harsh treatment of them would make the hero's victory over him feel more satisfying, especially now that Ashrah was his former slave, and his defeat was sort of poetic justice for her, instead of her beating a generic mustache-twirling villain. I hope in future incarnations we see them take more elements from Konquest, but sadly (and I hate saying this), but it seems like NRS is just allergic to good ideas lately which is a crying shame.
This one gets it. 'Boring' is the perfect word to describe it. Yeah, video game Quan is cool and competent and powerful and all that, but he's so boring, compared to this version. And whenever people bring up the positives I just listed, I go "so what?", cause every character is more or less like that. They're all such cool, powerful, cocky schmucks, they might as well be playing the same character. The thing that Mortal Kombat: Conquest did very well was it drew clear differences between the characters, and the universe just came alive because of it.
Agree with everything you wrote - they should've given Adoni the MK11 Cary/Shang mocap treatment, and for a second stab at the whole Deadly Alliance shtick, it was pretty summarily done. Both times, actually, cause the big flaw in Deadly Alliance/Deception is that most of the interesting events (Quan escaping the Netherrealm, forging the actual deadly alliance, deposing Shao Kahn, defeating and killing the Earthrealm warriors) happen off-screen, so you don't see much of that courtroom sorcerer banter.
@@CynicalWarlock I wanted to ask if the problem is more so that the characters in the games are reduced to their motifs instead of exploring who they actually are. I don't want to sound too harsh and suggest that Quan's portrayal in the games is egregious (unlike some characters), but I think the games kinda stick to the surface-level elements of their characters and don't dig deeper (I could be wrong here). I think the chapter system is also to blame as basing the plot around which character needs to be in a fight puts constraints on the writers from expanding on everyone else as you're solely focused on who you're playing as. I would love to see you explore the Ashrah/Nitara rivalry as much like Tanya/Jade it isn't explored too much.
@@harveysidhu7030 Exploring who the characters are isn't something NRS does. They use them more like a kid would use his action figures; just enact some cool, iconic, or funny moments and action. I, like NetherRealm, used to think that's all the fans wanted, but this channel is proving me wrong.
I actually talked about the chapter system in another video. Forcing you to fill an arbitrary quota of fights with one character leads to some very unnatural storytelling, like Johnny and Jax having an argument, during a pressing mission in mk9, which they pause so they can knock each other's teeth, with Raiden standing there, in the background, ignoring them, until they're ready to move on with the mission.
I'll definitely get to the other characters and rivalries, eventually.
I've never liked Quan, I actually hate him but I guess that's the point of the character, and I know he's a good villain
(Also Hanzo and Bi-Han are my favorite characters so that might influence my view of Quan Chi)
Well, the good news is this Quan has nothing to do with the show's Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
I can't believe they had Jaime Presley in a role as one of Quan Chi's slaves! That's fantastic! Hey everyone needs to start somewhere right? I also heard that Cameron Diaz was the original Sonya Blade but got replaced by Brigit Wilson due to an injury.
Yeah, I read that too. Sometimes I wonder what the film would've looked like with her as Sonya. I think Brigit helped to cement Sonya's tomboy attributes.
This is actually the version I compared every video game version to from DA on.
Ditto. It's frustrating, cause no other Quan ever comes remotely close. Actually have to force this version out of my mind, in order to fully appreciate the other portrayals.
@@CynicalWarlock I remember when it was announced that Shang and Quan where teaming up in DA, and thought they got the idea for that from the show, as well.
@@kyleguebert5526 They probably did, but it didn't click in my thick skull until recently. Didn't think about the chronology.
in the nelly song ride with me, i thought dude said "smoking in the back with quan chi"
This was back when mk4 came out.
I was 7 😭😭
@@Big_Human I'll never un-hear this, now. Brilliant.
Not sure if youll see this but love the videos, keep it up mate your hard work will pay off and im sure youll get big your content is awesome
I see everything.
Thanks a bunch, and don't worry - I'm good at keeping it up.
Glad you enjoy the content.
This video was good. I agree with you the tv show quan chi is very entertaining. Watching that today is so funny
Thanks, and yeah, what a hidden gem this show is.
A capable fighter and cunning warlock... _that choice is understandable._
My kinda guy.
I loved that one mk4 ending where he gives shinnok a fake amulet and keeps the real one for himself, with bloody results.
Deadly alliance was cool,
But certain aspects of the mk4 plot could’ve made for a DOPE sequel with an alternate timeline.
Let reiko take the throne of outworld, and let quan chi take shinnoks place.
But they kept both (shang tsung came back) villains, and they did a tag team beatdown on raiden and thats cool too.
And then they rebooted the series multiple times and brought shinnok back too, and that was less cool in this timeline.
@@nicks4802 Yeah, it seems like MK4 was prepping for a game like you just described, with Reiko and Quan at the helm, which would've been interesting to see.
Y'know what? Quan Chi is a character I love to hate. And I've always loved this version. I can't wait to see him in the new MK.
Yeah, the decision to make the weirdest-lookin character the most charming and charismatic was genius.
The Andrew Tate from Hell line killed me 🤣
3 😉 Also you really sold me on this version of Quan Chi lol I need to watch this series somehow
Impressive pausing skills.
Apparently, you can stream MK: Conquest on Max/AppleTV.
I watch it all back then on UA-cam on the PS3 lol
I agree 100%. And if you comment on the actor's UA-cam channel, he will answer and he's a sweetheart. Likeable in every way.
Yep, the complete opposite of the mean, unhinged role he plays.
Excellent video
Excellent comment.
Quan is one of my 3 favourite MK Characters.
Who are the other 2, if you don't mind me asking?
Shao Kahn and Kung Lao (obviously both before MK1 got its mitts on them lol)
@@Walboro Hehe. Honestly, MK11 didn't do them any favors either.
@@CynicalWarlock fair. The new NRS era isn't...... good.
Great,firt you got me to watch Heroes,now youre gonna get me to watch the MK show
Was a film reviewer before MK, so.. it is what I do.
Used to do.
So you've started watching Heroes? If so, early impressions?
Well i just started season 2 and so far im loving it
@@Джекет Awesome.
Coool, I recommended a thiiing.💪🙌
Its almost like this is your thing or something...
@@Джекет Almost, yeah.
Where are these videos of the actor doing this fun stuff? He needs to play the saxophone for the Deadly Alliance skit.
They're all on his channel. I linked one at the end of the video.
Somehow I missed Mortal Kombat Conquest growing up, I was like 7/8 when it aired. May have to give the show a watch just to appreciate it for what it is 😂.
It's mountains of cheese and sappiness, but buried within that is probably the best worldbuilding and character building that MK has ever gotten.
@@CynicalWarlock sounds like a great watch then! I enjoy a fair amount of camp 😅
@@CynicalWarlock just got off work and I see 22 episodes at 45 mins each, this is definitely a treat!
@@BloodElfB You have no idea what kind of season finale you're in for..
@@CynicalWarlock soap opera type MK has been something I never knew I missed out on! Only a few episodes in but it’s been a pretty enjoyable watch so far.
Man I wish this is what Quan will be like in the mk2 movie.
Yeah no.
@@CynicalWarlock 😑 I can dream
Amazing Vid on Quandicimo. He's the Best of MK
For real.
Best Quan Chi ever! ❤️❤️❤️
@@yayaharper6754 Yus.
1:17 technically he also appeared in a mortal Kombat cartoon as well
Yeah, that was a blunder on my part. Haven't seen the cartoon, should've researched it.
It Was A Cool T.V. Show, & It Had Great Character Interpretations, & Awesome Witty Back & Forth Banter. Weird Time Slot Though, It Was On At 4:00 A.M...
@@RaymondKarlVeasey75 Probably part of why it wasn't so popular.
14:20 Quan Chi is on Chris Breezy timing 💀
Actually made me chuckle.
that mf being on the side of the arcade machine used to freak me out when I was little
@@frewrldmusic I can imagine.
I honestly am willing to keep the mortal kombat timelines around if there is a chance we could get conquest Quan. Imagine he shows up in Liu Kang’s timeline, kills MK1 Quan and takes over. Shinnok would be overjoyed to have a devil that’s RELIABLE and isn’t obviously evil, with a great sense of humor. I actually can see this Quan working with MK1 Shang Tsung to develop monstrosities in the flesh pits and joking about the test subjects 😂
I would fork up double the price for that game. I don't have video game Quan, but seeing Conquest Quan kill him and take good place would be supremely satisfying.
And then see him get angry at, belittle and punish characters like Sareena, giving more context to why she wants to escape the Netherrealm.
@@CynicalWarlock imagine your boss who was just some prick from outworld that learned nether realm magic is replaced by a suave demon Andrew tate 😂. Sareena might wanna leave and work with Ashrah, but the other 2 demons might find the change in management refreshing. Damn MK1 needed conquest Quan and he needed to be a low level demon that was trained by Titan Shang to achieve his power. The guy would have kept his end of the bargain helping mileena with her anti-tarkat serum, but definitely would have gotten Ermac created with less issues thanks to his charisma. Definitely would have kept Havik and Nitara happy to cooperate much better with his plans.
Hey, out of curiosity, are you familiar with psychoanalytic psychology because you mentioned Jung in your video, as well as archetypes. If you do, it certainly puts all your content into context and how you analyze the MK characters.
My knowledge of Jungian archetypes is cursory, at best. I do like Jung's overall approach (I also learned some of his stuff by proxy, through Jordan Peterson), but it probably just comes down to me loving movies and games and having experienced a shitton of them.
Maybe I should watch this show
Maybe.
Mortal Kombat live-action:
-Quan Chi is a CHAD; charismatic necromancer pimp/slave trafficker 10 keikakus ahead of everyone else
-Shang Tsung is a SOIJAK; narcissistic emo boy that maxed out one (1) ability, Soul Steal
Mortal Kombat games by NRS, after the 00's:
-Shang Tsung is a CHAD; charismatic shapeshifting soulstealer 10 keikakus ahead of everyone else
-Quan Chi is a SOIJAK; emo version of the nerd emoji that remained loyal to Shinnok to the very end, MK9 built him up as a villain sue only for him to job against people like Jax and Sonya and for his villain sue status to go to D'Vorah instead.
Quan becoming everyone's bitch, D'Vorah being god-tier, Shinnok getting beat by Cassie, Kotal Kahn high on stupid pills - MKX really did fuck up power dynamics, across the board.
I really enjoyed his conquest as a kid and his mk legends was pretty cool too. Just wished he was taken more seriously and not a dumb punching bag throughout the series 😂😂❤
@@darlingxluxii7977 Yeah the games just can't seem to balance him right, or make him interesting.
For a low budget show his costume is really dope
Right? It's super-accurate to the games and snazzy as fuck.
That 4th snake jab😂
@@mrowley7300 Heh, not so much a jab as it is an acknowledgement. I agree with his points on Quan Chi, but I think the Conquest version more than justifies his existence and role in the story.
Yea I get where you're coming from but as soon as you said it I pointed at my TV like Leonardo DiCaprio