Mortal Kombat Pre-11 Fix, Part 1

This particular stream was inspired by the fact that Mortal Kombat waited until game 11 to take even a step back from portraying its women as progressively draftier titninjas.
We concluded that while we generally enjoy the official fixes many female characters got in MK11, we could look into the worst designs from earlier games and put our own spin on them. 

Skarlet, the Red Titninja 

content warning: blood mention 

Since all MK ninja ladies are color-coded, of course the red one turned out to be a vampire master of blood magic. And, of course, when you mention anything about her original outfit design, the furious fappers Capital G Gamers would insist that her skin needs to be exposed, so that she can absorb blood of her defeated enemies through her skin, for power. Very valid, totally not contrived reason for oversexualized costume! Poor MK11!Skarlet, she will starve!

[sidenote: googling for image comparison of the two designs without coming across anti-SJW whining and islamophobic memes is downright impossible] 

So, on to my own fix of MK9!Skarlet. Her original aesthetic was basically just “tiddy and ass out, with random ninja bits”, so I tried committing better to the ninja aesthetic. Plus much poofier pants, to stay on brand ? 

Extending her top made it blend in with facial covering and with her red hair, so I had to reverse the mask’s colors for proper contrast. It looks so much better in dark gray.
Pro tip: bare skin shouldn’t substitute for color and shape breaks in costume design. 

I don’t even know why someone thought that wearing arm guards straight on bare skin was a good look. Adding long fingerless gloves under them makes both for practical padding and matches the shoes, especially after I converted them from knee-reaching high heels into toeless stockings. 

Other minor fixes: short hair, so that ponytail doesn’t get in the way, torso girth that would fit internal organs inside, a hint of red tint in her eye. 

Also, while you can’t see her kunai arsenal anymore, I assure you she’s no longer storing unsheathed sharp knives in a way that stabs her leg. That would be dangerous even if ninjas didn’t dip their blades in poison and/or excrement! ? 

I am really proud of the color- and shape-breaking in this design. I think it’s as decent job as could be done without completely rehashing her look, like MK11 did. One of my rougher fixes, painting technique-wise, but it has some aesthetic appeal. Hope you enjoy it too!

~Ozzie