Summary

• The Dragon Mark and Arcana powers are key elements in 2021's Mortal Kombat movie, tied to champion abilities and lore changes.
• The Dragon Mark can from champion to champion, earned through birth or dark methods, influencing Mortal Kombat history.
• The Arcana powers exist only in the movie, simplifying the source of champions' abilities, facing controversy among fans.

The Dragon Mark and the Arcana powers are two of the most important elements in 2021's Mortal Kombat movie, and here is everything that there is known about the two major segments of the movie series, explained. Although the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie heavily built upon the lore and world of the video game franchise, it also managed to add a few elements of its own, making some major changes to the Mortal Kombat universe. The Dragon Mark and Arcana powers are incredibly significant to the first film and Cole Young's Mortal Kombat journey, and here is why.

The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie brought the beloved fighting video game series back to live-action for the first time in years, with it kicking off a new series that has introduced the cast of Mortal Kombat to an entirely new generation. After the success of the first film, Mortal Kombat 2 is now on the way, with it continuing the story of characters like Cole Young while also introducing new champions like Johnny Cage. Thus, new fans are attempting to catch up on the complex lore of Mortal Kombat, asking questions about the Dragon Mark and Arcana powers.

Mortal Kombat’s Dragon Mark Is Tied To The Arcana Powers

Here Is What It Means

The Dragon Mark is one of the most iconic pieces of Mortal Kombat iconography, with it being the logo of the franchise since the very first game. However, the mark is far more than just a simple logo, with it actually having an in-universe purpose. In the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, the Dragon Mark is a symbol that the Earthrealm champions bear, with it being a sign of their ability to tap into the Arcana powers. Several champions in Mortal Kombat can be seen with the iconic marking on their arm, highlighting their significance to the Mortal Kombat universe.

So, the Dragon Mark shows that champions can tap into Arcana powers, but that doesn't explain what Arcana powers actually are. In the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, Arcana is the in-universe explanation as to why characters can access their powers, with those that use Arcana being known as Arcanas. Although the exact means by which Arcana powers work aren't fully explained, the controversial Mortal Kombat lore change is meant to simplify the mythology of the series, although it could be further fleshed out in the sequel.

Mortal Kombat’s Dragon Mark es From Champion To Champion

There Are 2 Ways To Get It

Another interesting detail about the Mark of the Dragon in the Mortal Kombat movies is that it can from champion to champion, with there only being one of two ways that a champion can earn it. The first method of earning the Dragon Mark is to be born with it. If a champion bearing the mark dies in a way that doesn't involved them being killed by another person, their next descendant is gifted the mark, with it being heritable by descendants in the same bloodline.

The other option to gain the Mark of the Dragon is much darker, with it involving killing a champion that is already bearing the mark. If someone kills a champion who has the Dragon Mark, than the Dragon Mark will be transferred to the killer, allowing them to harness the powers of Arcana. This method is how Dragon Marks can get shared with new bloodlines, with it also preventing the descendants of a champion from obtaining the mark upon the death of their ancestors.

However, this can also allow multiple Marks of the Dragon to be within one bloodline. For example, the child of the champion could kill another champion, thus prematurely getting them access to Arcana powers.

Why Cole Young Was Born With The Dragon Marking In Mortal Kombat

He Was Chosen

In the canon of the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, Cole Young was born with the Dragon Mark, believing that it was a birthmark that he has had all of his life. Cole didn't think much of this until he met Sub-Zero, who explained the true nature of the Mark of the Dragon and pointed out that it meant that Cole was destined to fight. Although Cole had been destined to fight for all of his life, his Arcana didn't awaken until Goro attacked his family, with him then turning into a true Earthrealm champion.

Cole was born with the Dragon Mark due to him being the descendant of one of Mortal Kombat's most popular characters, Scorpion. Also known as Hanzo Hasashi, Scorpion was sent to Hell after being killed by Sub-Zero, although he saved his daughter, who ended up giving birth to Cole Young. Thus, Cole carries on the Hasashi bloodline, allowing him to bear the Mark of the Dragon and become an Arcana .

Mortal Kombat’s Dragon Mark & Arcana Don’t Exist In The Video Games

It Was Made Up For The 2021 Movie

Although the 2021 Mortal Kombat film spends a lot of time explaining the lore of the Dragon Mark and Arcana, these elements don't exist in the game at all. The role of Arcana in unlocking the powers of champions was completely made up for the film, while the use of the Dragon Mark was simply a clever way to implement the logo of the Mortal Kombat franchise into the movie series.

In the Mortal Kombat movies, every champion's powers come from Arcana, with this being a massive change from the video games. In the Mortal Kombat games, each fighter has a unique source for their powers, with their various storylines allowing their backstories and lore to be fleshed out further. The addition of Arcana to the Mortal Kombat movies ended up being quite controversial, as the huge change in Mortal Kombat canon led to a lot of repercussions that will be carried on in Mortal Kombat 2.

Mortal Kombat’s Arcana Was An Easy Way To Explain The Champions’ Powers

It May Have Been Necessary

Although it was a huge change for the franchise, the benefit of adding Arcana and the Dragon Mark to the Mortal Kombat movies is that it provided an easy way to explain the champions' powers. Rather than having to flesh out the backstory of each Mortal Kombat cast member, the use of Arcana could simply sum up all of their powers with one lore change, allowing the story to not get bogged down in exposition. It would have been difficult to pull off the Mortal Kombat movie without the use of Arcana, which is why it is so divisive.