Shinnok‘s Father is the Temporal Deity Kronikos, Lord of Time
Shinnok‘s father is the powerful Kronikos, Lord of Time – a godlike being who rules over destiny itself within the mythos of Mortal Kombat. While never appearing directly in the games, Kronikos is referenced by MK co-creator Shawn Kittelsen when discussing story plans for Mortal Kombat X and hypothetical sequels.
Shinnok‘s Backstory and His Fall From Divinity
To analyze Kronikos, we should start with his infamous son, the fallen Elder God Shinnok. Once one of the revered deities who helped shape the MK realms, Shinnok let his lust for power corrupt him ages ago. He lost his exalted status and was condemned to the Netherrealm torture dimension.
Yet this disgrace only fueled Shinnok‘s anger and ambition. Over millennia trapped in Hell, his magic grew formidable until he could finally escape. Free again, Shinnok commands lethal sorcery and seeks to dominate all realms by any means necessary.
| Game | Shinnok‘s Threat Level | His Fate |
|---|---|---|
| Mortal Kombat 4 | 9/10 | Defeated by Raiden |
| Mortal Kombat Armageddon | 10/10 | Killed in final battle |
| Mortal Kombat X | 8/10 | Beheaded by Raiden |
What Might Kronikos Be Capable Of?
Kronikos remains a mystery within MK lore, but as Shinnok‘s father and male counterpart to Kronika herself, his powers would likely relate to controlling fate and the sands of time. Just look at Kronika‘s incredible abilities seen in Mortal Kombat 11…
| Kronika‘s Powers | Kronikos‘ Hypothetical Abilities |
|---|---|
| Rewrite history to her liking | Control destiny and future outcomes |
| Create "temporal anomalies" in battle | Manipulate fate in combat, fatal blows do more damage |
| Merge past and present realms | Combine timelines, summon fighters from different eras |
If Kronika represents the irresistible past, her partner Kronikos would be the unwritten future – simply put, she maintains the timeline while he charts its course. Their powers together influence all existence across the myriad MK dimensions!
How Kronikos Could Impact the MK Franchise
The reveal of Kronikos by Kittelsen shows that even after 11 main games, the Mortal Kombat developers still have new lore and legends to unveil! This Lord of Time could reshape destinies across Earthrealm and beyond if ever incorporated directly into the games.
Perhaps Kronikos seeks to appoint Shinnok as undisputed ruler of the realms to fulfill a destined timeline. Maybe his mythic might dwarfs even fellow titans like Kronika. Either way, the possibilities are exciting for us fans! The chance to battle another awesome god-level boss with fearsome command over temporal magic and rifts in time? Sign me up!
I‘d love to see console-shaking super moves lifting opponents across eras and dimensions before crashing them through space-time barriers in bloody finishes. And imagine wielding Kronikos‘ Amulet as a weapon to call in timeline allies, buff stats, or inflict lethal blows. NetherRealm could design spectacular new mechanics and game modes around him and the mindbending cosmology of MK.
While staying true to its dark roots, the series continues maturing in complexity and storytelling nuance to rival any fantasy franchise. The saga of Shinnok and introductions like Kronikos reveal an iceberg tip of unseen legends still to explore in Mortal Kombat‘s epic multiverse. Each revelation makes me eager to discover what epic adventures await around the next corner of this ever-expanding mythology!
