History MythologyGag / MortalKombat9

* Mileena ends her "Be Mine" fatality with her "Ferocious Bite" from ''Deception''. Her "Rip Off" Fatality copies one of Kira's Fatalities from the same game, using her Sai in place of Kira's Dragon Teeth.

* The summary for the very last challenge on the Bonus Challenge Tower simply reads "[[VideoGame/MortaKombat3 There is no knowledge that is not power.]]"

--> '''Kung Lao''': ''I hope your girlfriend is worth Lord Raiden's wrath.''
--> '''Liu Kang''': ''Notice that i'm ignoring you.''

* One of the Test Your Balance failures in the PS Vita involves the character getting thrown to a pit and being impaled by a spike. This is a reference to ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4''[='=]s GameOver [[HaveANiceDeath screen]].

* Shang Tsung inherits SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker's fatality from ''MK vs. DCU'', called "Bang! Bang!".

* Raiden mentions Bi-Han!Sub-Zero's intervention [[VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero against Shinnok's forces]] after [[spoiler:he's cremated by Scorpion]].
* Chapter 2, Sonya Blades, involves her fighting against Kitana and Jade in a two-on-one match. This includes a multitude of Easter eggs that one would likely not realize at first. Chapters 1-5 covered the events of the first game even though Kitana didn't debut until Videogame/MortalKombatII, however she was [[WhatCouldHaveBeen originally conceived as a prototype NPC character named "Kitsune"]] who was to be the daughter of Shang Tsung (then named "Shang Lao"). Thus her appearance in the early part of the story mode is both a DevelopmentGag and MythologyGag in reference to her role in the 1995 Film/MortalKombat movie. In regard to Jade, the creators of the aforementioned film had planned to include a fight between Sonya and Jade which was ultimately never shot, though it is included in the novelization of the movie.

* Smoke's chapter has him spying on Shang Tsung and Kano behind a tree in the Living Forest, much like he did on the player back in ''[=MK2=]''.

* Johnny Cage's autographed headshot friendship from ''2'' and the movie is also referenced in his Babality in this game, where it's replaced by a doodle version.
* Sonya Blade's KissOfDeath special is a kiss made with chemical-dust, the same trick she uses in ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation''.
** Her X-Ray move has her [[MurderousThighs breaking a neck with her legs]], much like she did to Kano in [[Film/MortalKombat the original movie]].
* Shang Tsung's opening quote in ''9'' is "YourSoulIsMine!", his catch phrase from [[Film/MortalKombat the first film]].
* Noob Saibot's fighting stance is the same as [[spoiler:Sub-Zero's in the first two games and ''Mythologies'', referencing his status as the original Sub-Zero.]]

* In the ''Deception'' intro, Quan Chi opens a portal to escape when he realizes that Raiden's going to try and kamikaze Onaga. He opens the same portal when he tags out during a tag match during ''9''.

* Mileena ends her "Be Mine" fatality with her "Ferocious Bite" from ''Deception''.

* There's a subtle nod to Liu Kang and Kung Lao's bickering about [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend Kitana's relationship to Liu Kang]] in ''Shaolin Monks'' in Kung Lao's chapter.

* Raiden has the Evil!Raiden costume from ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' and ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'' as an alternate.
* Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, Smoke, Noob Saibot and Ermac have their Klassic male ninja Costumes from the first games as DLC. Ermac's case is also a reference to the UrbanLegendOfZelda associated with him in the first game.
* Kitana, Mileena and Jade have the female ninja Klassic costumes from [=MK2=]. The first two also have [=MK3=] based costumes.
* Sektor, Cyrax and Cyber Sub-Zero acquire a Klassic robot costume. Sub-Zero's case even refers the mythical Hydro.
* There's also unmasked Sub-Zero from [=MK3=].
* Ermac's costume comes from the ''Deception''/''Armageddon'' era.
* Shang Tsung's alternate is his old boss self from the first game.
** His main costume is taken from ''MK vs. DC''.

* The Vita version has [=MK3=] male ninja costumes for Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Reptile, Ermac, Noob Saibot, Smoke and Rain; [=MK2=] female ninja costumes for Mileena and Skarlet; and [=MK3=] female ninja costume for Skarlet.

* Stryker's design serves as a visual update to his old look from ''3'', but also has some elements from his incarnation in ''Defenders of the Realm''.
* Jade's alternate costume comes from ''Deception''/''Armageddon''.
* Rain's default costume comes from ''Armageddon''.

* Ermac gives a new spin on his "Telekinetic Slams" fatality from ''3'' and ''Deception''.

* Johnny Cage combines his headshot uppercut from ''1'' & ''2'' and later his torso rip from ''2'' in his Torso Rip fatality.

* Shang Tsung inherits SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker's fatality from ''MK vs. DCU'', called "Bang! Bang!"
** His "Identity Theft" fatality is Liu Kang's "Soul Invasion" fatality from Deception.

* Stryker does his Taser fatality from ''3'', but this time close to his enemy, before headshotting him.

* The subway stage fatality is a CallBack to ''[=MK3=]'' and its variants, where the subway stage and its fatality made their debut, only now it's much gorier.

* Jax starts his "Three Points!" fatality with Superman's Ground Pound from ''MK vs. DCU''.

* Nightwolf combines both of his ''3'' fatalities in his "Ascension" fatality.

* Quan Chi has his "Beatdown" fatality from ''4''.

* Ermac's alternative costume comes from the ''Deception''/''Armageddon'' era.

* Kung Lao's Razor's Edge fatality is taken from ''Shaolin Monks''.
** He combines his razor hat headshot from ''2'' with his razor slice in half also from ''2'' in his fatality.
* The second part of Nightwolf's fatality involves him vaporizing his opponent, like he did in ''3''.

* Kung Lao's Razor's Edge fatality is one of his fatalities from ''Shaolin Monks''.
* Scorpion has his classic "Toasty!" fatality in his Klassic MK1 costume.

* Bonus Challenge Nº 22: [[DevelopmentGag Ketchup & Mustard]]

* Bonus Challenge Tower in the Vita version has Tremor from ''VideoGame/MortalKombatSpecialForces'' as a playable character.

* Challenge N° 148: [[WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm It's Kombat Time!]] ([[DontExplainTheJoke You're playing as Sonya, who had this as her catchphrase in that series.]])

!Challenge Tower

** When he wins a round, he makes a gesture of respect and disappears in fire. That's the same thing he does in his ''3'' fatality, right before the arcade console falls on his opponent's head.
* Johnny Cage's autographed headshot friendship from ''2'' is also referenced in his Babality in this game, where it's replaced by a doodle version.

* During Sub-Zero's chapter, he has a conversation that is very similar to his lines in the second movie.
* The Courtyard music has been arranged into a hip-hop rendition for the Street stage in ''3''.
* Kitana's affections towards Liu Kang [[RetCanon were also ported over from their relationship in the movies.]]
* Noob Saibot's reveal trailer uses Ermac as his tag-team partner. This, plus his fighting style, reference ''[[Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation Annihilation]]'', wherein Ermac spawned Noob to double-team Sonya.
** His fighting stance is the same as [[spoiler:Sub-Zero's in the first two games and ''Mythologies'', referencing his status as the original Sub-Zero.]]
** His Player 2 coloration for his [=MK2=] costume turns his shade into Smoke, referencing their team-up in ''Deception''.
* Smoke's chapter has him spying on Shang Tsung and Kano behind a tree in the Living Forest, much like he did on the player back in ''[=MK2=]''.
* Jade is revealed to be spying on Kitana in the Living Forest during Kitana's chapter, much like in ''[=MK2=]''.

* In the cartoon adaptation, ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', Cyrax and Sektor were respectively shown to be Asian and Black before automation. The showing of Cyrax and Sektor's human forms reveal that the reverse actually applies within canon.
* Stryker's design serves as a visual update to his old look from ''3'', but also has some elements from his incarnation in ''Defenders of the Realm''.
* Ermac's Arcade Ladder ending reveals that [[spoiler:one of the souls within his body is that of the late King Jerrod of Edenia (i.e. Sindel's husband and Kitana's father), who takes control of Ermac's body and returns to rule and protect Edenia alongside his family]]. This is a clever and very, ''very'' subtle nod to him being often paired up with Sindel in ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'' and ''Mortal Kombat Trilogy'' during Endurance matches.

* During the story mode, Kung Lao faces off against the tandem of Quan Chi & Shang Tsung. Quan Chi even remarks that Kung Lao doesn't stand a chance "against this [[TitleDrop Deadly Alliance]]".
** The narration in [[spoiler:Sub-Zero]]'s Arcade Ladder ending uses the name to refer to [[spoiler:Subby & Scorpion]].
* Even the Challenge Tower has references to the game's mythos:
** Challenges Nº 30/60/90/120/180/210: [[VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks Shaolin Monk: Act 1/2/3/4/5/Final Act]]
** Challenge Nº 71: [[LegacyCharacter The Great Kung Lao.]]
** Challenge Nº 85: [[VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon Arm-ageddon]]
** Challenge N° 148: [[WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm It's Kombat Time!]] ([[DontExplainTheJoke You're playing as Sonya, who had this as her catchphrase in that series.]])