| 1 | !![[center:''Franchise/MortalKombat'' '''[[Characters/MortalKombat Main Character Index]]'''\ |
| 2 | Main series: [[Characters/MortalKombat1992 MK (1992)]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatII MK2]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat3 MK3]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat4 MK4]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatDeception Deception]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatArmageddon Armageddon]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse MK vs. DC Universe]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat9 MK9]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatX MKX]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat11 MK11]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat1 MK1]]\ |
| 3 | [-Spinoffs: [[Characters/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero Mythologies: Sub-Zero]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatSpecialForces Special Forces]]\ |
| 4 | Non-video game: [[Characters/MortalKombatTheMovie The Movie]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatConquest Conquest]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm Defenders of the Realm]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat2021 2021 Movie]]\ |
| 5 | Individual Characters: [[Characters/MortalKombatHanzoHasashi Scorpion I (Hanzo Hasashi)]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatBiHan Sub-Zero I/Noob Saibot (Bi-Han)]] | [=Johnny Cage=] | [[Characters/MortalKombatLiuKang Liu Kang]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatRaiden Raiden]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatShangTsung Shang Tsung]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKuaiLiang Sub-Zero II/Scorpion II (Kuai Liang)]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKitana Kitana]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatMileena Mileena]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatShao Shao Kahn/General Shao]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatQuanChi Quan Chi]]-]]] |
| 6 | ---- |
| 7 | !! Spoilers for ''Mythologies'' will be unmarked |
| 8 | |
| 9 | ---- |
| 10 | !Johnny Cage (Jonathan "John" Carlton) |
| 11 | |
| 12 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/johnnycage_mk1_render.png]] |
| 13 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"You got CAGED!"'']] |
| 14 | |
| 15 | -> '''Debut game:''' ''Mortal Kombat'' (Daniel Pesina) |
| 16 | -> '''Other appearances:''' ''Mortal Kombat II'' (Daniel Pesina), ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Mortal Kombat Trilogy]]'' (Chris Alexander), ''Mortal Kombat 4'' (Ed Boon), ''Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance'' (Robert Keating), ''Mortal Kombat: Deception'' (cameo), ''Mortal Kombat: Armageddon'', ''Mortal Kombat 9'' ([[Music/{{Dokken}} Jeff Pilson]]), ''Mortal Kombat X'' (Creator/AndrewBowen, English; Creator/MarioCastaneda, Latin American Spanish), ''Mortal Kombat 11'' (Andrew Bowen, English; Colin Ryan, Face Model; Creator/LindenAshby, English (Voice and Face Model, Klassic MK Movie Skin Pack DLC); Sergio Bonilla [base voice] and Creator/MarioCastaneda [some pre-patched dialogues], Latin American Spanish), ''Mortal Kombat 1'' (Andrew Bowen (English), Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme (Premier skin); Sergio Bonilla (Latin American Spanish), Creator/RaulAnaya (Latin American Spanish - Premier skin)) |
| 17 | -> '''Non-game appearances:''' ''Mortal Kombat: The Movie'' (Creator/LindenAshby), ''Mortal Kombat: Annihilation'' (Chris Conrad), ''Mortal Kombat: Rebirth''/''Mortal Kombat: Legacy'' (Matt Mullins in the first season, Creator/CasperVanDien in the second), ''Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge'' (Creator/JoelMcHale), ''Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms'' (Joel [=McHale=]), ''Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match'' (Joel [=McHale=]), ''Mortal Kombat 2'' (Creator/KarlUrban) |
| 18 | |
| 19 | ->Johnny Cage, born Jonathan Carlton, is a Hollywood movie star. Originally entering the Mortal Kombat tournament to display his fighting skills and prove himself to skeptical movie critics and the movie-viewing public, Cage becomes one of the brave and loyal warriors for Earthrealm. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | ->In ''Mortal Kombat'', when Shang Tsung's island fortress began to crumble because of his defeat to Liu Kang, Raiden saved Johnny and dropped him off at a boat that belonged to the Special Forces Agency near the island. Not long after that, Cage traveled into Outworld to join the other Earthrealm warriors in ''[=MK2=]''. Defeated, Kahn ordered his forces to hunt down the surviving warriors when he steals the souls of Earth's populace in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3''. Though his comrades managed to make it out alive, Johnny was not so lucky and was killed by Motaro. During the events of ''Trilogy'', he was brought back [[NiceJobFixingItVillain due to his soul being blocked from going to the afterlife]], and fought alongside Earth's warriors until they won, upon which he ascended to Heaven. Raiden brought him back permanently during the events of ''[=MK4=]''. However, Johnny was killed once again during the final assault on the Deadly Alliance's Tarkatan warriors. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | ->Later, he is, as well as many other warriors, restored to life one more time by Onaga and made into his slave. Some time later, he was freed from this state by Ermac and the spirit of Liu Kang, in time to join the battle of ''Armageddon''. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | ->''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' sees Cage have a much more... [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold outgoing personality]], but it also makes him much more heroic, being a genuine part of the heroes' team. He also serves as a sort of AudienceSurrogate, as he's one of the few normal humans amidst the FantasyKitchenSink cast. In ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' it's revealed that he and Sonya have a daughter, Cassie Cage. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | ->He would later meet up with his younger self in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', working together to thwart Kronika's EvilPlan. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | ->Johnny returns in the third timeline in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', depicted as arrogant and attention-seeking, similar to the beginning of the previous timeline, but with a modern take on his profession; here, he's not only an action star that performs his own stunts, but a social media influencer as well. However, his popularity has begun to wane by the beginning of the game, and his "Hollywood" spending habits and attitude have taken a toll on his finances and marriage, leaving him on the verge of bankruptcy and divorce. When given a chance to join Liu Kang's group of warriors representing Earthrealm in the upcoming tournament, he doesn't miss the opportunity to regain his former life of stardom. |
| 30 | |
| 31 | ->Now has a [[SelfDemonstrating/JohnnyCage Self-Demonstrating page]]. |
| 32 | |
| 33 | ---- |
| 34 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 35 | |
| 36 | [[folder: Tropes related to Johnny Cage in general]] |
| 37 | Tropes that appear across all of Johnny Cage's appearances. |
| 38 | ---- |
| 39 | * ActorAllusion: By ''[=MK1=]'', Johnny shares Daniel Pesina's knowledge of martial arts lore in-universe. He is completely aware of Sento's history and Kenshi's clan. |
| 40 | * AdaptationalWimp: Played with in the animated movies. He seems to get spooked rather easily in ''Scorpion's Revenge'', and is subject to [[UnnecessaryRoughness TWO]] [[GroinAttack low blows]] from the woman he admires most. Johnny Cage is the man known for dishing out the groin trauma, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard not receiving it.]] |
| 41 | * TheAhnold: While Cage has been fleshed out more over time, at his core, he's an homage to Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme. Hence the [[GroinAttack split punch]] and action flick motifs. One of the pre-order bonuses for ''Mortal Kombat 1'' is even a skin based on Jean-Claude Van Damme. |
| 42 | * AndYouThoughtItWasAGame: In the 1995 movie, he had ''no'' idea what the stakes were in the tournament. He just thought it was a competition to show off his skills and prove that it wasn't wire tricks and stuntmen. By the time he realizes that it's a ''lot'' more than just an ordinary tournament, it's far too late for him to back out. |
| 43 | * ArbitrarySkepticism: |
| 44 | ** He thinks the Outworld warriors are just people in really nice costumes and not interdimensional monsters, yet his reason for participating in Mortal Kombat is because people accuse him of being a fraud who can only look good through movie magic when he wants to show them all his superhuman abilities are entirely his own. |
| 45 | ** Johnny initially is in disbelief about the whole Mortal Kombat and other realms thing, and yet he doesn't mention or see his powers as being equally unbelievable. Also, the whole reason he's there is because of people calling him out and saying he's all flash with no substance. He insists that his energy powers are legit and will prove it at the Mortal Kombat tournament... yet thinks nothing of them in spite of that. However this becomes a JustifiedTrope when it’s revealed during Chapter 1 of VideoGame/MortalKombatX that he was unaware of his energy powers prior to Shinnok’s invasion of Earthrealm. |
| 46 | * ArrogantKungFuGuy: His main defining character trait is his overwhelmingly large ego, tempered by an equally sharp tongue and razor wit. And while in the rebooted timeline it's mostly justified, given he's [[spoiler:the new Earthrealm Champion]] by ''X'', it hasn't won him many friends. Even though he has [[TookALevelInKindness dialed it back]] by the time of ''X'', his daughter Cassie, Jacqui Briggs, and Takeda are among the few who seem to ''like'' him. |
| 47 | * BackForTheDead: His eventual fate in ''Annihilation'', courtesy of a NeckSnap from Shao Kahn. |
| 48 | * BattleAura: Johnny can generate a green energy aura that enhances his strength and speed, allowing him to fire green {{Energy Ball}}s. |
| 49 | * BerserkButton: In the first movie. Goro should not have crushed those $500 pair of shades. That, and killing off Johnny's friend. |
| 50 | * BrilliantButLazy: In a dialogue between him and Raiden in ''11'', it's implied that Johnny occasionally puts off training, which causes Raiden some concern that more active fighters will easily destroy him. And during the story mode of ''1'', he apparently slept through some lessons from the Shaolin monks, causing him to miss out on the lecture on the Netherrealm. |
| 51 | * BornLucky: While other combatants can justify their special powers with reasons going from TrainingFromHell or being {{Physical God}}s, sorcerers or {{Ninja}}s[=/=]{{McNinja}}s; Johnny Cage has no background for how he got his energy blasts, he's simply naturally gifted. It wasn't until ''9'' that an explanation for said powers was given (with ''X'' actually making said explanation a plot point): he is descended from a [[BadassNormal Mediterranean warrior cult who bred fighters for the gods.]] |
| 52 | * TheCasanova: While his luck with other kombatants is low, Cage is more than capable of getting women, if one dialogue with Kano is any indication. |
| 53 | * ChronicallyKilledActor: In the most literal way possible. |
| 54 | * CombatPragmatist: In the movie, he realizes that going toe to toe with Goro would be suicide, so he uses strategy to outmaneuver him. Then there's his GroinAttack. |
| 55 | * CoolShades: |
| 56 | ** While they were always part of his character, with official art always depicting him wearing shades, he only started wearing them during fights from ''Trilogy'' onwards. |
| 57 | ** In the first movie, he values them more than any worldly possession. Then Goro broke them, and [[BerserkButton the rest is history]]: |
| 58 | --->'''Johnny:''' [[MyFavoriteShirt Those were five-hundred-dollar sunglasses, asshole!]] |
| 59 | ** In his ''9'' victory pose, his shades break in half. No problem: he just takes out a brand new pair and puts them on! |
| 60 | ** In ''11'', his shades are customizable via gear and evidently come with a self destruct mechanism as seen in one of his brutalities. |
| 61 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Looks every bit of a {{muggle|s}}, and acts like a {{jerkass}}, but he can hold his own against all kinds of enemies, including Tarkatans, cyborgs, {{physical god}}s, sorcerers, etc. This is fully realized in ''X'' where he takes on and defeats [[GodOfEvil Shinnok]]. |
| 62 | * EnhancedPunch: His "Green Shadow Uppercut". |
| 63 | * FakeUltimateHero: Dips into this from time to time. |
| 64 | ** ''Armageddon'' tries to take the "fake" part out, by having him being the first of the heroes to see Shinnok back into the scene, and then rallying the band of heroes for the final battle. His (non-canonical) ending states that he gained superior strength and dexterity, but more important, a new insight into his existence. With the help of Shaolin masters, he renounced his superficial former life and became enlightened. |
| 65 | ** Subverted in the alternate timeline. The first time is in MKX's Story mode, [[spoiler: where he defeated ''Shinnok'' by sending his amulet to Raiden so he can have the fallen Elder God sealed in]] and the second time in the MKX prequel comics, [[spoiler: where he succesfully defuses a tense standoff with Kotal Kahn, with the latter even respectfully calling him 'champion'.]] |
| 66 | * TheFightingNarcissist: A rare heroic example. He's totally full of himself, cocky and arrogant, to the point of having his name tattooed on his chest and using brass knuckles with his name on them. But he ''really is'' a good fighter, and he's one of the most moral, selfless heroes in the series once his [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold heart of gold]] shines through. |
| 67 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: Not all the time, but it's definitely [[RunningGag a thing]] with him. |
| 68 | ** In the older games he is generally disliked for his sleazy personality and nature as a polarizing actor. |
| 69 | ** In ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatLegendsScorpionsRevenge'', his hitting on Sonya leads her to [[GroinAttack viciously crunch his boys]] ''twice'', with no objection from those around him. |
| 70 | ** In the Netherrealm timeline, this is {{ZigZagged|Trope}}. His part in saving the world on more than one occasion means he enjoys a fair deal of respect, especially from the younger generation of heroes and particularly Cassie who [[DaddysGirl adores him]]. It also helps that he's OlderAndWiser and when he's on the clock in Story Mode he's far more professional, not going out of his way to annoy people. However, when he's off the clock in basic fighting mode, his arrogant and irreverent personality and penchant for lame jokes and puns at the expense of others come back in full force, which generally means that even those who are on his side find him very annoying to be around. |
| 71 | * TheGadfly: His big mouth is both one of his best weapons and one of his biggest liabilities, as Johnny chronically mocks and perturbs just about everyone he comes across. He does it mostly for laughs or to get a rise out of someone, but sometimes he does it tactically to make people underestimate him, or get too angry to act reasonably. Some people tolerate him, others just hit him in the face. This includes his own allies on occasion. This is apparently just in his nature and he recognizes that this isn't always the best course of action. |
| 72 | -->'''Johnny:''' Kung Pao, my man!\ |
| 73 | '''Kung Lao:''' ''[Annoyed]'' [[NeverHeardThatOneBefore I am DONE correcting you, Cage.]]\ |
| 74 | '''Johnny:''' Sorry, it--it's like a reflex. |
| 75 | * GroinAttack: |
| 76 | ** His "Split Punch" signature attack, a special move where he does the splits and plants his fist directly into his opponent's crotch. |
| 77 | ** And then there's his memorable use of the move on ''Goro'' in the movie. |
| 78 | * GuileHero: For all his goofiness, Cage is smarter than he looks: his defeat of Goro in TheMovie was reliant almost entirely on cunning tactical maneuvering, as he lures the Shokan to a cliff and ambushes him, [[DisneyVillainDeath knocking him to his doom.]] |
| 79 | * GuestFighter: Showed up to battle the WWE roster in the Netherrealm-made ''[[VideoGame/WWEVideoGames WWE Immortals]]''. |
| 80 | * HandwrapsOfAwesome: These have been a part of his outfit since ''Deadly Alliance''. |
| 81 | * {{Hunk}}: Sure, he may be egotistical, but you can't deny his good looks. ''He'' certainly won't. |
| 82 | * IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: Most of his endings and biographies in the original timeline depict him making movies based on his experiences fighting in the Mortal Kombat tournament. [[spoiler:''[=MK1=]'' makes this a plot point, as he uses the footage he filmed during his adventures to create a cinematic universe designed to ease Earthrealmers into the idea that other realms exists at the urging of Fire God Liu Kang.]] |
| 83 | * IllTakeThatAsACompliment: This exchange between Johnny and Sonya in the first film: |
| 84 | -->'''Sonya:''' ''[after Johnny tells her that he is facing Goro]'' Oh, I can't believe this! You are the most egotistical, self-deluded person I have ever met! \ |
| 85 | '''Johnny:''' Yeah, well you forgot good-looking. |
| 86 | * ItsPersonal: |
| 87 | ** Johnny's vendetta with Shang Tsung (for the murder of Johnny's master, Boyd) was first seen in the original live-action film adaptation. It was canonized years later in [=MK11=], where one of their pre-fight intros has Johnny openly accuse Tsun and declare his intention to settle the score. Notable in that it's one of the few times that Johnny is ''[[TranquilFury dead serious]]''. |
| 88 | ** The animosity is mutual between him and Prince Goro. Johnny hasn't forgotten about those $500 shades Goro ruined, nor has Goro forgotten what Johnny did to him because of it. |
| 89 | -->'''Johnny''': ''Don't you still owe me some sunglasses?''\ |
| 90 | '''Goro''': Here'' is what you are [[{{Revenge}} "owed"]].'' |
| 91 | * LargeHam: Expected from an actor, of action movies no less. |
| 92 | * {{Manchild}}: He's 29 during the events of the first tournament but acts like an arrogant, self-centered teenager. He grows out of it in his later years, especially after having Cassie in the original Netherrealm timeline. |
| 93 | * McNinja: He's not an example (barring some bonus costumes) but in-universe he plays these in his movies, with titles like "Ninja Mime" and "Ninja Priest" being name-dropped. |
| 94 | * MeaningfulName: It's probably more than a coincidence that Kage in Japanese means shadow and Johnny Cage is the master of many "shadow" techniques himself. |
| 95 | * {{Narcissist}}: A heroic example as Johnny normally starts off as a big showoff who likes to flaunt and compliment himself about his career and his performances. In fact, he's more than eager to prove how awesome he is during the Mortal Kombat Tournament... at first. This attitude predictably earns him very little respect and friends. He does eventually mellow and grow out of this mindset as he realizes the real stakes of the tournament and puts the needs of others before his own. |
| 96 | * NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Has been based on Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme since the early days, and his stage name comes from Creator/NicolasCage. |
| 97 | * PluckyComicRelief: Unquestionably fills this role for the series. |
| 98 | * PungeonMaster: In the Movie, he is particularly prone to incredibly lame {{pun}}s, to the point that he's basically the [[PluckyComicRelief comic relief]] of the film. |
| 99 | * TheRival: Of Goro. [[RetCanon Becomes canon]] after the movie. |
| 100 | * ShipTease: Towards Sonya, especially in the first movie. In ''9'', he [[CasanovaWannabe tries to conquer her]]. As ''X'' shows, he succeeded in wooing Sonya, as their daughter is a playable character. |
| 101 | * {{Shotoclone}}: He's actually the closest ''MK'' has gotten to adhering to one: a projectile (Plasmic Bolt), an anti-air uppercut (Green Shadow Uppercut) and a straight attack (His Shadow Kicks). |
| 102 | * ShutUpScaryThing: In any timeline, he's not terribly impressed with villainous monologues. |
| 103 | -->'''Johnny''': Grandpa.\ |
| 104 | '''Shinnok''': I’ll rip your ''insolent'' tongue from—\ |
| 105 | '''Johnny''': Yeah yeah, shut up. |
| 106 | * SpeaksInShoutOuts: Johnny is almost ''constantly'' quoting movies at people, especially in pre-battle banter, and they usually either [[PopCulturedBadass respond in kind]] or [[PopCulturalOsmosisFailure just get confused]]. |
| 107 | * SpeedEchoes: Several of his Shadow moves have this effect. |
| 108 | * SunglassesAtNight: He's almost always seen wearing his CoolShades, even during fights and cutscenes at night, out in the open. |
| 109 | * TallDarkAndHandsome: Canonically six feet tall, and one of the series' poster boys for male fanservice. |
| 110 | * WalkingShirtlessScene: His default outfit in most games and available as an alternate if not his standard outfit. |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder: Tropes related to Johnny Cage in the Midway timeline]] |
| 114 | Tropes that appear across all of Johnny Cage's appearances from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'' to ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon''. |
| 115 | ---- |
| 116 | * AscendedGlitch: In the first game, a glitch allowed Johnny to perform his decapitation fatality uppercut multiple times, knocking off at least 2 heads of his opponent. It was kept (and the ante upped by guaranteeing ''three'' heads were sent flying) for ''2'' and ''Trilogy''. |
| 117 | * BackFromTheDead: ''Constantly''. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when, prior to joining the battle against the ''Deadly Alliance'', he was (unwillingly) starting to film ''Mortal Kombat: The Death of Johnny Cage'', in which he was repeatedly killed and brought back to life. |
| 118 | * BadassInANiceSuit: Prior to the events in ''Deadly Alliance,'' he arrives on Shang Tsung's Island dressed in a tux via parachute. He also has one as an alternate in ''4'', ''Deadly Alliance'' and ''Armageddon''. |
| 119 | * {{Brainwashed}}: To serve Onaga in ''Deception''. |
| 120 | * ButtMonkey: [[DownplayedTrope Somewhat rendered as such after ''II'']], likely as punishment for his actor (Daniel Pesina) advertising a rival game, ''VideoGame/BloodStorm'', while in full costume. |
| 121 | * GroinAttack: |
| 122 | ** His "Split Punch" signature attack. It wouldn't work on the females in the earler games, probably because of the common misconception that women somehow wouldn't be harmed by it. It also couldn't be used on bosses either. |
| 123 | ** One of his Fatalities in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' is a series of punches to the testicles, eventually using their swollen sack as a speedbag and finally ending with one last punch that hits so hard, the victim's legs pop off of their torso. |
| 124 | * HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: |
| 125 | ** His Torso Rip Fatality in ''II'' and ''Trilogy''. |
| 126 | ** In ''Shaolin Monks'', he has a [[FinishingMove fatality]] where he ''will'' punch the opponent in [[GroinAttack the groin]] several times, mugs for the camera, punches the groin for a bit like a speedbag, and then does one final monster punch that pulverises the entire pelvic region, effectively cutting the unlucky victim in half. |
| 127 | * IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: Most of his endings in the original games had him make films based on his adventures, with them becoming massive blockbuster successes. |
| 128 | * KangaroosRepresentAustralia: He turns into one to kick his opponent off screen as an Animality in ''Trilogy''. Subverted, however, because Johnny is American, not Australian. The ''actual'' Aussie, Kano, gets a GiantSpider as an Animality. |
| 129 | * KillSteal: Interrupts Kung Lao before he can finish off Goro in ''Shaolin Monks'', then he throws his fist in the air in celebration. |
| 130 | * OffWithHisHead: |
| 131 | ** His classic Fatality from ''1'', ''II'', ''Trilogy'' and ''Deadly Alliance'', in which Cage delivers a savage uppercut that tears his opponent's head off. |
| 132 | ** A glitch in ''II'' lets him rip ''three'' heads. |
| 133 | * PersonAsVerb: Tried this with himself in ''Shaolin Monks''. |
| 134 | -->''"You just got ''Caged''!"'' |
| 135 | * SharpDressedMan: His alts. in ''4'', ''Deadly Alliance'' and ''Armageddon''. |
| 136 | * SituationalDamageAttack: All the way through the series, Johnny Cage can use his notorious [[GroinAttack Nut Punch]]. This attack had no effect on female fighters, possibly due to the erroneous assumption that groin attacks aren't painful to women. It wouldn't also work on bosses. |
| 137 | * StanceSystem: |
| 138 | ** In ''Deadly Alliance'', he has Jeet Kune Do and Karate as unarmed styles, and Nunchaku as weapon style. |
| 139 | ** In ''Deception'', he replaces Karate with Shinto Ryu. |
| 140 | ** In ''Armageddon'', he has Shorin Ryu as unarmed style, and Nunchaku as weapon style. |
| 141 | * TheyKilledKennyAgain: Johnny dies in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'', temporarily resurrected in ''Trilogy'' (meaning that he's dead again at the end), resurrected in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4'', ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' reveals that he doesn't survive the events of ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance'' and the aftermath of ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'', dies in the second Mortal Kombat movie, and even rejects a role in the movie "The Death of Johnny Cage" in ''Deadly Alliance'' ''(even [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] that he was tired of starring in roles where he died and came back to life again)''. |
| 142 | * WholeCostumeReference: His costume in the first game is based on that of Frank Dux, Jean-Claude Van Damme's character in ''Film/{{Bloodsport}}''. |
| 143 | [[/folder]] |
| 144 | |
| 145 | [[folder: Tropes related to Johnny Cage in the original Netherrealm timeline]] |
| 146 | Tropes that appear across all of Johnny Cage's appearances from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' to ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''. |
| 147 | ---- |
| 148 | * AbusiveParents: |
| 149 | ** He tells his younger self during his chapter in ''11'' that their father was "an asshole", but doesn't clarify if he means in general or to him specifically. |
| 150 | ** Also, in an intro with Cassie in ''11'', she reveals that Johnny's own mother also nicknamed him "Johnny Pee-Pants" as a child despite only wetting the bed once, and would later share this information with her granddaughter at his expense. |
| 151 | * ActionDad: He's the father of Cassie Cage, one of the new characters in ''X''. |
| 152 | * AgentPeacock: Downplayed, but in ''9'', he proclaims that he's "so pretty!" after a win early in the story mode, and in ''11'', his younger self carries a compact mirror and gets his BerserkButton pressed when he gets grazed in the cheek by a bullet. |
| 153 | * AmazonChaser: Johnny seems to have an attraction to strong women, as evidenced by hitting on many of the female Kombatants. He eventually married Sonya Blade, who's a Special Forces operative and drill sergeant. In ''[=MK11=]'', he admits to having a thing for Edenians and openly expresses an interest in Jade, in particular. |
| 154 | * AmbidextrousSprite: Played with in ''X''. In his normal win pose, he pulls out a marker and autographs an 8x10 of himself, tossing it to his foe. Which hand he writes with is based on which way he's facing. He has separate scenes for writing (the "Cage" portion of "To My Biggest Fan! CAGE") with his right and left; either way, his handwriting is perfectly fine. |
| 155 | * AmicableExes: With Sonya. It appears that it's only on his part and only whenever Cassie is concerned. [[spoiler: Becomes this for real at the end of X, with Sonya actually warming up to him.]] |
| 156 | * AndYouThoughtItWasAGame: He starts ''9'' thinking the whole tournament is just elaborate role-play. |
| 157 | * TheApocalypseBringsOutTheBestInPeople: |
| 158 | ** Fighting to protect Earthrealm caused him to grow way past being a smug Hollywood star in over his head. This is particularly true in the rebooted timeline where the significant losses on the heroes side forced him to step up as its champion against Shinnok. |
| 159 | ** The CharacterDevelopment for Past Johnny Cage in ''11'' starts in ''Aftermath'', [[spoiler:after witnessing Sonya and Cassie getting defeated by Shao Kahn and Sindel. It didn't work, but he did take things seriously for once in that moment]]. |
| 160 | * AscendedToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Sonya's ''11'' tower ending [[spoiler: had him be recruited for her "God Squad". But only because Cassie insisted. [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther And because she missed him...]] [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial but only a little.]] Don't tell him about that last part though.]] |
| 161 | * AscendedExtra: Years before ''X'', if you told ''MK'' fans that Johnny Cage would be the new [[TheChampion champion]] of Earthrealm, you would be called a liar. Yet, here we are. Even if Johnny was a part of the original MK, he was always portrayed as the ButtMonkey to [[TookALevelInBadass one of Earthrealm's finest warriors]] and never really got past the PluckyComicRelief role. While the new timeline has been very generous to him, unfortunately most of his friends got killed as a result. |
| 162 | * AscendedGlitch: In the first game, a glitch allowed Johnny to perform his decapitation fatality uppercut multiple times, knocking off at least 2 heads of his opponent. It came back in a BreakingTheFourthWall way in ''11''; at first it seems he's just going to do his regular deadly uppercut (which does shatter his victim's jaw, to his credit) before a director offscreen yells cut. Cue him getting more and more frustrated as he performs the move twice more (for a total of three like the ''MKII'' and ''Trilogy'' versions) before tossing the opponent's now decapitated head at the camera and breaking it. |
| 163 | * AttentionWhore: During his earliest days in combat, he wouldn't shut up about boasting how awesome he is and how successful his career is. When Shang Tsung told him to enter the ring in ''9'', Johnny was pretty eager about it, very openly demanding who his opponent was, clearly aiming to prove his fighting chops to the audience and winning Sonya's affection. This proves a major reason why an older and wiser Johnny couldn't stand his younger self during ''11''. |
| 164 | * BadassBoast: From the story mode of ''9'': |
| 165 | -->'''Johnny Cage:''' Fans think my moves are all wire work and special effects. Truth is... ''[[IAmTheNoun I am the special effects.]]'' |
| 166 | * BadassInANiceSuit: In ''9'', he comes to the first tournament wearing a tuxedo with a loosened bow tie that also serves as his alternate. |
| 167 | * BadassInDistress: Towards the end of ''X'', [[spoiler:he's captured by Shinnok and D'Vorah, and spends the rest of the game in a cocoon with maggots slowly eating his face. It takes Cassie beating them both down to save him.]] |
| 168 | * BerserkButton: |
| 169 | ** ''MKX'' implies he's sensitive to remarks about his movie career. |
| 170 | -->'''Mileena:''' The failed actor.\ |
| 171 | '''Johnny Cage:''' I'm gonna take my awards and ''shove 'em through your skull!''\ |
| 172 | '''Mileena:''' [[LampshadeHanging Touchy, aren't we?]] |
| 173 | ** In ''11'', his younger self snaps when he gets grazed by a bullet and it leaves a [[NotInTheFace gash on his cheek]]. |
| 174 | ** Also in ''11'': |
| 175 | -->'''Johnny Cage:''' ''No-one'' takes shots at the tattoo!\ |
| 176 | '''Erron Black:''' [[TheGadfly I just did, Cage.]]\ |
| 177 | '''Johnny Cage:''' Imma beat you back to Tex-ASS-istan! |
| 178 | * BewareTheSillyOnes: Sure, Cage may seem like a wisecracking goofball, but disregard him at your own peril. And mellowed out he may be in ''X'', but threaten his loved ones and he'll gain a new SuperMode and NoSell an ''[[PhysicalGod Elder God's]]'' attacks and then ''wipe the floor with him!'' |
| 179 | -->'''Johnny Cage:''' Mr. Briggs, I presume.\ |
| 180 | '''Jax:''' You always gotta be a fool?\ |
| 181 | '''Johnny Cage:''' Alright. [[LetsGetDangerous Let's get serious.]] |
| 182 | * BigDamnHeroes: The first chapter of ''X'' has him not only beat up Sub-Zero and Scorpion, but he also manages to not only NoSell Shinnok's amulet and save Sonya, but also beat up said fallen Elder God and help Raiden seal him away in his own amulet! And people wonder how he's the new Champion of Earthrealm... |
| 183 | * BondOneLiner: Johnny pieces one together after beating Kano at the end of his chapter in ''9'', although he's a little unsure about it because he can't really do Australian. |
| 184 | -->'''Johnny Cage:''' Throw that on your... barbie... shrimp... ''(Shrug)'' |
| 185 | * BrainwashedAndCrazy: Corrupted under the Blood Code in the ''X'' comics thanks to Jacqui. |
| 186 | * BreakingTheFourthWall: Johnny can summon a stunt double in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' (and not just a shadow clone like he did in the "Stunt Double" variation in ''X'' but an actual lookalike) to attack or hold his opponent down, can accidentally bump into a boom mic between rounds, and his first Fatality has him try to knock his opponent's head off with his classic uppercut Fatality but it goes wrong, resulting in the ''director calling for a retake''. He tries two more times before his opponent's head gets stuck on his hand (by virtue of it having already lost the jaw two punches ago) and he throws the decapitated head towards the camera out of frustration. |
| 187 | -->'''Johnny Cage:''' ''Who hired this guy? What the f***?'' |
| 188 | * BrokenWinLossStreak: With Kitana, apparently. |
| 189 | -->'''Kitana:''' I have bested you before.\ |
| 190 | '''Johnny Cage:''' I was being nice, those... ten times. |
| 191 | * ButtMonkey: His younger self is this in ''11''. His future self is ashamed of him because he's exactly who he was before. The younger Sonya is slightly ashamed of how she’ll marry and have a kid with him in the future and the other good guys unabashedly prefer his older self over him. This even extends to physical abuse, as he gets his ass kicked by future self, Erron Black, the older Kano, and Shao Kahn. |
| 192 | * CallingTheOldManOut: |
| 193 | ** Blames Sonya's job for their divorce. [[spoiler:They manage to patch things up between ''X'' and ''11'' when he becomes more directly involved with Special Forces]]. |
| 194 | ** In his chapter in 11's Story Mode, he calls out his own father for partly influencing his past self to become a rude jackass. |
| 195 | * CallingTheYoungManOut: His solo chapter in 11 also features him pulling this on his younger self as well, as Johnny has grown wiser and humbler with age and experience, and is as annoyed as everyone else by "Hollywood" Johnny's crude, narcissistic behavior and lack of respect for Special Forces command. Since he knows the only kind of pep talk his past self will listen to is an ass-kicking, he goads young Johnny into a physical fight and soundly beats him. |
| 196 | * CastingAShadow: Johnny's Stunt Double variation in ''X'' has him able to use some of his moves in a safe distance, and keeping him away from trouble. However, the shadow "stunt doubles" or "mimics" as the game refers to them are yellow instead of his usual green. |
| 197 | * CasanovaWannabe: |
| 198 | ** Towards Sonya in the first chapter of ''9'': |
| 199 | -->'''Johnny:''' I'm taking you down, I'm taking you down, I'm taking you out, I'm taking you out, and ''[approaches Sonya]'' I'm taking you out... for dinner. |
| 200 | ** Johnny also flirts with Jade during their pre-fight banter in ''[=MK11=]'': |
| 201 | -->'''Johnny:''' ''(smirking)'' My green magic, ''your'' green outfit...?\ |
| 202 | '''Jade:''' ''(smirks back and chuckles)'' [[HAHAHANo By the gods, no.]]\ |
| 203 | '''Johnny:''' Your loss, sweetheart. |
| 204 | ** Kitana, too, is much less impressed. |
| 205 | -->'''Johnny:''' Johnny Cage. Is. [[Film/TheManchurianCandidate The Edenian Candidate]].\ |
| 206 | '''Kitana:''' [[NoJustNoReaction By the gods, no.]] |
| 207 | ** Add Frost to his list of would-be "Konquests", though she isn't as kind about it as Jade: |
| 208 | -->'''Frost:''' If you even ''[[DoYouWantToCopulate think it]]'', Cage.\ |
| 209 | '''Johnny:''' ''(smirking)'' You ''know'' it's crossed your mind.\ |
| 210 | '''Frost:''' I am NOT interested. |
| 211 | ** Not even Elder Gods are immune: |
| 212 | -->'''Johnny:''' You thinking what I'm thinking?\ |
| 213 | '''Cetrion:''' That you are a vapid, arrogant child?\ |
| 214 | '''Johnny:''' Don't let that stop you. |
| 215 | * TheChampion: In the comics, Kotal Kahn refers to him as Raiden's, effectively replacing the late Liu Kang. |
| 216 | * CharacterDevelopment: |
| 217 | ** He's introduced in ''9'' as an insufferable, showboating and self-aggrandizing movie star, and over the course of the game, turns out to be a surprisingly loyal friend, and the [[TheHeart conscience]] of the team. The sequel takes it up a notch and reveals him to be a [[GoodParents doting and loving father]], a supportive mentor to an entire generation of heroes, and a visibly more mature guy overall, a very far cry from the shallow Hollywood caricature of the old games. |
| 218 | ** Based on his ending in ''11'', after defeating Shinnok, [[spoiler:he had returned to Hollywood, obviously having Cassie with Sonya during that time, but soon spiraled out of control and hit rock bottom. In order to be a be a better father to Cassie, he cleaned up his act and became the man she looked up to by ''X''. Past!Johnny lampshades this as he could remove this part of his history in his ending, but he would never be the man that Present!Johnny is without the hardships.]] |
| 219 | * TheCharmer: Mediates successfully with [[spoiler:Kotal Kahn]] to defuse a tense standoff in the comics. |
| 220 | * ChildrenRaiseYou: Johnny's ''11'' ending that implies that his fame following Shinnok's defeat eventually goes over his head and he let Cassie down. Seeing how he disappointed his daughter, Johnny vows to clean up his act and become a man worthy of her respect. |
| 221 | * CoolOldGuy: He's 54 in ''X'' (as he was 29 for the first tournament), so this qualifies. He's pretty easygoing and always ready with the witty repartee, and a supportive mentor to the next generation. |
| 222 | * CoolTeacher: Helps in training Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda and Kung Jin in ''X''. |
| 223 | * ADayInTheLimelight: |
| 224 | ** In the rebooted timeline, he's the focus of the first chapter of ''9'' and ''X''. |
| 225 | ** Taken further in ''Mortal Kombat X'', as the Cage family are the closest thing to the main characters of the story. Johnny and Cassie are instrumental in taking down Shinnok, the past segments show signifigant time to Johnny and Sonya, and the present storyline sees Johnny mentoring a small group lead by Cassie. |
| 226 | ** By ''Mortal Kombat 11'', he's the focus of Chapter 6. |
| 227 | * DeadGuyPuppet: One of his Fatalities in ''11'' involves him shoving his arm into his opponent's body and tearing off their torso. And then [[RefugeInAudacity he starts using it as a dummy in a ventriloquist act]], complete with a DramaticSpotlight! |
| 228 | -->'''Opponent:''' What did you do, Johnny? \ |
| 229 | '''Johnny:''' Just what you asked! \ |
| 230 | '''Opponent:''' Not what I meant by "[[{{Pun}} the splits]]"!\ |
| 231 | ''([[LamePunReaction Crowd boos Johnny]] and [[ProducePelting throws tomatoes at him, with one of them hitting the corpse]])'' |
| 232 | * DeadpanSnarker: Seems to be this at first, in tone with his [[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie movie self]], as seen in ''[=MK9=]''. And [[VideoGame/MortalKombatX 25 years later]], he still got it. |
| 233 | * DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: In [[Awesome/MortalKombatX his finest hour]], Johnny Cage defeated [[GodOfEvil Shinnok]]. |
| 234 | * DifficultButAwesome: Utilizing his Throwing Shades' Krushing Blow in ''11''. Normally, his Throwing Shades act as a pretty unremarkable projectile - very little zoning capability, poor damage - but where it shines is with its Krushing Blow, which actives if the move is landed as the first attack of a match or the more difficult option: in the middle of a combo that involves a Fatal Blow dash cancel, since Johnny is one of two characters in ''11'' that can cancel his Fatal Blow to retain its usage and lead into strings that are normally not possible. Learning how to properly dash cancel out of it and land the shades' Krushing Blow leads to ridiculous combo routes that can easily turn back the tide of a losing match without outright relying on his Fatal Blow's massive damage output. |
| 235 | * DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: The first chapter in ''X'' hints at this as he [[spoiler:[[TakingTheBullet takes an intented killshot from Shinnok to protect Sonya]] and comes out unscathed, all while glowing his usual green. His immediate reaction quickly tells that he was clearly not expecting to come away standing.]] |
| 236 | * DownerEnding: In ''Aftermath'', Past!Johnny gets beat up by Shao Khan and then he, Past!Sonya, and Cassie are taken prisoner with the intent to for them to be used as breeding slaves. |
| 237 | * DudeWheresMyRespect: |
| 238 | ** Because of his crass personality, the temporally-displaced characters from ''11'' [[CassandraTruth don't believe that he defeated Shinnok]]. |
| 239 | -->'''Kitana:''' So you were to defeat Shinnok?\ |
| 240 | '''Johnny:''' What is with people!? Is it so hard to believe!?\ |
| 241 | '''Kitana:''' [[BluntYes Yes]].\ |
| 242 | '''Johnny:''' Once upon a time, I beat Shinnok!\ |
| 243 | '''Shang Tsung:''' My, what a ''colorful'' imagination...\ |
| 244 | '''Johnny:''' Look it up! I laid him out! |
| 245 | ** Also in ''11'', he asks Raiden why he wasn't his Chosen One. Raiden flatly responds, "[[TheFriendNobodyLikes Do you have all day, Johnny Cage?]]" |
| 246 | * EmbarrassingNickname: His intro dialogue with his daughter in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' reveals he had one. |
| 247 | -->'''Johnny Cage:''' Grandma Carlton told you my secret?\ |
| 248 | '''Cassie Cage:''' ''[Chuckle]'' Johnny Pee-Pants?\ |
| 249 | '''Johnny Cage:''' [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten I had one accident. ONE!]] |
| 250 | * EveryoneHasStandards: |
| 251 | ** [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre Leatherface's]] [[FacialHorror "mask"]] disgusts him to the point that [[SarcasmFailure he can't even joke about it]]. |
| 252 | -->'''Johnny Cage:''' What's that on your fa-- [[ScreamingAtSquick OHHHHH!]]\ |
| 253 | '''Johnny Cage:''' ...That's just really fucked up, man. |
| 254 | ** And despite his penchant for hitting on women, even he draws the line at Mileena in ''X'' and D'Vorah and Skarlet in ''11''. In Mileena's case, it's because she's [[ButterFace part Tarkatan]] and ''[[ImAHumanitarian a cannibal]]'', whereas [[InsectQueen D'Vorah]] and [[BloodMagic Skarlet]] both creep him out. |
| 255 | -->'''D'Vorah:''' Why not come closer?\ |
| 256 | '''Johnny:''' You are ''not'' sucking my face like [[spoiler:Mileena's!]]\ |
| 257 | '''D'Vorah:''' Johnny Cage, afraid of a kiss? |
| 258 | ** Similarly, when Kano offers him a prostitute Johnny refuses, saying that he "doesn't pay for it". Kano is too amused to be upset. |
| 259 | -->'''Kano:''' A ''scruple?'' Note the date and time! |
| 260 | ** Though he has some of the most brutal [[DeathAsComedy (and comical)]] fatalities, he only kills when it's absolutely necessary. When Shang Tsung orders him to execute Reptile after defeating him, he's aghast at Tsung's ruthlessness and tells him that he's not going to kill him. |
| 261 | ** In one of Johnny's intros with Rain in ''11'', he shoots down the latter's desire to be in one of his movies. Apparently, Rain's too much of an asshole that not even Johnny can stand him. |
| 262 | * EstablishingCharacterMoment: In ''9'', he spends his first few fights goofing off, preening and grandstanding, hitting on Sonya, and generally making an ass of himself... [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold but is horrified when Shang Tsung demands he "finish" a fallen opponent]]. |
| 263 | * FamilyMan: Surprisingly, he's a committed husband and father. He's damn good at raising Cassie and was a faithful husband to Sonya until her inability to commit to him and Cassie led to their divorce. |
| 264 | * AFatherToHisMen: ''Literally'' to Cassie, but he has a similar dynamic with the rest of his trainees in ''X'' and ''11''. It definitely helps that CharacterDevelopment has curbed the worst of his {{Jerkass}} tendencies by the time he's teaching them. He's even willing to stand up for Jacqui to her father. |
| 265 | -->'''Johnny:''' Why are you pissed at me?\ |
| 266 | '''Jax:''' [[FantasyForbiddingFather I don't want Jacqui on your team.]]\ |
| 267 | '''Johnny:''' Guess what? It's not up to you! |
| 268 | * FightingClown: His Ninja Mime skins in ''X'' and ''11'' make him a literal example, but he always has a couple of silly attacks in his fighting style, including using trophies, stunt doubles and cameras. And that's not even getting into his constant snark. |
| 269 | * FlippingTheBird: His first Fatality in ''11'' ends with him discreetly flipping off the camera as he chucks his opponent's decapitated head towards it. He also flips off the player when they customize his belt buckle. |
| 270 | * FreudianExcuse: If ''11'' is to be believed, Johnny's worst behaviour was partially caused by having an "asshole" father who taught him that [[VirtueIsWeakness humility is a sign of weakness]] and to never show it. The other part was the toxic influence of his Hollywood fame. |
| 271 | -->'''Past Johnny:''' Dad always said, "Hungry people ''eat'' lunch, humble people ''serve'' it."\ |
| 272 | '''Present Johnny:''' ({{Dope Slap}}s Past Johnny) Dad was an ''asshole!'' And Hollywood made us an even ''bigger one!'' |
| 273 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: Zig-Zagged. His part in saving the world on more than one occasion means he enjoys a fair deal of respect, especially from the younger generation of heroes and particularly Cassie who [[DaddysGirl adores him]]. It also helps that he's OlderAndWiser and when he's on the clock in Story Mode he's far more professional, not going out of his way to annoy people. However, when he's off the clock in basic fighting mode, his arrogant and irreverent personality and penchant for lame jokes and puns at the expense of others come back in full force, which generally means that even those who are on his side find him very annoying to be around. |
| 274 | --->'''Sub-Zero:''' You approach me as a foe...\ |
| 275 | '''Johnny:''' Nah, I'm just outta ice cubes.\ |
| 276 | '''Sub-Zero:''' At times, I regret our alliance.\ |
| 277 | '''Raiden:''' You followed me.\ |
| 278 | '''Johnny:''' You need me here!\ |
| 279 | '''Raiden:''' Has '''anyone''' agreed with that statement?!/[[StealthInsult It wouldn't be Hell without Johnny Cage.]]\ |
| 280 | '''Skarlet:''' I will have your ancient power.\ |
| 281 | '''Johnny:''' Not what I call it, but, uh... okay.\ |
| 282 | '''Skarlet:''' [[PrepareToDie No one will miss you, Cage.]] |
| 283 | ** PlayedStraight again in ''11'' with Johnny's past self. ''Everybody'' hates him, [[IHatePastMe even and especially the present Johnny]], due to him being Johnny Cage on his worst {{Jerkass}} behaviour. It's to the point that present Johnny tries (and initially fails) to teach him humility and respect for others. |
| 284 | --->'''Johnny:''' Come on, do you really like Future Johnny better?\ |
| 285 | '''Jacqui:''' Name someone who ''doesn't.'' |
| 286 | * FullNameBasis: He screams "JOHNNY CAGE!" after winning a round or winning a ''Test Your Might/Strike/Sight'' minigame. |
| 287 | * GallowsHumor: [[spoiler:After being stabbed by the revenant Jax as he lies bleeding out when Sonya tells him he'll be ok.]] |
| 288 | --> '''Johnny:''' [[spoiler:I don't know. I think blood is supposed to be on the inside.]] |
| 289 | * GoodParents: [[DaddysGirl Cassie]] adores him, and [[HiddenDepths surprisingly]], he turns out to be possibly the best dad in the [=MK=]-verse by a long shot. Only Jax even comes close. |
| 290 | * GreatAccomplishmentWeakCredibility: An intro dialogue in ''11'' has Shang Tsung dismissing Johnny Cage's claim of [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu defeating Shinnok]]. While anyone who played ''X'' knows Johnny is telling the truth, his facetious attitude makes it very easy for Shang Tsung, who wasn't present during the events of that game, to disbelieve him. |
| 291 | * GroinAttack: |
| 292 | ** His "Split Punch" signature attack, a special move where he does the splits and plants his fist directly into his opponent's crotch. Unlike the Midway timeline, here it works on both females and bosses. |
| 293 | ** The first part of his X-Ray move in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' is a three-punch combo to the groin. |
| 294 | ** It also has a Brutality version in ''X'', wherein it either pops the victim's head off, or causes their ''eyes to pop out''. |
| 295 | * HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: |
| 296 | ** His Torso Rip fatality in ''9''. |
| 297 | ** His Stunt Double variation in X has a Brutality that does the same with the Shadow Kick. |
| 298 | ** ''11'' brings back the torso rip, now with a decidedly comedic twist, as mentioned under DeadGuyPuppet above. |
| 299 | * HandCannon: He has a Desert Eagle holstered around his waist in ''11'', [[OrnamentalWeapon although he doesn't ever use it]]. |
| 300 | * HandsomeLech: He's a handsome, well-built man, but many of his intros with women have them rejecting his advances because he's an arrogant narcissist. |
| 301 | * HasAType: In ''11'', Johnny admits there's two types of women he likes: blondes (like Sonya) and Edenians. In one of his pre-fight banters with Jade, Johnny makes it clear that [[DoYouWantToCopulate he's interested.]] A separate one has him tell Jade that he once dated a beauty queen who looked exactly like her. And, if you use Johnny to fight Kotal Khan, he'll ask Kotal if he knows whether Jade has any sisters. |
| 302 | * TheHeart: Believe it or not. Cage may be a pompous ass, but he's genuinely a nice guy underneath, and of all the heroes he's the one that fights for the good guys just because it's the right thing to do. He also may love to kick ass, but he's horrified when Shang Tsung asks him to kill his defeated opponent. During the course of the Story Mode in ''9'', he pretty much becomes the team's moral center. Becomes even more notable in ''X'' when paired with the stricter Sonya, [[spoiler:keeping her from giving into her desire to kill Kano so that they can get info out of him and getting her to talk to Cassie less as a commander and more like a mother despite them having already split up on bad terms.]] |
| 303 | * TheHero: Takes up the position in the flashbacks of ''X'' to the point where [[spoiler:he's singlehandedly responsible for Shinnok's defeat.]] |
| 304 | * HeroicWillpower: Even more than Sonya. This guy [[spoiler:spent last quarter of ''X'' wrapped up in a cocoon with maggots trying to ''eat him alive''... ''and his sanity was still intact after all of it.'']] |
| 305 | * HiddenDepths: |
| 306 | ** Johnny was always insufferably arrogant but consistently proved himself a decent person when push came to shove. A large part of his CharacterDevelopment involves him blunting his arrogance while emphasizing his more heroic qualities. |
| 307 | ** There are hints that all his years in the film industry have made him business savvy in ''11''. |
| 308 | ** He can also be surprisingly deep at times, as evident in one of his banter lines with Shang Tsung: |
| 309 | --->'''Johnny:''' [[Film/{{Braveheart}} Every man dies, but not every man really]] ''lives.'' |
| 310 | * HumblePie: [[spoiler:Johnny's Tower Ending in ''11'' vaguely hints to a key moment post-Shinnok that truly changed Johnny from the Hollywood glory hound to the true Champion of Earthrealm and supportive father/father figure he was in ''X'' and onward.]] |
| 311 | * IHatePastMe: Has [[{{Pun}} shades]] of this when he runs into his younger self in ''11''. Johnny is fully aware of what an egotistical asshole he used to be, and the older and far more mature Cage Senior is incredibly frustrated with his younger self's ArrogantKungFuGuy attitude, even referring to him as his evil twin. In Johnny's story chapter, young Johnny even ends up being his first opponent after his movie-star entitlement and disrespect leads him to go too far and make an embarrassing crude remark about Sonya. |
| 312 | * ImprobableWeaponUser: ''11'' adds an arsenal of silly weapons for him to use in combat, including trophies, cameras with the flash on, stunt doubles, and in one Brutality, a boom mic. |
| 313 | * InkSuitActor: Cage's ''11'' "Movie" skin uses the voice and likeness of Creator/LindenAshby, his actor in ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'', reprising the role. |
| 314 | * InsaneTrollLogic: He is flabbergasted how Shao ''Kahn'' is not a ''Shokan'' (to Shao's annoyed bewilderment), even claiming to lose sleep over it. |
| 315 | * JerkJustifications: It's revealed in ''11'' that his father told him "Hungry people eat lunch; humble people serve it." Past Johnny uses this to justify his arrogant attitude, but Present Johnny has none of it. |
| 316 | -->'''Present Johnny Cage:''' Dad was an ''asshole!'' Hollywood made us an even '''bigger''' one! |
| 317 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Possibly his defining character trait. During Jax's chapter in ''9'', Johnny, Raiden, and Jax find themselves stuck at the Kombat Armory, when he probes Jax's relationship with Sonya.[[note]]Mind you, Jax and co. are mulling around Outworld looking for her whereabouts, as Sonya is ''scheduled for execution'' as they speak[[/note]] Johnny, being himself, makes his intentions with Sonya a little less than subtle. This prompts Jax to challenge Johnny to a fight right there and then. However, afterwards, he brushes it off later and even good-naturedly jokes about it after they find Sonya. By the time of ''X'', he's almost to the point of being a straight up NiceGuy. |
| 318 | * JerkassRealization: |
| 319 | ** It's revealed in his Ladder ending in ''11'' that at a time when Johnny became drunk and washed up, a young Cassie looked at him with [[DisappointedInYou a very disappointed look]] that made him feel terrible for letting her down; this was the impetus for his CharacterDevelopment as seen in ''X''. [[spoiler:Past Johnny, who is narrating this ending, chooses to leave it unchanged as he recognises its importance in making him a better person.]] |
| 320 | ** Past!Johnny goes through one himself, albeit in more understated fashion after his Sonya saves his life, both thanking her as well as sincerely apologizing for being the way he was. |
| 321 | * LetsGetDangerous: |
| 322 | ** Whilst fighting a brainwashed Jacqui in the comics: |
| 323 | -->'''Johnny:''' All righty. Glasses on... ''[Shadow Kicks Jacqui]'' ...gloves off. |
| 324 | ** In ''Aftermath'', past!Johnny takes off the kid gloves [[spoiler:when Cassie and past!Sonya are endangered by Shao Kahn and Sindel.]] |
| 325 | -->'''Johnny:''' Okay bozos! No jokes, no gimmicks, ''just kombat''! [[ShoutOut You wanna get nuts?!]] '''[[Film/Batman1989 Let's get nuts!]]''' |
| 326 | * LittleNo: In ''11'', after the mission to destroy Liu Kang and Kitana's castle in Chapter 1, Johnny invokes this when he sees the look on Cassie's tear-streaked face and realizes that Sonya perished during the mission. |
| 327 | * MadeOfIron: Johnny has proven to be a glutton for punishment on multiple occasions. Most notable in ''11'', where Past Johnny is forced to fight Past Sonya, but takes it in stride, ''orders'' Sonya to beat the shit out of him and refuses to take a dive, all because he ''knows'' Kano better than to be even the slightest bit fair with them. |
| 328 | * TheMerch: InUniverse, as of ''11'', Johnny Cage now sports an [[MiniMe action figure of himself]] on his person he whips out for brutalities and a win pose.[[note]]And apparently has had these on the market for a long time, as the one he uses has "Cass" written on the sole of one of its feet, meaning it belonged to his daughter as a child[[/note]] |
| 329 | * MiseryBuildsCharacter: His Arcade ending in ''11'' explains that he underwent massive CharacterDevelopment after hitting rock-bottom in Hollywood and disappointing then-child Cassie. Past Johnny initially considers removing the hitting rock-bottom part from history, but ultimately doesn't as he considers it important for his own growth. |
| 330 | * MrFanservice: He's an action movie star who's always been [[WalkingShirtlessScene bare-chested]]. Slightly averted in ''X'', where he spends the game dressed either in a military uniform or pants and a hoodie [[spoiler: and has his face chewed up by D'Vorah's maggots.]] However, his bare-chested primary costume from ''9'' is an [[AndYourRewardIsClothes unlockable]], and he answers the door for Sonya in the ''X'' comics in ''nothing but a towel''. |
| 331 | * NiceGuy: By the time of ''X'', he has completely become one. In ''11'' older Johnny has completely mellowed out to the point that he and Sonya have got back together. He has zero moments during story mode where his ego gets in the way and remains a supportive and loving husband and father. In fact, he takes it upon himself to teach his own younger self some manners and humility. |
| 332 | * TheNicknamer: |
| 333 | ** Constantly in the pre-battle dialogues in ''X'', usually via [[PopCulturedBadass an insulting movie reference]]. He clearly knows everyone's names, and will sometimes even address them properly, he just enjoys being a comical ass at the expense of his opponent--in other words, it's completely in character. |
| 334 | ** He gives one against Shang Tsung in one of their intros as he finds out he killed Johnny's master. |
| 335 | * NotInTheFace: He does not take it well when he's about to get hit in the face. Best shown when Sonya Blade threatens to do just that. |
| 336 | -->'''Sonya:''' You are begging to be punched in the face.\ |
| 337 | '''Johnny Cage:''' No, NO! Not the face.\ |
| 338 | '''Sonya:''' Reverse psychology at its best. |
| 339 | * OfficialCoupleOrdealSyndrome: Despite being put through the wringer during the events of ''9'', Johnny does eventually hook up with Sonya, as evidenced by their daughter Cassie Cage appearing in ''X''. They were married for a while, but divorced some time before that game began due to Sonya being MarriedToTheJob. ''11'' has them back together, [[spoiler:only for Sonya to die in the first chapter in a HeroicSacrifice. Past!Sonya's chapter implies they can still end up together after she saves Past!Johnny's life.]] |
| 340 | * OffWithHisHead: |
| 341 | ** Two Fatalities in ''9'' and ''11'' are takes on his Head Uppercut classic Fatality. |
| 342 | ** The intro of ''[=MK9=]'' inverts this: [[spoiler:he's shown decapitated]]. |
| 343 | * OhCrap: When against [[Franchise/FridayThe13th Jason]] in ''X'', and in response to Leatherface's appearance in ''XL''. |
| 344 | -->''"Ohh... freak."'' |
| 345 | * OlderAndWiser: In ''X'', he's a lot more serious and mature due to Sonya rubbing off on him and raising Cassie. |
| 346 | * OlderSidekick: To his daughter in ''11'', and he is completely cool with it. |
| 347 | * OnceDoneNeverForgotten: His ''Ninja Mime'' movie is so infamously bad that multiple other kombatants taunt him about how much it sucks. Somehow it eventually got sequels, to the point that over twenty-five years later in ''11'', he's apparently still shooting them. It's such a running joke that whenever a character specifically names a movie Johnny has been in, odds are they'll mention ''Ninja Mime'', and he's got Mime costumes in ''X'' and ''11''. |
| 348 | * OneTrueLove: Sonya. While Johnny constantly hits on girls in his intros, and was implied to have had past relationships in his days as an arrogant, entitled actor, the only woman he married and had a child with is her. While they divorced, Johnny (nor Sonya for that matter) never remarried and they eventually got back together. When Sonya dies, Johnny is incredibly heartbroken and when the past versions of him and Sonya arrive in the present, Johnny pushes his younger self to be nicer so that he can end up with Sonya. |
| 349 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: While he can joke with him occasionally, Johnny takes on an uncharacteristically threatening tone when faced with Kano, warning him with grave seriousness to stay away from his family in ''X'' and ''11''. An attitude that not even [[BigBad Shao Kahn]] receives. |
| 350 | * OurAncestorsAreSuperheroes: Johnny's [[AllThereInTheManual bio]] in ''9'' reveals that he is descended from a race of superhuman warriors who were bred as champions for the gods. |
| 351 | * TheOneThingIDontHateAboutYou: Every interaction with Johnny and Kano have them trading insults with each other, but Johnny respects the fact that Kano has a showman's instinct for his "fans" by situating a fight club in Russia. |
| 352 | * PapaWolf: Joins Sonya in Outworld to rescue Cassie in the ''X'' comics and has to be restrained by ''Sonya'' from throttling Kano after he makes a snide jab about her fate. |
| 353 | * PersonAsVerb: Tried this with himself in ''9''. |
| 354 | -->''"You got ''Caged''!"'' |
| 355 | * PlayboyHasADaughter: He's an arrogant, showboating womanizer in his youth before being mellowed out considerably by the events of the Mortal Kombat Tournament, and subsequent invasion of Earthrealm in the reboot. He then goes on to have a daughter, Cassie, who he grows to be a loving and supportive father to. Thanks to a TimeCrash, this goes as far Johnny kicking ''his own past self's ass'' for not giving their daughter the respect she deserves and [[IHatePastMe generally being an unlikeable prick he's long since outgrown]]. |
| 356 | * PopCulturedBadass: Comes out full force with ''X''. [[JustifiedTrope It's only natural for an actor with superpowers.]] Of note is his first Fataility, where he reenacts [[Film/TheShining Jack Torrance's break in]] with his enemy's chest and his bare hands. "Heeeeeeere's ''Johnny!''" |
| 357 | * PowerFist: Johnny uses brass knuckles in ''X'' and ''11''. |
| 358 | * PowerfulButIncompetent: Johnny is noted by many to be surprisingly powerful in terms of both martial arts ability and [[SupernaturalMartialArts spiritual power]]. It's even revealed that he's one of the [[LastOfHisKind last descendants]] of an ancient tribe of monks with power that could defeat Elder Gods. Unfortunately, [[ArrogantKungFuGuy he is an arrogant prima donna]] and has SkewedPriorities that make him more concerned with his image and career as an actor than taking his fights seriously. This leads to him getting defeated and/or killed on numerous occasions in the franchise. After most of the more competent fighters wind up killed and Johnny settles down with a family, he ''finally'' learns to take his responsibilities (somewhat) seriously, becoming a much more competent fighter (although still not as skilled as some others, like Liu Kang or his daughter Cassie). |
| 359 | * PowerIncontinence: His ending in ''9''. [[spoiler:His body begins to emit large, destructive bursts of energy in uncontrollable spasms, and neither Raiden nor Nightwolf are able to soothe them. Eventually, Raiden takes Johnny Cage to Seido to control his powers, which will result in him [[TookALevelInBadass becoming more powerful than humanly imaginable.]]]] |
| 360 | * ThePowerOfLove: In ''X'' it's theorized that his SuperMode is powered by the desire to protect a loved one, hence why he can't use it on command. |
| 361 | * PrecisionFStrike: Originally, he didn't swear much. In ''XL'', however, he has a few rare intro quotes against Leatherface and Triborg where he lets a few f-bombs fly. By ''11'', he more liberally incorporates swearing into his dialogue. |
| 362 | -->'''Johnny:''' ''[Against Triborg]'' Is it mechanically possible for you to ''fuck'' yourself?\ |
| 363 | '''Johnny:''' ''[Against Sonya]'' Agh, such a bitch! |
| 364 | * PungeonMaster: Some of his intros in ''X'' and ''11'' feature puns. |
| 365 | * RagtagBunchOfMisfits: His squad in ''X'' consists of two Special Forces operatives (one of them being his daughter with Sonya), a Shirai Ryu ninja and a Shaolin archer. He has his work cut out for him. And as Jacqui points out, Team S-F was ''his'' idea. |
| 366 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's quite laidback and approachable with the kids, contrasting Sonya's more hardline approach. |
| 367 | * RedHerringShirt: While he had an unhealthy predisposition towards dying in the Midway timeline, here he's more lucky: |
| 368 | ** He [[spoiler:survives]] the events of ''9''. |
| 369 | ** In ''X'', [[spoiler:he comes close to dying in the finale, but ultimately pulls through.]] |
| 370 | ** ''11'' [[spoiler: does this to both Johnny Cages. Present!Johnny is shot in the legs at the end of Chapter 6 and is taken out of commission for the remainder of the story. Past!Johnny is often held at gunpoint obviously risking Cassie's life as well. He is also out of commission for the remainder of the story after being rescued.]] |
| 371 | ** In ''Aftermath'', the younger Johnny [[spoiler:gets beaten by Shao Kahn (or Sindel), then captured and escorted to Outworld.]] |
| 372 | * RedOniBlueOni: |
| 373 | ** The Red to Sonya's Blue. By ''X'', it's reversed as Johnny TookALevelInKindness while Sonya TookALevelInJerkass. |
| 374 | ** In ''11'', Johnny is on both ends in the forms of his younger and older selves. His younger self is the impulsive, arrogant Red to his older self's more restrained and disciplined Blue. |
| 375 | * RippleEffectIndicator: In ''11'', younger Johnny gets grazed in the face by a bullet, causing pain and a scar on older Johnny's cheek in the same spot. |
| 376 | * RunningGag: Johnny is the victim of three gags in his intros in ''11''. |
| 377 | ** The main one is that hardly anyone can believe he (of [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass all people]]) [[spoiler: defeated Shinnok]]. In most cases, Johnny brushes it off with good humor, or a sarcastic retort. But when even Kitana says it, Johnny becomes exasperated and asks: "Is it ''really'' THAT HARD to believe??" to which, Kitana replies, "Yes." |
| 378 | ** He's attracted to Edenian women, so ''11'' has him hit on both Kitana and Jade. Both shoot him down with the exact same line: "By the gods, no." |
| 379 | ** He also tries to get the others to act in his films, but each of them turns him down either because they say his films suck, or simply because they'd have to put up with him. |
| 380 | -->'''Scorpion:''' The answer remains, "No."\ |
| 381 | '''Johnny:''' ''[Enthused]'' But you'd be co-starring with yours truly!\ |
| 382 | '''Scorpion:''' ''[[[TheComicallySerious Annoyed]]]'' [[TheFriendNobodyLikes Exactly.]] |
| 383 | * SarcasmFailure: He can joke about practically anything... except Leatherface's human flesh masks, which make him [[ScreamingAtSquick cry out in disgust]] or mutter at how fucked up they are. |
| 384 | * SharpDressedMan: His alt in ''9''. |
| 385 | * ShutUpHannibal: PlayedForLaughs. In an intro against Shinnok in ''X'', Johnny cuts him off and tells him to shut up when Shinnok is asserting a threat at him. |
| 386 | * SilverFox: Jacqui seems to think so, much to Cassie's chagrin. To be fair, he ''is'' pretty good-looking for a man in his fifties. |
| 387 | * SnarkToSnarkCombat: Johnny trades verbal jabs with nearly the entire cast, usually because he's [[TheGadfly the one who starts it.]] Most try to ignore his comments, but his ex-wife and daughter won't hesitate to [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame return "fire".]] |
| 388 | -->'''Johnny:''' Talk to me.\ |
| 389 | '''Sonya:''' That would mean you'd have to be quiet.\ |
| 390 | '''Johnny:''' You're right. Never mind. |
| 391 | * SoreLoser: His younger self at least. When he gets trounced by his much older (and wiser) self in a fight, he tells him that he got lucky and bitterly walks away. |
| 392 | * SpamAttack: In his "Fisticuffs" variation in ''X'', he can infinitely perform his variation's unique string ("The One-Two") by continuing the string input (b+1, 2, 1, 2...). |
| 393 | * SpannerInTheWorks: Shinnok's plans in ''X'' didn't take him into consideration. [[spoiler:When Shinnok escapes his prison, he's much more savvy and takes Johnny with him to suffer some ColdBloodedTorture.]] |
| 394 | * StacysMom: A rare male example, as mentioned during one of Jacqui and Cassie's intro dialogues in ''X''. |
| 395 | -->'''Cassie:''' [[NoJustNoReaction Don't speak to me ever.]]\ |
| 396 | '''Jacqui:''' I just said your dad's kinda hot.\ |
| 397 | '''Cassie:''' ''Stop it!'' |
| 398 | * StrongerWithAge: In ''11'', his older self is significantly tougher than his younger one. |
| 399 | * TakingTheBullet: In ''X'', he saves Sonya from being attacked by Shinnok by jumping in front of her. He then proceeds to [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu kick Shinnok's ass.]] |
| 400 | * TallDarkAndSnarky: Thanks to the pre-fight banter system of ''X'', we find out that he's also not above sassing everyone he comes across, either with smartmouthed comebacks or just plain getting on their nerves. Watching [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC1YCpEWhQE a rundown of his exchanges]] could be summed up as "Johnny Cage is a dick to the Mortal Kombat universe." Turned up to 11 in... well, ''11'' as we don't just have the older Johnny Cage, but we now have dialogue featuring the younger Johnny Cage. |
| 401 | * TeamDad: While the older generation of Kombatants tend to find Johnny obnoxious, the new Special Forces members in ''X'' get along with him rather well, better than with the stricter Sonya Blade. |
| 402 | * ThatCameOutWrong: One of his pre-fight intros in ''11'' presumably has his younger self try and compliment Cassie, albeit in a way that makes it sound like he's hitting on her. Cass is understandably disturbed by a younger version of her father saying that to her face, causing young Johnny to realize what he just said and try to take it back post-haste. |
| 403 | * ThouShaltNotKill: In ''9'', he's shown to be against killing his enemies, refusing to kill Baraka after defeating him in the tournament. He even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] one of the most well-known concepts of this game - Fatalities - in that scene; when Shang Tsung tells him to "Finish him" after winning during the story, he says, "Finish him? Heh. Yeah right." |
| 404 | * TheTimeTravelersDilemma: [[spoiler:His Tower Ending in ''11'' puts younger Johnny up against this, realizing the events that made him a better person in the future won't happen without him suffering the bad with the good. He thus opts to follow the same path... [[CloseEnoughTimeline most]][[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong ly.]]]] |
| 405 | * TookALevelInBadass: After learning that his bloodline originates from a Mediterranean tribe of warriors who were infused with the power of the gods, he takes fighting a lot more seriously after he learns to control it. |
| 406 | * TookALevelInKindness: Apart from the occasional quip, he seems to have mellowed out significantly by the time of ''X'', and while he still has a bit of an ego, it's not as big as it was in previous games. By the time of ''11'', his mellowing out is complete since Sonya had reconciled with him and Cassie. |
| 407 | * ToxicFriendInfluence: In ''11'', Present Johnny exposits to his younger self that his time in Hollywood is directly responsible for his ego and attitude problems pre-CharacterDevelopment. In an intro with Cassie where she mentions his agent sees potential in her, he warns her to "stay away from those Hollywood sleazebags!" |
| 408 | * TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: Gains a SuperMode when he saves Sonya from Shinnok. That results in him [[PowerGlows glowing with shadow energy]], allowing him to ''NoSell Shinnok's attacks!'' |
| 409 | * {{Troll}}: Tells The Terminator to call Baraka an "[[Film/{{Predator}} ugly motherfucker]]". |
| 410 | * TurnsRed: Literally in ''X''. Going into critical health turns all his shadow moves red and gives them a damage boost. Doubles as a DesperationAttack. |
| 411 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: |
| 412 | ** Some dialogue exchanges in ''X'' and ''11'' have villains dismissing Johnny as a harmless buffoon despite him being one of Earthrealm's most powerful heroes. |
| 413 | ** Shang Tsung in ''11'' goes as far as showing disbelief that Johnny actually defeated Shinnok. |
| 414 | * UnfazedEveryman: During his chapter in ''9''[='s=] story mode. Also doubles as the AudienceSurrogate for those new to the series, as he's just as out-of-the-loop as newcomers probably will be. |
| 415 | * VitriolicBestBuds: |
| 416 | ** He has the dynamic with Jax. Despite what appears to be disgust (and the occasional beatdown) from Jax to Johnny, the latter never takes it personally. The 'best buds' part doesn't truly hit home until Jax's ending, though, where he is shown as the one person Johnny trusts to protect the life of his daughter after he pays him a visit in the hospital. |
| 417 | --->'''Jax:''' I've learned to tolerate your father.\ |
| 418 | '''Cassie:''' Oooo, America's Next Top Bromance!\ |
| 419 | '''Jax:''' ...Now ''that's'' a bridge too far! |
| 420 | ** He also has a downplayed version of this dynamic with Kenshi in ''X''. They mostly get along during their time in the Special Forces, with the vitriolic part being reserved to light snarky jabs to each other in their pre-fight intros. |
| 421 | * WalkingShirtlessScene: Though he starts ''9'' with a tuxedo, he quickly goes shirtless, and remains like this through the rest of the game. |
| 422 | * WholeCostumeReference: |
| 423 | ** His Commando costume in ''X'' is based on that of Dutch from ''Film/{{Predator}}''. As an EasterEgg, if he and Jax in his Creator/CarlWeathers skin are chosen to fight each other, Johnny will say, "You son of a bitch!" before they do the famous arm-wrestle handshake from that movie. |
| 424 | ** One DLC costume in ''11'' is one towards ''Film/TeenWolf''. |
| 425 | * WillTheyOrWontThey: In regards to Sonya, [[RelationshipUpgrade he does.]] [[spoiler:It didn't last for a bit but then they got back together]]. |
| 426 | * WorkingWithTheEx: [[spoiler: He divorced from Sonya at some point. Doesn't stop him from stepping up with her in Earthrealm's defense]]. |
| 427 | * WorldsStrongestMan: Surprisingly, he of all people manages to become the strongest male kombatant by the time of ''X''. At the start of the game, two years after the end of the previous game, Johnny kicks Scorpion and Sub-Zero's asses simultaneously, before defeating the aforementioned Jax as an evil undead revenant. But that's nothing compared to when Johnny manages to hand the Fallen Elder God Shinnok's ass to him a sliver platter, due to Johnny using ThePowerOfLove to protect Sonya from Shinnok and unlocking [[SuperpowerfulGenetics his inner power]] in the process. Creator/NetherrealmStudios foreshadowed this development in Johnny's ''9'' bio and Arcade Ladder ending, where it's established he's descended from an ancient Mediterranean cult that bred warriors with might surpassing that of ordinary mortals -- a status he surely lives up to in ''X''. |
| 428 | * YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: He's pleased as punch any time that Sonya calls him by his first name as it means that [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther she still clearly cares a lot about him]]. His reaction each time only makes him that much more [[Heartwarming/MortalKombatX endearing]]. |
| 429 | * YouFightLikeACow: At least in ''X'' and ''11'', he ''constantly'' taunts his opponents. Bad puns, movie references...whatever insult is handy. |
| 430 | [[/folder]] |
| 431 | |
| 432 | [[folder:Tropes related to Johnny Cage in The New Era ]] |
| 433 | Tropes that appear across all of Johnny Cage's appearances from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' onwards. |
| 434 | ---- |
| 435 | * AbusiveParents: Johnny mentions that he has "daddy issues" implying that Cage Sr. was an asshole just like in the previous timeline. |
| 436 | * ActorAllusion: His Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme alternate skin has exclusive lines that make references to the actor's own movies, offering Geras a role in his film where Johnny's a [[Film/KickBoxer kickboxer]] and Geras a [[Film/StreetFighter street fighter]]. |
| 437 | * AdaptationalNiceGuy: In most continuities, Johnny started out highly egoistic and so full of himself that he only becomes humble after losing his friends and becoming a father. In the New Era, Cage isn't as self-centered and the other kombatants are not as annoyed with him as they were in previous games. In fact, he [[TookALevelInKindness becomes a nicer person far earlier]] than he did in the previous timeline. It helps that he is well aware of the hardships from his failing career as an actor and he actually took his ex-wife's final words before leaving him to heart. Most of his worst moments in the game can also be excused by circumstances. He was going through a break-up when Kenshi broke into his home with the intention of taking Sento. |
| 438 | * AdaptationalSuperpowerChange: Johnny retains the SuperSpeed needed to perform his Shadow Kick. However, he no longer has the green energy aura that allows him to enhance his blows and fire energy blasts. [[spoiler:One of his [[AlternateSelf alternate selves]] in Chapter 15 is capable of firing energy blasts, leaving it unclear whether it's something this Johnny explicitly lacks or simply has yet to manifest.]] |
| 439 | * AmbiguouslyBi: Johnny has a (ex) wife and has plenty of flirtatious dialogue with the female kombatants, but some intros and the character select screen lines if he's the announcer imply he's also attracted to men, particularly if his relationship with Kenshi is any indication. |
| 440 | -->''(when selecting Kenshi)'' "Sexy-face Two."\ |
| 441 | ''(when selecting Liu Kang)'' "(chuckles) Hot."\ |
| 442 | ''(when selecting General Shao)'' "Mr. Universe." |
| 443 | * ArrogantKungFuGuy: The Johnny in this universe is no different than his previous incarnations: an egotistical Hollywood martial arts star who [[HiddenHeartOfGold isn't all that bad despite it]]. |
| 444 | * AudienceSurrogate: Of all of Liu Kang's champions, he's the one with the least amount of actual combat experience and the most out-of-his-depth when it comes to the weirdness of Outworld. |
| 445 | * BadassNormal: Even more than in previous timelines, where he doesn't have the mystical lineage that lets him throw out energy balls. In the New Era, Johnny is simply trained with martial arts, and he does a damn good job with it, keeping up surprisingly well [[TheTeamNormal amidst a very supernatural cast.]] |
| 446 | * BeneathTheMask: Admits to his estranged wife Cris that much of his Johnny Cage personality is an outward projection of confidence to get by in the business, and if he let that slip, he might have nothing else. Sadly this just drives her away from him permanently, as in her eyes [[BecomingTheMask he's allowed his movie star image to subsume the man she loved and married]]. |
| 447 | * BenevolentBoss: In a pre-kombat dialogue, when Havik accuses Johnny of being as bad as Seido's oppressive rulers, Johnny retorts by saying that he is the best boss in Hollywood and that people love him (seeing how the New Era's Johnny is much, much less of a dick than the previous ones', there's no reason to not believe him). |
| 448 | * BigBrotherBully: Not Johnny himself, but he mentions having an older brother who was an “asshole” in a pre-fight intro with Scorpion. |
| 449 | * BigFancyHouse: He lives in one, titled "Cage Mansion", at the start of the game, although it's later revealed he had to sell it to cover the expenses of his divorce; it didn't help that, according to his wife, they were already broke. It serves as a battle stage both in story mode and standard battle mode, and a level map in the 1st season of Invasion (which, if it can be considered an accurate floor plan, makes it ''obscenely'' large). |
| 450 | * BreakingTheFourthWall: He takes this to a very literal level in ''1'', where his part of the Fatal Blow has him smashing his opponent's face into the screen, then picking up the camera while it's still recording (complete with a streaming UI) and smashing it into his opponent's chest. |
| 451 | * CameraAbuse: His Fatal Blow involves smashing his opponent's face into the screen, breaking it. He then ''[[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou picks up the camera itself]]'' and smashes it into his opponent's chest. |
| 452 | * CasanovaWannabe: While Johnny is married at the start of the story, his spendthrift ways and refusal to part with fame spell the end of that, and his attempts at flirting with other characters go nowhere; the best response he gets is amusement from Kitana (even that didn't last, according to a pre-kombat dialogue with her mother, she slapped him across the face off-screen), and even then, she's clearly not attracted to him. |
| 453 | * ConspicuousConsumption: He likes to splash out, with a drone, an expensive antique vase and Sento itself among his purchases, arguing that part of being a movie star involves showing his wealth off. However, it's {{deconstructed|Trope}}, with his wife Cris pointing out that he's [[AFoolAndHisNewMoneyAreSoonParted spending way outside their means]], putting down thousands if not ''millions'' of dollars on things that amount to glorified showpieces and fancy toys, and even [[BigFancyHouse Cage Mansion]] itself is so expensive that they need to sell it to stay solvent. |
| 454 | * CarFu: A creative and very brutal variation. For one of his fatalities in ''1'', Johnny kicks his opponent through the windshield of his fancy car, cuts their glass-riddled body in half by slamming the car door into them, before starting the car, causing it to speed off while dragging the opponent with them by their entrails before it explodes. |
| 455 | * TheDanza: InUniverse, the name of the costume he wears in ''Temple of Katara Vala'' is "[[Franchise/IndianaJones Illinois Johnny]]," implied to be the name of his character. |
| 456 | * ADayInTheLimelight: He's the focus of Chapter 2. [[spoiler:And can also be one of Chapter 15, if the player chooses him]]. |
| 457 | * DeadpanSnarker: As ever, Johnny Cage has a quip for every occasion, to the amusement and annoyance of friend and foe alike. |
| 458 | -->'''Shang Tsung:''' Cowards die many times before their deaths.\ |
| 459 | '''Johnny:''' You got experience with that, [[ParentheticalSwearing sorcerer]]? |
| 460 | * EvenTheGuysWantHim: When taunting, both a feminine and masculine voice can be heard screaming "[[DoubleEntendre Finish]] ''me'', [[DoubleEntendre Johnny!]]" from time to time. |
| 461 | * FingerGun: His "Game Over Man" brutality has him shoot the opponent's face off with a finger gun. |
| 462 | * FireForgedFriends: Johnny and Kenshi got off on the wrong foot (Kenshi broke into his house and demanded an artifact that cost Cage ''$3 million''), but their time on Outworld sees the two men bond, [[spoiler:especially after Kenshi saves Johnny from a crazed Mileena at the cost of his own eyesight]], to the point that, after the story, Johnny considers Kenshi his best friend and happily talks up his skills to other kombatants. |
| 463 | * FlippingTheBird: In ''[=MK1=]'', Johnny now utilizes his middle finger in his pre-battle poses. His defensive pose has him replacing his broken sunglasses with a new set; but using his middle finger to properly set them. Meanwhile, his attacking pose has him looking for something, only for him to pull out an [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014 imaginary bird-flipping hand-crank]], complete with sound effects and all. |
| 464 | * TheFriendNobodyLikes: |
| 465 | ** Subverted. Johnny's allies first see him as annoying but reliable. When Liu Kang sends them to Outworld, Kenshi would rather have Raiden with them than Johnny, but doesn't question Johnny coming when that isn't possible. The two later form a strong bond and by the end, [[spoiler: they're all the best of pals.]] |
| 466 | ** Compared to previous Johnny’s, who often had allies who wanted to deck him for being an annoyance, his intros with Kenshi, Smoke, and Reptile are all quite friendly. |
| 467 | * HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: His second Fatality has him shadow-kicking his opponent through his car's windshield. His opponent then falls out of the driver's seat bloodied and covered in glass, and Johnny closes the door, halving them, before setting his car into auto drive and letting it crash and explode. |
| 468 | * HeterosexualLifePartners: He develops what can only be described as a bromance with Kenshi during their time on Outworld, [[spoiler:especially after Kenshi saves his life from a crazed Mileena at the cost of his eyesight]]. |
| 469 | * HiddenDepths: |
| 470 | ** Despite his love for the spotlight, he is willing to take a step back and take up a directorial role for a movie he is making, while letting his friends and allies take up either kameo or starring roles. He also genuinely loves what he does, not just the financial gain; an intro with Shao makes him angry when the latter declares that an entertainer’s life is meaningless. |
| 471 | ** Johnny is much more knowledgable about history in this timeline. When Kenshi refers to Sento as his family blade, Johnny immediately questions if that means he's Taira clan and, shortly after, exposits the history of the Taira. While he is a frivolous spender, he genuinely seems to be buying the expensive artifacts because he's invested in their value and history. |
| 472 | ** He is fully aware of how cutthroat and toxic the culture in Hollywood is. Frivolous spending aside, he admits to Shang Tsung that half of Hollywood wants to kill him, tells Li Mei that cops usually look the other way when it comes to major celebrities, and tells Ashrah that she doesn't need her kriss to find evil there. |
| 473 | ** He also claims that he has a [=PhD=] in ''quantum mechanics'' when Geras tells him that he wouldn't understand the hourglass, although given the game is still playing fast and loose with the idea of alternate timelines, it's unclear if this is meant to pertain to the game's primary Johnny. |
| 474 | * HorribleHollywood: Downplayed; while Johnny is well aware of the more toxic aspects of the movie business (he tells [[{{Narcissist}} Sub-Zero]] that he'd fit right in), he's also a deep believer in the power of Hollywood magic and ''loves'' what he does for a living for the art as much, if not ''more'' than for the money. |
| 475 | * HumblePie: His wife [[WhatTheHellHero giving him some choice words]] before leaving him causes him to reflect on how much of his over-inflated ego he has failed to live up to. When Liu Kang recruits him, he's far more willing to be respectful than his previous counterparts. |
| 476 | * INeedAFreakingDrink: During his chapter in Story Mode, the titular character remarks on needing a refill during a confrontation with his eventual ex-wife and drinking even more after she walks out of the mansion. |
| 477 | * IOweYouMyLife: [[spoiler:Johnny feels indebted to Kenshi for saving him from a rabid Mileena at the cost of his eyes, enough so that when he wakes up in a cell after that happens and cracks a joke about a hangover, he ''instantly'' focuses on Kenshi's condition when he realizes they're in the same cell, and tears off a piece of his own armor to use in aiding Kenshi. He then refuses to leave him behind and ultimately opts to give him Sento free of charge, despite the sword's three million monetary value.]] |
| 478 | --> [[spoiler: '''Johnny:''' Kenshi! ''Goddamnit!'' How bad's the pain?\ |
| 479 | '''Kenshi:''' Excruciating.\ |
| 480 | '''Johnny:''' ''(Comforting him)'' You ''saved'' me. ''[[SincerityMode I won't forget that.]]'']] |
| 481 | * IShallTauntYou: Heavily in force for his ''1'' incarnation, which the developers revealed to be in tune with his new rushdown-focused arsenal. |
| 482 | ** Johnny has a Hype Meter which fills anytime he taunts, between the new universal taunt command and any of his dedicated taunt moves such as the optional ones he can perform after his specials. Filling it up allows him to enter a special state where every special move becomes its EX variant free of meter and allows him to chain up to 3 specials together. |
| 483 | ** His Fatal Blow takes it to a higher level in turn, giving him more options than most of the cast for theirs; like the one he had in ''11'', he can hold the command down to delay it, at which point Johnny begins dancing in place while a crowd chants his name. While he's dancing, any close-range attack will cause him to counter with his Fatal Blow, and if he holds his dance long enough, the resulting attack becomes unblockable. He can also conserve it via dash cancelling - again, like his ''11'' incarnation. |
| 484 | * IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: In his tower ending, [[spoiler:Johnny pitches to Liu Kang the idea of producing a cinematic universe based on their adventures, both [[TheUnmasquedWorld to ease in Earthrealm's knowledge of the many realms beyond their own]] ''and'' just so happening to make more than a few bucks for himself.]] |
| 485 | * ImpliedDeathThreat: |
| 486 | -->'''Shang Tsung:''' You plan a film about me?\ |
| 487 | '''Johnny Cage:''' Yeah. The working title is "Theatre/DeathOfASalesman". |
| 488 | * InSpiteOfANail: He's relatively in the same position as he was in the previous timelines; an arrogant, washed-up movie star who craves the spotlight and becomes an unlikely defender of Earthrealm. |
| 489 | * InkSuitActor: His Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme alternate skin is based upon how he looked in his prime in films like ''Film/{{Bloodsport}}'', ''[[Film/KickBoxer Kickboxer]]'' and ''Film/UniversalSoldier''. |
| 490 | * InnocentlyInsensitive: When Johnny gushes about how good [=CageCon=] visitors are at cosplaying as tarkatans, Baraka takes offense, thinking they do that to ''mock'' those sharing his affliction (he also seems to mistake [=CageCon=] for a cult, calling the cosplayers Johnny's "followers"). |
| 491 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's an obnoxious and abrasive man with a very inflated ego. Yet when the chips are down, he is genuinely a great man fighting for what's right and respects his teammates, including the disease-ridden Baraka. Also, despite a tough divorce with his estranged wife Cris, a pre-fight intro with Nitara has him angrily threatening the vampiress to stay away from her. |
| 492 | * JerkassHasAPoint: |
| 493 | ** While flaunting his possession of Sento to Kenshi is more than a little rude, Johnny's refusal to hand it over is hardly unjustified given the amount of money he spent on it and that Kenshi's first attempt to get the sword had him break into Johnny's house and demand it (an act that even Liu Kang said reflected poorly on Kenshi). |
| 494 | ** His insistence that Sub-Zero pay him back for a broken sculpture comes across as petty and entitled, but Bi-Han's excessive attempt to "put [Johnny] in his place" is what broke the statue, so Cage is hardly in the wrong to want compensation. |
| 495 | * MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Johnny comes with a new star-shaped meter called the "Hype Meter", charging by doing specials or taunts. At full capacity, he can spend it to enter a SuperMode. |
| 496 | * TheNicknamer: In the New Era, he's the one to give names to several iconic elements from previous timelines, either through comparison to his movies (such as The Flesh Pits), or dramatic Hollywood ham and Buffy Speak (such as the Soulnado). As an unlockable announcer like in ''11'', he has a lot of nicknames to spare for the roster when chosen. |
| 497 | * OvershadowedByAwesome: Sure he's a seasoned action star with legitimate martial arts skills, but compared to two villagers who were raised on kung fu (Kung Lao and Raiden) and a Yakuza enforcer (Kenshi), his fighting prowess is lacking, to the point where the Outworld characters question his worth. Intro dialogues hints at him returning to the Wu Shi academy for further training. |
| 498 | * PopCulturedBadass: Johnny is ''constantly'' referencing other movies or franchises, fitting for a movie star like himself. |
| 499 | * PsychoExGirlfriend: At some point in life, he had to lay low in West Covina for a month to escape a crazy ex-girlfriend. |
| 500 | * PungeonMaster: If Johnny is selected as the announcer's voice and a specific character is highlighted in the selection screen, he may introduce the character with a punny nickname. |
| 501 | * RecursiveCanon: His ending implies that the entire ''Mortal Kombat'' franchise not only also exists in-universe but is the brainchild of Johnny Cage, as both a means to line his pockets and to slowly acclimatize Earthrealmers to the reality that their universe has monsters, sorcerers, interdimensional aliens and more in it. |
| 502 | * RedOniBlueOni: The comical and wise-cracking red to Kenshi's stoic blue. |
| 503 | * ShareTheMalePain: His off-screen audience of fans can sometimes be heard groaning in discomfort when he hits his Nut Punch. |
| 504 | * SignificantNameShift: Zigzagged between him and Kenshi. When they were hostile, Kenshi referred to him by LastNameBasis and Johnny called Kenshi "tattoo" in a harsh and condescending manner during their training at the Wu Shi Academy. [[spoiler:Then they switch to FirstNameBasis when Kenshi calls Johnny to assist him in securing Mileena and the moment Kenshi is blinded in which Johnny screams out Kenshi's first name in horror.]] After forming a strong friendship, Johnny calls Kenshi by his last name, while Kenshi switches between calling Johnny by his first and last name. |
| 505 | * StealthMentor: In his Arcade ending, Johnny proposes to Liu Kang that he become this for [[spoiler:''the entire world.'' [[TheUnmasquedWorld Earthrealm sorely needed to be made aware of the existence of realms, gods, and the supernatural in general]], and Liu Kang tasked Johnny specifically to tell the world. But given that it's the modern world, nobody will buy just being told all this straight up. So Johnny instead proposed that Liu Kang let him use their adventures and experiences with Mortal Kombat to build a cinematic universe, so that when the time came that Earthrealm ''did'' learn of things in an irrefutable fashion that doesn't involve less than a dozen guys spouting crackpot stories, they could point to the Kombatverse and say "there's your information" for a hopefully much faster and smoother flipping of perceived reality upon its head. As a bonus, Johnny gets a fat paycheck, with the implication that at least some of the money is going to help fund the training of Earthrealm's champions and the Shirai Ryu.]] |
| 506 | * SuperMode: Once the Hype Meter is full, he can input a command that allows him to cancel his specials quickly, leading to nasty things such as triple-Nut Krackers, triple Shadow Kicks and mix of said stuff in any quantity until the meter runs off. In addition, all specials performed in this state automatically become their EX versions. |
| 507 | * TheTeamNormal: He has no fancy weapons or mystic powers, relying on nothing but his martial arts skills. |
| 508 | * TeenyWeenie: At least what he thinks Quan Chi wanted to say before he interrupted him: |
| 509 | -->'''Quan Chi''': Small minds, little-- |
| 510 | -->'''Johnny''': Finish that sentence ''carefully'', sorcerer! |
| 511 | * TokenWhite: He is the sole white person among Liu Kang's latest chosen Kombatants to go to Outworld for the tournament. He is also the only Western representative for the Earthrealmers in the base roster. |
| 512 | * UglyAmericanStereotype: The other Earthrealm kombatants are visibly annoyed by Johnny's tendency to film his adventures in the Wu Shi Academy and Outworld as if they were a vacation. |
| 513 | * VitriolicBestBuds: With Kenshi. Things begin harsh due to Johnny legally owning Sento and refusing to relinquish it to Kenshi, but they slowly bond into genuine friends over the course of the game. |
| 514 | * WhiteDwarfStarlet: His chapter opens with him as the lead of the film ''Temple of Katara Vala''. After filming is complete, he tries pitching a movie tetralogy and a streaming series to the director only to be turned down. Cris pulls him aside and tells Johnny that he only got the part because the director owed him a favor and that his career isn't what it used to be and that he's flat broke, not helped by Johnny constantly purchasing various frivolities. |
| 515 | * YouNeedABreathMint: How Johnny taunts Bi-Han and Shao in the pre-kombat dialogues. |
| 516 | [[/folder]] |
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FollowingContext Characters / MortalKombatJohnnyCage
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