In the new Mortal Kombat film of 2021, there are many returning features from previous entries in the franchise whether it be gruesome “fatalities” or the cheeky sweep kick spams. There are a variety of references to the games and also the other movies but there is one feature that was brand new to the franchise entirely. This was the dragon birthmark that activates the power system of the franchise and demarks who is capable of participating in the tournament. It essentially functions as a ticket but it is referred to multiple times as signifying worthiness. The thunder god of this universe, Raiden, explicitly says that anyone without a dragon sign is unworthy of fighting for the earth and even those with the sign can fail to live up to their calling. This message is complicated by the fact that it can be taken by killing whoever has the mark. This is a power system that seems to enforce a pseudo-meritocracy in that worthiness can be earned through competence but it is, like many meritocracies, very flawed.

Because this power is still hereditary, it still allows people to attain a level of power that they technically didn’t earn. They are, by default, more powerful than any other beings and can be considered in an “upper class” of humans. This hierarchy is solidified even more by the fact that it seems that people who are born with the sign are especially powerful. The protagonist of the film, Cole Young, is revealed to be a descendant of Hanzo Hasashi who is said to be one of the greatest ninjas in their history. He got his sign at birth and never thought much of it but when he unlocks his power, it takes the form of a nigh-invincible but somehow also flexible armor that absorbs damage. Another character with an ancestral marking is Kung Lao. He is implied to be the best combatant that Earth has. Furthermore, the only characters that got the marking from someone else are Jax, Kano, and Sona. Two of the three essentially got it accidentally by killing someone who didn’t use the full extent of its power. This mirrors the way that real-world meritocracies will have a select few ascend the hierarchy to prove it isn’t a caste system by a technicality only. Just because it is possible to become worthy doesn’t mean it is a reality for anyone.