Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

In Mortal Kombat, Kung Lao was not present at the end of the first tournament.

Kung Lao has always been treated as a quiet and peaceful monk. In Shaolin Monks, he is a loud, mouthed braggart who lives to fight.

Several characters that were alive in subsequent MK games were killed during the course of the Shaolin Monks story: Jade, Baraka, Reptile, Kano, Shang Tsung and Kintaro.

In Mortal Kombat II, Shao Kahn restores Shang Tsung's youth. In Shaolin Monks, he performs the spell on himself.

In Shaolin Monks, Reptile claims not to work for Shang Tsung, yet in Mortal Kombat II he is said to be Tsung's bodyguard.

In Shaolin Monks, Kitana is shown to help Shao Kahn because she was under a spell. In Mortal Kombat II, it was stated she knew of Kahn's plans and secretly led the resistance against him.

The end of Shaolin Monks shows that Shang Tsung had been impersonating Raiden to trick the Earthrealm warriors into going to Outworld. In Mortal Kombat II, the warriors went willingly and fought alongside the real Raiden.