WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath.
With Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath shaping a new era for the franchise, fans have been enjoying DLC characters that weren't in the first iteration of the game. In Nightwolf's case, the new story mode makes the character more important than ever, as it's revealed he was hidden away in the Void with Shang Tsung and Fujin after they spurned Kronika's offer to be generals.
However, thanks to his individual ending and the way he's portrayed as one of Earthrealm's most important heroes, it's intriguing to see how the game paves the way for a new character to take on the role of Nightwolf.
Introduced in Mortal Kombat 3, Nightwolf can harness the power of shaman magic as well as his ancestors in battle, siding with the light and becoming one of Raiden's key assets. With the retcon in MK11 that he belongs to the Matoka tribe, his ending reveals his past as Grey Cloud was a tumultuous one where he hated the tribe.
He didn't respect his ancestors for giving up their future to colonizers and was a young "fool" looking for quick cash, which is why Kano recruited him to steal relics for him to sell. However, the poverty-stricken Grey Cloud turned on the villain, finally accepting his people and the honor they stood for, which allowed the Great Spirit to bestow the mantle of the Nightwolf upon him. But if you beat Kronika with him in individual mode, Nightwolf admits he can't be his tribe's defender as well as the Keeper of Time, as both jobs require meticulous dedication.
He wants to be fair to each duty, and the Great Spirit, sensing his divided mind, advises him to stick to rewriting the history that Kronika's antics broke. As a result, he hands off the mantle, and we see a woman wielding the mystical axes of the Great Spirit, chasing what seems to be Black Dragon members away.
Grey Cloud knew there was someone worthy to don the mantle, and while this individual ending might not carry over into future games, it should. While his story was about redemption, a female Nightwolf can craft a story about worthiness, birthright and legacy similar to Marvel's Thor. The Nightwolf dynasty has a lot of potential, just like how the Great Kung Lao of old paved the way for the Shaolin Monks, such as Liu Kang and the next Kung Lao from Mortal Kombat 2.
It's also a powerful feminist statement. An indigenous woman would be an amazing addition to the game, pushing the Nightwolf character forward like never before. We've seen male Native Americans as (often stereotypically portrayed) warriors in so many comics, movies and TV shows, but a female Nightwolf would be groundbreaking for a group that is so rarely represented in media. It would also add another woman of color alongside Jacqui Briggs and help show the future is female and diverse. This allows the Mortal Kombat series to subvert the Nightwolf lore and use Grey Cloud as a mentor the same way we've seen Raiden and the Fire God Liu Kang positioned.
In the game's story mode, Nightwolf did seem to die when Shang Tsung betrayed the fellowship, so his death could become canon in both endings. His revenant form was also killed, adding even more closure. Thus, whether it's because the sorcerer is making a dark new era or the Fire God not bringing Grey Cloud back because he's resting at last, the warrior can become a teacher for the new Nightwolf, showing her new moves and abilities to unlock. It seems that Grey Cloud has run his course and died a most heroic death, so it would make a lot of sense for him to let the new Great Spirit over from here.
Developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mortal Kombat 11 is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and Google Stadia. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is now on sale digitally.