
Jade's Desert with Cyrax stuck in the sand
Jade's Desert, also known as The Desert, is an arena in the Mortal Kombat series. It first appeared in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and also appeared in Mortal Kombat Trilogy.
This desert is owned by the Edenian warrior Jade herself, though it is unclear if this desert is part of Outworld. The Kombatants stand on a stone floor of a ruined structure, the Mortal Kombat Dragon logo situated in its center. More ruins can be seen throughout the vast landscape.
In later versions of UMK3, Cyrax appears in the background, struggling to get out of the sand, as seen in his ending of the original Mortal Kombat 3 where his lack of further orders from the Lin Kuei following Shao Kahn's defeat leaves him stranded and barely functioning.
In Mortal Kombat (2011), a new 3D design of the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 arena (now called The Desert) appears. In the background, Cyrax can sometimes be seen struggling in the sand on the left side of the stage. This Cyrax is identical to his original MK3 appearance. A ruined statue of Queen Sindel lies in the background, revealing this desert was actually part of Jade's beautiful, ancient homeworld of Edenia. The sand on the ground is now dynamic, as it depresses as players walk and are knocked down. Moves like Sub-Zero's Ground Freeze and Shang Tsung's Ground Fireball are hidden from the sand as well. The Desert plays a pivotal role in the story, as it is revealed to be the Queen's burial ground.
Jade's Desert (Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3)
Mortal Kombat: Shinnok's Uprising[]
Sonya and Johnny both questioned why the deceased Jade would own a whole desert in Outworld. This also baffled the Shokan as well as they offered them to be escorted by the Centaurs as a secret passage to the Edenian Palace ruled by Shinnok and Quan Chi. The beasts made the journey early in order to beat the sun before it rose. At times, the passengers took naps on the Centaurs' backs, then by a sudden jerk from one of them, Sonya's eyes were clear enough spotting the inactive Cyrax poking out from the sand. She offered them to carry Cyrax while the army headed to the cool swamps before the sun scorched the wasteland.
Trivia[]
- Jade's Desert, is based on a desert and an unknown photographer.
- Despite being an old arena, Jade's Desert does not have a secret BGM when used at the Arena Select screen as the original arena shared music with the Rooftop and the Bell Tower.
- It is speculated this arena was the background during the fight between Liu Kang and Jade in the second movie.