As Mortal Kombat 1 promised, many major characters had new destinies. In Liu Kang's new world, Raiden was now Earthrealm's champion and someone the Fire God hoped would help stave off incursions from enemies. Thankfully, Raiden had help from his fellow Shaolin monks, with Kung Lao present as a brother-in-arms.
Source：https://www.cbr.com/mk1-kung-lao-ending-explained/
