SUBZERO
Basic Info
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β’ Universe: Mortal Kombat
β’ Name: Bi-Han (older brother), Kuai Liang (younger brother)
β’ Allias: SubZero
β’ Species: Human, Cryomancer
β’ Role: Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei assassin clan
β’ Place of Origin: Earthrealm (China)
β’ Date of Birth: -
β’ Affiliation: Forces of Light, Lin Kuei
β’ Connections: Scorpion (Adversary), Shang Tsung (Adversary), Frost (Apprentice), Raiden (Friend and Ally)
Biography
There are two incarnations of Sub-Zero, both of whom are siblings: older brother Bi-Han, and younger brother Kuai Liang. Both are blue garbed warriors who, at different times, have used the codename "Sub-Zero", and both are members of the Lin Kuei. They are descended from Cryomancers, an exiled Edenian race possessing the ability to generate and control ice. However, they were born in Earthrealm and only the younger Sub-Zero would discover his heritage (in the original timeline). Kuai Liang bears a scar on his right eye. In the original timeline, he received it sometime prior to the events of Mortal Kombat 3. However, as seen in Deception, the scar eventually faded away, possibly as a result of the Dragon Medallion's power. In the second timeline, revealed in the Mortal Kombat X comic series, it was Kano who created the scar.
Bi-Han and Kuai Liang were born to a Cryomancer father and a Chinese-American human mother. Their father was a secret operative for the Lin Kuei in the United States, eventually taking both sons back with him to China, against their mother's wishes. The brothers would then be trained as Lin Kuei assassins. However, in Sub-Zero's trailer for Mortal Kombat 2011, the siblings' background stories are retconned that both brothers were kidnapped by the Lin Kuei when they were still children.
Bi-Han appeared as Sub-Zero in the first Mortal Kombat tournament, while Kuai Liang went by the codename "Tundra". After Bi-Han was killed by Scorpion, Kuai Liang swore to avenge him and took his brother's former codename "Sub-Zero" as a means of honoring his brother. He entered the second Mortal Kombat with only one goal in mind: hunting down his brother's killer. Kuai Liang would bear the name Sub-Zero in all future games, whereas Bi-Han would be resurrected as a wraith by Quan Chi and given the name Noob Saibot.
Although both share traits in common, the two brothers differ significantly in many ways. Kuai Liang comes off as a menacing, stern, distant, and cold man who prefers to remain in the shadows, not unlike his elder brother. However, Kuai Liang is more serious, disciplined, humane, and honorable than Bi-Han ever was. In contrast to his older brother, who eventually succumbed to darkness, the younger Sub-Zero remained firmly on the side of justice. This vast disparity caused the two siblings to disown one another, stating "we share blood, we are not brothers".
Kuai Liang's strong moral principles have also brought him into conflict with his own clan. Horrified by the Lin Kuei's cyberization initiative, Kuai Liang openly rebelled and eventually left the clan altogether in horror and disgust, thereby breaking the sacred codes of honor. In response, his former clan marked him for death, programming Cyrax, Sektor, and his former friend Smoke to hunt down and terminate him. Kuai Liang subsequently joined Liu Kang, Raiden, and Earthrealm's other defenders in the struggle against Shao Kahn.
In both timelines, the younger Sub-Zero defeated and killed Sektor, becoming the new Lin Kuei Grandmaster in the process. Under his stewardship, the Lin Kuei would be reformed and rebuilt into a force for good.
Like most of the MK cast, Kuai Liang follows a character archetype. In his case, he is the enigmatic hero who shows up to aid the protagonists when needed.Being descended from a race of Outworld inhabitants known as Cryomancers, Kuai Liang has the innate ability to control ice in many forms. Throughout the span of the series, Sub-Zero's powers have continued to evolve. His deadly ability to freeze comes from the process of him absorbing the air around him and storing it before releasing it as a cold substance or simply lowering the temperature of the surrounding air to create ice constructs. He is naturally used to the cold temperatures of his turf and is able to resist other Cryomancers' freezing abilities as shown in the Mortal Kombat X comic series where Frost fails to freeze Sub-Zero's arms. His ability to freeze is strong enough to turn the body's water content, flesh and bone into brittle ice with just a single tap of his fingers. He has even surpassed his (late) brother Bi-Han's freezing ability, whose ice can reach temperatures up to -500Β° Fahrenheit which is way below absolute zero. He is one of the few combatants who can manipulate chi, the life energy of a martial artist. By channeling his chi, Sub-Zero can use it to enhance the power behind his physical strikes and make them strong enough to send other combatants flying with each strike he lands on them. The Dragon Medallion has not just increased the power of his freezing ability, but it has also given him another source of chi to channel power from. Sub-Zero is one of the many combatants capable of teleporting by turning his body into ice and reforming his physical form of flesh and blood in another location. He has also been shown to control and influence the cold aspects of the weather, although this aspect of his powers seems to be tied to his emotional state.
©Following his brother's failure to assassinate Shang Tsung during the first Mortal Kombat tournament (and his eventual death at the hands of Scorpion), Tundra (His original alias at that time - Kuai Liang) took up his brother's codename and was sent to Outworld to complete the assignment after Shao Kahn's tournament was announced; he was accompanied by fellow Lin Kuei and close friend Smoke. Sub-Zero soon discovered Scorpion's foul vendetta against his brother. Scorpion had risen from the Netherrealm once more upon learning of Sub-Zero's "survival" and continued to hold a grudge. However, Scorpion received a rude awakening when he witnessed Sub-Zero spare the life of a defeated opponent whom he battled during the tournament, which left him confused for he did not understand why Sub-Zero showed mercy. Scorpion then came to the realization that this Sub-Zero was actually his sworn enemy's younger brother, and thus swore not to harm him. Sub-Zero never learned why the specter spared his life. Despite their efforts, neither accomplished the mission that they were tasked to do for the Lin Kuei clan, as Shang Tsung survived, although they did assist Liu Kang, Raiden, and their allies in Liu Kang's battle with Shao Kahn. Smoke and Sub-Zero returned home empty handed.
In the events leading up to Mortal Kombat Trilogy, the Lin Kuei obtained technology that could vastly improve the effectiveness of their warriors, and they chose four of their number to undergo the procedure that would turn them into cyborg assassins: Sub-Zero, Smoke, Cyrax, and Sektor. Sub-Zero and Smoke refused to participate, and fled the clan, who declared them traitors. While Sub-Zero successfully managed to escape, Smoke was captured and subsequently converted into a cyborg. In leaving the clan, Sub-Zero had broken the Lin Kuei codes of honor. After Smoke's automation, the Lin Kuei programmed the three cyborg assassins to hunt and terminate Sub-Zero, who, by this time, had received a vision from Raiden and agreed to join the rebellion against a new threat. The armies of Shao Kahn attacked Earthrealm, and Sub-Zero was among the few mortals whose souls were spared so they could fight Kahn and his extermination squads. These events also signaled the beginning of Sub-Zero's transition to a greater moral consciousness. Unluckily for Sub-Zero, his cybernetic assassins, lacking souls, also survived. Sub-Zero eventually encountered Smoke and convinced him that he still had a soul, which then overrode Smoke's Lin Kuei programming. With his new ally, Sub-Zero was able to overwhelm Sektor and Cyrax. However, instead of destroying Cyrax's CPU, he reprogrammed the cyborg to hunt and terminate Shao Kahn (at which Cyrax failed - he would wander in Jade's Desert and become trapped there). Smoke was again less fortunate: he was captured by Shao Kahn's troops and transported to Outworld. Eventually, the Earthrealm warriors were victorious and Earth was restored to its normal state.
When the banished Elder God Shinnok threatened the Earthrealm, Raiden once again summoned Sub-Zero to assist in the defense of Earth. In honor to his older brother, Bi-Han (Noob Saibot), Sub-Zero donned his sibling's uniform, and brought to the battle information passed to him which could prove essential to Raiden in his mission to stop Shinnok. In the meantime, Quan Chi had convinced Scorpion that Sub-Zero still retained some culpability for the destruction of the Shirai Ryu, turning the spectre's hostile attentions to him once more. Sub-Zero met Scorpion in Goro's Lair and the two fought, with Scorpion gaining the upper hand. When it seemed that Scorpion was going to kill Sub-Zero, the former Lin Kuei warrior revealed that he had no role in the murder of Scorpion's family. Quan Chi, convinced that Sub-Zero was about to die nonetheless, readily admitted his deed to Scorpion, who then turned on Quan Chi and transported the treacherous sorcerer into the Netherrealm, where Scorpion hunted Quan Chi unceasingly. This was to be the last time Scorpion and Sub-Zero were to actively oppose each other, until the Battle of Armageddon.
Sub-Zero held a tournament at the Lin Kuei headquarters in order to recruit strong warriors, and a female who surprisingly harnessed the same freezing powers as Sub-Zero emerged as the winner. Impressed by her exceptional skill, Sub-Zero made Frost his apprentice, breaking Lin Kuei tradition. While she was a superb fighter, Frost did not agree with Sub-Zero's philosophies and appeared arrogant and aloof, which would generate some friction between her and Sub-Zero's allies, specifically Sonya. After Liu Kang's murder at the hands of the newly formed Deadly Alliance, Raiden asked Sub-Zero to join him to fight for Earthrealm's survival. Surprised at the tragic news, Sub-Zero agreed, but mainly for personal reasons - he wanted to gain the respect of his fellow Lin Kuei and prove his worth once again to his clan and to most importantly, himself. When Sub-Zero and Frost were separated from the other Earthrealm warriors on Outworld, Frost succeeded to steal the Dragon Medallion. Unable to control the medallion's powerful energies, she was consumed by her own freezing abilities and seemingly died. Sub-Zero placed the blame squarely on his own shoulders for her death, feeling he had failed to dampen her pride and teach her the same philosophies of life he had.
Sometime later, the half god Taven came to the Lin Kuei temple in search of a gift left to him by his mother. Sub-Zero challenged Taven to a fight after the latter had not only defeated many Lin Kuei warriors, but also released Frost from her icy prison. Before the outcome of the battle could be decided, Sub-Zero took notice to the dragon tattoo Taven had on his face, commenting that it was similar to the one on the vault door containing the armor Taven's mother left for him. Taven acquired the armor and the temple was invaded once again, this time by Noob Saibot and Smoke, who turned the Lin Kuei warriors into cyborg demons. Taven chose to help Sub-Zero and defeated the demons. Taven then defeated Smoke and eventually, Noob Saibot, who had overwhelmed Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero showed his thanks by revealing to him the location of the stronghold to the Red Dragon Clan, who had been repeatedly attacking Taven. Sub-Zero then attempted to cleanse his brother, Noob Saibot's, soul. It was unknown as to whether or not he was successful. He joined the Forces of Light in the Battle of Armageddon and confronted Scorpion in kombat. Mortal Kombat 2011's opening cinematic showed Sub-Zero with Baraka's left arm with the Tarkatan Blade lodged in his spine, as well as his own Kori Blade lodged in Scorpion's spine.
Artifacts, Items, Powers
β’ ICE POWER
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Subzero as Cryomancer, from exiled Edenian race possess the ability to generate and control ice.
Epic Moments
β SubZero Vs Scorpion
Gallery
