Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)

Sub-Zero is the name of two characters from the Mortal Kombat series. This article covers the younger character. For the older character, see Noob Saibot.

Template:Mortal Kombat character Sub-Zero is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.

About Sub-Zero

There are in fact two Sub-Zeros: older and younger. Both are blue garbed warriors (assassins, but not "ninjas", since the Lin Kuei are Chinese despite being called ninjas in several Mortal Kombat games) that descended from Cryomancers, an Outworld race possessing the ability to generate and control the powers of ice, although both of them were born in Earthrealm. The younger one bears a conspicuous scar on his right eye, however, as of Deception the scar has faded away. The Elder Sub-Zero appeared in the first Mortal Kombat and then, after being killed by Scorpion, his younger brother replaced him for the rest of the games- his elder brother later became the undead Netherealm wraith, Noob Saibot.

The younger Sub-Zero clearly shares many traits with his older brother. Upon his introduction, the younger Sub-Zero was perhaps too similar to his brother. Like the elder, the younger Sub-Zero gives the impression of being a stern, distant and cold man who goes about his business silently, without attracting unwanted attention. However, as time progressed, Sub-Zero evolved from what fans labeled a "carbon copy" of his brother to a man of great integrity and self-discipline. The disparities between the brothers, who were once neutral and almost indistinct from each other, have now grown so large that one could speak of the evil twin syndrome.

While the younger Sub-Zero was depicted as a young Lin Kuei warrior who was living in the shadow of his older brother, he has since changed and grown into a warrior who has progressed towards the more humane sides of moral issues. This change in characteristics has not only strengthened him as a man, but has also set him apart from his former Lin Kuei counterparts. This included leaving his clan in disgust and breaking the sacred codes of honor, joining the rebellion against Shao Kahn and assisting Raiden and Liu Kang (along with Earthrealm's other chosen warriors). More recently, he defeated the cyborg assassin Sektor to gain the leadership of the Lin Kuei and become the Grandmaster, where he has grown even stronger and more powerful. He is a dependable ally of Earthrealm who is willing to assist when needed, especially when Raiden gives the call.

Younger Sub-Zero is easily identified by the scar on his face which, according to Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, was caused by Kung Lao, who sliced Sub-Zero's face with his hat when he mistook him for his older brother (although this event may or may not be canon).

Storyline

The two Sub-Zeros are sons of a Chinese father and a Caucasian American mother. It is known that the father of both brothers (the fourth man to be known as Sub-Zero in his lineage) was a secret operative for the clan in the United States. He married an American woman and together they had two sons and a daughter. Against the will of their mother, the father took the sons with him to move back to China at a certain time, and as such both brothers became warriors of the Lin Kuei. The mother and the daughter remained in the U.S.

Following the death of his older brother and failure to kill Shang Tsung, the young Lin Kuei warrior was sent to Outworld along with his close friend Smoke to complete the assignment after Shao Kahn's Mortal Kombat tournament was announced. While traveling to Outworld with Smoke, Sub-Zero discovered Scorpion's foul vendetta against his brother; Scorpion had risen from the Netherealm once more upon learning of Sub-Zero's "survival" and continued to hold a grudge against the new Sub-Zero, believing him to be the same man that killed him years ago. 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 this Lin Kuei warrior showed mercy. Scorpion then came to the realization that this new Sub-Zero was the younger brother of the man who murdered him so long ago, 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, 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.

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Sub-Zero's (John Turk) versus pose in Mortal Kombat 3

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 anathema. While Sub-Zero successfully managed to escape, Smoke was captured and subsequently turned 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 signalled 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 battled and defeated both Sektor and Cyrax. However, instead of destroying Cyrax's CPU, he reprogrammed the cyborg to hunt and terminate Shao Khan (at which Cyrax failed - he would wander in Jade's Desert and become trapped there). Smoke was less fortunate: he was captured by Shao Kahn's troops and transported to Outworld as a curiosium. 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 homage to his older brother, 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 Lin Kuei revealed that he had no role in the murder of Scorpion's clan. Quan Chi, convinced that Sub-Zero was about to die nonetheless, readily admitted his guilt to Scorpion, who then turned on Quan Chi and transported the 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.

Some time afterwards, the defeated cyborg Sektor assassinated the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei and challenged Sub-Zero to a fight for the leadership of the Lin Kuei Clan. Realizing how great an opportunity this was, as well as recognizing Sektor as a threat, Sub-Zero accepted the cyborg's challenge and defeated him, gaining the position. Sub-Zero also came into possession of the Dragon Medallion, which enhanced his freezing powers to levels he had never thought possible (as a side effect, it appears, it also changed his appearance). Great changes were made to the Lin Kuei after Sub-Zero's victory. He moved the Lin Kuei to a remote area in the Arctic where they would not be disrupted and began training them as a force for good, teaching his students not only formidable fighting skills, but the value of life as well, turning them into wisened warriors rather than mindless assassins.

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 attempted 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.

As he searched for a place to bury Frost, he encountered the ruins of an Outworld civilization capable of manipulating cold. After careful study and examination of this race, the cryomancers, he came to the realization that he and Frost were descendants of this race. Burying her and forgiving her for her rashness, Sub-Zero donned an ancient suit of armor found in the ruins and headed for the Earthrealm portal, to rendezvous with Raiden and the Earthrealm forces.

Sub-Zero's Deception ending portrays him being ambushed by Tarkatans in the living forest. Unlike the other characters, whose true fate in Deception is unknown, it seems this ending almost certainly occurred, since Hotaru's bio states he began tracking Sub-Zero after he had "slain many Tarkata." This conclusion is also echoed in Kenshi's bio, whom Sub-Zero meets on his journey to the rendezvous point.

As Shujinko rallied Earth's remaining warriors to defeat the new threat in Onaga Sub-Zero once again ventured back into the Outworld where he soon ran into Sareena. Since she helped free his brother from his confines of the Netherrealm and also helped defeat Quan Chi with him so many years ago, Sub-Zero offered her asylum within the Lin Kuei. Sub-Zero gave Sareena a small metallic object that would guide her and grant her access to the hidden Lin Kuei temple. The two then spotted two dark figures leaving Shao Kahn’s fortress. It was Sub-Zero’s brother, Noob Saibot, and his ally Smoke. The two disappeared into the Netherealm. Sub-Zero ordered Sareena to wait for him at Lin Kuei temple as he ventured after the two, however Noob and Smoke knew they were being followed and attacked Sub-Zero in the Netherealm. It appeared the Grandmaster was overpowered and doomed until Sareena jumped in fending off Sub-Zero’s would be assassins but not before Sub-Zero was left unconscious, but upon waking Sareena had reverted back to her demonic form. Dazed and still very confused, Sub-Zero attacked and Sareena fled to the depths of the Netherealm.

Mortal Kombat: Unchained also revealed that upon returning to the Lin Kuei temple in Earthrealm, Sub-Zero discovers many of his fellow Lin Kuei slain by Frost. She had come to the temple with the intention of killing only Sub-Zero, but she had become delusional to the point of seeing Sub-Zero everywhere. Sub-Zero then froze the highly unstable Frost in a solid block of ice and placed her frozen body in a shrine deep in the temple, with the knowledge that she will one day recover, and, on that day, will have to answer for her crimes against the Lin Kuei.

Sub-Zero appears in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's konquest mode, challenging Taven to a fight, after the latter invades the Lin Kuei Palace. Before the outcome of the battle could be decided, Sub-Zero takes notice to the dragon tattoo he 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 acquires the armor and the Lin Kuei Palace is invaded once again, this time by Noob Saibot and Smoke who turn the Lin Kuei warriors into cyborg demons. Sub-Zero asks Taven to choose sides and Taven helps defeat the demons. Taven then defeats Smoke and eventually, Noob Saibot, who had attacked Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero shows his thanks by revealing to him the location of the stronghold to the Red Dragon Clan. Sub-Zero then attempts to cleanse his brother, Noob Saibot's, soul. It is unknown as to whether he is successful.

In Sub-Zero's Armageddon ending, after the defeat of Blaze, he attains godlike power. Combined with his power from the Dragon Medallion, Sub-Zero became so all powerful that he became an Ice God. This however, was without the consent of the Elder Gods, who responded by sending their champions to destroy him.

Combat characteristics

Signature moves

• Iceball: Sub-Zero sends a blast of ice horizontally towards the opponent to temporarily freeze them in place for a free hit. In the earlier Mortal Kombat games, if Sub-Zero were to freeze the opponent twice, the second iceball would defrost the opponent and freeze Sub-Zero, setting him up for a free hit. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:DA, MK:D, MK:U, MK:SM, MK:A)
• Slide: Sub-Zero slides across the floor, knocking the opponent off their feet. It is assumed Sub-Zero slides by freezing the soles of his feet. This move was later given to Frost. (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:SM)
• Ground Ice: Sub-Zero freezes the floor and whoever steps on the circle of ice will temporarily slip all over the place, setting the opponent for a free hit. This move was also later adapted for Frost. (MKII, MK:SM)
• Ice Clone: Sub-Zero creates an ice statue of himself anywhere he chooses, and anyone who touches it will freeze. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)
• Ice Shower: Sub-Zero shoots ice straight overhead which falls back down atop his opponent. He can shoot it close, mid way, or far away to freeze the opponent. In Armageddon, instead of falling on the opponent, the ice comes up under them, freezing and suspending them in the air. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:A)
• Cold Shoulder: Sub-Zero rushes the opponent with his shoulder, leaving a trail of ice behind him on the ground. (MK:DA, MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)

Recurring fatalities

• Deep Freeze Uppercut: Sub-Zero deep-freezes his opponent, then uppercuts their upper body, shattering it in the process. There are two different input sequences of the fatality that had to be performed sequentially in order to achieve it; failing the second sequence would result in a frozen opponent, but no fatality. This was also incorporated as a standard special attack in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. (MKII, MK4, MKG) There are several similar fatalities such as Overhead Ice Smash and Ice Mist in MK3, UMK3, and MKT.
• Spine Rip: Sub-Zero punches into an opponent's neck, and tears out their spine and skull. In Deadly Alliance, Sub-Zero rips the whole skeleton out of his opponent's body, pulling it from the spine. In Shaolin Monks Sub-Zero grabs his opponent in a chokehold and rips it out. (MK4, MKG, MK:DA, MK:SM)
• Snowball: Sub-Zero forms an ice grenade and throws it to the upper body of his opponent, exploding his enemy from within. (MKII, MK:SM)

In other media

Film

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Sub-Zero's appearance in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

The younger Sub-Zero has a brief appearance in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. After rescuing Liu Kang and Kitana from Smoke, he has an inconclusive fight with Scorpion, who kidnaps Kitana and escapes.

He was portrayed by Keith Cooke Hirabayashi, who appeared as Reptile in the first movie.

Television

Sub-Zero appeared in the cartoon Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm as one of the leading characters, in which he was voiced by Luke Perry from Beverly Hills 90210. Sub-Zero has to prove he was trustworthy in the first episode of the series (Kombat Begins Again), since his status as a Lin Kuei traitor cast a shadow of doubt over his intentions, especially with Sonya, who takes longer to be convinced. In episode 2 (Sting of the Scorpion) he confronts and is defeated by Scorpion, only to be succeded by Liu Kang. His last important episode is Episode 5 (Old Friends Never Die) in which he is attacked by former friend Smoke, and is able to free his soul and later take on the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

An ancestor of Sub-Zero, played by J. J. Perry, also appeared in the live-action TV series Mortal Kombat: Conquest, as a Lin Kuei assassin hired by Shang Tsung to defeat Kung Lao and retrieve a magic crystal from his home which had the ability to transport its keeper to other dimensions. The Lin Kuei were later forced into a partnership with Scorpion on orders from Shao Kahn, who believed that the combined strength of the two fighters would finally result in the death of Kung Lao after their individual failures. The alliance quickly dissolved when people close to both warriors were killed. Sub-Zero also killed a Grandmaster who attempted to bar him from meeting his original family from before his Lin Kuei days. Not only did these events turn Scorpion and Sub-Zero against each other in a stalemate battle, but the icy warrior was forced to become renegade, abandoning his clan. He turned down an offer by Kung Lao to join him in the fight against Outworld.

Comic books

Sub-Zero makes a cameo appearance in the Malibu Comics series Battlewave epilogue, in which, wearing his MK3 attire, freeze a group of Lin Kuei while proclaiming the clan is corrupted and no more worthy of the services of Sub-Zero. If there was any plannings to the younger Sub-Zero, they were never met as the comic books ended before adapting the Mortal Kombat 3 stories.

Character development

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Sub-Zero's appearance in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Sub-Zero's costume design in MKDA is base on his costume in Mortal Kombat III.

Although Scorpion was intended to become the protector of the younger Sub-Zero in atonement for murdering his older brother at the end of MKII, and the plot is mentioned in UMK3, this was retconned by Deadly Alliance, whose Konquest mode specifies that Scorpion vowed only not to harm the Lin Kuei warrior.

It is believed that Sub-Zero was unmasked in Mortal Kombat 3 to give him an identity of his own. Because Sub-Zero had a nearly identical appearance to his elder brother from the first Mortal Kombat, fans didn't necessarily buy that this new Sub-Zero was the younger brother of the first, and because the younger Sub-Zero had a storyline that depended on the elder Sub-Zero's, the fans felt that this was the same Sub-Zero all along and begun to believe that there was only one Sub-Zero in the series. Midway gave Sub-Zero a new appearance and unmasked him to simply give him a new identity and clear the beliefs that there were two Sub-Zeros and that the current Sub-Zero that exists today is the younger brother of the elder Sub-Zero.

Since Deadly Alliance, Sub-Zero has appeared far older, while few, if any characters show signs of dramatic aging. This is possibly due to the amplifications his powers have undergone during the time, as in MK:DA, his arms became frozen over, and his scar turned blue as well as his hair graying. In Deception, Sub-Zero, now wearing the armor of his ancestors in addition to the Dragon Medallion from MK:DA, his skin has become far more pale than a normal human's. Deception Sub-Zero is also notable for no longer having the infamous eye scar. It is most likely simply faded, again due to his Medallion.

Game information

Sub-Zero had a distinctly more Asian look in his Mortal Kombat II ending than he did in the previous and later installments, the animated series, the second movie, and the 1996 live tour, in which he was portrayed or voiced by non-Asian actors. His oddly Western look for a Chinese ninja was later retconned by giving him a Caucasian mother. According to this new story, his father had a wife, two sons and a daughter while he lived in America to hide his personal role as an assassin for the Lin Kuei, which explains Sub Zero's rather Occidental appearance. But some fans assume that he is simply of mixed heritage since his bloodline and nationality may have been blended throughout generations that traced back to his ancestors from Outworld.

When filming Mortal Kombat 3, the unmasked Sub-Zero costume was red.

Since Mortal Kombat 3, Sub-Zero has had a scar running from his forehead across his right eye, but in the early arcade version of Mortal Kombat 4 and Deadly Alliance, this was forgotten, each time leading to speculations that his older brother had returned. The scar was first featured to be red, only to later change blue as a result of Sub-Zero's enhanced powers. In Mortal Kombat: Deception, his scar seems to have faded to the point where it can no longer be seen. In Mortal Kombat Armageddon, Sub-Zero's ninja outfit retains the scar, while his alternate outfit, his Deception armor, does not. In Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, the player witnesses Kung Lao vertically slashing Sub-Zero's face with his hat, resulting in bloodshed and ultimately a scar. However, very little of Shaolin Monks is considered canon, so the truth about Sub-Zero's scar remains debated among fans.

Although Sub-Zero originally had blue eyes, they turned white after obtaining the Dragon Medallion. Renders from Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks also give him white eyes. Official renders from Deadly Alliance also depict him having ice-blue eyes, demonstrating his power.

• In the N64 version of Mortal Kombat Trilogy, the unmasked Sub-Zero was nowhere to be found, possibly due to the N64 lack of ROM space of the cartridge, though the ninja Sub-Zero is still found. What is interesting is that the ninja Sub-Zero in that version can perform both the MKII and MK3 version of Sub-Zero's special moves such as the Ice Puddle and the Ice Clone, as well as the Ice Shower. In the PlayStation, PC and Sega Saturn versions of MK Trilogy, had two different forms of Sub-Zero with the correct move sets.

In Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, if both players select Sub-Zero in Versus mode, the second player to have chosen him will play as a variation of Sub-Zero's elder brother, Noob Saibot (Saibot retains all of Sub-Zero's moves, Fatalities, etc. Also his fore-arms will be frozen like Sub-Zero's).

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Sub-Zero's "Freeze-Mobile"

In MK:A's Motor Kombat Sub-Zero drives a blue snow mobile with spiked tires and his special is to send a freeze ball to another driver.

Sub-Zero, in one incarnation or another, is the only character to have been playable in all Mortal Kombat games, with the exception of Mortal Kombat: Special Forces. He was also the first Mortal Kombat character to have his own game.

Trivia

• In an episode of Malcolm in the Middle, Reese mentions the fact that nobody believes that he beat the secret level of Mortal Kombat, to which Hal responds "Because that's just ridiculous; no-one beats Sub-Zero".
• Sub-Zero inspired the professional wrestling character known as Glacier in World Championship Wrestling. Ray Lloyd, a regional Karate champion, played the role for several years.
• Even though Sub-Zero is meant to be Chinese, his weapon is called the "Kōri-Blade". Kōri (or hyō) is Japanese for "ice" (Chinese bīng), hyōten (bīngdiǎn) is "freezing point", and hyōtenka (bīngdiǎnxià) is "below freezing" - or, "sub-zero".
• Sub-Zero was the selected character to appear in the special Premium Pack Edition for PlayStation 2 of the game Mortal Kombat: Deception (the special game for Xbox included other character covers). He was featured as the only cover character of that game and the Premium Pack included a metallic card of his character. Oddly, there were a few text/story mistakes in his box art and metallic card.
• Ed Boon stated that Sub-Zero was originally going to be called "Tundra".

External links

• Sub-Zero's official MySpace profile