Summary
- Mortal Kombat 1 flips the script on the Lin Kuei, turning them from heroic guardians to a clan in a civil war with Bi-Han leading them down a dark path.
- Scorpion defects from Bi-Han's crew and forms a new tribe, the Shirai Ryu, with the goal of restoring the honor of the Lin Kuei and taking down Bi-Han.
- Bi-Han becomes more bloodthirsty and works on cyborg experiments with Sektor, aiming to stop Liu Kang's champions and rule Earthrealm with unconventional resources.
The following contains spoilers for Mortal Kombat 1.
One of the most shocking aspects of Mortal Kombat 1 was how the franchise flipped the script on the Lin Kuei. The legendary ice ninja clan was initially turned into something more heroic, with Liu Kang using them as guardians of Earthrealm. Interestingly, a civil war broke out, with Bi-Han wanting to selfishly lead his clan down a macabre path, playing on the "It's In Our Blood!" tagline.
He eventually aligned with the Titan Shang Tsung in the story mode to try to take over the Fire God's realm. However, while Shang Tsung was stopped, Bi-Han remains on the loose in Mortal Kombat 1's ending. As a result, MK1 has used his ending, as well as Scorpion's, to tease a more personal and bloody feud to come after the latter left the clan.
Mortal Kombat 1's Scorpion Ending Explained
In this new timeline, Kuai Liang is Scorpion, rather than the second Sub-Zero. He remains loyal to Liu Kang, though, defecting from Bi-Han's crew. He and Smoke were shocked to hear Bi-Han played a part in the Grandmaster's death, leaving Kuai Liang wanting to bring his brother to justice. The Scorpion ending has him heading to Japan, fleeing to meet Harumi and the Shirai clan, old family friends.
They're ticked at Bi-Han's perversion, so they all form a new tribe: the Shirai Ryu. Scorpion names it after Harumi's people, growing to love them like his own. He eventually marries her, while charting a course to evolve their military. He knows they need soldiers for the upcoming rivalry. Thankfully, he has Smoke alongside him, as he aims to retake the Lin Kuei and restore the honor their ancestors worked so hard to achieve. This is something Liu Kang would love hearing, as he needs his Earthrealm soldiers back.
Given Raiden's MK1 ending has him training with the Shirai Ryu too, the clan is more important than ever. The old era had them under the watch of Hanzo Hasashi, only to be wiped out by the Lin Kuei. But the new timeline shapes them as something essential to the realm. There are a lot more emotions in play outside of duty, however, with the Shirai Ryu wanting to teach the Lin Kuei about power, why it corrupts, and how Bi-Han has sullied everything they stand for.
Mortal Kombat 1's Sub-Zero Ending Explained
As for Bi-Han's ending, as he pursues his brothers, he works with Sektor to upgrade the Lin Kuei. He's more rabid and bloodthirsty than ever, glad they broke out Liu Kang's servitude. But with these shackles gone, Bi-Han's moral and ethical compass has him willing to partake in twisted experiments. He has Sektor working on cyborgs, foreshadowing why the likes of Cyrax, Cyber-Smoke, and even Cyber-Sub Zero would come into play. The old games had the Lin Kuei modernizing and breaking their own rules to do this, so this does feel natural to Bi-Han's trajectory.
He views this as a necessary initiative, so he can stop Liu Kang's champions such as Raiden and Kung Lao, too. Sub-Zero is already using stealth to his advantage, opting for tech over sorcery. He wanted to steal the Dragon Army that Emperor Ying left behind, but he could tell the mystic arts would draw extra attention from Liu Kang. It's proof that Bi-Han is looking at unconventional resources and new alliances. It teases that maybe the Lin Kuei will partner with other Titans and folks making incursions like Shang Tsung. Sub-Zero does cut that Game of Thrones energy, after all, where he'll do anything to rule Earthrealm and showcase his ninjas' full glory. What adds depth to this narrative is how he has no problem hunting his kin to achieve this.
He's already scarred Scorpion's eye, nodding to Kuai Ling's cut from the old games. In addition, it's easy to envision Bi-Han wanting to kidnap and brainwash Smoke, creating the franchise's iconic bot who needed to be freed from this Lin Kuei mind-control in the past era. The point is, there's a clever foundation for a potential Mortal Kombat 1 sequel to remix all these arcs but with different motivations. In this case, the ice ninja brothers aren't about avenging each other—they view each other as obstacles needing to be removed.
Mortal Kombat 1's Lin Kuei is More Tragic
Admittedly, the Lin Kuei has always been steeped in tragedy. Quan Chi played them against Scorpion's clan, all to get Kuai Liang to feud with Hanzo, and to use the dead Bi-Han as his wraith: Noob Saibot. Sadly, Bi-Han loved the rage inside, which led to Kuai Liang and Hanzo giving up on saving his soul. Come the Fire God's new timeline, Bi-Han has a lot more targets at his disposal and a bigger goal. He can kill Harumi, remixing when he murdered her when she was Hanzo's wife in the previous games.
This time, it's not a stranger; he's ending someone close to his clan and his brother's wife. If kids end up being in the mix as well, that'll make Bi-Han an even bigger monster. Throw in Smoke training a young Hanzo, and possibly other charges under Liu Kang's thumb who may seek the Shirai Ryu out like Raiden, this vendetta goes beyond egos. Bi-Han is literally out to destroy the very people trying to keep Earthrealm safe. It's a family story at heart but with a much darker edge and a larger scope.
That said, fans are hoping Scorpion can get Bi-Han to walk back to the light and redeem the Lin Kuei. But as it stands, both brothers are gearing up for war. Unfortunately, there'll be a lot of collateral damage and mass casualties, with the repercussions poised to impact the Fire God's army. This will make Earthrealm more vulnerable as well, truly adding to the duality of the Lin Kuei who, while it was once seen as a gift, ended up being a blight.
Mortal Kombat 1 (Standard Edition) is now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.