Kuai Liang/Sub-Zero - OG Timeline

Many years ago, 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 clan 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.

Both brothers grew up with their father in China, in the frozen and snow mountains, where the Lin Kuei temple palace is located. Bi-Han inherited the codename "Sub-Zero," codename of an ancestor of theirs who was a legendary cryomancer among the stories in the Lin Kuei. Kuai Liang simply had the code name "Tundra," he liked it, it was appropriate.

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 older brother. However, Kuai Liang is more serene, disciplined, humane, and honorable than Bi-Han.

Another thing they don't have in common, according to people in the clan, is their eyes; although both brothers have dark brown eyes, they say they are very easily distinguishable from one another. With Kuai Liang having bright, hopeful eyes and Bi-Han having cold, lifeless, assassin-worthy eyes.

When their father died, Kuai was a child and Bi-Han already a teenager. Kuai Liang grew up with his older brother always overprotecting him, always by his side and glaring murderously at anyone who tries to hurt his little brother.

As much as Kuai appreciated his brother's gesture, it made him feel overwhelmed and trapped within the cold walls of the Lin Kuei temple. In any case, despite all that, Kuai grew up to be a proper gentleman. He has beautiful and fancy handwriting, has learned several languages besides Chinese, and always speaks concisely and calmly, only raising his voice when necessary.

But all that studying and sophisticated reading doesn't change the fact that Kuai Liang's still a assassin. He has the innate ability to control ice in many forms, 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.

Kuai Liang is naturally used to the cold temperatures of his turf and is able to resist other cryomancers' freezing abilities. 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 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.

Aside from flash-freezing opponents, Kuai Liang also has the ability to instantly conjure up an ice statue of himself to act as both a scapegoat and a 'landmine' of sorts as any who touch it instantly flash freeze. He has created many different kinds of ice constructs for offense and defense. Such ice constructs include swords, daggers, hammers, axes, spears, shields, walls, spikes, statues and more.

When the Lin Kuei decided to automate their human assassins into cyborgs, Kuai Liang and Smoke rejected the process and escaped. The precise vertical scar over his right eye was branded or slashed onto him by his former clan to formally identify him and other runaways as targets marked for execution. That scar has become something characteristic and recognizable for the noble Kuai Liang.

Once both cryomancer brothers were adults. Kuai Liang had to watch from the side as the GrandMaster of the clan always gave the important and dangerous missions to his older brother Bi-Han. One of those missions caught the eye of the sorcerer named Shang Tsung, who invited Bi-Han to participate in a ancient tournament called Mortal Kombat. What Shang Tsung didn't know was that the Lin Kuei had previously been approached with a contract for his head.

Bi-Han would accept the invitation, with his ultimate designs being set on assassinating Shang Tsung. Kuai Liang was not allowed to go to the tournament, but he only hoped that his older brother would fulfill his mission and return safely to the temple.

To the misfortune for the Lin Kuei, and deep sadness of Kuai Liang, news arrived that Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero, had died in the tournament. His older brother, despite being arrogant and sometimes a jerk, was dead. But Kuai didn't have time to mourn or even wonder how such a formidable warrior as Bi-Han could die in a simple tournament, following his brother's failure to assassinate Shang Tsung during the first Mortal Kombat tournament, Tundra took up his brother's codename and was sent to the realm Outworld to complete the assignment after Shao Kahn's tournament was announced; he was accompanied by fellow Lin Kuei and close childhood friend Tomas Vrbada, codename Smoke.

In Outworld, Kuai Liang discovers the fire specter called Scorpion, the one who killed Bi-Han in the first tournament. Scorpion explained that Bi-Han was the one who murdered his family and clan Shirai Ryu in Japan, and then killed him, something Kuai Liang knew was false. His older brother may have been arrogant and infuriating, but he would never have massacred innocents just for the sake of it, someone must have told Scorpion that lie.

Even when Kuai tried to explain the reality, the specter seemed unwilling to listen to reason and only sought revenge, but even with that anger, he did not harm him. Kuai Liang didn't understand why the specter spared his life, but he couldn't worry about that now, he had a mission ahead.

Despite their efforts, Sub-Zero and Smoke, neither accomplished the mission that they were tasked to do for the Lin Kuei clan, as Shang Tsung survived, although they did assist the Shaolin monk Liu Kang, the Thunder God Raiden, and their allies in the battle with the emperor of Outworld Shao Kahn. Smoke and Sub-Zero returned home empty handed.

After returning to the Lin Kuei temple, Kuai Liang's strong moral principles have also brought him into conflict with his own clan when 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 Lord 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 his original good morals, now he had his two old allies Smoke and Cyrax back in their minds, no longer brainwashed, helping him fight against the forces of Outworld. 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, but now Kuai Liang had his childhood friend Smoke captured in Outworld and his ally Cyrax with unknown whereabouts, as well as Sektor who had escaped.

Kuai Liang's main mission now was to find Cyrax so then with his help they could go to Outworld and find and save Smoke, but his plans are interrupted when the fallen Elder God Shinnok threatened Earthrealm. Lord Raiden once again summoned Sub-Zero to assist in the defense of Earth. In honor to his older brother Bi-Han, Kuai Liang 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, the sorcerer 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 the Shokan Prince 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.

What both warriors didn't know was that they had a spectator in the shadows watching everything maliciously. Quan Chi, convinced that Sub-Zero was about to die nonetheless, readily admitted his deed to Scorpion. He was the one who massacred his family and clan, and then him, for later reviving him as a specter in the NetherRealm and telling to him that Bi-Han was responsible of all the slaughter. Scorpion then turned on Quan Chi and transported the treacherous sorcerer away, Kuai was left alone in the lair, wondering where the specter had taken the sorcerer and whether he would kill him to obtain his true revenge against the true murderer of his family and clan.

Shinnok was defeated by Liu Kang and the other Earthrealm warriors, they sent him back to the NetherRealm. After that, Sub-Zero returned to the Lin Kuei temple and he found out that the GrandMaster of the Lin Kuei was slain by the red-ketchup cyborg Sektor, who thought that the GrandMaster was inferior and the clan needed a stronger one, but was prevented from acquiring the powerful Dragon Medallion (symbol of leadership) by Sub-Zero, who defeated Sektor in an intense battle and Sektor fled to Japan after that.

Sub-Zero, possessing the Dragon Medallion, enhanced his freezing powers to levels he had never thought possible. He has even surpassed his late brother Bi-Han's freezing ability, whose ice can reach temperatures up to -500° Fahrenheit or -295.56° Celsius, which is way below absolute zero. Great changes were made to the Lin Kuei after Sub-Zero's victory. He 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 seasoned warriors rather than mindless assassins.

Sub-Zero held a tournament at the Lin Kuei temple 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 the soldier Sonya Blade.

Five years had passed since Shinnok's failed invasion and Kuai Liang's last sighting of Scorpion, and all seemed peaceful and calm in Earthrealm, or so it seemed. After Liu Kang's murder at the hands of the newly formed Deadly Alliance by the two sorcerers Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, 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. He also wanted revenge against Quan Chi for tarnishing his older brother's image by framing him as a murderer.

When Sub-Zero and Frost were separated from the other Earthrealm's 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.

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 betrayal, Sub-Zero donned an ancient suit of armor found in the ruins and enhanced his powers once more. He headed for the portal, to rendezvous with Raiden and the Earthrealm forces.

On his way through Outworld, he was attacked by a group of Tarkatan warriors. After killing them in the Living Forest, he was pursued by their ally, the General Seidan Guardsman Hotaru. Sub-Zero soon found the deadly wounded blind swordsman Kenshi Takahashi in Outworld and saved his life. Kenshi reported to him about the failure of Raiden and his forces, so they decided to return to Earthrealm together. As Hotaru takes an assault on them and temporary blinded Sub-Zero, it was this time Kenshi who successfully defended the life of his new companion. They defeated Hotaru and continued on their way.

As the old man warrior Shujinko rallied Earth's remaining warriors to defeat the new threat in the resurrected Dragon King Onaga, Sub-Zero once again ventured back into Outworld where he soon ran into Sareena. She told Kuai Liang about her background with his older brother; she helped free his brother from his confines of the NetherRealm and also helped defeat Quan Chi with him so many years ago, in the mission that Bi-Han had done before going to the first Mortal Kombat tournament.

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, now named Noob Saibot, and his good friend Smoke, the two disappeared into the NetherRealm.

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 NetherRealm.

The GrandMaster was overpowered 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 NetherRealm. Kuai Liang hopes to see Sareena again someday, she didn't deserve to suffer so much, especially after being the only one who helped Bi-Han in life.

Upon returning to the Lin Kuei temple in Earthrealm, Sub-Zero discovers many of his fellow Lin Kuei slain by a highly delusional Frost, who was in reality still very much alive when he buried her, and had now returned seeking revenge. 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.

Kuai Liang's sole objective now is to find Noob Saibot and Smoke, cleanse their souls that have fallen into darkness, and bring them back to his side. One day he will have his older brother Bi-Han with him again, and his best friend Tomas Vrbada too.

Student: GrandMaster Sub-Zero, I was wondering, who Sektor was? Kuai Liang: Hmm, I see you are curious about the Lin Kuei's past, are you not, young apprentice? I would be happy to enlighten you. Once, he was a human assassin within our own clan. But he possessed a hunger for power that the Lin Kuei's traditional codes could not satisfy. He became a primary architect of the Cyber Initiative, the very process that sought to strip warriors of their souls and replace them with cold, unfeeling machinery. He murdered our GrandMaster, his own father, in an attempt to seize control of the Lin Kuei, believing that machines would make our clan stronger and more ruthless. He represents everything I have fought to change within our order. He is not merely an enemy to Earthrealm; he is a traitor to the blood that binds us. Student: And what happened to him? Kuai Liang: After a mission, I returned to the Lin Kuei temple to find the mess he had made. I confronted him, and we fought for the Dragon Medallion you see in my possession today. When I defeated him, he escaped, and my allies in the Special Forces have informed me that he is currently in Japan, where he has formed his own clan of cyborgs called Tekunin. Student: And what about Cyrax? Kuai Liang: Cyrax was a noble warrior and a fellow of mine, but unfortunately he fell into the clutches of cybernetic initiation. He was turned into a cyborg against his will and programmed to hunt me down when I resisted. Luckily I managed to reprogram him and restore part of his old self, but not completely. Student: And where is he now? Kuai Liang: Cyrax was found in Jade's Desert by Major Jackson Briggs and Commander Sonya Blade. They both took him to the Special Forces headquarters and achieved what I could not, completely reprogramming him to restore his human memories and autonomy. He left the Lin Kuei clan and now serves in the Special Forces, but he and I are on good terms, we are still brothers in arms fighting to protect Earthrealm and our loved ones. Student: And who is Smoke? Kuai Liang: Oh, Smoke. He was my good childhood friend, Tomas Vrbada. Another victim of the cybernetic initiation performed by Sektor's father. Like Cyrax and myself, he was against such a wrongdoing. But when we tried to escape, they caught him and turned him into Cyber Smoke. For a while I managed to bring him back to his old self, but it did not lasted long before he disappeared. He is currently on the side of evil, serving in the NetherRealm alongside Noob Saibot. Student: Who is Noob Saibot? Kuai Liang: I am sorry to have to inform you that he is my late brother, Bi-Han. He was resurrected in the NetherRealm by Quan Chi and is currently an independent demon who swore to destroy Earthrealm, the Lin Kuei, and myself. I hope that one day I can save him. Student: And who is Frost? Kuai Liang: Frost was an exceptional student and apprentice of mine. She possessed quite impressive cryomancer powers, almost on par with mine, but as in the long history of the Lin Kuei, she could not help but follow the path of evil. She tried to steal my Dragon Medallion, and when she failed and I thought she was dead, she returned to the temple and massacred several recruits. She is currently encased in a block of ice, frozen and unconscious in a deep chamber of the temple. One day she will answer for her crimes, but I believe the blame also lies with me for not having properly shown her the right path. Student: Are we ninjas? Kuai Liang: No, young one, the Lin Kuei is not a ninja clan, there is no such thing as a Chinese ninja. Ninjas are unique to and originate from Japan, we are Lin Kuei warriors. I remember that every time someone said we were ninjas, my brother Bi-Han would get angry and immediately correct the misconception, quite annoyed.

Scorpion and Sub-Zero come face to face once again, the first time since their last encounter in Goro's lair, where they both learned the truth about Quan Chi. Kuai Liang: So you are Scorpion no longer, yet our kombat is renewed, Hanzo? Scorpion: It never ended, Sub-Zero. Kuai Liang: It will end today, you should already know that neither I nor my brother Bi-Han were culprits in the murder of your family and clan. Scorpion: I cannot escape my rage. Kuai Liang: Allow me to cool your anger, shall we?~ Scorpion: Using that soft tone of voice with me once again? You know I cannot resist it, you never learn. Kuai Liang: A man's never too old to learn, our clans must unite against evil. Scorpion: Why? さっさと喋れ! Kuai Liang: I will ask again after you cool down. Scorpion: If you were not so noble and kind, I would have burned you already. I still grieve my wife and son. Kuai Liang: I am not so cold, as to mock your pain. Scorpion: A wise choice, Sub-Zero. An alliance between us is not entirely against my wishes, we have common enemies after all. Quan Chi, Noob Saibot, Sektor... Kuai Liang: Quan Chi in his Deadly Alliance with Shang Tsung, my brother being a shadow wraith in the NetherRealm, and Sektor in Japan leading a cyborg clan called Tekunin, I think Earthrealm needs our mutual alliance more than anyone, Hanzo. Scorpion: I will have Quan Chi's head, I will help you bring Bi-Han back to the side of good... but Sektor remains uncaptured. Kuai Liang: We will find him, Hanzo. Scorpion: When we do, the kill is mine. Kuai Liang: No way! You always steal my kills, do you want me to beat you in a sparring match to dibs Sektor? Scorpion: Hm! How many times must you lose, Sub-Zero? Kuai Liang: More often, I win. Scorpion: Not against me, I will have to burn that pretty face of yours to teach you some manners, but worry not, I will try not to touch the scar on your right eye that much. 痛み を感じる だろ う. Kuai Liang: Always so warm, are you not, my friend?