Sub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)

Sub-Zero is the name used by two characters in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. They are depicted as two Chinese brothers who are ninja warriors of the Lin Kuei clan and principally defined by their blue attire and ability to control ice in many forms. Sub-Zero, as either brother, is the only series character to have appeared in every main installment of the series, along with being featured as the protagonist of the spin-off Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (1997).

The franchise's original and current Sub-Zero is Bi-Han (Chinese: 避寒; pinyin: Bì Hán), who appeared in the original 1992 game. In-between the game and its sequel Mortal Kombat II (1993), Bi-Han is killed by Scorpion, and his younger brother Kuai Liang (Chinese: 奎凉; pinyin: Kúi Liáng) takes over the Sub-Zero mantle, with his bitter rivalry towards Scorpion becoming one of the series' most prominent story elements. Bi-Han returns in Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004) as the undead Noob Saibot, mastering shadows instead of ice. While the brothers' stories were kept similar in the series' second timeline, effective from 2011's Mortal Kombat to Mortal Kombat 11 (2019), the current timeline started in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) re-establishes Bi-Han as Sub-Zero for the first time since the original game, while Kuai Liang takes on the Scorpion mantle instead. Regardless of mantles and timelines, Bi-Han remains depicted as an anti-hero-turned-villain, while Kuai Liang is a more heroic and noble figure. One of Mortal Kombat's signature characters, Sub-Zero has appeared in various related media outside of the games, including films and television series both live-action and animated. He has received acclaim for his appearance, abilities, and Fatality finishing moves.