Bi-Han

**Bi-Han** (Chinese: 壁寒), also known as **Noob Saibot** or **Sub-Zero**, is one of the seven main antagonists (alongside Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Shao Kahn, Kano, Shinnok and Kabal) of the Mortal Kombat franchise.

Once the greatest Lin Kuei assassin known as Sub-Zero, he would be revived as a wraith with shadow-manipulating abilities after being killed by Scorpion in the first Mortal Kombat tournament. Despite being reborn to serve Shinnok and his Brotherhood of Shadow, he would eventually break free from their control, seeking to gain power for himself. He is the older brother and archenemy of Kuai Liang (aka the second Sub-Zero) alongside his killer Scorpion.

## Background

### Early Life

Bi-Han and his brother Kuai Liang at an early age were taken away from their family by the Lin Kuei and raised in the clan to become vicious assassins. Despite them being brothers, Bi-Han and Kuai Liang were both very different in terms of personality; Bi-Han was merciless, killing without hesitation if it meant completing his mission, while Kuai Liang was far more compassionate only killing when it was absolutely necessary. Eventually, Bi-Han would be gifted the name Sub-Zero due to his cryomancer powers.

### Official Descriptions

> **Mortal Kombat (2011):** *"Noob Saibot's origins are unknown, but he is likely a revenant: a fallen warrior resurrected by the Netherrealm sorcerer Quan Chi to fulfill a dark objective. Noob has been assigned to aid Shao Kahn in his acquisition of Earthrealm. A faithful servant and a recent addition to the Brotherhood of Shadow, he will obey his master, Quan Chi, and complete his mission. But he is biding his time. Noob Saibot has a dark objective of his own."*
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> **Mortal Kombat 11:** *"Shadow of the Netherrealm. In life, Noob Saibot was known as Sub-Zero. Unjustly murdered by Scorpion, he was resurrected by Quan Chi and granted power over darkness, but as Quan Chi’s slave. Now, Quan Chi is dead. Noob Saibot is finally free to reclaim the honor that was stolen from him."*
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> **Mortal Kombat 1:** "*As the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster, Sub-Zero leads his ancient warrior clan in defense of Earthrealm from external threats. For centuries, it has been their solemn task. But Earthrealm hasn't been threatened in generations, and Sub-Zero see no point in limiting his clan to preparing for dangers that may never come. Under his leadership, the Lin Kuei will come out of the shadows and fight for its place as one of Earthrealm's great nations."*
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> * **Mortal Kombat 1:** "*As the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster, Sub-Zero leads his ancient warrior clan in defense of Earthrealm from external threats. For centuries, it has been their solemn task. But Earthrealm hasn't been threatened in generations, and Sub-Zero see no point in limiting his clan to preparing for dangers that may never come. Under his leadership, the Lin Kuei will come out of the shadows and fight for its place as one of Earthrealm's great nations."*
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* **Mortal Kombat 11:** *"Shadow of the Netherrealm. In life, Noob Saibot was known as Sub-Zero. Unjustly murdered by Scorpion, he was resurrected by Quan Chi and granted power over darkness, but as Quan Chi’s slave. Now, Quan Chi is dead. Noob Saibot is finally free to reclaim the honor that was stolen from him."*

* **Mortal Kombat 11:** *"Shadow of the Netherrealm. In life, Noob Saibot was known as Sub-Zero. Unjustly murdered by Scorpion, he was resurrected by Quan Chi and granted power over darkness, but as Quan Chi’s slave. Now, Quan Chi is dead. Noob Saibot is finally free to reclaim the honor that was stolen from him."*

* **Mortal Kombat 11:** *"Shadow of the Netherrealm. In life, Noob Saibot was known as Sub-Zero. Unjustly murdered by Scorpion, he was resurrected by Quan Chi and granted power over darkness, but as Quan Chi’s slave. Now, Quan Chi is dead. Noob Saibot is finally free to reclaim the honor that was stolen from him."*

## Storyline

### *Mortal Kombat (2011)*

As the original Sub-Zero, Bi-Han entered the *Mortal Kombat* tournament along with his fellow Lin Kuei, Sektor and Cyrax, to fight for Outworld. He fought against Sonya Blade in Goro's Lair on the orders of Shang Tsung, but was defeated. Later in the tournament, he confronted the Shirai Ryu specter Scorpion, who wished to kill him for murdering his family and clan. After mocking Scorpion's combat abilities, he responds by dragging Bi-Han down to the Netherrealm, telling him he will have his revenge in the same place where he was reborn. Scorpion and Bi-Han fought, with the former emerging victorious. Due to a prior agreement with Raiden, Scorpion decided to spare Bi-Han. Quan Chi, however, managed to change Scorpion's mind by showing him illusions of the Shirai Ryu massacre, as well as that of Scorpion's wife and son, all at the hands of Sub-Zero. Consumed by rage, Scorpion killed Bi-Han, despite Bi-Han's claims of not having any knowledge of the events. Scorpion brought Bi-Han's spine and skull ripped from his mortal body to Earthrealm, and let it fall to the ground and shatter in front of Raiden and the other kombatants.

Later on, Bi-Han was resurrected as Noob Saibot, and became a servant of Quan Chi. The first Earthrealm warriors to encounter him in his new form were Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Noob was bested by Kung Lao, who then questioned his identity, claiming he had a familiar presence. However, Noob escaped while Kung Lao fought Goro.

Noob later traveled with Quan Chi to Jade's Desert, where he witnessed Sindel's ressurection. Both Noob and Mileena engaged Kabal when he made a move to attack Shao Kahn, the Emperor of Outworld. However, they were both defeated, with Kabal escaping through a portal back to Earthrealm.

Noob was later seen to be assisting Quan Chi in casting a spell to create a massive Soulnado. However, once his younger brother Kuai Liang (now as a cyborg) was spotted by Quan Chi, he left his work to challenge him, having been warned by Kano that Kuai Liang was a defector. He revealed his identity to his younger brother, telling him that he was not worthy of the name Sub-Zero, a name that was once his. He also claimed that while they shared blood, Noob no longer considered him to be a brother. They soon engaged in combat, where Noob Saibot was defeated by Kuai Liang, who, after the conflict, claimed that Noob was right; they were no longer family.

Soon after his fight with Sub-Zero, He battled Nightwolf, but lost. Nightwolf then managed to destroy the Soulnado by kicking Noob Saibot into it, being swallowed by the souls it contained.

### *Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series)*

Though Bi-Han does not appear physically, he has been featured in several flashbacks. Havik uses Bi-Han's image as Sub-Zero to torment Hanzo Hasashi while he is in a hallucinogenic state recalling the massacre of his clan.

Bi-Han as Sub-Zero is seen in Hanzo's flashback to his death and the Shirai Ryu's destruction. Bi-Han is shown holding Hanzo's severed head and spine before the frozen corpses of his wife and child. Bi-Han is seen again in a flashback to the events of Mortal Kombat when Hanzo, reborn as the revenant Scorpion, takes his vengeance upon him by burning him alive with hellfire while the necromancer Quan Chi watches. Bi-Han screams his innocence as he burns to an uncaring Scorpion.

### *Mortal Kombat X*

Sareena mentions Bi-Han in an attempt to help Kitana escape from Quan Chi's influence, Kitana refutes this and claims that Bi-Han had corrupted Sareena with emotion, allowing her to escape Quan Chi to which Sareena responds that emotion freed her.

Bi-Han is also mentioned by Scorpion after he discovers Quan Chi's involvement with the death of his family and the Shirai Ryu, Sub-Zero explains that Quan Chi was responsible for his death, not Scorpion.

### *Mortal Kombat 11*

#### Part 1: *Mortal Kombat 11*

Noob Saibot returns several decades after his supposed demise to confront his archenemy Scorpion, and younger brother Kuai Liang, in the Cyber Lin Kuei Assembly plant, first attacking Scorpion before revealing himself before them. When Scorpion questions his survival, Noob retorts that Quan Chi's creations were built too strong to die, and reveals that Kronika has promised him his own clan of living shadows like himself in the New Era. The specter of darkness battles his brother and nemesis once again, but is defeated. When Kuai Liang and Scorpion successfully shut down the Cyber Lin Kuei assembly's servers, Noob Saibot flees the base with Frost and Sektor's comatose body.

Kronika next sends Noob Saibot to guard the Well of Souls on Shang Tsung's Island, where her crown is absorbing the countless souls from within to give her further strength needed to rewrite time and create the New Era. Noob ambushes the past version of Jax Briggs and his daughter Jacqui Briggs with numerous copies of his shadowy doppelganger, but is defeated by the two, onc

### Physical appearence

In *MK 2011*, Bi-Han as Sub-Zero & Noob Saibot gains a new ninja outfit almost resembling his look from *MK Deception*. Until later an updated version with a hoodie.

In *MK11*, Noob Saibot gets a new look along with a sickle as his signature weapon.

In *MK1*, Bi-Han returns as Sub-Zero once again in a new outfit with a silver mask.

### Personalty and traits

Even before being transformed into Noob Saibot, Bi-Han was already shown to be cold and ruthless. Unlike his younger brother, Kuai Liang, Bi-Han was less compassionate and willing to kill his enemies without a second thought. He was also loyal to the Lin Kuei, taking on any task the Grandmaster assigned him no matter how dangerous or how evil the person he was working for was. Bi-Han was also shown to only be interested in making money, using the excuse to Raiden that "I was just earning my living," after he helped Quan Chi get Shinnok's amulet back. He also only entered the tournament to claim the large bounty on Shang Tsung. Originally, though, Bi-Han also had some heroic traits; he expressed regret for helping Quan Chi after being scolded by Raiden, and tried to compensate for it by heading to the Netherrealm to retrieve the amulet back.

After being resurrected as Noob Saibot, Bi-Han essentially becomes a worse version of himself. He is even more ruthless and cold and completely lacks any empathy, and is willing to commit heinous crimes just for his master's endgame. After being freed from his master's control, he also continues to fight for the side of evil despite that.

His personality is expanded on in the second timeline, where he is shown to be even worse than depicted in the original timeline. He had an extreme hatred for the Shirai Ryu clan being complicit in Quan Chi framing up and vocally rejecting the idea of peace between them. He also insults the undead Scorpion's clan right in front of him, leading to his ultimate downfall. In the third and current timeline, Bi-Han is shown to heavily favor power over duty. He had resented his father for, in his eyes, preventing the Lin Kuei from achieving their "true potential"; his frustrations with the Lin Kuei led him to allow his father to die following an accident and betray Earthrealm to ally with Shang Tsung under the promise of power.

As Noob Saibot, he is shown mostly the same as his original timeline, though in this case, through the story's dialogue, more information about Noob's personality is shown. Noob is shown to embrace his path, admitting to Kuai Liang that his new path suits his purposes. He is also shown to be arrogant, believing himself to be a perfect creation from Quan Chi and that nobody can stand up to him. He also grows a deep hatred for his brother Kuai Liang outright, saying that they are no longer brothers and personally wanting to take him out on a few occasions. In *Mortal Kombat 11*, he also displays signs of being sexist, as seen during some of his interactions with Frost. Despite this, he does show that he may still have some fondness for his brother, as he admits to Frost that Kuai Lang would make a better Grandmaster than her.

### Powers and Abilities

As Sub-Zero, Bi-Han possessed mastery over the element of ice, even more so than his younger brother. He proved able to flash freeze opponents by touching them, freezing them to the point where they are brittle enough to shatter, and freeze the air itself by concentrating his ice powers into one destructive blast. He is also much stronger, faster, and tougher than most humans; being powerful enough to rip out someone's spine and rip them in half.

After becoming Noob Saibot, his powers revolved around shadow and phantom aspects. He can use his shadow powers to render himself invisible, teleport, and increase and decrease the effectiveness of the powers of both himself and others limitless. Noob's phantom powers allow him to remove and control another combatants powers with use of a projectile attack, lift them into the air with doppelgangers of himself (Dubbed Saibot), and possess others. Noob also makes great use of shuriken, which he seems to have an endless amount of and, in *Mortal Kombat: Armageddon*, wielded a warhammer-like weapon in combat.

### Endings

> **Mortal Kombat (2011) (Non-Canonical):** *"Quan Chi should never have resurrected Noob Saibot. Nor should he have enhanced his power to defeat Shao Kahn. The revenant he created had broken free of his control. Noob had secretly formed an "understanding" with a cleric from the realm of Chaos and opened for him a portal to the Netherrealm. Shinnok, Quan Chi and the Brotherhood of Shadow were unprepared as the forces of Chaos overwhelmed them, leaving the Underworld severely weakened. Satisfied with his work, the cleric, Havik, returned to the realm of Chaos. Noob Saibot remained to seize control of the Netherrealm."*
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> **Mortal Kombat 11 (Non-Canonical):** *"Kronika said I would lead the New Era's deadliest clan. But she made such promises to many. She could never keep them all. So I betrayed her, before she could betray me. When Kronika's sands fused with my shadows, my ambitions grew. Why be a ruler of mortals, when I could rule destiny itself? Mortals resisted, but could not stop, my blanketing history in cold, endless night. All is dark. All are shadows. I have had many names. Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds."*
> **Mortal Kombat 1 (Canonical):** "*I had broken the Lin Kuei free of Liu Kang's enslavement. We were now masters of our destiny and could take our place among Earthrealm's greatest nations. But taking and holding territory would require a vast army. I needed more fighters to make our presence felt. Then I recalled Shang Tsung's dragon warriors. An army of them would be unstoppable. But trafficking in such strong magic would surely draw Liu Kang's attention. Sektor advised me that we avoid detection by building our army using science, not sorcery. We've invested much time in this endeavor, and we are beginning to see results. Once again proving the depths of Sektor's genius. When we are done, all of Earthrealm will honor our desires and heed our demands. If not, they will face the Lin Kuei's wrath.*"
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## Appearences

### Arcade Collection

#### Mortal Kombat (1992)

*"The actual name or identity of this warrior is unknown. However, based on the markings of his uniform, it is believed he belongs to the Lin Kuei, a legendary clan of Chinese ninja."*

Upon returning to the Lin Kuei headquarters, he learned that he had been invited to the *Mortal Kombat* tournament by Shang Tsung himself. The Lin Kuei had previously been approached with a contract for the sorcerer's head. Sub-Zero would accept the invitation, with his ultimate designs being set on assassinating Tsung.

To this day, the particulars of Sub-Zero's fate during the tournament remain largely unknown. By Raiden's account, Scorpion had also participated in the tournament and swore to Sub-Zero that he would get his revenge. Sometime after the defeats of Goro and Shang Tsung by the White Lotus monk Liu Kang, and the island's subsequent eruption into chaos, Scorpion confronted Sub-Zero at the island's gates and challenged him to a fight to the death. Fueled by vengeance and the demon energies of the Netherrealm, Scorpion burned Sub-Zero to death.

*"After receiving the title of Grand Champion, Sub-Zero disappears back into the shadows from which he came. His only goal in the tournament was...the assassination of Shang Tsung. He was paid a large sum of money by one of Tsung's wealthy enemies. With his mission accomplished, Sub-Zero will collect his fortune and retire from his dangerous profession."*

#### *Mortal Kombat II*

True to what Raiden had predicted, Sub-Zero's soul descended deep into the Netherrealm's Fifth Plane, where he would become a demonic form of what he used to be. He would be given the name of **Noob Saibot**.

Saibot would become a member of the Brotherhood of the Shadow, the very thing he had resisted becoming whilst alive. In a darkly ironic twist, Saibot would now pledge allegiance and loyalty to Shinnok. One of his first tasks for his new lord would be to observe and report on the events taking place on Earthrealm and Outworld; to this end, he remained in the shadows during the Outworld tournament, faithfully monitoring the situation for the fallen Elder God.

#### Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

*"Noob Saibot emerges from the darkest region of reality - a region known as the Netherrealm. He belongs to a group called the Brothers of the Shadow, and worships an evil and mysterious fallen Elder God. His mission is to spy on the events taking place in the battle between the realms and report back to his enigmatic leaders."*

At Shinnok's behest, Saibot aligned himself with Outworld's emperor, Shao Kahn, during Kahn's invasion of Earth. It is unknown of his role in the battle.

*"At first a passive observer, Noob Saibot would soon receive orders to side with the evil emperor Shao Kahn. Saibot's leaders in the Netherrealm want him to join Kahn's battle to gain his trust and to gain entrance into the Earthrealm. When Kahn drops his guard, Noob Saibot is ordered to attack. With both Earthrealm and Outworld's emperor defeated, the fallen Elder God known as Shinnok can take both realms and gain the power he needs to strike back at the Elder Gods who banished him into the Netherrealm."*

### 2010's and 2020's Timelines

#### *Mortal Kombat (2011)*

As the original Sub-Zero, Bi-Han entered the *Mortal Kombat* tournament along with his fellow Lin Kuei, Sektor and Cyrax, to fight for Outworld. He fought against Sonya Blade in Goro's Lair on the orders of Shang Tsung, but was defeated. Later in the tournament, he confronted the Shirai Ryu specter Scorpion, who wished to kill him for murdering his family and clan. After mocking Scorpion's combat abilities, he responds by dragging Bi-Han down to the Netherrealm, telling him he will have his revenge in the same place where he was reborn. Scorpion and Bi-Han fought, with the former emerging victorious. Due to a prior agreement with Raiden, Scorpion decided to spare Bi-Han. Quan Chi, however, managed to change Scorpion's mind by showing him illusions of the Shirai Ryu massacre, as well as that of Scorpion's wife and son, all at the hands of Sub-Zero. Consumed by rage, Scorpion killed Bi-Han, despite Bi-Han's claims of not having any knowledge of the events. Scorpion brought Bi-Han's spine and skull ripped from his mortal body to Earthrealm, and let it fall to the ground and shatter in front of Raiden and the other kombatants.

Later on, Bi-Han was resurrected as Noob Saibot, and became a servant of Quan Chi. The first Earthrealm warriors to encounter him in his new form were Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Noob was bested by Kung Lao, who then questioned his identity, claiming he had a familiar presence. However, Noob escaped while Kung Lao fought Goro.

Noob later traveled with Quan Chi to Jade's Desert, where he witnessed Sindel's ressurection. Both Noob and Mileena engaged Kabal when he made a move to attack Shao Kahn, the Emperor of Outworld. However, they were both defeated, with Kabal escaping through a portal back to Earthrealm.

Noob was later seen to be assisting Quan Chi in casting a spell to create a massive Soulnado. However, once his younger brother Kuai Liang (now as a cyborg) was spotted by Quan Chi, he left his work to challenge him, having been warned by Kano that Kuai Liang was a defector. He revealed his identity to his younger brother, telling him that he was not worthy of the name Sub-Zero, a name that was once his. He also claimed that while they shared blood, Noob no longer considered him to be a brother. They soon engaged in combat, where Noob Saibot was defeated by Kuai Liang, who, after the conflict, claimed that Noob was right; they were no longer family.

Soon after his fight with Sub-Zero, He battled Nightwolf, but lost. Nightwolf then managed to destroy the Soulnado by kicking Noob Saibot into it, being swallowed by the souls it contained.

#### *Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series)*

Though Bi-Han does not appear physically, he has been featured in several flashbacks. Havik uses Bi-Han's image as Sub-Zero to torment Hanzo Hasashi while he is in a hallucinogenic state recalling the massacre of his clan.

Bi-Han as Sub-Zero is seen in Hanzo's flashback to his death and the Shirai Ryu's destruction. Bi-Han is shown holding Hanzo's severed head and spine before the frozen corpses of his wife and child. Bi-Han is seen again in a flashback to the events of Mortal Kombat when Hanzo, reborn as the revenant Scorpion, takes his vengeance upon him by burning him alive with hellfire while the necromancer Quan Chi watches. Bi-Han screams his innocence as he burns to an uncaring Scorpion.

#### *Mortal Kombat X*

Sareena mentions Bi-Han in an attempt to help Kitana escape from Quan Chi's influence, Kitana refutes this and claims that Bi-Han had corrupted Sareena with emotion, allowing her to escape Quan Chi to which Sareena responds that emotion freed her.

Bi-Han is also mentioned by Scorpion after he discovers Quan Chi's involvement with the death of his family and the Shirai Ryu, Sub-Zero explains that Quan Chi was responsible for his death, not Scorpion.

#### *Mortal Kombat 11*

##### Part 1: *Mortal Kombat 11*

Noob Saibot returns several decades after his supposed demise to confront his archenemy Scorpion, and younger brother Kuai Liang, in the Cyber Lin Kuei Assembly plant, first attacking Scorpion before revealing himself before them. When Scorpion questions his survival, Noob retorts that Quan Chi's creations were built too strong to die, and reveals that Kronika has promised him his own clan of living shadows like himself in the New Era. The specter of darkness battles his brother and nemesis once again, but is defeated. When Kuai Liang and Scorpion successfully shut down the Cyber Lin Kuei assembly's servers, Noob Saibot flees the base with Frost and Sektor's comatose body.

Kronika next sends Noob Saibot to guard the Well of Souls on Shang Tsung's Island, where her crown is absorbing the countless souls from within to give her further strength needed to rewrite time and create the New Era. Noob ambushes the past version of Jax Briggs and his daughter Jacqui Briggs with numerous copies of his shadowy doppelganger, but is defeated by the two, once more forcing him to retreat.

##### Part 2: *Aftermath*

With Shang Tsung and Fujin on his island, Kronika sends Noob and Jax immediately to stop them from obtaining the Crown. He was defeated by Fujin, forcing him to defeat

#### *Mortal Kombat 1*

In restarting the timeline, Liu Kang designed the fates of every inhabitant, including his old allies. In doing so, he designed the fate of Bi-Han to become **Sub-Zero** once again, preventing his resurrection and corruption as **Noob Saibot** like in previous timelines. Additionally, his brother Kuai Liang becomes this timeline's **Scorpion**, preventing the longstanding rivalry between the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu, as the latter clan does not exist. Bi-Han is also the rightful successor to being Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, assuming the role after his father's death.

Bi-Han and his brother, as well as their adopted brother Tomas lead an assault on Madam Bo's Teahouse, with Kung Lao and Raiden defending the Teahouse from the Lin Kuei's assault. After the fight subsides, Liu Kang arrives, revealing to the two that the Lin Kuei were there to test them and they become worthy of being Liu Kang's champions, not realizing that Bi-Han and his brothers were holding back the entire time. Bi-Han and Kuai then accompany Liu Kang to recruit Johnny Cage at his mansion. As they arrive, Johnny had recently subdued Yakuza member Kenshi Takahashi. Believing his wife Cris is pranking him, he is then attacked by Bi-Han and Kuai Liang after Johnny put his hands on Bi-Han, but the two are defeated by Cage and the fight is broken up by Liu Kang, revealing to a confused Johnny that he is the Eternal God of Fire. Liu Kang then recruits the actor and gangster as his champions for the upcoming Tournament in Outworld while Bi-Han adamantly remains in Earthrealm with his brothers, waiting for their next objective from the Fire God.

After the Tournament as well as developing circumstances, Liu Kang has Bi-Han and his brothers lead an assault on the Ying Fortress where Shang Tsung, a former Outworld con artist has turned into a powerful sorcerer through unknown events. Bi-Han and his brothers are tasked with destroying the developing Soul Stealers and to capture the sorcerer. As they arrive, Bi-Han reveals he has grown tiresome of defending Earthrealm, believing the Lin Kuei should lead it. This draws concerns from his brothers, who believe Bi-Han is abandoning their father's teachings and traditions. Nonetheless, they follow Bi-Han to the Fortress to complete their objective.

At the Fortress, Bi-Han and his brothers face off against Quan Chi's allies and creations. Quan Chi, a former Outworld mine worker turned sorcerer like Shang Tsung, allied with Nitara to support her realm while ordering his creation Ermac to defend the Fortress while the sorcerers prepare the Soul Stealers. The allies are defeated by the brothers, where Tomas remains outside to prevent the Soul Stealers construction while Bi-Han and Kuai Liang infiltrate the interior after spotting Quan Chi. Once inside, they fight and defeat the sorcerers, but are apprehended by General Shao and his forces. Once captured, he is offered a proposition from Shang Tsung, much to Kuai Liang's dismay. Shang Tsung knows of Bi-Han's growing ire towards Liu Kang and offers control over the Dragon Army within the Fortress for Bi-Han's assistance. He agrees, betraying his brother and revealing he let their father die to become Grandmaster after disagreeing with their father's ideologies. After Kuai Liang escapes the Fortress, he reveals Bi-Han's intentions to Tomas but the two are confronted by their brother, who demands they remain at his side. Refusing to give into his brother's treachery, Kuai fights Bi-Han, where Bi-Han wounds his brother by slashing his face. Bi-Han is defeated and Kuai and Tomas return him to the Lin Kuei to be locked up to prevent him from aiding Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.

After the revelation of multiple timelines, Liu Kang forms a new Forces of Light to kombat an alternate version of Shang Tsung that had been meddling with the timeline by bringing in Titans and kombatants from other timelines to aid him in the upcoming battle. Bi-Han joins neither side, however other timeline counterparts of his participate in the upcoming battle.

Liu Kang arrives in Titan Shang Tsung's timeline with his Forces of Light to battle Titan Shang Tsung's Forces of Darkness. A battle ensues with kombat and death all around. Titan Shang Tsung summons a Titan version of Quan Chi, thus reforming The Deadly Alliance for the battle at hand. As the battle wages to the top of the Pyramid, a good version of the Deadly Alliance briefly fight the Titan Deadly Alliance before being quickly killed. At the top, the Titans fight Liu Kang and an ally, only to be bested by Liu Kang's ally in kombat. Liu Kang uses his Temporal Power to erase both Titans, but in doing so, causes the timeline seemingly begins to collapse. Running out of time, Liu Kang sends his ally back to their respective timeline before doing so with himself.

Back in their timeline, Liu Kang reveals that after Bi-Han's treachery, Kuai Liang and Tomas defect from the Lin Kuei, who plan on starting a new clan as the successors to the Lin Kuei.

## In TV Live action

### *Mortal Kombat: Rebirth*

Sub-Zero and his brother are mentioned in the short film *Mortal Kombat: Rebirth*, by Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs, in an attempt to gain Scorpion's trust, and get him to enter Shang Tsung's tournament as Sonya Blade told Hanzo Hasashi that if he joined the tournament, he would get the opportunity to kill Sub-Zero. Scorpion believed he was dead, but he was then informed that the one he had killed was the older brother.

### *Mortal Kombat: Legacy*

Bi-Han appears as Sub-Zero in *Mortal Kombat Legacy*, portrayed by Kevan Ohtsji in Season 1 and Eric Steinberg in Season 2. Unlike in the games, Bi-Han and Hanzo Hasashi were childhood friends and sparring rivals rather than bitter enemies; they would often train together in a hayfield outside of their respective villages. However, their fathers eventually discovered this arrangement and forbid the two boys from seeing each other. Bi-Han questioned his father as to why the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu were in conflict, but the answers he gave implied he himself did not know the reason.

When Bi-Han succeeded his father as general, he forbade any violent conflict between them and the Shirai Ryu. This peace would be broken when an overambitious Kuai Liang challenged Hanzo and paid with his life. After this event, Bi-Han promised Hanzo there would be no retaliation for the death of his younger brother and the two committed to a formal truce to forever end the violence between their clans.

Tragedy struck shortly after, however, as news reached Bi-Han about the slaughter of the Shirai Ryu and Hanzo's family at the hands of the Lin Kuei. Bi-Han was shocked and heartbroken that his clan would defy him and commit such a horrendous act, but before he could punish those involved, a mystic arrived and revealed the truth behind the attack. The sorcerer Quan Chi had impersonated Sub-Zero to carry out the slaughter so that he could resurrect Hanzo and gain his allegiance in the upcoming Mortal Kombat tournament. In the vision produced by the mystic, Quan Chi (appearing as Bi-Han) is seen killing the land's shogun and murdering Hanzo as he finds his family's frozen remains.

Bi-Han travelled to the tournament to track down Hanzo and explain to him the true nature of his death. However, Hanzo had been resurrected as the spectre Scorpion and was far too consumed by his vengeance to listen. Though Sub-Zero put up a valiant fight, he ultimately lost when Scorpion impaled him from behind with his kunai. Scorpion completed his revenge by ripping out his rival's head and spinal cord, killing him instantly.

## In films

### *Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge*

Bi-Han, voiced by Steven Blum, appears as Sub-Zero in the 2020 animated film *Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge*. Like most of his counterparts in other media, Scorpion tried to kill Sub-Zero for the deaths of his family and the clan of Shirai Ryu.

Sub-Zero attended the Mortal Kombat Tournament. In the wake of Earthrealm's success, Shang Tsung ordered the Black Dragon to kill them. Upon reaching the bridge that leads to the throne room, the Earthrealmers were ambushed by Kano and Black Dragon assassins. With the help of Scorpion, they managed to defeat the Black Dragon. Kano was intercepted and overpowered by Sub-Zero, who helped the group deal with the Black Dragon assassins. However, Scorpion, recognizing the blue-clad ninja as his son's killer, started to battle him in an act of vengeance. The fight ended with Sub-Zero's death and Quan Chi showed up in front of Scorpion to reveal that he was the one who massacred the clan of Shirai Ryu.

## Trivia

* Bi-Han's name can be transcribed into Chinese 壁漢, literally "flat-jade man", or 避寒, "escape cold".
* Sub-Zero's original name was going to be "Tundra", which canonically became the younger Sub-Zero's original codename.
* During his time as Sub-Zero, he disliked being called a "ninja". As a Lin Kuei loyalist, he referred to himself as a "Lin Kuei warrior" and distinguished the difference between the two.
	+ Ironically, Noob uses Shurikens, which are commonly used by ninjas. Furthering the irony, shurikens in the series were first used in *Mortal Kombat 4* by Reiko, who replaced Noob in the game.
	+ Additionally in *MK11*, during an interaction with his brother Kuai Liang and Cassie Cage, Cassie refers to the Lin Kuei as ninjas, to which Sub-Zero retorts that they are not despite dressing like them.
* In all games both brothers have appeared, Sub-Zero's **Ice Blast** and Noob's **Disabler** have had the same button combination (Down, Forward, Low Punch).
	+ In *MK 2011*, however, Sub-Zero's ice ball uses a slightly different combination than Noob's ghost ball (Down, Forward, Front Kick and Down, Forward, Front Punch respectively). Also, Cyber Sub-Zero's **Ice Ball** uses the same combination as the **Ghost Ball**.

* Bi-Han returns as his original Sub-Zero appearance, being the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei in the new timeline.
* As with other revamped and reimagined characters, Kuai Liang, his younger brother, is now Scorpion in the new timeline, a departure from the previous iterations of the characters.
* In his intro dialogue between him and Cage, is where Bi-Han said, *"Revenge is a dish best served cold."*, with Cage says, *"It is very cold in space."*, a reference to Khan's quote in *Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan*.
* As Bi-Han begins his **Brain Freeze'**s fatality, he says "你現在死!", which means "You die now!" in Chinese. This phrase was previously said by Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat (2011).

* Noob seems to have the same stance as Sub-Zero's in the original *Mortal Kombat*. This is a nod to him being the original Sub-Zero.
	+ Further stating his former identity, when the player uses Sub-Zero's Alternate Costume, most of his sound files are changed to Noob's (albeit without the deep accent), such as his **Iceball** shout, which is exactly the same as his **Ghost Ball** shout.
	+ Also, Noob's alternate outfit is the same outfit he wore when he appeared as Sub-Zero in the first tournament, save for a few differences: Noob's version has a black tone, and lacks the Lin-Kuei's emblem on the left part of his chest.
* In the opening cutscene of the *MK 2011* Story Mode, Noob Saibot is seen with a sword lodged in his spine. Many believe this sword to be Scorpion's Mugai Ryu.
* When using Klassic Noob Saibot's alternate colors, Noob will summon Klassic Smoke as opposed to his usual Shadow Clone. Although this may be a reference to the Noob-Smoke alliance from *Deception*, subsequent matches will replace Smoke with Noob's normal Shadow Clone, implying it might, in fact, be a glitch due to the fact both klassic kostumes were released at the same time. The only way to cause Smoke to reappear is to quit the match and select Noob once again from the character select screen. Even while Smoke is active while playing as Noob, Noob's shadow clone will still be used for the Make-a-Wish Fatality as well as Noob's mid-match victory and victory sequences.
* Noob Saibot's X-Ray Move is the only one that will make the opponent vomit, which will happen regardless of whether the character is wearing a mask or not.
	+ Also, this is the only X-Ray that involves the help of a second "person".
* During Cyber Sub-Zero's Chapter, he shows a dominating attitude in front of his younger brother and calls him "unworthy of the name Sub-Zero". This attitude towards Kuai Liang could be derived from true disdain, an added effect from his dark resurrection, or a combination of the two.
* Noob Saibot, donning his klassic costume, can be battled as a secret character in Arcade Ladder. This is done by winning both rounds without blocking in The Cathedral while Noob stands in the background.

* When interacting with Sub-Zero, Bo' Rai Cho and Kung Lao, the latter as a Revenant, will mention Noob Saibot, referring to him as Sub-Zero's brother.
	+ This is the only instance in which Kuai Liang referred to his brother as "Noob Saibot".
* In the *MKX* Story Mode, when trying to persuade a Revenant Kitana, Sareena will mention Noob Saibot by his original name.

* Bi-Han is mentioned in *Injustice 2* by his brother Kuai Liang, who is featured as a playable guest character in the game.
	+ Additionally, two of Sub-Zero's shaders in the game are named after Bi-Han.
* Bi-Han will also cameo during a mirror match with Sub-Zero, revealing during an interaction that he is freed from Quan Chi's control.

* Noob Saibot is one of the few characters whose appearance in the Arcade is different from his apprearance in the Story Mode.
* Noob Saibot's usage of a sickle in *MK11* is a direct reference to the Brotherhood of Shadow enemies from *Shaolin Monks*, who similarly wielded sickles in combat.
* An interaction with Frost reveals Noob Saibot would not allow female Lin Kuei if he were Grandmaster, making Frost say that he is worse than his brother.
* During interactions, some characters will actually refer to Noob as Bi-Han.
	+ Some of these characters include Fujin, Cetrion, Jax and Skarlet and Spawn.
* Many interactions with Scorpion reference their hatred towards one another as rival clans, the conflict between the two and Noob claiming responsibility for the death of Scorpion's clan and family. However, there is one interaction between the two where Noob questions their partnership since they were both reborn by Quan Chi, to which Scorpion states their allegiance ended when Quan Chi died.
* Noob Saibot makes a number of pop-cultural references.
	+ His *MK11* ending in where he claims "Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds" directly quotes the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was credited as being the father of the atomic bomb. The quote itself is from the Bhagavad-Gita.
	+ During a mirror match interaction in *MK11*, he references *Harry Potter* in which one Noob Saibot will ask "Who are you, ghost?", to which the second Noob Saibot responds "He who shall not be named". Then one Noob Saibot will also respond with: "Return to your deathly hollow."
* Bi-Han and Kuai Liang are the only klassic trilogy era-based fighters in *MK11* who never have their past-selves appeared in its story mode.
* Through the Kustomization, Noob can look identical to his Shadow Clone.
* Noob is one of the seven Klassic male ninjas incorporated into Shang Tsung's move list.
	+ He, Sub-Zero and Scorpion are all part of Shang Tsung's **Fatal Blow**.
* An interaction with his brother reveals that their Grandfather took the mantle of Sub-Zero before the two brothers.
* Noob Saibot is one of the few characters whose uppercut is from the use of a weapon and not a literal uppercut, resulting in him being one of the few characters that does not literally uppercut the opponent's head off when performing the **The Klassic** Brutality.

* Noob Saibot gains exclusive **Krushing Blows** for his Shadow attacks not featured in *MK11*.
* Like Rain's Klassic card, Noob's Klassic card features his *MK3* outfit, which is a reskin of Scorpion's *MK3* outfit from *MKX*.
* Noob Saibot's *MK11* and Klassic cards are the only cards to apply Death Mark, which cancels any form of Resurrection.
	+ Interestingly, this effect was originally exclusive to the Talent Tree on the Offensive build.
	+ This also makes Noob Saibot the only character whose **Fatal Blow**, or Special Attack 3, to apply Death Mark to the opponent outside of the Talent Tree bonus.
* Noob Saibot's *MK11* card uses his Story Mode appearance, however a hood is added. This hood is an alternate Kustomization piece for Noob in the Arcade.
* Noob Saibot, along with Jade's Lizard card, use their Kombat League Season XV outfits, a Saurian-themed Season.

## References

1. ↑ 壁寒 ("Wall Cold") also 避寒 ("Avoiding Cold") (WG: Pi4 Han2; PY: Bì Hán for both transcriptions) per localization in East Asia since 2010s.
2. ↑ Netherrealm Studios Releases Sub-Zero's Vignette

## External links

* Bi-Han on Mortal Kombat Wiki.
* Bi-Han on Villains Wiki.
* Bi-Han on Heroes Wiki.