General/Other - Sub-Zero Sub-Zero: Who is that masked man? (And who is the Unmasked man?)

This story takes place over a long timeline. They could both be the same person at different points in time. We'll have to play it to find out.

2 different Subzeroes, 2 different costumes to represent each, 1 CHARACTER SLOT and everybody is happy. I don't know why we still assume SZ might be a third brother, a random clan mate, or Shao Kahn.

@9.95
You bring up a very good point actually.

Originally I was thinking since MK9 was a "retelling" of the MK story that perhaps the Sub-Zero with the scar is Bi-Han resurrected after he fell into the tornado of souls as Noob Saibot. Basically old school storyline since the arcade days would be unmasked scarred Sub-Zero = Kuai Liang and new school unmasked scarred Sub-Zero is Bi-Han.

However considering there is a unscarred masked Sub-Zero and unmasked scarred Sub-Zero in MKX. The only other thing I can think of is that since Netherrealm stated that some of the costumes that we have seen are actually alternate costumes. That the masked unscarred Sub-Zero is an alternate skin of Bi-Han before he got cut by Kano with the Kamidogu dagger in the MKX prequel comics.

I'm thinking that the Masked Sub-Zero is Bi-han. Though I could just be praying for it, as that is the only one out of the Sub-Zero bros I really care for. And if Noob Saibot isn't in the game, then I'll most likely main Bi-Han. If he isn't in at all...I'll be disappointed. Probably just end up using Sub-Zero as a sub then lol

It makes sense it's Bi Han tho, when Kung Lao said Dead Man walking, he's referring to Bi Han because he saw Scorpion bring out his skull in the first tournament. I prefer Kuai but I guess Bi Han will do....

HA! Fooled all your asses! The real Sub-Zero took his money, retired to a tropical island, where to this day all he does is sip female drinks and get tanned

9.95 said:

I'm now officially confused about Sub Zero. We were always told that Bi-Han and Kuai Liang are brothers, and we ALWAYS assumed that "MK3" Sub Zero was Kuai Liang. Looking back at the artwork for MK9, I notice that MK9 Sub(Kuai) DOES NOT have a scar. (The alt dlc skin has it) Is it possible that MK9 SZ is NOT the same SZ from "MK3"?

Now, here is the SubZero we see in the MKX Story mode trailer, hair, beard and very clear, distinct scar like the "MK3" SubZero.

So, WHO IS THAT MASKED MAN?

Just as important, WHO IS THAT UNMASKED MAN?

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Well, keeping in mind that trailers play with expectations, and Boon is a trickster.. My theory is that the scene in the trailer is from a part in the story when Cassie tracks down Kuai to ask for help and occurs later in the timeline.

Since he was canonically turned into a cyborg in MK9, there is still that loose thread to tie up... so I'm thinking that will happen early on in the story. Maybe in this new timeline, the scar is an artifact of that process. Or maybe the different skins are just that, different skins.

As far as MKSM goes, that game contradicts some story elements MK1-3, as does MKM:Sub-Zero so it's not as if MK has always had the tightest continuity.

I would be pretty disappointed if it's just some random new character/brother with the scar... Though he does look somewhat like human Sektor from MK9, who was son of the grandmaster at that time.. which could be a hint as well.

He could be Kuai's son....

All I know for sure is, my hype boner is stiff!

I highly doubt they are two different people. I mean come on they have the same voices lol.

Masked sub = Kuai Liang post-Netherrealm war. Saved from revenant and cyborg status (hence the dead man walking).
Unmasked/bearded sub = Older grandmaster Kuai Liang

Ed Boon's comments about "multiple Sub-Zero's" = red herring.

At least that's my guess at this point.

Okay, I'm home now and can address this properly; For anyone who doesn't know where he gets the scar, its from a scene in the comic circa 5-10 years after MK9.


Later on (~15 years after MK9), Raiden has a vision of a masked non-scarred sub zero fighting tekunin;


Now, 25 years after MK9, we have shots of scarred unmasked Sub talking to Cassie and friends. So, you could maintain that maybe Sub Zero got scarred, healed, changed clothes, fought tekunin, then changed clothes back, got rescarred, and became Grandmaster just in time for Cassie and friends to show up or just accept that there are two Sub Zeros in MKX.

trufenix said:

Okay, I'm home now and can address this properly; For anyone who doesn't know where he gets the scar, its from a scene in the comic circa 5-10 years after MK9.

Spoiler

Later on (~15 years after MK9), Raiden has a vision of a masked non-scarred sub zero fighting tekunin;

Spoiler

Now, 25 years after MK9, we have shots of scarred unmasked Sub talking to Cassie and friends. So, you could maintain that maybe Sub Zero got scarred, healed, changed clothes, fought tekunin, then changed clothes back, got rescarred, and became Grandmaster just in time for Cassie and friends to show up or just accept that there are two Sub Zeros in MKX.

Click to expand...

And that expanded universe stuff is great, but the thing is there were a ton of comics released alongside MKII and MK3 that contradicted the in-game events. So I don't really put much stock in this because it's just more promotional material at the end of the day. Even the IGAU comics didn't quite gel with the in game story there.

Yeah.. i'm convinced both are Kuai Liang now, despite originally thinking it was Bi-Han. I mean, they have the same voice.

This opens up the door for Noob Saibot as potential dlc though!

Its clearly kano o.o

But remember, in MK2 he was Asian, and in MK3 he was Caucasian. So its a mindfuck type of thing.

I made this very topic months ago lol but now since we have more to go on.

First want to get out of the way mk2-mka sub in original continutiy IS indeed kuai liang, always has been. If you remember his mk2 bio states it wasnt the same sub zero as the first but his brother...

Then mk3 and even mk 2 shows and states him removing his mask, leaving the lin kuei etc

Then mk 4 scorp finds out quan set him and original sub up and in turn he vowed to protect the second sub zero for wrongfully killing his brother from qc's lies regarding the death of hanzos clan and family.

Then mk da, sub gets the dragon medallion and is the grand master of the clan similar to mk x as a force for good in The himilayas.

Once mkd came out we get confirmation that noob is the original sub zero aka bi han.

Now in the end of mka/mk9 beginning kahn killed blaze, takes his power to merge the realms and kill everyone but before he offs raiden, raiden alters the timeline as we all know to his younger self in the past mk 1 timeline. Now, while some things changed others stayed the same inevitably like bi han still getting killed by scorpion a d becoming noob, and apparently kuai liang getting the scar but later this time via post mk9/pre mkx timeline....via Kano slicing his face with the kamidogu dagger Raiden gave to Scorpion to watch.

Now, originally he got the scar sometime between mk 2 and mk3, but it was never really explained how. It was all speculation from kls hat to scorps spear etc

Now it appears kuai liang was resurrected somehow due to quan chi or raiden or the elder gods, also keep in mind if qc or the egs did it, remember quan similar to shang is a sorcerer and master of souls, necromancer etc. he could have easily just transferred subs soul into another body, restored his body back to normal via magic.

That all being said, kuai liang is definitely back with his famous scar, grandmaster rank etc and dragon medallion. Now, bi han im not quite sure if the masked one is him.

The fact that he too has the same voice makes me wonder if its not just kuai in a different moment of time or one thing nobody mentioned maybe the mask is sub later on and the medallion healed his scar, which also happened in the original continuity. The Dragon medallion aged him but in turn amped his powers and healed him.

I also noticed early on sub gameplay had different voice actors. At first it was the mk9 actor, then changed to steve blum so idk what thats about...

VenomX-90 said:

But remember, in MK2 he was Asian, and in MK3 he was Caucasian. So its a mindfuck type of thing.

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Thats just a cosmetic change lol, the actor they used for that part in mk2 ending was chinese but mk3 was white, later revealed the lin kuei robbed babies from all over the world lol. So take it as sub is half wgute, asian. I also seem to remember something in mkm that his father was white, mother asian or something of such.

I have one more theory, either thus sub is kuei liang in different timelines from comic to mkx or scarred is kuai liang and the masked sub is a new sub possibly, I still have doubts bi han is back much less a sub zero again. My Theory.

My theory:

This Subzero is Bi-Han because, Kuai already had the scar since MK3, which was canonically given to him by one of the Lin Kuei as a marked for death situation. I'm not sure if the Kung Lao thing is cannon so I'll go by the main game, plus MK3 came out first.

It could be coincidental that Bi-Han gets the same identical scar as his younger brother. If this Subzero in MKX was Kuai, then how come he doesn't have any cybernetic parts? were those magically taken away? Before this story trailer, I was still debating whether his masked version could have cybernetic parts, mainly his mouth cover, but apparently he is 100% human when unmasked.

Bi-Han gets the scar by Kano cutting his eye with the blade of the kamidogu. Kano mentions in this particular comic (#9) that his eye was ripped out a few years ago... a few years ago would mean wayyyy after MK3 took place. So this actually happened AFTER MK9's events.

So there you have it, Subzero may in fact be Bi-Han after all. At least I'll stand by that until the game is out.

Sooooo who is it? And does sub-zero age slowly?

9.95 -Check out the time 26:12 of the Netherrealm Brutality stream. Kung Lao says to SubZero in the intro : "The dead man walks", referring to SubZero.

Mk9s timeline changed a few things as you noticed shaolin, plus even in original continuity we never got a definite answer as to how sub zero/kuai liang got the scar, theres all kinds of speculation from a fight with scorpion to kung laos hat to sektor, none of this was ever confirmed.

Besides, new timeline I consider some things the same but perhaps happening a little differently like subs scar this time kano gives it to him and it happens a little later instead of mk3.

Im convinced sub here or at least unmasked is kuai liang. Besides one other thing, bi han has NEVER removed his mask, why would he start now?

Has no one thought that perhaps, just maybe, they both came back and are doing different things at different times?

Remember, they were both in MK9 as two costumes.




They're both in.

This is why the first Subzero we saw, the one that was in the initial gameplay before the story trailer, has no scar and isn't wearing his comic costume.

its mk9 kano trying to trick everyone with a playful ruse

Its possible both are in, i just still find the bi han part farfetched but then mkX comic did confirm some getting s second chance so. No doubt the unmasked one is kuai liang. Masked, im not sure could be bi han, could be kuai ling later...the medallion could have healed him.

Full Boat said:

9.95 -Check out the time 26:12 of the Netherrealm Brutality stream. Kung Lao says to SubZero in the intro : "The dead man walks", referring to SubZero.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I saw that already. It could refer to either of them.

I doubt it's Bi Han. From MK-MK9, Bi Han has just been the first Sub-Zero who eventually dies and becomes Noob Saibot. When he becomes the wraith that we all know and love his characters actually develops and becomes interesting. Kaui Liang is the one whose story is developed as a cryomancer in the Lin Kuei. There is a possibility that it's Bi Han, but it be pretty cheesy wasy to bring someone back and a character cop out. I'd be hyighly upset, not just as a Saibot fan, but as someone who enjoys plot in games. It's dumb enough that Lao and Kitana are back.