| Games | Mortal Kombat • Injustice |
|---|---|
| Movies | Rebirth |
| “ | Your followers hold you in high esteem, warlord. They fight and die for your amusement. My brother participated in this folly. I do so only to face his killer! | „ |
| ~ Sub-Zero |
| “ | One thing I've learned: you can temporarily override someone's consciousness, but you can't delete their humanity. | „ |
| ~ Sub-Zero |
| “ | Feel the chill of despair. | „ |
| ~ Sub-Zero |
Summary
The Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei clan. Kuai Liang beat death to redeem his clan for the evil committed by Sektor and the Cyber Lin Kuei. He rebuilt the Lin Kuei and brokered peace with their Shirai Ryu rivals. Now, he hopes to finally close the book on the sins of the Lin Kuei's past.
Powers and Stats
Tier: 9-A | At least 9-A, likely High 8-C
Key: Base (Human, Revenant, Cyborg) | Grandmaster
Name: Sub-Zero, Kuai Liang, has held several titles including Tundra, Ice Demon, Snowman, and Cyber Lin Kuei Unit LK-52O.
Origin: Mortal Kombat
Gender: Male
Age: In his fifties during the events of MK11
Classification: Human-Cryomancer hybrid, Lin Kuei Assassin (former), Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei (current), Cyborg (former), Revenant (former)
Powers and Abilities:
Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Martial Arts (Uses a mix of Shotokan style karate and Dragon Kung Fu. Some of his fighting styles use pressure points to temporarily stun opponents), Weapon Mastery (He is one of the most versatile weapon users in MK, wielding a variety of swords, hammers, daggers, axes, etc.), Stealth Mastery (Skilled in infiltration), Acrobatics, Can interact with his past self, but will share with it irreparable damage and death (As shown throughout MK11), Ice Manipulation (Sub-Zero's ice powers are known as cryomancy. It allows him to manipulate ice and cold for various purposes, specific ones include creating ice objects, turning into ice then teleporting, generating cold air, forming ice around him, etc.), Hacking (Accessed Sektor's encrypted memories as a cyborg. He might've learned how to operate technology before he was turned into a cyborg, since he was still able to do that as the Lin Kuei's new leader), Resistance to Soul Manipulation (His soul remained intact when he was turned into cyborg, implying that it was an innate resistance that he had. His cyborg form shares this resistance, as he was initially unaffected by the Soulnado when it was recently activated)
All previous abilities, Enhanced Senses (Was able to sense the Cyber Lin Kuei teleporting into the cathedral he was in), Cyborgization (Normal, only his vital organs are intact), Flight (His suit has an integrated, jet propulsion system on his palms and feet), Information Analysis (Can scan lifeforms to gain basic info: their name, realm of origin, and signature abilities, provided that they are in his database), Self-Destruction (Upon entering a code on his wrist console, he will begin to freeze himself and anyone touching him before shattering), Body Control (Can disassemble and reassemble his body at will)
All previous abilities in his Human key, Immortality (Type 7), Self-Sustenance (Type 2)
All previous abilities in his Human key, Weather Manipulation (Can summon localized snowstorms), Forcefield Creation (Can summon a bubble shield that can also emit a freezing blast), Flight (Restricted flight), Clairvoyance (Intro dialogues suggests that he dreamed about his unexplored visit to the Injustice universe), Resistance to Fire Manipulation (Resists the flames of Sektor's flamethrower burning oxyhydro fuel at 3000°), Ice Manipulation (Resists Frost's ice powers)
Attack Potency: Small Building level (Defeated Scorpion in a battle that left both of them wounded but still able to fight, the former being able to do this with his teleportation. Also defeated Reptile, Ermac, Cyrax, Sektor, etc. As a cyborg, his notable victories include defeating Goro, Kintaro, and Sheeva. As a revenant, he should be just as comparable as his living self) | At least Small Building level, likely Large Building level+ (Significantly more powerful than before and appears to have not lost against lesser kombatants as the Lin Kuei's Grandmaster. Froze Shang Tsung in ice that he couldn't break out of without Fujin's help. Also fought Grandmaster Hasashi who can defeat Raiden)
Speed: Hypersonic+, likely Massively Hypersonic+ reactions and combat speed (Slipped past a missile's explosion and kept up with Scorpion)
Lifting Strength: At least Class K (Casually rips out spines with his bare hands. It was calculated that it would require at least 1 million Newtons or roughly 101-102 tons-force to do it. Also rips out spines from upgraded Lin Kuei cyborgs)
Striking Strength: Small Building level | At least Small Building level, likely Large Building level+
Durability: Small Building level | At least Small Building level, likely Large Building level+
Stamina: High (Can fight even while heavily injured)
Range: Standard Melee Range with hand-to-hand combat and ice weapons; Extended Melee Range with larger ice weapons; up to Hundreds of Meters with cryomancy.
Standard Equipment: None notable
- Optional Equipment: A telescope, set of kunai, bombs
- Can Create/Summon: Ice clones, ice swords, ice daggers, ice hammers, ice axes, ice spikes, ice walls, ice shields, ice armor, ice orbs, ice spears, ice blocks, ice puddles, ice forcefields, ice masks, ice wings, ice sculptures (of bears and snowmen)
Intelligence: Gifted (Managed to rebuilt the Lin Kuei clan as its leader in both timelines, honed his cryomancy during childhood and also was able to access Sektor's memories in the current timeline)
Weaknesses: None notable
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
As a Human Cryomancer:
Martial Arts: Before he took on the mantle of Sub-Zero, he was the young Lin Kuei assassin codenamed as Tundra. Throughout his life as an assassin, he was trained in the techniques of assassination as well as the growth and development of his cryomancy. Martial arts, infiltration skills, and stealth tactics are just some of the many skills taught to him by his clan.
- Dragon Kung Fu: Sub-Zero is one of the few kombatants to retain a fighting style that they once had in the 3D era MK games. He is a practitioner of Dragon Kung Fu, one of the many styles of 5 Chinese martial arts that mimicks the movements of animals into deadly attacks. Dragon Kung Fu utilizes four other animal styles while having its own techniques which he displays in combat quite well.
- While not necessarily a component of Dragon Kung Fu, Sub-Zero's swordsmanship is derived from kung fu itself. In Chinese martial arts, two pointed fingers are used by the free hand to point at their target while wielding a sword in the other hand.
- Shotokan Mastery: Yet another fighting style that he retains from the 3D era. His mastery in this art is quite evident in his stances and usage of attacks commonly used in Shotokan style Karate. This style of martial arts becomes more prevalent than his Dragon Kung Fu style in later NRS games.
Cryomancy: One might say that Sub-Zero is a one trick pony, his only trick being his ice powers, but it is also his most versatile ability yet as most of his other powers actually come from it. His powers originate from his Cryomancer ancestry, an ancient race of beings who had the power to manipulate ice and cold. Genealogy aside, his powers can reach temperatures low enough to freeze objects at high speeds, making the process look quite instant.
- Freezing: This subpower is the most common usage of his cryomancy as well as the basis of his other ice related abilities, but this section will cover his use of freezing in pure kombat. Sub-Zero can use his touch, his projectiles, and even his constructs to instantly encase his target in a layer of ice, allowing him to follow up with another suitable action.
- Physical contact can be used to freeze his opponent even for a brief moment. Most of the time, he uses the touch of his palms to freeze his target, but he may also use his limbs to freeze them.
- When attempting to freeze targets outside of his melee range, Sub-Zero can opt for his projectile attacks, such as his signature Ice Ball, a concentrated orb of ice that flies towards his target and freezes them solid in a layer of ice. He can also utilize a more accurate attack that shoots a beam to continuously freeze targets until they're trapped in a thicker layer of ice. Against a larger group of enemies, he can release a blast of cold wind at the cost of precision but more spread to cover multiple opponents.
- Ice Construction: Outside of freezing his targets, Sub-Zero can create ice constructs to aid him in his battles. He can form blunt weapons like war hammers to crush his foes under its sheer weight, as well as bladed weapons to cut and penetrate through flesh, bone, and metal alike.
- Increased Mobility: Sub-Zero's skills in ninjutsu translates well into the use of his own powers, using his cryomancy instead of stealth/escape techniques and tools to move quickly much like a ninja.
- The low amounts of friction in slippery ice is a hindrance, but not for this assassin. Using his own powers, he can use this ice to slide on it to cover short distances in a short amount of time while also lowering his stance to dodge high attacks. This technique can also be used to enhance his attacks, using the sudden forward momentum generated from sliding at high speed to transfer it to his strikes, making them stronger while adding a knockdown effect.
- The art of misdirection is a skill taught in ninjutsu, using distractions to cover one's own escape and making it appear like they have teleported. Sub-Zero takes this to the next level by actually being able to teleport. By turning his entire body into ice and shattering out or dissipating away before reforming in a different location, he can cover short distances without physically crossing the space between him and his next location.
- Sub-Zero can also enhance his already impressive jumps by propelling himself upwards using a blast of ice as seen in his Rising Ice attack. Think of it like a rocket jump.
- Defensive Abilities: In gameplay, Sub-Zero is one of the few characters who has a defensive playstyle, even if he only retains an aspect of that in later games. His defense oriented styles are presented very well outside of gameplay and in the story mode, demonstrated through the techniques below.
- His Ice Clone move is derived from the fictional ninjutsu technique of replacing one's body with an object to avoid attacks. Sub-Zero uses his cryomancy to perform this by creating an ice clone in his place and moving out of it in response to an incoming attack. This move also improves his trapping abilities by utilizing this clone technique as a stationary trap that freezes anyone who comes into contact with it, often done by directing his foes towards it with his actions.
- He also possesses a similar move called Arctic Trap where he creates an orb of floating ice that also freezes anyone who touches it. Unlike Ice Clone, this trap is created in front of him rather than in his place.
- He can also protect himself from incoming attacks with ice constructs. Ranging from a handheld shield, full body ice armor, large mounted shields, ice clones, and bubble shields that protect him from nearly every angle, Sub-Zero has a myriad of ways to fend off incoming attacks.
After being killed by Sindel during Outworld's invasion on Earthrealm, Sub-Zero's soul was claimed by the sorcerer Quan Chi and was subsequently turned into a revenant: an evil, undead version of a person whose thoughts are still their own, but they'll only serve the Brotherhood of Shadow's leaders: Shinnok and Quan Chi. They resemble their human form and still retain their powers, but their skin is pale or grey and there are cracks on it that glow with a yellow or reddish glow.
- Revenants do not appear to age. Even after 25+ years, they still resemble their younger selves on the day they were killed.
- As seen in Aftermath, their inner physiology is also affected. Just like a rotten corpse, their inner flesh is discolored and the internal organs are withered and inactive, indicating the lack of blood and its flow in their bodies.
Mortal Kombat 9
- Force Claws: Sub-Zero winds up a powerful attack where he strikes with both palms. Once the attack is fully charged, the attack will freeze the opponent.
- Big Leg: Sub-Zero does a powerful push kick. In MK11, this move is known as Brutal Kick and it adds a running start.
- Tundra Slice: After the kick, he makes an ice sword and kneels to swing it across the opponent's legs.
Mortal Kombat X
- Overhead Smash: Sub-Zero outstretches his rear arm and steps forward, slamming down a knife hand strike on the opponent.
- Upward Sword: Sub-Zero crouches and rises up with an upward ice sword slash.
Mortal Kombat 11
- Rising Axe: Sub-Zero stretches his rear arm and makes an ice axe, swinging it close to the ground in a 360 rising arc.
- Unchained: Following Rising Axe, he horizontally swings the axe at the opponent.
- Double Axe Slam: Sub-Zero pulls his arms back and makes two ice axes that he slams on the floor.
- Final Draw: Following Double Axe Slam, he does a double hitting axe kick.
- Frigid Slam: After hopping up, Sub-Zero slams his fist to the ground to make an ice burst.
- Axe Swipe: While recovering from a knockdown/successfully blocking an attack, Sub-Zero counters by swinging up his ice axe.
Mortal Kombat 9
- Frosty (MK9): A simple claw combo where Sub-Zero does a dragon claw swipe and thrust.
- Ice Pick: Sub-Zero does a dragon claw swipe and stabs an ice shard into their chest from his rear hand. He spins into a crouching state to deliver a claw swipe to the legs.
- Ice Cold: The low claw swipe is replaced with a sweep kick.
- Frost Bitten: Sub-Zero slams a rear hammerfist on the opponent and steps forward with a clawed palm strike that freezes them. He finishes the combo with an uncharged Force Claws.
- Ices Up: Ditto, but the combo's Force Claws is replaced with a spinning hook kick.
- Winter Blade: Sub-Zero slams a rear hammerfist on the opponent. He makes an ice sword on the same hand and swings it up and down.
- Cold Steel: The 2nd sword swing is replaced with a jump spinning hook kick.
- Chill Out: Sub-Zero does side kick and hops forth with the same kick while switching his stance.
Mortal Kombat X:
- Frosty (MKX): A simple combo consisting of a back hand and a chop to the nape. Unlike the MK9 form of this combo, this simple combo can lead to different combos.
- Hailstone: After the first two hits, he dashes on ice to build up momentum for a heavy punch from the rear arm.
- Permafrost: Following the base combo, he rotates his heel and lifts up his knee, putting it down to do an oblique kick to the shins.
- Quick Slice: This combo adds a 360 circular sword slash that spins clockwise.
- Ice Age: Sub-Zero throws a downward chop to the thigh and turns around with a back fist strike.
- Throat Slice: After the chop, he makes an ice sword and turns around to deliver a spinning slash and a rising slash.
- Snow Fall: Sub-Zero punches the opponent's gut and slides forward on ice, delivering an uppercut with his rear.
- Absolute Zero: Sub-Zero executes three advancing kicks, sliding on ice after each attack.
- Ability To Freeze: Sub-Zero steps forward using a snap kick and thrusts his palms at the opponent. He then grabs the opponent and throws them over his shoulder.
Mortal Kombat 11:
- Frozen Over: Sub-Zero thrusts the dague of his ice axe and does a roundhouse kick into a back kick.
- New Threat: Sub-Zero uses his rear arm to do a palm strike and swings an ice axe from his leading arm. The swing leads all the way to his rear, allowing him to switch it to his other hand to deliver a vertical axe thrust.
- Below Freezing: Sub-Zero hops with a front kick and stomps the floor with his rear leg to create an ice spike.
- Frosty: Sub-Zero kicks the opponent's knee and rushes forth with an elbow strike, before blasting them with a frozen palm strike.
- Ice Ball: Sub-Zero launches a concentrated ball of ice that freezes his victims solid, giving him an ample opportunity to attack.
- It can be replaced with a powerful ice beam that retains its freezing properties.
- Slide: Sub-Zero quickly slides on ice with his foot extended, causing those in his way to be tripped. Throughout many games, this move has had different follow up attacks.
- Sub-Zero turns towards the launched opponent and strikes them with a double palm/finger strike, knocking them away.
- Sub-Zero catches an airborne opponent by the foot and slams them onto an ice wall before he crashes them through it with a punch.
- Ice Klone: Sub-Zero hops out and leaves an ice clone in his place that will freeze anyone who touches it. It can also be performed after an attack, which will cause the clone to copy the previous pose of the attack Sub-Zero was in, slightly changing its effective area.
- Klone Toss: Sub-Zero lifts the clone and throws it as a projectile, dealing heavy damage.
- Ground Ice Sub-Zero freezes the floor beneath him/the opponent, trapping anyone caught in the ice.
- Ice Burst: Sub-Zero condenses a powerful ice blast in his hands that knocks away nearby opponents.
- Frost Hammer: Sub-Zero summons an icy warhammer and brings it down on the opponent, crushing them with its weight.
- (Air) Frost Hammer: While airborne, Sub-Zero creates an icy warhammer and crashes down to hit grounded opponents.
- Polar Puncture: A command grab move where Sub-Zero creates ice daggers to stab the opponent's chest thrice before plunging it in their chest.
- Frozen Aura: Sub-Zero performs a short stance, creating a layer of ice on his body that acts as armor and shields him from damage. While the armor is active, several of his moves are modified.
- Ice Burst will deal additional damage and increased knockback.
- His enhanced Slide attack will freeze the opponent mid-air.
- Barrier of Frost: Sub-Zero crouches and brings up an ice shield in front of him, blocking projectiles and freezing attackers who stand too close.
- Creeping Ice: Sub-Zero slams his fist into the ground, creating an ice spike that throws opponents off their balance.
- Sub-Zero can choose to summon additional ice spikes by stomping on the ground, summoning 2 larger, advancing ice spikes.
- Cold Shoulder: Sub-Zero charges towards the opponent with an ice shield.
- After the initial attack, Sub-Zero can follow up with a second attack where he swings two ice axes followed by a larger ice axe that he slams on the opponent.
- Rising Ice: Sub-Zero aims at his feet and fires an ice blast that launches him while ice spikes rise up to hit anyone near him.
- Frigid Storm: Sub-Zero forms a ring of ice that quickly condenses into a ball as it travels forward, hitting any of his opponents in its way.
- Death-Cicle Barrage: Sub-Zero steps back and fires a rapid salvo of deadly icicles at the opponent.
- (Air) Polar Axe: While airborne, Sub-Zero throws an ice axe at grounded opponents.
- Arctic Trap: Sub-Zero creates a stationary ice orb trap that forms from the ground, freezing anyone caught in its touch.
- Sub-Zero does a rising double axe handle strike and creates an ice sword to plunge into the opponent's chest, before breaking it off them.
- Sub-Zero grabs the opponent and freezes them solid with his touch, then he pushes them away using a powerful palm strike.
- Sub-Zero performs a rising elbow strike to stun the opponent and summons an ice ceiling above them. He unleashes a powerful uppercut that launches them to the ceiling.
- Sub-Zero lodges an ice axe on the opponent's shoulder before climbing onto it and kicks them away.
- Snow Ball: Sub-Zero shoots an icy orb that freezes the opponent before launching a spiked ice orb that smashes their frozen body to pieces.
- Frozen Dinner: Sub-Zero freezes his opponent before performing a devastating uppercut or rising sword strike, shattering their head to pieces.
- Pick Your Brain: Sub-Zero stabs his opponent's chest with two daggers before jumping up and plunging a dagger into their skull.
- Ice Cubed: Sub-Zero encases his body in armor and slides towards the opponent, flipping them over his head. He turns around and taps them, shattering their body to pieces save for the head which is encased in an ice cube.
- Splitting Image: Sub-Zero leaps back and leaves an ice clone in his previous location. He detonates the clone, creating a blast of frozen shrapnel that impales the opponent and freezes their corpse.
- Ice Skulpture: Sub-Zero grabs the opponent and freezes them with his touch. He thrusts a palm strike to their chest, creating a gaping hole in their chest and knocking their heart out.
- The Klassic: Sub-Zero performs an uppercut, but it decapitates them with their spine intact.
- Off With Your Head: Sub-Zero slides towards the opponent which briefly launches them up. He catches their leg and throws them to an ice wall behind him before decapitating them with a thrown axe.
- Dancing On The Ceiling: Sub-Zero dazes the opponent with a rising elbow strike. He creates a large ice ceiling and launches them to it with an uppercut, but they are impaled on its spikes.
- Big Leg: Sub-Zero does a running start and delivers a powerful front kick that is powerful enough to tear them away from their shins.
- Seeing Double: Sub-Zero hits the opponent with a buckler and slashes them twice with two ice pollaxes. He delivers the killing blow with one big axe, slicing them in half.
- Slicing Meat: Sub-Zero pulls back his arms behind him and summons two axes on his hands then slams them down to freeze and sever the opponent's arms.
- Butchered: Sub-Zero jumps up and creates an ice axe before throwing it at the opponent's head. Lastly, their head freezes before it breaks, leaving behind their frozen skull.
- brutality: Sub-Zero slams the ground with his fists and feet, creating two small ice spikes that launch the opponent upwards. A third spike rises from behind them, impaling the airborne opponent.
- X-Ray (Deep Freeze) (MK9): Sub-Zero covers himself in a freezing aura, before charging at the opponent with a cold shoulder. He punches into their stomach, reaching in to freeze and crush the opponent's liver, which somehow cracks their ribs. He recoils and headbutts the opponent on the side of their head, shattering their skull and jaw.
- The startup of this attack can be delayed, allowing him stay in place for a longer time.
- Can also be cancelled out of, causing him to break out of the ice to surprise anticipating opponents.
- X-Ray (Deep Freeze) (MKX): Sub-Zero covers himself in a freezing aura, before punching them in the gut. He jams his fist into their stomach, grabbing and ripping out their entrails. He freezes it into an icicle, which he violently jams into the opponent's eye.
- The startup of this attack can be delayed, allowing him stay in place for a longer time.
- Can also be cancelled out of, causing him to break out of the ice to surprise anticipating opponents.
- Fatal Blow (CHILL OUT): Sub-Zero creates two ice axes to push his opponent backwards and plunges them into their flanks, freezing the blood before kicking them to the ground. He creates another ice axe then buries its blade into their head, freezing the blood again. He uses the axes as leverage to lift the opponent overhead and violently slams them into the ground, shattering the axes in the process.
As a Cyborg:
- Ice Ball: Shoot an orb of ice that freezes on contact.
- Ice Beam: Fires a straight beam of ice from his chest, freezing his opponent.
- Ice Bomb: Drops a bomb from his chest that freezes upon contact or detonation.
- Slide: Slides across the floor, knocking the opponent off their feet.
- Cyber-Slide: It travels further and faster, and follows-up with a flying kick.
- Teleport: Disassemble and transfer to another location before reassembling.
- Bangport: Detached limbs hit the opponent while teleporting.
- Ice Parry: Create ice armor and freeze melee attackers before hitting them back.
- Divekick: Perform a descending dive kick while in the air.
- X-Ray (Cool Down): Cyber Sub-Zero does a Divekick to get behind his opponent, dizzying them, then creates a ball of ice and slams it to the back of their head, damaging their skull. Then he creates a Kori Blade and stabs upward through their back before pushing his opponent to the ground.
Gallery
Notable Matchups
Notable Victories:
Rosaria (Genshin Impact) Rosaria's Profile (Sub Zero was High 8-C and speed was equalised)
Notable Losses:
Inconclusive Matches:
Discussions
| Discussion threads involving Kuai Liang (Second Timeline) |