SPOILER ALERT: the following article contains massive spoilers, including the ending. If you have not yet seen the movie, proceed at your own risk, or better, come back to this article later!
A washed-up MMA fighter is unaware of his hidden lineage or why he is being hunted down by Sub-Zero of the Lin-Kuei clan of assassins. Concerned for the safety of his family, he seeks out a team of fighters who were chosen to defend Earthrealm in a high-stakes battle against the forces of Outworld.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Mortal Kombat Plot Summary and Synopsis
In 17th Century Japan, the Lin Kuei assassins, led by Bi-Han, attack the village of Hanzo Hasashi and members of the rival Shirai Ryu ninja clan, killing Hanzo’s wife and son as well, though their infant daughter is safely hidden. Hanzo himself kills all the attackers before falling to Bi-Han. As Hanzo’s spirit is taken to the Netherrealm, Lord Raiden appears and takes his infant daughter away to safety.
In the present day, the realm of Outworld is at the brink of victory against Earthrealm, having won nine out of ten deathmatch tournaments known as “Mortal Kombat” that would allow the winning realm to invade, conquer and even merge the defeated realm. However, an ancient prophecy is also uncovered, stating that the ‘blood of Hanzo Hasashi’ would unite a new generation of Earthrealm’s champions to prevent Outworld’s victory. Aware of the prophecy, Outworld’s soul-eating sorcerer Shang Tsung employs warriors to hunt and kill all Earthrealm champions, identified by a distinctive dragon mark, before the next tournament begins. One of the targets is Cole Young, a former MMA champion whom regularly experiences hellish visions of Hanzo. When Cole and his family are attacked by Bi-Han, now known as Sub-Zero and one of Outworld’s champions, Special Forces’ Major Jackson “Jax” Briggs rescues them, explaining to Cole the meaning of the dragon mark. Jax directs Cole to get himself and his family to safety, and to seek out Jax’s partner, Sonya Blade, while staying behind to fight off Sub-Zero, who easily defeats Jax by freezing and shattering both his arms.
Cole tracks Sonya to her hideout where she is holding and interrogating a captive Kano, a mercenary of the Black Dragon organization. Sonya reveals that she and Jax have been investigating the existence of Mortal Kombat after an encounter with someone possessing superhuman abilities. He also learns more about the dragon mark, which can be transferred to anyone who kills the original bearer, which has occurred with both Jax and Kano. The hideout is attacked by Reptile, an assassin of Shang Tsung’s, but Cole, Sonya, and a reluctant Kano manage to fight him off with Kano killing Reptile. They then travel to Raiden’s temple, meeting Liu Kang and Kung Lao, another two of Earthrealm’s champions, and brought before Raiden himself, who is critical of the newcomers due to their individual flaws. Jax is reunited with Sonya, having been rescued by Raiden and refitted with a set of skeletal mechanical arms. Shang Tsung attacks the temple alongside Sub-Zero and Mileena, but Raiden erects a shield to stave them off.
While Sonya trains and encourages Jax to fight regardless of his new condition, Cole and Kano start training with Liu Kang and Kung Lao to unlock their “arcana”, a special inner power unique to all dragon mark bearers such as Liu Kang’s pyrokinesis and Kung Lao’s magical blade-rimmed hat. During a heated argument with Kung Lao, Kano unexpectedly awakens his arcana, the ability to fire a laser beam from his cybernetic right eye, while Cole is unable to awaken his despite his persistence. Disappointed with his lack of progress, Raiden allows Cole to return to his family, revealing that he is a descendant of Hasashi through his infant daughter.
Shang Tsung gathers Sub-Zero and Mileena, along with Reiko, Nitara, Goro and Kabal, a former rival of Kano, for a renewed assault on the Temple. Learning that Kano is among Raiden’s champions, Kabal convinces him to defect and bring down the shield, allowing the Outworlders to attack. Liu Kang barely fends off Kabal, who possesses supernatural speed, while Kung Lao easily kills Nitara. Jax and Sonya, however, are overpowered by Reiko, Kano and Mileena. Simultaneously, Cole and his family are attacked by Goro, but Cole finally awakens his arcana, which forms a suit of armor around his body and a set of tonfas, and kills Goro before returning to the temple to help repel the attack just as Jax’s arcana awakens in the form of turning his prosthetic arms into weapons that grants him superhuman strength. Both Shang Tsung and Sub-Zero are infuriated when Raiden discloses Cole’s bloodline, meaning the prophecy was fulfilled, before he teleports most of the Earthrealm fighters to safety in the Void, a safe space between realms. Kung Lao, however, sacrifices himself defending Cole from Sub-Zero and has his soul taken by Shang Tsung.
After mourning Kung Lao’s death, Cole proposes a plan to force Outworld’s champions into one-on-one battles with Earthrealm’s champions before neutralizing Sub-Zero together, thereby forcing the tournament Shang Tsung tried to prevent. Agreeing with the plan, Raiden gives Cole the same bloodstained kunai that belonged to Hanzo and transports Cole and his allies to their targets. Liu Kang and Jax slay Kabal and Reiko, while Sonya kills Kano and acquires her dragon mark and arcana, the ability to fire energy blasts from her hands, which she uses to help Cole kill Mileena. Sub-Zero then appears and reveals that he has abducted and frozen Cole’s family alive planning to finally finish the Hasashi bloodline, luring him into a one-on-one battle at a gym where Cole did his cage fighting. Initially overpowered by Sub-Zero, just before Sub-Zero can kill him, Cole manages to get his own blood on Hanzo’s kunai, releasing Hanzo from the Netherrealm as the vengeful specter Scorpion. Recognizing Cole as his descendant, Scorpion helps him overpower Sub-Zero and free Cole’s family, with Scorpion burning a heavily wounded Sub-Zero to death with hellfire.
Thanking Cole for freeing him and requesting that he look after the Hasashi bloodline, Scorpion departs as Raiden and the other champions arrive. Shang Tsung also arrives, vowing revenge as he sends the bodies of his dead champions back to Outworld before Raiden banishes him.
The Ending
Raiden then declares he is beginning a new list of warriors in preparation for the next tournament and assigns his champions to look for them. With this information, Cole departs for Los Angeles in search of Hollywood superstar Johnny Cage.
Mortal Kombat Ending Explained
Mortal Kombat never stops and all the dead champions are going to return in one form or another.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).