Sub-Zero (Alternative Timeline)

During the first tournament, the elder Sub-Zero, Bi-Han, is slain by Scorpion, despite Raiden's efforts to change Scorpion's mind. Before the events of the first tournament, Bi-Han's younger brother, Kuai Liang, was known as Tundra. During the second tournament, Tundra assumes the identity as Sub-Zero to honor his brother's death. Sub-Zero is seen with Smoke as they attempt to gather information on Bi-Han's disappearance. The two split and Sub-Zero then heads off to investigate something, when he is confronted by Cyrax. Cyrax tells him he has to come with him so he can become a cyborg, but Sub-Zero tells him that he will never comply. They fight and Sub-Zero wins. Sub-Zero allows Cyrax to escape, intending to finish his task. He is then met by Sonya and Jax who were following Cyrax. Upon seeing him, they are confused and say that he is dead. Sub-Zero explains to them he is Bi-Han's younger brother and inquires what they know about his death. Sonya tells him he was killed by Scorpion and to check the coliseum. They are then confronted by Ermac, who causes Jax's arms to explode. After his victory, Sub-Zero tells Sonya he must go the coliseum, and directs her to a nearby portal back to Earthrealm.

Sub-Zero goes to the coliseum and demands that Shao Kahn let him fight Scorpion. Shang Tsung, however, makes him fight Reptile. Sub-Zero defeats him, and eventually, Quan Chi summons Scorpion. Sub-Zero defeats Scorpion, but before he is about to kill him, Lin Kuei cyborgs, led by Cyrax and Sektor, capture him. Cyrax and Sektor swear alliegence to Shao Kahn in exchange for Sub-Zero. Shao Kahn agrees and Sub-Zero is taken back to the Lin Kuei Temple to be automated.

During the Earthrealm invasion, Sub-Zero appears in his automated form as Cyber Sub-Zero. He attacks Kabal but is defeated. At Smoke's request, he is brought to Jax, who removes the slaving protocols in his CPU, giving him his free will back. He regrets all the things he did for Shao Kahn, so he joins the Earthrealm warriors, and goes to spy on Outworld. After a brief discussion, Sektor orders Sub-Zero to go on a mission with him. He informs Sub-Zero that he scanned his neural net, and knows he has been reprogrammed. Sektor ordered him to open his access panel, but he attacks him instead, starting a fight between the two, which Sektor loses. By searching in the defeated Sektor's data banks, he discovers the location of Kano, Kintaro, and Goro. He finds the three of them in the Bell Tower torturing soldiers. After a failed attempt to get information, he freezes the three of them, and frees the soldiers. After they escape, Kintaro and Goro break free of the ice they were trapped in, leaving Sub-Zero to fight both. He does so, and emerges victorious. The freed soldiers are then pushed back by Ermac. Sub-Zero warns them to stay back, then fights and defeats him. After asking the soldiers their next location, he goes to the graveyard. The soldiers wish him good luck, another jokingly saying he didn't need it.

In the graveyard, Sub-Zero comes across Quan Chi and Noob Saibot as Chi conjures up a spell to create a Soulnado. When he confronts Noob, he discovers that Noob is his older brother. After Noob relinquishes any family ties with him, they fight, with Sub-Zero emerging victorious and claiming that he was right: they are no longer brothers. At Nightwolf's advice, he reports back to Raiden. When Raiden leaves with Liu Kang to try to talk to the Elder Gods, he is left under Nightwolf's command. Some seconds later, he detects the Lin Kuei Cyborgs, and they are ambushed. After they dispatch the Cyborgs, Sindel appears and states that she "will finish what the Lin Kuei did not". The Earthrealm warriors engage her in battle, and he, along with most of them, is killed when Sindel destroys his circuits. He is later resurrected by Quan Chi to serve him in the Netherrealm. Smoke, Jade and Cyber Sub- Zero prepare to fight Raiden, but then Raiden has to deal with the Emperor Shao Kahn.