Down and out Liu Kang gets into a drunken fight in a seedy Macau bar with the local gangsters. Liu Kang is not happy when Kung Lao comes to his rescue and the two have a tumultuous reunion.

Ten years ago, Lui Kang sees his fiancée gunned down right in front of him. In the present day, Kung Lao leaves his Macao monastery and, like several other participants, approaches the portal to the Mortal Kombat tournament.

The Earthrealm and Outworld warriors appear at the Mortal Kombat tournament island. Raiden greets the Earthrealm warriors. In a flashback, the warrior Kenshi sets out to find a mythical sword guarded by the demon Ermac.

Kenshi's origin story is continued in feudal Japan where he is blinded in his first fight with Ermac. In the present, Kenshi has the chance to battle Ermac once again in the tournament.

Kitana questions everything she knows after she discovers her true father. However, Shao Khan orders her and her sister to the tournament to compete for Outworld, and they encounter Johnny Cage.

Kitana must choose who she will serve when Mileena fights Johnny Cage to the death.

In Feudal Japan, Hanzo and Bi Han try to settle the age-old feud between their two clans, despite the efforts of Bi Han's resentful brother Kuai Lang.

Sub Zero discovers too late that his childhood friend Hanzo holds him responsible for the death of his family and his village.

After the death of Liu Kang's fiancée, the sorcerer Shang Tsung approaches the martial artist and offers him revenge on all the criminals of Earthrealm... if Liu will fight for Outworld in the Mortal Kombat tournament.

Kung Lao discovers that Liu is now working for Shang Tsung and Outworld, and refuses to fight his friend... who has already defeated Johnny and Stryker.