Mortal Kombat begins with the deaths of Scorpion and his clan, but why did Sub-Zero include Hanzo’s family in the carnage? Directed by Simon McQuoid, 2021’s live-action Mortal Kombat adaptation opens in 17th century Japan. Hanzo Hasashi is living a peaceful life with his wife and child, but that bliss is interrupted by the arrival of Bi-Han, known to his friends as Sub-Zero. The villain violently murders everyone in the compound, finishing with the gruesome death of Hanzo himself.

The rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero is a tale as old as time, steeped with long-standing video game lore. Little of this is translated into live-action, but Bi-Han’s motivations for killing Hanzo are still relatively clear-cut. Firstly, the pair have a long-standing and deeply personal rivalry. Secondly, Bi-Han is associated with the Outworld’s Shang-Tsung, who seeks to kill Earthrealm’s champions, thereby leaving them no chance of victory during the Mortal Kombat tournament. Bi-Han might’ve had plenty of reasons to assassinate Hanzo – both personal and business – but this doesn’t explain why Sub-Zero ices his rival’s wife and child.

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One explanation for Bi-Han’s cruelty is that he simply hates Hanzo so deeply, he’ll plumb any moral depths in order to hurt his opponent. The chilly villain belongs to China’s Lin Kuei clan, from which a defector split off long ago to form the Shirai Ryu – the group Hanzo Hasashi now belongs to. Considered worthless traitors by the Lin Kuei, it makes sense that Bi-Han would murder anyone associated with the Shirai Ryu, wives and children included and, certainly, the deaths are intended to punish Hanzo. The bodies of his loved ones sit frozen in place and left for the new widower to find. The audience can be sure such tactics aren’t beneath Bi-Han, because the present-day timeline sees Sub-Zero take Cole Young’s family hostage also, highlighting a distinct lack of honor in combat. All evidence suggests Bi-Han killed Hanzo’s family to crush his opponent emotionally before taking his life.

With that said, Bi-Han was very possibly ordered by Shang Tsung to kill Hanzo’s children. The Outworld overlord knows of a prophecy that claims Hanzo’s bloodline will one day lead Earthrealm to victory, and with Bi-Han already holding a grudge against the formidable ninja, Ice-man would’ve been the obvious candidate to send. Even though Sub-Zero made an artistic installation of the deaths, targeting Hanzo’s son could’ve been Shang Tsung’s attempt to subvert destiny and ensure Outworld’s continued dominance, while the mother was collateral damage. This explains why Bi-Han boasts about ending Hanzo’s bloodline before their battle, and why his wife used her final moments to hide their daughter – they always knew someone from Outworld would come to finish the Hasashi line sooner or later. A pre-existing connection between Shang Tsung and Bi-Han becomes even more likely when Sub-Zero is sent to slay Earthrealm’s champions. The artist formerly known as Bi-Han reminds his boss that Hanzo’s family tree was chopped down by his own hand – again implying that the initial order came from Tsung himself.

Bi-Han’s motivation for killing Hanzo Hasashi’s wife and child depends partially on whether Sub-Zero had already started operating as Shang Tsung’s underling – a detail not clarified by the Mortal Kombat movie. Alas, such is Bi-Han’s evil nature and burning hatred of the Shirai Ryu, he likely would’ve murdered the pair anyway, even without being ordered. Doing so would’ve honored his clan, punished his eternal rival, and prevented any vengeful offspring coming for his head in the future.

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Craig Elvy
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Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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