History WesternAnimation / MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm

* ImprobablePilotingSkills: The lowly Nomads[[note]](Baraka's race, later renamed Tarkatans)[[/note]] and Scorpion's army of ''undead skeletons'' are somehow skilled pilots, strictly in order to allow our heroes to engage in [[OldSchoolDogfight dogfights]]. Even better, the skeletons' aircraft are actually [[CoolPlane shaped like scorpions]].

-->'''Liu Kang:''' Hey, Sub-Zero's cool! Ah... sorry. He's a warrior of honor.
* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Several of the characters have personality changes to them:

** Neither Raiden's characterization as a wise sagely leader from the games or a cheerful trickster mentor from the movies is used and instead he's portrayed as a MentorInSourArmor with barely a word to say at any given time that isn't dripping in sarcasm.
** Alongside becoming [[AdaptationalSkill a tech wiz and mission control]], Nightwolf is additionally portrayed as being somewhat over-reliant on technology, only tapping into the spiritual side of his powers when he needs to fight or when said technology fails him, something completely at odds with every other depiction of him where he's quite possibly the single most spiritually attuned member of the Forces of Light.
* AdaptationalSkill: [[BadassNative Nightwolf]] is the heroes' computer expert and MissionControl. He shows no such skills in the games.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Scorpion. True, he's no saint in the games, but is more neutral if anything. Here? His very first line makes it clear what team he's playing on:

* AdaptedOut: Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Mileena, Sindel, Jade, Goro, and Kintaro. Baraka and Reptile are also this to a lesser extent.

* AmbiguouslyBi: [[ScaryBlackMan Jax]], of all people. He calls Raiden ''girlfriend'' on at least one occasion, his first response to defending Sub-Zero is [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial "Hey I don't want to]] ''[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial marry]]'' [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial the guy!"]], and [[BerserkButton flips his lid]] when you call him "blubber butt". At the same time, he had a [[HoneyTrap (sort of)]] romantic relationship with Ruby, isn't sure if being surrounded by women pointing spears at him is a dream or a nightmare, and has some subtext with Sonya.
* AnimatedAdaptation: As aforementioned, this is an animated series based on the ''Mortal Kombat'' series.

* {{Animesque}}: As the series was animated by Creator/AnimalYa, credited here as Animal House, in Japan. The series exhibits shades of this at times, particularly with the effects animation.
* TheAtoner: The younger Sub-Zero is on the heroes' side in order to atone for what his older brother did.

** Zigzagged with Kano. When he's shown in a flashback of Sonya's partner's death, he wears his ''Mortal Kombat 3'' outfit, yet in a flashback to their fight in the movie, both Sonya and Kano have their movie looks.
** During the flashback to Liu Kang's battle with the elder Sub-Zero, Kitana appears in her look from this series rather than the tank top and pants she wore in the movie.
* {{Badbutt}}: Sub-Zero, most of the time. However, in two episodes, one of them being the last one, he uses his ice powers to kill enemies.
* BattleCouple: Kitana and Liu Kang. They are a couple who fights for the side of good.
* BattleCry: Sonya: "Kombat time!" for the whole team, and "Kiss Off!" for herself.
* BeardOfEvil: Kano sports a goatee here.
* BerserkButton: Jax ''hates'' being called "blubber butt", since it was what people called him when he was a fat kid.
* BigBad: Shao Kahn, as he is the ruler of Outworld.
* BigNo: Poor [[spoiler:Smoke]] delivers one right before his [[spoiler:UnwillingRoboticisation]].
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Shang Tsung, as he was killed off in the climax of the first movie.]]
* BroadStrokes: From time to time, in regards to the first movie:
** When Sub-Zero introduces himself, he reveals to be the young brother of the old one, [[spoiler:killed by Liu Kang]]. In the games, the elder Sub-Zero, [[spoiler:who would become Noob Saibot, was killed by Scorpion]].
** In the Liu Kang vs. Sub-Zero scene in this series, Kitana sported her outfit from the series, and Sub-Zero (the elder) was finished by Liu Kang throwing a water bucket to him, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard freezing him]]. In the first movie, Kitana wore a different outfit, and Liu Kang finished Sub-Zero by throwing said water bucket to him, but [[spoiler:the water became a big spearhead, and [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice nailed Sub-Zero to the wall]] ''and then'' got himself frozen]].
** Another Liu Kang kill that was softened for the cartoon was [[spoiler:Shang Tsung]]. Sure, he's still reduced to a skeleton upon defeat, but one: he just turns into bones, instead of actually emaciating, and two: [[spoiler:the bed of spikes where Shang Tsung landed in the movie is absent]].
** The cartoon was made to take place after a second movie - however such second movie was only made and released after the cartoon! The most notable "carry-over" was [[spoiler:Johnny Cage being dead.]]

* CanonForeigner: Asgaarth (a bird-man from Edenia), Oniro (grandmaster of the Lin Kuei), Ruby (red female ninja and possible {{Expy}} of Jade), Kiva (Nightwolf's pet wolf) and Zara (Kitana's mortal enemy).

** Quan Chi made his first appearance in this series prior to his appearance in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero''.
** Kiva (with a slightly different spelling, as Kiba) appeared along with Nightwolf for his DLC appearance in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''.
** Asgaarth received a mention in one of the fight intros for ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1''.

* {{Catchphrase}}: Because no actual tournament is featured in the series, the characters use the phrase "Mortal Kombat" as a catch all term to describe their fights and conflicts with Outworld.

* CompositeCharacter: Kano uses his original visual design from the first/third games, where he was [[ButNotTooForeign Japanese-American]], but speaks with an accent based on Trevor Goddard's [[LandDownUnder Australian version]] from the movie.
* ContinuitySnarl: ''Defenders of the Realm'' makes continuity problematic, since it was supposed to take place after ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'', but that film was made and released after the cartoon and doesn't always line up appropriately.

* DeadpanSnarker: Raiden:
--> ''"Before you make a bigger Mortal BUTT out of yourself..."''
* DisneyVillainDeath: Scorpion gets frozen by Sub-Zero, then thrown into some kind of pitch-black abyss inside a temple by Raiden.

* EmbarrassingNickname: When Jax was a kid, he had the nickname "Blubber Butt" due to being the fattest kid in school.
* ExcusePlot: The forces from Outworld often just invade random, unpopulated wastelands without any strategic or military reason, likely so that the show can get to fight scenes quicker and doesn't have to pay detailed backgrounds.
* ExposedToTheElements: The characters never seem to dress appropriately in colder environments.

* FormerlyFat: Jax says he was the fattest kid in his school growing up.
* FreezeFrameBonus: A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTw4ugmkSyA#t=734 closer inspection of the Dragon Jets]] reveals decals patterned after the riders' [[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Animalities]].
* FusionDance: The few times Nightwolf enters kombat himself, he will magically merge with his pet wolf Kiva and open a can of whoop-ass on the enemies. This happens exactly twice in the whole series. Why the others keep him in front of a computer screen all the time is unknown.
* GirlinessUpgrade: In most incarnations, Sonya is portrayed as a tough-as-nails career soldier for whom the mission always comes first. In this series, she is portrayed as much more stereotypically feminine, at one point making a facial pack and complaining that she has to hang out with men all the time.
* TheGodsMustBeLazy: Shao Kahn and Outworld decide to break the rules of the Mortal Kombat and take over Earthrealm despite losing the tournament. This should mean that the Elder Gods should smite Kahn and Raiden should destroy any of his forces that try to enter Earthrealm. Instead, Outworld is allowed to repeatedly attempt to invade without consequence and Raiden tells the Defenders that it's their job to protect their realm, with him only occasionally helping.
* GoshDarnItToHeck: It's pretty obvious what the "Realm of No Return" is [[{{Hell}} supposed to be]], which adds a level of horror whenever somebody gets banished there by Raiden.
* HatePlague: In "The Secret of Quan Chi", the eponymous character/antagonist of the episode utilizes a magic gem that temporarily causes most of the heroes to yell at each other and argue against one another.
* HeelFaceTurn: Even though Sub-Zero helps the good guys from the beginning, he mentions he was a Lin Kuei and fought for the forces of darkness. A later episode showed how he came to join the team.
* {{Hypocrite}}: In "Acid Tongue", Sonya criticized Jax for valuing brawn over brains, even though her favorite fighting tactic is [[LeeroyJenkins rush blindly into battle]] while screaming "Kombat Time!"
* HypocriteHasAPoint: During her suspension, Sonya calls out Stryker on his ''GoodIsNotNice'' attitude, even though she herself is just as [[JerkAss abrasive]] to everyone else, most of the time.

* IGaveMyWord: Sub-Zero and Smoke once swore an oath to never fight one another, which Smoke can't remember at first due to being a cyborg, but he ends up remembering it and tells Sub-Zero that it's impossible for them to be friends, but he will honor their oath now that he remembers it.

* {{Jerkass}}: Raiden. Sonya can qualify as well due to her abrasiveness, but she has her reasons.

* LeeroyJenkins: Sonya's favorite strategy is rushing into battle yelling "Kombat Time!", even if the others try to convince her that it's a bad idea.
* LighterAndSofter: Naturally, given this is a kids show based off of the ultraviolent video game series, this cartoon tones down the violence considerably, long before ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse''. The harshest thing to appear in the series was a flashback to Shang Tsung's death as shown in the movie, but even that was softened.

* MechaMooks: Most of the robotic Lin Kuei.

* MissionControl: Nightwolf serves this role for the heroes, though he does head out to the battlefield with his friends every now and then on a few occasions alongside his pet wolf Kiva.
* NakedOnRevival: [[spoiler:Shang Tsung is nude after he's resurrected by Shao Kahn and the Shadow Priests]] made obvious by the BetweenMyLegs view from the back, and a Shadow Priest approaching him with a folded up robe, which he then drapes over the sorcerer's body.
* NoodleIncident: Sub-Zero seeks revenge against Scorpion for doing something to the Lin Kuei that's never elaborated on.

---> '''Sonya:''' ''What's that sleaze doing here?''
---> '''Jax:''' ''Seems like he's putting a ''chill'' on the invasion''.
* RememberTheNewGuy: Stryker, Nightwolf, and the younger Sub-Zero are treated as if they've always been there despite not being in the first movie.

** Oniro, the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, is a blatant Shang Tsung stand-in, right down to possessing the latter's trademark VoluntaryShapeshifting abilities. He was presumably created due to the show [[BroadStrokes loosely following the canon of the first movie]], where Shang Tsung was killed by Liu Kang.

* TitleDrop: By Nightwolf, in the first episode, "Kombat Begins Again", after chatting with Liu Kang.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Lieutenant Sonya Blade and Princess Kitana. Ironically, during their inevitable GirlsNightOutEpisode, it's Sonya who asks Kitana if she ever misses just being a woman, what with all the fighting. Earlier in the episode, Sonya attempted to get herself a makeover, only to be given a sexist remark from Jax.

* UnreliableIllustrator: This is a given since the series is a cheaply-made '90s [[AnimatedAdaptation video game tie-in]], and the Creator/BruceTimm-inspired designs don't do the artwork any favors.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Implied between Sonya and Jax. She seems very jealous when Jax gets a girlfriend in "Abandoned" (who turns out to [[spoiler:be a spy sent by Shao Kahn]]).
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Oniro and Shang Tsung have to power to change their appearances.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: Liu Kang, Jax, Sub-Zero don't wear shirts.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: In "Old Friends Never Die", Sub-Zero reveals the backstory of his and Smoke's friendship prior to the events of the episode.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Despite this being a follow up to the movie, Johnny Cage is neither seen nor mentioned. According to the Series Bible, this is because he was planned to [[KilledOffForReal die in the movie's sequel]], but such sequel was only released after the cartoon and [[ContinuitySnarl doesn't really line up with it]].
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: In "Acid Tongue", Jax loses his cybernetic arms and repeatedly acts like he's weak and useless without them. This is despite the fact that he's still the most musclebound member of the team and was capable of climbing up a mountainside with his bare hands.

* CanonForeigner: Asgarth (a bird-man from Edenia), Oniro (grandmaster of the Lin Kuei), Ruby (red female ninja and possible {{Expy}} of Jade), Kiva (Nightwolf's pet wolf) and Zara (Kitana's mortal enemy).
* CanonImmigrant: Quan Chi. He made his first appearance in this series prior to his appearance in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero''.

** Jax in the games is depicted as being a strong and reliable leader who's [[NotSoAboveItAll not afraid to crack wise here and there]]. In this series, however, the sass and snark is heavily played up to the point of him being a DeadpanSnarker. He's also additionally shown to have a complex concerning the bionic augments to his arms, seeing himself as weak and helpless without them when neither the games nor movies implied such and in fact featured him fighting without them several times.

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Several of the characters have personality changes to them.
** Sonya is generally depicted as a serious, no-nonsense character in the games. Here, she's very prone to making quips and poking at people and also shows a somewhat hidden desire [[IJustWantToBeNormal to just be a normal woman who doesn't need to be so tough all the time.]]
** Jax in the games is depicted as being a strong and reliable leader who's [[NotSoAboveItAll not afraid to crack wise here and there]]. In this cartoon however, the sass and snark is heavily played up to the point of him being a DeadpanSnarker. He's also additionally shown to have a complex concerning the bionic augments to his arms, seeing himself as weak and helpless without them when neither the games nor movies implied such and in fact featured him fighting without them several times.

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Sonya is generally depicted as a serious, no-nonsense character in the games. Here, she's very prone to making quips and poking at people.

* OffModel: This is a given since the series is a cheaply-made '90s [[AnimatedAdaptation video game tie-in]], and the Creator/BruceTimm-inspired designs don't do the artwork any favors.

* CanonForeigner: Asgaarth (a bird-man from Edenia), Oniro (grandmaster of the Lin Kuei), Ruby (red female ninja and possible {{Expy}} of Jade), Kiva (Nightwolf's pet wolf) and Zara (Kitana's mortal enemy).

* CompositeCharacter:
** Stryker has a couple of personality traits from Johnny Cage, who is absent from this series.
** On the villainous side, Kano uses his original visual design from the first/third games, where he was [[ButNotTooForeign Japanese-American]], but speaks with an accent based on Trevor Goddard's [[LandDownUnder Australian version]] from the movie.

!This series has examples of:

* AdaptedOut: Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Mileena, Sindel, Jade, Noob Saibot,[[note]]Unless you count his appearance as the older Sub-Zero in a flashback to the first movie, although the main series hadn't combined both characters at that point[[/note]] Goro, Kintaro, Chameleon and Khameleon. Baraka and Reptile are also this to a lesser extent.

* AmbiguouslyGay: [[ScaryBlackMan Jax]], of all people. He calls Raiden ''girlfriend'' on at least one occasion, his first response to defending Sub-Zero is [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial "Hey I don't want to]] ''[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial marry]]'' [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial the guy!"]], and [[BerserkButton flips his lid]] when you call him "blubber butt".

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Mortal_Kombat_Defenders_of_the_realm_9578.png]]

** Oniro, the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, is a blatant Shang Tsung stand-in, right down to possessing the latter's trademark {{shapeshifting}} abilities. He was presumably created due to the show [[BroadStrokes loosely following the canon of the first movie]], where Shang Tsung was killed by Liu Kang.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Despite this being a follow up to the movie, Johnny Cage is neither seen nor mentioned.