History Woobie / MortalKombat

* Even before ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' has been released, people already see Mileena as this based on what is known alone: Her father is murdered with the woman who trained her being blamed and exiled as a result. Not to mention people conspiring to remove her from the throne and replace her with her twin (a conspiracy Kitana herself wants no part of). On top of that, she was infected with a lethal virus that would eventually turn her into a mindless monster.

* Kenshi. As a younger warrior, he was tricked by Shang Tsung in disguise to open his ancestors' tomb, its immensely powerful light [[BlindedByTheLight blinding Kenshi forever]] and let Shang Tsung steal the souls of Kenshi's ancestors. However, Kenshi found a sword infused with his ancestors' powers, and dedicated his life to mastering his remaining senses, determined to take revenge on Shang Tsung and atone for his failure. Alas, he never got the opportunity to fulfill it, as Shang Tsung was killed by Shao Kahn in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9''. But it doesn't end there. Later, Kenshi's wife, Suchin, was murdered by the Red Dragon and in order to save his son, Takeda, [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou Kenshi had no other choice but to leave him with the Shirai Ryu under the aid of Hanzo Hasashi, to make sure he'll be properly trained and not get consumed with thoughts of vengeance that may lead to anything reckless.]] This obviously strained their relationship, as Takeda resents him for not being around. But hey, even after all of this, Kenshi [[StoicWoobie is not complaining]] and keeps a [[StepfordSmiler mellow facade]].

** [[spoiler:Sindel, that person who commits those mass murder to nearly everyone? It wasn't her idea to do it. It was Shao Kahn imbuing her with Shang Tsung and his many souls when all she suggests was just "taking on the battlefield." Things went out of control from that point on, since if her Arcade ending is to be trusted, if it wasn't for being imbued with Shang Tsung's souls, Sindel would return to her noble self. Did death by Nightwolf set her free? Nope. She's doomed to be Quan Chi's undead slave along with the people she killed for things that was out of her own control (and if they ever regain sentience, they'll certainly blame her for their fate). [[TheScrappy And the fandom hates her for it and think she was a mass-murdering harpy all along]]. At the very least, she depowers down on being a revenant, and seems to be on better term with Kitana when being dead. But then ''11'' reveals that ''[[AvertedTrope she was never one]]'', [[AdaptationalTimeline at least in this timeline]]. She's just as evil as Shao Kahn and plans to be even worse, with no remorse. At least you can still apply her woobie points to her original timeline self, being someone who truly loved Jerrod, committed suicide at his death, raised as a brainwashed minion of Shao Kahn, regaining her nobleness and [[IronWoobie had to fight over an army of undead under the Dragon King that just brainwashed her daughter...]] only to die at Armageddon and replaced with ''that'' in the new timeline.]]
** [[TheHero Liu Kang?]] He grows increasingly intolerant of Raiden's visions. He then watches as [[spoiler:Shao Kahn snaps the neck of [[HeterosexualLifePartners his stalwart companion]] Kung Lao and later sees his lover Kitana die mere seconds after he and Raiden return from their meeting with the Elder Gods. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and Liu Kang [[WhatTheHellHero calls out his mentor for]] [[SenselessSacrifice the futility of the other heroes' sacrifices]], believing Raiden to have gone mad. His faith in the Thunder God shattered, Liu Kang attempts to fight Shao Kahn, only to be stopped by Raiden. [[FightingYourFriend A fight ensues]], culminating with Raiden accidentally frying Liu Kang in self-defense. As Raiden [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone grieves]], Liu Kang curses him with his dying breath and says, "You have killed us all."]] [[TraumaCongaLine Poor Liu.]] [[spoiler:MKX shows how pissed he is towards Raiden that not even the prospect of being with Kitana calms him down, culminating with him taking over the throne of Emperor of Netherrealm, [[EverybodyHatesHades doomed to be hated by the living]] regardless of which path he took to rule. Then Dark Raiden comes in and says that he'll be happy to kick Liu's ass if he messes with Earthrealm. OhCrap...]]
** The biggest Woobie of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' has to be Raiden. Trying to decipher a vague warning from his future self to no avail, Raiden seeks the aid of the Elder Gods, who are [[NeglectfulPrecursors callous]] [[JerkassGods assholes]] and turn down his pleas. Even though he manages to save the day at the last second, it is a '''major''' PyrrhicVictory. Raiden, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon, experienced ''at least'' two {{Heroic BSOD}}s, and now suffering from a massive GuiltComplex, [[ItsAllMyFault handily blames himself]] ''for everything.'' Someone ''please'' give this man a Friendship. [[spoiler:To make matters worse, it is shown that he has not recovered from his GuiltComplex he carried from ''9'', and has to contend with Shinnok's invasion in ''Mortal Kombat X'', along with an army of undead revenants of Earthrealm's fallen champions, notably [[LikeASonToMe Kung Lao and Liu Kang,]] [[CallingTheOldManOut both of whom blame Raiden for their deaths.]] Raiden manages to revive [[BackFromTheDead Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Jax]], but Scorpion's RevengeBeforeReason unwittingly dooms the remaining revenants who are still under Quan Chi's control by killing him (but not before Quan Chi releases Shinnok from the amulet), thus eroding any possibility of Raiden reviving them to the side of good; this all occurs while [[MyGreatestFailure Raiden is lamenting the loss of Liu Kang and Kung Lao]], [[LikeASonToMe both of whom were like sons to him.]] Raiden later manages to [[HeroicSacrifice purify the Jinsei]] after defeating Shinnok, but the Jinsei's purification process [[CameBackWrong corrupts him,]] and he later becomes [[DarkMessiah Dark]] [[FaceHeelTurn Raiden.]] After threatening Liu Kang and Kitana (who had become [[TheEmperor the new rulers of the Netherrealm]] following Shinnok's defeat) by presenting [[AndIMustScream Shinnok's]] [[OffWithHisHead head]], [[KnightTemplar he]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist vows to go]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters on an offensive]] [[WillNotBeAVictim to protect Earthrealm from external threats.]] In his ''MKX'' arcade ending, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope this spirals into something worse]] - as part of his DisproportionateRetribution [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans against Outworld]], [[FallenHero he]] preemptively attacks and attempts to [[TheConqueror conquer Outworld]] until a battered and injured Kotal Kahn invokes Mortal Kombat; [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis effectively reversing his role into what he once opposed so desperately]]. [[BreakTheCutie Putting through multiple rounds of hell,]] not recovering from his GuiltComplex, OutGambitted by his ArchEnemy, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon AND suffering a big TraumaCongaLine all drove him to finally snap and do a FaceHeelTurn at the end of ''MKX''. It is also very likely that he will begin to see the [[JerkassGods Elder Gods]] with [[FaithHeelTurn contempt]] (and will view them [[ConflictingLoyalty as]] [[VillainHasAPoint "toothless worms"]]), as he remembered that they turned down his pleas to stop Shao Kahn's invasion until it was almost too late.]]
* From the new faces of Mortal Kombat X, we already have a contender for the woobie status so far: [[TheEmperor Ko]][[{{Mayincatec}} tal]] [[WarGod Kahn]]. As an Osh-Tekk prince he had most of his people killed off by Shao Kahn and Goro whose rampage was stopped by their quick surrender. After he performs the Realmwalk Rite that his father Kotal Ketz had him endure and save the Mayans from the Spanish Conquistadors, he returns to the realm of Osh-Tekk and sees that his old man is [[DisappointedInYou disappointed in him]]. He quickly leaves after that and what does he find? [[spoiler:[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome The Mayans he ruled over and protected are dying from blood poisoning]] with him unable to anything about it, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone and worse was that he was the cause of it]] ([[JerkassHasAPoint which gave his father good reason to be disappointed in him]]).]] After becoming Emperor of Outworld he requests help from Earthrealm's forces but he is rejected by the understandably suspicious Sonya Blade when he was promised assistance by Raiden, then he sends his father on a trip to kill off the remainders of Mileena's forces and what happens? [[spoiler:[[OutGambitted Rain blocks out the sun, weakening Kotal Ketz and Goro steals the Wrath Hammer from him]]. [[YourHeadAsplode The end result is not pretty]], and this drives Kotal Kahn to [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique invoke Blood Magik]] in desperation and vengeance (and we're not sure if he's still cursed from it).]] Later on his subordinate [[TheDragon Er]][[TheGunslinger ron]] [[{{McNinja}} Black]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough royally screws up]] and almost costs Kotal Kahn his life when [[MamaBear Sonya]] comes after him thinking that he kidnapped her daughter Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs. And as of right now he is the LastOfHisKind. As ruthless a kombatant this guy is, it's hard not to feel bad for him given the crap he went through.

** In the original timeline, Sonya and Jax help restore his soul, leading to him joining the Special Forces. During a mission in Outworld, however, he ends up getting ambushed by Reptile. The resulting battle leads to his arm console getting damaged, meaning he cannot teleport back to Earthrealm. He is then approached by Nitara (who, unknown to him, sent Reptile to attack Cyrax in the first place) and is forced to do her dirty work in exchange for returning home. Once he carries it out, she does indeed send him back... except by the time that happens, the rest of the Special Forces and heroes have [[DramaticIrony already traveled to Outworld to combat the Deadly Alliance and the returning Dragon King, Onaga]]. Because Nitara's spell was one way and he has no other means of returning to Outworld, Cyrax is helpless as 5 of the heroes are slaughtered by Tarkatans, Raiden becomes Dark Raiden, Onaga obtains Shinnok's Amulet to become stronger, and the rest of the heroes are scattered and lost in Outworld.

* ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' does this for Kitana in the ''Aftermath'' expansion. [[spoiler:She finally gets reunited with Sindel, who turns out to be EvilAllAlong, and not only betrays the poor girl, but beats her up, has her boyfriend crippled, and forced on her knees and made to watch as the very man she fought to free Outworld takes over once more.]]

Believe it or not, ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential the series where it's your goal to see how many ways you can viciously maim, dismember, and mutilate your foe]], is not without characters that are in need of a big hug. So much so, in fact, that Mortal Kombat easily qualifies as a CrapsackWorld. And the Friendship option was not here since ''4''.

* [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1992 Reptile]]. The [[LastOfHisKind last surviving member of the long-extict Saurian race]] (or at least he ''was'' until [[AdamAndEvePlot Khameleon showed up in]] ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Trilogy]]''), he's nothing more than [[ExtremeDoormat a hapless warrior serving the villains]] in the misguided hope that they'll restore his race to life. There's a joke among the fandom that if you don't off [[ButtMonkey Reptile]], his superiors ''will''. [[YankTheDogsChain He gets screwed over in almost every ending of his.]] In ''3'', he finds out that Shao Kahn had no intention of upholding their deal; Reptile kills him out of anger. In ''4'', Reptile defeats all of the heroes for Shinnok and Quan Chi. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WisBtqr_4lM His reward?]] [[YourHeadAsplode He gets his head blown clean off of his shoulders by Shinnok,]] [[GodOfEvil who is not]] [[ILied a god of his word.]] In the only fully canon ending of ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'', [[spoiler:his body becomes the vessel for the rebirth of [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Onaga, the Dragon King]].]] His dashed dream of the revival of his race [[SanitySlippage slowly drives Reptile into insanity]], to the point that [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm he reverts into his original form]] by the time of ''Deadly Alliance'': that of a mindless, reptilian beast. Said beast also starts ''ragging on himself'' when he perceives himself to have failed his new master, the {{manipulative|Bastard}} [[GuileHero Nitara]]. The only consolation is that [[spoiler:he survives the events of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', but even then, he's simply a {{Jobber}}. However, seeing as Shao Kahn is dead--seemingly for good and at a ''much'' earlier point in time--and Khameleon appears to cameo in select scenes of Story Mode, [[ThrowTheDogABone this dog might be thrown a bone yet.]]]] In MKX, he's back under the heel of a Kahn again, though this time Kotal. And for once, this trope is averted! Kotal Kahn is a standup NobleDemon that treats Reptile with full respect, relating how they were the LastOfTheirKind. [[ThrowTheDogABone About time, Reptile!]] In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', he is back to being a Woobie but for entirely different reasons. In the new reimagined setting, Reptile aka Syzoth's race is alive and well, but his ability to turn into a human is considered a [[HumansAreUgly freakish mutation]] among his people, and he's forcibly exiled from them because of it. As a result, he's [[AdaptationalHeroism allied with the heroes]], but he spends most of his time as a human because he knows his natural lizard form would be frightening to them, so he sees himself as a monster and an outsider no matter who he's with.
* [[VideoGame/MortalKombatII Smoke]]. Tries to escape the Lin Kuei with his best friend Sub-Zero. He's instead captured and [[UnwillingRoboticisation forcibly converted into one of their cybernetic warriors.]] He's then programmed to hunt down said friend (according to ''9'', [[HeterosexualLifePartners the two are like brothers]]). The younger Sub-Zero manages to reach out to the soul of his buddy, allowing Smoke to regain control of his body, but somewhere along the way, Shao Kahn's extermination squads get to him and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay throw his deactivated body into Kahn's dungeons]]. [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Many years later]], [[MadeOfEvil Noob Saibot]] finds Smoke's body and reprograms him to be subservient to him. It takes until ''Armageddon'' for Sub-Zero to bring Smoke back to the light.
* [[VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero Sareena]]. A [[IAmAMonster self-loathing demon]] in the guise of a beautiful woman, she was once a part of Quan Chi's [[AmazonBrigade triad of female assassins]] and was defeated in combat by the Elder Sub-Zero. However (unlike her allies Kia and Jataaka), Sub-Zero decides to spare her. As such, [[HighHeelFaceTurn she has a change of heart]] and [[BigDamnHeroes comes to his rescue during his battle with Quan Chi]]. She then asks Sub-Zero to take her with him to Earthrealm, [[ShipTease but before anything else can develop]], Shinnok kills her... [[NotQuiteDead but not really]]. Sareena instead is dragged down to the Netherrealm in her demon form, where she suffers for an agonizingly long period of time. Around the time of ''Deadly Alliance''/''Deception'', she finally finds a portal and escapes from her hellish imprisonment, [[ShipTease where she encounters and strikes up an alliance with]] Younger Sub-Zero, the brother of the man who saved her life. Then, Sub-Zero follows Noob Saibot and Smoke into the Netherrealm. Sareena--despite Sub-Zero's urging--pursues him and saves his life as well, but the intensity of the battle against Noob-Smoke and the energy of the land causes Sareena [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity to go mad and transform into her demonic form]]. However, [[MoralityPet her feelings for Sub-Zero are so strong that]], rather than hurt him, she flees into the depths of the Netherrealm. She's intercepted by Quan Chi, Noob, and Smoke and Quan Chi [[MindControl brainwashes]] [[TheAtoner Sareena]] into believing that [[DarkIsEvil she cannot be a being of light due to her status as a demon]]. Sareena undergoes a FaceHeelTurn, but is luckily freed from Quan Chi's grasp thanks to [[SpannerInTheWorks Taven]].
* Everyone save for Shao Kahn, Shinnok, Taven, and Liu Kang's spirit ''dies'' in ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon Armageddon]]'', with [[TheBadGuyWins Shao Kahn gaining complete control over all of the realms]]. Though Shao Kahn does win at the end of ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'', it counts as a PyrrhicVictory as he goes [[DrivenToMadness insane]] after realizing that there were no other realms left to conquer.
* [[WhamEpisode Then came]] ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' [[WhamEpisode with its]] [[FunWithAcronyms WMWs]] (weapons of mass Woobiefication). [[DarkMessiah Dark Raiden]] (the CameBackWrong WellIntentionedExtremist version of Earthrealm's protector god) initiates a ContinuityReboot and [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture sends a message to his past self]] [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong with the hopes of preventing]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Armageddon]], but things go horribly, ''horribly'' [[GoneHorriblyWrong wrong]]. Even excluding the specific examples below, [[spoiler:a BrainwashedAndCrazy Sindel empowered by Shang Tsung's soul [[HeroKiller kills]] '''eight''' of the heroes (Nightwolf, Kitana, Jade, Sub-Zero, Smoke, Jax, Stryker, and Kabal), with those guys, Sindel herself (who Nightwolf [[MutualKill fells in a]] TakingYouWithMe HeroicSacrifice), and Kung Lao (who was killed earlier by Shao Kahn [[KnightOfCerebus to show that]] AnyoneCanDie) [[AndIMustScream having their souls controlled by Quan Chi in the Netherrealm by the story's close.]] Only Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade are left to defend Earthrealm.]] It's telling of how much of a TearJerker an event is when [[spoiler:[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Ca]][[DeadpanSnarker ge]], the comic relief of the series, goes ''completely somber'' and the rough-and-tumble army girl Sonya is on the verge of letting a floodgate of tears run down her face.]] It's ''that'' bad.
** Smoke? [[spoiler:[[ThrowTheDogABone Manages to avoid his fate of becoming a cyborg,]] [[ForWantOfANail only to see the same fate befall his brother figure Sub-Zero]], a fact that distresses him ''tremendously''. He then gets unceremoniously offed by Sindel in a [[GroinAttack one]]-[[NeckSnap two]] combo.]] And this isn't even factoring in his ending, where he [[spoiler:remembers his past, [[QuestForIdentity the one thing he's been searching for all his life.]] Said recollection involves him ''being sacrificed to a demon by a cult as an infant'', [[TragicMonster returning to life as an Enenra]] (a monster made of smoke and vapor). Smoke then killed his captors and [[HumanoidAbomination re-assumed to his human form]], [[LaserGuidedAmnesia with no memory of the ordeal]].]]
** Sub-Zero? [[spoiler:After defeating Scorpion ([[YouKilledMyFather his brother's killer]]), the Cyber Lin Kuei interrupt and haul Subby back to be used in the Cyber Initiative, much like Smoke was in the original timeline. He manages to have his free will restored and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone is wracked with guilt over]] all of the actions he had no control of. Upon attempting to stop Quan Chi from creating a Soulnado, he's blocked by Noob Saibot, who reveals himself to be Sub-Zero's elder brother (compare this to the first timeline, where Sub-Zero didn't discover this fact until ''Deception''). [[CameBackWrong Noob]] then [[KickTheDog kicks the dog]] by telling his little brother (the very same one who idolized him and entered the Outworld tournament to ''avenge his death'') "We share blood. We are ''not'' brothers." Later, Cyber Sub-Zero is killed by Sindel. Even worse, his ending (as Cyber Sub-Zero) has him defeating Shao Kahn, only for Kahn's soul to commit GrandTheftMe on him.]] Things seemingly got better for him in ''X'', where [[spoiler:Quan Chi gave him flesh instead of dooming him as a cyber zombie, and then Raiden managed to restore him into the living. Then in process of restoring the Lin Kuei, Sub-Zero saw his friend Cyrax, right after he turned back to the side of good, blowing himself up so he could restart the Lin Kuei freshly. He managed to come out a bit safer than the others, but it's already telling that the hell he went through, including how he couldn't find a way to try and rescue his best friend Smoke, who has embraced the Enenra persona, [[IronWoobie Subby has become so jaded despite leading Lin Kuei the path of good.]]]]

** Kabal? [[spoiler:Tries to protect New York City from Shao Kahn's invasion forces [[BashBrothers alongside]] Stryker. Is ''roasted alive'' by Kintaro, severely disfiguring him. Former Black Dragon cohort Kano [[PetTheDog gets Shang Tsung to heal him up with magic]], but Kabal would have rather died and remarks, [[IAmAMonster "I'm a freak."]] After deciding to put [[SuperSpeed his new skills]] to good use as one of [[BigGood Raiden]]'s [[TheChosenMany chosen warriors]] and continue [[TheAtoner atoning]] for his past history with the [[MurderInc Black Dragon]], he's killed by Sindel. On top of this, a FreezeFrameBonus reveals that Kabal is wearing a ring on his finger, signifying that he's likely engaged or married. His family was probably left wondering what happened to Kabal in the game's aftermath, [[FridgeHorror assuming they survived the Outworld invasion to begin with.]]]]
** Scorpion? [[spoiler:Scorpion continues to demand that Shang Tsung allow him to fight Sub-Zero, who Scorpion believes to be the killer of his family and clan. After fighting multiple pawns and demanding Sub-Zero, Scorpion is promptly denied and is approached by Raiden. Raiden says he will ask the Elder Gods to revive all Scorpion has lost if he doesn't kill Sub-Zero, believing Sub-Zero to be part of the prophecy. When Sub-Zero finally does fight Scorpion, Scorpion defeats him and doesn't kill him. Only after Quan Chi shows Scorpion terrifyingly graphic images of his family and clan being killed by Sub-Zero does Scorpion finally give in and kill him, overtaken by anger. This leads to [[CameBackWrong the elder Sub-Zero's resurrection as Noob Saibot]]. The worst part? It wasn't even Sub-Zero who murdered Scorpion's wife, child, and the rest of the Shirai Ryu; it was Quan Chi in disguise.]]

** Kitana? She wises up to Shao Kahn's treachery thanks to Raiden's warnings, but [[spoiler:when she [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight tries to convince her mother to stop fighting]], Sindel shoots her down, retorting that [[ThatManIsDead she is no longer her mother]]. [[DiedInYourArmsTonight Kitana dies from having most of her soul stolen in Liu Kang's arms]], lamenting that she wished they could have met under different circumstances. Then she's turned into a revenant by Quan Chi and any thoughts of having the side of her best friend, Jade, with her, is gone, because Jade has been somewhat whisked away somewhere, leading Kitana to mourn on her by taking up her staff and style. Then, she received visions that everything would've been hunky dory with her eliminating Shao Kahn and saving Outworld and Edenia single-handedly... if it wasn't for Raiden's interference, causing her to spiral down in hatred towards Raiden. Sheesh.]]

* Kenshi. As a younger warrior, he was tricked by Shang Tsung in disguise to open his ancestors' tomb, its immensely powerful light [[BlindedByTheLight blinding Kenshi forever]] and let Shang Tsung steal the souls of Kenshi's ancestors. However, Kenshi found a sword infused with his ancestors' powers, and dedicated his life to mastering his remaining senses, determined to take revenge on Shang Tsung and atone for his failure. Alas, he never got the opportunity to fulfill it, as Shang Tsung was killed by Shao Kahn in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9''. But it doesn't end there. Later, Kenshi's wife, Suchin, was murdered by the Red Dragon and in order to save his son ,Takeda, [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou Kenshi had no other choice but to leave him with the Shirai Ryu under the aid of Hanzo Hasashi, to make sure he'll be properly trained and not get consumed with thoughts of vengeance that may lead to anything reckless.]] This obviously strained their relationship, as Takeda resents him for not being around. But hey, even after all of this, Kenshi [[StoicWoobie is not complaining]] and keeps a [[StepfordSmiler mellow facade]].

* Kenshi. As younger warrior, he was tricked by Shang Tsung in disguise to open his ancestors tomb, which immensed powerful light, [[BlindedByTheLight blinding Kenshi forever]] and let Shang Tsung steal the souls of Kenshi's ancestors. However, Kenshi found a sword infused with his ancestors powers, and dedicated his life to mastering his sences, determined to take revenge on Shang Tsung and atone for his failure. Alas, he never got the opportunity to fulfill it, as Shang Tsung was killed by Shao Kahn in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9''. But it doesn't end there. Later, Kenshi's wife Suchin was murdered by Red Dragon and in order to save his son Takeda, [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou Kenshi had no other choice but to leave him at Shirai Ryu under the aid of Hanzo Hasashi, to make sure he'll be properly trained and not get consumed with thoughts of vengeance that may lead to anything reckless.]] This obviously strained their relationship, as Takeda resents him for not being around. But hey, even after all of this Kenshi [[StoicWoobie is not complaining]] and keeps a [[StepfordSmiler mellow facade]].

* [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1992 Reptile]]. The [[LastOfHisKind last surviving member of the long-extict Saurian race]] (or at least he ''was'' until [[AdamAndEvePlot Khameleon showed up in]] ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Trilogy]]''), he's nothing more than [[ExtremeDoormat a hapless warrior serving the villains]] in the misguided hope that they'll restore his race to life. There's a joke among the fandom that if you don't off [[ButtMonkey Reptile]], his superiors ''will''. [[YankTheDogsChain He gets screwed over in almost every ending of his.]] In ''3'', he finds out that Shao Kahn had no intention of upholding their deal; Reptile kills him out of anger. In ''4'', Reptile defeats all of the heroes for Shinnok and Quan Chi. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WisBtqr_4lM His reward?]] [[YourHeadAsplode He gets his head blown clean off of his shoulders by Shinnok,]] [[GodOfEvil who is not]] [[ILied a god of his word.]] In the only fully canon ending of ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'', [[spoiler:his body becomes the vessel for the rebirth of [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Onaga, the Dragon King]].]] His dashed dream of the revival of his race [[SanitySlippage slowly drives Reptile into insanity]], to the point that [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm he reverts into his original form]] by the time of ''Deadly Alliance'': that of a mindless, reptilian beast. Said beast also starts ''ragging on himself'' when he perceives himself to have failed his new master, the {{manipulative|Bastard}} [[GuileHero Nitara]]. The only consolation is that [[spoiler:he survives the events of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', but even then, he's simply a {{Jobber}}. However, seeing as Shao Kahn is dead--seemingly for good and at a ''much'' earlier point in time--and Khameleon appears to cameo in select scenes of Story Mode, [[ThrowTheDogABone this dog might be thrown a bone yet.]]]] In MKX, [[spoiler: he's back under the heel of a Kahn again, though this time Kotal. And for once, this trope is averted! Kotal Kahn is a standup NobleDemon that treats Reptile with full respect, relating how they were the LastOfTheirKind. [[ThrowTheDogABone About time, Reptile!]]]]
* [[VideoGame/MortalKombatII Smoke]]. Tries to escape the Lin Kuei with his best bud Sub-Zero. He's instead captured and [[UnwillingRoboticisation forcibly converted into one of their cybernetic warriors.]] He's then programmed to hunt down said best friend (according to ''9'', [[HeterosexualLifePartners the two are like brothers]]). The younger Sub-Zero manages to reach out to the soul of his buddy, allowing Smoke to regain control of his body, but somewhere along the way, Shao Kahn's extermination squads get to him and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay throw his deactivated body into Kahn's dungeons]]. [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Many years later]], [[MadeOfEvil Noob Saibot]] finds Smoke's body and reprograms him to be subservient to him. It takes until ''Armageddon'' for Sub-Zero to bring Smoke back to the light.

** The biggest Woobie of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' has to be Raiden. Trying to decipher a vague warning from his future self to no avail, Raiden seeks the aid of the Elder Gods, who are [[NeglectfulPrecursors callous]] [[JerkassGods assholes]] and turn down his pleas. Even though he manages to save the day at the last second, it is a '''major''' PyrrhicVictory. Raiden, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon, experienced ''at least'' two {{Heroic BSOD}}s, and now suffering from a massive GuiltComplex, [[ItsAllMyFault handily blames himself]] ''[[HurtingHero for everything.]]'' Someone ''please'' give this man a Friendship. [[spoiler:To make matters worse, it is shown that he has not recovered from his GuiltComplex he carried from ''9'', and has to contend with Shinnok's invasion in ''Mortal Kombat X'', along with an army of undead revenants of Earthrealm's fallen champions, notably [[LikeASonToMe Kung Lao and Liu Kang,]] [[CallingTheOldManOut both of whom blame Raiden for their deaths.]] Raiden manages to revive [[BackFromTheDead Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Jax]], but Scorpion's RevengeBeforeReason unwittingly dooms the remaining revenants who are still under Quan Chi's control by killing him (but not before Quan Chi releases Shinnok from the amulet), thus eroding any possibility of Raiden reviving them to the side of good; this all occurs while [[MyGreatestFailure Raiden is lamenting the loss of Liu Kang and Kung Lao]], [[LikeASonToMe both of whom were like sons to him.]] Raiden later manages to [[HeroicSacrifice purify the Jinsei]] after defeating Shinnok, but the Jinsei's purification process [[CameBackWrong corrupts him,]] and he later becomes [[DarkMessiah Dark]] [[FaceHeelTurn Raiden.]] After threatening Liu Kang and Kitana (who had become [[TheEmperor the new rulers of the Netherrealm]] following Shinnok's defeat) by presenting [[AndIMustScream Shinnok's]] [[OffWithHisHead head]], [[KnightTemplar he]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist vows to go]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters on an offensive]] [[WillNotBeAVictim to protect Earthrealm from external threats.]] In his ''MKX'' arcade ending, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope this spirals into something worse]] - as part of his DisproportionateRetribution [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans against Outworld]], [[FallenHero he]] preemptively attacks and attempts to [[TheConqueror conquer Outworld]] until a battered and injured Kotal Kahn invokes Mortal Kombat; [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis effectively reversing his role into what he once opposed so desperately]]. [[BreakTheCutie Putting through multiple rounds of hell,]] not recovering from his GuiltComplex, OutGambitted by his ArchEnemy, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon AND suffering a big TraumaCongaLine all drove him to finally snap and do a FaceHeelTurn at the end of ''MKX''. It is also very likely that he will begin to see the [[JerkassGods Elder Gods]] with [[FaithHeelTurn contempt]] (and will view them [[ConflictingLoyalty as]] [[VillainHasAPoint "toothless worms"]]), as he remembered that they turned down his pleas to stop Shao Kahn's invasion until it was almost too late.]]

* [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1 Reptile]]. The [[LastOfHisKind last surviving member of the long-extict Saurian race]] (or at least he ''was'' until [[AdamAndEvePlot Khameleon showed up in]] ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Trilogy]]''), he's nothing more than [[ExtremeDoormat a hapless warrior serving the villains]] in the misguided hope that they'll restore his race to life. There's a joke among the fandom that if you don't off [[ButtMonkey Reptile]], his superiors ''will''. [[YankTheDogsChain He gets screwed over in almost every ending of his.]] In ''3'', he finds out that Shao Kahn had no intention of upholding their deal; Reptile kills him out of anger. In ''4'', Reptile defeats all of the heroes for Shinnok and Quan Chi. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WisBtqr_4lM His reward?]] [[YourHeadAsplode He gets his head blown clean off of his shoulders by Shinnok,]] [[GodOfEvil who is not]] [[ILied a god of his word.]] In the only fully canon ending of ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'', [[spoiler:his body becomes the vessel for the rebirth of [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Onaga, the Dragon King]].]] His dashed dream of the revival of his race [[SanitySlippage slowly drives Reptile into insanity]], to the point that [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm he reverts into his original form]] by the time of ''Deadly Alliance'': that of a mindless, reptilian beast. Said beast also starts ''ragging on himself'' when he perceives himself to have failed his new master, the {{manipulative|Bastard}} [[GuileHero Nitara]]. The only consolation is that [[spoiler:he survives the events of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', but even then, he's simply a {{Jobber}}. However, seeing as Shao Kahn is dead--seemingly for good and at a ''much'' earlier point in time--and Khameleon appears to cameo in select scenes of Story Mode, [[ThrowTheDogABone this dog might be thrown a bone yet.]]]] In MKX, [[spoiler: he's back under the heel of a Kahn again, though this time Kotal. And for once, this trope is averted! Kotal Kahn is a standup NobleDemon that treats Reptile with full respect, relating how they were the LastOfTheirKind. [[ThrowTheDogABone About time, Reptile!]]]]

* [[WhamEpisode Then came]] ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' [[WhamEpisode with its]] [[FunWithAcronyms WMWs]] (weapons of mass Woobiefication). [[DarkMessiah Dark Raiden]] (the CameBackWrong WellIntentionedExtremist version of Earthrealm's protector god) initiates a ContinuityReboot and [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture sends a message to his past self]] [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong with the hopes of preventing]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Armageddon]], but things go horribly, ''horribly'' [[GoneHorriblyWrong wrong]]. Even excluding the specific examples below, [[spoiler:a BrainwashedAndCrazy Sindel empowered by Shang Tsung's soul [[HeroKiller kills]] '''eight''' of the heroes (Nightwolf, Kitana, Jade, Sub-Zero, Smoke, Jax, Stryker, and Kabal), with those guys, Sindel herself (who Nightwolf [[MutualKill fells in a]] TakingYouWithMe HeroicSacrifice), and Kung Lao (who was killed earlier by Shao Kahn [[KnightOfCerebus to show that]] AnyoneCanDie) [[AndIMustScream having their souls controlled by Quan Chi in the Netherrealm by the story's close.]] [[KillEmAll Only Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade are left to defend Earthrealm.]]]] It's telling of how much of a TearJerker an event is when [[spoiler:[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Ca]][[DeadpanSnarker ge]], the comic relief of the series, goes ''completely somber'' and the rough-and-tumble army girl Sonya is on the verge of letting a floodgate of tears run down her face.]] It's ''that'' bad.

* [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1 Reptile]]. The [[LastOfHisKind last surviving member of the long-extict Saurian race]] (or at least he ''was'' until [[AdamAndEvePlot Khameleon showed up in]] ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Trilogy]]''), he's nothing more than [[ExtremeDoormat a hapless warrior serving the villains]] in the misguided hope that they'll restore his race to life. There's a joke among the fandom that if you don't off [[ButtMonkey Reptile]], his superiors ''will''. [[YankTheDogsChain He gets screwed over in almost every ending of his.]] In ''3'', he finds out that Shao Kahn had no intention of upholding their deal; Reptile kills him out of anger. In ''4'', Reptile defeats all of the heroes for Shinnok and Quan Chi. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WisBtqr_4lM His reward?]] [[YourHeadAsplode He gets his head blown clean off of his shoulders by Shinnok,]] [[GodOfEvil who is not]] [[ILied a god of his word.]] In the only fully canon ending of ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'', [[spoiler:his body becomes the vessel for the rebirth of [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Onaga, the Dragon King]].]] His dashed dream of the revival of his race [[SanitySlippage slowly drives Reptile into insanity]], to the point that [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm he reverts into his original form]] by the time of ''Deadly Alliance'': that of a mindless, reptilian beast. Said beast also starts ''ragging on himself'' when he perceives himself to have failed his new master, the {{manipulative|Bastard}} [[GuileHero Nitara]]. The only consolation is that [[spoiler:he survives the events of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', but even then, he's simply a {{Jobber}}. However, seeing as Shao Kahn is dead--seemingly for good and at a ''much'' earlier point in time--and Khameleon appears to cameo in select scenes of Story Mode, [[ThrowTheDogABone this dog might be thrown a bone yet.]]]]
** In MKX, [[spoiler: he's back under the heel of a Kahn again, though this time Kotal. And for once, this trope is averted! Kotal Kahn is a standup NobleDemon that treats Reptile with full respect, relating how they were the LastOfTheirKind. [[ThrowTheDogABone About time, Reptile!]]]]
* [[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 Smoke]]. Tries to escape the Lin Kuei with his best bud Sub-Zero. He's instead captured and [[UnwillingRoboticisation forcibly converted into one of their cybernetic warriors.]] He's then programmed to hunt down said best friend (according to ''9'', [[HeterosexualLifePartners the two are like brothers]]). The younger Sub-Zero manages to reach out to the soul of his buddy, allowing Smoke to regain control of his body, but somewhere along the way, Shao Kahn's extermination squads get to him and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay throw his deactivated body into Kahn's dungeons]]. [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Many years later]], [[MadeOfEvil Noob Saibot]] finds Smoke's body and reprograms him to be subservient to him. It takes until ''Armageddon'' for Sub-Zero to bring Smoke back to the light.

* [[WhamEpisode Then came]] ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' [[WhamEpisode with its]] [[FunWithAcronyms WMWs]] ([[UpToEleven weapons of mass Woobiefication]]). [[DarkMessiah Dark Raiden]] (the CameBackWrong WellIntentionedExtremist version of Earthrealm's protector god) initiates a ContinuityReboot and [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture sends a message to his past self]] [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong with the hopes of preventing]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Armageddon]], but things go horribly, ''horribly'' [[GoneHorriblyWrong wrong]]. Even excluding the specific examples below, [[spoiler:a BrainwashedAndCrazy Sindel empowered by Shang Tsung's soul [[HeroKiller kills]] '''eight''' of the heroes (Nightwolf, Kitana, Jade, Sub-Zero, Smoke, Jax, Stryker, and Kabal), with those guys, Sindel herself (who Nightwolf [[MutualKill fells in a]] TakingYouWithMe HeroicSacrifice), and Kung Lao (who was killed earlier by Shao Kahn [[KnightOfCerebus to show that]] AnyoneCanDie) [[AndIMustScream having their souls controlled by Quan Chi in the Netherrealm by the story's close.]] [[KillEmAll Only Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade are left to defend Earthrealm.]]]] It's telling of how much of a TearJerker an event is when [[spoiler:[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Ca]][[DeadpanSnarker ge]], the comic relief of the series, goes ''completely somber'' and the rough-and-tumble army girl Sonya is on the verge of letting a floodgate of tears run down her face.]] It's ''that'' bad.

** In the original timeline, Sonya and Jax help restore his soul, leading to him joining the Special Forces. During a mission in Outworld, however, he ends up getting ambushed by Reptile. The resulting battle leads to his arm console getting damaged, meaning he cannot teleport back to Earthrealm. He is then approached by Nitara (who, unknown to him, sent Reptile to attack Cyrax in the first place) and is forced to do her dirty work in exchange for returning home. Once he carries it out, she does indeed send him back... except by the time that happens, the rest of the Special Forces and heroes have [[DramaticIrony ''already traveled to Outworld'' to combat the Deadly Alliance and the returning Dragon King, Onaga]]. Because Nitara's spell was one way and he has no other means of returning to Outworld, Cyrax is helpless as 5 of the heroes are slaughtered by Tarkatans, Raiden becomes Dark Raiden, Onaga obtains Shinnok's Amulet to become stronger, and the rest of the heroes are scattered and lost in Outworld.

** In the new timeline, Cyrax stays as a mindless slave to the Lin Kuei much longer before Sub-Zero finds him and uploads a virus into him, freeing Cyrax. Cyrax then decides to [[HeroicSacrifice activate his self-destruct mechanism to take out the rest of the cyber Lin Kuei]]. ''11'' features a past version of Cyrax who is once again turned into a cyborg and forced to carry out orders, this time by Kronika. Once again, Sub-Zero manages to free Cyrax from his programming. Once he comes to, Cyrax is horrified by his conversion before deciding to help Sub-Zero and Scorpion by shutting down a large chunk of the cyber Lin Kuei to weaken Kronika's forces, himself included.

** In the new timeline, Cyrax stays as a mindless slave to the Lin Kuei much longer before Sub-Zero finds him and uploads a virus into him, freeing Cyrax. Cyrax then decides to [[HeroicSacrifice activate his self-destruct mechanism to take out the rest of the cyber Lin Kuei]]. ''[[MK11]]'' features a past version of Cyrax who is once again turned into a cyborg and forced to carry out orders, this time by Kronika. Once again, Sub-Zero manages to free Cyrax from his programming. Once he comes to, Cyrax is horrified by his conversion before deciding to help Sub-Zero and Scorpion by shutting down a large chunk of the cyber Lin Kuei to weaken Kronika's forces, himself included.

** In the new timeline, Cyrax stays as a mindless slave to the Lin Kuei much longer before Sub-Zero finds him and uploads a virus into him, freeing Cyrax. Cyrax then decides to [[HeroicSacrifice activate his self-destruct mechanism to take out the rest of the cyber Lin Kuei]]. ''MK11'' features a past version of Cyrax who is once again turned into a cyborg and forced to carry out orders, this time by Kronika. Once again, Sub-Zero manages to free Cyrax from his programming. Once he comes to, Cyrax is horrified by his conversion before deciding to help Sub-Zero and Scorpion by shutting down a large chunk of the cyber Lin Kuei to weaken Kronika's forces, himself included.

* [[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 Kitana]] and ([[PapaWolf surprisingly]]) [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1 Scorpion]] are {{Iron Woobie}}s. More info about them can be seen on that page.
* And to make things worse, everyone save for Shao Kahn, Shinnok, Taven, and Liu Kang's spirit ''dies'' in ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon Armageddon]]'', with [[TheBadGuyWins Shao Kahn gaining complete control over all of the realms]]. Though Shao Kahn does win at the end of ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'', it counts as a PyrrhicVictory as he goes [[DrivenToMadness insane]] after realizing that there were no other realms left to conquer.

** The biggest Woobie of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' has to be Raiden. Trying to decipher a vague warning from his future self to no avail, Raiden seeks the aid of the Elder Gods, who are [[NeglectfulPrecursors callous]] [[JerkassGods assholes]] and turn down his pleas. Even though he manages to save the day at the last second, it is a '''major''' PyrrhicVictory. Raiden, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon, experienced ''at least'' two {{Heroic BSOD}}s, and now suffering from a massive GuiltComplex, [[ItsAllMyFault handily blames himself]] ''[[HurtingHero for everything.]]'' Someone ''please'' give this man a Friendship. [[spoiler:To make matters worse, it is shown that he has not recovered from his GuiltComplex he carried from ''9'', and has to contend with Shinnok's invasion in ''Mortal Kombat X'', along with an army of undead revenants of Earthrealm's fallen champions, notably [[LikeASonToMe Kung Lao and Liu Kang,]] [[CallingTheOldManOut both of whom blame Raiden for their deaths.]] Raiden manages to revive [[BackFromTheDead Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Jax]], but Scorpion's RevengeBeforeReason unwittingly dooms the remaining revenants who are still under Quan Chi's control by killing him (but not before Quan Chi releases Shinnok from the amulet), thus eroding any possibility of Raiden reviving them to the side of good; this all occurs while [[MyGreatestFailure Raiden is lamenting the loss of Liu Kang and Kung Lao]], [[LikeASonToMe both of whom were like sons to him.]] Raiden later manages to [[HeroicSacrifice purify the Jinsei]] after defeating Shinnok, but the Jinsei's purification process [[CameBackWrong corrupts him,]] and he later becomes [[DarkMessiah Dark]] [[FaceHeelTurn Raiden.]] After threatening Liu Kang and Kitana (who had become [[TheEmperor the new rulers of the Netherrealm]] following Shinnok's defeat) by presenting [[AndIMustScream Shinnok's]] [[OffWithHisHead head]], [[KnightTemplar he]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist vows to go]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters on an offensive]] [[WillNotBeAVictim to protect Earthrealm from external threats.]] In his ''MKX'' arcade ending, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope this spirals into something worse]] - as part of his DisproportionateRetribution [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans against Outworld]], [[FallenHero he]] preemptively attacks and attempts to [[TheConqueror conquer Outworld]] until a battered and injured Kotal Kahn invokes Mortal Kombat; [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis effectively reversing his role]] [[NotSoDifferent into what he once opposed so desperately]]. [[BreakTheCutie Putting through multiple rounds of hell,]] not recovering from his GuiltComplex, OutGambitted by his ArchEnemy, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon AND suffering a big TraumaCongaLine all drove him to finally snap and do a FaceHeelTurn at the end of ''MKX''. It is also very likely that he will begin to see the [[JerkassGods Elder Gods]] with [[FaithHeelTurn contempt]] (and will view them [[ConflictingLoyalty as]] [[VillainHasAPoint "toothless worms"]]), as he remembered that they turned down his pleas to stop Shao Kahn's invasion until it was almost too late.]]

%%Good Afternoon Editors, If you wish to add more woobies, please consult the cleanup thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15391212720A38366900&page=1

* From the new faces of Mortal Kombat X, we already have a contender for the woobie status so far: [[TheEmperor Ko]][[{{Mayincatec}} tal]] [[WarGod Kahn]]. As an Osh-Tekk prince he had most of his people killed off by Shao Kahn and Goro whose rampage was stopped by their quick surrender. After he performs the Realmwalk Rite that his father Kotal Ketz had him endure and save the Mayans from the Spanish Conquistadors, he returns to the realm of Osh-Tekk and sees that his old man is [[DisappointedInYou disappointed in him]]. He quickly leaves after that and what does he find? [[spoiler:[[RealityEnsues The Mayans he ruled over and protected are dying from blood poisoning]] with him unable to anything about it, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone and worse was that he was the cause of it]] ([[JerkassHasAPoint which gave his father good reason to be disappointed in him]]).]] After becoming Emperor of Outworld he requests help from Earthrealm's forces but he is rejected by the understandably suspicious Sonya Blade when he was promised assistance by Raiden, then he sends his father on a trip to kill off the remainders of Mileena's forces and what happens? [[spoiler:[[OutGambitted Rain blocks out the sun, weakening Kotal Ketz and Goro steals the Wrath Hammer from him]]. [[YourHeadAsplode The end result is not pretty]], and this drives Kotal Kahn to [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique invoke Blood Magik]] in desperation and vengeance (and we're not sure if he's still cursed from it).]] Later on his subordinate [[TheDragon Er]][[TheGunslinger ron]] [[{{McNinja}} Black]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough royally screws up]] and almost costs Kotal Kahn his life when [[MamaBear Sonya]] comes after him thinking that he kidnapped her daughter Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs. And as of right now he is the LastOfHisKind. As ruthless a kombatant this guy is, it's hard not to feel bad for him given the crap he went through.

* Kenshi. As younger warrior, he was tricked by Shang Tsung in disguise to open his ancestors tomb, which immensed powerful light, [[BlindedByTheLight blinding Kenshi forever]] and let Shang Tsung steal the souls of Kenshi's ancestors. However, Kenshi found a sword infused with his ancestors powers, and dedicated his life to mastering his sences, determined to take revenge on Shang Tsung and atone for his failure. Alas, he never got the opportunity to fulfill it, as Shang Tsung was killed by Shao Kahn in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9''. But it doesn't end there. Later, Kenshi's wife Suchin was murdered by Red Dragon and in order to save his son Takeda, [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou Kenshi had no other choice but to leave him at Shirai Ryu under the aid of Hanzo Hasashi, to make sure he'll be properly trained and not get consumed with thoughts of vengeance that may lead to anything reckless.]] This obviosly strained their relationship, as Takeda resents him for not being around. But hey, even after all of this Kenshi [[StoicWoobie is not complaining]] and keeps a [[StepfordSmiler mellow facade]].

Believe it or not, ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential the series where it's your goal to see how many ways you can viciously maim, dismember, and mutilate your foe]], is not without characters that are in need of a big hug. And they removed the [[DefeatMeansFriendship Friendship]] option since ''4''. Damn it.

* Long story short, ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' is an utter CrapsackWorld.

** [[spoiler:Sindel, that person who commits those mass murder to nearly everyone? It wasn't her idea to do it. It was Shao Kahn imbuing her with Shang Tsung and his many souls when all she suggests was just "taking on the battlefield." Things went out of control from that point on, since if her Arcade ending is to be trusted, if it wasn't for being imbued with Shang Tsung's souls, Sindel would return to her noble self. Did death by Nightwolf set her free? Nope. She's doomed to be Quan Chi's undead slave along with the people she killed for things that was out of her own control (and if they ever regain sentience, they'll certainly blame her for their fate). [[TheScrappy And the fandom hates her for it and think she was a mass-murdering harpy all along]]. At the very least, she depowers down on being a revenant, and seems to be on better term with Kitana when being dead.]]

* Long story short, ''MortalKombat'' is an utter CrapsackWorld.

** [[TheHero Liu Kang?]] He grows increasingly intolerant of Raiden's visions. He then watches as [[spoiler:Shao Kahn snaps the neck of [[HeterosexualLifePartners his stalwart companion]] Kung Lao and later sees his lover Kitana die mere seconds after he and Raiden return from their meeting with the Elder Gods. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and Liu Kang [[WhatTheHellHero calls out his mentor for]] [[SenselessSacrifice the futility of the other heroes' sacrifices]], believing Raiden to have gone mad. His faith in the Thunder God shattered, Liu Kang attempts to fight Shao Kahn, only to be stopped by Raiden. [[FightingYourFriend A fight ensues]], culminating with Raiden accidentally frying Liu Kang in self-defense. As Raiden [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone grieves]], Liu Kang curses him with his dying breath and says, "You have doomed us all."]] [[TraumaCongaLine Poor Liu.]] [[spoiler:MKX shows how pissed he is towards Raiden that not even the prospect of being with Kitana calms him down, culminating with him taking over the throne of Emperor of Netherrealm, [[EverybodyHatesHades doomed to be hated by the living]] regardless of which path he took to rule. Then Dark Raiden comes in and says that he'll be happy to kick Liu's ass if he messes with Earthrealm. OhCrap...]]

* Believe it or not, ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential the series where it's your goal to see how many ways you can viciously maim, dismember, and mutilate your foe]], is not without characters that are in need of a big hug. And they removed the [[DefeatMeansFriendship Friendship]] option since ''4''. Damn it.
** [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1 Reptile]]. The [[LastOfHisKind last surviving member of the long-extict Saurian race]] (or at least he ''was'' until [[AdamAndEvePlot Khameleon showed up in]] ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat3 Trilogy]]''), he's nothing more than [[ExtremeDoormat a hapless warrior serving the villains]] in the misguided hope that they'll restore his race to life. There's a joke among the fandom that if you don't off [[ButtMonkey Reptile]], his superiors ''will''. [[YankTheDogsChain He gets screwed over in almost every ending of his.]] In ''3'', he finds out that Shao Kahn had no intention of upholding their deal; Reptile kills him out of anger. In ''4'', Reptile defeats all of the heroes for Shinnok and Quan Chi. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WisBtqr_4lM His reward?]] [[YourHeadAsplode He gets his head blown clean off of his shoulders by Shinnok,]] [[GodOfEvil who is not]] [[ILied a god of his word.]] In the only fully canon ending of ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'', [[spoiler:his body becomes the vessel for the rebirth of [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Onaga, the Dragon King]].]] His dashed dream of the revival of his race [[SanitySlippage slowly drives Reptile into insanity]], to the point that [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm he reverts into his original form]] by the time of ''Deadly Alliance'': that of a mindless, reptilian beast. Said beast also starts ''ragging on himself'' when he perceives himself to have failed his new master, the {{manipulative|Bastard}} [[GuileHero Nitara]]. The only consolation is that [[spoiler:he survives the events of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', but even then, he's simply a {{Jobber}}. However, seeing as Shao Kahn is dead--seemingly for good and at a ''much'' earlier point in time--and Khameleon appears to cameo in select scenes of Story Mode, [[ThrowTheDogABone this dog might be thrown a bone yet.]]]]
*** In MKX, [[spoiler: he's back under the heel of a Kahn again, though this time Kotal... And for once, this trope is averted! Kotal Kahn is a standup NobleDemon that treats Reptile with full respect, relating how they were the LastOfTheirKind. [[ThrowTheDogABone About time, Reptile!]]]]
** [[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 Smoke]]. Tries to escape the Lin Kuei with his best bud Sub-Zero. He's instead captured and [[UnwillingRoboticisation forcibly converted into one of their cybernetic warriors.]] He's then programmed to hunt down said best friend (according to ''9'', [[HeterosexualLifePartners the two are like brothers]]). The younger Sub-Zero manages to reach out to the soul of his buddy, allowing Smoke to regain control of his body, but somewhere along the way, Shao Kahn's extermination squads get to him and [[DeadGuyOnDisplay throw his deactivated body into Kahn's dungeons]]. [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Many years later]], [[MadeOfEvil Noob Saibot]] finds Smoke's body and reprograms him to be subservient to him. It takes until ''Armageddon'' for Sub-Zero to bring Smoke back to the light.
** [[VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero Sareena]]. A [[IAmAMonster self-loathing demon]] in the guise of a beautiful woman, she was once a part of Quan Chi's [[AmazonBrigade triad of female assassins]] and was defeated in combat by the Elder Sub-Zero. However (unlike her allies Kia and Jataaka), Sub-Zero decides to spare her. As such, [[HighHeelFaceTurn she has a change of heart]] and [[BigDamnHeroes comes to his rescue during his battle with Quan Chi]]. She then asks Sub-Zero to take her with him to Earthrealm, [[ShipTease but before anything else can develop]], Shinnok kills her... [[NotQuiteDead but not really]]. Sareena instead is dragged down to the Netherrealm in her demon form, where she suffers for an agonizingly long period of time. Around the time of ''Deadly Alliance''/''Deception'', she finally finds a portal and escapes from her hellish imprisonment, [[ShipTease where she encounters and strikes up an alliance with]] Younger Sub-Zero, the brother of the man who saved her life. Then, Sub-Zero follows Noob Saibot and Smoke into the Netherrealm. Sareena--despite Sub-Zero's urging--pursues him and saves his life as well, but the intensity of the battle against Noob-Smoke and the energy of the land causes Sareena [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity to go mad and transform into her demonic form]]. However, [[MoralityPet her feelings for Sub-Zero are so strong that]], rather than hurt him, she flees into the depths of the Netherrealm. She's intercepted by Quan Chi, Noob, and Smoke and Quan Chi [[MindControl brainwashes]] [[TheAtoner Sareena]] into believing that [[DarkIsEvil she cannot be a being of light due to her status as a demon]]. Sareena undergoes a FaceHeelTurn, but is luckily freed from Quan Chi's grasp thanks to [[SpannerInTheWorks Taven]].
** [[VideoGame/MortalKombat2 Kitana]] and ([[PapaWolf surprisingly]]) [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1 Scorpion]] are {{Iron Woobie}}s. More info about them can be seen on that page.
*** And to make things worse, everyone save for Shao Kahn, Shinnok, Taven, and Liu Kang's spirit ''dies'' in ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon Armageddon]]'', with [[TheBadGuyWins Shao Kahn gaining complete control over all of the realms]].
*** Though Shao Kahn does win at the end of ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'', it counts as a PyrrhicVictory as he goes [[DrivenToMadness insane]] after realizing that there were no other realms left to conquer.
** [[WhamEpisode Then came]] ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' [[WhamEpisode with its]] [[FunWithAcronyms WMWs]] ([[UpToEleven weapons of mass Woobiefication]]). [[DarkMessiah Dark Raiden]] (the CameBackWrong WellIntentionedExtremist version of Earthrealm's protector god) initiates a ContinuityReboot and [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture sends a message to his past self]] [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong with the hopes of preventing]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Armageddon]], but things go horribly, ''horribly'' [[GoneHorriblyWrong wrong]]. Even excluding the specific examples below, [[spoiler:a BrainwashedAndCrazy Sindel empowered by Shang Tsung's soul [[HeroKiller kills]] '''eight''' of the heroes (Nightwolf, Kitana, Jade, Sub-Zero, Smoke, Jax, Stryker, and Kabal), with those guys, Sindel herself (who Nightwolf [[MutualKill fells in a]] TakingYouWithMe HeroicSacrifice), and Kung Lao (who was killed earlier by Shao Kahn [[KnightOfCerebus to show that]] AnyoneCanDie) [[AndIMustScream having their souls controlled by Quan Chi in the Netherrealm by the story's close.]] [[KillEmAll Only Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade are left to defend Earthrealm.]]]] It's telling of how much of a TearJerker an event is when [[spoiler:[[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Ca]][[DeadpanSnarker ge]], the comic relief of the series, goes ''completely somber'' and the rough-and-tumble army girl Sonya is on the verge of letting a floodgate of tears run down her face.]] It's ''that'' bad.
*** Smoke? [[spoiler:[[ThrowTheDogABone Manages to avoid his fate of becoming a cyborg,]] [[ForWantOfANail only to see the same fate befall his brother figure Sub-Zero]], a fact that distresses him ''tremendously''. He then gets unceremoniously offed by Sindel in a [[GroinAttack one]]-[[NeckSnap two]] combo.]] And this isn't even factoring in his ending, where he [[spoiler:remembers his past, [[QuestForIdentity the one thing he's been searching for all his life.]] Said recollection involves him ''being sacrificed to a demon by a cult as an infant'', [[TragicMonster returning to life as an Enenra]] (a monster made of smoke and vapor). Smoke then killed his captors and [[HumanoidAbomination re-assumed to his human form]], [[LaserGuidedAmnesia with no memory of the ordeal]].]]
*** Sub-Zero? [[spoiler:After defeating Scorpion ([[YouKilledMyFather his brother's killer]]), the Cyber Lin Kuei interrupt and haul Subby back to be used in the Cyber Initiative, much like Smoke was in the original timeline. He manages to have his free will restored and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone is wracked with guilt over]] all of the actions he had no control of. Upon attempting to stop Quan Chi from creating a Soulnado, he's blocked by Noob Saibot, who reveals himself to be Sub-Zero's elder brother (compare this to the first timeline, where Sub-Zero didn't discover this fact until ''Deception''). [[CameBackWrong Noob]] then [[KickTheDog kicks the dog]] by telling his little brother (the very same one who idolized him and entered the Outworld tournament to ''avenge his death'') "We share blood. We are ''not'' brothers." Later, Cyber Sub-Zero is killed by Sindel. Even worse, his ending (as Cyber Sub-Zero) has him defeating Shao Kahn, only for Kahn's soul to commit GrandTheftMe on him.]] Things seemingly got better for him in ''X'', where [[spoiler:Quan Chi gave him flesh instead of dooming him as a cyber zombie, and then Raiden managed to restore him into the living. Then in process of restoring the Lin Kuei, Sub-Zero saw his friend Cyrax, right after he turned back to the side of good, blowing himself up so he could restart the Lin Kuei freshly. He managed to come out a bit safer than the others, but it's already telling that the hell he went through, including how he couldn't find a way to try and rescue his best friend Smoke, who has embraced the Enenra persona, [[IronWoobie Subby has become so jaded despite leading Lin Kuei the path of good.]]]]
*** Also, in a more meta fashion, this games trailer is what started Sub-Zero's role as Scorpion's punching bag in promotional materials. The two are often shown in battle, but Sub-Zero is ALWAYS beaten and usually brutally killed.
*** Kabal? [[spoiler:Tries to protect New York City from Shao Kahn's invasion forces [[BashBrothers alongside]] Stryker. Is ''roasted alive'' by Kintaro, severely disfiguring him. Former Black Dragon cohort Kano [[PetTheDog gets Shang Tsung to heal him up with magic]], but Kabal would have rather died and remarks, [[IAmAMonster "I'm a freak."]] After deciding to put [[SuperSpeed his new skills]] to good use as one of [[BigGood Raiden]]'s [[TheChosenMany chosen warriors]] and continue [[TheAtoner atoning]] for his past history with the [[MurderInc Black Dragon]], he's killed by Sindel. On top of this, a FreezeFrameBonus reveals that Kabal is wearing a ring on his finger, signifying that he's likely engaged or married. His family was probably left wondering what happened to Kabal in the game's aftermath, [[FridgeHorror assuming they survived the Outworld invasion to begin with.]]]]
*** Scorpion? [[spoiler:Scorpion continues to demand that Shang Tsung allow him to fight Sub-Zero, who Scorpion believes to be the killer of his family and clan. After fighting multiple pawns and demanding Sub-Zero, Scorpion is promptly denied and is approached by Raiden. Raiden says he will ask the Elder Gods to revive all Scorpion has lost if he doesn't kill Sub-Zero, believing Sub-Zero to be part of the prophecy. When Sub-Zero finally does fight Scorpion, Scorpion defeats him and doesn't kill him. Only after Quan Chi shows Scorpion terrifyingly graphic images of his family and clan being killed by Sub-Zero does Scorpion finally give in and kill him, overtaken by anger. This leads to [[CameBackWrong the elder Sub-Zero's resurrection as Noob Saibot]]. The worst part? It wasn't even Sub-Zero who murdered Scorpion's wife, child, and the rest of the Shirai Ryu; it was Quan Chi in disguise.]]

*** Kitana? She wises up to Shao Kahn's treachery thanks to Raiden's warnings, but [[spoiler:when she [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight tries to convince her mother to stop fighting]], Sindel shoots her down, retorting that [[ThatManIsDead she is no longer her mother]]. [[DiedInYourArmsTonight Kitana dies from having most of her soul stolen in Liu Kang's arms]], lamenting that she wished they could have met under different circumstances. Then she's turned into a revenant by Quan Chi and any thoughts of having the side of her best friend, Jade, with her, is gone, because Jade has been somewhat whisked away somewhere, leading Kitana to mourn on her by taking up her staff and style. Then, she received visions that everything would've been hunky dory with her eliminating Shao Kahn and saving Outworld and Edenia single-handedly... if it wasn't for Raiden's interference, causing her to spiral down in hatred towards Raiden. Sheesh.]]
*** Oh, it goes more than that. [[spoiler:Sindel, that person who commits those mass murder to nearly everyone? It wasn't her idea to do it. It was Shao Kahn imbuing her with Shang Tsung and his many souls when all she suggests was just "taking on the battlefield." Things went out of control from that point on, since if her Arcade ending is to be trusted, if it wasn't for being imbued with Shang Tsung's souls, Sindel would return to her noble self. Did death by Nightwolf set her free? Nope. She's doomed to be Quan Chi's undead slave along with the people she killed for things that was out of her own control (and if they ever regain sentience, they'll certainly blame her for their fate). [[TheScrappy And the fandom hates her for it and think she was a mass-murdering harpy all along]]. At the very least, she depowers down on being a revenant, and seems to be on better term with Kitana when being dead.]]
*** [[TheHero Liu Kang?]] He grows increasingly intolerant of Raiden's visions. He then watches as [[spoiler:Shao Kahn snaps the neck of [[HeterosexualLifePartners his stalwart companion]] Kung Lao and later sees his lover Kitana die mere seconds after he and Raiden return from their meeting with the Elder Gods. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and Liu Kang [[WhatTheHellHero calls out his mentor for]] [[SenselessSacrifice the futility of the other heroes' sacrifices]], believing Raiden to have gone mad. His faith in the Thunder God shattered, Liu Kang attempts to fight Shao Kahn, only to be stopped by Raiden. [[FightingYourFriend A fight ensues]], culminating with Raiden accidentally frying Liu Kang in self-defense. As Raiden [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone grieves]], Liu Kang curses him with his dying breath and says, "You have doomed us all."]] [[TraumaCongaLine Poor Liu.]] [[spoiler:MKX shows how pissed he is towards Raiden that not even the prospect of being with Kitana calms him down, culminating with him taking over the throne of Emperor of Netherrealm, [[EverybodyHatesHades doomed to be hated by the living]] regardless of which path he took to rule. Then Dark Raiden comes in and says that he'll be happy to kick Liu's ass if he messes with Earthrealm. OhCrap...]]
*** The biggest Woobie of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' has to be Raiden. Trying to decipher a vague warning from his future self to no avail, Raiden seeks the aid of the Elder Gods, who are [[NeglectfulPrecursors callous]] [[JerkassGods assholes]] and turn down his pleas. Even though he manages to save the day at the last second, it is a '''major''' PyrrhicVictory. Raiden, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon, experienced ''at least'' two {{Heroic BSOD}}s, and now suffering from a massive GuiltComplex, [[ItsAllMyFault handily blames himself]] ''[[HurtingHero for everything.]]'' Someone ''please'' give this man a Friendship. [[spoiler:To make matters worse, it is shown that he has not recovered from his GuiltComplex he carried from ''9'', and has to contend with Shinnok's invasion in ''Mortal Kombat X'', along with an army of undead revenants of Earthrealm's fallen champions, notably [[LikeASonToMe Kung Lao and Liu Kang,]] [[CallingTheOldManOut both of whom blame Raiden for their deaths.]] Raiden manages to revive [[BackFromTheDead Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Jax]], but Scorpion's RevengeBeforeReason unwittingly dooms the remaining revenants who are still under Quan Chi's control by killing him (but not before Quan Chi releases Shinnok from the amulet), thus eroding any possibility of Raiden reviving them to the side of good; this all occurs while [[MyGreatestFailure Raiden is lamenting the loss of Liu Kang and Kung Lao]], [[LikeASonToMe both of whom were like sons to him.]] Raiden later manages to [[HeroicSacrifice purify the Jinsei]] after defeating Shinnok, but the Jinsei's purification process [[CameBackWrong corrupts him,]] and he later becomes [[DarkMessiah Dark]] [[FaceHeelTurn Raiden.]] After threatening Liu Kang and Kitana (who had become [[TheEmperor the new rulers of the Netherrealm]] following Shinnok's defeat) by presenting [[AndIMustScream Shinnok's]] [[OffWithHisHead head]], [[KnightTemplar he]] [[WellIntentionedExtremist vows to go]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters on an offensive]] [[WillNotBeAVictim to protect Earthrealm from external threats.]] In his ''MKX'' arcade ending, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope this spirals into something worse]] - as part of his DisproportionateRetribution [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans against Outworld]], [[FallenHero he]] preemptively attacks and attempts to [[TheConqueror conquer Outworld]] until a battered and injured Kotal Kahn invokes Mortal Kombat; [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis effectively reversing his role]] [[NotSoDifferent into what he once opposed so desperately]]. [[BreakTheCutie Putting through multiple rounds of hell,]] not recovering from his GuiltComplex, OutGambitted by his ArchEnemy, having crossed the DespairEventHorizon AND suffering a big TraumaCongaLine all drove him to finally snap and do a FaceHeelTurn at the end of ''MKX''. It is also very likely that he will begin to see the [[JerkassGods Elder Gods]] with [[FaithHeelTurn contempt]] (and will view them [[ConflictingLoyalty as]] [[VillainHasAPoint "toothless worms"]]), as he remembered that they turned down his pleas to stop Shao Kahn's invasion until it was almost too late.]]

* Long story short, ''MortalKombat'' is an utter CrapsackWorld.