History Woobie / MortalKombat

** In the original timeline, in ''3'', when 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; his reward? He [[YourHeadAsplode gets his head blown clean off of his shoulders]] by [[GodOfEvil Shinnok]], who is [[ILied not a god of his word]]. And 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 he reverts into [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm his original, mindless, reptilian form]] by the time of ''Deadly Alliance'', and who starts ''ragging on himself'' when he thinks [[YouHaveFailedMe he failed his new master]], the {{manipulative|Bastard}} [[GuileHero Nitara]].
** In the second timeline, he's on his reptilian appearance by default, implying [[InSpiteOfANail he couldn't escape said fate]] (and becoming more articulate as time goes by). His story doesn't change much, with the only consolation being that he survives the events of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', but even then, he's simply a {{Jobber}}. Fortunately, after the death of Shao Kahn (seemingly for good and at a ''much'' earlier point in time), in ''X'', he's back under the heel of a Kahn again, though this time Kotal, a NobleDemon that treats Reptile with full respect, relating how they were the LastOfTheirKind. [[ThrowTheDogABone About time, Reptile!]]
** In the New Era from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', Reptile'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.
* '''Smoke''', much like Reptile, is highly pitiable, being one of the few unambiguously good playable Lin Kuei who, like the younger Sub-Zero, never wanted to partake in [[UnwillingRoboticisation the Cyber Initiative]]. His reasons for being a Woobie tend to vary from era to era.
** In the original timeline, he tries to escape the Lin Kuei with his best friend Sub-Zero, but is captured, forcibly converted into a Cyber Lin Kuei, and programmed to hunt down said friend. Kuai Liang manages to reach out to Smoke's soul, allowing him 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]]. Many years later, in ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Deception]]'', [[MadeOfEvil Noob Saibot]] finds Smoke's body and reprograms him to be subservient to him, taking until ''Armageddon'' for Kuai to [[HeelFaceTurn bring Smoke back to the light for good]].

** While faring better than previous timelines, life is stll harsh for him in the New Era. His mother and sister killed, he is adopted as a son by the Grandmaster of the clan who killed them out of guilt for their deaths. He is constantly mistreated by one of his adopted brothers, [[{{Jerkass}} Bi-Han]], [[AdoptionDiss just because he's not related by blood]], causing a lifelong struggle for recognition. Eventually losing his adopted parents, [[spoiler:he is betrayed by Bi-Han, who is revealed to have left their father to die and maims Kuai Liang, the one brother who accepted him, in their confrontation. Pre-fight dialogues with him reveals that he has been hiding the pain of losing his own family for many years only to find out that their souls were now under Quan Chi's control]]. The one solace he has is [[spoiler:that he's able to find a new family with Kuai Liang and Harumi in the Shirai Ryu]].
* '''Cyrax'''. While starting off as a ruthless Lin Kuei assassin, his distain for the Cyber Initiative and Raiden appealing to his good side led him to try and leave the clan. Except he ends up getting forcibly turned into a cyborg and becoming a mindless slave.
** In the original timeline, sometime after the events of ''3'', he is trapped in the Jade Desert, until Sonya and Jax find him in ''4'' (as seen in the UpdatedRerelease of ''Gold'') and help restore his soul, leading to him joining the Special Forces. During a mission in Outworld, however, he ends up getting ambushed by Reptile, where 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 kombat 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.
** The new timeline is even worse to him. The events of ''9'' reveal he actually participated in the tournament under the banner of Outworld, and we learn about his human side when Raiden appeals to it and convinces him to turn over a new leaf. Except when he defeats his "partner" and the Lin Kuei's grandmaster's son, Sektor, he is able ro escape... [[ShaggyDogStory only to be captured anyways]]. Worse is that he stays as a mindless slave to the Lin Kuei even after the end of Shao Kahn's invasion to Earthrealm, before Sub-Zero finds him and uploads a virus into him that frees his consciousness. Cyrax then decides to [[HeroicSacrifice activate his self-destruct mechanism to take out the rest of the cyber Lin Kuei]]. And then ''11'' features a past version of Cyrax who is once again turned into a cyborg and forced to carry out orders, this time from Kronika. Once again, Sub-Zero manages to free Cyrax from his programming; once he comes to, Cyrax is ''horrified'' by his conversion, only deciding to help Sub-Zero and Scorpion by, again, a HeroicSacrifice where he shuts down the Cyber Lin Kuei Factory and thus the cyber ninjas themselves, himself included. Even before this, he wished his comrade, Kuai Liang, not to revive him as a cyborg if he ever brought Cyrax back, stating [[IAmAMonster he couldn't live like that]].

* '''Kabal''''s [[AdaptationalHeroism heroic self]] from the second timeline goes through a gruesome conga line. A reformed criminal (from the ''[[MurderInc Black Dragon]]'', no less), he tries to protect New York City from Shao Kahn's invasion forces [[BashBrothers alongside Stryker]], where he's roasted alive by Kintaro, severely disfiguring him. His former Black Dragon boss, Kano (in an uncharacteristic PetTheDog moment), gets Shang Tsung to heal him up with magic, but Kabal [[WouldRatherSuffer would have rather died]], [[IAmAMonster seeing himself as 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 Black Dragon, he's killed by Sindel. And on top of all this, a FreezeFrameBonus reveals that Kabal is wearing a ring on his finger, signifying that he's likely engaged or married, leaving his family wondering what happened to him in the game's aftermath... [[FridgeHorror assuming they survived the Outworld invasion to begin with]]...
* '''Sareena'''; what else can you say of a [[IAmAMonster self-loathing demon]] of the [[{{Hell}} Netherrealm]] that's ''not'' subservient to Quan Chi, who constantly mistreats her? Under the guise of a beautiful woman, she was once a part of Quan Chi's [[AmazonBrigade triad of female assassins]] in ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero Mythologies]]'' and was defeated in kombat by the elder Sub-Zero, who spares her unlike her allies Kia and Jataaka, leading to [[HighHeelFaceTurn a change of heart]] and [[BigDamnHeroes coming 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 drags her back 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, where she encounters and strikes up an alliance with the younger Sub-Zero. After both follow Noob Saibot and Smoke into the Netherrealm and Sareena saves Kuai Liang's life as well, 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]], with her feelings for [[MoralityPet Kuai]] being the only thing preventing her from hurting him, instead fleeing into the depths of the Netherrealm... where she's intercepted by Quan Chi, Noob and Smoke, the former of which who {{brainwashe|d}}s Sareena into believing that she cannot be a being of light due to her status as a demon, only breaking out of her FaceHeelTurn thanks to [[SpannerInTheWorks Taven]].

* Hanzo Hasashi a.k.a. '''Scorpion'''. If you think the vengeance-driven Revenant wasn't pitiable at all, you'd be plain ''wrong''. With the Shirai Ryu being [[StartMyOwn rebelious refugees of the former Lin Kuei]], he already has problems from the get-go, and it all goes to the Netherrealm once he and the elder Sub-Zero, Bi-Han, fight each other, with the outcome being Hanzo's death after being appointed a mission by [[TreacherousQuestgiver Quan Chi]], who later kills his clan, [[HappilyMarried wife and son]] included. And after being revived in the Netherrealm, he is {{Brainwashed}} by Quan Chi that the Lin Kuei had done the deed, pleading his allegiance to the evil warlock. From there, though it varies with each of the two timelines, Hanzo doesn't catch a break on any of them, even if never do his morality and honor falter.
** During the first tournament, he [[{{Revenge}} successfully assassinates his supposed killer in life]], after being told by Quan Chi that this would avenge his family and clan, but on the second tournament, Scorpion has [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone a moment of clarity]] after learning of Bi-Han's brother, the younger Sub-Zero, and [[TheAtoner atones for it]] by [[GuardianEntity vowing to protect Kuai]]... only for Quan Chi to lie to Hanzo that Kuai ''killed'' his wife and son come the events of ''4''; fortunately, he soon learns this was a lie so he could break his vow of protection and kill Kuai, and instead he haunts Quan Chi, no wonder as revenge for killing his kin, the only thing he had in life. Sometime during ''Deception'', after being thrown to the void via a Soulnado, the Elder Gods make Scorpion their Champion to deal with the threat of Onaga, agreeing under the terms that his family and clan would be revived by the Elder Gods, who [[ExactWords uphold their end of the bargain]]... by [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor reviving the Shirai Ryu as undead abominations]] come ''Armageddon''. No wonder he goes all RageAgainstTheHeavens afterwards.
** His second timeline self, however, is way more tragic. During the tournament, Scorpion demands that Shang Tsung allow him to fight Sub-Zero, with the sorcerer promptly denying him his chance. He then is approached by Raiden, who promises him to ask the Elder Gods to revive all Scorpion has lost if he doesn't kill the cryomancer. Try as Scorpion might, when he upholds his promise, Quan Chi shows Scorpion terrifyingly graphic images of his family and clan being killed by Bi-Han, forcing the Revenant to give in and kill him, overtaken by anger, and leading to [[CameBackWrong Bi-Han's resurrection as Noob Saibot]]. By ''X'', he is soundly BackFromTheDead and reconstructs his clan, the Shirai Ryu, from the remnants of Shao Kahn's invasion, in the process [[ParentalSubstitute adopting Kenshi's son, Takeda]], who is [[LikeASonToMe like a son to him]], only for a blood demon to posess one of his new students, who cuts his own face off and slaughters every last member of the Shirai Ryu save Scorpion and Takeda. He later ''re-rebuilds'' his clan... and later learns from Kuai Liang about his old clan's true murderer, Quan Chi, causing him deep grief over his lost family and clan as well as his MisplacedRetribution on Bi-Han, only coming to his senses when Kuai makes it clear there are no hard feelings. And to further drive the knife in the wound, he ends up ''dying'' by the time of ''11'', courtesy of D'Vorah, not before turning his past self to the side of good after letting him know how much he treasured his clan.

* '''Raiden''', but especially his second timeline self, qualifies with flying colors and then some. With ''9'' being a WhamEpisode wielding [[FunWithAcronyms WMWs]] ('''W'''eapons of '''M'''ass '''W'''oobiefication), [[DarkMessiah Dark Raiden]] (his original timeline's {{fallen|Hero}} yet {{well|Intentioned Extremist}}-intentioned self) 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]]. Trying to decipher the vague warning sent from his BadFuture self to no avail, the new timeline's Raiden seeks the aid of the Elder Gods, who [[JerkassGods callously turn down his pleas]], and ''several'' of his chosen Champions and new allies (save for Liu Kang, Johnny Cage and Sonya) fall in battle one way or another, no thanks to Sindel. Upon Liu Kang [[FaithHeelTurn losing his faith on Raiden]], the two {{fight|ing Your Friend}} right as [[BigBad Shao Kahn]] is [[NearVillainVictory about to cross into Earthrealm]], and the Thunder God, [[CrimeOfSelfDefense in self-defense]], accidentally '''''[[KillTheOnesYouLove kills]]''''' [[KillTheOnesYouLove Liu]], whose parting words are a DyingDeclarationOfHate. Even though Raiden manages to save the day at the last second, it is a '''major''' PyrrhicVictory; having crossed the DespairEventHorizon, experienced ''at least'' two {{Heroic BSOD}}s, suffering from GuiltComplex, and [[ItsAllMyFault blaming himself]] over [[MyGreatestFailure everything]]. Then in ''X'', it is shown that he has not recovered, and has to contend with Shinnok's invasion, whose army includes undead revenants of Earthrealm's fallen champions, notably [[LikeASonToMe Kung Lao and Liu Kang]]. Though Raiden manages to [[BackFromTheDead revive Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Jax]], Scorpion's RevengeBeforeReason unwittingly dooms the remaining revenants (who are still under Quan Chi's control) by killing Quan Chi, eroding any possibility of Raiden reviving everyone to the side of good; and this all occurs while Raiden and Bo' Rai Cho lament the loss of Liu Kang and Kung Lao, [[LikeASonToMe both of whom were like sons to the Thunder God]]. Raiden later manages to purify the Jinsei]] after defeating Shinnok, but the Jinsei's purification process [[TheCorruption corrupts him]] and [[InSpiteOfANail he later becomes the very thing he tried to avoid]]: [[DarkMessiah Dark Raiden]]. Though his FaceHeelTurn is undone come ''11'', after past Raiden is made aware of everything, he has to endure what his other self went through, intro dialogues show he still ''hasn't'' recovered from his loss, and despite his efforts to fix everything, he and Fujin are betrayed by [[DiabolusExMachina Shang Tsung]] as shown in ''Aftermath'', then turned into [[AndIMustScream living husks of their selves]] as the sorcerer [[YourSoulIsMine steals their souls]]. In bulk, even with how much he pulls through and tries to set everything right, Raiden [[TraumaCongaLine can't catch a break]], with the only saving grace being the inevitable timeline reset and his new incarnation in the New Era faring better.

** As seen in the original timeline, not only is Kitana's father killed by Shao Kahn during his bloody takeover of Edenia, her mother Sindel [[DrivenToSuicide commits suicide]] out of grief for her departed husband. Shao then [[ForcedIntoEvil manipulates the poor girl into serving as one of his assassins]] and [[{{Brainwashed}} makes her falsely believe that he is her birth father]], and creates [[EvilKnockoff a disfigured clone of her to act as her "sister"]] and ultimately off her should Kitana prove to be unreliable. When Kitana finally breaks free, Shao then revives her mother and brainwashes her as a tool for his invasion of Earthrealm. Eventually, when all of this and Shinnok's return is resolved, Kitana proposes to her {{love interest|s}}, Liu Kang, who reluctantly declines due to his status as Earthrealm's Champion. Atfer Quan Chi and Shang Tsung get the jump on him before ''Deadly Alliance'' and kill him, Kitana dies in battle against the two, and is later revived by Onaga and {{brainwashed|And Crazy}} ([[HereWeGoAgain again]]) to serve him, only set free by a royally pissed off [[MamaBear Sindel]].
** Her second timeline self suffers for different motives that are no less worse. The creation of Mileena instead happens behind her back, then learns from her so-called father that he killed King Jerrod, and nearly gets executed. Then, after being appointed one of Raiden's Champions, her mother, Sindel, is brought BackFromTheDead (and [[CameBackStrong powered up]] and seemingly {{brainwashed|And Crazy}}) and, unlike the original timeline, Kitana [[IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight tries to convince her mother to stop fighting]], only for Sindel to [[IHaveNoSon shoot down her plea]] and [[OffingTheOffspring near-kill her daughter]], truly dying [[DiedInYourArmsTonight in Liu Kang's arms]] while lamenting they didn't meet under different circumstances. It's no wonder she'd be incredibly bitter upon being [[CameBackWrong revived by Quan Chi]], and though her Arcade Ending is non-canon, the fact she has a dream of everything she wished in life (a free Edenia and the companionship of Jade) if not for Raiden further sinks the feelings down. But the worst is yet to come as, in ''11'''s ''Aftermath'' expansion, she finally reunites with a seemingly non-corrupted Sindel, who turns out to be EvilAllAlong and not only betrays her daughter, but beats her up, has her love interest crippled, and is then forced on her knees and made to watch as the very man she fought to free Outworld takes over once more. To say she has it rough would be an {{Understatement}}.
* '''Sindel''', that is, ''her heroic self'' from the original timeline. Her realm of Edenia is taken away from her by the evil conqueror Shao Kahn, driving her to [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]] out of grief for her beloved husband, King Jerrod. Unfortunately, Shao had other plans for her, as come the events of ''3'', he revives Sindel and {{brainwashe|d And Crazy}}s her as a tool for his invasion of Earthrealm. Fortunately, she is freed after his defeat and, regains her nobleness. Then by the time of ''Deception'', the abduction of his beloved daughter forces her to fight over an army of undead under the Dragon King that just brainwashed Kitana. And in the end? As you would expect, she dies at Armageddon and replaced with her [[TheScrappy/MortalKombat second timeline's widely despised self]].
* '''Kotal Kahn''', despite being [[ALighterShadeOfBlack the secondary villain]] of ''X'', receives this status by both supplementary material and the events of ''11''. 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 K'etz, 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?[[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]] (which gave his father [[JerkassHasAPoint a good reason to be disappointed in him]]); fortunately, sometime later, we learn the two had eventually reconciled by the time Kotal becomes Emperor of Outworld. Once, during his leadership, he requests help from Earthrealm's forces but is rejected by the understandably suspicious Sonya Blade when he was promised assistance by Raiden, then sends his father on a trip to kill off the remainders of Mileena's forces, where K'etz is OutGambitted and killed. [[YouKilledMyFather This incident]] drives Kotal to [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique invoke Blood Magik]] in desperation and vengeance. Later on, his subordinate Erron Black ''almost'' [[DidntThinkThisThrough royally screws up]] and 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. The events of ''11'' even reveal that, during the time the first games take place, not only he had already been experimented on by Shang Tsung under the orders of Shao, but he had developed an incredibly heartwarming relationship with Jade (who [[RewatchBonus mind you]], [[TheLostLenore dies during Sindel's kill streak]] at the end of ''9''). And by the end of the ''11'''s ''Aftermath'' expansion? Shao Kahn [[OffWithHisHead decapitates him]] in what's one of the most ShockingMoments in the entire franchise, right after he had been [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap rescued from "base-breaking character" territory]]. As ruthless a kombatant this guy is, it's hard not to feel bad for him given the crap he went through, even if he takes it all calmly and presses on.
* Would you believe that the New Era makes '''Baraka''' one of these? Compared to previous timelines, what was originally his race, the Tarkatans, is now a vicious disease (Tarkat) that has no known cure. Originally a well-off merchant after a decorated service as a tribune in the Outworld army with a loving wife and child, the Tarkat infection hit all of them, leading to their banishment and the eventual death of Baraka's family, leaving him alone and bitter. Though he [[AdaptationalHeroism allies with the heroes without trouble]] in this timeline and his servicial nature never ends, he makes it clear in many of his pre-fight dialogue how much he suffers every day with his condition, even going as far as to say [[FateWorseThanDeath that he'd rather not exist]].
* Much like Baraka, the New Era turns '''Mileena''' into this, unlike the second timeline. 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 is infected with a lethal virus that would eventually turn her into a mindless monster. [[spoiler:Blamed for her own illness by her mother (who [[ParentalFavoritism secretly wished Kitana could be heir]]), kept from pursuing her heavily-implied love interest due to archaic vows, seeing her mother murdered by a tyrannical alternate version of herself, avenging her mother by killing said alternate Sindel, and her mother [[DyingDeclarationOfLove finally reaffirming her love for her in her dying breath]]... wow.]] It makes Mileena getting [[spoiler:her father back in the form of Ermac and gaining true respect and admiration as Empress worth it]], and she never loses face much like her sister did in previous timelines, but damn is it a TraumaCongaLine.

* '''Liu Kang''', specifically ''his second timeline's [[TragicVillain evil self]]'', is this all things considered. A BrokenAce through and through in life, he goes through a TraumaCongaLine where he grows increasingly intolerant of Raiden, his own mentor, in the process. It starts when he then watches as [[BigBad Shao Kahn]], [[KickTheDog for no reason]] other than ForTheEvulz, [[NeckSnap snaps the neck]] of [[HeterosexualLifePartners his stalwart companion Kung Lao]] and later sees his {{love interest|s}} 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. [[FaithHeelTurn 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 [[KillTheOnesYouLove accidentally frying Liu Kang]] -- [[CrimeOfSelfDefense in self-defense]], no less! As Raiden [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone grieves]], Liu Kang [[DyingDeclarationOfHate curses him with his dying breath "You have killed us all"]]. And as if that wasn't enough, ''X'' shows how pissed he is towards Raiden that not even the prospect of being with Kitana calms him down. Even if he's an unrepentant {{j|erkass}}ackass for the entirety of the story who [[EvilFeelsGood embraces his evil self]], his unmeasurable wrath over losing everything he held dear in life has earned him sympathy from the fandom, not helped by how the story culminates with him staying a villain, taking over the throne of Emperor of Netherrealm (where he is [[EverybodyHatesHades doomed to be hated by the living]] regardless of which path he took to rule) and being threatened by Dark Raiden if he messes with Earthrealm.
* Much like Liu, '''Kung Lao''''s ''second timeline self'' is extremely pitiable. ''Unlike'' the rest of the Revenants, Lao ''[[BeingEvilSucks hates]]'' [[BeingEvilSucks the fact he's become evil]] and seeing how his death was among the ones to spark the broken prophecy, he does ''not'' take well how, in life, Raiden "allowed" him to die. As a result of his SelfServingMemory, he is just as willing as Liu to let Shinnok rain chaos over Earthrealm. Unfortunately for him, Heaven's door isn't opening anytime soon given Scorpion's slaughter of Quan Chi, meaning he is doomed to spend his life as a Revenant, not helped by how his Arcade ending, where his cousin Kung Jin offers to redeem him despite staying as a revenant, ''isn't canon''.

* '''Rain''' also gets some sympathy points in ''11''. Though he is incredibly disloyal and untrustworthy, his Arcade ending reveals a secret of his past: he was [[BastardBastard the product of an extramarital affair between Argus and a mortal woman]] named Amara. To prevent his affair from being outed, Argus fooled Amara into thinking Rain was stillborn and gave him away before killing Amara himself while she was grieving. The revelation of this destroys Rain, and he immediately seeks out to murder Argus' sons Taven and Daegon in front of their mother [[RevengeByProxy as revenge for killing his mother and giving him away]]. More than just a throne to sit down on, a kingdom to rule, or ultimate power (though he wants all of those), all Rain wanted the most was the true story of his parentage, and why he was conceived, so nobody will blame him for lashing out once he learned it.

** In the original timeline, Kuai enters the tournament for one reason and one reason only: [[YouKilledMyFather avenge his brother]], who fell in the previous tournament from time ago. Though Scorpion [[GuardianEntity vows to protect Kuai]] behind his back, the cryomancer never learns of this until the spectre attempts to kill him in MisplacedRetribution in ''4'', only stopping when Scorpion learns the truth from both him and Quan Chi. Even before that, he is forced a fugitive from the Cyber Initiative after Smoke is captured and roboticized, managing to come out alive. The events of ''Deadly Alliance'' have him rebuild his Lin Kuei clan and appoint his new disciple, Frost, who soon backstabs him when they join Raiden's forces once more. After her [[DisneyDeath apparent death]], the Grandmaster [[DueToTheDead buries her]], believing her to be dead, before returning back to work in Earthrealm's defense, and when he comes back home... Frost turns out [[ReportsOfMyDEathWereGreatlyExaggerated alive]] and [[APupilOfMineUntilSheTurnedToEvil pissed]], killing many of his Lin Kuei warriors and forcing his hand at imprisoning his DeceptiveDisciple for good.
** But even worse is that the second timeline is even ''less'' kind to him. After defeating Scorpion ([[YouKilledMyFather his brother's killer]]) in combat, the Cyber Lin Kuei interrupt and haul Kuai back to be used in the Cyber Initiative; though he manages to have his free will restored, he is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone 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 his elder brother Bi-Han and then tells his little brother (the very same one who [[BigBrotherWorship idolized him]] and [[AndThisIsFor entered the Outworld tournament to]] ''[[AndThisIsFor avenge his death]]'') that [[KickTheDog though they share blood]], ''[[DisownedSibling they're NOT brothers]]''. And later, [[ShaggyDogStory Kuai is killed by Sindel]]. His non-canon Arcade ending (as Cyber Sub-Zero) is worse, where after defeating [[BigBad Shao Kahn]], Shao's soul commits GrandTheftMe on him. In ''X'', Quan Chi restores his human self instead of dooming him as a cyber zombie, and then Raiden managed to restore him into the living, but as the pre-release comics show, in the process of restoring the Lin Kuei, Kuai sees his friend Cyrax, right after he [[HeelFaceTurn turned back to the side of good]], [[RedemptionEqualsDeath blowing himself up]] so he could restart the Lin Kuei freshly. And ''then'' in ''11'', following the TimeyWimeyBall, the clan he worked so hard to recreate comes falling down after [[ArchEnemy Sektor]] and [[APupilOfMineUntilSheTurnedToEvil Frost]] kidnap the Lin Kuei; upon coming up with one of the clan's insignias in the Cyber Lin Kuei factory, he even [[BreakTheBadass breaks his stoic self]] as he [[TryingNotToCry tries not to cry]], only managing to pull through after [[FireForgedFriends Scorpion]] rouses him back up. Though he manages to come out a bit safer than the others, it's no wonder Kuai Liang has become so jaded after the hell he goes through, from being unable to rescue his best friend Smoke (who [[EvilFeelsGood has embraced the Enenra persona]]) to losing his clan once again.
* '''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 letting the sorcerer [[YourSoulIsMine 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 in either of the first two timelines, the second one moreso as Shang Tsung is [[DroppedABridgeOnHim dropped a bridge on]] by Shao Kahn in ''9''. And then in ''X'', Kenshi's wife, Suchin, was [[TheLostLenore murdered by the Red Dragon]] and in order to save his son, Takeda, Kenshi had no other choice but to [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou 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. The two eventually reconcile by the time the game takes place, and even after all of this, Kenshi never complains and keeps a [[StepfordSmiler mellow facade]]... which serves to make [[IronicDeath his death ironic]], as according to ''11'''s Krypt, Shang Tsung ''kills'' him.

* Tarkatans have always been established as AlwaysChaoticEvil species that honored Shao Kahn and were [[BloodKnight bloodthirsty warriors born for war]]. However, by the middle of ''11'''s story, a more sympathetic side of them is revealed when an innocent Tarkatan is scared straight during Jade's and Kotal's trek to the Wastelands. After capturing their camp, Kotal Kahn orders their death, which is when Jade opposes him after she is appaled by his FantasticRacism, having seen the woman wasn't like them and that there were children between the victims, thus showing not all of its members are as bloodthirsty as they seem to be.
-->'''Jade:''' Kotal! This is cruel... many didn't fight us... ''there are children!''
* However, the New Era instead opts for a different approach: what was originally a fantastical race, Tarkatans are instead victims of a vicious disease, Tarkat, that eventually turns its victims into mindless, bloodthirsty beasts. Worst of all? ''It has no known cure.'' Everybody afflicted by it is forced into [[TheExile exile]] into the Wastelands, where they will die [[CruelAndUnusualDeath a slow and painful death]]. No wonder why its victims, such as Baraka and Mileena, suffer so much.

%%If you see a character listed as a Complete Monster, they don't belong here.
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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'', when 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 kombat 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]] the 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]], [[InSpiteOfANail 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.]]
*** In the prequel comic for MKX, Scorpion has adopted Kenshi's son, refounded the Shirai Ryu with lost refugees and regained his humanity for the most part. [[spoiler: Then a blood demon posesses one of his new students, who cuts his own face off and slaughters every last member of the Shirai Ryu save Scorpion and aforementioned son.]]
** 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.]]
** [[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.
* 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]].
* Cyrax. While starting off as a ruthless Lin Kuei assassin, his distain for the Cyber Initiative and Raiden appealing to his good side led him to try and leave the clan. Except he ends up getting forcibly turned into a cyborg and becoming a mindless slave.
** 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 kombat 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 from 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/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.]]
* 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. The full story doesn't do her any more favors either. [[spoiler:Blamed for her own illness by her mother (who secretly wished Kitana could be heir), kept from pursuing her heavily-implied love interest due to archaic vows, seeing her mother murdered by a tyrannical alternate version of herself and having to kill said alternate Sindel to avenge her mother, having her mother only reaffirm her love for her in her dying breath...It makes her getting her father back in the form of Ermac and gaining true respect and admiration as Empress worth it, but damn.]]
* Compared to previous timelines, Baraka is much more sympathetic in the New Era, especially now that what was originally his race is now a vicious disease that eventually turns its victims into mindless, bloodthirsty beasts with no known cure. Originally a well-off merchant after a decorated service as a tribune in the Outworld army with a loving wife and child, the Tarkat infection hit all of them, leading to their banishment. Eventually, the virus ended up claiming the lives of Baraka's family, leaving him alone and bitter. He makes it clear in many of his pre-fight dialogue how much he suffers every day with his condition, even going as far as to say [[FateWorseThanDeath that he'd rather not exist]].
* While fairing better than previous timelines, life is stll harsh for Smoke. His mother and sister killed, he is adopted as a son by the Grandmaster of the clan who killed them out of guilt for their deaths. He is constantly mistreated by one of his adopted brothers, Bi-Han [[AdoptionDiss just because he's not related by blood]], causing a lifelong struggle for recognition. Eventually losing his adopted parents, [[spoiler:he is betrayed by Bi-Han, who is revealed to have left their father to die and maims Kuai Liang, the one brother who accepted him, in their confrontation. Pre-fight dialogues with him reveals that he has been hiding the pain of losing his own family for many years only to find out that their souls were now under Quan Chi's control.]] The one solace he has is [[spoiler:that he is able to find a new family with Kuai Liang and Harumi in the Shirai Ryu.]]

* While fairing better then previous timelines, life is stll harsh for Smoke. His mother and sister killed, he is adopted as a son by the Grandmaster of the clan who killed them out of guilt for their deaths. He is constantly mistreated by one of his adopted brothers, Bi-Han [[AdoptionDiss just because he's not related by blood]], causing a lifelong struggle for recognition. Eventually losing his adopted parents, [[spoiler:he is betrayed by Bi-Han, who is revealed to have left their father to die and maims Kuai Liang, the one brother who accepted him, in their confrontation. Pre-fight dialogues with him reveals that he has been hiding the pain of losing his own family for many years only to find out that their souls were now under Quan Chi's control.]] The one solace he has is [[spoiler:that he is able to find a new family with Kuai Liang and Harumi in the Shirai Ryu.]]

* While fairing better then previous timelines, life is stll harsh for Smoke. His mother and sister killed, he is adopted as a son by the Grandmaster of the clan who killed them out of guilt for their deaths. He is constantly mistreated by one of his adopted brothers, Bi-Han [[AdoptionDiss just because he's not related by blood]], causing a lifelong struggle for recognition. Eventually losing his adopted parents, [[spoiler:he is eventaully betrayed by Bi-Han, who is revealed to have left their father to die and maims Kuai Liang, the one brother who accepted him, in their fight. Pre-fight dialogues with him reveals that he has been hiding the pain of losing his own family for many years only to find out that their souls were now under Quan Chi's control.]] The one solace he has is [[spoiler:that he is able to find a new family with Kuai Liang and Harumi in the Shirai Ryu.]]

** 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]].]]

* Compared to previous timelines, Baraka is much more sympathetic in the New Era, especially now that what was originally his race is now a vicious disease that eventually turns its victims into mindless, bloodthirsty beasts with no known cure. Originally a well-off merchant with a loving wife and child, the Tarkat infection hit all of them, leading to their banishment. Eventually, the virus ended up claiming the lives of Baraka's family, leaving him alone and bitter. He makes it clear in many of his pre-fight dialogue how much he suffers every day with his condition, even going as far as to say [[DeathSeeker that he'd rather take death as an alternative]].

* Compared to previous timelines, Baraka is much more sympathetic here, especially now that what was originally his race is now a vicious disease that eventually turns its victims into mindless, bloodthirsty beasts with no known cure. Originally a well-off merchant with a loving wife and child, the Tarkat infection hit all of them, leading to their banishment. Eventually, the virus ended up claiming the lives of Baraka's family, leaving him alone and bitter. He makes it clear in many of his pre-fight dialogue how much he suffers every day with his condition, even going as far as to say [[DeathSeeker that he'd rather take death as an alternative]].

* Compared to previous timelines, Baraka is much more sympathetic here, especially now that what was originally his race is now a vicious disease that eventually turns its victims into mindless, bloodthirsty beasts with no known cure. Originally a well-off merchant with a loving wife and children, the Tarkat infection hit all of them, leading to their banishment. Eventually, the virus ended up claiming the lives of Baraka's family, leaving him alone and bitter. He makes it clear in many of his pre-fight dialogue how much he suffers every day with his condition, even going as far as to say [[DeathSeeker that he'd rather take death as an alternative]].