While I absolutely despise Bi-Han in Mortal Kombat 1, and he gives us plenty of reasons to do so, I just had to talk about this angry cryomancer. Love him or hate him, we can all agree that Sub-Zero’s design is awesome, which can be said for all of the characters in MK1 really!
And just like the other MK1 kombatants, including those Sub-Zero used to call his allies like the founding members of the Shirai Ryu and the Forces of Light, the grumpy grandmaster has some awesome skins too! Here are a couple of those skins that you should definitely check out!
#1: First Son
“I’m the oldest, so I’m in charge! Father said so!”
First Son in action:Start at 10:39
Seeing the way Sub-Zero treated his brothers, it makes me grateful that I have siblings that I’m sure would never betray me (or at least they’d never try to kill me…maybe). But anyway, the first skin on the list is First Son, an uncommon New Era skin with a palette of blue and white. To unlock First Son, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
Out of the three Lin Kuei brothers, Bi-Han is the eldest son and he claimed the title of grandmaster after the death of his father. I feel like Bi-Han as a child always reminded his siblings that he was the eldest and that they need to do what he says because he’s the eldest. Maybe not so much with Kuai Liang, but definitely with Tomas.
#2: Snow Blind
I wonder when the next Legends movie is coming out
Snow Blind in action:Start at 10:50
So sad that Grandmaster Blueberry Ice was blinded by his own selfish desires. Let’s not dwell on the past, and focus now on another uncommon New Era skin called Snow Blind, which has a palette with teal and black. To unlock Snow Blind, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
Whenever I look at the title of this skin, I can’t help but think about the movie Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind. To me, old man Sub-Zero was the highlight of the movie and he actually has a sense of humor. If you haven’t watched the movie already, I highly recommend it!
#3: Hyperthermia
Sub-Zero’s worst nightmare
Hyperthermia in action:Start at 11:17
You know, I do prefer the heat over the cold, but I also prefer life over death okay? Hyperthermia, a common New Era skin for Sub-Zero, has a palette that contains the colors red and black. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Hyperthermia as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.
For those of you who don’t know, hyperthermia is the condition where your body temperature is greatly above normal. Don’t confuse this with hypothermia, which is when your body temperature is greatly below normal. If you mess with Sub-Zero and Scorpion, I guess you can expect to experience one of these conditions for yourself if they don’t kill you first.
#4: Winter Wind
Is it just me, or did it suddenly get a little chilly?
Winter Wind in action:Start at 12:09
We all know that Sub-Zero’s favorite season is winter, and that he secretly believes in Santa Claus, right? And speaking of winter, here we have a common Union of Light skin called Winter Wind, which has a palette containing different shades of blue. To unlock Winter Wind, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
I’m not sure where the current Lin Kuei Temple is located, but in the previous timeline, the temple was located in an icy region in Earthrealm called Arctika. The temple first made its appearance as an arena in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and I was expecting to see it again in Mortal Kombat 1. Maybe it’ll appear in Mortal Kombat 2!
#5: Deadly Frost
And people wonder why I hate the cold
Deadly Frost in action:Start at 12:11
Maybe you should try toning down the “deadly” here, Sub-Zero. This uncommon Union of Light skin is called Deadly Frost and its palette has the colors blue, red, and white. To unlock Deadly Frost, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
This skin’s title made me think about Frost, who appears as a Kameo fighter in Mortal Kombat 1. In the past timeline, Frost was Sub-Zero’s apprentice, but after betraying her former master, she was banished from the Lin Kuei and didn’t show up again until Kronika recruited her in Mortal Kombat 11. In Mortal Kombat 1, Bi-Han mentions Frost in one of his battle intro dialogues with General Shao, and I’m sure their teacher-student relationship won’t end with Frost betraying Sub-Zero at some point.
#6: Boundless Ambition
Yeah, and that ambition led to him leaving his own father TO DIE!
Boundless Ambition in action:Start at 12:22
It’s good to be ambitious, but not when your ambition leads you to become a total jerk like Sub-Zero in MK1! But ignoring Bi-Han’s evilness, here’s Boundless Ambition, an uncommon Union of Light skin with a monochromatic palette of blue. To unlock Boundless Ambition, you have to level up your Character Mastery.
Throughout Mortal Kombat 1’s story mode, Bi-Han makes it pretty clear that he held some resentment towards his father, mostly because he felt that the former grandmaster’s vision for the Lin Kuei wasn’t something he could approve of. Sub-Zero sees the Lin Kuei as a superior clan to everyone else and that they should be the ones leading Earthrealm instead of Liu Kang. It’s a shame really, because I really wanted Bi-Han to stay on the side of good, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
#7: Thawed Out
Maybe Sareena can thaw that icy heart of Bi-Han’s
Thawed out in action:Start at 12:25
I can imagine Bi-Han needing some time away from Kuai Liang and Tomas because of their heat related abilities. Maybe his brothers’ influence is what resulted in Thawed Out, a common Union of Light skin that features warm colors like red and yellow in its palette. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Thawed Out as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.
I find it ironic that in Mortal Kombat 1, Sub-Zero is the hot-headed one and Scorpion is the cool one (puns totally intended). In past timelines, it’s usually the other way around with the ninjas’ personalities correlating with their powers. But then again, Kaui Liang always seemed much more level-headed than Bi-Han no matter what timeline they’re in, so it’s not too weird.
#8: Morelos
By the Elder Gods, how did you get him to wear a sombrero!?
Morelos in action:Start at 9:42
I’ve never been to Mexico, but after seeing Sub-Zero wear a sombrero, I might consider it! Moving on to the festive Dia De Muertos skins, the first we have here is Morelos, which is a common Sub-Zero skin with a palette of blue and gold. The Dia De Muertos skins were exclusive in Latin America as a pre-order bonus, but now you can get them at the shop as a premium skin.
What I find funny about each of Sub-Zero’s Dia De Muertos skins is that they’re named after a state or capital in Mexico! I actually didn’t know there were 32 states within Mexico, and Morelos happens to be one of them. Morelos is also known for the Chinelos traditions, which is strongest in that state, and Chinelos are traditional costumed dancers seen at different festivities, especially Carnival.
#9: Queretaro
Anyone up for a tour of Mexico?
Queretaro in action:Start at 9:45
Here we have another Dia De Muertos skin for Sub-Zero, Queretaro. Queretaro is a common skin that has a palette of gold, orange, and brown. The Dia De Muertos skins were exclusive in Latin America as a pre-order bonus, but now you can get them at the shop as a premium skin.
Like Morelos, Queretaro is a Mexican state and it’s located in north-central Mexico. Queretaro is known for being the second-largest wine producer in Mexico after the state of Baja California. I guess even Bi-Han needs a drink every now and then with all the stress of leading the Lin Kuei.
#10: Sinaloa
Seriously, Kung Lao wants to know your location
Sinaloa in action:Start at 9:54
Let’s end the list here with one last Dia De Muertos skin, a common skin called Sinaloa! This skin’s palette contains red, purple, and black. The Dia De Muertos skins were exclusive in Latin America as a pre-order bonus, but now you can get them at the shop as a premium skin.
Sinaloa, like the names of the last two skins, is the name of a state in Mexico and it is known as “Mexico’s Breadbasket”. It is the prominent Mexican state when it comes to agriculture and it has the second largest fishing fleet in Mexico! I love fish, so maybe I should take a trip to Sinaloa one of these days!
Who knows what the future has in store for Sub-Zero. Will he eventually make up with his brothers? Or will he continue down his dark path and possibly become Noob Saibot once more? But here’s the most important question: will Sub-Zero’s skins in the next Mortal Kombat game be as awesome as his skins in Mortal Kombat 1? We won’t know for some time, so while you’re waiting, get these cool skins that I showed you and show the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei some respect!
