Noob Saibot
 | This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. |
Template:Mortal Kombat character Noob Saibot is a character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.
About Noob Saibot
In the Mortal Kombat universe, Noob Saibot is a wraith from the Netherealm who was the original Sub-Zero and brother to the younger Sub-Zero. He was killed by Scorpion, in revenge for killing him in cold blood. A heartless, coldblooded assassin, Noob Saibot had to earn his place in the Netherrealm and became a deadly force to be reckoned with. In the ending of Mortal Kombat: Deception, it is shown he is willing to kill even his own brother. Again, as seen in Deception, he has partnered with his brother's old ally, Smoke.because Ed Boon (the creator) and John Tobias (co creator) put both there last names spelled backwards together to form the name noob saibot Boon=noob backwards tobias=saibot backwards
Storyline
As the original Sub-Zero
Like his name, clothes, and powers suggested, his character was icy and distant. In all aspects, he was a cold-blooded killer with an utmost dedication to the principles of his clan, and to whoever had paid him to kill. Although essentially neutral, his soul possessed an evil taint brought about by his years as a remorseless killer.
It is unclear how the family line of Sub-Zero came to be part of the Lin Kuei clan, though it is speculated that their family had been a part of the clan for several generations.
It is known that the father of both brothers (the fourth man to be known as Sub-Zero in his lineage) was a secret operative for the clan in the United States. He married an American woman and together they had two sons and a daughter. Against the will of their mother, the father took the sons with him to move back to China at a certain time, and as such both brothers became warriors of the Lin Kuei. The mother and the daughter remained in the U.S.
He made his first chronological appearance in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero when the sorcerer Quan Chi hired the Lin Kuei to find an ancient amulet, and he was sent to find the map leading to its location. He did not know that Quan Chi had hired a Japanese ninja, Hanzo Hasashi, for the same task in case Sub-Zero failed. Hasashi and Sub-Zero encountered each other in the map room, where Sub-Zero ripped Hasashi's spine out along with his head; killed him in cold blood after a brief fight. After Sub-Zero delivered the map, Quan Chi made good on a promise to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster; the rival clan of the Shirai Ryu were wiped out. This slaughter, combined with Sub-Zero's merciless execution of Hanzo, fueled the vengeful spectre form of Scorpion who would later participate in the Mortal Kombat tournaments.
After Sub-Zero delivered the amulet to Shinnok and Quan Chi, he was sent back to retrieve it by Earthrealm's protector, Raiden, who explained to him that the amulet was the key to releasing Shinnok. Sub-Zero stole the amulet from Shinnok and escaped the Netherealm, refusing an offer from Quan Chi to join the Brotherhood of Shadow and worship Shinnok. While in the Netherealm, he was warned by Quan Chi that he was able to enter the Netherealm only because his soul had been tainted with evil; apparently troubled by this, Sub-Zero asked Raiden if it was true. Raiden confirmed Sub-Zero's fears, but informed him that only he could alter his own destiny.
Upon returning to the Lin Kuei headquarters, he learned that he had been invited to the Mortal Kombat tournament; he was also hired to kill the host of the tournament, Shang Tsung, by one of Tsung's wealthy enemies (it is assumed by some fans that this enemy was Quan Chi). During this tournament, the elder Sub-Zero faced the murderous spectre of Hanzo Hasashi (still using his Shirai Ryu codename of Scorpion). In a malicious reversal of fate, Scorpion murdered Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat and although he put up a good battle it was his destiny to die at the hand of Scorpion, burning Sub-Zero to a charred skeleton, and the latter's soul was sent to the Netherealm. Shinnok watched upon as his soul entered the Netherealm. He and Quan Chi now made it possible to recruit elder Sub-Zero into the Brotherhood of Shadow. There, he became Noob Saibot and turned to Quan Chi and the Brotherhood of Shadow.
As Noob Saibot
In the Netherealm, Saibot became a member of the Brotherhood of Shadow, the very thing he had resisted becoming whilst alive. In a darkly ironic twist, Noob Saibot would now pledge allegiance and loyalty to Shinnok. One of his first tasks for his new lord would be to observe and report on the events taking place on Earthrealm and Outworld; to this end, he remained in the shadows during the Outworld tournament, faithfully monitoring the situation for the fallen Elder God.
During Mortal Kombat III, and at Shinnok's behest, Saibot aligned himself with Outworld's emperor Shao Kahn during Kahn's invasion of Earth. However, as the tables turned in favor of the Earthrealm warriors, Noob Saibot was ordered to switch allegiances and join the Earthrealm warriors, unknown to Kahn. After Kahn was defeated, Shinnok, sensing his time had come, was freed from the Netherealm with the help of Quan Chi and the traitorous Tanya, and conquered Edenia. Noob Saibot now served his overlord directly. But despite the Elder God's careful planning, Shinnok was once again defeated by Raiden's forces and the Brotherhood of Shadow was disbanded. With Shinnok defeated utterly -Noob Saibot later referred to him as simply "gone"- Saibot returned to the service of the still-weakened Shao Kahn.
A few years later, in the events leading up to Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, he appeared during a battle between the armies of Edenia and the Shokan (led by Kitana and Goro) with the Outworld army (led by Kano). He attacked an exhausted Goro, mortally wounding him. The war ground to a stalemate.
With Kahn having been thought slain at the hands of the Deadly Alliance, and Shinnok vanquished, Saibot slowly changed from a pawn into a player. Free to pursue his own interests, and uninterested in the affairs concerning the rise of Onaga, he plotted to create his own legion of assassins. While searching Kahn's abandoned fortress, he discovered the inert body of Smoke. Reprogramming the cyborg to remain loyal to him, he reactivated his nanotechnology, and formed plans to create an army of cyber-demons, using Smoke as a template (see Noob-Smoke).
In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Noob Saibot and Smoke fights separately as own characters, though story-wise they still are a team.
In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Noob and Smoke attacked the Lin Kuei temple in Articka as the first step in forming his army of cyber demons. Taven, who was in the temple at the time, fended off Smoke and most of the created cyber demons, and would later defeat Noob and rescue Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero informs Taven of the Red Dragon in thanks, and decides to take the opportunity to try to bring his brother back into the light. It remains unknown if he is successful or not.
In his ending, with Blaze defeated, he stands alone, engulfed in darkness. From out of the shadows steps his former self, the original Sub-Zero. The two selves fight each other for control of the warrior's body. Both are equally matched, and in the end, they merge into one. The result is neither Noob Saibot nor Sub-Zero, but a completely different entity. [1]
Combat characteristics
Signature moves
As Sub-Zero
- Freeze: Sub-Zero sends a ball of ice and freezes the opponent in place. (MK, UMK3, MKT, MKM:SZ)
- Lin Kuei Slide: Sub-Zero slides across the floor and knocks the opponent off their feet. (MK, UMK3, MKT, MKM:SZ)
- Ground Ice: Sub-Zero freezes the floor so anyone touching it would slip on the ice. (UMK3, MKT, MKM:SZ)
As Noob Saibot
- Spear: Borrowed from Scorpion, Noob shoots a kunai tipped at the end of a rope towards the enemy. Once it connects, Noob can drag the enemy towards him for a free hit. (MKII, MK:TE)
- Disabler: Noob sends out a ghostly fireball that disables the opponent for free hits. (MKT, UMK3, MKG)
- Teleport Grab: Noob disappears, then reappears behind the opponent, grabs and slams them on the ground. (UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MK:A)
- Shadow Throw: Noob sends out a shadow that grabs and throws the opponent into the air. (MKT, UMK3)
- Teleport Attacks: Noob teleports behind the opponent and attacks him/her.(MK4, MKG)
- Fireball: Noob shoots a fireball at the opponent. In MK4/G, he can do it while in the air. (MK4, MKG, MK:TE)
- Darkness: Noob remains invisible until the opponent makes contact with him. (MK:D, MK:A)
- Black Hole: Noob shoots a cloud into the air that then falls behind his opponent. If the opponent were to walk into the cloud on the ground, they would fall through then fall from the top of the screen a bit dazed. (MK:A)
- Dark Assassin: Noob throws a bunch of shurikens at his opponent. (MK:D, MK:A)
Recurring fatalities
- Head Rip: The first fatality that he (as Sub-Zero) had in the series involved ripping out opponent's head and spinal cord from their shoulders. It was also one of the most infamous fatalities (with Kano's Heart Rip Fatality), which later spun a web of controversy around the violence factor in the game. (MK, UMK3, MKT, MKM:SZ, MK:DA)
Appearances in other media
Film
In the film Mortal Kombat, the character Noob Saibot (referred to as Sub-Zero) appeared as one of Shang Tsung's guardians and was defeated by Liu Kang in their matchup. In the movie, Kang hurled water at Sub-Zero the instant before the ninja used his freezing power, creating a stalactite on which he was impaled. The relationship between Sub-Zero and Scorpion is ignored; Shang Tsung only remarks that they are the "Deadliest of enemies, but slaves under my power." Sub-Zero was played by François Petit.
Noob Saibot (played by J. J. Perry) appears in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, emerging from Ermac's chest to attack Jax and Sonya Blade. He is shortly thereafter slain by Jax.
Television
Noob Saibot (played by Master Sultan Uddin) also appeared in Mortal Kombat: Conquest. In the eponymous episode, Saibot was an imprisoned Outworld warrior mistakenly released by Siro and Taja; Saibot was then recruited by a sorceress to assassinate Kung Lao, a task which he failed. In this incarnation, Saibot was completely black and covered in oil, and able to extrude weapons. At the time of the show's airing, the revelation that Saibot was a descendant Sub-Zero had not yet been established, Deception being released years later.
Comics
Both versions of Noob Saibot are as well simultaneously active in Malibu Comics' short-lived non-canon Mortal Kombat series. These comics ignored older Sub-Zero's inherent evil altogether, as they were released before its first mention in Mortal Kombat Mythologies. Another difference with the known story is that he's portrayed as the good while Scorpion is evil in nature. During the Blood & Thunder series, he is faith to his game's profile on seeking Shang Tsung's death. Accompanied by fellow Lin Kuei Hydro, he confronts Scorpion and surpass his fears for him when he realizes that's what fuels the specter's powers. He is also interested in the powers of the Tao The Zan book for his clan's sake.
In the Battlewave series, Sub-Zero allies himself with Kitana, Kung Lao and Baraka to overthrow Shao Kahn. He also is the only one capable of defeating Scorpion, Shao Kahn's new general. During the final Tournament Edition issue, Sub-Zero is depicted as being the victor of Shao Kahn's tournament, defeating Goro and claiming the Dragon Medallion, even as he is killed by Scorpion.
In Malibu's "Baraka" issue (1995), Noob Saibot appears as a good guy, and offers Baraka his assistance in hunting Scorpion down and saving an infant tarkata (who is considered to be "Outworld's only hope"). In the comics he's stated to be a watcher of events and the keeper of Outworld's secrets.
Classic Sub-Zero
Classic Sub-Zero was a playable character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and was initially believed to be the live representation of the deceased original Sub-Zero.
His biography screen is almost the same as the younger Sub-Zero's in Mortal Kombat II; it states that, though believed killed in the first Mortal Kombat, he is thought to have returned to try and assassinate Shang Tsung. However, his ending reveals that upon removing his mask that he is "a warrior thought dead in a previous tournament that would return in the next tournament".
It is most likely that this character was just an excuse to use all the known ninja swaps, or that fans wanted to play as Sub-Zero in his ninja form[citation needed]. It should also be noted that many character endings in Mortal Kombat games do not occur as canon as the storyline progresses, so Classic Sub-Zero's ending may mean nothing at all.
The Mortal Kombat: Armageddon: Prima Official Game Guide, released long after Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and the revelation that Noob Saibot is the original Sub-Zero, states that Classic Sub-Zero's place in the game has no bearing on the story, and that he is, in fact, Noob Saibot.
Character Development
As Sub-Zero
Despite being classed as "neutral" in Mortal Kombat, many fans regarded Scorpion as the "bad guy" and Sub-Zero as the "good guy". They seemed to be depicted in this fashion in John Tobias' original Mortal Kombat comic book. However, in the second official Mortal Kombat collectors' comic, Mortal Kombat II (in actuality released before the game) their story is closer to game's. Scorpion is seen returning from the dead to protect the second Sub-Zero, in the comic during the latter's fight with Reptile (this parallels Scorpion's in-game Mortal Kombat II ending). Because Sub-Zero killed Scorpion in "cold blood" (as Scorpion often puts it), Scorpion is supposed to be seen as the "good guy" and Sub-Zero as the "bad guy".
During his time as Sub-Zero, he disliked being called a "ninja." A loyalist, he referred to himself as a "Lin Kuei warrior" and emphasized the difference between the two.
As Noob Saibot
Noob Saibot is actually "Tobias Boon" backwards, named so after the co-creators of Mortal Kombat, Ed Boon and John Tobias. It is a commonly held misconception by fans that since John Tobias left Midway Games, the "Saibot" portion of the name had to be removed for legal reasons. Tobias does not own the rights to the name of "Saibot". While the character's name does read simply "Noob" on the lifebar when fighting him alone in Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode and in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, this is more than likely the result of the development team splitting up the name Noob-Smoke, and not writing in "Saibot" for purposes of efficiency. Noob is still referred to by the additional name of Saibot in Noob-Smoke's ending, and Ashrah's. He is also clearly stated as Noob Saibot by his brother in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, which was made long after Tobias left, as well as during Armageddon's Konquest mode.
It is widely believed that Noob Saibot's true identity was going to be revealed in Mortal Kombat 4, but since Noob Saibot was replaced in favor of Reiko, his identity as the original Sub-Zero was never revealed until Mortal Kombat: Deception. However, fans from www.mortalkombatonline.com, which was then known as www.mk5.org, caught on to this potential story arc far earlier. Dating back to 1999, veteran fans and long-time contributors of the website such as Shang_Heihachi spearheaded the notion that Noob Saibot was indeed the deceased brother of Sub-Zero. Though it may only have been a programming decision, the inclusion of the "freeze and shatter" Fatality which belonged to Sub-Zero as one of Noob's fatalities in home versions of Mortal Kombat 4, was among the evidence. The revelation that Noob was indeed the original Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat: Deception was considered a major event in the series, and the long-time proponents of the idea rejoiced.
An early Mortal Kombat: Deception costume design for him became Havik, a different character altogether.
Gaming Information
As Sub-Zero
In the Super Nintendo version of the original MK, Sub-Zero's ending one of the lines was changed from 'The assassination of Shang Tsung' to 'The destruction of Shang Tsung'. This was of course censorship, given that the words assassin or assassination cannot be used to comply with their 'family friendly' policy of the time. The differences between the ending of Sub-Zero in MK1 from the arcade version with the SNES version are in the following pages from VG Museum:
As Noob Saibot
In Noob's appearance in Mortal Kombat II, his special abilities are simply copied from Scorpion.
In Mortal Kombat 3, Noob Saibot is not a fully black 'ninja' palette swap, but is actually a completely black version of Kano, because there are no 'ninjas' in that game. He also has absolutely no special moves but uses some of Kano's combos. When Noob wins a round, the announcer says, "Kano shows mercy!" This is an obvious programming glitch. In the Game Gear version, he has Kano's special moves and Eyebeam Fatality.
Losing to Noob Saibot in the SNES version of Mortal Kombat II will cause shouts of "You will die, mortal!" and "Toasty!" from Shao Kahn and Dan Forden, respectively. However, in the Arcade version, Shao Kahn says, "Feel the power of -" and is abruptly cut off by Forden's "Toasty!". Losing to Noob Saibot in the arcade version of UMK3 will cause Shao Kahn to say "It's official, you suck!", instead of "Noob Saibot wins".
In Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, unlike MKII, Noob is found briefly in the Netherrealm being chased by Sub-Zero. Kung Lao and Liu Kang witness Noob Saibot attempting to kill Sub-Zero, however he manages to fend him off. As the Shaolin monks prepare to kill the wraith Sub-Zero orders them to stop, saying he will kill them if they take another step. He then tells them that Noob Saibot is his brother and the location of Scorpion, whom the trio were seeking.
Noob Saibot is playable, in a way, in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. In Versus mode, if both players select Sub-Zero, the last player who selected him will play as a variation of Noob Saibot. He is colored black, like the real Noob Saibot, but he has Sub-Zero's frozen fore-arms and retains all of his younger brother's moves and fatalities.
The only game in the main series he has not appeared in is Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. However, his inclusion in Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition shows that he still factors into the main Deadly Alliance storyline.
Trivia
- It is unknown what Noob Saibot thought of his brother while he lived. In his Deception ending it is stated that Noob, should he still be human, would feel pride for him, but that now as a wraith he harbors no feeling towards him, not even compassion.
- Noob Saibot is widely considered a top tier character, if not number one, in Mortal Kombat Trilogy. He, along with Rain, were considered "broken" characters by main fans because of their moves being too powerful. His combos were easy to pull and dealt a lot damage, and his disabler move was, if used very well, very effective.
- Its unknown if he still has the ability to manipulate cold powers as Noob Saibot.
| Video games |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Films |
| ||||||
| Other media |
| ||||||
| Characters | |||||||
| Related | |||||||
