The story of both Sub-Zero brothers begins in China. Their father was one of the warriors of the Lin Kuei clan of hired killers, and their mother was a simple American woman. When the sons Bi-Han (Chinese: 避寒, pinyin: Bìhán) was a model student in the Lin Kuei clan and was the only warrior who managed to defeat 4 Gods of different elements. In the Lin Kuei, he trained with his younger brother named Kuai Liang and the best warrior of the clan. One day, the sorcerer Quan Chi came to the clan to the Grandmaster and asked him to get him a map of the elements, which Bi-Han went to find. Upon reaching the place, he met another warrior - Hanzo Hasashi, also known as Scorpion, a warrior from the Shirai Ryu clan. In the battle, Sub-Zero defeats and kills Scorpion. Returning to the clan, Bi-Han brings the map to the sorcerer. As a reward for the map, the sorcerer destroys the enemy clan of the Shirai Ryu. After that, he sends Sub-Zero for the amulet, indicating its location on the map. Sub-Zero defeats the guardians of the amulet - the four Gods, the lords of the elements and finds the amulet. But then Quan Chi appears, takes the amulet right from under the hands of the Lin Kuei warrior, saying that the amulet belongs to his master from the Underworld, Lord Shinnok, who will now, with the help of this amulet, destroy the Earthrealm. Sub-Zero did not believe Quan Chi's words and called him "sick". The sorcerer grinned and disappeared ... Suddenly the God of Thunder Raiden appears who tells the Lin Kuei warrior about the power hidden in this amulet and sends him to hell to correct the mistake he made. There, Sub-Zero encounters Scorpion, reborn thanks to Quan Chi, but defeats him again. The warrior then reaches Shinnok's fortress via the Bridge of Immortality and defeats three assassins who serve Quan Chi. Sub-Zero spares only Sareena and does not kill her. He finds Quan Chi's hideout. The sorcerer tells the Lin Kuei warrior that the only reason Sub-Zero can exist in the Netherrealm is because of the darkness that marks his soul. He offers Sub-Zero to join the Brotherhood of Shadow, but the Lin Kuei warrior refuses and engages in battle with the sorcerer. At the end of the duel, Sareena appears and delivers the decisive blow. Quan Chi is defeated. Shinnok suddenly appears and mortally wounds Sareena. Bi-Han engages Shinnok and defeats him. Taking the amulet, Sub-Zero gives it to Raiden, asking if it is true that his soul is cursed by darkness? Raiden confirmed Quan Chi's words, saying that a person controls his own destiny and Sub-Zero can still change his future.

Sub-Zero returns to the Lin Kuei headquarters. After some time, another sorcerer named Shang Tsung invites Sub-Zero to participate in a tournament called "Mortal Kombat".