Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind

Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind

Company type	Direct-to-video film
Industry	Animation, Film
Founded	October 11, 2022 (2022-10-11)
Founder	Rick Morales (director), Jeremy Adams (writer)
Headquarters	United States
Products	Animated martial arts film
Parent	Warner Bros. Animation

Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind is a 2022 American direct-to-video adult animated martial arts feature inspired by the Mortal Kombat universe. Helmed by director Rick Morales with a script by Jeremy Adams, the project was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and brought to life through animation by the South Korean company Digital eMation. Released on October 11, 2022, this film marks the third entry in the Mortal Kombat Legends collection. Drawing narrative influences from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception, and Mortal Kombat 11, it acts as a direct continuation of Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021). Critical reception ranged from mixed to favorable.

In 2023, a standalone prequel titled Cage Match was released.

Plot

Many years after the downfall of Shao Kahn, Earthrealm lies devastated, plagued by undead revenants and divided into isolated urban strongholds dominated by the Black Dragon clan. Kano, who proclaims himself king, leads this faction comprising members such as Kira, Kobra, Ferra/Torr, Drahmin, Kabal, Erron Black, No Face, Dairou, Tremor, Jarek, alongside an elderly Shang Tsung.

Kuai Liang, once Sub-Zero and now an older farmer, suffers an assault by Kabal, Kira, and Kobra. They proceed to invade Kenshi’s city, where Kenshi overpowers them but chooses to spare their lives. Accompanied by Tremor and Shang Tsung, they later capture Kenshi after Shang Tsung intervenes. Under the guise of "Song," Shang Tsung deceives Kenshi into journeying to the Well of Souls to claim the formidable sword "Sento." Upon opening the well, Kenshi is blinded while Shang Tsung absorbs its power and regains vitality. Despite his blindness, Kenshi escapes with Sento after receiving telepathic guidance from the weapon.

Shang Tsung attempts an attack on Kano but is killed; Kano reveals he foresaw this betrayal, alluding to a grander scheme.

Kuai Liang discovers Kenshi wandering in the desert and trains him to sharpen his remaining senses. He confesses to having killed many—including members of his own clan—during an ice storm in an effort to halt the revenants and swears off using his powers again.

When Kano captures another city, Kenshi wishes to intervene but Kuai Liang refuses, resulting in a confrontation between them. Kenshi ventures into the city alone but is apprehended after eliminating more Black Dragon operatives.

Kuai Liang sets fire to his farm to summon Scorpion and reclaims his Sub-Zero identity. Together, they free Kenshi from Kano’s torture. Following their victory over the Black Dragon clan, they decapitate Kano; however, he survives and tries to wield Kronika's Hourglass—an artifact Kano previously used to forge an alternate timeline that enabled the revenant invasion. Sub-Zero kills Kano before he can erase him from existence; subsequently, the chamber self-destructs, sealing off access.

Keeping a vow made to Scorpion if he resumed his powers, Sub-Zero departs for the Netherrealm, leaving Kenshi as Lin Kuei’s new leader and Earthrealm’s guardian.

Voice cast

• Manny Jacinto as Kenshi
• David Wenham as Kano
• Ron Yuan as Kuai Liang / Sub-Zero
• Keith Silverstein as Kabal
• Courtenay Taylor as Kira
• Yuri Lowenthal as Kobra
• Artt Butler as Shang Tsung
• Imari Williams as Tremor
• Patrick Seitz as Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion
• Lei Yin as Sento, Peter
• Sumalee Montano as Kindra
• Debra Wilson as Graji

Production

On August 1, 2022, the cover art was inadvertently revealed on Twitter. The official announcement of the film followed two days later through IGN.

In this installment, David Wenham took over the role of Kano from Robin Atkin Downes, who voiced the character in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge. Meanwhile, Ron Yuan, known for portraying Scorpion in Mortal Kombat 11, assumed the role of Sub-Zero, replacing Bayardo De Murguia from Battle of the Realms.

Reception

Snow Blind currently holds an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on five critic reviews. Sam Stone of Comic Book Resources described it as "the most intimate story of the Mortal Kombat Legends trilogy," highlighting its emphasis on character development. In contrast, Renaldo Mateen criticized the film for its heavy dependence on Scorpion, calling it an "overused franchise trope" that indicates a reluctance to take creative chances. Brittany Vincent from IGN awarded the film a score of 6 out of 10, commending the attention given to Kenshi but pointing out that the storyline strays too far from his perspective. Stephen Wilds of ComingSoon.net praised the voice performances, diverse character lineup, and action sequences but noted that the apocalyptic western theme might restrict its appeal among casual viewers.

Prequel

During New York Comic Con 2022, a prequel titled Cage Match was unveiled with a planned release in 2023. Joel McHale is set to return as Johnny Cage, reprising his role as the lead character from the first two films in the Legends series.