10 Video Game Moments That Shouldn't Have Worked But Did
9. Revealing Noob Saibot's Identity - Mortal Kombat: Deception
If players completed certain criteria in Mortal Kombat II, they could face off against a secret opponent called Noob Saibot. Despite reappearing in most of the sequels, there was no detailed lore surrounding Noob for years.
That is until Mortal Kombat: Deception. Upon completing the main campaign with Noob, the shadowy ninja is revealed to be Sub-Zero from the original Mortal Kombat, Bi-Han, who was reborn as a vengeful wraith after Scorpion murdered him.
Although Mortal Kombat is infamous for its convoluted retcons, this one worked out for the best. It didn't feel forced since Sub-Zero's ending in MKII confirms he's Bi-Han's brother, Kuai Liang. The fact Kuai Liang and Noob Saibot debuted in the same game was a nice way to connect the two.
As a bonus, the franchise has repeatedly found ways to explore Noob's origins. In MK9, Raiden goes back in time to prevent the realms from collapsing. While in the past, Raiden encourages Scorpion not to take Bi-Han's life, aware it'll damn them both. Knowing where this storyline leads is more tragic, especially after seeing the shame in Scorpion's face when he executes the original Sub-Zero.
Giving Mortal Kombat's most mysterious kombatant an elaborate backstory could've easily ruined Noob's mystique. Ironically, it turned out to be one of the saga's best subplots.