Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary: 10 Greatest Story Moments Ever

In Mortal Kombat 3, Shao Kahn enacts a ten thousand-year-old plan to finally claim the Earthrealm. This is executed through his consort, Sindel, who was the queen of Edenia. Through Shang Tsung and his shadow priests, the emperor of Outworld resurrects her on Earth which allows him to cross the dimensional barriers and forcefully merge the two realms.

This results in the lost of nearly every human life with cities slowly turning into Kahn's own realm.

Though Raiden manages to spare a few chosen souls, Shao Kahn deploys his extermination squad which leads to the death of Johnny Cage at the hands of Motaro. And with Earth being partially merged with Outworld, the Thunder God is also forced to exclude himself as he cannot interfere with a realm outside his own.

The invasion of Earth is told through pictures and text in Mortal Kombat 3's opening cutscene. Despite the crude manner it was presented, the game manages to set the stage while raising the stakes higher than ever before. Though Liu Kang and his allies would free Earthrealm, Shao Kahn's invasion remains an important part of the series' history.