Seven martial artists from Earth must battle in sorcerer Shang Tsung's super secret tournament. For the past 9 of these tournaments, Shang Tsung's four-armed mutant bodyguard Goro has won all of them. Should he win the tenth, Earth will be left at the mercy of Shang Tsung's Outworld. Playable characters include Raiden, the Thunder God invited to fight in the tournament, in human (and thus killable) form; Liu Kang, a Shaolin monk determined to stop Shang Tsung; Johnny Cage, a Hollywood movie star who wants the publicity; Sonya Blade, a US Special Forces agent; Kano, a tyrant being pursued by Sonya Blade; Sub-Zero, a mercenary ninja with orders to assassinate Shang Tsung and Scorpion, a murdered ninja who has been brought back from the dead to try and kill Sub-Zero, the man who murdered him.