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I know you may never forgive me, but don't be blinded by anger and grief. We are here to help you!
 

 

—Li Mei to Sindel in Mortal Kombat 1

Biography

  • Mortal Kombat 1: "As her parents’ firstborn daughter, Li Mei was claimed by the Umgadi, the warrior priestesses who guard Outworld’s royal family. Li Mei’s service began with high expectations. Her early success caught the eye of the Royal family. But it all fell apart when a terrible tragedy unfolded. Li Mei was blamed for this and In the aftermath, she did the unthinkable: she quit the Umgadi. Friendless and alone, Li Mei needed a new purpose. She joined Sun Do’s constables, the Outworld capital’s rough and tumble police force. Over time, she became their First Constable. Li Mei is glad to be the capital guardian. Still, she hopes one day to redeem herself."

Storyline

Mortal Kombat 1

In Liu Kang's New Era, Li Mei's home village of Sun Do is changed to instead be Outworld's capital city, also serving as the home of Empress Sindel. Li Mei and Sindel used to be close friends, as Li Mei was the leader of the Umgadi, a group of female warriors sworn to serve and protect the royal house. She was also close with the rest of Sindel's family - Emperor Jerrod and Princesses Kitana and Mileena.

However, Li Mei's relationships with the royal family came to a screeching halt when Jerrod was unjustly murdered, and Li Mei was made the scapegoat by the Umgadi's Matron Superiors due to her being on watch on that tragic night. With no more friends and a host of new enemies, a despairing Li Mei resigned from the Umgadi to avoid further shame, leaving fellow Umgadi Tanya to take her place as leader. Instead, she would join the Sun Do Constabulary and rose through their ranks to become the First Constable, finding a new purpose in protecting the people of Edenia. However, she still hoped to one day make amends with Sindel and her remaining family.

Li Mei is first introduced in the story attempting to safely expel Tarkat-infected citizens from Sun Do, but accidentally ends up disrupting the escort caravan carrying Liu Kang and his Earthrealm champions to the palace. Noticing the sudden stop in their travel path, Mileena hops out of the caravan to confront Li Mei, indignant that the constable couldn't wait to perform her duty until the escort had safely passed. Li Mei refutes her, asking her if Mileena expects her to simply allow the infected to remain in the city and put more citizens at risk. However, Mileena brushes her off and tells her they can't afford to let the Earthrealmers know about Tarkat, remarking that it might have been too much to ask for Li Mei to show better judgment before walking back to the caravan.

Li Mei appears again at Sindel's palace when the Earthrealm-Outworld tournament begins, as Jerrod's tradition dictates that during Outworld's turn as host, the First Constable is always the opening kombatant. Though Li Mei pledges to do her best for her realm, Sindel still holds a grudge against her for Jerrod's murder, coldly reminding her that if it were not for his tradition, she would not be allowed anywhere near the palace. Li Mei turns and prepares to face Raiden, the single Earthrealm champion chosen by Liu Kang. Raiden hopes that this will be the first of many victories for him, though Li Mei tells him that this fight means much more to her than the farmer can ever comprehend. Unfortunately, Li Mei is defeated, allowing Raiden to proceed further into the battle gauntlet. Having been informed by Liu Kang on Li Mei's tragic past, Raiden respectfully thanks her for the match. Though visibly upset at her loss, Li Mei matches Raiden's bow and walks out of the palace as the previously-silent crowd begins to murmur.

The next time Li Mei is seen, she and her constables are acting as security for the Sun Do festival alongside General Shao and his guard. Having been given orders to keep watch for certain Earthrealm intruders, she inquires about what their charges and motives are, but Shao brushes her off, claiming they are state secrets and Li Mei has no right to hear them before walking away. Some time later, festival rockets begin misfiring, with several hanging lanterns catching fire as a result and nearly swinging into partygoers. Shao orders his guard to douse the fires and catch the perpetrators, though Li Mei stops him from further action, since this is more of a problem for her and her constables, not a military concern. However, Li Mei does spot the culprit - a large, monstrous figure traversing the rooftops, flickering in and out of an invisible form. Shao identifies him as Syzoth, noting that his presence means the Earthrealmers are indeed at the festival. As Syzoth continues to move across buildings, Li Mei and Reiko give chase from the ground. Reiko tags him with a shuriken, causing Syzoth to fall to the floor, though he recovers and turns invisible again, leaving trails of green blood in his path. Li Mei and Reiko use their new trail to catch up to Syzoth, with Li Mei realizes he is Zaterran as a result. Though Li Mei attempts to have him stand down so she can hear him out, but Syzoth, realizing he would be executed regardless, refuses to do so. Additionally, he claims there is much Li Mei doesn't know, especially regarding General Shao's true motives, and defeats her and Reiko before running off to meet the rest of his group for their grand escape.

Sindel is informed by Kitana of the Earthrealm intrusion in Shang Tsung's laboratory, and with her believing Quan Chi's prophecy stating Liu Kang means to conquer Outworld, and refusing anyone else's counsel on the matter, a war between realms seems inevitable. Li Mei is left to guard the portal to Earthrealm with her fellow constables, under orders to let no visitor pass into Outworld. However, the first visitor that does arrive is none other than Liu Kang himself, who insists Sindel should cease her planned attack on Earthrealm, revealing to Li Mei the depths of the corruption in Sindel's supposed allies. Li Mei is not surprised to hear that Shao was hiding his true intentions after receiving Syzoth's cryptic warning, but is further irritated to hear that he colludes with Shang Tsung. She tells Liu Kang that he would have never been near the Empress had she still been Umgadi, and explains how the sorcerer instantly had the royal family enthralled the moment he arrived. Li Mei is then aghast to find out that the reason for this is because Shang Tsung was able to provide a suppressant for Mileena, who had been afflicted with Tarkat. Liu Kang urges her to assist him in rescuing Sindel from her plight. After dwelling on her past with Sindel and the circumstances of Jerrod's death, Li Mei pledges to redeem her past with the royal family and agrees to help the fire deity.

Li Mei and Liu Kang begin making their way to the palace via a carriage with the other constables' aid. Li Mei reveals she still has a few friends in the Umgadi who told her about General Shao's soldiers encroaching, hinting at his approaching treason, and Liu Kang explains how Shang Tsung manipulated Shao into doing so under the belief that he would be saving Outworld from a misguided rule. Though Li Mei worries that they lack the numbers and fighting prowess to battle Shao's soldiers in an all-out war, Liu Kang assures her that he will aid in the defense of the royal family. Outside, their carriage is intercepted by Reiko, Motaro, and a host of Shao's guard. The city streets erupt into kombat, and Li Mei finds herself pitted against Reiko, who wishes she joined the army considering her skills as a former Umgadi. Li Mei rebuffs him, saying she has no use for a traitor's compliments before defeating him and Motaro with Liu Kang's aid.

With the rest of Reiko's party rounded up by the remaining constables, Li Mei and Liu Kang return to the carriage to finish their journey to the palace. Upon reaching the palace gardens, Li Mei attempts to talk down Tanya, who finds her easily taken in by what she believes to be lies. Though Tanya spats that she is once again incapable of protecting the royal family, Li Mei in turn proves she is more than capable of beating Tanya, as well as Khameleon. As more Umgadi surround her and Liu Kang, she manages to convince them to let them proceed to the throne room, drawing upon her past as an Umgadi and declares she will always honor her old vows. With her hands tied, Tanya questions why Li Mei and Liu Kang didn't finish her off, but they promise to her they mean no harm, and her remaining alive will prove that to Sindel.

Upon Li Mei and Liu Kang's arrival in the throne room, Sindel becomes livid, aghast that Li Mei would not only allow Jerrod to die, but allow Liu Kang to destroy the rest of her family, too. Ever level-headed, Li Mei reminds Sindel that she was not the only heartbroken one that fateful night, and scolds her for being blinded by her anger, insisting that she and Liu Kang are here to help. Before she can talk further, Li Mei is put into a chokehold by Tanya, and fighting breaks out once again. While Liu Kang easily fends off the other Umgadi, Li Mei stares down Kitana, who is astounded by the constable's supposed faithlessness. Li Mei rebukes her, saying that she only acts for their and Outworld's benefit, and that Kitana would realize it too if she took a moment to think. Li Mei then defeats Kitana, only to be confronted by Mileena, who chooses to fight rather than avoid revealing her Tarkat affliction.

The princess manages to send Li Mei flying with a move Li Mei taught her when she was a girl, and recognizes now. Mileena claims much has changed since then, and Li Mei reaffirms that her loyalty to the royal house has remained steadfast, urging her to trust her once again. After an exchange of attacks, Li Mei kicks Mileena to the ground, but the latter rises up with her Tarkat frenzy on full display, with Li Mei left aghast at seeing the princess's transformation. Sindel attempts to stop her from harming Li Mei but is caught off guard when Mileena turns on her, tackling her to the ground and nearly mauling her on the spot before Li Mei manages to wrestle her away from Sindel. The empress watches as Li Mei defeats Mileena, giving Tanya the opportunity to inject her with the suppressant. Their relationship repaired, Sindel thanks Li Mei, stating that she is in the constable's debt, but Li Mei reassures her that there is no debt between friends.

In order to regain Sindel's trust himself, Liu Kang convinces the Empress to accompany him to Shang Tsung's real laboratory, located underneath his false one. Li Mei and her constables, as well as the other Umgadi, join them in their visit and are horrified to discover the monstrous experiments Shang Tsung had conducted. They observe as Liu Kang summons Geras and reveals the truth of his position in their reality - that he was once Keeper of Time, and crafted the realms and their people with his own hands, by means of a celestial object known as the Hourglass. The history lesson is cut short by the arrival of General Shao and his cohorts, who hold the group at bay with the Amulet of Shinnok. Though Kitana, Mileena, Geras and Tanya are all captured by the amulet's power, Li Mei, Liu Kang and Sindel avoid the blast and begin fighting Shao's troops in the laboratory.

After the defeat of Nitara, Liu Kang and Sindel are held at bay again by Shao's amulet, but Li Mei manages to stand and lands a surprise jumping hook kick on the general from behind, knocking the amulet out of his hands and allowing Sindel to grab it. The group flees upstairs to the false laboratory, where they are confronted by more soldiers led by Reiko. While Li Mei initially begins brawling with Motaro, she steps in to shove Sindel away from a high-pressure blast of water from Rain, taking the hit in her stead and getting knocked to the ground. She recovers and assists Sindel in the rest of her battles, stifling General Shao's attempted coup.

The current Li Mei is not seen again in the main story afterwards, but various versions and amalgamations of Li Mei are seen during the second Battle of Armageddon, including one allied with Titan Shang Tsung, a Li Mei with Scorpion's pyrokinesis called Firefly, an amalgamation with Quan Chi called Quan Li, a version with Raiden's powers called Guard of Thunder, and many more. Additionally, another version of Li Mei can be selected as the final warrior who aids Liu Kang in defeating the Titans Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, before being sent back to her respective timeline.

Endings

  • Mortal Kombat 1 (Canonical): "As her reign began, Empress Mileena faced many challenges. To meet them, she turned to the people she trusted: her sister to lead her army and me to lead her Imperial Police. Though I missed Empress Sindel dearly, I was glad my ties with her family had been mended. But, while it was an honor to be made responsible for Outworld's internal security, I soon realized accepting the appointment was a mistake. I'm not cut out to be a bureaucrat, nor am I patient enough to navigate the imperial court's politics. I was at my best patrolling Sun Do's streets. When I could feel the city's pulse, and serve and protect its citizens directly. That's why I resigned my post and resumed my role as Sun Do's First Constable. I end each day knowing I've made a difference."
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