The film begins with a premise familiar to fans of the game: Earthrealm faces imminent invasion by Outworld, a realm ruled by the malevolent sorcerer Shang Tsung. To prevent Outworld from enslaving humanity, a martial arts tournament known as Mortal Kombat is held once every generation. Earth’s defenders, including Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and Johnny Cage, must win the tournament to preserve peace and protect their world from doom.