Your Blood Will Never Be Lin Kuei

“Your blood will never be Lin Kuei”<—Bi Han isn’t saying he’s not family because he’s adopted. I think what he’s saying is that he’ll never be considered a warrior by Lin Kuei standards. It no different than than a snobby Harvard student with top grades telling off another Harvard student who happens to be a family member and whom they look down on that they shouldn’t have been admitted and is a waste of space.

No you DONT UNDERSTAND

Bi HANS SCREAMS BROKE MEEEEE

Big cats + canine fellows (and yes their tails point different ways so you can mix and match <3)

Once again thinking about MK1 and how Bi-Han didn't have to be the scapegoat of the story. Both Bi-Han and Kuai Liang could have escaped the Ying Fortress together. Bi-Han never had to side with Shang Tsung. It served no purpose within the story, it was entirely unnecessary, as was the part about him letting his father die.

Instead, the brothers could have fought Shao, Shang Tsung and the dragon army together. Kuai Liang could have gotten his scar in the fight against Havik and Darrius. After Kuai Liang and Bi-Han both narrowly escaped with their lives, Bi-Han could have simply insisted on aborting the mission once the brothers regroup with Smoke. They nearly died, Bi-Han's faith in Liu Kang was already shaken before, no one could have blamed him for losing it entirely after seeing what they're up against and watching his brother nearly lose an eye in front of him.

Kuai Liang could have then protested and refused to follow Bi-Han back to Arktica unless they go back and finish the mission first, revealing the brothers' conflict of interest. Bi-Han wanting the Lin Kuei's freedom and Kuai Liang wanting the clan to keep up their old ways and follow tradition. The brothers could have then fought and the story would have progressed as we know it.

Nothing important within the narrative would have changed, except that it would have made both brothers more relatable characters. Sub-Zero and Scorpion would have still ended up becoming rivals, with the only difference that Kuai Liang and Bi-Han wouldn't have any stains on their names as they do now, one nearly committing fratricide and the other having let his father die as well as having abandoned his duties. Bi-Han's motives would have been much more relatable, his concern about his clan's future, the care he very obviously holds for his brothers, it could have all been displayed so much better with just these few tweaks to the storyline.

What makes the MK1 story bad is the lack of love that was put into it. I know the sheer amount of characters on the roster doesn't make it easy to give every single character time to shine in the story mode or to give them all as much depth as fans would like, but even a few small changes can have a big impact. It's disappointing that apparently no one cared enough about the Lin Kuei brothers to think much about how they would come across. All three of them got sidelined, mischaracterized and for the most part, ignored by the story. The wasted potential here is saddening.

A guide to writing Bi-Han

I've seen far too many fanfics/oneshots/headcanons and art pieces out there completely mischaraterizing Bi-Han to the point he becomes unrecognizable from who he is in canon. For fans who love Bi-Han as he is, it can be quite frustrating to see people misunderstand his character so much. This post is not meant to be criticism, but was rather made with the intention to sort out common misconceptions, educate and help creators of fanwork understand Bi-Han and his personality better.

RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS BROTHERS:

Bi-Han doesn't hate Tomáš. There's so much fanart out there depicting him as a bully or bad brother when that's as far from canon as it could be. You can read the in-depth analysis on their dynamic in the post I've linked, but to sum it up, Bi-Han had the option to pick any other Lin Kuei member to accompany him and Kuai Liang to the teahouse or the Ying fortress, but each time he picked Smoke. He could have chosen Sektor or Cyrax, both of which are more experienced and completely loyal to him, and yet he still chose Tomáš instead. He also appears worried when Smoke nearly dies after Nitara's attack. Yes, he snapped at Tomáš once, but siblings fight and say things to each other that are often uncalled for. The relationship between them cannot be meassured by one line that was said out of anger or the intro dialogues that are set after their falling out. According to Smoke himself, Bi-Han was always cold towards him, but that only suggests they were never close, not that there was ever any hostility between them or that Bi-Han was ever harsh/cruel towards him in the past. Tomáš also tries to reunite the brothers and doesn't want Bi-Han to be his enemy, even if he's disappointed in Bi-Han's actions. He even admits he used to look up to him. Some artworks, however, aim to make it look like Bi-Han is oh so mean to poor, sad Tomas, when that's a blatant mischaraterization of both of them, simultanously babying Tomas, a grown man, and demonizing Bi-Han, a tragic and traumatized character.

Kuai Liang and Bi-Han used to be close. Kuai Liang knew about Bi-Han's frustrations, Bi-Han knows all of Kuai Liang's weaknesses, they trust each other enough to rely on each other in combat and both feel equally betrayed by the other because of the close brotherly bond they once shared and because of the trust that existed between them. Kuai Liang was Bi-Han's second in command, Bi-Han respected him. He's never once seen belittling or insulting Kuai Liang, not even after they're no longer on good terms with each other. By the time the story of MK1 starts, Bi-Han has already reached the peak of his frustration, which explains why he snaps at his brothers so often, especially when their father is brought up, but at no time was Bi-Han ever abusive towards Kuai Liang or Tomas. He seems to have put a lot of trust in both his brothers and in return, they trusted him too. If Bi-Han had ever been a violent person with little love and care for his family, Kuai Liang and Tomas wouldn't have been so shocked at the revelation that he let their father die.

There was always a side of Bi-Han that cared about his brothers and his choices indicate that he still does. Apart from the most obvious evidence for this, the scene where he checks on both of them to make sure they're unharmed, there are also other subtle clues that he cares about Kuai Liang and Tomas. In his chapter, Bi-Han is the one who fights off all threats (Nitara, Ermac...) while also giving the easier and less dangerous task of staying outside to Smoke, the least experienced one of the brothers, as he goes to capture Quan Chi himself with the help of Kuai Liang. While he says he wants Kuai Liang dead in some intros, his actions contradict his words. He had the chance to kill Kuai Liang at the Ying Fortress, but chose to spare him. SPOILERS: The leaks for the dlc claim that Bi-Han will be trying to capture his brothers alive. He seems to have no interest in actually harming either of them, just in making sure they can't get in the way of his plans.

PERSONALITY:

Oftentimes, fanfics portray Bi-Han as this hot-headed guy with anger issues who is only capable of one emotion and it's rage. But Bi-Han's anger is not his most defining trait. There are so many more layers to his personality. Just because the story mode only showed us situations in which his anger is triggered doesn't mean that's all there is to him. He's not the kind of person to go around yelling at everyone he sees and getting angry out of nowhere. I also don't see Bi-Han cursing/cussing or insulting others. As grandmaster, Bi-Han represents the Lin Kuei and he's expected to act a certain way. @inflamedrosenkranz wrote a genius analysis on how out of character it would be for Bi-Han to curse and I strongly recommend reading it in addition to this post.

Bi-Han is not a mysogynist. This is something I see all too frequently in reader insert fanfics where Bi-Han is written as someone who doesn't take his s/o seriously or looks down at them because they're a woman. Meanwhile, Bi-Han shows nothing but respect and admiration for strong women. He seems to have looked up to his mother much more than to his father and just listen to his intros with Sindel or Kitana. He admires Sindel for her leadership and even encourages Kitana to take Outworld's throne. He also wouldn't have taken in Frost as his apprentice and wouldn't have allowed Cyrax into the Lin Kuei if he thought women weren't fit to be Lin Kuei warriors.

I know this will disappoint a lot of headcanon writers, but Bi-Han would never degrade/insult or otherwise humiliate his partner, be it through words or actions, especially not during intimate moments shared between them. His significant other directly represents him and his clan. He would not tolerate any sort of disrespect towards them, let alone disrespect them himself. If his partner were to ask him to degrade them, that would be an instant dealbreaker for Bi-Han. He would expect any potential partner to show the self-respect and dignity befitting of their role as the grandmaster's significant other.

I often see drunk!Bi-Han headcanons, but honestly, it would be out of character for Bi-Han to drink alcohol. First of all, he absolutely wouldn't be able to see the appeal of it and secondly, he would hate the way it makes him feel. I imagine he likes being in control of his own body, he likes knowing that he can rely on his reflexes should he need them and alcohol would practically render them useless. As grandmaster of his clan he needs to be an example for all the other Lin Kuei. He would also not want to take the risk of overinduldging and embarrassing himself in a drunken stupor.

People like to write Bi-Han as a grumpy and overly serious guy who can't crack a joke to save himself, but they forget he makes ice puns. Ice puns. Bi-Han definitely has a sense of humor. I just don't think he gets to show anyone that side of himself often.

Bi-Han is a lot smarter than people give him credit for. Yes, siding with Shang Tsung was a bad choice, but it was one he made out of dispair and his frustration played into it as well, clouding his judgement. The way Bi-Han tries to assess his opponents' weaknesses shows his strategic mind. He let himself be fooled once, but he's also young and still has a lot to learn as grandmaster. It's not a sign of him lacking intelligence, like some people claim.

GOALS:

While he's ambitious and wants to acquire power to some extent, Bi-Han is not the power-hungry and selfish character he's often wrongly depicted as. His intentions lie far beyond that and are much more noble. Bi-Han craves independence and freedom for the Lin Kuei. He wants his clan to get the respect and recognition they rightfully deserve after protecting Earthrealm for so many generations. He doesn't want to conquer all of Earthrealm and he has no interest in ruling other realms either. What he wants is a small portion of Earthrealm because he's convinced that the Lin Kuei deserve it. He wants a reward for all their years of loyalty and duty, not to become a tyrant.

To conclude this, I appreciate writers and artists who do their research before writing/drawing a character and I hope this analysis can be helpful to those unsure of how to correctly write Bi-Han.

If I can think of more examples to add to the list, I will make a part 2 of this post.

Too often, I see artists, fanfic and headcanon writers put profanities (and the most obscene ones, at that) in Bi-Han's mouth. This contradicts his character in the game, where he uses a sustained language and speaks slowly and clearly, meticulously choosing his words to set an example as a clan leader invested with a divine mission and, what is more, as being the product of an aristocratic upbringing that doesn't allow for slackness nor complacency. The example that strikes me most is when Ermac binds his hands and feet, and he asks, surprised: "What is this?" Notice he doesn't say "What's this?", "What the hell is this?" or even "What the f*ck is this?" He also pronounces each word carefully, not allowing himself to be destabilized by what's happening to him.

This said, many people who are in position of power are careful with how they behave in public, but are just like everyone else in private. Bi-Han could be one of them to a certain extent. He would probably swear, but rarely, and only when he'd be alone, never in front of others, not even of his family, or only in their spare time, when they'd be off duty—and even then, it would remain very moderate, because we have to imagine that there's a lot of modesty and restraint involved between these people due to how they were raised. And because Bi-Han is well-read and well-spoken, he doesn't need to resort to insults to be verbally abusive to someone. Too often indeed, people confuse being aggressive with being vulgar.