The Brotherhood of Shadow

"Join my Brothers of the Shadow and worship our Lord Shinnok"

- Quan Chi

The Brotherhood of Shadow or Brotherhood of Shadows, sometimes also known as the Brothers of the Shadow or the Brotherhood of the Shadow, is a faction in the Mortal Kombat video game series.

About the Brotherhood of Shadow
The Brotherhood of Shadows are an unholy, fanatic cult centred around the demon sorcerer Quan Chi and forever worship the fallen Elder God Shinnok. Its countless members are ever scheming and planning for his release from the Netherealm. Its trademarks are stealth, secrecy, deception, and its involvement are with black magic and necromancy. They achieved their goal when Quan Chi was able to get hold of the sacred amulet needed to free Shinnok from his eternal prison, from where he already controlled the entire Netherealm. Agents such as Noob Saibot and Reiko rose to prominence during the subsequent war with Princess Kitana and the people of Edenia, Raiden and his Earthrealm warriors during the events of Mortal Kombat 4.

Their joint effort ultimately failed and Shinnok was defeated. In the events leading up to Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Deception, Noob Saibot began eluding Quan Chi's control and prepared for the creation of his own armies, while Sareena and Ashrah left the Brotherhood. With Shinnok eliminated as a presence to be reckon with and Quan Chi's own plans with the Deadly Alliance, the Brotherhood seems to have lost its importance or is on hold. It appears that for most (former) members, their time spent with the Brotherhood was merely a catalyst for more important things to come. It was later revealed in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon that Sareena is again working with the Brotherhood of Shadow under Quan Chi's spell. This story is also revealed through her newly released bio. Noob Saibot also led Smoke and his army to the Lin Kuei palace to overthrow his brother Sub-Zero as well as convert his ninjas into cyborg demons.

At the heart of the Brotherhood of Shadows' fanatical religion is these diabolical zealots' very desire to bring about the day when the malevolent Elder God Shinnok is finally and completely set free from the dark depths of the Netherrealm, and his will is done. And they'll soon stop at nothing to achieve their insidious, utopian dream of being at the right hand of their divine master and creator, and thus forever rule all creation itself.

Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero
The first storyline appearance of the organization comes in the form of three deadly assassins: Sareena, Kia and Jakaata. Jakaata and Kia are killed by the elder Sub-Zero, but Sareena is strangely spared by the Lin Kuei warrior. She later appears to help Sub-Zero in defeating Quan Chi. Although the duo achieved victory, it is cut short by Shinnok who "kills" her with a bolt of energy.

Mortal Kombat II
Noob Saibot is the first of the Brotherhood of Shadow to ever appear in the series, operating in the shadows under command of Shinnok.

Mortal Kombat 3
Noob Saibot appears once more, apparently having set a 'base of operations' in a dark lit area known as Noob's Dorfen.

Mortal Kombat 4
Another member of the organization, Reiko, makes his debut, serving under the Brotherhood of Shadow. Sometime before the events of the tournament, Tanya, a close ally of the Brotherhood of Shadow, had been enlisted into the clan as a double agent, pretending to be a close ally of the Earthrealm warriors.

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
Before the events of Deadly Alliance, Noob Saibot appeared in the war between Edenia's new Shokan forces under leadership of Goro and Kitana as well as Shao Kahn's diminished army. He ambushes the weary Goro and fatally wounds him. Meanwhile, Sareena resurfaces and defects from the Brotherhood of Shadow, meeting up with the younger Sub-Zero, now grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, pledging her servitude to the newly reformed clan, indebted to the older brother's strange compassion towards her.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
While he is not a member of The Brotherhood of the Shadows anymore, Noob Saibot allies with Quan Chi, who is gathering fighters to the Forces of Darkness for the Battle of Armageddon. Quan Chi gives the order to Kia, Jataaka and the controlled Sareena for kill Taven, but they were unsuccesful. He has formed an uneasy and distrustful alliance with fellow villains Onaga, Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. He knows that the realms are in the brink of destruction, so he casts a deadly spell upon Orin, Taven's guardian dragon, in order to try preventing him into putting a halt to his plans.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
Minions of the Brotherhood make their first ever appearance here, still under the command of Shinnok, a small group hiding in secret in the Living Forest. They are depicted as jet-black skinned humanoid demons, wearing black uniforms with their insides glowing blue or green, depending on the "version". They have the ability to melt into a shadowy form that makes them invulnerable to every form of attack, sans a multality. They attack their opponents wielding sickle blades with deadly skill and agility. They are the most vulnerable when solid.