Li Mei

Li Mei is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.

About Li Mei
Li Mei was introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance as a variant of a well-known archetype in most fighting games: she is a girl/young woman fighting against a supreme crime organization or overlord who did her wrong and fights at impossible odds. She is something of a tragic hero. Like most people from Outworld, Li Mei looks vaguely Asian.

Storyline
Li Mei's village that was forced into slavery to help construct Shang Tsung's palace around the soulnado, which had been a long-time legend of her people. In attacking Kano, however, she gained the attention of Quan Chi, who promised her freedom if she could win a tournament. Around this time she befriended an old warrior among her enslaved villiagers; the supposed "Champion of the Elder Gods" Shujinko, captured by Kano during his 40 year quest for the Kamidogu. Shujinko offered to train her even though he felt that her chances in the Deadly Alliance's "tournament" were slim. She later journeyed to a nearby forest were she was attacked by Moloch and Drahmin. She escaped through the trees as Shang Tsung came and formed an alliance with the Oni.

In Mortal Kombat: Deception, Li Mei returned (most of the newly-introduced fighters did not). Though her ending in Deadly Alliance depicted her winning Quan Chi's tournament, and "winning" the right to be imprisoned forever in one of the Dragon King's soldiers' bodies, Deception had Bo' Rai Cho rescuing her from this fate. However, he was apparently only partially successful, and Li Mei took on some of the aspects of one of these ancient warriors. As such, she is far more battle-oriented in this game, wearing armor, for example.

Possible future
Though Mortal Kombat endings are always highly variable, her ending in Deception showed her being taken over by Onaga, through the control he exerts over his warriors, and turning against her former allies. Onaga is then successful in his schemes, and makes Li Mei his new queen. The truth of Li Mei's alignment will be revealed in the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.

Fatalities

 * Deadly Alliance: Li Mei kicks her victim's stomach, lodging her foot in his/her innards. She keeps it there for a second before pulling it out, then kicks the victim's head off.
 * Brutality: Li Mei punches her victim all over his/her torso at an incredible speed. She then backs off, allowing her victim to explode with no further action on her part.  This fatality seems to borrow from Asian pressure-point myths. (MK:D)
 * Head Grenade: Li Mei punches her victim's head into the air and kicks the head into the opponent, causing it to explode. (MK:D)

Other finishers

 * Hara-Kiri – Li Mei throws her sword into the air and bends over. The sword falls back down and cuts off her head. (MK:D)

Trivia

 * Even among Mortal Kombat characters, Li Mei is considered very sexy. Aside from having even less clothing, she also has a joke picture in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance that promotes her as a supermodel.
 * Li Mei is rather notable in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance for having four special moves: most characters have only two or three. She retains all these moves in Mortal Kombat: Deception.