Biography
- Mortal Kombat 3: "Works as a historian and preserver of his people's culture. When Kahn's portal opens over North America, Nightwolf uses the magics of his shaman to protect the tribe's sacred land. This area becomes a vital threat to Kahn's occupation of the Earth."
- Deception: "As the shaman of my tribe, my connection with the supernatural has been interrupted by visions of a dark presence. To confront this foe, I have assumed the role of Sin-Eater to absorb the sins of my tribesmen. I must embrace this corruption, though I will eventually become a threat to those I care for. It is a necessary evil if I am to save the realms. The Sin-Eater ritual has corrupted my soul and will therefore allow me to enter the Netherrealm. There I will implement my plans to defeat Onaga. The sins I have absorbed have poisoned my temperament, however, and I have forced myself into exile until my task is complete in the depths of Hell."
- Bio Kard: "Nightwolf has foreseen the coming of the Dragon King in his dreams. To defeat this new menace, he must corrupt his own soul and enter the Netherrealm. The process will alter his temperament and make him a danger to even his allies. He must travel alone if he is to succeed."
- Armageddon: "After imprisoning Onaga's corrupt soul, I was released from the Netherrealm. I passed through the spirit world before emerging in Earthrealm, surrounded by a pack of wolves, my spirit guides. I had only faint memories of that brief journey... or did it last an eternity? The Ancients spoke to me of a coming storm that would pit the warriors of the realms against each other in an epic battle. But most disturbing of all was a warning that a hidden evil was manipulating these warriors, forcing them to participate. My visions were seemingly made real when, at a gathering of the Forces of Light, Johnny Cage revealed that Shinnok had returned, and that the fallen Elder God was assembling the Forces of Darkness once more. I agreed to help Johnny Cage and join his fight. At the summit, Kitana approached me. I was amazed to find that she was accompanied by the spirit of Liu Kang. The bond between them was strong; thus she was able to keep his energies intact until a way to reunite his body and soul could be found. There was not much I could do to help until I achieved a much higher level of shamanic power. I transferred the bond from Kitana to myself and accepted my role as Liu Kang's new spiritual anchor. Perhaps this unknown power sought by the Forces of Darkness could be the key to helping Liu Kang find peace."
Storyline
Nightwolf had been warned of the coming invasion of Earthrealm by a vision from Raiden. As such, he was fully aware and prepared for the events as they occurred, including the attacks of Kahn's extermination squads. His own homeland protected through shamanic magic, he would soon be joined by the other chosen warriors. Together, they then traveled back to the East Coast, prepared for battle against the emperor and his minions, and won.
Nightwolf made his return during the events of Mortal Kombat: Deception. In the events leading to Deception, Nightwolf viewed images of the Dragon King and his resurrection in his dreams. These nightmares recurred constantly, and Nightwolf came to recognize them as a warning. He knew that a new evil threat was about to arise from the ashes, and in view of Reptile's transformation into Onaga, his predictions most assuredly came true.
The method that Nightwolf would use to destroy Onaga was one passed down to him by his forefathers. This method was that of the "Sin Eater", which involved absorbing the sins of his tribe. However, there was a terrible consequence to be considered in taking on such a role. If he were to do this, he would be a danger to all that surrounded him, including his allies. Hence, he made the decision to destroy Onaga on his own, keeping his allies out of harm's way. His role as a Sin Eater would involve entering the Netherrealm, drawing Onaga's soul to him, and releasing the absorbed sins of his ancestors, which would bind Onaga to the spot.
After Shujinko defeated Onaga in Outworld, Nightwolf took the opportunity to execute his plan. His method was successful and he managed to separate Reptile from Onaga, and bind the Dragon King to the Netherrealm. It would be Shujinko, Nightwolf's former student, who assisted him in ending the threat of the Dragon King.
After completing his quest, he was guided back to Earthrealm by his spirit guides - a pack of wolves. Nightwolf began to receive visions of a battle, where an unknown power was forcing the participating warriors to fight each other. His visions started to become reality, when he spoke with Johnny Cage and their allies, and agreed to assist them in battle against Shinnok and his forces. Eventually, Nightwolf was met by Kitana and the spirit of Liu Kang. The bond that the two of them shared was enough for Kitana to keep Kang's spirit whole, until a way was found for him to rejoin with his body. Still drained after using his shamanic powers on Onaga, Nightwolf used what magic he could to relieve Kitana of her burden, and took on the responsibility of looking after Kang's spirit.
In Armageddon, he joins the Forces of Light in the final battle. He wounds Sheeva with one of his arrows, but is then killed himself on the steps of the Pyramid of Argus. His body can be seen on the stairs of the pyramid.
Endings
- Mortal Kombat 3 (Non-Canonical): "Nightwolf helps the other Earth warriors escape to his sacred land. Once there, they regroup and form a plan of attack against Shao Kahn's invasion. Nightwolf has trained hard for this battle: Finally, he faces Shao Kahn and emerges victorious. When the Earth returns to its normal state, Nightwolf peacefully regains the land his Native American people lost over many years. They establish their own proud nation and soon become the great leaders of Earth."
- Deception (Canonical): "Nightwolf had traversed realms and fought many demons to get to this place deep within the Netherrealm. Using knowledge passed to him from his forefathers, he drew a binding symbol on the ground and chanted the ancient words that would draw the spirit of the Dragon King to this wicked place. Nightwolf had carried the burden long enough. He released the sins of his people into the mystic symbol, and their weight bound Onaga to the Netherrealm. Free of the corruption he had harbored for so long, Nightwolf was expelled from the depths of the Netherrealm and into the unknown."
- Armageddon (Non-Canonical): "The power Nightwolf received from Blaze carried him to the spirit world, an existence between realms from which shamanic power originates. He became a living ghost -- the ultimate shaman! Nightwolf found his ally Liu Kang lost in the spirit energy and guided him back to the physical world. Nightwolf then reunited Liu Kang with his body."