History WesternAnimation / MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm

* ContinuitySnarl: ''Defenders of the Realm'' makes continuity problematic, since ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'' starts immediately in the same place.

* HypocriteHasAPoint: During her suspension, Sonya calls out Stryker on his {{GoodIsNotNice}} attitude, even though she herself is just as [[Jerkass abrasive]] to everyone else, most of the time.

* HumblePie: Sonya apologizes to Subzero after spending the entire episode being [[ReformedButRejected very distrustful towards him.]] She even admits that this was really hard for her to do.

* LighterAndSofter: This series tones down the violence considerably, long before ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse''. The harshest thing to appear in the series was a flashback to Shang Tsung's death as shown in the movie, but even that was softened.

* AdaptedOut: Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Mileena, Sindel, Jade, Noob Saibot,[[note]]Unless you count his appearance as the older Sub-Zero in a flashback to the first movie[[/note]] Goro, Kintaro, Chameleon and Khameleon. Baraka and Reptile are also this to a lesser extent.

* FiveTokenBand: The heroes of the series.
* FlatCharacter: Cyrax and Sektor. They don't have much of a personality.

* CruelMercy: In "Resurrection", rather than finishing Shang Tsung, Raiden chooses to spare him...so that he can face Shao Kahn's wrath.

* YouKeepUsingThatWord: The characters use the phrase "Mortal Kombat" as a catch all term to describe their fights and conflicts with Outworld instead of it just being the name of the tournament.

* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Sonya is generally depicted as a serious, no-nonsense character in the games. Here, she's very prone to making quips and poking at people.

* AmbiguouslyGay: [[invoked]] [[ScaryBlackMan Jax]], of all people. [[HoYay He calls Raiden]] ''[[HoYay girlfriend]]'' on at least one occasion, his first response to defending Sub-Zero is [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial "Hey I don't want to]] ''[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial marry]]'' [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial the guy!"]], and [[BerserkButton flips his lid]] when you call him "blubber butt".
* AnimatedAdaptation: As noted above, this is an animated series based on the ''Mortal Kombat'' series.

* {{Animesque}}: As the show was animated by Creator/AnimalYa (credited here as Animal House) in Japan. The show exhibits shades of this at times, particularly with the effects animation.

** When Liu Kang has a flashback about his victory over Shang Tsung, the latter has the beard and facepaint he uses on this series (from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3''), even though he didn't have them in the live-action movie, which the flashback represents.

* CanonForeigner: Asgaarth (a bird-man from Edenia), Oniro (Grand master of the Lin Kuei), Ruby (red female ninja and possible {{Expy}} of Jade), Kiva (Nightwolf's pet wolf) and Zara (Kitana's mortal enemy).

** Stryker has a couple of personality traits from Johnny Cage, who is absent from this cartoon.

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Lieutenant Sonya Blade and Princess Kitana. Ironically, during their inevitable GirlsNightOutEpisode, it's Sonya who asks Kitana if she ever misses being a woman, what with all the fighting. Earlier in the episode, Sonya attempted to get herself a makeover, only to be given a sexist remark from Jax.

* OffModel: This is a given since the series is a cheaply-made '90s [[AnimatedAdaptation video game tie-in]].

** Both played straight and averted with Kano. When he's shown in a flashback of Sonya's partner's death, he wears his ''Mortal Kombat 3'' outfit, yet in a flashback to their fight in the movie, both Sonya and Kano have their movie looks.

* CanonImmigrant: Quan Chi. He made his first appearance in this series prior to his appearance in ''Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero''.

* CompositeCharacter: Stryker has a couple of personality traits from Johnny Cage, who is absent from this cartoon.
** On the villainous side, Kano uses his original visual design from the first/third games, (where he was [[ButNotTooForeign Japanese-American]]) but speaks with an accent based on Trevor Goddard's [[LandDownUnder Australian version]] from the movie.

* CruelMercy: In episode 9, rather than finishing Shang Tsung, Raiden chooses to spare him...so that he can face Shao Kahn's wrath.

* LighterAndSofter: This series tones down the violence considerably, long before ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse''. The harshest thing to appear in the series was a flashback to Shang Tsung's death as shown in [[Film/MortalKombat1995 the movie]], but even that was softened.

** Oniro, the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, is a blatant Shang Tsung stand-in, right down to possessing the latter's trademark [[{{Shapeshifter}} shapeshifting]] abilities. He was presumably created due to the show [[BroadStrokes loosely following the canon of the first movie]], where Shang Tsung was killed by Liu Kang.

* TakingTheBullet: In "Fall From Grace", Stryker takes a hit from Sheeva as Sonya rushes in to try to help. [[NeverMyFault He blames Sonya for it and decides to suspend her from active duty.]]

''Defenders of the Realm'' follows the events of [[Film/MortalKombat1995 the first live-action movie]]. Raiden once again gathers a group of warriors to stand against the forces of the Outworld and various other invading dimensions. The series also introduced a handful of characters, one of whom, Quan Chi, was later [[CanonImmigrant a mainstay]] in the {{fighting game}}s.

''Defenders of the Realm'' makes continuity problematic, since ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'' starts immediately in the same place. However, the cartoon is held in higher regard than ''Annihilation'', so it generally takes precedence.

* InformedFlaw: In "Acid Tongue", Jax loses his cybernetic arms and repeatedly acts like he's weak and useless without them. This is despite the fact that he's still the most musclebound member of the team and was capable of climbing up a mountainside with his bare hands.

* ForgotAboutHisPowers: Many characters seem to neglect certain abilities:
** In the beginning of "Old Friends Never Die", Stryker uses his gun in target practice, but he never uses it in actual kombat.
** Kano never thinks to use his cannonball move from the games in "Familiar Red" or "Amends".
** Sub-Zero is never shown using his ice clone move.
** In the few times where Nightwolf enters kombat, he never uses his shoulder charge or AttackReflector moves.
** The only ability Kabal is ever shown using is his [[SuperSpeed Nomad Dash]]. We never see him use his Plasma Blast, Ground Saw, or even his hookswords.[[note]]You could say that he is never shown using his hookswords due to ''Defenders of the Realm'' being [[LighterAndSofter a cartoon meant for kids]], but in a flashback in the same episode, we see Black Dragon members attacking him with swords.[[/note]]
** None of the Shokan, including Sheeva, are shown using their teleport stomp.
** Similar to Nightwolf, Raiden rarely enters kombat with the other heroes. The few times he does, however, he neglects his torpedo move. In "Resurrection", however, this is [[JustifiedTrope justified]], as he intentionally chose to fight Shang Tsung without his powers and won.
** Sektor never thinks to use his teleport uppercut.
** Cyrax never uses his bombs even once.
** Rain never uses any of his special moves from the games in "Skin Deep".
** Ermac never uses any of his special moves in "Abandoned".

''Defenders of the Realm'' follows the events of [[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie the first live-action movie]]. Raiden once again gathers a group of warriors to stand against the forces of the Outworld and various other invading dimensions. The series also introduced a handful of characters, one of whom, Quan Chi, was later [[CanonImmigrant a mainstay]] in the {{fighting game}}s.

* LighterAndSofter: This series tones down the violence considerably, long before ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse''. The harshest thing to appear in the series was a flashback to Shang Tsung's death as shown in [[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie the movie]], but even that was softened.

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Kitana. She is one of the heroes who is trying to stop Shao Kahn.

->''"Much has changed since the last Mortal Kombat tournament. Dark forces of Outworld have begun invading the Earthrealm. These attacks are seriously weakening Earth's dimensional fabric, enabling not only Outworlders to enter the Earthrealm, but warriors from other domains as well. Only the most extraordinary warriors can possibly meet this challenge: Liu Kang, Princess Kitana, Sub-Zero, Jax, Sonya Blade, Nightwolf, Kiba, Kurtis Stryker. Driven by purpose and bound by honor, these are the Defenders of the Realm."''

''Defenders of the Realm'' follows the events of [[Film/MortalKombat the first live-action movie]]. Raiden once again gathers a group of warriors to stand against the forces of the Outworld and various other invading dimensions. The series also introduced a handful of characters, one of whom, Quan Chi, was later [[CanonImmigrant a mainstay]] in the {{fighting game}}s.

* LighterAndSofter: This series tones down the violence considerably, [[HilariousInHindsight long before]] ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse''. The harshest thing to appear in the series was a flashback to Shang Tsung's death as shown in [[Film/MortalKombat the movie]], but even that was softened.

* LighterAndSofter: This series tones down the violence considerably. The harshest thing to appear in the series was a flashback to Shang Tsung's death as shown in [[Film/MortalKombat the movie]], but even that was softened.

* {{Animesque}}: As the show was animated by Creator/AnimalYa (credited here as Animal House) in Japan. THe show exhibits shades of this at times, particularly with the effects animation.

** The only ability Kabal is ever shown using is his [[SuperSpeed Nomad Dash]]. We never see him use his Plasma Blast, Ground Saw, or even his hookswords.

* CrossThrough: "Resurrection" is the third part of a four-part storyline aired on November 16, 1996 about a "Warrior King" chasing down a powerful MacGuffin through four (otherwise unrelated) USA Network Saturday morning cartoons (alongside ''Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm'', the other three cartoons had included ''WesternAnimation/StreetFighter'', ''ComicBook/SavageDragon'', and ''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy''). Two notes regarding this: unlike the other three parts, this episode features ''only'' the MacGuffin, with the Warrior King himself only appearing as an unexplained shadow for all of five seconds; and the American ''Street Fighter'' cartoon was one of the other four cartoons in the storyline, making this the closest the two DuelingGames have ever come to interacting.