Netherealm

The Netherealm is a fictional world in the Mortal Kombat video game series. In later games, it is also written Netherrealm.

About Netherealm
Shujinko: "This place... it feels dark."

Damashi: "As dark as every heart that inhabits it. Your presence here would not be possible. Only evil resides in this realm."

Netherealm appears to be, like Outworld, a realm composed of different layers. In the Mortal Kombat universe, deceased souls or entities who have committed major crimes descend into the Netherealm to undergo endless torture. In fact, one cannot enter the Netherealm without being evil or have a soul tainted with evil. It is an alternative, more generic name for the christian concept of hell, as one of its former rulers was Lucifer. It is also described as "the darkest region of reality", and is inhabited by demons, monsters and beings of the purest evil.

Though exits from and entrances to the Netherealm are very limited for obvious reasons, the world had quite a tumultuous history. Millions of years ago, the fallen Elder God Shinnok was banished there. After ages of imprisonment, he was able to break free, deposing Lucifer in the process. He restructured the realm to bear some resemblance to Earthrealm, the world which he had long desired to make his own. He later used it as a staging ground for the invasion of Edenia, but found himself cast into the depths of the realm again after this invasion was foiled. The abandoned war machines of Shinnok were then put to good use by one of his former acolytes, Noob Saibot.

Native realm species
In a generic sense, many demons and specters are native to the Netherealm in that human beings can be transformed into them when their essences descend into hell, but it is unclear if Netherealm hosts any original life. It should also be noted that the inhabitants of this realm look more human than they are, because the realm's magical nature conceals their demonic nature. Once they leave the Netherealm, they may start to decompose and rot. Like Chaosrealmers, some Netherealmers tend to speak backwards.

A specific subset of demons, the Oni, is thought to be native to the Netherealm. They vary a lot in terms of appearance, stature and colour, as is evidenced by Drahmin and Moloch, and appear to be unable to communicate with other lifeforms. Their prime state of being appears to be one of unquenchable rage.

Transformed

 * Drahmin was once a warlord who was presumably assassinated, and transformed into a caricature of his former self by unknown powers, until he became an Oni.
 * Noob Saibot is the altered form of the elder Sub-Zero, after he was murdered by Scorpion in retribution for his own killing. The corruption in his soul caused him to transform into a humanoid demon.
 * Scorpion became a vengeful specter in the Netherealm after he was killed by Sub-Zero. Unlike most creatures in the Netherealm, Scorpion is neither evil nor good and can withstand the torturous realm better than others.
 * Smoke was brought to the Netherealm by Noob Saibot. It is suspected he has also become tainted with evil after his new master altered his nanotechnology.

Native or unknown

 * Ashrah's origins are unknown. Once an assassin in service of Quan Chi, she found a sword that slowly guided her to the light side.
 * Moloch is also an Oni, but unlike Drahmin, he is more ape-like than humanoid.
 * The Netherealm is also home to the Brothers of the Shadow, lead by Noob Saibot and Quan Chi.
 * Sareena is a Demon of the realm, although little is known about her past. She was once a personal assassin of Quan Chi and served the Brotherhood of Shadow, but turned against the clan.
 * Kia and Jataaka were also Demon assassins who served Quan Chi alongside Sareena.
 * Reiko was originally introduced as a member of the Brotherhood of the Shadow, presumably a Demon as well. However, his exact origins remain unknown.

Trivia

 * It is interesting to note that the Netherealm possesses technology similar to modern-day Earthrealm's, such as watchtowers, searchlights, heavy artillery, and even military binoculars. This is possibly a result of Shinnok's restructuring of the dimension to resemble Earthrealm.
 * The base area of the realm contains a city built by sorcerers, as a source of protection against the environment which drain life energies from the living.
 * Within the Netherealm are Soul Stones, artifacts which can temporarily give energy to travelers to survive the hostile environment.
 * Shao Kahn is said to have many allies in the Netherealm, though no names are mentioned as to who exactly.
 * The Netherrealm is one of the only two realms that is infinite in size.
 * There is a region within the Netherrealm known as the 5th plane, where foreign mystical powers are drained.

Realm Relationships
As you can expect being its polar opposite that the Netherealm poses the biggest threat to the Heavens. Because of conditions put in the way to trap all the evil in the universe in the Netherealm its rare that the Netherealm gets a chance to attack the Heavens. Most other Realms fear the Netherealm, most of all the Earth Realm who have told stories of its purpose longer then it has been aware of its true existence. Under the rule of Kahn in Outworld there formed many alliances between the residents of the Netheworld and Outworld. Aside from that, it has no other known allies and seems to be the threat of every realm.