Li Mei

"It was not honorable. Not kombat."

- Li Mei talking about what Mileena did "The emperor grows desperate. And those cough in the middle... pay the price."

- Li Mei mentioning about the war between Kotal Kahn and Mileena

Li Mei is a character from Mortal Kombat series, first appeared in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

Personality
Li Mei is someone who desire her village's freedom and sets out to win competes in the tournament hosted by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. In Mortal Kombat X, she becomes an advocate for her people.

In her Armageddon ending, Li Mei gets her revenge on Shang Tsung and Quan Chi and banishes them into an obelisk, where the latter two will have to fend off wave after wave of enemies for all eternity.

After being rescued by Bo' Rai Cho, she becomes accustomed to wearing armored battle gear - this is due from being temporarily trapped inside a mummified soldier of the Dragon King's army.

Biography
Li Mei's village was enslaved to let a small population of people construct the fortress for Shang Tsung around the Soulnado, a paranormal bright green swirling tornado of immense spiritual energy with the tortured souls trapped inside. Li Mei is the only one of her village's slaves who willingly rebels the minions and attacks the leader of the Black Dragon Clan known as Kano. If she likes to attend and win the Deadly Alliance tournament, she gains the attention of Quan Chi, who hosted it for the other participants, in order to liberate her villagers, recognizing the warrior spirit.

At this time, Li Mei is friends with the wanderer Shujinko, but during his 40-year quest, she is captured by Kano himself. Shujinko, as her mentor, offers to train her even though he feels that her chances in the annual tournament of the Deadly Alliance are slim. She later journeys to a nearby forest where she is attacked by Moloch and Drahmin. She escaped through the trees as Shang Tsung came and formed an alliance with the Oni. Her ending in Deadly Alliance depicted her beating Quan Chi's tournament and "earning" the right to be imprisoned for a long time in one of the bodies of the Dragon King's guards.

Mortal Kombat: Deception
In Mortal Kombat: Deception, where she returned as one of the playable characters, Bo' Rai Cho rescues her from this fate called Deception. However, he is apparently only partially successful, and Li Mei takes on some aspects of these ancient warriors. It is revealed that, upon the return of the Dragon King Onaga, she is to be his queen. Her ending results in her willfully becoming the Dragon Queen.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
In MK: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Li Mei fights Shinnok in the Netherrealm. She begins to gain the upper hand on him until Taven (who is unaware that Shinnok had turned evil) appears and makes her go away. Shinnok later reveals that this was all created as a test for Taven. Li Mei can be seen chained in Kahn's arena in the MK reboot.

Mortal Kombat (2011)
Li Mei's first appearance in the alternate timeline is in Mortal Kombat (2011) as a minor character. Li Mei didn't take part in the events or tournament because she was one of Shao Kahn's prisoners. She made a cameo background appearance chained up in between two pillars in Kahn's Arena this is an action that Shao Kahn does to anyone he punishes. Li Mei wasn't the only displayed in front of the Arena audience she would sometimes be switched out for another prisoner Tanya or someone else. The heroes who were fighting Shao Kahn and his forces could only help her and the other people suffering in Outworld by defeating the emperor.

Li Mei was also show in Raiden's visions she was one of the Fallen dead warriors but her parts were small, minor. Raiden didn't attempt to recruit her or any of the or others who had small support in his visions Raiden only picked the heroes who were at the main center of all of them.

Mortal Kombat X
Li Mei appears one time in Mortal Kombat X, where she is seen at the Refugee Camp. Li Mei shows up in Earthrealm with her people seeking protection and help. Li Mei and her people opened a portal near the docks bringing nearly five-thousand Outworlders to Earth. Li Mei waited patiently for Johnny Cage and the team to arrive back to Special Forces. After their arrival and hearing how many people came through the portal Kung Jin said that the war must be really bad and the people must be really desperate to risk coming to Earthrealm. The team enter a tent to find Li Mei she then proceeds to tell them how bad things are Mileena attacking the innocence with Shinnok's amulet because they won't side with her. And the emperor Kotal Kahn who wants to unite Outworld has grown so desperate to stop Mileena and her Rebels he is not killing innocences but letting them die in the battles between his forces and Mileena's.

Li Mei also tells them about an Earthrealm who is apart of Mileena rebellion a human with a glowing eye Kano. The team heads to Outworld to talk with Kotal Kahn and his loyal guards. While Sonya Blade, Kenshi and Johnny Cage stay in Earthrealm later Li Mei is with Sony and Kenshi to make sure things are going okay with the refugees. The three of them also are also keeping an eye out for Kano who Sonya Blade knows that this is going to be the way he returns to earth.

Quotes
"Fighting for the freedom of her enslaved people, Li Mei was trained by Shujinko in the art of kombat. Now she is a formidable warrior who battles for her people and for persuaded souls everywhere."

- Li Mei's biography

"Li Mei had been promised that her people would be freed from enslavement if she could win the tournament held by the Deadly Alliance."

- Li Mei's ending in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance

"I had entered the tournament held by the Deadly Alliance in hopes of winning the freedom of my enslaved town."

- Li Mei's biography in Mortal Kombat Deception

"One of those enslaved was Li Mei, who rebelled against the invaders and attacked Kano himself."

- Li Mei's biography in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance

"Had it not been for the surprise intervention of Master Bo' Rai Cho, I would have become a servant of evil. Master Bo' Rai Cho brought me back to health, and for this I am forever in his debt."

- Li Mei in Mortal Kombat Deception

"Li Mei accepted the challenge to free her people."

- Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance

"The Deadly Alliance have offered to free my people if I win in their kombat tournament. I have accepted their challenge, but I intend to use the tournament as a way to get closer to them. I will attack when they least expect it!"

- Li Mei

"Help me to save my people from oppression."

- Li Mei

Trivia

 * Li Mei was the first character to die in the Armageddon intro after being impaled by Hotaru's naginata.
 * Although her alignment is "good", in her Deception ending, she betrays the heroes and becomes Onaga's wife and watched as the Elder Gods fled in terror.
 * Li Mei's minor, background, cameo appearance is not mentioned in current timeline on Mortal Kombat Wiki but an image of her is shown in her gallery.