Shang Tsung

Overview

Shang Tsung is a scheming Outworldian sorcerer and one of the most well-known major antagonists in the Mortal Kombat series. Originally appearing as the original game's final boss, he is best known for his ability to shape-shift into other combatants to mimic them.

Throughout the series, his backstory is expanded on with his ability to absorb and manipulate souls (which he feeds on to stay alive) and the constant alliances and betrayals he makes in order to achieve his goals of immortality (including his subordination to the Outworld Emperor Shao Kahn and his partnership with fellow dark sorcerer Quan Chi). His main rivalry is with series protagonist and Shaolin monk Liu Kang, who canonically defeated him in the original Mortal Kombat tournament. As Liu Kang is commonly associated with the animal dragon, Shang Tsung is commonly associated with the animal snake.

In earlier games, he is only known for two types of abilities: one that conjures flaming skulls as projectiles, and one that allows him to temporarily morph into any other playable combatant (changing his abilities to match). Although players would have to learn and remember several commands to use the right transformations, the ability to morph at-will gives him great mix-up and combo potential. Some versions of the game restricted this due to memory limitations, and some CD versions caused the game to stop during transformations.

Between Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Shang Tsung no longer uses his mimicry and fights with the martial art of Shé Quán ("Snake Fist") and a straight sword. He also fights with Bái Hè Quán ("White Crane Fist") in Deadly Alliance.

He also serves as the main antagonist in several of the series' film, cartoon, and comic adaptations, with the most well-known being the 1995 film Mortal Kombat. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who portrayed him in that film, voiced him over 20 years later in the game Mortal Kombat 11.

Story

The Tournaments

Shang Tsung's past is mysterious, other than his Outworld heritage and being cursed to consume the souls of those he kills in order to survive. He was the Grand Champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament long ago, only to be defeated (and spared) by the Great Kung Lao. He later enters his student, the Shokan prince Goro, in the next tournament, consumes the soul of the defeated Great Kung Lao, and took control of the tournament (which became held in his private island).

500 years later, during the events of the original Mortal Kombat, Goro is prepared to win the 10th straight victory, which would grant the Emperor of Outworld the right to invade, conquer, and merge the two realms. Goro, however, was defeated by the Shaolin monk Liu Kang, who also defeats Shang Tsung in order to restore the tournament's image.

It is revealed in Mortal Kombat II that Shang is a subordinate of the Outworld Emperor Shao Kahn, and helps arrange another tournament in Outworld that the champions of Earthrealm would have to accept. Restoring his youth, Shang Tsung also participates in the tournament only to lose again by Liu Kang. It is revealed in Mortal Kombat 3 that this tournament was a distraction for the resurrection of the tainted queen Sindel.

Original Timeline

In the original timeline, Shang Tsung led one of Shao's extermination squads during his invasion on Earth, only to retreat on Shao's defeat. After being imprisoned by Shao due to his failures, Shang Tsung joins forces with the dark sorcerer Quan Chi during the events of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, as Quan Chi would help open a major Soulnado if he helps him revive the lost army of the Dragon King. Together, they quickly kill the two warriors that can stop them: Shao Kahn and Liu Kang.

Although the duo defeated Earthrealm's champions and their leader Raiden, they turned on each other (as depicted in Mortal Kombat: Deception). However, their fight is interrupted by the newly-awoken Dragon King and former Outwold ruler Onaga, and they attempt to defeat him alongside Raiden. Raiden's last-ditch attempt was to cause a large sacrificial blast that incinerated everyone nearby, including Shang Tsung.

As his soul was binded to Shao Kahn, who was revealed to be alive, Shang Tsung was restored with another host body. Still indebted to Shao Kahn despite his attempted betrayal, he participates in, and is killed in, the Battle of Armageddon.

Alternate Timeline

In the alternate timeline, as depicted in the 2011 Mortal Kombat, Raiden uses his visions to rescue Johnny Cage from Motaro during the invasion, with the death of Motaro spurring Sindel further into assaulting the Earthrealm champions. Shao Kahn attempts to ensure her success by transferring the souls from Shang Tsung's body to her's, killing Shang Tsung in the process.

However, another version of Shang Tsung later appears in the epilogue campaign of Mortal Kombat 11, stopping the Fire God Liu Kang from using Kronika's Hourglass without her destroyed Crown. He, along with Fujin and Nightwolf, were banished into void by Kronika and escaped on her death. They all agreed on a plan where Liu Kang sends the three of them back in time to retrieve the Crown. Unsurprisingly, Shang Tsung uses the opportunity to form a new alliance, betray his old allies, betray his new allies, and wield the power of the Crown himself. The Fire God Liu Kang then challenges him for ownership of the Crown and defeats him, wiping him from history.

New Era

In Liu Kang's "New Era", as depicted in Mortal Kombat 1, Shang Tsung's destiny is rewritten to prevent the conflicts from the original timeline, with him nothing more than a charismatic con artist. However, he was approached by a mysterious benefactor and was incited with the opportunity to become a powerful sorcerer. He began conspiring with Quan Chi and General Shao, eventually using his magic to restore the Dragon Army hidden on Earthrealm.

However, the mysterious benefactor (referred to by Shang Tsung as "Damashi") turns out to be Shang Tsung from an alternate reforged timeline where he defeated Liu Kang for the Crown. While the "Titan" Shang Tsung was planning on merging both timelines to his benefit, the "New Era" Shang Tsung joins Liu Kang's forces.

While the timeline's Shang Tsung helps stop the invasion of the Dragon Army to the timeline's other realms, the Titan Shang Tsung assaults the Hourglass, only to realize that because there are other timelines, he can just destroy this one and conquer the rest. Failing to destroy Liu Kang's timeline, the Titan Shang Tsung retreats to his timeline to amass a powerful army of Titans from across the multiverse, as Liu Kang is amassing a similar Titan army. Both forces collide in a similar manner to the Battle of Armageddon, but Liu Kang become victorious and erases that timeline's Shang Tsung from existance. Afterward, the Shang Tsung from Liu Kang's timeline becomes imprisoned in Outworld due to his conspiracy.

Special Moves

Mortal Kombat II

• Fireball: B, B, HP
• Double Fireball: B, B, F, HP
• Triple Fireball: B, B, F, F, HP

TRANSFORMATIONS

• Liu Kang: Back, Forward, Forward, Block.
• Kung Lao: Back, Down, Back, High Kick.
• Johnny Cage: Back, Back, Down, Low Punch.
• Reptile: Up, Down, High Punch.
• Sub-Zero: Forward, Down, Forward, High Punch.
• Kitana: Block, Block, Block.
• Jax: Down, Forward, Back, High Kick.
• Mileena: Hold High Punch for 2 seconds and release.
• Baraka: Down, Down, Low Kick.
• Scorpion: (Use Block) Up, Up.
• Raiden: Down, Back, Forward, Low Kick.

Mortal Kombat 3

• Fireball: B, B, HP
• Double Fireball: B, B, F, HP
• Triple Fireball: B, B, F, F, HP
• Volcanic Eruption: F, B, B, LK

TRANSFORMATIONS

• Sonya: Down Run Low Punch Block.
• Jax: Forward, Forward, Down, Low Punch.
• Nightwolf: Up, Up.
• Kano: Back, Forward, Block.
• Sub-Zero: Forward, Down, Forward, High Punch.
• Sektor: Down, Forward, Back, Run.
• Sindel: Back, Down, Back, Low Kick.
• Stryker: Forward, Forward, High Kick.
• Cyrax: Block, Block, Block.
• Kung Lao: Run, Run, Block, Run.
• Kabal: Low Punch, Block, High Kick.
• Sheeva: Forward, Down, Forward, Low Kick.
• Liu Kang: Rotate joystick 360 degrees counter-clockwise from opponent.
• Smoke: Forward, Forward, Low Punch.

Below are for Ultimate MK 3 Characters

• Kitana: Forward, Down, Forward, Run.
• Reptile: Run, Block, Block, High Kick.
• Jade: Forward, Forward, Down, Down Block.
• Scorpion: Down, Down, Forward, Low Punch.
• Ermac: Down, Down, Up.
• Mileena: Run, Block, High Kick.
• Classic Sub Zero: Block, Block, Run, Run.

Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance

• Far 3D Fire: B, F, HP
• Close 3D Fire: F, B, HP
• Straight Fire: D, B, HP
• Soul Steal: D, B, LK

Mortal Kombat Armageddon

• Close Fire Ring: F, B, HP
• Outer Fire Ring: B, F, HP
• Soul Steal: D, B, LP
• Straight Fireball: D, B, HK
• Mysterious Magic: D, B, LK

Fatalities

Mortal Kombat II

• Jump Inside: (Close) Hold HK for 2 seconds, release
• Soul Steal: (Close) U, D, U, LK

• Kintaro Morph: (Close) Hold LP 30 seconds, release
• Friendship: B, B, D, F, HK
• Babality: B, F, D, HK
• Stage Fatality: [Hold BLK] D, D, U, [ Release BLK] D

Mortal Kombat 3

• Spikes: [Hold LP] D, F, F, D, [Release LP]

• Soul Steal: [Hold LP] RN, BLK, RN, BLK, [Release LP]
• Animality: [Hold HP] RN, RN, RN, [Release HP]
• Friendship: LK, RN, RN, D
• Babality: RN, RN, RN, LK
• Stage Fatality: U, U, B, LP

Mortal Kombat (2011) Moveset

Special Attacks / Enhanced

• Morph
• Skull Projectile
• Soul Steal
• Summon Skulls

X-Ray

...

Fatality

• Possession - Shang Tsung uses his power to force his opponent to rip off his or her own head.

Alternate Attire

• Old Shang Tsung

Endings (non-canon)

Mortal Kombat II

Shang Tsung not only turns against both Kintaro and Shao Khan, he also takes over their rule of Outworld. With Shao Khan's armies at his command, he finally unbalances the furies, and weakens the dimensional gates between the Outworld and The Earth Realm.

Along with his elite group of sorcerers he uses this weakness to march a never ending horde of demons into the Earth and doom its inhabitants to eternal darkness.

Have a nice day.

Mortal Kombat 3

When Shao Khan overtakes the Earth he needs Shang Tsung to help locate the surviving humans. Granted new powers he soon discovers his dark emperor's true plan: as soon as the remaining warriors are disposed of, Shao Khan will take Shang Tsung's own soul. After learning of this Shang Tsung turns on his master. He catches Motaro off guard and then defeats Shao Khan. But before the Earth can return to normal Shang Tsung takes all the souls as his own. He will forever rule the Earth with his own brand of evil.

Deadly Alliance

The Deadly Alliance was successful in reviving the mummified remains of the Dragon King's undefeatable army. Shang Tsung, however, began to realize that his relevance in the partnership had evaporated once his talents for soul transplantation were no longer needed. The balance of power within the Deadly Alliance had seemingly been undone. Fearing betrayal, he secretly instructed Kano to steal Quan Chi's amulet in an attempt to gain control of the army. Since part of the soul-transfer spell included the command to obey 'He who possesses the amulet,' the army would obey only Shang Tsung, and not Quan Chi, once the amulet was in his possession.

Amulet in hand, Shang Tsung revealed his betrayal to Quan Chi and commanded the army to destroy the sorcerer. Shang Tsung would succeed where others had failed. He would conquer the realms. He would conquer Earth.

Armageddon

Empowered by the godlike energy he received from Blaze, Shang Tsung found that he could alter the forms of others.

Enraged that he was denied the prize, Shao Kahn charged the sorcerer. With a gesture of his hand, Shang Tsung transformed his former master into a centaur slave. Shang Tsung had become the ruler of Outworld at last.

Mortal Kombat

Shang Tsung consumes Shao Kahn's soul but begins to lose control. The Outworld master Bo' Rai Cho saves Shang Tsung from suicide and begins to teach him to control his newfound powers. Bo' Rai Cho also gives Shang Tsung his first mission: Liu Kang has gone mad for power as Shao Kahn has. Through much tiresome training, Shang Tsung gains an attack that will kill Liu Kang, and then, Shang will finally claim revenge!