MK 2011 info: Shao Kahn (boss)

EMPEROR SHAO KAHN'S lust for power is matched only by his ruthlessness. Millennia ago he overthrew Onaga as ruler of Outworld and has conquered many other realms since. Eventually he turned his attention to Earthrealm. The Mortal Kombat tournament prevents him from taking the realm by force, but if SHAO KAHN'S champions win 10 consecutive tournaments, Earthrealm will be his. As long as his champion Shang Tsung and Prince Goro do not fail him, he will be victorious.

Signature Moves
Light Spear: Shao Kahn would crouch down to his knees and throw a large light spear at his opponent.

Charging Spikes: Shao Kahn would shoulder ram his opponent with a shadow trail following behind him, much like Johnny Cage's Shadow moves.

Uplifting Knee: Shao Kahn would perform a rising knee attack with a streak following behind him, much like Johnny Cage's Shadow moves.

Wrath Hammer Attack: Shao Kahn would summon his Wrath Hammer, seemingly from thin air, and smash his opponent over the head with it, setting them up for a free hit. In Deception and on, the Wrath Hammer became a weapon style and thus was no longer needed as an individual special move.

Ridicule: Shao Kahn would often taunt, mock, and of course ridicule his opponents with insults, mockery, or just plain laughter. A trademark of Shao Kahn's and what makes him one of the more memorable bosses in fighting game history. In Deception, performing a Ridicule could heal Shao Kahn, though only a tiny sliver of health would be recovered and could only be performed three times a match before it was automatically disabled. Same goes for Armageddon, though it can be performed eternal times in a battle, heals him once for a rate above 10%, and followly decreases the more it's been used.

Hammer Throw: Shao Kahn throws his hammer to an opponent, stunning and setting them up for a free hit. This move is only blockable with Nightwolf's Absorb.

Hammer Cut: Kahn sweeps the foe with his hammer.

Upward Shoulder: Shao Kahn charges upwards, juggling the opponent.

X-Ray Move - It's Official: Shao Kahn hammers his opponent to the ground and grabs their arm. He then stomps on their head (breaking the whole skull), lifts the opponent up by the arm, and delivers a skull-shattering headbutt.

Fatalities
Home Run: Shao Kahn uppercuts his opponent into the air, and smashes them to pieces with his hammer as they fall. In MK 2011, he grabs the opponent by the neck and flips them in the air before delivering the killing blow.

Double Down: Shao Kahn jabs his hands into the middle of his foe's torso and slowly rips their body down the middle.

Babality: Shao Kahn is turned into a baby and still standing on his feet, points at the opponent and says "You suck!" (in a high pitched voice). He then starts to laugh (in baby giggles) in his laughing taunt pose.

MK 2011 info: Shang Tsung

A treacherous sorcerer who consumes the souls of his victims, SHANG TSUNG has played host to the last nine Mortal Kombat tournaments in Earthrealm, stacking the odds in favor of his master. Originally from Earthrealm, SHANG TSUNG'S magical abilities led him to discover the realm of Outworld. There he fell in league with its ruler, Shao Kahn, and pledged his life to him in return for enhanced power. He is now bound to the emperor by powerful dark magic. For centuries he has submissively done Shao Kahn's bidding. Should SHANG TSUNG fail in his mission to secure Earthrealm, he will suffer the emperor's wrath.


Signature Moves
Morphing: Shang Tsung assumes the shape of anyone in the game. In the second and third games, he couldn't morph into the bosses. (Although in Mortal Kombat II, as a fatality, he could briefly morph into Kintaro to punch the opponent in half.) In Deadly Alliance, he can morph into anyone on the Game Boy Advance ports only. In MK 2011, he uses the Soul Steal to morph into his opponent.

Flaming Skulls: Shang Tsung sends a fiery skull at his opponent. In the first game, he could throw up to six. In the other games it is one, two, or three only. In MK 2011 this is called Fire Skull.
* The enhanced version of this is called Triple Skulls and fires three skulls, one after another.

Flaming Skull Eruption: Shang Tsung summons his fiery skulls to burst out of the ground in a series of three. In MK 2011 this is called Ground Skull and can be done from three distances: Close, Medium, and Far.
* The enhanced version is called Ground Eruption in which a Far range skull appears first, followed by a Medium range skull, and a Close range skull.

Soul Steal: Shang Tsung steals a small portion of his opponent's life force. He also does this in Shaolin Monks in a manner similar to his Mortal Kombat II fatality. The special move version allows him to regain health should he take damage. In MK 2011, he morphs into his opponent after using this move and gets a damage boost by 1%.
* The enhanced version is called Soul Capture. Shang Tsung stays as the opponent for a longer time.

Up Skull: Shang Tsung throws a skull upwards hitting the opponent from mid-air. This can be done from three distances: Above, Behind, and In Front. This move is similar to Sektor's Up Missile.
* The enhanced version is called Skull Storm and fires three skulls, one for each of the three distances and they all come down at the same time.

X-Ray Move - Your Soul Is Mine: Shang Tsung steals the soul out of his opponent, showing only the muscles due to the soul taken from the skin (and the ribs broken due to his hands inside the opponent's chest), then knees his/her skull causing it to break.


Fatalities
Bang Bang!: Shang Tsung morphs into a evil looking clown, takes out a gun and fires, but it is fake and instead a flag with the word 'Bang!' comes out of the gun. He drops it and starts to laugh. Then he pulls out a real gun and shoots the opponent in the head, blowing the head to pieces. This is the fatality of The Joker from the MK vs DC Universe game series.

Identity Theft: Shang Tsung enters his opponent's body through magic and makes the opponent rip off their own head; similar to Liu Kang's Deception Fatality.

MK 2011 info: Quan Chi

The Netherrealm has produced many vile beings, but none rival the Arch-Sorcerer QUAN CHI. In lieu of Netherrealm demons, he prefers to resurrect deceased warriors for use in his sinister plans. Foremost among them is the tortured Shirai Ryu ninja Scorpion, who is QUAN CHI'S personal assassin. QUAN CHI is building an army of such specters--the purpose of which has yet to be revealed. Another mystery is the sorcerer's involvement in the Mortal Kombat tournament. The Netherrealm has no stake in its outcome, which leads some observers to question his presence...


Signature Moves

Green Flaming Skull: Quan Chi fires a skull of green magical energy at his opponent. This is called Skull Ball in MK 2011.
* The enhanced version is called Skull Chomp and it knocks the opponent farther back, aswell as increase the damage.

Tele Stomp: Quan Chi teleports high, disappearing on the game's camera, and reappears above the opponent, stomping him numerous times.
* The enhanced version is called Sky Stomp and has Quan Chi stomp two additional times on the opponent's chest before kicking them away.

Trance: Quan Chi hypnotizes his opponent with his mystical powers, thus causing them to fall under Quan Chi's control, and making the foe walk towards him, then giving Quan Chi an opportunity for a free hit.
* The enhanced version is called Mesmerize. The opponent's super meter will deplete while under the spell.

Ground Burst: A move where Quan Chi points at the ground causing a light to summon from the floor, also causing only minor damage, and a small knock-back. There are also a close, medium, and far version of the move.
* The enhanced versions are called Ground Blast. A laser beam comes down on the burst, this is unblockable.

Skeletal Boost: Quan Chi summons a skeletal hand that either boosts his damage or regenerates health until he gets hit. Until the effect wears or is removed, Quan Chi cannot use the move again.
* The enhanced version is called Skeletal Buff which adds both buffs to Quan Chi.

X-Ray Move - Amulet Assault: Quan Chi takes the Amulet from his belt, and fires a burst of energy into his opponents face, mesmerizing them. He then tosses his opponent a skull and forces them to hit themselves in the head with it causing damage to the skull, then makes them snap their own neck.


Fatalities

Leg Beatdown: Quan Chi's signature Fatality, he rips off one of his opponent's legs and beats the helpless victim with the torn limb to death. In MK 2011, Quan Chi beats the opponent´s head twice, causing it to explode, before proceeding to beat the rest of the body with the victim´s leg.

On Your Knees: Quan Chi summons a green broadsword and does a quick spin, chopping off his opponent's legs. The opponent is still standing up on their stumps. Quan Chi then slices off the opponent's head, but he catches it as it falls down and holds it up in victory.

Babality: Quan Chi opens a portal and summons a skull which falls down and hits him on the head, causing him to cry.

MK vs DCU info #11: Shao Kahn

Emperor Shao Kahn's lust for power is matched only by his ruthlessness. For ages he conquered other realms and merged them with Outworld. Eventually he turned his attention to Earthrealm. To stave off invasion, Raiden convinced the Elder Gods to enforce the rules of the Mortal Kombat Tournament. Only if Shao Kahn were to win the tournament could he take Earthrealm. But Liu Kang defeated Outworld's champion, Shang Tsung, dashing any chance of Shao Kahn's victory. Enraged, Shao Kahn disregarded the Elder Gods' warnings and mounted an invasion. Defeated once again by Raiden and his allies, he was seemingly ripped apart by his own portal. But the realms are never truly safe from the evil that is Shao Kahn.

Signature Moves

Charging Spikes: Shao Kahn would shoulder ram his opponent with a streak following behind him, much like Johnny Cage's Shadow moves.

Wrath Hammer Attack: Shao Kahn would summon his Wrath Hammer, seemingly from thin air, and smash his opponent over the head with it. In Deception and on, the Wrath Hammer became a weapon style and thus was no longer needed as an individual special move.

Explosive Ball: Shao Kahn would fire off a green star like fireball, seemingly from his mouth or eyes.

Grab and Punch: Shao Kahn would lift his opponent up by the throat with one hand and then smash his fist into their face sending them sailing back. In Deception, this is simply his throw, and if performed next to death traps could automatically knock opponents into them.

Emperor's Shield: Shao Kahn would perform an uppercut like motion that would not only throw up a force field for a split second to deflect projectiles, but could also knock an opponent off his/her feet if physically too close.

MK vs DCU info #10: Shang Tsung

A sorcerer who consumes the souls of his victims, Shang Tsung played host to the Mortal Kombat tournament in Earthrealm, stacking the odds in favor of the Emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn. He was finally defeated by the Shaolin monk Liu Kang and has sought to regain the favor of his master Shao Kahn ever since. Tsung's hatred of Liu Kang runs deep, and he would desire nothing more than to consume the soul of the one warrior who denied him victory.

Signature Moves

Flaming Skulls: Shang Tsung sends a fiery skull at his opponent. In the first game, he could throw up to six. In the other games it was either one, two, or three only.

Flaming Skull Eruption: Shang Tsung summons his fiery skulls to burst out of the ground in a series of three.

Soul Steal: If he needed energy, Shang Tsung drains it from the other player. He also does this in Shaolin Monks in a manner similar to his Mortal Kombat II fatality.

Hot Fire Escape: Shang Tsung digs into the ground and erupts at his opponent as a means of teleportation.

Fatalities

Soul Stealer: Shang Tsung grabs or levitates his opponent and consumes their soul, leaving behind a shrunken corps

Morph: Shang Tsung morphs into his opponent and executes the opponent's finisher.

MK info: Quan Chi

QUAN CHI

Appearances: Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat 4/MK Gold, MK: Deadly Alliance/ MK: Tournament Edition, MK: Shaolin Monks, MK: Armageddon
Realm of Origin: Netherealm
Species: Demon
Alignment: Evil
Fighting styles
Tang Soo Do (MK:DA, MK:D)

Escrima (MK:DA, MK:D, MK:A)
Weapons
Spiked Mace (MK4, MKG)

Broadswords (MK:DA, MK:D, MK:A)

Quan Chi became the most powerful sorcerer and necromancer in the Netherealm and a primary villain in the Mortal Kombat series. Quan Chi combines both cunning and brute force in his never ending plots to overtake not only Earthrealm, but all of reality. He is an opportunist and will ally himself with anyone who can help him further his own goals. He is notable in particular for his ruthlessness and pragmatism. His manipulating and deceptive nature has earned him several enemies, including Sub-Zero and most notably, the ninja spectre Scorpion, due to the fact that he destroyed Scorpion's entire family and clan. He previously formed a strong alliance with Shang Tsung and defeated earthrealm warrior Liu Kang.

Details of Quan Chi's past are unknown, except that he was once an Oni from the Netherrealm, who transformed when he learned sorcery. While in the Netherealm, he came upon Shinnok, who was under torment from the realm's then-ruler, Lucifer. In exchange for power, and a place at Shinnok's side, he assisted the fallen Elder God in overthrowing his tormentor and helping him ascend to become the new ruler of the Netherealm. Their victory achieved, Shinnok honored his word and imbued Quan Chi with incredible power, making him arch-sorcerer of the Netherealm.
Two years before the upcoming Mortal Kombat tournament, the sorcerer proposed a deal with the Lin Kuei - he would destroy their rival clan, the Shirai Ryu, in exchange for the assistance of one of their warriors. Quan Chi convinced the elder Sub-Zero to retrieve the amulet for him. Sub-Zero did as instructed (and killed Hanzo Hasashi in cold blood), unaware of Quan Chi's motives. Once the Lin Kuei warrior acquired the amulet, Quan Chi claimed it, and explained its origins before leaving to give the amulet back to Shinnok. Unknown to the fallen Elder God however, Quan Chi had replaced the amulet with a useless imitation, and kept the real one for himself. Shortly afterwards, Sub-Zero, who had been ordered to reclaim the amulet by Raiden, confronted Quan Chi, and defeated him temporarily with assistance from Sareena. Quan Chi would spend the following years assisting Shinnok in preparation for his forthcoming assault, as well heading the cult of the Brotherhood of Shadow.

Signature moves

Skull Toss

Quan Chi fires a skull of green magical energy at his opponent. (all games)
Heel Slide

Quan Chi slides and kicks his opponent from below. (all games)
Magnet Force / Weapon Steal

Quan Chi disables his opponent's weapon for the remainder of the match. (MK4, MKG, MK:A)
Body Stomp

Quan Chi disappears through the floor, off the game's camera, and reappears above the opponent, stomping him numerous times. (MK4, MKG, MK:A)

MK info: Shinnok

SHINNOK

Appearances: MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat 4/MK Gold, MK: Armageddon
Realm of Origin: Void
Species: Fallen Elder God
Alignment: Evil
Fighting styles: Kuo Shou (MK:A)
Weapons:

Battle Staff (MK4, MKG)

Amulet Staff (MK:A)

Shinnok is a vengeful and powerful fallen Elder God who appeared in Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold and Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero as the primary villain. He is also a playable character in Mortal Kombat Armageddon, as well as appearing in its "Konquest" mode.

Shinnok's fall from grace was caused by his lust for power, and more specifically, his desire to take Earthrealm for himself. At the dawn of time, when the realms were created, Shinnok desired to rule Earthrealm and thus acquire for himself immense power. However, Shinnok couldn't enter Earthrealm without the Elder Gods becoming aware of his actions. To resolve this issue without directly defying the sacred rules, Shinnok created a powerful amulet, weakened the dimensional barriers, and entered Earthrealm. During the war against his fellow gods, he came into direct conflict with the thunder god Raiden.
During the final stages of this war, Raiden was forced to choose between sacrificing Earth's indigenous races, or ceding the rule of Earthrealm to Shinnok. The angered Elder Gods intervened and assisted Raiden in his struggle. Raiden defeated Shinnok and stripped him of his amulet. Shinnok was then banished to the deepest regions of the Netherealm. However, at the expense of Shinnok's defeat, the dimensional fibers of the worlds were severely weakened, and the Saurians, Earth's indigenous life form at the time, were nearly exterminated.
In the Netherealm, Shinnok endured constant torture from the Netherealm's overlord, Lucifer. Shinnok was at his mercy until he encountered a sorcerer, Quan Chi, who could travel through the realms at will. Quan Chi agreed to help Shinnok overthrow Lucifer and take his throne, thus becoming ruler of the Netherealm. As payment for Quan Chi's efforts, Shinnok endowed him with incredible powers, making him arch-sorcerer of the Netherealm. During his time in the Netherrealm, Shinnok built a massive army and a fanatical cult of demons called the Brotherhood of Shadow, dedicated to worshiping him. He changed the Netherealm's appearance as well, making it closer to that of Earthrealm.
Unlike Shao Kahn, Shinnok relies less on brute strength and fear-mongering, and more on magical powers and ancient artifacts. He is the ruler of the Netherealm, possessing millions of years' worth of knowledge and power, including the ability to impersonate other beings perfectly.
Shinnok demands unwavering faith and loyalty from his followers, and will not hesitate to kill anyone who doubts or challenges him. Like Raiden, it is unlikely that he can ever be truly killed, since he is a god and thus immortal; if his mortal form is destroyed, he will simply reform himself, usually back in the Netherrealm where he was originally banished.

Signature moves

Moveset Copy

Shinnok can copy the moveset of any kombatant, for a short period of time. (MK4, MKG)
Judgment Fist

Shinnok fires a fist-shaped skeletal hand to his opponent. (MK:A)
Summoned Fiend

Much like a minimal version of "The Hand From Hell" fatality, Shinnok rises a skeletal hand below his opponent. The hand then grabs the victim and squeezes/shakes the opponent, causing damage. (MK:A)
Tricky Portal

Shinnok opens a portal behind himself and teleports, causing damage by bashing his back as he appears behind the opponent. (MK:A)

MK info: Shao Kahn

SHAO KAHN

Appearances: Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3/UMK3/MK Trilogy, MK: Deception/Unchained, MK: Shaolin Monks, MK: Armageddon
Realm of Origin: Outworld
Species: Outworlder
Alignment: Evil
Fighting styles:
Tai Tzu (MK:D, MK:A)

Lui He (MK:D)
Weapons:
Wrath Hammer (all games except MKII)

One of the primary villains in the Mortal Kombat series, Shao Kahn is the Emperor of Outworld. He resembles an Asian warrior-king in many respects, and embodies evil in many forms. He is known for his godlike strength, extreme callousness, brutality and his fondness of personal executions, but rises above the level of a mere warlord through his intelligence and knowledge of black magic. Like his subordinate Shang Tsung, he has the power to consume other souls. His greatest strength is probably his ability to work towards his goals with great tenacity and his ability to organize, but his greatest weaknesses are his arrogance and his overconfidence.

Shao Kahn originally served as an advisor to Onaga when the latter ruled Outworld as the Dragon King. Onaga's Empire had become the most powerful in the realms and so he began searching for a way to become immortal. Before his goal could be realized, Shao Kahn made his move by poisoning Onaga and taking his kingdom. Leading whatever troops that remained loyal to the Dragon King, Kahn continued many of the former emperor's plans. He continued to add lesser realms to Outworld, either through direct conquest or through Mortal Kombat.
A milestone in his military victories was the merging of Edenia with Outworld. After his warriors had won in Mortal Kombat, Kahn invaded the realm. On the battlefield, Kahn killed King Jerrod, and took Queen Sindel as his wife, raising her daughter, Princess Kitana, as his own. He had the young princess trained as his personal guard and as an assassin. Sindel took her own life in an attempt to escape subservience to the Emperor. Unwilling to be denied, Kahn held her soul in Outworld, stopping her transition to the afterlife.
Many years later, Kahn chose Earthrealm as his next conquest. He sent Shang Tsung and eventually Goro to Earthrealm to prepare it for an invasion in the event of Goro maintaining his position of champion. A turning point came when Prince Goro defeated the Great Kung Lao and started a winning streak that would last for 500 years. Shang Tsung, a shapeshifter, supervised the tournament. The tenth Mortal Kombat however, saw the defeat of both Goro and Shang Tsung by a Shaolin monk, Liu Kang, ruining five hundred years of Tsung's investment.

Shang Tsung begged Shao Kahn for his life, and came up with a plan to lure Earth's chosen warriors to Outworld for a second tournament. Shao Kahn spared Tsung's life and restored his youth. If Earthrealm's champions could be killed, they would not be able to cause further damage to Kahn's plans.

Despite Kahn's vast power, Liu Kang's determination saw him through, and he defeated the despot. Unwilling to accept defeat, Kahn called his armies to destroy the Earthrealm warriors. They fled back to Earthrealm, out of Kahn's clutches.
By this time, Shang Tsung was able to resurrect Queen Sindel in Earthrealm, and Kahn would be able to cross the border to claim her. Kahn had Tsung proceed, and once he invaded Earthrealm, he began to merge it with his own realm of Outworld. Nearly every living being in Earthrealm had their souls ripped from their bodies by Kahn, claiming them as his own. Kahn sent extermination squads to hunt them down and kill the remaining survivors, but Lord Raiden had protected the souls of a handful of warriors. It would be their task to try to stop Kahn, and return Earthrealm to its normal state. It was Liu Kang who again managed to defeat Kahn. Worn down from the battle, Kahn recalled his squads and retreated back to Outworld. This stopped the merger with Outworld, and restored Earthrealm to its original status. To make matters worse for Kahn, many of his loyal soldiers had abandoned him, and Kitana had succeeded in turning Sindel to her side, restoring Edenia as an independent realm.

The emperor was now greatly weakened, and would remain so for a period of several years, remaining inactive during Shinnok's war against the gods. The Edenians had in the meantime made peace and military treaties with the Shokan, on whom Kahn had always heavily relied, and were ready to attack Outworld a few years later. It was only through his new commander Kano's ingenuity, and the stealth of his unreliable assassin Noob Saibot (who critically wounded Goro) was Kahn able to force the Edenian army into a draw. Soon afterwards, the sorcerers Quan Chi and Shang Tsung entered his throne room, and swore false allegiance to the emperor. The Deadly Alliance caught Shao Kahn off guard and seemingly killed him. This would appear to be the demise of the mighty Kahn.

In Mortal Kombat: Deception however, it is revealed that Kahn did not die, and that it was a clone that Quan Chi and Shang Tsung killed. The real Kahn appeared to the wounded Goro and, using what little power he had left, revived him, thus gaining Goro and the Shokan as allies once again.

Signature moves

Charging Spikes

Shao Kahn would shoulder ram his opponent with a green streak following behind him, much like Johnny Cage's Shadow moves. (all games)

Uplifting Knee

Shao Kahn would perform a rising knee attack with a green streak following behind him, much like Johnny Cage's Shadow moves. (all games except MKII)
Explosive Blast

Shao Kahn would fire off a green star-like fireball, seemingly from his mouth or eyes. (all games)
Wrath Hammer Attack

Shao Kahn would summon his Wrath Hammer, seemingly from thin air, and smash his opponent over the head with it, rendering him/her dazed for a while. In Deception and on, the Wrath Hammer became a weapon style and thus was no longer needed as an individual special move. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)

Ridicule

Shao Kahn would often taunt, mock, and of course ridicule his opponents with insults, mockery, or just plain laughter. A trademark of Shao Kahn's and what makes him one of the more memorable bosses in fighting game history. In Deception, performing a Ridicule could heal Shao Kahn, though only a tiny sliver of health would be recovered and could only be perform three times a match before it was automatically disabled. (all games)
Grab and Punch

Shao Kahn would lift his opponent up by the throat with one hand and then smash his fist into their face sending them sailing back. In Deception, this is simply his throw, and if performed next to death traps could automatically knock opponents into them. (all games execpt MKII)
Emperor's Shield

Shao Kahn would perform an uppercut like motion that would not only throw up a force field for a split second to deflect projectiles, but could also knock an opponent off his/her feet if physically too close. (MK:D, MK:U, MK:A)

MK info: Shang Tsung

SHANG TSUNG

Appearances: Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3/UMK3/MK Trilogy, MK: Deadly Alliance/Tournament Edition, MK: Shaolin Monks, MK: Armageddon
Realm of Origin: Earthrealm/Outworld
Species: Human/Outworlder
Alignment: Evil
Fighting styles
Snake (MK:DA, MK:A)

Crane (MK:DA)
Weapons
Straight Sword (MK:DA, MK:A)

A powerful and deadly sorcerer and a primary villain in the Mortal Kombat series, Shang Tsung is a demonic shapeshifter who needs to consume souls in order to sustain his health and life. In the Mortal Kombat series, he is the epitome of cunning and decadence, as symbolized by his preference for lavish parties, grand palaces, and stylish clothing. Unlike the crude Shao Kahn, this bombast is a façade, disguising Tsung's true intellectual and mental sophistication. His nemesis is Liu Kang, but throughout his unnatural lifespan, he has earned the hatred of many others, including Kung Lao and Kenshi. Only Shao Kahn, Quan Chi, and Shinnok can match his skills as a sorcerer.
Shang Tsung's past remains shrouded in mystery, with his exact origins never specified and unclear at best. According to some sources, he was originally a human from Earthrealm.
According to the first Mortal Kombat comic, Shang Tsung was cursed by "his gods" not only to kill his enemies, but to take their souls as well. Only in this way would he hold off his grim fate: to age rapidly and die prematurely. As a side effect of his consuming the souls of others, Tsung was able to access their memories and knowledge, a happenstance which would greatly benefit him years later.

Signature moves

Morphing

Shang Tsung could assume the shape of anyone in the game. In the second and third games, he couldn't morph into the bosses. (Although in Mortal Kombat II, as a fatality, he could briefly morph into Kintaro to punch the opponent in half.) In Trilogy, he could morph into anyone in the PSX, Saturn, and PC versions only. (MK, MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:DA (GBA ports), MK:SM)

Flaming Skulls

Shang Tsung would send a fiery skull at his opponent. In the first game he could throw up to six. In the other games it was either one, two, or three only. (MK, MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:SM)

Flaming Skull Eruption

Shang Tsung could summon his fiery skulls to burst out of the ground in a series of three. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:SM)

Soul Steal

If he needed energy, Shang Tsung could drain it from the other player. He also does this in Shaolin Monks in a manner similar to his Mortal Kombat II fatality. (MK:DA, MK:SM, MK:A)

Forward Fireball

Shang Tsung shoots a fireball at his opponent. (MK:DA, MK:A)

Fire Ring

Shang Tsung shoots a fireball from each hand. The two fireballs come together in a circle-like process, hitting the opponent at close or far range. (MK:DA, MK:A)