Shang Tsung

Shang Tsung is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games.

About Shang Tsung

Biography

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 decadance, as symbolized by his preference for lavish parties, grand palaces and stylish clothing. Unlike the crude Shao Kahn, this bombast is a façade of Tsung's true intellectual and mental sophistication. His nemesis is Liu Kang, but through his unnatural lifespan, he has earned the mortal hatred of many people.

Official debut

Shang Tsung first debuted in Mortal Kombat in which he was the tournament holder and the game's end boss.

Alignment

Evil. The only trace of good deeds he has ever done was when he assisted Raiden in attempting to slay Onaga. This does not mean he turned good.

Place of origin

Earthrealm. He was to then escape into the Outworld later on in life.

Allies and enemies

Allies - Quan Chi, Shao Kahn, Reptile, Goro, and Mileena.

Enemies - Liu Kang, Raiden, Bo' Rai Cho, Li Mei, Kung Lao, and Kenshi.

Favourite weapon

Shang Tsung's weapon of choice is the Straight Sword, which he can impale his opponents with.

Kombat highlights

• Mortal Kombat Grand Champion.
• Mortal Kombat tournament holder.
• Liu Kang's murderer.
• Creator of Mileena.
• Shao Kahn's lead sorceror.
• Leader of Shao Kahn's dark shadow priests (the group that help resurrect Sindel in her evil form).
• Kenshi's deceptor.

Tsung's Height

Shang Tsung is reported as 5' 11" (180 cm) in MK:DA but has always looked substantially shorter in previous games.

Fighting styles

In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung uses the unarmed fighting styles snake and crane. He is considered one of the better characters in the game.

Storyline

File:Shangtsung.gif

Shang Tsung

Contrary to popular perception, Shang Tsung was not born on Outworld, but actually came from Earthrealm. Ages ago, he had somehow angered the Gods, and they cursed him: he would rapidly age, unless he consumed the living souls of other people. A side effect of consuming souls is that Shang Tsung gained their knowledge, and the constant revitalization extended his life. By becoming a roaming sorcerer, he was enlisted by Outworld's emperor Shao Kahn many millennia ago. There, he became leader of the cult of Shadow Priests.

It was Shang Tsung who was instrumental in Kahn's plan to have his dead queen Sindel reborn on Earth so he could claim both her and that realm, and it was also him who supervised the Mortal Kombat tournaments on Earth. Through his superior powers, he quickly overcame all competition. He incurred his first defeat, however, at the hands of the Great Kung Lao, who was in turn defeated later by the Shokan prince Goro. Shang Tsung consumed his soul in retaliation for his earlier defeat, and learned of the location of Shinnok's amulet. He traded this knowledge to Quan Chi in exchange for assistance in reviving Queen Sindel at a later date. Tsung then presided over the tournament for the next 500 years, watching Goro rack up a winning streak that would eventually unbalance the furies and allow his lord Shao Kahn to invade Earthrealm.

During the tenth tournament, the final victory that would enable Kahn to conquer Earth, the Shaolin monk Liu Kang defeated Goro, breaking the streak. Shang Tsung challenged him, hoping to salvage something of that streak, and used all of his accumulated martial arts knowledge against the monk. Liu Kang prevailed, and Shang Tsung went back to Outworld. Dragged before Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung begged for his life. He told the tyrant that if they challenged Earthrealm to Mortal Kombat in Outworld, they would have to accept or forfeit. Kahn agreed to this plan, and restore Tsung's youth, gambling that the Elder Gods would not recognize him after so long. After crushing defeat for a second time, Shang Tsung contacted Quan Chi and called in the favour. When Queen Sindel was revived in Earthrealm, Shao Kahn could reach across the realms and reclaim her, forcefully merging Earthrealm with Outworld. Shang Tsung led one of Kahn's extermination squads to hunt down the fighters that Lord Raiden had protected. Upon Kahn's defeat, Shang Tsung retreated with him back to Outworld proper, when the merger was reversed.

A few years later, Shang Tsung found Quan Chi in his palace courtyard, fighting Scorpion. When Quan Chi defeated him, he gave Shang an offer: if Tsung helped him revive the lost army of the Dragon King by means of his ability to transplant souls, he would open a "soulnado" to the Heavens, giving him an endless supply of souls. In order to carry out their scheme, they needed to remove the two largest obstacles in their way: Shao Kahn and Liu Kang.

Shang Tsung introduced Quan Chi to Shao Kahn, vouched for his loyalty, and then they attacked him. After taking care of him and barely escaping with their lives, Shang Tsung disguised himself as Kung Lao and visited Liu Kang. As Liu practiced his kata, Shang attacked. Although Liu had the upper hand, Quan Chi struck from behind, giving Shang the opening to kill Liu and take his soul. Shang Tsung did not fully trust his ally, so he gave the Oni Drahmin and Moloch an offer: after he did what he had to, he would let them have Quan Chi. It not come to this, however. The Deadly Alliance defeated Earthrealm's champions and Raiden, and then turned on each other, only to face a resurrected Onaga who had come to reclaim Quan Chi's amulet and his ancient army. In the ensuing self-sacrificial blast of Raiden, both sorcerers apparently died.

Movie appearance

In the first Mortal Kombat movie, Shang Tsung serves as the primary villain. His tactics during the bulk of the movie are intimidation and trickery; for example, he allows Johnny Cage to challenge Goro on the condition that he may challenge anyone of his choosing in any place, thus setting the stage for Liu and Johnny's desperate move to save Sonya and leading to the climactic battle. He calls Sonya my dear and "my sweet Sonya", as well. In the end, Shang Tsung is knocked off of a tower onto spikes, where he is believed dead. Shang Tsung only has a flashback cameo in the sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. He is played by actor Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa.

Memorable fatalities

• Soul Consume - Shang Tsung grabs his opponent and consumes their soul, leaving behind a souless corpse.
• Implosion - Shang Tsung forces himself in the body of his opponent and his opponent explodes.
• Bed of Spikes - Shang Tsung rises sharp spikes from the ground, grabs his opponent and slams him/her straight into the spikes
• Soul Steal - Shang Tsung levitates his opponent in the air and repeatedly slams him/her to the ground and jumps on his/her stomach, thus consuming his/her soul.