Shang Tsung ( ) is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. He debuted as the final boss of the original 1992 game and has remained one of the franchise's primary villains. A powerful sorcerer, he is principally defined by his abilities to shapeshift into other characters and to absorb the souls of defeated warriors. Shang Tsung is usually portrayed as the right-hand man of Outworld emperor Shao Kahn and the archenemy of Shaolin monk Liu Kang. He also appeared as the main villain of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), alongside Quan Chi as the eponymous Deadly Alliance, and Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath (2020). The character has appeared in various media outside of the games, including as the main villain of the 1995 film adaptation and the 2021 film. He has received a positive reception for his design, abilities, and role in the series. Appearances Mortal Kombat games According to the first Mortal Kombat comic, Shang Tsung was cursed by his gods to steal souls lest he age rapidly and die prematurely. However, stealing souls allowed him to absorb his victims' knowledge and fighting skills as well. He entered the Mortal Kombat tournament, overcoming all competition and becoming the Grand Champion. After his victory, he became the tournament's coordinator, unfairly tipping the scales in Outworld's favor for nine tournaments so that Shao Kahn could conquer Earth. However, he and his protege and champion Goro are defeated by the Shaolin Monk Liu Kang in the tenth tournament during the events of the first Mortal Kombat game. In Mortal Kombat II, Shao Kahn restores Shang Tsung's youth and tries to lure Earth's warriors into Outworld to give himself an advantage. While Shang Tsung and his master are defeated, this plot is merely a distraction while Shang Tsung resurrects Shao Kahn's wife Sindel in Earthrealm. Shao Kahn crosses the dimensional boundaries to claim her, which merges Earthrealm with Outworld and enslaves the souls of billions of people. Shang Tsung is assigned to hunt down survivors, but is defeated by Liu Kang once more. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung joins forces with fellow sorcerer Quan Chi in a bid to conquer the realms by resurrecting Onaga the Dragon King's undead army. However, their plan goes awry when Onaga himself returns from the dead, reclaiming his army. When Raiden releases his godly essence in