Bio:
- Name: Shao Kahn
- Age: unknown (beyond 10000)
- Weight: 400 lbs.
- Height: 7’2
- Gender: Male
- Resides: Outworld
- Race: Outworlder
- Eye Color: red/orange
- Status: Emperor(Imprisoned by elder gods)
- Alignment: Evil
Shao Kahn the Conqueror is represented as the embodiment of evil. In many respects, he resembles a large Asian warrior. The emperor is well known amongst the roster of Mortal Kombat combatants for his godlike strength. His power rivals, if not outright exceeds, that of Raiden, the God of Thunder. Shao Kahn is also known for his extreme callousness, brutality, ferocity in battle, and his fondness of personal executions. However, he has occasionally spared the lives of his subordinates, if they prove their worth. The emperor’s victims such as Sindel and Kitana, raising the latter like his own daughter and treating the former like his own wife, are good examples. His true power that has served him well and allowed him to rise above the image of a mere warlord is his high intelligence and profound knowledge of the black arts. Like his subordinate Shang Tsung, he has the power to consume other souls.
Perhaps Shao Kahn’s greatest strength lies in his ability to work towards his goals with great tenacity and his ability to organize. However, his greatest weakness is his arrogance and overconfidence. Shao Kahn has often underestimated mankind, and therefore tried to conquer Earthrealm many times, with or without a queen to no success. He also possesses a blinding lust for conquest that can sometimes overwhelm his better judgment. Those that are cunning enough to exploit this weakness are capable to manipulate Emperor Shao Kahn.
Storyline
Long ago, Shao Kahn once served as an adviser to Onaga when the latter ruled Outworld as the Dragon King. Onaga’s Empire had become the most powerful among all of the realms, and so he began searching for a way to become immortal. Before this goal could be realized, Shao Kahn made his move by poisoning Onaga and taking his kingdom. Upon assuming the Emperor’s Throne, Shao Khan began to drain the vegetation energies of Outworld and turned it into a barren wasteland. From then on, Shao Kahn continued many of the former emperor’s plans to conquer all. 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 ten consecutive victories in Mortal Kombat, Kahn invaded the realm. On the battlefield, Kahn killed King Jerrod, and took Queen Sindel as his own queen through a forced marriage. He raised her daughter, Princess Kitana, as his own. Shao Kahn the Conqueror had the young princess trained as his personal guard and assassin. Unfortunately for Kahn, Sindel took her own life in an attempt to escape what she believed was eternal subservience to the Emperor. However, Shao Kahn held her soul in Outworld, stopping her transition to the afterlife, not willing to let his beloved queen go so easily.
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 via Mortal Kombat. A turning point came when Prince Goro defeated the Great Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat and initiated 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, thereby ruining five hundred years of Kahn’s investment. Shang Tsung begged Shao Kahn to spare his life, and came up with a plan to lure Earth’s chosen warriors to Outworld for a new tournament. Kahn agreed to this plan, spared Tsung’s life, and restored his youth. If Earthrealm’s champions could be killed, they would no longer be able to interfere with Kahn’s plans.
Mortal Kombat II
Shao Kahn kidnaped Kano and Sonya Blade in the Living Forest. He then ambushed Johnny Cage on the set of his new movie. The emperor enraged Liu Kang by sending Baraka and his Tarkatan hordes to destroy the Shaolin temples. After baiting the victors of the first tournament, they waited for the Earthrealm warriors to arrive in Outworld. 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 and out of Kahn’s clutches.
Mortal Kombat III
Shang Tsung was finally able to resurrect Queen Sindel. Kahn would be able to cross the border and claim his beloved wife, allowing him to conquer Earthrealm. Nearly every living being in Earthrealm had their souls stripped from their bodies by Kahn, claiming them as his own. He then had his extermination squads hunt down and kill the remaining survivors. However, Lord Raiden had protected the souls of a handful of warriors. It would be their task to stop Shao Kahn, and liberate Earthrealm from its new Outworld rulers. In the ensuing fights, Kahn was confronted by Kung Lao, another Shaolin monk and descendant of the warrior Goro defeated to become champion of Mortal Kombat. Unfortunately, Kahn had blasted him away, seemingly killing him. Enraged, Liu Kang attacked Shao Kahn and defeated him once more. Worn down from the battle, Kahn recalled his squads and retreated back to Outworld. The merge with Outworld was thwarted, and Earthrealm was restored 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. The two restored Edenia as an independent realm.
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
The emperor was now greatly weakened, and would remain so for a period of several years, gradually recovering his strength 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 assassin Noob Saibot (who critically wounded Goro) that Kahn able to repel the Edenian army and force them into a draw. Soon afterward, the sorcerers Quan Chi and Shang Tsung entered his throne room, swearing false allegiance to the emperor. Quan Chi and Shang Tsung caught Shao Kahn off guard and seemingly killed him. This would appear to be the demise of the mighty Kahn.
Mortal Kombat: Deception
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. This act would regain Goro and the Shokan as allies once again.
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Shao Kahn is the Emperor of Outworld once again. He had regained power after Onaga’s defeat, by storming his own fortress with the aid of Goro and Shang Tsung. After succeeding in using his own brute force to reclaim the throne room, Mileena surrenders to him and Shao Kahn becomes Outworld’s ruler once more.
He would go on to form an uneasy alliance with Quan Chi, Shang Tsung, and Onaga in the hopes of defeating Blaze and seizing his god-like powers. Shao Kahn soon found himself fighting his allies and was carried off by Onaga after an unsuccessful attack on Shang Tsung. Kahn somehow escaped from his former emperor and killed Blaze. Kahn becomes the ultimate winner of Armageddon when he kills Raiden.
Mortal Kombat 9
As the timeline shifts, the first Mortal Kombat tournament is the focus. While Shao Kahn is not there, he is monitoring the tournament. When Shang Tsung is defeated by Liu Kang, an irate Shao Kahn prepares to kill Shang Tsung. However, Shang Tsung offers an alternate solution for Shao Kahn, holding a tournament in Outworld with new rules. Shao Kahn agrees, and rejuvenates Shang Tsung.
During the second Mortal Kombat tournament, Shao Kahn is physically present. He also makes some of the matches instead of Shang Tsung. Shao Kahn becomes frustrated after Sub-Zero defeats Scorpion, the Lin Kuei cyborgs appear in front of him. The emperor allows them to take Sub-Zero away for automation and is granted the Lin Kuei’s loyalty and service. He demands that Kitana explain why Earthrealm warriors are able to brazenly appear before him, when he had earlier ordered her to kill them. Before she can explain, he dismisses her, which allows Raiden the opportunity to sway Kitana to the Earth warriors’ side. When Kitana discovers the experiments in Shang Tsung’s Flesh Pits, she defeats Shang Tsung and brings him to Shao Kahn. Contrary to Kitana’s expectations, Shao Kahn compliments the sorcerer instead. He then reveals to Kitana that her whole life has been a lie, and orders her to be executed and replaced by Mileena. In the process, Kitana’s best friend Jade overhears this, and aligns with the Earth warriors to rescue Kitana and defeat Shao Kahn.
Near the end of the second tournament, Shao Kahn pairs Shang Tsung with Quan Chi to face Kung Lao. However, they fail to defeat Kung Lao. Shao Kahn then sends out Kintaro to fight Kung Lao, but Kintaro also fails. As the arrogant Shaolin Monk celebrates his victories, Shao Kahn snaps Kung Lao’s neck without issuing a challenge to Mortal Kombat. While Raiden attempts to electrocute Shao Kahn, an enraged Liu Kang assaults Shao Kahn. Liu Kang proceeds to defeat Shao Kahn, and punches a hole through his chest, mortally wounding him.
Kahn’s lieutenants argue over who should be the new ruler of Outworld. The argument is quickly ended when Shao Kahn appears before them alive. It is revealed that Quan Chi used his sorcery to heal the ruthless warlord. Upon returning to the throne room, Kahn berates Shang Tsung, as now Outworld has been forced to give up its claim to Earthrealm forever. Quan Chi offers Shao Kahn an alternative solution, A direct invasion of Earthrealm.
Quan Chi explains that Kahn’s former queen Sindel realized that the Mortal Kombat tournaments provided Earthrealm no real protection against Outworld. Thus, she committed suicide to create a barrier that would prevent Shao Kahn from physically entering Earthrealm and merging it with Outworld. Quan Chi goes on to explain that this barrier could be nullified if he were to resurrect and corrupt Sindel. Shao Kahn agrees to this, and in exchange, grants Quan Chi the souls of any Earthrealm warriors who are killed. With Sindel resurrected, Shao Kahn had an open window to merge Earthrealm with Outworld. He starts the invasion of Earthrealm as a result.
When Motaro is brought back dead, having been killed by Raiden, he is enraged. Sindel, however, states that she will finish what Motaro has started. To ensure that Sindel does not fail, Shao Kahn drains the souls from Shang Tsung’s body, killing him. He then transfers the souls into Sindel. During this time, Kabal attempts to attack Kahn, but is intercepted by Mileena and Noob Saibot. After Kabal defeats Mileena and Noob, Kahn orders Quan Chi to seal the portal to Earthrealm, but Kabal manages to escape just in time.
Sindel kills most of the Earth warriors before being killed herself by Nightwolf’s sacrifice. Quan Chi reveals to Raiden in the Netherrealm that all of the souls of the lost warriors were granted to him by Shao Kahn. It is also during this time that Raiden discovers who “He must win” truly is Shao Kahn. If Shao Kahn is allowed to merge the realms as he intends, he will be breaking the rules of Mortal Kombat, and the Elder Gods will destroy him.
As Shao Kahn appears to merge the realms, Liu Kang attempts to stop him, despite Raiden’s warnings. This leads to a huge fight between the two, and it finishes when Liu Knag loses it and attacks Raiden from behind. The thunder god electrocutes Liu Kang in self-defense, which much to Raiden’s horror, results in Liu Kang’s apparent death. Sonya and Johnny Cage attempt to stop Shao Kahn, who quickly incapacitates them with ease.
After this, Raiden surrenders to Shao Kahn. Shao Kahn gleefully attacks Raiden and beats him mercilessly. However, just as Kahn prepares to finish Raiden, the Elder Gods intervene, giving Raiden their powers. Raiden and Shao Kahn face off, and Raiden finally defeats Shao Kahn. As the weakened Shao Kahn attempts to attack Raiden one final time, Raiden blasts all of the Elder Gods’ power into Shao Kahn, and the Elder Gods take Shao Kahn away for punishment. Raiden, Sonya Blade, and Johnny Cage then leave to help rebuild the world.
At the end, Quan Chi is seen picking up what’s left of Shao Kahn’s helmet. He then speaks with the fallen Elder God Shinnok, who reveals that all of the events in the game were actually part of Shinnok’s master plan to escape the Netherrealm and take control of both Earthrealm and Outworld.
Powers and abilities
Shao Kahn is shown to be an immensely powerful being throughout the series. He is able to utilize magic and has superhuman strength and durability. He is also able to charge at the opponent with considerable speed and power. Armed with his Wrath Hammer, Shao Kahn can send opponents flying with one swing. He was able to smash through Mileena’s magic barrier with his hammer. Like Shang Tsung, he can absorb the souls of others to increase his own power, often through the usage of soulnados.
Apart from his projectile attacks, Kahn’s knowledge of magic seems to include cloning, as this is how he managed to avoid assassination at the hands of the Deadly Alliance. After escaping into the wilderness, he was able to resuscitate a mortally wounded Goro and recruit him back to his cause.