Shang Tsung

Shang Tsung is a powerful sorcerer, a native of the Earthrealm, working for the Emperor of the Outer World, Shao Kahn. In the first three games of the series, he was, in fact, the “right hand” of the emperor, and later, together with Quan Chi, he created the Deadly Alliance, which almost captured the entire Outer World. Shang Tsung died when Raiden sacrificed himself to destroy Onaga, but was later resurrected by Shao Kahn to help him regain power in Outworld. In the new chronology, Shang Tsung is also Shao Kahn's main assistant until the invasion of Earthrealm. After Motaro's death at the hands of Raiden, Shao Kahn takes Shang Tsung's soul, killing the sorcerer in order to strengthen Sindel and destroy all earthly warriors with one blow. Distinctive features of Shang Tsung are his ability to transform into other fighters and the ability to take the souls of other people. Very little is known about Shang Tsung's past. All that is known for sure is that he comes from Earth, but how exactly he ended up in the service of Shao Kahn is unknown. According to some rumors, he was a student of the great master and, in secret from him, studied the art of black magic, including the enslavement of souls. Then he killed his master and took his soul, and the Elder Gods cursed him for this. According to other rumors, Shao Kahn himself taught Shang Tsung the art of taking souls. And according to others, Shang Tsung was cursed because he cheated in the Mortal Kombat tournament. But all these are just rumors and no accurate information exists. One of Shang Tsung's tasks in the service of Shao Kahn was to create a clone of the emperor's adopted daughter, Princess Kitana. Shao Kahn was never sure that Kitana would remain faithful to him and not learn the truth about her origin, so he ordered Tsung to create her double. Shang Tsung used Kitana's blood and Tarkatan blood, hoping to make the clone more obedient to the emperor, but something went wrong and the clone, named Mileena, received an ugly Tarkatan face. Shao Kahn kept the clone alive, making her one of his personal assassins. Mileena was introduced to Kitana as a sister and she had to watch what the princess was doing.The treacherous sorcerer Shang Tsung, who knows how to absorb the souls of his victims, was the master of the last nine Mortal Kombat tournaments, in which he rigged the results in every possible way in favor of his master. Shang Tsung comes from Earthrealm. His magical abilities led to his discovery of the Outer World. There he became an ally of Emperor Shao Kahn, and swore his life to him in exchange for power. Now he is bound to the emperor by powerful dark magic. For centuries, he obediently followed Shao Kahn's orders. If he fails his mission to take over the Earth, he will suffer the wrath of the emperor. Shang Tsung is one of the most powerful characters in the Mortal Kombat universe. He was cursed, presumably by the Elder Gods, for his crimes. The curse accelerates Shang Tsung's aging and if he does not regularly absorb the souls of other people, he will grow old and die very quickly. Therefore, one of Shang Tsung's main tasks is to find an endless source of souls, which he could use to forever maintain his youth. The ability to absorb other people's souls has two interesting side effects, both of which Shang Tsung did not fail to use in his plans. The first effect is the ability to take on the appearance of those whose souls he took, completely copying their abilities. The second effect is that along with the souls, Shang Tsung receives all the knowledge of his victims. Thus, this curse makes Shang Tsung stronger and smarter than his enemies. Although to transform into another person, Shang Tsung does not have to take his entire soul, it is enough to just absorb a small part of it.

In addition to the ability to manipulate souls and transform, Shang Tsung also knows how to control the powers of fire. During battle, he can release fireballs from his hands, as well as summon them from underground or from the air. With enough energy, Shang Tsung can create more complex fiery structures. For example, in the battle with Raiden in the prologue to Mortal Kombat: Deception, he created a giant fiery cobra. Shang Tsung can also teleport and he is one of the few characters in the series who can open portals to other worlds. In addition to his magical abilities, Shang Tsung is a skilled warrior - he became the champion of the Mortal Kombat tournament several times in a row until he was defeated by the Shaolin monk The Great Kung Lao. Thanks to his ability to absorb souls, Shang Tsung has access to all the talents of his defeated enemies, including their knowledge of hand-to-hand martial arts, which makes him an even more dangerous opponent in a duel. skills:Shang Tsung summons three fire skulls that fly out of the ground. Shang Tsung launches two fireballs at once at the enemy, which attack the enemy at close range, approaching him from the sides, forming a small ring of fire. Shang Tsung launches two fireballs at once at opponents who attack him at a long distance, flying up to him from the sides, forming a large ring of fire. Shang Tsung steals a small portion of his opponent's soul, restoring his health. Shang Tsung surrounds himself with a green aura and runs up to his opponent. Before getting close to the enemy, he disappears and appears behind the opponent, making a tackle. Shang Tsung falls into the ground and jumps out of the ground, under the place where his enemy is standing. Shang Tsung launches a fireball into the air, which falls on top of the enemy.