Jump to content

Shao Kahn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2400:adc1:20a:bf00:81a3:eaf7:af19:9317 (talk) at 07:46, 23 July 2023 (→Other media). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Shao Kahn
Mortal Kombat character
Shao Kahn by John Tobias
First gameMortal Kombat II (1993)
Created byEd Boon
John Tobias
Designed byJohn Tobias
Portrayed by
Various
Voiced by
Various
Motion captureBrian Glynn (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKA)
Jordan Brun (MKvsDCU)
Stephan Scalabrino (MK11)
In-universe information
WeaponWar hammer

Shao Kahn is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as emperor of the fictional realm Outworld, he is one of the franchise's primary villains. Feared for his immense strength, which he complements with a large hammer, and knowledge of black magic, Shao Kahn seeks conquest of all the realms, including Earth. He serves as the final boss of Mortal Kombat II (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) and its updates, and the 2011 reboot, as well as the action-adventure spin-off Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005). An amalgam of Shao Kahn and DC Comics villain Darkseid also appears as the final boss of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2009) under the name Dark Kahn.

Shao Kahn is one of the most celebrated villains in video games. While noted as a difficult boss, he has received praise for his design, in-game abilities, and mannerisms, particularly his mocking and taunting of players. The character has appeared in various media outside of the games, including as the main villain of the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997).

Character design and gameplay

An unmasked Shao Kahn in the Mortal Kombat II comic book by John Tobias

Shao Kahn was inspired by the Star Wars films, where the audience knew that there was an emperor ruling the universe, but knew nothing else about him. It created a desire in the viewer to want to know more. Tobias had something very similar with Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn, and for him that came from the feeling he had as a child when he learned more about what made the Star Wars universe tick in Empire Strikes Back. Tobias wanted gamers to have that same feeling.[2] Kahn's attire for Mortal Kombat II was developed by Mark Runion.[3] Kahn started out unmasked and with large gnashing teeth similar to Baraka, since everyone from Outworld was originally supposed to be of Baraka's race.[4] The idea of all inhabitants of Outworld being Tarkatan was later dropped. His identity has only appeared in Shaolin Monks and Mortal Kombat 11; with the latter revealing an inhuman, but not monstrous, face.

In MKII, Kahn was digitally resized to a taller height to make him tower over the playable characters, and was played by actor and bodybuilder Brian Glynn.[5] In many official depictions of Shao Kahn made by Midway, he is shown wearing a cape, though he never wore one in his original digitized appearances. Mortal Kombat: Deception was the first time in which he wore the cape in-game. Mortal Kombat sound designer Dan Forden explained that the reason for Kahn not wearing the cape in earlier games, in addition to Kabal not being able to wear a trenchcoat in Mortal Kombat 3, was that loose flowing clothing took up memory.

Shao Kahn originated as an unplayable boss character in MKII. He is fought as a boss (in most cases, the final boss) in most of his appearances, but became a player character for the first time in the home ports of MK3 as an unlockable character. He would also be playable in the home ports of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, the GameCube and PlayStation Portable versions of Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Shao Kahn also appears as a playable character in Mortal Kombat 11 via DLC. In Mortal Kombat (2011), Shao Kahn is once again a non-playable boss. He is also the final boss in the beat 'em up spin-off, Shaolin Monks.

Shao Kahn's special moves consist mainly of powerful shoulder barges, magical projectiles, and attacks with his signature giant maul, the "Wrath Hammer". In some of his appearances as a boss, blocking Kahn's attacks will stun the player. Since his debut, his signature tactic has been taunting players before, during, and after rounds with such statements as "Bow to me!", "Feel the power of Shao Kahn!", and "It's official, you suck!"

Appearances

Mortal Kombat games

The Emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn first appears in Mortal Kombat II as the game's final boss and main villain. Kahn invokes a tournament rematch against Etherealm clause which will allow him to take Earthrealm immediately if he wins. Though he lures Earthrealm's warriors to Outworld to kill them, he is defeated by the Shaolin Monk Liu Kang, who halts his plans. He once again returns as the boss in Mortal Kombat 3. The game's story sees Shang Tsung resurrect Queen Sindel in Earthrealm, allowing Kahn to reclaim her by invading Earth; ignoring the Mortal Kombat tournament's rules. The Emperor strips billions of people's souls to empower himself and merges Earthrealm with Outworld. He also sends extermination squads to kill Raiden's chosen few but is once again defeated by Liu Kang.

Shao Kahn has a brief cameo in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance where he is killed by the Shang Tsung and the sorcerer Quan Chi. Shao Kahn also makes a playable appearance in the GameCube version of Mortal Kombat: Deception, where it is revealed that the Deadly Alliance killed a decoy of the emperor as the real Shao Kahn had set out to reclaim his empire from the resurrected dragon king Onaga. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Shao Kahn returned as a playable character. In the game's story, he reclaimed his title as ruler of Outworld following Onaga's defeat. He later forms an uneasy alliance with Quan Chi, Shang Tsung, and Onaga to defeat the elemental Blaze so they can seize his godlike powers.

Shao Kahn and Darkseid are the key villains in the 2008 crossover game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, though both are playable characters. In parallel merges with Darkseid in the DC Universe, resulting in the creation of Dark Kahn, who serves as the main antagonist of the game. After Dark Kahn is defeated, Shao Kahn ends up in Darkseid's throne room, where he discovers he has lost his powers before being imprisoned in the Phantom Zone. However, his powers soon came back and he was able to free himself along with everyone else in the Phantom Zone; who pledged their allegiance to him in return.

In the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot, which retells the continuity of the first three games, Shao Kahn is once again the main villain and final boss of the game's arcade ladder and story mode. Shao Kahn kills Raiden after acquiring Blaze's powers, but Raiden is able to send prophetic messages to his past self. As Shao Kahn invades Earthrealm, Raiden chooses not to intervene until the Elder Gods, enraged by the former's violation of the Mortal Kombat tournament's rules, empower Raiden and allow him to kill the emperor.

In Mortal Kombat 11, a past version of Shao Kahn is brought to the present timeline by Kronika, the keeper of time. He agrees to work for Kronika after learning that she is planning to rewind the timeline and wipe Raiden from existence.[6] He attempts to take his throne back from Kotal and rebuild Outworld's forces,[7] but he is defeated by Kitana, who becomes the new ruler of Outworld and Kotal's successor.[8] In the DLC storyline expansion Aftermath, Shao Kahn and Sindel are reunited after to help fight Kronika.[9] Intending to take Kronika's Crown of Souls for themselves, the tyrants defeat Kitana and Liu Kang and assault Kronika's keep.[10] However, they are betrayed by Shang Tsung, who absorbs their souls.[11]

Other media

Shao Kahn makes his first appearance in MK comic books during the Battlewave miniseries by Malibu Comics, though he already was present in the first, Blood & Thunder. Shao Kahn remains faithful to his game counterpart, being the Emperor of Outworld and attempting to take Earthrealm for himself. In Battlewave, Shao Kahn would arrange a different plan to open the portals. He kidnaps Sonya Blade and, by means of hypnosis and brainwashing, convinces her to marry him; the marriage would weaken the barriers between realms enough to allow Shao Kahn to seize Earth easily. During these two series, he never appears wielding his trademark helmet, only in the comic Kitana & Mileena.

Shao Kahn appears in the first two theatrically released Mortal Kombat films. In the 1995 first movie he is referred to simply as "The Emperor" and makes a brief appearance at the end, as a special effect and voiced by Frank Welker. Kahn, played by Brian Thompson, is the antagonist in the 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. In the film, Kahn and Raiden are portrayed as brothers, with Shinnok as their father, though neither of them share any relation in the games (though the later Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe states that the two are brothers in Raiden's biography).

He was played by Jeffrey D. Harris[12] and Ted Nordblum in the 1995-1996 stage show Mortal Kombat: Live Tour. A Shao Kahn action figure was released in 1996 by Toy Island in the Mortal Kombat Trilogy series.[13] He was also one of the characters featured in the collectible card game Mortal Kombat Kard Game.

Shao Kahn was played by Jeffrey Meek in the TV series Mortal Kombat: Conquest. He serves as the mediator of the Mortal Kombat matches. Meek played opposite himself in the series finale, where Kahn battles Raiden in a void seemingly between the realms. With Kung Lao dead, Shao Kahn forces Raiden into submission and commences full military assault on Earthrealm. He also makes several appearances in the cartoon series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, voiced by John Vernon, in his usual role of Outworld's emperor and the leader of the enemy forces. Aleks Paunovic portrayed an human Shao Kahn for the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy two-part episode "Kitana & Mileena", dealing with his early rule over the conquered Edenia and an alternate version of his relationship to Sindel, Kitana and Mileena.

Shao Kahn appears in the animated film Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge and the sequel Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, voiced by Fred Tatasciore.[14]

Shao Kahn is set to appear in the sequel to the 2021 reboot, portrayed by Martyn Ford.[15]

Reception

Shao Kahn was nominated in Nintendo Power Awards '94[16] and '95[17] in the category "Worst Villain" (actually honoring the top video-game villains) of the year, coming second place in 1995.[18] GamesRadar praised Shao Kahn's role as an antagonist, putting him in their 2013 list of the best villains in video game history at number 24,[19] and including him among the 12 most unfair gaming bosses in 2014.[20] Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition listed Shao Kahn as 41st in their list of "top 50 video game villains".[21] Complex ranked Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat II as the "coolest" boss in fighting game history in 2012, stating that "in the history of fighting games, no boss has ever been cooler or more exciting to lose against."[22] The GamesRadar staff described Shao Kahn as the best villain in video games, stating that "There are plenty of bad guys in the Mortal Kombat games, but the Emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn, takes the wickedness cake."[23]

In UGO's 2012 list of the top Mortal Kombat characters, Shao Kahn placed sixteenth.[24] In their retrospection listing of MK characters, UGO stated most favorite thing about him was the fact that "his speaking voice is the voice of the announcer heard throughout the series."[25] Complex placed him seventh on her 2013 list of most brutal fighters in Mortal Kombat, adding that "he was brutal not only in his strength but his cunning, too."[26] On the other hand, GamesRadar felt that Shao Kahn was more anticlimatic when compared to the subboss Kintaro as he viewed Kintaro as a more menacing character in contrast to the Emperor who was compared with He-Man in a negative fashion in terms of design.[27] When a mask of Shao Kahn was made for sale, Game Informer noticed that it was one of the few times people had the chance to see boss' true face, comparing him to a Star Trek alien.[28]

Game Informer featured him on their list of gaming's "crappiest" fathers, commenting he due to his misbehaviour with his wife Sindel and his adopted daughter Kitana.[29] The character's incarnation in the 2011 Mortal Kombat has been criticized for how hard it is to defeat him to the point of frustrating gamers;[30][31] that same year, CraveOnline included him on the list of top five "bosses you want to kill but can't".[32] The fight against Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 3 was also noted for its difficulty; in 2013, Complex ranked it as the 23rd hardest boss battle in video games.[33] Kahn's portrayal in Mortal Kombat 11 was the subject of controversy for him referencing President Donald Trump and his slogan but under the name "Make Outworld Great Again".[34]

VentureBeat found Shao Khan highly difficult to defeat in most of his appearances, resulting in the need for the player to come up with strategies need to kill the boss.[35] The New York Times panned Shao Kahn's characterization alongside his army from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation for making "Saddam Hussein look like Mr. Rogers".[36] Den of Geek was confused by the lack of promotion for Shao Kahn in the film reboot as teases said that Shang Tsung was the actual Outworld Emperor instead, leading to speculations that both characters were combined to for one single antagonist in the film.[37]

References

  1. ^ https://deadline.com/2023/06/mortal-kombat-2-adds-damon-herriman-martyn-ford-more-1235418062/
  2. ^ "In Konversation: Mortal Kombat Online vs John Tobias - Part 1". Mortal Kombat Online. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Staff (June 1994). "The Minds Behind Mortal Kombat II". GamePro. No. 59. p. 117.
  4. ^ GamePro 58 (May 1994), p.29.
  5. ^ GamePro 59 (June 1994), p.121.
  6. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 2: Timequake (Kotal Kahn).
  7. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 5: Truths Revealed (Jade).
  8. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 7: Coming of Age (Kitana).
  9. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 14: Guardian for Life (Sheeva).
  10. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 16: Visions of Empire (Sindel & Shao Kahn).
  11. ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 17: Checkmate (Shang Tsung).
  12. ^ "POP REVIEW; Heroes in Outworld, Fighting to Save the Earth - New York Times". The New York Times. 1995-09-16. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  13. ^ Captain Coder. "Shao Kahn Action Figure Gallery". Figure Realm. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  14. ^ Couch, Aaron (2021-06-16). "Animated 'Mortal Kombat Legends' Sequel Arriving This Summer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  15. ^ Bolding, Hunter (April 17, 2023). "MEET THE NEW CHARACTERS OF 'MORTAL KOMBAT 2' [EXCLUSIVE]". That Hashtag Show. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  16. ^ Nintendo Power 70 (March 1995)
  17. ^ Nintendo Power 82 (March 1996)
  18. ^ Nintendo Power 85 (May 1996)
  19. ^ GamesRadar Staff (May 17, 2013). "100 best villains in video games". GamesRadar. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  20. ^ Sullivan, Lucas (14 April 2014). "Hardest fighting game bosses | GamesRadar". Gamesradar.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  21. ^ "Bowser voted top of 50 video game villains". Digitalspy.com. 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  22. ^ "Shao Khan — 15 Of The Coolest Boss Battles Ever". Complex. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  23. ^ "The best villains in video games | GamesRadar". Gamesradar.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  24. ^ UGO Team (2012-02-28). "Top 50 Mortal Kombat Characters - Mortal Kombat". UGO.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-29. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  25. ^ UGO Team (2012-02-28). "Shao Kahn". UGO.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  26. ^ Hanuman Welch, The Most Brutal Fighters In "Mortal Kombat", Complex.com, July 21, 2013.
  27. ^ "Top 7 Minibosses Who Were Better than The Final Boss". GamesRadar. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  28. ^ "Shao Kahn Statue Gives a Glimpse Behind the Mask". Game Informer. May 22, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  29. ^ "Gaming's Crappiest Fathers", Game Informer, September 09, 2010
  30. ^ Walton, Mark (2011-04-20). "Mortal Kombat Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  31. ^ Clements, Ryan (2011-04-19). "Mortal Kombat Review". IGN.com.
  32. ^ Norris, Erik (2011-05-30). "5 Bosses You Want To Kill But Can't". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
  33. ^ Elijah Watson, The 50 Hardest Video Game Bosses (And How To Beat Them), Complex.com, July 1, 2013.
  34. ^ "Mortal Kombat 11 has a 'Make Outworld Great Again' Trump reference". Game Revolution. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  35. ^ "Shao Kahn Always Wins". VentureBeat. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  36. ^ "FILM REVIEW; Based on a Video Game. Need to Know More?". The New York Times. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  37. ^ "Is Shao Kahn in the Mortal Kombat Reboot?". Den of Geek. 18 February 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Shao_Kahn&oldid=1166707518"