Character Profile Wikia
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Shao Kahn
Mk9-shao-kahnmk
Series Mortal Kombat
Age >10,000
Birthday Unknown
Sex Male
Species Unknown
Height 7'2" (218 cm)
Weight 400 lbs (181 kg)
Alignment Neutral Evil
I am Shao Kahn, conqueror of worlds! You will taste no victory.
~ Shao Kahn

Emporer Shao Kahn the Konqueror is the ruler of Outworld and one of the main antagonists of the Mortal Kombat franchise. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat II as the game's final boss.

Background

Millennia ago, the Elder Gods appointed Shao Kahn as defender of Outworld and advisor to the realm's king, the dragon Onaga. Together they built a powerful, realm-wide empire to rule with an iron fist. At the height of their might, however, Shao Kahn turned on Onaga and poisoned him, taking the throne of Outworld for himself. Throughout the millennia, Shao Kahn continued his campaign to conquer all the realms under his power. Along the way, he conquered the legendary realm of Edenia, known for its utopian landscape and revered power, and took the queen and princess as his own wife and daughter respectively. His conquest went unopposed until he crossed paths with Earthrealm. There he met resistance in the form of the thunder god Raiden and his warriors, and they held a Mortal Kombat Tournement every 50 years. When he was 1 win away from victory, the monk named Liu Kang thwarted his plans and kept Kahn at bay. Eventually through complex loopholes, Shao Kahn just tried to take Earthrealm by force. He nearly succeeded until he faced Raiden in a final battle in Earthrealm, where the Elder Gods themselves rained judgment on Shao Kahn and destroyed him forever.

Powers & Abilities

  • Godly Strength: Shao Kahn is an incredibly strong fighter, capable of overpowering almost anyone he faced.
    • Enhanced Jumping: Shao Kahn can jump several dozen feet into the air.
    • Double Down: To finish off some opponents, Shao Kahn will plant his hands into their sternum, then slowly tear the victim in half as he walks through them like a set of double doors.
  • Enhanced Durability: Shao Kahn can take punishment far beyond what any human can normally take.
  • Magic: Shao Kahn is highly proficient in the use of dark magic to achieve various effects.
    • Soul Aborption: Shao Kahn can absorb the souls of his victims to grant him various benefits.
      • Power Gain: With every soul he absorbs, Shao Kahn's power increases as well. It enhances his physical capabilities as well as granting him the unique abilities of the victim.
      • Increased Longevity: Every soul Shao Kahn eats increases his overall lifespan.
      • Soulnado: To absorb multiple souls at once, Shao Kahn is capable of creating a magical tornado that vacuums up any souls in the realm.
      • Life Creation: If he wishes, Shao Kahn can use some of the souls he's devoured to create new life forms, like Ermac or Mileena.
    • Light Spear: Shao Kahn makes a spear of pure magic to throw at the enemy as a projectile.
    • Explosive Ball: To damage enemies from afar, Shao Kahn can shoot an explosive green fireball from his mouth.
    • Emporer's Shield: Shao Kahn can reflect projectiles fired at him by creating a brief shield of green magic.
    • Eye Beam: Shao Kahn can fire laser beams from his eyes.
    • Weapon Summoning: When extra power is required, Shao Kahn can summon his Wrath Hammer at will.
    • Brainwashing: For millennia, Shao Kahn brainwashed Kitana and Sindel to believe they were his beloved daughter and wife respectively.
    • Teleportation: Shao Kahn can teleport instantly across the battlefield, though he rarely does so.
    • Cloning: Shao Kahn once created a clone to thwart an assassination attempt from Mileena and Baraka.
    • Telekinesis: Though rarely ever shown, Shao Kahn has been proven to be capable of lifting objects with his mind before, albeit on a minor scale.
  • Master Martial Artist: Despite being an otherworldly being, Shao Kahn is well versed in the Chinese martial arts Lui He and Tai Tzu, which he merges together to build a fighting style focused on defensive abilities and raw power.
    • Charging Spikes: To close distances, Shao Kahn shoulder rams his enemies with his spiked shoulder pads.
    • Uplifting Knee: Shao Kahn jumps into the air whilst kneeing the opponent.
    • Grab & Punch: Shao Kahn grabs the opponent by the throat then punches them in the face to send them flying.
    • Mystic Choke: Shao Kahn dashes at the opponent and grabs them by the throat then kicks them away.
    • Home Run: When he gets bored with an enemy, Shao Kahn may finish them by uppercutting them into the air, then swinging his hammer on their bodies as they descend to make them explode into thousands of pieces.
  • Skilled Tactician: Being the leader of Outworld, Shao Kahn has gained plenty of experience in tactical warfare and has become rather proficient at it.

Equipment

  • Wrath Hammer: An oversized maul that Shao Kahn can summon out of thin air at will to smash his enemies to pieces or throw at opponents from afar. The maul was powerful enough to easily knock opponents dozens of feet into the air with a single swing. 

Feats

Strength

  • Can effortlessly knock people dozens of feet into the air with the Wrath Hammer.
  • With Raiden, shook Earthrealm to its core.
  • Can tear people in half with his bare hands.
  • Can easily make people explode with a single blow from the Wrath Hammer.
  • Took every soul on Earthrealm except the participants for the Mortal Kombat tournement with a single Soulnado.

Speed

  • Can quickly dash across the arena with Shoulder Spikes.

Durability

  • Shrugged off getting impaled through the chest from Liu Kang's flaming fist.
  • Laughed off lightning from Raiden enhanced by the Elder Gods.
  • Can generally take more punishment than any other character in Mortal Kombat.

Skill

  • Conquered many realms over the millennia.
  • Regularly defeated the god Raiden over the millennia.
  • Defeated Blaze, whose essence surpassed the power of the Elder Gods, in combat.
  • Poisoned Onaga and took his throne.
  • Sucessfully lead Outworld for over 10,000 years.

Weaknesses

  • Arrogance: Though he is an absolute powerhouse with several millennia of experience, Shao Kahn is horribly crippled by his arrogance. He constantly underestimates opponents in battle and sees himself as no less than a god beyond gods. Because of this superiority complex, Shao Kahn will actually stop in the midst of a battle to insult the enemy, leaving himself wide open to attack.

Fun Facts

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