Shao Kahn
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Shao Kahn | |
---|---|
Mortal Kombat character | |
First game | Mortal Kombat II (1993) |
Created by | Ed Boon John Tobias |
Designed by | John Tobias |
Portrayed by | Various
|
Voiced by | Various
|
Motion capture | Brian Glynn (MKII, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKA) Jordan Brun (MKvsDCU) Stephan Scalabrino (MK11) |
In-universe information | |
Weapon | War hammer |
Shao Kahn is a fictional character in the
Shao Kahn is one of the most celebrated villains in video games. 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
Shao Kahn was inspired by the
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.
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
Shao Kahn first appears as the final boss of
Shao makes a cameo appearance in
Shao Kahn appears as a playable character in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. After Raiden and Superman inadvertently fuse Shao Kahn and Darkseid into Dark Kahn, the former pair unite warriors from their respective dimensions to stop and separate them, with Shao being trapped in Superman's universe and imprisoned in the Phantom Zone.
Shao Kahn appears as a playable character in and the final boss of Mortal Kombat (2011). After successfully obtaining Blaze's power, he attempts to kill Raiden until the latter sends a message back to his past self to avert the events of Armageddon. In the subsequently altered timeline, when Shao mounts his invasion of Earthrealm while ignoring Mortal Kombat's rules, the enraged Elder Gods empower Raiden, allowing him to kill Shao.
A past version of Shao appears as a playable character in
A new incarnation of Shao named General Shao appears as a playable character in
Other media
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- Shao Kahn appears in the Mortal Kombat comic book miniseries Blood & Thunder and Battlewave. In the latter, he kidnaps Sonya Bladeand brainwashes her into marrying him to weaken the barrier between Outworld and Earthrealm so he can easily seize the latter.
- Shao Kahn, referred to simply as the "Emperor", makes a cameo appearance in Shinnok.
- Shao Kahn appears in Mortal Kombat: Live Tour, played by Jeffrey D. Harris[16] and Ted Nordblum.
- Shao Khan received an action figure from Toy Island as part of their Mortal Kombat Trilogy series.[17]
- Shao Kahn appears in the Mortal Kombat Kard Game.
- Shao Kahn appears in Mortal Kombat: Conquest, portrayed by Jeffrey Meek. For this appearance, he serves as the mediator of the Mortal Kombat tournaments.
- Shao Kahn appears in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, voiced by John Vernon.
- Shao Kahn appears in the Mortal Kombat: Legacy two-part episode "Kitana & Mileena", portrayed by Aleks Paunovic. This version truly loved Sindel and Kitana and created Mileena to have someone who would reciprocate his feelings.
- Shao Kahn appears in Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, voiced by Fred Tatasciore.[18]
- Shao Kahn is set to appear in Mortal Kombat 2, portrayed by Martyn Ford.[19]
Reception
Shao Kahn was nominated in
In UGO's 2012 list of the top Mortal Kombat characters, Shao Kahn placed sixteenth.[28] 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."[29] 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."[30] On the other hand, GamesRadar felt that Shao Kahn was more anticlimactic 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.[31] 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.[32]
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.[33] 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;[34][35] that same year, CraveOnline included him on the list of top five "bosses you want to kill but can't".[36] 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.[37] 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".[38]
References
- ^ "'Mortal Kombat 2': Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen & Damon Herriman Join New Line Sequel". 15 June 2023.
- ^ "In Konversation: Mortal Kombat Online vs John Tobias - Part 1". Mortal Kombat Online. 17 September 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ Staff (June 1994). "The Minds Behind Mortal Kombat II". GamePro. No. 59. p. 117.
- ^ GamePro 58 (May 1994), p.29.
- ^ GamePro 59 (June 1994), p.121.
- ^ "Celebrity Interview with BRIAN GLYNN aka Shao Khan from "Mortal Kombat 2" - Game On Expo 2017". Youtube. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 2: Timequake (Kotal Kahn).
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 5: Truths Revealed (Jade).
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 7: Coming of Age (Kitana).
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 14: Guardian for Life (Sheeva).
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 16: Visions of Empire (Sindel & Shao Kahn).
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2019). Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 17: Checkmate (Shang Tsung).
- ^ "Game Info". www.mortalkombat.com/.
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2023). Mortal Kombat 1. Warner Bros. Level/area: Chapter 12: Queen's Gambit (Mileena).
- ^ NetherRealm Studios (2023). Mortal Kombat 1. Warner Bros. Level/area: Tower Mode.
- ^ "POP REVIEW; Heroes in Outworld, Fighting to Save the Earth - New York Times". The New York Times. 1995-09-16. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
- ^ Captain Coder. "Shao Kahn Action Figure Gallery". Figure Realm. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (2021-06-16). "Animated 'Mortal Kombat Legends' Sequel Arriving This Summer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ Bolding, Hunter (April 17, 2023). "MEET THE NEW CHARACTERS OF 'MORTAL KOMBAT 2' [EXCLUSIVE]". That Hashtag Show. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ Nintendo Power 70 (March 1995)
- ^ Nintendo Power 82 (March 1996)
- ^ Nintendo Power 85 (May 1996)
- ^ GamesRadar Staff (May 17, 2013). "100 best villains in video games". GamesRadar. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
- ^ Sullivan, Lucas (14 April 2014). "Hardest fighting game bosses | GamesRadar". Gamesradar.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
- ^ "Bowser voted top of 50 video game villains". Digitalspy.com. 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
- ^ "Shao Khan — 15 Of The Coolest Boss Battles Ever". Complex. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
- ^ "The best villains in video games | GamesRadar". Gamesradar.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
- ^ 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.
- ^ UGO Team (2012-02-28). "Shao Kahn". UGO.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
- ^ Hanuman Welch, The Most Brutal Fighters In "Mortal Kombat" Archived 2013-12-15 at the Wayback Machine, Complex.com, July 21, 2013.
- ^ "Top 7 Minibosses Who Were Better than The Final Boss". GamesRadar. 9 March 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "Shao Kahn Statue Gives a Glimpse Behind the Mask". Game Informer. May 22, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "Gaming's Crappiest Fathers", Game Informer, September 09, 2010
- ^ Walton, Mark (2011-04-20). "Mortal Kombat Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
- ^ Clements, Ryan (2011-04-19). "Mortal Kombat Review". IGN.com.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Elijah Watson, The 50 Hardest Video Game Bosses (And How To Beat Them), Complex.com, July 1, 2013.
- ^ "Mortal Kombat 11 has a 'Make Outworld Great Again' Trump reference". Game Revolution. 23 April 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ "Shao Kahn Always Wins". VentureBeat. 22 November 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "FILM REVIEW; Based on a Video Game. Need to Know More?". The New York Times. 22 November 1997. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ^ "Is Shao Kahn in the Mortal Kombat Reboot?". Den of Geek. 18 February 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2023.