Shang Tsung displays a literal Nightmare Face.
- The opening minutes of the movie: Shang Tsung stealing Chan Kang's soul and proclaiming that Liu Kang was next. Even if it was All Just a Dream, it was definitely nightmare-inducing.
- Shang Tsung's soul stealing, which happened to both Liu Kang's first opponent and Art Lean. Not helped by the first case where he would proclaim "FATALITY!".
- Although the bastard deserved it, Sonya crunching Kano's neck with her legs, and the sounds accompanying it.
- Scorpion revealing what's behind the mask and turning everything to ashes.
- His defeat too. Johnny Cage throws a dagger that hits Scorpion's arm, causing the wound to burst into flames and revealing his blood is actually lava that sprays everywhere. Cage then jumps at him with a bladed shield, cutting open Scorpion's stomach before slicing his skull in half. His head then promptly explodes, followed by his body, all while engulfed in hellfire.
- Sub-Zero being impaled with an icicle, and freezing to death.
- Prior to that, Sub-Zero freezing an opponent charging after him with a flying sidekick mid-air...causing him to shatter into icy chunks upon impact with a stage platform.
- Goro's rampage. Shang Tsung purposely keeps him from fighting early on until he decides to quit playing around. The Shokan and reigning Champ effortlessly batters his way through other fighters in the tournament, knocking them aside with his punches and blows, easily winning with zero difficulty. Art Lean manages to land a few hits in but doesn't even faze the monster who relentlessly pummels him to death. And remember, with each one Goro defeats, Shang Tsung takes their soul.
- The implication that Shang Tsung took the soul of Master Boyd, Johnny Cage's former sensei, presumably after his defeat in mortal kombat.
- Reptile's reptilian form: A skinny, deranged, bipedal salamander-looking creature with large, sharp teeth, that renders itself invisible through camouflage, and makes loud, high-pitched screeches.
