History Characters / MortalKombatShangTsung

* AintTooProudToBeg: A very tame and downplayed example. He smugly asks Shao Kahn for another chance in an ''11'' match intro, to which the Kahn responds to by [[JerkAss saying Shang sickens him.]]

** Nearing the climax of ''Mortal Kombat 9'', Shao Kahn extracts his soul in order to empower Sindel. [[spoiler:He does deliver a payback in ''Aftermath'', by stealing back Shao Kahn's and Sindel's near the endgame]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:After twelve games, the original Shang Tsung finally bites it for good at the end of ''1'', with Liu Kang disintegrating his Titan self and collapsing his timeline, leaving both versions of the character DeaderThanDead.]]

* StartOfDarkness: [[spoiler: The new Shang Tsung probably wouldn't have returned to his evil ways in previous timelines had "Kronika" not revealed that Liu Kang delliberately created him to be a desperate man forced to sell fake medicine in order to scrape by as part of his godly design. Though as revealed in the story, "Kronika" is actually the ''original'' Shang Tsung from the bad ending of ''Aftermath'', who ended up showcasing through manipulating his new counterpart that the qualities which make him who he is were already there, merely suppressed by Liu Kang altering his destiny.]]

** Makes one of both [[spoiler:Shao Kahn and Sindel in the Aftermath DLC by doing to them exactly what they did to him]].

* ArchEnemy: To Syzoth, though the sorcerer himself is quite indifferent. His hatred for Shang Tsung is bone deep, as the sorcerer forced him to take part in his twisted experiments under threat of Syzoth's family being murdered, [[spoiler:a threat he had already carried out, and which he revealed to Syzoth to twist the knife as Shang Tsung left the Zaterran for dead]]. While Syzoth is normally a NiceGuy, his intros with Shang Tsung have his voice ''dripping'' with venomous hatred.

* {{Catchphrase}}

* HazyFeelTurn: The most likely interpretation of his Ladder ending in ''9'', in which [[spoiler:Bo' Rai Cho trains him to help defeat a power-mad and newly-deified Liu Kang]].
** [[spoiler: This also seems the be the case for his return in ''Aftermath'', as he potentially stands to gain from aiding Fire God Liu Kang in retrieving Kronika's crown.]]

* KickTheSonOfABitch: [[spoiler: In ''Aftermath'', he betrays and painfully [[YourSoulIsMine drains the life]] from the arrogant Shao Kahn and Sindel for centuries of their disrespect right after Kronika's revenants are dealt with. While Shang Tsung isn't any better, it's not like those [[AssholeVictim two didn't deserve it]].]]

* LackOfEmpathy: Shang Tsung cares for no one but himself. Even in his days as a SnakeOilSalesman, when an aggrieved customer says that his daughter died despite taking Shang Tsung's "cure-all", Shang Tsung's first response is to chuckle and deny that such a thing is even possible.

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: [[Creator/CaryHiroyukiTagawa Unlike his still handsome yet more sinister-looking past self]], Shang Tsung is a youthful and handsome man who sports long, well-kept hair, giving him an appearance that matches his ego.

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: [[AdaptationalAttractiveness Unlike his sinister-looking past self]], Shang Tsung is a youthful and handsome man who sports long, well-kept hair, giving him an appearance that matches his ego.

* LighterAndSofter: An extremely [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] and [[ZigZaggedTrope zig-zagged]] example. While still an ominous presence, his previous portrayal in ''11'' was notably more unsettling, mysterious, and demonic in nature. In the New Era he's seen as being more mortal, beautiful(see below), and much sassier than ever before. That's not to say he isn't still a horrifying psychopath, as his MadScientist status may be seen as even more twisted due to a more "realistic" biochemist skillset.

* ArchEnemy: Syzoth's hatred for Shang Tsung is bone deep, as the sorcerer forced him to take part in his twisted experiments under threat of Syzoth's family being murdered, [[spoiler:a threat he had already carried out, and which he revealed to Syzoth to twist the knife as Shang Tsung left the Zaterran for dead]]. While Syzoth is normally a NiceGuy, his intros with Shang Tsung have his voice ''dripping'' with venomous hatred.

Individual Characters: [[Characters/MortalKombatHanzoHasashi Scorpion I (Hanzo Hasashi)]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatBiHan Sub-Zero I/Noob Saibot (Bi-Han)]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatJohnnyCage Johnny Cage]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKano Kano]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatLiuKang Liu Kang]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatRaiden Raiden]] | [=Shang Tsung=] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKuaiLiang Sub-Zero II/Scorpion II (Kuai Liang)]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKitana Kitana]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatMileena Mileena]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatShao Shao Kahn/General Shao]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatShinnokAndQuanChi Shinnok and Quan Chi]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKotalKahn Kotal Kahn]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKronika Kronika]]-]]]

* ForWantOfANail: Instead of being a powerful sorcerer, here now ekes out a living traveling the fringes of Outworld as a SnakeOilSalesman.

* WouldHurtAChild: [[spoiler:He admits to killing Syzoth's family, including his son, though whether he did it personally or had it ordered is unknown.]]

** AnimalThemedFightingStyle: Naturally, he uses Snake Kung Fu as his primary style in ''Deadly Alliance'' and ''Armageddon''. The Crane style is his secondary style in Deception.

* AdaptationalSexuality: Downplayed. In prior timelines, Shang Tsung showed a slight VillainousCrush towards the Earthrealm warrior known as Sonya Blade. In the New Era, Liu Kang successfully crafted his nemesis into the most zesty man in the entire Omniverse. He doesn't really display any explicit romantic feelings towards anyone though.

** He's the one who ends up considering the possibility that [[spoiler: if there's an AlternateTimeline ruled by a Titan version of himself]], there could also be [[spoiler: other timelines where they could gather reinforcements from before even his other self even knows they exist yet]]. Fortunately, [[spoiler: and not just for either of him]], this turns out to be correct.

** As mentioned in NotMeThisTime, it's established that Tarkat already existed when he was still just a SnakeOilSalesman, and doesn't hesitate to say that if he already had a cure, [[CutLexLuthorACheck he would be making himself rich from it]].

--> '''Havik:''' You don't ''approve'' of what I did to Seido's capital?!\\

* EvilCannotComprehendGood: If it wasn't obvious he'd fall under this, several of his pre-match intros prove it. A key example is his inability to understand why Reiko wouldn't betray General Shao and is willing to die for him.
-->'''Shang Tsung:''' To sacrifice one's life for another is lunacy.\\

* FauxAffablyEvil: Witty and charming though he may be, Shang Tsung's courtesies are hollow; he's as callous and cruel a backstabber as he was in previous timelines, and his facade of civility is easy to see through. [[spoiler:When he pays Kenshi a clearly facetious compliment during the EnemyMine situation, Kenshi sourly tells him to drop the empty flattery.]]

* FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse: Absolutely nobody accepts the notion that Shang Tsung's impoverished background justifies his inhumane experiments and lust for power, and it's abundantly clear that he [[{{Sadist}} actively enjoys hurting people for no reason]]. Furthermore, certain fight intros with Liu Kang or Geras imply that he had the opportunity to live a more honest and fulfilled life, and that his beggared existence of trying to con others was his own fault

* WorthyOpponent: In a pre-kombat dialogue with Kitana, he claimed to have at least ''respected'' Sindel, a claim Kitana discounts as one of his myriad of lies.

* YourSoulIsMine: Downplayed. While this Shang Tsung can still steal souls, he no longer needs to in order to live. If fact, his moveset in ''[=MK1=]'' doesn't involve soul stealing at all, instead using plain shapeshifting and alchemy.

* DeadpanSnarker: He has a dry and smug sense of humor [[CardCarryingVillain about knowing what a bastard he is]], but it's considerably less dry than it was in ''11''.

* YourSoulIsMine: The TropeNamer. As expected of him, Shang Tsung has the power to suck out and devour the souls of his enemies to extend his own lifespan [[TheAssimilator and grant him the skills of his opponents]]. During gameplay, by sucking a portion of his opponent's soul, this would grant him a temporary change to his opponent's playstyle and abilities. As it stands, he can even absorb the souls of those who explicitly lack one, such as the Terminator or Noob Saibot.

* YourSoulIsMine: While this Shang Tsung can still steal souls, he no longer needs to in order to live. If fact, his moveset in ''MK1'' doesn't involve soul stealing at all, instead using plain shapeshifting and alchemy.

** He's the one who ends up considering the possibility that [[spoiler: if there's an AlternateTimeline ruled by a Titan version of himself]], there could also be [[spoiler: other timelines where they could gather reinforcements from before even his other self actually knows about them]]. Fortunately, [[spoiler: and not just for either of him]], this turns out to be correct.