History Characters / MortalKombatShaoKahn

!![[center:''Franchise/MortalKombat'' '''[[Characters/MortalKombat Main Character Index]]'''\\
Main series: [[Characters/MortalKombat1992 MK (1992)]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatII MK2]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat3 MK3]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat4 MK4]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatDeception Deception]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatArmageddon Armageddon]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse MK vs. DC Universe]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat9 MK9]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatX MKX]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat11 MK11]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat1 MK1]]\\
[-Spinoffs: [[Characters/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero Mythologies: Sub-Zero]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatSpecialForces Special Forces]]\\
Non-video game: [[Characters/MortalKombatTheMovie The Movie]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatConquest Conquest]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm Defenders of the Realm]] | [[Characters/MortalKombat2021 2021 Movie]]\\
Individual Characters: [[Characters/MortalKombatHanzoHasashi Scorpion I]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatBiHan Sub-Zero I/Noob Saibot]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatJohnnyCage Johnny Cage]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatLiuKang Liu Kang]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatRaiden Raiden]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatShangTsung Shang Tsung]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKuaiLiang Sub-Zero II/Scorpion II]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKitana Kitana]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatMileena Mileena]] | [=Shao Kahn/General Shao=] | [[Characters/MortalKombatShinnokAndQuanChi Shinnok and Quan Chi]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKotalKahn Kotal Kahn]] | [[Characters/MortalKombatKronika Kronika]]-]]]
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!! Spoilers for ''Mythologies'' will be unmarked
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!Shao Kahn
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shao_khan_mk11_default_2.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I am Shao Kahn! Konqueror of Worlds! You will taste no victory!"'']]

-> '''Debut game''': ''VideoGame/MortalKombatII'' (Brian Glynn[=/=]Creator/SteveRitchie)
-> '''Other appearances''': ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' (Brian Glynn/Steve Ritchie), ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' (Gamecube version only), ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'' (Nigel Casey), ''VideoGame/MortalKombatShaolinMonks'' (Steve Ritchie), ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' (Creator/PatrickSeitz), ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' (Bob Carter), ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'' (Creator/IkeAmadi, English; Stephan Scalabrino, Face Model; Eduardo Fonseca, Latin American Spanish), ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' (Creator/IkeAmadi, English)
-> '''Non-game appearances''': ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'' (Creator/FrankWelker, cameo), ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'' (Creator/BrianThompson), ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'' (Creator/JohnVernon, and later Michael des Barres), ''Series/MortalKombatConquest'' (Jeffrey Meek), ''WebVideo/MortalKombatLegacy'' (Aleks Paunovic), ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatLegendsScorpionsRevenge'' (Creator/FredTatasciore), ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatLegendsBattleOfTheRealms'' (Creator/FredTatasciore)

->The supreme ruler of Outworld and one of the biggest threats facing Earthrealm, Shao Kahn is one of the most powerful forces in all the realms. The Emperor has long been obsessed with the conquest of Earth.

->Shao Kahn was once the advisor of the legendary Dragon King, Onaga. Before the Dragon King could obtain immortality, Kahn poisoned him and took his former master's throne. Eventualy going on to conquer countless lesser realms through brute force and Mortal Kombat, he consumed untold souls in his neverending quest for power.

->When he took Edenia - a milestone in his campaign - he murdered King Jerrod in battle and took his wife Sindel as his bride. He then raised Jerrod's daughter Kitana as his own, and trained her to be his personal bodyguard. Sindel eventually decided to kill herself rather than live as his slave - but even death would not free her of Shao Kahn. He trapped her soul in Outworld, thus denying her the afterlife.

->Kahn's next target was Earthrealm. He sent Shang Tsung - and then Goro - to gain enough victories in Mortal Kombat to allow him to freely invade the realm. Despite a 500 years-long winning streak, Goro was denied the vital tenth victory by Liu Kang - a descendant of the very same man who had put an end to Shang Tsung's dominance of the sacred tournament centuries ago. Enraged, Kahn brought Tsung before him to punish him personally. However, the sorcerer begged him for another chance, one that the Emperor believed might hold the key to undoing five centuries of wasted plans. The plan was to draw Liu Kang and his allies into an Outworld tournament where they would surely die. However, the new Mortal Kombat Champion proved to be too great even for the Emperor of Outworld - by defeating him personally. Unwilling to accept this, Kahn ordered his forces to kill off the Earth's fighters, but they managed to escape.

->Shao Kahn had one last plan up his sleeve, however. Shang Tsung was ordered to complete a plan 10,000 years in the making by reviving Kahn's long-dead wife, Sindel, not on Outworld - but on Earthrealm. This allowed Kahn to step through the gateways between the realms to claim her and undermine the safeguards of Mortal Kombat, thus launching a full-scale invasion of Earth. Consuming countless millions of souls upon entering the realm, he then sent extermination squads to destroy those whose souls he could not steal. The chosen few eventually defeated Outworld's forces, with the Emperor himself falling once again to the might of Liu Kang. Shao Kahn was greatly weakened by this defeat, and Earthrealm was restored. Many of his so-called loyal soldiers had abandoned him, and his adopted daughter Kitana had turned Sindel to her side, thus restoring Edenia as an independent realm. To make matters worse for Kahn, the Shokan race had joined their ranks. When Shang Tsung and Quan Chi came before him to pledge allegiance, this meeting soon became an assassination attempt - and seemingly his reign had finally come to a violent end. However, ''Deception'' revealed that the Outworld Emperor had planted a clone in his stead and restored the mortally wounded Goro with his remaining power, thus regaining Shokans as allies.

->During the events of ''Armageddon'', Shao Kahn would go on to form an uneasy alliance with Quan Chi, Shang Tsung, and resurrected Onaga in the hopes of preventing the Forces of Light from defeating Blaze and then seizing his own opportunity to strike when it came. He eventually ''succeeds'' and gets Blaze's godlike power, pretty much killing off Raiden and seizing all of the worlds for himself in the process.

->Avoiding Shao Kahn's causing of Armageddon is the basis of the entire storyline of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', in which the original canon's Shao Kahn is about to kill off Raiden and overthrow all the realms. Kahn's role in ''9'' is mostly reflective of the role he played in the original canon, being the main threat to Earthrealm in the eyes of Raiden. Things proceed mostly the same for Kahn with some minor exceptions, (such as the murder of Kung Lao, who had won the Outworld tournament instead of Liu Kang) until the very end, where Raiden's message from the future finally becomes clear: since Kahn's invasion is considered an unlawful breach of the rules of Mortal Kombat, he ''must be allowed'' to overthrow Earthrealm so the Elder Gods can punish him. In doing so, Shao Kahn is finally defeated once and for all.

->Returns in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11'', as pre-order DLC and an antagonist in the story mode. This also marks the first time he is playable in the initial roster of a non-UpdatedRerelease or DreamMatchGame entry in the series and not billed as a boss character. He is brought back from the past by Kronika and aids her in guarding the Hourglass, distracting the heroes by trying to reclaim his throne from Kotal Kahn. He plays a larger role in the DownloadableContent ''Aftermath'', where his interactions with Sindel are given focus as well.

->In Fire God Liu Kang's new timeline, introduced in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', Shao is not a ruler of Outworld, but instead an esteemed general serving Queen Sindel.

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* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: He practically achieves what Mileena did by ''Mortal Kombat 11''. Most of Outworld is sick of his reign, and this is frequently lampshaded in arcade endings and character interactions. Ultimately, the only allies who don't defect from him are Skarlet, Kollector, and [[spoiler: Sindel]]. However, even ''they'' are only loyal to him out of the opportunity for more power and they end up usurping his throne in their respective endings. In fact, the only reason he gained an army in ''Aftermath'' is because he offered them clemency in exchanged for serving him.
* AbhorrentAdmirer: In an intro dialogue in ''11'', Shao Kahn tells Cassie he intends for her to be a concubine, to which she gives a NoJustNoReaction.
* AbusiveParents: His adopting Kitana after killing Jerrod, her biological father, makes Shao this by default. He expects absolute loyalty from his adopted daughter without repaying her back equally and any mess-ups Kitana makes are responded to by Shao either dismissing her as a disappointment or is all too willing to kill her in the event she betrays him to fight with the forces of Earthrealm. In the end, Kitana is less his daughter and more a tool or minion that only lives to serve Shao and is just as disposable as anyone else.
* ActuallyADoombot: Remember him getting killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in the beginning of ''Deadly Alliance''? Yeah, neither does he.
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Normally, he looks like a monster under his helmet (see ButterFace below). In ''Annihilation'', he looks like a regular human being. In ''Legacy'', he's even got a good head of hair!
* AdaptationalDumbass: {{Downplayed|Trope}}, but it's still a main aspect of his VillainDecay come in ''[=MK11=]''. In the original timeline, Kahn was cunning enough to fake his own death in the intro of ''Deadly Alliance'', creating a magic clone for Shang Tsung and Quan Chi to kill while he, with Goro's help, starts recuperating his empire in ''Deception'' behind everyone's backs. ''11'' however, portrays him as much more emotionally impulsive, [[spoiler:unable to keep his empire running for a few seconds before Kitana defeats him]], and if Sindel's ending is anything to go by, [[spoiler:she had swooned Shao Kahn into being her DumbMuscle husband.]] An intro with Spawn lampshades this...
-->'''Spawn:''' Another dime-a-dozen petty dictator...\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' Petty?! I am ''[[AGodAmI mighty]]!''\\
'''Spawn:''' Mighty ''stupid'' is what you are, Shao Kahn.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Many of his appearances in re-tellings {{downplay|ed Trope}} this.
** In the ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatLegends'' series. In the main series, Shao Kahn was ready to execute Shang Tsung for his failure in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'', until Shang Tsung proposed a plan to host another tournament in Outworld. In ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatLegendsScorpionsRevenge'', Shao Kahn simply beats Shang Tsung. While he does still invade Earthrealm despite losing and scoffs at the Elder Gods at one point while meeting with them in the sequel, ''WesternAnimation/MortalKombatLegendsBattleOfTheRealms'', Shao Kahn does respect them enough to go through proper channels in the first place to get another tournament approved.
** In ''Series/MortalKombatConquest''. When he has Kitana killed in the finale, he seems genuinely upset that he had to kill his own step-daughter (contrasting the gleeful boasting of his other victims' death). In the games, he only ever saw her as a disposable tool at best.
** In ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'', he says the people of Earthrealm will rest in peace. An ImpliedDeathThreat for sure, but compared to how often he enslaves people in [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil one form]] [[MindHive or another,]] this seems like he just intends to kill them instead. Again, very downplayed, especially since he still goes through with killing people and [[ReforgedIntoAMinion what he did to Sindel.]]
* TheAgeless: At least, though it's not clear how he differs from the millions of others in Outworld or Edenia (or, basically, anywhere but Earth). Raiden explicitly refers to him as an immortal in the first film, and the games are somewhat vague on the matter. Several characters do try to kill him but actually doing it seems to be a bitch. However, [[spoiler:Raiden, with the help of the Elder Gods may have actually succeeded in killing him at the end of ''[=MK9=]'', with the only thing bringing him back for ''11'' being time travel shenanigans]]. He does seem to be the oldest of Outworld's denizens (who seem to be pushing tens of thousands of years), and when he offed Onaga he seemed to shelve the latter's plans of gaining eternal life, suggesting he already had it. His origins have never been explored but it's generally implied that he is not an ordinary citizen of Outworld. The most plausible explanation seems to be that he is a god, or at least some kind of demigod. In ''Deception''[='s=] Konquest mode, Damashi [[spoiler:who is the spirtual avatar of Onaga]] states to Shujinko that Shao Kahn was to Outworld is what Raiden is to Earth. So, he seems to be a god, or was one at any rate.
* AllYourPowersCombined: In service with ItsAllAboutMe, Shao Kahn will assimilate any power that rivals his own. It's implied that most of his powers and abilities result from various races and warriors that he's conquered. In the end, all power exists only to serve ''him''.
* AmazonChaser: Has a thing for women with fiery spirit, and wants to add Cassie to his harem [[NoJustNoReaction much to her disgust.]] However, Kahn doesn't admire their strength enough to respect their autonomy.
-->'''Shao Kahn''': I like females with fire.
* AmbitionIsEvil: His whole motivation for merging all of the all the realms with Outworld and ruling over everything is based solely on ego and a lust for conquest and power.
* AnarchoTyranny: The only law in Outworld under his rule is "Obey Shao Kahn", and beyond this, people are free to do whatever horrible things they like. Outworld is a very factional realm and he encourages the various races to fight for his favour.
* AndThenWhat: In his ending for ''Armageddon'', Kahn achieves the power of Blaze and finally conquers all known realms. Unfortunately, with no worlds left to conquer, he winds up going mad...
* TheAnnouncer: In ''MKII'' and ''[=MK3=]'', to the point that if he wins a round in the latter, he says: "''I'' win."
* ArchEnemy:
** He is this to Liu Kang, more so in the new timeline as [[spoiler: Shao Kahn snaps Kung Lao’s neck and later brainwashed Sindel into killing the other Earthrealm champions and her daughter Kitana who is Kang’s love interest.]]
** He’s one to Kitana as well, as Kitana discovers the truth behind her true heritage and that she is actually Edenian.
** He can also be considered one to Raiden and they have been opposing each other for centuries as Raiden keeps trying to stop him from invading Earthrealm.
* ArchnemesisDad: Gives this vibe to Kitana in ''[=MK11=]''.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' It's time you die, daughter.\\
'''Kitana:''' The feeling's mutual, Father.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' Then let us begin...
* AttackReflector: From ''Deception'' to ''vs. DCU'', Shao Kahn can erect an energy barrier that reflects projectiles. [[BarrierWarrior Contact with it can also harm his opponent.]]
* AssholeVictim:
** Given heavy emphasis in ''[=MK11=]''. [[spoiler: He is betrayed by almost all of his closest allies, and then Kitana, one of his most personal victims, defeats him in kombat and slashes his eyes out, as the crowds of Outworld look on.]] And in ''Aftermath'', [[spoiler:he is betrayed and has his soul consumed by Shang Tsung, the sorcerer he constantly threatened and disposed of when he served no further purpose.]]
** Some of the non-canon endings from other games have Shao Kahn being punished by other villains. Examples are Onaga condemning him to be tortured for eternity, Khameleon transforming him into a raptor like her (a process so painful [[AintTooProudToBeg he begs for mercy]]) and Shang Tsung turning him into [[ForcedTransformation a centaur slave]].
* AxCrazy: He becomes in his Armageddon ending. Zigzagged in general compared to his subordinates: Shao Kahn lives for conquest and kombat, but is generally composed and calculating when [[HairTriggerTemper not set off.]]
* BackFromTheDead: His inclusion into ''Mortal Kombat 11'' roster suggests this. However, time-travel is a part of [=MK11=]'s storyline. His return to the story comes from Kronika bringing him forward in time from the point ''just'' before he kills Kung Lao.
* BadassBoast:
** Delivers a truly amazing one at the begining [[spoiler:[[BookEnds and at the end]]]] of ''[=MK9=]''. EvilIsHammy at its best.
---> '''Shao Kahn''': "Where are the Elder Gods, Raiden? Their pathetic Mortal Kombat shackles me no longer. They masquerade as dragons, but are mere toothless worms. My venom spreads. It's the end of all things. Armageddon. It is done. Your time has passed. Ages wasted in foolish resistance. Now is the dawn of my rule. Yes. Pray to the worms, Raiden. As your world ends."
** Another example comes from this interaction in ''11'':
--->'''Shao Kahn:''' Who is this? A new contender?\\
'''Spawn:''' Hell's got a special place for you, Shao Kahn.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' Keep it warm. I'm not done living yet!
* BadassCape: Often shown with one in other media, but it wasn't until recently when he started wearing one in the games themselves. In ''[=MK9=]'', his younger self doesn't wear it, but the one from the original timeline does. His alternate samurai-inspired costume in ''11'' has a tattered one with a stylized symbol of his helmet.
* TheBadGuyWins: He ultimately wins after the events of ''Armageddon''. He survives the ascent up the Pyramid and follows that by attempting to kill Raiden. This prompts the Thunder God to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] the TimeyWimeyBall and telepathically send a message to his younger self from the time of ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1992'', warning him of the events to come, before Kahn can strike the killing blow. [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} in ''9'', where this trope actually proves to be the key to Shao Kahn's defeat and the prevention of Armageddon. Raiden's words to his past self ("He must win") actually refer to ''Shao Kahn''; Earthrealm must ''[[SheatheYourSword let]]'' Kahn win and merge Outworld with Earthrealm so that the Elder Gods will then punish the Emperor for his treachery.]]
* BadBoss:
** Comes with the territory of being [[TheCaligula a psychopathic tyrant.]] Here's a good example:
--->'''Shao Kahn:''' [[YouHaveFailedMe You've failed me too often, sorcerer...]]\\
'''Shang Tsung:''' Over a millenium, I've failed you twice.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' [[DisproportionateRetribution That is unacceptable!]]
** One of his intros in [=MK11=] has two of his minions struggling to carry his hammer for him. He promptly wrests the hammer out of their hands and ''violently kicks them off-stage.''
** More than a few of his exchanges with Baraka in 11 have Shao talking down to him, referring to the Tarkatans as dogs, and refusing to make them anything more than servants in his empire. This is despite the fact that the Tarkatans are the ''only'' organized force supporting him to take the throne; even the Shokans have abandoned his cause by this point.
** Befitting a tyrannical dictator, Shao Kahn is also wary of his subordinates becoming too successful. It's implied he betrayed Ko'atal [[FateWorseThanDeath to Shang Tsung's flesh pits]] for this reason, and warns Skarlet to not set her ambitions too high.
** Also, Shao just ''can't'' imagine his vast empire without slaves. So much so that he fully deserves the nickname "skull-fucker" - which is given to him by [[ComicBook/{{Spawn}} a certain Hellspawn]], of all beings.
* BaldOfEvil: He is shown as being bald in ''Annihilation'', while the concept art for ''3'' shows he lacks hair in the games as well with ''11'' fully showing this in certain Fatalities and Fatal Blows.
* BattleCouple: [[spoiler: Chapter 16 of the ''Aftermath'' DLC story in ''11'' focuses on him and Sindel, who have reunited to aid Shang Tsung in his schemes so they can reclaim the leadership of Outworld. They refer to each other and husband and wife and fight most of the other kombatants and their allies together.]]
* BearHug: In ''11'', Shao delivers one to Kotal before crippling him.
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: His ending in ''Armageddon'' sees him attain all ultimate power and conquer all of the realms... and then go mad from ''boredom'' because he has nothing else to conquer. ''9'' makes this ending ''canon'' due to Raiden invoking the TimeyWimeyBall, so if the canon timeline still exists and wasn't simply erased, the canon version of Shao Kahn basically defeated himself by getting ''exactly'' what he wanted.
* BerserkButton:
** Failing him in any way guarantees that you pressed this button. '''Always.'''
** Don't bring up the fact that [[VideoGame/MortalKombatX you've killed Mileena]]. '''He will fuck you up.'''
* BigBad:
** Of the first three games, where his wish to conquer Earthrealm drives the plot. Returns as this in ''[=MK9=]'', whose plot happens to be based on the first three games.
** Of ''[[Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation Annihilation]]'' which loosely adapts the plot of the third game; after Shang Tsung's failure to win the Mortal Kombat tournament, Shao Kahn tosses out the rulebook and just invades Earthrealm directly.
* BigBadWannabe: Shao Kahn is this in the ''Aftermath'' DLC. During the climax of the story, he tries to kill Kronika and steal her power, but he and his wife Sindel were being used as pawns by Shang Tsung. After Shao Kahn and Sindel were defeated, Shang Tsung steals their souls.
* BigNo: His reaction upon being defeated as the final boss in the second game.
* BlackMagic: Shao Kahn isn't only a melee fighter. He is also a very skilled sorcerer, perhaps even more talented than Shang Tsung, whose restored youth was Kahn's doing.
* BloodKnight: It is clear that Kahn loves to fight and kill. In his ''Armageddon'' ending, [[spoiler: he went mad because there were no more realms to conquer.]] His tower ending in ''11'' reveals that the end goal of his conquests is a universe in which he is champion of kombat for all eternity.
* BondVillainStupidity: He's powerful enough to take down almost every kombatant, but he always stops to gloat and mock them at any given opportunity. Naturally, this leaves him wide open for a surprise attack. This tendency ends up screwing him over in the Battle of Armageddon as despite having the power of Blaze, his EvilGloating gives Raiden enough time to rewind the timeline and send an ominous message to his past self in doing so in order to prevent Kahn's victory.
* BroughtDownToNormal:
** In Shang Tsung's arcade ending in ''Armageddon'', Shao Kahn is reduced to a Centaur slave by Shang, who used Blazes's power to alter Kahn's form and seize Outworld for himself.
** Meta-wise, he got demoted [[VideoGame/MortalKombat11 from the boss status to a simple downloadable fighter]].
* BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon: He uses his infamous two-handed Wrath Hammer as his weapon of choice, which is indicative of his strength and power and the iron-fisted brutality with which he both fights and rules his realm.
* ButterFace:
** Below the neck: musclebound shirtless hunk. Above the neck: [[https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mkwikia/images/5/5b/Shao_Kahn_comic.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20060613183106 what looks like a cross between]] [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Maul]] and [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings an orc]]. Thank goodness for the helmet...
** This gets downplayed in his default design from ''11'', where his skin has a rather monstrous quality to it, and he also has claws on his hands and feet -- in addition to spikes coming out of his bare left arm. As for his actual face -- which is revealed for a [[FreezeFrameBonus very short moment]] -- it lacks the reptilian scales from the comic-book version, but has a curved witch-like nose, [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], and monstrous teeth.
* ButtMonkey: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. In the alternate continuity of versus matches, Shao Kahn is not [[spoiler:defeated by Kitana]] and reduced to a wanderer as the new Kahn rules. Many characters like to make fun of him for this, but he remains calm and determined to reclaim his throne.
* BullyingADragon: Owing to being overthrown as Kahn and his list of past failures, many kharacters in ''11'' don't take Shao Kahn as seriously as before and enjoy taunting him. His usual response is [[TranquilFury calmly]] reminding them of how powerful he ''still is,'' and who they're messing with.
* TheCaligula: He didn't manage to make things any better for Outworld than Onaga. He is, at the end, a bloodthirsty warlord who doesn't care for the well-being of his subjects. Many kombatants in ''[=MK11=]'' even lampshade and condemn him on his tyrannical reign.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' Sektor was a better Grandmaster.\\
'''Sub-Zero:''' He led through lies and fear.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' [[VirtueIsWeakness They are the pillars of order!]]
* TheCameo: At the very end of ''Scorpion's Revenge'', Shao personally announces his intention of taking Earthrealm by force.
* CardCarryingVillain: He would give [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]] a run for his money! In fact, in an intro in ''11'', when Spawn expresses Shao Kahn has sinned on the scale of gods, Kahn proudly boasts about it.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' Only one of us walks out of here.\\
'''Spawn:''' You've sinned on a scale reserved for gods!\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' ''And you can't beat that.''
* CombatPragmatist:
** For all his talk about the strong ruling over the weak, Shao Kahn has no problem with using underhanded tactics to get what he wants, and will throw out any pretense of an honor code once it's inconvenient. He tries to bum-rush the players even before the announcer reaches the "Fight!" signal when they face him. Of course, considering he ''is'' the announcer.
** Shao Kahn got his current position by killing the previous Emperor, Onaga. But rather than the usual KlingonPromotion of meeting the enemy in fair combat, Kahn poisoned him behind his back. In his ''Unchained'' ending, Kahn double teams Onaga with Goro who is using PoisonedWeapons.
** In ''9'', when Kung Lao defeats a number of Kahn's heavy hitters in a straight fight, Kahn sneaks up behind him and snaps his neck while his back is turned rather than challenge him directly.
** When he loses his all-for-nothing Mortal Kombat tournament and forfeits the right to ever invade Earthrealm, Kahn channels his inner five-year-old and just breaks the rules he himself set up. The logic of this move being that nobody is strong enough to stop him so he might as well throw out the rulebook.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: [[VideoGame/MortalKombat1992 Shang Tsung]] was a wizened, shapeshifting sorcerer who relied on cunning and manipulation before resorting to kombat; Shao Kahn is a hulking monster of a man who, while intelligent and a capable sorcerer in his own right, prefers direct kombat and bloody conquest to get the job done.
* CoolHelmet: Wears a skull-faced Samurai-inspired helmet with horns. In ''11'', he can wear various other helmets as part of the customization system.
* CovertPervert: Dialogue with Sheeva in ''11'' cement that Shao Kahn is the one that enforced her infamous {{Stripperific}} slingshot bikini as dress code policy. When he expresses that he misses her old attire, she scoffs she doesn't dress for him.
* CurbStompBattle: Delivers a vicious one to Raiden at the beginning of ''9''. Both were the last kombatants to reach the top of the pyramid, yet Raiden was visibly bruised and barely able to stand on his feet, while Shao Kahn didn't have one scratch and tossed him around like a ragdoll.
* ADayInTheLimelight: He became the focus in Chapter 16 of ''[=MK11=]'''s "Aftermath" expansion, along with his Queen, Sindel.
* DeadpanSnarker: Sometimes expresses an unpleasant sense of humor underneath the seriousness.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' ''Now'' I remember you, Scorpion.\\
'''Scorpion:''' [[VideoGame/MortalKombat9 I fought Sub-Zero in your Koliseum.]]\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' And lost ''horribly,'' as I recall!
* DeathByIrony: Prior to his final fight with Raiden in ''Mortal Kombat 9''[='s=] story, he says that the Elder Gods "masquerade as dragons, but are mere toothless worms." How is he defeated? [[spoiler:The power of the Elder Gods take the form of golden ''dragons'', ''bite him'', and drag him up to the heavens!]]
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: Whenever he's the final boss, he explodes upon defeat.
* DemotedToDragon:
** Even in games where he wasn't the BigBad, Shao Kahn never answered to anyone until ''[=MK11=]'' when he becomes one of Kronika's minions in exchange for being restored to the throne of Outworld.
** In ''Aftermath'' [[spoiler: he becomes TheDragon to Shang Tsung's BigBad instead of the other way around. Unfortunately, Tsung is such a great manipulator that Kahn doesn't realize it until he's on the cusp of victory... and doesn't take it well when the news are broken to him.]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: At the ending chapter of ''Aftermath,'' [[spoiler: Shang Tsung has absorbed the souls of two gods, the soul of the avatar of the Great Spirit, and is wearing a soul-infused crown with the power to control the flow of time. Moreso, Shang Tsung is (and always has been) openly untrustworthy and only barely ever hid his greater ambitions. Shao Kahn still somehow thinks Tsung works for him, and immediately begins throwing his weight around when it feels like he's not getting his due respect. What happens next isn't hard to figure out.]]
* DirtyCoward:
** He sends Skarlet after Spawn rather than face him himself. Although Skarlet sincerely believes Shao Kahn trusts her to come out on top, Spawn notes he has sent her to death merely to assess Spawn's full strength for his inevitable fight with him.
** Despite all his rhetoric about the weak serving the strong, he only got his job as Emperor by poisoning the guy who had it first, since he was too frightened to face him in a straight fight.
* DirtyOldMan: Zig-Zagged, he's old by Earthrealm standards but by Outworld standards he's of average old age. Regardless of his age, he's known to be a pervert who forces women to dress a certain way and he apparently has some concubines with his wife Sindel. Even creepier, ''Mortal Kombat 11'' justified the skimpy outfits from ''9'' as Shao Kahn making his servants dress that way, including his [[PervertDad adoptive daughter who he made believe that she was his biological daughter]].
* DownloadableContent: His way into ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''. Notably, unlike Goro in ''X'' and [[VideoGame/Injustice2 Darkseid]] before him, Shao Kahn actually plays a role in the game's story and has a chest that unlocks in the Krypt like all of the other main characters.[[note]]And unlike the other DLC characters, his portrait is greyed out instead of given a yellow tinge, treating him more like an unlockable character instead. Frost is similar, but can be unlocked through gameplay in addition to with money.[[/note]]
* DraconicHumanoid: His appearance in ''11'' has him sport many dragon-like features. He has scales around his arms, legs, and back, he has claws on his hands and feet, and his eyes are very similar to the dragon eyes that are shown in the past games.
* DramaticUnmask: In ''11'''s story, Kitana rips out the skull mask off his helmet before dealing the finishing blow of their battle.
* TheDreaded: Shao Kahn inspires utmost fear towards his enemies and anyone whose world he sets his eyes upon for conquest and considering the raw brutality, constant backstabbing, and sadistic torment he is capable of inflicting, those feelings of dread are more than justified. The very idea of Shao Kahn being close to claiming Earthrealm is enough to terrify the normally stoic and reserved Raiden into taking drastic measures to defeat him. Taking things even further, Shao himself believes that this trope is necessary when it comes to being Outworld's emperor, in stark contrast to Kotal and Kitana's approach in reaching out to others via respect and genuine loyalty.
* DropTheHammer: His Wrath Hammer, in all games he's appeared in, has been Shao Kahn's weapon of choice to crush weak and pathetic fools.
** It was his most feared special in ''[=MK3=]'' and later became his weapon style in the [=GameCube=] version of ''Deception''.
** It gets heavily incorporated into Shao Kahn's moveset in ''[=MK11=]''.
* DynamicAkimbo: Usually his VictoryPose, but he also takes this pose ''even during battles'', where he taunts you and laughs.
* DumbMuscle: Subverted in ''[=MK11=]''.
** This is what Kronika obviously sees Shao Kahn as — a one-note brute that will willingly obey her for control of Outworld again. However, despite his [[AdaptationalDumbass adaptational impulsiveness]], Shao Kahn is already plotting ahead of her, but not openly trying to take her on.
** It's played for laughs, though, in that this is what [[AdaptationalVillainy Sindel]] sees him as and only admires him for. Her ending even sees him reduced to a servant fanning her.
* TheEmperor: As noted many times in the series, he is ''the'' Emperor of Outworld.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** Zigzagged. He is absolutely furious hearing D'Vorah for killing Mileena and tries to murder her as a result, but on one hand, the reason for it is primarily he sees Mileena as a valuable tool. Kahn even admits later to Kitana in their confrontation that had she shown the ruthless resolve now under him, he would've had no further use for Mileena. On the other hand, he takes offense toward others when they insult Mileena, implying that, in some twisted way, he does slightly care about her (even if he doesn't want to admit it).
---> '''Shao Kahn:''' Raiden chooses champions ''poorly.''\\
'''Liu Kang:''' This coming from the man who chose ''Mileena?''\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' ''[[PetTheDog Do not mock my daughter!]]''
** Shao Kahn's interactions in battle intros with Sindel in ''11'' reflect that he valued her enough to ask her become his empress a second time. In the ''Aftermath'' story mode his affection seems genuine and reciprocated, with the two of them embracing warmly and Shao Kahn telling her that he has missed her. Though considering he still plans to form a harem of women and previously never made any attempts to revive her...
* EveryoneHasStandards: Even someone as arrogant and smug as ''he'' thinks [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Frost]] is egotistical to a fault.
--> '''Shao Kahn:''' You want to lead my armies?\\
'''Frost:''' [[SmugSnake Good luck finding anyone better]].\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' A ''street urchin'' would do better!
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Say what will you of him, but even ''Shao Kahn'' distrusts the Black Dragon clan. When Kabal casually says that's ''[[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder a good call,]]'' Shao questions how the clan hasn't dissolved yet - let alone ''survived'' long enough.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Raiden. Both of them are two of the [[WorldsStrongestMan strongest individuals]] in the franchise and respectively are the key figures for both good and evil, with Raiden protecting Earthrealm and Shao ruling Outworld. ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' also implies that Kahn had once held a similar position as Raiden did for the Elder Gods, but Shao Kahn grew weary of order and control and started conquering other realms for shits and giggles. ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'' went the extra step of making Raiden and Shao Kahn ''brothers''.
** Kotal Kahn shows himself as the antithesis to Shao via serving as the Emperor of Outworld. While the latter is a BloodKnight who believes in MightMakesRight-sort of ruling with an iron fist, Kotal cares deeply for his people and understands when sacrifices and hard choices need to be made in order to ensure his subjects' survival. Ironically, Kotal isn't too different from Shao: both of them dress in tribal clothing, wield massive melee weapons, and will readily execute those who break the rules - but Kotal only does so for the betterment of Outworld while Shao is AxCrazy. In addition to this, Kotal had achieved and attained leadership without murdering his predecessor while Shao had poisoned Onaga and took over at first opportunity. Adding to this is the fact that Kotal had willingly gave up his position to Kitana, while Shao wants to remain as the Emperor of Outworld '''forever''' - and kills anyone who dares to disagree with him. Bonus points in that they both have Edenian lovers, though Jade ''genuinely'' loves Kotal but will stand against him if she thinks he is wrong while Sindel only loves Shao because she's BrainwashedAndCrazy (pre-retcon) or enables and supports his insanity (post-retcon).
** In a strange way, he’s one to ''Johnny Cage'' as well, given that they're both [[AttentionWhore Attention Whores]] with staggering amounts of AwesomeEgo. They also have a wife and daughter each (Sonya and Cassie to the former and Sindel and Kitana to the latter). The ''[=MKX=]'' comic even lampshades it with [[https://animesuperhero.com/comics/images/images/solicitations/2015-06/DC/Mkx_Cov7.colorfinal.jpg artwork of Johnny sitting on a chair eerily similar to how Shao sits on his throne]]. Hell, they even share a [[FinishingMove Fatality]] where they ''rip a person apart'' by digging their fingers through their opponents' chests and pulling them apart. However, the aforementioned wife and daughter of Shao Kahn are actually enslaved and brainwashed, while Johnny has a normal and healthy relationship with his family.
* EvilIsBigger: Very few MK characters can match Shao Kahn's size and most of the ones that can are evil themselves.
-->'''Spawn:''' You've sinned on a scale reserved to gods.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' And you can't beat ''that''...
* EvilIsHammy: Probably the hammiest villain in ''Mortal Kombat'' saga, which is saying something.
--> "Is that your best?"\\
"You're still trying to win?"\\
"You will never win!"
* EvilLaugh: As part of his grandstanding and EvilIsHammy attributes, he often laughs as the announcer and tends to stop and laugh at the player in his fights, which serves as an opening point for players to attack him. He provides one for his own Arcade Mode ending in ''[=MK11=]'', and has an outro called "Laughing Stock" where he laughs triumphantly over his foe.
* EvilOverlord: He's one of the key villains of the series, and one of the select few who rules over some territory, which is Outworld in his case. Gets name-dropped and lampshaded by Johnny Cage in ''11''.
-->'''Johnny Cage:''' You know, the "Evil Overlord" bit's played out.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' [[DeadpanSnarker What would you suggest?]]\\
'''Johnny Cage:''' Right now, it's only [[AntiHero anti-heroes]]...
* EvilSorceror: Kahn uses his magic to restore Shang Tsung's youth, hold Sindel's soul in Outworld so she wouldn't find peace in the afterlife and create Ermac, among others.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Shao Kahn ''always'' has a very deep and nightmarish voice.
* EyeBeams: A move of his in ''3'' and its revisions, where he shoots [[EnergyBall a sphere of energy]] from his eyes.
* EyeScream: [[spoiler: Gets his eyes ''slashed out'' by Kitana in ''11''. It doesn't last though; in ''Aftermath'', Sindel releases him from jail and restores his eyes with the Soul Chamber.]]
* FaceDeathWithDignity: Any time Shao Kahn has been canonically faced with death, he never begs or squeals, only remaining largely silent. In certain brutalities in ''11'' that leave him at the absolute mercy of his opponent, he'll bluntly tell them [[GetItOverWith to get it over with,]] whereas many other kombatants [[AintTooProudToBeg are not too proud to beg for their lives.]]
* FashionableAsymmetry: Kahn's default outfit in ''11'' has him wear mismatching and shiny armor. Most notably, he has an uncovered left arm.
* FatalFlaw: His biggest flaw is [[SmugSnake overconfidence]] and arrogance, as he has often underestimated mankind, and therefore tried to conquer Earthrealm many times to no success. He's also a BloodKnight - and that trait alone can sometimes override his better qualities, thus allowing him to be manipulated by the likes of Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, or even Shinnok - who are all cunning enough to exploit this weakness.
** Even in victory, Shao Kahn's arrogance has ultimately proven to be his downfall - his ''Armageddon'' ending shows that even though he won, it will lead to him becoming mad with boredom. The reboot shows him on the cusp on victory in ''9'', so self-assured that the Elder Gods would do nothing, that this leads to him underestimating Raiden and being KilledOffForReal. In ''11'', he was so certain that victory was his, that he outright neglected to keep one of the biggest backstabbers in the entire series in check, and wound up paying for it in the [[YourSoulIsMine most horrible way imaginable.]]
* FinalBoss: Shao Kahn is the last enemy faced in several games, starting with ''Mortal Kombat II''.
* ForTheEvulz: He enjoys instigating most of the tensions and conflict in Outworld for fun, such as encouraging the Shokans, Tarkatans, and Centaurs to compete for his favor. Delightfully [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] by the eleventh game: this is what Kitana brings up to turn the Shokan and Tarkatans against him, [[spoiler:leading to no one helping him as he is killed.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:G-L]]
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Shao Kahn's weakness is his arrogance. In several games when fought as an AI opponent, he'll stop to taunt you in the middle of the match, dropping his guard and letting you get in a free shot for his cockiness.
* GeniusBruiser: [[DownplayedTrope Emphasis on "bruiser"]], but while Shao Kahn might be an AxCrazy hothead with a HairTriggerTemper, that does not mean he is stupid by any means. He has a mastery of black magic to rival any sorcerer and ''even the fallen Elder God'', and he gained the throne of Outworld through manipulation and treachery rather than brute force. He also managed to fool Shang Tsung and Quan Chi with a [[ActuallyADoombot magical clone]] when they tried to assassinate him rather than pointlessly risk his life against the two sorcerers. When he wants to be, Kahn can be exceptionally devious and difficult to outsmart.
* GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger:
** When he taunts his victim, he will happily point at them too. Especially if they're lying on the ground.
** If Kahn speaks first in ''[=MK11=]'', he points at the opponent on his second line.
* GoGoEnslavement: His victory pose in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'' features such a slave crawling up to him and embracing his leg. The female characters who are seen chained in the Kahn's Coliseum arena are wearing barely-there bikinis, and given how female Edenian warriors (even ones who are loyal to him) tend to dress, this sort of thing may well be a law he is enforcing. (In fact, when Kitana is officially working on the heroes' side, her outfit is a lot more modest.)
* AGodAmI:
** Worshipped as such in Outworld and other realms, or expects his subjects to anyway. He is Raiden's opposite number too, which implies he might be the genuine article. Definitely one in ''Annihilation'' (and ''vs. DC Universe'')... but the less said about that, the better.
** In ''9'', at the end, when he's staring down an Elder God-empowered Raiden, Kahn casually laughs at the deities arrayed against him and announces that he will become '''the''' Elder God. Raiden kills him anyway.
** One of the [[http://www.mortalkombatonline.com/content/forum/showmessage.cds?id=101886 backwards dialogues]] in ''Deception''[='s=] Konquest Mode says that Shao Kahn is part of the same race of beings as Lucifer and Raiden.
* GoldColoredSuperiority: His armor incorporates typically elements of gold into its design, particularly in ''11''.
* GreaterScopeVillain:
** He's introduced as this to the first game. BigBad Shang Tsung and [[TheDragon Dragon]] Goro were actually CoDragons to Shao Kahn, who was all too ready to execute the former [[YouHaveFailedMe for losing the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament]] before being convinced to give him another chance.
** [[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie The 1995 movie]] has Shao Kahn often referenced as Shang Tsung's master and the dreaded emperor of Outworld, but he doesn't turn up until the ending, and he only steps down to serve as the BigBad of [[Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation the sequel]].
* GutturalGrowler:
** He has a very deep and raspy voice in ''[=MK11=]'', courtesy of Creator/IkeAmadi.
** His appearance at the tail end of ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'' saw him sport this thanks to Creator/FrankWelker reusing the same voice he gave [[WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget Dr. Claw]], [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Soundwave]], and [[WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}} Darkseid]] for Kahn.
* HairTriggerTemper: It is very easy to piss him off. Especially if you fail him more than once.[[note]]He threatens Shang Tsung for failing ''twice in 1000 years''.[[/note]] He also will unleash his wrath in an UnstoppableRage when he gets pushed in his fight.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: In ''9'', Kahn is able to do this to his opponents... ''with his bare hands!''
* {{Hammerspace}}: ''Literally'', in his case. Look closely at the sprites for his hammer attack in ''[=MK3=]'' and the move in ''[=MK9=]'' - it appears to materialize out of thin air!
* HeroKiller: What he's meant to be seen as, although he only successfully kills Kung Lao in the style of one (in ''9''). He does sic Sindel on the heroes' hideout, though, and that proves very effective (although that really makes ''her'' the HeroKiller).
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Downplayed. Shao Kahn regularly trusts [[ChronicBackStabbingDisorder Shang Tsung and Quan Chi,]] but it's made clear in various endings he is ''always'' mindful of their ambitions. This trust gets him often played for a fool behind the scenes anyway, and an intro in ''11'' has him subvert this trope altogether by swearing them his enemies.
* HornedHumanoid: In ''[=MK1=]'', Shao has a pair of curved horns sticking out of his skull.
* IAmNotYourFather: He eventually reveals to Kitana that he is ''not'' her father, and that he murdered her true father, king Jerrod, long ago.
* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: As indicated by Sindel (pre-retcon) and one interaction with Cassie Cage, a common practice of Shao Kahn's is to spare women from realms he's conquered just to [[RoyalHarem add them to his concubines]]. Their willingness is irrelevant.
* IShallTauntYou:
** Subverted. He just taunts you because you fight against him in Outworld, and you were supposedly stupid enough to a fight with the big cheese himself around here. So, he assumes that some casual gloating here and there won't hurt - since, in his mind, he could swat you away ''with his index finger.'' However, in reality, there's nothing calculated behind these taunts, and in doing so, he's unable to move or react, thus he's completely vulnerable to a big combo (this is a major part of beating him up in ''II'' and ''9''). [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration This even leads to his ultimate downfall in the new continuity's storyline]]: in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', Shao Kahn comes out on top in the events of ''Armageddon'', with literally no one left but him and Raiden (who is exhausted and on the verge of death). Kahn takes the opportunity to taunt Raiden about this, which gives Raiden enough time to send a message to his past self, which ultimately averts this outcome and destroys Kahn before the ''Armageddon'' would ever come to pass.
** It's given some practicality in ''11'', temporarily weakening his opponent and allowing him to inflict a specific Krushing Blow on them. It still leaves him open to an attack, so the end of a combo is the best time to use it, as it will have ended by the time the opponent gets back up, allowing Shao Kahn to block again.
* IconicSequelCharacter: Though alluded to in the first game, Shao Kahn didn't show up until the sequel, but he quickly became not only the series' iconic BigBad, but one of the most iconic and memorable villains in gaming history.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: He uses spears as a part of his moveset in ''11''. His Fatal Blow provides this trope ''in spades.''
* InteractiveNarrator: Of the entire franchise. In ''[=MK3=]'', he even says "I win!" if he wins a round.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Shao Kahn's actions only serve himself, despite dressing his goals of konquest as improving the power of Outworld, it never improves the lot of its denizens. The only person who benefits from the endless expansion of Outworld is Kahn himself, and the few he deems worthy to serve at his side. In fact, if Kahn no longer sees a purpose to allowing one of his servants, or an entire ''race'', to exist, he can and will have them all exterminated, especially if [[ReplacementMooks a more useful group]] is among the newly-konquered.
* ItsPersonal:
** [[invoked]][[ShrugOfGod Maybe.]] From their unending shit-talk to the sheer catharsis Shao Kahn gets from finally laying on the beatdown, it's abundantly clear that the Emperor and Raiden have a very lively history. Aside from a non-canon mention of their being brothers in the second movie, however, it's never really been expanded on.
** He gets this '''Big time''' with Kotal Kahn in ''11''. Upon being brought into the present, he becomes incensed at seeing Kotal "pretend" to occupy his throne and vows to kill him on the spot, going so far as to stage an execution for him when he manages to capture him.
* JavelinThrower: He uses javelins as a secondary weapon in several games.
* {{Jerkass}}: In short: Shao Kahn claims one needs to be this trope and worse to maintain Outworld's empire. Most of the cast begs to differ.
* KickTheDog: Essentially tells Scorpion to shut-up about his losses already.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' I've heard enough of your family and clan.
-->'''Scorpion:''' Disrespect them at your peril!
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' I don't fear you, ninja.
* JokerImmunity: Despite ''II'' and ''3'' ending with his apparent death, he survived and even after supposedly being KilledOffForReal in ''Deadly Alliance'' he returned. This is somewhat lampshaded in ''9'' where Raiden states Kahn always survives and it will take more than simply defeating him during his invasion to stop him for good.
* KarmicDeath:
** In ''[=MK9=]'', he is killed by the Elder Gods when they possessed Raiden's body to defeat him.
** ''[=MK11=]'' has an even better one. He is defeated by Kitana, the stepdaughter whose life he ruined.
** Yet again in ''Aftermath'', where he [[spoiler: winds up having his soul stolen by Shang Tsung, the sorceror he treated as little better than a slave. Really, Kahn mistreats so many people that any time he's killed it's destined to be by SOMEBODY he's tormented.]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Hard to tell, but he appears to have met his end at the hands of Raiden and the Elder Gods. However, rather than go to the Netherrealm, he's [[SealedInAPersonShapedCan sealed inside of Ermac]]... who is rotting away according to WordOfGod.]]
** [[spoiler: ''[=MK11=]: Aftermath'' puts the definitive end to the past version of Shao Kahn... by [[YourSoulIsMine having his soul consumed]] by Shang Tsung.]]
* TheKingslayer: He poisoned the previous ruler Onaga and claims the throne for himself. When Onaga comes back, he kills him again, this time in actual combat.
* KlingonPromotion: He obtained the throne of Outworld by killing the previous Emperor - Onaga - by poisoning him.
* KneelBeforeZod: One of his taunts.
--> '''Shao Kahn:''' "Bow to me!"
* KnowWhenToFoldThem: Granted, Kronika never did anything to garner tensions, but Shao Kahn is surprisingly subservient in her presence and never questions her imposing authority over him. Given [[TopGod who she is,]] it's likely even Shao Kahn knows what would happen ''if'' he tried anything.
* LackOfEmpathy: Especially in ''11''. Would you expect empathy from Shao at this point?
-->'''Kitana:''' Outworld's citizens deserve better.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' They need an iron fist, not a velvet glove.\\
'''Kitana:''' You have ''always'' lacked empathy.
* LameComeback: Gets shown up by ''Liu Kang, of all people,'' in ''11''.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' Your power won't stop me, Liu Kang.\\
'''Liu Kang:''' [[ShutUpHannibal It's done so twice before.]]\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' ''[[SoreLoser Quiet, Earthrealmer...]]''
* LargeAndInCharge: Is depicted as being around the size of Goro and Kintaro. Only Onaga is bigger than him.
* LargeHam:
** The all-time king of it in ''Mortal Kombat''. In some games, he takes time during the fight to [[YouFightLikeACow personally insult you]], [[EnemyPosturing leaving himself completely open in the process]]. His verbal barbs include, but are not limited to:
--->"I AM SHAO KAHN... BOW TO ME!"\\
"You weak, pathetic FOOL!"\\
"FEEL THE '''POWER''' OF SHAO KAHN!"\\
"It's official... [[SophisticatedAsHell YOU SUCK]]!"\\
"Is THAT your BEST?!"
** In ''Annihilation'', he borders on HamAndCheese.
---> "Father, the merger has begun! Earth is under attack! ''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis AND IT. IS. GLORIOUS!]]''"\\
"''I'' am to be feared! For if you fail me now, I will feed your rotting corpse ''[[LargeHam TO THE WORMS]]''!"
* LastSecondChance: He is offered one by ''Baraka'' in an intro, who expresses he could win Tarkata's loyalty back...by following ''Kotal's'' example as a leader. Shao Kahn is not amused.
* LegCling: His victory pose in ''9'' has one female slave doing this to him.
* LightningBruiser: Despite his height, he has some lightning-fast attacks who still deals a lot of damage. It's the main reason for his SNKBoss status.
* {{Loincloth}}: His main outfit features one.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M-R]]
* MadeASlave: [[LaserGuidedKarma Humorously]] happens to him in various Armageddon endings by villains he's wronged before. In ''11,'' this happens to him ''again'' in Skarlet's ending, where she has him reduced to [[HumiliationConga desperately groveling at her feet for her favor.]]
* MadeOfIron: In ''9'', despite Liu Kang punching right through his heart in what would be the ending of the second game, Kahn survived without much explanation aside just being that hard to kill.
* MagicKnight: Kahn's brute strength and large physique can make it easy to forget that he is a skilled sorcerer himself. His magical accomplishments include creating Skarlet from blood[[note]]Later this was retconned to him simply teaching her blood magic[[/note]] and creating a clone of himself to deceive would-be assassins.
* TheManBehindTheMan: To Shang Tsung.
* MomentKiller: In Kotal's chapter, he and Jade share a brief moment of eye contact before Shao rudely shoves Jade aside and challenges Kotal to kombat.
* MrFanservice: The main reason of his armor seems to accentuate his physique. Delves into FanDisservice when you unmask him, though. This is even ''less'' applicable in his ''[=MK11=]'' design, where the rest of his body seems just as monstrous, including spikes coming out of his left arm.
* MultiversalConqueror: Taking over Outworld wasn't enough for him. He's out for Earthrealm as well, and has taken Edenia during his campaigns. [[spoiler: His ''Armageddon'' ending has him succeeding in taking over all realms... [[AndThenWhat and going mad for having nothing else to conquer]].]]
* MyopicConqueror: Shao Kahn is the long-serving ruler of Outworld, and a MultiversalConqueror who captures other realms mostly through invasion, but also through subterfuge when necessary. Kahn is an entirely [[ItsAllAboutMe self-absorbed ruler]] whose goals only serve to satisfy his own lusts, whims and ego. Though he and his supporters claim that his conquests are for the glory of Outworld, talking to anyone who's been in his service long enough to see his uglier side will have them reveal that this isn't the case. Shao Kahn's conquests do ''nothing'' to help Outworld or its people, and in a lot of ways make things worse for them. For instance, if he conquers a world with subjects that make for better warriors or slaves, his first order will be for them to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness kill the ones he no longer needs]].
* NearVillainVictory: He practically ''won'' in ''Armageddon'' and was on the verge of killing Raiden. It's only thanks to him gloating that it gives Raiden time to send a message back to himself in the first game and hitting the ResetButton that costs him his victory. Then again he came close once more in the new timeline but this time there was no Armageddon for the Elder Gods to be concerned over to stabilize the realms this time. And by finally entering the Earthrealm, the Elder Gods finally realize his threat and take action [[spoiler:leading to his death]].
* NeckSnap:
** Delivers one to [[spoiler:Kung Lao]] in ''9'' to show that AnyoneCanDie. [[spoiler:Liu Kang]], needless to say, [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge was most displeased]].
** Also, he personally kills Johnny Cage this way in ''Annihilation''.
* NeverMyFault: Shao Kahn is furious Kano's guns did little good for Outworld's forces. Although the competent Baraka implies he sold defective goods, Kano retorts the lack of success is because Shao Kahn armed [[DumbMuscle Tarkatans]] with most of the guns.
* AnOfferYouCantRefuse: Shao Kahn is usually the person who should make such offerings... until the story mode of ''[=MK11=]'', where Kronika issues one ''to him'' - namely, a new empire to rule. Given his bloodthirsty nature, Shao Kahn obliges without hesitation.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Says this verbatim in ''11''.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' Sparing you taught me one thing.\\
'''Kitana:''' Yes, Shao Kahn?\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' No good deed goes unpunished...
* ObviouslyEvil: Back in the intro of ''II'', you see him as a tall silhouette pointing down at Shang Tsung and stating to have Tsung executed for his failure at the tournament. Then, the next scene is a glorious picture of him standing confident with his arms on his waist, red eyes, skull helmet and spiked shoulder pads on a red background, with a text stating that the kombatants can meet certain death at his hands. [[SarcasmMode What would you expect? He's a good guy!]]
* OhCrap: Even the ruthless genocidal maniac like Shao can have ''a legitimate one''. Kahn becomes surprisingly '''''terrified''''' when he learns that a single Franchise/{{Terminator}} can take down ''his entire army.'' '''Single-handedly.'''
* OffingTheOffspring: While she's adopted, Shao has absolutely no compunctions about killing Kitana in the event she betrays him and sides with Earthrealm due to his lack of concern and penchant for treachery.
* PaintingTheMedium: When he defeats you in ''II'', he doesn't announce victory. Also, he says "I win!" if he wins a match in ''3''.
* PapaWolf: Shockingly, he demonstrates this trope in ''11'' when D'Vorah off-handedly mentions her murder of his clone experiment "daughter", Mileena--he's so enraged that he tries to kill her for it, and would have undoubtedly done so had Kronika not interrupted.
* PetTheDog:
** In 11, where his interactions with most characters are hostile, he is nothing but cordial and teaching to Skarlet alone in their intros. He is also very complimenting and warm to Kollector for his loyalty until Kollector expresses he has failed him, at which point [[BadBoss Shao Kahn]] demands [[YouHaveFailedMe he pays with his life.]]
** In story mode, he is '''livid''' when D'Vorah mentions that she killed Mileena. D'Vorah brought it up so casually that she probably didn't expect him to react so strongly to the news.
** An intro with Kano has Kano mentioning he kidnapped Kollector and demanding ransom from Shao Kahn for his life. Shao simply demands to return his subordinate - or ''die.''
** He is surprisingly cordial to Sheeva in ''11'', making a humorous comment at her expense and even expressing reluctance to fight her. He even claims he treated the Shokan well for their work, although Sheeva thinks otherwise.
* PhysicalGod: [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Deception]] explicitly states he is "of the same race of beings as Raiden and Lucifer."
* PostRapeTaunt: Prior to retcon, his marriage to Sindel was not consensual on her part, and the only time she was ever "willing" being when she was brainwashed into being his queen. One match intro with Kitana has her say that the thought of the two of them together repulses her. Shao Kahn twists the knife by saying that Sindel always pleased him. Unsurprisingly, Kitana is even more driven to kill him after that remark. Post-retcon, the trope is subverted, as Sindel's relationship with Shao Kahn was ''very'' consensual.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain:
** In the eyes of Kotal Kahn, at least.
--->'''Kotal Kahn:''' Outworld rejected your pointless wars!\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' [[MultiversalConqueror Empires must expand - or die!]]
** While he declares Mileena his heir and even commends Kitana for showing ruthlessness, ultimately he only seems to accept women having power when it's in line with his interests; aside from his remark to Cassie, he also mocks Kotal for letting 'his woman' represent him.
** And here is his exchange with Kotal:
--->'''Shao Kahn:''' Earthrealm snickers at your weakness...\\
'''Kotal Kahn:''' No, Shao Kahn, they ''[[ReasonableAuthorityFigure respect]]'' me.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' Respect? You should be feared!
** Shao Kahn's empire is built on the backs of slaves, something he's downright pleased about.
-->'''Spawn:''' Imagine Outworld free of slaves.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' Over my dead body.\\
'''Spawn:''' Today's the day, skullfucker.
* PrepareToDie: He says this verbatim as one of his taunts.
* PretenderDiss:
** In ''11'', upon learning that his former general Kotal became Kahn of Outworld in his absence, Shao ''doesn't'' take it well.
--->'''Shao Kahn:''' General Kotal?\\
'''Kotal Kahn:''' Kotal ''Kahn''.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' ''Kahn?!'' [[CatchPhrase Pathetic fool!]] You pretend on ''my'' throne!
** In ''Aftermath'', [[spoiler:after Kitana has been defeated by Sindel, Shao Kahn derides her as a false Kahn who led Outworld astray by allying with Raiden.]]
* {{Pride}}: Shao Kahn is a brutal conqueror who has ruled supreme over Outworld for thousands of years, and he has a towering ego to match that status. His sheer arrogance is his FatalFlaw (detailed above), and even in 11, when he finds himself decades in the future with no idea of what's going on, he immediately plunges Outworld into civil unrest rather than even momentarily entertain the idea of accepting Kotal's offer of refuge.
* PuttingOnTheReich: Downplayed; while Shao Kahn and his empire is predominately inspired by ancient Japanese/Mongolian conquerors, his banner seen in his arena features his insignia in black in a white circle and a red background, reminiscent of Nazi Germany's flag.
* PyrrhicVictory: Usually when he wins, it amounts to this.
** [[spoiler:In his ''Armageddon'' arcade mode ending, he ultimately wins after the events of said Armageddon by surviving the ascent up the pyramid and follows that by killing Raiden, but loses his own sanity for having nothing else to conquer.]]
** ''[=MK9=]'' opens with him likewise triumphing during the events of ''Armageddon'' - but this just motivates Raiden to send a message to his past self, preventing this outcome.
** [[spoiler:''[=MK9=]'' concludes with Shao Kahn '''finally''' succeeding in conquering Earth - only for the Elder Gods to utterly destroy him moments later in response, rendering all his efforts moot.]]
** [[spoiler:Horrifically subverted in his ''11'' arcade ending. Not only does he obtain the Hourglass, he merges time into a singularity where he rules over all reality as the undisputed champion of Mortal Kombat, a fate he is all too happy with.]]
* RankScalesWithAsskicking: As an emperor, he is very difficult to defeat.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Of all the {{Big Bad}}s, Shao Kahn is the only one who is known to force women into sexual service -- willingly or not. Based on Sindel's biography pre-retcon, he has absolutely no qualms about using MindManipulation to force them into his bed, and will even ''bring them back from the dead'' if they [[DrivenToSuicide escape his clutches through death]]. In ''11'', the specific case of Sindel is subverted, as it's revealed that her rape, suicide and brainwashing were all a lie.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Given that he's been around since the time of Sindel (if not ''longer''), his age is easily in ''quintuple'' digits. Taven in ''Armageddon'' notes that Shao Kahn was infamous before he was sealed in stone. Considering that the demigod was sealed several thousand years ago...
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure:
** He can come off as this to lesser villains as long as there's something in it for him. He is rather easily dissuaded from executing Shang Tsung for his failure when he comes up with a great suggestion, even reinvigorating his youth and power to Raiden's surprise.
** He abruptly puts his Mortal Kombat tournament on hold to hold negotiations with Kano without any qualms.
** When the Lin Kuei barge in on his tournament to kidnap Sub-Zero after his fight with Scorpion, he is momentarily taken aback, but ultimately allows it when they offer to aid his army.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In most of his appearances, he has been depicted with red eyes, which only furthers his ObviouslyEvil appearance.
* RedIsViolent: In nearly all of his appearances, the brutal and bloodthirsty Shao Kahn sports a red cape and/or red-accented armor.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: He is depicted as Raiden's brother and Shinnok's son in ''Annihilation''.
* RougeAnglesOfSatin: We dare you to type his name on Website/{{Google}} and take a drink every time it's misspelled as "Khan". Your liver will fail and [[{{Catchphrase}} you will die, mortal]].
* RousingSpeech: Delivers one to the Koliseum spectators, as he's about to execute Kotal.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' [[BlatantLies You've suffered too long at this pretender's hands]]. But I've returned, and I will save you from his madness! Only I can rebuild the empire. [[MultiversalConqueror All realms will tremble before me!]] Outworld will again be conquerors, never the conquered!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:S-Z]]
* SanitySlippage: In his ''Armageddon'' ending, [[spoiler:he succeeds in taking over all realms, but goes mad for having nothing else to conquer.]]
* ShadowArchetype: He's this to Raiden and Kotal Kahn.
** He represents what Raiden could have chosen to be had the thunder god went the route of conquest and subjugation. Unlike Raiden, Shao is an EvilOverlord who ill-treats his minions and subjects, sometimes just for the sake of it. By ''Mortal Kombat 11'', everyone in Outworld is sick of his tyrannical reign, and this is frequently lampshaded in arcade endings and character interactions.
** He is also the dark antithesis to Kotal Kahn as well, as while Kotal cares deeply for Outworld and understands when sacrifices and hard choices are needed in order to ensure his subjects' survival, Shao is a ruthless tyrant who believes in MightMakesRight, [[ItsAllAboutMe cares only about his own power]], and would kill anyone on a whim. In addition to this, Kotal had achieved and attained leadership without murdering his predecessor, while Shao overthrew Onaga and took over at first opportunity. In essence, Shao represents what Kotal could have been had the Osh-Tekk chose to rule by fear instead of genuine compassion, as Shao [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain even mocks]] Kotal for being a weak leader.
* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: Mostly noticeable with his skull helmet.
* SNKBoss:
** Shao Kahn in ''[=MK3=]'' and its updates (''Trilogy'' included). While his moveset is exactly the same as in ''MKII'' (even his sprites were mostly unchanged, aside from the addition of some new moves, such as his infamous hammer), he is way more [[AxCrazy Hammer Crazy]] than in his previous appearance.
** This trope is back with a vengeance in ''[=MK9=]'', thanks to most of Kahn's moves being armored (one of which is an unblockable projectile that stuns the player), Kahn himself having twice as much health as any other character, and possessing '''extremely''' damaging attacks in his arsenal. True to form of the title of SNKBoss, he is very susceptible to a simplistic attack pattern (he's [[AttackAttackAttack aggressive to a fault]], attacking as much as possible and leaving himself open to being jumped over; plus he doesn't have any armor ''between'' attacks).
** In ''11'', he is quite a bit stronger during Story Mode than he is when playable. Downplayed in that while he's tougher than when controlled by a player, he isn't nearly as tough as he was in prior games.
* TheSociopath:
** Can be mostly seen with his treatment of Sindel and Kitana, who all have been anything but tools to him so far. Baraka ''of all people'' wised up to this in ''[=MK11=]''.
--->'''Baraka:''' So, Shao Kahn has replaced me?\\
'''Skarlet:''' He can count on my loyalty.\\
'''Baraka:''' But he'll not repay it.
** Outright ''confirmed'' by his very first revealed intro dialogue in ''11''. Upon seeing his adopted daughter, Shao Kahn does not think of expressing his fatherly pride towards her; he simply wants her ''to die''. Unsurprisingly, Kitana has mutual feelings.
** He even taunts Raiden over his own emotional baggage in his official reveal trailer for ''11''.
--->'''Shao Kahn:''' You ''burn'' with guilt, don't you?\\
'''Raiden:''' For the pain I have caused others, yes.\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' Compassion is for fools!
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: Does this with Sindel in one of their ''[=MK11=]'' intros. She tells him that Quan Chi murdered her under his nose; it ''is'' the real Sindel, but Shao Kahn doesn't buy it.
* SophisticatedAsHell: One of his taunts' is "You suck." There's also an even MORE faux-sophisticated, almost memetic version: "It's official. You suck!"
* SorcerousOverlord: It can be assumed that his sorcerous powers played a big part in his realm conquests.
* SoreLoser: ''VERY'' sore. He tries to hold a tournament in Outworld where the stakes were, if he win he gets Earthrealm. If not, he leaves the realm alone. Even though he loses, he pretty much says "Screw it, I'll take the realm by force," leading to an all out invasion.
* StanceSystem: Tai Tzu and Lui He. He keeps the former for ''Armageddon'' while Fujin picks up the latter.
* TheStarscream: Towards Onaga. Ironically, Kahn himself is frequently Starscreamed in other character's endings and in [[spoiler: ''Aftermath'']].
* {{Stripperiffic}}: A very rare male version of this. Just look at his costume! Likely enforced down the ranks as well, judging by how all his minions dress. Downplayed in his alts in ''Deception'', ''Armageddon'' and ''11'', which give him pants.
* SuperStrength: Has immense brute strength in addition to his powerful magic.
* TakenForGranite: When defeated in ''II'', he somehow is petrified. Then he [[DefeatEqualsExplosion explodes]].
* TestYourStrengthGame: One shows up for his ''[=MK11=]'' Friendship, which he naturally uses his giant hammer for. He even hits it so hard the bell breaks!
* ThirdPersonPerson: He refers to himself in third person in some of his taunts.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' "Feel the wrath of Shao Kahn!"\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' "Feel the power of Shao Kahn!"
* TranquilFury: His constant state of being in the nutshell, as ''11'' shows. Even though Shao Kahn was established as a [[EvilIsHammy hammy]] bastard of all the ''[=MK=]'' verse, there he remains surprisingly calm and collected. But that doesn't stop Shao from giving death threats to anyone who crosses his path.
* ToCreateAPlaygroundForEvil: His arcade ending in ''11.'' After conquering ''time and history'' itself, Shao Kahn does not go mad like his ''Armageddon'' ending depicted. Instead, he entertains himself by hosting unending Mortal Kombat tournaments with himself as the obviously undefeatable champion.
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler:In ''[=MK11=]'', Kitana slashes at his head, and the camera angle doesn't make it clear where he was struck. The reactions of on-lookers and the fact Shao Kahn isn't seen in the story again would imply she sliced his throat, but WordOfGod is that she sliced his eyes and blinded him, but he's not dead. ''Aftermath'' confirms he is still alive, but blinded and a captive of Kitana.]]
* UngratefulBastard: Despite Shang Tsung having provided him a capable service for over a millennia, the moment Shang Tsung fails he orders his execution. Shang Tsung's suggestion of holding the Mortal Kombat tournament in Outworld is the only thing that saves his hide.
* UnholyMatrimony:
** Took Sindel as his wife after killing King Jerrod and usurping the throne, although Sindel was soon DrivenToSuicide afterward. This is more noticeable in ''9'', when he [[spoiler:enthralls the [[BackFromTheDead revived]], yet {{brainwashed|AndCrazy}} Sindel to his side, effectively making her his new [[TheDragon Dragon]]. Sindel seemed pretty eager to serve as his right-hand woman]]. In ''11'', the ''Aftermath'' DLC story shows that these feelings for her were in fact canon. [[spoiler: And also that Sindel did love Shao (or at least his power) in return, but was assasinated by Quan Chi and framed as a suicide]]
** An almost exactly similar situation between the two also played out in ''Annihilation''. In ''WebVideo/MortalKombatLegacy'', it's stated that he actually fell in love with Sindel himself. However, the series is non-canon.
* UnstoppableRage: You do not want to make this mad emperor angry, especially when he's already in a bad mood.
* UnwittingPawn:
** In ''9'', Shao Kahn was this to both Shinnok and Quan-Chi. He was unaware that Quan-Chi was a double agent and was TheDragon to Shinnok, so everything that happened was all part of the fallen Elder Gods plan.
** [[spoiler:He is once again this in the ''Aftermath'' DLC, except this time he and his revived queen Sindel were manipulated by Shang Tsung as he betrays them after trying to confront Kronika. After Shang Tsung defeats them, he steals both of their souls, killing them instantly.]]
* VictoryIsBoring: If he takes over all the realms in ''Armageddon'', this is his ending. Almost became canon, if it wasn't for Raiden rebooting the franchise before this could happen in ''[=MK9=]''.
* VillainDecay:
** ''[=MK11's=]'' story mode gives him a lot of crap. [[spoiler:When brought back by Kronika, he doesn't receive higher treatment than the other villains allied with her, he loses both of his in-game fights, has his role as Outworld Emperor usurped by someone he didn't even suspect, and his moment of glory —taking back the realm from Kotal Kahn's grasp— is cut short by Kitana defeating him. Even his greatest moment from the original timeline, his victory at Armageddon, is revealed to have been ''orchestrated by Kronika.'']]
** ''Aftermath'' is a noticeable ''aversion'' of this trope. [[spoiler:When Shao gets his sight restored after the trip to Soul Chamber, he is '''not''' messing around... until he gets his soul drained by Shang Tsung, that is.]]
* VillainHasAPoint: When pitted against Frost, he scornfully remarks that a ''street urchin'' could do better as a leader of his armies than [[GeneralFailure Frost]]. And since he's trained such a street urchin, Skarlet, Shao Kahn knows what he's talking about.
* VillainousBreakdown: Physically and psychologically. Whenever defeated in ''II'', he quickly realizes his failure and yells a BigNo before he gets TakenForGranite and explodes. ''3'' has his body melt down as he's left roaring until detonation.
-->'''Shao Kahn''': No... '''No!''' '''''NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!'''''
* VillainRespect:
** Shao Kahn believes Sektor was an admirable Lin Kuei Grandmaster, if only because of his ruthlessness.
** He is... [[AbhorrentAdmirer interested]] in Cassie Cage because of her victory over Shinnok. [[NoJustNoReaction To her horror.]]
** Zigzagged with Kronika. Shao Kahn is uncharacteristically subservient within her presence but isn't above making cautiously light jabs at [[spoiler: her ultimate defeat]] in match intros. At worst, he claims Kronika [[spoiler: is no Titan]] and that she should [[SmugSnake have heeded his guidance to win.]]
* VillainousValor: [[spoiler:In ''[=MK9=]''. Even when the Elder Gods (through Raiden) are telling him quite clearly how he's going to pay for breaking their rules, Kahn just scoffs at them and declares he'll be THE Elder God.]]
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He's had some pants in alternate outfits, but never a shirt. Subverted in ''[=MK11=]'' as one of his alternate outfits is a full suit of armor that covers his torso and back.
* WeaponAcrossTheShoulder: Some of his intro and victory animations in ''11'' have him resting his hammer on his shoulder.
* WholeCostumeReference: To [[Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior The Lord Humungus]]. His alt costume in ''Deception'' and ''Armageddon'' can also bring [[Wrestling/TripleH Triple H's King of Kings gimmick]] to mind.
* WorldsStrongestMan: He is one of the only beings who is stronger than Raiden, with the only time Raiden's ever beaten him was when amped up by the PowersThatBe for the finale of ''[=MK9=]'' -- something that the Elder Gods only decided to intervene in at the last minute [[GodzillaThreshold because]] Shao Kahn did not merge the realms he invaded and conquered in accordance with their laws. However, it's established that Raiden, as Earthrealm's protector, is at his strongest when on his home turf, [[DramaPreservingHandicap which he's usually drawn away from for the final battles of most games]]. ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception Deception]]'' also implies that Shao Kahn once held a similar title to Raiden in Outworld, which would account for his power. In short, he's managed to stay Emperor for good reason, though ''Deception'' threw a major wrench into the works by introducing Onaga, who pulled EvilerThanThou on every other villain up to that point and was the previous Emperor of Outworld until Shao Kahn, then an advisor/subordinate to the Dragon King, backstabbed him. Even so, Shao Kahn would go on to become the winner of [[VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon the Battle of Armageddon]] and receive godlike power in the process, [[TheBadGuyWins a result]] that led to Dark Raiden [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture reaching out to his younger self]] ([[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and setting off the events of the reboot]]) in the first place.
* YellowEyesOfSneakiness: In ''9'', he has now these kind of eyes, instead of his previous red eyes.
* YouHaveFailedMe: His biggest [[BerserkButton berserk button]] is the prospect of his subordinates failing him. [[BadBoss Even once.]] Kabal in a discussion with Mileena says he doesn't want to work for Shao Kahn for this reason, regardless of how well he pays.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' Do you ''know'' how I punish failure?\\
'''Kano:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Guessin' yer about to tell me...]]\\
'''Shao Kahn:''' I'll stuff that grin with your entrails.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Done on ''him.'' One match intro has Shang Tsung sent to kill Shao Kahn on behalf of Kronika. Shang doesn't immediately make it known what he's here for, but Shao's response to the allusion of her terminating him is [[SuicidalOverconfidence daring her to try.]]
-->'''Shang Tsung:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion What do you think this is?]]
** [[spoiler: ''Actually happens'' to him in ''Aftermath''. Shang Tsung uses Shao Kahn to help him reach the Hourglass - and then takes his soul out of him when he is no longer needed.]]
[[/folder]]
----
! General Shao
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shao_mk1_render.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"General Shao, Victor of the Tavarian War, Conquerer of the Kuatan Planes"'']]
-> '''Debut game''': ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'' (Creator/IkeAmadi, English)

->In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat1'', the former Kahn is reincarnated as '''General Shao''', now a base roster character rather than a boss. Born into a military family, Shao was frail in his youth but proved himself to be a brilliant prodigy and eager to follow in his family's footsteps. His father, displeased with the results of Outworld's physicians and doctors, created an [[TrainingFromHell extreme training program]] that, in time, molded Shao into the perfect soldier and a veritable OneManArmy. He now serves as the leader of Outworld's armies and a decorated war hero, though his ambitions and loyalty to Outworld itself may very well put him at odds with Empress Sindel.

[[folder: Tropes related to General Shao]]

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: In contrast to previous depictions, particularly ''[=MK11=]'', General Shao is depictled with more human-like and conventionally attractive facial features.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Downplayed. Unlike the previous two timelines and other media, where Shao is depicted as an evil emperor that colonized Edenia - murdering King Jerrod, forcing Sindel to be his wife - and having enslaved countless people, here he is instead depicted as a respected military general. However, it's clear that his views on war, and willingless to partake in it, rather than have peace, puts him at odds with Sindel.
* AdaptationalWeaponSwap: He trades his Wrath Hammer for a massive axe in Liu Kang's New Era.
* BrutishCharacterBrutishWeapon: He is still as much of a brutish powerhouse as he was previously, and his new battle-axe hits as hard as the Wrath Hammer.
* HornedHumanoid: This time, he bears horns that are explicitly part of his body instead of his helmet.
* InSpiteOfANail: Although he's no longer an immortal conqueror or Outworld's Kahn, Shao remains a brutal BloodKnight with no fondness for Earthrealm's protector
* RedEyesTakeWarning: He has red eyes, which glow menacingly in the "Rulers of Outworld" trailer to show that he is still bad news.
* ReformedButNotTamed: He may have changed to be a more steadfast and valorous warrior to Outworld, but he is still as prone to warmongering and mocking as the Shao Kahns from previous timelines.
* SicklyChildGrewUpStrong: Shao's remade backstory had him born a frail and sickly child, much to the displeasure of his father, who used [[TrainingFromHell an intensive training regime]] to forge Shao into the hulking colossus who would rise to become the commander of Outworld's armies.
* UnrelatedInTheAdaptation: Rather than being Sindel's second husband and Kitana's stepfather, in this timeline, Shao is just an Outworld general, with no familial relationship with the royal family.
** Moreover, as Mileena is the biological daughter of Sindel and elder twin sister to Kitana, rather than a clone, he lacks a paternal relationship with her as well.
[[/folder]]
----

-->'''Shao Khan:''' I've heard enough of your family and clan.

-->'''Shao Khan:''' I don't fear you, ninja.

* ReformedButNotTamed: He may have changed to be a more steadfast and valorous warrior to Outworld, but he is still as prone to warmongering and mocking as the Shao Khans from previous timelines.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"General Shao, Victor of the Tavarian War, Conquerer of the Quaton Planes"'']]

* BigBad: Of the first three games, where his wish to conquer Earthrealm drives the plot. Returns as this in ''[=MK9=]'', whose plot happens to be based on the first three games.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: Any time Shao Kahn has been canonically faced with death, he never begs or squeals, only remaining largely silent. In certain brutalities in ''11'' that leave him at the absolute mercy of his opponent, he'll bluntly tell them [[GetItOverWith to get it over with,]] whereas many other kombatants [[AintTooProudToBeg are not proud to beg for their lives.]]

* GreaterScopeVillain: He's introduced as this to the first game. BigBad Shang Tsung and [[TheDragon Dragon]] Goro were actually CoDragons to Shao Kahn, who was all too ready to execute the former [[YouHaveFailedMe for losing the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament]] before being convinced to give him another chance.

* HornedHumanoid: In ''[=MK1]'', Shao has a pair of curved horns sticking out of his skull.

* PretenderDiss: In ''11'', upon learning that his former general Kotal became Kahn of Outworld in his absence, Shao ''doesn't'' take it well.
-->'''Shao Kahn:''' ''Kahn?!'' [[CatchPhrase Pathetic fool!]] You pretend on ''my'' throne!