what exactly is shao kahn?

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dragonfists1004

New member
ok, we all know shao kahn is sum evil dictator or sumthing and invaded edenia and all that stuff. but there is one question that always crossed my mind: what race is shao kahn? it was either i never listened and the said it, or they never even said it. so can you help me out?
 
dragonfists1004 said:
ok, we all know shao kahn is sum evil dictator or sumthing and invaded edenia and all that stuff. but there is one question that always crossed my mind: what race is shao kahn? it was either i never listened and the said it, or they never even said it. so can you help me out?
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Shao Kahn is a kind of Demon, there was a pic of him in the MK2 booklet without his helmet. He looked fearsome compared to now.
Shang Tsung is also a kind of Demon apart of being a roaming sorcerer. by the times of MK1-MK3, he was supposed to a have a Demon form also acording to the storyline. It went all downhill after. Those two character alone had so much potential but it all went to waste.
 
I was trying to find the scans with the bacground story of their origins but I only found these pics:

Shang Tsung: check out the bottom right corner, according to the text, it was said that it was Shang Tsung true form (a Demon). I remember how we wanted so bad to have it implemented in MKDA. He was supposed to be the boss in MKDA so after a the first round you defeated him, he would morph into his true form. Unfortunatly, it never came true.

http://www.angelfire.com/ex/outerworld2/characters/tsung-gprob.jpg

Here is a concept of Shao Kahn without his helmet, I doesn't look to human anymore doesn't he?

http://www.angelfire.com/ex/outerworld2/characters/kahn-gprob.jpg
 
It all depends on what you define as demon or sorceror. Kahn and Tsung are both obviously stronger and share very little to nothing in comon with Oni, which means demon, like Moloch and Drahmin. This would sugjest that they are not of the same race. A demon, by definition, would be a creature that is closest to be calling "native" to the Neatherealm. So, in all truth and reallity not even Shinok is a true demon.

Most people like to use the term demon loosly both in MK and the rest of the world as a general name to all evil beings. In Christian Mythology a demon is by definition the fallen angels that chose to serve Lucifer.

If you take the time to read the section on mk history on the TRMK site you will read that Shinok killed Lucifer. He inherited Lucifer's thrown and, with it, the fallen Angles.

So, whether you look at it in a Christian veiw, an MK veiw, or a general veiw; the only two demon we know are Moloch and Drahmin.

So, if Kahn and Tsung are not demon, then what are they? Tsung is a sorceror. He is native born to Earth, as the history sections will tell you. A sorceror is a being that practice the craft of shifting the powers of reallity. Or, in short, a person who does magic.

Now, considering the Christian world sees the practice of magic as Satanic, the dubbing of Shang Tsung as a demon would seem logical. But if we look at him by definition, he is a sorceror, native born to Earth, that colects souls and practices that dark arts. He is not a demon. He is a mortal who has found imortality by means of sorcery.

Shoa Kahn is not demon. Tarkatan are hybrids of demon and mortal. Now, in referance to the post of how feirce Shoa Kahn looked in MK2 pictures, you are corect. I beleive they originaly intended Kahn to be Tarkatan, much like Baraka. But over the years, and thanks to the movie, he is seen a more mortal if anything. But, we must also look at edenia. Edenians live for next to forever and look remarkably human.

Kahn was the Emperor of Outworld before he invaded Edenia. He rose to power by assasinating Onoga with poisen, as Deception points out. Kahn is then asumed to be native to outworld, and not Edenia.

The simple answer. Although Shoa Kahn is not demon, his race in un-clear. He is either Edenian, or Outworld; more likely Outworld. He has too acheived imortality by the same arts that he has taught Tsung. The movie teaches that. He is "imortal."

So, from the MK2 pic he is prooved Tarkatan. From MKA, he is prooven likely Edenian. Two conclicting sorces that leave us, as the fans, to interpert to our liking. Actualy, MKA even hinted of him being, in a sense, a demi god. Kahn is up for grabs on for issue of race. One thing's for sure, he'll never be truly dead. lol
 
Good points. In a way when I said that Kahn was kinda of a demon, it was more for general purpose for an evil being.
I'm basing my points at the time of MK2. Check the links btw! After that, it all changed.
 
Nice pictures. I agree completely that MK2 promotes Kahn being at least half-demon. But the movie has contradicted it, and it kinda ends up to be whatever we all choose.

Those are awsome pictures of Tsung. It's an interesting perspective having Tsung morph into a true demon form. It does contradict the story and would have put Quan Chi to shame though, so it's probably a blessing it didn't come to pass. MK Complete Storyline 0-6-2 "Shang Tsung (an Earth-born servant of Shao Kahn) eventually won the Mortal Kombat tournament." But it would have been awsome to see demon form. lol

By the way, where do they validate Tsung being Earth-Born? I don't remember anything spaficaly claiming that until I read this. http://www.trmk.org/features/mkstory/index.php?pid=8
 
In the comics Kahn has demon features on himself. In MK:Conquest J.Meek played both Raiden and Kahn, both were very human like.

Intereasting calling Shoa Kahn a demon... Maybe if demons are fallen angels, could Kahn have been a angel or at least a great warrior who fell from grace.

I have a question, has anyone ever translated Kahn's name?
 
Angel said:
In the comics Kahn has demon features on himself. In MK:Conquest J.Meek played both Raiden and Kahn, both were very human like.

Intereasting calling Shoa Kahn a demon... Maybe if demons are fallen angels, could Kahn have been a angel or at least a great warrior who fell from grace.

I have a question, has anyone ever translated Kahn's name?
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I think someone did, but I can't remember.

I remember Shang Tsung. Shang in chinese is CHANG and means Strength.

Many videogames or movies characters are often taken from religious names:
Take Kain for example from the Legacy of Kain series: kain comes from Cain and Cain was Adam & Eve first son. He killed his brother Abel because God acepted Abel's offering instead of his.
If you take it deep, Kain (LOK) is a vampire would do wathever it takes to stop being a pawn of the gods.

I will do some research later to see if I find anything.
 
I heard that at first Baraka's appearence was supposed to be how each and every outworlder appeared. Tsung used his shifting abilities to look human, and it explains why kahn had the teeth and the head spikes in the MK2 instruction book. i think that idea was scrapped tho, along with goro's dad being a dragon and mom being human
 
I think with the roar, they still kept Goro being a half human half dragon. But they simply do not flaunt the truth of what the Shokan race is very much anymore. Besides the Kombat itself, they have justified the use of the Dragon as its logo with Onaga now more than anything else.
 
Goraka said:
goro's dad being a dragon and mom being human
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ugh^

Shang is described as a shapeshifter, and i dont know how a human can be a shapeshifter without demon blood in them, so that means that tsung being demon logical. Kahn, btw, means leader(Ghengis Kahn=Great Leader) i aint sure what shao means though... The Kahn being a demon thing most likely is an idea scrapped, and no offense but i think Kahn being tarkatan is retarted. And while we're on the subject, maybe Onaga is Goro's grandpappy, and Kahn kept him as a servant to keep him from finding out, just like with reptile and his race. There is only one thing we know, and that is that no one ever dies...
 
Kosta_Kila said:
Goraka said:
goro's dad being a dragon and mom being human
Click to expand...
ugh^

Shang is described as a shapeshifter, and i dont know how a human can be a shapeshifter without demon blood in them, so that means that tsung being demon logical. Kahn, btw, means leader(Ghengis Kahn=Great Leader) i aint sure what shao means though... The Kahn being a demon thing most likely is an idea scrapped, and no offense but i think Kahn being tarkatan is retarted. And while we're on the subject, maybe Onaga is Goro's grandpappy, and Kahn kept him as a servant to keep him from finding out, just like with reptile and his race. There is only one thing we know, and that is that no one ever dies...
Click to expand...

Shang Tsung is said to be born on Earth in the TRMK Complete Storyline. It is 0-6-2 http://www.trmk.org/features/mkstory/index.php?pid=8"Little over 500 years ago, Shang Tsung (an Earth-born servant of Shao Kahn) eventually won the Mortal Kombat tournament. To please Kahn, Shang Tsung not only took the lives of his opponents, but he took their souls as well. Doing so also has personal benefits to Tsung, as he retains the thoughts and memories of his victims. Additionally, the more souls he takes, the more effectively he can retain a youthful appearance, despite having existed for centuries. However, after repeated victories in the tournaments that followed, Tsung became overconfident. Before he could claim ten victories for his emporer (0-6-1), Tsung's overconfidence proved to be his undoing, for (the first) Kung Lao, fighting as a representative of the Shaolin temples, defeated him in Mortal Kombat and ended the streak."

That makes him being a demon imposable by any standards. He is a sorceror. And that means he can shape-shift. Freddy Krueger is a mortal who uses the dark arts to shape-shift and find imortality, and he is not demon. Beast Boy from Tean Titans does shape-shifts and is not a demon. And furthermore, Nightwolf shifts into an animal, and he is not a demon. Most Characters in MKT have animalities, and that is a form of shape-shifting. None of them are demons. Having to be demon to shape-shift has no merit once so ever. And Kahn being Tarkatan is actualy the best bet for race. He has the human body with the Tarkatan teeth. That simply means he is more human than demon. To call the posability of Kahn being Tarkatan retarded simply means you like to shut off doors to perfectly logical posibilities that a good deal of people back up as plausable; or that you are ignorant to the definition of what a Tarkatan is. A Tarkatan is a half human demon hybrid. In other words, don't call my ideals that are plausable and make logical sense retarded. Then go and make posts about Tsung on ignorant statments based on the, "all evil beings who shape-shift must be demon," train of thought that is out-dated and has no proof nor back-up once so ever.

Please refrain from insults. I know you said no ofense, but it still is insulting. Please learn some maturity, open-mindedness, and wisdom. Thank you. :-)
 
yo, dude, no need to bite my head off. retarted probably wasnt the right word for me to use, but it seems odd to me that if he was tarkatan, then why wasnt baraka more loyal instead off just moving from master to master? and i havent seen a pic that TO ME (as in maybe not to you but to me) makes him look tarkatan. Seriously messed up, but not tarkatan. And btw, i know what a tarkatan is, so no need to lecture me there.
 
So I guess he is Tarkatan but a flaw is that he never uses his blades in battle so that pretty much makes it a smaller chance of that and also that I think Shinnok is Kahn's Father if i'm not mistaken.
 
Hmm... You know, if the whole Oni/cross with outworlder thing can happen once, maybe it happened before, not nessacary with a outworld race though. Kahn might not be one of Baraka's race, but he could be from a previous mutant race. Though, Kahn since is ancient, most likely his race is long extinct. The dragon king Ruled outworld, Kahn most likely was born in outworld since he was his right hand man before murdering him.

If they do ever decide to make MK:A's relationshiop with Raiden true, then they would be of the same race. Raiden can take on 'mortal form' (AKA human appearance) and whose to say that Kahn's form is his true form.

If Kahn taunt Shang everything he knew (supposdely), then he proeprly taunt him shapshiting and therefore, Kahn would know how to do it himself. Doesn't mean he has to be SEEN shapeshifting, if he knew how to do it he properly has no longer any intereasts in using it. Just jbecause you have the power to do something doesn't mean you have to use it, if you don't use it, no one will expect you to do it when you do use it. Reminds me of the time in MK:conquest where Raiden told Kung Loa's friends about shapeshifting, 'Its easy, all you require is a little bit of energy', which have hinted MK:C Raiden properly knew how to do it (but again not nesscary used it) himself.
 
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