Before Shao Kahn, Onaga, and the other major villains of Mortal Kombat came into play, there was the infamous Shang Tsung. This evil sorcerer has been here since day one and his rivalry with Liu Kang is on par to that of Scorpion and Sub-Zero’s.  

But as much as we may hate the sinister snake, we have to acknowledge the fact that Shang Tsung is a cool villain and he definitely knows how to look the part! And out of all the changes Liu Kang made for his new era, he didn’t dare change Shang Tsung’s fashion sense as you can see with the sorcerer’s MK1 skins.

#1: Sly Deceiver

Come on, how can you not trust that face?

Sly Deceiver in action:

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Look, all I’m saying is that if Shang Tsung appears on poker night I’m leaving, and the title of this skin will explain why! No better words to describe the sorcerer than Sly Deceiver, which is the name of this common New Era skin with a palette of brown and beige. To unlock Sly Deceiver, you have to level up your Character Mastery.

Since he first appeared in Mortal Kombat 1, Shang Tsung has been known as a snake, someone that no one should ever, ever trust. Even when Shang was working under Shao Kahn, the sorcerer was plotting to take his master’s throne the moment he gained enough power. So, if you were feeling even the tiniest bit of pity for Shang Tsung, DON’T.

#2: Subterfuge

Shang, did you bath in the blood of your enemies again?

Subterfuge in action:

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This guy really is the master of deception, isn’t he? Subterfuge, which is not only Shang Tsung’s specialty, but is also a common New Era skin and it has a palette containing red and black. To unlock Subterfuge, you have to level up your Character Mastery.

I still can’t get over how Titan Shang Tsung was able to fool everyone, even himself! The Shang Tsung of the current timeline had no idea he was being played by another version of himself, but even so, he had to admit how brilliant Titan Shang’s plan was. If that’s not subterfuge at its finest, I don’t know what is.

#3: False Witness

Any lawyer that decides to use Shang as a witness needs to be fired!

False Witness in action:

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Liu Kang was right to warn everyone not to trust anything that comes out of Shang Tsung’s mouth! This skin called False Witness is a legendary New Era skin, and its palette has silver and black as its colors. To unlock False Witness, you have to level up your Character Mastery.

Throughout MK1’s story mode, you learn about the various steps Shang Tsung had to take in order to screw up Liu Kang’s new timeline. A few of the major things he did was get close to the royal family by creating a temporary cure for Mileena’s Tarkat infection. He even lied to the women saying that Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, and Kenshi planned to expose Mileena’s secret and get Outworld to turn against them.

#4: Shapeshifter

This man knows he’s fabulous and is not afraid to show it!

Shapeshifter in action:

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The main trait of Shang Tsung’s that makes him stand out among the other Mortal Kombat characters is his shapeshifting ability! Above is a common Union of Light skin called Shapeshifter, which has a palette with red, gold, and white. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Shapeshifter as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.

Despite being a shapeshifter, that doesn’t mean that Shang Tsung can transform into anyone he wants. In order for this ability to work, he literally has to take the soul of a person to gain their appearance and abilities. But he can temporarily take on the appearance and powers of someone who’s still alive as we have seen through the series.

#5: Soul Stealer

Hey, souls need to stay in the body, Shang

Soul Stealer in action:

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I find it funny that Shang Tsung was punished with the curse of rapid aging, but it seems more like a blessing for the sorcerer rather than a curse. Here we have Soul Stealer, a common Union of Light skin and it has a palette similar to that of Shapeshifter. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Soul Stealer as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store. 

I mentioned before that Shang Tsung was punished, but let me explain thoroughly. You see, the sorcerer used to be a defender of Earthrealm, but after breaking the rules in one of the Mortal Kombat tournaments, the Elder Gods were not at all happy. So as punishment, the gods cursed Shang Tsung with aging at an extreme rate unless he took the souls of those he defeated in combat.

#6: Snake Oil

Ah, a snake selling snake oil. Fantastic.

Snake Oil in action:

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Okay, I know I said you shouldn’t feel bad for Shang Tsung, but that sad face he makes shortly after getting beat up at the beginning of MK1’s story is depressing to see. While we reminisce about Shang’s peddler days, let’s take a look at this common Union of Light skin, Snake Oil and its palette of blue and purple. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Snake Oil as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store. 

Snake oil in real life is used to describe marketing that involves scamming people into believing the items you’re selling are actually worth something. Some of those items included elixirs, magic potions, and cures for any kind of disease. Shang Tsung had sold a cure to a poor man at the beginning of Mortal Kombat 1, which he claimed would save the man’s daughter, but we all know how that turned out.

#7: Professor of Pain

Seriously dude, are you a sadist or something?

Professor of Pain in action:

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If Shang Tsung was a professor at my school, I’d be transferring real quick. Professor of Pain, which is a common Union of Light skin with a palette containing red and black. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Professor of Pain as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store. 

One of the most mysterious and creepiest locations within the Mortal Kombat franchise is Shang Tsung’s Flesh Pits. There have been only a few of the sorcerer’s creations who survived his twisted experiments with Mileena being the first to come to mind from the previous timeline. And the Flesh Pits in MK1…I think Johnny described it best when he said, “Your lab is the filthiest place I’ve ever seen”.

#8: Dark Contrivances

For a skin with “dark” in its title, Shang sure is shining bright right now

Dark Contrivances in action:

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Let’s see what skills Shang Tsung would have on his resume: dark magic, shapeshifting…murder, most definitely murder. Dark Contrivances is a legendary Union of Light skin for Shang and its palette contains gold and black. To unlock Dark Contrivances, you have to level up your Characters Mastery.

Speaking of dark contrivances, why don’t we talk about the Soul Stealers created by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi? These devices do as their name suggests, they steal souls on a much more massive scale than Shang Tsung can. The Soul Stealers remind me a lot of Shao Kahn’s Soulnados actually!

#9: Master of Ritual

Is there a ritual that’ll make Shang Tsung less of a jerk?

Master of Ritual in action:

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If any of you were thinking that there was any hope of redemption for Shang, then just picture this man laughing dead in your face for your stupidity. A Master of Ritual really, which happens to be the name of the common Order of Darkness skin above, and the skin’s palette has the colors, red, gold, and brown. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Master of Ritual as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store. 

There were a few villains that were able to turn a new leaf in Liu Kang’s new era, such as Mileena and Tanya. But Shang Tsung is an evil man through and through and there was no way he was going to even try to change. And I’m sure the sorcerer is going to find some way out of prison to wreak havoc once again.

#10: Fireproof

Huh, looks like Liu Kang isn’t the only one bringing the heat

Fireproof in action: 

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Since his archnemesis is someone who can wield fire, it’s a good thing Shang Tsung has fire abilities too. The last skin on the list, a common Order of Darkness skin as well, is Fireproof and in its palette are colors like orange and black. There are no specific requirements needed to obtain Fireproof as you can get it from the Shrine or purchase it from the store.

Besides shapeshifting and soul stealing, another of Shang’s many talents is his ability to wield fire. He can create portals made of fire, throw flaming skulls as projectiles in combat, and Shang can conjure up a giant, blazing cobra as a familiar! It’s a shame that Shang Tsung isn’t on the side of good, because he would be an incredible ally.

Look, Shang Tsung may be a deceiver, a mad man, and that one friend you can’t bring around your girlfriend because he’s stealing her soul, her heart, everything okay? But you can’t deny that the sorcerer is really fun to play as in Mortal Kombat 1, and every time Shang Tsung is on screen is just the best! Now you may be asking yourself: can I afford to get these MK1 skins for Shang Tsung? But the real question you should ask is: can you afford not to?

You may also be interested in:

• Best Mortal Kombat Villains (and Their Arch Enemies)
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