Shao Kahn

Shao Kahn is a character from the Mortal Kombat games.

Shao Kahn the Konqueror is represented as the embodiment of evil. In many respects, he resembles a large Asian warrior, and is well known amongst the roster of Mortal Kombat Kombatants for his godlike strength which rivals, if not outright exceeds, that of Raiden, the God of Thunder. He is also known for his extreme callousness, brutality, ferocity in battle, and his fondness of personal executions, though he has occasionally spared the lives of his subordinates, if they prove their worth, and his victims such as Sindel and Kitana, raising the latter like his own daughter and treating the former like his own wife. However, his true power that has served him well and allowed him to rise above the image of a mere warlord is his high intelligence and profound knowledge of the black arts. Like his subordinate Shang Tsung, he has the power to consume other souls.

Perhaps Shao Kahn’s greatest strength lies in his ability to work towards his goals with great tenacity and his ability to organize. However, his greatest weakness is his arrogance and overconfidence. Shao Kahn has often underestimated mankind, and therefore tried to conquer Earthrealm many times, with or without a queen (consort), to no success. He also possesses a blinding lust for conquest that can sometimes overwhelm his better judgment, allowing him to be manipulated by those that are cunning enough to exploit this weakness.

Appearance
Shao Kahn is one of the few non-ninja characters whose appearance has stayed consistent throughout the years. He is easily recognizable by his intimidating stature; his apparent height varies between appearances, but he is always significantly taller than regular characters. He is almost never seen without his trademark warlord helmetwhich features a skull-like design with a long crest at the forehead. His attire usually consists of spiked shoulder pads, similarly designed kneepads and gauntlets, and a skull medallion embedded in two straps that intersect across his chest. When his helmet is removed, he appears to be bald with a slightly demonic face featuring red eyes and small spikes protruding from his head.

In Mortal Kombat 11, Shao Kahn retains the same key design features along with a more detailed helmet and pauldron. In addition, his whole body now appears dragon-like, with spikes protruding from his skin, apparently only a design change to make him look less human. However, during some intros, it's implied that Shao Kahn wields the power of his former master and previous Kahn, Onaga.

Personality
Shao Kahn is a treacherous, violent, ruthless, sarcastic, persuasive, egotistical and bloodthirsty sadist, so he has driven to his goals by any means, yet also possesses a strange sense of humor, laughing maniacally all the time. He desires only power and will do anything to make sure he has it, showing great paranoia at times. Kahn is also extremely manipulative, malevolent, arrogant, and cruel, so he desires only to conquer other realms and add them to his own. He also shows compassion and romanticism in some media, such as the live-action series (as he seduces and charms several women in the series, including two of Quan Chi's undead female slaves) and shows a fatherly, caring relationship with Kitana despite the fact that she is covertly working against him.

Jeffrey Meek's role is more interesting when one considers that he played Raiden on the same show, occasionally opposite himself. In episode 21, "Stolen Lies," he deceives a society of people called the Shaakans into believing that he is their god; every aspect of their culture (Farland = Outworld, children pretending to steal souls, a six-armed Shokan warrior and Kahn's henchmen on the scarf, a skull on the head of a Shaakan warrior) reflects this blind worship of the Outworld emperor.

In Battlewave, Shao Kahn would arrange a different plan to open the portals. He kidnaps Sonya and, by means of hypnosis and brainwashing, convinces her to marry him. The marriage would weaken the barriers between realms enough to allow Kahn to seize Earth easily (and make Sonya the queen of both realms and his wife). During the wedding ceremony held, however, the wedding would be crashed and he would be stopped by the Earthrealm warriors' interruption, ending with Sonya becoming free from Kahn's influence. In the comic, he claims to not be the romantic type, but he also states that Sonya is very beautiful as his bride. However, he soon comes to realize that both Outworld and Earth would be in turmoil as a result of the wedding.

In Shao Kahn's personal Armageddon ending, he successfully merges all of the Realms to Outworld, but is soon driven to madness, because there are no longer have any realms left to conquer.

Powers and Abilities
Shao Kahn is shown to be an immensely powerful being throughout the series. He is able to utilize magic and has superhuman strength and durability. He is also able to charge at the opponent with considerable speed and power. His kombat abilities were demonstrated during the events of Mortal Kombat 3, where he defeated Kung Lao with relative ease. Armed with his Wrath Hammer, Shao Kahn can send opponents flying with one swing. During the events of Armageddon, he was able to smash through Mileena's magic barrier with his hammer.

Like Shang Tsung, he can absorb the souls of others to increase his own power, often through the usage of soulnado. His ability to absorb souls is so potent, he can rob the billions of souls of an entire realm with a hand motion, often using portals in conjunction with his soul steal to access the souls of a realm without stepping foot on it. The warrior souls he has taken have also retained their memories such as combat knowledge, making him wiser with every soul he imprisons within him.

Shao Kahn is one of the few wielders of the mysterious green energy besides Johnny Cage, Cassie Cage, Nightwolf and Jade. He is one of the most versatile wielders of green energy, as he can use it to create energy weapon constructs such as spears, generate protective forcefields that reflect projectiles and fire energy beams seemingly from his eyes and shoot laser beams from his hands. He can enhance his strikes with green energy to increase the power behind his attacks, greatly increase his attack speed with it (like how Johnny Cage uses green energy to speed up his attacks in his Little Improve fatality) and sometimes use it to propel himself to great distances.

Apart from his projectile attacks, Kahn's knowledge of magic seems to include cloning, as this is how he managed to avoid assassination at the hands of the Deadly Alliance. After escaping into the wilderness, he was able to heal and resuscitate a mortally wounded Goro and recruit him back to his cause. Shao Kahn has also created a body of flesh and bone for Shang Tsung using his magic when the evil sorcerer's original body was vaporized by Raiden's suicide attack in the events of ''Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. He is capable of resurrecting others as well, he demonstrated this ability in the events of Mortal Kombat Trilogy ''where he brings Mileena back to life after she was killed by Kitana.

His powers extend to wielding psychic powers, as he was able to enslave the thousands of souls within the magical being Ermac using his powerful mind control and is capable of using telekinesis to lift and rag doll opponents.

It is revealed in Mortal Kombat 11 in an intro between Scorpion and Skarlet that Kahn has knowledge in other fields of magic as well, as he was the one who taught Skarlet how to use Blood Magik and could possibly bestowed upon her this powerful and gruesome ability to manipulate blood.

Signature Moves

 * Light Spear: Shao Kahn crouches down to his knees and throws a long light spear at his opponent. In MK11, the attack is called Merciless Spear, and now has a physical appearance rather than being made of light and energy, but is still summoned as such. The attack can also hit ducking opponents, but also has a chance of completely missing standing opponents, even if they are blocking.
 * Charging Spikes: Shao Kahn shoulder rams his opponent with a shadow trail following behind him. In MKII, MK3, and UMK3, Charging Spikes had white trailing shadows and in Trilogy was replaced to green, however in N64 version, the shadows were blue. In MK11, it is called Shoulder Charger. 
 * In MK 2011, the attack has armor on startup.
 * In MK Mobile, Shao Kahn performs this as one of his combo-enders. Has the same appearance as performed in MK 2011, although he does not leave a green trait when charging.
 * In MK11, Shao Kahn can amplify the attack to deliver an additional strike for increased damage, however the attack can not be amplified if it is blocked by the opponent. When amplified, the attack can deliver two separate attacks depending on a button input and can be amplified as many times as possible:
 * Shao Kahn uppercuts the opponent into the air for a juggle.
 * Shao Kahn delivers an overhead fist slam, knocking his opponent to the ground.
 * Wrath Hammer Attack: Shao Kahn summons his Wrath Hammer and smashes his opponent over the head with it, setting them up for a free hit. In Deception and on, the Wrath Hammer became a weapon style and thus was no longer needed as an individual special move. In MK11, the attack is called Hammer Lunge, and can be used at different ranges, called Close/Far Hammer Lunge, respectively. The far version of Hammer Lunge can reach the opponent full-screen distance Additionally in MK11, Shao Kahn is vulnerable as he leaps with his hammer, leaving him open to attack in some instances.
 * In MK 2011, the attack has armor on startup.
 * In MK11, amplifying the attack has Shao Kahn impale the opponent in the stomach with his spear then toss them in the air and away for additional damage.
 * Explosive Ball: Shao Kahn fires a green star like fireball, seemingly from his mouth or eyes.
 * Uplifting Knee: Shao Kahn performs a rising knee attack with a streak following behind him. Between two games, Uplifting Knee had white shadows, but in Trilogy they were replaced by green. In the N64 version however, they were blue.
 * Hammer Dance: Shao Kahn swings his hammer at an alarming rate, causing his foe to fly. He makes nine dancing strikes and one final strike.
 * Ridicule: Shao Kahn would often taunt, mock, and ridicule his opponents with insults, mockery, or just plain laughter. It is a trademark of Shao Kahn's and is what makes him one of the more memorable bosses in fighting game history. In Deception, performing a Ridicule could heal Shao Kahn, though only a tiny sliver of health would be recovered and could only be performed three times a match before it was automatically disabled. Same goes for Armageddon; however, in it there is no limit to the amount of times this is used. It heals him once for a rate above 10%, and decreases the more it is used.
 * In MK Mobile, Shao Kahn only taunts on tagging in or after performing his Culling The Weak passive if the opponent still has teammates on their team. If there are no opponents when he performs his passive, he will simply laugh.
 * When tagging in, he only says "You suck", and points at his opponent upon entering.
 * When tagging out, he spawns his hammer, carrying it away on his shoulder and laughs at the opponent when walking away.
 * In MK11, the attack has two versions;
 * Ridicule: Shao Kahn points and taunts his opponent.
 * Successfully performing this version causes the opponent to catch fire with a green fire for a short time, reducing all the damage they deal by 50% for the duration. Only the first strike of the opponent's Fatal Blow will be reduced. If Shao Kahn is attacked before the opponent catches fire, the debuff will not take effect. Connecting a Krushing Blow or being struck by one ends this effect prematurely.
 * Humiliate: Shao Kahn laughs at his opponent.
 * Successfully performing this version causes the opponent to catch fire with a green fire for a short time, but will not reduce the opponent's damage unlike Ridicule. If Shao Kahn is attacked before the opponent catches fire, they will not catch fire. Connecting a Krushing Blow or being struck by one ends this effect prematurely.
 * Grab and Punch: Shao Kahn lifts his opponent up by the throat with one hand and then smashes his fist into their face, sending them sailing back. In Deception and Armageddon, this is simply his throw, and if performed next to a Death Trap, could automatically knock opponents into them.
 * Emperor's Shield: Shao Kahn creates an energy shield to either reverse attacks or to shatter the opponent.
 * Mystic Choke: Shao Kahn engulfs his foe in a force field and slams him/her twice in the chest.
 * Hammer Throw: Shao Kahn throws his hammer at the opponent, stunning them and setting them up for a free hit. This move is only blockable with Nightwolf's Absorb, Kratos' Golden Fleece, and Kenshi's Blade Absorb, or dodgeable with Freddy Krueger's Nightmare Stance and Jade's Shadow Flash. Shao Kahn has armor on start-up. In MK11, the attack is called Wrath Hammer and no longer stuns, but can hit ducking opponents. Shao Kahn can also perform the attack in the air, called (Air) Wrath Hammer, respectively. The airborne version is an Equip Ability and must be selected to use in a variation along with the original.
 * In MK Mobile, Shao Kahn kicks his opponent before throwing his hammer. Additionally, the attack is blockable, but equipping specific equipment cards can make it unblockable.
 * In MK11, after successfully landing Wrath Hammer, landing a second Wrath Hammer on an opponent as a Punish or Kounter turns the attack into a Krushing Blow, causing the hammer to shatter the opponent's ribcage on impact, knocking them further back and dealing over three times the attack's original damage.
 * Hammer Swing: Shao Kahn uppercuts the opponent with his hammer, also allowing a possible juggling combo if the move connects. Shao Kahn has armor on startup.
 * In MK11, this is a basic attack called Dragon Toe, which has Shao Kahn uppercut the opponent with a single-handed hammer swing. When used in the corner of an arena, it offers a brief moment of combo extensions; otherwise, the opponent is knocked away.
 * Hammer Cut: Kahn sweeps the foe with his hammer. Shao Kahn has armor on startup.
 * In MK11, this is a basic attack called Hammer Slammer, which is Shao Kahn's sweep attack, in which he simply sweeps the opponent with a low hammer swing.
 * Upward Shoulder: Shao Kahn performs an upward shoulder charge, juggling the opponent. While charging, Shao Kahn leaves a green shadow trail when performing the attack, similar to his Charging Spikes. Shao Kahn performs this during his Fatal Blow in MK11 but never in the actual game. Shao Kahn has armor on startup.
 * In MK Mobile, Shao Kahn performs this as one of his combo-enders just before performing a Charging Spikes.
 * Scum Grab: Shao Kahn grabs the opponent out of the air by the throat and throws them on the ground in the opposite direction.
 * Amplifying the attack has Shao Kahn slams his hammer on the downed opponent after throwing them to the ground for increased damage.
 * Up Wrath Hammer: Shao Kahn uppercuts his opponent with his hammer. As they are launched in the air, his hammer is teleported above the opponent, slamming down on them and knocking them to the ground. Although it is not noted in the combo list, Shao Kahn can choose where he wants his hammer to land, whether it being close, normal or far. Additionally, Shao Kahn does not have to connect the first strike of the attack to have his hammer land on the opponent, however the hammer will not always land on the opponent if this is done. This ability conflicts with Seeking Wrath Hammer when equipped, disabling the option to select Seeking Wrath Hammer.
 * Seeking Wrath Hammer: Shao Kahn throws his hammer backwards, where it loops around the fightline and strikes the opponent from behind. This ability conflicts with Up Wrath Hammer when equipped, disabling the option to select Up Wrath Hammer.
 * Dark Priest: Shao Kahn summons a priest who enchants his Wrath Hammer, causing it to glow green for a short time. While active, all attacks involving Shao Kahn's Wrath Hammer deal 10% increased damage. If Shao Kahn is attacked before his hammer turns green, the buff will not take effect. Connecting a Krushing Blow or being struck by one ends this effect prematurely.
 * Ground Shatter: Shao Kahn slams his hammer on the ground, damaging the opponent's shins and feet.
 * Amplifying the attack has Shao Kahn deliver a second, overhead slam, knocking the opponent down for increased damage. Despite Shao Kahn performing this action, the amplified version is not actually an overhead attack.
 * Annihilation: Shao Kahn hits the opponent over the head with his hammer forcing them to the ground. He then slams his hammer on the ground, forcing the opponent to stand back up where he slams the hammer over their head, knocking the down for a second time. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
 * Amplifying the attack no longer has Shao Kahn deliver the second hammer slam, but has him impale the opponent in the stomach with his spear after slamming it on the ground, after which he spawns his hammer, spins, and knocks his opponent away full-screen distance for increased damage.
 * If Dark Priest is active, performing the regular version of the attack turns the attack into a Krushing Blow, having the second hammer slam shatter the top of the opponent's skull and bouncing them into the air for a juggle and dealing increased damage. The juggle effect is extremely brief, but performing the Krushing Blow in the corner greatly increases this opportunity. The Krushing Blow will not activate if the attack is amplified.
 * Skewered: Shao Kahn stabs upward with his spear, snatching airborne opponent's out of the air and slams them on the ground with his spear in front of him. This attack replaces Scum Grab when equipped.
 * Amplifying the attack has Shao Kahn bounce the opponent down in the opposite direction for a juggle. The attack can only be amplified once for the juggle effect.
 * Spear Charge: Shao Kahn charges at his opponent with his spear drawn. stabbing them in the stomach and knocking them away. This replaces Shoulder Charger when equipped.
 * Amplifying the attack has Shao Kahn release the spear after stabbing the opponent, causing them to fall to their back. He rolls forward, grabbing the spear still impaled into the opponent, picks them up and bounces them off the ground for a juggle, dealing increased damage in the process.
 * X-Ray Move - It's Official: Shao Kahn hammers his opponent to the ground and grabs their arm. He then stomps on their head (breaking the whole skull), lifts the opponent up by the arm, and delivers a skull-shattering headbutt.
 * In MK Mobile, Shao Kahn summons his hammer, points at his opponent saying "Bow to Me" before the startup, then leaps and shatters his opponent's spine and ribs with his hammer in addition to the original.
 * Fatal Blow - You Suck: Shao Kahn impales the opponent with his spear and slices them twice across the chest before launching them upwards with a vertical slash. He then performs an Upward Shoulder before throwing them down and nailing them to the ground with his spear. Finally he brings his Wrath Hammer down hard on the opponent's head.

Other Moves

 * Throw: Shao Kahn slams his fist down on his opponent's head, forcing them to their knees, and then summons his Wrath Hammer to strike them with.
 * Culling The Weak: Shao Kahn has a chance to assist his fellow Outworld teammates by throwing his hammer at the opponent from off screen.
 * Emperor's Bash: Shao Kahn grabs his opponent, slams his fist on their head to force them to his knees. He then summons his hammer and smashes them with it, sending them flying. The attack is completely unblockable.
 * Throw (Forward): Shao Kahn jabs the opponent in the stomach and over the head with his hammer, bringing them down on all fours, then launches them across the arena with a golf swing.
 * Throw (Backward): Shao Kahn hits the opponent in the stomach with his hammer, then spins around the opponent, hitting the opponent in the back of the head with his hammer.
 * DIE: Shao Kahn strikes the opponent with the butt of his hammer's handle, backhands the opponent then stabs them in the stomach with his spear, where he stabs them three more times in the chest with his spear before kicking them away.
 * If Shao Kahn has successfully landed three or more Merciless Spears, the combo turns into a Krushing Blow, with the final stab being dug significantly deeper, causing blood to splatter and dealing double the combo's original damage.
 * Last Breath: Shao Kahn kicks the opponent in the knee, stomps on their foot and picks them up over his head and crushes their back and side over his head before dropping them on the ground in the opposite direction.
 * If the opponent is under the effects of Ridicule or Humiliate, the combo will be turned into a Krushing Blow, with the final hit shattering both the opponent's spine and back ribcage and dealing over double the original damage.

Fatalities

 * Head Crusher: Shao Kahn hammers his opponent into the ground leaving only their lost consciousness.
 * Shao Kahn hammers his opponent into the ground leaving only their head sticking out. He then laughs before hammering his opponent into a bloody explosion.
 * Home Run: Shao Kahn uppercuts his opponent into the air, and smashes them to pieces with his hammer as they fall. In MK 2011, he grabs the opponent by the neck and flips them in the air before delivering the killing blow.
 * Fore: Shao Kahn hammers his opponent into the ground and then, when they are buried up to their torso, smashes their head off with a golf swing.
 * Emperor's Bash: Shao Kahn boasts out to the crowd then pounds his opponent with his hammer several times, eventually breaking their neck.
 * Double Down: Shao Kahn jabs his hands into the middle of his foe's torso and slowly rips their body in half down the middle.
 * Back Blown Out: Shao Kahn hits the opponent in the stomach with his hammer, then smashes them over the back of their head, bringing them down on all fours. Finally Shao Kahn delivers a golf swing with his hammer, crushing the opponent's head inward with it flying through and out of the back with their entrails of their downed body with the spine attached due to the force of the blow delivered.
 * Kahn-Sequences:  Shao Kahn slams his hammer over the opponent's head, crushing their neck inward and forcing the opponent to their knees. He then replaces his hammer with his spear, stabbing the opponent in the stomach and lifting them up into the air. Shao Kahn slams their body on the ground, cutting the opponent vertically in half with his spear, with their head falling through their severed body into a pile of their organs underneath their upright but collapsing body.

Brutalities

 * The Klassic: Shao Kahn performs his uppercut, decapitating the opponent with their spine coming off with their head. This brutality is shared will every character.
 * Must not block for the entirety of the final round.
 * A button must be held.
 * Charging Through: Shao Kahn performs a Shoulder Charger, charging through the opponent, cutting them in half vertically from the head down.
 * Requires Shao Kahn to be at a certain health level.
 * A button must be held.
 * Kahn Croquet: Shao Kahn performs his Throw (Forward) with the final swing decapitating the opponent and sending their head flying upward.
 * A button must be repeatedly tapped.

Other Finishers

 * Hara-Kiri: Hammer Throw: Shao Kahn launches his hammer into the air, and it comes back down and crushes his head.
 * Babality: Shao Kahn is turned into a baby and still standing on his feet, points at the opponent and says "You suck!" (in a high-pitched voice). He then starts to laugh (in baby giggles) in his laughing taunt pose.
 * Culling The Weak: Once per match, Shao Kahn performs his Emperor's Bash Special 2, only this time, he crushes the opponent's head with his hammer instead. The opponent's body disappears shortly after, with Shao Kahn either taunting them if the match continues or laughing at them if he has won the match.
 * This requires the opponent to be at a certain health level, otherwise Shao Kahn will swing his hammer as normal and the finisher will not be performed.

Trivia

 * Kahn started out unmasked and with large gnashing teeth similar to Baraka, since everyone from Outworld was originally to be of Baraka's race. The idea of all inhabitants of Outworld being Tarkatans was later dropped.
 * In MKII, Kahn was digitally re-sized to a taller height to make him tower over the playable characters. Ironically, the actor who played him, bodybuilder Brian Glynn, was not nearly as imposing in comparison; a photograph published in GamePro magazine of Glynn and Ed Boon standing side-by-side, which was snapped during production of the game, showed that Boon was taller.
 * In many official depictions of Shao Kahn made by Midway, he is shown wearing a cape, which he takes off before starting a fight. Mortal Kombat: Deception was the first game in which he wore the cape in-game.
 * Shawn Kittelsen on twitter confirmed that Shao Kahn was not killed in MK11's story mode simply blinded.
 * In Mortal Kombat: Deception, in Konquest Mode, his costume is based on his MKII appearance.
 * Kahn was never seen unmasked in a game until Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, where once he loses half his health, a scene plays in which he pulls out a hammer and throws it at the player, which the player throws back at him and smashes the mask to pieces. His face is based on the MKII comic depiction.
 * His height changes considerably between depictions. In the 2D games, he was scaled to be even taller than the Shokan Goro and Kintaro, yet he was depicted as only half a head taller than the regular characters in Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. In Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, he appeared to stand around seven-and-a-half feet, with Liu Kang and Kung Lao only coming up to his chest, but he was not quite as tall as either Shokan character. He appears to be around the same height in Mortal Kombat (2011) as he was in the 2D game, about a head taller than the playable characters, but Goro and Kintaro are again taller than him.
 * Shao Kahn's voice is an ever present sound in the Mortal Kombat games. Even when he isn't present, he can be heard in the form of an announcer with phrases such as "Outstanding", "Well Done", "Incredible", "Superb" and "Excellent". He also orders you to finish your opponent at the end of a match (supporting his character type). His voice can be heard in Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, which featured Mortal Kombat themes. Starting in Mortal Kombat II, he narrates the match. He would often laugh when a kombatant was low on health. He was the announcer for all games from MKII until MK4, where Quan Chi was the announcer. Kahn resumed being an announcer afterward, even when you fight and kill him as an opponent.
 * A 1993 UK-published strategy guide for Mortal Kombat II described Kahn as being "dressed like a '70s disco queen."
 * Kahn's name was accidentally hyphenated in the closing credits of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation ("Shao-Kahn").
 * Though Kahn has no official Animality in the games, in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Kahn is given the Animality of a Five-Headed Hydra.
 * Though Shao Kahn was initially shown to be well over 10,000 years old, Mortal Kombat: Armageddonplaces him as being even older. Shao Kahn was shown to be highly infamous before Taven and Daegonwere sealed, which happened before Shinnok's fall from grace. In Shinnok's ending in Mortal Kombat 4, he states that Raiden had imprisoned him for "millions of years." Contrarily, Raiden states in the intro of the game that it was only some thousands of years ago. The fact that Shinnok's ending is non-canon may mean that it was in fact not millions and only an exaggeration. This also indicates that Shao Kahn had been attempting to conquer Edenia for a very long time, since Taven stated that Shao Kahn had launched an unsuccessful invasion before he (Taven) was sealed.
 * Although Shao Kahn holds a staff in Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, he has never been seen using it.
 * In UMK3, Shao Kahn is the only character who bleeds from Robot Smoke's teleport.
 * Shao Kahn's "mask" or "Skull mask" is actually a Kabuto, a Japanese Samurai helmet with a Menpō, a face mask commonly worn with the Kabuto.
 * Despite being the "announcer" for most games, Shao Kahn will have a different voice actor in-game then when commentating.
 * In MK 2011, when he is performing his Ridicule, some of the classic taunts throughout the game returned, such as "It's official, you suck!", "Don't make me laugh!", and "Prepare to Die!"
 * In an MK 2011 trailer, Shao Kahn uses his Double Down Fatality on Raiden.
 * Shao Kahn has been the final boss in more Mortal Kombat games than any other character.
 * In his MK 2011 victory pose, a slave girl is shown crawling to and hugging his thigh as he proudly stands. This could imply that he has female slaves of his own.
 * Both their poses are reminiscent of pulp Conan the Barbarian artwork. In particular, a certain pieceby Frank Frazetta.
 * This can be further shown in MK11, where he, in an interaction with Cassie Cage, states that Cage would be his new concubine. Kahn goes even further by saying that he likes women with "fire."
 * In Mortal Kombat (2011), Shao Kahn's Hammer Throw can be avoided by any female character by simply crouching while the male characters cannot do this. This is due to the hitbox being smaller for female characters in comparison to the male characters.
 * In MK Mobile, the attack can also be dodged by Assassin characters and Relentless Jason due to both Jason and Jade's passive.
 * In a Top 10 list hosted by Screwattack.com, Shao Kahn was placed at #4 of the best Mortal Kombat Characters in the Mortal Kombat Series.
 * In the start of MK 2011 's story mode, Shao Kahn appears in his MK vs DCU costume, but is not present in the game. As his MK vs DCU outfit is similar to what he wore during the last leg of the 1st timeline, it was possibly a deliberate decision on the development team's part.
 * In the Parody fighting game "Divekick", In Kung Pao's story; she's the daughter of Theodore Khan and he's an evil dictator. Theodore Khan is likely to be a parody of Shao Kahn.
 * In Mortal Kombat X, Ermac may say one of Shao Kahn's taunts, saying "Feel the Wrath of Shao Kahn!" during an interaction.
 * He is a playable character in the mobile version of Mortal Kombat. He is a Diamond character given by completing the Relic Hunt, unlike the other Diamond cards who are Elite Pack exclusives.
 * Shao Kahn is one of two Diamond characters not obtainable through the Elite Pack, as he is obtainable through Relic Hunt. The second is Klassic Reptile, who is obtainable through the Quest Mode.
 * Shao Kahn is the only character in the mobile game with two equipment cards, the items being his Wrath Hammer and later added was his Helmet.
 * His Helmet is the only equipment that gives the exclusive character a bar of Super Meter.
 * Originally the Helmet gave Shao Kahn two bars of Super Meter, but this was later changed shortly after the character and item were released.
 * It is also the third of three items that give Super Meter to the holder, the first being his Hammer, the second being the Bloody Tomahawk.
 * Shao Kahn's Helmet is also the only Armor equipment card in the mobile game that grants Critical Chance to the wearer.
 * It is also grants the highest bonus of Critical Chance at 40%.
 * This was originally 75% before it was patched along with the original 2 bar of Super Meter bonus.
 * Shao Kahn is the only character in the mobile game that can acquire 4 bars of Super Meter. This can only be achieved if both his Helmet and Wrath Hammer are equipped to his card.
 * The fourth bar is not an extra ability, rather just extra Super Meter. It has no symbol for an attack and nothing will happen when the player clicks on it.
 * In addition, it requires the same amount of hits needed to fill the first bar of Super Meter.
 * Shao Kahn is the only character in the mobile game that can actually kill his opponent. This will not work on Challenge Bosses, as of an update.
 * This is unique as it overrides any passive bonuses or Talent Tree perks that prevent the opponent from being defeated.
 * Ex. Jason Voorhees' Slasher card resurrects twice, but Shao Kahn can prevent him from resurrecting completely by killing him.
 * Another example is that he can override the Revenant and Bone Shield Talent Tree bonuses that prevent a character from being defeated and prevents damage from special attacks, respectively.
 * Shao Kahn is one of six characters with a revamped X-Ray move for the mobile game. The others are Freddy Krueger, Takeda, Kung Jin, Jade and Kintaro.
 * Shao Kahn and Freddy are two of three exclusive characters from MK 2011 with very different X-Rays than their originals. The other is Kintaro who uses Goro's X-Ray from MKX.
 * Shao Kahn gains a new startup with a spine and rip shatter at the beginning.
 * Freddy gains a jaw-breaking punch in the middle.
 * Kintaro borrows Goro's entire X-Ray.
 * Shao Kahn originally was the only Diamond character card in the mobile game with a Stun for his Special 1.
 * As of Update 2.0, Kold War and Spec Ops Scorpion are now Diamond characters, giving them this trait.
 * Shao Kahn is one of two characters in the mobile game to give tagging in support to his teammates. The first was Erron Black's Bounty Hunter card.
 * However, Shao Kahn only supports Outworld teammates, whereas Erron Black supports any character tagging in.
 * Shao Kahn is one of the few characters in the mobile game to tag-in with a special attack.
 * While these characters uses attacking special attacks, Shao Kahn points at the opponent and taunts them when tagging in.
 * Shao Kahn is one of the few characters with a completely unavoidable special attack in the mobile game.
 * Revenant Jax and Injustice 2 Raiden are the only characters in the mobile game with every special attack being unavoidable, as all their special attack break block on the starting hit.
 * Shao Kahn's Hammer and armor can both be seen in Quan Chi's Fortress in Mortal Kombat X.
 * His Hammer can also be used as an interactable and a Stage Brutality.
 * When performing the Brutality and using the hammer in general, a green aura will surround the area the hammer slams down on, much like when Shao Kahn used it.
 * Additionally, using a mod to inspect Shao Kahn's armor in Quan Chi's Fortress shows the armor is damaged, particularly his helmet.
 * When inspecting the helmet, it looks just like his helmet at the end of Mortal Kombat (2011) after he was killed by the Elder Gods.
 * Shao Kahn does not appear in Mortal Kombat X but only in cameos in character endings, a statue in the Story Mode and the Emperor's Courtyard Stage, and a crumbling statue in the opening credits. He is mentioned by many characters in interactions and by a few in the Story Mode.
 * Shao Kahn does not make a physical appearance in the game.
 * Shao Kahn also cameos in player card backgrounds and icons.
 * In the DC fighting game Injustice 2, although he is not mentioned by Sub-Zero or Raiden who are featured as playable guest characters, Shao Kahn's name appears on multiple pieces of Raiden's gear.
 * Sub-Zero and Raiden will mention Dark Kahn during interactions and clashes, however.
 * Shao Kahn makes a cameo appearance during Scorpion's intro in Injustice: Gods Among Us.
 * The way Brainiac sits in his ship and watches the fight in his arena in the DC fighting game Injustice 2 is very similar to how Shao Kahn sits in his thrones in MK 2011, the stages being Shao Kahn's Throne Roomand Kahn's Arena.
 * Shao Kahn returns in Mortal Kombat 11, becoming the second character in Mortal Kombat history after Goro to be a pre-order bonus character.
 * As revealed in the Story Mode trailer, Shao Kahn appears in the Story Mode, making him one of four characters to appear in a game's Story Mode before being playable as DLC. The other three are Skarlet, Tanya and Bo' Rai Cho.
 * However Shao Kahn was announced as a pre-order bonus before his appearance in the Story Mode was confirmed.
 * This also makes Shao Kahn the first pre-order bonus character to actually have a role in the Story Mode of the game he is a pre-order for, as Goro had nothing to do with and was not present whatsoever in the MKX Story Mode.
 * Goro was, however, the sub-boss in the game's arcade tower.
 * Shao Kahn is one of the few characters in MK11 with a different voice actor from his last appearance.
 * For his appearance in MK Mobile, his only audio is his reused taunts from MK 2011. Additionally, he only has three lines used for his Feats of Strength, which are performed by his current voice actor.
 * Shao Kahn is one of two original final bosses in the series as playable characters in MK11. The other is Shang Tsung.
 * Coincidentally, both are DLC characters for the game, however Shao Kahn is a pre-order bonus character.
 * Shao Kahn is one of two Kahns playable in MK11, the other is Kotal Kahn, the current Emperor of Outworld in the Current Time line.
 * Upon delivering a Brutality in MK11, Shao Kahn will deliver one of his classic taunts (such as "It's official: You suck!").
 * Additionally, after performing certain combos and winning a round, Shao Kahn may deliver one of his many classic taunts at random.
 * In MK11, many of Shao Kahn's classic taunts are used as names for his combos.
 * In MK11, Shao Kahn can not be played without his mask on. However, when a Fatal Blow, Krushing Blow, or fatality are performed on his, his helmet is removed.