No one knows yet if he WILL return, but I definitely think that he should. I'd love to see him as a regular fighter. Not so much with the "emperor of outworld" look that he's had since MK2, but with a new design. Something that says that he's been reduced by his recent defeats. I'd almost like to see him fighting with the good guys against a common foe. I think that it could provide for some interesting plot twists.

I personally don't want to see the DK in the next game. He was a cool main boss, but not the kind I'd really like to see from one game to the next to the next etc. Maybe in MK9, if there is one. But not for at least one or two games.

Good topic!

.............nah.

Well Shao Kahn is already back, actually.
As absurd as the story may sound, in Gamecube's Deception it was revealled the Shao Kahn the Deadly Alliance killed was really a decoy clone Kahn created with some sort of magic relic.
The clone sat on the throne and was killed by Quan Chi and Shang Tsung while the real Kahn went into hiding to regain his power.

Nevertheless, I agree with Baraka407. I hope Kahn stays playable for a while and I think it would be more interesting seeing him weakened and struggling to regain his power from Onaga or whatever other bad guy may emerge.

I'd also like to see his background explored more, since we still know very little about Shao Kahn's past.

Yeah, I'm sure we'll see Shao Kahn again since like XiahouDun84 said is in the Gamecube version of MKD.

While the clone story may sound a bit silly, I guess at the end of the day, it kind of works...

One question I've always had about him was, just what the hell is he? He certainly can't be human unless he's mutated and/or took steroids....

Hopefully, one of the future MK games, preferably MK7, explains a bit of that at the very least...

reptile's konquest mode in DA said that he overheard the plot to kill kahn and so kahn was warned ahead of time. It's kind of ironic that kahn's loyal servant was the vessel for his former master to return.

Hopefully. I'd like to see a look where his helmet is cracked and one of the horns is missing. Like he has been in the battle and has taken a beating. With scars and stuff.

Check Reptiles bio again, he never had the time to warn his emperor. He was distracted by NItara, and he arriwed to the scene where the DA killed Kahn (clone Kahn). It really doesn't matter, I think Shang Tsung and Quan Chi should have finished the emperor off, they are very well capable of doing so.

My mistake.

Actually, Shao Khan can be the new Shang Tsung, he coud just become a normal playable character.....That would be cool, in the next game we coud have a bunch of unbelievabe boss characters playable and they are:

Quan Chi
Shinnokz
Shang Tsung
Shao Khan
and maybe even goro.

It would be cool to see them use their magical boss powers as reguar players.

Again Shao Khan shoud be the next Shang Tsung...

I think Shang Tsung will return. Quan Chi...maybe.
I do think that Shao Kahn would be better then the Dragon King, but until rumors and such start up, we will have to play the waiting game.

shang should go back to the old form...

quan-BURN MOTHER FUCKER!!!!...HANZO HASASHI(SCORPION) WILL GET YOU!

shao kahn should come back but weakened so hes a regular char

Shao Kahn should come back as a regular character, but he shouldn't be "degraded." Like Boon said in the interviews, Shao Kahn was originally meant to be the main bad guy, and despite the plot changes since then, he still is an important villain and has potential yet to be unlocked.

Um...well, Shao Kahn was weakened actually if you read his MKD bios....

Hope so in 1 way or another Thats all i gotta say

If he does he Should be playabe. Also I would bet he returns unmasked and brearing some type of scar on his face. from the Attack by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.

Um, no. Shang Tsung and Quan Chi attacked and killed Shao Kahn's clone while the real Shao Kahn hid himself from everyone else to try to regain his power....