He is currently (if still alive) a fourty something year old looking man, that is actually almost one thousand years old (by my counts.. but still a matter of discussion) and uses the living energy of other beings to retain his physical appearence and powers.

That "fast aging" thing in only comic book crap, in my opinion...

http://mksecrets.net/mk2/eng/mk2-development.php

Shang’s very early form depicts his true form as almost an oni like demon.

Oh, come on, I don't believe them. Tsung a horned demon (in the human form)? That's stupid, why haven't they ever informed us of that? I still don't think I trust them.

It might not hold anymore, it was in the early development of MK2.

But it is still the only "true form" ever shown.

Then why did you bring it up?

I'd go with old man. If one remembers, he was GIVEN the youthful look from MK2 on.

Shang Tsung is a demon in his "true form". He has to consume the life of others in order to retain his appearance and powers.

He used to be a pet to Shao Kahn too.

Shang use to be Shao Kahn's pet? Explain now.

Incorrect. He is originally from Earthrealm /hence the need for Goro as the MK champion/. The demon thing was a concept art nothing more. Shang failed to appease his powers and gods and thus he was punished by the curse to steal the souls of others.

To be precise Kahn was his master beforehand .../ MK2 handbook /. That is why world domination is not what motivates Tsung, but more like eternal life.

There is still an obvious dilemma: Shang Tsung is said to be "an earth-born servant of Shao Kahn" in many places. But, then, in the first movie he called Liu Kang, Cage and Sonya "humans" several times. "Watch her carefully, Reptile. Keep her away from these HUMANS". "We've let these HUMANS win enough". "Hoping against hope. Such an endearing HUMAN trait".

Why did he call them "humans" so many times? I guess that should indicate that he belongs to some race other than theirs.

Superiority complex. There was a similar case in DOOM 3 with Dr. Bertruger. The guy was human but was allied with the demons of Hell.
Course, he became the main badass for Resurrection of Evil as the Maledict.

Just replace Bertruger with Shang, Hell with Outworld and the Maledict with the power to suck souls and that should be the answer.

We really don't know where Shang is from. His Tournament Edition bio list his origin as Earthrealm/Outworld. So until the Boon says otherwise, Shang's origin will remain Eathrealm/Outworld.

Shang Tsung is really a earthrealm human that has his "loyalities" to Shao Kahn. SO that is why it is Earthrealm/outworld.

Claiming Shang Tsung is from earth....there has got to be really something messed up with that logic...good grief.

And yes, he is an oni in his real form. That has been confirmed before. WOW SO many incorrect facts here.

I was always under the impression that Shang Tsung's older form was how he had aged with the prior nine tournaments that Outworld had won prior to MK1. When he had failed to win the tenth tournament, he was granted his youthful body back by Shao Kahn in order to fight in MKII. He was only the old man in MK1, so I guess it's safe to assume that he's going to now 'reage' physically with this generation of tournaments.

As far as his native realm, I always remember Shang Tsung being from Earthrealm. But I could be wrong.

Quan Chi was the Oni while Shang Tsung is a human.

I appoligize, I meant to say he is a demon in his true form.

Well O222, Where did you find that Shang Tsung is a demon and not a human?



For example, if you listen to the Onis in the netherrealm in MKD, They will say Quan Chi was once an Oni like them but he learned magic and became a sorceror.


All of Shang Tsung's incarnations, he is either A) human with magic or B) a humaniod with magic.

The Soul Stealing is what extending Shang Tsung's life.

Basicly he is a psychic vampire that sucks the lifeforce of his fallen enemies.

I think people are supporting the idea of "Tsung being a demon" mainly by the concept art thing they saw on www.mksecrets.net.

But that doesn't mean Tsung IS a demon, because if John Tobias wanted that fact to be officialy known and accepted, he would show the picture in one of the games. E.g. we all know Quan Chi was an Oni because that's how it was stated in the game. But, even if Shang Tsung was a demon, we don't find a single evidence. No one would agree that Shao Kahn is a Tarkatan, yet in the comics, whose events aren't considered canon, he has Tarkatan face.

Exactly. All this 'Shang is a demon" nonsense stems from those concept sketches... but concept sketches aren't canon. They're concepts. In fact, if you'll notice, the concept sketches presented on that website are ideas that were [i]dropped[/i], ideas like Jax being a kickboxer and Kathy Long being a selectable character.

Every in-game reference calls Shang a human sorcerer, and he came originally from Earthrealm. No mention has been made of this alleged "demonic form" in any game, or any Midway statement, or indeed anywhere else except for this rough concept sketch. So it's clear that the MK team let it die very early in game developement, and Shang is no more a demon than Jax is a kickboxer or Kintaro is a killer tiger furry.

Now, as for whether he's old or young, it's both. He's clearly old (you HAVE to be old to have been around since the early days of Mortal Kombat) but he also has a curse that causes him to age rapidly. So it's a bit of both: yes, he is an old man IRL, and if it weren't for the rejuvenating effects of the souls he steals, he'd be a decrepit old fart. But he also has a curse that makes him age faster than normal, so while his IRL form might only be a few thousand years old agewise, without the souls he would look far, far older than he actually is.

And really, when you get right down to it, you're only as old as you look.

Lol, I started a commotion.

Hm. I guess I got that one wrong then. I was under the impression that ^^ this information was the non cannon. Mainly because I got your information from the comics, and the "demon" originality from a game mag....conceptual or not I thought it held more weight.

eh, lol...you got me Chrome.
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To the others here, do not consider the movies, t.v. show, cartoon show, or the comics as cannon information. That's where I made my mistake. For this particular situation here, stick to the game info.

Shang Tsung is not as riddled with retcons like some other characters. So, it's pretty evident whether right or wrong.

Ah, damn, that made me laugh !!!

Well, i agree 200% with Tsung being originally a human (centuries ago), that learned various styles of magic / mystical powers control, and was sedused by the possibility of living forever, using his supernatural abilities to consume other living being's life force (wich is called in many cultures by "soul").

Although his origins remain of an Earthrealm Human, over the centuries of killing, consuming souls, gaining more and more power, he started loosing his humanity, and distanciating himself far beyong what can be called a "human".

Like someone said above, Shang can be called a "physic Vampire".
It is possible that with his abrupt rejuvenations everytime he consumed a soul, with the fact that his powers and psysical youth depend on his energy resources, and not on himself, if he took a breack from stealing souls for a short period of time he would probably age much faster than any other human being. Because his youth and strenght depend on (and must be sustained by) the energy he steals, i believe that if he stoped depending on souls to be alive, he would age fast and die in a handfull of days.

This can explain that "fast aging God's curse" bullshit.

As for the "demonic true form".. well, after centuries of developing his abilities over the Dark mystical arts, he became something that no other human being can possibly become. He can even match (and draw) with Quan Chi, who is an Oni by origin, and so much stronger than any human being. So Shang can defeat demons, wich allied to his cold personallity and superiority complex (i wouldn't call it a complex.. but just a realistic way of seing things.. he IS much stronger than a normal human), make him a really Evil person. And so, worse than a demon.

Well, that's my opinion about my favourite MK character.