The main villain in Mortal Kombat 2 needs to make up for an underwhelming aspect of the first movie. Even though the first film, which was released in 2021 and rebooted the movie franchise, received underwhelming reviews, anticipation is high for the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2. After the ending of 2021’s Mortal Kombat, Earthrealm’s champions are set to compete in a tournament against Outworld in the sequel.

Therefore, many new characters will be introduced in Mortal Kombat 2, such as Kitana, Jade, Baraka, and Quan Chi. Additionally, several enemies from the first movie have been confirmed to return from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the sequel. For example, Quan Chi, a Netherrealm sorcerer, will bring Bi-Han and Kano back from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in Mortal Kombat 2.

While their returns have not yet been confirmed, it’s also possible that Mileena and Goro will return in the sequel. Therefore, Earthrealm’s champions will have their work cut out for them in Mortal Kombat 2, but no Outworld enemy will be more threatening than Shao Kahn. After being teased in the first film, Shao Kahn will be Mortal Kombat 2’s main villain, and will hopefully make up for Shang Tsung’s underwhelming role.

Shang Tsung’s Role Was Underwhelming In The First Mortal Kombat Movie

Shang Tsung Was The Main Villain In The First Movie

One of the most disappointing aspects of the first movie was that it didn’t include an actual Mortal Kombat tournament, which is a staple of the video games. Instead, the first film saw Shang Tsung recruit several Outworld fighters to kill Earthrealm’s champions before the tournament began.

Shang Tsung recruited warriors like Sub-Zero, Mileena, Goro, and Kabal, who were all exciting to see in the first movie. However, Shang Tsung himself didn’t really get much screen time, which was disappointing since he is a great villain in the video games. Even though Shang Tsung was technically the main antagonist of the first movie, he mostly pulled the strings from behind the scenes.

In fact, Shang Tsung did not get into any fights at all in the first movie. Shang Tsung threatened Earthrealm’s champions at the end of the film, but he never actually showcased how dangerous he is. Therefore, the powerful sorcerer’s role was very underwhelming in the first Mortal Kombat movie.

Mortal Kombat 2 Can’t Repeat This Mistake With Shao Kahn

The Emperor Of Outworld Will Oversee The Tournament In Mortal Kombat 2

While Shang Tsung barely got any screen time in the first movie, he will thankfully return in Mortal Kombat 2. Therefore, there’s a chance the sequel will redeem Shang Tsung’s underwhelming role in the first film. However, unlike in the 2021 movie, Shang Tsung will not be the main villain in Mortal Kombat 2.

Instead, Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld, will act as the primary antagonist in the highly anticipated sequel. Since Shao Kahn rules over Outworld, Shang Tsung was actually working for him in the first movie. However, after the plan to kill Earthrealm’s champions before the tournament failed, Shao Kahn will likely be displeased with Shang Tsung in the sequel.

Since he is the emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn probably won’t fight in the tournament until the end. However, I’m still hoping that he will be one of the characters with the most screen time in Mortal Kombat 2, rather than a villain that just orchestrates events from behind the scenes. Unlike Shang Tsung in the first movie, Shao Kahn should be front and center during the tournament in the sequel.

Shao Kahn Is A Scarier Villain Than Shang Tsung – And Mortal Kombat 2 Needs To Show This

The Mortal Kombat Movie Franchise Needs A Terrifying Villain

It can’t be denied that Shang Tsung is a very dangerous enemy, but Shao Kahn is his boss and has more power than him in Outworld. In most cases, Shao Kahn would overpower Shang Tsung in a one-on-one fight. Therefore, Mortal Kombat 2 needs to quickly establish Shao Kahn as a villain that audiences should fear.

This was unfortunately not the case with Shang Tsung in the first film. If anything, audiences were far more afraid of Sub-Zero in the first movie. It is not a good thing for secondary villains to overshadow characters like Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn, since they are two of the main antagonists in the franchise.

Just like the first movie, Mortal Kombat 2 will feature a lot of Outworld enemies, but none of them should be more dangerous than Shao Kahn. In addition to being his boss, Shao Kahn is also more physically imposing than Shang Tsung. The sequel has a huge advantage since 6-foot-9 bodybuilder Martyn Ford is playing Shao Kahn. Therefore, Mortal Kombat 2 can’t waste such a great villain, like the first movie did.

Mortal Kombat 2’s Shao Kahn Needs To Make Up For Two Previous Movies

Shao Kahn’s Last Live-Action Appearance Was In 1997

In addition to redeeming Shang Tsung’s underwhelming role in the 2021 film, the upcoming sequel also needs to redeem Shao Kahn’s awful portrayal in 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. This critically panned movie was the last time Shao Kahn was seen in live-action. In Annihilation, the Outworld emperor was portrayed by Brian Thompson, who delivered a very campy performance.

In the 1997 movie, fans couldn’t take Shao Kahn seriously and actually be scared of him because a lot of his dialogue was way too corny. As seen in the table above, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is by far the lowest-rated live-action film in the franchise. Because of this, people who have never played the video games have an awful opinion of Shao Kahn as a villain.

This is unfortunate, since Shao Kahn is actually an incredible villain in the video games. Therefore, it is crucial that the Outworld emperor is one of the most important (and menacing) characters in Mortal Kombat 2. This may sound extreme, but if Mortal Kombat 2 doesn’t get Shao Kahn right, then I don’t think there’s any hope for the movie franchise.