Not long ago,Mortal Kombat 11confirmedNoob Saibot with a gameplay trailerthat focused on his move set and his fatality in the latest installment in the gory fighting franchise. At the same time, Shang Tsung was also confirmed at the C2E2 Expo in Chicago, withMortal Kombatcreator Ed Boon confirming that this character will be voiced by the same actor from the 1995Mortal Kombatmovie, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.
For those out of the loop, Tagawa is a Japanese-born American actor, sports physiologist, martial artist, and stuntman who has appeared inStar Trek: The Next Generation, the James Bond filmLicense to Kill,Miami Vice,MacGyver,Mortal Kombat, and more. He later reprised the role of Shang Tsung in 2 episodes of theMortal Kombat Legacyweb series. He also voiced Sin Tzu in theBatman: Rise of Sin Tzuvideo game, so in other words, Tagawa will bring plenty of experience when using his voice and likeness to play Shang Tsung inMortal Kombat 11.
Shang Tsung, as the right hand of Shao Kahn and archenemy of Liu Kang, served as the final boss in the originalMortal Kombat. However, inMortal Kombat 11, he’s the first DLC character as well as the guide to theKrypt, which is the game’s campaignequivalent that will offer players serious challenges and unique unlockables.
In a response to Ed Boon on Twitter, Tagawa gave “massive arigatos and mahalos” to theMortal Kombat 11creator. To have him return after a film adaption many years ago is indubitably an honor to the actor and the character, with Tagawa seemingly having a good relationship with theMortal Kombatcommunity based on his comments on Boon’s announcement.
While we wait to learn more about Shang Tsung, many fans of the franchise are likely waiting for the beta to drop in a few days. For those who want to participate, here’show to get access to theMortal Kombat 11closed beta.And this beta will hopefully do much for fans until the full game releases closer to the end of April.
Mortal Kombat 11releases May 31, 2025, on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
