Key Highlights:
- Complete guide covering Shang Tsung’s Fatalities, Animality, and Brutalities in Mortal Kombat 1.
- Platform-specific inputs with Input Distance and Execution Difficulty ratings for Fatalities and Animality.
- Brutality requirements include Fighter Mastery ranks, final-hit conditions, hidden variations, and Seasonal Store Brutalities. Features mastery tips, button notation, and video guide.
Quick Links:
Shang Tsung is an Outworld sorcerer who uses alchemy, soul manipulation, and shapeshifting in Mortal Kombat 1. His finishers combine experimental potions, summoned creatures, and transformations into other fighters.
This guide covers all of Shang Tsung’s Mortal Kombat 1 finishers, including Side Effects, Feeding Time, the With A Twissst Animality, and every Brutality. Each section provides platform-specific inputs, Input Distance requirements, unlock methods, Final Hits, and Additional Conditions.
How to Perform Shang Tsung’s First Fatality in MK1 (Side Effects)
Input Distance: Close-Range
Execution Difficulty: Easy
- PlayStation: ⬅️⬇️⬇️🅾️
- Xbox: ⬅️⬇️⬇️🅑
- Nintendo Switch: ⬅️⬇️⬇️🅐
Shang Tsung pierces his opponent’s neck with one of his claws before forcing a glowing liquid down their throat. The potion begins spilling through the wound as Shang Tsung cuts open the opponent’s abdomen.
The Fatality ends when the unstable mixture causes the victim’s body to rupture from within. Side Effects reflects Shang Tsung’s use of fraudulent cures and experimental alchemy in Mortal Kombat 1’s New Era.
How to Perform Shang Tsung’s Second Fatality in MK1 (Feeding Time)
Input Distance: Mid-Range
Execution Difficulty: Easy
- PlayStation: ➡️⬇️⬅️🔺
- Xbox: ➡️⬇️⬅️🅨
- Nintendo Switch: ➡️⬇️⬅️🅧
For his second Fatality, Shang Tsung summons a table and restrains his opponent on its surface. He cuts open their abdomen before pouring a green liquid directly into the wound.
The potion produces a serpent-like creature that tears through the opponent’s body and consumes their brain. Feeding Time reinforces Shang Tsung’s reliance on alchemy and summoned organisms rather than his traditional soul-stealing abilities.
Important: Shang Tsung can also perform the Winter, Halloween and Thanksgiving fatalities if they are unlocked on the player’s account. These seasonal Fatalities are not unique to Shang Tsung and can be performed by other playable fighters.
How to Perform Shang Tsung’s Animality in MK1 (With A Twissst)
Input Distance: Mid-Range
Execution Difficulty: Easy
PlayStation: ➡️⬅️⬇️🅧
Xbox: ➡️⬅️⬇️🅐
Nintendo Switch: ➡️⬅️⬇️🅑
Shang Tsung transforms into a giant king cobra and coils around his opponent. The snake constricts and twists their body before crushing the victim and biting into their head.
With A Twissst revisits Shang Tsung’s cobra Animality from Mortal Kombat 3, giving the returning transformation a far more elaborate finishing animation in MK1.
All Shang Tsung Brutalities in Mortal Kombat 1
Shang Tsung has The Klassic and five character-specific Brutalities unlocked through Fighter Mastery. Bed Of Spikes, Stick Around, Chomp! Chomp!, Fire It Up, and It Has Ended become available at Mastery Ranks 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15.
Several finishers require Shang Tsung to be in either Young Form or Old Form before performing the Final Hit. Soul Steal and Run Down are separate Seasonal Store Brutalities and are not unlocked through Fighter Mastery.
The Klassic
Unlock Requirement: Available by default
PlayStation: ⬇️ + 🔺
Xbox: ⬇️ + 🅨
Nintendo Switch: ⬇️ + 🅧
Final Hit: Uppercut
Additional Condition: Hold the attack button during the Final Hit.
Shang Tsung removes his opponent’s head and spine with an Uppercut. The Klassic can be performed in either Young or Old form without increasing his Fighter Mastery Rank.
Bed Of Spikes
Unlock Requirement: Fighter Mastery Rank 3
PlayStation: L1 or ⬜ + 🅧
Xbox: LB or 🅧 + 🅐
Nintendo Switch: L or 🅨 + 🅑
Final Hit: Back Throw
Additional Condition: Hold Up during the Final Hit.
Brutality Variation: Hold Up and Back Punch after initiating the Back Throw to trigger the alternate screen-throw animation.
Shang Tsung throws his opponent onto a summoned bed of spikes. For the standard version, begin holding Up as soon as the Back Throw starts.
Stick Around
Unlock Requirement: Fighter Mastery Rank 5
Required Form: Young Form
PlayStation: ⬇️⬅️ + 🅧
Xbox: ⬇️⬅️ + 🅐
Nintendo Switch: ⬇️⬅️ + 🅑
Final Hit: Bed Of Spikes
Additional Condition: The opponent must be airborne when the Final Hit connects.
Shang Tsung summons a bed of spikes beneath the airborne opponent and impales them as they fall. Unlike Bed Of Spikes, the Back Throw Brutality, Stick Around activates through the Special Move of the same name.
Chomp! Chomp!
Unlock Requirement: Fighter Mastery Rank 7
Required Form: Young Form
PlayStation: ⬇️➡️⬜
Xbox: ⬇️➡️🅧
Nintendo Switch: ⬇️➡️🅨
Final Hit: Straight Skull
Input Distance: At least Jump Distance
Additional Condition: Hold Back during the Final Hit.
Shang Tsung launches Straight Skull from long range. The projectile transforms into a creature that bites through the opponent when the Brutality activates.
The opponent must be at least Jump Distance away before the projectile connects, making positioning as important as the held direction.
Fire It Up
Unlock Requirement: Fighter Mastery Rank 10
Required Form: Old Form
PlayStation: ⬇️➡️⬜ while airborne
Xbox: ⬇️➡️🅧 while airborne
Nintendo Switch: ⬇️➡️🅨 while airborne
Final Hit: Aerial Down Skull
Input Distance: At least Jump Distance
Additional Condition: Hold Front Punch during the Final Hit.
Shang Tsung must jump before performing Aerial Down Skull from Old Form. The projectile erupts beneath the opponent and burns away their body when the Brutality activates.
Both fighters must be correctly positioned. Shang Tsung must be airborne, while the opponent must be at least Jump Distance away.
It Has Ended
Unlock Requirement: Fighter Mastery Rank 15
Required Form: Old Form
PlayStation: ⬇️⬅️🅧
Xbox: ⬇️⬅️🅐
Nintendo Switch: ⬇️⬅️🅑
Final Hit: Injection
Additional Condition: Press Down three times immediately after Shang Tsung grabs the opponent.
Shang Tsung injects his opponent with an unstable substance that begins dissolving their body. The victim writhes as the effects spread before fatally breaking their own neck.
Begin pressing Down as soon as Injection catches the opponent. Waiting until the grab animation is nearly complete may prevent all three inputs from registering.
Seasonal Store Brutalities
Shang Tsung has two additional Brutalities available through the recurring Seasonal Store. Soul Steal and Run Down are separate from Fighter Mastery and remain available to Shang Tsung once acquired.
Soul Steal
Unlock Requirement: Seasonal Store
Required Form: Old Form
PlayStation: ➡️ + 🅾️, ⬜, 🔺
Xbox: ➡️ + 🅑, 🅧, 🅨
Nintendo Switch: ➡️ + 🅐, 🅨, 🅧
Final Hit: Nerve Endings
Additional Condition: Hold Front Punch during the Final Hit.
Shang Tsung completes Nerve Endings before tearing the opponent’s soul from their body. The victim collapses as the stolen soul is drawn towards the sorcerer.
The complete Kombo uses universal notation Forward + 4, 1, 2. Shang Tsung must already be in Old Form before beginning the sequence.
Run Down
Unlock Requirement: Seasonal Store
Run Down has two valid activation routes.
Laid Low
PlayStation: ⬅️ + 🔺, 🔺, 🅧
Xbox: ⬅️ + 🅨, 🅨, 🅐
Nintendo Switch: ⬅️ + 🅧, 🅧, 🅑
Final Hit: Laid Low
Additional Condition: Hold Forward during the Final Hit.
Orthopedic Takedown
Required Form: Old Form
PlayStation: ➡️ + ❌, 🅾️
Xbox: ➡️ + 🅐, 🅑
Nintendo Switch: ➡️ + 🅑, 🅐
Final Hit: Orthopedic Takedown
Additional Condition: Hold Forward during the Final Hit.
Shang Tsung sweeps the opponent’s legs and continues through their body when Run Down activates. Laid Low works without a stated form requirement, while Orthopedic Takedown requires Old Form.
Run Down is unusual because the same Brutality can be activated through two different Kombos. The held Forward condition applies to both routes.
Shang Tsung’s Finisher Stealer
After transforming into his opponent with Form Stealer, Shang Tsung can perform that fighter’s Fatalities, Animality, and Brutalities while the transformation remains active.
PlayStation: ➡️⬇️⬅️🅾️
Xbox: ➡️⬇️⬅️🅑
Nintendo Switch: ➡️⬇️⬅️🅐
The stolen finisher still uses the opponent’s normal input and execution requirements. Any required Input Distance, Final Hit, held button, form, or Additional Condition must still be satisfied.
I found Finisher Stealer to be one of the most entertaining mechanics in Mortal Kombat 1 because Shang Tsung can finish an opponent with their own Fatality, Animality, or Brutality. No other fighter offers the same range of finishing options, although the transformation timer means you need to know the stolen character’s input before attempting it.
Additional Information: Understanding the Controls
For those unfamiliar with the standardised button notation across platforms, here’s a quick reference chart:
| Notation | Attack | PlayStation | Xbox | Nintendo Switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Front Punch | ⬜ | 🅧 | 🅨 |
| 2 | Back Punch | 🔺 | 🅨 | 🅧 |
| 3 | Front Kick | 🅧 | 🅐 | 🅑 |
| 4 | Back Kick | 🅾️ | 🅑 | 🅐 |
These standardised inputs ensure seamless execution of Fatalities across all gaming platforms, enhancing accessibility for players.
Shang Tsung Fatalities and Brutalities Video Guide
The video guide above demonstrates Shang Tsung’s Fatalities, Fighter Mastery Brutalities, Seasonal Store Brutalities, and hidden Brutality variation.
Watching each finisher can help confirm the required Input Distance, form, Final Hit, and timing for any Additional Condition.
In Mortal Kombat 1’s New Era, Shang Tsung is closely connected to Liu Kang and fellow sorcerer Quan Chi. His experiments with souls also connect him to Ermac, whose collective form was bound together through Quan Chi’s magic. Across the wider Mortal Kombat series, Shang Tsung has served as one of Liu Kang’s longest-standing enemies. You can explore our Liu Kang, Quan Chi, and Ermac finisher guides for their Fatalities, Animalities, and Brutalities.
