When Shang Tsung arrived as some sort of savior, fans were left wondering what direction Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath would go in. It was shocking to see him working with Fujin, the God of Wind, and Nightwolf, warning Liu Kang not to meddle with Kronika's Hourglass if he didn't have the crown.
Of course, diehard fans were instantly suspicious that he'd betray the Fire God and Raiden when they sent him to the past to get the crown. But there's a lot more to Shang Tsung's quest. When he shows his full hand and who he's really working with, it reconciles a lot from his past and informs why he's embarked on this deadly new alliance.
Shang Tsung Uncaged
The sorcerer was cast into the Void when Kronika first asked him, Nightwolf and Fujin to aid her in the last game. When Liu Kang beat her, he destroyed her crown, not knowing its importance, and this freed them all. However, Shang Tsung was the one who built the crown for her and gathered souls to fuel it. In that sense, he's always been her lackey and not really that of Shao Kahn's. Upon being liberated, he calculates quickly how to save reality so he can mold it.
He was Kronika's servant by design and, not only does he know the secrets of the crown, he also knows the secrets of the Keeper of Time herself. Now, the heroes don't know this because Shang Tsung's job is to get the crown to Raiden so he can work with Liu Kang in the future and rebuild the history of the series. But when they reach Kronika's gates, the true alliance is unveiled in its might as Shang Tsung's endgame falls into place.
The Royal Alliance
Earlier, Shang Tsung insisted they use Sindel, as her power could help him break Kronika's legion at the Keep. They knock her revenant self out and use the Jinsei Chamber and the Soul Chamber to purify Sindel and bring the Edenian Queen back. She reunites with Kitana, who finally meets the pure version of her mother. However, Sindel's not who she says she is -- she's actually working with Shao Kahn.
Old lore stated Shao Kahn raided Edenia, killed King Jerrod and forced Sindel to be his wife, but she confesses this is a lie she made up. She killed the king, as she was in love with Shao Kahn, who she felt was a better man and weapon to her. Sindel frees Shao Kahn from Katana's prison, kills Sheeva and then takes the Shokan army to head to the Keep to aid Shang Tsung. The secret deal is that he'll remake the world in their image, capping years of servitude to the couple.
The King of Betrayals
Shao Kahn and Sindel take out Kung Lao and imprison Kitana and Liu Kang before making their way to Shang Tsung to remind him everyone's expendable if they don't abide by their rules. The shape-shifter ends up duping Fujin by impersonating Raiden and stealing the crown for himself. After sucking the souls of both these gods and leaving Nightwolf for dead, they all head to Kronika's Keep, where they eliminate her revenants.
However, Shang Tsung turns on the royal couple and indicates they'll be bending the knee to him. He only served them to get closer to the crown, and he's been playing them all this time, as they're the only people who would bring an army to his cause. He worked to earn their trust and used them because he also wants to exact revenge for all the years he was a minion.
They refuse to yield, but Shang Tsung easily dispatches them before sucking their souls out, gloating how he was always meant to rule them all. Their combined power, plus that of Fujin and Raiden's, allows Shang Tsung with his crown to be on equal pegging with Kronika and her Titan abilities.
Developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mortal Kombat 11 is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and Google Stadia. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is now on sale digitally.