Shujinko

"I was a fool, I had been deceived that I had been working for a greater good, I was in fact an unknowing tool of a greater evil."

- Mortal Kombat: Deception Bio

Shujinko is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat game series. He made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deception as the main character and protagonist of Konquest Mode.

About Shujinko
Shujinko made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deception as the game's rogue protagonist. He is an adventurer who, as a boy, dreamed of fighting Shang Tsung. He has traveled the realms and learned the kombat skills of many warriors. Without knowledge, Shujinko has done many evil deeds such as: offering Lei Chen to Hotaru, acting like a mercenary of some sort, using Bo' Rai Cho's warrior medallion to gain such credibility to join the Lin Kuei, being deceived by Damashi and challenging the Elder Gods for powers. His old age has made him wise, but at a cost: he bears an immense guilt for releasing Onaga into the realms again, and now that he is discarded by the Dragon King, has vowed to make up for this mistake. A member of the White Lotus, he shares traits with the games' Shaolin monk characters, such as his great receptiveness, deliberation and ability to meditate for weeks. Nevertheless, before all other things, he has always been a traveler and a student at heart.

Appearance
Of all the Mortal Kombat characters to appear in the series, Shujinko goes through the most drastic and progressive changes. At the start, Shujinko appears as a young teen with short, shaggy black hair dressed in red and brown village clothing. Upon adulthood, Shujinko's hair grows slightly longer and tied into a ponytail and wears a bright blue gi and beige pants, looking a bit like a warrior on his very first journey. Upon stepping into the pool in Chaosrealm, Shujinko gains a beige gi and a fairly long goatee with small streaks of gray. After the purification he received from Nightwolf, Shujinko adorns himself in armor, resembling much like a seasoned warrior. His hair is now loose and has grayed from age moving into his elderly years and has grown a fairly long parted mustache. Near the end of Konquest, Shujinko appears in beige robes not unlike an enlightened martial arts master. By this time, he is well into his elder years; his hair has completely turned white and his facial hair has grown past his chin.

Powers and Abilities
In his young years, Shujinko was trained by the Outworld martial artist, Bo' Rai Cho, the same one who had trained Liu Kang and Kung Lao, proving he was quite formidable in combat. After his first encounter with Damashi, he is imbued with a supernatural 'gift from the gods'. This gift allows Shujinko to copy the powers of anyone he fights and any super he can see or acknowledge (which can be noted as by mere thoughts or just by reading a book. In Deception's Konquest, he is shown turning into other fighters prior to a match). Thus far, he has absorbed the powers of the likes of Liu Kang, Sindel, the ancestor of Sub-Zero, Scorpion, etc. Due to his otherworldly experiences with other kombatants across the realms, Shujinko would undoubtedly be very powerful at this point. However, his elderly status may have indeed hindered his strength though the times he has been captured were intentional, as he does not seem to believe in violent confrontations in defense of his innocence.

Signature Moves

 * Spear Throw: Sending out a rope with a tipped Kunai at the end it impales itself in its victims allowing Shujinko to pull them through the air towards him for a free hit, as well as causing a small bit of damage. This move is borrowed from Scorpion: Shujinko even goes as far as saying "Get over here!" when using it (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Icy Breeze: Shujinko can send a blast of ice towards the opponent to freeze them in place for a free hit. This move is borrowed from Sub-Zero. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Flaming Fist: He dashes forward with his fist (on fire) extended forward, which knocks his opponents down. This move is borrowed from Kobra. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Flip Scissor Kick: Shujinko flips forwards in a circular motion, bringing his feet over his head and kicking the opponent and then landing back on his feet. Supposedly learned from Bo' Rai Cho and then taught to Li Mei. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Flying Jinko: This move is a variation of Raiden's Flying Thunder God move in which he flies toward the opponent while emitting small shockwaves from his body and shoving the opponent for a distance. If the opponent blocks the move, Shujinko is set up for a Juggling combo. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Bicycle Kicks: Shujinko would fly across the screen with a series of multiple kicks to the opponent's torso. This move is borrowed from Liu Kang. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Slide: Shujinko does a face first slide toward the opponent. If connected, he grabs their ankles, causing them to wobble, then bends upward and kicks them with both feet in the face, knocking the opponent down. This move is borrowed from Sindel. (MK:D, MK:A)
 * Opponent Slam: Using what telekinetic powers he has at his disposal, Shujinko would lift up and slam the opponent hard on the ground with a simple motion of the hand/arm. This move is borrowed from Ermac. (MK:D, MK:A)

Fatalities

 * Sword Plant: Shujinko decapitates the victim with a quick slash from one of his swords. As the headless victim falls to their knees, he unsheathes the second sword and plants them in the opponent's shoulders before they crumple unto the ground. (MK:D)
 * Shaolin Evisceration: Shujinko unsheathes his weapons as he promptly slices the opponent's limbs and head in quick succession before kicking them, causing the body to fall apart at the seams. (MK:D)

Other Finishers

 * Hara-Kiri: Arm Slice: Shujinko throws both of his blades, outstretches his arms, as they are amputated upon falling down upon them. Shujinko reels in pain as he quickly collapses to the floor in a puddle of blood. (MK:D)

Character Development
In Japanese, "shujinkō" (主人公) translates to "protagonist."

According to Mortal Kombat: Deception, Ed Boon labels Shujinko to be a "next generation Liu Kang."

Those who have seen Pai Mei in other films (such as Kill Bill Vol. 2) may notice that Shujinko bears a very similar look. Jokes on the Internet poke fun at Shujinko's look-stealing (first he looks like Liu Kang in early Konquest mode, then like Kung Lao and he even resembles Jarek at one point.) to move-stealing, a feature mocked by most fans. His alternate costume is at least partly inspired by the film Master of the Flying Guillotine.

Game Information
While playing through Konquest Mode in Mortal Kombat: Deception, local villagers say to Shujinko "May Lord Raiden bless you!" The irony in that statement is that in Raiden's ending, he kills Shujinko as a punishment for what he had done. Other villagers would shout him "you are being deceived!" in backward speech, alluding to Onaga's deception while posing as Damashi.

During his travels in Konquest Mode, Shujinko can interact with almost every major character of the franchise, either during the Konquest' linear story, as fight challenges or as side-missions. The only characters he never met during Konquest are Chameleon and Khameleon. Additionally, he sees Cyrax, Goro, Kintaro, and Sheeva, but does not interact with them at all. Worth noting is his brief encounter with the rarely seen Mortal Kombat 4 character Meat, whose cameo within the story was heavily debated before his inclusion in Armageddon.

The times at which Shujinko interactions takes place however, are somewhat erratic and sketchy, as Konquest Mode's timeline can be very non-linear and confusing, due in part to a mix of the player's choices as he/she plays, and bad writing on the staff's part. The many errors in Konquest mode's timeline have caused many fans to completely write it off as non-canon, but still others believe it can be considered canon, so long as one realizes that they have to take the timeline with a large grain of salt.

Shujinko's voice can be heard in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks before Liu Kang and/or Kung Lao fight Shao Kahn but he is never seen and he is not heard in any other part of the game.

After the completion of the main story of Konquest mode in Deception, Shujinko will morph into a random character when he enters a battle. A glitch in the game will sometimes have him morph into Nitara or Kung Lao (both of whom are not selectable fighters in this game), albeit, without any special moves or combos. Occasionally, he will also morph into his younger self from the beginning of Konquest mode.

In both Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Shujinko has the greatest number of specials and the longest combos. The tradeoff for this is that his defense has been greatly lowered, making him more susceptible to damage than other fighters.

Shujinko also has a close friendship with the general of the Seidan Guardsmen, Hotaru. However when he accidentally violates a curfew placed on the town of Lei Chen by the guardsman, he is arrested and placed in jail for many years. He eventually escapes, thanks to the intervention of Dairou, but as Shujinko plans to leave the realm of order with its Kamidogu, Hotaru stops him, believing him responsible for the deaths of the Seidan warriors that Dairou had actually slain while freeing Shujinko. The two old friends battle, with the Champion of the Elder Gods emerging victorious.

Shujinko appears in Cassie Cage's ending of Mortal Kombat X. Cassie is instructed by Raiden, to catch a 'soul stealer', which she assumes to be a resurrected Shang Tsung. After hunting and killing him, it is revealed that her target was actually Shujinko.

Quotes

Mortal Kombat: Deception

 * "The Dragon King has not emerged from the portal! Perhaps he has lost interest in pursuing me... More likely he has gone to Outworld and will confront the sorcerer who possesses the last remaining object."
 * "I have been a fool! Blinded by the lure of adventure, I have endangered the realms and betrayed the Elder Gods. The blame is mine alone. What have I done?" (After running from Onaga and returning to EarthRealm through the EarthRealm Portal in the Nexus)

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

 * "Stranger! The key you found! It will unlock my cell door! Please free me! (Asking Taven to set him free from the cell)
 * "You have only my word, I am not here to do battle with you. My task is to eliminate Shao Kahn." (Taven)
 * "I thank you, stranger! I am Shujinko." (Taven)
 * "Not only will I defeat him, but a host of his allies. They are in his chamber now, plotting some coming battle." (Taven)
 * "I allowed myself to be captured. From this dungeon, I can enter Shao Kahn's Soul Chamber. Once there, I will be able to destroy Shao Kahn and all his allies in one stroke." (Taven)
 * "I suggest you leave quickly, Taven, for I cannot guarantee your safety."

Stage Relationships

 * Dragon King's Temple: The old home and lair of the resurrected Dragon King. Shujinko tracked Onaga here, ultimately defeated him as atonement for his sins. (MK:D)
 * Nexus Arena: The hub in which Shujinko transverses all six realms in search of the Kamidogu. During his quest, he has fought against both Monster and Scorpion here. (MK:D)

Trivia
In General Mortal Kombat: Deception Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Mortal Kombat X
 * As shown in Deception Konquest Mode, he joins the Lin Kuei when he was young. He has done few missions for the organization (joining only to gain the ancestor of Sub-Zero's knowledge of fighting) and is believed to never really have affiliated with the group in ideology. Just the process of being affiliated and doing dishonorable deeds in their name, however, it was enough to leave a taint upon his soul that would later permit him access to the Netherrealm, a place only sinful souls may enter.
 * According to John Vogel, the Sub-Zero who taught the freezing abilities to Shujinko in his youth, was not Bi-Han or Kuai Liang but an ancestor of them (he could be their father or their grandfather).
 * Shujinko's character resembles the mentor of Sun Wukong, Subhuti.
 * "Shujinkō" (主人公) is Japanese for "protagonist".
 * Shujinko resembles Pai Mei from the movies Executioners From Shaolin (1976) and Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004).
 * Shujinko's secondary costume in Deception and Armageddon is that of the antagonist of the classic Kung Fu movie The One Armed Boxer vs. The Flying Guillotine (1975).
 * Shujinko's primary costume bears a resemblance to Gen from the Street Fighter series.
 * During his Fatalities, he uses two Dan Tien Daos, but during gameplay, he can only use one.
 * Although Shujinko encounters a number of other longtime characters in the Mortal Kombat series in all stages of his life, he seems to age while they do not. Although this makes sense for non-Earthrealm natives such as Bo' Rai Cho, Li Mei, Mileena and Hotaru, who are known to live far beyond the normal human lifetime, he also encounters Earthrealm-natives such as Nightwolf and Kenshi, who appear the same as they do in the present day throughout the various phases of Shujinko's life.
 * Due to the structure of Deception's Konquest mode, if a subquest is not completed but revisited after Shunjinko has progressed to an older form, or in some cases is activated earlier than expected, Shunjinko will use a voice belonging to a form other than what he is currently appearing as. Such examples include using his teenage voice as a boy, or using his seasoned warrior voice while as an old man.
 * The protagonist of the game.
 * Narrates all of the characters' endings except Raiden's, who narrates his own ending.
 * He borrowed the Mantis and Shaolin Fist fighting styles that Kung Lao had in Deadly Alliance.
 * He can be unlocked by beating Konquest mode.
 * If Liu Kang's Soul Invasion Fatality is performed on him, Liu Kang's head does not appear after he rips Shujinko's head off.
 * Shujinko in his young form (First incarnation) is the only other playable version of Shujinko, albeit only in the first "chapter" of Konquest when the player must train with Bo Rai' Cho to learn the basic controls.
 * Young Shujinko can be made playable via hacking device.
 * Young Shujinko is the most functional of all unplayable characters, the player can even use all unlockable special moves while playing as him.
 * There are even sound clips of young Jinko taking damage and he can even have a fatality performed on him.
 * Interestingly, Shujinko will even say, "Get over here!" in his young voice while doing his "Spear" move (hinting that Young Shujinko was intended to be a playable character/alternate costume but was left out in the final game).
 * He can be found in Konquest Mode, trapped in a cell in Shao Kahn's fortress while fighting The Executioner. After defeating him, Taven frees Shujinko out of his cell. He is one of the few characters that are not fought.
 * Makes a small cameo in Cassie Cage's ladder ending.