Sheeva



"For the Shokan!"

- Sheeva's Battle Cry in Mortal Kombat (2011)

Sheeva is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. She made her debut in Mortal Kombat 3.

About Sheeva
Sheeva belongs to the ancient race of the Shokan, described as a subterranean people living in Outworld and the archenemy of the Centaurian race. Like all of her race, she possesses a tall, muscular build, red eyes, and four arms (she also wears armor in her Armageddon makeover as well). Notably, Sheeva served as the personal bodyguard of Queen Sindel during Shao Kahn's failed invasion of Earthrealm.

Storyline
Because of Prince Goro’s reign as Grand Champion of Mortal Kombat, the Shokans were among the most elite of Outworld’s citizens. They maintained a high class status among the population, and were Kahn’s most prized soldiers on the battlefield. One of the most savage Shokan warriors to gained Kahn’s attention was the female Shokan, Sheeva.

When Shao Kahn resurrected Queen Sindel as the first step in his invasion of Earth, he appointed Sheeva to be her personal protector. Sheeva becomes distrustful, however, when Kahn appointed Motaro, a Centaurian, to lead his Extermination Squads into battle. This was an insult to the Shokan race, as the Shokan and Centaurs have long been mortal enemies.

During the ensuing battles, Sheeva attacked anyone who tried to get close to Sindel. After dispatching countless enemies, she was confronted by Jade and the renegade Princess Kitana. They intended to free Sindel from Kahn’s spell, but to fight Sheeva first. Her brute strength was not enough to defeat these two highly skilled warriors. Sheeva was brought down by Kitana and Jade, and they rush to confront Sindel. Embarrassed for her failure, Sheeva retreated back to Outworld.

When she arrived, she was shocked to learn that Shao Kahn has betrayed the Shokans, and has launched an offensive against them. She joined her brethren in fighting Kahn’s warriors. The Shokans were far outnumbered and couldn't hope to win. However, before Shao Kahn is defeated by Earth’s champion Liu Kang after his victory over Kung Lao, Sheeva decided to take revenge on her nemesis, Motaro.

Sheeva snuck her way into Kahn’s palace on Earth. She learned that Motaro has nursed his Earthrealm ally, Kano, back to health. She secretly approached Kano and offers him a deal: she asked for his assistance in assassinating Shao Kahn, and in exchange, she will pay him in precious jewels, extracted from Kuatan’s magnificent mines, to which Kano agreed. Some time later, Motaro had returned to the palace to report to Shao Kahn, with Sheeva waiting silently in the shadows. As Kano watched from his cell, Sheeva attacked the unsuspecting Centaurian. She attacked Motaro and after a long brutal fight she thought he was dead but Motaro survived her attack, after that she proceeds to face Shao Kahn. Kano offered to distract Kahn and told her to wait for his signal, however, Kano betrayed Sheeva by telling Kahn she killed Motaro and was now planning on killing him. After Kano gives the signal Sheeva entered the throne room, where she and Kahn face off, with Kahn able to quickly and easily grab her, then he gravely wounded her by stabbing her in the chest with his sword. She would later be found in the Netherrealm by Taven and take part in the climactic battle at the Pyramid of Argus in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.

In Sheeva's Armageddon ending, she defeats Blaze and is transformed into the goddess of destruction by the Elder Gods. One by one she laid waste to the realms using a powerful Kamidogu. When the realms reformed, nothing was as it had been.

In Mortal Kombat (2011), Sheeva is first seen by Cyrax. Sheeva and Baraka inform him that the Lin Kuei's service is no longer required, and attack him. Cyrax defeats both of them in separate battles. Sheeva is next seen guarding Sonya Blade in the Dead Pool. Jax defeats Sheeva and frees Sonya. Sheeva makes another appearance, guarding Kitana, where she is once again defeated by Jade.

After Kabal defeats Cyber Sub-Zero, he is quickly challenged by Sheeva, who believes Kabal has betrayed the Lin Kuei. Kabal informs her he's not a cyborg, and then defeats her in a battle.

Biographies

 * Sheeva_alt.jpgMortal Kombat 3: "Sheeva was hand picked by Shao Kahn to serve as Sindel's personal protector. She becomes suspicious of Shao Kahn's loyalty toward her race of Shokan when he places Motaro as the leader of his extermination squads. On the Outworld, Motaro's race of Centaurians are the natural enemy of the Shokan."
 * Armageddon Bio Kard: "A female of the four-armed Shokan race, Sheeva once served as protector of Queen Sindel. As brutal as Goro and Kintaro, she possesses more than enough power to destroy any opponent unfortunate enough to cross her path."
 * Mortal Kombat (2011): Sheeva is a member of the four-armed Shokan race. Her markings reveal that she is of the royal Draco lineage. Like all Shokan, she pledged her life to Shao Kahn, bringing honor to her race by serving him. During an attack by Edenian rebels on Shao Kahn's fortress, Sheeva fiercely protected Queen Sindel and prevented her capture. She was subsequently appointed Sindel's personal bodyguard until the queen's mysterious death in Earthrealm. Sheeva is now the master jailer of Shao Kahn's oppressive dungeon.

Combat characteristics
As a Shokan, Sheeva possesses incredible strength. She retains the common Shokan ability to summon fireballs and utilize a teleport stomp, however, unlike her fellow Shokan warriors Goro and Kintaro, she can use the latter to merely stomp the ground without teleporting, causing damage. Also, Sheeva's fireballs seem to be more powerful than other characters', as evidenced in Armageddon where they can knock the opponent to the ground, rather than simply knocking them back.

Signature moves

 * Death From Above: Sheeva disappears over the top of the screen and reappears over the opponent's head, then stomps on them a few times. This is called Jump Stomp in MK 2011. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Jump Crush.
 * Searing Blast: Sheeva launches a fireball, which can knock the opponent to the ground. In MK 2011 this is called Fireball. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Fire Blast.
 * Furious Stomp: Sheeva stomps on the ground hard, knocking the opponent back and causing additional damage. In MK 2011 this is called Ground Pound. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK:A, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Ground Smash. Sheeva stomps on the ground twice instead of once.
 * Untamed Fury: Sheeva lunges forward, grabs the opponent with her lower arms, hits them repeatedly in the face with her upper arms, then smacks them across the stage. This is called Grab N Punch in MK 2011 and the enhanced version is named Untamed Fury. (MK:A, MK 2011)
 * Anti-Air Grab: Sheeva grabs an opponent from mid-air, slams them on the ground, and stomps on their back. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Power Anti-Air.
 * Low Grab: Sheeva grabs a ducked opponent and slams them behind her. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Anti-Duck Throw.
 * X-Ray Move - Slam Dance: Sheeva stomps the ground causing the opponent to go in the air and land in front of her, as they lay on the ground, she stomps on their head, breaking it. Then stomps on their back, breaking their spine. (MK 2011)

Fatalities

 * Stripped Down: Grabbing a handful of flesh in each of her four fists, Sheeva pulls her opponent's skin to the floor, leaving a bloody, skeletal husk. In MK 2011, she pulls the skin away in two pieces, in an upward motion. She then kicks the opponent's skinless body away, then lifts the flesh. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK 2011)
 * Stomping Fatality: In the Game Boy version. Sheeva launches straight up, heading off of the screen. She then comes down from the air above her opponent, landing with a brutal assault of stomps. (MK3)
 * Nail Driver: Sheeva brings her fists down upon the opponent's head in succession, driving them into the ground. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Lend A Hand: Sheeva rips her opponent's arms off with her lower arms. Then hits them in the face with their severed arms, kicks them, and proceeds to clap with the severed arms. (MK 2011)

Other finishers

 * Friendship: Sheeva spins plates with her four arms. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Animality: Sheeva turns into a scorpion and stings her opponent. The opponent turns red and explodes. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Babality: Sheeva turns into a baby and starts jump stomping on the ground repeatedly.

Endings

 * Sheeva_end.gifMortal Kombat 3: (Non-Canonical) "While Sheeva serves her master on Earth, her race of Shokan are being punished on the Outworld. Kahn now favors Motaro's race of Centaurs and aids them in defeating the Shokan. After learning of these events, Sheeva turns on her master. She defeats Motaro, and in a rage brings down Kahn. In freeing the Earth, she also frees the 'Outworld. She then returns home and works to restore the pride and respect of her race."


 * Armageddon: (Non-Canonical) "At the moment of victory over Blaze, Sheeva was blinded by a flash of energy. When she regained her sight, she found herself standing before the Elder Gods. They were clearly alarmed that neither Taven nor Daegon had completed the quest. Their desire to prevent further turmoil prompted them to transform Sheeva into a goddess of destruction. One by one she laid waste to the realms using a powerful Kamidogu. When the realms reformed, nothing was as it had been."


 * thumb|200px|rightMortal Kombat (2011): "Sheeva had recognized the signs. Her people were out of favor and in decline. The Centaur would soon dominate Shao Kahn’s forces while the Shokan would move inexorably toward extinction. Sheeva’s act of defiance, her murder of Shao Kahn, made possible a new home for her people among the mortals of Earthrealm–a world free of both Tarkatan and Centaur. With cooperation from world leaders, Sheeva secured for the Shokan the continent of Australia. In return, they would protect Earthrealm from future invasions. For her leadership Sheeva was exalted–the most honorable Shokan in their proud history."

Movie appearance
Sheeva, played by Marjean Holden, appears in the second Mortal Kombat movie, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. The shooting script included a lengthy fight scene with her and Raiden (James Remar), but it was omitted during filming; instead she was merely squashed by a falling cage as she prepares to fight Liu Kang and Kitana in Shao Kahn's throne room (she does, however, use her prefight stance).

Sheeva does appear in other scenes of the movie, but her role was less than memorable in most respects. She had no fight scenes besides a brief quarrel with Motaro. The movie did acknowledge that she was the personal protector of Sindel and her family, which she mentions to Kahn in her personal endorsement for him to appoint her as general of his Extermination Squads.

TV appearance
Sheeva had a small role in the animated series, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, in which she possessed a long-standing hatred of Raiden. She referred to her opponents as "darlings" (in a manner similar to Zsa Zsa Gabor). She was voiced by Dawnn Lewis.

Trivia

 * Like Goro and Kintaro, Sheeva also possesses a Teleport Stomp, though she was the first playable character capable of using the move.
 * Sheeva was the first female Shokan introduced in the series.
 * She was also the first Shokan in the series playable without the use of glitches or cheats.
 * Presumably to conserve memory space, Sheeva was left out of the roster of selectable fighters in the SNES and Sega Genesis version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. However, she wasn't totally abandoned, as she appears (although invisible) as a glitch character in the SNES version of UMK3. Her voice is also audible in the sound test of the Genesis version.
 * Sheeva had not appeared as a playable character since Mortal Kombat Trilogy, nor has she had any substantial cameos; only her corpse was found in the Netherrealm in Mortal Kombat: Deception's Konquest mode and is seen running through the graveyard in Deception, where almost all Mortal Kombat characters had cameos. Her fate after those games was revealed in text from Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance´s Konquest Mode. However, she returned in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
 * Sheeva is based on the Hindu god, Shiva, the god of destruction. This is further reflected on her Mortal Kombat: Armageddon ending.
 * Similar to other Mortal Kombat 3 characters, during early production of Mortal Kombat 3, Sheeva was called "She-Goro", since she did not have a name yet.
 * Sheeva was the very first character in the series to bleed green blood. However, to fit with the other Shokan, Sheeva's blood was converted to red in later games.
 * Sheeva's alternate costume in Armageddon is her appearance in MK3/UMK3/MKT.
 * Sheeva, along with Motaro, appears trapped within a cell in the Dark Prison stage of Mortal Kombat: Unchained, but not in Deception, though.
 * In MK 2011, if Sheeva receives Baraka's Up The Middle Fatality, her lower arms will not be cut by his blades. This is odd because Baraka's blades cut the enemy's arms in a vertical move, and Sheeva's lower arms remain intact. It's the same situation with Raiden's Just A Scratch fatality and Ermac's Mind Over Splatter Fatality.
 * Sheeva's ending in MK 2011 is a comical stab at Australia banning the game due to its graphic violence.
 * During the Battle of Armageddon Sheeva is shot with an arrow by Nightwolf, which disappears, and is ultimately stabbed and killed by Kenshi. However, in the opening cutscene in MK 2011, Nightwolf's arrow is seen glowing in Sheeva when it did not glow during the Battle of Armageddon.

Original Timeline

 * Member of the race known as the Shokans.
 * Appointed by Shao Kahn to protect Sindel in MK3.
 * Defeated by Kitana and Jade in UMK3.
 * Supposedly killed Motaro.
 * Released Kano from his cell but was betrayed by him.
 * Gravely Wounded by Shao Kahn.
 * Cloned by Shinnok to test Taven's strength.
 * Joined the Forces of Darkness in the final battle in Armageddon.
 * Killed by Kenshi during Armageddon.

Alternate Timeline

 * Defeated by Cyrax after witnessing him talking with Raiden.
 * Guarded Sonya Blade until she was defeated by Jax Briggs.
 * Was guarding Kitana as a prisoner but was later defeated by Jade.
 * Fought Liu Kang, but she lost.
 * Fought Kabal after witnessing him defeating Cyber Sub-Zero, but she lost.