The Warrior Shrine is a shrine dedicated to honor the contestants of the tenth Mortal Kombat Tournament, which would have been Shang Tsung's ultimate victory if he defeated Liu Kang. The warriors in the shrine are (in order): Scorpion/Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, Kano, Goro (in the center, as the Grand Champion), Liu Kang, Raiden, and Sonya Blade. This area is also commonly referred to as "The Hall of Statues".
Overview
It first appeared in the original Mortal Kombat, located on Shang Tsung's Island, and then again in Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, located in the Wu Shi Academy (this newer location may be non-canon, however). In the introduction of Mortal Kombat II, it is revealed that the Warrior Shrine is the area where the final battle between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung took place, as we can see the Shaolin monk delivering his Flying Kick to the sorcerer in this exact location.
In Shaolin Monks, a fight with the secret character Ermac will ensue if the player inspects the ninja statue three times, and - in the later discovered Endurance mode - the shrine is also where the player fights all four ninja characters (Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Ermac, and Reptile). In this battle, the statues can be destroyed for a medium health full.
The shrine appears as an area in the Mortal Kombat 11 Krypt and in the game’s story mode.
Trivia
- Along with Palace Gates, The Warrior Shrine is the only stage from the original MK that didn't return in MK 2011, instead being replaced by Shang Tsung's Garden.
- In the Sega Genesis version, there are two ninja statues, one replacing the Liu Kang statue.