Quan Chi is a vastly powerful demonic sorcerer and one of the major villains of the Mortal Kombat video games. He is a practitioner of necromancy and many other dark arts and has travelled across the many realms of reality sowing the seeds of chaos. He seeks dominion over all of reality and has repeatedly manipulated beings good and evil in order to achieve his goals.
While a major antagonist in the games, Quan Chi was originally introduced to the Mortal Kombat franchise in the cartoon series Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, in which he was only a minor villain.
History[]
Original timeline[]
Details of Quan Chi's past are unknown, except that he is a free-roaming sorcerer, capable of travelling between realms without detection by the Elder Gods or local deities. He has spent time amassing great magical abilities from many worlds.
While travelling in the Netherrealm, Quan Chi came upon Shinnok, who was under torment from the realm's then-ruler, Lucifer. In exchange for power, and a place at Shinnok's side, he assisted the fallen Elder God in overthrowing his tormentor and helping him ascend to become the new ruler of the Netherrealm. Their victory achieved, Shinnok honoured his word and imbued Quan Chi with incredible power, making him arch-sorcerer of the Netherrealm. When Shang Tsung took possession of the Great Kung Lao's soul after his defeat at the hands of Goro, he learned the location of Shinnok's long lost amulet. Tsung later traded this information with Quan Chi. In return, Quan Chi would help to revive Sindel and enable Shao Kahn to take control of Earthrealm at a later date. Although Shao Kahn's invasion failed, it gave Quan Chi the opportunity to make his move.
Shortly after receiving this information, the sorcerer proposed a deal with the Lin Kuei, he would destroy their rival clan, the Shirai Ryu, in exchange for the assistance of one of their warriors. Quan Chi convinced the elder Sub-Zero to retrieve the amulet for him. Sub-Zero did so (and killed Scorpion in cold blood in the process), unaware of Quan Chi's motives. Once the Lin Kuei warrior acquired the amulet, Quan Chi claimed it, and explained its origins before leaving to give the amulet back to Shinnok. Unknown to the fallen Elder God, however, Quan Chi had replaced the amulet with a useless imitation, and kept the real one for himself. Shortly afterwards, Sub-Zero, who had been ordered to reclaim the amulet by Raiden, confronted Quan Chi, and defeated him temporarily with assistance from Sareena.
Quan Chi would spend the following years assisting Shinnok in preparation for his forthcoming assault, as well leading the unholy cult of the Brotherhood of Shadow. The invasion of mortal realms would occur during the time of Mortal Kombat Gold. Believing he would need a powerful warrior to defeat the younger brother of the original Sub-Zero (who had since been destroyed by Scorpion), Quan Chi informed the ninja spectre that this younger Sub-Zero had killed his family and clan, and allowed him access to the outer realms once again. Scorpion's rage enabled him to defeat the Lin Kuei warrior, but as he prepared to finish his enemy, Quan Chi appeared and revealed that he was the actual murderer. Enraged, Scorpion grabbed him as the sorcerer made a move to send the ninja to the Netherrealm, and the both of them were sent back down to the depths.
In the Netherrealm, Quan Chi was tortured by Scorpion until the Oni Drahmin and Moloch found them. The Oni protected Quan Chi from Scorpion, and in return, Quan Chi promised to bring them back with him when he eventually escaped the Netherrealm. Upon discovering a portal that led to Outworld, he fled without them, leaving them determined to destroy him. The portal led Quan Chi to the tomb containing the mummified remains of the long forgotten Dragon King. Reading the writings on the king's sarcophagus, Quan Chi realized that the army of the Dragon King was invincible, and could be revived. He also discovered information that could enhance the powers of his amulet. With an idea in mind of the individual who could assist him in his newest ambitions, he journeyed to Shang Tsung's palace. The sorcerer was still not safe from Scorpion, however. The specter had pursued him into Outworld, and they fought, gaining the attention of Shang Tsung.
Dispatching Scorpion temporarily, and impressing Tsung, Quan Chi described his plan to his fellow sorcerer; Quan Chi would open a "Soulnado" to the heavens, providing Tsung with infinite souls, and Tsung would help him revive the army of the Dragon King. Together, they would embark with determination to achieve absolute domination of all realms, forming the Deadly Alliance. But before they could enact their plans, they had to eliminate the only two people who could oppose them. They began with the current ruler of Outworld, Shao Kahn, still weakened from his failed invasion of Earthrealm, and waging a war against joint Edenian-Shokan forces. Tsung introduced Quan Chi to Kahn, and they pledged their loyalty in a false show. They then quickly sprang their attack, killing Kahn (in actuality, a clone, although they had no way of knowing this). Kano, Kahn's acting general who had witnessed the murder, pledged his own support to them. Soon after, using a portal known only to sorcerers and deities, they then headed to Earthrealm's Wu Shi Academy, where the Mortal Kombat champion Liu Kang was practicing a kata. Under the guise of Kung Lao, Tsung snuck up on and battled Kang. Quan Chi attacked Kang from behind with a skull fireball attack, taking him completely unaware and weakening him. Tsung took the opportunity to break his old adversary's neck and consume his soul.
Returning to Outworld, the Deadly Alliance commanded Kano's troops to force a small Outworld village to construct a new palace around the tomb to house the Soulnado. When one of the citizens, Li Mei, attacked Kano, they offered to free her village if she could win a tournament they would hold. About the same time, they approached Mavado, offering him a deal as well; he could earn the right to fight and kill Kano, in exchange for eliminating Kenshi, an old enemy of Tsung's who had recently been spying on him.
Quan Chi had no way of knowing, but Tsung had made a side deal with Drahmin and Moloch, who had recently escaped from the Netherrealm as well; once his own part of the plot was completed, and the army resurrected, Tsung would allow the two to have their revenge on Quan Chi. Mavado, in the meantime, mortally wounded Kenshi, accomplished his mission, and the Alliance granted him his wish. Li Mei, having won the local tournament, demanded her reward, but her soul instead began to be transferred to a mummified soldier of Onaga's army. It was at this time that the forces of Earthrealm, led by Raiden, attacked. Li Mei was rescued by Bo' Rai Cho, who escaped with her, but the remainder of the warriors assaulted the Alliance.
Their attack was in vain, as each one was killed by the sorcerers and their Tarkatan hordes (Quan Chi himself personally defeating and killing Kitana one on one). Only Raiden remained, and the Alliance confronted him together before the Soulnado.
They defeated him, but their victory was short-lived. Quan Chi had harboured his own suspicions on Tsung's part, namely that his ally wanted Shinnok's amulet for himself. He was correct. With all their enemies defeated, they turned on each other. Quan Chi emerged victorious, but could not savour his victory: Onaga, the Dragon King, newly reborn, entered the chamber. Tsung awakened, as did Raiden, and together, the three attempted to stop him. In desperation, Raiden released his essence in a blast that destroyed everything in the vicinity. Just a second before Raiden released his blast, Quan Chi made a quick escape, though he lost Shinnok's amulet in the process.
In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Quan Chi is revealed to have somehow returned, likely with Shinnok's help, and with the amulet once more and now wished to acquire the ultimate godlike power granted from defeating the elemental Blaze. To that end, he had formed an uneasy and distrustful alliance with fellow villains Onaga, Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. He knew that the realms were in the brink of destruction, so he cast a deadly spell upon Orin, Taven's guardian dragon, in order to try and prevent him from halting his plans. Quan Chi's alliance ultimately faltered and he was thrown off the Pyramid of Argus by Shang Tsung. His corpse was found midway up the steps of the Pyramid.
Alternate timeline[]
In the altered timeline created by Raiden, it is revealed that Quan Chi had attended the Mortal Kombat tournament as a spectator and had offered his aid to Shang Tsung by allowing his revenant servant Scorpion to fight on behalf of Outworld. Though Outworld lost the tournament, the sinister necromancer continued to offer his services to Shao Kahn as the emperor made plans to create a new tournament system to replace the original one. During the Outworld tournament, Quan Chi fought alongside Shang Tsung against the Shaolin monk Kung Lao, though the Earthrealm hero was able to defeat both sorcerers.
Following the failure of the Outworld tournament, Quan Chi suggested that Shao Kahn invade Earthrealm outright. However, a magical ward created by Sindel prevented Kahn from setting foot on Earth, but Quan Chi was capable of travelling between realms freely. He ventured to Earthrealm where he conducted a necromantic ritual to resurrect Kahn's former queen, thus allowing the emperor's forces to pass through the portal and reclaim her.
As the armies of Outworld marched across Earthrealm, one by one Raiden's champions fell. Desperate, Raiden approached Quan Chi in the Netherrealm, stating that he was willing to offer his own soul and the souls of Earthrealm's fallen defenders if the sorcerer assisted him in stopping Shao Kahn. However, Shao Kahn had already promised the fallen heroes' souls to Quan Chi, who became the necromancer's undead servants. The revenants attacked Raiden but the thunder god was able to fight them off. Quan Chi then informed Raiden that Shao Kahn would soon arrive in Earthrealm to complete the merger with Outworld. It was then that Raiden came to realise what needed to happen: If Shao Kahn won, then the Elder Gods would punish him for breaking the rules of Mortal Kombat.
Raiden and Shao Kahn fought their final battle as Quan Chi observed them from afar. Sure enough, Kahn was destroyed by the Elder Gods and Earthrealm was spared, but it had lost many of its protectors and the fabric of the realms had been weakened as a result of the failed merger, allowing Shinnok and the forces of the Netherrealm to invade two years later.
During the Netherrealm War, Quan Chi commanded legions of demons and the revenants of Earthrealm's fallen champions. Raiden and the forces of the Shaolin and U.S. Special Forces are able to defeat Shinnok, with Raiden sealing the fallen Elder God within his own magical amulet. After Shinnok's defeat, Quan Chi went into hiding.
Several years later, Quan Chi was confronted in his own lair by Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, and a battalion of Special Forces soldiers. In response, he called forth Scorpion, Sub-Zero (still undead), and Jax (also undead) to fight beside him. Thanks to Jax, Quan Chi nearly succeeded in killing Johnny and adding him to his ranks, but Raiden intervened. As the thunder god tried to suppress Quan Chi's dark magic, Sonya directly confronted the sorcerer in combat and beat him. As a result, the link between Quan Chi and Johnny was severed, allowing Raiden to reverse the spell. As an unintended side effect, he also managed to free Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Jax from Quan Chi's control and restore them to human form. After this, Quan Chi was forced to flee.
Later, it is revealed that D'Vorah had been secretly working for Quan Chi as a double agent. She had been ordered to steal Shinnok's amulet from Kotal Kahn and deliver it to Quan Chi directly. When the Special Forces learned of this plan, they (along with a newly revitalized Jax) headed to Netherrealm to capture Quan Chi, also hoping to use his magic to free the rest of the fallen Earthrealm warriors from his grasp. Although they were successful in apprehending Quan Chi, Scorpion (who had learned five years earlier that it was Quan Chi who was responsible for the death of his family and clan) arrived with his fellow Shirai Ryu at the SF camp where Quan Chi was being held, intending to slay the sorcerer himself and finally have his revenge. After the Special Forces refused to hand him over, Scorpion ordered his ninjas to attack.
After intense fighting, the Shirai Ryu successfully subdued the Special Forces, allowing Scorpion to go after Quan Chi. After Scorpion beat the sorcerer within inches of his life, D'Vorah arrived with Shinnok's amulet and immediately rushed to Quan Chi's defence. When D'Vorah threw the amulet to him, Quan Chi uttered an incantation that would release Shinnok from his prison. Scorpion then decapitated Quan Chi with a swift slash from his sword, but was too late to stop the sorcerer from completing the incantation and freeing Shinnok.
Powers and abilities[]
- Fighting skills - Quan Chi possesses remarkable combat prowess, though he prefers to use magic rather than martial arts.
- Necromancy - Quan Chi holds absolute control over the dead. He can reanimate corpses and force them to do his bidding.
- Teleportation - One of Quan Chi's signature attacks is teleporting into the ground then reappearing above an opponent and stomping on them.
- Green Skulls - Quan Chi's most recognisable ability. He can throw green skull-shaped projectiles at opponents and can also create barriers and other constructs with them.
- Conjuration - Quan Chi is able to summon lesser demons to fight on his behalf.
- Hypnosis - Quan Chi is capable of mesmerizing victims, usually manipulating them into harming themselves.
- Shapeshifting - Like Shang Tsung, Quan Chi is capable of taking on the appearance of others to disguise himself.
- Beatdown - One of Quan Chi's signature fatalities. He rips off one of his opponent's legs and beats them to death with it.
Appearances in other media[]
Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm[]
Quan Chi made his very first appearance in the Mortal Kombat franchise in this animated series, in which he was voiced by Nick Chinlund. He appeared in the episode "The Secret of Quan Chi", in which he used the mystical Gem of Tetsurri to manipulate the Earth warriors by bringing out their darker emotions. Under the Gem's power, the heroes began to turn against one another, thus threatening to leave Earthrealm vulnerable to Quan Chi's domination. However, Nightwolf was able to resist the effects of the Gem long enough to shatter it, breaking its curse. Quan Chi then disappeared and was never seen again.
Mortal Kombat: Conquest[]
Quan Chi made substantial guest appearances on Mortal Kombat: Conquest, in which he is played by Adoni Maropis, and mostly inspired by his Mythologies incarnation. A dominant presence in the Netherrealm, he sought to disgrace Kung Lao and claim his soul on his own terms. Quan Chi was also approached by Shang Tsung to combine their sorcery in a brief alliance to end the monk's life in a hellish parallel universe. When Shang Tsung turned renegade, Shao Kahn employed Quan Chi to eliminate him. Although a fierce battle occurred between the two sorcerers, neither was victorious. Quan Chi also employed three female Netherrealm assassins, undead souls encased in living flesh named Siann, Mika and Sora. The three girls were often sent to do his bidding in Earthrealm when the sorcerer was not capable of directly interfering. Although they used their prized beauty and deadly fighting skills to their advantage, none were successful in slaying Kung Lao, his friends, or other enemies of Quan Chi. He usually mistreated the three girls, but Mika in particular looked like she had feelings for him in one episode and he seemed to return those feelings. In the series finale, Quan Chi is sealed in the Kobalt Mines of Kuatan by Shao Kahn's rampaging Shadow Priests. The mineral nullified his powers, and he was slain.
Mortal Kombat: Legacy[]
Michael Rogers portrayed Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat: Legacy. After Hanzo Hasashi witnesses the death of his family, he kneels down in agony, then is stabbed from behind by an ice dagger, apparently Sub-Zero's. After Hasashi is frozen to death, "Sub-Zero" (alongside Shang Tsung) morphs into Quan Chi, and asks Hasashi to offer his services to the Netherrealm for Mortal Kombat, so that he can exact his revenge against Sub-Zero. Hasashi is engulfed in flames, resurrecting as Scorpion and accepting Quan Chi's offer, not knowing that Quan Chi is framing Sub-Zero.
Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge[]
Quan Chi is voiced by Darin De Paul in this straight-to-DVD animated feature. Much like in the games, he was responsible for the destruction of the Shirai Ryu, disguising himself as Sub-Zero and leading the Lin Kuei in slaughtering Hanzo Hasashi's family and clan, and ultimately Hanzo himself.
After Hanzo's soul descends into the Netherrealm, Quan Chi persuades the ninja to fight for him in the Mortal Kombat tournament, both to obtain the Amulet of Shinnok which is in Shang Tsung's possession and to claim his revenge against Sub-Zero. Hanzo agrees, dubbing himself as "Scorpion".
During the tournament, Scorpion takes the opportunity to fight Sub-Zero and kills him by tackling him off the edge of a bridge, sending them both plunging into a pit of spikes. It is then that Quan Chi appears before Scorpion and admits that he had led the massacre of the Shirai Ryu himself. Scorpion then pulls himself off of the spike and follows Quan Chi to Shang Tsung's palace where he interrupts the battle between Liu Kang and Goro, killing the Shokan warrior. Shang Tsung tries to pit Scorpion and Liu Kang against each other, but Scorpion takes the sorcerer hostage and forfeits his status as a contender, securing Kang's victory. The spectral ninja then confronts Quan Chi as the palace begins to collapse, and after a ferocious battle, Scorpion finally claims his true revenge and slays the necromancer before being crushed inside the crumbling palace.