Sheeva is a female Shokan from the Mortal Kombat video games who made her debut in Mortal Kombat 3. Unlike Goro and Kintaro, she has been a playable character in each of her appearances.
History[]
Original timeline[]
Sheeva's role within Shao Kahn's dominion is that of a master jailer, assigned with punishing the emperor's prisoners of war. She was also the bodyguard of Queen Sindel, the former Edenian monarch that Kahn took as his bride after conquering her realm, until the queen took her own life. After Sindel was resurrected when Kahn put his plan to invade Earthrealm into action, Sheeva returned to her former post. She ultimately failed in her duty, of course, since Kitana and her Earthrealm allies were able to break Shao Kahn's control and bring Sindel back to the side of good.
After Outworld's armies retreated from Earthrealm, Sheeva was not seen for some time. She would reappear among the Forces of Darkness during the Battle of Armageddon where she would die halfway up the steps of the Pyramid of Argus.
Alternate timeline[]
In the altered timeline of the series, Sheeva is first seen during the Outworld Tournament, serving as master jailer. She is guarding the captive Sonya Blade until she is defeated in kombat by Jax Briggs. She is later tasked with guarding the rebellious Kitana after the princess discovered the creation of Mileena. She is then defeated by Jade. Sheeva later participates in the invasion of Earthrealm and is beaten in battle against Kabal when he infiltrates Shao Kahn's fortress.
Many years later during the Outworld Civil War, the Shokan king Gorbak is slain in battle against Kotal Kahn. Since Goro had previously been crippled, he is disallowed from ascending to the throne of Kuatan. A gladiatorial contest is held to decide who shall inherit the crown, a contest which Sheeva ultimately wins.
Sheeva: Queen of the Shokan
During the temporal merger instigated by Kronika, a time-displaced Kitana calls upon Queen Sheeva and the Shokan to aid her in preventing Shao Kahn from reclaiming Outworld. Though Sheeva admires Kitana for her passion, she is hesitant to commit her forces to help her and Kotal Kahn. After hearing that Kotal and Jade have been captured, Sheeva decides that she will only help Kotal if Kitana can persuade the Tarkatans to join her cause.
Kitana and her Earthrealm allies manage to infiltrate Baraka's kamp and persuade the Tarkatan hordes to join them. True to her word, Sheeva decides to commit the armies of Kuatan to Kitana's cause as they join her in storming the Koliseum to free Kotal Kahn and Jade. In the ensuing battle, Shao Kahn is defeated, but Kotal is also left crippled. Kotal apologizes to the Shokan queen for not better serving her people before abdicating Outworld's throne to Kitana. Under Kitana Kahn's leadership, Sheeva and her army join the final assault on Kronika's keep.
When Shang Tsung, Fujin and Nightwolf travel back in time to acquire Kronika's Crown, they enlist Queen Sheeva in helping them revive Queen Sindel. Sheeva agrees and assists them in finding and defeating Sindel's revenant before taking her back to Outworld to restore her within the Soul Chamber.
Later, however, Sheeva discovers Sindel's true intentions: restoring Shao Kahn and removing Kitana from power, and despite her best efforts, Sheeva is defeated and knocked unconscious by Sindel, who subsequently frames Kitana for the murder of several Shokan guards, causing the Shokan to join forces with Sindel and Shao Kahn against Kitana.
Powers and abilities[]
- Searing Blast - A deadly fireball attack.
- Teleport Stomp - Sheeva leaps up into the air and comes crashing down right on top of her opponent.
- Skin Rip - Sheeva flays her enemy alive... with her bare hands.
- Lend A Hand - Sheeva rips her opponent's arms off and uses them to smack the enemy down.
Appearances in other media[]
Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm[]
Sheeva plays a small role in the Mortal Kombat animated series, in which she is voiced by Dawnn Lewis. She appears in several episodes in which she leads the Shokan in their attacks on Earthrealm. She appears to hold a grudge against Raiden, who also isn't very fond of her.
Like in the games, Sheeva harbours a deep hatred of Motaro and his Centaurians. During the final episode of the series, she and the Shokan join forces with Shang Tsung in attempting to overthrow Shao Kahn, whom the Shokan have grown to resent for favouring the Centaurians over them.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation[]
Sheeva (portrayed by Marjean Holden) assists with the extermination of Earth's population during the Outworld invasion (albeit off-screen). She was intended to battle against Raiden in the film, but this was omitted during filming and she ended up not fighting at all throughout the film. When Liu Kang rescues Kitana from Shao Kahn's fortress, Sheeva attempts to stop them but ends up being squashed under a falling cage in the throne room.