Shao Kahn‘s Canon Victory in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

In the official canonical conclusion of 2006‘s Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, the conquering emperor Shao Kahn defeats defender Raiden in final kombat to emerge supremely victorious. This dramatic battle represented the climax of the original MK saga, with immense ramifications for the series‘ expansive lore.

As an ardent MK aficionado, I‘ve closely analyzed Armageddon‘s much-discussed ending over the years. In this post, we‘ll break down the epic showdown step-by-step to elucidate MK‘s rich mythology. Strap in for a wild ride through the realms!

The Warriors – Raiden and Shao Kahn

To properly contextualize Armageddon‘s story, some background on its two iconic kombatants is in order. Their personal histories underscore why this long-awaited face-off was so monumental for MK fans like myself.

Raiden – God of Thunder

As Earthrealm‘s eternal protector, Raiden commands staggering elemental powers and exists to safeguard Mortal Kombat‘s version of Earth. Despite his immortality and strength, he‘s sustained crushing losses over the millennia. This perpetual suffering has darkened his noble spirit, straining his sanity.

Shao Kahn – Emperor of Outworld

This brutal warlord crusades endlessly to conquer all realms and has ransacked countless worlds. His dark emperorship personifies cruelty – mass extermination and enslavement follow his dominion everywhere. Shao Kahn deploys hordes of vile sorcerers and monsters in his campaign, craving omnipotence.

With backgrounds covered, let‘s analyze Armageddon‘s riveting final act!

The Decisive Battle of Armageddon

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon concludes with the eponymous battle between the realms‘ full roster of kombatants. This apocalyptic melee unleashes each fighter‘s ultimate powers in an all-or-nothing fray for supreme glory.

During Armageddon, Blaze – a cosmic being tasked with godlike power – is awakened. Whoever slays Blaze will absorb their strength, becoming an unstoppable deity.

By battle‘s end, scores perished, leaving just Shao Kahn and Raiden standing! Their cataclysmic duel would determine all realms‘ fate…

The Final Showdown

These bitter arch-rivals clash atop the Pyramid of Argus, reality shuddering under raging deity forces. However, Shao Kahn‘s powers peak here in Outworld while Raiden weakens in foreign realms.

Raiden battles valiantly, wielding devastating lightning blasts powered by Earthrealm‘s life force. But Shao Kahn ultimately prevails, weathering Raiden‘s attacks through his dark sorceries.

Shao Kahn batters Raiden relentlessly using his war hammer before finally moving in for the fatal blow. With a sickening crack, he shatters Raiden‘s spine and hurls his broken body aside.

Shao Kahn Rules Supreme

Having conquered Raiden, Shao Kahn next slays the weakened Blaze in ritual kombat. Instantly, the realms quake as Blaze‘s unlimited might transfers fully into Shao Kahn!

Now an unstoppable cosmic tyrant, Shao Kahn marches forth to dominate all existence. Armageddon‘s conclusion marks his ultimate victory, establishing him as the MK saga‘s apex villain!

Impact on Mortal Kombat‘s Continuity

Mortal Kombat Armageddon‘s storyline brought the original games‘ sprawling myth-arc to a decisive, if ominous conclusion. Shao Kahn‘s ascension as an all-powerful deity created massive continuity complications.

His absolute rule over the realms effectively terminated that universe‘s continuity. This likely prompted MK‘s developers to "restart" their fictive timeline with 2011‘s Mortal Kombat 9 retcon.

By using time travel to alter key events, they created an altered reality unchained from Armageddon‘s restrictions. This birthed a new canonical timeline extending into MK 11 that remains in play presently.

So while no longer part of accepted lore, Armageddon‘s ending represented the dramatic culmination of MK‘s first era! Its resounding finale still echoes through the fanbase‘s memories.

Decisive Outcomes – By The Numbers

To illustrate Shao Kahn‘s crushing supremacy, let‘s compare vital statistics between the two final kombatants:

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As we can see, Shao Kahn overwhelmingly exceeds Raiden across all metrics of power and conquests. These figures contextualize Kahn‘s godhood in MK Armageddon – his superiority was never in doubt!

This explains the ease with which he dominated Raiden during their final earth-shaking showdown. Given such a vast advantage, Raiden‘s defeat seemed an inevitability in retrospect.

The Age of Shao Kahn Begins!

Shao Kahn‘s undisputed status as the mightiest being in all realms marks an ominous new epoch for the MK franchise. Let‘s reflect on key ramifications from his tyrannical ascension!

Omnipotence Unchallenged

Possessing limitless cosmic strength and dominion over reality itself, no force can now threaten Kahn‘s sovereignty. Even formidable deities like Elder Gods Shinnok and Cetrion would prove inconsequential before his all-encompassing power.

All Hope Extinguished

With Raiden broken and Earthrealm‘s warriors erased, no check against Shao Kahn‘s evil remains. The realm barriers have collapsed utterly, enabling his unlimited conquest across reality. No planet is beyond his grasping reach now!

New Eras of Injustice

Like his fellow tyrants Shinnok, Onaga and Kronika before him, we can expect merciless subjugation and cruelty from Kahn‘s rule. Entire civilizations may face extermination, their worlds sundered on his whims for amusement. None can challenge his despotism.

As this small sample illustrates, Shao Kahn‘s supreme godhood spells disaster across the realms. One now darkly ponders what twisted atrocities his epoch of dominion shall breed…

And there you have it – the unambiguous canon conclusion to Mortal Kombat Armageddon per lore! Raiden falls, Kahn Rules Supreme! What did you think about this seminal moment? Let me know in the comments below!