​Mortal Kombat Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Dies at 75

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5 Dec, 2025
Tributes Paid as Mortal Kombat Star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Passes Away, Aged 75
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor who famously played Shang Tsung in the first Mortal Kombat film and the Mortal Kombat 11 video game, has died at the age of 75.

The star, who also appeared in films like The Last Emperor and Memoirs of a Geisha, passed away on Thursday in Santa Barbara. His death was caused by problems following a stroke, according to reports from Deadline.

Tagawa was well-known for playing the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung in the 1995 film version of the Mortal Kombat game, which made him instantly recognisable to a huge number of fans. In the movie, Shang Tsung holds the brother of the hero, Liu Kang, hostage and declares: your brother's soul is mine!"

Here is the text rewritten using British English phrasing and simpler language:

Tagawa's famous line, 'Your soul is mine!', became an iconic part of the Shang Tsung story and has remained popular for the last 30 years. Following the first Mortal Kombat film, Tagawa reprised the role of Shang Tsung many times, including in the 2019 Mortal Kombat 11 video game, where his voice and appearance were used—which fans were thrilled about.

His other film roles included playing Kwang in the James Bond movie, Licence to Kill, Commander Minoru Genda in Pearl Harbor, and Heihachi Mishima in the 2009 film Tekken and its 2014 sequel, Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge.

Tagawa's last major role was in 2015, playing a leading character in the Amazon series The Man in the High Castle. His final piece of work was voicing Eiji the Swordmaker in the first series of Netflix’s highly-regarded animation, Blue Eye Samurai.

Ed Boon, the development head at the Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm, posted a tribute to Tagawa on social media, saying: "We lost a legend today." 

“We had the privilege of his portrayal on the first MK film but also as an amazing voice actor in the Mortal Kombat 11 game. Cary was one of a kind. He combined danger, swagger and athleticism to his roles and will always be remembered as the man who first brought Shang Tsung to life on film. Rest in Peace. Your soul is eternal.”

Todd Garner, producer on the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie as well as its upcoming sequel, also took to social media, saying: "Sad news. Great man. Great actor. He will be missed."

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