VS.
What do we have here? We have a evil, powerful, and intelligent sorcerer by the name of Shang Tsung and a good, mysterious, and deceptive scientist by the name of Kisuke Urahara. Though one serves as a primary villain, the other serves as a mantle of support for our main character. While one consumes souls in order to sustain his health & life, the other consumes knowledge as to sustain his mind and f*ck with others. Shang Tsung serves under Shao Khan as a free roaming sorcerer whereas Kisuke Urahara is his own boss and serves a free roaming businessman. Today's Matchup is between MK's shapeshifting sorcerer, Shang Tsung, and Bleach's former 12th Division Captain, Kisuke Urahara. The victor will be decided by yours truly and the following will be incorporated: Story, Powers/Abilities, & Verdict.The scoreboard, as of August 11th, is Bleach leading MK 9-8. Let's jam!
Story (Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke)
Kisuke Urahara grew up in the Shihoin household alongside his childhood friends Yoruichi Shihoin and Tessai Tsukabishi. Around the time Yoruichi joined the Gotei 13 as the 2nd Division Captain/Commander of the Stealth Force, Kisuke soon followed and became 3rd seat under Yoruichi's division. Kisuke, being a member of the 2nd Division's Stealth Force, was the head of the Stealth Force's Detention Unit. 110 years ago, the former 12th Division Captain was promoted to the Royal Guard and Kisuke was then made the new Captain (recommended also by Yoruichi); starting the Shinigami Research & Development Institute alongside then subordinates: Hiyori Sarugaki (Lieutenant) and Mayuri Kurotsuchi (found in the Maggot's Nest ~ prison). During this time frame, Aizen began his hollowification experiments and various Shinigami, notably Captains Shinji Hirako, Love Aikawa, Kensei Muguruma, & Rojuro "Rose" Otoribashi, Vice- Captains Lisa Yadomaru, Mashiro Kuna, & Hiyori Sarugaki, and Kido Corps Lieutenant Hachigen Ushoda were affected and were on the brink of persecutiob. Kisuke, alongside Tessai uncovered Aizen's plan and tried in vain to stop him, but Aizen gracefully escaped. With his friends hollowified, Kisuke & Tessai did everything in their power to figure out a way to reverse the hollowification process ~ The Hogyoku is a key figure in dissolving the boundary between Hollows & Shinigami. As a result, Kisuke, Tessai, & Yoruichi were forced into hiding since Central 46 implemented in killing the Visored experimented by Aizen, but putting the blame on Kisuke. Sometime later, Kisuke became acquainted with Isshin Shiba, 10th Division Captain, and helped him save Masaki from hollowification. He then lived out his life in the Human World ~ starting a shop alongside Tessai and helping Isshin in his new life.
When Rukia's powers were nearly taken by Ichigo, Kisuke offered her a Gigai. However, that Gigai contained the renowned Hogyoku ~ the power to diverge Hollows & Shinigami. Kisuke became Ichigo's teacher (as well as Chad & Orihime's) in his steps to becoming a Shinigami and mercilessly taught him everything he knew. With Rukia's life in danger due to her long stay in Karakura Town & giving her powers to a stranger, Kisuke aided Team Ichigo and opened up the Senkaimon so as to save her. Kisuke gave Rukia the Gigai with the Hogyoku so as to cover all traces of its existences and in hopes to protect it from Aizen, who then figured a way to create his very own. Sometime later, Kisuke aids Ichigo in the newly made Arrancar under Aizen's tutelage. He learns of their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses so as to figure a way to prevent any more casualties of Humans & Shinigami + for research. Much like w/saving Rukia, Kisuke opened up the Gargants so that Team Ichigo can save Orihime and thwart Aizen's plan. Upon Aizen's ascension into power, Kisuke came to the aid once more to stop him once and for all alongside Ichigo, Yoruichi, & Isshin. Though Ichigo was the one who put up a good fight against Aizen, Kisuke was the one responsible for sealing Aizen rather than killing him. When Ichigo lost his powers, Kisuke aided Karin (who wants to lend a helping hand to Ichigo) and, alongside various Shinigami, manifested a sword that gave Ichigo back his powers when Rukia impaled him (much like how Ichigo impaled himself with Rukia's blade). Later during the Wandenreich invasion, Kisuke enters Hueco Mundo and begins researching and analyzing ways to prevent Bankai from being stolen. He figured a way to aid the Captains and now is aiding Ichigo in helping out the Royal Palace from being overrun by Yhwach.
Story (Shang Shang Shang)
Though Shang Tsung’s
upbringings remain a mystery, it is assumed that he originally resided in
Earthrealm. While participating in a Mortal Kombat tournament, Shang cheated
and was disciplined by the tournament judges and sentenced for breaking the
sacred rules and defying the Elder Gods. The Emperor of Outworld saw the evil
in Shang Tsung’s heart and convinced him to swear allegiance to him to spare
his life. Shang agreed and was taken under the wing of Shao Kahn to be trained
under the Black Arts. While battling against an opponent, Shang Tsung consumed
the soul of that opponent. This caused the Elder Gods to take action and thus,
they cursed Shang to age rapidly and die a premature death, causing him to not
only kill his opponents, but to take their souls as well to restore some of his
youth. Shang Tsung partook in a Mortal Kombat tournament with his newfound
abilities and became Grand Champion. However, his reign would be short-lived as
he lost the title to the Great Kung Lao due to shear overconfidence. Some years
later, he returned again, becoming much older and brought with him his great
apprentice in the four-armed Shokan, Goro. The two were tasked by Shao Kahn to
start a winning streak to weaken the dimensional gates so Outworld can claim
Earthrealm. Goro managed to defeat the Great Kung Lao with ease and Shang Tsung
consumed the Shaolin Monk’s soul, beginning a half of a millennia of dominance
in the tournaments. In between, Shang came across Quan Chi and detailed the
whereabouts of Shinnok’s amulet to the Temple of the Elements. The two made a
trade-off: the Map of Elements to locate the temple and the amulet in exchange
for helping Shao Kahn complete a task, to resurrect Kahn’s queen, Sindel in
Earthrealm. Other events in Shang Tsung’s backstory included his encounter with
Kenshi, praising his skilled swordsmanship before deceiving him and leaving him
to die while on a quest for a sword and his spar with Shujinko while Shujinko
was on a quest to find and collect all remnants of the Kamidogu.
Riding a nine
tournament winning streak, Shang Tsung and Goro were soaring high and were one
tournament win away from realizing Shao Kahn’s ambition to claim Earthrealm.
However, Liu Kang, a Shaolin Monk defeated Goro in Mortal Kombat, putting the
streak to a shocking halt. Shang Tsung then battled Liu Kang in Kombat only to
lose and flee back to Outworld. Dragged at the feet of Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung
begged for mercy and proposed a plan to hold a tournament in Outworld so that
home field advantage will fall in their favor while at the same time, Shao Kahn
would continue executing his 10,000 year old plan to resurrect Sindel and force
a merger between Earthrealm and Outworld. Kahn agreed and restored Shang Tsung
to his youth. Despite this, Liu Kang would best him again in Mortal Kombat, in
front of Shao Kahn. As the Emperor battled Liu Kang, Shang Tsung and his shadow
priests continued to enact the plan with Shinnok and Quan Chi to resurrect
Sindel in Earthrealm. With her resurrection, the dimensional gates weakened and
Shao Kahn and the forces of Outworld were able to cross. Shang Tsung lead a
division in the extermination squads to hunt down Raiden’s chosen warriors,
however, he was defeated by Liu Kang yet again and Liu Kang again battled Shao
Kahn and defeated him, reversing the merger. Kahn had Shang imprisoned and
tortured for his foiled plans, but eventually was released after he regained
favor from the Emperor. Years later, Shang Tsung discovered Quan Chi battling
Scorpion in his Courtyard. After the necromancer managed to hold off the
spectre, Quan Chi proposed him a plan that Shang uses his soul consuming
abilities to resurrect Onaga’s Army of the Dead and Quan Chi would open up a
Soulnado to the Heavens to give Shang an endless supply of souls to consume.
Shang Tsung agreed and the Deadly Alliance was formed. To establish their
dominance, they eliminated two threats: Shao Kahn (as both sorcerers showed
false allegiance to attack the weakened Emperor) and Liu Kang. With the help of
Quan Chi, Shang Tsung managed to exact revenge on his miserable defeats and
cracked the neck of Liu Kang, killing him and consuming his soul. The Deadly
Alliance started their dominance, hiring the services of Kano and Mavado to
force a small Outworld village to construct a palace on the tomb to house the
Soulnado. Looking unstoppable, Shang still had suspicions on Quan Chi and made
a deal with Drahmin and Moloch that once he finished his part, they would have
their hands on Quan Chi for leaving them in the Netherrealm as he escaped. The
combined might of Quan Chi and Shang Tsung overpowered Earthrealm’s greatest
warriors. The two were able to bring down Raiden as he fought valiantly to give
Earthrealm a fighting chance. Besting everyone that stood in their way, Shang
Tsung looked at Quan Chi in lust for Shinnok’s real amulet. Quan Chi knew of
Shang Tsung’s betrayal and the two challenged each other, effectively ending
the alliance. Though Quan Chi overpowered Shang, the two had to work together
again with Raiden to hold off a charging Onaga. Raiden released a godlike
blast, killing Shang Tsung’s mortal form. This released all the fallen warriors
whose soul Shang Tsung has consumed throughout generations, including Liu
Kang’s. However, Shang’s soul managed to make its way to Outworld and due to
his unbinding allegiance with Shao Kahn, he was given a new body. Along with
Goro, Shang Tsung helped Shao Kahn regain control of Outworld, defeating
Mileena and the Edenian army. Shang Tsung gathered with Shao Kahn, Onaga, and
Quan Chi as they were told by Quan Chi that Shinnok created a plan for all of
them to form an unholy alliance to try and help each other to reach the top of
Argus’ pyramid so one of them can challenge the powerful elemental, Blaze for
greater power. During the actual Battle of Armageddon, Shang Tsung ambitiously
raced to the top, tossing Quan Chi off and kicking Shao Kahn to the point where
he was taken away by Onaga. Shang Tsung encountered Liu Kang again and the two
fought to the top of the pyramid with Shang dying due to his rapid aging. Shang
Tsung basically plays the same role from the original timeline in the alternate
timeline, but dies when Shao Kahn transferred all the souls he consumed to make
Sindel a lot powerful.
Powers/Abilities (Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke)
Having found the Research & Development Institute, Kisuke is a key figure in the creation of various items such as the Hogyoku, Gigai Technology, Soul-Object Integration, Reiatsu Concealing Cloak, Tenshintai (Divine Transfer Body), Anti-Hierro Armor, Communicators, Healing Hot Springs, & the Shin'eiyaku (Shadow-Raiding Drugs). Being a former member of the 2nd Division, Kisuke is an expert in swordsmanship, Hakuda (hand-to-hand), Shunpo, Kido, and, much like any Captain, possesses great Spiritual Pressure. Being a genius, Kisuke is always 1-2 steps ahead of his enemies as he was able to deduce Yammy's movements, figure a way to have the Shinigami retain their Bankai(s) from being stolen by the Wandenreich's amulets, and sealing Aizen before he could do anymore damage. He possesses enhanced strength, agility, durability, and, before, was a master assassin. Kisuke's true power lies in his Zanpaktou - Benihime (Crimson Princess). The Shikai abilities allow Benihime to perform Crimson-colored energy techniques such as: firing Crimson Blasts, forming a Crimson Shield, create a Crimson net that explodes upon coming in contact with something, and flinging his sword to fire Crimson attacks. His Bankai hasn't been revealed yet, but it is said to be too dangerous for training OR for helping others.
Powers/Abilities (Shang Shang Shang)
Aside from being one
of the most powerful sorcerers in MK, Shang Tsung has proven to possess an
adequate skillset in the martial arts, excelling in the fighting styles of
Snake, Crane, and Mantis. As mentioned he was trained in the black arts and in
the use of black magic by Shao Kahn after Kahn convinced him to swear allegiance
to his side. His weapon of choice is the straight sword or the Jian,
historically a sword used by the Chinese in ancient times. As mentioned, he was
cursed by the Elder Gods and now has to live his life to age rapidly and take
souls to restore some of his youth, failure to do so results in a premature
death. Soul consumption is the basis of Shang Tsung’s powers and it is one of
his well-known fatalities. His famous catchphrase whenever he bested an
opponent in combat and before the soul consuming ritual is “your soul is mine.”
His ability to consume souls not only restores some of his youth, but it also
allows him to access the memories and assume the appearance of the fallen
warriors, possessing their fighting styles and their powers/abilities, though
in later games, he has proven he doesn’t have to consume a soul beforehand
before morphing into another warrior. As a sorcerer, he is able to manipulate
fire as he can shoot out flaming skull projectiles or manipulate fire balls
from the ground up to catch his opponent off guard. As noticed in his fight
against Raiden with Quan Chi, Shang Tsung has the ability to manipulate fire
into the shape of an animal; in this case with his fight with Raiden, he used
the shape of a cobra to bring down the thunder god with his sorcery of fire
with the help of Quan Chi’s sorcery to levitate Raiden in the air. Also by
using fire for his sorcery and black magic, Shang Tsung is able to create
portals as means of escape and to cross from realm to realm. Shang Tsung has
shown to also be a kind of a specialist in genetics, creating grotesque beings
like Mileena and Meat from his Flesh Pits.
Verdict (By Stillmattic)
And the winner is....
Both characters are kept in secrecy for the most part + are deceptive, skilled in martial arts, wield a sword, and have various abilities revolving around magic & science. However, this battle came down to the Full Plate vs. No Plate and Kisuke's plate certainly fits the category of a Empty Plate. Sure he was one responsible for the main focus of the 1st half of Bleach with the conception of the Hogyoku, but you have to consider that he knew what he was doing from the get-go ~ even if it meant endangering lives and risking his friendship to Team Ichigo. Kisuke once served Yoruichi and eventually rose up to Captain-level whereas with Shang Tsung, he serves under Shao Khan ~ A man who is in charge of their own destiny has more meaning than a man shackled under the tutelage of an even greater being. I find Kisuke's involvement in the storyline to be both interesting and unpredictable. He doesn't really aid Team Ichigo in combat, but always finds way to help them by feeding them information on strengths/weaknesses, giving them tools, and even deducing what the enemy movement is. Kisuke is the Zhuge Liang AND Yue Ying of Bleach whereas Shang Tsung is the Sima Yi ~ being an expert tactician, strategist, and is knowledgable due to his expertise with his inventions. With Shang Tsung, he had a mysterious upbringing, but his plate became full once he served under Shao Khan. I just found Shang Tsung to be more predictable than Kisuke. Kisuke just shows up from anywhere and is always lending a helping hand ~ even becoming a threat to the enemy once they figure out what Kisuke could deduce from them. I will admit Shang Tsung has more tricks up his sleeves, but Kisuke's empty-plate and unpredictable nature in the storyline is what make him the victor. KISUKE WINS!
So who do you think won? Shang Tsung from MK or Kisuke Urahara from Bleach? Comment below and let us know. As always, look forward to BK Month (July 4th-August 25th) on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays. Until then, you all stay classy now. Here's the current Scoreboard for BK Month:
1) Jax Briggs vs. Yasutora "Chad" Sado ~ MK (July 4th)
2) Jade vs. Yoruichi Shihoin ~ Bleach (July 7th)
3) Johnny Cage vs. Mask De Masculine ~ MK (July 9th)
4) Sonya Blade vs. Sui-Feng ~ Bleach (July 11th)
5) Kenshi vs. Byakuya Kuchiki ~ Bleach (July 14th)
6) Mileena vs. Bambietta Basterbine ~ Bleach (July 16)
7) Kung Lao vs. Uryu Ishida ~ Bleach (July 18th)
8) Reptile vs. Sajin Komamura ~ Bleach (July 21st)
9) Sektor vs. Renji Abarai ~ Bleach (July 23rd)
10) Sindel vs. Tier Harribel ~ MK (July 25th)
11) Sub-Zero vs. Rukia Kuchiki ~ MK (July 28th)
12) Baraka vs. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez ~ Bleach (July 30th)
13) Fujin vs. Candice Catnipp ~ MK (August 1st)
14) Quan Chi vs. Toshiro Hitsugaya ~ MK (August 4th)
15) Scorpion vs. Ad Nodt ~ MK (August 6th)
16) Goro vs Kenpachi Zaraki ~ Bleach (August 8th)
17) Kitana vs Orihime Inoue ~ MK (August 11th)
18) Shang Tsung vs. Kisuke Urahara ~ Bleach (August 13th)
Bleach currently leads 10-8 against MK.
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