In Mortal Kombat 1 , the main villain is generally seen as Shang Tsung , with Quan Chi also serving as a major antagonist in the story. The game’s new timeline centers on Liu Kang’s reset world, and Shang Tsung is the clearest “big bad” driving the conflict.

Quick Scoop

  • Main villain: Shang Tsung.
  • Major supporting villain: Quan Chi.
  • Why it can feel mixed: MK1 is a rebooted timeline, so several characters shift roles compared with earlier games.

TL;DR: if you mean the story mode’s primary villain, it’s Shang Tsung.