Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, iconic 'Mortal Kombat' villain, passes away at 75

Entertainment Dec 05, 2025

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the actor who brought Shang Tsung to life in Mortal Kombat (1995), has died at 75 from stroke complications in Santa Barbara.
His manager shared that Tagawa was surrounded by family in his final moments.

Who was he?

Born in Tokyo, Tagawa started martial arts young and later moved to California with his family.
He trained in karate at USC and honed his skills in Japan under Master Masatoshi Nakayama.
Beyond acting in films like The Last Emperor, Licence to Kill, and Pearl Harbor, he created "Chun-Shin," a martial art focused on energy and healing rather than just fighting.
Throughout his life, he inspired many by blending philosophy with physical training.