In 2011, ScrewAttack ranked Shao Kahn as the fourth best "Mortal Kombat" character. On the other hand, GamePlayBook ranked him as the fourth worst "Mortal Kombat" character, criticizing him for looking like "he failed WWE training camp". Even having fellow MK character Johnny Cage make a joke about his appearance in MK9. In UGO's 2012 list of the top "Mortal Kombat" characters, Shao Kahn placed as 16th. In their retrospection listing of "MK" characters, UGO stated most favorite thing about him was the fact that "his speaking voice is the voice of the announcer heard throughout the series." "Complex" placed him seventh on her 2013 list of most brutal fighters in "Mortal Kombat", adding that "he was brutal not only in his strength but his cunning, too." He was voted the series' ninth greatest character in a poll by Dorkly that same year.