What is "shinnok"

Shinnok is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. First appearing as the nonplayable boss of the 1997 side-scrolling action-adventure game Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, he made his selectable debut in the three-dimensional fighting title Mortal Kombat 4 the same year. In the series canon, Shinnok is a disgraced former Elder God who was imprisoned in the eternally-damned Netherealm, which he rules alongside the nefarious sorcerer Quan Chi while seeking revenge against Raiden for his banishment. He plays his largest role to date as the main antagonist in Mortal Kombat X, in which he defeats Raiden's chosen warriors in battle before being sealed inside a magic amulet, in addition to serving as the game's final boss.

While he is associated with Quan Chi due to their recurring partnership throughout the Mortal Kombat series since their collective 1997 debut, Shinnok has not fared as well in terms of long-term popularity and storyline presence. He has been selectable after Mortal Kombat 4 in two other games (the compilation title Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, and Mortal Kombat X) with cameo roles in other installments, in addition to not featuring in any alternate media or merchandise save for a supporting role in the 1997 feature film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. General and media reception has been mixed to negative, mainly for what is considered to be his unimposing stature as a boss character in the series.