Decades ago, Shujinko, was approached by a ethereal spirit entity that called itself Damashi. Damashi claimed to be the agent of the Elder Gods who was tasked with finding a mortal who had the courage and potential strength to undertake a quest for the Elder Gods. Shujinko, then only a child, eagerly accepted and Damashi charged him with gathering the six Kamidogu of Earthrealm, Netherealm, Chaosrealm, Outworld, Orderrealm, and Edenia. To aid Shujinko in the quest, Damashi mystically instilled in Shujinko an enhanced ability to observe and then wield the Kombat abilities of warriors that he came across.
It took Shujinko decades to gather the Kamidogu. But in that time, he traveled widely through the realms and his innate kombat talent grew dramatically. Shujinko faced danger and adventure at every turn. Early in the quest, he fought briefly alongside the Lin Kuei during which time he learned the clan's cryomancery secrets. Later, he would literally journey into the Netherealm, where he would bear witness to a rivalry forming between Ashrah and Ermac. In the realm of Chaos, he fought alongside Havik, thus repelling an invasion by the Seidan guard to control the realm's water stores. In Outworld, Shujinko faced off against Baraka and the Tarkatan hoard-- then on the verge of slaughtering an entire city whose prefect had defied Shao Kahn. Determined to prevent an unimaginable massacre, he then journeyed to Seido, the realm of Order. There, after helping to quell a civil uprising instigated by Darrius and the resistance, Shujinko enlisted the aid of Hotaru and the Seidan guard. They then journeyed to Outworld. The Seidan guard proved to be more than a match for the Tarkatan horde, and Shujinko thus liberated the city and its people.
His journeys would take him elsewhere still until, after helping Sindel to drive back an invasion attempt into Edenia by Shao Kahn, Shujinko found the sixth Kamidogu. Shujinko then made his way back to the Nexus where he planned to present the Kamidogu, thus gathered, to the Elder Gods. However, Onaga, after revealing himself to be Damashi, confronted Shujinko and took the Kamidogu for his own.
Onaga, having acquired the Kamidogu, traveled to Outworld to re-assume his throne as the original ruler of the realm. From there, he intended to use the Kamidogu to attain ultimate power by re-making the realms in his image.
Shujinko, now fully understanding this threat to the realms, born from deception, resolved to stop Onaga. Though the heart of the quest was proven to be farce, Shujinko, having faced and triumphed over continuous dangers, had become one of the most powerful warriors in the realms. He journeyed to Outworld where he was able to gather a number of powerful warriors to one location. Then, using the mystic ability Onaga endowed him with years earlier, Shujinko reached out for the warriors' essence, thus their combined powers supplemented his own. He then used this power to shatter the Kamidogu and brutally beat Onaga into submission, giving his former mentor Nightwolf the chance to trap Onaga's soul in the Netherealm.
Shujinko was then, for a time, known as the hero of Outworld. However, he still felt some degree of guilt of bringing back the Dragon King in the first place. As such, he didn't feel worthy of their admiration. Some time later, Princess Kitana requested Shujinko to meet her at Shao Kahn's fortress, as her Edeinian forces had apparently flushed out Reiko's elite guard, the last remnants of the old empire.
Shujinko however came to the realization that he and Kitana parted ways after Onaga's defeat, as she set out to help the spirit of Liu Kang. Shujinko thought either that she departed for Earthrealm for the quest and she came back sooner than expected, or that the invitation had not come from her at all. Deciding that he would not allow himself to be fooled again, he made the decision to uncover a possible plot of an unknown enemy to make himself truly worthy of the admiration Outworld has placed in him. It is revealed that the person who sent the deceptive invitation was Mileena, who he fought and allowed her to capture him at the behest of Shao Kahn. In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon's Konquest mode, Taven discovers Shujinko in the dungeons of Shao Kahn's fortress. After freeing him, Shujinko explained that he allowed himself to be captured on purpose so to as to get closer to his enemies, as he plans to take on Shao Kahn, Onaga, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi by himself. He disappears soon after in the pursuit of his mission, leaving Taven to regard him an old fool.
In Shujinko's Armageddon ending, he defeats Blaze, allowing him to absorb the fighting strength of every kombatant. He becomes mad with power and destroys all the other fighters. He then challenges the Elder Gods for control of the realms.
, MK:A) 
