In the Hollywood world, actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa stood as a revered legend due to his massive contribution toward popularizing MMA through his blockbuster movies. The Japanese-American became an action icon after performing mostly villainous roles in movies like Mortal Kombat, The Last Emperor, and Rising Sun. After living an illustrious life and building a lasting legacy, Tagawa passed away at the age of 75, leaving the MMA world in shambles. 

“Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, known for his roles as Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat (1995), Nobusuke Tagomi in The Man in the High Castle, and Chang in The Last Emperor (1987), has passed away at 75,” posted popular films and entertainment social media page IGN on X.  

According to Wikipedia, Tagawa died on the morning of December 06 from complications of a stroke. The legendary actor was surrounded by his children at his home in Santa Barbara, California, where he passed away. Deeply saddened by this loss, Tagawa’s manager, Margie Weiner, also shared her thoughts regarding Tagawa’s passing.

“I had the privilege of representing Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa for many years as his long-time manager, but our relationship grew into something far deeper; he became like family. Cary was a rare soul: generous, thoughtful, and endlessly committed to his craft. His loss is immeasurable. My heart is with his family, friends, and all who loved him,” said Weiner in a statement reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Well, as the late Hollywood actor left his loved ones grieving behind, fans also joined in the sorrow, reminding everyone of the legend’s contributions. From mentioning his role in the cult classic Mortal Kombat movie to highlighting his appearance in Star Trek, fans around the world shared countless reactions, remembering Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa in their thoughts.

Fans share heartfelt reaction to Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s passing at 75 

One fan chimed in, writing about the late action legend’s Mortal Kombat movie, “Will never forget his Mortal Kombat scenes.” Tagawa’s role as Shang Tsung actually propelled him to stardom, and fans of the franchise will never forget the way he carried the character. Keeping the MK vibe alive, another fan shared a spin-off version of his dialogue from the movie, writing, “He couldn’t collect death’s soul RIP.”

Playing Shang Tsung, the Japanese-American actor delivered one of his most famous dialogues, “your soul is mine,” which became a meme and still appears as a GIF in humorous social media conversations. Following Tagawa’s iconic Mortal Kombat role, another fan mentioned a different standout moment from his career, writing, “I remember him from Rising Sun. Rest In Peace.” Here, the user referred to the late actor’s role in the Rising Sun movie, where he played Eddie Sakamura in a highly engaging murder mystery.

Then, there were also regular condolences such as, “Oh no… he had so much presence i loved his work. bless him and his family.” After that, another one of his movie fans wrote, “villain with the most aura.. RIP legend,” paying tribute to Tagawa’s long list of villainous roles.

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Lastly, a fan posted the late action actor’s Star Trek role’s Mandarin Bailiff card and wrote, “Had his own Star Trek CCG card.” Well, having a collectible card in one of the most iconic Hollywood franchises ever showed just how popular Tagawa’s career had been on the silver screen, delivering memorable performances that fans still cherish.

That said, there’s nothing more to say than “Rest in Peace” to the legend, and the world will remember your contributions.