Mortal Kombat first landed in arcades in 1992, sending shockwaves throughout the industry.
It was gory and violent, and also featured impressive realism for the time. Not everybody
loved it, but nobody would be able to forget it.
The series has had its ups and downs since Tthen, but the fact that it’s still around today
has proven that Mortal Kombat had more staying power than anyone expected. With a history
approaching three decades, Mortal Kombat has seen a lot of fighters come and go. Many of
them are unforgettable. An equal amount of them are… unmemorable. But one thing is
for sure: Every game has given us at least a few new ones, and that means it is our sacred
duty to rank them all, from worst to best. But first, the ground rules.We will only be
counting fighters from the mainline Mortal Kombat series. That means no spinoff games,
which you should never play under any circumstances to begin with. We’ll also not be counting
guest characters from other series or franchises, including the DC Universe fighters. Don’t
worry though; that still leaves more than enough entries on this list, I promise. We
will be covering specific ports and rereleases, but only if the roster is different enough
to warrant it. In terms of ranking, we will take into account
fighting prowess, originality, mainstream popularity, and popularity within the competitive
community. Also, we’re considering how much we like them personally, so there.
And, as if that’s not going to piss you guys off enough already, you’ll see that
all instances of the words “Mortal Kombat” have been abbreviated to “MK” on our text
slates in the interest of saving space, except for the first game, given that it’s literally
just called Mortal Kombat. We’re also using an irritating mixture of roman numerals and
standard digits according to however the numbers in that game’s title were officially stylized.
It IS going to hurt your eyes. And, finally, it’s not until one sits down
to work on a list like this that it becomes clear just how tangled Mortal Kombat lore
really is. It’s awash with multiple timelines, retcons, jokes, and contradictions. We’ve
done our best to get things right but inevitably, we’ve gotten things wrong. Go easy on us.
We’re nice people. Let’s rank ‘em.
With that out of the way, I’m Ben, and I’m Peter from TripleJump, and this is every Mortal
Kombat fighter ranked from worst to best. #77: Kobra
Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Kobra, we hardly knew ye. Actually, there
wasn’t much to know about you in the first place so I suppose we knew you quite well
all things considered. We at TripleJump enjoy Street Fighter, to be clear, and it would
be foolish to overlook the debt Mortal Kombat owes to that series, but “unremarkable white
guy in a gi” is a character type that should have stayed in that franchise. Kobra appeared
in Mortal Kombat: Deception and once more in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon before the developers
realized that literally any other concept for a fighter would have been more interesting.
#76: Hsu Hao Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon We know that ranking any fighter near the
bottom of this list will lead to disagreement. In fact, you’re probably typing disagreement
right now! (Don’t forget to turn on caps lock.) With Hsu Hao, however, even the creators
disliked him. Artist John Vogel insisted that Hsu Hao’s death in Deadly Alliance be considered
canon. That was the character’s debut, but Vogel disliked him so much he never wanted
to see him again. Of course, four years later we got Armageddon, with an “Everyone is
here!” approach that saw Hsu Hao showing up once more. The developers killed him in
that game as well. And nothing of value was lost.
#75: Drahmin Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon Sentient beef-jerky stick Drahmin is another
character we are definitely allowed to hate, as his creators couldn’t stand him, either.
We’re ranking him above Hsu Hao almost exclusively on the grounds that he’s more interesting
to play as. Not fun, to be clear; no fun is to be had while Drahmin is around. But his
low speed and reliance on special moves means it takes a bit of work to get a handle on
him. Is this an inherently good thing? Nope. New players will see that he controls like
a wheel-less shopping trolley and move along, but mastering him is an accomplishment in
itself. Only joking; you wasted your life. #74: Meat
Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Ah, the joke character. A fighting game tradition nobody enjoys, has enjoyed, or ever will enjoy.
The joke behind joke characters is nearly always, “Isn’t it ridiculous that we would
have bothered putting this in our game?” Since game developers have a difficult enough
time implementing their best ideas, we have to question the wisdom of devoting resources
to implementing their worst ones. Meat was introduced as an Easter egg in Mortal Kombat
4. Nobody cared then and fewer people care now. Steve Beran, art director for the series,
has joked that Meat has a cousin made of bones namedSkully. I can’t wait to “meat”
him. #73: Bo’ Rai Cho
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal
Kombat X You know who I’d love to play as? Somebody
who looks like he won’t live through the night. Thank the Lord for Bo’ Rai Cho, then,
who is exactly one cheeseburger away from his fifth and final heart attack. The character
was evidently introduced because series co-creator Ed Boon realized they didn’t yet have a
slobby character. And, well, yeah…the series is about superhumans fighting to the death,
so slobby characters would probably fall at the first hurdle, but here we are. Ed Boon
got his wish, and now we get tolight farts on fire to our heart’s content.
#72: Mokap Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon Look, another joke character! We ranked this
one higher than Meat on the grounds that he is not Meat. Mokap is a motion-capture artist.
“Mocap” is short for motion capture. Mortal Kombat has a habit of replacing Cs with Ks.
Are you laughing yet? I mean, I hope so, otherwise we’d have to wonder if Mortal Kombat knows
what a “joke” even is. He’s evidently a martial-arts teacher who befriended Johnny
Cage and flew to Hollywood to do motion-capture work for a film andfound himself in another
dimension where he fights for the Earthrealm and alsohas telekinesis and…sorry, have
you stopped caring? What a coincidence. So have I.
#71: Nightwolf Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011,
Mortal Kombat 11 Freshly released from his touring contract
with The Village People, Nightwolf made his debut in Mortal Kombat 3, and he stuck around
for a good number of the games to follow. What also stuck around was a confused fan
reception. Was he a positive portrayal of Native American nobility? Or was he a lazy
stereotype that did more harm than good? We’ll give the developers the benefit of the doubt,
but the fact that the debate continues to this day does suggest, at least, that they
could have done a better job with Nightwolf. We admit that the implementation of spirit
animals in Mortal Kombat 11 probably hasn’t helped.
#70: Stryker Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011
Kurtis Stryker, a police officer with the abilities of…a police officer, was originally
intended to appear in the first Mortal Kombat. He was cut and the game was a massive hit.
Maybe the developers should have taken that as a sign. As it stands, the unremarkable
boy in blue appeared in several games over the years, but never to much renown. In the
Defenders of the Realm cartoon, hewas voiced by Ron Perlman. We’ll give him some cool
points for that, but Stryker has consistently been one of the least well-received characters
in the series. Also, his intro quote, “Police brutality, coming up!” has not aged well
at all. And, y’know…good. #69: Kai
Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Remember Kai? Of course you don’t. I’m talking about him right now and already I’ve
forgotten him. Introduced in Mortal Kombat 4 – which is a polite way of saying nobody
cared about him to begin with – Kai was designed to be similar to Liu Kang, reflecting
the fact that they trained together. That’s ultimately the problem. He isn’t a bad fighter
or based on some irritating gimmick; he’s just another guy who hits people in a series
that has no shortage of guys who hit people. After three playable appearances, he was gone
for good. I’ll miss him, whatever his name was.
#68: Ashrah Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Ashrahis playable in two main games:one to say hello and one to say goodbye. We think
that’s more than enough. She had the potential to be interesting, and even had a great signature
weapon: the kris, a wavy blade with a storied history in the real world. In the games, the
kris is said to cleanse the soul of the one who wields it, but some characters believe
it actually corrupts the user instead. This feeds nicely into the fact that she doesn’t
have a firm “good” or “bad” alignment as most fighters do…though that could also
be because she didn’t stick around long enough to develop one.
#67: Ermac Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy,
Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X
Like the others, but this one is red. Ermac was originally just a word that appeared on
the original arcade game’s audits menu. It was short for “error macro,” but seeing
it on the same list as other, actual fighters led fans to assume that someone named Ermac
was unlockable. Electronic Gaming Monthly threw fuel on the fire by publishing a number
of falsified photos and methods for unlocking the character. Y’know, in case “ethics
in games journalism” seems like a recent concern. Ermac was finally created for Ultimate
Mortal Kombat 3, which we think was the series’ way of saying, “Okay, shut up now.”
#66: Tremor Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X
Like the others, but this one is brown. Tremor is an Earth Elemental, which means all of
his moves involvedirt until the developers run out of ideas and give him fire instead.
Tremor has only been playable in two games: the Vita version of Mortal Kombat 2011and
Mortal Kombat X, as DLC. He was originally planned for Mortal Kombat Trilogy in 1996,
but was ultimately replaced by Rain. The fact that Mortal Kombat dug him up 15 years later
might demonstrate how low on ideas the series was running. Fun fact: Tremor is the only
Mortal Kombat fighter who canonicallylost to Kevin Bacon.
#65: Havik Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Originally designed as an alternate costume for Noob Saibot, Havik is every bit as disposable
as that implies. He looks and plays like he was constructed from leftover parts that no
other fighter particularly wanted. He debuted in Mortal Kombat: Deception, where his name
was almost Skab; I honestly can’t decide if Havik was an improvement. Havik is also
a contortionist, because why not? Make him a ventriloquist and a birthday clown while
you’re at it. Havik stuck around for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, presumably to the delight
of his parents, who were very proud of him. On the bright side, you can make him tear
his own head off. #64: Shujinko
Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon In Japanese, Shujinko means protagonist. Boy,
were they rubbing it in. In the Konquest mode of Mortal Kombat: Deception, players spend
their entire time wishing they could get to know someone with a personality instead. You
do get to play different versions of Shujinko as he ages and progresses along his journey,
but it’s not as though spending more of his life with him improves the situation.
He’s dull, and the tragedy of his quest – he thought he was helping the good guys
but he was actually helping the bad guys – is literally the most easily predictable thing
in a series called Mortal Kombat. #63: Kabal
Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Deception,
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat 11
Introduced in Mortal Kombat 3, Kabal didn’t exactly stand out. Much of this was down to
an uninspired design that made him look like a guy with his face stuck in a panini press.
He improved through the next several games, but fans remained lukewarm. (Unlike, presumably,
the panini press). His fatalities were singled out as being particularly disappointing. There
was one accidental exception in the Mega Drive version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, though,
allowingKabal to decapitate himself at will. What’s more, a further glitch allows you
to sprout a whole other fighter from your rolling head. It’s a memorable way to end
a fight, I’ll give him that. #62: Onaga
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Only playable in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon,
Onaga was intended to have been unlockable in Mortal Kombat: Deception. This probably
would have pleased Onaga, but we’re not sure it would have pleased anybody else. That’s
not to say we dislike him – he’s a gargoyle wearing a loin cloth; of course we like him
– but he makes for a more interesting boss than he does a fighter. The series likely
realized this and has kept him off the playable roster since. Also, we’re not taking the
Puzzle Kombat minigame into account, but his tendency to make it impossible to see what’s
going on doesn’t make us feel any warmer toward him.
#61: Mavado Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance,Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon Initially, the plan was for Mavado to be named
Malvado – Spanish for “evil man” – and to be a matador. This was scrapped due to…we
don’t know, really. There’s no reason for any of that to be scrapped. Shin MegamiTenseialready
showed us what a scary matador fighter could look like. That guy is just a few buckets
of blood away from being a Mortal Kombat character already! What we got instead was…a man in
black with some muscles. I admit it’s cool to have a fighter whose arsenal revolves around
various kinds of hooks, but Mavado didn’t stick around and everybody else found something
else to hang their jackets on. #60: Motaro
Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
In the console versions of Mortal Kombat 3, you could play as Motaro via cheat codes.
He was a sort of…half-demon, half-tiger, half-robot-snake with hooves. In Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon, he returned to the series with a more traditional body shape, likely because
the developers didn’t feel like animating him the way he was. I can’t blame them;
I could hardly stand looking at him. In his new form he’s more of a satyr and retains
little of what made him unique in the first place. One has to wonder why they bothered
reworking him so significantly rather than just giving us a new character. Maybe even
a good one. #59: Fujin
Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 11
Fujin is one of few characters who debuted in Mythologies: Sub-Zero who did not rip out
his own organs in shame. Perhaps anonymity helped; he didn’t get a name until he moved
on to the series proper. Fujin is a wind god, but even gods these days can’t be too careful,
so he also fights with swords and crossbows. Ed Boon is on record as saying he has no idea
why a god would need a crossbow, so we don’t feel too bad about being puzzled by that ourselves.
Fujin has only appeared in four games, so we’ll have to wait and see which way the
wind blows. #58: Reiko
Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
A copy of a copy, Reiko took Noob Saibot’s place in Mortal Kombat 4 with the developers
simply swapping heads on the model. They felt the series had too many ninjas. They were
probably right, but decapitating and…erm…recapitating one of them might not have been the most elegant
solution. It certainly wasn’t the most memorable. And believe me, I know I will butcher many
names on this list, but neither the games nor the developers can agree on pronunciation
here. The voice actors refer to him as both Ray-ko and Ree-ko, while the developers have
called him Rye-ko. Just don’t call him late for dinner, right fellas? Heh. Got ‘em.
#57: Triborg Mortal Kombat X
One of only four characters introduced in Mortal Kombat X who didn’t stick around
for Mortal Kombat 11, the world did not mourn the loss of Triborg. At least his name is
a clever pun; tri means three, and borg means borg. He’s technically a cyborg recreation
of three other characters: Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke, and Sub-Zero. Wait…actually that’s
four characters. Maybe “Quadborg” just didn’t sound as cool? A character incorporating
moves from other fighters is not a bad concept, but it’s been done more memorably than this.
Or maybe I’m just bitter that they didn’t call him Mortal Kom-Bot. Come on, people.
The name was right there. #56: Shinnok
Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat X
Mythologies: Sub-Zero was almost impressively bad. It’s the sort of thing we might play
on Worst Games Ever if we were really, really mad at each other. Shinnok has at least one
strike against him for originating as the final boss of that game – a physical manifestation
of every minute of your life you will never get back. He was promoted to proper final-boss
status in Mortal Kombat 4, where he was clearly out of his league, looking more like a Flash
Gordon villain than anyone who should be taken seriously in a deathmatch. He made a few more
playable appearances afterward. We admire his tenacity, but not much else.
#55: Daegon Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Daegonand his brother Taven made their debut in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. That was also
their last appearance. Daegon is the evil brother – all sets of siblings have an “evil”
one– and you can tell him apart from his brother by the fact that he’s bald. This,
too, is biologically sound; evil hearts pump black blood which gums up follicles and inhibits
hair growth. You can learn a lot from these games, you know. Daegon is a decent if unremarkable
fighter, and he isn’t all that memorable for being the main villain of his only game.
I’d say, “Better luck next time,” but, thankfully, I won’t need to.
#54: Taven Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Taven is the other character unique to Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. He’s the good brother,
which means he’s even more boring than Daegon. He is a bit more fun to control, however,
and as the hero of the game’s Konquest mode, you’ll have plenty of time to get used to
him. During development he was known as Bob, with his brother Daegon being known as Doug.
This was a reference to Bob and Doug McKenzie, two Canadian brothers from the sketch-comedy
show SCTV. That means that Taven is the closest you can get to playing Mortal Kombat as Rick
Moranis. Unless Rick himself turns up in Mortal Kombat 12, that is.
#53: Li Mei Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Li Mei had a decent three-game run, then disappeared
from the roster, likely for good. She was not a standout character by any means, but
she was a solid, standard fighter. She might have been more interesting during the development
process, when she wielded the kama as her signature weapon. Eventually the kama was
assigned to Nitara, robbing Li Mei of potential personality in her moveset. She stood out
slightly in Deadly Alliance for having more special moves than most other characters,
but she didn’t have much presence. In fact, you didn’t even remember her until we brought
her up, and now you will never think about her again.
#52: Kung Jin Mortal Kombat X
As with many characters introduced in Mortal Kombat X, Kung Jin is a relative of a character
from earlier games. In this case, he is the cousin of Kung Lao. Also as with many characters
introduced in Mortal Kombat X, this was the most interesting thing about him. Well, it
would be, if it weren’t for the fact that writer Dominic Cianciolo confirmed him as
being the first openly gay character in the series. That’s notable for sure, but we
do wish his fighting style were notable as well. It’s nice to have an archer on the
roster, but in a series like this, that’s not enough to stand out.
#51: Chameleon Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Like the others, but this one is all the colors of your imagination. He officially debuted
in Mortal Kombat Trilogy, but was playable through cheat devices in both the Mega Drive
and SNES versions of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Chameleon, as his name suggests, takes
on the appearances of other fighters – well, the other fighters he pretty much looks like
already – and uses their moves. Whether or not it was a good concept, it proved to
be unsustainable. He made only one other appearance in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, in which he
was reworked substantially and given a trimmed-down moveset. Then he achieved every chameleon’s
dream by simply…disappearing. #50: Moloch
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon In Deadly Alliance, Moloch was a 16-foot-tall
devastating sub-boss with…erm…one ball. As with most bosses who became playable, he
underwent a bit of a downgrade when he was added to the roster of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
He even lost his…one ball. Still, he does retain some advantages, such as the immense
difficulty of throwing him and his near-immunity to projectiles. But without his…one ball,
there wasn’t much that made him unique. Okay, there was the mohawk all the way down his back,
which isn’t a look most fighters could pull off, but that was it. The take-away from this entry is that
Moloch used to have one ball that was taken away from him and so it's perhaps no surprise that a lot of people
mispronounce his name as "mollock" as though it rhymes with b- #49: Takeda Takahashi Mortal Kombat X
Takeda Takahashi’s introduction in Mortal Kombat X did not lead to a spot in Mortal
Kombat 11’s roster. It’s entirely possible, then, that a future version of this list would
see him fall quite a bit, simply on the grounds that he never left an impact. His fighting
style is largely dull and pales in comparison to that of Jacqui Briggs, who was introduced
in the same game and with whom he is in a relationship. Lore tells us that he learned
a few things from Scorpion, who served as his mentor, but unfortunately none of those
things were how to leave an impression. #48: Sektor
Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat Gold,
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011 Mortal Kombat’s habit of replacing Cs with
Ks really pays off sometimes, doesn’t it? “Sector,” with a C, would be a pretty
naff name for a fighter. Stick a K in there instead for “Sektor,” and suddenly it’s
cool. Then again,anything is an improvement on his development name: Ketchup. Sektor is
a karate robot. It’s hard to rank him lower than this for that reason alone. He’s had
an interesting history, debuting in Mortal Kombat 3, sticking around for a few games,
then disappearing and coming back at regular intervals. Being an evil machine,perhaps somebody’s
been trying to fix him by turning him off and on again.
#47: Quan Chi Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal
Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X
We’ve covered a few fighters who appeared in Mythologies: Sub-Zero. Quan Chi is another,
but his path to Mortal Kombat proper is even longer and stranger. He made his debut in
Defenders of the Realm, an animated series that ran for 13 episodes in 1996. With that
and the Sub-Zero spinoff behind him, Quan Chi would have to work pretty hard to shake
his stigma, and he succeeded, hanging around for a number of games since. The fact that
he’s been in the best and worst of Mortal Kombat is echoedin Ed Boon picking Quan Chi’s
fatalities as both his favorite and least favorite in the entire series.
#46: Cyrax Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011 Mortal Kombat does love its super-fighting
robots. Cyrax was introduced alongside Smoke and Sektor in Mortal Kombat 3, making it a
great game for fans of being ripped apart by machines. Players and critics have been
split, describing his weapons as both “useless” and “devastating.” Then again, what do
fans know? Due to his introduction in the first game that didn’t feature Scorpion,
they assumed Cyraxwas Scorpion inside all of that clanging metal. The joke was on them;
Cyrax had no such crucial role in the lore of beloved characters. In fact, initially he was just
called Mustard. Add him to the Sektor ketchup
and we'll soon have all the condiments #45: Kollector
Mortal Kombat 11 Mortal Kombat is obviously not a “horror”
series, and yet it just as obviously contains horror elements. What, after all, is more
horrific than a tax collector!? Most things, of course; tax collectors are just doing their
jobs and don’t mean any degree of harm whatsoever. All of which is to say there isn’t much
to cover with Kollector; he was introduced in the most recent gameand has the most arms
of any fighter thus far – six, for those playing along at home – but beyond that,
there’s little that makes him stand out. Good on him for being gainfully employed,
though. Fighting to the death can’t pay much.
#44: Kintaro Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon,
Mortal Kombat 2011 It’s impossible to overstate just how much
early Mortal Kombat fans wanted to play as Goro. Players were sure that they’d get
their opportunity, whether through a sequel, a cheat code, or good old reliable tantrums.
Then Mortal Kombat II came around, and Goro was replaced by his non-union Mexican equivalent.
It was a lesser substitute, but fans may have accepted Kintaro if that was the closest they
could get to playing as Goro. Kintaro still wasn’t playable, however, really rubbing
salt into that wound. He was finally made playable in Mortal Kombat Trilogy, but that
game also made Goro playable, rendering this guy immediately obsolete.
#43: Sareena Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Sareena debuted in the Mythologies: Sub-Zero spinoff, and then made her first playable
appearance in Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition for the Game Boy Advance. All I can say is,
“I’m sorry, Sareena” and “I’m sorry, Sareena.” She was planned to appear in other
games, only to be cut. Her first and only proper appearance came in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
She’s far from the easiest fighter to handle, but those willing to practice with her could
hold their own. That’s hardly a recommendation, though, and if Sareena had a difficult time
making an appearance when the roster was less crowded, don’t bet on seeing her again #42: Jarek
Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Remember Kano? Jarek sure did. In fact, he remembered him so well that there was almost
no difference between his fighting style and what we could already do with Kano. There
is a lore reason for this – Jarek studied under Kano – but that doesn’t explain
how he’s able to perform the same laser-eye fatality, being as he didn’t have Kano’s
laser eye. Replacing Kano in Mortal Kombat 4 with a new character who fought identically
is a weird choice that we still don’t understand. Jaerk gained a unique moveset in Armageddon
for his final appearance. After that? We assume he died on the way back to his home planet.
#41: Hotaru Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Hotaru is a firefly-themed fighter; his name means firefly in Japanese and the Chinese
characters for “firefly” adorn the flags on his back. Also, Hotaru commands psychic control
over lava, using it as both a weapon and a means of transportation just like a real firefly!
He made his debut in Mortal Kombat: Deception, but it was far from an Earth-shattering one.
After one more turn on the roster in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, he’s been relegated
to cameos. It’s the sort of thing that would have outraged fans of the character, had the
character stuck around long enough to attract any. #40: Rain
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011
Like the others, but this one is purple. Oh…Purple Rain. I get it. I hate it, but I get it. Rain
is a nod to the artist formerly known as Prince and then again eventually known as Prince.
Rain even introduces himself as a prince in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. I’m just surprised
they didn’t go even further and give him a raspberry beret. Ed Boon introduced the
character as a joke in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but the joke came to him so late in the
game’s development that Rain was only playable in the console ports. Heappeared in a few
games to follow, which presumably pleased someone. Somewhere. But we don't know them
#39: Ferra and Torr Mortal Kombat X
Ferra and Torr are representatives from a symbiotic race in which some of the population
serve as riders and the rest of them serve as mounts. This is known in one-on-one fighting
tournaments as “cheating.” It’s supposed to be a battle to determine which kombatant deserves
to live, people. Inviting your beefy younger brother to soak up the damage for you isn’t
exactly sporting. They are at least fun to use, and having a pair of characters work
together does help them to stand out as a novelty, but Ferra and Torr did not stick
around for Mortal Kombat 11’s roster, and we’re pretty much fine with that.
#38: Sindel Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011,
Mortal Kombat 11 Mother of Kitana and Mileena and wife of Shao
Khan – albeit unwillingly – Sindel is an important figure in Mortal Kombat lore.
If you are not interested in Mortal Kombat lore, then she is the one who whips her hair
back and forth, she whips her hair back and forth, she whips her hair back and forth,
etc. Fan reaction is overall split, with Sindel being a fixture on lists of both the best
female characters in Mortal Kombat and the worst. Love her or hate her, she’s been
a common name on the roster since her debut in Mortal Kombat 3, and that isn’t likely
to change any time soon. #37: Kotal Kahn
Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 Within the universe of the games, Kotal Khan
is not an Aztec warrior; he’s a warrior from the fictional realm of Osh-Tekk. Totally
different! He did, however, encounter real-world Mayans on Earth, who worshipped him as BulucChabtanm,
which is an anagram for Anal Butch Cub. That has nothing to do with the character, but
I feel it important to mention. Fan opinion is mixed but, as we’ve seen, latter-day
fighters could be much worse than this one. Also, Kotal Kahn has a brutality in which
he kills himself, denying his opponent the satisfaction of beating him themselves. Does
that make him badass or just bad? We can’t decide.
#36: Kira Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
In terms of the main series, no fighter introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deception made it farther
than the next game, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. For that reason, it’s difficult to get a
handle on many of these fighters. They weren’t given much time to develop or find an audience.
For Kira, that may be unfortunate. Her knives – the evocatively named Dragon Teeth – could
have led to an interesting fighting style down the line. And her backstory sees her
posing as a man to sell weapons in the Middle East; think Mulan but in the illegal weapons
trade. There was potential here, but so little of it was realized.
#35: Dairou Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Intended to debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Dairou wouldn’t actually appear
until Mortal Kombat: Deception, when the creative team ran out of better ideas. He’s a mercenary
who was once imprisoned for murdering the man who killed his family. His outfit mixes
metal and cloth, and his fighting style is direct and largely traditional. If you’re
wondering why I am spending so much time talking about superficial things, that’s because
Dairou doesn’t really provide much worth discussing. He does have the ability to switch
places with his opponent, which is handy in some very specific circumstances, but aside
from that, he’s just another guy killin’ guys.
#34: Darrius Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Who was it who ordered the killing of poor Dairou’s family? It was Darrius!...if anyone
cares. Not quite “Top 10 Anime Betrayals” material, but so be it. Darrius is a mean
man, is the point, which is somehow not much of a distinguishing character trait in a series
about people ripping intestines out of other people. He’s been referred to as a Blade
knockoff, but I think that’s deeply unfair; a Blade knockoff would be at least a little
bit cool by default. This guy is more of a knockoff of a knockoff. He’s what you’d
get if you ordered Blade off Wish. #33: Blaze
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
If you want to know just how unnecessarily broad Mortal Kombat’s lore can be, meet
Blaze. Here he is in his first appearance, in Mortal Kombat II. He doesn’t even do
anything; he just has an idle animation. Well, it turns out Blaze was tasked with guarding
the last dragon egg –a thing in Mortal Kombat, apparently. After the egg hatched, he was
free to pursue his dream of punching a lot of different people. Ed Boon has saidBlaze
is at the “top of the food chain.” We assume that’s metaphorical, but this is
Mortal Kombat, so it could also mean that he literally eats the other fighters.
#32: Sheeva Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat 11
You like Goro, right? How about Goro with breasts? Come on, tell me how you feel looking
at Goro with breasts. You can trust me. Tell me everything that goes through your mind
when you seeGoro with breasts. Goro with breasts made her debut in Mortal Kombat 3, because
fans wanted to play as Goro. Those fans wererewarded for their patience with Goro with breasts.
You were one of those fans.How did it make you feel? I’d like to get to the root of
your strong emotional response to Goro with breasts. Did you walk in on Goro naked when
you were young? Talk to me. #31: Cassie Cage
Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 Mortal Kombat X introduced Cassie Cage, the
daughter of Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage. From her mother she inherited her physical characteristics.
From her father she inherited a tendency to be insufferable. Whereas her father’s insufferability
came from his action-hero posturing, Cassie’s comes from a drawer of jokes the developers
must have printed out from emails titled “FWD: FWD: These Millenials!!” She’s one of
those damned kids with their ear buds and their air pods and their iPhones, taking selfies
during fatalities and posting them to the social webs. Honestly, it’s not the character
who is tiresome; it’s the developers giving her stale jokes in place of apersonality.
#30: Smoke Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011
Like the others, but this one is grey and sometimes a robot. Smoke is an important part
of Mortal Kombat history: He was the first playable unlockable character in the series.
Prior to this, hidden characters could only be fought against. Smoke began the tradition
of expanding the roster with secret characters. In his non-playable debut in Mortal Kombat
II, he was a Scorpion clone. In fact, it could be argued that he didn’t get a truemoveset
of his own until Mortal Kombat 2011. He’s remained a consistent favorite through the
years and still has one of the most memorable fatalities in the series. Oh look, Smoke predicted
2020. #29: Khameleon
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon If you played Mortal Kombat Trilogy on the
Nintendo 64, you didn’t get Chameleon. Instead, you got Khameleon. Okay, they sound identical,
but this one starts with a K and the other one starts with a C. Like the one that starts
with a C, Khameleonuses the moves of other fighters. Also like the one that starts with
a C, she didn’t stick around or make much of an impact. Her only other playable appearance
was in the Wii version of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. She was a hit with fans, but that hasn’t
translated into staying power. #28: Noob Saibot
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal
Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat 11
Like the others, but this one is blue. Which makes him Sub-Zero. That’s not a joke, though
it probably should be one. After Noob Saibot was properly introduced in Mortal Kombat II,
the first game was retconned so that the character we thought was Sub-Zero was actually Noob.
Kind of a strange retcon, considering the entirecharacter was born of an inside joke;
his name combines the backward surnames of series creators Ed Boon and John Tobias. It
was certainly worth rewriting history to include that. Anyway, Noob has since become a proper
fighter in his own right, and his wishbone fatality is among the best in the series.
#27: Nitara Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon We’re surprised it took until Deadly Alliance
for a vampire to appear in the series. After all, with all of that blood splashing around,
somebody might as well drink it. Nitara debuted in that game and popped up again in Mortal
Kombat: Armageddon, but she hasn’t been playable otherwise. We’re not quite sure
why; she’s nimble and just corny enough to fit perfectly into a roster of over-the-top
monster-people. She’s made cameos in other games so we know the developers haven’t
forgotten about her. We just hope she makes a proper return in the future. We’d be very…fangful?
I’ll work on that joke and get back to you later.
#26: Skarlet Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat 11
Like the others, but this one is scarlet. Or perhaps not? Well, okay, this one is scarlet,
but she did not originate as a real palette swap. For years, rumors circulated of a Mortal
Kombat II glitch that gaveKitana a red costume, which fans christenedSkarlet. It was up to
Ed Boon to eventually state, flatly, that there was never a glitch that turned Kitana
red; it was just an urban legend. It’s one he found amusing enough to turn into an actual
character, however, in Mortal Kombat 2011, and a well-received one at that. Fans must
have been happy to play as a character they themselves dreamed up.
#25: Frost Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 11 Introduced in Deadly Alliance, Frost essentially
wanted to be Sub-Zero. To be fair, I want that, too. Frost was given a bit more character
than that, though, being driven by feelings of envy and inadequacy that prevented her
from being anywhere near as disciplined as her mentor. Her flaws make her one of Mortal
Kombat’s more interesting personalities, as they tend to run a bit deeper than her
skills in battle. She disappeared after Armageddon – sort of the point of any Armageddon – but
made a triumphant return in Mortal Kombat 11. We hope she sticks around. She’s more
interesting than the simple clone character she could have been.
#24: Shang Tsung Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate
Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon,
Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat 11 The main antagonist of the first Mortal Kombat,
Shang Tsung was an homage to the character Lo Pan from John Carpenter’s Big Trouble
in Little China, something made more clear in the character’s early design sketches.
Ultimately he changed so much that he’s been able to stand as his own character…fittingly,
a shapeshifting one. He has not earned himself much of a following beyond those who enjoy
him for nostalgic purposes, though. That’s not his fault; it’s just that the series
has had so many great characters over the years, that the man initially at the top of
the heap has had some trouble keeping up. #23: Shao Kahn
Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat: Deception,
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 11 Shao Kahn was the main villain of Mortal Kombat
II – a role he filled in more games than any other character, by the way – but he
left his biggest mark on the series without even being on the screen: Shao Kahn is the
announcer in nearly every Mortal Kombat game. “Finish him” OR HER is a phrase that alone
would have immortalized him. He was playable in home ports of Mortal Kombat 3 and in a
few games beyond, but obviously he’s nowhere near as devastating an opponent when he’s
controlled by another human. Obviously he’s a good fighter, but he’s destined to be
remembered for other reasons. #22: Kenshi
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal
Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X A telekinetic, sightless swordsman is almost
certainly going to be cool by default. While most of the fighters introduced in Deadly
Alliance made their final appearance in Armageddon, Kenshi has made several more appearances on
the roster since. What’s more, he’s done so to rightful acclaim. He is definitely one
of the better and more interesting latter-day fighters, with his sword-based combat feeling
consistently satisfying. He’s one of the most underrated kombatants and one of the
highlights of any game that features him. He was absent from Mortal Kombat 11, but we
think he will be back for Round 2 ... or Round 6 He's been in five games already
#21: Baraka Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal
Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal
Kombat 11 Visually speaking, there’s no question who
stood out the most in Mortal Kombat II’s roster. Thanks to some remarkable redesigns
through the years, he’s stood out in many other games as well. Baraka is a vicious mutant
with enormous teeth and blades in his arms. Really, that’s all we’d need to say in
order to justify a high placement, but his consistent power and brutality mean he’s
always worth experimenting with. Fun fact: Whereas Goro, the first game’s physically
impossible fighter, was a stop-motion model, Baraka was played by an actual human in a
modified Count Orlok mask. It’s Halloween every day when you’re making Mortal Kombat.
#20: Tanya Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal
Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat X
Mortal Kombat 4 was originally set to feature Kitana, but the developers decided to replace
her with a new character instead. They came up with Tanya, who may not have been an immediate
hit but who has proven to have staying power through the years. She has been playable in
all but four of the games that followed, and was planned to appear in one of those until
she was cut late in development. Tanya is one of very few ninja characters who doesn’t
wear a mask. I bet she doesn’t practice social distancing, either, am I right? Seriously,
though, wear a mask, people. #19: Cetrion
Mortal Kombat 11 Introduced in Mortal Kombat 11, Cetrion embodies
life, virtue, and nature. Which, hey, great, but you did just burn that person’s face
off with hot steam so let’s not act too high and mighty. She serves as both a sub-boss
and a playable fighter. She’s definitely an interesting addition to the roster, but
it obviously remains to be seen how much of an impact she will have on the series. Her
nature-based attacks have a lot of potential and her moveset favors abilities that maintain
distance, allowing fights to feel pretty unique. Also, her hair is made of seaweed. Is your
hair made of seaweed? Didn’t think so. Match point to Cetrion.
#18: Johnny Cage Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat
Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
Along with Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage was one of few characters in the first game to have
a surname. Actually…Cage…Blade…these words suggest violence! Has anyone noticed
this?! Are our children playing violent video games?! Someone really needs to ban these
things.Cage is a martial-arts film star with decent fighting talent and a surfeit of arrogance.
More uniqueis his bottomless capacity for reincarnation. Cage is killed in Mortal Kombat
Trilogy, Deadly Alliance, and Armageddon, but he keeps resurrecting. In fact, his ability
to overcome death reminds me ofanotherfamous J.C….romance novelist Jackie Collins, whose
writing career took several drastic downturns, but who always returned to a state of commercial
success. Amen. #17: Goro
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal
Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat X The first game certainly featured gore that
was over the top for its time, but the character designs were largely familiar to anyone who
had played fighting games before. They were humans of similar builds, mainly distinguishable
by the colors of their outfits. Then you’d fightGoro, and suddenly things got serious.
This absolute four-armed unit stood out both visually and for his difficulty, and he remains
one of the most recognizable characters in the series to this day. He wasn’t properly
playable until Mortal Kombat Trilogy – though he was technically playable via cheats in
the Game Boy version of Mortal Kombat, which I refuse to discuss further.
#16: D’Vorah Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
In 1992, Mortal Kombat was an immediate smash. And yet, fans were understandably disappointed.
“Sure,” they said, “I can rip people’s spines out, but why can I not stab them withmy
ovipositors and vomit fertilized eggs into their mouths?” 23 long years later, the
series addressed that oversight with D’Vorah. D’Vorah is a horrific bug woman who does
all of the awful things you’d expect to be done during a Mortal Kombat fight, but
somehow even more disgustingly. We mean that as a compliment, to be clear; D’Vorah is
an achievement in repulsiveness and is one of the recent additions to the roster that
I hope sticks around. #15: Geras
Mortal Kombat 11 Geras has the ability to manipulate the flow
of time, preventing him from ever dying. One might consider that to be less than fair in
fights to the death, but here we are. And it’s not as though reincarnation is a particularly
rare thing in this universe. Cleverly, Geras can use his control over time to manipulate
the length of the rounds, adding or removing time as the player sees fit. In addition to
essentially being a time mage, he is a sand elemental. Sands of Time, get it? Because
even in its most-recent game, Mortal Kombat can’t resist a good pun. Or, y’know, a
pun. #14: Kano
Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat:
Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal
Kombat 11 Few images are more iconic to the series than
a still-beating heart held aloft in victory. That image belongs to Kano; it was his fatality
in the original game. It caused gamers’ jaws to drop in surprise the first time they
saw it. The jaws of parents and politiciansdropped for different reasons. Mortal Kombat was cited
in the 1993 Congressional hearings on video game violence, and a U.S. House committee
even screened footage of Kano’s fatality as “evidence” that this trend could not
continue unchecked. Kano left his mark on the series, and he also changed the way the
medium was viewed in general. For better or for worse.
#13: Jade Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy,
Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat 11
Like the others, but this one is…erm, jade. She debuted as an unplayable secret character
in Mortal Kombat II and her star rose when she became playable in Ultimate Mortal Kombat
3, establishing herself as every bit the fighter fans hoped she would be. As with all characters,
her moveset has changed over the years, but she is overall known for her projectiles and
her devastating combos. She’s also known for her sex appeal, which led to a number
of appearances outside of the games, including on G4’s Girls Gone Wired. Jade remains one
of the most popular and enduring Mortal Kombat characters, and rightly so.
#12: Jacqui Briggs Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
Jacqui Briggs is the daughter of Jax, who was introduced way back in Mortal Kombat II.
After a lifetime of having his eyes gouged out with his own ribs, Jax decided perhaps
his daughter should lead a normal life. The Mortal Kombat wiki refers to this as Jax being
“overly protective,” which makes us wonder about the wiki authors’ understanding of
parenting. Jacqui showed up in Mortal Kombat X to disappoint her father but also to delight
fans, being both an interesting character and a solid fighter. Her training as a kickboxer
makes her more grounded and realistic than most…a nice change of pace as the roster
gets more and more outrageous. #11: Kung Lao
Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal
Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011,
Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 When developing Mortal Kombat II, the creators
decided they wanted a monk character. For inspiration they turned to one of the most
famous monks in pop-culture: Oddjob, the henchman from Goldfinger. Quite how “we need a monk”
became “we need someone with a deadly hat,” we don’t know. We do know that Kung Lao
became a memorable, versatile fighter as a result, and also became important to the series’
wider presence. He starred alongside Liu Kang in the Shaolin Monks spinoff and was the protagonist
of the novelization by Jeff Rovin. There are characters who could be considered more “classic,”
but not too many of them. #10: Liu Kang
Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat
Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon,
Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
Liu Kang was designed specifically to be a more heroic figure than most of the others,
with a less-violent, less-dirty fighting style that suited his honorable shaolin background.
This made him an easy choice for protagonist of both of the Mortal Kombat films and the
Malibu Comics series. He was one of the protagonists of Shaolin Monks, considered the best spinoff
and just as frequently considered the only spinoff worth playing. It was well received,
but is remembered for a banned advertisement that saw businesspeople eating each other’s
hearts and being decapitated. Remember, Liu Kang was the least violent of the kombatants.
#9: Kitana Mortal Kombat II, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3,
Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat:
Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
Like the others, but this one is royal blue. Fitting, as Kitana is a princess, much to
the chagrin of her sister, Mileena. Can you tell which of them is evil?? Introduced in
Mortal Kombat II, Kitana immediately became a popular character, though not for the reasons
the developers intended. Her combos, when properly abused, proved to be inescapable.
This amused the developers but of course they fixed the issue in later revisions. Even without
such exploits, Kitana was and remains a formidable fighter. Her moveset relies on her hand fans,
which are quick and bladed. Actually, could it be said that Kitana started the whole “Only
Fans” thing? #8: Reptile
Mortal Kombat II, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal
Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011,
Mortal Kombat X Like the others, but this one is green. Reptile
was the first hidden character in Mortal Kombat, though in the first game you could only compete
against him. He was essentially a more difficult combination of Scorpion and Sub-Zero, hence
his color:Yellow and blue make green. He became playable in Mortal Kombat II, where he exceeded
all expectations with an expanded moveset and the introduction of his acid attacks.
His fatalities have been among the most brutal in the series, reflecting his…erm…reptilian-ness.
The character has had immense staying power as well, appearing in all but three of the
games we’re covering on this list. #7: Jax
Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal
Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon,
Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
Cybernetically enhanced super-soldier Jax Briggs saw one heck of an upgrade following
his debut in Mortal Kombat II. By the next game he flaunted the mechanical enhancements
that would define him as a character and as a fighter. Jax’s robot arms do a great job
of masking the character’s original concept, which was a kickboxer. Had the developers
stuck with that idea, it’s unlikely he’d be even half as memorable or interesting.
He’s appeared in almost every game since his debut and is nearly always considered
a top-tier character. It’s difficult to argue with that. Especially if you value your
spine. #6: Raiden
Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold,
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal
Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
Raiden, when someone asks you if you’re a god, you say YES. Introduced in the first
game with his distinctive outfit and ability to explode people’s heads, Raiden knew how
to make an impression. He is also, within the world of the games, the actual god of
thunder, which must make for a pretty big ego boost for anyone who beats him up. Raiden’s
early popularity came both from his novelty and from his moveset, which easily allowed
newcomers to hold their own against more experienced opponents. He’s also one of the series’
mainstays, appearing in every game we are covering aside from either version of Mortal
Kombat 3. And we doubt he's going anywhere any time soon #5: Mileena
Mortal Kombat II, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat Gold,
Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X
Like the others, but this one is violet. And violent! When Mortal Kombat II was released,
teenage boys around the world tried the new fighters, learned their moves,and experimented
to find their secrets. Then those teenage boys triggered Mileena’s fatality. And those
teenage boys sat silentlyfor a full 90 seconds without blinking. Mileena’s deliberate overturning
of the video-game vixen trope – which was already mustyby 1993 –is still one of Mortal
Kombat’s best tricks. She’s continued to creep onto the roster over the years, typically
outdoing herself for sheer viciousness every time. But nothing will ever match that legendary
first appearance, when nobody knew what she hid behind that veil.
#4: Erron Black Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
A Wild West gunslinger might not be the most obvious type of fighter, but he’s a welcome
one. Erron Black was adored by fans upon his debut in Mortal Kombat X, and having him stick
around was a no-brainer. Certainly the love for him was helped along by the fact that
he was voiced by Troy Baker, voice-acting royalty who can do no wrong. His pistol-heavy
attacks feel unique enough that he stands out for reasons other than his aesthetic.
Also,one of his exchanges with Kano suggests that he personally killed Kobra, preventing
the latter from showing up in any future games. That alone counts for a lot. Erron Black deserves big
congratulations for getting this high in the list despite only appearing in two titles. Everyone else in the top 10 has a
dozen titles to read out before we get to the entry, just like... #3: Sonya Blade Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal
Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly
Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat
11 The only female fighter in the first Mortal
Kombat game nearly didn’t make the cut. Only late in development did the creators
decide against an all-male cast, scrapping Kurtis Stryker and replacing him with Sonya.
This was clearly the correct decision. Sonya remains one of the series’ most popular
and most balanced fighters. She’s not usually as savage as most of her male – or, admittedly,
female – adversaries, but her tough-as-nails demeanor and easy-to-grasp moves make her
a welcome addition to any roster. In fact, she’s been absent from only two proper games,
and paved the way for every arse-kicking female to come. Not bad for an afterthought.
#2: Sub-Zero Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat
3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold,
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal
Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 Like the others, but this one is blue. Noob-related retcons aside, Sub-Zero is the only character
to appear as a playable fighter in every game we’re covering. His ability to freeze opponents
made him stand out not just among the original game’s roster, but among fighting-game rosters
in general, where moves as unique as this were still a novelty. His arcade fatality
was certainly seared immediately into the minds of every young fan who saw it, and even
when it was censored on the SNES, Sub-Zero still managed to have a darn cool replacement.
He was so popular, even non-gamers knew his name, as we saw in this scene from sitcom
Malcolm in the Middle. Of course, that scene is not entirely accurate, as there is
ONE person who beats Sub-Zero… #1: Scorpion
Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal
Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception,
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 2011, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11
Like the others, but this one is yellow and also the best. It’s impossible to top Scorpion,
the fire-breathing undead warrior who refused to rest until exacting revenge on the man
who killed him: Sub-Zero. Of course, through the years he’s exacted revenge on the 75
other characters as well, many times over, but everybody needs a hobby.
Scorpion has been playable in every game aside from Mortal Kombat 3, though that was rectified
in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, where adding him alone would indeed have warranted the
addition of the word Ultimate. Ed Boon – who also voiced Scorpion’s original “Get over
here!” taunts – has said that Scorpion is his favorite character, and that the series
wouldn’t be the same without him. Indeed, Scorpion is the Mortal Kombat fighter,
and quite possibly our favorite undead martial artist skeleton ghost to have ever impaled
people with spears and jerked them around against their will.
And that’s every Mortal Kombat fighter ranked from worst to best. How many of their names
did we mispronounce? Whose lore did we get completely, inexcusably wrong? If you could
introduce your own totally original character to the series, what color would their identical
ninja suit be? Let us know in a comment below. Also, if you have suggestions for other “Every
X Ranked From Worst to Best” videos, let us know. We love being told that we’re incorrect.
You can follow TripleJump on Twitter here, and while you’re at it, why not support
the things you enjoy by having a look at our patreon. Finally, don’t for get to like
the video, share it with your friends, and subscribe to the channel. I’m Benand I’m
Peter from TripleJump, and thanks for watching.
