Fatalities, Flair, and Fighters We Can’t Forget
Mortal Kombat has never been short on wild personalities, but a few fighters have pretty crazy lasting power—for better or worse. From ninjas with supernatural grudges to movie stars who somehow survive gods, we’re rounding up the coolest guys we couldn’t wait to play…and the ones that deserved a participation ribbon.
1. Scorpion
Alright, well, Scorpion’s the obvious pick for top fighter (don’t come for us). Between his “Get over here!” spear, flaming skull Fatalities (not to mention his long-running feud with Sub-Zero), he’s basically the face of the franchise. Plus, he has some of the coolest finishing moves around.
2. Sub-Zero
What? We weren’t going to allude to Sub-Zero without mentioning him! He brings a colder kind of confidence, and his ice powers have satisfied us across decades. Freezing an opponent in place and landing a brutal combo? That never stops being cool.
3. Liu Kang
Liu Kang is one of the more unassuming characters, even though he, too, became a poster boy for the franchise. But he has everything you could want: a bicycle kick, fireballs, and dragon transformations. Once he becomes Fire God Liu Kang, it’s lights out for whoever challenges him.
4. Raiden
Raiden has the kind of entrance that just seems to silence everyone else. His lightning attacks and thunder-god presence make him feel important even when he’s making…let’s call them questionable decisions. Either way, whether he’s guiding Earthrealm’s champions or going darker in later timelines, he always brings weight to the story.
5. Kitana
Oh, you thought men were the only cool characters? Guess again! Kitana mixes royal elegance with some of the nastiest weapons in the series, so she’s basically a perfect twofer. Her steel fans aren’t just stylish, either—they let her juggle opponents, slice through attacks, and turn graceful movement into real threats.
6. Johnny Cage
Okay, yes, Johnny Cage was super annoying, but that’s exactly why he works. He walks into supernatural tournaments with sunglasses, bad jokes, and movie-star confidence, then actually backs it up with shadow kicks and nut punches. Say what you want about him, but he had some giddy-up.
Pikawil from Laval, Canada on Wikimedia
7. Mileena
Mileena has one of the strongest visual identities in Mortal Kombat, and she knows how to make every appearance uncomfortable. We’ve got sai attacks, teleport drops, and Tarkatan teeth, all of which give her a brutal fighting style that’s pretty unpredictable. She’s more than a simple clone of Kitana, especially when you discover more about her later in the series.
8. Noob Saibot
Noob Saibot turns shadow powers into something genuinely nasty, and it’s hard to look away. As the corrupted version of Bi-Han (the original Sub-Zero), he carries a history that makes his fights oddly personal. Plus, let’s be honest, his attacks give him a moveset that stands out even in a roster of monsters.
9. Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung is the rare villain who can steal the spotlight without brute force. Sure, he scares us, but we can’t deny the appeal of that soul-stealing magic and those weird shapeshifting tricks. We just wish he weren’t so smug.
10. Kenshi
Don’t sleep on Kenshi! He comes in with a simple but effective mix of swordplay, psychic powers, and personal tragedy. His blindness isn’t a limitation—his telekinetic attacks and Sento (his ancestral blade) make him one of the slickest fighters on the roster.
Now, as with any game that powers on for years, not every Mortal Kombat character can walk in like a legend. Some are pretty forgettable, and we’re here to remind you why.
1. Mokap
First of all, the name is way too on the nose. Secondly, Mokap just less like a fully developed fighter and more like a joke that got a roster slot. His motion-capture suit is a fun nod to Carlos Pesina, who helped bring several classic characters to life, but it doesn’t make him intimidating. It doesn’t really make you memorable, either.
2. Hsu Hao
Hsu Hao has become one of the easiest punching bags in Mortal Kombat history, and honestly, the series hasn’t done much to stop it. A chest laser? Cool story, bro. Even NetherRealm has seemed happy to mock him, which tells you plenty about where he stands.
3. Kobra
You’d think a guy named Kobra would stand out a little more, but he wandered into Deception looking like he was from a completely different game. His street-fighter background and plain martial arts style didn’t feel strange enough for a series packed with oddball characters.
Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
4. Kira
Kira had a decent idea on paper, we’ll admit. A ruthless Black Dragon recruit should fit right into Mortal Kombat, no? Well, the problem is that her moves borrowed heavily from Kano and Sonya Blade, which made her feel more like a stale remix than a fresh threat.
Mortal Kombat (Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios) on Wikimedia
5. Dairou
Dairou is one of those characters you just seem to forget once he’s off-screen, and honestly, who could blame you? His backstory had potential, but his muted design and low-energy presentation made him easy to overlook.
NetherRealm Studios on Wikimedia
6. Darrius
Darrius should’ve been more exciting! He was a resistance leader fighting against Seido’s strict order, and that was cool in theory. In practice, his role didn’t land strongly enough, and his design lacked the instant spark that helps newer characters survive.
7. Jarek
Jarek’s biggest issue is that he spent too much time being a backup version of Kano. Even with Black Dragon ties and a rough attitude, he didn’t bring enough unique flavor to stand apart from the villain he was clearly meant to replace. And yes, that was a problem.
8. Meat
Goofy name aside, Meat was actually pretty memorable—but that doesn’t make him good. A skinless fighter running around with exposed muscle is certainly gross enough for Mortal Kombat, but the concept feels more like an unlockable oddity than someone with real staying power. We like to think of him as a bizarre bonus character.
9. Taven
Taven had the unfortunate job of carrying Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, a game everyone already dogged on, which meant he had to stand out. Sure enough, the Blaze storyline was important to the plot, but his personality felt too plain for such a huge role. When your go-to protagonist is surrounded by cooler guys on all sides, being competent isn’t enough.
10. Ferra/Torr
Ferra/Torr wasn’t hopeless from the start, but that potential didn’t save them. The small rider and hulking brute setup made them stand out visually, sure, but their story was too thin. They also quickly felt more like background muscle than major players.
