“Over The Top” is Barely Enough
Mortal Kombat has never treated a win like a simple scoreboard update, which is exactly why its finishes became gaming legend. Now, whether that’s for better or worse, we’ll let you be the judge, but we’re here to go through some of the gnarliest finishing moves this franchise has ever offered bloodthirsty fans.
1. Scorpion’s Toasty
You know, for a game released in the early ‘90s, Scorpion’s “Toasty” finish from the original Mortal Kombat is still one of the most recognizable endings in fighting game history. He removes the mask, shows what’s underneath, and turns the moment into a warning shot. Oh, sure, it’s simple by modern standards, but back in the day? That was the coolest thing we ever saw.
2. Sub-Zero’s Spine Rip
It’s not Mortal Kombat unless someone’s ripping your spine right out of your back, which is exactly what Sub-Zero’s original finish did. You don’t need every detail spelled out to understand why it became infamous almost immediately, and even decades later, the name alone sends shivers down our now-missing spines.
3. Sonya’s Kiss of Death
Don’t lie—you were one of the gamers secretly wishing for a kiss from Sonya. Yeah, she knew it, too, which is why her finish was so devastating. She sends out a kiss, the opponent gets caught in the blast, and the whole thing lands with a strange mix of style and intimidation.
4. Johnny Cage’s Triple Decapitation
Off with their heads! (Don’t blame us—Cage probably would’ve said something humiliating like that.) This putz already had a flair for showboating, so Mortal Kombat II letting him add onto his finishing move gave it a twist that felt perfectly in character. The finish took his famous uppercut and pushed it into pure arcade absurdity.
Pikawil from Laval, Canada on Wikimedia
5. Liu Kang’s Dragon
Liu Kang doesn’t have to be flashy to whoop your butt, but his dragon transformation in Mortal Kombat II is one of the coolest examples of finally letting the modest character soar. He doesn’t just end the fight—he becomes a full-on mythical creature for the finale. It’s dramatic, it’s strange, and still one of the cleanest “wait, he can do that?” moments in the franchise.
6. Shang Tsung’s Kintaro Morph
Of course, Kang wasn’t the only one with superhuman abilities. No, Shang Tsung’s finish is just as wild because it leans into his whole identity of being the unfair guy. Instead of handling the job himself, he turns into a boss-level nightmare and lets that presence finish you off.
7. Sub-Zero’s Ice Shatter
Sub-Zero strikes again, this time with his two-part finisher from Mortal Kombat II. Long story short? He freezes the opponent and then follows through with the kind of icy move only Sub-Zero could get away with. It’s not subtle, but then again, has he ever been?
8. Cyrax’s Self-Destruction
Cyrax’s self-destruction turns the cyber-ninja concept into one big, reckless punchline—and we’re here for it. Instead of keeping the victory a one-and-done, he makes the whole screen feel like it’s suddenly part of the action. It’s a great example of how the third game loved making the robots feel weird and a little too committed.
9. Liu Kang’s MK Arcade Machine
Liu Kang’s arcade machine finish is so strange that it sounds like something we totally made up. But we didn’t! We swear! The vision is this: a literal arcade cabinet appears, which turns the finish into a fourth-wall gag rather than a traditional final blow. It’s goofy in the best way, and it reminds you that Mortal Kombat has always had a sense of humor.
10. Kabal’s Head Inflate
You know, Kabal’s move is the kind of finish that makes you wonder who pitched it and why everyone else said yes. The idea is more cartoonishly unsettling than outright grim, but that hardly matters—it makes it memorable without needing to linger on the messy details. It also fits Kabal’s oddball energy.
11. Smoke’s Armageddon
The last thing you want is the word “armageddon” in a finishing move, but here we are. The move escalates the win into a screen-filling disaster, which is a very Mortal Kombat way to handle a single opponent. For a hidden-character favorite, Smoke knew how to make his exit larger than expected.
Daniel Benavides from Austin, TX on Wikimedia
12. Jax’s Foot Stomp
Say what you want about him, but Jax’s foot stomp took a straightforward idea and made it hilarious. The joke is clear, the impact is immediate, and the finish has that arcade-era confidence we’re all nostalgic for.
Stanislav Kondratiev on Pexels
13. Quan Chi’s Leg Beatdown
Quan Chi’s infamous Mortal Kombat 4 finish is remembered less for its elegance and more for how weirdly blunt it is. For those lucky enough not to have seen it, he uses the opponent’s own leg as a prop, and the animation has that early 3D oddness that makes it even more memorable.
14. Kenshi’s Telekinetic Crush
Kenshi’s Deadly Alliance finish matched his psychic identity without going overboard with it. He uses telekinesis to end the fight with calm, supernatural confidence, which makes him different from the louder personalities around him. That’s exactly why it stuck with us.
Mortal Kombat (Warner Bros. Games and NetherRealm Studios) on Wikimedia
15. Havik’s Hara-Kiri
Deception added Hara-Kiris, and Havik’s version fits him almost too well! Frankly, the character is already built around chaos and discomfort, so the idea of a loser performing their own finish was strange enough. But giving that feature to Havik? That felt like the game was winking directly at us lore nerds.
Georges Seguin (Okki) on Wikimedia
16. The Joker’s Censored Fake-Out
In case you didn’t know, Mortal Kombat did, in fact, team up with the DC Universe, and it was iconic as you think. And what duo did they bring together? MK with the Joker, of course! His fake-out gag still had that Joker rhythm, but the camera pulled away before it could become a full traditional Mortal Kombat moment. That’s okay—it was still cool.
17. Freddy Krueger’s Dreamy Finale
Freddy Krueger also joined Mortal Kombat in 2011, which sounded like a rumor until we saw him and his finishing move! It obviously leaned into the dream-stalker gimmick, giving the fight a horror-cameo flavor that felt different from the regular roster.
18. Cassie Cage’s Selfie
Cassie Cage’s finish might be the most 2015 thing the series has ever done. She snaps a photo of your demise and turns the moment into a social media post, complete with the kind of smug energy you’d expect from Cage’s literal daughter.
19. Johnny Cage’s Who Hired This Guy
Okay, this is the last one from the Cage family, we promise. But we had to mention this one! The gag takes that insufferable movie-star ego and allows it to stay intact even when everything around him gets completely out of hand. It’s not just a win; it’s a badly managed set piece.
20. Peacemaker’s Pest Exterminator
Peacemaker’s so-called extermination feels like a guest-character finish that knows exactly why he’s there. It brings his overconfident routine into the tournament and lets the joke sit right by the danger. By the time it’s over, you’re left with a finish that feels absurd, and very on-brand in modern Mortal Kombat.
