While waiting for the Mortal Kombat 1 character list, we picked the 30 best ever: “COME HERE!” to… um, know them
We couldn’t resist: caught up in the hype for Mortal Kombat 1 how (ahem, how) we are, we have included one too many “k” in our incipit for the ranking of 30 best characters ever of the saga. Let’s assume that we don’t know what the roster of the last born of WB Games e Netherrealm Studios; however, remembering Armageddon and its “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate style” approach (two quotes in one week? Yes, if you know who writes to you) has led us to fantasize about the best of the most celebrated killer fighters of the videogame medium. There has been a while editorial brainstorming to draw up the classification. No Fatality, though. We promise it on the advice of our lawyers.
Positions 30 to 26 | The best fighters ever among Mortal Kombat characters
To avoid keeping you chained here for the next two hours, we will be brief: characters covered from the entire Mortal Kombat series will be a groups of five, starting with the “worst of the best”. And it starts with…
- Kotal Khan: aside from being a walking pre-Columbian quote, Kotal Kahn made an impactful enough debut to earn him 30th as Outworld’s worthy ruler. His good intentions aren’t foolproof, but there’s definitely worse in the MK universe.
- Rain: from the quote to Quetzalcoatl to the homage to Prince. Born as a mere bonus in the early rosters, Rain has made his way into the family of polychrome ninja with an interesting backstory and intriguing water-bending powers.
- Erron Black: or what happens when a Clint Eastwood-style cowboy enters the world of MK. True, his limited seniority in the franchise may have earned him fewer fans, but few fighters exude charisma on the run like him.
- Nightwolf: because there are no cowboys without ind–ehh, native american. The axe-wielding shaman has always been one of the most unique characters in the saga. Sure, Nightwolf remains a no-brainer in his defensive style, but once you get the hang of him, he’s one of the funniest characters to use.
- Fujin: that is one of the few characteristics to save Mortal Kombat 4. Being in the wind what Raiden is in lightning, Fujin is perfectly in between a (literal) breath of fresh air and the familiarity of a veteran.
Positions 25 to 21 | The best fighters ever among Mortal Kombat characters
How is the classification going? Hopefully we didn’t place your previous main too low, but as you climb to the top this risk will only increase. Round 2, fight!
- Solitaire: less popular than Kano among black dragons? Perhaps. But Kabal is a character to love. Leaving aside an even more pronounced need to wear a mask than Predator, this fighter is based on an idea of disarming simplicity: super speed and crowbars. And the simplest ideas are the best, right?
- Quan-Chi: after a not exactly the best debut, this guy has been able to become a good antagonist. Killing Liu Kang is certainly not a feat for everyone, considering that not even Shao Kahn has succeeded. Then when the eponymous “Deadly Alliance” was between him and Shang Tsung, what else is left to say?
- Sector: the first cyborg in the ranking is him. Aside from the fact that he’s the worst stinker of cybernetic wrestlers, Sektor is as fun to hate in terms of plot as he is hilarious to play in gameplay. To crush your opponents in style… no limits. There, we said it.
- Cyrax: the yellow variant of the snack companion above has in turn been able to attract new fans. With an interesting storyline and an unforgettable tapestry role in the desert of MK3, Cyrax in battle knows how to be a real bomb.
- Sindel: or the undisputed queen of body counts, from those left defenseless to those seduced (and later left helpless). Good (?) Old Shao Kahn’s mistress, Sindel, can’t decide whether she’s on the good side or the bad guy, but she has a long-standing fan base. A character to scream, for sure!
Positions 20 to 16 | The best fighters ever among Mortal Kombat characters
Ohibo, we are almost at the turning point. And our choices will become more and more difficult as we go up in our ranking. Which is understandable, since we start from…
- Shao Kahn: the bad guy of the saga had to appear sooner or later, considering his ability to extort tokens from the wretches who found him against him in the arcade. From design to fighting style, Shao Kahn never fails to tell us we “suck” (his words) in between hammering.
- Reptile: a fan idol who doesn’t often get the attention he deserves anyway. The ninja in Reptile green usually abandons the human mask when it comes to performing a fatality, and then takes on the role of doormat when the plot requires it. Let’s hope that things change…
- Goro: imagine feeling strong proceeding in the skalata, to then find yourself against a marcantonio with four arms… and it’s not Machamp. Prince of the Shokan, Goro rightfully deserves the throne if he is as resolute as an heir as he is in the arena!
- Ermac: when you find a way to justify in history a name born as ERror MACro, it is clear that you have a golden character in your hands. Born as a palette swap of the other ninjas, Ermac is intriguing in the backstory (a body with multiple souls) and in the gameplay (telekinesis and agility).
- Kung Lao: not to be confused with the Great Kung Lao, his namesake has made his way into the hearts of fans differently from Kano. Also thanks to his steel sombrero, which (besides being the strangest example of cultural appropriation ever seen) is perfect for filling opponents with… “affection”, if you understand what we mean.
Positions 15 to 11 | The best fighters ever among Mortal Kombat characters
Here we are: there second half the list is full of well-known faces who, for the less sporty fans among you, will be worth a lot of slaps. Or maybe not.
- Baraka: With teeth that only a mother can love, Baraka manages to surpass Goro in his ability to intimidate others AND to be a playable character. And in combat he proves exactly what he wants to be: the horror equivalent of Wolverine. Chapeau.
- Jax Briggs: haunting the saga for many years, cop Jax has been welcomed by fans with open arms since his debut. He has returned the embrace with bionic limbs, when he isn’t intent on using them to slice others. Or make sure his daughter Jacqui follows in his footsteps!
- Smoke: “No, it’s not smoke, it’s steam! Steamed salmon, a real treat!” Another Lin Kuei warrior, Smoke has played both ninja and cyborg roles. Grey, that is. There are those who love it for the story, and those for the ability to (obviously) turn into smoke to teleport here and there on the battle field.
- Jade: when you earn the place of bodyguard for Kitana (we repeat: Kitana!), a place on the list is everything. Jade and her metal staff grant the player speed and strength in equal measure to dispense balanced blows. Without counting her narrative presence, always intriguing.
- Mileena: we were talking about Tarkatan teeth and here comes Kitana’s genetically altered twin. Endowed with a fearsome eternal child personality, when she’s not decapitating enemies with bites Mileena fights with the sextuplets and poses for Playboy. No, we didn’t make it up.
Positions 10 to 6 | The best fighters ever among Mortal Kombat characters
Now you really enter the realm of characters you would have liked to see at the top of the list. Have torches and forks ready…
- Kano: the coolest Australian gaming ever, after Dingodile and Saxton Hale. Eternal thorn in the side of the good, Kano is an incurable depraved and smart as few others. His rivalry with Sonya Blade and Jax is full of twists and laser glares. He knows how to steal the heart of those who stand in his way, and he even succeeds in his most unlikely extras, such as at the beginning of Wreck-It Ralph. Yes, the 2012 Disney classic.
- Sonya Blade: Veteran (in every sense) of the series, Sonya Blade is always a fan favorite. As an elite Special Forces operative, Sonya has never stopped being one of gaming’s tough girls. She’s not to the point of taking a selfie through an open wound like her daughter Cassie, but there we are.
- Kitana: Part odalisque and part slicer, Princess Kitana knows how to use her fans to slice through the air (and beyond). Despite her ties to Outworld, the same outer realm as Kotal Kahn and Shao Kahn, she is unquestionably (retcon permitting) one of the good guys.
- Raiden: one of the main lynchpins of the saga’s delusional plot, Raiden is about to give up his place among the gods to Liu Kang, but that won’t stop him (probably) from leading the charge against the forces of evil. Even at his worst, Raiden is a terrible strategist, but a hero nonetheless.
- Johnny Cage: if one could fight villains with one’s ego, this lovable imbecile would be Shao Kahn and kompagnia kantante’s number one enemy. Johnny Cage, martial arts expert and Hollywood star, still manages to be a surrogate for the public in the splatter delirium that is the gaming world. Charismatic and, over time, capable of combining words with deeds: Johnny Cage is this and even more.
And the killer is…
Here we go: the best (among the best) Mortal Kombat characters ever are all here. We are in top 5: who will win? Let’s discover it together.
- Shang Tsung: yes, Shao Kahn is the main antagonist. Yes, Quan-Chi once played them to Liu Kang. True, Kronika boasts infinite fatality. But Shang Tsung was there from the start, stealing souls (and melting flesh at the same time) from enemies and ruining the good guys’ plans all the time. Whether old or young, he’s a bad guy with a capital K.
- Liu Kang: born as a clone of Bruce Lee as often happens in the roster of any fighting game, Liu Kang contends for the crown of main hero together with Raiden and Johnny Cage. More often than not he proved to be the strongest earth warrior, earning the limelight in every storyline.
- Noob Saibot: imagine yourself winning the bronze medal with a name made up of the last names of Ed Boon and John Tobias backwards. The most mysterious of the colored ninjas, Bi-Han, wears black and boasts a headache-prone past. Killed by Scorpion, the former Lin Kuei warrior returned as the undead as Noob Saibot.
- Sub-Zero: yes, fire won the gold medal, but silver is everything for Kuai Liang. After taking the role of Sub-Zero from his older brother Bi-Han, the warrior with the gift of cryomancy shows us what would happen if Frozen were a R-rated movie. Undoubtedly a beloved character, but never as…
- Scorpion: the face of the saga par excellence. While he’s not the protagonist, Scorpion is the Mortal Kombat character, period. From the “scorpion tail” formed by a chain and a kunai to the tragic backstory, passing through pyromancy. A character…