The Most Brutal Fighters In 'Mortal Kombat'

Finish him! Here are the most brutal fighters in Mortal Kombat. We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of a legendary franchise with 11 games and 3 films.

Brutal Mortal Kombat
Warner Bros.

Image via Warner Bros.

Brutal Mortal Kombat

“Finish him!”

Mortal Kombat celebrated its 30th anniversary this October. That’s three decades of over-the-top mayhem, stomach-churning gore, and throughout it all, a wry sense of humor to not take any of this too seriously.  Back in its early days, the Mortal Kombat franchise was the topic of congressional hearings and hand-wringing over its effects on children. To what extent did any of this have long-term psychological effects? 

Did the advancement of photorealistic graphics make the violence more impactful? There’s at least some evidence in recent years to suggest the latter; developers on Mortal Kombat 11 reported PTSD symptoms after animating the game’s signature Fatalities. But back in the 90s, the solution was for the gaming industry to self-regulate, lest the government do it for them. And the result is the current ESRB rating system. Rated T for Teen. Rated E for Everyone. Rated M for Mature. It’s a necessary gauge for violence and brutality.

Granted, every character from the Mortal Kombat series is brutal. But there are some that go beyond that--some, whose fatalities define their brutality, while others' brutality is defined by their cunning and ruthlessness. Brutal varies with each character on this list and although such a descriptor is often associated with villains or straight-up heartless dudes, you might be surprised by some of the fighters on here. Brace yourselves. Here are: The 20 Most Brutal Characters From The Mortal Kombat series.

20. Reptile

Reptile Mortal Kombat

19. Cyrax

Cyrax Mortal Kombat

18. Mileena

Mileena Mortal Kombat

17. Smoke

Smoke Mortal Kombat

16. Kabal

Kabal Mortal Kombat

15. Ermac

Ermac Mortal Kombat

14. Rain

Rain Mortal Kombat

13. Kenshi

Kenshi Mortal Kombat

12. Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero Mortal Kombat

11. Raiden

Raiden Mortal Kombat

10. Motaro

Motaro Mortal Kombat

9. Goro

Goro Mortal Kombat

8. Kintaro

Kintaro Mortal Kombat

7. Shao Kahn

Shao Kahn Mortal Kombat

6. Shinnok

Shinnok Mortal Kombat

5. Scorpion

Scorpion Mortal Kombat

4. Kung Lao

Kung Lao Mortal Kombat

3. Liu Kang

Liu Kang Mortal Kombat

2. Quan Chi

Quan Chi Mortal Kombat

1. Shang Tsung

Shang Tsung Mortal Kombat

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