Best Mortal Kombat Characters

Since 1992, Mortal Kombat has garnered fans worldwide with its arcade-style fighting game. Now, the series is even more popular, with in-depth titles being released on various platforms. Though the first game only had a roster of seven characters (and three unplayable fighters), its subsequent entries have developed an arsenal of Kombatants that have contributed to the game's story in many ways.

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While some older characters remain as popular as ever, several newer fighters have made big names for themselves, and fans hope to see them in future releases, too. From the classic arcade machines and consoles to movies and books, the famous faces of Mortal Kombat are household names in the video game world.

Updated January 28, 2025 by David Heath: Mortal Kombat 1 has introduced a surreal bundle of guest characters. Since they already used the Terminator in Mortal Kombat 11, MK1 picks out an earlier Arnold Schwarzenegger role with Conan the Barbarian. The Cimmerian is ready to introduce the rest of the roster to the Riddle of Steel personally. At least until he meets the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, who's due to be the last character of Season 2.

After that, the game might be done, as there are rumors that its third season pack has been canceled. It's neither been confirmed nor denied by Netherrealm Studios or WB Games, though the same person who leaked the news said it would've included some fan favorites like Jade, Sonya, and Jax. Even so, until anything can be confirmed, it's best to take the news with a grain of salt. Even if it's the end of MK1, there's always a chance the series could bounce back with a new game, and more klassic Mortal Kombat characters, like the ones in this update.

1 Nightwolf

Howling Mad

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 3.
• Highest Tier: S (Mortal Kombat 3)
• Iconic For: Being the series' first Native American character, his Spiritual Teleportation fatality, being strong enough to kill off a superpowered Sindel.

Nearly all the big fighting games in the 1990s had a Native American character on their roster, with the occasional Indigenous Canadian (Virtua Fighter's Wolf Hawkfield), Native Mexican (Street Fighter's T.Hawk), or ones who came from a mix of backgrounds (Tekken's Sino-Native Michelle Chang). The MK series was no different, as they introduced the world to Nightwolf, a warrior and shaman from the Matoka Tribe who'd use his powers to protect his people (and Earthrealm) from Shao Kahn's forces.

He's rarely taken the spotlight from the other Earthrealm warriors, yet he has some grand feats behind him in the series' lore. He was the one who sealed Onaga away at the end of MK: Deception and stopped Sindel's murderous rampage in MK9 (albeit via sacrificing himself). That, and he's got a neat variety of moves with his shoulder barges and giant beam fatality. Though he's rarely on the fans' most wanted list for a return, he's often warmly welcomed by the kommunity when he does.

2 Rain

A Shower Of Arrogance

• Debut: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (cameo), Mortal Kombat Trilogy (playable).
• Highest Tier: S (Mortal Kombat Trilogy).
• Iconic For: Being the purple ninja, being arrogant to a fault, and his infinite combos.

Rain wasn't meant to be a playable character. He was hidden in UMK3's intro as a gag reference to the Prince album 'Purple Rain'. But much like the red ninjas Ermac and Skarlet, people wondered how they could play as him, whether they got the reference or not. So, he was made an official character as an Edenian prince who inherited his water-based powers from his father, the god Argus. His divine blood gave him a chip on his shoulder, and his arrogant, self-serving personality saw him become one of the series' slimiest characters.

MKT players had another reason to hate him, as his Water Bubble held the opponent in place for a nasty combo. The worst is his Super Kick, which he could use to juggle his opponent infinitely. It became notorious enough to become a brutality in MK11. In MK1, he lost his divine and regal status but remains an arrogant water mage. However, he seems to have taken a humble turn, as his flooding of Seido has made him more penitent and willing to face his flaws than before.

3 Sektor

The Rocket-Powered Robo-Ninja

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 3.
• Highest Tier: A (Mortal Kombat 1).
• Iconic For: Being one of the first robot ninjas, teleport uppercut+rocket combos.

Mortal Kombat 2 already had yellow, blue, green, gray, and black ninjas, let alone the blue and purple female ninjas, and they'd add more spectrum-based shinobi along the way. Even so, they must've felt the need to diversify the cast a little for Mortal Kombat 3, as Sub-Zero took off his mask, Scorpion took off completely, and Smoke became a robot to join the new robo-ninjas, Cyrax and Sektor. They were part of the Lin Kuei's Cyber Initiative to make their forces more effective in combat, and subservient to the Grand Master's will.

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Unlike the reluctant Cyrax or the forcibly converted Smoke, Sektor willingly agreed to be converted and served the Grand Master well. Until his programming got corrupted. Then he decided he'd do away with the Lin Kuei and lead his own clan of robo-ninjas, the Tekunin, against his old enemies like Sub-Zero. This angle got cut short in the Alternate Timeline, where he was killed, and then revived to serve Kronika in MK11. In MK1's new timeline, she's now the daughter of the Lin Kuei's former armorer, Madam Bo, and serves Bi-Han in the new Cyber Initiative.

4 Cyrax

More Than A Machine

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 3.
• Highest Tier: S (Mortal Kombat 9).
• Iconic For: Being one of the first robot ninjas, being the first black ninja, and their oppressive net and bomb-based combos.

Cyrax was one of the Lin Kuei's more reluctant members of the Cyber Initiative, but the African ninja was forced into the program regardless. But thanks to his own willpower, and a little help, he managed to break his programming and fought to regain his humanity. In the classic timeline, he had help from Sonya and Jax, while Sub-Zero managed it in the alternative timeline in MK11.

In MK1's new timeline, Cyrax is a woman from the Zaki Clan, one of the Lin Kuei's subsidiaries, and one of their most talented fighters too. She was sent to serve under Sektor, where they both took part in the new Cyber Initiative, which now takes the form of a mech suit rather than a full-on cyborg conversion. That way she retains her free will, which often doesn't mean following Sektor's orders completely. Especially when it puts her against her childhood friend and ex-Lin Kuei member Kuai Liang.

5 Baraka

MK's Toothiest Jobber

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 2.
• Highest Tier: S (Mortal Kombat 1).
• Iconic For: Being the first playable monster character in the series, his arm blades and fangs, and losing to key characters.

Reptile gets flak in the classic series for going from the series' first secret character to jobbing out to one big bad guy or another. But he would at least get a glow-up in Mortal Kombat 1. The Tarkatan warrior Baraka is another story. He was the first playable monster character in the series (alongside the monster-clone Mileena), freaking players out with his monstrous fangs and retractable arm blades. His impalement fatality was particularly cold-blooded, as he'd stab his blades through his opponent and hold them aloft as they died slowly.

However, he'd soon lose his mojo and become a jobber to the series' later newcomers. He came back in MK4 Gold just to be murdered by Quan Chi. Then MKX made him an NPC for D'Vorah to mutilate. Still, someone at Netherrealm loves the guy, as he became a warrior representing a discriminated Outworld race in MK11. Then MK1 made him one of many humans afflicted with a disease called Tarkat, making him a sympathetic good guy (and God Liu Kang kind of a jerk for doing that to him and the Tarkatans in his new timeline in the first place).

6 Sonya Blade

Special Forces with Special Skills

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 1992.
• Highest Tier: S (MK'92, Mortal Kombat 9, Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11).
• Iconic For: Being the series' first female fighter and one of the toughest both in lore and in gameplay.

Sonya Blade was among the first Mortal Kombat fighters to be introduced to the world. Originally, she was going to be a male character called Kurtis Stryker, but with Street Fighter's Chun-Li proving to be one of their rivals' biggest hits, the developers thought the character would catch on better as a woman. Needless to say, it worked, given Sonya's status as an MK mainstay. As a Special Forces agent, she was originally on the hunt for Kano, a weapons dealer for the Black Dragon crime syndicate.

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He killed her old partner, and she sought revenge, tracking him down to the MK tournament. Other than her incredible tenacity, one of Sonya's distinctive characteristics was her ability to blast energy beams. Sometimes, they're technological, but other times they're as mystical as her immolating blown kisses. While she's one of the sterner characters in the series, she's shown her softer side with fellow Special Forces agent Jax, film star Johnny Cage, and her daughter Cassie.

7 Kano

Dealing With The Devil

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 1992.
• Highest Tier: S (Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat X).
• Iconic For: His cyborg eye, scummy attitude, heart-ripping fatality, and Australian accent.

That latter attribute sounds odd, yet there aren't a lot of Mortal Kombat characters from Down Under. Tekken's Craig Marduk and Virtua Fighter's Jeffry McWild are big hitters, but only Kano received the full Aussie characterization. Not that this was the plan. In MK'92, he was merely a weapons dealer for the Black Dragon syndicate. It wasn't until actor Trevor Goddard depicted him in the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie with an accent that he was associated with Australia (which is ironic as Goddard was trying to make him sound like a Londoner).

Aside from that, he made for a nice, vile counterpart to the human heroes. Willing to sell out Earthrealm for a buck, let alone his 'friends,' he's one of the scummiest, most untrustworthy characters in the series. Yet he delights in being a villain so much that he makes for an entertaining watch, no matter which game he appears in. He's like Shang Tsung in this way, only with worse manners, but it was just as satisfying to see him get the business end of a Nut Punch.

8 Kabal

Fast on His Feet and Just as Ugly

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 3.
• Highest Tier: S (Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Mortal Kombat 9, Mortal Kombat 11).
• Iconic For: His speed, his hookswords, and his mask.

Kabal is as hard to pin down storywise as he is in kombat, as he sways between being a hero or a villain at the drop of a hat. He was introduced as a villain in MK3, then retconned as an ex-Black Dragon hero in UMK3. MK: Deadly Alliance killed him off, only for MK: Deception to bring him back as a villain trying to revive the Black Dragon clan with Kobra and Kira. MK9 brought him back as Stryker's ex-con partner, who became a good guy until Sindel stomped on him. Then MK11 made him a neutral character who Kano tricked into fighting Sonya.

But it wasn't his character (in)consistency that made him appealing to players. It was his gameplay, where he mixed fast, hooksword-swinging combos with fast dashes that left his opponents spinning, midair projectiles that juggled them around, and circular blades that he could summon to catch foes unaware. Even when later games switched up his moves, he remained too fast for most players to keep up with, as he's rarely (if ever) been lower than A-Tier in the series, and has been OP in the others.

9 Jax

Jax By Name, Jacked By Nature

• Debut: Mortal Kombat 2.
• Highest Tier: S (MK2, Mortal Kombat 3).
• Iconic For: His metal arms, his backbreaker throw, and his fatalities.

After Sonya Blade appeared in MK'92, Midway planned to use the 'Kurtis Stryker' character for Mortal Kombat 2 instead. They would be Sonya's commanding officer and a headband-wearing kickboxer. Fearing they looked too similar to Street Fighter's Balrog, the character was reimagined as a muscleman with a penchant for powerful dashing punches, hard ground pounds, and yelling "Gotcha!" After catching his goes in midair for a nasty backbreaker. This time, 'Stryker' became Jackson "Jax" Briggs.

Surprisingly, his most iconic appearance wouldn't come about until Mortal Kombat 3, when the character got metal arms as an upgrade. Other timelines, like in Mortal Kombat 9, would make them full prosthetics (ironic, as his MK2 fatality involved ripping off his opponent's arms). Either way, he's become famous for his proverbial guns, smashing his foes with them in a variety of ways. Not as stiff as Sonya, but more serious than Johnny Cage, he has an underrated charm that's made him a series' mainstay.

10 Kenshi

Blind Fury

• Debut: Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.
• Highest Tier: S (Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat 9, Mortal Kombat 1).
• Iconic For: His telekinesis, blindness, and sword-swinging.

The 2000s era of MK games, from Deadly Alliance to Armageddon, are often unfairly maligned. While they weren't the strongest fighting games around, they played out quite well for their time. That said, it's hard to defend their original characters. MK: DA's Hsu Hao is often the target of ire for fans and critics alike, but at least his weird Village People-esque look is memorable. Mavado, Dairou, Kira, and Hotaru were much more generic and forgettable. Yet they had their highlights, too.

The brightest was Kenshi, a blind swordsman who gained telekinetic and telepathic powers via his katana, Sento. He originally sought revenge against Shang Tsung. Then, by MK9 and MKX, he was after the Red Dragon crime gang. Mortal Kombat 1 changed him again to an ex-yakuza seeking to free his family from their grasp, losing his sight to Mileena in a mission gone awry. Either way, he'd use his powers to throw his opponents around or use his sword to dice them into bite-sized chunks.