When the first Mortal Kombat game burst onto the scene in 1992, it featured a roster of seven playable characters, each with their own unique style. As of today, there are more than 70 playable characters across the entire series, some of which come from other franchises, such as the Xenomorph from Alien and Kratos from God of War.
Choosing and playing as certain characters is one of the highlights of any Mortal Kombat game. Besides their cool superpowers and fun fighting styles, most of these characters also boast a colorful backstory and personality that makes them the highlights of the Mortal Kombat universe. Deciding the best Mortal Kombat characters can be a difficult endeavor, but thankfully there are plenty of candidates.
Update on July 28, 2023, by Michael Colwander: Mortal Kombat 1 is almost a month away from release and fans are eager to learn if the most popular Mortal Kombat characters will be making a return.
15 Jax Briggs
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Jax is the lovable, cigar-chomping, member of Earthrealm’s Special Forces unit. Jax is perhaps best known for losing his arms and having them replaced by cybernetic arms. There’s much more to Jax than that.
Jax is often level-headed and careful to ensure the safety of all of his soldiers, including Sonya Blade. In the second timeline, Jax also has the added responsibility of protecting his daughter, Jacqui, who he had hoped who stay away from the Special Forces and live a normal life. Jax currently isn’t confirmed to be playable in Mortal Kombat 1, but he does appear as a Kameo character with both of his human arms intact.
14 Kung Lao
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Kung Lao is Liu Kang’s closest friend. Up until now, the two Shaolin monks have been inseparable in the Mortal Kombat series, even starring in their own spinoff game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.
Kung Lao’s story is deeper than simply being Liu Kang’s friend and his brutal razor-rimmed hat. He has a lot to live up to given his highly-regarded ancestor Great Kung Lao, which has led to a sense of insecurity in the second timeline. The new MK1 timeline adds an interesting twist on Kung Lao as Liu Kang and Raiden have essentially swapped roles, which could add new wrinkles to Kung Lao’s personality.
13 Liu Kang
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat (1992)
Liu Kang was one of the first characters to appear in the Mortal Kombat games, and he has since appeared in almost every single installment. Based partially on Bruce Lee, Liu Kang is recognized for his loud battle cries, for his ability to conjure fireballs and become a dragon, and for being a likable protagonist whose heart is usually in the right place.
Aside from his enjoyable playing style, Liu Kang has gone through an incredible journey since the series first began. He fought for the side of good, was murdered, was resurrected as a vengeful zombie, was reborn, and killed again thanks to time travel, came back as an evil revenant, and most recently, transitioned into a Fire God. In MK1, Liu Kang will serve as the powerful mentor character that Raiden has traditionally served.
12 Raiden
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat (1992)
Like Liu Kang, Raiden first debuted in the original Mortal Kombat game. The God of Thunder was tasked with recruiting Earthrealm’s mightiest warriors to face off against the forces of evil.
Although he explains he isn’t to interfere with the tournament, that doesn’t stop Raiden from occasionally stepping in and using his mastery over lightning to remind everyone about his power. He’s primarily acted as a mentor and protector throughout the series, but in more recent installments, Raiden has let his dark side shine through. In MK1’s newest timeline, Raiden is no longer a God having given up those powers to Liu Kang. A more mortal Raiden will definitely be interesting to see in MK1.
11 Kabal
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Kabal is an Earthrealm warrior who was recruited by Raiden during the events of Mortal Kombat 3. A leader of the infamous Black Dragon Clan, he’s attacked by warlord Shao Kahn’s extermination squad, which leaves him severely injured and scarred.
Kabal now wears an artificial respirator to keep him alive so that he can fight alongside the forces of good. Due to exposure to the magic of Outworld, Kabal is granted super speed, one of his trademark powers. He also uses a pair of hookswords in battle, and has proven himself to be one of the most powerful fighters in the series.
10 Kenshi
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)
First appearing in 2002’s Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Kenshi is a blind swordsman who’s honed his remaining senses to near-perfection. While he favors his sword and martial arts training in battle, he also possesses telekinetic powers. That specific trait attracted the attention of Sonya and Jax as they were recruiting fighters for their Special Forces team.
Since his introduction, Kenshi has appeared as a playable character in almost every main game. When the games transitioned from their former three-dimensional playing style to their current two-dimensional format, Kenshi was one of the few new characters whose performance was largely unaffected. Kenshi makes his return to MK1 after being too busy laying dead in the Krypt in Mortal Kombat 11. He and his telekinetic powers look more amazing than they ever had before.
9 Ferra/Torr
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat X (2015)
Ferra/Torr only appear as a playable character in Mortal Kombat X, but that was enough for them to make an impact. Ferra is a small female warrior who sits atop a gigantic brute known as Torr. They both come from a unique race where riders form a symbiotic bond with their “mounts.” In their lone appearance, they serve as Kotal Kahn’s personal bodyguard.
The partnership between Ferra/Torr seems unusual in the context of Mortal Kombat, but they work in perfect harmony in battle and it’s hard not to enjoy playing as them. Some of their signature moves include Torr grabbing an enemy so Ferra can slash them repeatedly, and Torr tossing Ferra along the ground at their opponent.
8 Kitana
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Kitana is often viewed as the “Chun-Li” of Mortal Kombat for her blue-dominant attire and being one of the first female characters in a Mortal Kombat game. The Edenian Princess has often clashed with her corrupted mother, Sindel, and her stepfather Shao Khan. To make matters worse for her is her cloned “sister” Mileena who had become a bitter rival.
Kitana is seen as Liu Kang’s love interest throughout the Mortal Kombat series, although it remains to be seen how that will play out in the MK1 timeline created by Liu Kang. In the MK1 timeline, Kitana is the younger twin sister to Mileena and the two initially have a more amicable relationship.
7 Scorpion
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat (1992)
Characters like Raiden and Liu Kang are the original heroes of the Mortal Kombat franchise, but many fans of the series will agree that Scorpion and his rival Sub-Zero are the true icons of the series. Scorpion is a long-running favorite thanks to his in-depth backstory, his range of powers, his rivalry with Sub-Zero, and his infamous catchphrase, “Get over here!”
Throughout his tenure, Scorpion has appeared as an enemy, a hero, and a neutral party serving his own interests. He has been in almost every single Mortal Kombat game and movie, and continues to be one of the most popular Mortal Kombat characters among fans. In one of the biggest changes in the MK1 timeline, Scorpion will not be Hanzo Hizashi. Instead, Scorpion will be Kuai Liang who had previously served as Sub-Zero for most of the Mortal Kombat series.
6 Sub-Zero
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat (1992)
Sub-Zero has a complicated backstory in the Mortal Kombat universe because the character’s identity is shared between two brothers: Kuai Liang and Bi-Han. Bi-Han was the original Sub-Zero from the first game, who was responsible for the death of Scorpion. After his own death, he became the undead warrior, Noob Saibot. His younger brother, Kuai Liang, took up the mantle of Sub-Zero and became a hero later on in the series.
Along with Scorpion, Sub-Zero has become an icon of the Mortal Kombat franchise, appearing in most of the main games and getting his own spin-off. To this day, it’s not unusual to see players selecting this character and then spamming his signature freeze attack to defeat their opponents. Bi-Han is set to make his return as Sub-Zero in MK1 where his brother Kuai Liang will be Scorpion, creating a fascinating dynamic for the traditional enemies.
5 Sindel
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Sindel is the former Queen of Edenia and mother of fellow combatant, Kitana. After her death, Sindel is resurrected by Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung and brainwashed into joining their evil plans. While she eventually returns to the side of good, she is again resurrected and brainwashed in the rebooted Mortal Kombat timeline.
Only this time, Sindel’s granted extra powers that allow her to beat most of the Earthrealm warriors in combat. Sindel has polarized some fans due in part to her portrayal in the poorly received film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and her resurrection in the rebooted timeline. However, Sindel is still beloved by many due to her cool appearance, her unique fatalities, and her overall role in the story.
4 Mileena
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Mileena was introduced in the second Mortal Kombat game as an evil clone of Princess Kitana. Initially, she was portrayed as a palette-swapped version of Kitana’s character who uses a pair of sai in battle, but as time went on, she surprised players with her bloodthirsty personality, her teleportation ability, and the vicious fanged mouth underneath her mask.
Since then, Mileena has become one of Mortal Kombat‘s most popular female fighters. Mileena has made numerous appearances across the franchise’s movies and games. Even though her appearance and fatalities may be a bit graphic, even by Mortal Kombat standards, most players agree Mileena has a fun playing style. In MK1, Mileena is the older twin to Kitana. Mileena initially has a human face before a Tarkatan disease leads her to develop the frightful mouth fans know and love.
3 Erron Black
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat X (2015)
Erron Black has only appeared in the two most recent Mortal Kombat games, but he has already garnered a fanbase that’s almost as strong as the veterans like Liu Kang or Johnny Cage. He acts as an Earthrealm mercenary with an Old West style of appearance and weaponry.
Erron Black’s aesthetic clashed with the rest of the Mortal Kombat universe, but in a good way. Initially, his character seemed out of place in the Mortal Kombat universe, but players found him to be an enjoyable addition to the franchise, reminding them of other notable bounty hunters such as Boba Fett or Jonah Hex.
2 Johnny Cage
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat (1992)
In a game full of death, gore, and world-ending threats, Mortal Kombat definitely needed a dose of comedy to balance it all out. Enter Johnny Cage. Cage is an action movie star originally inspired by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who Cage will receive a skin modeled after in MK1.
Cage serves as the player stand-in who is introduced to the Mortal Kombat universe alongside the player. Cage will ask questions players would ask and receive exposition dumps that wouldn’t normally be relayed in natural conversation. Throughout Mortal Kombat, Cage becomes enamored with Sonya who later, despite her belief that it would never happen, falls for Cage as well. Cage and Sonya had a daughter in Cassie Cage in the second timeline. Cage returns in MK1 having in his possession Sento – an ancient katana that Kenshi desires back.
1 Shang Tsung
First Appearance: Mortal Kombat (1992)
Every fighting game franchise needs an iconic villain. Street Fighter has M. Bison and Tekken has Heihachi. For Mortal Kombat, it’s tough to imagine a game without Shang Tsung.
Shang Tsung is the intelligent and shape-shifting sorcerer who appears throughout each Mortal Kombat timeline. Shang Tsung is best known for his ability to take and consume souls, yielding his memorable “Your soul is mine!” line in the first Mortal Kombat movie. Shang Tsung returns in MK1 and, on the surface, it doesn’t appear he’s interested in hosting another tournament. Liu Kang was not have been able to get rid of Shang Tsung, which could mean he still seeks Kronika’s Hourglass and its time-forging powers.