Mortal Kombat is known for its intense violence and fun gameplay. However, it is also known for its abundance of memorable characters. Here is a list of the top Mortal Kombat characters and their arch-enemies (or rivals).
15. Jax
At 15th place is Jax who first appeared in Mortal Kombat 2. In the games, he is part of the special forces and is Sonya’s superior. Throughout the series, he works with her, Raiden, and other heroes to fight against the forces of Outworld. From Mortal Kombat 3 and onwards, Jax had his organic arms replaced with mechanical arms. In the games, his powers consist of sonic energy waves, ground pounds, and powers that involve his mechanical arms.
The closest thing to a rival for Jax would be Kano. Jax and Sonya have a history with Kano since Kano is a criminal who the two have been after. Furthermore, Jax is the reason why Kano’s head was damaged (he smashed Kano’s face at some point in the Mortal Kombat lore) and that Kano had to wear a metallic plate on his head.
Fun facts about Jax
- In Mortal Kombat 2011, Jax got his mechanical arms after his arms were destroyed by Ermac. However, in the original timeline, it is never stated why Jax got the mechanical arms to begin with.
- During the development of Mortal Kombat 2, Jax was originally going to be named Kurtis Stryker before it was changed to Jax Briggs. Eventually, a character, named Kurtis Stryker, would be created for Mortal Kombat 3.
- Jax has his own game called Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, although the game has been received poorly.
14. Mileena
Mileena may appear beautiful, but removing her mask reveals a monstrous face that can give you nightmares. Mileena is the mutated clone of another character named Kitana; she was made by mixing Kitana’s blood and the blood of a Tarkatan (a race of monsters that have sharp teeth). She serves Shao Kahn and other forces of Outworld. She is also extremely sadistic and likes to eat people with her long teeth (that she got from her Tarkatan blood). Her special moves involve her using her pair of sais.
Her rival is Kitana; series creator Ed Boon even stated that Kitana and Mileena are female equivalents to Sub-Zero and Scorpion. Mileena often calls Kitana her sister, but at the same time wants to kill her; Kitana wants to kill her as well and sees her as an abomination.
Fun Facts about Mileena
- While her mouth is usually without lips (and her cheeks without skin) and is just sharp teeth, she does have lips in Mortal Kombat X and her sharp teeth are on the side of her face (where the cheeks would be).
- Mileena initially wanted Kitana to see her as a sister and to be family, but, possibly due to Kitana wanting her dead, eventually decided to want to kill Kitana herself.
13. Kung Lao
Kung Lao first appeared in Mortal Kombat 2. He is a former shaolin monk, and he is part of the White Lotus Society. He is also a close friend of Liu Kang and works with him to protect Earthrealm. The most iconic thing about him is that he fights with his sharp hat.
In terms of rivalry, Liu Kang would most likely be his rival. However, his rivalry with Liu Kang would be a friendly rivalry (similar to the friendly rivalry between Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter). They are very close friends and allies who both train and fight together.
Fun Facts about Kung Lao
- There is a parody character of Kung Lao in a game called Divekick; this character is a woman named Kung Pao.
- Although Kung Lao is a great fighter, he prefers not to fight and just live peacefully. He will fight when necessary.
12. Noob Saibot
In 12th place is Noob Saibot (his real name is Bi Han). He is the older brother of Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang) and he is the original Sub-Zero before he was killed by Scorpion in the first Mortal Kombat. He was then resurrected as a demon by Quan Chi and has served the villains of the franchise since.
His rival is his younger brother Sub-Zero. Even before becoming Noob Saibot, Bi Han had darkness in his heart and was brutal to his opponents while his younger brother Kuai Liang was more likely to show mercy. With the brothers wanting different things and being on opposite sides, the two are enemies.
Fun Facts about Noob Saibot
- Noob Saibot’s name is actually the surnames of the Mortal Kombat creators spelled backwords. “Noob” is Ed Boon’s last name but spelled backwards while “Saibot” is John Tobias’s last name but spelled backwards.
- Noob Saibot’s true origin, as the original Sub-Zero, was not revealed until the 2004 game Mortal Kombat Deception. However, in Mortal Kombat Gold, he has a fatality where he freezes the opponent and then destroys their body by uppercutting them.
11. Baraka
Sitting in 11th place is the monster with blades in his arm, Baraka. Coming from Outworld, Baraka is part of a race of nomadic monsters called the Tarkatans. He, and other Tarkatans, serve Shao Kahn and other forces from Outworld.
While Baraka doesn’t have any specific rivals, many of his enemies are heroes from Earthrealm due to his loyalty to Outworld. The reason he sides with Outworld’s rulers is to protect his race. This would imply that if Raiden (or some other hero from Earthrealm) were to go to Baraka and convince him that joining Raiden would benefit his race, then Baraka would side with the good guys.
Fun Facts about Baraka
- Baraka’s face in Mortal Kombat 2 was based on a Nosferatu mask that the developers bought from a costume store.
- Baraka’s MK2 design became an alternate costume in Mortal Kombat Deception (since his primary costume changed), but his MK2 became his default costume in Mortal Kombat (2011).
10. Ermac
Ermac takes his (or their) place at number 10. Ermac is a warrior, with the power of telekinesis, that is created from the souls of many dead warriors. For this reason, Ermac refers to himself as “we”. Ermac has been both on the forces of good and evil. In the original timeline, he was on the side of evil (Outworld) but became a good guy after Kenshi saved him from Shao Kahn’s influence in Mortal Kombat Deception. In the new timeline (that started in Mortal Kombat 2011), he was on the forces of evil once more.
Due to him changing allegiances in the original timeline, Ermac has had foes and allies on both sides. He doesn’t have any rivals, but he has trained Kenshi to use telekinesis, so it is possible that he could have maybe had a friendly rivalry with Kenshi outside of games’ events.
Fun Facts about Ermac
- The developers created Ermac after rumors of him existing in the first two games. The developers denied his existence but made him a playable character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
- Ermac is a secret boss character in Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks. He is in one of the first areas in the game that the player can return to later after getting new abilities.
9. Reptile
Coming up in 9th place is the humanoid reptilian ninja Reptile. He is part of a species of humanoid raptors that originated in Earthrealm but left for another realm and made it their home. His species’ new home would eventually be invaded by Shao Kahn which resulted in the enslavement of his kind; his kind would die off over time leaving Reptile as one of the last remaining. He serves Shao Kahn and other villains in the hope that his species would be resurrected.
While he has no specific rival, his enemies are heroes from Earthrealm since he sides with Outworld. Similar to Baraka, Reptile could potentially side with Earthrealm if doing so would bring back his race of humanoid raptors.
Fun Facts about Reptile
- Reptile first appeared in console versions of Mortal Kombat 1 as a secret character that the player could fight. However, his move set consists of Sub-Zero’s and Scorpion’s moveset. It was in Mortal Kombat 2 where he became a playable character with his own moves.
- Reptile’s species can disguise themselves as humans. However, a single member can lose that ability over time if they are separated from their species and are alone. That member starts looking less human and more animalistic and they lose their mind. This is what happened to Reptile throughout the series.
8. Kitana
Marking their spot at 8th is the fan-wielding princess Kitana. She was introduced in Mortal Kombat 2 as a female ninja equivalent. She is the princess of Edenia and is Shao Kahn’s stepdaughter (after her real father was killed and her mother killed herself, but then later was brought back and brainwashed). However, she eventually turns on Shao Kahn and teams up with Earthrealm to defeat him.
Kitana’s rival is her clone, Mileena; Mileena was created to keep an eye on Kitana and to kill her if Kitana betrayed Shao Kahn. In the original timeline, it is suggested that the two worked together until Mileena found out about Kitana siding with Earthrealm. They have become enemies since then.
Fun Facts about Kitana
- In Mortal Kombat 2, Kitana’s costume (and Mileena’s costume) was based on a swimsuit that the developers altered.
- Usually, Kitana wears a mask (just like other ninja characters), but it was Mortal Kombat Gold that began to show here without a masked. It is worth a reminder that Kitana is a princess and not really a ninja, and perhaps this was the developers trying to emphasize her being a princess for her design rather than a ninja.
7. Kenshi
Blind swordsman, with the power of telekinesis, Kenshi sits in 7th place. He first appeared in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance and has become a popular character since. He, who is the descendant of powerful warrior kings, wandered around Japan until he came across Shang Tsung who blinded him. He would go on to team up with Earthrealm and turn Ermac into a good guy.
Kenshi’s main enemy is Shang Tsung. Shang Tsung blinded him, and he stole the souls of his ancestors. Eventually, the souls would end up being free and go inside Kenshi’s sword, but Kenshi would still remain enemies with Shang Tsung.
Fun Facts about Kenshi
- After freeing Ermac from Shao Kahn’s control, Kenshi would learn new telekinesis moves from Ermac.
- When Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance was being developed, Kenshi originally was going to wield a straight sword rather than a katana.
6. Sonya
The OG female combatant Sonya marks her territory in 6th place. She is part of the US special forces. Her introduction in the series was her trying to track down Kano before she found herself being forced to participate in Mortal Kombat but would go on to try to protect Earthrealm from Outworld. Her powers consist of pink magic and can use gymnastic-like moves. She would have a daughter, named Cassie Cage, with Johnny Cage.
Her main enemy in the series is Kano (and more broadly Kano’s organization called the Black Dragon). She has been hunting down Kano for a long time and has fought on multiple occasions throughout the series. When she isn’t fighting with Kano, she is dealing with other characters from the Black Dragon such as Jarek.
Fun Facts about Sonya
- Sonya is named after one of Ed Boon’s sisters.
- She has a twin brother named Daniel Blade.
5. Johnny Cage
The superstar actor Johhny Cage is in 5th place; his powers consist of green energy. For a long time, he was an actor struggling to maintain his career. He eventually would join the Mortal Kombat tournament to prove his fighting skills but would go on to be a protector of Earthrealm. In the new timeline, started by Mortal Kombat 2011, he would have a daughter with Sonya named Cassie Cage.
Being a defender of Earthrealm, he has fought against enemies from Outworld and from other realms. However, he doesn’t have a specific enemy or rival. However, one of his most famous fights comes from the 1995 Mortal Kombat film where he fights Scorpion and wins.
Fun Facts about Johnny Cage
- In the first Mortal Kombat game, his attire is based on the main character from a movie called Bloodsport. Throughout the series, his attire changes but maintains his action movie star look.
- Johnny Cage’s romance with Sonya was never really explored in the original timeline. In fact, the 1995 Mortal Kombat is what first showed any chemistry between the two. Fans would ship both characters, but it was Mortal Kombat X that officially made them a couple (although they eventually broke up) and made them have Cassie.
4. Liu Kang
In 4th place is the champion of Mortal Kombat himself, Liu Kang. A shaolin monk chosen to participate in the Mortal Kombat tournaments as Earthrealm’s champion, Liu Kang fought and defeated Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, and Shinnok. Afterward, he was killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance. In the new timeline, he would be killed again (by Raiden), but his past self would become a hero once more in Mortal Kombat 11.
While he has had multiple powerful enemies throughout the series, his biggest rival is Shang Tsung. They have been enemies since the beginning of the series and thus fought many times. Shang Tsung was even the one who dealt the killing blow to Liu Kang in the original timeline. However, Liu Kang’s corpse would, seemingly, kill Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat Armageddon. In the new timeline, Liu Kang defeated and killed Shang Tsung for good in Mortal Kombat 11 aftermath.
Fun Facts about Liu Kang
- Liu Kang was based on Bruce Lee.
- Liu Kang’s originally was going to be named Yoshitsune Minamoto but was changed to Liu Kang to have a shorter name.
- Liu Kang has been a playable character in most main Mortal Kombat games. The only one he wasn’t playable in was Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance due to him being killed by Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.
3. Raiden
The lightning elder god Raiden bests the Earthrealm champion Liu Kang in 3rd place. He is the leader of the Earthrealm forces and fights to make sure it is safe. Raiden has been a hero and mentor to the heroes of Earthrealm but has played a more ruthless role in the form of a corrupted Raiden in Mortal Kombat Deception and 11. Regardless, his top priority is the protection of Earthrealm.
Raiden has two main rivals throughout the games; those two are Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn played leading roles in invading Earthrealm and Raiden had to step in and try to stop them. After Liu Kang’s death in Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance, Raiden was the one leading the Earthrealm forces against Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. After Liu Kang’s second death in Mortal Kombat 2011, Raiden was Earthrealm’s best hope and killed Shao Kahn.
Fun Facts about Raiden
- Raiden’s name is pronounced as “Rayden” by the games and the fans. However, the actual Japanese pronunciation of the name is “Ryden”.
- He is playable as a guest character in Injustice 2 where he fights DC superheroes.
2. Scorpion
Not even the elder god is part of the top 2 because in 2nd place is ninja spectre Scorpion. He was part of the Japanese clan Shirai Ryu but was killed at some point by the original Sub-Zero Bi Han (Noob Saibot). Afterward, he was resurrected as a spectre and got revenge by killing Bi Han in the first Mortal Kombat game. Throughout the series, he would act on his own interests, but would sometimes side with the villains. In the new timeline, he would join the heroes of Earthrealm.
Scorpion iconic rivalry is with Sub-Zero. He has fought both Sub-Zeros and killed Bi Han. While he had a brief rivalry with Bi Han’s younger brother Kuai Liang in Mortal Kombat 4, he doesn’t hold any grudge against him. The new timeline has him fight both Sub-Zeros and still kill Bi Han, but he becomes Kuai Liang’s ally from Mortal Kombat X onwards.
Fun Facts about Scorpion
- Scorpion has appeared in multiple non-Mortal Kombat games such as MLB Slugfest Loaded, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, and Injustice.
- In Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks, if the player is playing as Scorpion and is grabbed by Shao Kahn, Scorpion’s mask will come off during the cutscene thus showing his flaming skull.
1. Sub-Zero (primarily Kuai Liang)
Taking his crown in first place is the blue ninja, with ice powers, Sub-Zero. As mentioned throughout this list, there are two Sub-Zeros. The first is Bi Han and the second (and current) is his younger brother Kuai Liang. After Bi Han was killed by Scorpion in the first Mortal Kombat game, Kuai Liang took his older brother’s place as Sub-Zero since the second Mortal Kombat game while Bi Han became Noob Saibot. Kuai Liang would go on to become one of Earthrealm’s strongest defenders and has been in every main Mortal Kombat game (along with Scorpion and Raiden). He is also a trustworthy ally and cares about those who are on his side.
Sub-Zero has his iconic rivalry with Scorpion. Scorpion killed his older brother, and Sub-Zero wanted to avenge him but didn’t end up doing it. Throughout most of the series (in both storylines), the two aren’t really enemies and even become allies in Mortal Kombat X. If they truly still have a rivalry, then it is more of a friendly rivalry rather than a hateful one.
Fun Facts about Sub-Zero
- The reason the creators decided to have Sub-Zero be a Chinese ninja (rather than a Japanese ninja like Scorpion) is to create a contrast between Japanese ninjas and Chinese ninjas.
- Before Kuai Liang took on the name Sub-Zero, he called himself Tundra.
- There is a WCW called Glacier who has an appearance based on Sub-Zero.
