Although Mortal Kombat 1 innovated greatly from its predecessors, it did not change one fundamental part of the game — the Fatalities. Since bursting into arcades in the 1990s, Mortal Kombat has been known for blood and guts — no part of the game quite so graphically encapsulates this as the loved and loathed Fatalities. Ever controversial, Fatalities are such a significant part of the series that they are often taken as a measure of quality for each Mortal Kombat installment. Although some games, such as Mortal Kombat 4, have abysmal Fatalities, others like Mortal Kombat 11 have exceptional ones. Mortal Kombat 1, although not perfect, undeniably has great Fatalities.
With a reputation as bloody as Mortal Kombat, each new installment has a great deal of gore to dish out. Mortal Kombat 1, the latest iteration of the tried and true fighting game, does not disappoint in this department. Although the game is more than mindless violence and death, these are undoubtedly the franchise’s cornerstones. With an expansive roster of MK1 combatants, most with two Fatalities of their own, there is an abundance of choice available to the player in Mortal Kombat 1; although each Fatality is unquestionably brutal, some are so graphic that the others appear tame by comparison.
10 Reptile – Indigestion
Absent from the previous game, long-time fans of the franchise welcomed the announcement that Reptile would be rejoining the roster in Mortal Kombat 1. A pillar of the franchise since his debut as a hidden opponent in the original Mortal Kombat, Reptile is a reptilian humanoid of the Saurian species. Known for his acidic finishers, Reptile has had some of the strongest Fatalities in previous installments — and Mortal Kombat 1 is no different.
Although both of his Fatalities are brutal, his first, Indigestion, would be a particularly unpleasant experience. Indigestion sees Reptile swallow his opponent whole before vomiting their acid-ridden remains onto the field of battle before finally crushing them.
9 Reiko – For The General
A surprise return to the roster, the long-absent Reiko has not featured in a mainline Mortal Kombat game since 2006’s Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Despite this, Reiko has returned with some of the most fearsome Fatalities of any combatant in Mortal Kombat 1. Particularly brutal is his For the General Fatality, in which he viciously contorts his enemy’s body, using their own bones against them, before ultimately ripping out their spine and raising it aloft as a trophy.
8 Rain – Fatality 2
The purple color-swapped ninja and Prince of Edenia, Rain, most recently featured in Mortal Kombat 11’s second round of DLC. The ever-popular ninja’s combat revolves around the manipulation of water, and his most brutal fatality in Mortal Kombat 1 is no exception. Rain’s Fatality 2 involves the water-bending rain summoning a rope of water which, in a manner reminiscent of an anaconda, constricts around his bested foe before devastatingly crushing their body and decapitating them.
7 Kung Lao – Lao’d And Clear
Kung Lao’s Mortal Kombat 1 Fatality, Lao’d and Clear, reimagines many of Kung Lao’s classic Fatalities. Although it recycles a lot from previous games, this Fatality is, nevertheless, incredibly graphic. Utilizing his trademark razor-rimmed hat, Kung Lao destroys the appendages of his opponent, before decapitating them, and finally splitting them in two. It is truly a brutal Fatality, certainly not for the faint of heart.
6 Sindel – Hair Comes Trouble
In Mortal Kombat 1‘s timeline, Sindel is the leader of Outworld — it is clear from her Fatality, Hair Comes Trouble, that she rules the realm through fear. Like her Fatalities in previous installments, Sindel’s main weapon is her incredibly long and powerful hair — a weapon put to good use in Hair Comes Trouble. In which, she tears off her opponent’s limbs, lifts them by their shoulder wounds, and asks “Who’s your queen?” before ripping out their spine and skull through their throat. It is not only brutal but undoubtedly Sindel’s best Fatality in franchise history.
5 Scorpion – Eye-Palling Victory
Eye-Palling Victory was first hinted at during the early reveals of Mortal Kombat 1 — much to the excitement of many. This fatality is brutal and brilliant, perhaps one of Scorpion’s best in the franchise’s history. It revolves around his famed chained spears, which he throws through his enemy’s abdomen before having them return via the back of their head and through their eyes. Although this is brutal enough, Scorpion then yells, “Come here!” as he pulls the chains, causing his opponent’s head to be severed and pulled through his adversary’s back. Truly one of the most brutal Fatalities in the game.
4 Johnny Cage – Hollywood Walk Of Pain
In the new Mortal Kombat timeline, Johnny Cage returns to his narcissistic Hollywood actor gimmick, abandoning the past decade of his presentation as a retired actor and embattled military man. His Fatality Hollywood Walk of Pain is, therefore, a thematically appropriate choice; however, unlike the choreographed violence in movies, this Fatality is graphic and brutal. The Fatality begins with Cage embracing his defeated opponent, which is quickly followed by him smashing them face-first into a Hollywood Walk of Fame-style ground plate before ripping them back and taking a selfie with the faceless corpse.
3 General Shao – Spin Cycle
Although General Shao is no longer Khan, in the new timeline, is no less deadly, and his Fatality, Spin Cycle, is evidence of this. Spin Cycle sees General Shao launch his opponent into the air with his axe and grab them midair before finally rotating them around at such an extreme velocity that the air friction causes his adversary’s skin to peel away. This, beyond brutal, is a wonderful step away from Shao’s typical axe, hammer, or spear Fatalities, which, although cool, are a little predictable.
2 Baraka – Fatality 2
The Tarkatan warrior, Baraka, is undeniably a great combatant; however, he has often been overlooked, especially in recent Mortal Kombat installments. Despite this, his second Fatality in Mortal Kombat 1 is one of the most vicious in the game, if not in the over 30-year history of the franchise. It sees Baraka disembowel his opponent, knee them into the air, before creating a fire and using his foe’s entrails as a rope to facilitate their cooking. The Fatality ends with a group of Tarkatans ripping off the roasted limbs of the still-somehow-living combatant.
1 Liu Kang – Fatality 2
In the franchise’s latest iteration, the Chosen One, Liu Kang has been promoted to the status of a god. Although some gods are merciful, the God of Fire variant of Liu Kang is rather unforgiving. His brutality is best displayed in his second Fatality, in which he grabs his opponent by the neck, transports them through a portal to the far reaches of space, summons a black hole, and has their body painfully slowly sucked inside — in a manner disturbingly reminiscent of the Ark Covenant scene from Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Liu Kang’s second Fatality is undoubtedly the most brutal in Mortal Kombat 1.
