Quick Links
There are a tremendous amount of characters to choose frominMortal Kombat 1, all of which have unique playstyles and properties, ensuring there is at least one out there that fits your style of play. However, some will be much harder to pick up and play from the jump, while others will have a much easier barrier of entry but may contain a high ceiling to truly master.
RELATED:Mortal Kombat 1: Kitana Guide
Then there’s Kenshi, a character that is one of the trickiest in the roster to pick up and play and also contains a really deep floor and high ceiling, meaning the possibilities are nearly endless, constantly rewarding you for experimentation and training.
Kenshi Overview
What makes Kenshi a particularlytrickycharacterto learn is he’snot only a Stance character, but he’s also a Puppet oneas well, meaning youmust learn how to efficiently control his Ancestral Spirit and properly utilize his Sento Stanceif you want to get the most out of him.
As such, he isone of the most high-damaging charactersin the game and one of the most irritating to deal with if they fall into capable hands. Kenshi cansmack you around like a ping-pong ball with a well-placed Ancestral Spiritor can unleashdevastating juggle-loops with a combination of his Spirit, Kameo,and ability toswitch betweenStances.
We said earlier thatthe possibilities with Kenshi are seemingly endless,and we meant it. He will likely be a character that people discover new tech with for quite some time, especially with the addition of Kameos in the game that can give himnew setups, routes, or combo extensions.
Kenshi Special Moves
Like the rest of the cast in Mortal Kombat 1,Kenshi possesses a handful of Special Attacksthat enable him toextend or cap off combos,making them a must-learn for beginners. However, unlike the rest of the roster, Kenshi also contains a list ofSpecial Moves dedicated to his Sento Stance,which we will also include in the sections below!
Ancestral Guard
Down, Forward + 1
Kenshi unsheathes his sword before sprinting forward, having his Ancestor swat away any projectiles when moving forward.
Holding one extends the duration of Kenshi’s sprint while pressing L2/LT will instantly cancel the action.
Soul Charge
Back, Forward + 2
Kenshi has his Ancestor charge forward with a forceful shoulder check, knocking his target down instantly on contact.
An excellent action that is best used as a way to cap off a combo.
Demon Drop
Down, Back + 2
Kenshi summons his Ancestor briefly, having it descend from the sky with a devastating overhead slash.
The Enhanced version of this action causes the opponent to get launched on contact.
Rising Karma
Back, Forward + 3
Kenshi calls forth his Ancestor, having it perform a rising slash, launching the target on contact, enabling many follow-up actions as a result.
Force Push
Back, Forward + 4
Kenshi quickly utilizes his Ancestor once more, calling upon them to deliver a quick and powerful palm strike, pushing his target backward with tremendous force.
Often used as a way to end combos, but holding 4 will charge the attack, making it useful as a way to ensure you end with an action that leaves you plus on block.
Summon Ancestor
Down, Back + 1
Kenshi summons his Ancestor Spirit into the arena, enabling you to assume control of it and perform unique actions.
Spiritual Alignment
The Ancestor Spirit returns to its initial position, placing it directly in front of Kenshi.
The Enhanced version of this action refills your Kameo Gauge, allowing you to sacrifice Super Meter to keep the Ancestor Spirit summoned for longer durations.
Soaring Sento
Down, Back + 3
Has the Ancestor Spirit perform a rising slash, knocking the opponent to the ground.
The Enhanced version of this action launches the opponent into the air, allowing you to follow up with more attacks.
Teamwork
Down, Back + 4
The Ancestor Spirit slashes the opponent before launching into a grab, making it an excellent choice for capping off combos.
The Enhanced version of this action changes the slash into a projectile, allowing you to land a hit-grab from long distances, making it useful for closing out some combos or applying pressure.
4 = Back Kick
Kenshi Tips
Even with everything outlined above and how frustrating it can be to learn these types of characters, Kenshi is still a ton of fun to pick up and lab with, as you can pull off some of the coolest-looking and immensely damaging combos in the game.
For starters, we recommendpracticing combos that involve Sento Stance and ones that have nothing to do with itin the slightest. Not only will thisprepare you for the moments when you may not be able to utilize it,but it will alsogive you a better grasp of how to use all facets of Kenshiproperly.
An example of utilizingKenshi without his Sento Stancewould be the following combo:
While an example ofusing his Sento Stancewould be more along the lines of this:
Learning both types of comboswill prepare you for the next section of the guide, which focuses purely onusing specific Kameos to help you combo from your first combo string into your Sento Stance,enabling you to extend it even further and deal massive amounts of damage!
Kenshi Kameo Pairing Recommendations
Though we spoiled it in the section above, this section will highlight thebest Kameo pairings for Kenshithat will enable him tosummon his Ancestor Spirit into the arena mid-combo,allowing him tocancel into his Stance to extend the combo furtherand deal even more damage.
This is where we let Kenshi cook and show the world that he’s likely one of the game’s best characters. If notTHEabsolute best one at the moment. For Kameos, thebest onesfor Kenshi areFrost and Sub-Zero,as their ability tofreeze your opponent in place will give you ample time to go into Sento Stanceto begin the party.
For example, here’s acombo you can utilize with Frost,allowing you to do precisely what we highlighted above:
And here’s anexample that utilizes Sub-Zeroas a Kameo to do the same thing but with slightly different results:
As shown above, Frost and Sub-Zero are absolute game changers that will allow Kenshi to reach his true potential. Kenshi is terrifying on his own, but when he can cancel into his Sento Stance places him firmly into a league of his own.
Learning combos with and without Sento Stance will allow you to find new ways to utilize your Kameo to cancel from one into the other, opening the door to many possibilities of what he’s truly capable of!
Kenshi Fatalities And Brutalities
Lastly, to wrap things up, we have thecomplete listofFatalitiesandBrutalitiesfor Kenshi, which areobtained naturally as you progress through Kenshi’s Master Ranks!
Brutality 3
During Sento Stance
Down, Back + 4 + Guard (R2/RT), tap 1+2 six times.
