Arguably the bloodiest tournament in gaming is back withMortal Kombat 1. This time is a bit different though, there’s a whole new timeline to get accustomed to after the end of the last tournament. With a new world comes new faces, new challenges, and new moves to explore.
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Fighters new and old grace the various arenas of the Mortal Kombat tournament, and they’re all eager to have all the spoils and glory of winning the championship themselves. While everyone has their favorite fighter, not all bring the same skills and toughness to the tournament. So, which are the best Mortal Kombat characters to get some play time in with?
10Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung has seen plenty of different design changes over his years in Mortal Kombat, but one thing never changes: he’s plenty evil.
That malignant nature does him well, as he is ruthlessness in the tournament shows. Shang Tsung is not afraid of employing the sorcery he’s known for in a fight. He’s got some pretty wicked wolverine-like claws on his armor now, and a few magic potions that make for powerful attacks and a prettydevastating fatality too.
9Reptile
Of all the characters' changes, Reptile’s new look in Mortal Kombat 1 is one of the more drastic, but in a good way.
No longer is he a crocodile-headed ferocious monster. He’s actually more of a regular guy, just with the ability to shapeshift into his more reptilian form and cloak himself. This comes in handy in combat, and makes his move set pretty diverse, including some gross-looking green spit he can launch at enemies for a handful of damage.
8Havik
A rather odd character, Havik is the perfect character for those who like a little chaos in their fighting games.
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Havik doesn’t care much about the state of his own body, as long as he can use it to destroy his opponent. That and a pretty strong healing ability means he can do things like rip off an arm and beat someone with it, or crack his own neck without slowing down. It’s a fighting style that is perfect for shock factor and keeping people guessing.
7Raiden
No longer is Raiden the masterful god of thunder. He is now just a farmer, and while this life is probably much more relaxing to him, the Mortal Kombat tournament calls to him nonetheless.
Even without godlihood, Raiden is a powerful fighter. He still harnesses the power of lightning incredibly well, but even without it, he packs quite the punch. He has plenty of moves that allow for ranged attacks and fast movement. Once you master his teleportation and torpedo attacks your opponent won’t know where to look for you.
6Scorpion
A fan favorite, and for good reason. Scorpion has been a heavy-hitter from the very beginning. While his backstory has changed a bit, he is still much the same Scorpion.
Many of the weapons and combat abilities that have made fans flock to playing as Scorpion are still here. Kunai, chains, and plenty of hellfire are all here for you to use. Scorpion balances speed and strength quite well and makes a solid character for any skill level.
He may be slightly more tame of a fighter compared to some but anyone that’s spent some time with him can do plenty of damage quickly.
5Johnny Cage
The wise-cracking Johnny Cage may be a movie star, but he still moonlights from time to time as a Mortal Kombat fighter.
The interesting thing is he just seems to get better at it as the years go by. More and more people take him seriously as he enters the tournament time and again. It’s easy to see why in Mortal Kombat 1. Johnny’s move set is sprinkled with flashy moves to dazzle the opponent and high kicks to do massive damage. If you may tolerate his sass, there are few characters better suited for a fight.
4Liu Kang
Liu Kang has taken well to his ascension to godhood. Time will tell if the changes he made to the realms will make a difference.
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As the new god of fire, Liu Kang hits hard with plenty of fists and fire-based lob attacks. He is definitely not a fighter to take lightly. Once you’ve spent some time with him, you’ll be able to juggle your enemy with plenty of kicks and uppercuts just to finish them off with a few well-placed fiery dragons.
3Kitana
Another character that’s been around since the very beginning. Kitana is fairly unchanged compared to many of the other characters.
She sports many moves that can get her moving across the arena with relative ease. In addition, her razor-sharp fans are the perfect tool foradding some more damageto her regular attacks. She tallies up slashes and stabs one after another to bleed her opponents dry. Her fatalities also make for some classic Mortal Kombat gore.
2Kenshi
The swordsman with telekinetic powers is back for another tournament. This time though he’s hitting harder than ever before.
Kenshi wields a sword, fist, and foot with incredible skill. Even for veteran players, Kenshi is a character that you’ll dread seeing on the other side of the screen. He has a solid amount of long-reaching attacks thanks to his sword and psionic abilities. He may not be the most agile competitor, but every hit takes a chunk of health.
1Sub-Zero
A classic character, and a constant in the Mortal Kombat games. Sub-Zero is back, and he’s just as deadly as he ever was.
He has a more simplified look now compared to some of the earlier installments of the game, but where the flashy armor is gone, the combat prowess is still there. He hosts a series of strong attacks and is able to juggle the enemy rather easily. His ice-based attacks are great for moving across the screen and hampering players that don’t want to get in close.
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