The Mortal Kombat series has always brought with it quite a bit of visceral combat,
buckets of blood, and broken bones. The thing the franchise is best known for
(even more so than iconic characters like Sub Zero and Shao Kahn), and also the
source of most of its controversy, is the fatalities. In most fighting games, the
fight ends when you've successfully slain an opponent. In Mortal Kombat, that isn't
necessarily the case. Sure, you've already beaten your adversary, but if you're adept
enough at the moves and combos in your character's arsenal you can perform
what the games affectionately refer to as Fatalities. These are the perfect tools for
heaping an extra helping of embarrassment onto your already defeated enemy by
eviscerating their body in a gory and insanely over-the-top finishing move. Since
its inception, the Mortal Kombat games have introduced gamers to hundreds of fatalities,
some were unforgettable, others were unbelievable, and the rest were just meh. Here
are the ten fatalities that we won't soon forget.
buckets of blood, and broken bones. The thing the franchise is best known for
(even more so than iconic characters like Sub Zero and Shao Kahn), and also the
source of most of its controversy, is the fatalities. In most fighting games, the
fight ends when you've successfully slain an opponent. In Mortal Kombat, that isn't
necessarily the case. Sure, you've already beaten your adversary, but if you're adept
enough at the moves and combos in your character's arsenal you can perform
what the games affectionately refer to as Fatalities. These are the perfect tools for
heaping an extra helping of embarrassment onto your already defeated enemy by
eviscerating their body in a gory and insanely over-the-top finishing move. Since
its inception, the Mortal Kombat games have introduced gamers to hundreds of fatalities,
some were unforgettable, others were unbelievable, and the rest were just meh. Here
are the ten fatalities that we won't soon forget.
10. Sektor's Compactor
(Mortal Kombat 3)
(Mortal Kombat 3)
Being a robot that enjoys eliminating anything that gets in his way, Sector has no
shortage of gadgets to assist him in dispatching his enemies. These abilities range
from missiles, to flamethrowers, and even a handy portable compactor for
squashing dazed foes. It's quick, fairly painless, and might even be good for the environment.
shortage of gadgets to assist him in dispatching his enemies. These abilities range
from missiles, to flamethrowers, and even a handy portable compactor for
squashing dazed foes. It's quick, fairly painless, and might even be good for the environment.
9. Kung Lao’s Hat Bisection
(Mortal Kombat 2)
(Mortal Kombat 2)
Many of Kung Lao's fatalities include the use of his hat, but the best, and
possibly the most gruesome, of them all is his bisection fatality. Just when the
fight is done and Kung Lao's enemy thinks he's tipping his hat off to them, he uses
his hat to slice them in half, vertically, and everyone knows that's the worst way
to get cut in half (with the possible exception of diagonal bisection).
possibly the most gruesome, of them all is his bisection fatality. Just when the
fight is done and Kung Lao's enemy thinks he's tipping his hat off to them, he uses
his hat to slice them in half, vertically, and everyone knows that's the worst way
to get cut in half (with the possible exception of diagonal bisection).
Reptile's fatality is great because it's a two-parter; just when you think he's done
he extends the kill just a little bit longer. First, Reptile pounces on his stunned
opponent, spraying acid on his face that quickly melts away everything but the skull.
Then he uses that crazy long tongue of his to quickly snatch the skull from his foe,
the one who's undoubtedly screaming in agony as he realizes he has no face, and promptly eats it. Classic.
he extends the kill just a little bit longer. First, Reptile pounces on his stunned
opponent, spraying acid on his face that quickly melts away everything but the skull.
Then he uses that crazy long tongue of his to quickly snatch the skull from his foe,
the one who's undoubtedly screaming in agony as he realizes he has no face, and promptly eats it. Classic.
Why Liu Kang doesn't transform into a dragon for every fight is beyond my understanding.
Perhaps he knows he's going to win so he decides to save the best for last? Now, he could
finish his foe in any myriad of ways but instead of unleashing some karate fury on her,
Liu Kang transforms into a dragon and turns her into an after-fight snack. This fatality makes
slightly more sense than Liu Kang's fatality move in Mortal Kombat 3 where he either
summons or transforms into a Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet that smashes his stunned
enemy into the ground.
Perhaps he knows he's going to win so he decides to save the best for last? Now, he could
finish his foe in any myriad of ways but instead of unleashing some karate fury on her,
Liu Kang transforms into a dragon and turns her into an after-fight snack. This fatality makes
slightly more sense than Liu Kang's fatality move in Mortal Kombat 3 where he either
summons or transforms into a Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet that smashes his stunned
enemy into the ground.
6. Jade’s Spear Decapitation
(Mortal Kombat: Deception)
(Mortal Kombat: Deception)
Where most fighters would be content with turning their dazed combatant's head into
a shish kebab, Jade prolongs his death by performing some Olympian gymnastics
before expeditiously tearing off their head and showing it for the world to see.
This fatality is brutal, stylish, and includes a little showmanship, and that's essentially
everything a fatality needs to be.
a shish kebab, Jade prolongs his death by performing some Olympian gymnastics
before expeditiously tearing off their head and showing it for the world to see.
This fatality is brutal, stylish, and includes a little showmanship, and that's essentially
everything a fatality needs to be.
Kabal is one ugly dude. There's a definite possibility he was dropped on his face a
few times as a child (either that or he had a freakish accident with a belt sander),
but the point is, he wouldn't win any beauty pageants. That's not an insult,
in fact, for him it's a commodity. Instead of doing what anyone else in his situation
would've done (i.e. hide in their room listening to "You're Beautiful" while sobbing),
Kabal useshis lack of pretty to his advantage. By removing his mask he can reveal
his twisted mockery of sanity that he calls a face to scare his opponents to death.
few times as a child (either that or he had a freakish accident with a belt sander),
but the point is, he wouldn't win any beauty pageants. That's not an insult,
in fact, for him it's a commodity. Instead of doing what anyone else in his situation
would've done (i.e. hide in their room listening to "You're Beautiful" while sobbing),
Kabal useshis lack of pretty to his advantage. By removing his mask he can reveal
his twisted mockery of sanity that he calls a face to scare his opponents to death.
4. Goro’s Limb Rip
(Mortal Kombat: Deception)
(Mortal Kombat: Deception)
Goro has four arms, a mean personality, and brutish strength. Add all that together and you have yourself a creature with the absolutely terrifying potential to tear an opponent into five neat little pieces with one quick pull. Think of Goro as the Hulk but with twice the limb-separating potential.
3. Darrius’ Rearranger
(Mortal Kombat: Deception)
(Mortal Kombat: Deception)
When Darrius isn't slaying countless foes in some of the most unimaginative ways possible, he's developing his artistic side. It just so happens this side of him is just as brutal as his other, more physical side, just with a little Picasso thrown in. Where Goro merely tears them limb from limb, Darrius makes the kill infinitely more enjoyable by rearranging their limbs into all the wrong spots. What remains can only be referred to as a grotesque work of art only the Mortal Kombat games could offer.
It's tough watching someone's chances of ever creating a family dwindle when their groin goes through some sort of trauma. There's no shortage of videos circulating the internet that show guys going through some sort of horrifically painful groin-centric experience. That's what makes Cage's fatality exponentially more difficult to watch, because instead of a quick jolt to the gonads, his opponent undergoes a series of progressively more painful blows to his nether region. The only happy ending to this is when Cage mercifully punches him in half, ending his torment.
In the first game, Sub Zero showed us his miraculous ability to remove a man's head with the spinal column attached. This was equal parts impressive and absurd, but it also created a problem: how could he ever top such a move? Now try to picture a group of sleep-deprived game designers huddled around a table working on Deadly Alliance and attempting to think of a way to top this when one man stands up, excited by his revelation. "How about he tears out the entire skeleton?" Then when they realize this move has been done already since it's one of Kano's less interesting fatalities in Mortal Kombat 3, they decide to add a little anticipation to the move as opposed to quickly separating the skeleton from the body. The final result is Sub Zero grabbing an enemy from behind and tugging a bit before finally tearing free his entire skeleton.
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