Fans of the long-standing franchise are patiently awaiting drops of news about not only the next Mortal Kombat video game but the sequel to the film, too. It is one of the most beloved gaming properties ever, and that is in large part down to its roster of characters, many of whom have the potential to be excellent on the big screen and many of whom have been ranked by fans on Ranker.
While some seriously adored characters miss out on Ranker users' top ten, such as Johnny Cage and Shao Khan, that is a testament to the quality of characters provided by the games, the ranking of whom would be difficult for anyone.
10 Kung Lao
Member of the White Lotus and descendant of the Great Kung Lao, Kung Lao has been a mainstay in the Mortal Kombat franchise since his debut back in Mortal Kombat II.
Perhaps best known for his iconic razor-sharp hat and his relationship with Liu Kang, Kung Lao is a fantastic character and an immense warrior throughout the franchise. He is the co-main antagonist of Shaolin Monks alongside his good friend Liu Kang and has some terrifically violent fatalities and brutalities throughout the games.
9 Reptile
Reptile is one of the most famous antagonists in Mortal Kombat, getting ranked by users as a better character than other more challenging villains such as Goro, Shao Khan, and Quan Chi. Reptiles' fascinating history is likely a reason for this.
Way back in the first Mortal Kombat in 1992, Reptile became the first secret character in fighting video game history, being a hidden opponent in the beloved game - a fact mostly known to hardcore fans. A faithful servant to the Outworld Empire, Reptile is a constant in the games. The character, whose real name is Syzoth, sports a unique visual design and invisibility mechanic, so it's no surprise to see him ranked highly.
8 Kenshi
Kenshi Takahashi, the father of Takeda Takahashi, is a blind swordsman who is skilled in telekinesis and psychokinetics, and it's proven to be an incredibly popular combination among fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Kenshi is one of the best characters to debut post-original trilogy (arriving in Deadly Alliance), with his memorable design, a quest for vengeance against Shang Tsung, and allyship with Special Forces. He is not overpowered, nor is he one-dimensional, and Ranker is right to give love to Kenshi. This diversity of characters is such a huge reason as to why Mortal Kombat is considered the best fighting game series.
7 Kitana
It will undoubtedly surprise some Mortal Kombat fans that the 10,000-year-old Princess from Edenia is ranked higher than Mileena. Nevertheless, this fierce fighter has been another long-standing mainstay in the franchise since her debut in Mortal Kombat II.
Mortal Kombat has gotten some deserved criticism for its over-sexualization of female characters over the years, but Kitana, a victim of Shao Khan and his treachery, has still managed to carve out a reputation as a powerful warrior with a great story. A true heroine in many of the games, Kitana's journey is a memorable one that fans are excited to see more of.
6 Smoke
Another surprise from Ranker is the high praise given to Smoke, placed above a slew of other incredible Mortal Kombat warriors who have impacted the franchise over the years. Nevertheless, his smoke-based powers and unique look have differentiated him from other ninjas, helping him escape the color-swap that he originally was.
Appearing first as a human in Mortal Kombat II and a cyborg in Mortal Kombat 3, Smoke undergoes a few look changes, fulfilling two of the franchise's favorite go-to roles, ninja and cyborg. He is great at both, and with his expanded story and move set in the rebooted timeline, Smoke has only gotten more popular.
5 Liu Kang
Liu Kang, the Mortal Tournament Kombat champion and savior of Earthrealm, is the quintessential good guy of Mortal Kombat. While he may have originally been a fairly generic martial artist in the games, he changed with his killing off and eventual timeline reboot.
A doppelganger of Bruce Lee who wields fire and unleashes kicks like an expert, Kang has been a constant since the first Mortal Kombat, almost always acting as a beacon of hope, a warrior with valor, and a champion. He is a popular choice for players every time he is a playable character with a move-set easy enough to utilize but cool enough to go back to. Kang has some great character dynamics through the games, too, with the likes of Raiden, and he often plays a central role in the games' surprisingly memorable narrative campaigns.
4 Noob Saibot
When it comes to fascinating Mortal Kombat backstories, it is hard to beat that of Noob Saibot. Bi-Han was the first Sub-Zero, the one who appears in the first Mortal Kombat, before being murdered. His brother Kuai Liang takes over the iconic moniker before Bi-Han is reincarnated by Quan Chi as Noob Saibot.
A striking ninja donning shadowy black gear, Saibot was great upon his debut in Mortal Kombat 2. Saibot is not only a great character in his own right but acts as a message of the negative consequences that come from vengeance - Scorpion's lust for vengeance specifically - and all this helps him get such attention on Ranker.
3 Raiden
With his iconic straw hat and manipulation of lightning, Raiden has been at the forefront of every single generation of Mortal Kombat as the sworn protector of Earthrealm and one of its most powerful deities.
Raiden has undergone a few changes over the years, both in costume and in morality, being on both extremes of good and evil and being pretty fantastic at fulfilling both roles. Despite holding the position of wise leader for so long, Raiden has been kept fresh through unique storytelling and new narrative avenues, and he has, for the most part, been a joy to play as - that includes fighting with him and utilizing his abilities of shock and teleportation. He has also been at the center of the more emotionally powerful moments in the games, and the cause of some of the saddest Mortal Kombat scenes, namely his confronting the revenants.
2 Sub-Zero
It is one of the most iconic rivalries in all of video game history and a popularity battle that has raged on for decades now between Sub-Zero and Scorpion, and Ranker has deemed the former as the franchise's second-best character.
Having donned an iconic blue armor and an ice-focused skillset since his appearance in the first Mortal Kombat game, Sub Zero - who is now Kuai Liang - is one of the coolest characters in video game history, in more than one sense. He is far more than that, though, with such an awesome backstory and history throughout all Mortal Kombat timelines, which is well worth the time spent getting to know it. He has everything from revenge to death to an epic rivalry between his clan, the Lin Kuei - of which he is the Grandmaster - and the Shirai Ryu, and has helped many Mortal Kombat games be considered the best fighting games of all time.
1 Scorpion
Pipping Sub Zero to the post of best Mortal Kombat character, according to Ranker, is Scorpion, and the two have been near interchangeable in their popularity over the years, but Scorpion seems to edge it more than not.
With his hell-fire fuelled fighting style, yellow ninja costumes, and iconic catchphrase, Scorpion is the most iconic character in the entire franchise. His spear and distinct "Get over here!" are as if not more well known than anything else the games have to offer. Fulfilling the roles of both misguided antagonist and protagonist over the years, Hanzo Hasashi is another with a fascinating backstory and history that intertwines wonderfully with that of Sub Zero Along with Sub Zero and Raiden, Scorpion has appeared in every single Mortal Kombat game to date.
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