15) Kotal Khan
Best Brutality: Burnt
Kotal Khan is one of the harder fighters to master in MK 11. The former Emperor of Outworld isn’t just about power like Shao khan or Sheeva, thus you won’t be able to get the best out of Khan if you decide to randomly button mash playing as the murderous brute. Practice is key with Kotal Khan and once you understand his overall moveset better then you’ll reap the rewards of playing the newcomer. Burnt doesn’t have the innovation or healthy dose of gore that many of the other brutalities have; however, it is a visual pleasing maneuver and the sight of a burned body can be a welcome change of scenery in a game that features decapitated heads and torn limbs.
14) Robocop
Best Brutality: Kase Klosed
Gee, someone pissed in Robocop’s cereal. The 80’s icon fits into the Mortal Kombat world like a glove, shooting, and throwing grenades without a single care. Kase klosed is a simple brutality, but the explosion of bullets into his opponent makes for a fun thrill ride until the final bullet is put through his/her skull. The brutality provides a good laugh when Robocop fights himself, in which the elite soldier says “again” before putting a bullet into the robot’s arm.
13) Fujin
Best Brutality: Breathless
The God of Wind came back into Mortal Kombat strong and his wind-based attacks and combos are fun to watch. While simple in execution, breathless reigns supreme over Fujin’s other brutalities due to its over-the-top nature and the overall visual of seeing some poor soul getting the life sucked out of him/her due to the wrath of the wind God.
12) Skarlet
Best Brutality: Melting
The princess of blood magic is not the chick to fuck with. Another interesting character of the MK franchise is Skarlet, whose ability to manipulate blood brings an endless bound of fun combos and attacks. Melting is essentially a very bloody and gory version of Dorothy throwing water on the wicked witch of the west. Add in a random spleen from said character (who’s been splattered into juice at this point) and you have an oddly stunning and grotesque brutality.
11) Jacqui Briggs
Best Brutality: Damn it
Daddy would be so proud of his daughter’s force field ability that cuts off her victim’s head. Jacqui Briggs may not have bionic arms like her father, but the elite warrior is a solid fighter in her own right. Damn it is a variation of her fatality, nothin’ but neck; however, it’s just the head that is decapitated here. Like a good majority of brutalities on this list, damn it is a special move that happens to separate Briggs’ moveset from the other warriors on the roster. It may not be the coolest move on the list; however, it’s still a thing of beauty to watch.
10) Sub-Zero
Best Brutality: Dancing on the ceiling
Perhaps Ed Boon is trying to tell us that Sub-Zero is secretly a Lionel Richie fan, though I don’t think the pop star had his victims being impaled through ice in his 80’s video. All jokes aside, dancing on the ceiling is a solid and inventive entry when it comes to brutalities. Both Frost and Sub-Zero have the same ability to control ice so it’s nice that the MK creators made sure that each fighter had their own identity when it comes to attacks and combos. The MK veteran will always be a fan favorite thanks to cool (pun intended) moves like this.
9) Kung Lao
Best Brutality: Bad Buzz
Shades of his awesome fatality face plant in MK 10, the former Shaolin Monk’s bad buzz brutality is a straight-up nasty and gore thirsty maneuver that makes up for his two lackluster fatalities. Kung Lao has also been a benchmark for the Mortal Kombat franchise and while he doesn’t have the cool look of Geras or D’Vorah, the legendary fighter’s razor-rimmed hat and Mantis style combat does provide a fun experience when it comes to gameplay.
8) Rain
Best Brutality: Bubbling Up
7) Noob Saibot
Best Brutality: Skinned
Noob’s ability to teleport is arguably the coolest maneuver in the MK 11 game. The possibilities of sick and twisted combos and attacks are endless, and skinned takes advantage of this fantastic ability. The move is a feast for the eyes and the hilarious imagery of a skeleton being kicked through a portal (perhaps hell?) takes the brutality to the next level. While it lacks the gore that other brutalities have, skinned makes up with a creative and perfectly cartoonish finisher.
6) D'Vorah
Best Brutality: Come My Child
Like Geras, D’Vorah is one of the cooler and distinctive characters on the roster. The Kytinn species’ bug-based attack makes for interesting gameplay that doesn’t necessarily rely too much on mindless button-mashing; however, the reward of mastering D’Vorah attacks and combos showcase her truly unique special moves such as come my child. Another Alien/Dead Space inspired finisher that sees D’Vorah use one of her pincers to infect the hapless victim and a bug bursts out of his/her chest. A creative brutality that makes D’Vorah a special character to play.
5) Geras
Best Brutality: Paused in Time
The new addition to the Mortal Kombat family brings a special uniqueness to the franchise. MK is filled with all types of colorful characters such D’Vorah, Shang Tsung, and Scorpion; however, there’s so much promise in a character that can play with time. While Geras’ moveset isn’t used to its full potential, there’s still no denying that Kronika’s enforcer has some sweet moves. Enter, Paused in Time, a “what the f*ck” brutality where your opponent turns into dust thanks to time. The brutality is creative and funny, with the image of a skeleton standing frozen in time unforgettable.
4) Sonya Blade
Best Brutality: Bullseye
3) Frost
Best Brutality: Beheaded
2) Joker
Best Brutality: Together Forever
The most disturbing brutality in a game that features heads blown off, limbs torn apart, and intestines being treated like sausages. Together forever isn’t disturbing because the opponent is burnt to a crisp, but the fact that Joker douses himself in gasoline and hugs the burning victim with sick love and care. This brutality fits Joker’s manic and murderous personality to perfection and Ed Boon has crafted a strong Joker that could stand alongside his comic book and movie counterparts.
1) Rambo
Best Brutality: Target Practice
Our favorite Vietnam war veteran has several strong brutalities, but target practice stands out from the crowd because it heavily relies on Rambo’s skills and expertise, thus giving the move an identity that perfectly fits the protagonist. It’s amazing how well John fits into the world of Mortal Kombat, with the special DLC character’s attacks and combos providing a nice balance between strategy and mindless and over-the-top gameplay.
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