Mortal Kombat is famous for its fun gameplay, gory fatalities, and memorable cast of characters. However, there are other things that contribute to Mortal Kombat being memorable. This includes the arenas. Throughout the series, the games included many iconic and memorable arenas. Here are the top 10 arenas in the Mortal Kombat series.
10. Portal
Figure 1 Sub-Zero about to fight Scorpion in the Portal (in Mortal Kombat 2).
The Portal throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-k5MquSVcc
Starting at 10th place is the Portal which first appeared in Mortal Kombat 2. As the name suggests, the arena is an area near a portal that separates Earthrealm and Outworld. There are some shadow priests watching you and your opponent fight to the death.
The arena would go on to be included in some of the games after Mortal Kombat 2. In Mortal Kombat Deception, The Portal arena includes the “Choose Your Destiny” towers from the older Mortal Kombat games. Interestingly, you can see the pictures of the characters on the towers; the towers contain pictures of characters from MK1 or MK2, or MK3 depending on which tower you are looking at.
9. Subway & Street
Figure 2 UMK3, Sub-Zero about to fight Reptile and Nightwolf at the Subway.
The Subway evolution throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuBmTINrG9M
We will be in Earthrealm for a bit with the Subway/Street arena in Mortal Kombat 3. The match starts off with you and your opponent fighting in the Subway arena. However, you can uppercut your opponent which sends them flying into another arena which turns out to be the Street arena, and the music even changes.
Mortal Kombat 3 was the first to have arenas that are set in urban areas. This is because Shao Kahn, in the game, chose to invade Earthrealm despite losing in Mortal Kombat 2 and he has a tower in the middle of a city. In the background of the Subway, you can see the names Boon and Tobias which refers to the MK creators Ed Boon and John Tobias.
8. Chamber of Artifacts
Figure 3 Sub-Zero facing off against Kabal at the Chambers of Artifacts (in Mortal Kombat Deception).
Scorpion fighting Raiden at the Chamber of Artifacts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SdCOxGhk_A
In 8th place is the Chamber of Artifacts from Mortal Kombat Deception. The arena is a chamber that has artifacts on the walls. There is also a large green gem that has a sword inside (that the player can get by breaking the green stone). Lastly, the player can knock an opponent through the floor into a lower level of the arena. The theme song of this arena is incredible.
The chamber actually belongs to a clan called the Red Dragon and is meant to contain all the artifacts they have collected. The Red Dragon is enemies with the Black Dragon clan (that Kano is part of). Interestingly, the illustration of this arena showed Mileena fighting Sub-Zero in his alternate costume.
7. Goro’s Lair
Figure 4 Shao Kahn about to attack Joker in Goro's Lair (in Mortal Kombat 11).
Goro’s Lair throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfnQxdhaDu8
Goro’s Lair was introduced in the first Mortal Kombat game where the character would fight Goro who served as the boss character. After fighting Goro, the player would fight Shang Tsung in Goro’s Lair as well. The place is a mixture of a dungeon and a jail where monsters, not just Goro, are at. In Mortal Kombat 2, it serves as the stage where you fight a secret character.
Because the arena is used to fight boss characters and secret characters, Goro’s Lair has a creepy and mysterious atmosphere. Adding to the atmosphere, MK11’s Goro’s Lair has Goro’s dead body in the background sitting on his chair.
6. Pit
Figure 5 Liu Kang facing off against Scorpion in the Pit (in Mortal Kombat 1992).
The Pit throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q48drHhnfFI
Here is another iconic arena originating from the first Mortal Kombat game, the Pit. You and your opponent fight on top of a bridge-like platform and if you beat your opponent, you can easily uppercut them off into the spikes below. While the game doesn’t call it a fatality, knocking your opponent into the spikes still kills them.
In this arena, you can actually trigger a fight with Reptile. If you see silhouettes flying past the moon in the background, you must win with a double flawless victory without blocking. Once you do that, you will be taken to the bottom of the arena (where the spikes are) where you fight Reptile who uses Scorpion and Sub-Zero’s moves.
5. Pit II
Figure 6 Sub-Zero and Johnny Cage about to fight in the Pit II (Mortal Kombat 2). Hornbuckle and Blaze are in the background.
Fatalities done at the Pit II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18EIS-H1mWc
The Pit II marks its spot in 5th place. In the first game, the Pit was in Earthrealm; the Pit II (in Mortal Kombat 2) is actually in Outworld. So, while both arenas are similar, they are different arenas. Once you defeat your opponent, you can do a stage fatality where you knock your opponent onto the rocky ground below; the ground is just a rocky surface rather than a spiky area.
In the background of the Pit II, you can see two fighters who are about to fight each other. One is a recolor sprite of Liu Kang named Hornbuckle while the other (who is on fire) is Blaze. Blaze would go on to return in future titles as a playable character and the final boss in Mortal Kombat Armageddon.
4. Kahn’s Arena
Figure 7 Shao Kahn taunting Sub-Zero at Kahn's Arena (in Mortal Kombat 2).
Kahn’s Arena throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MxObreYe2A
In Mortal Kombat 2, you fight Shang Tsung, Kintaro, and Shao Kahn himself in Kahn’s Arena. As the name suggests, this is an arena where a crowd of people watch you and your opponent fight. Shao Kahn is in the background watching until you actually fight him.
Whenever you fight Kintaro and Shao Kahn, you can hear the crowd cheer whenever Kintaro and Shao Kahn hit you. This implies that not only does the audience like watching the fights, but they enjoy seeing Kintaro and their emperor Shao Kahn kick ass. Lastly, Sonya Blade and Kano are seen in the background chained up; they would be freed after Shao Kahn is defeated.
3. Graveyard
Figure 8 Sonya about to do a fatality on Kano in the Graveyard (in Mortal Kombat 3).
Graveyard throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKPsYxQkAeM
Beginning the top 3 is the Graveyard which was introduced in Mortal Kombat 3. The arena is a graveyard somewhere in Earthrealm and, like Goro’s lair, has a creepy atmosphere. The tombstones have names of people which are the last names of the developers. The tombstone also shows their birth dates and their dates of death which is actually the release date of Mortal Kombat 3.
Apparently, there is a tombstone that reads “CAGE” which refers to Johnny Cage. As it turns out during the events of Mortal Kombat 3, the character Johnny Cage did get killed during Shao Kahn’s invasion. However, he would be eventually brought back to life and come back in Mortal Kombat 4.
2. Dead Pool
Figure 9 Sub-Zero fighting Jax in the Dead Pool (in Mortal Kombat 2).
Dead Pool throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUHjYEySGQk
The Dead Pool is an arena where you and your opponent fight on a walkway. Below the walkway is a pool of acid. When you defeat your opponent, you can do a fatality where you knock them off the walkway into the acid below, the acid then burns their skin off and reveals a skeleton floating on the acid.
In Mortal Kombat Deception, instead of fighting on a walkway, you and your opponent fight on a square platform in the middle of the acid. In the lore, the Dead Pool is used as means to punish people or just sacrifice them. The prisoner would be chained up and slowly get lowered into the acid below where they meet their end.
1. Living Forest
Figure 10 Sub-Zero about to strike Baraka after freezing him in the Living Forest (in Mortal Kombat 2).
Living Forest throughout the games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixbOnioS964
In 1st place is the iconic Living Forest. In this arena, you and your opponent are in a forest where the trees have faces. Throughout the fight, the trees will periodically scream or roar. In the lore, the trees do devour anyone that finds themselves unlucky. The theme song to this arena is awesome and iconic.
Mortal Kombat 2 introduced Outworld into the lore. The Living Forest is one of the few arenas that give you a peak of what the world of Outworld looks like outside of any building or colosseum. In Mortal Kombat Deception’s Konquest Mode, you can actually explore Outworld including the Living Forest.
