Highlights

  • Mortal Kombat 1 introduces fresh Fatalities with a focus on the winning fighter.
  • The game maintains its reputation for shockingly creative violence, embracing new timelines and characters.
  • The evolution of Fatalities from Mortal Kombat X to Mortal Kombat 11 still sets a high standard for Mortal Kombat 1 to meet.

Mortal Kombat 1 presents a soft reboot of the franchise, and with that, an intriguing variety of changes have been made in this entry compared to previous games. Since Mortal Kombat 1 takes place in an all-new timeline, the backstories of characters have gotten a fresh start, along with the game's mechanics. The main thing that has remained constant is the brutal Fatalities players can perform on their opponents. However, these new Fatalities have a subtle difference.

When it comes to Mortal Kombat, the Fatalities are some of the most looked-forward-to features for players. Since the franchise's beginnings in the 90s, Mortal Kombat has grown a reputation for its over-the-top, but insanely creative, violence, and Mortal Kombat 1 does not skimp on violence. Mortal Kombat 1 is absolutely brutal with its Fatalities, but the focus of the Fatality has changed since Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11.

Homelander about to fire his heat vision in Mortal Kombat 1
Related
Predicting Mortal Kombat 1's Homelander Place in the Meta

Homelander is fit for Mortal Kombat 1's brutal battles, but the real question is how he will stack up against his fellow fighters.

How Fatalities in Mortal Kombat 1 Have Changed

Mortal Kombat 1 Fatalities

What's most important is that Mortal Kombat 1's Fatalities are still absolutely wild. Each Fatality is more shocking than the next, and NetherRealm hasn't shied away from showing just how creative it can get with insane ways for characters to be torn to shreds. Whether it's a long-running character, like Johnny Cage, or a crossover character like Mortal Kombat 1's upcoming Homelander, Mortal Kombat 1 puts the pedal to the metal with its finishing moves.

However, an interesting change to these Fatalities is the focus on the winner instead of the losing character. Once a match is won, there is a brutal cutscene depicting some sort of otherworldly death, but the scene always ends with an emphasis on the winning fighter and their Kameo character.

Mortal Kombat X Fatalities

Fatalities in Mortal Kombat X focused on whichever character was left with the unfortunate fate of being completely obliterated. Each Fatality offered a gruesome close-up of the defeated character, showcasing their gory demise. There have been many entries in the Mortal Kombat series, and Mortal Kombat X made sure to put the violence front and center with its Fatalities.

Mortal Kombat 11 Fatalities

Once again, Mortal Kombat 11 switched things up from the previous entry. This time, instead of giving the losing fighter one last close-up, Mortal Kombat 11 put everything in slow motion. Fatalities in Mortal Kombat 11 blended fast and shocking attacks with sudden slow-motion stops to emphasize the most brutal parts of these attacks, especially with the added effect of congealed blood. Mortal Kombat 11 set a high standard for Mortal Kombat 1 to achieve.

Mortal Kombat 1 Embracing Change

Thanks to the new timeline created by Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1, there are a lot of differences compared to the past entries, and although some of them have been controversial, it's exciting to see how the series evolves with every new chapter. From special crossovers to new Fatalities, the Mortal Kombat franchise has a long history of going even bigger than it did before.

As the franchise continues to change, it will be really intriguing to see what twisted and impossible kills NRS will think of next. The Fatalities in Mortal Kombat may always be changing, but the hilariously insane brutality has thankfully remained the same.