By far the most exciting addition to Mortal Kombat 1 is the introduction of Kameo Fighters, allies who will give the main character a hand in extending a combo or escaping danger. Some of these side-characters are fighters who have usually been playable in many of the previous titles, such as Jax and Sonya for example, while others are a welcome surprise who only longtime fans of the series will be aware of, like the mighty Motaro or Shujinko.

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Each Kameo Fighter has multiple abilities and techniques that they can throw out to help turn the tides of a fight, and while some can be very situational and difficult to use efficiently, others are essential for anyone looking to deal some real damage through combos. These are the Kameo Fighters who have already proven to be among the best on the roster for how reliable they are in helping to secure that sweet victory at the end of a fierce and bloody battle.

7 Kung Lao

While the new version of playable Kung Lao may have unfortunately lost his iconic teleport ability, thankfully, the Kameo version has carried it over, though it's admittedly a little slower this time around. When activated, Kung Lao will grab the player's character and teleport them directly behind their opponent, so while it might not make for much of a surprise due to the slow speed, it's an easy way to escape projectiles, leaving the enemy wide open for a punish.

Speaking of projectiles, Kung Lao can also throw down his hat, which can be charged up and acts as a true low attack that is great for throwing an opponent off their game, and he can even pop up enemies for a combo using his spin attack. Kung Lao doesn't bring too many surprises with his abilities as a Kameo Fighter, but his teleport and hat projectile are nonetheless very reliable and great for beginners.

6 Frost

For anyone who doesn't feel like playing Sub-Zero but still loves his ability to freeze opponents in place, the good news is Frost can provide this in many different ways, making her one of the best Kameos when it comes to mix-ups. Frost is capable of throwing out a small orb that will slowly hover toward and freeze an opponent once it reaches them, alongside a low freeze attack that travels across the screen in the blink of an eye.

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These two abilities make her extremely useful for extending combos. Simply throw her ability out when the combo is about to end, and then either initiate a brand new one or simply throw out a few pokes to keep the enemy at range. Her third ability, a giant iceberg that appears out from the ground, isn't quite as useful, and it's also a mid attack making it very easy to block, but she's still a great asset for combo-hungry players.

5 Scorpion

Scorpion's most devastating attack as a Kameo, and one that players can expect to see a lot when playing online, is his fire breath, which may seem simple at first but is extremely versatile and easy to use mid-combo. Once players choose their preferred distance using the correct input, Scorpion will appear before removing his mask and shooting out two fireballs into the air.

This one attack opens up a tremendous amount of juggle potential as the enemy will remain in the air far longer, allowing the player to keep a combo string going when it otherwise would be impossible. He's also one of the few Kameos who has an overhead attack in the form of his flaming swords that staggers the enemy, leaving them wide open for an attack. He can even use his spear to pull his ally back to the side of the screen, and while this is very situational, there's no denying that it's a ton of fun to use.

4 Cyrax

There are some Kameo Fighters in Mortal Kombat 1 who work especially well when paired with a specific character, but Cyrax is so versatile that he will be able to assist anyone on the roster thanks to his easy-to-use, but very powerful abilities. Cyrax can cover all distances as a Kameo, he can throw out a net to stop enemies in their tracks from afar, flick them up into the air with his swirling Cyrax-copter, or simply blow them to smithereens by self-destructing.

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All of this makes him especially good at applying pressure to keep the enemy on their toes. For example, his self-destruct can be thrown out to force the enemy to react by either committing to an attack or blocking and if they miss their input, they'll be forced to deal with the explosive damage coming their way. His Cyrax-copter is also a very useful move, which is shaping up to be one of the best Kameo abilities in the entire game for how easily it can elevate a fighter into the air, leading to some very long and very powerful air combos.

3 Darrius

Darrius is a unique Kameo Fighter because rather than jumping in for a single attack, it can often feel like he's fighting alongside the player as part of a tag team because of how long he remains on the screen. First off, he does have some amazing mid-screen attacks, specifically his swing ability where the player's character grabs him by the legs and swings him around like a ragdoll, dealing a good amount of damage and keeping them a safe distance from the opponent in case they block.

Where Darrius shines is with his combo extender, where he can stun an enemy, flip over them for an overhead, and then launch them to start up a new combo. Darrius can do all of this while on the screen and doesn't need to be called out to execute each one, but it does take a lot of meter and practice to use him this way, so he's a very rewarding Kameo Fighter for players who make the effort to learn him.

2 Sektor

Sektor's flamethrower ability is fast, deadly, and great at both lengthening combos and controlling the neutral game. After letting out an initial burst of flame towards the enemy, Sektor will then spray both sides of the screen with fire, as if the opponent wasn't already burnt to a crisp. What makes this ability so special is that it will reset the opponent to a standing position if it lands, so even if they have been juggled in the air for a little while, throwing out Sektor will ensure the fighter returns to a standing position, ready to be pummeled all over again.

His teleport punch attack isn't too flashy and simply acts as an extra launcher, but his missile, which flies directly upwards before landing on the opponent, is another fantastic ability because of how unpredictable it is. Because the missile flies off-screen, the enemy will have no idea how far it's going to travel, which makes it ideal for controlling momentum. Double-call the missile, and it will even lock on to the enemy, something which can be truly devastating for opponents who love jumping around a little too much.

1 Sareena

Despite probably being the easiest Kameo Fighter in the game to use, Sareena is also amazing in virtually every single department, and she's more than capable of turning a fight around in a player's favor with a simple attack. For starters, she has a lightning-fast projectile that recharges incredibly fast, making it very easy to keep the opponent in check. Alongside this, she also has a unique technique where she places a magical ring on the ground which will gradually drain the opponent's meter. This can prove to be brutal to a character who is trapped in the corner and is already taking tons of damage from a combo.

By far her most useful ability is her back attack where she throws out two blades that act as boomerangs that will drag the opponent towards the player after stunning them. This attack is also full-screen, so even if someone is relying a little too much on their zoning to keep them safe, this will close the gap quickly. As long as players have some meter to spare, Sareena can be devastating and the perfect ally for any of the main fighters.

Mortal Kombat 1 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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