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Highlights

  • Reptile's design in Mortal Kombat 2's Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 established his distinct personality and became the most recognizable version of the character.
  • The latest version of Reptile in Mortal Kombat 1 breaks tradition by joining the side of good instead of being an antagonist, redefining the character.
  • Reptile's appearance in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, where he becomes a monstrous Saurian creature, is one of the most controversial designs among fans.

He may have begun as a secret of Mortal Kombat's arcade era, but Reptile has become one of the fighting game franchise's most iconic characters in the decades since. One of the original colorful ninjas that have slowly come to differentiate themselves over the years, Reptile has undergone one of the most significant shifts in design over the course of the franchise's history. With the popularity of MK1's most recent take on the character, more fans have been compelled to reflect on the long history Reptile has in Mortal Kombat.

Reptile's earliest appearances made the fact that he started as a simple palette swap of Scorpion clear, but over time he would become one of the more unique fighters available in the MK roster. Fluctuating between incarnations that have seen him as more of a human or straight up monster, Reptile can often be a divisive character when it comes to picking a favorite version.

This tier list focuses only on versions of Reptile from the mainline Mortal Kombat games.

Silhouette of Shang Tsung emerging from a fiery portal in Mortal Kombat 1's trailer
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S-Tier

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Reptile first received his own stance and moveset in Mortal Kombat 2, but his return as a playable character in UMK3 further established the character’s personality in a major way. Appearing far more primal and distinct from this game’s other colorful ninjas, this version of Reptile began to lean so much into his name and theme that it would be the most human look the character had for years. UMK3’s Reptile has had no shortage of appearances as an alternate costume in other games due to his popularity among fans, as he could be considered the most recognizable.

Mortal Kombat 1

The latest take on Reptile has proven to be both one of the most different, but also one of the most well-received. In line with some of the other changes present in Liu Kang’s new world, MK1’s Reptile ends up joining the side of good with Earthrealm’s forces instead of being the subordinate of the antagonist. With a shapeshifting ability that makes this simultaneously the most human and monstrous interpretation of Reptile yet, MK1 has redefined the character.

A-Tier

Mortal Kombat 2

When Reptile returned in MK2, he became an officially playable character with his own place in the story. While the original secret boss featured moves that were just borrowed from Scorpion and Sub-Zero, this Reptile came with a style that would define the character in all of his subsequent versions. With both his status as a member of a reptilian race and his association with serving Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung established in this game, this is one of his most iconic appearances.

Mortal Kombat X

In an iteration that felt like NetherRealm succeeding in the experimental fusion of man and beast that previous attempts at Reptile consisted of, MKX’s take on the character was an evolution in nearly every way. His role in the lore would be bolstered with his association to Kotal Kahn, while his appearance integrated the primal nature of his reptilian species into his outfit like never before. The game’s variation system and retro outfits would also allow fans of the character more control than ever.

Mortal Kombat (1992)

When he originally appeared in the first MK, Reptile was an unplayable boss that required a complex set of conditions to be met for his encounter to take place. He would become known as one of the hidden secrets of Mortal Kombat’s arcade era alongside Smoke and Ermac. He may not have actually been a proper member of this roster initially, but this appearance gave the character a mystique that hyped up his eventual inclusion.

B-Tier

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

Reptile’s status in the 3D era became strange when he became the avatar of Mortal Kombat: Deception’s final boss, Onaga, leaving his slot in the roster open for other characters. He would end up returning in Armageddon alongside every single other fighter in series history at that point, but this streamlined iteration featured his Shaolin Monks look. While a lesser known appearance for the character, this version is still a favorite among some fans of the older MK games.

Mortal Kombat (2011)

He would get a fresh interpretation alongside the rest of the classic characters that made up MK9’s roster, but Reptile’s look in this reboot hasn’t had the best reception from fans in retrospect. He was the most detailed take on the humanoid reptilian creature concept yet, but he may have not leaned far enough into the idea to become truly memorable. Reptile’s gameplay in the reboot is still familiar and solid despite this, greatly influencing his next few appearances.

C-Tier

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

In the biggest departure from any resemblance to a human, Reptile appears as a monstrous Saurian creature in MK: Deadly Alliance. Although this version introduced several interesting new moves across the game’s multiple fighting styles, the huge differences between this design and the original have made this Reptile one of the most controversial among MK fans. Future designs would compromise somewhere in the middle, but never lean into being an actual reptile so much ever again.

Mortal Kombat 4

When Reptile made his debut in the 3D era that Mortal Kombat 4 technically kicked off, there were many fans who were disappointed with the drastic changes to his look. Mostly ditching the archetypal Mortal Kombat ninja appearance entirely in favor of being an actual reptilian man, this version managed to feel more awkward than it was likely intended to be. With a strange mask that is either a transparent or cut-out design, and the loss of his green outfit by default, the reception to MK4 Reptile has always been mixed.