With Mortal Kombat 1 releasing in just a few months, hype for the classic fighting game franchise is at an all-time high. NetherRealm seems to be focused on redefining the gameplay of the series with the Kameo system while rebooting the story into an entirely new timeline, but the series' classic Fatalities have still made their way into Mortal Kombat 1. As a major part of Mortal Kombat's identity, there have been countless Fatalities across over eleven mainline entries, and some along the way have been much more bizarre than others.
Fatalities may be the most iconic part of Mortal Kombat in terms of the series' massive popularity, but that doesn't mean they always live up to their brutal reputation. Since they have no actual gameplay effect and act purely as a cinematic flair to the fight, Fatalities can end up being totally outlandish. There have been times when Fatalities ended up being a lot more imaginative than usual displays of impressive visuals and gore, for better or worse. While there are the infamous Babalities and Animalities which were clearly intended as jokes, there have also been several Mortal Kombat Fatalities that are remarkable for much more than their violence.
Bo' Rai Cho - Flaming Fart (Mortal Kombat: Deception)
One of the series’ most controversial characters ever since his playable introduction in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Bo’ Rai Cho is the goofy drunken master of protagonist Liu Kang. In one of the most disgusting Fatalities in Mortal Kombat history, Bo’ Rai Cho incinerates the opponent by lighting his extremely powerful fart on fire. It may be disgusting, but this isn't out of the ordinary for the crude humor of the old master who uses vomiting in combat.
Erron Black - Sand Storm (Mortal Kombat X)
He may be an interesting take on the cool cowboy archetype, but Erron Black can find himself looking silly when it goes too far. This Fatality where he explodes a sand grenade inside his opponent’s chest causes an entire mound of sand to envelope their lower body while more sand keeps flowing from the small grenade. While the concept of burying a foe isn't strange at all, the amount of sand that erupts from the small grenade can leave players more perplexed than impressed.
Ermac - Pest Control (Mortal Kombat 9)
An enigmatic collection of souls capable of telekinetic magic, Mortal Kombat fan favorite Ermac randomly manifests the ability to shrink the opponent down to the size of an insect before crushing them beneath his giant ninja mummy boot. If there was any precedent for this size manipulation power, it would be far less ridiculous. While this move might take a page out of one of Jax's iconic, nonsensical Fatalities, it's a lot more uncanny to see the emotionless Ermac being this funny.
Havik - Human Pencil Sharpener (Mortal Kombat: Deception)
Moves like this Fatality where Havik devours the arms of his opponent before inexplicably vomiting them up have definitely contributed to the mixed reputation of Mortal Kombat's 3D-era characters. With his enemy simply appearing to lose balance after missing their arms, this Fatality is just awkward for the intimidating Havik. Maybe regurgitating the parts of defeated foes is a proud gesture in Chaosrealm, but it still makes the cleric one of the series' most peculiar fighters.
Shang Tsung - Bang Bang! (Mortal Kombat 9)
In this bizarre Fatality for even Mortal Kombat, Shang Tsung transforms into a killer clown. This transformation's resemblance to the Joker combined with its violent nature seems to be mocking the T-rating of the previous game, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Shang Tsung fakes out his opponent before blowing their head off with the game's signature violence, possibly a statement on the creative freedom of Mortal Kombat 9 in this respect. In retrospect, this finisher could also be seen as foreshadowing the eventual release of the Joker as DLC for Mortal Kombat 11.
Raiden - Self-Electrocution (Mortal Kombat: Deception)
Moments like this Fatality make it more believable that Raiden passed on the torch to Fire God Liu Kang. While Dark Raiden may have been an intimidating and brooding figure during the era of Deception, this Fatality sees him going overboard and releasing so much electricity that he destroys both himself and his opponent. Raiden is typically one of the more serious and lore-important members of the Mortal Kombat cast, so such a reckless display in his most edgy form can cross the line into campy territory.
Kung Lao - Friendly Rabbit (Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks)
The beat 'em up excursion Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks is not remembered by many fans of the series, but this Fatality is one of the most random ever. Kung Lao pulls a rabbit out of his signature hat before using the furry creature as a blunt weapon to beat his opponent down and brutally break them in half. This Fatality honestly requires no further explanation, but it has made fans question whether Kung Lao has always had a rabbit inside his hat.
Smoke - Armageddon (Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 was an amazing redemption of its base game, but this Fatality went too far. Smoke drops a bunch of bombs on the ground, but things get out of hand when this somehow destroys the entire planet. Fittingly flashy for one of the new characters added after the base Mortal Kombat 3, this Fatality joked with the idea before Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
Quan Chi - Neck Stretch (Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance)
In the dark and gritty game where he served as one of the titular members of the Deadly Alliance, the power sorcerer Quan Chi's ultimate finishing attack must be a demonstration of his true dominance of the Netherrealm. With all of his magical abilities and necromancy, players were likely shocked when Quan Chi instead chose to hop up on his opponent's shoulders and stretch their neck out like a giraffe. There will always be some odd Fatalities in Mortal Kombat, but none are quite as uncanny as Quan Chi's Neck Stretch in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.
Mortal Kombat 1Mortal Kombat 1 launches on September 19, 2023, for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.