Top 10 Mortal Kombat X Fatalities (with VIDEO)

There are two different versions of this video; the one here at the top retains the game’s original sound effects, while the one embedded at the bottom of the article has a bit of music to keep you entertained. You can also check out both of these videos on our YouTube channel!

As the title would suggest, these are my Top 10 Mortal Kombat X Fatalities. What does that mean? Most gruesome? Most creative? “The best”? I guess “my favorite” would be the best description. I chose those that I liked the best – some are particularly gory while others are wildly creative and even a few just “look cool.” MKX has plenty of awesome fatalities, and while a few are uninspired and some are undoubtedly creative but too convoluted to be considered clever, it was a tough. So take it as you well, and consider these to be simply one fan’s 10 favorite fatalities from Mortal Kombat X.

10. Ferra/Torr – Play Time

PS4: (Mid) – Down, Back, Forward, Back, Back

The symbiotic Ferra/Torr has received a mix reception from fans and critics, and though the rider/mount gimmick probably isn’t used as well as it could be (Ferra acts less like an extra character and more like a talking weapon), the two of them do provide some healthy comic relief. In one pre-match dialog with Ermac, Ferra calls him “Mac-Mac;” when Ermac replies, “your lives are forfeit,” Ferra retorts, “you forflit, ghost-man!”

The humor carries over into Play Time, a fatality that sees Torr use Ferra as a projectile. My favorite part of it is the intentionally “playful” expression that Ferra has on her face – like a more twisted and less contrived version of Johnny Cage’s Here’s Johnny finishing move.

9. Quan Chi – Both Ends

PS4: (Close) – Down, Forward, Back, Forward Triangle

Quan Chi has been an important character ever since his introduction (and even before) and while his importance is somewhat reduced to “lackey” over the events of MKX, he is still a fighter to be reckoned with. His “Portal Master” variation provides for some inventive eye-candy when it comes to special moves, and he puts this ability to good use in his Both Ends fatality.

Although possibly mundane by some standards and certainly not the goriest fatality offered up by MKX, I really enjoy the concept of pushing the enemy through the portal and using it as a device to pull the character in half. Of all the lateral disembodiments in the game, this is one of the cleverest. However, it can’t quite touch the sheer brutality of one of Quan Chi’s earliest fatalities in MK4, where he rips off the opponent’s leg and beats him/her to death with it!

8. Kung Jin – Pinned Down

PS4: (Mid) – Forward, Back, Down, Down, Square

Similar to Kung Jin’s other fatality, Target Practice, Pinned Down makes good use of Kung Jin’s ability with a bow. Of all the new humans added to the MKX roster, Kung Jin feels the most like a character we’ve seen before: Nightwolf. In fact, he has a sort of Indigenous American look to him not dissimilar to Nightwolf, though it would seem that he’s inherited Kung Lao’s defiant attitude (a trait first introduced in and apparently carried over from Shaolin Monks) which can make him a little unpleasant.

Still, one can’t help but admire his cockiness during the execution of Pinned Down. More than just a clever use of arrows is how all the body parts land; this is what truly makes this finishing move exceptional.

7. Kotal Kahn – Be Mine

PS4: (Close) – Down, Back, Forward, Square

Kotal Kahn is a great new addition to the cast. I dig his measured tone and calculated demeanor. It’s all much more befitting of an intelligent emperor than the increasingly blind rage that seemed to surround Shao Kahn. Although I’d hoped for something more elaborate from the Blood/Sun god himself, Be Mine is a good match for the Aztec-meets-African-tribal inspiration behind Kotal’s appearance.

A gorier throwback to Kano’s earlier “Heart Rip” fatalities, Kotal Kahn displays a sort of extreme honor via the demise of his opponent. The kicker here is Kotal’s final gesture, where he not only crushes the opponent’s heart, but also looks to consume a portion of the blood. Although inarguably brutal, there is a thread of respect in the act, something we haven’t really seen much of when it comes to the series villainous characters. (Though I suppose it’s debatable just how villainous Kotal is.)

6. Scorpion – Who’s Next!

PS4: (Mid) – Down, Back, Forward, Up

It’s tough to argue with a fatality named after the game’s tagline, and who better to hold the distinction than Scorpion himself? The ever-popular mascot of the Mortal Kombat series is give one of the game’s most elaborate fatalities, but it’s pulled off with an incredible degree of style that only continues to reinforce Scorpion’s perceived awesomeness.

What begins as a rather standard decapitation quickly turns into an amazing display of supernatural timing. Scorpion even summons a giant rock for support. It’s great watching how casually Scorpion leans back to avoid the flying head and then flings his sword to hit perfectly after a quick bounce off of the auxiliary rock. If one had just a few seconds to “explain” MKX, Who’s Next! should do the trick perfectly.

5. Liu Kang – Splitter

PS4: (Close) – Back, Forward, Down, Up

Although not a shining moment in the naming of fatalities, this is another one that’s pulled off with an exuberance of style. Liu Kang shows off his darker side in this game, as well as a love for clean shoes.

After flying through the air like an enraged Pokemon, the slightly slow-motion mid-air bisection of the opponent is the definition of a “money shot.”

4. Kenshi – My Puppet

PS4: (Mid) – Forward, Down, Back, Up

For a relatively restrained and level-headed individual, Kenshi has a couple of truly disgusting fatalities under his belt. His sword opens up a lot of possibilities, and My Puppet is a super-creative use of both Kenshi’s telekinesis and his soul-imbued weapon of choice.

Seeing a body suspended by its own rib cage is disgusting my any measure. Specifically it reminds me of a scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors (one of the best in the franchise in my opinion) where Freddy walks the kid around like (you guessed it) a puppet! More generally I’m reminded of the grotesque measures taken by the Cenobites from the Hellraiser series. My Puppet is one of the most creative and effective fatalities to come out of the series in years.

3. Kung Lao – Flower Pot

PS4: (Close) – Down, Forward, Down, Back, Square

I don’t usually think of Kung Lao as a gore hound, though I suppose his defiant attitude carries a certain degree of creative aggression with it. Too often in past games his hat has been the source of cheap kills like simple decapitations. Flower Pot, however, puts an interesting spin on both his decapitation fatalities and the old “Hat Slice.”

I’m not sure how anyone came up with this one, but it culminates in an impressive visual feat. There’s really no great way to do this finisher due justice with mere words, though I will say this: think less about a flower pot and more about a flower opening…

2. Cassie Cage – Selfie

PS4: (Close) – Down, Forward, Down, Back, Circle

Even if terms like “selfie” become obsolete rather quickly (and god I hope it does), this will always stand as both an entertaining and disgusting finishing move. It’s also a bit of a shocker seeing it for the first time; what looks like the beginning of a casual blow turns into a fantastically gory spectacle.

On it’s own this would be plenty satisfying (though it may have needed another fatal blow to seal the deal) but Selfie pushes the envelope even further with a clever pop-culture reference. Even the faux-Facebook page is peppered with witty comments and humorous details. (As an admitted MK fanatic, I especially loved something to the effect of, “has anyone unlocked Fujin!?”)

1. Mileena – Tasty Treat

PS4: (Close) – Forward, Back, Forward, Back, Triangle

I saw this fatality very early on in my time with MKX, and even after viewing a couple dozen others, this one still sticks out in my mind as the goriest, most brutal, most depraved fatality in the history of the franchise. What really pushes Tasty Treat over the edge is the added human element. We almost always get a scream or a shout, yet in this one we get a real reaction out of the opponent, as he/she actively tries to pull him/herself away from the onslaught. The emphasis here is on the pain and suffering rather than the purely visceral, though it still remains as one of the most graphic MKX finishers.

Adding insult to injury, Mileena proceeds to consume parts of her opponent, a trait rife for exploitation in Mileena’s current and potentially future fatalities.

When I first ran through all of the fatalities, I quickly jotted down those that I saw as serious Top 10 contenders. From there I quickly struck through a few that I absolutely knew wouldn’t stand up to everything else, and that left me with 16 fatalities out of the game’s (current) 52 (not counting Corrupted Shinnok’s special fatality). Usually I’d tack these 6 on as Honorable Mentions, but I omitted them in the interest of keeping the video short and simple. Other contenders included Jacqui’s shotgun fatality (extremely gory but lacking in imagination), Jax’s T-Wrecks (creative but just a little too offbeat), both of Ermac’s (gory and fairly creative), D’Vorah’s all-consuming bug fatality (wonderfully gruesome, especially at the end, and probably the closest to making the Top 10), and Sub-Zero’s updated “spine rip meets overhead freeze” (another close contender).

What do you think of my Top 10 MKX Fatalities? Agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Be sure to stay tuned for more Mortal Kombat X videos, including Top 10 Worst MKX Fatalities and eventually a Top 10 MKX Brutalities! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified when new videos are uploaded (which will coincide with the publication of an accompanying article) or check back here at Nerd Bacon and search for “Mortal Kombat X” in the search box!

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Written, played, and edited by The Cubist

Written by The Cubist

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Co-founder, Head Author, & Site Technician

Find out what these ratings mean and how I rate video games.

I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

Currently in love with: Mortal Kombat

Email me anytime, about anything: thecubist@butthole.nerdbacon.com