The Most Brutal Fighters In ‘Mortal Kombat’

“Finish him!”

Mortal Kombat celebrated its 30th anniversary this October. That’s three decades of over-the-top mayhem, stomach-churning gore, and throughout it all, a wry sense of humor to not take any of this too seriously.  Back in its early days, the Mortal Kombat franchise was the topic of congressional hearings and hand-wringing over its effects on children. To what extent did any of this have long-term psychological effects? 

Did the advancement of photorealistic graphics make the violence more impactful? There’s at least some evidence in recent years to suggest the latter; developers on Mortal Kombat 11 reported PTSD symptoms after animating the game’s signature Fatalities. But back in the 90s, the solution was for the gaming industry to self-regulate, lest the government do it for them. And the result is the current ESRB rating system. Rated T for Teen. Rated E for Everyone. Rated M for Mature. It’s a necessary gauge for violence and brutality.

Granted, every character from the Mortal Kombat series is brutal. But there are some that go beyond that–some, whose fatalities define their brutality, while others’ brutality is defined by their cunning and ruthlessness. Brutal varies with each character on this list and although such a descriptor is often associated with villains or straight-up heartless dudes, you might be surprised by some of the fighters on here. Brace yourselves. Here are: The 20 Most Brutal Characters From The Mortal Kombat series.