As with any fighting game out there, Mortal Kombat 1 brings a wide variety of characters that pack devastating power. However, not all fighters are born the same. Among the lot, some of the strongest Mortal Kombat characters might be the ones you’ve never tried. So if you’re someone new or even a veteran, keep reading as we rank down Mortal Kombat 1’s strongest characters right here.
15. Reptile
Reptile has always been a fan-favorite character in the Mortal Kombat universe, and his inclusion in this timeline reboot also makes him a dominant force to fight against.
The MK1 fighter has good zoning options, ensuring your opponent gets annoyed, and has solid matchups against most players. While not as big a fan favorite as others, it’s only fitting I start him off in our Mortal Kombat strongest characters list because of his spit attack.
14. General Shao
General Shao, the former Outworld ruler who is now a general in the current timeline, is still a force to be reckoned with in Mortal Kombat 1. He has become one of the strongest characters in the game. Besides hitting like a tank, Shao can also consume souls and even perform magic attacks.
I mean there was a reason he was the final boss of MK2. So if you want a devastating boss, check out Shao for one of Mortal Kombat 1’s strongest characters.
13. Raiden
The Earthrealm protector, Raiden, has always been a solid character throughout the various iterations of Mortal Kombat. And it isn’t any different for Mortal Kombat 1.
Raiden has good zoning tools, which will annoy your opponents into making mistakes, and great escape tools for those tricky moments. So, if you like that sort of fight, Raiden is definitely your pick.
12. Tanya
Tanya has one of the best tools in the game: jab pressure. You can stay at a distance and use her stick to jab at your opponents to chip off their health, or get that stray jab in and start your combo string, eating out their health.
Ultimately, Tanya is all about jabs, so if you can be patient with a slower fight than normal, she can turn out to be one of the strongest Mortal Kombat 1 characters out there.
11. Li Mei
Li Mei is a great alternative to Johnny Cage for players who don’t want to main the Hollywood superstar. While Li Mei can struggle to pull out the damage, she can still push out impressive combos and pressure on her opponents. So, pick this Mk1 fighter if you want to try something similar to Johnny Cage and keep a pocket character.
10. Smoke
I’ve included Smoke in this list over Sub-Zero or even Scorpion for clear reasons. Smoke has an invisibility gimmick, which allows for some solid combo setups in-game.
If you can leverage that, you will have an exciting time fighting your opponents in matches. This move alone makes him one of the strongest Mortal Kombat 1 characters.
9. Baraka
The Tarkatan warrior, Baraka, relied quite a bit on Kameos to fight against the opponents. However, even without it, Baraka is still a pretty formidable character in various fights.
He has good close-ups, which opens up for great mixups when given the chance and opportunity. If you can make your peace with his interesting face, he can be an amazing Mk1 fighter.
8. Kitana
The daughter of the Outerworld queen Sindel, Kitana is also an excellent choice for many players and one of the strongest characters in-game, even after the patch. She has good zoning capabilities, great chances to trade with your opponent, and even lets you set up great combos. Get her for a fair balance between power and speed.
7. Sindel
Queen Sindel of the Outerworld is one of the strongest Mortal Kombat 1 characters solely because of her range and good setup possibilities. Furthermore, she looks outstanding when you pull off those combos. So, if range and setups are something you are looking for, Sindel can be one of the best choices you make.
6. Liu Kang
Fire God Liu Kang remains one of the strongest characters in Mortal Kombat 1. He can also put solid pressure on opponents when given a chance, which allows you to be a menace in fights. Overall, if you don’t want to use Johnny Cage but want somewhat of a good character, this is also one of the perfect choices you can make.
5. Ashrah
The female demon hunter remains one of the strongest Mortal Kombat 1 characters in-game. She has good attack range, excellent pressure when given the chance, and great armor. Overall, Ashrah is still one of the better characters to spend some time learning and get good at.
4. Reiko
General Shao’s confidant also happens to be one of the strongest characters in Mortal Kombat 1. Be it suitable buttons or projectiles, Reiko has insane potential to do great mixups at close range. The only caveat is that you must get an opening, and the mids are not solid. Otherwise, he has solid zoning capabilities and a good balance of power.
3. Kenshi
The blind samurai has been one of the most annoying characters to fight against since day one in Mortal Kombat 1. And to be honest, even with the current patch, he remains that way. Nonetheless, Kenshi makes his way into our top three of the best Mortal Kombat 1 characters thanks to his wraith pressures and health drop possibilities.
2. Homelander
Anyone who has seen The Boys knows about Homelander and the terror you feel seeing him. Well, if you want more of the same then he is also one of the strongest Mortal Kombat 1 characters. Added over as a DLC MK1 character, Homelander carries over the same attitude and anger.
The best part is you also see some of his greatest moves enacted in the game. As a huge The Boys fan, I just had to add him as the rounder-up!
1. Johnny Cage
And of course, I come to a close with the best MK1 fighter Johnny Cage. Besides his sickly yet charismatic personality, Cage packs a ton of amazing attacks, frames, and defense. Maybe that’s also the reason he gets picked frequently in most tournaments and online matches. Even with the latest patch, he is still one of the strongest Mortal Kombat 1 characters to consider playing.
And these are the strongest Mortal Kombat characters you should play right now. What character do you consider to be the strongest? Don’t like what you see here? Drop your choices in the comments below!
