MK1 fatality list – All the best Mortal Kombat 1 fatalities and how to do them

Looking for an expansive Mortal Kombat 1 fatality list? Spewing virtual guts has long been an essential part of the Mortal Kombat franchise. Its devastating finishers let you dismember your opponents in over the top and often hilarious ways. And now that Mortal Kombat 1 is out in the world. we’ve had plenty of time to go through each of the characters’ finishers.

With a litany of returning characters and the new game’s Kameo system, there’s plenty to like about MK1. We have played Mortal Kombat 1 on PC extensively as part of our Videogamer.com Mortal Kombat 1 review – which you can check out by clicking the link.

We should note that this is a list of Fatalities – if you want help on Brutalities (they’re a little different) check out our MK1 Brutality guide here. If we discover any more fatalities, or new characters arrive bringing with them their own finishes, then we will of course update this article. Be warned, the below is not for the faint of heart!

Mortal Kombat 1 fatality list

There are 61 Mortal Kombat 1 fatalities from both regular and Kameo characters. Here’s a handy list of them along with an explainer of what you’ll need to input to put off each of these merciless finishing moves. We’ve put the button inputs for both Xbox Series X|S and PS5. Remember, you’ll need to be specific distances away from your opponent, so make sure to check out the fatality training section in the game to learn where you need to stand to kick off the finishing move.

MK 1 main fatalities

Ashrah

• Heavenly Light (Mid) – Down, Forward, Down, Y (Triangle)
• Second Fatality (Mid) – Down, Down, Back, B (Circle)

Baraka

• Split Decision (Close) – Back, Forward, Down, X (Square)
• Second Fatality (Close) – Forward, Back, Down, B (Circle)

General Shao

• Spin Cycle (Mid) – Back, Forward, Down, X (Square)
• Second Fatality (Mid) – Down, Forward, Back, X (Square)

Geras

• Sand Storm (Mid) – Forward, Down, Down, B (Circle)
• Second Fatality (Close) – Down, Forward, Back, X (Square)

Havik

• Atomic Heart (Close) – Down, Forward, Down, B (Circle)
• Second Fatality (Close) – Forward, Back, Down, Y (Triangle)

Johnny Cage

• Hollywood Walk of Pain (Close) – Forward, Back, Down, Y (Triangle)
• Drive-by (Mid to Far) – Forward, Down, Back, B (Circle)

Kenshi

• Blended (Close) – Forward, Down, Down, Y (Triangle)
• Second Fatality (Mid) – Back, Down, Back, X (Square)

Kitana

• Royal Blender (Far) – Down, Forward, Down, B (Circle)
• Minty Fresh (Close) – Down, Down, Back, B (Circle)

Kung Lao

• Lao’d and Clear (Mid) – Back, Forward, Back, B (Circle)
• Second Fatality (Close) – Back, Down, Down, A (Cross)

Li Mei

• Roman Candle (Close) – Forward, Back, Forward, A (Cross)
• Happy New Year (Close) – Back, Forward, Down, B (Circle)

Liu Kang

• Double Dragon (Close) – Down, Forward, Back, B (Circle)
• Black Hole (Close) – Back, Forward, Back, A (Cross)

Mileena

• Appetizer (Close) – Back, Forward, Back, X (Square)
• A Little to the Left (Close) – Down, Forward, Back, A (Cross)

Nitara

• Vaeternus KomBAT (Mid) – Down, Down, Back, X (Square)
• Morningstar (Mid to Far) – Back, Down, Back, B (Circle)

Raiden

• The Storm’s Arrival (Close) – Back, Forward, Back, Y (Triangle)
• Ride the Lightning (Mid or Far) – Down, Forward, Back, X (Square)

Rain

• The Red Sea (Close) – Down, Down, Back, B (Circle)
• Second Fatality (Mid) – Down, Forward, Back, A (Cross)

Reiko

• The Impaler (Mid) – Down, Down, Back+Y (Triangle)
• For the General (Close) – Back, Down, Down, B (Circle)

Reptile

• Indigestion (Mid) – Forward, Back, Down, B (Circle)
• Second Fatality (Close) – Forward, Down, Back, A (Cross)

Scorpion

• Eye-Palling Victory (Mid) – Down, Forward, Back, RT (R2)
• Gang War (Mid) – Back, Forward, Back, Y (Triangle)

Shang Tsung

• Side Effects (Close) – Back, Down, Down, B (Circle)
• Second Fatality (Mid) – Forward, Down, Back, Y (Triangle)

Sindel

• Hair Comes Trouble (Mid) – Down, Back, Down, X (Square)
• Second Fatality (Mid to Far) – Back, Forward, Back, Y (Triangle)

Smoke

• Hazed and Infused (Any) – Back, Forward, Down, X (Square)
• Second Fatality (Any) – Down, Forward, Back, Y (Triangle)

Sub-Zero

• Hairline Fracture (Any) – Forward, Down, Down, Y (Triangle)
• Second Fatality (Close) – Forward, Back, Down, B (Circle)

Tanya

• Helping Hands (Close) – Down, Back, Down, A (Cross)
• Second Fatality (Close to Mid) – Back, Forward, Down, Y (Triangle)

MK 1 Kameo fatalities

Here are all of the MK 1 Kameo fatalities (second fatalities), along with the required move list.

• Cyrax – Annihilation (Mid) – Forward, Back, Forward, RB (R1)
• Darrius – Armed and Dangerous (Mid) – Down, Back, Forward, RB (R1)
• Frost – Breaking Point (Mid) – Back, Down, Back, RB (R1)
• Goro – Prince of Pain (Close) – Back, Forward, Down, RB (R1)
• Jax – Big Boot (Far) – Down, Forward, Down, RB (R1)
• Kano – Heart Ripper (Mid) – Back, Down, Forward, RB (R1)
• Kung Lao – Klean Kut (Mid) – Forward, Back, Forward, RB (R1)
• Motaro – Brain Blast (Mid) – Right, Down, Down, RB (R1)
• Sareena – Inner Demon (Mid) – Back, Down, Down, RB (R1)
• Scorpion – Toasty!!! (Mid) – Down, Forward, Down, RB (R1)
• Sektor – Kompactor (Mid) – Back, Forward, Back, RB (R1)
• Shujinko – Five Point Strike (Mid) – Down, Back, Down, RB (R1)
• Sonya Blade – Kiss (Mid) – Back, Forward, Down, RB (R1)
• Stryker – Safety Vest (Mid) – Forward, Down, Forward, RB (R1)
• Sub-Zero – Spine Rip (Mid) – Forward, Down, Forward, RB (R1)

How to do a fatality in MK1?

To perform a fatality, defeat your opponent and then press the right button combination in Mortal Kombat 1. Note that these combinations vary based on the character you select. For instance, Kano’s Heart Ripper requires a different set of buttons compared to Sub-Zero’s Hairline Fracture move. These required unique conditions in earlier games to unlock moves like a ‘Mercy’ or a Friendship finisher. 

The last three Mortal Kombat games (Mortal Kombat (2011), Mortal Kombat X, and Mortal Kombat 11) gave each character two fatalities. Mortal Kombat 1 gives you two fatalities per character too but only one of them is unlocked initially. For an exhaustive list of all fatalities and their combinations, check out our fatality list. And here’s how to unlock every fatality in Mortal Kombat 1.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to do a fatality in Mortal Kombat 1:

• Load into a match after picking your main fighter and Kameo fighter.
• Defeat your opponent. You’ll know when the announcer shouts ‘Finish Him’ or ‘Finish Her.’
• You can find the button combinations in the Fatalities section. To get here, pause and head to the Move List. Then head to Special Moves and get to Fatalities.
• Remember that the game can’t be paused in multiplayer so you won’t have enough time to check the instructions out.
• Use the button combination to perform the fatality.

Best Mortal Kombat 1 fatality options

Here are the best Mortal Kombat 1 fatality moves to wreck your opponents:

1. Liu Kang’s Double Dragon – There’s nothing quite like the Fire God using two flaming dragons to dish out some extreme damage before splitting them apart like a fruit.
2. Sindel’s Hair Comes Trouble – While this returning character commands your respect with her Rapunzel-like hair that weaves through limbs and organs, her pompous ‘Who’s your Queen?’ will certainly turn you into a fan.
3. Sub-Zero’s Hairline Fracture – Watching an enemy’s head slide onto a massive icicle is a drawn out fatality that earns Sub-Zero a place on this list.

Every Mortal Kombat 1 fatality explained

Here are some visceral images of every MK1 fatality along with what to expect from them in the game.

Ashrah – Heavenly Light

Watching glowing spikes impale your foe wasn’t enough for the demon Ashrah. A blaze leaving a charred corpse? Now that’s a fitting end to the first fatality on this list. Her blade can be imbued with darkness too, making her an interesting fighter among MK1’s roster.

Baraka – Split Decision

This gory fatality starts off with Baraka embedding his blades into the guts of a defeated opponent. He then swings upwards, knocking off the eyes from their sockets before ripping the body apart. Baraka is no stranger to death and this just cements his place as one of the fiercest characters in the reborn Mortal Kombat universe.

General Shao – Spin Cycle

While he may have been reduced to a general in this timeline, General Shao is still a menace in combat. Watching him spin an opponent so fast that their skin and organs are ripped apart delivers quite the sight. By the time the corpse hits the ground, all that’s left are bones.

Geras – Sand Storm

The Keepers of Time trailer didn’t just bless us with Liu Kang’s otherworldly fatality. It also gave us a look at Geras, confirmed to be one of the playable characters in Mortal Kombat 1. He makes great use of his sand manipulation abilities to defeat foes. His fatality demonstrates his skill as he chips away at half of Baraka’s body with a deadly sandstorm before tossing him into the ground. It’s a gory spectacle that is right at home in Mortal Kombat.

Havik – Atomic Heart

Havik is back in Mortal Kombat and his penchant for violence remains intact. His moveset often depicts him fighting without any concern for his limbs or organs. We haven’t tried this fatality just yet but expect it to be as gory as earlier titles.

Johnny Cage – Hollywood Walk of Pain

Johnny Cage faceplants his opponent into the ground. There’s not much more to it except for the pool of blood and remnants of your opponent’s face littering the stage. It’s all the more disturbing with the horsepower of the latest consoles backing Johnny Cage up. Ending it with a selfie alongside the remains of your foe is an interesting way to wrap things up.

Johnny Cage – Drive-by

Revealed in the explosive Jean-Claude Van Damme trailer, the legendary actor kicks an opponent into a car at the beginning of this fatality. He then opens the door and slams it on their torso before letting the car slam into a wall. You watch one half of your MK1 opponent dragged along by their guts into that explosion. Brutal.

Kenshi – Blended

Kenshi’s katana spins in the air before going through your screaming opponent’s mouth. Their body is then lifted before the katana leaves their body only to cleave it in two. The enemy is suspended mid-air as this happens, resulting in two messy halves hitting the deck with their guts on full display.

Kitana – Royal Blender

Kitana’s bladed fans spin wildly, drawing the opponent into a vortex before slicing them apart from the top and bottom. All that’s left is indistinguishable bits of meat and bone. And lots of blood.

Kitana – Minty Fresh

I didn’t expect Kitana to kiss her opponent before poisoning them and leaving a pool of acid in their wake. But in Mortal Kombat 1, this iconic character deceives both player and opponent with this fatality. The results are as nauseous as you’d expect.

Kung Lao – Lao’d and Clear

This fatality has Kung Lao making expert use of his bladed hat. He uses it to sever the body parts off his opponents. Start with the legs, arms, and then the head of the opponent. All that’s left are limbs in a pool of blood. It isn’t pleasant but there’s a reason why Mortal Kombat gave us age ratings in video games.

Li Mei – Roman Candle

Li Mei is an absolute powerhouse in MK1 and her fatality doesn’t disappoint. After strewing an opponent’s guts across the floor, she lights it up like a fuse before kicking their head as the fuse is fully ignited. The resulting fireworks display is one of the game’s most visceral fatalities.

Li Mei – Happy New Year

We haven’t tested out this move just yet. But expect it to be as lethal as Li Mei’s other fatality.

Liu Kang – Double Dragon

Liu Kang’s new god powers are absolutely brutal and the Summer Game Fest footage gave us a glimpse at a portion of that strength. Twin dragons of orange and blue flame grab your opponent before raising him up in the air. They tug at each other as Liu Kang goes for the head, applying so much force that it goes through the body, splitting the enemy in two as Liu Kang smashes the head into the ground. The rest of the poor sod’s guts arrive moments later. Fatality.

Liu Kang – Black Hole

This brutal fatality was shown off during the Geras reveal trailer of Mortal Kombat 1. Fans have been raving over the bloody spectacle that the enemy is turned to as Liu Kang takes them to outer space before exposing them to a black hole. Players get to watch the poor opponent’s skin and muscles sucked in by forces we do not completely understand.

Mileena – Appetizer

This one plays into Mileena’s rampant Tarkat infection from the main campaign. Her blades make short work of her foe before she takes off her mask to consume their brain. It’s among the more bizarre ones on this list. Either way, it’s a fatality you won’t forget.

Mileena – A Little to the Left

After the vampire-like fatality of the Appetizer, Mileena still has more tricks up her imperial sleeves. We haven’t tested this fatality yet but expect it to live up to the carnage of Outworld’s next heir.

Nitara – Vaeternus KomBAT

Voiced by Megan Fox, Nitara returns from earlier games with all of her fury intact. This fatality stuffs an opponent with bats before Nitara rips them open like a can of soda. As the corpse hits the floor, all you can hear are the shrieks of Nitara and her bats.

Nitara – Morningstar

This fatality showed up in the Megan Fox becomes Nitara trailer. Using her vampiric might, Nitara tears open the guts of their opponent before dragging them into the sky with their intestines. This quickly unravels the enemy body and a skeleton hits the ground as Nitara shrieks with rage. It’s another deadly fatality that represents the franchise’s love for gore. Mortal Kombat 1 really does take things up a notch.

Raiden – The Storm’s Arrival

Raiden sends an enemy up in the air with a lightning-enhanced uppercut. The gentleman then proceeds to rip a pillow-sized hole into their gut before drawing lightning into their body like a metal conductor used to protect buildings. As if that wasn’t enough, Raiden soars through this hole before splitting the poor enemy in two and then mashing these halves together. If the human body is a completed jigsaw puzzle, Raiden is one angry toddler.

Rain – The Red Sea

This fatality certainly lives up to its name. I was expecting a sea of blood and Rain did not disappoint. A swirling torrent of water first consumes his foe, extracting their blood. The rest of the body is then split in two, each side floating about in red water. A gory spectacle worthy of the Mortal Kombat moniker.

Reiko – The Impaler

Reiko was shown off in the launch trailer of Mortal Kombat 1. The Impaler fatality lets you witness this warrior tear a foe’s limbs part with his spear before impaling their skull on it. It channels the gore of previous titles and manages to stand out among equally grisly fatalities.

Reiko – For the General

Being second to General Shao doesn’t make Reiko’s moves any less terrifying. Considering the brute strength showcased in The Impaler, expect this one to have plenty of oomph too. We haven’t tried this fatality yet.

Reptile – Indigestion

We spotted this fatality in a trailer leading up to the game’s launch. While Reptile can still turn invisible, his lizard form looks a litte different from the one you remember. He also has a more interesting role in the game this time thanks to a rebooted timeline. Indigestion sees Reptile swallow an opponent whole before vomiting them out alongside some green acidic goo. It’s a grisly fatality that doesn’t quite compete with the other ones on sheer violence.

Scorpion – Eye-Palling Victory

Scorpion’s fatality uses the enemy’s mind against them. Specifically, their head. His heated blades rip off an enemy combatant’s head before yanking it through the rest of their body, splitting them in two, err, three. It’s a devastating fatality to witness, let alone experience.

Scorpion – Gang War

This fatality sees Scorpion call in some ninja friends for some extra damage. One brandishes a sword, another lodges a greataxe into your opponent while the third ninja inflicts even more damage. Scorpion then burns the body to a crisp and kicks, sending the bones flying. It’s nice to see a character rely on friends outside of Kameo fighters to deal some punishment.

Shang Tsung – Side Effects

Shang Tsung returns in Mortal Kombat 1 and he’s got tricks both old and new up his sleeve. This fatality starts off with Shang Tsung pouring a strange potion down an enemy’s throat. They begin to glow as though it was pure lava, burning through their jaw, their guts, and the rest of their body. Shang Tsung’s claws help with this by slicing open a hole in the opponent’s guts. All that’s left after Shang Tsung’s deception is a burning husk.

Sindel – Hair Comes Trouble

Sindel’s gory fatality was revealed in the Rulers of Outworld trailer. She first uses her hair to bend the opponent’s arm to destroy the elbow. After ripping the arms off, she sends her hair into the now-empty arm sockets before saying “Who’s your Queen?” Sindel then grabs the foe by the neck and brutally rips out their spine with the skull attached. It’s disturbing in the way only an MK title could be.

Smoke – Hazed and Infused

While we haven’t tried this fatality yet, Smoke’s nimble combat and wind powers will certainly deliver a blood shower worthy of the franchise.

Sub-Zero – Hairline Fracture

Sub-Zero summons a massive shard of ice before sending it spinning through an opponent’s torso. As it returns, he kicks the enemy around for the shard to return like a boomerang, embedding itself in their skull. The sheer weight of the shard makes it hit the ground, followed by the enemy’s head sliding through it like a lollipop. The devs certainly have good taste.

Tanya – Helping Hands

This lethal attack shows Tanya snapping an enemy’s neck before ripping out their head along with their spine. While it’s visually similar to one of Sub-Zero’s fatalities, the magic arms make it a gorier fatality overall.

Omni-Man – Off-Track

Marking the appearance of an iconic character from the Invisible series, the latest Mortal Kombat 1 Omni-Man trailer showed off a rather gory fatality. It makes for a perfect pairing with Omni-Man, a character known for inhuman strength and a tendency to inflict massive damage on his foes. The train station itself will be familiar to fans, especially those who spotted the Boon sign, a cheeky nod to co-creator Ed Boon. Watching a train being split in two before passengers crash into an opponent’s body is among MK1’s finest fatalities yet.

Every Mortal Kombat 1 Kameo Fatality explained

While Kameo fighters are pretty helpful from the sidelines, sometimes you gotta let them have their glory too. These MK1 fatalities do just that.

Cyrax – Annihilation

A bunch of glowing yellow grenads sound like trouble. But when I saw the entire planet explode, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. It’s a fitting fatality for one of Mortal Kombat’s oldest characters.

Darrius – Armed and Dangerous

Imagine my surprise when I realized the purpose behind the fatality’s name. Watching Darrius rip off his opponent’s arms made me chuckle simply because of the name that was right on the nose. It’s a showcase of Darrius’ strength and I’m surprised he didn’t make it to the main roster.

Frost – Breaking Point

Frost might just be a Kameo character but her fatality is incredible. She freezes her opponent before shattering their muscles, leaving a frozen set of bones on the floor. It’s a solid fatality that any main roster character can take advantage of by picking Frost as a Kameo fighter.

Goro – Prince of Pain

Four-armed Goro returns as a Kameo character in Mortal Kombat 1. While we haven’t tried the fatality yet, we’ll update this section once we do.

Jax – Big Boot

Jax grows to an alarming size before smashing the opponent under his boot. You can barely distinguish what’s left from the massive stain of blood on the stage. A satisfying conclusion from a Kameo appearance.

Kano – Heart Ripper

Few Kameo moves are as disturbing and exhilarating as pulling an enemy’s heart out from their chest. Kano does just that as he yanks the organ out like a toy out of a McDonald’s Happy Meal. Disturbing? Yes. Satisfying? Certainly.

Kung Lao – Klean Kut

Fans of Mortal Kombat will be pleased to know that its Kameo system extends to fatalities too. This fatality is brought to you by the co-op glory of Kung Lao and Scorpion. Kung Lao first sends the opponent’s skull into a spinning bladed hat. Scorpion then takes over and proceeds to rip their body apart with heated blades before smashing them to the ground with a fiery explosion. Excessive but that’s how Mortal Kombat rolls heads.

Motaro – Brain Blast

Motaro returns with some unique armour in Mortal Kombat 1. Stay tuned as we comb through the game’s fatalities to get more information.

Sareena – Inner Demon

Sareena melting through an opponent and ripping a heart out is one thing. But looking through the hole made for a gruesome yet unforgettable visual. It’s among the more memorable fatalities from the Kameo fighters in the game.

Scorpion – Toasty!!!

At last, Scorpion’s famed Toasty!!! fatality returns to Mortal Kombat 1. Scorpion blows flames from his mouth as he chars an enemy before an explosion spills bones and guts across the stage. One of the oldest fatalities in the series, I’m glad it’s making a comeback.

Sektor – Kompactor

This timeless fatality returns with Sektor in MK1. Using a machine to compact an enemy has never looked so glorious. All that’s left is blood. Fatality.

Shujinko – Five Point Strike

We haven’t tried this fatality so we’ll update this section once we’ve done so.

Sonya Blade – Kiss

Sonya Blade sends a kiss at her opponent, a glowing pink heart that sends them up in flames. All that’s left are ashes. And a Sonya Blade Kameo that salutes said ashes, of course. Fatality.

Stryker – Safety Vest

We’ll update this section once we’ve put Stryker’s explosive power to the test.

Sub-Zero – Spine Rip

This one’s a classic. Sub-Zero grabs an enemy by the throat and straight up pulls their head out, spine and all. The rest of the corpse drops to the ground as ice forms around what was once the enemy’s neck. Chilling, to say the least.

And that’s every Mortal Kombat 1 fatality. This MK1 fatality list should help you dish out some punishment against foes in local or online multiplayer. The main roster of the new Mortal Kombat game promises classic characters with some visual upgrades. Our Mortal Kombat 1 review gives you a good idea of what to expect.

We’ve already seen reimagined versions of iconic characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero. A unique roster of partner characters, called Kameos, also makes an appearance in the reborn Mortal Kombat universe. This new era presented by the talented team at NetherRealm adds a new fighting system that augments the base roster. NetherRealm’s genre-defining story mode returns with unexpected twists and original backstories in the semi-reboot. If you want to get access to exotic suits and gear, here’s how to get Koins and Dragon Krystals fast in Mortal Kombat 1.

Check out the game’s pre-order bonuses right here. This includes a Kombat pack, exclusive art prints, and other bonus content over the standard edition. Shang Tsung is one of the pre-order bonuses. Mortal Kombat 1 releases on September 19th on launch platforms Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC this year.

Who is the strongest character in Mortal Kombat 1?

Having spent time with the game, we think Raiden is one of the most powerful characters in Mortal Kombat 1. Fan favorites Scorpion and Sub Zero are also strong, the former being perfect for those new to the game.

What is Raiden’s fatality in Mortal Kombat 1?

Raiden’s fatality in Mortal Kombat 1 is splitting an enemy with lightning, before crashing the remains of the torso together in a violent explosion,