Mortal Kombat 1 Liu Kang Guide – MK1 Move List and Best Combos

Want an in-depth guide to Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1? This martial arts expert has seen a massive power spike in MK1. After ascending to godhood, Liu Kang is ready to serve as the protector of Earthrealm. Keep his foes at bay with some lethal combos and flaming moves.

As the current Keeper of Time, he tries to bring peace to the realms and kicks off the main campaign. This sees Liu Kang recruit characters like Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, and Kung Lao for a Mortal Kombat tournament. This happens on Outworld, the home of Mileena, Kitana, Sindel, and General Shao. If you want some help with which character to pick, here’s our Mortal Kombat 1 roster tier list. And here’s how to block in Mortal Kombat 1 to gain a defensive edge.

Mortal Kombat 1 Liu Kang Guide

This guide will help you make the most of Liu Kang’s new godlike powers. He gets the band together this time for a tournament in Mortal Kombat 1’s main campaign. With flaming dragons ready to strike, Liu Kang’s martial arts is backed up by some powerful enchantments. He is also a Kameo character who can support other main fighters. Here’s how to unlock all Kameo fighters in Mortal Kombat 1.

Before you check out all of Liu Kang’s moves, here’s a handy chart that will let you understand this irrespective of which platform you’re on:

Notation	Attack	PlayStation	Xbox	Nintendo Switch	PC
1	Front Punch	Square	X	Y	J
2	Back Punch	Triangle	Y	X	I
3	Front Kick	Cross	A	B	K
4	Back Kick	Circle	B	A	L

Liu Kang Move List

The latest iteration of the MK franchise refines its foundation but doesn’t tinker too much with what previous games got right. Moves in Mortal Kombat 1 can be classified into the following:

• Basic Attacks
• Aerial Attacks
• Throws
• Special Moves
• Fatal Blow
• Fatalities
• Brutalities

Liu Kang Basic Attacks

You’ll be using basic attacks to start, extend, and end combos so learn these first. Here are all of Liu Kang’s basic attacks in Mortal Kombat 1:

• Bare Knuckles: Front Punch
• Dragon Scales: Front Punch, Back Punch
• Cosmic Fire: Front Punch, Back Punch, Front Punch
• Fang Strike: Forward + Front Punch
• Shaolin Stutter: Forward + Front Punch, Back Kick
• Low Knock: Down + Front Punch
• Double Dragon: Back Punch
• Dragon Fangs: Back Punch, Back Punch
• Pyromancer’s Gift: Back Punch, Back Punch, Front Punch
• Twisted: Away + Back Punch
• Tailwhip: Away + Back Punch, Front Kick
• Rising Flame: Down + Back Punch
• High Flick: Front Kick
• Chosen One: Front Kick, Back Punch
• Too Easy: Front Kick, Front Kick
• Holding Back: Front Kick, Front Kick, Front Kick
• Side Step: Down + Front Kick
• Brain Buster: Back Kick
• Burning Desire: Back Kick, Front Kick
• Time Sweeper: Away + Back Kick
• Double Strike: Forward + Back Kick
• The Creator: Forward + Back Kick, Front Kick
• Eternal Power: Forward + Back Kick, Front Kick, Back Kick
• Reverse Heel: Down + Back Kick

Liu Kang Aerial Attacks

With Mortal Kombat 1’s new focus on aerial combat, keep track of how you can take the fight to the skies. Here are Liu Kang’s aerial attacks in MK1:

• Snap Back: Up + Forward + Front Punch
• Deep Impact: Up + Forward + Front Punch, Back Punch
• Karma: Up + Forward + Front Punch, Front Kick
• Unstoppable: Up + Forward + Front Punch, Front Kick, Back Kick
• Heavy Hand: Up + Foward + Back Punch
• Ultimate Power: Up + Forward + Back Punch, Front Punch
• New Future: Up + Forward + Back Punch, Front Punch, Back Punch
• Dragon Claw: Up + Forward + Front Kick or Up + Forward + Back Kick

Liu Kang Throws

Here are Fire God Liu Kang’s throws in Mortal Kombat 1:

• Shove: Forward + Throw or Throw + Front Punch + Front Kick
• Cosmic Death Sentence: Throw or Front Punch + Front Kick

Liu Kang Breakers and Taunts

A Kombo Breaker lets you escape combos at the cost of three charges of your Super Meter. Taunts let you aggravate your enemies, prompting them to mess up. Here are Liu Kang’s Breakers and Taunts:

• Kombo Breaker: Forward + Block
• Taunts: Down, Down, Down, Down

Liu Kang Special Moves

Thanks to his new glow up as a dragon-wielding demigod, Liu Kang’s powers make for some sweet moves. He’s got plenty of remixed moves thanks to these newfound abilities. Here are Liu Kang’s special moves in MK1:

• Fireball: Away, Forward, Front Punch
• Enhanced Fireball: Away, Forward, Front Punch + Block
• (Air) Fire Storm: Away, Forward, Front Punch
• Enhanced (Air) Fire Storm: Away, Forward, Front Punch + Block
• Low Dragon: Down, Away, Front Punch
• Enhanced Low Dragon: Down, Away, Front Punch + Block
• Dragon’s Tail: Away, Forward, Front Kick
• Enhanced Dragon’s Tail: Away, Forward, Front Kick + Block
• Dancing Dragon: Away, Forward, Back Kick
• Enhanced Dancing Dragon: Away, Forward, Back Kick + Block
• Dragon’s Breath: Down, Away, Back Kick
• Enhanced Dragon’s Breath: Down, Away, Back Kick + Block
• Close Dragon’s Breath: Down, Away, Back Kick + Away
• Enhanced Close Dragon’s Breath: Down, Away, Back Kick + Block, Away

Liu Kang Fatal Blow

Here’s Liu Kang’s Fatal Blow move that can be triggered at low health:

• Mark Of The Creator: Flip Stance + Block

Liu Kang Fatalities

Each MK1 character has two fatalities so far. Here’s how to unlock fatalities in Mortal Kombat 1. These finishers are the gory spectacles that celebrate this franchise’s penchant for violence. Here are Liu Kang’s fatalities in MK1:

• Double Dragon: Down, Forward, Away, Back Kick
• Black Hole: Back, Forward, Back, Front Kick

Liu Kang Brutalities

Here’s how to unlock and do a brutality in Mortal Kombat 1. Initially, players will only be able to do a single type of brutality. As you progress forward, you will unlock new brutalities for characters. Here are Liu Kang’s brutalities in Mortal Kombat 1:

• The Klassic: Down + Back Punch
• Bleeding Heart: Throw or Front Punch + Front Kick and tap Forward, Forward, Forward
• Dancing Around: Back, Forward + Back Kick and tap Front Kick or Back Kick rapidly six times
• Pop Goes The…: Front Kick, Front Kick, Front Kick and hold Back
• Just A Nibble: Back, Forward + Front Kick and hold Down
• Let’s Go For A Ride: Back, Forward + Front Kick and hold Up

Best combos for Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1

Now that you know all the moves of Liu Kang, here’s how to string them together. Here are the best combos for Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1:

• Use Fireball to punish enemies who jump about a lot. You can also use them for a zone advantage by slowing down your opponent’s movement towards you.
• Low Dragon hits low and has incredible range, letting you keep your foe guessing as you get closer for some attacks.
• Bicycle Kick from the earlier games might be Liu Kang’s Fatal Blow now, but Dancing Dragon is a good combo ender that is more than a fitting replacement.
• Cosmic Fire is a good starter that can be paired with a Kameo attack to keep combos going. Sonya Blade is a good pick to accompany Liu Kang. Also, consider Too Easy for an opener. As for starting air combos, try Twisted.

That covers how to play Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat 1. The new timeline reworks heroes with new moves and inputs. Villains like Baraka, Havik, and Reptile have entirely new story arcs too. Check out our Mortal Kombat 1 tips and tricks guide if you’re getting to grips with the game’s refined combat. And here’s a primer on the new Mortal Kombat 1 Invasion mode. This grants new unlocks like skins and gear from the Mortal Kombat universe, just like story mode.

MK1 is out on PC, PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. NetherRealm Studios’ latest installment in the MK franchise has launched to rave impressions from fans. If you’re looking for ice powers, our Mortal Kombat 1 Sub-Zero guide is for you. We’ve also got a Mortal Kombat 1 Johnny Cage guide for a rushdown character. Our Mortal Kombat 1 review gets into the details so check it out. The latest Mortal Kombat game offered Shang Tsung as a playable character for those who pre-ordered the game.

Why is Liu Kang a god in mk1?

Liu Kang becomes a god in MK11’s Aftermath expansion.