Today, we'll be ranking every character in Mortal Kombat 1 from weakest to strongest, so you know exactly which are the best fighters to pick to win games and rank up on the ladder.
Although every character can be quite powerful once you have mastered the combos and move list, some fighters are simply better than others.
Mortal Kombat 1 D Tier Fighters
These fighters are underperforming in most fights so you are better off picking another main if you would like to win more games.
Scorpion
Scorpion lacks some much-needed polish as he needs some more help to shine.
Sub Zero
He needs some changes to make him viable.
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Mortal Kombat 1 C Tier Fighters
A bit better than the previous tier, although they lack some damage and easy-to-execute combos.
Kung Lao
Not as amazing as other better fighters, you still have some reliable zoning and damage.
Baraka
Once Cyrax was nerfed, Baraka is not as strong as before.
Shang Tsung
He relies on having enough knowledge of every other character so you can make full use of his potential.
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Mortal Kombat 1 A Tier Fighters
Overall very consistent characters that can help you gain the upper edge in some crucial situations.
Rain
Similarly to Baraka, the Cyrax nerf made Rain less viable.
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Havik
Needs sufficient mastery to make him viable, not as oppressive as other picks.
Nitara
The lack of health makes it very punishing to play this character.
Reptile
Good enough zoning and is solid in most matchups.
Mileena
Suffering from using strings on block, Mileena can still be quite a menace to face.
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Mortal Kombat 1 S Tier Fighters
Amazing and well-rounded fighters, they only lack the polish that other much stronger characters have further up the tiers.
Liu Kang
Very similar to Johnny Cage, with great zoning, and very well-rounded damage.
Geras
Amazing zoning with very impactful combos that can destroy your opponents.
Smoke
His invisibility allows you to set up some fantastic combos that can obliterate any mispositioned enemy.
Tanya
Jab pressure and jab staggers are the name of the game Tanya excels at.
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Omni Man
Not as amazing as other picks, but he still packs a punch that can suffer at long and mid ranges.
Li Mei
A weaker version of Johhny Cage that can struggle to deal enough damage in most fights.
Quan Chi
Can be very oppressive and his setups allow you to zone quite effectively.
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Mortal Kombat 1 S+ Tier Fighters
The best roster of fighters currently, you can't go wrong with choosing any of these characters as a main.
Kenshi
Very simple to learn and quite strong as well.
Ashrah
Good range, pressure, and amazing armor.
Sindel
She excels at almost all ranges, and her combos are great and allow her to have amazing setups.
Raiden
Very intuitive and has solid gameplay, his zoning is great paired with his escape tools.
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Reiko
Another great character with impressive zoning capabilities.
Kitana
Easy to set up full combos, paired with incredible zoning and great trades that can quickly make your opponent rage quit.
Johnny Cage
Possibly the best character in the game, his pressure is amazing and his strings enable him to stomp every opponent.
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MK1 Tier List Summary
Here is the entire list summarized so you can easily reference which character seems fun and viable to pick up and main so you can play competitively.
Although there is no main way of playing the game, you should focus instead on picking a character that suits your play style and compliments either your game knowledge or mechanical skills. There is nothing more satisfying than getting a good combo onto your opponent and seeing half of their health disappear.
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