After taking a stroll through memory lane remembering old school fatalities in the previous blog (Classic MK Fatalities), it is only fitting that we do the same for the modern MK games as well. i.e. The 2011 reboot onwards. To say that the modern MK games have evolved for the better will be understatement. The fatalities in particular have turned into completely different beasts featuring all the gore in mind numbing detail. With such a spectacle every time a fatality is executed, it was hard to limit this list to 10 fatalities. That said, the list does contain, not necessarily the goriest, or the most cringeworthy, or the most classic, but the most memorable fatalities in MK 9 and MK X(L). So here goes….
1. Noob Saibot – Split Personality
Tearing the enemy in half from the crotch all the way to the skull is the result of many fatality moves in the franchise. But none are as fun to watch as when Noob Saibot does it in MK9. Summoning his shadow on the other end of the screen and then both of them playing tug of war with each other using one of the opponent’s leg each, until he is torn in half all the way to the skull was quite the sight to behold.
2. Alien – Taking us back to the movies
Both Alien and Predator appeared as guests in MK11 and boy do they deliver in the Fatality department. Predator’s fatality is worthy of a spot in this list no doubt, but the way one of Alien’s fatalities was executed was pure genius. I’m referring to the one where the opponent is impaled by the Alien’s tail. This was cinematic in a self-aware way and a call back to the OG Alien movies.
3. Ermac – Miniature Opponent
Ermac as a character has many tricks up his sleeves. But nothing prepared me for what he does in one of his fatalities in MK9. Taking a page from Jax’s infamous “Giant Jax squishes his opponent with one foot” from MK3, Ermac reverses it by shrinking his opponent to a miniature version of themselves and then taking care of business by, well, crushing them with one foot. Him trying to clean the ‘filth’ off his shoes after that is a subtle comedic touch which makes this fatality all the more memorable.
4. Stryker – Point Blank
Stryker was a surprise return in MK9. One of my favourites from MK3, this version of him was a decent pick for a fighter who was funny (“Police brutality coming up”) and efficient. But I would usually pick him for his fatality. While placing a grenade in the opponent’s stomach and blowing them up was nice and all, the fatality in question here was much more subtle, yet savage. This one has Stryker taze the opponent before shooting them in the head point blank, which by the way will be showcased in 3 gloriously different angles. Savage, that one…..
5. Bo’ Rai Cho – Drinking is injurious to health
MK11 brought Bo’ Rai Cho back, and to me he wasn’t the most interesting character, and neither did I find his fighting styles appealing. What I did appreciate was his social message about drinking and it’s ill effects. He demonstrates this by feeding some of his ‘drink’ to his opponent who then starts throwing up, nonstop. Only after a couple of seconds do we notice that the opponent is literally puking his/her guts out before succumbing to their last drink. In his other fatalities he simply speedens things up by feeding the drink to his opponent and then lighting it up with fire, so his/her stomach explodes. Literally.
6. Cassie Cage – Social media star
The next fatality on the list also leans towards something ‘social’ expect this is a different kind of social. Introduced as the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, Cassie Cage was among the younger characters introduces in MK11, alongside Jacqui Briggs. Her quips during fights only elevated the stance of her character being a youngster of today. And true to character, one of her fatalities involve breaking the opponents jaw, leave it hanging, then take a selfie and post it in social media. What can I say? We’ve seen worse things in social media, right?
7. Kenshi – Fourth wall break
Kenshi is a fascinating character in the MK series. The sword wielding blind folded character is a formidable fighter and is a whole lot of fun to play. While most of his fatalities involve his sword and his telekinetic powers, the one in MK9 is both somewhat out of character, and more fun to watch at the same time. This one sees him use one extra element along with his usual telekinesis and sword. The fourth wall. The camera. The doorway through which you the player are watching him pull those moves. Kenshi, lifts his opponent in the air then splatters him/her on to the camera, eyeball popping and all, before cutting them in half with his sword. The developers’ cheeky nod was certainly appreciated here.
8. Shang Tsung – Joker Tribute
Speaking of nods and being out of character, Shang Tsung pulled a fast one on us in MK9 when he turns into (a rather demonic looking) the Joker and finishes his opponent off with a pistol. This of course is a nod to Joker’s fatality in MK Vs DC Universe. While MK Vs DC Universe may have been a mis step in the franchise, it is still nice to watch the developers carry it on their sleeves and slip in such a fun reference to their older, less popular game.
9. Quanchi – Mind control
Moving from one evil sorcerer to anther Quanchi made a return in MK11 and what a character he was. Complete with a full set of tricks Quanchi was a blast to play with, in the right hands. His tricks are also on display in his fatality, where he makes his opponent walk into his blade through their mouth to pierce their skull. Savage as it sounds, it really is creepier to watch. This was one fatality really well done.
10. Stage Fatalities – MK 9
I always find stage fatalities more fascinating as you never know how the enemy will have it coming. MK 9 did an excellent job at this, like having different variations of fatalities in the Olympus stage from God of War. But what was more fun was the Road kill fatality in the city streets where the opponent gets run over by a cab. And perhaps the best of them all was the return of a classic. The Subway. When executed in MK9, the opponent gets to taste the metal of not one but two subway trains while getting chopped to bits in the process. It just keeps me guessing what kind of stage fatalities MK11 will have.
No doubt, MK 11 will have some cool fatalities of its own. From what’s been shown so far, the gore and savagery have only been elevated, almost to the level of parody. And that’s a great thing as I wouldn’t want my Mortal Kombat any other way. What do you say?
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