The realms of Mortal Kombat are filled with all kinds of fighters striving to defend their world or conquer others. Since the franchise’s inception as an arcade fighting game, Mortal Kombat’s roster was made up of a variety of unique fighters, from the comedic actor Johnny Cage to the Thunder God Raiden. Over the years, many new fighters were added to the game’s ever expansive roster, with some becoming recurring fan favorites and others being left behind on the consoles where they first appeared. Despite all these new additions, Mortal Kombat’s developer NetherRealm Studios has also long sought to include some of pop culture’s most brutal icons to have them face off against the series’ deadliest combatants.
While this concept was initially seen with Midway Games’ Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, it was further expanded upon with the introduction of DLC crossover fighters in 2011’s Mortal Kombat, starting with God of War’s Kratos exclusively for the PlayStation 3. This concept turned into tradition with some of pop culture’s most iconic heroes and villains appearing as DLC fighters from 2011’s Mortal Kombat to Mortal Kombat 1. With Mortal Kombat 1 Khaos Reigns set to introduce Ghost Face, Conan the Barbarian, and the T-1000 as the latest crossover fighters, here’s a ranking of all the previous crossover fighters based on their appearance, gameplay, and seamless immersion to Mortal Kombat’s universe and fighting systems.
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Which Mortal Kombat Game Has The Best Story?
I was honestly surprised when I first played Mortal Kombat (2011). As a newcomer to the series then, a detailed story campaign was the last thing I expected. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up playing through Mortal Kombat X as well.
S-Tier Mortal Kombat Crossover Fighters
- Alien
- Jason Voorhees
- Kratos
- Omni-Man
- Predator
- Spawn
NetherRealm Studios knocked it out of the park with its first crossover fighter in Kratos from God of War. Based primarily on his appearance in God of War 3, Kratos was a perfect fit for Mortal Kombat’s sense of brutality, with the Ghost of Sparta having slain numerous gods and mortals in particularly gory fashion. Kratos’ gameplay blended seamlessly with Mortal Kombat’s 2D style, with Kratos still able to wield the Blades of Exile, Nemean Cestus gauntlets, Bow of Apollo, Head of Helios, Boots of Hermes, Golden Fleece, and Blade of Olympus in combat.
Mortal Kombat X featured several guest fighters that fit perfectly with that game’s darker aesthetics and gameplay, especially the greater emphasis on x-ray attacks and gory brutalities. These fighters were best exemplified by Jason Voorhees, the Predator, and the Alien. All three have been shown to commit exceptionally grotesque killing moves in their respective film series’ and all three had most of those moves recreated in MKX. Some of these include Voorhees’ machete strikes, the Predator’s laser blast, and the Alien’s tail stab. Mortal Kombat’s own Cyber Lin Kuei are visually based on the Predator, so it only made sense for the Yautja to come face to face with Earthrealm’s defenders one day.
Mortal Kombat’s Comic Book Anti-Heroes
Some of Mortal Kombat’s best crossover fighters didn’t come from games or movies, but rather comic books, especially those published by Image Comics. In Mortal Kombat 11, Todd’s McFarlane’s Spawn was introduced nearly 18 years after his first appearance in a fighting game in the Xbox version of Soulcalibur 2. With his hell-based powers and fondness for using guns, Spawn was a perfect fit for the Mortal Kombat universe. Likewise, Omni-Man joined the roster in Mortal Kombat 1 right after his popular appearance in Amazon Prime’s Invincible animated series. Omni-Man’s blunt brutality and emphasis on melee combat made him a powerful force against Earthrealm’s defenders.
Spawn was reprised by Keith David, who previously voiced the character in HBO’s
Spawn
animated series, while Omni-Man was reprised by J.K. Simmons, who voiced the character in Amazon Prime’s
Invincible
animated series.
A-Tier Mortal Kombat Crossover Fighters
- Homelander
- Peacemaker
- Robocop
- The Terminator
In MK11, many guest fighters hailed from classic 1980s films, including both The Terminator and Robocop. These seemingly unstoppable cyborgs mirrored the developments of the Cyber Lin Kuei, so their appearance in Mortal Kombat made sense. However, due to their mechanical nature, both The Terminator and Robocop play a bit stiff or slow compared to the rest of MK11’s fighters. Additionally, The Terminator’s appearance in MK11 left many fans disappointed as he was not voiced by Arnold Schwarzenegger and his looks were inspired by Carl from Terminator: Dark Fate rather than the T-800s of Terminator 1 or Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
In MK1, Omni-Man was joined by two other comic book guest fighters: Peacemaker and Homelander. Based primarily on his appearance in The Suicide Squad and the Peacemaker TV show, Peacemaker in MK1 is able to show off more of his helmet’s abilities while still emitting his witty charm only John Cena can produce. While Antony Starr didn’t reprise Homelander, the Vought mascot is still able to be a threatening and powerful presence in combat scenarios. However, possibly to better differentiate his moves from Omni-Man, Homelander relies too much on laser blasts, making him effectively a copy of Injustice 2’s Superman in terms of basic abilities.
B-Tier Mortal Kombat Crossover Fighters
- Freddy Krueger
- John Rambo
- Joker
- Leatherface
Some of Mortal Kombat’s more outlandish crossover characters are the weakest compared to the series’ typical cast of characters. NetherRealm’s second crossover fighter was the Nightmare on Elm Street himself, Freddy Krueger, but not in his usual form. While franchise mainstay Robert England returned to voice Krueger in 2011’s Mortal Kombat, his game appearance was based on the poorly received 2010 remake of Nightmare, making his overall appearance in this game feel odd to horror fans. NeatherRealm additionally missed out on pairing Krueger with Voorhees in MKX, which could have let the two slashers fight in a rematch of Freddy vs. Jason.
Several horror icons joined Mortal Kombat rosters over the years, and while Leatherface of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is terrifying, he’s never been shown to be a great fighter. In several films, Leatherface even ends up hurting himself on multiple occasions. This lack of skill made Leatherface a fun but dull guest fighter. The same could be said for Rambo in MK11. While Rambo is shown to be an elite soldier and expert stealth combatant, his hand-to-hand combat never reached the lengths of Mortal Kombat’s complex moves. Lastly, the Joker seemed more like a simple port of his character in Injustice 2 and didn’t really add much to Mortal Kombat’s roster save for some fun references to Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.