The Mortal Kombat games are known for their excessive violence and gore. This was one of the ways that series creators Ed Boon and John Tobias sought to distinguish the franchise from the Street Fighter series. But its depictions of lifelike fighters getting beaten to a pulp and ripped apart would lead to a call for censorship from concerned parents, which in turn gave rise to the ESRB. Its 1995 film adaptation on the other hand had been released with a PG-13 rating.
This was seen as a source of disappointment by some fans since it limited the scope of what could be shown in the film. So for its latest live-action adaptation, its filmmakers had taken a no-holds-barred approach. And the film definitely wears its R-rating on its sleeve, showcasing a number of fatalities that looked like they’d been ripped straight out of the games. What follows are some of the best ones. Also, there are major spoilers for the movie ahead, so consider this your spoiler warning.
9 Shang Tsung Sucks…
In the games, Shang Tsung is known for his shapeshifting abilities which allow him to take on the appearance and moveset of other fighters. In this new film, however, he doesn’t get to do any fighting, choosing instead to try to cheat his way to victory.
The one thing the evil sorcerer can be seen doing in the film is his signature move, in which he grabs a previously unworthy Kung Lao by the throat and proceeds to suck out his soul. It’s funny how Shang Tsung considered Kung Lao too lowly to fight against yet had no qualms about claiming his soul.
8 Cole Levels Up
Anybody that has seen the new Mortal Kombat can attest to the fact that its main character, Cole Young, is pretty useless for the better part of the movie. But in a key moment for the character, Cole is finally able to unlock his arcana, an innate force that is responsible for his special abilities within the film.
Once unlocked, Cole is effectively able to block or absorb any blow he receives, harnessing it to deal an even deadlier one in return. And his moment of redemption comes during his fight with Goro. The four-armed Shokan prince finds himself on the receiving end of Cole’s wrist blades, getting disemboweled in the process.
7 Sonya Proves Her Worthiness
Of all the Earthrealm fighters in the movie, Sonya is the one who is initially treated as an outsider. This is because she doesn’t have the dragon marking that shows she earned her place in the Mortal Kombat tournament. She would eventually earn her spot though, raking up a total of two kills in the process.
The first kill involves a garden gnome and a certain talkative character with a laser eye. However, the second one is the most devastating, as Sonya shoots some energy rings from her hands that effectively burrow their way through Mileena, resulting in an instant kill. A bit overpowered, yes, but definitely gory enough to be considered a fatality.
6 Sub-Zero Gets Frosty
Sub-Zero is one of the cooler characters (no pun intended) in the new Mortal Kombat movie. Most of that is due to his depiction as a masked assassin with very deadly ice powers. He is a constant threat throughout the film, appearing out of the shadows whenever the Earthrealm fighters least expect it.
In one of his early encounters with them, Sub-Zero is shown slowly stalking Jax through an abandoned warehouse. Sub-Zero eventually catches up with Jax, freezing his arms before proceeding to break them off. While this is technically not a fatality since Jax later returns with robot arms, it is still quite brutal and squirm-inducing.
5 Jax Squashes Reiko
After getting his arms broken off by Sub-Zero, it looks like Jax is out of commission for the remainder of the movie. However, he ultimately gets fitted with robot arms, albeit tiny ones that still need to get charged up by his arcana.
Once these bad boys are fully charged up though, they prove to be quite the lethal weapons. Not only are they able to lift boulders three times Jax’s size, but they are also able to squash Reiko’s head open like a pumpkin.
4 Kano Wins
Few characters in the new Mortal Kombat film are allowed to shine as much as Kano. For many viewers, he is easily the best part of the entire movie, and much of that respect stems from the scene where Kano is attacked by Reptile.
Despite being tied to a chair at the start of the scene, Kano uses his resourceful ways to free himself and help both Cole and Sonya turn the course of the battle. Kano then ends the intense scuffle by literally ripping the heart out of Reptile’s chest before declaring “Kano wins…” like one of the video game announcers.
3 Liu Kang Roasts Kabal
Despite being relegated to the role of a side character, Liu Kang managed to maintain his fan-favorite status by having one of the more visually stunning fatalities in the entire film.
Fueled by the death of his dear cousin, Liu Kang turns that anger upon his opponent, Kabal, summoning a flaming dragon that completely engulfs his opponent. The version in the 2021 movie is definitely a far cry from that CGI dragon in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.
2 Scorpion Gets His Revenge
Speaking of nonverbal roastings, another character that gets to show off his fiery side in the movie is Scorpion. Having spent over 400 years in the flaming pits of the Netherrealm, the undead ninja specter has a few tricks up his sleeve.
And who better to have on the receiving end of those new moves than Sub-Zero, the man who put Scorpion in the Netherrealm. During the climactic showdown of the film, the two ninjas square off and Scorpion ends the fight with his classic fatality, burning Sub-Zero to a crisp.
1 Kung Lao Scores A Flawless Victory
If there had been an actual tournament within the new Mortal Kombat film and points were awarded for style, then the winner would have been Kung Lao, hands down. Before succumbing to Shang Tsung and his soul-sucking ways, the Earthrealm fighter performs the most jaw-dropping fatality in the film, splitting Nitara in two with his hat.
Who knew that a fashion accessory could be so stylish and deadly at the same time? Needless to say, the whole thing looks excessively gory and gloriously so. But then again, it wouldn’t be Mortal Kombat if that wasn’t the case.
NEXT: Mortal Kombat: 8 Things Only Fans Of The Games Noticed In The Movie
