RELATED: Rumor: Mortal Kombat 11 Ads Laying the Groundwork for MK12
With the constant success of the franchise, it’s no surprise that Mortal Kombat 11, remains just as embraced as ever. Alongside the game’s lore, its unique characters are a huge driving force behind the franchise’s appeal. Here’s a list of the top 10 fighters in Mortal Kombat 11 that keeps popularity, special abilities, fighting style, and gameplay in mind!
Updated on January 1st, 2023 by Hodey Johns: This list originally debuted acting more as a guide for players to learn than a list of the best characters. This latest update has overhauled the entire list, giving the highest rankings to the characters with the highest win rates in professional tournaments. The “best moves” button combinations have been removed for easier reading. Also, these moves are frequently in flux since nerfs and buffs tend to make each fighter change their skillset to adapt. Gamers will get an overview in each section about what makes the character good and, for those enticed by the fighter’s style, can check the latest tournament results and see which moves get the most usage.
12
11
10 Jax Briggs
Jax Briggs may not be the most popular pick in general because his mostly melee skillset is on the slow side, but he has a very specific use that rockets up his win rate. He can break characters that sit around, counter, and play defensively.
Fighters will notice this is a common tactic online as well as in tournaments; charging fighters usually are at a disadvantage over somebody sitting around and waiting to strike. Jax flips the script and can knock players down if they refuse to embrace mobility.
9 Scorpion
Despite Scorpion having some of the most iconic catchphrases and animations with his grabs and chain, it’s actually his magic and swordplay that shine in competitive play. He’s able to flip which end of the screen he’s on in almost an instant, making him impossible to corner and forcing players to protect their backsides at all times.
In the hands of a master, Scorpion is also brutal when it comes to launching players into the air and killing them before they can hit the ground. Even with a sliver of health left, Scorpion is a threat to drain the enemy of their entire health bar in seconds.
8 Skarlet
Looking into Skarlet’s recent tournament results gives players some revealing information. Outside of Scorpion, Kung Lao, Raiden, and Jax Briggs, Skarlet has a winning record in head-to-head matchups with the rest of the cast.
Those fighters aren’t the most popular, so hardcore players may be pushed to master Skarlet because she gives players at least a chance to win in about every fight. With fast, powerful moves at any range, offensive-first combatants may elect to use Skarlet above her competition.
7 Raiden
What makes Raiden unique is that his moves don’t have specific giveaways. While many fighters are a threat at every range, Raiden has moves that can hit at any distance and from any angle without the typical “windup” time.
RELATED: Fighting Games To Play If You Like Mortal Kombat 11
Raiden is a trendy pick for experts who are tired of being countered. Mastering him is very cerebral; players need to predict what their opponent expects and then do the opposite. Gamers that are quick thinkers love how he’s a threat to win about any matchup, though Liu Kang has his number in tournament play.
6 Jacqui Briggs
In competitive play, Briggs gets light but critical usage. She may take a backseat to other fighters, but as a direct counter to the popular Liu Kang and Cetrion, maybe veterans master her just to eliminate the fiercest competition.
Briggs herself has some direct counters so she’s rarely a wise first pick. Her ranged moves are on the slow side. But she hits like a truck and some character animations aren’t able to close the gap in time before she can unleash her nastiest combos.
5 Sonya Blade
While it can be argued that Sonya blade is a character who wouldn’t cut it if the game were more realistic, she’s got the skills to give players fits. Her speed is evident even in her ranged abilities, leading some players to turn to her over more traditional picks.
Against other predominantly ranged fighters, Sonya’s speed makes her a flatly better option against them. She’s got skewed winning records against other talented fighters like Kano, Raiden, and Jacqui Briggs.
4 Liu Kang
There is a case to be made for Liu Kang to top the list of the strongest kombatants in the game. While he might not be ranked on top for win percentage in the tournaments, that is largely because the heroes ahead of him were only selected because they counter him.
He’s still something of the default choice among top-tier gamers and his usage rates are very high for him to be winning as often as he does. He’s ridiculously fast and can strike high or low in the blink of an eye.
3 Frost
This game has a fantastic training mode and it should be used often for those who would like to master Frost. Experts that use her do so because she’s dangerous at every range while still protecting herself with most of her most lethal moves.
RELATED: Mortal Kombat Creator Gives Update on Next Game Announcement
With very small windows to attack her, Frost becomes almost untouchable in the hands of a pro gamer. Characters like Kitana, Kano, and Liu Kang that try to match her output at various ranges will find that Frost is plain better, shown by her win rating against them and similar fighters.
2 Erron Black
Erron Black may not be a character that immortalized a fighting franchise, but even casual gamers might have heard of “the guy with the guys” in Mortal Kombat 11. For characters that can’t close the gap, Erron Black rips them apart from afar.
His win rate is deceptively high as he’s often only picked as a counter to another player’s pick. Therefore, his win rate is high due to pro gamers knowing which battles to pick. If the opponent picks a slower fighter, Erron Black is the go-to.
1 Baraka
Baraka maintains the highest win percentage at the most competitive levels largely due to his lightning-quick counters. While most fighters have their win percentage go down against fighters such as Cassie Cage, Liu Kang, and Noob Saibot, Baraka’s win percentage is actually higher against those fighters.
He’s a surprisingly hard hitter despite how quickly he moves. At the moment, this makes him at least on equal footing with anybody else. Given the talent of the pros, he’s an easy pick to negate the greatest gamers in the tournament. This fighting game is already tough enough, going against somebody that counters every move is utter agony.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: What to Expect From Mortal Kombat 11 Developer NetherRealm Studios in 2023
