Mortal Kombat 1has been very kind to the fan-favorite ninja characters, and not just Scorpion and Sub-Zero. Rather, Liu Kang’s new era has something great for every main ninja. While fans have been clamoring for years for aMortal Kombatgame featuring every ninja due to roster limitations, as well as story direction, some of these fighters end up missing out in nearly every game. Most notably,MK11featured an incredible design for Ermac, yet he was absent in both the story and the roster.
This discussion focuses largely on the “classic” male ninjas, as quite a few female ones are missing fromMortal Kombat 1, even afterKhaos Reigns. That said, there may be some good news regarding the likes of Jade, if data-mines are to be believed. Overall, Netherrealm Studios has put in tons of effort into every ninja archetype in this game, so let’s focus on categorizing the good from the best. Gameplay, story relevance, and character designs will all be considered below.
9Smoke
A Fun Character Who Gets Overshadowed
Smoke hasalways been a fan favorite,be it his luscious long hair inMortal Kombat 9,or his variation as part of Tri-borg inMKX. Mortal Kombat 1has been a return to form for human smoke. Not only has Tomasz been blessed with a great design and some incredible skins, but his gameplay is sleek, fun and unique. He’s also blessed with some of the coolest-looking combos to boot.
Smoke lags behind in terms of story relevance. While his interactions with Bi-Han and Kuai Liang in the base game were really fun, they were, quite frankly, limited. For a Lin Kuei focused expansion in the form of Khaos Reigns, him being practically absent is a bit disappointing.
8Cyrax
The Relectant Cyber Initiative Ninja
It may seem a little harsh placing Cyrax down this low, but again, every ninja has had their great moments, and she is no different. While some fans were a bit apprehensive aboutthe new versionsof Cyrax and Sektor at first, at this stage it’s pretty obvious it has been a successful reimagining.
Cyrax has some of the coolest gameplay in the entire game, with a really high skill ceiling focused on traps, set-ups and hard to block loops. She also has a cool new design, but her customization options fall a little short of her companions. Cyrax plays the role of the conflicted member of the Lin Kuei well, but she comes off as a little gullible and her overall presence is unfortunately overshadowed by Sektor and Bi-Han. Regardless,MK1’sversion of Cyrax is a solid iteration with some amazing potential.
7Rain
Back With A New Look
The purple prince has been one of the most requested characters in every newMortal Kombatgame since his first appearance. He’s had tons of incredible designs, be itMKX, MK11or the current game. Rain has been re-imagined on a multitude of occasions. In Liu Kang’s new era, he isn’t a member of the aristocracy, rather a talented Mage who rose through the ranks and remained loyal to Mileena and company.
Rain’s new gameplay style as a sort of zoning, keep-away character is difficult to master, but players have slowly gotten the hang of him in both casual and competitive settings. While he was a background character in the base game, his alternate world version, Emperor Rain, had a fun, albeit brief, appearance in the expansion, along with a great new skin.
6Ermac
The Classic Mage With A Twist
Ermac has had a volatile life inMK1. His initial release design was met with uproar as fans preferred the design teased in the previous game. Him being an important part of the story, yet not being playable at release also wasn’t ideal.
Despite these initial hiccups, Ermac has been a welcome addition to the game. Him blasting through tons of opponents in story mode was great, as was his link with Mileena and Kitana’s father; Jerrod. Ermac also has some cool customization options and tons of skins for players to check out. While he wasn’t really present inKhaos Reigns,his later release as a DLC character was met with acclaim, largely due to his intuitive and solid playstyle.
5Reptile
The Unlikely Zaterran Hero
Reptile is in a similar boat as Ermac, he wasn’t relevant to Khaos Reigns, and some of his skins and gear weren’t the best. However, the glow up Syzoth has released inMK1cannot be overstated. Having been relegated to cannon fodder in the last few games, it was great playing through Reptile in the base game and his interactions with the likes of Baraka, Kenshi and Kung Lao were a treat.
Reptile has slowly received some better post-release cosmetics to supplement his base design. His playstyle, while a bit basic, is fun and effective. The switches between his ‘ninja’ form and his reptilian form are also well integrated and make for satisfying combat.
4Sub-Zero
A Hot-headed Grandmaster?
Bi-Han has been one of the coolest re-introductions in Liu Kang’s new era. He plays the ambitious grandmaster role very well, and the writers do well to keep him in a somewhat morally gray area rather than a full-blown villain. While Bi-Han can be comically unapologetic and stubborn, it still comes off fairly well. His continued development in theKhaos Reignsexpansion is also fun, and his dialogue with Sektor and Liu Kang stands out as a highlight of the expansion.
Unfortunately, his redemption arc gets cut off a bit short and the ending of the expansion leaves the mantle of Sub-Zero unresolved, which isn’t ideal for one of the most iconic characters in fight game history. In terms of visuals and cosmetics, he has some of the best in the game. The only drawback is that Sub-Zero has been one of the weakest characters in the game since release, despite a few buffs here and there.
3Scorpion
A Re-Imagination Done Right
Havingthe Scorpion mantletransfer to Bi-Han’s stalwart brother Kuai Liang was definitely a risky decision, but it played out well. Rather than Hanzo’s specter of vengeance, players are treated to a hot-headed, outspoken, yet extremely noble ninja. His relationship with Smoke, Harumi, Bi-Han and Cyrax are some of the best parts of the game. It will be fun to see how this character progresses in a potential sequel, especially with the newly established Shirai Ryu.
Scorpion also has some of the best skins and gear in the game. His combos are visually pleasing, and the aerial routes are really fun. Scorpion has, however, transformed into a sort of footsie and staggers - based, slow-paced character which everyone might not be a fan of.
2Sektor
The Biggest Positive In Khaos Reigns
PostKhaos Reigns,Sektor stands out as one of thebest ninjas inMK1. Often reduced to a mindless lackey in previous entries, her character is really fleshed out in this game. Her position in the Lin Kuei, leading the new cyber-iniative initiative, is done well, and her ambition complements Bi-Han really well. Her relationship with Bi-Han has been done really well, especially considering her more balanced approach to conflict. It will be interesting to see how Netherrealm Studios handles Sektor inhering the mantle of Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei in future stories.
In terms of design, Sektor has one of the best inMK1, and her gear only amplifies this. Her visuals are slick and well-polished and play out fluidly. Overall, she has cool and varied gameplay which doesn’t really coincide with any other ninja which is always a plus.
1Noob Saibot
Bi-Han’s Swan Song?
Noob Saibot isrightfully a consistent fan favorite. One of the coolest villains inMortal Kombat,his new backstory, tied to Khaos rather than the Netherrealm/void, is done really well. He has a cool design as always and features some of the best brutalities and fatalities in the game.
Getting to play Noob in the story is super fun, especially considering his interactions with Liu Kang and Scorpion. Noob’s ending might leave a little to be desired, especially considering the foreshadowed redemption arc, but regardless, he gets some of the biggest feats in the entire story. Moreover, he has some of the most complex and exciting gameplay in the entire game, really cementing him as one of the best characters inMK1.
