Fighting game franchises hold a special place in the gaming world because ones with a great plot, characters, and gaming mechanics often earn a grand fan base and much-awaited sequels. One of the famous examples of this can be found inMortal Kombat, the iconic franchise of brutal hand-to-hand combat that first released in 1992 and led toMortal Kombat 11a few decades down the road.
With the constant success of the franchise, it’s no surprise thatMortal Kombat 11remains 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 fighters inMortal Kombat 11based on the performance results among the game’s most talented players.
Updated on June 24, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat:Although Mortal Kombat 1 is technically the latest entry in the franchise, Mortal Kombat 11 still has its fans, as the game remains one of the most popular games in the series with impressive visual advancements and a massive roster of characters.
Finding the best fighter in Mortal Kombat 11 is probably one of the most frequently asked questions by any newcomer to the game or the genre, and it’s not necessarily a bad question, considering the relatively long learning curve for each character in the game.
17Kollector
A Slow-Paced Character With Good Melee Range
Unlike most of the popular fighters inMortal Kombat 11, Kollector is not a fast or versatile character. He is more of a slow-paced fighter that requires the player to lean more on blocking the attacks than evading them.
That being said, Kollector is an impressive melee damage dealer, and he comes with a good melee range as well, especially when using his hiding hands or the lantern as melee weapons. He is one of those fighters that can lock the opponent in a corner and deal devastating damage to them back and forth.
16Scorpion
Control Placement With Spear & Hell Port
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.
15Robocop
Slow Moving With Large Arsenal Of Weapons
Players who don’t like to use combos will find that Robocop’s normal attacks are slow and weak, making him impossible to recommend for gamers who haven’t memorized the skills. But gamers that do take this time will find he’s tough to beat.
His combos go between near-instant gunshots to melee strikes with extended range. There are somegreat mods for the gamethat can make the game more balanced which is nice because Robocop’s combos in the hands of an AI or a pro gamer are unfair.
14Kano
One Of The Best Aerial Options In The Game
When high-level gamers need to dominate from the air, the choice is Kano.Great other fighting gamesusually don’t consider how much of the game is spent in the air, where Kano is at his best. His cannonball attack has persisted throughout the franchise and still strikes fear into the hearts of the opposition.
On the ground, he’s still got a host of ranged abilities and strong blows. Kano can use his moves for mobility in addition to damage, so he’s a top choice for gamers who know how to use the location interactions to their advantage.
13Geras
Opponents Need To Play Against His Strengths, Rather Than To Their Own
Pro players have a unique knack for countering attacks. Because they have memorized every move from every character, the best gamers can block any incoming strike from a standstill. Most characters settle for blocking and this is where Geras shines; he can immediately counter and grapple in a split second.
Geras is especially unique among professionals. He’s either the “main” pick for pros or not used much at all. It takes a special kind of gamer to know when and what can be countered and grabbed which is whythis fighting franchise is so difficult to master.
12Kabal
Brilliant Mid-Range Game & Positioning
Kabal may not bethe most classic choice for fans of the franchisebut he’s plenty capable of holding his own against them. Kabal combined blazing speed and teleportation, keeping opponents trying to guess which direction and angle the next blow was coming from.
Pros usually pick up on animations from even the speediest characters but Kabal has a few moves that can be executed faster than this reaction time, making him a top choice for players with heightened reflexes that want to push the action.
11Liu Kang
Relentless Stagger Capabilities
For a long time, Liu Kang was the default choice among top-tier gamers. His primary melee skills are often countered by ranged attackers but there is still nobody more lethal and able to juggle a foe when getting into melee range.
Beginners learning to play the gameshould do everything they can to stay out of their grip. Pro players are great jugglers but even intermediate gamers will find that he’s got a few combos that can end the fight as soon as the enemy loses their footing.
10Shang Tsung
Controlling and Zoning
Going up against a skilled Shang Tsung player is a very frustrating ordeal. He can send out Fire Skull straight in front of him, as well as Ground Eruption to attack from directly below his opponent, and even use Corpse Drop to have a projectile fall from the sky. Nowhere on the screen is safe from Shang Tsung. Players will need to master when to lean into all of these special moves, and when to feint to trick opponents to have them right where they want them at all times.
Closing the gap instead of using a Fire Skull is a great way to get a lot of extra damage from using combos. Shang Tsung is not without his weaknesses, with his biggest coming from a very small margin of error. Bad timing opens him up to punishing combos. If an opponent is able to stun or close the gap effectively, it will be hard to keep pressuring opponents with Shang Tsung’s zoning capabilities.
9Kotal Kahn
Numerous Approaches
Kotal Kahn is a hard character to get a feel for, as they do not have a set way to be played. This works in the player’s favor, as they can approach different opponents with different playstyles. They have a solid mid-range game, but against enemies that try to keep their distance, Kotal Kahn is able to effectively close the gap and prevent them from playing at their most effective range.
Players who try to close the gap a lot can be punished thanks to Kotal Kahn’s long-reaching attacks, allowing him to punish and pressure his opponents to play into their preferred styles. Not having a go-to at all times, and relying on knowing how to play against different opponents' styles means it will take a much longer time to master Kotal Kahn than other characters.
8The Joker
Very Hard For Opponents To Read
Whilemost heroes in the game have established their power through the lore, characters are added through DLC that have nothing to do with the Mortal Kombat universe. Even so, they are always immensely fun but unpredictable. The Joker is the most unpredictable of them all.
The Joker won several tournaments for years because his moves were deceptive. He’ll step back and a chair goes flying forward. He ducks and something falls. While experts are no longer fooled by his moves, he’s diverse enough to be a top-five character in any tournament and still dominates the casual circuits.
