Over the years, the Mortal Kombat series has been both lampooned and lambasted for its “Fatalities.” Basically special moves that let you finish off an opponent, fatalities range from the brutal to the nonsensical. Rather than focus on the former, we went back through the series to find the most ridiculous (and amusing) examples we could find. These eight certainly fit that bill.
Don’t see your favorite? Tell us what it is in the comments!
Johnny Cage’s Autograph (Mortal Kombat II)
Mortal Kombat II added the comcept of a “Friendship finisher” to the game. Initially seen as a reaction to the public outcry over fatalities, Friendship finishers were a little different. Instead of finishing off his opponent, movie star Johnny Cage decides to add insult to injury by leaving his opponent a little something to remember him by: an autographed headshot. That might seem odd, but it’s really not that out of character for a guy trying to make it as an actor.
Smoke’s Explosion (Mortal Kombat III)
Smoke’s main fatality in Mortal Kombat III was a classic example of taking things just a little too far. Instead of something simple, he instead drops enough bombs to cover the floor of the arena. The camera then switches to a view of earth from space, and the entire planet explodes. Smoke may have gotten the win, but he sure wasn’t around long enough to enjoy it.
Shang Tsung’s Rainbow (Mortal Kombat II)
Everyone who plays any Mortal Kombat game knows just how evil Shang Tsung is. If you need an example, one of his fatalities shows him possessing his opponent and forcing them to rip their own head off. But when Mortal Kombat II added friendships, Shang Tsung showed a whole different side of himself. His rainbow side.
Kitana’s Kiss (Mortal Kombat II)
OK< someone’s going to have to explain this one to me. Kitana doesn’t punch, kick, or otherwise attack her opponent in any way in this fatality. She simply pulls her mask down and kisses them on the cheek. This doesn’t have the effect you might expect, as the opponent then swells up and explodes. That’s one heck of kiss.
Reptile’s Snack (Mortal Kombat II)
Reptile is an amalgam of Sub-Zero and Scorpion – a humanoid reptilian creature who was the first secret character in the series. In this fatality, he shows off his reptilian side. First he removes his mask, then hew uses his long tongue to grab the opponent’s head and rip it off, devouring it. While that might sound gruesome, it turns campy as Reptile turns to the camera and rubs his stomach, saying “Mmmmmm.”
Darrius’ Rearrange (Mortal Kombat: Deception)
Another fatality that turns from bloody to ridiculous is Darrius’ “Rearrange.” As the opponent sways, Darrius begins pulling off body parts and slapping them back, resulting in a bizarre assemblage of displaced limbs. He then steps back and considers his “work of art” before kicking what’s left of the opponent to the ground. That moment of serious consideration, as if perusing a masterpiece, is what makes this one ridiculous.
Kabal’s Head Inflation (Mortal Kombat III)
Kabal appears in Mortal Kombat wearing a mask and respirator, and the latter is a major part of this ridiculous fatality. Kabal simply extends his respirator and inflates the head of his opponent. The target then floats into the air, where his head explodes, littering the floor with bones. It’s almost the sort of thing you’d see in a Tom & Jerry cartoon.
Bo Rai Cho’s Fire Fart (Mortal Kombat: Deception)
In the world of ridiculous fatalities, one must reign supreme. I can find no better candidate than Bo Rai Cho’s fire fart from Mortal Kombat: Deception. He lights a torch, and then unleashes a truly gargantuan fart while using the torch to set it alight. The resulting jet of flame burns his opponent to death in seconds. As if that’s not ridiculous enough, he then fans the air around his nose and talks about the fart. We never find out what he had to eat, but honestly, we probably don’t want to know.
