NetherRealm Studios’ premiere fighting game, Mortal Kombat, debuted in arcades more than 25 years ago. Originally released by Midway, Mortal Kombat became infamous due to its barbaric, bloody moves known as Fatalities. The series has since seen comics, movies, and tons of merchandise released in the U.S.
Mortal Kombat is also known for its infamously difficult boss battles. While some are certainly easier than others, several bosses have become infamous for blocking players from finishing their games without spending all their quarters or continues. While several have appeared in more than one game, one, in particular, has continuously brutalized players over the course of several generations.
6 Blaze
Blaze first appeared in the background of Mortal Kombat II. This fire-covered being held immense power. However, he was not battled until the end of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
Not unlike Cinder from Rare’s Killer Instinct, Blaze’s body is covered in flames and, as such, uses fire-based elemental attacks. Blaze’s significance comes from his ending in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon that involves him launching Armageddon. Conversely, the reward player gets for beating Blaze sees their character affecting the fate of the entire world as they finally receive what they desire most.
5 Onaga
This Dragon King originally came from Mortal Kombat: Deception. The former king of Outworld was the most powerful being until Shao Kahn disposed of him and seized power for himself.
Much like Kintaro and Motaro, Onaga doesn’t get launched by uppercuts nor can he be thrown. His attacks hit hard and his grabs deal intense damage. Aside from his retreat moves, Onaga can also breathe fireballs or even breathe flames in streams. Aside from brief cameos in more recent titles, Onaga last appeared in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon along with the rest of the series’ playable roster at the time.
4 Shinnok
Originally featured in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Shinnok sought a powerful amulet and could turn into a powerful beast. However, the original Sub-Zero, Bi Han (who later became Noob-Saibot), stopped Shinnok’s rise to power prior to the original Mortal Kombat.
With the threat of Shao Kahn eliminated, Shinnok sought to take power. Revived by a powerful amulet via Quan-Chi, this shapeshifting sorcerer seized power in the Netherrealm and sought to take over all worlds. He also wanted revenge against his archnemesis, the Thunder God Raiden.
Shinnok served as the final boss of Mortal Kombat 4. Much like Shang Tsung in the original Mortal Kombat, however, he was another common boss without anything special. He could “shapeshift,” so to speak, by switching out his fighting style for another’s. Furthermore, Shinnok served as the final boss of Mortal Kombat X‘s storyline. Here, he has his own fighting style and magic abilities. He also can transform into a powerful beast. Originally defeated by Johnny Cage, his end comes at the hand of Cassie Cage, his daughter.
3 Kronika
This powerful being from Mortal Kombat 11 shapes the future of the world akin to the Fates of Greek Mythology. However, when Raiden altered the timeline in Mortal Kombat 9, Kronika stepped in when history had changed too much.
As a Titan, Kronika is among the most powerful beings in the Mortal Kombat universe. She is a tough boss who can summon allies to fight for her while she tries to reshape the Sands of TIme. Otherwise, she tends to teleport and often attempts to annihilate her opponent with long-ranged projectile attacks.
2 Shang Tsung
The original final boss of the first Mortal Kombat, this powerful sorcerer from Outworld could shapeshift into any fighter in the game. Shang Tsung could also summon fireballs. Unfortunately, his debut was underwhelming otherwise. While he might have impressed kids of the ’90s with his powers, Shang Tsung was somewhat of a pushover. Compared to Goro, the incredibly powerful boss faced before him, Shang Tsung was relatively easy to take down. Even his ability to briefly shapeshift into Goro only lasted for a few seconds. It doesn’t help that Shang Tsung was animated with only a single-frame floating animation.
After Mortal Kombat 4, the two sorcerers – Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi – teamed up in order to fulfill their own ambition. In Deadly Alliance, after Quan-Chi eludes Scorpion’s vengeance in the Netherrealm, the two kill Shao Kahn and Liu Kang. They seek to use the souls of the Dragon King’s army to take over Earthrealm and seek immortality. At the end of Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi fight the player in separate rounds.
Shang Tsung has remained a prominent antagonist throughout the series. More recently, he was also featured in the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath DLC. Quan-Chi also remained as a storyline antagonist but not as a final boss. Overall, Shang Tsung is a powerful antagonist who has appeared in nearly every entry of the series.
1 Shao Kahn
Not enough words can describe the sheer power and ferocity of Outworld’s emperor. Following Shang Tsung’s defeat in the original Mortal Kombat, the sorcerer fled back to his emperor and begged for another chance to prove himself. Shao Kahn would grant Shang Tsung back his former youth and kidnap Earthrealm’s fighters, forcing them to compete in Outworld’s tournament so he could later invade.
Serving as the final boss of Mortal Kombat II and 3, this powerful brute followed Kintaro and Motaro, respectively, and was just as powerful and difficult. Shao Kahn’s projectile and shoulder ram abilities later came accompanied by a mid-ranged sledgehammer and an anti-air flying knee strike.
Shao Kahn would later appear as the final boss of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks before returning as the main antagonist of Mortal Kombat 9. In here, along with his nemesis Raiden, Shao Kahn was among the final survivors of the events of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and was on the brink of defeating the Thunder God. Despite his despicable actions and genocide, Shao Kahn’s admirable strength has earned him the loyalty of most of Outworld.
This mighty conqueror has been featured both as a powerful storyline boss as well as a playable character. While usable in Trilogy, Armageddon, and the GameCube version of Deception, Shao Kahn was most recently made playable in Mortal Kombat 11. Here, he is part of the roster as well as a major enemy in Kitana’s storyline.
In the end, there is no force quite as consistent and dominant in the series as Shao Kahn.
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