Mortal Kombat is an American media series based on fighting video games created by Midway Games in 1992. The original Mortal Kombat arcade game led to a series that includes action-adventure games, comic books, card games, films, an animated TV show, and a live-action tour. Mortal Kombat is the top-selling fighting game series worldwide, with more than 100 million copies sold, and one of the most profitable media series ever made.
The series is known for having a lot of graphic violence, especially its "fatalities," which are moves that kill defeated players instead of just knocking them out. Disputes about Mortal Kombat's content helped create the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a system that rates video games. Early games in the series used realistic computer-generated images and changed colors to create new characters. After Midway went out of business, the Mortal Kombat team was bought by Warner Bros. Entertainment and started a new company called NetherRealm Studios.
Gameplay
The original three games and their updates, Mortal Kombat (1992), Mortal Kombat II (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), and Mortal Kombat Trilogy (1996), are 2D fighting games. The arcade cabinet versions of the first two used a joystick and five buttons: high punch, low punch, high kick, low kick, and block. Mortal Kombat 3 and its updates added a sixth "run" button. Characters in the early Mortal Kombat games play very similarly to one another, with the only major differences being their special moves. Through the 1990s, the developer and publisher Midway Games kept their consistent fighting moves with four attack buttons for a different array of punches, kicks, and blocks. Mortal Kombat 4 was the first Mortal Kombat game in which characters could move in three dimensions and the first to use 3D computer graphics. From Deadly Alliance to Mortal Kombat: Deception, characters had three fighting styles per character: two unarmed styles and one weapon style. While most of the styles used in the series are based on real martial arts, some are fictional. Goro's fighting styles, for example, are designed to use his four arms. For Armageddon, fighting styles were reduced to a maximum of two per character (generally one hand-to-hand combat style and one weapon style) due to the large number of playable characters. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe dropped multiple fighting styles for most characters in favor of giving each character a wider variety of special moves. 2011's Mortal Kombat returned to a single 2D fighting plane, although characters are rendered in 3D. Unlike previous Mortal Kombat games, each of the controller's four attack buttons corresponds to one of the character's limbs, the buttons thus becoming front punch, back punch, front kick, and back kick ("front" indicates the limb that is closer to the opponent, and "back" indicates the limb that is farther away from the opponent).
Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon feature "Konquest," a free-roaming action-adventure mode. Both games include distinct minigame modes such as "Chess Kombat," an action-strategy game. Two other bonus minigames, "Puzzle Kombat" inspired by Puzzle Fighter and "Motor Kombat" inspired by Mario Kart, feature super deformed versions of Mortal Kombat characters. The games contain various unlockable content and hidden cheats.
One of the most notable features of the Mortal Kombat series is its violent finishing moves, known as "Fatalities." The basic Fatalities are finishing moves that allow the victorious characters to end a match by killing their defeated, defenseless opponent. Usually, Fatalities are unique to each character, the exception being Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, which instead features Kreate-A-Fatality, a feature that allows players to perform their own Fatalities by choosing a series of violent moves from a shared pool.
Other finishing moves in the various Mortal Kombat games include Animalities (introduced in Mortal Kombat 3), in which the victor turns into an animal to violently finish off the opponent; Brutality (introduced in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3), which consists of hitting the opponent many times with a long combo of attacks; and Stage Fatalities/Death Traps (introduced in the original Mortal Kombat Pit Stage, where the victor can uppercut their opponent off of the platform into a bed of spikes below, later made more difficult in Mortal Kombat II by requiring a character-specific button sequence), which use parts of certain stages to execute a lethal finishing move (such as a pool of acid). Mortal Kombat: Deception added the Hara-Kiri, a move that allows the loser to perform a suicidal finishing move, creating a race between both players to see if the winner can finish off their opponent before they can kill themselves.
There are two non-violent finishing moves in the series, which were introduced in Mortal Kombat II as a way to joke about controversies surrounding Mortal Kombat: Friendship moves, which result in a display of friendship toward the enemy instead of killing, and Babalities, which turn the opponent into a baby.
Plot
The series is set in a fictional universe made up of many realms. According to in-game stories, these realms were created by the Elder Gods, a group of ancient, powerful, and eternal beings. The Mortal Kombat: Deception manual describes six of these realms as follows: Earthrealm, where heroes like Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, and Jax live, and is protected by the Thunder God Raiden; Netherrealm, a fiery place that is dangerous and only home to demons and warriors like Quan Chi and Noob Saibot; Outworld, a realm filled with constant fighting that Emperor Shao Kahn controls; Seido, the Realm of Order, where people value rules and structure; the Realm of Chaos, where no rules exist and change is always happening; and Edenia, a beautiful realm known for its art and long-lived people. The Elder Gods said that warriors from one realm could only conquer another by defeating the defending realm’s strongest fighters in ten straight martial arts tournaments called Mortal Kombat.
The first Mortal Kombat game takes place in Earthrealm (Earth). Seven warriors, each with their own reasons for joining, compete in the tournament. The prize is the freedom of Earthrealm, which is threatened by Outworld’s takeover. Warriors like Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade were among the participants. With help from Raiden, the Earthrealm warriors won, and Liu Kang became the new Mortal Kombat champion. In Mortal Kombat II, after failing to defeat Earthrealm’s fighters, Outworld’s Emperor Shao Kahn lured them to Outworld for a rematch. Liu Kang eventually defeated Shao Kahn. By the time of Mortal Kombat 3, Shao Kahn had merged Edenia with his empire and brought back its former queen, Sindel, in Earthrealm. He tried to invade Earthrealm but was defeated again by Liu Kang. After Shao Kahn’s defeat, Edenia was freed and ruled by Princess Kitana. In Mortal Kombat 4, the fallen elder god Shinnok tried to conquer the realms and kill Raiden. Liu Kang defeated Shinnok.
In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, the sorcerers Quan Chi and Shang Tsung joined forces to conquer the realms, killing Liu Kang in the process. By Mortal Kombat: Deception, after many battles, the sorcerers had defeated most of Earthrealm’s warriors until Raiden fought back. The Dragon King Onaga, a former ruler of Outworld, returned to unite all realms but was defeated by the game’s protagonist, Shujinko.
In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, a catastrophic event called Armageddon begins. Centuries before the first Mortal Kombat, Queen Delia predicted that the power of all realms’ warriors would grow so much that it would destroy the realms. King Argus placed his sons, Taven and Daegon, in a deep sleep so they could one day awaken to save the realms by defeating a creature named Blaze. In the end, Shao Kahn defeated Blaze and won the war, causing Armageddon.
The crossover game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe does not follow the same story as other games. After both Shao Kahn and the alien warlord Darkseid were defeated in the DC Universe, they merged into a new entity called "Dark Kahn." This caused the Mortal Kombat and DC Universes to combine, leading to conflicts between warriors and heroes from both worlds. They fought each other, thinking the other was responsible for the disaster, until only Raiden and Superman remained. Together, they defeated Dark Kahn, and the two universes separated, trapping Shao Kahn and Darkseid in each other’s worlds for eternal punishment.
In the 2011 Mortal Kombat soft reboot, Armageddon ended with only two survivors: Shao Kahn and Raiden. As Shao Kahn prepared to kill Raiden, Raiden sent visions to his past self to change the future. The past Raiden tried to stop Armageddon during the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament, altering events from the original series. Though he prevented Shao Kahn’s victory with help from the Elder Gods, he accidentally killed Liu Kang and lost most of his allies to Queen Sindel, leaving Earthrealm vulnerable to Shinnok and Quan Chi.
Mortal Kombat X shows Shinnok and Quan Chi leading an army of undead warriors from Shao Kahn’s invasion of Earthrealm. A team led by Raiden, Johnny Cage, Kenshi Takahashi, and Sonya Blade fought them. Shinnok was imprisoned in his amulet, and many warriors were resurrected, though Quan Chi escaped. Twenty-five years later, Quan Chi returned with the insectoid D’Vorah to help Shinnok return. A vengeful Scorpion killed Quan Chi but failed to stop him. Cassie Cage, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade’s daughter, led a new generation of Earthrealm heroes to defeat Quan Chi and Shinnok. After their defeat, Liu Kang and Kitana’s spirits took control of the Netherrealm, and Raiden used Shinnok’s amulet.
Mortal Kombat 11 and its expansion, Aftermath, show Kronika, the Keeper of Time and Shinnok’s mother, trying to change the timeline after Shinnok’s defeat and Raiden’s interference. She brought past versions of heroes to the present, some working with her and others against her. After nearly killing Liu Kang again, Raiden discovered Kronika had manipulated the heroes to fight across timelines. He gave Liu Kang his power, turning him into a god of fire and thunder to defeat Kronika. In Aftermath, Liu Kang accidentally destroyed Kronika’s crown, the item needed to restart the timeline. His defeat revived Shang Tsung, who had been imprisoned by Kronika. To recover the crown, Liu Kang sent Shang Tsung and other Earthrealm heroes back in time, though Shang Tsung tricked
Characters
The Mortal Kombat series has included many player characters over its many versions. Some characters have appeared in many games, such as Baraka, Cassie Cage, Cyrax, Ermac, Fujin, Goro, Jade, Jax, Johnny Cage, Kabal, Kano, Kenshi, Kintaro, Kitana, Kung Lao, Li Mei, Liu Kang, Mileena, Motaro, Nightwolf, Noob Saibot, Quan Chi, Raiden, Rain, Reptile, Scorpion, Sektor, Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, Sheeva, Shinnok, Sindel, Skarlet, Smoke, Sonya Blade, Stryker, and Sub-Zero. These characters include humans and cyborgs from Earth, gods and otherworldly beings, and inhabitants of Outworld and other realms.
Starting with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, the series has included characters from other video game series and movies. These guest characters include Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, Kratos from God of War (only on PlayStation 3), Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th, the Xenomorph from Alien, Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the main character from Predator, the main character from Terminator, the main character from RoboCop, Spawn from Image Comics, Omni-Man from Invincible (also by Image Comics), John Rambo, Homelander from The Boys, the Joker (who previously appeared in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe), Peacemaker (from DC Extended Universe and DC Universe), and Ghostface from Scream.
Development
Mortal Kombat began development in 1991 with four people: Ed Boon (programming), John Tobias (art and story), John Vogel (graphics), and Dan Forden (sound design). According to actors Richard Divizio and Daniel Pesina, the first game started as a ninja-themed project by John Tobias (a new employee at Midway Games at the time) and others, including Carlos Pesina. However, their idea was rejected by Midway’s management. Midway was asked to create a video game based on the 1992 film Universal Soldier, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Tobias imagined a fighting game featuring a digitized version of Van Damme. He and Boon wanted to create a game that was more serious and intense than the cartoonish fighting games of the time, even after plans to use the Bloodsport license failed. The character Johnny Cage (Daniel Pesina) became a parody of Van Damme. Divizio said he helped convince Tobias to return to the original idea.
Midway allowed the team to make their own arcade fighting game after the success of Capcom’s Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. Tobias chose this genre to use large digitized sprites, but the project was not heavily influenced by Street Fighter II. Tobias said he was inspired by 1984’s Karate Champ and aimed to make a game different from Capcom’s title. Mortal Kombat used digitized characters instead of hand-drawn ones and included a high amount of blood and violence. A Capcom senior director compared Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat by asking if the interviewer preferred the “precision and depth” of Street Fighter or the “gore and comedy” of Mortal Kombat. The rivalry between the two games was compared to the Coke and Pepsi rivalry in the 1990s.
Mortal Kombat’s success was not only due to its visuals and violence. The game also had a storyline and unique gameplay that kept players interested. John Tobias said his ideas for the story and characters came from Chinese mythology and stories about Shaolin monks. He mentioned that the film Big Trouble in Little China influenced him, but his biggest inspirations were Tsui Hark’s films, such as Zu Warriors and The Swordsman. In 1995, he described the character design process: first, the team decided on the character’s type, theme, and costume, then created a storyline and found an actor who resembled the character. Tobias’ involvement in the series ended around 2000 after Mortal Kombat 4. In 2012, he said he had written a sequel to the first Mortal Kombat film and planned to expand the game’s mythological roots.
The title Mortal Kombat was suggested by pinball designer Steve Ritchie after difficulties trademarking the original title Mortal Combat. The series often uses the letter “K” instead of “C” for the hard C sound, such as in “Kombat” and “Klassic.” Boon said the developers usually spelled words correctly, but sometimes changed them if a developer suggested it.
The original Mortal Kombat and its early sequels used digitized sprites based on filmed actors, not hand-drawn graphics. The games used palette swapping, a technique that changed colors to create different characters. In the first game, male ninja fighters were the same character with only color, stance, and technique differences. Later games added more ninjas and female characters based on the same model, which gradually became distinct in later games. Mortal Kombat 4 introduced 3D models using motion capture technology, replacing earlier digitized fighters.
Most games in the series included secret characters, hidden games, and Easter eggs. The original game had a hidden fighter named Reptile, who could be fought if players met specific requirements. A counter labeled “ERMACS” on the game’s audit screen led players to believe a second hidden character named Ermac existed. Midway denied Ermac’s existence until adding him to Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 due to player feedback.
Some Easter eggs were inside jokes among developers. For example, “Toasty” appeared in Mortal Kombat II as an image of sound designer Dan Forden after a player landed an uppercut. Hidden games of Pong and Galaga were included in Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3, respectively.
Games
The original Mortal Kombat game was released by Midway in arcades in August 1992. It was later made available on many console and home computer systems, with early versions released by Acclaim Entertainment. The sequel, Mortal Kombat II, came out for arcades in 1993. It had more characters, better graphics, and improved gameplay. It was then made available on many home systems between 1993 and 1995, also released by Acclaim. Mortal Kombat 3 followed in 1995 for both arcades and home systems. It received two updates: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, released in arcades the same year, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy, released for home consoles in 1996. Mortal Kombat 4 was released in 1997. It used 3D graphics instead of the 2D graphics used in earlier games. It was made available on the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Microsoft Windows. Mortal Kombat 4 was the last game in the series released for arcades. An updated version called Mortal Kombat Gold was released for the Dreamcast in 1999.
At this point, the series focused only on consoles. The naming changed to use subtitles instead of numbers, starting with Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance in 2002. Deadly Alliance was first released for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube. It was the first game in the series to use fully 3D gameplay, a change from the 2D style used before. This style continued in the next two games.
The next game, Mortal Kombat: Deception, was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. A version for the PlayStation Portable called Mortal Kombat: Unchained came out in 2006. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and in 2007 for the Wii.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, a game that combined characters from Mortal Kombat and DC Comics, was released in 2008 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
A ninth game, a reboot called Mortal Kombat, was developed by NetherRealm Studios (formerly Midway Games). It was released in 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and later for the PlayStation Vita in 2012 and Microsoft Windows in 2013. Downloadable content became a feature of the series at this time. The first sequel, Mortal Kombat X, was released in 2015 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It marked a return to numbered sequels. A mobile version, Mortal Kombat Mobile, was also released. A follow-up, Mortal Kombat 11, came out in 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows. A sequel to Mortal Kombat 11, titled Mortal Kombat 1, was released in September 2023.
In addition to fighting games, three action-adventure games are connected to the Mortal Kombat story. Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero was released in 1997 for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. It focuses on the early story of Sub-Zero and takes place before the first Mortal Kombat game. The next action game, Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, was released in 2000 for the PlayStation. It follows Major Jackson Briggs on a mission to destroy the Black Dragon. Both games received poor reviews. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, developed by Midway Studios Los Angeles, was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It follows Liu Kang and Kung Lao and retells events from Mortal Kombat II. A similar game called Mortal Kombat: Fire & Ice, which would have featured Scorpion and Sub-Zero, was canceled because the developers could not complete it on time or within budget. On October 18, 2022, Mortal Kombat: Onslaught was announced. It is a role-playing game released in 2023 for Android and iOS. NetherRealm Studios said it would be a cinematic experience and remain true to the series’ intense style.
Other media
In 1995, an animated prequel called Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins was released directly to video. It came out the same year as the live-action movie. The film included a special code for Mortal Kombat 3 shown at the end.
A series of direct-to-video films titled Mortal Kombat Legends began in 2020. Warner Bros. Animation and either Studio Mir or Digital eMation produced the films together. The first film, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, was released in April 2020. It was the first Mortal Kombat film with an R rating. The second film, Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, was released in August 2021. The third film, Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind, was released on October 11, 2022. The fourth film, Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage Match, was released on October 17, 2023.
Two major Mortal Kombat movies were made: Mortal Kombat (1995) and Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997). Both were released by New Line Cinema. The first movie came out on August 18, 1995, and earned $23 million in its first weekend. Though critics had mixed opinions, the film was financially successful, making about $70 million in the U.S. and over $122 million worldwide. It became popular among fans of the video game series. Actors Robin Shou, Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Bridgette Wilson, Talisa Soto, and Christopher Lambert starred in the film. The movie helped launch the career of director Paul W. S. Anderson. Mortal Kombat Annihilation was directed by John R. Leonetti. Only Shou and Soto returned from the first film. Critics did not like this movie as much, and it earned $36 million in the U.S. and $51 million worldwide.
In 2010, director Kevin Tancharoen made an eight-minute short film called Mortal Kombat: Rebirth. The film was a sample to show Warner Bros. Pictures his idea for a new Mortal Kombat movie series. Tancharoen later said the short film was written by Oren Uziel, who was rumored to be writing a third Mortal Kombat movie at the time. In September 2011, New Line and Warner Bros. announced that Tancharoen would direct a new movie based on a screenplay written by Uziel. The film was planned to have an R rating. Production was expected to start in March 2012 with a budget under $100 million and a release date in 2013. However, the project was delayed due to budget issues. Tancharoen left the project in October 2013.
A reboot called Mortal Kombat (2021) was released on April 23, 2021. It received mixed reviews and earned over $84 million worldwide. The movie was also available on HBO Max at the same time. Production for a new reboot began in 2015 when James Wan joined as a producer. Simon McQuoid became the director in 2016. The screenplay was written by Greg Russo and David Callaham. Actors Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, and Hiroyuki Sanada starred in the film. A sequel, Mortal Kombat II, is being developed with McQuoid returning as director and Jeremy Slater writing the screenplay.
Cole Young is a character who only appears in the movies and not in any of the video games.
Midway published official one-shot comic books based on Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II. They were written and illustrated by Tobias and set before the events of the games. From 1994 to 1995, Malibu Comics made a licensed series with two six-issue miniseries, one-shot specials, and character-focused miniseries. Special issues were included with the release of Mortal Kombat 4 for PC and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. A Mortal Kombat X series by DC Comics, set before the game, ran from January to September 2015. It included three miniseries with twelve issues each, released weekly in 36 chapters.
A novel titled Mortal Kombat was written by Jeff Rovin and published in 1995. It told a story that happened before the first game. Novels based on the two Mortal Kombat movies were written by Martin Delrio and Jerome Preisler.
A techno album called Mortal Kombat: The Album was made in 1994 by Praga Khan and Oliver Adams as The Immortals for Virgin America. The song "Techno Syndrome" was released in 1993 as a single and used as the theme for the Mortal Kombat movie series. Each movie had its own soundtrack
Reception
Mortal Kombat is one of the most successful fighting game series in video game history. It was once behind other popular fighting games like Tekken, Street Fighter, and Super Smash Bros. However, by 2021, it had sold more copies worldwide than these competitors. By the late 1990s, the series had made over $4 billion, and by 2000, it had earned more than $5 billion in total revenue. One of its most successful games, Mortal Kombat II, had very high sales numbers that had never been seen before in the video game industry. These sales surpassed the numbers of popular summer movies at the time. However, Mortal Kombat games were not released in Japan after Mortal Kombat II because of rules about showing blood, violence, and body parts. Some people believed the characters looked too American in style.
By 1994, Mortal Kombat games had sold over 6 million copies, and by 2007, they had sold 26 million copies. By 2012, sales had reached more than 30 million copies. As of 2022, the series had sold about 79 million copies. By 2025, sales had passed 100 million copies.
In 2008, the Mortal Kombat series received seven world records, including "most successful fighting game series." In 2011, it held ten world records, including "largest promotional campaign for a fighting video game" (Mortal Kombat 3), "highest grossing film based on a beat ‘em up video game" (Mortal Kombat 1996), and "most successful video game spin-off soundtrack album" (Mortal Kombat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
Many sources have called Mortal Kombat one of the most important and violent game series in history. In 2011, GameSpy stated that its place in fighting game history is clear. In 2009, GameTrailers ranked Mortal Kombat as the ninth top fighting game franchise and the seventh bloodiest series of all time. In 2012, Complex ranked Mortal Kombat as the 37th best video game franchise overall, noting its "legendary status in video game history." In 2009, CraveOnline and in 2011, G4tv.com both ranked Mortal Kombat as the goriest video game ever.
Legacy and cultural impact
According to IGN, during the 1990s, many similar games began appearing in the market, filling arcades with games that focused on violence, such as Time Killers, Survival Arts, and Guardians of the Hood. Mortal Kombat started a trend of games that emphasized graphic violence, both on consoles and in arcades, competing to show the most blood and gore on low-quality screens. Notable games that copied Mortal Kombat included Bio F.R.E.A.K.S., BloodStorm, Cardinal Syn, Catfight, Eternal Champions, Kasumi Ninja, Killer Instinct, Mace: The Dark Age, Primal Rage, Street Fighter: The Movie, Tattoo Assassins, Thrill Kill, Ultra Vortek, Way of the Warrior, and War Gods by Midway. John Tobias said, "Some of the copycat games from that time did not last long because, even though the violence attracted attention, if the game lacked other qualities, it would not remain popular."
In a 2009 poll by GamePro, 21% of voters chose Mortal Kombat as their favorite fighting game series, ranking it third after Street Fighter and Tekken. In 2012, Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono said he received many requests for a Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat game but noted it would be difficult to create because the violence in Mortal Kombat might not fit the style of Street Fighter. In 2014, martial artist Frankie Edgar said Mortal Kombat has been more successful than Street Fighter.
The Mortal Kombat series and its characters have been mentioned in other popular culture works, such as the title of Powerglove’s debut album Metal Kombat for the Mortal Man and the Workaholics episode "Model Kombat." According to Complex in 2012, Mortal Kombat became a major cultural event outside of gaming. Its name was used in sitcoms like Malcolm in the Middle and Married… with Children, in movies like Very Bad Things, and in books about video games. It also appeared in the film The Doom Generation. The name "Mortal Kombat" was even used for a dangerous illegal drug that caused deaths in 2014.
In 2012, Tobias said, "If you look at other pop culture events, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they became popular around the same time as Mortal Kombat and had their ups and downs. Now, people are talking about a new movie about them again. This is because Mortal Kombat has always been part of pop culture. It will always be around, even 50 years from now."
Popular music artists, especially in rap and hip-hop, have mentioned Mortal Kombat and its characters in their songs. For example, in the 2013 song "Bad (Remix)" by Wale and Rihanna, Wale says, "you try and play Sub-Zero, I be Scorpion, pshh get over here today," referencing Scorpion’s famous line "get over here!" In Nicki Minaj’s 2018 song "Miami" from her album Queen, she says, "Mortal Kombat, ninja Nicki, who ya pick is?" referring to a fictional character in the game.
Mortal Kombat content from earlier games was included in the second season of the sixth chapter of Fortnite Battle Royale. At the start of the season, players could unlock cosmetics based on the character Sub-Zero and obtain his abilities during matches. Later in the season, three stages from the first two Mortal Kombat games were added to the game’s map (The Living Forest, The Pit, and The Dead Pool). Players could battle Scorpion as a boss and collect his abilities. Cosmetics for Scorpion, Kitana, and Raiden, as well as emotes inspired by the game, were also available for purchase. Graphic violence from Mortal Kombat was not included in the crossover to keep the game’s upbeat style and Teen ESRB rating.
Fighting games have been popular in tournaments since the late 1990s. Mortal Kombat is part of major tournaments like Evo and Combo Breaker, as well as local and online events worldwide. Since the 2011 Mortal Kombat game was released, it has been a top choice at these events. Between 2014 and 2017, the game was less common in tournaments because NetherRealm Studios focused on their Injustice series. Mortal Kombat games returned to Combo Breaker in 2018.
Mortal Kombat was involved in major video game controversies and court cases, especially because of its violent content. The original game helped establish the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) in 1994 and the Australian Classification Board. Some games in the series and their advertisements were censored or banned in several countries. SuperData Research CEO Joost van Dreunen said, "Because of the differences between gamers and adult society, Mortal Kombat set the tone for what gamer culture looks like."
In Germany, all Mortal Kombat games were banned for ten years until 2015. The 2011 version of Mortal Kombat is banned in South Korea, and the original game was banned in Australia until February 2013. Mortal Kombat 11 is banned in Indonesia, Japan, China, and Ukraine.