The Best Mortal Kombat X Characters To Play

Gaming’s goriest fighter holds a special place in many player’s hearts. With fans old and new, the Mortal Kombat franchise endures as a pillar of the fighting game scene. That popularity is mostly due to the latest two additions to the franchise – Mortal Kombat (2011) and Mortal Kombat X.

Mortal Kombat X has been the defining title of the franchise so far. With Netherrealm’s commitment to pushing the envelope, some unique mechanics set this fighting game apart from the competition.

However, those same mechanics also make choosing the right character a daunting challenge for Mortal Kombat X players.

With the three alternative move sets available to each character, there’s a lot more to the game than prior titles. Mortal Kombat X made a base roster of 24 feel much more strategic with their various forms limiting move sets. Add in the eight DLC fighters, and you’re looking at a daunting time-sync to find a go-to main.

But realize that non-traditional styles variants can make the 33 slots of the Mortal Kombat X roster play in completely different ways.

With that in mind, here are the best Mortal Kombat X characters to play. We’ve broken our list down according to player skill level and the most reliable fighter available for various playstyles.

The Best Mortal Kombat X Characters to Play

For Beginners: Sub-Zero

Since the original Mortal Kombat, Sub-Zero became an icon for the Mortal Kombat franchise. With far-reaching combos and a bevy of stun options available, the blue ninja’s tailor-made for newbie fighters to the franchise.

But with his Cryomancer, Unbreakable, and Grandmaster variations, Sub-Zero mains can turn from grappling god to zoning sod at a whim. The Lin-Kuei’s ice powers allow him to freeze an enemy combatant with ice clones, passively slow them with an ice aura, or summon ice weapon extensions to initiate long combos.

Sub-Zero’s one of the best Mortal Kombat X characters to play for the uninitiated challenger. After mastering the ice ninja, and nailing a unique playstyle, several more standout combatants open up for the intermediate player.

Pros: 

• Straightforward character to master.
• Ability to freeze enemies allows preparation of massive damage combos.
• With the Cryomancer and Grandmaster variants, players can choose to prioritize combo chains or have more ranged zoning options.

Cons: 

• Sub Zero’s limited move set doesn’t allow for much variety. Player combos will soon feel stale as a result.
• Online players can telegraph move sets due to his limitations.

The Best Mortal Kombat X Characters To Play

For Beginners: Takeda

With Mortal Kombat X, Ed Boone’s team reserved about half of its roster to franchise newcomers. Takeda debuted in Mortal Kombat X as the son of the blind swordsman Kenshi, and his long-reach and ease of use make him another readily accessible fighter for newer players.

Consequently, if Sub-Zero’s style doesn’t gel, Takeda’s another excellent character for beginners to main. In fact, his talent for zoning and closing large gaps make Takeda a go-to fighter for many Mortal Kombat X players on the esports scene.

Takeda’s one glaring weakness comes from the slow wind-up of his attacks. Make sure to keep enemies to at least mid-range in order to dominate the arena.

Pros:

• With a long reach and easy combos, Takeda is one of the easier fighters to get the hang of in Mortal Kombat X.
• His Shirai Ryu and Lasher variations allow for excellent ranged play.
• Ronin variation makes up for a lack of close-range combos with unique dual-sword move sets.

Cons:

• Long wind-up times for his core moves make Takeda weak when up close.

The Best Mortal Kombat X Characters To Play

For Grapplers: D’Vorah

Making her franchise debut in Mortal Kombat X, the Outworld brood-queen D’Vorah quickly became widely used online and in the Mortal Kombat pro circuit.

A variety of reasons can plausibly point to her wide-spread adoption by the player-base. D’Vorah’s fast attacks, long combo chains, and far-reaching holds make her an excellent grappling character.

She’s not a character for the faint of heart, however. Her weak frame also makes her an easy target to stun – and failure to pull off a combo starter can leave D’Vorah mains wide open to vicious counter-attack.

Pros:

• Fast attacks allow quick players to initiate long combo chains.
• A multitude of bug swarming abilities (from Brood Mother and Swarm Queen variants) enables multiple combo initiators.
• She’s one of the most likely characters to pull off devastating corner combos.

Cons:

• D’Vorah is the epitome of a glass cannon. She’s got low defense and leaves herself relatively vulnerable to brute opponent stuns.
• She’s got a harsh learning curve. Not for the faint of heart to main.

The Best Mortal Kombat X Characters To Play

For Zoners: Kitana

After the 2011 reboot, Kitana became… well, let’s say reanimated.

But her new state of undeath hasn’t diminished her abilities in the slightest. On the contrary, Kitana remains one of Mortal Kombat X’s most capable zoning characters.

Her zoning supremacy is primarily due to her throwing fans and her many air-control-centric special moves. Add her fan-nado lift into the mix, and advanced players have a variety of options allowing them to control their fights.

Pros:

• Instant throwable fans and fast dodge moves allow Kitana supreme control of long-range engagements.
• Her Fan-Nado (Royal Storm variant) can open opportunities for long combo chains.

Cons:

• Her only good character variant is the Royal Storm – both Mournful and Assassin move sets add abilities that taper down her zoning advantages.
• For players who dislike zoning… she’s not for you.

The Best Mortal Kombat X Characters To Play

For Rushers: Goro

Another pro-circuit mainstay with the Mortal Kombat X community, Goro secured his spot here for his ability to rush down and trap opposing combatants.

Nearly twice the size of the other roster mains, he seems to hit twice as hard as well. With his punch-walk and anti-air grab moves, Goro’s ability to overpower his competition is peerless among Mortal Kombat X’s other fighters.

That power’s lore-appropriate, too. The four-armed Shokan was the former undefeated Mortal Kombat champion for nearly a millennia.

Pros:

• Abilities like his punch-walk allow Goro to cover large swaths of ground to corner-combo fighters to oblivion.
• The Kuatan Warrior variant grants Goro a powerful ground pound and fast charge-stun move, perfect for stunning and rushing opponents.
• Easy combo chains hit enemies hard and devastate their recovery.

Cons:

• His dashes and base movement are slow and lumbering. Using punch-walk and Chest Charge are necessary to master Goro.
• Goro mastery proves difficult for players without fighting game finesse.

Those are our picks for the best Mortal Kombat X characters to play. Do you have any other reccomendations? Leave them in the comments down below.

Still on the fence about picking up the latest title for Netherrealm’s premiere fighting franchise? Check out our Mortal Kombat X review here.

For more fighting game features, check out the Top 15 Best Fighting Games of All Time and 6 Fighting Games to Look Forward To In 2018