The Mortal Kombat franchise has consistently been one of the best competitive fighting games over the years.
Its latest iteration, Mortal Kombat 11, known affectionately as MK11 by the fighting game community, introduces plenty of mechanics that improve upon the well-established formula.
In contrast to its predecessors, MK11 is a bit slower paced, which forces the player to take actions that are more deliberate, rather than spammy. The pace difference shines in the competitive arena, where character movement is more nuanced, and positioning is more important than before.
The uniqueness of characters is highlighted in MK11, with each one having a different strategy to dominate the matches they are in.
It’s for this reason that a ranking of fighters based on their viability to win matches is an important guide for MK11 players.
So keep reading to find out what the strongest characters in the game are and start winning non-stop.
Table of ContentsShow
MK11 Tier List
Read on to see how the game’s 37 characters are ranked from best to worst. These fighters were ranked in terms of success in pro matches, capabilities and matchups against other fighters. A column is placed at the end to identify each fighter’s play style as one of the following:
- Zoners – Zoners excel at keeping the enemy at a distance to gain an advantage. These are fighters with great long-ranged moves. An experienced player with one of these characters will be good at putting pressure on the opponents until an opening for the kill pops up.
- Rushdown – If zoners use wide distances to their advantage, rushdown fighters do the opposite. These characters are great for in-your-face, close combat scenarios because of their quick move set and devastating punishes if the enemy makes a mistake.
- Grapplers – These fighters have great offensive potential but mix it up with grapple techniques. In a way, these fighters seem defense-centric — until they see an opening and pummel you to death, that is.
Note: This list includes the latest Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath DLC fighters.
S-Tier
These are fighters that excel in their play styles. As such, they have seen massive success in the pro scene and would be a safe pick for any player.
Fighter | Playstyle |
---|---|
The Joker | Rushdown |
Liu Kang | Rushdown |
Geras | Grappler |
Fujin | Zoner |
Cetrion | Zoner |
Jacqui Briggs | Rushdown |
A-Tier
The fighters in this tier have high success in different matchups but have flaws and quirks that prevent them from being the best in their class. These are still viable for players of any skill and experience level, however, so keep that in mind.
Fighter | Playstyle |
---|---|
Erron Black | Zoner |
Sub-Zero | Rushdown |
Jade | Zoner |
Sheeva | Grappler |
Spawn | Rushdown |
Kotal Khan | Zoner |
Kollector | Zoner |
Shang Tsung | Rushdown |
Kung Lao | Rushdown |
B-Tier
These fighters have a decent move set with no glaring disadvantages. If they’re slow, they compensate with heavy damage; what they lack in range, they make up with speed in closing distances for combos. You can still see a lot of success playing these as your main.
Fighter | Playstyle |
---|---|
Scorpion | Rushdown (with good Zoning capabilities) |
Cassie Cage | Rushdown |
Sindel | Zoner |
Noob Saibot | Rushdown (with some Zoning) |
Shao Khan | Zoner |
Johnny Cage | Rushdown |
Kano | Grappler |
C-Tier
C-tier fighters can win a lot of matches provided that the player controlling them invests some time practicing combos and intuitive counters.
Fighter | Playstyle |
---|---|
The Terminator | Rushdown (with some Zoning) |
Sonya Blade | Rushdown |
Nightwolf | Rushdown |
Kitana | Zoner |
Kabal | Zoner |
Frost | Zoner |
D-Tier
It’s hard to justify using these fighters unless you are extremely skilled with them and have invested enough practice time.
Fighter | Playstyle |
---|---|
Baraka | Rushdown |
Raiden | Rushdown |
Rain | Zoner |
Mileena | Rushdown |
Jax Briggs | Grappler |
F-Tier
With how the game is balanced, you’ll have a hard time winning fights against opponents using these characters. There are no bad characters in MK11 per se, but these would be the worst ones.
Fighter | Playstyle |
---|---|
Skarlet | Zoner |
D’Vorah | Grappler |
Robocop | Zoner |
John Rambo | Zoner |