Warning: Spoilers ahead for Mortal Kombat II!
Though 2021’s Mortal Kombat had some of the gory action that fans of the video games were hoping to see on the big screen, it was missing one crucial thing: the official tournament. In Mortal Kombat II, the time has finally come for the champions of Earthrealm and Outworld to battle it out, with the fate of our beloved world on the line. After some new additions to the film’s cast, the final roster of fighters was set. All that was left for audiences to see was who would ultimately be matched up, and who would end up in a bloody, mutilated mess at the end of it.
That’s how it seemed, at least – but this movie wasn’t content to leave all the fighting to the Mortal Kombat tournament. There are plenty of extracurricular skirmishes involving champions and non-participants alike, and some are even given a bigger spotlight than the official showdowns. Some fights are intercut with one another; others aren’t even limited to single-combat. Things especially get messy in the final act, when narrowing down who’s actually getting enough action to be an entry on this list gets a little challenging.
In the end, I narrowed the movie’s fights down to 12, and the fact that they’re not all created equal makes it all the easier to write this list. These are all the major fights in Mortal Kombat II, ranked worst to best.
12
Liu Kang & Sonya Blade vs. Shao Kahn
It feels strange to be placing one of the finale fights all the way at the bottom, but this battle is a sitting duck. By this point in the film, Kitana has been unmasked as a traitor and chained up, leaving only Shao Kahn to take on Earthrealm’s two remaining champions. That should be an enticing matchup, except that the villainous leader of Outworld still has the power of the Amulet of Shinnok healing any and all wounds he may suffer.
At this stage of Mortal Kombat II‘s ending, as our heroes in the Netherrealm scramble to destroy the Amulet before it’s too late, everything is about the inevitability of Shao Kahn’s victory. He’s already faced down Liu Kang (more on that later), whose “death” here is quite awkwardly handled, while Sonya barely gets to fight before she’s knocked unconscious. Of all the film’s fights, this has to be the least memorable.
11
Kitana vs. Jade
This loses some points for being just a friendly sparring match between two characters who are practically as close as sisters, but that’s also the source of its fun. Kitana is wielding wooden practice weapons against Jade and her staff, and though she’s quick, things don’t go her way initially. She ends up disarmed, but rather than yield, she uses the ribbon from her hair to turn the tide and subdue her opponent.
This pre-tournament training session has the benefit of being rooted in character. Through this scene, the film establishes Kitana’s resourcefulness, Jade’s prowess, and the friendly dynamic between them that will become important to the story later. Had these two fought for real, especially at the height of their animosity for one another after Jade’s betrayal, it could’ve been one of the movie’s best.
10
Jax vs. Jade
This fight is… odd. Part of the second round of the tournament, Jax and Jade’s showdown comes just after Kitana has met the Earthrealm team and specifically marked Jade as a friend. Jax is somewhat surprised when they meet to find an eager opponent, but he isn’t on his back foot for long, and he’s eventually able to overpower her by robbing her of her weapon. However, in return for Kitana having spared Johnny Cage during their first round fight, Jax still chooses to do the honorable thing and leave Jade alive.
In pure stunt choreography terms, this fight isn’t bad, and there are some ahead of it on this list that fare worse in that department. However, for a few different reasons, this sequence is absolutely sauceless. Neither Jax nor Jade get much development in Mortal Kombat II, and the absence of emotional stakes makes it hard to care much about the outcome. It doesn’t help that this scene is intercut with another fight (which also lacks narrative tension), disrupting its flow – but the greater sin is Jade’s staff still having the safety on. Does it make much sense to hold so much power back in a fight to the death? Only if you’re wearing some pretty thick plot armor.
9
Cole Young vs. Shao Kahn
Anyone who followed the discussion after 2021’s Mortal Kombat will understand why this gets the edge over Jax vs. Jade. Cole Young was the protagonist of that film and a brand-new character created specifically for it, but reactions to him were… mixed. The news that he would be somewhat sidelined as a perspective character in favor of newcomers Kitana and Johnny Cage was received well by the expectant fanbase.
So, when this fight begins just after Shao Kahn has bonded with the Amulet of Shinnok, we all know where it’s headed. Poor Cole puts up a great showing against the Emperor of Outworld, and with a one-liner heavy on cheese, he delivers a blow that probably would’ve won him the round. But his opponent heals quickly, and before he can even realize what’s happened, Shao Kahn’s massive hammer pops his cranium in a deep red splatter. The fighting itself, given the immortality, has virtually no stakes at all, but it comes to a pretty satisfying conclusion.
8
Sonya Blade vs. Queen Sindel
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3
Johnny Cage vs Baraka
After getting his butt whooped by Kitana in official combat…
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