Flawless Victory! Every Fight in Mortal Kombat II, Ranked
Mortal Kombat II has been unleashed, and one of its biggest strengths is that it undoes one of the biggest criticisms of its 2021 predecessor.
That film, directed by Simon McQuoid, came under fire for spending too much time trying to explain nonsensical lore and not enough time fighting. Its biggest offence, though, was that it wasn’t even set during the Mortal Kombat tournament, instead unfolding in the lead-up. Now, though, McQuoid is back and has learned the error of his ways, with Mortal Kombat II set during the tournament.
The focus on the fighting is so strong that there are 12 fights in total, which, when you consider the film’s runtime clocks in at just under two hours, showcases a strong ratio of fighting content. Fans of the video game series will be elated to see so much action on the screen, but in a tournament of fighting, which are flawless victories and which feel more like a fatality? We’ve ranked them all from least to most impressive.
I’ll try to keep the spoilers as light as possible, and flag wherever they become heavier.
12. Kitana Vs. Jade
In the video game lore, Princess Kitana and Jade are close friends. This bond is replicated in Mortal Kombat II with Jade acting as Kitana’s bodyguard. Both women have been chosen as champions to fight in the tournament by the mighty Shao Kahn, and are seen practising together during the early section.
As the pair are simply sparring, there are no stakes to the fight, and although we get to see how pragmatic both can be when finding a weapon, their ‘battle’ is too informal to place it anywhere other than dead last.
11. King Jerrod Vs. Shao Kahn
Simon McQuoid’s first Mortal Kombat movie opened by setting up the backstory of Sub-Zero and Scorpion; Mortal Kombat II does something similar by providing some history to Princess Kitana. Set during a tournament between Kitana’s home, Edenia, and Kahn’s Outworld, her father, King Jerrod, is chosen as champion. With Outworld already having won nine consecutive tournaments, Shao Kahn needs a win to merge the two realms.
Spoiler: He succeeds, and witnessing the death of her father under such brutal circumstances, forever changes the young Kitana. This being the opening battle, with Shao Kahn, the known Big Bad, the outcome of the fight is obvious and, as such, places it towards the bottom of the pile.
10. Johnny Cage Vs. Kitana
The battle between Johnny Cage and Kitana presents the first taste of Mortal Kombat II’s tournament. It is not, however, a fair fight, with Johnny Cage still scrambling to get his head around what is happening.
Kitana also goes easy on him, and with the exception of her having fun with her newly acquired bladed fans, the sequence is a tad lacklustre with an anticlimactic conclusion.
9. Jax Vs. Jade
Another anticlimactic duel is between Jax and Jade. The two fighters have very different skillsets, Jax relying on his giant robotic arms, Jade on utilising her staff. It is clear that neither wants to be fighting the other, each with their eyes on a bigger quarry, so it’s primarily a case of going through the motions.
This fight slightly edges out Kitana and Johnny Cage as the pair get into closer quarters with one another.
8. Sonya Blade Vs. Sindel
The character of Sonya Blade has been a part of the video games since they began, and as such, she has featured in all of the live-action movie outings. This time, however, her role is heavily sidelined. This will come as a bitter disappointment to fans of the bicycle-kicking queen, but she does at least get one solo fight.
Drafted against Sindel, the pair fight in the iconic Pit location, meaning that, as well as dodging Sindel’s super sonic banshee wail, Sonya has to watch out for spikes. It’s a fun, albeit short battle, but one that starts pushing Mortal Kombat II into bloodier territory.
7. Cole Young Vs. Shao Kahn
New character Cole Young was the protagonist in Mortal Kombat. Considering the wealth of characters available for Simon McQuoid to choose from, fans were bemused by the concept of Cole Young. A bloodline descendant of Scorpion, Cole’s only real scene in this sequel is his fight with Shao Kahn.
Their exchange of kicks and punches takes place in a fiery location that befits someone of Cole’s lineage, but this is not a fair fight. Cole dishes out the damage predicted from those who have seen the previous film, but the result is anything but expected.
6. Liu Kang Vs. Shao Kahn
The meeting of Shao Kahn and Liu Kang is not under typical tournament settings. Instead, their battle is part of the wider plot, with Kahn rumbling Kang as he attempts to gain possession of a key artefact. Liu is not alone as Sonya, Jax, and Johnny all step in to try and help, but the bulk of the battle is between him and Kahn. With Kang fully in control of his abilities, this is a flame-filled combat sequence featuring some of Kang’s most impressive fireworks.
Fans from the game will be delighted to see some of the shapes that Kang manipulates the inferno into, while the dining hall setting should be familiar to fans of the game and Paul W. S Anderson’s original Mortal Kombat film.
5. Johnny Cage Vs. Baraka
During the quest portion of Mortal Kombat II, the Earth Realm team searches for allies. One stop of their journey takes them to the homeland of the popular game character Baraka. Known for his intimidating set of razor-sharp teeth, Baraka is a character that fans have been crying out to see in the movies since forever. Technically, Baraka is featured in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, but the less said about that, the better…
Here, he battles Johnny Cage in what is the most hilarious fight in the film. Still not ready to accept his destiny, Cage runs around trying to hide from Baraka before giving the performance of his life and ending with a Johnny Cage trademark move.
4. Scorpion Vs. Noob Saibot
The rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero, aka Han Hanzo Hasashi and Bi-Han, is legendary. No matter the game or film, the pair are always deadly adversaries, and fans love it every time they get to throw down. Their opening battle in Mortal Kombat is exceptional, and their repeat battle in the sequel is no exception.
Resurrected by necromancer Quan Chi, Bi-Han is now present at the Mortal Kombat II tournament under the alias, Noob Saibot. The new identity comes with new abilities that allow him to be in two places at once, and the smackdown between these two game giants is very impressive. Involving several other characters, the fighting is great, but what really rallies the cheers is when Scorpion gets to shout, ‘Get over here!’
3. Johnny Cage in ‘Uncaged Fury’
Okay, so the fight sequence featured in Uncaged Fury is not connected to the MK tournament at all, but that does not stop it from being a whole lot of fun. A wonderful pastiche of the over-the-top action movies from the ‘80s, this extended clip from the in-universe movie sets up Johnny Cage before the audience has been formally introduced.
With zingy one-liners, super cool sunglasses, hordes of enemies, a rocket launcher, and explosions, Uncaged Fury is epic. If only it were a real movie…
2. Kitana Vs. Shao Kahn
Mortal Kombat II ends mirroring how it begins. Now battling Kahn herself, Kitana must do everything she can to stop the Earth Realm from suffering the same fate as Edenia. The fight is long, thankfully intercut with the Scorpion / Noob Saibot sequence to break things up, and presents some super fun moments. Kitana’s bladed fans are once again used to perfection.
With everything at stake, neither Kitana nor Kahn are willing to admit defeat, and the pounding that each suffers is brutal. A great climax amidst a sea of great fight sequences, this one is topped off by the cherry, which is a very gruesome fatality.
1. Liu Kang Vs. Kung Lao
In Mortal Kombat, Liu Kang and Kung Lao were more like brothers than friends. The death of Kung Lao was devastating to Liu, and he is ready to take down Shao Kahn as vengeance for the horror inflicted upon his BFF in Mortal Kombat II. However, in the world of Mortal Kombat, death is not permanent, and Kung Lao is an unwitting recipient of Quan Chi’s macabre powers. This emotional attachment imbues their showdown with more substance than any of the others in Mortal Kombat II. It is also another fight that fans of the games have long wanted to see portrayed onscreen, and it does not disappoint.
Taking place in the iconic Edenian Ruins, which happen to look identical to the game, this clash of the titans has everything. There’s blood, sweat, and tears as the duo attempt to pummel the other into non-existence. Highlights include more fancy flame-throwing from Liu Kang, an impressive array of ways in which Kung Lao can manipulate his sawblade-edged hat, and a fatality so flawless in execution that viewers will be watching it on repeat.
