Mortal Kombat 1 Tier List: Kenshi, Johnny Cage, and the Best Kombatants Right Now
Mortal Kombat 1 has had a long run of balance passes since launch, and the current patch has settled into a meta where a handful of Kombatants clearly separate themselves from the rest of the 23-character roster. Here's how the cast breaks down right now, from the two characters you genuinely need to respect to the ones still waiting on a buff.
S+ Tier: Kenshi, the Best Character in the Game
Kenshi sits alone at the top of most competitive tier lists. His signature tool is a spirit samurai summon that fights alongside him, effectively turning every exchange into a 2-on-1 situation for his opponent. That extra body covers his approach, extends his pressure, and makes his neutral game one of the safest in Mortal Kombat 1. If you want a character who rewards patience and punishes mistakes hard, Kenshi is the pick.
S+ Tier: Johnny Cage, the All-Rounder
Johnny Cage is the other half of the game's S+ tier, and for very different reasons. He's an accessible all-rounder with relatively easy combo routes, strong normals, and a Hype Meter that can nullify an opponent's special moves at the right moment — a tool that swings close rounds in his favor. Johnny Cage is widely considered one of the best characters for players moving from beginner to intermediate, since his tools stay relevant all the way up to high-level play.
S Tier: Raiden, Baraka, and Scorpion
Just below the top sits a trio that most players will run into constantly online. Raiden is beginner-friendly but scales well into high-level play, with the mobility of his Electric Fly move and strong screen control through his projectiles. Baraka applies relentless pressure with long-range blade attacks that are difficult to challenge once he's in range. Scorpion rounds out the tier with teleport-based mobility and strong combo potential, and recent buffs have pushed him back into serious contention after a period in the middle of the pack.
A+ Tier and the Rest of the Roster
Below S tier, the roster gets murkier and more a matter of personal taste. Liu Kang, Ashrah, Smoke, and Geras headline A+ tier, each offering strong tools that take real investment to use well — Geras in particular is a time-manipulation character with a genuinely high ceiling despite a steep learning curve. A tier includes Shang Tsung, Sindel, Kitana, and Kung Lao, all viable but less forgiving of mistakes. Further down, Reptile, Sub-Zero, Li Mei, and Rain sit in B tier as usable picks that don't offer much advantage over the cast around them, while Nitara, Havik, and Tanya are generally seen as the characters most in need of buffs.
Our Take
Tier lists shift with every balance patch, and matchup knowledge usually matters more than raw tier placement in Mortal Kombat 1. If you're picking a main, Kenshi and Johnny Cage are the safest bets for climbing ranked, but any character in S or A tier can win tournaments in the right hands. For more detail on where this breakdown comes from, see this Mortal Kombat 1 tier list. Full patch notes and the game itself are on the official Steam store page.
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