Mortal Kombat Video Game Quotes

[Libby Cowen]

Ifthere's one thing Mortal Kombat is known for besides grueling combat and grisly finishing moves, it's a colorful assortment of ultra-marketable one-liners that practically sell themselves. Luckily, the series is absolutely stacked with them.

Some of these quotes have fallen a bit by the wayside over the years, while others remain irrevocably bound to the series narrative with each new chapter. Either way, these popular Mortal Kombat quotes will stand the test of time, no matter what direction the story takes.

Updated on December 11, 2023, by Jason Wojnar: Even though the Mortal Kombat series started its life in arcades and is known the world over for its cartoonish, yet sometimes still unsettling, violence, the entries in the last two decades have had story modes with real attention paid to writing and character. To bring this point home, this update adds some of the more profound quotes from 2023's Mortal Kombat 1, offering a contrast to the iconic yet simple "Get Over Here" or the clever threats.

Mortal Kombat X and 11 humanize Johnny Cage through his relationship with Sonya Blade and their child Cassie. Mortal Kombat 1 does not retread the same ground and instead shows how his ego separates him from those whom he loves. It doesn't go so far as to show his movie star persona as a shield for his insecurities, but his arc goes from him joining the tournament for himself to him doing it for the betterment of others.

Who ever thought that a game whose appeal is extreme violence could give us such helpful life advice. There is a lot in life you have absolutely no control over, whether it be in your personal life or in relation to major world events. Worrying does no good, though. You have to take action.

Of course, this is not the same thing as grieving or taking the time needed to process something. Be thankful at least your worry isn't the fate of the entire Earthrealm being down to a single hand-to-hand fight. At the same time, some real-world stresses can feel like it is the end of the world.

You could really take 80 percent of the things Liu Kang says in Mortal Kombat 1 and put them on a motivational poster to hang up in your office, bedroom, or bathroom. Everybody has goals and most people work hard to achieve them, which can be severely disappointing when the goal is not achieved.

Sometimes, though, that failure really was out of your control and you should still take pride in the work you put in. Maybe that opponent in an online match was simply better than you, but you still put in all that effort and depleted more than half of their health bar because you focused on your moves and defense and not merely on the prospect of winning.

He stumbled upon Kotal Kahn sitting on his throne and was none-too-happy about it. This prompted a memorable quote by Kahn before he attacked Kotal, who was arguably a more benevolent and level-headed leader in every respect.

Starting with the 2011 semi-reboot of Mortal Kombat,an excellent story-driven narrative has taken center stage. This was a definite change from previous games in the series which loosely followed an overall plot.

Raiden uttered this phrase in Mortal Kombat X as a haunting precursor to the story that would eventually unfold in Mortal Kombat 11. He uttered this quote after tossing Shinnok's severed head to the ground which was still technically alive due to the Elder God's immortality. Raiden had changed, and not for the better.

Since the beginning of the series, the word "Fight" has been synonymous with the heat of battle. Sure, many fighting games used this word to start a match, but there was something especially ominous about the way Mortal Kombat did it.

The evil voices that shout this starting word drive home the point that a more sinister force is in charge. The same voice would make other proclamations throughout the round, such as telling players when to finish off their opponents.

This was a great line from Noob during his meeting with Cyber Sub-Zero back in Mortal Kombat 9, and the developers clearly thought it was so good that it was brought back in Mortal Kombat 11. During the rematch, Sub-Zero was the one to deliver the line, but it still kept its awesome feeling.

Then came Brutalities, a new mechanic that appeared in the home console versions of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. They were on and off again for a time until they made a big comeback. Brutalities are recognizable for the fact that they can take place in the middle of a round, provided certain criteria are met, as opposed to the end of a bout. It is an excellent way to surprise unsuspecting players, feeling even more humiliating than the classic and expected Fatality.

This particular quote is memorable for the fact that nobody has a clue what Raiden is saying. Still, it's one of the most popular Mortal Kombat quotes of the bunch, if one can call it that. Raiden yells variations of this quote out whenever he does his flying superman move.

It first began way back in the original Mortal Kombat game before the sound was changed in Mortal Kombat 2, which seems to be the more oft-used version of the scream. Perhaps someday you'll get an official translation, but according to legend, it's gibberish. Depending on the game, it is sometimes very high-pitched or a little bit more of a growl.

It's one of the cheapest moves of any MK character, but at least it made a memorable one-liner out of an all-too-obvious proclamation. In a series with dozens of creative kills, this simple beat down remains one of the most brutal moves in any character's toolset.

Oh, the embarrassment! There you are, seeing triple and swaying about while your opponent contemplates your fate. Rather than paint the floor with your brain matter, it's decided that you shall get a second stab at life (no pun intended) via the dreaded Babality.

Going up against Shao Kahn in any MK game can have players screaming "Serenity now!" before throwing their controller against the wall. Does it help when he taunts you with merciless insults at the same time?

This particular challenge mode has come and gone over the years since its first iteration in 1992, but it left us with a quote that is irrevocably tied to the MK mythos. "Test your might" is just the right bit of vocal encouragement for you to mash those buttons into a paste so your character can muster enough force to karate chop through a variety of hard materials.

Few bragging rights are as potent as cracking a block of diamonds in two, even if it means that every bone in your character's arm would end up being pulverized beyond hope of repair. Mortal Kombat 1 creatively integrated Test Your Might Into the Story Mode.

Picture this: You've thrashed your opponent, left them barely able to stand, and now you're ready to deliver that fatal blow. However, instead of succumbing to your blood-lust, you end up channeling your inner John Lennon long enough to extend an olive branch to your foe in the form of friendship.

It may not mean much to the character you just kicked the snot out of, but a little virtue signaling can go a long way in showing that deep down, you're just a big ol' softy! Even the announcer can't wrap their head around this one, which is where this memorable quote comes from.

Before memes were a thing, there was "Toasty!" Now there are...lots of "Toasty!" memes. Anyways, this particular quote broke the fourth wall in goofy fashion starting with Mortal Kombat 2, where sound designer Dan Forden's face would leap onscreen for a quick second and deliver this popular falsetto quote before dashing off into the ether.

Players with quick reflexes could hit Down + Start to trigger an immediate battle with the hidden character Smoke, provided they were battling in the Portal stage. It was a leg up on the secret formula for finding Reptile in the original MK, although this method was more than a little unorthodox!

This was especially important back in the smokey arcades of the 1990s when Mortal Kombat's notoriety was at an all-time high, and gamers would crowd around the cabinet to watch players demonstrate their fighting finesse. It was also one of the most demoralizing things to hear after you lost a round!

Although fatalities have become more creative and imaginative (to the point of comical satire) over the years, each and everyone is prefaced by this single, memorable quote from the announcer; a call for you to embrace the dark side and send your opponent off to the knacker's yard in the most explicitly violent manner imaginable.

Protect Earthrealm from tyranny of Shao Kahn and Shinnok, even it involves altering the reality.

Use Shinnok's dark powers to stop threats and attacks on Earthrealm.

Defending Earthrealm and allied alternate Earth from other invading worlds and beings before they become a threat.

Claim and use the god-like powers of Blaze to destroy enemies of Earthrealm (all succeeded).

In his ending, exposure to the sun weakened him greatly, reducing him to the level of a mortal. Quan Chi offered him a strange amulet made of green stone (Kryptonite) that would restore his powers, but only if the thunder god swore to serve him. Raiden was left to decide between serving Quan Chi or mortality.

In the distant past, Raiden and Fujin aided the Elder Gods in battling Shinnok, leading to the fallen Elder God's banishment. In the ages that followed, Raiden acted as protector of Earthrealm, facing threats such as Shao Kahn.

Although being formless and eternal, Raiden often takes human form on mortal planes. As such, he appears as a fully-grown man wearing predominately white robes and a blue vest, his face usually shadowed by a straw hat. The effect is enhanced by his glowing blue eyes that radiate with electricity and long white hair, befitting of his god-like status. In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, one of his outfits is finished by a flowing blue cape. Lastly, his power is so great that he constantly radiates with lightning energy, electricity constantly dancing and crackling around his being.

3a8082e126