A well-known name in the fighting game community, Shujinkydink—who originally gained attention during the Mortal Kombat 9 era for his notorious Quan Chi unblockable loops—has released a fresh tier list for Mortal Kombat 1. The rankings reflect the game’s current balance state following its most recent update from December 2025.
The list organizes all 38 fighters into four broad categories: “Best in the Game,” “Very Solid,” “Competitive,” and “Very Niche,” suggesting a roster where nearly every character retains at least some degree of viability.
At the very top, a small but powerful group stands apart. Ghostface, Shang Tsung, Johnny Cage, and Havik are placed in the “Best in the Game” tier, forming an elite bracket that sits clearly above the rest of the roster.
The majority of the cast falls into the “Very Solid” category, where consistency and strong toolkits define the space. This group includes characters such as Homelander, T-1000, Conan, Peacemaker, Sub-Zero, Smoke, Quan Chi, Cyrax, Sektor, and Kenshi, among many others.
A step below, the “Competitive” tier still features capable fighters, though they require noticeably more effort to succeed at a high level. Reptile, Scorpion, Baraka, Geras, Ermac, Liu Kang, and Nitara are all placed here, indicating solid potential but a higher execution or matchup burden.
At the lower end of the spectrum, Kung Lao, Omni-Man, and Tanya are labeled “Very Niche,” suggesting they struggle to keep pace with the broader cast and demand more specialized play to achieve consistent results.
Overall, the tier list paints a picture of a relatively balanced Mortal Kombat 1 roster, where even lower-ranked characters can still function, but the top tier holds a clear competitive edge.
