When a new Mortal Kombat game comes out, it’s always fun to try out all the different characters. But these fights are especially fun to learn and play.
In Mortal Kombat 1, the characters are a nice mix of well-known and beloved fighters from previous games in the series. This makes the cast very diverse, and it’s fun to try out different characters’ fighting styles. As you play Mortal Kombat 1, each character has their own pros and cons. However, NetherRealm made some characters even more fun to play by giving them special moves, making them easy to control, or even just making their movements better.
Although there are many great fighters in Mortal Kombat 1, this list isn’t about them. Instead, it’s about the characters that are simple to learn and, most importantly, fun to play in a tough battle. At its core, Mortal Kombat is about long-lasting attacks and exact movement. But these characters are so much fun to play as that they make learning the game a lot less stressful.
General Shao
![General Shao](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/screenshot-2023-09-20-at-16-22-57-cropped-2.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
The most recent version of Shao Khan, who is now just called “General Shao,” is a huge, scary monster who likes to beat people up with his huge axe when he’s not beating them up with his bare hands. Shao is a very special character because his axe isn’t attached to him, so players can drop it and fight with his hands instead.
His skill is so good that he can even throw opponents onto the blades while the axe is still in the ground. It feels as good as it sounds. Not only that, but General Shao hits very hard. Every hit feels like an explosion of power that wipes out enemies’ health bars. He moves pretty slowly, but when he hits, it always does damage.
Sub Zero
![Sub Zero Defeating Kenshi In A Fight](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/screenshot-2023-09-20-at-16-30-58-cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Sub Zero, one of the most famous fighters in the series, has to be in a Mortal Kombat game. But in Mortal Kombat 1, he’s a mix of older and younger versions of the character. For instance, his Ice Slide, which was in some of the newest games, has come back, but he now also has his Ice Clone, which can be a lot of fun to use to trick other players.
What really makes Sub Zero unique, though, is that his ice powers can slow down a fight, which can easily make a combo last longer and do a lot of damage that would kill someone. That being said, this can also be very helpful for new players who need a little extra time to press the right buttons. This can be a lot less complicated if you slow down the enemy with Sub Zero. This makes him easy to use and fun to play.
Geras
![Geras And Sektor](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/screenshot-2023-09-20-at-16-36-46-cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
In the Mortal Kombat universe, Geras is the keeper of time, so it makes sense that he has a few special moves that can change the course of time. He did have some of these moves in Mortal Kombat 11, but they’re much better in this game. The main part of Geras’s strategy is to go back in time and appear at odd spots on the stage before hitting his opponent very hard.
While he does require some practice to get the hang of, it is well worth the time when players can shift the balance of a battle by teleporting around the stage and confusing their opponent, leaving them open for an attack. It’s a lot of fun to try new things with Geras because most of his moves are so crazy. He’s one of the most unexpected fighters in the game.
Reptile
![Reptile Summoning A Acid Bomb](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/screenshot-2023-09-20-at-16-41-35-cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Even though Reptile’s background was very interesting, he was always dominated by other ninjas in earlier Mortal Kombat games. But NetherRealm went above and beyond to totally redesign the character in Mortal Kombat 1. Reptile can still stealth, which has always been a big part of his character, which will please longtime fans. He can also now quickly change into his scaly form, which gives him a lot of new and different moves.
He can not only throw an Acid Bubble weapon that moves slowly at the enemy to keep them in check, but he can also run very quickly and pop up behind them after cutting them with his huge reptile claws. But his Death Roll is by far his most exciting move, and anyone who wants to play Reptile should make full use of it. In it, he jumps at his opponent, spins them around, and slams them to the ground. The fact that Reptile can turn invisible is a very fun move that never gets old. He also has a lot of other new moves that are just as fun to use.
Nitara
![Nitara Reaching Out With A Hand Full Of Blood](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/screenshot-2023-09-20-at-16-44-29-cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Nitara, the bloodthirsty vampire, finally comes back after being last seen in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. She may not be one of the most well-known characters, but she’s still a lot of fun to play as this time. She’s one of the best fighters in the game at stopping her opponent’s movement because she has both an anti-air kick and a dive kick, which isn’t often seen together in fighting games.
She is already annoying to play against because of this, but when she chooses to fly, things will get even worse for the other fighter. Nitara is the only character in the game who can move around easily while in the air, thanks to her air dash. This can lead to some fun shenanigans where the opponent can’t hit their combos because she’s always dodging them. She has a lot of other skills that make her a very deep and complicated character. One of the most important is that she can bite her enemies to heal herself, since she is a vampire.
Johnny Cage
![Johnny Cage Performing A Fatality](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/screenshot-2023-09-20-at-16-47-55-cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
The good news is that Johnny Cage is just as unexpected in Mortal Kombat 1 as he was in the first game. His ridiculous moves have always made him fun to play as well as a serious threat when used correctly. Johnny doesn’t have his green rockets anymore, but he does have a lot more moves that make him a much better rushdown character. He can beat up his opponent badly before using one of his flashy Fatalities to finish them off.
He can get close to an opponent very quickly with his wave dash. Which is the fastest move in the game. He also now has a command dash that lets him sneak past them and catch them off guard. There is now a Star Meter at the bottom of the screen for Johnny. It fills up every time he taunts at the end of a special move or combo. When this star is full, Johnny will go into Showtime Mode, where he can stop any of his special moves up to three times. This makes things very difficult for an opponent who is cornered. Johnny’s main strategy is to use crazy combos, taunt, and then finish off enemies with a set of unbeatable special moves. Don’t worry, his Nut Cracker is also back.
Smoke
![Smoke Fighting Reptile](https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/screenshot-2023-09-20-at-16-52-46-cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Smoke is a classic spy in 8 Ball Pool. He can quickly dash around the map and hide when his opponent doesn’t expect it, which makes him the most fun fighter to learn and play. Smoke’s opponent will have to guess where and when he’s going to attack because he has so many tricky mix-ups. And that’s just with his neutral moves.
With his special moves, Smoke can land on his enemy from the sky, slide into them from the other side of the screen, or even throw a smoke bomb and become invisible. Smoke applies more pressure than any other character in the game during a fight. He may look hard to understand in videos, but he’s actually pretty easy to understand once players get the hang of his lightning-fast movement and rushdown choices.