As one of the most iconic western fighting games of all time, Mortal Kombat is filled with recognizable characters that have become synonymous with the fighting game genre. From ninjas like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, to classics like Johnny Cage and Liu Kang, the series is home to many archetypal characters.

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However, with the nearly thirty-year history of the series, Mortal Kombat has created many lesser-known characters that don't get the appreciation they deserve. They may be a little weird or quirky, even by the games' standards, but they deserve more love from fans.

10 Ferra/Torr

Ferra Torr has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the few new characters introduced in Mortal Kombat X that did not return in Mortal Kombat XI. Two characters that are controlled simultaneously, Ferra, a small girl, a Torr, a hulking brute provide a very distinct playstyle that hasn't been seen elsewhere in the series.

The closest thing to a"puppet character" the franchise has seen, Ferra/Torr showed a willingness from Netherrealm Studios to experiment with what is possible with characters within Mortal Kombat. Despite this, the character was quite unpopular in both casual and tournament play alike, fading into obscurity shortly after their introduction.

9 Cyber Sub-Zero

While Sub-Zero is among the most popular characters in the series, Cyber Sub-Zero is an incredibly underrated character who has only appeared in Mortal Kombat IX.

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A version of Sub-Zero that underwent the cyber initiative, Cyber Sub-Zero pairs ice-based elements with those that one would expect from a cybernetic fighter like Cyrax or Sektor. Despite introducing a new hybrid fighting style into the series, many fans still preferred the original iteration of the character, and Cyber Sub-Zero has yet to return to the series as his own full-fledged character.

8 Sheeva

When it comes to the villains of Mortal Kombat, one of the most iconic foes from the arcade era was always Goro. A four-armed brute, Goro was often only featured as a boss, rather than a playable character. Introduced in Mortal Kombat III, Sheeva allowed players to access a similar moveset to that of Goro, while not giving players the broken armor and abilities of the aforementioned boss.

While Goro has since been made playable in games like Armageddon and Mortal Kombat X, Sheeva has since come into her own as a defining member of the roster, serving as much more than a stripped-down variant of Goro.

7 Rain

As mentioned, many of the most popular characters in the Mortal Kombat series are the iconic ninjas that wield a wide variety of powers. Rain, the Purple ninja was introduced in Mortal Kombat III, characterized by his ability to manipulate both water and positioning on the screen.

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In addition to lacking the notable popularity of other tertiary ninjas like Ermac and Reptile, though Rain has been playable within two of the past three Mortal Kombat games, each of these instances was as a DLC character rather than a core member of the cast. In the case of Mortal Kombat X, while Rain could even be fought in the game's story mode, he was never made playable himself.

6 Frost

When Frost was first introduced in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, she was little more than a female variation of Sub-Zero, lacking any distinctions to help set her apart from the rest of the roster. Despite this, Forst truly came into her own in Mortal Kombat XI as she became a cyborg.

Within Mortal Kombat XI Frost has access to a unique blend of ice-based and robotics-based moves while still being quite distinct from the previously mentioned Cyber Sub-Zero. While her most recent appearance was definitely the highlight of her existence as a character, though most of Mortal Kombat's history, Frost has been relegated to cameos.

5 Tremor

Within the past few entries of the Mortal Kombat series, it has been quite uncommon for new ninjas to be introduced. However, Tremor was included as a DLC character in Mortal Kombat X, the only brand new ninja in that game. Having a much larger build than the other ninjas of the series, Tremor's earth-based move set relied significantly on brute strength, making him feel quite distinct from the other ninjas from previous entries.

Despite this, while the character saw a decent amount of competitive play, he is one of the characters in the series with the least amount of lore, never showing up in the story mode of a game.

4 Freddy Krueger

Appearing in Mortal Kombaty IX, while the horror icon of Freddy Krueger may not have seemed to be the first character one would expect from a fighting game, his brutal move set and fatalities were a perfect fit for Mortal Kombat. 

The first major guest character to appear in the series, Krueger started a major trend of including guest characters in the series, bringing players to the series that may not have tried it otherwise. While the character's stint in the series only within a single game, potentially unknown to newer fans of the series, the franchise's rich pool of guest characters wouldn't be what it is now without Freddy Krueger.

3 Shang Tsung

One of the most iconic villains in the Mortal Kombat series, Shang Tsung is most often characterized by his ability to drain the souls of others, temporarily gaining some of their powers. Most recently however, Shang Tsung has served as one of the most unique characters the franchise has ever seen.

In his appearance in Mortal Kombat XI, Shang Tsung serves as a composite character, able to temporarily transform into various ninjas from the series to use their moves. This allowed characters such as Reptile and Ermac to be partially represented in the game without being on the roster themselves.

While Shang Tsung is still a character that gets appreciation, the multifaceted nature of the character and the way he was able to be seamlessly utilized to implement other characters in the series is one of the most brilliant yet undervalued designs in the series.

2 Triborg

Like Mortal Kombat XI's iteration of Shang Tsung, Triborg is a character who allowed numerous characters to be represented in a given game without requiring them to take up entire character slots. Appearing as a DLC character alongside the aforementioned Tremor in Mortal Kombat X, Triborg's variations allow players to access past cybernetic characters from the series including Cyrax, Sektor, Smoke, and even Cyber Sub-Zero.

Like Shang Tsung, this flexible and multi0faceted design is currently being quite underutilized, as the character hasn't made another appearance in the series since their debut.

1 Kano

Despite being present in the very first entry in the Mortal Kombat series, Kano is perhaps the most under-utilized member of the original cast of Mortal Kombat I. While every other member of the first Mortal Kombat have become some of the most integral characters to the series, Kano is time and time again treated as an afterthought, even being temporarily cut from the series in Mortal Kombat IV.

Nearly every story within the series uses Kano as little more than a jobber, having him serve as early and mid-game fodder for the player to beat down. When examining the great treatment the remaining members of Mortal Kombat 1's cast receives, Kano often feels like the odd one out, now only being included due to obligation.

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