Mortal Kombat 2

Mortal Kombat II is the second entry in the Mortal Kombat series, developed by Midway Games and originally released in arcades in 1993. It was later ported to home consoles, including the SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and others.

This sequel improved on nearly every aspect of the original: more characters, smoother graphics, deeper lore, and more gruesome Fatalities—helping the series explode in popularity (and controversy).

Story: | Mortal Kombat 2

After losing the first Mortal Kombat tournament, Shang Tsung begs Shao Kahn for a second chance. Kahn opens a portal to Outworld and invites Earthrealm’s warriors to compete there, hoping to defeat them on his home turf.

If Earthrealm loses, it will be conquered.

Mortal Kombat 2 | Playable Characters:

Mortal Kombat II features 12 fighters (an upgrade from 7 in MK1), including returning warriors and powerful newcomers.

• Returning Characters:

  • Liu Kang

  • Johnny Cage

  • Raiden

  • Scorpion

  • Sub-Zero (the younger brother of the original Sub-Zero)

  • Shang Tsung (now de-aged and playable)

    
    

• New Characters:

  • Kitana—Assassin of Shao Kahn, hiding secrets about her true heritage

  • Mileena—Kitana’s twisted clone, created by Shang Tsung

  • Baraka—Savage Tarkatan warrior with deadly arm blades

  • Kung Lao—Shaolin monk and friend of Liu Kang

  • Jax—Special Forces soldier searching for Sonya Blade

  • Reptile—No longer a secret character, now fully playable

    
    

Bosses & Secret Characters: | Mortal Kombat 2

• Kintaro—Sub-boss, a Shokan warrior stronger than Goro

• Shao Kahn—Final boss and emperor of Outworld

  
  

• Secret Characters:

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  • Jade

  • Smoke

  • Noob Saibot

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(These could be fought under special conditions.)

Fatalities & Finishers:

MKII is known for introducing multiple finishing moves per character and adding Friendships and Babalities, expanding the series' signature dark humor.

• Fatalities: More violent and creative than ever.

• Friendships: Perform a goofy, non-lethal finisher (like Scorpion handing out a teddy bear).

• Babalities: Turn your opponent into a crying baby.

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Gameplay Improvements:

• Faster, smoother animation

• More balanced combos and counters

• Interactive backgrounds (like the acid pool in “The Dead Pool” stage)

• Hidden secrets and special input codes

  
  

  Legacy:

Mortal Kombat II is widely regarded as one of the best fighting games of all time. It expanded the MK universe, introduced legendary characters like Kitana and Shao Kahn, and solidified the franchise’s unique tone—brutal, mysterious, and just a little over-the-top.

It also played a key role in the push for content regulation in video games, helping lead to the creation of the ESRB rating system.

New Characters (Introduced in MKII):

7. Kitana

   • Edenian assassin working under Shao Kahn — secretly plotting against him.

   • Weapon: Steel fans.

   • Fatality: Kiss of death or fan slice.

     
     

8. Mileena

   • Kitana’s vicious clone with a Tarkatan mouth (sharp teeth).

   • Weapon: Sai daggers.

   • Fatality: Removes mask and eats opponent.

9. Baraka

   • Fierce Tarkatan warrior with retractable arm blades.

   • Fatality: Blade impalement and slice.

10. Kung Lao

11. Liu Kang’s ally, a Shaolin monk and descendant of the Great Kung Lao.

12. Weapon: Razor-rimmed hat.

13. Fatality: Hat slice.

    
    

14. Jax (Jackson Briggs)

1. A Special Forces agent looking for his partner, Sonya.

2. Fatality: Head clap or arm rip.

3. Reptile

   
   

4. Once a hidden character in MK1, now fully playable.

5. A stealthy ninja with acid spit and invisibility.

6. Fatality: Eats the opponent’s head.

   
   

Non-Playable Characters / Bosses:

• Kintaro

  
  

  • Sub-boss. A Shokan warrior like Goro, but with tiger-like stripes and fire powers.

  • Very powerful and hard to beat.

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• Shao Kahn

  
  

  • Final boss. Emperor of Outworld.

  • Wields a massive warhammer, taunts players, and is extremely strong.

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Hidden/Secret Characters (Not Playable in Arcade Version):

• Smoke

  
  

  • A gray ninja who appears in a cloud of smoke. Unlockable through specific button combos.

• Jade

  
  

  • A green female ninja, faster and stronger than Kitana or Mileena.

• Noob Saibot

  
  

  • A shadowy black ninja. Secret character who represents the original Sub-Zero reborn.

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(Note: These were only fightable under certain conditions, not playable in the original arcade version.)

Would you like a fatality guide or lore breakdown for each character?

Joe's Take: Mortal Kombat 2

This was a great video game. I owned SNES, NES, Game Boy, and other consoles as a kid. MK2. MK2 introduced new characters and ending types, so it was a cool upgrade from MK1. It kept the playing mechanics of MK1 mostly, which is great. MK2 showed skin palette cloning, and Sub-Zero and Reptile are just different colors, for example. Mortal Kombat 2 is also a new MK movie coming out in February of 2025, which I'm looking forward to. Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is the main character in it according to IMDB.