Aside from its signature and controversial Fatalities, Mortal Kombat is loved for its unique take on character endings. With the realms at stake and ultimate power ripe for the taking, each game features diverse and personal endings for its Kombatants. In turn, players have to wait for the next game to determine which character endings serve as canon.
However, just because non-canon endings exist doesn't mean they're innately unappealing. In fact, a lot of fans might argue that some non-canon character endings are more entertaining and appealing than their canon counterparts. Which non-canon character endings are the best among the franchise entries?
9 Ermac (Armageddon)
Despite Armageddon's character endings being only text as a caption for a Kombatant's fighting demonstration, some of its entries do possess interesting implications. For instance, Ermac made a mark in the Mortal Kombat franchise as the only character comprised of multiple souls.
In his Armageddon ending, Ermac couldn't contain the energy Blaze offered on his defeat. As such, Ermac "shattered" and split himself into the many warriors that used to inhabit his body. Now, these Ermacs have separate bodies but are united into a collective consciousness. Thanks to this ending, Ermac has effectively turned into an army. Despite the lack of any visuals, the sight of Ermac fighting as one unit could turn him into a nigh-unstoppable force.
8 Johnny Cage (Deadly Alliance)
Johnny Cage's story missions tend to always lead to comedic endings. His Deadly Alliance served as both a callback to his movie career and his penchant to break the fourth wall. In this ending, Johnny manages to try and change the negative portrayal of his adventures in his films. As a result, he himself funded "Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance," a true-to-life story of his adventure in Outworld.
In this ending, Johnny's new film broke "all records" in merely its first week in theaters. Not only that, his numerous accolades and awards made Johnny extremely rich. After all, the world now knows it's through his efforts that Johnny singlehandedly saved the world from the deadly alliance. Sure, Johnny, sure.
7 Cetrion (Mortal Kombat 11)
Despite being a new character, Cetrion's addition to the Mortal Kombat roster poses huge implications. For one, her presence finally introduces more Elder Gods in the picture, with Cetrion serving as the Elder Goddess of Life, Virtue, and Light. In the main timeline, Cetrion followed the Time Titaness Kronika until the bitter end. However, in her story, Cetrion rises up against her mother and takes on the role of Keeper of Time herself.
At first, Cetrion tried her best to restore balance across the realms. However, she found this impossible. In her frustration to keep balance, Cetrion resorted to trial by fire. Instead of allowing realms to fight each other, Cetrion herself would force all life to fight endless surges of darkness. In Cetrion's mind, mortals would soon crave for balance and the light once they grow tired of fighting their endless battles.
6 Frost (Mortal Kombat 11)
Since her first appearance, Frost's endings always revolved around her assuming control over the Lin Kuei ninjas and forging her destiny. Most of the time, her successful attempts had rather simplistic narratives. However, her MK 11 ending introduced an interesting paradigm shift to Frost's goals.
When Frost defeated Kronika and assumed the role of Keeper of Time, she forged a future with her at the center. Instead of waiting for threats to grow in strength, Frost immediately used Kronika's Hourglass to stop any potential threats against her power. Moreover, Frost trained an elite team of Time Warriors to ensure none would stand in her way.
This has interesting implications: if not Frost, would Time Warriors be a viable concept to stop any disruptions in the realms in the future? Additionally, if Frost already won in a timeline and created her Time Warriors, why didn't they stop Liu Kang from winning against Kronika in the main timeline?
5 Quan Chi (Deadly Alliance)
While most of Quan Chi's character endings involved treachery and world domination, his Deadly Alliance ending showed one of many ways his plans could go wrong. When Shang Tsung and Quan Chi's Deadly Alliance revived the Dragon King's army, the latter found no more use for the former. To kill Shang Tsung, Quan Chi first sealed his access to his well of souls and instructed Kano to kill him.
Given Kano's quick turn to treachery against Shang Tsung, Quan Chi also drained the mercenary's lifeforce to avoid any risks of being betrayed himself. However, what Quan Chi didn't realize is that Kano's lifeless body became ripe for the taking. And the soul who chose to inhabit Kano's body was no other than Liu Kang, the Mortal Kombat Champion.
4 Quan Chi (Armageddon)
Quan Chi and his Armageddon ending provided an interesting insight towards a major plot device. As fans might remember, the Dark Elder God Shinnok created his Amulet in an effort to bring all realms under his heel. Thanks to Raiden, Shinnok lost the amulet for thousands of years. This Amulet became a focal point in the series, as not only did it contain immeasurable power, but it also sealed Shinnok from within.
In his Armageddon ending, the Blaze-infused Quan Chi became powerful enough that even he could break Shinnok's Amulet. As such, his arrogance led him to ascend from Edenia and attack the Heavens itself. However, the Elder Gods from above had planned the Battle of Armageddon to pinpoint the source of chaos in all the realms. Thanks to Quan Chi's arrogance, the Elder Gods had their answer. As a punishment, they transformed Quan Chi into a Kamidogu – a god tool – and sent it back in time, transforming Quan Chi's essence into the energies that will become Shinnok's amulet.
3 Kitana (Mortal Kombat 2011)
Kitana's ending in MK 2011 serves as one of the more exciting conclusions in the franchise. When she defeats Shao Kahn in the game, she forges a path of peace in Edenia. Instead of killing Mileena, she instead offers her a home in the realm. Additionally, Kitana, Mileena, and Jade form a fighting force that ensures no more Shao Kahns rise up to take and abuse power.
The trio's pose in the ending is inspired by the story of the super-spy team in Charlie's Angels. Additionally, this also pays homage to the nature of the trio as the first set of palette-swapped female ninjas that served as the equivalent for Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
2 Cassie Cage (Mortal Kombat 11)
Of all endings for Mortal Kombat's fighters, Cassie Cage remains the humblest. In her MK 11 ending, Cassie shows reluctance in her place as the Keeper of Time, although there's no direct mention of her relinquishing the role. However, she seems to do two main things with her power over time.
First, Cassie Cage ensures that she always stays with her friends at the special forces. Alongside Jacqui Briggs, Takeda Takahashi, and Kung Jin, Cassie believes they were always meant to protect Earthrealm. Secondly, Cassie revives Sonya Blade and ensures she and Johnny Cage fix their relationship. For Cassie, her parents deserved a happy ending after all the mess they've been through across the Mortal Kombat storyline.
1 Jacqui Briggs (Mortal Kombat 11)
Aside from being as honorable, dependable, and resilient as her father Jax Briggs, Jacqui Briggs proved to care for family more than anything. When she received the power as Keeper of Time, she thought only of one thing: restoring her father's honor.
Jacqui wanted to stop Jax from dying in the massacre and being resurrected as Revenant for Quan Chi. However, this process meant keeping Jax alive in the massacre. In a chain of events, this means Jax and Jacqui's mother would never meet while he's in recovery, and Jacqui will never be born. However, Jacqui accepts this price and "repairs" Jax's timeline anyway. Before her ending finishes, she bids Jax one last goodbye and "I love you" to cap off a daughter's ultimate sacrifice.