Highlights
- Daegon: Murdered his parents and tried to kill his brother out of jealousy. He is a major villain in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series).
- Reiko: Tried to become a Blood God and manipulated Mileena. He is a major villain in Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series) and Mortal Kombat 1.
- Cetrion: An Elder Goddess who proves virtue doesn't mean good. She is a major villain in Mortal Kombat 11.
The Mortal Kombat series has no shortage of evil characters in its roster. Some of them have managed to take out some of the heroes. Others have worked behind the scenes to take out other evil characters to get power. Then, there are a few that are not only iconic in the series, but in video game history.
These characters won't hesitate to kill their loved ones or allies if it means getting more power. Power and glory are all that matter to them. Who are the evilest major villains in the Mortal Kombat series that kombatants should be wary of?
Update by Sarah Prado on September 29, 2023: With Mortal Kombat 1 now available, fans are getting to see how Liu Kang changed things up in his timeline. There are plenty of familiar faces in the new game and players are enjoying seeing characters like Ashrah and Nitara be playable for the first time since Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Some players might even be shocked to see how other characters like Mileena and Reptile are in the new timeline. But even with Liu Kang changing things up, some villains are going to stay evil no matter what and not change. Here are the major villains in the franchise and what games they appear in as big bosses.
12 Daegon: Murdered His Parents & Tried To Kill His Brother Out Of Jealousy
- Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series)
Daegon was put to sleep along with his brother, Taven, by their parents to save the realms from Armageddon. He awoke too early and was manipulated by Shinnok. After learning the real reason why he and Taven were put to sleep, Daegon murdered their parents.
When Taven awakened, Daegon sent his Red Dragon Clan to kill him. In the Mortal Kombat X comic series, he is responsible for the death of Kenshi's lover and Takeda's mother, Suchin.
11 Reiko: Tried To Become A Blood God
- Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series) and Mortal Kombat 1
Though he wasn't a big villain in previous games, Reiko stepped into the role in the Mortal Kombat X comic series. He manipulated and seduced Mileena to get closer to becoming a Blood God of the realms. To get the Kamidogu dagger that Jax held, Reiko threatened the lives of Vera and Jacqui. After achieving his god powers, Reiko states that he's starving for tributes and uses the troops of Kotal Kahn and Mileena for this.
In Mortal Kombat 1, Reiko is a supporting villain who serves General Shao as his second-in-command. His loyalty to him is absolute, and he joins Shao’s army to conquer Outworld without hesitation.
10 Cetrion: Proves Virtue Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Good
- Mortal Kombat 11
Cetrion is an Elder Goddess who was created by Kronika who is fated to fight her brother Shinnok to keep realms balanced. After Raiden killed Shinnok, Kronika had Cetrion turn on the other Elder Gods and kill them so she could restore balance. She’s not afraid to commit heinous acts if it means fulfilling her mother’s vision and making her just as bad as her brother.
However, Liu Kang pointed out to Cetrion that she’s growing weaker by following Kronika’s orders since it stands against what she was created for. Despite this, Cetrion remained loyal to Kronika. She gave up her essence to give her mother more power, killing herself in hopes that Kronika would come out victorious.
9 Bi-Han: Destined To Be Evil No Matter The Timeline
- As Noob Saibot: Mortal Kombat: Deception, Mortal Kombat (2011), and Mortal Kombat 11
- As Sub-Zero: Mortal Kombat 1
Bi-Han has a history of being evil, but some believe it was his death at the hands of Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion that made him this way. Unfortunately, Bi-Han has always had a darkness in him and was known to be a cold-blooded assassin. After dying, Bi-Han lost any compassion he had before, and the evil deep inside him was brought forth. As Noob Saibot, he was a minor antagonist and a sub-boss in most games, but was still considered a great threat because of how strong he is.
Now, Bi-Han made the move to be a major antagonist for his brother, Kuai Liang/the current Scorpion, and another antagonist for Liu Kang. This shows that Bi-Han isn’t the good person some believe he is and that fulfilling his ambitions is more important to him than his own family.
8 Onaga: The Dragon King Bows To No One
- Mortal Kombat: Deception
The Dragon King still lurks in the minds of his enemies whether he's dead or sealed up. He hasn't appeared as a playable character in many games, but has left a lasting impression on almost all characters. In his bio card for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Onaga reluctantly agreed to be Shinnok's servant to escape the Netherrealm. Unknowingly to Shinnok, Onaga planned to use him to escape and follow his rule until he is able to take Blaze's power for himself. He planned to use Blaze's power to kill Shinnok and make it clear he bows to no one.
In the current timeline, General Shao’s ancestors sealed him deep in Mount Tsaagan and he’s been waiting for the day he’s set free. Much like his previous timeline counterpart, it appears General Shao does fear him a bit because of how powerful he is. However, he plans on using Onaga as a weapon to use against Mileena, but that might prove to be a challenge. Once released, the Dragon King attacks Reiko, leaving the lieutenant’s fate unknown.
7 Sindel: Wants Everyone To Bow Before Her
- Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat X, and Mortal Kombat 11
For her debut, Sindel started off evil as she was brainwashed by Shao Kahn, but eventually regained her memories and switched to the side of good. In the alternate timeline, Sindel underwent a complete personality makeover. No longer the loving, benevolent queen who allied with Earthrealm's forces to stop Shao Kahn, she became a backstabbing, two-faced, power-hungry woman. In Mortal Kombat 11, she revealed she killed King Jerrod in order to keep her place on the Edenian throne.
Sindel did whatever it took to her place and even betrayed her daughter. She helped Shao Kahn kill Revenant Kitana during Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath and imprisoned the still-living, past version of Kitana. She demanded everyone to bow down before her and killed anyone who crossed her. Thankfully, in Liu Kang’s timeline, she’s back to being a benevolent queen who rules with a firm, but fair hand.
6 Shinnok: Created To Cover The Realms In Darkness
- Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, and Mortal Kombat X
Created by Kronika, Shinnok was meant to be a foil to his sister, Cetrion. While Cetrion is of Virtue and Light, Shinnok was meant to represent Corruption and Darkness. He uses charisma, manipulation, and powerful artifacts to gain power over others. To invade Earthrealm without the Elder Gods noticing, he created his own amulet to weaken the barriers enough to go through.
Though he was banished to the Netherrealm, he killed the previous ruler and took over the realm for himself. Even as a fallen Elder God, Shinnok demands loyalty from his subjects and won't hesitate to kill anyone who challenges or poses a threat to him.
5 Havik: Wants Chaos In All The Realms
- Mortal Kombat X (Comic Series) and Mortal Kombat 1
A Cleric of Chaos from the Chaosrealm. Havik is a being that just wants to cause pain and chaos to everyone around him. In the Mortal Kombat X comics, Havik makes himself seem like a loyal servant to Reiko. He uses the general for his own gains by making Reiko seem like he's destined for godhood and sets him on the path to becoming a Blood God. The Chaosrealmer succeeds in making Reiko a god, but it comes at a heavy cost to the latter. While Reiko is dying, Havik mockingly reminds him of the Blood Code and brutally kills him.
In Mortal Kombat 1, Havik is a minor antagonist who wishes to set the lower class of Seido free and turn the Orderrealm into chaos. Though not as chaotic as his original counterpart, Havik is still a great threat and will do whatever it takes to fulfill his goals. The ending of Mortal Kombat 1 also seems to imply that Titan Havik might be a major antagonist in future games or DLCs.
4 Kronika: It Was Her All Along
- Mortal Kombat 11
She's only appeared in one game, but Kronika is the very reason why everything that happened in the Mortal Kombat series happened. As the Keeper of Time, Kronika sets up events in the realms as she sees fit. She created Cetrion, the Elder Goddess of Life and Virtue, and Shinnok, the Elder God of Death and Corruption, to keep the realms at war with one another.
After the events in Mortal Kombat X, Kronika plans to remake all of time due to Raiden upsetting the balance of good and evil. She summoned allies from the past and present with promises of fame, glory, and power, but has no intentions of following through with them. Her endgame plan is to revive Shinnok so he and Cetrion can once again pit the realms in an endless good vs. evil war.
3 Shao Kahn/General Shao: A Brutal Tyrant
- Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Mortal Kombat (2011), Mortal Kombat 11, and Mortal Kombat 1
One of the most notorious villains in the Mortal Kombat series. Shao Kahn is a conqueror known for his God-like strength that is equal to, or surpasses, godly beings like Raiden. To match this, he is callous and brutal to his enemies and never holds back in battle. Shao Kahn spared Sindel and Kitana (raising her as his own daughter) after he conquered Edenia, but even the latter feared his wrath if she failed to please him. To become Outworld's ruler, Shao Kahn killed Onaga by poisoning him and ruled with an iron fist.
In the new timeline, Shao is the general of Outworld’s army and serves Queen Sindel. While it seemed like he wouldn’t be a big threat, he’s still one of the most powerful beings in the realms. Now, he’s getting ready to start a war with Mileena and take the Outworld throne for himself.
2 Quan Chi: A Sorcerer Wanting To Control All Of Reality
- Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat (2011), Mortal Kombat X, and Mortal Kombat 1
One of the most powerful sorcerers and necromancers in the Mortal Kombat series. Quan Chi is a demon who served Shinnok as his arch-sorcerer and helped him find his lost amulet. Sub-Zero was hired by him to find the amulet in exchange for the destruction of the Shirai Ryu, Scorpion's clan. He killed Scorpion's family and made it seem like the Bi-Han (who was Sub-Zero at the time) murdered them. Quan Chi and Shang Tsung teamed up to form the Deadly Alliance, wreaking havoc in all of the realms. Together, they killed Liu Kang and defeated Raiden and Shao Kahn together.
Now, Quan Chi is an Outworlder who lived an uneventful life as a miner until a mysterious sorceress appeared and taught him sorcery. Thanks to this training, Quan Chi entered the Netherrealm and enslaved many demons, including Sareena and Ashrah (who managed to escape). He and Shang Tsung team up once again to try and kill Liu Kang and erase his timeline, but weren’t successful this time around.
1 Shang Tsung: The Epitome Of Evil & Treachery
- Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, Mortal Kombat (2011), Mortal Kombat 11, and Mortal Kombat 1
Shang Tsung is the epitome of evil. He was cursed by his gods to not only kill his enemies but also take their souls. Shang Tsung won't hesitate to kill his own allies if it means gaining more power. He quickly turned on Quan Chi after they defeated Raiden during the events of Mortal Kombat: Deception to get Shinnok's Amulet. After defeating Revenant Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Shang Tsung turned on Shao Kahn and Sindel, defeating them and absorbing their souls.
In Mortal Kombat 1, Titan Shang Tsung is the one who approaches his new timeline counterpart and sets up everything that happens in-game. Naturally, he wants to rule over all timelines and get even more power. While other villains have shown some loyalty to their comrades, Shang Tsung is loyal only to himself in the end.