Highlights

  • Tanya has divine lineage, making her a formidable fighter, but her pyrokinetic powers are not as strong as other ninjas in Mortal Kombat.
  • Takeda Takahashi, an apprentice to Scorpion, is skilled with bladed whips and possesses psychic powers, but he is young and inexperienced.
  • Sektor, a deadly cyborg assassin, constantly upgrades his components to increase his combat potential, but has faced multiple defeats and betrayals in the series.

Ninjas are a popular archetype in the Mortal Kombat series and for good reason. Masters of martial arts, stealth, and often possessing otherworldly powers these warriors are expert assassins.

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There are a lot of ninjas in this series and many are extremely powerful, some even capable of holding their own against the very gods of the universe. The fighters on this list aren’t ranked by their popularity or strength in-game, but in terms of their power and capabilities according to the lore.

Updated on October 7th 2023 by David Heath: The Mortal Kombat lore has been tipped upside-down once again with the release of Mortal Kombat 1. What were familiar faces are now in new roles, like Raiden being Earthrealm's human champion, Tarkatans being victims of an illness than a race of monsters, and Sonya and Jax are now mere Kameo Fighters instead of key players.

It's also shaken up the role of the ninjas, as the likes of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Smoke aren't quite the same as they used to be. So, this list has been updated to refresh old entries with new info, reorder things, and add new entries that were either different enough to stand alone, or missed their spot last time. So, based on the mythos, these are the strongest ninjas in Mortal Kombat.

23 Tanya

Mortal Kombat 1 Khameleon New Universe
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 4.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1.

Being from the former realm of Edenia, Tanya naturally has a long lifespan and an affinity for magic thanks to her divine lineage. In the classic timeline, she turned to the dark side by worshiping Shinnok, allying with the Brotherhood of Shadow and Shao Kahn, using them to enhance her strength and powers. The new timeline in Mortal Kombat 1 kept her in the light, protecting the Outworld Royal Family as the leader of the Umgadi.

Tanya is a highly skilled fighter that wields pyrokinetic abilities in battle. She can also reflect projectiles with her weapons and teleport across the battlefield. The only reason she doesn’t rank higher is that her pyrokinetic powers are lackluster when compared to other ninjas. She isn't much stronger in MK1, getting beaten by Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, and her Umgadi predecessor Li Mei among others.

22 Takeda Takahashi

Mortal Kombat X Takeda Takahashi
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat X.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1 (cameo & DLC).

The son of Kenshi, Takeda Takahashi became an apprentice to Scorpion in his new Shirai Ryu, which essentially makes him Scorpion-lite. He uses a similar fighting style to his father and mentor, and is very skilled with bladed whips. He also possesses the unique ability to infuse himself and his weapons with a plasma-like aura to inflict more damage.

In addition to this raw potential he can also read minds, teleport, and move objects with his mind. While he shows incredible promise, he’s still young and inexperienced. His psychic powers weren't enough to handle Ermac, and he only just held off the Revenants with his partner Jacqui Briggs in MKX. Then his evil counterpart was killed quickly by Kitana in MK1. With time, and his upcoming return as DLC in MK1, he may improve, but he isn't that tough yet.

21 Sektor

Mortal Kombat 11 Sektor
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 3.
  • Last Appeanrace: Mortal Kombat 2011 (playable), Mortal Kombat 11 (cameo), Mortal Kombat 1 (Kameo Fighter).

When the Lin Kuei adopted the Cyber Initiative, where members would become cyborgs to be more effective in combat, Sektor willingly took part and abandoned his humanity in the process. With no hesitation or mercy, he became one of the Lin Kuei's deadliest assassins. He even became Grandmaster until he was ousted by Sub-Zero. Then he'd form a rival cybernetic force, the Tekunin, to oppose them.

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He comes equipped with homing missiles, a flamethrower, and the ability to teleport, though he's constantly upgrading his components to increase his combat potential. Not that it's helped him out in the lore. The Alternate MK9-MK11 timeline saw him hold his own against human Smoke, but get defeated by Nightwolf, killed by Sub-Zero, then brought back for more defeats by Sub-Zero and Scorpion before being betrayed and blown up by Kano. For a tough borg, he has bad luck.

20 Cyrax

Mortal Kombat 11 Cyrax
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 3.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 2011 (playable), Mortal Kombat 11 (cameo), Mortal Kombat 1 (Kameo Fighter).

Unlike Sektor, Cyrax was converted into a cyborg against his will. He was captured by the red cyborg and programmed to follow the Cyber Lin Kuei's will. In the classic timeline, he was able to regain his humanity and work with the Special Forces. He was less lucky in the Alternate Timeline, where he remains in their thrall until he breaks free and sacrifices himself and the other Cyber Lin Kuei to save Sub-Zero and Scorpion.

Like the other cybernetic ninjas, he is equipped with powerful tech and weaponry. He has an energy net that can stun targets, long-range explosives to bombard enemies, and even a teleportation device to travel the realms at will. He can even break his body down piece by piece to relocate short distances before coming together again. In gameplay, this made him pretty strong. In lore, he was better as a human with wins against Baraka, Sheeva, and Johnny Cage in MK9's story mode.

19 Reptile

Mortal Kombat X Reptile
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1992 (Secret Character), Mortal Kombat 2.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat X (playable), Mortal Kombat 11 (cameo).

Hailing from the former realm Zaterra, Reptile is a reptilian creature known as a Saurian. He's served many masters from Shao Kahn to Shinnok as a begrudging assassin, seeking a way to bring back his lost race. He can be pretty formidable in combat with his acid spit, long tongue, and the ability to turn invisible among other skills. Yet he has a major weakness that keeps him from joining the other classic ninjas near the top.

In story, he wants to bring the Saurians back because he'll gradually become more animalistic if his queen isn't around. Eventually he'll lose all cunning and become another overgrown lizard. Not that he's all that sharp as he is, as the main villains have used him as their lackey for one purpose or another. He may be the first secret character in fighting games, but his legacy has largely been as a jobber alongside Baraka.

18 Triborg

Mortal Kombat X Triborg
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat X.
  • Last Appeanrace: Mortal Kombat 11 (cameo).

After the Cyber Lin Kuei were destroyed after MK9, the Special Forces found test data that placed in a robot body. The result merged the minds of Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke, and Cyber Sub-Zero into Triborg, who arguably became the most powerful cybernetic ninja. Without any of their inhibitions, he killed the Special Forces and now seeks to wipe out all organic life in favor of new Cyber Lin Kuei, with himself as their leader.

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He has access to all the old cyborgs' weapons and abilities, from Sektor's missiles to Cyber Sub-Zero's ice beam. The machine can even copy his abilities to other borgs for backup. Sadly he doesn't really have a story as he was made largely to show off MKX's Variation gameplay, where players could pick 3 classic mechs (plus Cyber Sub-Zero) with one character. Given his disappearance from the sequels, it's safe to say he didn't amount to much.

17 Chameleon

Mortal Kombat Chameleon
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat Trilogy.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (playable), Mortal Kombat 11 (cameo).

Like Triborg, Chameleon was created with gameplay in mind first, then essentially given a shrug for a backstory. Mortal Kombat Trilogy (and hidden data in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3's console ports) says he was one of Shao Kahn's most fierce warriors. Then his last playable appearance in Armageddon said he had been watching events since the original MK, waiting to act before joining the Forces of Darkness (i.e. all the bad guys) at the Pyramid.

He's potentially the strongest ninjas, as he has all the abilities Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Reptile, Human Smoke, Rain, Noob Saibot, and Ermac have, and can swap in between them. But Armageddon replaced this with a move list that used a mix of their different special moves. Even then, since he's never acted lore-wise, or been all that impressive gameplay-wise beyond being broken, he's not all that special.

16 Khameleon

Khameleon From Mortal Kombat Armageddon
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat Trilogy (N64 port).
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (playable), Mortal Kombat 1 (Kameo Fighter).

Unlike her male counterpart, Khameleon actually has a backstory of sorts. Made to replace Chameleon in the N64 port of Trilogy, she had the same gimmick, only she could switch between Kitana, Mileena, and Jade's moves instead. She returned for the Wii port of Armageddon as a sub-boss, where she added Tanya's moves to her new, composite kit of the kunoichis' skills.

The classic timeline revealed her to be the last female Saurian, who sought to convince Reptile to turn against Shao Kahn and fight for Earthrealm. She didn't quite succeed, and would only return to stop Shao Kahn from getting the power to unleash Armageddon. The Alternate Timeline suggested she was even Zaterra's queen, but in MK1's new timeline she's one of the Umgadi under Tanya's watch.

15 Frost

Mortal Kombat 11 Frost
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 11 (playable), Mortal Kombat 1 (Kameo Fighter).

The protégé of Sub-Zero, Frost may not be as strong as her mentor by any means, but she has been able to hold her own against the Special Forces. Still, for a cryomancer, she has a hot head as she often acts before she thinks. She almost botched Sub-Zero and Scorpion's reconciliation in MKX by trying to attack him, and her impulsiveness led her to be banished from the Lin Kuei by Sub-Zero himself. By Mortal Kombat 11, she switched allegiances to Kronika, Keeper of Time.

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She turned Frost into a cyborg and made her the new leader of the revived Cyber Lin Kuei. As a result, she became stronger and more agile, and gained the ability to control multiple borgs a la Triborg. Yet her brashness led her to defeat against her old mentor, Scorpion, and Nightwolf. Still, that's better than her Classic Timeline counterpart, who froze herself in place while trying to use Sub-Zero's Dragon Medallion.

14 Tremor

tremor mortal kombat
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat: Special Forces (boss), Mortal Kombat X (playable).
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 11 (cameo).

In the original timeline, he was just another ninja, but in brown. For MKX, Tremor became a beast. He was taller than most of the roster, bulky, and possessed incredible strength and durability. He was capable of manipulating various minerals in the ground, causing earthquakes, summoning rocks for attacks and defense, and he could coat his body in various minerals for an advantage, even using molten lava.

It made Tremor a veritable juggernaut, capable of dramatically improving his durability and ripping apart the ground his enemies walk on. He’s also said to be immune to heat and burning of any kind, which in theory would make him effective in the Netherrealm. In the series' reality, he was killed by Jax in the Classic timeline, and arrested after some sharp blasts from Sonya in the Alternate one. Maybe MK1 could bring him back for more destruction.

13 Jade

Mortal Kombat 11 Jade With Her Razor-Rang
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 2 (Secret Character), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (playable).
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 11.

In both the classic and alternate timelines, Jade was Kitana's childhood friend and personal bodyguard, serving alongside her as Shao Kahn's personal assassin until the two rebelled and joined Earthrealm's side against Outworld. Like her, she's an Edenian and can also use magic, using spells to nullify enemy projectiles while fighting back with her staff and razor-edged boomerangs.

She's done better in lore than Reptile, though out of the female ninjas, she's had the worst luck in the Alternate timeline. She got to defeat Baraka, Sheeva, and Smoke in MK9, only to be killed horribly by the revived Edenian queen Sindel. Then her time-displaced self got to beat her revenant form and D'Vorah, only to be taken hostage by Skarlet and almost killed. Still, she got to beat Tanya in the classic timeline, so she still stands tall above her.

12 Skarlet

Skarlet in Mortal Kombat
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 2011.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 11.

MK9 originally depicted Skarlet as a being formed from magic and the blood of dead warriors. But MK11 retconned this, making her an orphan Shao Kahn picked up off the streets and raised as another foster daughter like Kitana and Mileena. He taught her Blood Magic, an ability where she could manipulate either her blood or anyone else's, either using them to form projectiles and weapons, or liquefy herself to teleport around stages.

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While it couldn't help her beat Kotal Kahn, an Osh-Tekk who also knows blood magic, she was able to get the drop on both him and Jade later in MK11's story mode. She would've drained the Edenian entirely of her blood if it wasn't for a last-minute save by Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kitana, who defeats her soundly. Still, her mastery over blood and devotion to Shao Kahn makes her one of the series' deadlier foes.

11 Mileena

Mileena Mortal Kombat 11
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 2.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1.

It's hard to imagine a post-MK2 game without Mileena, yet there have been a few. Originally, and in the Alternate Timeline, she was the result of a genetic experiment Shang Tsung conducted between Kitana and a Tarkatan warrior. She had Kitana's speed, magic, and looks, save for her fang-filled mouth and hunger for blood and living flesh. MK1 changed her into Kitana's actual twin sister, but one infected with Tarkat, which could make her like her classic self if left untreated.

Either form is handy with a pair of sai daggers, and she can teleport a little via her Kick from Above. Her bloodthirst also makes her willing to eat her foes alive, either swallowing them whole or ripping them apart. Across the timelines, she's bested Shujinko, Skarlet, and Reiko, but beaten by Jade, Stryker, and D'Vorah. She never got to beat her "sister" Kitana once either. As such, she might be stronger working with her than against her in Liu Kang's new timeline.

10 Reptile (MK1)

Mortal Kombat 1 Reptile Background
  • First & Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1.

The new Reptile, or Syzoth to his friends, has some advantages over his prior incarnations. Shunned by the other Saurians for his ability to take on a human form, he sought to live a better life in Outworld. Instead, he was caught by Shang Tsung, who forced him to aid his experiments by kidnapping his family. Once he learned he killed them long ago, he joins the heroes' side against the sorcerer to get revenge.

He has the same abilities as classic Reptile, right down to the acid spit and elastic tongue. Though with Zaterra intact, he doesn't risk losing his mind or his human form. He also does better in battle, defeating Li Mei and Reiko, and even General Shao. Liu Kang must've done something right with the new continuity because he turned the old jobber into a contender.

9 Kitana

Mortal Kombat 11 - Kitana - Player gets set to squash opponents with her Steel Fans
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 2.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1.

Like her twisted sister Mileena, Kitana feels like such a mainstay to the MK series that it's easy to forget she wasn't in the first game. She missed out on Mortal Kombat 3, the original release of MK4, and technically Mortal Kombat: Deception too. Nonetheless, she's the series' foremost female ninja, originally an Edenian princess until her realm was merged with Outworld.

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With her magic and keen use of her razor fans, she worked as an assassin for Shao Kahn until she learned he was the one who killed her father, King Jerrod. She would then aid Earthrealm, soundly beating Mileena multiple times among other foes. While she has been beaten before, even killed by the Deadly Alliance and her mother Sindel, she's had bigger wins, including over Shao Kahn himself in both the Alternate and New timelines.

8 Rain

Strongest MK Ninjas- Rain
  • First Appearance: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (unplayable), Mortal Kombat Trilogy (playable).
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1.

Rain was originally an Edenian demigod via his father Argus, the god of water. But knowing this lineage made him vain, looking down on and even betraying allies like Tanya and Mileena. Thus, Liu Kang took away his divinity in the new timeline, where he had to learn Water Magic the hard way via study, becoming Outworld's High Mage. He can propel himself and others through pressurized water streams, summon storm clouds, and call down lightning to zap his foes.

Rain can even trap enemies in a water sphere to rend them asunder or worse. He could even liquefy himself like Skarlet to teleport. Ironically his biggest feat of strength came from his human self in MK1, where he managed to flood Seido's capital, drowning thousands. It lost him favor in Outworld, and gave him a very heavy conscience, but evil as it was, it's a feat of strength that's bumped him well up the list.

7 Smoke

Mortal Kombat X Smoke
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 2 (Secret Character), Mortal Kombat 3 (playable).
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1.

In the classic series, Smoke was an Enenra, a smoke demon in the form of a human. He was friends with Kuai Liang, but was converted into a cyborg via the Cyber Initiative. It allowed him to move at incredible speeds, turn invisible, and bombard his enemies with smoke that could stun them. The Alternate Timeline even showed off its heated properties, where he could melt opponents with his powers.

The new timeline made him an adoptee of the Lin Kuei, avoiding the cyber conversion of the classic timeline, or his revenant transformation from the Alternate one. He kept his powers while having a happier story than his prior incarnations, joining Kuai Liang in setting up the new Shirai Ryu. Still, while he managed to stand above Cyrax and Sektor, he's still playing catch-up to Noob, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion in the lore across all timelines.

6 Scorpion/Kuai Liang

Mortal Kombat 1 Scorpion Guide Special Moves Combos Fatalities Closeup Pose
  • First & Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1.

Defying expectations, the original Sub-Zero's little brother became the new Scorpion in MK1. Raised alongside Bi-Han, he was dedicated to the Lin Kuei and his father, the Grandmaster. He supported his elder brother's claim to become the next Grandmaster, but feared his ambition would go against the group's teachings. Ultimately, he'd strike out on his own with Smoke to form the new Shirai Ryu.

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He has many of his classic counterpart's skills, from pyrokinesis to teleportation, including being quite handy with his chained kunai, pulling his foes in for his hits. It was enough to thrash his brother, beat Havik and Darrius at the same time, and hurt General Shao and Shang Tsung. Still, he lacks the infernal powers the Hanzo version had, so he's still quite human. But it'll be interesting to see how he turns out in future games.

5 Noob Saibot

Mortal Kombat Noob Saibot
  • First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 2 (Secret Character), Mortal Kombat Trilogy (playable).
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 11.

After Bi-Han was killed, he was sent to the fifth plane of the Netherrealm. There he changed, losing his humanity before returning to the Realms as Noob Saibot, a shadowy specter with terrifying powers. He can turn invisible, teleport through the shadows, form shadow clones to back himself up, and use the darkness to improve his own powers or minimize the effectiveness of others’.

He became strong enough to almost defeat his younger brother in Mortal Kombat: Deception, albeit with Smoke's help. Which is actually a step-up from the Alternate Timeline, where he was beaten repeatedly by Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kabal, Cyber Sub-Zero, and Nightwolf in MK9, then by Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Jax & Jacqui Briggs, and even Fujin, who he beat back when he was Sub-Zero! The darkness clearly isn't as friendly to him as he thinks.

4 Ermac

Mortal Kombat Ermac
  • First Appearance: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.
  • Last Appearance: Mortal Kombat 1 (cameo & DLC).

Starting life as an urban legend, Ermac is arguably the strongest ninja in the Mortal Kombat mythos. He's a being comprised of a legion of warriors’ souls that were captured by Shao Kahn in various wars across the realms. With their combined knowledge and powers, Ermac is theoretically capable of augmenting his powers even further by incorporating even more souls into himself. As if his telekinesis wasn't enough to maim his opponents.

Even though he is many beings in one, it's made him quite unstable. Across all timelines, the souls inside him fight for control of his conscience, with Kitana's late father Jerrod leaning him towards good in Deception and MK1, and Shao Kahn keeping him evil in MKX. He did better as a goodie, as he'd lose to Liu Kang, Stryker, and Sub-Zero twice in MK9, then by Jacqui Briggs in MKX. Still, he got to rip off Jax's arms and beat Mileena, so he's not to be sniffed at.