Mortal Kombat 11 Tier List

The Mortal Kombat franchise has consistently been one of the best competitive fighting games over the years.

Its latest iteration, Mortal Kombat 11, known affectionately as MK11 by the fighting game community, introduces plenty of mechanics that improve upon the well-established formula.

In contrast to its predecessors, MK11 is a bit slower paced, which forces the player to take actions that are more deliberate, rather than spammy. The pace difference shines in the competitive arena, where character movement is more nuanced, and positioning is more important than before.

The uniqueness of characters is highlighted in MK11, with each one having a different strategy to dominate the matches they are in.

It’s for this reason that a ranking of fighters based on their viability to win matches is an important guide for MK11 players.

So keep reading to find out what the strongest characters in the game are and start winning non-stop.

MK11 Tier List

Read on to see how the game’s 37 characters are ranked from best to worst. These fighters were ranked in terms of success in pro matches, capabilities and matchups against other fighters. A column is placed at the end to identify each fighter’s play style as one of the following:

• Zoners – Zoners excel at keeping the enemy at a distance to gain an advantage. These are fighters with great long-ranged moves. An experienced player with one of these characters will be good at putting pressure on the opponents until an opening for the kill pops up.
• Rushdown – If zoners use wide distances to their advantage, rushdown fighters do the opposite. These characters are great for in-your-face, close combat scenarios because of their quick move set and devastating punishes if the enemy makes a mistake.
• Grapplers – These fighters have great offensive potential but mix it up with grapple techniques. In a way, these fighters seem defense-centric — until they see an opening and pummel you to death, that is.

Note: This list includes the latest Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath DLC fighters.

S-Tier

These are fighters that excel in their play styles. As such, they have seen massive success in the pro scene and would be a safe pick for any player.

Fighter	Playstyle
The Joker	Rushdown
Liu Kang	Rushdown
Geras	Grappler
Fujin	Zoner
Cetrion	Zoner
Jacqui Briggs	Rushdown

A-Tier

The fighters in this tier have high success in different matchups but have flaws and quirks that prevent them from being the best in their class. These are still viable for players of any skill and experience level, however, so keep that in mind.

Fighter	Playstyle
Erron Black	Zoner
Sub-Zero	Rushdown
Jade	Zoner
Sheeva	Grappler
Spawn	Rushdown
Kotal Khan	Zoner
Kollector	Zoner
Shang Tsung	Rushdown
Kung Lao	Rushdown

B-Tier

These fighters have a decent move set with no glaring disadvantages. If they’re slow, they compensate with heavy damage; what they lack in range, they make up with speed in closing distances for combos. You can still see a lot of success playing these as your main.

Fighter	Playstyle
Scorpion	Rushdown (with good Zoning capabilities)
Cassie Cage	Rushdown
Sindel	Zoner
Noob Saibot	Rushdown (with some Zoning)
Shao Khan	Zoner
Johnny Cage	Rushdown
Kano	Grappler

C-Tier

C-tier fighters can win a lot of matches provided that the player controlling them invests some time practicing combos and intuitive counters.

Fighter	Playstyle
The Terminator	Rushdown (with some Zoning)
Sonya Blade	Rushdown
Nightwolf	Rushdown
Kitana	Zoner
Kabal	Zoner
Frost	Zoner

D-Tier

It’s hard to justify using these fighters unless you are extremely skilled with them and have invested enough practice time.

Fighter	Playstyle
Baraka	Rushdown
Raiden	Rushdown
Rain	Zoner
Mileena	Rushdown
Jax Briggs	Grappler

F-Tier

With how the game is balanced, you’ll have a hard time winning fights against opponents using these characters. There are no bad characters in MK11 per se, but these would be the worst ones.

Fighter	Playstyle
Skarlet	Zoner
D’Vorah	Grappler
Robocop	Zoner
John Rambo	Zoner