Summary
The realms in which theMortal Kombatgames take place are filled to the brim with fantastical characters, from monsters like Reptile and Mileena to sorcerers like Shang Tsung. However, from the beginning,godshave played a major part in the lore and continue to in the latest games.
For more than thirty years, developers at Midway and NetherRealm Studios have introduced immortal beings with powers that surpass those of earthly warriors intoMortal Kombatlore, allowing them to command elements, manipulate time, and even alter reality. Some of these gods have been playable since the first game, while others serve as NPCs or villains that players have encountered or battled throughout the series. These arethe most powerful gods inMortal Kombat’s extensive lore.
9Rain
A Demigod Obsessed With Usurping Outworld’s Throne
While not a full god,Rainis still the son of Argus in the first twoMKtimelines. He was abandoned by his father and raised by his mother Amara as a peddler in Outworld. When he discovered that he was a demigod and his mother died, it instilled in him a deep desire to become the ruler of Outworld, as he believes that is his birthright.
As his name implies, Rain was gifted with the power of water, able to summon a tsunami with a snap of his fingers. As one ofthe manyMortal Kombatninjas, he may not be as strong as other gods or even his half-brothers, Taven and Daegon, but he does prove to be capable of taking on powerful foes such as Kotal Kahn and Lord Raiden.
8Argus
Fans Have Seen Very Little Of Edenia’s Protector
Before it was merged with Outworld after ten losses in Mortal Kombat, Edenia was a beautiful realm ruled and protected by a God namedArgusuntil he and his wife Delia were murdered by their son, Daegon. It is unclear just how powerful Argus was, as he was only shown briefly inMortal Kombat: Armageddonand his role was brief.
It was shown that he knew that the warriors from all realms would battle and create Armageddon, so he devised a plan with Delia to prevent it. Argus not only created the Hellspawn known as Blaze but also the Pyramid that would draw all combatants to fight for ultimate power, including his two sons. He knew that the victor between his two sons would evolve into a full god.
7Fujin
Raiden’s Little Brother Is A Protector Of People
Fujinis the younger brother of Raiden and a god of wind who has protected Earthrealm from the threats of Quan Chi, Shinnok, and Kronika. Part of what makes Fujin so interesting is that he doesn’t wish to be like his fellow gods, including his older brother, because he believes their godlike power causes them to lose touch with their emotions, leading him to remain weaker to maintain his connection to mankind.
Fans were first introduced to Fujin inMortal Kombat 4, but he didn’t truly shine until makingan epic return inMortal Kombat 11, where he assumed a major role as a protagonist in theAftermathexpansion. He played a crucial part in pushing back the forces of Kronika, battling the likes of Cetrion and Sindel, especially while wearing Kronika’s crown.
6Taven
Evolved To Godhood By Fighting His Own Brother
Mortal Kombat: Armageddonattempted to end the franchise with a bang by introducingTavenand his twin brother, Daegon. Taven starts as a demigod, but as he travels through the realms and continues to evolve his powers, he gradually becomes more godlike until he is ready to fight the Hellspawn known as Blaze. Unfortunately, he fails and meets his end on the Pyramid in the official canon.
Taven had the potential to outshine other gods if he had been given more opportunities to showcase his abilities in previous games. He successfully defeated formidable opponents, including the Red Dragon Clan, his own brother, and even Raiden. However, in the last four games in the series, he has been relegated to mere references and cameos.
5Raiden
Protected The Realms With His Lightning Powers
The role of Earthrealm’s Protector is not bestowed on just anyone with power, andRaidenhas held that title for not only millennia but in countless timelines. While the rules of the realms and Elder Gods often hold him back from action, he never disappoints when he needs to join the fight, living up to his status as a Thunder God and wielding lightning as his ultimate weapon.
Inthe original and second timelines, Raiden battled the likes of Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, Shinnok, and Kronika, cementing himself as a vanguard of Earthrealm by fighting for justice. Raiden became even more powerful when he wielded Shinnok’s amulet to become Dark Raiden, but that power came at a great cost to his soul.
4Shinnok
The Necromancer Ruler Of The Netherrealm
Given the fact thatShinnokis a fallen Elder God, it should be no surprise that he is a powerful foe for both Earthrealm and Outworld alike. He was cast out by his fellow Elder Gods for waging war against them and the life of all realms, which led to him becoming the ruler of the Netherrealm. He has since devoted all his power to returning and making all dead mortals into his slaves.
In the second timeline, Shinnok is revealed to be the son of the Titan, Kronika. Shinnok was the main antagonist inMortal Kombat 4andMortal Kombat X, able to corrupt anyone’s dead soul and shape them into his own twisted servants. InMortal Kombat X, he nearly won his war against life itself bytransforming into a formidable demonthat wielded Earthrealm’s corrupted Jinsei, until he was defeated by the Cage bloodline, which was bred to fight gods.
3Cetrion
The First Time Gamers Could Play An Elder God
Shinnok was the god of darkness and death and, as a result, his sister was a paragon of light and life.Cetrionis the yin to Shinnok’s yang. She is one of the mighty Elder Gods who protected all life in the realms until her undying loyalty to her mother led to her betraying her kind in Kronika’s plot to restart history and craft what she considered a perfect timeline.
As the goddess of life itself,Cetrion wields the main elementsof fire, water, earth, air, and light at her fingertips, and very few combatants in the franchise were even able to face off against her. It required someone else of godly status, or someone wielding Kronika’s Crown of Souls, to match her abilities and strengths.
2Kronika
The Titan Obsessed With Quantum Perfection
Never once after her introduction inMortal Kombat 11isKronikareferred to as a god, yet she is considered to be more powerful than any deity: a Titan. As a Titan and Keeper of Time, Kronika shaped existence itself, crafting the destiniesof allMortal Kombatcharactersin the realms to fit her vision of a perfect timeline and restarting history multiple times to achieve it.
With the Hourglass at her disposal, Kronika can freeze time with her very presence or create a fusion of past and future events to manipulate time itself. When fueled with enough soul energy and the essence of her daughter, Cetrion, she can reverse time to the beginning of history to fully control the fates of all beings, with her primary goal being the erasure of Raiden from the timeline.
1Fire God Liu Kang
Liu Kang Became A God To Save The Timeline
Only one being was able to thwart Kronika from creating a timeline of chaos and war: the fusion of a young Liu Kang, the future Revenant Liu Kang, and Lord Raiden. The result wasFire God Liu Kang, a fully-fledged god who not only defeated a fully powered Kronika at the dawn of time but also a rival, Shang Tsung, who wielded the power of Kronika’s crown.
This version of Liu Kang wouldbecome the new Keeper of Time, starting and shaping his version of the timeline seen inMortal Kombat 1.He chose to let mortals determine their own destinies rather than constantly intervening. However, when the Titan Shang Tsung emerged from the multiverse, Liu Kang rose to the occasion as Earthrealm’s Protector and defeated him.
