You just won the set. The screen goes dark, the announcer bellows "Finish Him," and your heart starts racing. This is the moment where you either look like a god or an absolute scrub who just stands there awkwardly punching the air. Honestly, there is nothing more embarrassing than wanting to pull off a cinematic execution and ending up doing a limp front kick while the timer runs out.
If you’re looking for a Mortal Kombat 1 fatality list that actually makes sense without needing a PhD in fighting game notation, you’re in the right spot. We’re talking about the full 2026 roster, including the Kombat Pack DLCs and those weirdly specific Kameo inputs that everyone seems to forget.
Why the Second Fatality is Hidden
NetherRealm did a bit of a "troll" move this time around. When you start the game, the Move List only shows you one fatality. To see the second one, you’re supposed to grind character mastery levels. It takes forever.
But here's the secret: you don't actually have to unlock them. If you know the buttons, you can perform them right now. The game doesn't block the input; it just hides the instructions. It’s basically a loyalty test for people who remember the old arcade days where we had to write this stuff down on napkins.
Reading the Numbers
Before we get into the gore, let’s talk "shorthand." Pros use numbers because it’s easier than saying "Square" or "X" every five seconds.
- 1: Front Punch (Square on PS5, X on Xbox)
- 2: Back Punch (Triangle on PS5, Y on Xbox)
- 3: Front Kick (Cross on PS5, A on Xbox)
- 4: Back Kick (Circle on PS5, B on Xbox)
- K: Kameo (R1 on PS5, RB on Xbox)
The Main Roster: Every Fatality Input
Every main fighter has at least two. The distance is the tricky part. "Close" means you’re basically hugging them. "Mid" is about two character-lengths away. "Far" is the other side of the screen.
Liu Kang
The Fire God doesn't hold back in this timeline. His first one is iconic, but the second one—Spaghettification—is genuinely uncomfortable to watch.
- Double Dragon (Close): Down, Forward, Back, 4
- Spaghettification (Close): Back, Forward, Back, 3
Scorpion
The "Killer Klones" move is a wild throwback to the MK2 era. It’s fast and looks great on a 4K screen.
- Eye-Palling Victory (Mid): Down, Forward, Back, Block
- Killer Klones (Mid): Back, Forward, Back, 2
Sub-Zero
Bi-Han is a bit of a jerk in this game, and his fatalities reflect that "ice-cold" ego.
- Hairline Fracture (Anywhere): Forward, Down, Down, 2
- Brain Freeze (Close): Forward, Back, Down, 4
Johnny Cage
Johnny's fatalities are meta. He’s literally filming a movie during the execution. If you have the Jean-Claude Van Damme skin equipped, it feels even more surreal.
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- Hollywood Walk Of Pain (Close): Forward, Back, Down, 2
- Krash and Burn (Mid): Forward, Down, Back, 4
Mileena
She’s the Empress now, but her eating habits haven't improved.
- Appetizer (Close): Back, Forward, Back, 1
- A Little to the Left (Close): Down, Forward, Back, 3
Reptile
Sythoz is actually a hero this time! But he still vomits acid on people.
- Indigestion (Mid): Forward, Back, Down, 4
- Acid Reflux (Close): Forward, Down, Back, 3
DLC and Guest Characters (Kombat Pack)
If you spent the extra money on the Kombat Pack, you’ve got access to some of the most broken finishers in the game. Omni-Man and Homelander basically have their own mini-movies.
Omni-Man
His "Trained Killer" move is a direct reference to the subway scene in the Invincible show. It’s brutal.
- Trained Killer (Close): Down, Down, Back, 4
- Like Father, Like Son (Mid): Back, Forward, Down, 1
Homelander
The laser eyes are obviously the star of the show here.
- Winging It (Mid): Down, Forward, Down, 1
- Let's Fly (Mid): Back, Forward, Back, 2
Takeda
The Shirai Ryu prodigy is all about those serrated whips.
- Millipede's Bite (Mid): Down, Forward, Down, 4
- Rip-Kord (Mid): Back, Forward, Back, 1
Kameo Fatalities: The Support Squad
Don't forget your partner. Kameo fatalities are often shorter but usually pay homage to the classic games. You trigger these by pressing the Kameo button at the end of the input.
- Cyrax (Mid): Forward, Back, Forward, K (The classic "world explosion")
- Sektor (Mid): Back, Forward, Back, K (The "Kompactor")
- Jax (Far): Down, Forward, Down, K (The "Big Boot")
- Sonya (Mid): Back, Forward, Down, K (The "Kiss of Death")
- Scorpion (Mid): Down, Forward, Down, K (The "Toasty!" fire breath)
- Frost (Mid): Back, Down, Back, K (The "Breaking Point")
Animalities are Back
In a massive update, NetherRealm finally brought back Animalities. These are free for everyone who owns the game, so you don't need a specific DLC for them. They are generally performed at Mid distance.
- Liu Kang (Phoenix): Down, Back, Down, 2
- Rain (Pufferfish): Forward, Back, Down, Back
- Scorpion (Scorpion): Forward, Down, Down, 4
- Mileena (Praying Mantis): Forward, Down, Down, 4
- Sub-Zero (Mammoth): Down, Forward, Down, Forward
Mastering the Distance (The "Secret" to Success)
Most players fail fatalities because they are too close or too far. If a move says Mid, and you’re touching the opponent, it won't work. You’ll just throw a punch.
A good rule of thumb? Jump back once from the opponent. That is usually the perfect "Mid" distance. For "Far," you want to be at least two jump-backs away.
Actionable Tips for Performance
- Use the Easy Fatality Tokens sparingly. You get them through the Shrine, but they’re a limited resource. Learn the manual inputs to save them for when you're playing online and under pressure.
- Practice in the Fatality Training mode. It literally puts a marker on the floor showing you exactly where to stand.
- Check your input settings. Some people find "Release Check" (Negative Edge) makes fighting game inputs harder. If you’re struggling, try turning it off in the options menu.
- Pin the move. You can pin fatalities to the screen from the move list so you don't have to keep pausing the game to remember the buttons.
To keep your edge in the New Era, start by perfecting one main character's secondary fatality until the muscle memory kicks in. Once you can do it without thinking, move on to your favorite Kameo. Finishing a match with a perfectly timed execution isn't just about the gore—it’s about the mental victory.
Next Step: Head into the Fatality Training menu and try the second fatality for your main character using the inputs above; you'll see it works even if the move list says it's "Locked."