Truth be told, I'm having one of those personal MK-mania things at the moment. For weeks now I wake up and I'm not thinking about my programming assignment, nor my ex, nor my bizarre tendencies to leave the bathroom door open before I sleep, but instead I've been waking up to "HERE'S JOHNNY", "FATALITY", "GET OVER HERE", etc.

It's been pretty alarming. So I thought hey, it's about time I posted a top list, might as well make it about Mortal Kombat. Who knows, maybe the voices will go away.

Liu Kang

Reality check here guys, Liu Kang was never one of those characters that put us to awe. Appearing more like a Bruce Lee rip-off, Liu Kang sucked for a long, long time.

And then he died. Bloody hell that changed everything. Liu Kang then revived as one of those insane zombie Asian guys who's fed up with everything, which was glorious.

Truth be told though, Mortal Kombat wouldn't have been what it is now without Liu Kang. There's no denying that awe you get when he does his TATATATA bicycle kicks. As cringy as he is, Liu Kang deserves to be on any top ten MK character list.

Ermac

Ermac began as a glitch, an "Error Macro" and that was where he got his name from. For a long time Ermac was a character without an actual identity. People actually referred to Ermac as "the red Sub Zero".

Then Trilogy came and Ermac began having his own unique story. Ermac was written as being made entirely of warrior souls that Shao Kahn had collected over the years, making a name for himself in every MK installment.

Ermac is currently a mummy wizard undead ninja guy who ripped off Jax's biological arms. Did I say iconic? A mummy wizard undead ninja guy who iconically ripped off Jax's biological arms. Not bad for a glitch.

Raiden

Every arcade fighting game deserves that one overpowered God-like protagonist that every kid chooses, and Raiden is just that in Mortal Kombat. Being one of my favorite characters for a long time, you'd think he's always been the Superman of MK, the face of justice and the hero that Earthrealm deserves, right?

Well wrong. It's hard not to forget that Raiden was once a self-centered asshole who invited other gods to participate in MK, resulting in the end of the world.

Ugh don't remind me. Anyway the developers scrapped that storyline out, ultimately rebranding Raiden as the protector of Earthrealm and the cool-ass God of thunder everybody loves and remembers. Combine that with his cool moves such as the torpedo and the shocker, as well as his ever-brutal thunder fatalities, Raiden is a big entry in this 10-iconic list.

Kitana

Every MK FANboy's (pun intended) wet dream, Kitana's more than just a damsel in a video game though. Possessing one of the most deadly weapons in the franchise, her razor sharp fans have been subject to much death and gore in Kitana's fatalities.

Sporting the iconic blue mask and suit-thing which exposes most of her skin, Kitana is both a deadly assassin and beloved princess who survived millennias. Which makes her the most attractive GILF in the history of GILFs, but also an iconic character in the acclaimed franchise for quite some time now.

Shao Kahn

Come on, you knew this was coming. An MK list wouldn't be complete without the emperor in it. Previously making an appearance in our 9 diabolical video game villains list, there's no doubt the impact Shao Kahn has made for the Mortal Kombat franchise.

Shao Kahn's presence and appearance has always been compared Darkseid from the DC series. Apart from being the iconic announcer of Mortal Kombat ("FATALITY", "FINISH HIM", "FLAWLESS VICTORY", "FIGHT"), the emperor is one of the most intense bosses in the Mortal Kombat series. In a game where brutality and violence does not shy away, the Emperor of Outworld and his massive hammer fatality is sure to stand up as one of the goriest ones of all.

Sub-Zero

"GET OVER HERE"

Oh wait wrong ninja.

Commonly known as 1/2 of the face of MK (we'll get to the other 1/2 later), this list just wouldn't be the same without Noob Saibot aka Sub-Zero. Or was it Bi-Han? Kuai Liang? Hmm.

Regardless of the incarnation, there's no doubt Sub-Zero's stone-cold persona (no pun intended) will send chills down your spine (still no pun intended). His gameplay is oh-so-exciting, allowing you to freeze opponents, even in mid-air and take advantage of the situation to inflict harm.

Sub-Zero and his tendencies of ripping spines into half will live on forever as the ultimate parent enrager.

Scorpion

"GET OVER HERE"

There we go!

Everyone knows Scorpion. Everyone loves him. The other 1/2 of the face of Mortal Kombat, Scorpion doesn't claim the title just because of his absolute badassery though. Possessing one of the most dramatic and stylized storylines in the franchise, Scorpion has been through hell and back.

Scorpion has taken pretty much every persona in the book. Being both the antagonist and protagonist and everything in between, Scorpion is the harpoon-throwing, face-slicing, dagger-throwing, fire-breathing, GET OVER HERE-ing undead ninja from hell. But you already knew that. Everyone knows Scorpion.

Johnny Cage

I had a hard time deciding who to put on the list. It was either Johnny Cage or Kung Lao, and the sight of Johnny Cage physique, arrogance and charisma granted his spot. No stranger to the MK franchise, Johnny Cage has been around since the first Mortal Kombat instalment.

Originally seen as a parody of Jean-Claude Van Damme, Cage was nothing more than an overconfident movie star-turned-Kombatant created as comic relief. That changed however, when the developers noticed the reception he garnered. Cage has been extensively featured in almost every MK media there is, be it games, comics or movies. Johnny Cage would go on to became a more grounded character in Mortal Kombat X, which introduced his daughter Cassie.

Cage remains as a favorite to fans to this day. His arrogant vibe, charming charisma and tendency to go shirtless with shades all the time granted him the critical reception.

“YOU JUST GOT CAGED”

The Honorable Eight

Baraka

Sonya Blade

Kung Lao

Cyrax

Shang Tsung

Goro

Smoke

Mileena

Do note that none of these entries are placed in any order

What do you think of our 10 most iconic Kombatants? Let us know your favorite in the comments.