Mortal Kombat 1 might have just released, but there’s a lot to think about with the character roster so far. If you want to get off on the very best foot, you’ll need to pick your main carefully. That’s a key part of getting better at fighting games. One way to go is to try people out and see which playstyle fits well with you, another is to try and pick the most meta character right from the off. That’s where a Mortal Kombat 1 tier list will come in.

A tier list divides the starting roster of characters into different categories. You’ll find the best-performing characters at the highest level of the tier list and those who don’t seem to have the kit to compete on the lower end. Since we’re still quite early in the game, MK 1 tier lists are still a bit uncertain. However, there are definitely some standout fighters already. This is how the character rankings all break down.

Source: NetherRealm Studios

S Tier – Mortal Kombat 1 Tier List

This is the very highest section of the Mortal Kombat 1 tier list. This is where the characters who have stronger kit are. Even at the launch of the game, it looks like these characters are sitting at the top of the meta at the moment. Although, this could definitely change quite a bit as we get to know the game better. These are the characters in this tier.

Johnny Cage
Kenshi
Liu Kang
Sub-Zero

A Tier

This is the next section down. Most of the best fighting games have a pretty even balance though, A Tier Mortal Kombat characters are still pretty competitive. These could even end up on the top of the game by the time we get to some actual tournaments. These are the characters in this tier.

Raiden
Shang Tsung
Scorpion
Li Mei
Kitana
General Shao
Reptile

B Tier – Mortal Kombat 1 Tier List

Since Mortal Kombat 1 is still pretty new, it’s difficult to say that any characters deserve to be much lower. Even those in this section might rise up as players get to know their kit better. These are the B Tier characters in the MK 1 tier list.

Mileena
Sindel
Tanya
Baraka
Kung Lao
Rain
Reiko
Geras
Havik

That’s roughly where everyone sits. As we get further into the game though, we’ll see a lot of change with the Mortal Kombat 1 tier list. We’ll likely see characters move around quite a bit, with some characters becoming the clear standouts. Keep an eye on fighting game news for early tournaments to see which players hit where in the game after release.