After telling you how to do all fatalities in Mortal Kombat , it’s time to look at an even more brutal class of finisher. Yes, they’re called brutalities, and every fighter has ‘em. Unfortunately you can’t just do them at any point, or whenever you want: you’ll have to unlock them in the game’s Krypt, which is like a loot mode where you walk around opening treasure chests and finding other hidden goodies. And once you’ve unlocked a brutality, you then have to meet specific requirements in a fight in order to be able to pull it off. Brutalities are just kind of complex and confusing all around, but here’s a quick and easy way to learn all of them.
Also, since the game is on multiple consoles, the specific buttons for your brutality combos will depend on your controller. Unlike fatalities, it won’t always be either a Front Punch, Back Punch, Front Kick or Back Kick; you might have to do a throw or even amplify your move. The specific buttons for all of these moves depend on your console, and here’s a guide to all possible buttons.
Front Punch: Square on PS4, X on Xbox, Y on Switch Back Punch: Triangle on PS4, Y on Xbox, X on Switch Front Kick: X on PS4, A on Xbox, B on Switch Back Kick: Circle on PS4, B on Xbox, A on Switch Throw: L1 on PS4, LB on Xbox, L on Switch Amplify (it’s also the Interact button): R1 on PS4, RB on Xbox, R on Switch
Once you get the specific inputs for your preferred console committed to memory, you can start working on the brutalities themselves. This might not be a complete list—some brutalities are still being discovered within the game—but it’s all the ones we know about so far.
Every Fighter
There’s one brutality that’s shared by every character in the game. It’s fittingly called The Klassic, and it doesn’t need to be unlocked in the Krypt. Yep, you can go whip this brutality off in any battle right now, assuming you meet the specific conditions. If a brutality has multiple conditions listed below, you’ll have to do ‘em all in order to pull off the move.
The Klassic Conditions: Final hit must be an uppercut You can’t block any attacks in the last round.
Input: Down and Hold Back Punch
Baraka
The angry man with the swords for hands is ready for some slicin’. He has at least three unique brutalities, and here’s how to do ‘em.
Cut Up
Conditions: Finish the fight with the Chop Chop move Enter down, down, down while performing a throw
Input: Down, Back Front Kick
Nom Nom
Conditions: Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Down, Down, Down while doing a toward throw—Forward and
Severed
Conditions: Get the first hit Finish the fight with a Leg Kabob Hold forward during that Leg Kabob
Input: Back, Forward, Back Kick (hold Forward)
Cassie Cage
Boom Bitch :
Conditions: Throw your opponent three times during the fight Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Hold Throw
Make It Pop
Conditions: Don’t lose a round Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Hold Forward and press Throw
Cetrion
Falling Sky
Conditions: Finish the fight with the second hit of Earthquake Do a Mercy during the fight
Input: Down, Down, Front Kick
Smoked Flesh:
Conditions: Finish with less than 40% of your health bar Finish the fight with Amplified Hell’s Wrath Stand far from your opponent
Input: Down, Forward, Front Punch Amplified
Splitting Apart :
Conditions: Finish the fight with a toward throw Do at least three throws during the match
Input: Forward, Throw
D’Vorah
Buggin’ Out
Conditions: Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Down, Down, Down during a toward Throw
Erron Black:
Goodbye Cruel World
Conditions: Finish the fight with a TNT toss that’s still in Black’s hands
Input: Down, Back, Front Punch
Is Something Burning?
Conditions: Finish the fight with a TNT toss
Input: Down, Back, Front Punch
Frost
Bleeding Out
Conditions: Finish the fight with the Winter Woods Kombo Activate Core Overload
Input: Back, Back Punch, Back Punch
Geras
Sinking Feeling :
Conditions: Finish the fight with Quick Sand Hit your opponent with Quick Sand at least three times
Input: Down, Back, Front Punch
Jacqui Briggs
Damn It
Conditions: Finish the fight with a toward throw Hold forward during a throw
Input: Hold Forward and press Throw
Next Level Shit
Conditions: Finish the fight with a Bionic Dash Use at least five Bionic Dashes during the fight
Input: Back, Forward, Front Kick
What Happened?
Conditions: Finish the fight with an Amplified Throw Escape
Input: an Amplified Throw Escape—so any basic punch or kick while pressing amplify
Jade
Flawless
Conditions: Finish with a toward throw
Input: Forward, Throw
What Would Mileena Do
Conditions: Finish the fight with an Amplified Pole Vault Quickly press Front Punch and Back Punch, back and forth, during a hit
Input: Back, Forward, Front Punch and Amplify
Jax
I Said Sleep
Conditions: Finish with less than 20% Health Finish the fight with the Sleep, Bitch combo
Input: Back and Front Kick, Back Punch, Front Punch and Front Kick
Pounded
Conditions: Finish the fight with Pound Town End with a Front Punch Hold Front Punch during the hit
Input: Down, Back and Front Punch, Front Punch
Slow Clap
Conditions: Arms have to be completely heated up Finish the fight with Lethal Clap
Input: Down, Back and Front Punch
Johnny Cage
$500 Sunglasses
Conditions: Finish the fight with Throwing Shades Stand far away from your opponent
Input: Down, Down and Back Punch
The Award Goes To
Conditions: Stun enemy with Say Cheese Quickly press Front Punch and Back Punch over and over during hit Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Forward and Throw
Kabal
Spin Me Right Round
Conditions: Use at least three Nomad Dashes during the fight Finish the fight with a Nomad Dash
Input: Back, Forward and Front Kick
Kano
Not Lookin’ Good :
Conditions: Hold the down button during a throw Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Throw
Kitana
Deadly Lips
Conditions: Do a mercy during the fight Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Throw
Punished
Conditions: Finish with less than 40% health Finish the fight with Square Wave
Input: Back, Forward and Front Kick
Kollector
Shaken
Conditions: Finish with less than 50% health Hold the down button during a hit Finish the fight with Taxed Combo
Input: Forward and Back Punch, Back Punch, Front Punch and Front Kick
Should Have Paid
Conditions: Quickly press Front Punch and Back Punch during a hit Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Throw
Kotal Kahn
Back Stabber
Conditions: Hold down the throw button while performing a throw Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Throw
Burnt
Conditions: Activate Tonatiuh Beam or God Ray Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Forward and Throw
Kung Lao
Bad Buzz
Conditions: Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Forward and Throw
Not Holding Back
Conditions: Quickly press Front Punch and Back Punch during a hit Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Throw
Liu Kang
One Inch Death Strike
Conditions: Finish the fight with Dragon Parry That final parry has to be the third parry of the fight
Input: Down, Back and Front Kick
Noob Saibot
Decapper
Conditions: Finish with more than 40% of health Hold back during a throw Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Throw
More Portals More Problems
Conditions: Finish the fight with Sickle Snag Press down, down, down during a hit
Input: Down, Back and Front Kick
Skinned
Conditions: Do a mercy during the fight Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Forward and Throw
Raiden
Elder Storm Strike
Conditions: Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Hold the throw button
Zap Zap
Conditions: Quickly press Front Punch and Back Punch over and over during a throw Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Forward and Throw
Scorpion
Crispy
Conditions: Hold Front Kick during a hit Finish the fight with Demon Breath
Input: Down, Forward and Front Kick
Spine Ripper
Conditions: Perform at least three throws Hold throw button during a throw Finish the fight with a back throw
Input: Throw
Shao Kahn
Kahn Croquet
Conditions: Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Press Down, Down, Down while holding Forward and pressing Throw
Skarlet
Bottom Out
Conditions: Perform at least three throws in the last round Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Forward and Throw
Melted
Conditions: Finish with no less than 50% health Stand far away Hold Back Punch Finish the fight with Blood Ball
Input: Down, Back and Back Punch
Sonya Blade
Popping Heads
Conditions: Don’t lose a round Hold down the forward button during a throw Finish the fight with a toward throw
Input: Forward and Throw
Sub-Zero
Off With Your Head
Conditions: Press Forward, Forward, Forward while hitting the opponent Finish the fight with Amplified Slide
Input: Back, Forward and Front Kick and Amplify
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