Mortal Kombat 11 is proving to be immensely popular with fans of the brutal fighting game series, and a great entry for the franchise. Even though it’s the eleventh game in the series and the franchise itself has been around since the 90s, there are still some gamers who are experiencing this gory world for the first time with this title.

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To ease the transition into this simple yet complex to master fighting game, here is a list of the ten fighters in Mortal Kombat 11 that are great for beginners to the franchise or fighting games in general.

Updated June 15th, 2022 by Rebecca Timberlake: To be as useful to new players as possible, additional characters are included in this list, along with helpful information on whether each character is a part of the base game or DLC. Mortal Kombat 11 offers an extensive roster of playable characters with over 30 to choose from, and with nearly half of them listed below, the list has also been reordered to rank them by the ease of use. It is a testament to the playability of the Mortal Kombat franchise that so many of their fighters can be listed, and that there is a fighter for every possible kind of player.

16 Shao Kahn - Base Roster

A villain from the previous games, Shao Kahn is a great fighter for beginners who can resist the urge to button mash. He hits hard, but he is also pretty slow, so he caters to players who can act patiently and wait for the right moment to strike without panicking when under attack.

Admittedly, he’s not great for beginners completely brand-new to fighting games, who will push every single button in an effort to stay alive. He's more for players who can keep their cool or aren’t afraid to lose occasionally if it means learning how to play.

15 Kotal Kahn - Base Roster

Like many others on this list, Kotal Kahn is good for beginners because of how burly he is. Similarly to Shao Kahn, he takes patience and levelheadedness, but his sword makes button mashing a little more forgivable. He also seems a little better equipped at exploiting openings with his Tecuani Maul that’ll launch him across the screen at his enemies with alarming speed.

He can hold his own in close combat and does heavy damage at a range, so he’s good for players that want a little beefiness in their characters without feeling like they can’t seize open the openings they’ll learn to see.

14 Liu Kang - Base Roster

For the players who aren’t afraid to spend some time memorizing and learning combo sets, Liu Kang is a great fighter for beginners looking to be challenged a little. He’s good for beginners because of how versatile he is in close combat and from afar with his fireballs, meaning multiple play styles can be utilized without sacrificing power.

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He’s good for the beginner who’s picking up the game quickly or has experience playing other fighting games and is diving into Mortal Kombat for the first time.

13 Sub-Zero - Base Roster

A member of the old team from the 90s, Sub-Zero is a great fighter for beginners given how devastating his abilities are. Using the power of ice Sub-Zero can slow and even utterly freeze his opponents in battle. Granted the moments the enemy is slowed or frozen are often fleeting, but having even a second of breathing room in this game is huge for beginners that may start getting overtaken by fast or powerhouse opponents.

He’s a little more difficult to play than others on this list, but, for those beginners who can master his abilities, he makes things a little more... chill.

12 Scorpion - Base Roster

The favored character of the game’s makers and fans since he appeared in the first Mortal Kombat all those years ago. Scorpion is a great fighter for beginners to the franchise. His fighting style is very balanced between speed and power and his combos are very easy to learn, remember, and execute in battle.

He’s the character developers chose to star in the tutorial and for a majority of the campaign. It’s no wonder then that he’d be beginner-friendly while still serving as a powerful character competitively. This is someone they want players becoming familiar with.

11 Jax - Base Roster

Jax is great for beginners because he has a very simple playstyle — get in and dish out damage until there’s an opportunity to grab the enemy. This isn’t to say he’s simple to master, just that his main strategy is very straight forward for beginners.

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He’s also nice for beginners in that he’ll teach players to be willing to get up close and personal with their enemies and when to look for opportunities. High-level fights are all about exploiting an opponent’s mistakes or taking advantage of the moments your character can shine, and fighting as Jax will teach the right moments to perform grabs which can turn the tide in battle.

10 Johnny Cage - Base Roster

Like Jax, Johnny Cage is a good fighter for players who pursue a fight simplistically. He’s a close-range brawler that’s good at applying pressure to the enemy and has a variety of combos that range from simple to challenging to pull off.

He’s good for beginners who are wanting to be challenged as they learn, or to have someone they can grow into overtime. He’s definitely not for everyone, and he’ll feel a little weak at times until the player gets used to him, but he’s not a bad fighter to learn the game with.

9 Erron Black - Base Roster

Erron Black is a character that will take a long time for beginners to master, but rewards them every step of the way. For those just starting out, he'll be a great range fighter with lots of options for damaging the enemy. Beginners can keep their enemies at bay with bullets from his revolver and rifle before having to finish them off up close.

Once beginners get a feel for his combos and close range combat they’ll learn to use his ranged projectiles to disrupt opponents plans. In the beginning, they make for a good default attack, and can chip away an opponent's health long before they can get the player in their grasp.

8 Kabal - Base Roster

Kabal is a good choice for beginners because of how simple his overall play style is. He’s fast on his feet, his Buzzsaw projectiles are surprisingly effective, and his Nomad Dash is easy to use and kickstart combos. While not all of his combos will be useful for beginning players, there are some strong ones that can be easily implemented.

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The only downside with this character is how much beginners will want to hang back and do ranged attacks when they should really be setting up combos. But, for those beginners who learn to set up those dominos, he makes for a satisfying character that’s simple to play.

7 Baraka - Base Roster

Mortal Kombat - Baraka With His Mouth Open Toward The Camera

Baraka is a favorite among players, both for his gruesome attacks and his wide range of moves. He's one of the few characters you can select that has easy moves as well as harder, more complex moves. With giant blades projecting from his forearms, it's difficult not to inflict maximum damage to your opponent with minimal effort.

What makes Baraka a fun learner fighter is that you can literally stay with him and learn all he has to offer — all while winning fight after fight.

6 Jade - Base Roster

Jade from Mortal Kombat 11

Jade is often overlooked in the Mortal Kombat series, but she has a similar fighting style to Kitana and Mileena, lending her to beginners easily. The traditional combos using up, down, left, right, A, B, etc. produce various kicks, flips, and whips with her staff. Even without strong knowledge of her moves list you'll be able to fight your way out of any arena.

In Mortal Kombat 11 Jade is an undead character, and while that doesn't change her effectiveness or easiness, it does make fighting with her that much cooler.

5 Kano - Base Roster

Mortal Kombat 11 Kano looking at the distance and thinking

A lot of players see Kano as a comic-relief character thanks to his hilarious interactions with other fighters but they'd be remiss not to pick up the villainous Black Dragon as a serious contender. He offers a ton of utility that's easy to use, giving new players a lot of variety to help them discover their own unique play style. His moves aren't overly exciting compared to some of the other fighters on the roster but Kano can be a devastating tool in the right hands.

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His abilities allow him to attack effectively from range, close gaps, and punish spam-heavy foes. Even if he's not the character that players end up "maining," he's one of the best characters to start a Mortal Kombat 11 journey.

4 Mileena - Kombat Pack 2 DLC; MK11 Ultimate

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Mileena

The addition of Mileena to MK11 was long-awaited for many dedicated fans. The evil counterpart to Kitana, she's long been a favorite among fans for good reason. It is completely possible to pick up the controller for the first time and win a round or two with her just by hitting random buttons.

That said, if you have a basic understanding of fighting combos (or if you look hers up in the menu), you'll really get a good grasp of the mechanics of the game. She offers powerful blows and witty retorts on the battlefield.

3 Kitana - Base Roster

Mortal Kombat 11 Kitana throwing a fan towards the screen

Some characters on the Mortal Kombat 11 roster offer a very "specialized experience" that caters to a certain play style or rewards those who master the character themselves. Other characters, that are a bit more beginner-friendly, offer up a ton of utility to allow players to react to and counter as many opponents as possible.

Kitana gives players a lot of freedom of movement, as she has many maneuvers that can help her close gaps against ranged fighters, while simultaneously allowing her to escape from grapplers and close-range combatants. She boasts impressive range, has a "stun," and can rattle off some incredible damage via some lengthy combos.

2 Terminator - Kombat Pack 1; MK11 Ultimate

Mortal Kombat the Terminator smiling at the camera

A lot of interesting characters have been added to Mortal Kombat 11 since its release, and the Terminator is perhaps one of the most imposing. At first glance, this titanic metal-made bruiser looks like he would take a lot of effort to master but the truth is, Terminator actually has a lot of beginner-friendly moves that can help newer players win fights.

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He offers a ton of utility in ranged attacks, grenades, and grapples. He even has some aerial denial grapples to take down foes that like to jump around. Most of his inputs are relatively simple to pull off with a little practice. He's definitely slower and more methodical than other fighters, but his close-quarters combat style can be downright punishing to players that prefer range. He even comes packaged with the Terminate ability, which strips him of his movement abilities (like dashing, jumping, and teleporting) but covers him in thick armor.

1 Skarlet - Base Roster

One of the easier fighters in Mortal Kombat 11 for beginners is Skarlet. She doesn't have overly complex combos, which makes her ideal for learning the game controls when you're first starting out — especially if you're not coming from a fighting game background. Despite her simplicity, Skarlet is an effective fighter for doling out damage with her fists and her blood magic.

Whether you're learning the game for the first time and are intimidated by the high-powered fighters, or a veteran player looking for an easy win, Skarlet is a wise choice.

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