This guide covers Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), not Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11, or the original arcade game. To perform a Fatality, wait for the finish prompt, stand at the required distance, then enter the directional sequence and the right attack or Kameo button before the finish window closes. The command also depends on your platform, and forward and back change with your fighter’s facing direction.
How to perform an MK1 Fatality
- Wait for the finish prompt. Enter the command during the post-match finish window, not during the fight.
- Move to the listed range. Fatalities may require close, mid, far, or any distance. If the input does not work, check both your spacing and the move’s stated range.
- Enter the directions and button promptly. Use the main fighter’s attack button for a character Fatality, or the Kameo/assist button for a Kameo Fatality.
Directions are relative to your opponent: Forward means toward them and Back means away. If your fighter changes sides and faces left, reverse forward and back in the command. Directional examples in Mortal Kombat Warehouse assume the player faces right: Mortal Kombat Warehouse’s MK1 Fatalities and Animalities reference.
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Translate the button inputs for your platform
Guides commonly use neutral attack names—Front Punch, Back Punch, Front Kick, and Back Kick—rather than console glyphs. The following mapping is reported by AELGames; check the current in-game Move List and your controller if a label differs.
| Input | PlayStation | Xbox | Switch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Punch | Square | X | Y |
| Back Punch | Triangle | Y | X |
| Front Kick | X | A | B |
| Back Kick | Circle | B | A |
| Block | R2 | RT | ZR |
| Kameo/assist | R1 | RB | R |
These mappings are from AELGames’ guide, modified January 8, 2026: Mortal Kombat 1 Fatalities List All Moves and Button Inputs. The Warehouse reference offers platform selection, including PC, but the mapping above does not specify a PC keyboard layout.
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Example MK1 Fatality inputs
These examples illustrate how a command and its range appear in roster guides; they are not a complete, current roster audit. The button numbers follow the guides’ neutral notation: 1 is Front Punch and 4 is Back Kick.
| Fighter | Fatality | Input | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Shao | Spin Cycle | Back, Forward, Down, 1 | Mid |
| Geras | Sand Storm | Forward, Down, Down, 4 | Mid |
| Smoke | Hazed and Infused | Back, Forward, Down, 1 | Any |
These commands and ranges are listed in eXputer’s September 25, 2023 guide, Mortal Kombat 1: All Fatalities List. Because that guide is dated and secondary, confirm a command in the game’s current Move List rather than assuming every roster entry remains unchanged.
Kameo Fatalities use the assist button
A Kameo Fatality uses the Kameo/assist input as its final command, not the main fighter’s numbered attack button. For example, eXputer lists Cyrax’s Annihilation as Forward, Back, Forward, Kameo at mid range, and Darrius’s Armed and Dangerous as Down, Back, Forward, Kameo. The guide describes one Fatality per Kameo and two per main-roster fighter; those counts reflect its publication-era roster, not a verified current roster count.
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If the Fatality prompt or input is missing
The Move List may not display every Fatality at first. eXputer’s September 2023 guide says a second Fatality prompt is revealed at level 14, while AELGames’ guide describes second-Fatality unlocks through Fighter Mastery. Both also report that knowing the command may let a player perform the Fatality before it appears in the Move List. Since progression wording can differ by version, use the current in-game Move List as your reference and treat those unlock details as guide-reported rather than universal.
- No response: check that the finish prompt is active and the command is entered within its window.
- Wrong spacing: move to the listed close, mid, or far range; “any” means the guide does not specify a distance restriction.
- Directions seem reversed: read forward and back relative to your opponent, not the edge of the screen.
- Wrong final button: character Fatalities use an attack input; Kameo Fatalities use the assist input.
- Glyph mismatch: translate the neutral attack name using your platform’s mapping and confirm your controller layout.
Fatalities are not Brutalities or Animalities
Fatalities are post-match finishers entered after the finish prompt. AELGames distinguishes Brutalities as finishers performed before the fight ends, with their own commands, so do not substitute a Brutality input for a Fatality. Mortal Kombat Warehouse’s reference also includes Animalities; those are a separate category and should not be treated as entries in a Fatality list.
References for the full roster
For a roster-wide lookup, use the in-game Move List first, then cross-check any entry against a platform-selectable reference. Mortal Kombat Warehouse lists Fatalities and Animalities with platform selection; GameTweak’s MK1 Fatality button inputs guide provides cross-platform character and Kameo examples. These are secondary guides, and the available references do not provide official version notes, so check exact commands in your current game build.
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