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By all rights,Mortal Kombat 1should be calledMortal Kombat 12– the storylinecontinues from the ending ofMK11’s DLCAftermath, after all. After Liu Kang used the powers of the Hourglass to completely restart theMortal Kombatuniverse and all of its characters, he “retired” from being the Keeper of Time,losing his godlike powersto become protector of Earthrealm as the God of Fire.
Liu Kang’s approach to fighting inMortal Kombat 1is far from humble, though, and his fatalities are among the most brutal in the game. Not only is Liu Kang fast and punishing, but his combos are relatively easy to learn, and his bicycle kick – and other moves – are as powerful as ever.
Liu Kang Overview
TheMortal Kombatuniverse has gone through some serious changes inMortal Kombat 1. Once the Keeper of Time, Liu Kang is now the God of Fire, having replaced Raiden in his newly crafted timeline, the former Shaolin Warrior remains the same humble, disciplined martial artist at heart.
One thing that hasn’t changed about Liu Kang is that he remains a good “beginner” character, thanks to special moves with similar inputs and a balanced overall moveset, and his ability to deal short bursts of damage is almost unmatched. Butexperienced players can make a lot happenwith Liu Kang’s moves, especially with the powerful combos available to him.
Liu Kang Special Moves & Basic Attacks
This guide uses a standard universal input translation for moves. Players won’t find familiar console buttons listed below – instead, a system created by the fighting game community over time converts each console’s controls to a simple formula. This allows all players to understand the inputs necessary for these moves and combos.
For more information on how this system works, refer to this guide onhow to understand theMortal Kombat 1universal input code.
Cosmic Flame
BF1
Liu Kang fires a bolt of blue and orange fire forward
Low Dragon
DB1
Liu Kang slings a firebolt that bounces on the ground instead of forward
Dragon’s Tail
BF3
Liu Kang summons a fiery dragon to guide his long-distance kick
Liu Kang’s iconic Bicycle Kick, given new flair
Dragon’s Breath
DB4
Teleports Liu Kang close to the enemy (but not from a distance)
Burning Desire
F3, 4
Liu Kang chops the enemy and then kicks them into the air, but not high enough for aerials
Tailwhip
B2, 3
Primary launcher for Liu Kang, can be chained within combos relatively easily
Shaolin Stutter
F1, 4
Quick interrupt, in which Liu Kang quickly hits the enemy before kicking them
“Eternal Power”, a series of powerful kicks
2, 2, 1
“Pyromancer’s Gift”, in which Liu Kang knocks the opponent to the ground with a fiery punch
3, 3, 3
Liu Kang quickly kicks three times in rapid succession, can be followed with a special
1, 3, 4
“Unstoppable” standard combo, high damage punch and two kicks
2, 1, 2
“New Future” standard combo, Liu Kang deals a few quick punches, can be followed with Cosmic Flame
Liu Kang MK1 Fatalities & Brutalities
Liu Kang Brutalities in MK1
Brutalities can only be performed once unlocked via Character Mastery progression, but all Fatalities can be performed as long as the player is at the right distance and makes the correct inputs. This guide will be updated as we progress through each of the character’s Mastery tracks in Mortal Kombat 1.
D2, hold 2
Decapitates opponent with a quick uppercut
Bleeding Heart
Grab, press 3 three times
Liu Kang reaches into the opponent’s chest and pulls out their heart
Dancing Around
BF4, press 1 six times
Liu Kang bicycle kicks his opponent’s body parts off, eventually kicking them in half
DFB4
Close
Liu Kang lifts the opponent into the air with summoned dragons, kicks them in half, and crushes their head
BFB3
Liu Kang teleports himself and the opponent into space and holds them near a Black Hole, so their flesh is ripped off slowly
Mortal Kombat 1is available for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
