# Baraka (Mortal Kombat)
**Baraka** is a fictional character in the [Mortal Kombat](https://www.edgepedia.org/mortal-kombat) fighting game series, introduced in *Mortal Kombat II* (1993) as a mean, frightening, and unpredictable Outworld warrior in service of Emperor Shao Kahn.[1](https://videogamegeek.com/videogamecharacter/67027/baraka) He belongs to the Tarkatans, a carnivorous race whose members have long, retractable blades extending from their forearms, and he is one of the franchise's recurring monstrous fighters.[1](https://videogamegeek.com/videogamecharacter/67027/baraka)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appearance | *Mortal Kombat II* (1993), as one of five fighters added to the original seven combatants[1](https://videogamegeek.com/videogamecharacter/67027/baraka) • [2](https://designblog.uniandes.edu.co/blogs/dise3349/files/2009/01/retro-gamer-pt2.pdf) |
| Species | Tarkatan; cannibalistic, with long retractable forearm blades[1](https://videogamegeek.com/videogamecharacter/67027/baraka) |
| Signature move | Head Swipe, per Retro Gamer's character history[2](https://designblog.uniandes.edu.co/blogs/dise3349/files/2009/01/retro-gamer-pt2.pdf) |
| *Mortal Kombat 11* role | Playable character and supporting character in Story Mode; War Chief of the nomadic Tarkatan tribe[3](https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Baraka) • [4](https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/t/mk11/mortal-kombat-11-reveals-character-mini-bios/9oqW7uLow0Wy?page=1) |
| *Mortal Kombat 1* (2023) role | Playable character and supporting character in Story Mode, reimagined in the series' new era[3](https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Baraka) |
| Film portrayal | Played by C.J. Bloomfield in the film *Mortal Kombat II*, scheduled for release on May 15, 2026[5](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/mortal-kombat-iii-confirmed-by-writer-as-well-as-new-footage-of-baraka-in-mortal-kombat-ii/) • [6](https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/mortal-kombat-2-redeems-itself-by-fixing-the-worst-thing-about-the-first-movie/) |
## Character design and traits
Baraka's defining features are his blades and his mouth. A 1993 Midway character sheet describes him as a bald mutant with a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and retracting blades on his arms.[7](https://tabmok99.mortalkombatonline.com/Mortal%20Kombat%20II%20-%20First%20-%20052296BZ.pdf) As with all Tarkatans, he is cannibalistic, and the blades make him one of the deadliest fighters in the Mortal Kombat universe.[1](https://videogamegeek.com/videogamecharacter/67027/baraka) His classic special moves include the Blade Spark projectile, listed in his *Mortal Kombat Trilogy* move set alongside his fatalities.[8](https://legacy.mortalkombatonline.com/content/games/mkt/baraka/)
## Game appearances
**Original timeline.** After his debut in *Mortal Kombat II*, Baraka was sent to quell an uprising of a renegade race in Outworld's lower regions.[8](https://legacy.mortalkombatonline.com/content/games/mkt/baraka/) He returned in later entries including *Mortal Kombat Gold*, a [Dreamcast](https://www.edgepedia.org/dreamcast) update of *Mortal Kombat 4* that brought back Kitana, Mileena, Baraka, and Sektor.[2](https://designblog.uniandes.edu.co/blogs/dise3349/files/2009/01/retro-gamer-pt2.pdf) In *Mortal Kombat X* (2015) he was relegated to non-playable status while serving Mileena, appearing multiple times in Story Mode even after post-release downloadable content, and he met his official demise as a victim of the Outworld civil war, eviscerated by D'Vorah and her insectoid limbs.[9](https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/d/news/viewarchive.cds?month=6&year=2018)
**Mortal Kombat 11.** Baraka returned as a playable character in *Mortal Kombat 11* (2019), this time serving as a supporting character in the game's Story Mode.[3](https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Baraka) His official mini-bio casts him as War Chief of the nomadic Tarkatan tribe, a carnivorous people considered subhuman by the Outworld Empire, who dutifully serves [Shao Kahn](https://www.edgepedia.org/shao-kahn) to preserve his tribe's way of life as they roam the harsh Wastelands, meat carts in tow, consuming everything and everyone in their path.[4](https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/t/mk11/mortal-kombat-11-reveals-character-mini-bios/9oqW7uLow0Wy?page=1)
**Mortal Kombat 1 (2023).** *Mortal Kombat 1* (2023) introduces a reimagined Baraka who is both a selectable fighter and, once more, a supporting figure in the Story Mode.[3](https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Baraka) The game takes place in a new era created by Fire God Liu Kang, and TechRadar's review notes that sharp-toothed, blade-armed Baraka is a good guy now.[10](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/mortal-kombat-1-review) [PC Gamer](https://www.edgepedia.org/pc-gamer)'s review groups him with [Reptile](https://www.edgepedia.org/reptile-mortal-kombat) as a long-standing "jobber", a character who traditionally exists just to be beaten to a pulp while the heroes wait for real villains, who finally gets his due as an endearing anti-hero.[11](https://www.pcgamer.com/mortal-kombat-1-review/) In gameplay he is built around extensive combo strings, a strong mix-up game, and heavy chip damage on blocking opponents through strings such as Gutwrencher, Gurgler, Butcher, and Slaughter House, several of which can be canceled into the Baraka Barrage special move.[12](https://gameranx.com/features/id/476922/article/mortal-kombat-1-best-characters-for-beginners-5-easiest-kombatants-to-pick-up-and-play/) [NetherRealm Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/netherrealm-studios) adjusted him repeatedly through balance patches, including a new move, Desperate Tarkatan, added in the March 2025 update.[13](https://mortalkombatgamessupport.wbgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/39478053196179-Mortal-Kombat-1-Patch-Notes-March-Update)
## Other media
Baraka made several appearances in Malibu Comics' Mortal Kombat comic book series, with his first appearance in the first issue of Goro's miniseries, *Prince of Pain*.[3](https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Baraka) In film, C.J. Bloomfield portrays him in [New Line Cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-line-cinema)'s *Mortal Kombat II*, which introduces the character alongside [Johnny Cage](https://www.edgepedia.org/johnny-cage) and Kitana and was scheduled for release on May 15, 2026 after a move from October 24, 2025.[5](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/mortal-kombat-iii-confirmed-by-writer-as-well-as-new-footage-of-baraka-in-mortal-kombat-ii/) • [6](https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/mortal-kombat-2-redeems-itself-by-fixing-the-worst-thing-about-the-first-movie/) Reviews of the film singled out his fight with Johnny Cage: Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence praised the top-tier fight choreography in a battle that features solid character beats.[14](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/mortal-kombat-2-first-reviews/) Series co-creator and film producer [Ed Boon](https://www.edgepedia.org/ed-boon) later admitted his own feedback on a line in the Cage-Baraka fight was "dead wrong", recalling that he had objected, "There's no way Baraka would say that, no one is going to laugh at that."[15](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/no-one-is-going-to-laugh-at-that-mortal-kombat-co-creator-ed-boon-says-his-feedback-on-a-johnny-cage-sequel-fight-was-dead-wrong/)
## Reception
Bladed arms and a wicked grin made Baraka an instantly iconic kombatant on his debut, and with his introduction in *Mortal Kombat II* he helped define the bizarre and dangerous identity of Shao Kahn's Outworld.[9](https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/d/news/viewarchive.cds?month=6&year=2018) His standing has shifted over the series' history: inconsistent appearances and a string of minor roles of servitude gradually eroded his status from would-be King of Mutants to lowly minion, before the more sympathetic portrayals in *Mortal Kombat 11* and *Mortal Kombat 1* restored interest in the character.[9](https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/d/news/viewarchive.cds?month=6&year=2018) • [3](https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Baraka) In competitive play his ranking has varied by game and patch; tier lists for *Mortal Kombat 1* have placed him anywhere from B-tier at launch to a consistent top-tier pick later in the game's lifecycle, with recent patches enhancing his viability.[16](https://exputer.com/guides/tier-lists/mk1/) • [17](https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/mortal-kombat-1-tier-list/)
## References
1. [Baraka | Character | VideoGameGeek](https://videogamegeek.com/videogamecharacter/67027/baraka)
2. [The History of Mortal Kombat, Retro Gamer (PDF)](https://designblog.uniandes.edu.co/blogs/dise3349/files/2009/01/retro-gamer-pt2.pdf)
3. [Baraka | Mortal Kombat Wiki | Fandom](https://mortalkombat.fandom.com/wiki/Baraka)
4. [Mortal Kombat 11 Reveals Character Mini-Bios, Mortal Kombat Online](https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/t/mk11/mortal-kombat-11-reveals-character-mini-bios/9oqW7uLow0Wy?page=1)
5. [Mortal Kombat III confirmed by writer as well as new footage of Baraka in Mortal Kombat II, GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/mortal-kombat-iii-confirmed-by-writer-as-well-as-new-footage-of-baraka-in-mortal-kombat-ii/)
6. [Mortal Kombat 2 redeems itself by fixing the worst thing about the first movie, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/mortal-kombat-2-redeems-itself-by-fixing-the-worst-thing-about-the-first-movie/)
7. [Mortal Kombat II character sheet (PDF), Mortal Kombat Online](https://tabmok99.mortalkombatonline.com/Mortal%20Kombat%20II%20-%20First%20-%20052296BZ.pdf)
8. [Mortal Kombat Trilogy: Baraka, Mortal Kombat Online](https://legacy.mortalkombatonline.com/content/games/mkt/baraka/)
9. [News Archive, June 2018, Mortal Kombat Online](https://www.mortalkombatonline.com/d/news/viewarchive.cds?month=6&year=2018)
10. [Mortal Kombat 1 review, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/mortal-kombat-1-review)
11. [Mortal Kombat 1 review, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/mortal-kombat-1-review/)
12. [Mortal Kombat 1: Best Characters for Beginners, Gameranx](https://gameranx.com/features/id/476922/article/mortal-kombat-1-best-characters-for-beginners-5-easiest-kombatants-to-pick-up-and-play/)
13. [Mortal Kombat 1 Patch Notes, March Update, Warner Bros. Games Support](https://mortalkombatgamessupport.wbgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/39478053196179-Mortal-Kombat-1-Patch-Notes-March-Update)
14. [Mortal Kombat II First Reviews, Rotten Tomatoes](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/mortal-kombat-2-first-reviews/)
15. [Ed Boon says his feedback on a Johnny Cage sequel fight was "dead wrong", GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/action-movies/no-one-is-going-to-laugh-at-that-mortal-kombat-co-creator-ed-boon-says-his-feedback-on-a-johnny-cage-sequel-fight-was-dead-wrong/)
16. [Mortal Kombat 1 Tier List: All Fighters Ranked, eXputer](https://exputer.com/guides/tier-lists/mk1/)
17. [Mortal Kombat 1 Tier List, Of Zen and Computing](https://www.ofzenandcomputing.com/mortal-kombat-1-tier-list/)
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