Mortal Kombat 11 Brutalities: How to Perform and Unlock Them

To perform a Brutality in Mortal Kombat 11, you must use its required move as the final hit of the match while meeting every condition shown in the Move List. Unlike a Fatality, a Brutality happens before FINISH HIM/HER appears: the finishing animation begins as soon as the correct attack defeats your opponent.

• Timing: land the required move as the final hit of the match.
• Requirements: complete every condition listed for that Brutality.
• Unlocking: most character-specific Brutalities must be unlocked before they will work.
• Universal option: every fighter starts with The Klassic uppercut Brutality.
• Where to check: pause the fight and open Move List > Finishers.

How Brutalities work

Brutalities are alternative finishing moves that activate during the fight itself. They may burn, crush, dismember or otherwise destroy the defeated opponent, but they are not entered as a separate sequence after winning the match.

Follow these steps to perform one:

1. Choose a Brutality that you have already unlocked for your fighter.
2. Open Pause > Move List > Finishers and read both the required final move and every condition written underneath it.
3. Complete any preliminary requirements during the match or final round.
4. Use the specified attack to remove the opponent’s remaining health.
5. If instructed, Amplify the move at its normal timing, then hold or repeatedly press the required button or direction during the final hit.

A successful Brutality immediately replaces the normal knockout and ends the match. If FINISH HIM/HER appears, the required move or one of its conditions was not completed and it is already too late to perform that Brutality.

The Klassic universal Brutality

The Klassic is available from the beginning for every installed fighter. It uses the universal uppercut command, written as D+2 or Down + Back Punch.

All three of these conditions must be met:

1. Do not block an attack during the final round. The safest approach is not to use Block at all during that round.
2. The final hit must be an uppercut performed with Down + Back Punch.
3. Hold Back Punch while the uppercut connects and keep it held until the Brutality begins.

The + symbol means that the direction and attack button must be pressed together. If you have remapped your controls, use whichever button or key is currently assigned to Back Punch. On PC with a controller, use the corresponding controller input instead of the keyboard command.

There is no special distance requirement for The Klassic, but you must be close enough for the uppercut to connect.

Brutality requirements explained

Every character-specific Brutality has its own conditions. Knowing the final attack is not enough: all the requirements shown in the Move List must be satisfied during the same attempt.

Read the wording carefully. Requirements such as must hold, must have, final hit must come from and during the final round describe separate conditions, and missing any one of them prevents the Brutality from activating.

How to unlock more Brutalities

No. The Klassic uses the same universal command for every fighter, while most other Brutalities are character-specific and have their own moves and conditions. Stage Brutalities are the main arena-based exception: they use a specific stage interaction as the final hit and follow Brutality timing, not Stage Fatality timing.

Depending on the particular finisher, Brutalities can be obtained from:

• Character Towers: fighter-specific Towers of Time with predefined rewards.
• Other Towers of Time: rotating towers and certain first-completion rewards on Brutal Difficulty.
• The Krypt: specific chests, rewards and Krypt events.
• Kombat League: Brutalities offered as seasonal rewards.
• Premium Shop: selected Brutalities may appear in rotating offers purchased with Time Krystals.

Not every Brutality can be obtained from every source, and opening random Krypt chests will not necessarily unlock the one you want. Check the listed rewards for each tower, season or Premium Shop offer before playing or spending currency.

Some rewards are tied to rotating towers, seasons or special events, so every locked Brutality may not be available on demand. When this happens, you must wait for its corresponding reward source to return.

Where to check unlocked Brutalities

You can review your collection outside a fight by following this route:

Main Menu > Kustomize > Characters > Choose a fighter > Select or create a Variation > Kosmetics > Finishers.

During a match, pause the game and select Move List > Finishers. This is the quickest way to see the Brutalities currently available to that fighter, the move required for the final hit and all additional conditions.

A Brutality does not need to be equipped. However, if it requires a particular Ability or special move, that Ability must be included in the Kustom Variation or loadout you are using.

Why your Brutality is not working

If the normal knockout or FINISH HIM/HER appears instead of the Brutality, check the following:

• The Brutality is still locked: unlike most Fatality inputs, a locked Brutality cannot be performed merely by knowing its requirements.
• The required move was not the final hit: the named attack must remove the opponent’s last point of health.
• You missed an additional condition: check health, distance, round history, number of moves performed, Mercy and Fatal Blow requirements.
• You blocked during the final round: this prevents The Klassic and any other Brutality with the same condition.
• You held or pressed the wrong button: follow the instruction attached to the Brutality, not merely the input used to perform the attack.
• The required Ability is unavailable: select a Kustom Variation containing the special move needed for the finisher.
• Your controls have been remapped: follow the assigned attack functions rather than the default platform buttons.
• A Krushing Blow took priority: an uppercut Krushing Blow can prevent some Brutalities from activating. Use that Krushing Blow earlier or avoid meeting its activation condition on the final hit.
• The prompt already appeared: Brutalities cannot be entered during the FINISH HIM/HER window.

Brutality vs Fatality

Mortal Kombat 11 Brutality FAQ

Can you perform a locked Brutality?

No. A character-specific Brutality must be unlocked before it can activate, even if you already know its final move and requirements. The Klassic is the main exception because it is available from the beginning for every fighter.

Can you perform a Brutality after FINISH HIM or HER?

No. A Brutality must be triggered by the final hit before the prompt appears. Once FINISH HIM/HER is displayed, you can use an appropriate post-match finisher, but you can no longer perform a Brutality.

Does every fighter use the same Brutality input?

No. The Klassic uses the same universal command for every fighter, but all other Brutalities are character-specific and have their own moves and conditions.

Can you perform a Brutality after a Mercy?

Yes. A Mercy restores some of the opponent’s health and resumes the fight. You can then trigger a Brutality by defeating them again with the required move. Some character-specific Brutalities explicitly require a Mercy.

Do Brutalities have a universal distance?

No. The required range depends on the final attack and the conditions of the individual Brutality. For The Klassic, you only need to be close enough for the uppercut to connect.

Other Mortal Kombat 11 finishers

• All Fatalities: inputs, ranges and controls for every fighter.
• All Friendships: non-violent finishers for the complete MK11 Ultimate roster.
• How to perform a Mercy: revive your defeated opponent and continue the fight.
• Complete finishers guide: differences between Fatalities, Stage Fatalities, Friendships, Brutalities, Mercies and Quitalities.
• All Stage Fatalities: fighter-specific inputs, controls and compatible arenas.

If you are still learning the combat system, visit our Mortal Kombat 11 beginner guide. You can also return to the complete Mortal Kombat 11 guide for characters, unlockables, finishers and other useful tips.