Original artwork, not a still
The Mortal Kombat announcer's call after a finishing move
Fatality!
— Mortal Kombat · 1992
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It turned the most violent moment of an arcade game into a sports call. An announcer naming the kill made players laugh, wince and cheer at once, and the word passed into everyday speech for any decisive humiliation, a Fatality on the quiz round or in the group chat. It also left a mark on the record, since the controversy it caused helped push the industry to rate its games.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Mortal KombatShow the scene
"Fatality!" belongs to the Mortal Kombat announcer, not to a character. At the end of the final round the announcer says "Finish Him" or "Finish Her", and the winner has a short window to enter a specific command at the right distance. If it works, the background darkens and the loser is killed in a gruesome set piece. Fatalities debuted in the original Mortal Kombat (1992), and their graphic violence was controversial enough to contribute to the formation of the ESRB, the US video game ratings board.
Sources (3)
- Wikipedia: Fatality (Mortal Kombat)Intro; HistoryReference checked
- Wikipedia: Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)IntroReference checked
- Mortal Kombat Wiki: FatalityIntroReference checked
Context reviewed
