The classic arcade fighting game Mortal Kombat is best-known for its gory Fatalities, and just like every character, Sub-Zero has his good ones and bad ones. Otherwise known as Kuai Liang, the cryomancer is one of the most famous characters in the series, and has been in almost every game in some form or another. Whether it's the elder Bi-Han, the more well-known Kuai Liang, or the cyborg form that briefly appeared in Mortal Kombat 2011, players have been brutally freezing their opponents as Sub-Zero since the very beginning.
The powerful finishing moves known as Fatalities are a flashy way to dispatch an opponent in the Mortal Kombat series. The best of them manage to inspire awe while making players feel sick to their stomachs at the same time, but the worst of them can fall flat. Mortal Kombat 11's current timeline has a lot of Fatalities, and most fans have their favorites. Since Sub-Zero manipulates ice, pretty much all of his Fatalities involve either freezing his victims or killing them with weapons made of ice, which has consistently been a hit with fans.
Although Sub-Zero has only two Fatalities in Mortal Kombat 11, he also has a number of Brutalities, as most characters do. These Brutalities may not require players to completely deplete their opponents' health, they're still a messy way to end them and shouldn't be discounted. Which Fatalities and Brutalities are the best/worst may be a matter of debate, but some do stand out as better than others. Creativity, originality, and how much they use Sub-Zero's ice powers all contribute to what makes a Brutality or Fatality good.
Sub-Zero's Worst MK11 Brutality - Big Leg
Taking the title of Sub-Zero's worst Brutality is Big Leg. Among Mortal Kombat's violent finishing moves, it's hardly impressive. This Brutality is accomplished by successfully using the Brutal Kick move multiple times in one match, and severs the opponent's legs upon connecting, at which point they crawl forward and bleed out.
It's the worst because it's entirely uncreative, underwhelming, goes by almost too fast to catch, and worst of all, doesn't even involve ice. Not to mention, it's used by spamming the same move over and over again. As far as Brutalities go, it's fairly forgettable.
Sub-Zero's Second-Worst Brutality Is Frost Bite
The Frost Bite Brutality is slightly better than the Big Leg in that it does indeed involve ice, but it's still not much compared to some of the others in Sub-Zero's arsenal. After using the move Creeping Ice enough times, the opponent will fly back into an ice spire that Sub-Zero summons from the ground. The requirement means that it once again commits the mortal sin that is spamming.
Players already have Raiden and Liu Kang, so Mortal Kombat doesn't need more reasons to spam moves, after all. It's also another blink-and-you'll-miss-it Brutality. It just doesn't have the same impact that others do.
Forgotten Is Sub-Zero's Third-Worst Brutality
Forgotten is slightly better than Big Leg or Frost Bite, but it's yet another move-spamming Brutality. It's used by performing the Ground Ice move multiple times, and after it's accomplished, the opponent will slowly freeze before tipping over and shattering into pieces. It's slower than the two worst, which gives players time to appreciate it. In addition, it is more creative and does make use of Sub-Zero's ice powers, but it also isn't much to look at.
Falling To Pieces Isn't Sub-Zero's Best Brutality, But It Isn't The Worst
Falling to Pieces is another Brutality that doesn't quite live up to Mortal Kombat's reputation for gratuitous gore. This Brutality initiates when players perform the Ice Ball move on an already-frozen opponent, and causes their upper bodies to shatter while their lower bodies are frozen in place. It just isn't as extreme as it could be.
Mortal Kombat's most unique ninja doesn't always have the most unique moves. It's almost exactly the same as the Snow Ball Brutality from Mortal Kombat X, which means that it's hardly original. It doesn't quite qualify as spamming a move, so it's not as bad as some, but it doesn't leave much of an impression.
Sub-Zero's Slicing Meat Brutality Isn't Very Impressive
Slicing Meat is a Brutality that doesn't involve spamming, thankfully, but also isn't very visually impressive. To use it, players need to perform a Double Axe Slam move while having a certain amount of health, which cuts off the opponent's arms and freezes them. It's another Brutality that goes by too fast for players to appreciate it and doesn't inspire much awe, and is essentially a reversed version of Big Leg that involves an ice axe.
Seeing Double Is One Of Sub-Zero's Better Brutalities
The Seeing Double Brutality is perhaps the least-worst out of all of them. Mortal Kombat's M rating is truly earned through this move. To use it, players need to land multiple hits on an opponent before finishing with an amplified Cold Shoulder move, which cuts them in half vertically. This Brutality is more in line with the over-the-top gore that Mortal Kombat is known for, and it also lasts a bit longer than others. The only negative may be that it doesn't involve Sub-Zero's powers much. He does use an axe made of ice, but aside from that, there's not much of it involved.
Butchered Is One Of Sub-Zero's Better Brutalities
Butchered is a Brutality that is better than most, if not as good as some of the others. In order to use it, players need to perform an Air version of the Polar Axe move and hold down a button, which will lodge the axe into the opponent's head and freeze it, reducing it to a skull before they fall down. Even Liu Kang couldn't win a Mortal Kombat tournament after taking that move.
It also has an alternate version, which sees the entire upper body break apart into a skeleton instead of just the head. Both versions are good Brutalities, since they live up to Mortal Kombat's reputation and incorporate Sub-Zero's ice powers. They also don't move too fast for players to follow.
Out Cold Is Sub-Zero's Funniest Brutality
Out Cold is a Brutality that may not be as brutal as some, but is funny to watch because of what it's trying to accomplish. To use it, players perform the Backwards Throw move and hold down a button on the controller, and instead of impaling the opponent, Sub-Zero throws them into the game's screen. Since it's trying to literally break the fourth wall, it gives a chuckle to players who manage to pull it off. Since the opponent's face falls off after the move, it also has more gore than most, and is certainly original. Mortal Kombat's game characters ending up breaking against an invisible fourth wall is quite a hilarious thought. Even if Sub-Zero doesn't use his ice powers, it's still a good Brutality.
Ice-Cutioner Is Sub-Zero's Second-Best Fatality
The Ice-Cutioner is one of two of Sub-Zero's actual Fatalities in the game, but it's the slightly less impressive of them. Sub-Zero starts this Fatality by encasing his opponent's body in a giant block of ice, starting at their feet and leaving only their head and hands sticking out, reminiscent of the pose of someone about to be executed in a guillotine. He then cuts their head off with an ice axe before picking it up, freezing it, and punching it into pieces. Like most Fatalities, it is gory and over-the-top, and makes good use of Sub-Zero's ice powers.
Sub-Zero's Best MK11 Fatality - Frozen In Time
The Frozen In Time Fatality may be Sub-Zero's best in the game. Kuai Liang channels MK's Bi-Han Sub-Zero by performing a series classic. It consists of him making an ice clone of himself and sliding towards his opponent to flip them and impale them on the clone's spear. While they're impaled, he rips out their spine and tears their head off, which is reminiscent of many of his Fatalities from past games.
Sub-Zero finishes this move by impaling the head onto the ice spear, which sends one of their eyeballs flying. Although it does call back to previous Fatalities, it's more of a nod than an outright copy. It's unique, uses his cryogenic abilities, and has the over-the-top violence that Mortal Kombat is known for.
Dancing On The Ceiling Is Sub-Zero's Second-Best Brutality
Dancing on the Ceiling is a Brutality that truly lives up to the name. To use it, players must perform a Forward Throw move while holding down a button. Mortal Kombat has a lot of silly Fatalities, but this move is not one of them. Sub-Zero throws his opponent upwards into a floating block of ice with a multitude of stalagmites on the bottom, impaling them while their blood drips onto the floor. In the alternate version of the move, they fall from the stalagmites instead of staying on them. It's original, brutal, and makes good use of Sub-Zero's icy abilities, which makes it one of the best in his arsenal.
Off With Your Head Is Sub-Zero's Best Brutality
The best out of all of Sub-Zero's Mortal Kombat 11 Brutalities and Fatalities may be Off With Your Head. Players need to use an amplified Slide attack while mashing a button on the controller in order to use it, and when they do, Sub-Zero will throw his opponent into an ice wall and decapitate them with an ice axe. Their body will slide to the ground, while the head will stay on the blade of the axe. It also has an alternate, where the axe disappears and lets the head fall. It's possibly the best because it's the most visually impressive out of all of them in addition to being creative, original, and making very good use of Sub-Zero's ice powers.