The Mortal Kombat franchise is best known for over-the-top violence and gore, but it's also pretty well-known for being a little goofy too. The fighting series has always done a good job of never taking itself too seriously, despite telling the story of gods and mortals locked in an eternal battle for the universe. For the franchise that made "fatality" a household word to also introduce finishing moves like "friendships" and "babalities" goes to show that developers are just looking to make players laughs sometimes.

The best example of how silly these games can be is the famous Toasty taunt. Originating in Mortal Kombat 2, whenever players land a mean uppercut, a person pops up in the bottom-right corner and says, "Toasty!" in a falsetto voice. Toasty has become one of the most recognizable easter eggs in Mortal Kombat games, but the taunt's origin story may not be as well known.

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The originator of the Toasty line was Mortal Kombat 2 sound designer, Dan Forden. Forden was famous among developers for his taunts when gaming against one another. When Forden would play Super High Impact Football against lead programmer, Ed Boon, he'd tell Boon as they lined up at the line of scrimmage, "I predict toast," meaning that he was going to toast Boon on the next play. Eventually, the taunt turned into, "I predict toasty." and became an inside joke around the office. Boon came up with the idea for Forden to be featured in Mortal Kombat 2, saying his trademark taunt, and Forden thought the idea was hilarious and naturally went along. From there, "Toasty!" became a part of Mortal Kombat lore and has appeared in some way in most Mortal Kombat games since.

How MK's "Toasty!" Changed Over The Years

Dan Forden yells "Toasty!" in Mortal Kombat II

The best thing about the Toasty line is how it has been used and evolved over the years. In Mortal Kombat 2, when Forden appears in the bottom corner to say, "Toasty!" on the Portal stage, players can press Down and Start and they'll be transported to Goro's Lair in order to fight, and unlock, Smoke. Using the Toasty line to help trigger a fight with a secret character is ingenious, and helped establish the phrase in the game's lore. Scorpion's fire breathing fatality is also called "Toasty!" and triggers Forden's taunt when used, but Forden doesn't appear in the bottom corner.

The Toasty taunt carries over into Mortal Kombat 3, but there are some new variations of the classic line as well. When players use Sub-Zero's ability to freeze opponents, Forden sometimes appears in the bottom corner and taunts, "Frosty!" in the same falsetto as "Toasty!" Similarly, when a match is won by tossing the other character into lava, Forden pops up and taunts, "Crispy!" in his go-to falsetto. Mortal Kombat 4 would see another new iteration of the classic taunt. When Scorpion uses his fatality, Forden taunts, "Toasty 3D!" in honor of this being the first Mortal Kombat game to jump to 3D.

While the "Toasty!" taunt went missing from several titles in the middle of the Mortal Kombat series, Forden has come back strong with appearances in Mortal Kombat X, where he can be seen as one of Cassie Cage's social media friends after her fatality, and Mortal Kombat 11. It's safe to say Forden and the "Toasty!" taunt will continue to appear in Mortal Kombat games, the only question is how the easter egg will continue to change in future titles.

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