The Monster in the Mask
Baraka is terrifying. Honestly, if you played the arcade version of Baraka Mortal Kombat 2 back in the early '90s, that jagged, toothy grin probably haunted your dreams. He wasn't just another palette-swapped ninja or a generic martial artist. He was something else entirely. A mutant. A nomad. A nightmare.
Most people don't realize that Baraka's iconic look was actually a total hack job by the developers. The team at Midway used a Nosferatu mask they found at a costume shop, glued some painted acrylic fingernails to it to make the teeth, and called it a day. It’s wild how such a low-budget solution created one of the most recognizable faces in gaming history.
Why Baraka Mortal Kombat 2 is a Mechanical Menace
In the world of high-level competitive play, Baraka is a bit of a weird one. He’s often stuck in the lower-to-mid tiers because he lacks the crazy mobility of characters like Mileena or the sheer zoning dominance of Jax. But man, if he catches you? It’s over.
His Blade Fury (the "shredder") is basically a wall of steel. If you’re playing on a Sega Genesis or SNES and you spam that back-back-back-Low Punch, you can shut down almost any reckless jump-in. It’s one of the most satisfying "get off me" moves in the game. You've also got the Blade Spark, which is a decent enough projectile, though its recovery time leaves Baraka wide open if you miss.
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The Moves That Defined a Generation
- Blade Swipe: Back + High Punch. Simple. Brutal. It has more range than you think.
- Blade Spark: Down, Back, High Punch. It's okay for trading, but don't rely on it.
- Blade Fury: Back, Back, Back, Low Punch. This is the move your younger brother probably spammed until you threw the controller.
The Lore Most People Get Wrong
There’s a huge misconception that Baraka was just a mindless grunt for Shao Kahn. While he certainly served the Emperor, his Baraka Mortal Kombat 2 ending tells a very different story. If you actually beat the game with him, he doesn’t just stay a loyal lapdog. He turns on everyone.
He kills Shang Tsung. He kills Kintaro. He eventually takes down Shao Kahn himself. The ending shows the Tarkatan race (referred to as mutants back then) rising from the wastelands to rule Outworld with Baraka as their King. It’s a complete shift from the "jobber" status he earned in later games like Mortal Kombat 11 or the 3D era. In 1993, Baraka was a legitimate threat to the throne.
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The Secret Behind the Fatalities
Baraka’s finishers in MK2 were some of the most visceral. The Decapitation (Hold Block, Back, Back, Back, Back, High Punch) was a staple, but the Stab Lift was where things got really dark. Watching him hoist an opponent into the air on his blades while they flailed was a level of gore that helped fuel the whole Senate hearing controversy.
Interestingly, Baraka was also the catalyst for the "Friendship" move. John Tobias, one of the creators, wanted to show that even a monster like Baraka could have a "soft" side—mostly as a middle finger to the critics of the game's violence. Seeing this razor-toothed demon present a gift to his opponent was the perfect bit of dark humor the series is known for.
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Playing Baraka Today: A Reality Check
If you’re firing up an emulator or the Arcade Kollection, playing Baraka is a lesson in patience. You can't just rush in. He’s slow. His walk speed is kind of pathetic compared to Liu Kang.
The strategy is basically to play like a defensive wall. Use the Blade Swipe to punish whiffed moves and wait for the AI (which is notoriously cheap in MK2) to jump at you. Once they're in the air, the Blade Fury is your best friend. It’s not flashy, but it works.
Quick Strategy Tips
- Don't jump too much. Baraka's air game is weak.
- Abuse the reach. Those blades give you a few extra pixels of range that most characters don't have.
- Corner pressure is key. If you get someone in the corner, a well-timed Blade Fury can chip away a massive chunk of health even if they block.
The Legacy of the Tarkatan
Baraka changed the "freak" archetype in fighting games. Before him, you had Blanka in Street Fighter, but Baraka brought a sense of organized, military malice. He wasn't just a wild animal; he was a general.
Even though the lore has been retconned a dozen times—changing the Tarkatans from a race of mutants to a literal disease in the newest Mortal Kombat 1—the original Baraka Mortal Kombat 2 version remains the blueprint. He represents the era when Mortal Kombat was leaning hard into its horror influences. He was lean, he was hungry, and those jet-black eyes told you everything you needed to know.
Practical Next Steps for Players
If you want to master Baraka in the original arcade version, start by practicing the Stab Lift distance. It’s "close" range, but the hitbox is finicky. Once you can pull that off consistently, work on buffering the Blade Fury inputs during a block stun. It’s the fastest way to turn a defensive situation into a bloody mess for your opponent.