Mortal Kombat 11 Mercy guide: how to give your opponent a second chance

Learning how to perform a Mortal Kombat 11 Mercy is always worth it - either because you're feeling compassionate or just want to humiliate an opponent. Netherrealms latest has introduced a system where players can forgive the opposition in the Mortal Kombat 11 Fatality screen to bring them back to life for another scrap. Clearly this is only for players who are confident in their abilities, or want to show respect to another player after a brilliant bout. Regardless of your disposition, in this guide we’re going to show you what a Mortal Kombat 11 mercy does to your opponent and how to perform one, with specific instructions per your chosen platform. 

What is a Mercy in Mortal Kombat 11

Originating in Mortal Kombat 3 circa 1995, a Mercy is a series of inputs that afford your beaten opponent with an extra sliver of health once it’s been drained by your attacks. After a successful input your opponent will receive a negligible amount of health back and you’ll start fighting once more.You can’t perform consecutive mercy inputs if you succeed in this extra fight, but you can perform a fatality once you’ve beaten them if you really want to rub salt in the wound.

How to perform a mercy in Mortal Kombat 11

After you’ve beaten your opponent twice (you’ll know when ‘FINISH HIM’ emblazons your screen) stay vigilant as this will be your window to perform a mercy. Now the tactic is different per platform, so we’re going to leave you with a handy list to show you how to do it depending on your controller type. The most important thing to note is that you must distance yourself from your opponent by half the screen for this to work, so if you’re up close walk it back. 

PS4 Controller: Hold L2, press down on the D-pad 3-4 times and release L2

Xbox One Controller: Hold LT, press down on the D-pad 3-4 times and release LT

Nintendo Switch: Hold ZL, press down on the D-pad 3-4 times and release ZL

If you perform this input properly, your opponent should be revived in an instant, ready for you to pummel them once more. This should give you a healthy finisher bonus, especially if you win and perform another fatality move!