Looking for the best Kung Lao combos in Mortal Kombat 1? The Shaolin never disappoints in growing strong warriors, and Kung Lao isn’t an exception. Since the old games of Mortal Kombat, Kung Lao has always been one of the best Earthrealm champions, going toe to toe with The Chosen One. In fact, he was successful in defeating both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi in MK9, and he could even bring more glory to Earthrealm if Shao Kahn hadn’t killed him in cold blood. However, now that Kung Lao is back in MK1, he’s more than ready to take down any type of opponent you face! Let’s dive into detail and master his combos, shall we?
The Nerd Stash MK1 Button Mapping
- X/Square: 1
- Y/Triangle: 2
- B/Circle: 3
- A/X: 4
- *: The pause sign between basic combos that leads to advanced combos.
Basic Kung Lao Combos in Mortal Kombat 1
(Facing Right)
- Swollen Throat: 1 – 2 – 1
- Madam El-Bo: 2 – 1 – 2
- Human Weapon: Back + 2 – 3
- Heavy Chop: Forward + 2
- Focused Footsies: Back + 4 – 4
- Monastery Mixup: Back + 4 – 3
- Leg Day: Forward + 4 – 4
- One More Time: Forward + 4 – 4 – 4
- Get Back: 3 – 3
- Quick Fist: 1 – 2 (Aerial)
Special Moves (Amplify with RT/R2)
- Buzzsaw: Back – Forward – 1
- Shaolin Shimmy: Back – Forward – 2
- Kung-Kussion: Down – Back – 2
- Shaolin Spin: Down – Up – 4
- (Air) Dive Kick: Down – Back – 3
- Hat Toss: Down – Back – 1
Kung Lao has a variety of different combos and special moves. However, not all of his combos are useable in ranked match situations, and we want to master this character using Lao’s best attacks. That said, these are the moves that you’ll need to learn if you want to combine and create strong advanced combos.
Advanced Kung Lao Combos
Kung Lao is a very versatile character, and you can create many different combos with his moves. Here are some of the easiest advanced combos that you can learn fast with Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat 1. Notice that these advanced combos are randomly named by me, and you can not find them in Kung Lao’s move list in the game.
Human’s Weapon: Back + 2 – 3 * Forward + 4 – 4 – 4 * Back – Forward – 2
The first thing you need to know about each Mortal Kombat 1 character, is to learn their combo starters. For instance, Kung Lao has the Human Weapon basic combo for starting combos. It’ll throw your enemy to the air, making it possible to do follow-up damages. After you’ve done the Human Weapon, you can do a three-kick-forward attack with A/X, and then use Shaolin Shimmy to finish the combo. This is one of the best and easiest Kung Lao advanced combos to master in Mortal Kombat 1.
Human’s Weapon 2x: Back + 2 – 3 *(wait) Back + 2 – 3 * Back – Forward – 2
This combo does the same amount of damage as the normal Human Weapon that you just learned. However, this time you’ll do two Human Weapon basic combos, and finish the job with a Shaolin Shimmy. 25 to 30 percent of your opponent’s health bar will be wiped with this simple combo. And you’ll learn to add more to this set of moves later in this guide.
Saw Attack One More: (Corner) Forward + 4 – 4 – 4 * Back – Forward – 1 + RT/R2 * Back – Forward – 2
This attack does more damage than the Human’s Weapon combos, but the downside is that you need to catch your opponent in the corner. This means that after they’re backed against the wall, start hitting with three forward A/X attacks, and then follow up with an amplified Buzzsaw. This will keep your opponent in the air, giving you more time to do damage. In fact, this is one of the best Kung Lao combos in Mortal Kombat 1 that can be followed by various moves if you master it.
Dive Kicker: (Air) Down – Back – 3 + RT/R2 * Forward – 4 – 4 * Back – Forward – 2
The Dive Kicker combo is a mix of aerial and ground attacks. The good thing is, you can start this combo with an amplified Dive Kick whether your opponent is on the ground or in the air. After that, they’ll bounce off the floor, ready to be punished with a forward 4 4 kick attack. And as always, a nice Shaolin Shimmy will put an end to the target.
Kung-Kussioned: Back + 2 – 3 * Back + 2 – 3 * Down – Back – 2 + RT/R2 * Forward + 1 – 2 * Back – Forward – 2
This is the best-advanced combo for Kung Lao that you can easily learn without the usage of the Kamoes. And it’s important to note that after this attack, you’ll drain more than 40 percent of the enemy’s health bar! To start, do a double Human Weapon combo, and then perform an amplified Kung-Kussion. This will leave your opponent defenseless and reset your positions to continue attacking. After that, perform a simple forward 1 2 attack, and follow the move by a Shaolin Shimmy.
Now you should know that after the amplified Kung-Kussion, you won’t be able to perform another Human Weapon and follow it up with a combo easily. Your opponent falls faster after the Kussion, thus it’s much better to do a simple 1 2 and Shaolin Shimmy attack. Master this move, and you’ve earned yourself one of the best Kung Lao combos in Mortal Kombat 1.
Related:
Mortal Kombat 1 Review: The Nostalgic New Era
Mortal Kombat 1 is currently available to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.