Mortal Kombat 1: How to Use Combo Breakers and When to Use Them

When playing any fighting game like Mortal Kombat 1, knowing how to use combo breakers is essential. Getting caught in one of those 100-to-0 combos can make you want to quit then and there. Combo breakers allow you to stop your opponents in their tracks, whether they’re poking you from afar or have you in chain CC mode. For those who don’t know how to perform them yet, this guide should serve as a helpful basis for getting the hang of Combo Breakers in Mortal Kombat 1.

How to Execute Combo Breakers Mortal Kombat 1

To perform a combo breaker, you need to input a Forward and Block command. This is ZR + Forward for Nintendo Switch, R2 + Forward for PlayStation 5, and RT + Forward for Xbox Series X|S.

While the commands themselves are not difficult to execute, there are a few more conditions to successfully pull off a combo breaker. Firstly, you need a full Super Meter to even execute a combo breaker. If you don’t have a full Super Meter and Kameo available, inputting the commands won’t make a difference.

Another important factor is that you need to use it after at least one attack from the combo registers onto your character, and the next attack in the sequence is inbound. This way, you can stop the enemy’s combo and reverse it on them entirely. You can start up a combo of your own or simply push them back, knocking them down to get some respite. Make sure you’re ready immediately afterwards though, since they can start another combo right after you break the first one.

When to Use Combo Breakers

Now, since you need a full Super Meter and have to have a Kameo fighter available, it begs the question of when you should use a combo breaker. Players use combos so frequently in Mortal Kombat 1 that retaliating with a combo breaker every time is just not possible.

The most important time to use a combo breaker is obviously when the opponent will finish you off with the combo. This should be a no-brainer since you can’t make a comeback if the round finishes. While a combo breaker doesn’t flip the tables on your opponent, it can give you some time to use a combo of your own to deal some heavy damage.

Another point where combo breakers shine best is against characters with predictable advanced combos. Every character has advanced combos made to chunk down your health, but some are more reliant on them than others, for example, Kenshi and Li Mei. In these matchups, opt for using combo breakers more often than saving your Super Meters for special attacks.

We keep reminding players that combo breakers do require a full Super Meter and Kameo available, so don’t spam these combo breakers. While you can’t know when the opponent is executing a long combo, the timing of using combo breakers will come with experience.

For more guides and information on Mortal Kombat 1, check out these related pieces from our team: How To Unlock Fatalities In Mortal Kombat 1 and When is Mortal Kombat 1 DLC Coming Out.