“	I will achieve my mission objective.	„
—The Terminator in Mortal Kombat 11

The Terminator, also known by its model name of Cyberdyne Systems Series 800 Terminator, or simply as the T-800, is a cybernetic organism known for its appearances in the science-fiction action film series of the same name. A machine designed for assassination missions by being sent back in time, the Terminator helped culminate a franchise with a legacy of being one of the greatest action film series in cinema history along with becoming an icon in pop culture.

The Terminator made his debut as a playable guest character in Mortal Kombat 11 as the third character available through DLC as part of the Kombat Pack. The Terminator later reappears as a playable character in Mortal Kombat Mobile.

About The Terminator

The Terminator, or the T-800 model in particular, is a recurring, central character in its origin franchise. While a majority of the films feature a T-800, they are never the same version of the character despite exhibiting the same mannerisms and being portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the original film, designed to be a science-fiction action film with horror elements, the Terminator serves as the main antagonist, sent from the future to terminate Sarah Connor, whose son, John Connor, would lead the human Resistance in the future during a war with the machines controlled by the artificial intelligence known as Skynet. After the first film, the T-800 became a central protagonist to the series with the exception of a cameo appearance in Terminator Salvation, usually if not always serving as a protector to the film's protagonists after the first film. An upgraded variant the T-800 known as the T-850 appears in the third film Rise of the Machines in a similar supporting role. Two aged T-800s appear in Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate, respectively, both from altered timelines.

Being a cybernetic organism, the Terminator is designed for infiltration and assassination missions and stops at nothing until its mission is complete. A complexed machine, it has detailed files on weapons, vehicles, people and human anatomy, making it a deadly killing machine. Its body is made up entirely of an endoskeleton that is resistant to small arms fire. The tissue over its endoskeleton, however, functions like real human tissue. The Terminator can live for 120 years and the hair and tissue follicles over its endoskeleton can age and die off as well. This tissue and hair can grow back if damaged, however it does take time for it to do so. The Terminator is also capable of learning from humans to allow it to act more human than machine, as demonstrated in Terminator 2: Judgment_Day. This concept is further expanded upon with Carl in Dark Fate, in which after succeeding in his mission to kill John Connor, the Terminator, calling itself Carl, learned to adapt and live with humans due to no longer having a mission, eventually moving to Texas and starting a family before joining the film's protagonists in stopping the Rev-9.

Despite the T-800 being the most common and well-known Terminator, there are other Terminators in the series that are far superior to the Model 101 based on their design and enhanced abilities. The T-800 itself is usually, if not always played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. In later films, stand-ins using Arnold's likeness through CGI have portrayed the character while Arnold usually played an aging or older version of an already active T-800 due to the longevity of his appearances in the franchise.

Appearance

The Terminator's appearance varies depending on what Kosmetic Outfit is selected, with his appearances taking inspiration from his origin franchise.

The Terminator's primary appearance is that of Carl from Terminator: Dark Fate. The color of his outfits varies on the outfit choice.

A secondary appearance is a younger appearance from The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. This version features his biker outfit featured in the three films in addition to other younger skins wearing only t-shirts which reference the Mortal Kombat franchise, the character's portrayer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, shirts referencing his origin franchise and a plain white shirt.

A third appearance is based off Carl's final appearance in the climax in Terminator: Dark Fate in the final battle with the Rev-9, however his endoskeleton hand remains in tact.

Lore in Mortal Kombat

The Terminator, being one of the many Skynet sent back in time on infiltration missions, arrived in the Mortal Kombat Universe after his T.D.E. malfunctioned and sent him to the wrong timeline. Not straying away from his objective, the Terminator began to locate Sarah Connor, only to mistake Sonya Blade for his target. Despite this, this did not prevent the Terminator from targeting humanity in the Mortal Kombat Universe. Once humanity was eradicated in this timeline, he would need to find a way to return to his own timeline.

Biography

• Mortal Kombat 11: "The Terminator T-800 from "Terminator: Dark Fate" is a cyborg assassin, sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future. He is nearly indestructible and possesses superior technology, fighting skills and artificial intelligence making him the ultimate killing machine."

Ending

• Mortal Kombat 11 (narrated by Cassie Cage): "It was an epic accident that brought the Terminator here, rather than to his own Earth's past. But it didn't take long for him to adapt. He figured that terminating Kronika, and taking her Hourglass gave him the best chance at achieving his mission objective. Destroying humanity so that the machines prevail. Turns out the Hourglass wasn't the ultimate weapon. No matter how many times the Terminator re-booted history, the war between the humans and the machines always ended the same. With their mutual destruction. He realized this war was a losing game. The only way to win, was not to play. So the Terminator used the Hourglass to build a future where humans and machines don't fight, they cooperate. The Terminator knew that to preserve this future, no one else could learn about the Hourglass. The information stored in his machine mind was dangerous. It had to be eliminated. That's why the Terminator threw himself into the infinite depths of the Sea of Blood. No one would ever find him, or unlock the Hourglass' secrets. If you could ask him about it, he'd tell you the made the only logical choice. But in my book, that machine's a hero."

Combat Characteristics

Powers and Abilities

Being a cybernetic killing machine whose only purpose is to terminate its targets, the Terminator utilizes inhumane strength and extensive knowledge of weapons and firearms to complete its objectives. Because of his strength, coupled with being a cyborg capable of shrugging off minor wounds, small arms fire and "cosmetic damage," The Terminator is capable of throwing his opponents and striking them with minimal effort.

While all Terminators are capable of utilizing a wide range of weaponry, the T-800, being an infiltration unit, has additional knowledge covering firearms of the past alongside his pre-existing information regarding weapons from the future. In MK11 and many of his other appearances, the Terminator's main weapon of choice is a sawed-off lever-action shotgun, a weapon that he is able to control extremely effectively due to the gun's lighter frame, which offers increased handling over heavier firearms, and its faster fire rate combined with his already keen-eyed accuracy. He also carries multiple ion grenades and a secondary submachine gun.

The Terminator is also equipped with a portable Time Displacement Equipment that he uses to teleport through time and space. For reasons unknown, he has the ability to summon flames around him as shown in his Endoskeleton special move, Victory Pose and Tower Ending.

Signature Moves

• Sawed Off: The Terminator pulls out his shotgun and fires it at the opponent. The closer the Terminator is to the opponent, the higher the damage this attack will do. The Terminator is vulnerable when pulling out his shotgun to fire it. (MK11)
  • Amplifying the attack has the Terminator fire a second shot for increased damage. However, this second shot does not have an increased hitbox and can miss ducking opponents. The Terminator recovers much faster than the opponent if this is successful.
  • The attack can be amplified a second time, where the Terminator fires a third shot for even more damage. Additionally, the third shot knocks the opponent down. Like with the second shot, the third shot does not have an increased hitbox and can miss ducking opponents.
    • The Terminator is also given the option to retreat or advance with each amplified attack if a directional input is used. Doing this gives him various options:
      • The Terminator retreats with every shot
      • The Terminator advances with every shot
      • The Terminator retreats with the second shot but advances with the third shot
      • The Terminator advances with the second shot but retreats with the third shot
  • If this attack misses twice in a row, the next time the attack connects at close range after, the attack turns into a Krushing Blow, with the shot to the stomach damaging the opponent's organs and knocking the opponent back a significant distance from the Terminator while dealing over three times the original damage.
• Gorilla Press Slam: The Terminator grabs the opponent by the throat with both hands, lifts the opponent over his head and throws them to the ground on the opposite direction, face first. This attack has Armor breaking properties, ignoring the Armor granted by specific abilities and Fatal Blows. When breaking the Armor of a Break Away, the damage dealt is slightly increased. This attack is a High Command Grab and is unblockable, although it can miss jumping or ducking opponents but can strike an opponent during a Getup Roll, just like a standard Throw. (MK11)
  • Amplifying the attack has the Terminator grab the opponent by the throat and throw them to the ground in front of him for increased damage.
  • The Terminator is given a second amplify option if a directional input is used, where he grabs the opponent by the throat with both hands but then puts them down to deliver a double axe-handle slam, causing the opponent to stumble backwards. Unlike both versions of the attack, this amplified version does not knock the opponent down and deals slightly less damage.
• Killing Machine: The Terminator turns his back to his opponent and granting Immunity to all projectiles and their properties that hit him, with the exception of Fatal Blow based projection start-ups. The attack can be delayed to increase its duration. (MK11)
• Rolling Ion Grenade: The Terminator tosses an Ion Grenade on the ground that detonates shortly after. If this successfully hits, the explosion will launch the opponent high into the air for a juggle. The attack can be used at different ranges, called Close/Far Rolling Ion Grenade, respectively. The Terminator is extremely safe if this attack is blocked by the opponent. Should the Terminator use consecutive attacks involving his Ion Grenades, like this one, this attack will be disabled until his grenades replenish. If the Terminator is attacked before the grenade detonates, the grenade will not detonate nor will it deal damage to the opponent. This ability conflicts with Cyber Rift when equipped, disabling the option to select Cyber Rift and requires two ability slots when equipped. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying any version causes the grenade to detonate on impact, retaining the original juggle properties. Unlike the original, the Terminator is much less safe when the attack is blocked by the opponent. If the opponent blocks the close version of this attack, the Terminator is vulnerable to attacks after, however if the opponent blocks the original version, the Terminator is slightly less safe if blocked by the opponent. The Terminator remains safe if the opponent blocks the far version of the attack.
• Death Grip: The Terminator grabs the opponent out of the air, bearhugging the opponent and snapping their spine before tossing them away. The Terminator is given the option to toss the opponent in the opposite direction. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying the attack has the Terminator immediately re-stand the opponent after the attack is amplified, briefly stunning them and setting them up for a free hit, however this window is small. Amplifying the attack deals less damage than the original at the expense of stunning the opponent. If the Terminator connects a jumping attack in addition to this version of the attack, any attack following that juggles the opponent after stunning the opponent will have a significantly reduced juggle effect.
• Infiltrator Toss: The Terminator grabs the opponent out of the air and tosses them to the ground in the opposite direction. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying the attack has the Terminator slam the opponent onto the ground rather than tossing them away, bouncing them off the ground for a juggle. Amplifying the attack deals less damage than the original at the expense of the juggle effect. The Terminator can amplify the attack as many times as possible.
• Endo Lunge: The Terminator jumps and lunges at the opponent, delivering a double axe-handle slam that knocks the opponent down. The attack can be used at different ranges, called Far/Close Endo Lunge, respectively. The Terminator is vulnerable when leaping into the air at the opponent. This ability conflicts with Running Man when equipped, disabling the option to select Running Man. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying any version of the attack has the Terminator pull out a submachine gun and unload on the downed opponent for increased damage.
• Cyber Rift: The Terminator takes his Ion Grenade and slams it into the ground, instantly causing a shockwave in front of himself, knocking the opponent off their feet if they are within range. Should the Terminator use consecutive attacks involving his Ion Grenades, like this one, this attack will be disabled until his grenades replenish. This attack is considered a projectile. This ability conflicts with Rolling Ion Grenade when equipped, disabling the option to select Rolling Ion Grenade. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying the attack sends the shockwave forward on the ground towards the opponent for increased damage. Like the original, this version of the attack is still considered a projectile.
• Running Man: The Terminator begins to sprint at the opponent. The Terminator can perform different attacks while he sprints. This ability conflicts with Endo Lunge when equipped, disabling the option to select Endo Lunge. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Tackle: The Terminator tackles the opponent to the ground. This attack is a Mid Command Grab and is unblockable, although it can miss jumping but can strike an opponent during a Getup Roll, just like a standard Throw. If the Terminator misses tackling the opponent, he will pick himself up off the ground shortly after, leaving the Terminator completely vulnerable. This attack is capable of striking an opponent during a Getup Roll, similar to a standard Throw.
    • Amplifying the attack has the Terminator get up and look away, only for him to turn back around and stomp on the opponent's groin for increased damage before he steps away, causing a delayed knockdown effect where the opponent clutches their groin in agony. Despite the Terminator recovering much faster than the opponent, the opponent cannot be attacked while they recover from the groin stomp.
    • If the Terminator sprints a far distance at the opponent, connecting and amplifying Tackle will turn it into a Krushing Blow, with the stomp to the groin causing male fighters' testicles to explode but causing damage to a female fighters' groin, dealing over double the original damage. Like with the original amplified version, the Terminator recovering much faster than the opponent, the opponent cannot be attacked while they recover from the groin stomp.
  • Punch: The Terminator uppercuts the opponent, knocking them away. When used in the corner of an arena, the Terminator is offered combo extensions. This attack can miss ducking opponents.
  • Kick: The Terminator kicks the opponent, sending them across the arena if the attack connects.
  • Stop: The Terminator simply stops sprinting. Doing this requires and spends a bar of Defensive Meter.
• Endoskeleton: When the Terminator's health reaches 10% or less on what would be the final round of a match, a knockback effect occurs, separating him and his opponent and knocking him to the ground. He begins to stand up, where his flesh, weapons and clothes burn away and only his Endoskeleton is left. During this time, both he and his opponent will be affected by various effects. This effect can only activate on the third and final round of the match. This ability requires two ability slots when equipped. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Terminator;
    • Terminator is granted Armor for the remainder of the match until his health depletes to 0.
    • Block, dash and jump abilities are disabled.
    • All Throws, special attacks and Fatal Blow are disabled.
    • Attacks are restricted to basic attacks that gain knockback effects or increased knockback.
      • The Terminator no longer grabs the opponent out of the air with Hammer Slammer, simply knocking them away.
      • Double Barrel no longer juggles the opponent, but knocks them away.
      • The Terminator cannot perform his uppercut Krushing Blow.
    • Combos are disabled with the exception of Security Threat which knocks the opponent away on second hit.
    • Fatalities and Brutalities cannot be performed with the exception of an alternate version of the Terminator's The Klassic.
    • This ability is disabled in the Towers of Time under certain conditions;
      • Tag Battle - Both Online and single player unless the Terminator is the last of the two fighters remaining
      • Multi-fighter Towers - Towers consisting of two or more fighters in a single match, however if the Terminator is fighting the final opponent, Endoskeleton will activate
  • Opponent;
    • Interactable cinematics do not work/cannot be perform on the Terminator, simply knocking him away and defeating him if the damage is higher than his remaining health.
    • Throw interactables do not work.
    • Cannot perform juggle combos on the Terminator.
    • Cannot perform Krushing Blows on the Terminator.
      • Krushing Blows that trigger from breaking Armor do not activate.
    • Armor breaking effects and parries are ignored despite the Terminator being Armored.
    • Fatalities, Brutalities, Mercies, and Friendships cannot be performed, as the Terminator is immediately knocked down and the opponent is declared the winner. The Dizzy Sequence does not occur.
• Ion Grenade: The Terminator tosses an arcing Ion Grenade that detonates shortly after. If this successfully hits, the explosion will launch the opponent high into the air for a juggle. The attack can be used at different ranges, called Close/Far Ion Grenade, respectively. Should the Terminator use consecutive attacks involving his Ion Grenades, like this one, this attack will be disabled until his grenades replenish. This ability conflicts with Incapacitator when equipped, disabling the option to select Incapacitator. This ability replaces Sawed Off when equipped. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying any version causes the grenade to detonate on impact, retaining the original juggle properties.
• Albi Back Breaker: The Terminator grabs the opponent, lifts them up and slams their back on his shoulder before tossing them away in the opposite direction. The Terminator is given the option to toss the opponent forward. This attack is a High Command Grab and is unblockable, although it can miss jumping or ducking opponents but can strike an opponent during a Getup Roll, just like a standard Throw. This ability replaces Gorilla Press Slam when equipped. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying the attack has the Terminator lift the opponent up on his shoulders before dropping them on the ground, head-first. The Terminator is also given the option drop the opponent forward.
  • If the Terminator performs all versions of this attack during the match, the attack turns into a Krushing Blow the next time it is amplified, where when the opponent is dropped, the impact is greater and the opponent breaks their neck on impact despite there being no X-Ray visual, dealing increased damage and bouncing the opponent off the ground for a juggle. This Krushing Blow can only trigger on the regular amplified version of the attack and not if the opponent is thrown forward.
• Terminate: The Terminator clutches his fists, where a red aura surrounds his arms and his eyes glow red, granting him Armor for a short duration at the cost of both a bar of Offensive and Defensive Meter. A bar of Offensive and Defensive Meter is required to activate this ability. While active, the Terminator is unaffected by any attack, combo, special attack, and interactable, with the exception of Fatal Blows, parries and attacks that grant Armor breaking properties. During this time, the Terminator's ability to block, dash and jump are disabled. When the effect wears off on its own time limit, an electrical surge surrounds the Terminator, disabling the use of the ability for some time while also disabling his abilities to use of special attacks, interactables and the ability to amplify any attack. This ability conflicts with T.D.E. when equipped, disabling the option to select T.D.E.. This ability replaces Killing Machine when equipped. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
• T.D.E.: The Terminator teleports through time using his Time Sphere and reappears behind the opponent. The attack can also be delayed, delaying when the Terminator reappears. This ability conflicts with Terminate when equipped, disabling the option to select Terminate. This ability replaces Killing Machine when equipped. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
  • Amplifying the attack requires and spends a bar of Defensive Meter and allows the Terminator to recover from the attack significantly faster, allowing the Terminator to attack almost immediately upon reappearing. The Terminator is still vulnerable when reappearing, however this window is very small.
• Incapacitator: The Terminator tosses an Ion Grenade at the opponent that sticks to them. After sticking, the opponent receives a gold aura around them and during this time, they can no longer amplify attacks, use interactables, perform Flawless Blocks attacks or Getup Attacks. Additionally, the opponent cannot use their Fatal Blow if it is active. This attack is unblockable, but can miss ducking opponents. The Terminator can only inflict one Incapacitator at a time. Should the Terminator use consecutive attacks involving his Ion Grenades, like this one, this attack will be disabled until his grenades replenish. This also includes if this attack misses. This ability also modifies the amplified properties of Vice Grip provides for the Terminator's Say Goodbye combo (See Below). This ability replaces Sawed Off when equipped and conflicts with Ion Grenade when equipped, disabling the option to select Ion Grenade. (MK11 - Equip Ability)

Fatal Blow

• Chill Out: The Terminator stuns the opponent by striking them with his shotgun, then strikes them again in the chin with the butt of his shotgun. The Terminator then points the barrel of the gun directly in their face and gives a thumbs up and smile, before firing the shotgun and knocking them away. Before the opponent has the chance to gain any more distance, the Terminator grabs them by the leg and pulls them back, saying "Get over here", then holds them by the neck and slams them headfirst onto the ground, which causes them to bounce back up into his chokehold. He then punches the opponent in the face one final time, followed by a headbutt that knocks them away. (MK11)

Other Moves

• Throw (Backward): The Terminator hits the opponent over the head with a hammer fist, then holds them up by the throat. He then proceeds to attach an ion grenade to their face, then hurls the opponent to the opposite side. As they land, the grenade goes off, sending the opponent further away. (MK11)
• Throw (Forward): The Terminator punches the opponent in the stomach, then proceeds to jab a submachine gun in their gut, blasting them away with a volley of bullets. (MK11)
• Vice Grip: The Terminator can now amplify his Hammer Slammer basic attack and Say Goodbye combo (See Below). (MK11 - Equip Ability)
• Terraformer: The Terminator can now amplify Alloy Hammer, smashing the ground after the axe-handle slam, causing a shockwave that knocks the opponent off their feet and deals nearly double the original damage. (MK11 - Equip Ability)
• Hammer Slammer: The Terminator backhands the opponent with so much force it sends them into the air, only for him to grab them by the leg and slam them down in the opposite direction. The Terminator can cancel grabbing the opponent by using a special attack or interacable. Additionally, with the use of juggle effects, the Terminator can continue combos with this attack if launched high enough where only the backhand lands on the opponent but not the grab. (MK11)
  • Equipping Vice Grip allows this attack to be amplified: (MK11 - Equip Ability)
    • Amplifying the attack has the Terminator stomp on the downed opponent's back, dealing increased damage.
      • If only the anti-air grab of Hammer Slammer connects on its own, amplifying the attack turns it into a Krushing Blow, with the stomp to the back shattering the opponent's spine and ribcage while dealing over three times the original damage of the anti-air grab.
• Say Goodbye: The Terminator delivers an overhead slam then grabs the opponent by the throat and knocks them away with a headbutt. This combo acts as a High Command Grab and is unblockable, but can miss jumping or ducking opponents but can strike an opponent during a Getup Roll, just like a standard Throw. (MK11)
  • Equipping Vice Grip allows this combo to be amplified: (MK11 - Equip Ability)
    • Amplifying the attack now has the Terminator re-stand the opponent by dropping them in front of him instead of headbutting them. Doing this will also reduce the damage of the combo itself.
      • If Incapacitrator is equipped alongside Vice Grip, amplifying Say Goodbye now has the Terminator stick an Ion Grenade to the opponent's face rather than dropping them, where the grenade explodes shortly after, dealing increased damage and launching the opponent into the air for a juggle, however this window is extremely small. When used in the corner of an arena, this juggle effect is greatly increased. Unlike other Ion Grenade attacks, the Terminator does not need to wait for his Ion Grenades to replenish to amplify this combo. Additionally, the Terminator can amplify this combo as many times as possible.
• Unstoppable Machine: The Terminator stomps on the opponent's foot and does a lunging knee strike, knocking the opponent away. The final knee strike is capable of being Flawless Blocked by the opponent, leaving the Terminator vulnerable to Flawless Block Attacks. (MK11)
  • If only the second strike of this combo connects, the combo turns into a Krushing Blow, with the knee strike damaging the opponent's intestines and launching them into the air for a juggle while dealing double the second strikes original damage. This Krushing Blow can be triggered on opponents left open for a free hit by interactables. Additionally, this Krushing Blow cannot trigger if the first hit is blocked but the knee strike is not.
• Alloy Hammer: The Terminator performs a double axe-handle slam that knocks the opponent to the ground. This can only be performed during a hop and the attack type is shared with every character. (MK11)
  • If the attack is used as a Kounter or Punish to a Low or Ducking attack, the attack turns into a Krushing Blow, with the slam shattering the top of the opponent's head and bouncing them off the ground for a juggle while dealing increased damage.
  • Equipping Terraforming allows for the attacks to be amplified (See Above).

Fatalities

• I'm Back: The Terminator kicks the opponent forwards and walks away. The opponent then looks up in a shocked manner at the Terminator now riding his motorcycle towards them, where he drives and spins the motorcycle into them, sending them flying into the air. The Terminator spins, cocks his shotgun and shoots the opponent, blasting them to pieces. (MK11)
• Target Terminated: The Terminator blows out both the opponent's knees with his shotgun, then uses the Time Sphere to send the opponent to the future, leaving behind the lower parts of their legs. They reappear in 2029 on a battlefield as the war between Skynet and humanity goes on. They try to crawl away, only for one of the invading T-800 units to spot them and blast them with its laser rifle, blowing a hole through their chest as they scream in agony. (MK11)

Brutalities

• The Klassic: The Terminator performs his uppercut, destroying the opponent's head with a diagonal shot from his shotgun. (MK11)
• Marked for Termination: The Terminator performs an Albi Back Breaker, slamming them head first into the ground, completely destroying their head instead of slamming them on his shoulder. (MK11)
• No Bargaining: The Terminator performs his Say Goodbye combo, punching a hole through the side of opponent's head after grabbing them instead of headbutting them. (MK11)
• Target Acquired: The Terminator performs an amplified Gorilla Press Slam and rips the upper half of the opponent's face off. (MK11)
• Hunter Killer: The Terminator performs a Death Grip, breaking the opponent's spine during the bearhug, then decapitating them with a palm strike. (MK11)
• You're Terminated: The Terminator performs his Throw (Forward), reducing the opponent's head to a bloodied, destroyed skull from the gun fire. (MK11)
• Efficient Execution: The Terminator performs his Throw (Backward), squeezing the opponent's throat until their head pops off. He then destroys their falling head with a shotgun blast. (MK11)
• Final War: The Terminator performs a Running Man then performs a Kick with the impact of the kick severing the opponent's legs at the knees as they are kicked backwards. The opponent crawls forwards before bleeding to death. (MK11)
• Future Assassin: The Terminator performs any version of Sawed Off, where one of the shots obliterates the opponent's upper body, leaving only their legs. (MK11)
• Alternate The Klassic Brutality: The Terminator performs his uppercut while in his Endoskeleton form, decapitating the opponent with a rising uppercut with their spine still attached. (MK11 - Secret)

Other Finishers

• Friendship - Stuntman: The Terminator turns and walks away, only to return on his motorcycle. He stands on top smiling and giving a thumbs up as it drives by and performs various stunts every time he drives off-screen and returns. (MK11)

Quotes

Mortal Kombat 11 Gameplay

• "Get over here." (Quote used during Fatal Blow)
• "Terminated." (Round Win quote)
• "Accept termination." (Round Win quote)
• "Resistance is futile." (Round Win quote)
• "Weak effort." (Round Win quote)
• "Defective strategy." (Round Win quote)
• "Ineffective defense." (Round Win quote)
• "You are irrelevant." (Round Win quote)
• "Death is inevitable." (Round Win quote)
• "You won’t live." (Round Win quote)
• "You will live." (Round Win quote)
• "Chill out." (Round Win quote)
• "Big mistake." (Round Win quote)
• "Erased." (Round Win quote)
• "Get up." (Round Win quote)
• "You're weak." (Round Win quote)
• "You're wounded." (Round Win quote)
• "I am a machine." (Round Win quote)
• "You're out of time." (Round Win quote)
• "You're obsolete." (Round Win quote)
• "You can't win." (Round Win quote)
• "Fuck you." (Round Win quote)
• "Casualty estimate: high." (Round Win quote)
• "I see now why you cry." (Round Win quote)
• "Relax." (Round Win quote)
• "You're finished." (Round Win quote)
• "Targeted for termination." (Round Win quote)
• "Stay down." (Round Win quote)
• "It's over." (Round Win quote)
• "It's official. You suck." (Round Win quote to Shao Kahn)
• "You won’t be back." (Brutality quote)
• "You are terminated." (Brutality quote)
• "You're done." (Brutality quote)
• "Your life ends here." (Brutality quote)
• "Mission complete." (Brutality quote)
• "Die."
• "Surrender."
• "I'm back."
• "Too slow."

Trivia

General

• The Terminator was the first of many characters used as promotional material for their home media with their inclusion in the Mortal Kombat series, this being to promote Terminator: Dark Fate. Additionally, despite the promotion of Dark Fate as well as his appearance being nearly identical to Carl, the T-800 in the film, the Mortal Kombat Terminator is not Carl, with no mentioning of the character between Arcade Interactions, his Biography or Arcade Ending.
  • Other guests used as promotional material include the guests of Mortal Kombat 1, which featured Omni-Man, Peacemaker^[2], Homelander and later Ghostface.
    • Peacemaker and Ghostface were not originally used for promotion, however NetherRealm Studios did use them to help promote Season 2 of the Peacemaker TV series in August of 2025 and later in early 2026 to promote Scream 7, respectively.
  • Mortal Kombat 11 was the first of two games to promote the film, the second game being Gears 5, which featured a bare T-800 Endoskeleton, the Endoskeleton of the Rev-9 as well as Sarah Connor and Grace Harper, all as playable characters.
• The Terminator is portrayed through appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger and voiced by Chris Cox, making the Terminator the first guest in which an original actor reprises their role in limited capacity.
  • Schwarzenegger was unable to voice the character due to scheduling conflicts.
• The Terminator is the second guest character to originate from a franchise starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the first being The Predator. Later guests from Schwarzenegger's film franchises include Conan and The T-1000.
  • The Terminator is the first guest from the Terminator franchise to appear in the series, with the T-1000 joining in the game's successor.
• The Terminator's metal and glowing red optic receptor inspired Kano's Bionic Eye.
• The Terminator is the only character in MK11 to not make any grunts or sounds when taking damage. This makes him the second character in the franchise after Jason Voorhees to not make noises when attacked.
  • He still, however, reacts to attacks, unlike in his origin franchise (See Errors).
• Cyborg characters in the Mortal Kombat franchise typically feature the same organs and skeleton as other characters just recolored, however the Terminator is the first cyborg character in the series to feature his own Endoskeleton and artificial organs. This is simply for gameplay purposes however the Terminator does not possess any organs in its origin franchise, just a muscular and integumentary system.
  • RoboCop also features this trait.

Mortal Kombat 11

• Due to his endoskeleton, the Terminator is the first character in Mortal Kombat 11 with a unique visual when a Krushing Blow is performed on him. The second is RoboCop.
  • While the Terminator still suffers damage from Krushing Blows, his endoskeleton does not break, instead gets severely damaged and dents. He will however lose his teeth during uppercut related Krushing Blows or other Krushing Blows that share the same animations as uppercut Krushing Blows.
• The Terminator's intros are references to his origin franchise:
  • Time Bubble is a reference to how each Terminator arrives in the past in each movie, however they are never clothed.
  • Action Figure is a reference to a scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, where the T-800 pulls out a sawed off Model 1887 from a box of roses when he first encounters John Connor.
    • The box of roses was changed in MK11 to a Johnny Cage action figure box.
  • Killer Ride is a reference to the T-800's motorcycle from Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the Harley Davidson FLSTF Fatboy.
    • Rather than the Harley-Davidson logo, Johnny Cage's signature is depicted on the motorcycle's gas tank.
• The Terminator is the only character whose ending is narrated by a different character rather than himself, with Cassie Cage narrating the cyborg's ending.
  • The way the Terminator sinks into the Sea of Blood is a reference to the way he sinks into molten metal in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. His reasoning is similar in both cases – in Judgment Day, he does so that he cannot be reverse-engineered, while in MK11, he does so in order to prevent others from learning of the Hourglass.
  • This is also derived from the fact that Terminator films conclude with narrations from other characters.
• When interacting during a mirror match, one Terminator will call itself Model NRS-419, named after NetherRealm Studios and Mortal Kombat 11's release date of April 2019.
• Due to being modeled after Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator has a few references to Schwarzenegger's previous movie roles outside Terminator, such as Predator, Jingle All the Way, Total Recall, Kindergarten Cop, True Lies and Conan the Barbarian.
  • The Terminator commonly mistakes Sonya Blade for one of his primary targets, Sarah Connor, during interactions.
    • During his Across Time Intro, a picture of Sonya is on fire, where the Terminator destroys it by stepping on it. The picture is very similar to the one Sarah Connor is given at the end of The Terminator, and is seen throughout the franchise on separate occasions. This can further support the idea that the Terminator mistakes Sonya for Sarah Connor.
      • Sonya was also given a DLC skin where she dressed up as Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
  • During an interaction with Erron Black, the latter says, "Hasta la vista, baby", which is a quote originally said by the John Connor who then taught it to the Terminator from the second film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. It is also an Execution line said to the T-1000.
    • In the same film, His Fatal Blow comes after saying that line still said by John Connor: "Chill Out. Dickwad."
  • His other fatality named "I'm Back" refers to the quote in Terminator movies when he said variants like I'll be back. And he said the fatality line in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, when saving John and Kate inside the Nuclear bunker.
  • During an interaction with Geras, the latter references the Riddle of Steel from Conan the Barbarian. Similarly, during an interaction with Shao Kahn when the former asks what is the latter's mission, Shao Kahn responds with "To crush my enemies and see them driven before me.", which was a quote spoken by Conan in Conan the Barbarian.^[3]
  • During an interaction with Jacqui Briggs, she asks "Is it true Sub-Zero's now 'plain zero'?", referencing a quote said by Ben Richards after killing the stalker Sub-Zero in The Running Man.
  • During an interaction with Johnny Cage, he says "To be or not to be? Not to be.", quoting a sequence of Last Action Hero imagining Schwarzenegger as Hamlet.
  • During an interaction with Liu Kang, the latter asks, "Your Mars has blue skies?" and the Terminator responds "I can recall those files totally.", referencing the ending of Total Recall.
  • During an interaction with Kabal, the latter prepare to start a fight and says, "It's Turbo Time!", which is a catchphrase originally said by Turbo Man, and Howard Langston, as an accidental Turbo Man actor, in Jingle All the Way.
  • During an interaction with Baraka, it is shown that Johnny Cage taught the Terminator to call Baraka "an ugly mother fucker", a reference to the 1987 film Predator and to the guest character itself, Predator.
• The Terminator is currently the only character with two separate versions of the The Klassic Brutality.
  • Additionally, he is the only character that does not actually uppercut the opponent's head off, rather, he blows their head up with a diagonal shotgun blast.
  • While in his Endoskeleton, he regains the traits of how other characters perform the finisher, uppercutting the opponent's head off with a literal uppercut.
• During his Terminated Victory Pose, if you look closely to the top right of the screen, images will cycle in the corner. These images are from every characters' Arcade Tower Endings in the Arcade.
• During an interaction with Cassie Cage, when she asks "What? No roses?", the Terminator says, "Just guns." and Cassie sighs and says, "Welcome to the jungle". This is a reference to famous rock band Guns'N Roses and their song "Welcome to the Jungle".
  • This could also possibly reference the fact that the Guns'N Roses' song You Could Be Mine was using in Judgment Day.
• During an interaction with Kano, the mercenary asks if the Terminator has "electro nets and homing rockets" to which the Terminator simply says "No". Kano will then say the Terminator is "not much of a cyber". This a reference to the cyborg ninjas Cyrax and Sektor and the Cyber Lin Kuei.
• The Terminator is the only character that has no reaction during the Terminator's own I'm Back Fatality.
• The Terminator is the first of two characters in the series to not have a traditional "dizzy" animation prior to a Fatality being performed on him, rather remaining still as he looks at the ground, as if powered down. The second is RoboCop.
• Like other guest characters, his moveset contains many references to movies that Arnold Schwarzenegger appears in.
  • Killing Machine is a reference to the scene in Terminator 2: Judgement Day where the T-800 protects a young John Connor from the T-1000's gunfire by facing his back towards the T-1000, blocking the bullets.
  • Albi Back Breaker is a pun on the famous quote from The Terminator, where the cyborg assassin says "I'll be back" before killing majority of the people inside the police station that Sarah Connor was hiding in.
  • The Terminator performs his signature shotgun flip reload from Terminator 2: Judgement Day for the animation of his enhanced Sawed Off move.
  • The special move Running Man is a reference to a film of the same name that Arnold also appears in.
  • His Endoskeleton move is a reference to the Terminator's final battle against Sarah and Kyle Reese in the first film where he rises from the flames of an explosion, reduced to its endoskeleton.
  • His T.D.E. special move is a highly modified version of the time travelling equipment shown in the Terminator series. Besides being able to travel through different points in time, the Terminator can use the equipment in battle through short distance teleportation as well as temporal banishment by sending the opponent to a future where the Skynet has successfully won the war against humanity.
• MK11 marked as the second game where The Terminator and RoboCop cross-over, the first one being Sega and Nintendo game RoboCop Versus The Terminator, which was also based off the comic of the same name.
• When hovering over the Terminator's icon in the character selection screen before a match, he looks around as opposed to constantly looking forward like the rest of the roster, as if he is surveying the area. This makes him the first of two characters to not look forward when being selected for a fight. The second is RoboCop.
• If one looks closely, the Terminator’s SMG has an engraving that reads: “Zirconium Excellence, Inc. Model: PCC-9. Cal: 9MM”.
• The Terminator's Grenade Gear item makes several references to the Mortal Kombat series and other media based on the items' names;
  • The Ta-Sai Model MKSF is a reference to Mortal Kombat: Special Forces. It also references the Black Dragon member Tasia.
  • The Stryker Type MK9 Explosive is a reference to both Kurtis Stryker and Mortal Kombat (2011).
  • The Jarek Type BD Incendiary Device is a reference to Jarek and the Black Dragon.
  • The MKDC - Crossover Armament is a direct reference to the crossover game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.
  • The Orin & Caro Fire Breather is a reference to the dragons of the same name, Orin and Caro.
  • The T2JD Mini Munition is a reference to Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Mortal Kombat Mobile

• The Terminator was added to the game as part of Update 2.4 as a Diamond Card called Dark Fate.
  • At the time, technically, the Terminator was the first guest to join the game as a Diamond Card, as all previous guests debut as Gold Cards before being ascended to Diamond, except Jason Voorhees' Slasher and Unstoppable Cards.
  • A second Diamond Card called Guardian was added in Update 2.7, thus making the Terminator the second guest after Jason Voorhees to have more than one card.
  • The Terminator is currently the only guest to feature two Diamond Cards.
• The Terminator was the first and only guest to be affiliated with the Spec Ops Class.
  • In later updates, guests such as The Joker, Spawn and Homelander would be affiliated with the Nomad Class. Ghostface was the exception to this, being part of Netherrealm Class.
• The Terminator, along with Slasher Jason', Unstoppable Jason, the Joker, Spawn and Homelander are the only guests added to the game that are not part of a Team.
• The Terminator is the only character immune to Krushing Blows, Fatal Blows and X-Ray attacks, due to the limitations of animating the Endoskeleton for the game.
  • This is similar to all Baraka, Mileena, and Reptile Cards, as they all have normal human skeletons and a human skull.
• The Terminator is one of the few characters to receive an exclusive reskin in the mobile version of Mortal Kombat not featured in the game he is playable in.
• The Terminator's T-800 Endoskeleton is the only Equipment Card that increases the user's Health and reduces the Power cost of the user's Special 2 at the same time.

Mortal Kombat 1

• An interaction between The T-1000 and Conan has the cyborg compare the barbarian to the T-800. This is a joke due to the fact Conan and the T-800 share the same actor in Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• An interaction between The T-1000 and Geras reference the T-800 being a guest in Mortal Kombat 11, as Geras has fought him.
  • This is also referenced by Liu Kang, due to him and Geras being the only characters unchanged from the previous timeline.
• An interaction between The T-1000 and Smoke reference a scene from Terminator 2: Judgment Day where the T-1000 tells John Connor's foster parents to not worry about a "big guy on a bike". These lines are used by Smoke and the T-1000.

Errors

• As with many characters in the series, the Terminator features an accessory that incorrectly changes positions on his body when swapping stances, this being his Ion Grenades.
• The Terminator erroneously reacts to attacks, Fatalities and Brutalities, something it doesn't do in its origin franchise. The exception of this is its I'm Back Fatality in a Mirror Match.
• Performing the Krushing Blow version of Albi Back Breaker causes the lighting for the arena to change specifically for the Terminator, as one can see the lighting incorrectly covering his body and his lack of shadow on the ground.
• When fighting Kronika in the game's Story Mode as Fire God Liu Kang or Shang Tsung, it is possible she will call upon the Terminator to fight for her when using her Duplicate Fighter Ability despite him being a non-canon downloadable guest character. This can occur with every guest character.
• The Terminator will sometimes not say a Brutality Victory Quote after a match.
• Previewing the Reborn Outro in the Kustomization always removes his sunglasses even when they are equipped.
• Vice Grip and Incapacitator are compatible in gameplay and grant altered gameplay effects. This information is entirely absent in the Kustomization.
• There is a chance during one of the Terminator's Brutality Victory Poses that his endoskeleton arm does not render and will be completely missing as he poses.
• The Terminator's Double Barrel Basic Attack in his Endoskeleton is absent in his movelist despite being able to perform it.
• Similar to some characters with certain combos or Special Attacks, the Terminator can perform an amplified Sawed Off during his Future Assassin Brutality even after the opponent is dead.
• In his Endoskeleton form, one can see that Terminator hovers over the ground during his Brutality Victory Pose.
• The Terminator's clothes still burn off in his Endoskeleton form during the Outro of the same name even though no clothes are present.
• Krushing Blows that break the Terminator's legs feature grey recolored human bones rather than his endoskeleton leg.

References

External Links

• The T-800's Page on the Terminator Wiki
• A page of the various T-800s in the Terminator franchise on the Terminator Wiki
• The first and original T-800 in the Terminator series on the Terminator Wiki
• Carl, the Terminator which the Mortal Kombat Terminator is based on, on the Terminator Wiki
• Terminator: Dark Fate, the film promoted for with the Terminator's appearance in Mortal Kombat on the Terminator Wiki
• The T-800's Page on Wikipedia
• Dark Fate's Page on Wikipedia

Navigation

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Ashrah | Baraka | Bi-Han | Blaze | Bo' Rai Cho | Cassie Cage | Cetrion | Chameleon | Cyrax | D'Vorah | Daegon | Dairou | Darrius | Drahmin | Ermac | Erron Black | Ferra | Frost | Fujin | General Shao | Geras | Goro | Hanzo Hasashi | Havik | Hotaru | Hsu Hao | Jacqui Briggs | Jade | Jarek | Jax Briggs | Johnny Cage | Kabal | Kai | Kano | Kenshi | Khameleon | Kintaro | Kira | Kitana | Kobra | Kollector | Kotal Kahn | Kronika | Kuai Liang | Kung Jin | Kung Lao | Kurtis Stryker | Li Mei | Liu Kang | Mavado | Meat | Mileena | Mokap | Moloch | Motaro | Nightwolf | Nitara | Onaga | Quan Chi | Raiden | Rain | Reiko | Reptile | Sareena | Sektor | Shang Tsung | Sheeva | Shinnok | Shujinko | Sindel | Skarlet | Smoke | Sonya Blade | Takeda | Tanya | Taven | Torr | Tremor | Triborg Mortal Kombat series - Minor Characters This box: view • talk • edit Apep | Argus | Caro | Delia | Descendant of Apep | Earth God | Fire God | Floyd | Great Kung Lao | Harumi Hasashi | Hydro | Jataaka | Jerrod | Kalima | Katara Vala | Kharon | Kia | King Gorbak | Madam Bo | No Face | One Being | Orin | Overlord Zeffeero | Satoshi Hasashi | Tasia | Water God Mortal Kombat series - Guest Characters This box: view • talk • edit Conan | Freddy Krueger | Ghostface | Homelander | Jason Voorhees | The Joker | Kratos | Leatherface | Omni-Man | Peacemaker | The Predator | RoboCop | Rambo | Spawn | The Terminator | The T-1000 | The Xenomorph Mortal Kombat series - DC Characters (MKvsDCU) This box: view • talk • edit Batman | Captain Marvel | Catwoman | Dark Kahn | Darkseid | Deathstroke | The Flash | Green Lantern | The Joker | Lex Luthor | Superman | Wonder Woman