Killer Instinct got its start in 1994, as developer Rare wanted to jump into the popular fighting game scene. Since then, fans have gotten a few new games over the years and two solid comic book series. Sure, it’s also changed hands several times, leading to a disjointed timeline, but no matter who is creating Killer Instinct, one thing has always been true: it’s filled with memorable characters. A few of those fighters have established themselves as the strongest in-universe warriors. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re best for competitive play, but the established lore shows how good they are. Here are the five strongest fighters in Killer Instinct‘s history.
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5) Orchid
Orchid has been one of Killer Instinct‘s protagonists since the first game. The secret agent and half-brother of KI’s other main hero, Jago, is an elite fighter who also knows how to use her government background to her advantage. Orchid is a world-class spy and more than proves herself in Killer Instinct’s first entry.
Canonically, Orchid is the one who kills Eyedol at the end of Killer Instinct 1. Considering he’s yet to come in this list, taking out a demonic titan on her own is something that has to be acknowledged. Other characters have come through to surpass her accomplishments in the lore, but it’s worth recognizing that Orchid was able to take down a final boss in Killer Instinct 1. That has to count for something. Unfortunately, the developers made the mistake of turning her into an over-sexualized version of herself in KI2, which certainly hurt her standing in the lore. Still, she deserves a spot on the list.
4) Glacius
As mentioned, the Killer Instinct timeline is kind of fuzzy, thanks to a lot of retconning in the 2013 reboot. Still, Glacius is an alien who has potent telekinetic abilities. In the 2013 version of Killer Instinct, Glacius is an interstellar warden who has come to Earth to track some tech before it falls into the hands of humans. Along the way, he decides to join the humans to fight against the demon Gargos.
Glacius has quite a few impressive trophies to his name. Most notably, in KI2, it’s revealed that Glacius slew Cinder, another super-powered being, who uses fire as his main attack. He also holds his own against the god-like creatures who make up the top half of this list. While he’d likely need some help to slay someone like Gargos, it’s worth noting that killing Glacius would prove almost impossible. His body is basically made out of water, and he can quickly liquify himself, making him nearly invulnerable. Glacius might not be able to kill the characters ranked above him, but like a cockroach, he’ll likely survive every encounter you put in front of him.
3) Eyedol
Eyedol is where things start to get serious. This demonic titan is one of the series’ first antagonists, and while he meets his end against Orchid in KI1, that event caused a rip in time, sending everyone back 2,000 years to set up KI2. Eyedol doesn’t appear in that game, as the developers decided to go with his rival demon half-god, Gargos. However, when he comes back in the Killer Instinct reboot, he does so with gusto.
In that game, Eyedol is brought back to life by Kan-Ra to use the demon as something of a trump card against Gargos. Unfortunately for Kan-Ra, Eyedol breaks free from his bonds and starts to rampage across the Earth. For what it’s worth, when Eyedol and Gargos were in human form, Eyedol beat. However, when they become gods, Eyedol’s rage consumed him, letting Gargos earn the upper hand through his cunning. He’s a worthy challenge for Gargos, but Eyedol ultimately loses to his rival.
2) Tusk
I wouldn’t argue too much if you wanted to put Eyedol in this second spot. After all, he is a nearly unkillable demon. That said, I think Tusk just barely pips him for the second-strongest character in Killer Instinct lore. Introduced in KI2, Tusk is a legendary barbarian from the ancient world, and in the 2013 reboot, he gets a glow-up. These days, Tusk is an immortal warrior, created by angels to fight back against demons like Eyedol and Gargos.
If that’s not enough to get him one of the top spots on this list, I don’t know what is. This guy was built in a heavenly lab to fight back against the worst of the worst, and he does so with relative ease. In fact, Tusk actually beat Gargos in combat once, but it wasn’t exactly a rout. Instead, Tusk outsmarted the demon. In the comics following the reboot, Tusk teams up with a few other heroes to take down Gargos, at least for a time.
1) Gargos
I’ve mentioned Gargos several times, so it’s probably not much of a surprise to see Killer Instinct‘s big bad at the top of this list. After all, the demon half-god has been terrorizing players since Killer Instinct 2, immediately proving an even tougher test than his rival Eyedol. He’s amassed a ton of power by absorbing the souls of every mortal and astral being he’s even beaten in combat, turning him into one of the most powerful beings in Killer Instinct.
Sure, other characters have been able to temporarily take him off his perch, but Gargos always comes back. Plus, almost all of those characters had help. There has never really been a character who could face Gargos in a one-on-one match and come out on top in the Killer Instinct lore. He is relatively comfortably the strongest fighter in series history, and might have a case for one of the strongest characters in fighting game history.
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