Top 13 Most Iconic Finishing Moves in Video Games
Inputs people still remember three decades after last performing them. Some end a round, some end an argument.
1FatalityMortal Kombat's finishing move, performed on a dazed opponent after the announcer says "Finish him!".1000pts
2Sub-Zero's Spine RipThe 1992 Fatality that did more than any other single animation to trigger the ratings debate.763pts
3Glory KillDoom's close-range execution, which rewards aggression by dropping health.560pts
4Critical ArtStreet Fighter V and 6's cinematic super, the meter payoff at the end of a comeback.485pts
5HadoukenRyu and Ken's fireball in Street Fighter, and the most imitated input in fighting games.485pts
6Sonic BoomGuile's charged projectile in Street Fighter II, thrown from a defensive crouch.485pts
7Scorpion's SpearThe harpoon and the line "Get over here!", the most quoted three words in fighting games.397pts
8Stealth TakedownMetal Gear Solid's silent close-quarters kill, the reward for never being seen.397pts
9Spinning Bird KickChun-Li's upside-down aerial kick, one of the first signature moves built for a woman in the genre.291pts
10Falcon PunchCaptain Falcon's wind-up haymaker in Super Smash Bros., slow enough to be a running joke.291pts
11BrutalityMortal Kombat's mid-combo kill, which ends the round early instead of waiting for the prompt.291pts
12Fus Ro DahSkyrim's Unrelenting Force shout, which flings enemies off cliffs and became a meme on its own.0pts
13RiposteDark Souls' critical strike after a parry, the moment the game rewards patience over aggression.0pts
#Games275#Franchises128#Characters102#Fighting13
Comments
Hadouken is an input the whole genre copied, Fatality a reward for having already won, and both franchises brought several: https://youpick.best/articles/mortal-kombat-vs-street-fighter-ranked
