Mahakala (from Sanskrit महाकाल, pronounced [mɐɦaːˈkaːlɐ]) is a genus of halszkaraptorine theropod dinosaur from the Campanian-age (about 80 million years ago) Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of Ömnögovi, Mongolia.

This genus can be distinguished from other paravians (dromaeosaurids, troodontids, and birds) by details of the ulna, thighbone, ilium, and tail vertebrae.

[3] The cladogram below is based on the phylogenetic analysis conducted in 2017 by Cau et al. using updated data from the Theropod Working Group in their description of Halszkaraptor.

Graciliraptor Microraptor Sinornithosaurus Hesperonychus Bambiraptor Tianyuraptor Achillobator Utahraptor Dromaeosaurus Adasaurus Deinonychus Saurornitholestes Velociraptor Tsaagan Linheraptor In 2020, Mahakala was recovered in a polytomy with halszkaraptorines, unenlagiines and microraptorines outside the subfamily.

[7] Small coelurosaurians are the most diverse dinosaurs, including fellow dromaeosaurid Velociraptor, troodontids Byronosaurus and Saurornithoides, oviraptorids Citipati, Khaan, and Oviraptor, and alvarezsaurids Kol and Shuvuuia; other dinosaurs present included ceratopsians Protoceratops and Udanoceratops, the hadrosaur Plesiohadros, and the ankylosaurid Pinacosaurus.