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Kitana is a fictional character in the ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The original ''Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), Mortal Kombat'' arcade game spawned Lis ...
'' media franchise originally by
Midway Games Midway Games Inc. (formerly Midway Manufacturing and Bally Midway, and commonly known simply as Midway) was an American video game company that existed from 1958 to 2010. Midway's franchises included ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Rampage (franchise), Ra ...
and later by
NetherRealm Studios NetherRealm Studios is an American video game developer based in Chicago and owned by Warner Bros. Games. Led by video game industry veteran and ''Mortal Kombat'' co-creator Ed Boon, the studio is in charge of developing the ''Mortal Kombat'' ...
. Debuting in ''
Mortal Kombat II ''Mortal Kombat II'' is a 1993 fighting game originally produced by Midway for arcades. It was ported to multiple home systems, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System ...
'' (1993) as a
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...
and as a royal from the fictional realm of Edenia. She is originally depicted as being the daughter of Shao Kahn, the ruler of Outworld, but it is later revealed that she is the true daughter of King Jerrod, the king of Edenia. She uses steel fans as her primary weapon. In the series, Kitana is aligned with multiple characters, especially Mileena who originally served as her clone. Kitana also shares the relationship as the love interest for the series'
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
Liu Kang Liu Kang () is a fictional character of the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as Earthrealm's greatest warrior and champion, he debuted in the Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), original 1 ...
and serves as one of the main characters of the franchise herself. In ''
Mortal Kombat 11 ''Mortal Kombat 11'' is a 2019 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the eleventh main installment in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series and a sequel to '' Mortal Kombat X'' (20 ...
'' (2019), Kitana becomes Kahn of Outworld after defeating Shao Kahn. During the development of the original ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The original ''Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), Mortal Kombat'' arcade game spawned Lis ...
'' (1992), a character known as "Kitsune" was intended by ''Mortal Kombat'' co-creator
John Tobias John Tobias is an American Comic book creator, comic book artist, graphic designer, video game designer and writer. Tobias is best known for co-creating the ''Mortal Kombat'' series along with Ed Boon, to whom he pitched the game concept. Tobia ...
to be in the game but was removed, that character later came into existence under the name "Kitana", which is derived from two words "Kitsune" and "Katana". Throughout the ''Mortal Kombat'' series, she eventually becomes one of its mainstays. Kitana is depicted as a warm-blooded woman, fighting for the protection of her realm and its people. Kitana has been featured in various media outside of the games, such as films and comics. She is well received by critics for her appearance, personality, and character development and has become one of the most popular and iconic characters of the franchise, and is often considered the face or mascot of the Mortal Kombat female characters.


History and development

Early development of the original ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The original ''Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), Mortal Kombat'' arcade game spawned Lis ...
'' featured a character named "Kitsune", conceived by series co-creator and character designer
John Tobias John Tobias is an American Comic book creator, comic book artist, graphic designer, video game designer and writer. Tobias is best known for co-creating the ''Mortal Kombat'' series along with Ed Boon, to whom he pitched the game concept. Tobia ...
and inspired by the character of Princess Mariko from
Jordan Mechner Jordan Mechner (born June 4, 1964) is an American video game designer, author, screenwriter, filmmaker, and former video game programmer. A major figure in the development of cinematic video games and a pioneer in video game animation, he began ...
's 1984 computer game '' Karateka''. She was intended to be an unplayable
herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen ...
-like character who wielded a single ornamental fan and was " Shang Lao's princess daughter — the spoil of victory for winning the tournament" who would ultimately betray her father after she fell for the game's protagonist
Liu Kang Liu Kang () is a fictional character of the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as Earthrealm's greatest warrior and champion, he debuted in the Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), original 1 ...
. Kitsune was ultimately omitted from the game but included in the sequel ''Mortal Kombat II'', with her storyline revised as her being the stepdaughter of the game's main antagonist Shao Kahn. Tobias renamed the character "Kitana" as her original name was rejected for being Japanese and thus not compatible with "Shang and Shao who were both Chinese in origin" (before the games "ultimately became a hodgepodge of nonsensical Asian mythological hooha anyway"), with Kitana serving as "a combo of
Kitsune The , in popular Japanese tradition, are foxes or fox spirits that possess supernatural abilities such as shapeshifting, and capable of bewitching people. General overview , though literally a 'fox', becomes in folklore a ' fox spirit', o ...
&
Katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
" that sounded "generically Asian enough." She was originally outfitted with a pair of sai before
Ed Boon Edward Boon (born February 22, 1964) is an American video game programmer, voice actor, and director. Boon was employed for over 15 years at Midway Games. Since 2011, he has worked for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for one of its subsi ...
suggested that the character could be
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, which resulted in the creation of Kitana's twin Mileena and her being given the sai while Kitana instead brandished war fans. In 2009, Boon included Kitana among the series' most recognizable characters alongside Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Liu Kang. Skarlet, a female ninja who debuted as a playable character in the 2011 ''Mortal Kombat'' reboot, originated in ''MKII'' by way of false player rumors of a glitch that would turn Kitana's outfit red. Martial artist Katalin Zamiar played Kitana and the game's other palette-swapped female ninjas in ''MKII'', with Kitana's steel fans used for filming constructed from a reflective paper material.Benedykt Dziubałtowski
Interview with Katalin Ogren - an actress played a character of Kitana, Mileena and Jade in ''Mortal Kombat 2''
, PPA.pl, 09.11.2012.
She was hired for the role after meeting Boon and Tobias, who were members of her fitness center at the time. Zamiar did not return for ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'' due to legal issues with Midway Games, and was replaced by Becky Gable. Kitana was included in early versions of ''Mortal Kombat 4'' before being replaced by new character Tanya. For the series' transition into 3-D beginning with ''Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance'', Kitana and the other ninja characters were given their own distinct redesigns. Most of Kitana's special moves utilize her fans either as a melee weapon, a projectile, or to lift her enemies airborne. In ''Mortal Kombat X'' and onward, Kitana's play style is split into three fighting variations like those of the game's other characters. According to Boon, Kitana's "Kiss of Death" Fatality, first seen in ''MKII'', was inspired by the demise of villain Mr. Big (Dr. Kananga) in the 1973
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
film '' Live and Let Die''. Kitana's other most commonly recurring finisher has her decapitate opponents with her fan, which has been featured in almost all of her game appearances and is expanded in ''Mortal Kombat 2011'' where she cuts off the defeated opponents' arms before beheading them.


Gameplay

Kitana was chosen as the best ''Mortal Kombat II'' fighter by the editors of '' Sega Power'' and ''
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'' for being "good all around" and due to her quick attacks and perceived similarities to
Chun-Li Chun-Li (; Japanese: , Hepburn: ) is a character in Capcom's ''Street Fighter'' video game series. She first appeared in '' Street Fighter II: The World Warrior'' in 1991 and is the first female playable character to appear in a fighting game t ...
."True Stories: Mortal Kombat 2"
Amiga Power'' 44
(December 1994), pages 10-11.
''
Amiga Power ''Amiga Power'' (''AP'') was a monthly magazine about Amiga video games. It was published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing and ran for 65 issues, from May 1991 to September 1996. History The first issue of ''Amiga Power'' was publi ...
'' too called her "a really good character to pick" and Cinema Blend stated Kitana "could absolutely dominate" the game. However, ''
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's'' strategy guide ranked Kitana as only the seventh best of the 12 fighters in ''MKII'' (citing her devastating combos, powerful "Fan Throw" move, and good sweep and reach hindered by slow release of the fan-based special moves and limited attack patterns); it was her clone Mileena who landed on the top of their chart. According to a retrospective by ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'', Kitana "had the most powerful projectile attack, and along with Mileena, the fastest throws and sweeps." "Kitana's big combos in the corner" were among Ed Boon's own personal favourite things in the game: "When I saw people do Kitana's combos I knew there was something special, because people were taking the game to a new direction." '' EGM'' described Kitana as "a force to be reckoned with" and predicted she would "make a big impact as her Fan Wave leaves foes open to combos." In the
Game Gear The is an 8-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth-generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and in 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily ...
version of ''MKII'', however, Kitana's fan lifts the opponent too low and too far away for an easy combo. Kitana's combo abilities were severely downgraded for ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'' (and, by extension, ''Mortal Kombat Trilogy''), for which she received no new special moves unlike most of the other characters. According to ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...
'', "with such a small repertoire, Princess Kitana will be sorely challenged by experienced warriors," even as her fan toss is faster than many other projectile attacks. ''
Sega Saturn Magazine ''Sega Saturn Magazine'' (originally known as ''Sega Magazine'') was a monthly magazine from the United Kingdom covering the Sega Saturn, a home video game console. It held the official Saturn magazine license for the UK, and some issues incl ...
'' opined that "Kitana's lack of enhancements doesn't make her as exciting to play as some of the other characters, though her excellent juggle combos still work - and they can do loads of damage,""Showcases: Mortal Kombat 3". ''Official Sega Saturn Magazine'' 6 (April 1996), page 47. According to ''Total 64'', "her moves are a little unfriendly and her combos are a touch difficult."''Total 64'' 2/97, page 58. ''EGM Strategy Guide'' for ''UMK3'' stated: "She had deadly corner traps with damage in up to 90 percent n ''MKII'' Now, her fan-raise combos have been severely crippled to almost not being worth it." Nevertheless, '' X360'' called the
CPU A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor, or just processor, is the primary processor in a given computer. Its electronic circuitry executes instructions of a computer program, such as arithmetic, log ...
Kitana "the worst possible character to come up against" in the single-player Tower mode of ''UMK3'', as she is "fast, impossible to sweep, and capable of rendering any opponent incapable with a waft of her fan." According to ''Dreamcast Magazine'', ''Mortal Kombat Golds returning "old favourites like Sub-Zero, Kitana and Baraka" too had by then "dated moves and fatalities." Her combos improved in the later games, and according to
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' official guide for ''Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance'', "Kitana stays at the top of the heap as far as kombatants go. In any stance, she can pump out over 30% with relative ease, making her one of the deadliest in the hands of a beginner or a master." Kitana was later found to be capable of infinite-loop corner combos in her "Mournful" variation in ''Mortal Kombat X''. In ''Mortal Kombat:'' ''Shaolin Monks'', Kitana is fought as a boss character twice in the game's main story mode and is one of unlockable player characters for the versus mode.
Prima Games Prima Games is a publishing company of video game strategy guides in the United States. Formerly, Prima was an imprint of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Penguin Random House, and produced print strategy guides, featuring in-depth walkthroughs ...
' guide to ''Shaolin Monks'' states she is "quick enough for moderate damage, and has some of the most potent special moves in the game," but her limitation is she needs to be fighting at close range to make use of it. Regarding ''Mortal Kombat: Armageddon'', however, Prima declared Kitana "a tough character to win with" and "like many of the other low tier character types, she's lacking in almost every aspect" (even as she "is a little better on defense than she is on offense"). She was rated overall only 4/10 for this game. Their official guide for ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'', on the other hand, called her "one of the more dangerous characters in the game due to her speed and extremely effective move-set." Prima's official guide for 2011's ''Mortal Kombat'' deemed Kitana a capable fighter who once again "is at her deadliest in the corner" and is also especially good if played against
Baraka Baraka or Barakah may refer to: * Berakhah or Baraka, in Judaism, a blessing usually recited during a ceremony * Barakah or Baraka, in Islam, the beneficent force from God that flows through the physical and spiritual spheres * Baraka, full ''ḥa ...
and Cyber Sub-Zero. Prima observed Kitana in ''MK2011'' as her "cheapest" (unduly overpowered) incarnation so far, stating "Kitana is not only one of the most damaging characters in the game, but in addition to the Fan Lift and Square Wave Punch, she can combo her Air Fan almost any time an opponent is airborne." According to Prima's guide to ''MKX'', "Kitana is one of the more unique characters in the game" due to her inheriting many of Jade's special moves, and she "is a zoning character at heart, but she can play offensively or defensively" depending on a variation chosen. The guide recommended the "Mournful" variant for former Jade players, and the "Assassin" variant, which "tries to take the generally defensive style Kitana has in ''MKX'' and add some offensive firepower to it," for veteran Kitana players.


Appearances


''Mortal Kombat'' games

Kitana debuts in ''
Mortal Kombat II ''Mortal Kombat II'' is a 1993 fighting game originally produced by Midway for arcades. It was ported to multiple home systems, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System ...
'' (1993) alongside her sister Mileena as Outworld emperor
Shao Kahn Shao Kahn is a character and one of the antagonists of the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as the emperor of the fictional realm Outworld. Feared for his immense strength, which he comp ...
's personal assassins. While she is ten thousand years old, she resembles a younger woman. In her ending, Kitana turns against Kahn after learning that her parents were once rulers of Outworld until they were forcefully overthrown by Kahn, while Mileena is actually an evil clone created by the sorcerer Shang Tsung. Kitana and the series' other ninja characters were excluded from '' Mortal Kombat 3'' (1995), but her backstory is expanded therein with the introduction of new character Sindel. Kitana is revealed as the daughter of Queen Sindel and King Jerrod, who ruled the Outworld realm of Edenia until it was invaded by Kahn and his forces, during which Kahn kills Jerrod and takes Kitana as his daughter. After Sindel commits suicide rather than serve as Kahn's
consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...
, she is resurrected and used by Kahn as a means to illegally invade Earthrealm. Realizing her life had been a lie, Kitana turns against Kahn and allies with Earth's champions to defeat him. The ninjas returned as playable characters in the 1995 upgrade ''
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'' is a 1995 fighting game developed and published by Midway for arcades. Part of the ''Mortal Kombat'' series, it is a standalone update of 1995's earlier '' Mortal Kombat 3'' with an altered gameplay system, additiona ...
'', in which Kitana is tried for treason after killing her evil twin Mileena, but before a verdict is reached, Kitana escapes and joins the Earth heroes to reach Sindel and warn her of her true past. Kitana and fellow Edenian
Jade Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or Ornament (art), ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in t ...
free Sindel from Shao Kahn's mind control, which enables reigning Mortal Kombat champion
Liu Kang Liu Kang () is a fictional character of the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Depicted as Earthrealm's greatest warrior and champion, he debuted in the Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), original 1 ...
to defeat him and results in Edenia and Earth returning to their peaceful states. During the events of ''
Mortal Kombat Gold ''Mortal Kombat Gold'' is a 1999 fighting game in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series that was published by Midway Home Entertainment. It was developed by Eurocom and released exclusively on the Dreamcast as a launch title. It is an updated version of 1 ...
'' (1999; a
Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
-exclusive upgrade of '' Mortal Kombat 4''), fallen Elder God
Shinnok This is a list of Player character, playable and boss (video games), boss characters from the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise and the games in which they appear. Created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the series depicts conflicts between ...
and his cohort Quan Chi invade Edenia, aided by the traitorous Edenian Tanya. When Quan Chi and his forces later leave the realm to focus on attacking thunder god Raiden and the Earth heroes, Kitana escapes to aid her allies in defeating Shinnok. With Edenia freed once again, Kitana offers Liu Kang the chance to rule Edenia by her side, which he reluctantly rejects due to his duty as Earth's champion. In a special-edition ''MK4'' comic book released with the 1998 PC version of the game, Kitana arranges peace between the warring Shokan and Centaurian races. In '' Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance'' (2002), Kitana leads a preemptive strike against Shao Kahn's forces, but Kahn is killed by unknown assassins later revealed as the titular Deadly Alliance of Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, who had formed an alliance to kill Kahn and Liu Kang before attempting to revive the mysterious Dragon King. Despite her grief, she leads the Earth warriors into an assault on Shang Tsung's palace, where she faces Quan Chi but is outmatched and killed alongside her allies. As a result of her death in the previous game, Kitana is unplayable in '' Mortal Kombat: Deception'' (2004), in which she and her slain companions are resurrected and controlled by the game's final boss, the Dragon King Onaga, who additionally uses her to defeat and imprison Sindel and then install Mileena to pose as Kitana. However, Jade frees Sindel before imprisoning Kitana, and together they flee to Outworld to figure out how to free Kitana from Onaga's influence. Meanwhile, Liu Kang's spirit is able to remain amongst the living after his murder, and he enlists the reformed ninja Ermac to help him free Kitana and his friends from Onaga's control, a mission in which they are successful. In the spinoff game '' Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks'' (2005), after Kitana was found to be no longer loyal to Shao Kahn, she was placed into a spell-induced trance and forced to fight the Earth heroes, Mileena, and Jade before being freed by the Shaolin warrior monks Liu Kang and
Kung Lao Kung Lao (Chinese: 空佬) is a character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. He debuted in ''Mortal Kombat II'' (1993) as a Shaolin Kung Fu, Shaolin monk and close friend of series protagonis ...
. Eventually, Kitana slays Mileena. Following this warning, Kitana returned in '' Mortal Kombat: Armageddon'' (2006), accompanied by Liu Kang's spirit in order to keep him whole until she found a way to reunite him with his body. They later meet with
Nightwolf Nightwolf ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Mortal Kombat'' fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. He debuted in '' Mortal Kombat 3'' (1995) as a Native American shaman selected to defend a fictional realm Earthrea ...
, who offers to relieve Kitana of her burden by absorbing Liu Kang's soul, allowing her to fight against the coming evil. Kitana ultimately perishes alongside the rest of her allies during the battle. In the non-canonical crossover game ''
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'' is a 2008 fighting video game developed and published by Midway Games for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game is a crossover between ''Mortal Kombat'' and the DC Universe, and is the eighth main installmen ...
'' (2008), Kitana was transported to
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
, where she encountered
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
. As she was suffering from "kombat rage" at the time, Kitana hallucinated Wonder Woman as an assassin sent from Outworld and challenged her. After being defeated, Kitana fled to a different section of Metropolis, where she was found and defeated by
Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
and brought to Raiden's temple, where she reveals she had a vision of
Darkseid Darkseid () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first made a cameo appearance in ''Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen'' #134 (December 1970), before being fully in ...
to become Dark Kahn. Following this, Kitana joined the rest of the combatants in traveling to the fused realms of Outworld and
Apokolips Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is co ...
and fighting the
DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
's heroes and villains while Raiden and
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
destroyed Dark Kahn. In the rebooted timeline of ''Mortal Kombat'' (2011), which retells the events of the first three ''Mortal Kombat'' games, Shao Kahn sends her and Jade to participate in a Mortal Kombat tournament. Kitana tries to defeat Liu Kang, but ends up being defeated. Anticipating her death, she is shocked by his choice to let her live. In the second tournament, Raiden approaches Kitana and reveals that her belief that she is Shao Kahn's daughter is false. Riddled with uncertainty, she secretly entered Shang Tsung's flesh pits and came across the recently made Mileena. Prior to meeting Kahn, she blames Shang Tsung for replacing her, only to be surprised by the revelation that the Emperor was the one who created Mileena. Before carrying out the execution, he locks Kitana in the palace and demands for his real daughter to be brought to him. Liu Kang quickly helps Kitana to be liberated, and they, along with Jade, flee to Earth to team up with their new comrades in the fight against Outworld's army. They help in the fight for Earth, but are slain by Kitana's evil mother, Sindel, along with other warriors. Ultimately, it is revealed that she is among the fighters brought back to life by Quan Chi in the Netherrealm to fight against Raiden. In ''
Mortal Kombat X ''Mortal Kombat X'' is a 2015 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the tenth main installment in the ''Mortal Kombat'' s ...
'' (2015) Kitana returns as one of Quan Chi's revenants. She fought Jax and Cassie Cage. Following Quan Chi's death and Shinnok's defeat, she and fellow revenant Liu Kang became the Netherrealm's new rulers. In ''
Mortal Kombat 11 ''Mortal Kombat 11'' is a 2019 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the eleventh main installment in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series and a sequel to '' Mortal Kombat X'' (20 ...
'' (2019), Kitana's revenant aligned herself with the keeper of time, Kronika. As a result of Kronika's actions however, a past version of Kitana and Liu Kang were brought to the present. While he traveled to Earthrealm to find out more about what happened, she stayed in Outworld to find Shao Kahn, who had also been brought to the present. To aid the new Outworld emperor Kotal Kahn, Kitana forged alliances with Outworld's disparate factions before leading them into battle against Shao Kahn; personally defeating and maiming him herself. Kotal, who had been crippled during the fight, appointed Kitana as the new Kahn of Outworld in recognition of her skills in combat. After Kronika kidnaps Liu Kang, Kitana and her Outworld army aided Earthrealm's allied forces against Kronika's army until Raiden merged himself with Liu Kang to become Fire God Liu Kang. As the rest of her allies fought off Kronika's forces, Kitana joined Liu Kang in breaching Kronika's keep. However, Kronika reverses time for everyone except Liu Kang, who faces her and his allies' revenants alone. In one of the game's endings, Liu Kang defeats Kronika and is able to bring Kitana back to help him forge a new timeline. In the DLC story expansion '' Aftermath'', Kitana was brought back to life by Fujin and Shang Tsung to join forces with Sindel in the battle against Kronika. Nevertheless, she was shocked to discover her mother's real character when she was unable to prevent her from betraying Earth and Outworld. In ''
Mortal Kombat 1 ''Mortal Kombat 1'' is a 2023 fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Games. It is the twelfth main installment in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series, and serves as its second Reboot (fiction), reboot after 2011' ...
''s rebooted timeline, Mileena is biologically her older twin sister at birth and they have a steady relationship with each other as well as their mother, Sindel. Due to being slightly older, Mileena is set to inherit the throne, but her family fears her potential banishment from the throne due to her affliction with the Tarkat disease. They are initially deceived by Shang Tsung and General Shao into believing Earthrealm is plotting against them until Fire God Liu Kang and his allies expose their atrocities. Though they are reunited with their father, Jerrod, after he takes control of Ermac's body, Sindel is killed shortly afterwards by her evil counterpart from Titan Shang Tsung's timeline and passes the throne to Mileena. To defeat Titan Shang Tsung, Liu Kang brings over Kitana from an alternate timeline where she defeated Kronika and became a Titan, and they passionately embrace each other before recruiting more Titan allies to face off against the threat. After Titan Shang Tsung's defeat, Titan Kitana returns to her own timeline, and the Kitana from Liu Kang's timeline replaces Shao as the General of Outworld's army while continuing to advise her sister.


Other media

Kitana had a brief appearance in a Midway-published ''Mortal Kombat II'' comic book prequel that was written and illustrated by series co-creator John Tobias and served to introduce the game's new characters. She is a minor character in
Malibu Comics Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. (launched as Malibu Graphics) was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. Notable titles published by Malibu included ''Th ...
' 1994-1995 ''Mortal Kombat'' comic book series, first appearing in the three-issue miniseries ''Goro: Prince of Pain'' (1994), joining other ''MKII'' characters in searching for Goro in Outworld. Kitana's role in the six-issue miniseries "Battlewave" (1995) has her attempting to rebel against Shao Kahn. She was additionally the subject of the 1995 one-shot "Kitana and Mileena: Sister Act", in which her background from the games is intact, except she is already an adult when Shao Kahn kills Jerrod and seizes the realm and then bewitches her into believing she is Kahn's daughter. Kitana was a supporting character in the 1990s ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The original ''Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), Mortal Kombat'' arcade game spawned Lis ...
'' feature films, unmasked throughout and portrayed by Talisa Soto. She is introduced as a companion of Shang Tsung and described only as his adversary due to her being the rightful heir of Outworld and thus a threat to his rule should she ally herself with the Earth fighters. Kitana eventually joins main protagonist Liu Kang and the Earthrealm heroes in defeating the sorcerer. The film's producer Lauri Apelian commented that the two main female characters (Kitana and Sonya Blade, played by
Bridgette Wilson Bridgette Wilson Sampras (born September 25, 1973) is an American former actress, singer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Teen USA 1990. She began her career in acting, playing the character of Lisa Fenimore on the soap opera '' S ...
) "needed to have a strength and an independence and an intellect that went well beyond their beauty and being sexy." Kitana has a lesser role in the 1997 sequel '' Mortal Kombat Annihilation'', in which she is mostly kept in Shao Kahn's captivity before being freed by Liu Kang. She joins the Earth heroes in their victorious final battle over Kahn's forces. Soto underwent five weeks of martial arts training for the first film, and additionally learned Brazilian
stick fighting Stick-fighting, stickfighting, or stick fighting, is a variety of martial arts which use blunt, hand-held "sticks" for fighting, most typically a simple, non-lethal, wooden staff or baton. Schools of stick-fighting exist for a variety of weapon ...
for her use of the character's steel fans in ''Annihilation''. Kitana was not included in the 2021 feature film ''
Mortal Kombat ''Mortal Kombat'' is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video games originally developed by Midway Games in 1992. The original ''Mortal Kombat (1992 video game), Mortal Kombat'' arcade game spawned Lis ...
'', but will appear in the 2025 sequel played by
Adeline Rudolph Adeline Rudolph (born 10 February 1995) is a Hong Kong-born actress. She began her career in modeling before making her debut in the Netflix series ''Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV series), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'' (2018–2020). She ...
. Kitana is a main character in the 1996 animated television series '' Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm'', a loose adaptation of ''Mortal Kombat 3''. She was voiced by
Cree Summer Cree Summer Francks (born July 7, 1969) is an American-Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her extensive work in animation, voicing characters such as Elmyra Duff in ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' and related media, Susie Carmichael ...
. She appeared in three episodes of the 1998 syndicated live-action television series '' Mortal Kombat: Conquest'', with the role split by Audie England and Dara Tomanovich. She is fully aware of her Edenian past and the deaths of her parents at Kahn's hands but has no direct relation to Mileena. Kitana was featured in a two-part episode of the 2011 web series '' Mortal Kombat: Legacy'', which combined live action and animated sequences. She was played by martial artist and stuntwoman Samantha Jo, in her acting debut. The episodes are another retelling of Kitana's past from the games but with changes such as Sindel fusing her soul with Kitana's in hopes to avoid Shao Kahn's corruption before she commits suicide. When Mileena kills a man who is actually their father King Jerrod, Kitana learns the truth after her past and decides to turn against Shao Kahn in the upcoming Mortal Kombat tournament. Jo reprised the role in one episode of the 2013 second season. Kitana was voiced by
Grey DeLisle Grey DeLisle (; born Erin Grey Van Oosbree; August 24, 1973), sometimes credited as Grey Griffin, is an American voice actress and singer-songwriter. DeLisle is known for various roles in animated productions and video games. On September 27, ...
in the animated film '' Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge'' (2020), featuring in a fight scene against Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat tournament. DeLisle reprised the role in the ''Legends'' sequel '' Battle of the Realms'' (2021), in which Kitana works alongside Kahn's forces in invading Earth before rebelling against him and allying with the Earth fighters. On March 29, 2025, Kitana was added as a purchasable skin in the online game ''
Fortnite Battle Royale ''Fortnite Battle Royale'' is a 2017 Battle royale game, battle royale video game produced by Epic Games. It was originally developed as a companion game part of the early access version of ''Fortnite: Save the World'', a cooperative survival ...
'' alongside two fellow ''Mortal Kombat'' fighters,
Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
and Raiden.


Merchandise

Action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...
s of Kitana were released in the UK by Toy Island in 1996, Mezco Toyz in 2015, and by
Funko Funko Inc. is an American company that manufactures Brand licensing, licensed and limited popular culture, pop culture collectibles, known for its licensed Polyvinyl chloride, vinyl figurines and bobbleheads. In addition, the company produces li ...
, as both a Funko Pop! vinyl figurine in 2017 and a traditional figure the following year. Syco Collectibles released a 1/6-scale limited-edition polystone Kitana statue in 2012, while Pop Culture Shock Collectibles released a 1/4-scale character statuette in 2013 and a 1/3-scale version in 2018. Other items included a character mousepad, a life-sized cardboard
standee A standee is a large self-standing display promoting a movie, product or event, or Point of sale display, point-of-sale advertising, often in the form of a life-size cut-out figure. They are typically made of Paperboard, foam-board, and may ran ...
, and Halloween costumes.


Reception


Critical reception

Critical reception of Kitana has varied, often with emphasis placed on her good looks and sometimes on her relatively complicated personality. Ben Kendrick of
Game Rant Valnet, Inc. is a Canadian media company established in August 2012 by Hassan and Sam Youssef in Montreal, Quebec. It operates primarily in the entertainment media industry, where it has sought to acquire producers of content in this space. In ...
noted that "apart from possessing one of the cooler weapons" in the series, she "lacks the entertaining/alluring oddity" of her counterpart Mileena. ''GameFront'' opined the same year that Kitana has "not eena very compelling character." Though she and Mileena were included in ''GamePro''s 2009 list of the seventeen best palette-swapped video game characters alongside the series' male ninjas, Dan Ryckert of ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' wrote in 2010 that he did not want these characters, aside from
Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
and Sub-Zero, in future series installments. Kitana's "Kiss of Death" Fatality from ''Mortal Kombat II'' has met with critical praise. Response to Kitana's alternate-media incarnations have been variably received. Laura Evenson of ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' noted Talisa Soto's attractiveness in the 1995 ''Mortal Kombat'' film, but found her character otherwise uninteresting as compared to Robin Shou's Liu Kang. Ben Steelman of the ''
Star-News ''StarNews'' is an American, English language daily newspaper for Wilmington, North Carolina, and its surrounding area (known as the Lower Cape Fear (region), Cape Fear). It is North Carolina's oldest newspaper in continuous publication. It was ...
'' described her as "basically
Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa ( or ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is a princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Galactic Empire (Star Wars ...
in black leotards," but James Stephanie Sterling of ''
Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...
'' noted Kitana's "more sensible makeover" therein in contrast to her in-game designs. Michael Saunders of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' wrote in his 1997 review of ''Mortal Kombat Annihilation'' that Soto "never seems to do much more other than look exotic in the role." The 2011 ''Mortal Kombat Legacy'' first-season episode "Kitana & Mileena" was nominated for a
Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...
in the category of "Outstanding Achievement in Writing Derivative New Media".


Sex appeal

Kitana is considered a prominent
sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...
in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series, in a display of what one author described as manifestation of "pseudo-Japanese
Orient The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...
alist
fetishes A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over others. Essentially, fetishism is the attribution of inherent non-material value, or powers, to an object. Talismans and amulets ...
." According to Joey Esposito of
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, "it's obvious that ''Mortal Kombat II'' added in some more, let’s say,
sexually suggestive Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. Sex, SEX or sexual may also refer to: *Sexual intercourse, a sexual activity Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Sex'' (1920 ...
characters in Mileena and Kitana," Danny Gallagher of MTV's ''Guy Code'' ranked Kitana among the "best babes in video games" of 2011, but commented that she had "the deepest emotional core of any of the ''Mortal Kombat'' characters." ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' commented that "Kitana became one of the breakout stars of the series" upon her ''MKII'' debut, "easily having more meat on her character than Sonya ever did."


Gender criticism and Fatalities

There have been controversies and mixed or negative critical reception of the character. In 1994, she was one of the fighting game characters cited by Guy Aoki of ''
AsianWeek ''AsianWeek'' was America's first and largest English-language print and on-line publication serving East Asian Americans. The news organization played an important role nationally and in the San Francisco Bay Area as the “Voice of Asian Americ ...
'' as allegedly perpetuating existing stereotypes of Asians as martial arts experts. In the video game violence controversy themed book ''Interacting With Video'', Patricia Marks Greenfield and Rodney R. Cocking used the "two Asian twin sisters, Kitana and Mileena" as an example of "highly eroticized Dragon Lady" stereotyping in video games. When Marsha Kinder accused ''Mortal Kombat II'' of
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...
in its handling of female characters, she alleged that "some of the most violent possibilities are against women," whose own "fatality moves are highly eroticised." Patrick Sunnen's book ''Making Sense of Video Games'' judged their portrayal as "formidable female opponents" to be potentially progressive, yet arguably made just to increase "the
sexist Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
potential of the individual fights", and described Kitana's Fatality of decapitation with a "deceptively feminine razor-sharp fan" to be
castration Castration is any action, surgery, surgical, chemical substance, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses use of the testicles: the male gonad. Surgical castration is bilateral orchiectomy (excision of both testicles), while chemical cas ...
-like. Chad Hunter of ''Complex'' chose Jade and Kitana to represent the "women who fight" stereotype in his 2012 list of the fifteen most stereotypical characters in video games, for being "half-naked skanks who can fight, hurl lasers and perform aerobatic attacks while wearing thongs, high-heeled boots and keeping their giant breasts under scarves," claiming that this has caused "female gamers oslide away from this series."Chad Hunter
The 15 Most Stereotypical Characters In Video Games
, Complex.com, May 9, 2010.


See also

* Ninja in popular culture


Notes


References


External links

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