Kitana

Kitana is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.

Storyline

Kitana's first appearance, in the second Mortal Kombat tournament, was mysterious. It was hard to guess her true feelings or alignment, which were revealed to the Earthrealm warriors during the tournament. She was not the daughter of Shao Kahn, but in fact his stepdaughter, adopted by Kahn after he seized the realm of Edenia. To strengthen Kahn's claims to the Edenian throne, he killed its king, Jerrod, and married Jerrod's wife Sindel, who was Kitana's mother. Suspecting she would someday learn the truth, however, Kahn instructed Shang Tsung to create a twin for Kitana, Mileena, which was actually a grotesque and evil clone.

Related Topics:
Earthrealm - Sindel - Shang Tsung - Mileena - Clone

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Kitana grew up dutifully loyal to Shao Kahn, whom she believed was her real father. She grew up to be one of Shao Kahn's personal assassins, alongside her "sister" Mileena, and her good friend Jade. At some point in Kitana's life, she finally discovered the truth about her real father, Mileena's origins, and how Shao Kahn conquered her realm, although it is never explained exactly how Kitana learned the truth.

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Appalled, disgusted, and devastated that her whole life had been a lie, Kitana vowed to do all in her power to overthrow Shao Kahn and restore Edenia to its former beauty. And also perhaps by doing so, redeem herself for all the evil she committed while she served Shao Kahn. At first Kitana continued to feign loyalty to Kahn, planning and waiting for the right time to turn against him openly.

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Kitana's chance finally came during Mortal Kombat II, when Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung lured Earth's heroes into Outworld. Kitana entered the tournament, but secretly began to contact Earth's heroes trying to help them defeat Kahn. However, Kitana's efforts were discovered by her clone Mileena. Mileena attacked her traitorous "sister", forcing Kitana to defend herself. She defeated and killed Mileena, but this act revealed that she was no longer loyal to Shao Kahn.

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The Earthrealm warriors escaped from Outworld, but Kitana was imprisoned and sentenced to death for killing Mileena. However, after Sindel's resurrection and Shao Kahn's subsequent invasion of Earthrealm, she managed to escape and rejoin her friends from Earth. Her only purpose was to convert the resurrected Sindel and remove the evil taint in her soul. Kitana also had to contend with her friend Jade, who was sent by Kahn to capture her. But Kitana managed to convince Jade to turn against Kahn and join the forces of good. Jade then helped Kitana defeat Reptile, another assassin sent by Kahn to capture Kitana. Eventually, Kitana pushed through to her mother and freed her from Kahn's grasp. Shao Kahn's reign over Earthrealm was short-lived, as he and his elite forces were ultimately defeated. In the wake of these events, Kitana and her mother freed Edenia as well.

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Earthrealm had barely recovered from its violent merger with Outworld, however, as a new threat presented itself in the form of Shinnok. He and his grand vizier Quan Chi invaded Edenia from the forbidden Netherealm, and imprisoned its legitimate rulers. Kitana, not a novice at escaping from prisons, broke loose once more, only to encounter a resurrected Mileena, now in the service of Shinnok. However, soon the forces of darkness were defeated by Raiden and his comrades, and Edenia was free once more. It is after these events that Kitana finally proposed to Liu Kang and offered to rule Edenia together as King and Queen. Liu Kang reluctantly rejected her, saying his place was as Champion of Earth. This was to cause Kitana regret later, upon hearing of his death.

Related Topics:
Shinnok - Quan Chi - Raiden - Liu Kang

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After Shinnok's defeat, Kitana learned that Shao Kahn had survived his defeat on Earthrealm and was trying to regain his strength in Outworld. Realizing the vulnerable position of her realm, however, Kitana hastily formed an alliance with the Shokan, a powerful and ancient race that had fallen in disgrace with the weakened emperor. The combined armies, led by Prince Goro and Kitana herself, marched against Outworld's armies a few years later, with much success at first. However, in the decisive moments, Goro was mortally wounded by the mysterious Noob Saibot, ending the battle with a draw.

Related Topics:
Shokan - Goro - Noob Saibot

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Shortly thereafter, Kitana learned that Shao Kahn had been slain by unknown assassins. Thinking her fight was finally over, Kitana began to journey back to Edenia, hoping she could finally live in peace. However she then encountered her old ally Kung Lao and he told her of a new threat: the "Deadly Alliance" of Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Kung Lao told Kitana of the Deadly Alliance's plans to revive the Undead Army of the legendary Dragon King and how they had already managed to kill Shao Kahn and Liu Kang.

Related Topics:
Kung Lao - Quan Chi

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Despite Kitana's grief on learning of Liu Kang's death at the hands of the Deadly Alliance, she joined with her old Earthrealm allies against the new threat. Unfortunately, the Deadly Alliance was victorious, slaying the heroes, Kitana included. However shortly after their deaths, Kitana and her allies were resurrected by Onaga, the legendary Dragon King himself; Onaga brainwashed them into being his loyal servants.

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Now loyal to the Dragon King, Kitana assisted in Onaga's invasion of her own realm of Edenia. Onaga used Kitana to imprison her mother Sindel, knowing the queen would not fight her daughter. However, Sindel was freed by Jade, and together they fled to Outworld where there are trying to find a way to defeat Onaga and free Kitana from his evil influence. Unknown to Kitana, Liu Kang returned from death and had found himself a new ally and friend - Ermac - and the two embarked on a mission to also save her. While it is unknown whether Liu Kang or Sindel saved Kitana, it is assumed that Kitana will be saved by either.

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