Is Mileena a Clone of Kitana? An MK Gamer‘s Deep Dive
The short answer is yes – Mileena is a magically engineered clone of Princess Kitana, created using her Edenian DNA mixed with Tarkatan blood. As both an MK enthusiast and lore expert, I‘m here to provide the full backstory on the creation of Kitana‘s "twin sister", what abilities they share, and how Mileena has evolved into her own distinct fighter. Strap in for a wild ride through the Flesh Pits!
Crafting Mileena: A Clone Born for Combat
Mileena was created through sorcery and genetic experimentation by Shang Tsung in his infamous Flesh Pits. Her purpose? To serve as a replacement for Kitana if she ever betrayed Shao Kahn‘s plans for Outworld domination.
| Event | Kitana | Mileena |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Over 10,000 years ago | Created in Flesh Pits |
| Homeworld | Edenia | Outworld |
| Loyalties | Originally to Shao Kahn, then switches to Earthrealm | Shao Kahn / herself |
| Fighting Style | Fan blades, sai, assassin skills | Sai, bite attacks, blood magic |
Shang Tsung used samples of Kitana‘s blood and flesh combined with Tarkatan DNA to spawn this new hybrid clone. The result? A vicious fighter with the combat abilities of Kitana but the ruthless aggression and sharp teeth of a Tarkatan. Pretty terrifying!
Shared Skills as Shao Kahn‘s Assassins
Despite their differing origins, Mileena and Kitana exhibit similarly lethal skillsets in kombat. Having been raised together under Shao Kahn‘s guidance, both are ruthless assassins andstrategic masters in battling multiple opponents.
As the emperor‘s personal death squad, they wield matching sai blades and teleportation magic to control the battlefield. Their shared Edenian physiology also enables them to maintain youth and combat prowess for millennia longer than any mortal.
In the earlier MK titles, they even don identical pink assassin outfits in combat – the only noticeable difference being Mileena‘s masked face concealing her Tarkatan jaws.
Claws Out: Mileena‘s Unique Abilities & Style
While Mileena inherits much of Kitana‘s skill template, her Tarkatan DNA also makes her stand apart when they finally clash in kombat:
- Vicious bite attacks – Mileena‘s main added special move, allowing her to maul opponents from short range
- Tarkatan Blade Frenzy – Rapid strikes that overwhelm the opponent with quick sai swipes
- X-Ray Moves – Gruesome biting and blade combos showing off her sadistic side!
- Teleport Kick – Mileena can reappear right above her rival for a surprise aerial attack
- Rolling Thunder – Spinning like a buzzsaw towards opponents before striking
- Fatalities – Too many gory finishers to list! Ripping out innards seems to be a favorite though…
When controlled by the player, Mileena has a very aggressive and in-your-face fighting style befitting her bloodlust. She‘ll intimidate foes by growling or laughing menacingly before tearing after them with claws bared!
Mileena Vs. Kitana: The Rivalry Intensifies
According to canon lore and their in-game fight exchanges, Mileena has battled Kitana on numerous occasions, almost always coming out worse for wear:
- In MK2, Kitana emerges victorious in their first matchup
- In Deception, Kitana defeats Mileena again, executing her
- In MKX‘s Story Mode, Kitana defeats her once more in a grueling duel
- Mileena does briefly gain the upper hand during MKX before meeting her end
Based on their fight history, Kitana seems to consistently come out on top when pitted against her clone. Mileena manages to gain the jump on her several times thanks to her unpredictable attacks, but Kitana‘s discipline and experience ultimately win out.
Her Fatal Flaw: Jealousy toward Kitana
Despite being created in Kitana‘s image as her replacement, Mileena suffers from feeling inferior next to her Edenian ‘sister‘ – an identity crisis that fuels her famously unstable psyche.
Several bitter Mortal Kombat character quotes sum up Mileena’s resentment:
"We were created to do Shao Kahn‘s bidding. Mine is not to question why–only to do and die." – Mileena resents Kitana‘s favored status
"Let us dance, sister! We have so much to catch up on!" – Mileena mocks Kitana before battling her again
Having been passed up to replace Kitana by Kahn, Mileena both envies Kitana‘s status as princess and hates living in her shadow. This fuels her obsession with proving herself the superior fighter – usually unsuccessfully! Their rivalry is rooted in Mileena‘s identity crisis as a defective clone.
So in summary, yes – Mileena is absolutely a literal clone of Kitana, engineered using her Edenian DNA to spawn a new enforcer for Kahn‘s conquests. While this "twin sister" act failed to fool anyone for long, Mileena‘s emergence added a wonderfully deranged new character to the MK mythos for fans like myself to enjoy battling with.
Despite starting as Kitana‘s shadow, Mileena has taken on a notoriously chaotic life of her own. Between her trademark sai, gruesome X-Ray moves, and wonderfully wicked fatalities, Mileena has more than enough blood-soaked style to make her stand out on any roster!
