Mileena

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Mileena
Mortal Kombat character
Mileena - MK1 render.webp
Mileena in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
First game Mortal Kombat II (1993)
Created by Ed Boon
John Tobias
Designed by
Various
  • John Tobias (MKII, UMK3)
  • Steve Beran (MK:D, MK:A)
  • Mark Lappin (MK:SM) [1]
  • Atomhawk Design (MK9) [2]
  • Justin Murray (MKX) [3] [4]
Portrayed by
Various
  • Dana Hee (1997 film)
  • Megan Brown (television)
  • Jolene Tran (Legacy)
  • Michelle Lee (Legacy II)
  • Sisi Stringer (2021 film)
Voiced by
Various
Motion capture
Various
  • Katalin Zamiar (MKII)
  • Becky Gable (UMK3, MKT)
  • Carlos Pesina (MK:D, MK:A) [7] [8]
  • Lorrisa Julianus (MK9) [9]
In-universe information
SpeciesEdenian-Tarkatan clone (1st – 2nd timelines)
Edenian-Tarkatan (3rd timeline)
Weapon Sai
OriginOutworld

Mileena is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Introduced in Mortal Kombat II (1993), Mileena was initially depicted as a clone of the Edenian princess Kitana, created by Shang Tsung with the blood of the fictional Tarkatan species. Following the time-travelling actions of Raiden in Mortal Kombat 9 (2011), Mileena's background as a clone of Kitana remains the same. Mortal Kombat X (2015) depicts Mileena's attempts to regain the throne as the empress of Outworld, following her removal by Kotal Kahn.

Contents

In the series' second reboot Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), significant changes were made to Mileena's character and background. Rather than a clone, Mileena is a daughter of Sindel and the older twin sister of Kitana, making her heir to the throne. However, she was infected with the Tarkat disease, developing the deformed facial features of the Tarkatan race, which she conceals with a mask.

Mileena is featured as a prominent villain throughout the series and uses a pair of sai as her primary weapons. Despite some criticism for her revealing character designs, she has received a positive reception for her unique appearance and personality. She has been featured in various media outside of the games and is one of the franchise's most popular characters.

Development

Design

Mortal Kombat co-creator and producer Ed Boon described Mileena and Kitana as the "female versions of Scorpion and Sub-Zero", two palette-swapped ninja characters from the original game. [10] Character designer John Tobias chose Mileena's name as he felt "it had a pleasant sound to it, which either helped hide her grotesque appearance or exposed a hidden inner beauty", while hers and Kitana's storylines were borne from "the conflicts of sibling rivalry and rebelling against authority". [11] Mileena's signature weapon in the series is a pair of sai, along with recurring teleport-kick and ground-rolling-attack special moves while she utilizes either her sai or cannibalistic tendencies in most of her Fatalities. She typically wears pink or purple. [12]

Mileena was portrayed by martial artist Katalin Zamiar in Mortal Kombat II, [13] and as a palette-swapped character, she was physically identical to Kitana and hidden character Jade save for her pink outfit and large gnashing teeth, which were created only for one of her Fatalities in which Mileena consumes her defeated opponent and spits out their bones. [14] She was excluded from Mortal Kombat 3 along with the series' other ninja characters, but returned in the upgrade Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 , in which the female ninjas were played by Becky Gable. [15] Her motion capture actors for 3D games have included Carlos Pesina in Deception and Armageddon, [7] but in MK2011 she was played by a female actor. [16] In Mortal Kombat X, her facial appearance was redesigned and she has a human-like mouth with her facial deformities relocated to her cheeks. [17] Her alternate costume in the 2011 reboot is composed of bandages wrapped around her otherwise naked form. [18]

Gameplay

Mileena was considered one of the top characters of Mortal Kombat II. She was ranked as the game's best overall fighter by Sega Visions for her high speed, reach, and her teleport kick when used to dodge opposing projectiles. [19] Super Play too called her "the best MKII character" as she is "fast, with a good range of attacks, and the potential for the most awesome combos in the game." [20] C+VG ruled Mileena's teleport kick as "the best surprising move in the game." [21] According to CU Amiga , Mileena was "third only to Jax and Liu Kang for sheer brilliance," being a "somewhat misleading character" whose moves need to be "learnt the right way to put them all together to be devastating." [22] Hyper magazine wrote that in the hands of skilled players, Mileena was "almost unstoppable." [23] GamePro testers opined that "With her rapid sai-throwing ability, teleport attacks, and deadly combos, this beautiful assassin lands atop our rankings" of the game's playable characters. [24]

Mileena is a hidden unlockable character in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, [25] but is immediately playable in the compilation game Mortal Kombat Trilogy . According to Nintendo Power , her original powers "may prove insufficient" for using her with the same effectiveness in UMK3, in which most of the other characters were given additional special moves. [26] On the other hand, Total 64 wrote that Mileena in Trilogy was "a damn good fighter [with] plenty of powerful moves". [27]

According to GameSpy, Mileena in Mortal Kombat: Deception has "a few solid combos up her sleeve, [and] a few pop-up attacks that are extremely quick and open up brief juggle opportunities," but a very short range of her sai and poorly ranged attacks. [28] Prima Games' official Mortal Kombat: Armageddon guide called her a "punisher" type character, but while she "is able to punish from any range and even interrupt high attacks and projectiles, the damage she inflicts is minor." [29] Mileena is not playable in the 2005 spinoff game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks , in which she appears as a sub-boss character.

In the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot, Mileena was judged to be well-balanced and universal by Prima Games, as she displayed neither particular weaknesses nor advantages that would result in a one-sided battle. [30] In Mortal Kombat X, Mileena's fighting style is split into three variations like those of the game's other playable characters. Prima Games commented that she possessed "several great ways to stop opponents from jumping toward her," but she is "not as safe as some of the other characters, which means she has to take a few risks." [31] Norris Howard of Esports Illustrated claimed that Mileena in Mortal Kombat 1 was an ideal "rushdown fighter" that engages opponents in relentless close-up combat, and "her sweet spot is up close and personal. She’s got a litany of dive kicks, rolls and up kicks that give her the advantage in a close range scrap." [32]

Appearances

Mortal Kombat games

Making her series debut in Mortal Kombat II (1993), Mileena is a horrific clone of Kitana, who was once the princess of the fictional realm of Edenia until Shao Kahn, evil emperor of the dimension of Outworld, forcibly annexes the realm and takes Kitana as his own daughter. [33] To keep her from learning about her past, Kahn orders the sorcerer Shang Tsung to create a clone for the purpose of spying on Kitana and ensuring her loyalty to him, and to replace her if necessary. However, Shang Tsung combines Kitana's genetics with that of the brutish Tarkatan race, resulting in Mileena having the latter's characteristic mouth of razor-sharp teeth that she conceals with a mask. By adulthood, Mileena and Kitana are employed as Kahn's personal assassins in his battle against Earth's defenders. [34]

In Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Mileena is killed by Kitana and damned to the underworld of the Netherrealm, where she swears fealty to its ruler, Shinnok. Kahn later resurrects her in his effort to defeat Earth's warriors while granting her the ability to read Kitana's thoughts. [35] In Mortal Kombat Gold (1999), Mileena assists Shinnok and his cohort, the necromancer Quan Chi, in his invasion of Edenia and the imprisonment of Kitana. After diverting their forces to attack Earth, however, the reduced security enables Kitana to escape. [36]

In Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004), Mileena is imprisoned by Kitana for years until the Dragon King Onaga invades Edenia and kills Kitana along with Earth's other defenders. [37] After being freed by her ally Baraka, Mileena poses as Kitana to confuse and misdirect Onaga's enemies while secretly taking control of both Edenia's forces and Onaga's undead army for herself. In the game's training mode, Mileena tutors Shujinko in combat. [38]

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006), Mileena seizes Kahn's fortress while maintaining her deception until she feels Edenia's forces are ready to serve her under her true identity. When Kahn resurfaces to resume his rule of Outworld, she is forced to reveal herself and willingly surrenders to him. She captures and incarcerates Shujinko under Kahn's orders to coerce Onaga to join forces with him, all while secretly plotting to take Edenia's throne for herself. [39] In the game's opening cinematic sequence, she is killed by Shang Tsung during the titular Armageddon in an attempt to gain Blaze's elemental powers. [40]

The thunder god and Earth protector Raiden alters the timeline to prevent Armageddon in the series reboot Mortal Kombat (2011). Mileena is created from Edenian and Tarkatan genetics by Shang Tsung in his "Flesh Pit" laboratory to replace Kitana as Shao Kahn's "true daughter" after Kitana learns of her past. [41] Due to Mileena's physical and mental instability, Kahn instead uses her to lure and devour her victims.

In flashbacks depicted in Mortal Kombat X (2015), [42] Mileena succeeds Kahn as Outworld's ruler following his death at Raiden's hands, but she is overthrown by Kotal Kahn after the revelation that she is not Shao Kahn's biological daughter. [43] In the present, Mileena mounts a failed assassination attempt on Kotal before she is eventually executed by D'Vorah. [37] She was initially omitted from Mortal Kombat 11 (2019) but later added as a downloadable character in November 2020 due to heavy fan demand. [44] [45]

In Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), [46] Fire God Liu Kang creates a second new timeline in which Mileena is Kitana's biological elder twin sister and the daughter of Edenia's rulers, Empress Sindel and Emperor Jerrod, [47] but Jerrod is ultimately murdered by an unknown assailant. [48] Mileena is the crown princess of Edenia but is also the girlfriend of Tanya, the leader of the Umgadi royal guard, despite their rules forbidding relationships. [49] Mileena also secretly suffers from the Tarkat virus, a mutating disease that slowly transforms the afflicted into feral monsters, and uses a serum developed by Shang Tsung to keep it at bay. [50] [51] While helping Liu Kang defend their timeline, Mileena defeats Ermac, allowing Jerrod's spirit to take control of Ermac's body and reunite with his family before joining Liu Kang in the fight to preserve Outworld and Earth. When Sindel is fatally wounded in battle, she appoints Mileena her successor before Jerrod absorbs her soul. [52] In her arcade mode ending, Mileena assumes the throne and works to mend relations with others who share her condition. [53]

Other appearances

Dana Hee as Mileena in Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997) Mileena Annihilation.png
Dana Hee as Mileena in Mortal Kombat Annihilation (1997)

Mileena makes a brief appearance in Mortal Kombat Annihilation , played by Dana Hee and identified by name only in the closing credits. [54] Australian actress Sisi Stringer played Mileena in the 2021 reboot film Mortal Kombat . [55] Stringer, who underwent four months of martial arts training in preparation for the role, [56] did not actively seek the part but was drawn to the character following a costume fitting and screen test. [55] Megan Brown played Mileena in one episode of the 1998 television series Mortal Kombat: Conquest , in which the character is not directly related to Kitana. [57] In the web series Mortal Kombat Legacy , Mileena kills Kitana's father, Emperor Jerrod, on Shao Kahn's orders, and defeats Johnny Cage during the Mortal Kombat tournament before she is killed by Kitana. [58] She was played by martial artist Jolene Tran in the 2011 first season, [59] and Michelle Lee in the 2013 second season. [60]

Mileena makes brief appearances in the Mortal Kombat Annihilation novelization [61] and a Mortal Kombat II prequel comic book written and illustrated by Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias. [62] She was a minor character in Malibu Comics' Mortal Kombat miniseries Goro: Prince of Pain (1994) and Battlewave (1995), [63] [64] and was featured in the one-shot issue Kitana and Mileena: Sister Act (1995). [65] Mileena appears in the DC Comics prequel miniseries Mortal Kombat X: Blood Ties, which expands on her feud with Kotal Kahn. [66] [67] Series writer Shawn Kittelsen explained in a 2015 interview, "Kotal didn't overthrow Mileena in some macho power play; he overthrew her out of genuine concern for the safety and well being of Outworld and its citizens". [68]

Mileena has been licensed for action figures, [69] Halloween costumes, [70] [71] [72] and statuettes by Syco Collectibles [73] and Pop Culture Shock Collectibles. [74] [75] The 2011 compilation album Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors included a track by electronica musician Tokimonsta titled "Mileena's Theme". [76] In November 2020, rapper Megan Thee Stallion dressed up as Mileena to promote the character's addition to Mortal Kombat 11. [77] Mileena has made several homage alternate-media appearances that parodied the Mortal Kombat games. [78] [79] [80]

Reception

Mileena's debut playable appearance in Mortal Kombat II, combined with her evil characterization and revealing clothing, was met with favorable critical reception and made her one of the franchise's most recognizable characters. [81] [82] [83] [84] She is additionally noted for her sex appeal despite her disfigured face. [14] [84] [85] [86] Briana Lawrence of The Mary Sue deemed Mileena her favorite series character due to her "ferocity" and sex appeal. "I expected her whole arc to be some sort of 'I hate who I am, I wish to look normal like my sister' narrative, but nope, she unapologetically loves herself." [87] However, Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski wrote that instead of "focusing on her fighting style, or assets", he asked, "how does she pronounce the letter P without touching her lips together?" [88]

While Mileena's sexualization was considered a positive aspect of her MKII debut, some critics have noted it as either impractical or inappropriate in her later series appearances. [89] [90] [91] Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek opined in January 2015 that the Mortal Kombat games received legitimate criticism for its "over-sexualized" female characters, "but I always thought it was pretty funny of them to focus the male gaze on the monster-faced woman." [92] Four months later, in his review of Mortal Kombat X, he wrote that he was "shocked" at the game's perceived progressivism in that the women therein were designed more conservatively "to the point that Mileena actually has pants on!" [93] Mileena and Kitana were the subject of an article by researcher Jane Felstead, who commented that while the intention of female characters was to cater to gamers of both sexes while possessing equal physical capabilities, they were nonetheless created to satisfy the male gaze. She praised the physical appearance of MKII actress Katalin Zamiar in that "in no regard was she unrealistic", but with the onset of three-dimensional animation, female characters such as Mileena were "impossibly idealised". Felstead nonetheless suggested that Mileena and Kitana both "perform their gruesome tasks with as much finesse as their male counterparts" while the in-game action is "traditionally seen as male-coded behaviour, and yet in this case infiltrated by a number of strong, capable women." [94]

Mileena's cannibalism is regularly displayed in her Fatality finishing moves, and has consequently been a topic of discussion. Her "Man-Eater" finisher from MKII was compared by authors to the vagina dentata folktale tradition. [95] [96] X360 magazine chose "Be Mine" from the 2011 reboot to represent cannibalism in their selection of "notorious videogame crimes". [97] Sociologist Dina Khapaeva wrote that gamers "are actually encouraged to act as cannibals" through actions such as performing Mileena's finishers. [98] Kate Robertson of the University of Sydney likened cannibalistic female popular-media characters such as Mileena to the Sirens of Greek mythology in that "the connection between women and cannibalism reflects the common trope of the danger inherent within the female body" regarding "allure, fear and revulsion provoked by such a display of female power." [99]

Mileena has been analyzed as a character affected by racial stereotyping in the Mortal Kombat games. She was among the series characters noted by activist Guy Aoki as allegedly perpetuating existing stereotypes of Asians as martial arts experts. [100] Author Christopher B. Patterson cited her as an example of female Asian characters in Western games being "synonymous with eye candy". [101] In their book Interacting With Video (1996), which condemned the violence of video games as supposedly affecting social behavior and causing real-life violence, Patricia Marks Greenfield and Rodney R. Cocking used the "two Asian twin sisters, Mileena and Kitana" as an example of a "highly eroticized Dragon Lady" trope. The authors believed that the games' increased diversity due to including "characters of color" such as the two and Jax did not necessarily represent increased progressive identity politics, but rather "the racist and sexist potential of individual fights." [96] However, author David Church included Mileena in his praise of Mortal Kombat's "female or nonwhite" upper-tier playable characters while observing "the sheer diversity of playable characters undercutting the potential for racial and gender stereotyping". [102] [note 1]

Mileena drew attention from journalists for her Mortal Kombat 11 ending that showed her in a relationship with Tanya, which was continued in Mortal Kombat 1. [103] [104] [105] Game Rant 's Lauren Beeler-Baistad lauded the game for "succeed[ing] at LGBT representation because there isn't any stigma surrounding Mileena and Tanya both being women." [105] Conversely, Ariel Litwak of The Michigan Daily felt that Mileena fell into the "'horny bisexual' stereotype" of female characters' attraction toward other women being an act of fan service and not true bisexuality. [106] Renaldo Matadeen of Comic Book Resources praised their relationship but criticized the games' "past failures" at inclusivity such as the "mishandled queer narrative" of Kung Jin, an LGBT character introduced in Mortal Kombat X who has made no other series appearances. [107] Lindsay Cooper of Capilano University described in-game lesbian relationships such as Mileena and Tanya as implicitly depicted in contrast to explicit stereotyping of male homosexuality, citing Streets of Rage 3 character Ash as an example. [108] History professor Leonardo Dallacqua de Carvalho observed that MK1's rebooted storyline explored "identity issues" like Mileena's relationship and the "empathetic" subplot of her and Baraka living with the Tarkat disease, which he likened to leprosy. [109]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Kitana, Jax, Kung Lao, and Liu Kang were also included by the author in this category.

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References

  1. ↑ "Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks - Credits". Allgame.com. 2010-10-03. Archived from the original on 2014-11-16. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  2. ↑ "Characters". Atomhawk.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-03. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
  3. ↑ Mortal Kombat X Mileena alternate costume and mouth sketches Archived 2016-01-08 at the Wayback Machine - Mortal Kombat Online, April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
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