Kitana has been through a lot throughout the Mortal Kombat series. She was lied to and forced to serve her enemy. After she freed her homeland, she saw it taken by Shinnok. The man she loved was killed. She was killed, the resurrected and used as a tool, before she is killed again. Mortal Kombat 11 begins where Mortal Kombat X left off. She is a corrupted revenant ruling the Netherrealm alongside Liu Kang. However, this installment gives her a chance to be restored to her former glory in many ways. After so many years filled with fighting and betrayal, it can feel like this entry offers hope.
Mortal Kombat 11 begins by giving each version of Kitana a shot at bettering her position. Kronika is preparing to reset the timeline and create a whole new era, after seeing what Raiden has wrought in recent installments and the balance of power shifting. This happens right as Earthrealm forces dealt a decisive blow against Liu Kang and Kitana’s Netherrealm forces and kingdom. Kronika, recognizing their power and taking advantage of the mistrust and hatred between the revenant versions of both Liu Kang and Kitana and Raiden, offers them an alliance. She promises them a fresh start without Raiden, giving the corrupted Kitana an opportunity.
This is the Kitana who has experienced it all. She learned Shao Kahn isn’t her father, lied to her for years, and created a clone named Mileena to replace her. She died at the hands of her own mother, Sindal, who was corrupted. She was a revenant forced to fight for Quan Chi. She is also one who experienced great hatred. In her Mortal Kombat X ending, she gets a vision of what could have been. She had a dream about what life would have been like if Raiden hadn’t tampered and she had been able to free Edenia. But then, she realizes where she is and what she is. She is a revenant and any chance of her dreams coming true were gone. While she is a villain, she is the best sort. She is the one where, if the story was altered and told from her perspective, we could almost see her as the hero.
Thanks to the tampering with the timeline, the past version of Kitana is a part of the storyline too. This is one who hasn’t experienced the same heartbreak as her revenant self. She is still shy around Liu Kang. She is given a new chance to fight against Shao Khan and his forces. In her first appearance, she is joined by an untainted version of Raiden, Jade, and Raiden as they fight alongside a heroic Kotal Khan to stop Kronika. With so many new, powerful allies and people in the present aware of past events, there is a chance to come together. This version of her that is still mortal and untainted gets an opportunity to prove herself. There is the promise of seeing her as the leader
Her moveset, both with attacks that are immediately available and the customizable abilities, tap into everything that makes her standout. Her razor fans are constantly useful, with the Fan Toss and Fan Lift able to help keep people at range or deal with someone attempting to perhaps back off and regroup. You can have aimed Fan Tosses, such as an upward one or one that could maybe catch someone off-guard if they aren’t performing a low block against a Low Fan Toss. You could even attempt to gain even greater control over an opponent with Fan-nado, an ability that calls up a tornado similar to her Gore-nado fatality, only there to temporarily halt an enemy. We get to see her with these familiar fan-related attacks that stay true to her character and decimate opponents.
Kitana has been through so much throughout the Mortal Kombat series. When Mortal Kombat 11 begins, we see how much she has changed and what the events of Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat X did to her. But then, with Kronika’s warping of time, we get to see how this all changes so much for both her revenant self and the one plucked from the past. Each one is given opportunities that can change her life. The player gets a chance to root for her again and hope for the best for her.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
