Kitana (Mortal Combat)

Kitana is a character from the Mortal Kombat games.

Princess of the Realm of Edenia, Kitana has been Shao Kahn's step-daughter and personal assassin, and later an important member of the Forces of Light. Her most memorable trait is her ability to wield a pair of steel fans in battle.

Personality
Throughout the years, she rose to great importance; first as the loyal stepdaughter of Shao Kahn, then as his enemy, tearing herself away from his grasp and freeing her home realm of Edenia. She also led an army into Outworld to combat any chance of Shao Kahn rising to power again.

Although she was loyal to Shao Kahn for most of her life, she eventually betrayed him and aligned herself with the Earthrealmers. Her betrayal was mainly the result of growing doubts as to the morality of her actions and resulting feelings of guilt, as well as anger at the discovery of the truth about her past and her true father, the late King Jerrod.

She shared a subtle love interest with Mortal Kombat champion Liu Kang, even after he was murdered by the Deadly Alliance.

Powers and Abilities
Kitana relies mostly on her Steel Fans in battle, although she is more than adequate in unarmed hand-to-hand combat. She can use her fans as both a projectile and a melee weapon, as well as a means to levitate the opponent for a juggling combo. She can also throw her fans while airborne and execute a midair punch to counter other airborne foes. This made her one of the most powerful characters in Mortal Kombat II, and was subsequently toned down in later games. In Armageddon, she can also teleport and launch herself forward with a series of kicks to the opponent.

Throughout the series, she has been shown to be more powerful than her evil twin Mileena, and has defeated her several times. She is also a very strong leader; she succeeded in recruiting Sindel back to her side and convince her of Shao Kahn's evil during the events of Mortal Kombat 3, and has done the same to Goro in Mortal Kombat Gold.

Signature Moves

 * Fan Throw: Kitana throws one of her fans to her opponent. Because the move could be executed both on the ground and in mid-air, it was a great way to finish off a combo, making her a deadly character in Mortal Kombat II. In Deadly Alliance, Kitana also has the option to throw her steel fan, but there's a catch. If the thrown fan connects, it would impale the enemy; if it missed or was blocked, it was gone entirely. Whether it connected or missed, Kitana was only able to throw her fans once per round. This has been altered in Armageddon, as she can use multiple fan tosses in a single round, and the thrown fan only cuts the enemy and falls away, as her original fan projectile from Mortal Kombat II did. In MK 2011, Kitana throws both of her fans towards her opponent and it is called Fan Toss. In MKX however, it is called Fan Throw once again and Kitana only throws one fan, in MK11 it is called Fan Toss again, but Kitana still only throws one fan. Kitana can also equip and Upwards and Low Fan Toss in MK11.
 * In MK 2011, the enhanced version is called Charged Fan. Kitana throws one fan, and then on delay throws the second fan. You can further delay the second fan by charging. This will also increase the damage of the second fan by 1%.
 * In MKX, the enhanced version is called Fan Toss and Kitana throws two fans one by one.
 * Amplifying it in MK11 adds a second Fan Toss, while amplifying Low Fan Toss adds a downwards fan slice attack at close range, and amplifiying Air Fan Toss makes her recover faster after throwing the fan.
 * Square Wave Punch: Kitana jumps into the air and attacks incoming foes with a flying punch. This attack is borrowed from Sonya during her absence in Mortal Kombat II, however, in later games that they have both appeared, both of them kept this attack (with the exception of Deadly Alliance, in which neither of them had this attack). Interestingly, Sonya has this attack with a name change, Face Planter, in Armageddon, while Kitana still has this attack with its original name. The move changes in MK 2011, as Kitana leaps in the air with her back facing the opponent and uses her fans to launch and slam herself into the opponent. It is renamed Square Boost. In MKX Kitana launches and slams herself into the opponent without lifting herself in the air first, although it can also be done in mid-air. In MK11, she can only perform it airborne unless the Ground War ability is equipped.
 * Both in MK 2011 and MKX, the enhanced version is called Square Wave. This increases the damage and adds armor in MKX.
 * In MK11, it can be amplified to have Kitana teleport and drop above her enemy, landing on them and stabbing them with her closed fan.
 * In MK11, if Kitana connects the attack as a Kounter or a Punish from the maximum distance, the attack is turned into a Krushing Blow, where Kitana's behind crushes the front part of the opponent's skull inwards, dealing increased damage.
 * Fan Lift: Kitana uses her fans to make the opponent levitate helplessly in the air. This attack is served as both an anti-air attack and a set-up for juggle combos, and the effectiveness of the move has decreased significantly in each game since Mortal Kombat II. In Deadly Alliance, Unchained and Armageddon, performing this move while in an unarmed fighting style will automatically switch the player into Fan style. In MK 2011 and MKX this is called Upraise and Kitana will use a windstorm to keep the opponent in the air.
 * In MK 2011, the enhanced version is called Uplift. The windstorm will hold the enemy higher and for a larger amount of time.
 * In MKX, the enhanced version keeps the opponent in the air for a longer time.
 * Fan-Nado: Kitana uses her fans to create a tornado which travels a small distance across the arena to lift the opponent up. This move replaces Upraise in the Royal Storm variation.
 * The enhanced version is called Fan Vortex, in which the tornado will travel the whole screen to lift the opponent up.
 * Fan Swipe: Kitana swipes at her enemy with her razor sharp fan.
 * Pretty Kick: Kitana flies toward her opponent with multiple kicks.
 * The enhanced version is called Pretty Legs in which Kitana hits an additional kick.
 * Pixie Dust Teleport: Kitana disappears in a violet cloud and reappears behind her opponent. The move is also used in her X-Ray Move in MK 2011, but is not usable by the player. This move is borrowed from Jade. She uses this move in MK11 after her Fatal Blow, and in her special moves Quick Execution and Edenian Fade.
 * Rolling Fury: Kitana rolls under her opponent and trips them up. This move is similar to Mileena's Rolling Thunder.
 * Cutting Fan: Kitana spins both her fans around her, dealing damage if the opponent touches her.
 * The enhanced version is called Fan Dice. Kitana hits the opponent with two additional swings of her fans.
 * Fake Out Kick: Kitana spins one way then reverses to kick the opponent in the shin.
 * Rising Fan: Kitana slices the opponent with both of her fans, lifting them up.
 * The enhanced version Rising Blades adds a second slice. It also has armor.
 * Throat Slice: Kitana leaps at her opponent and slices his/her throat with her fans.
 * The enhanced version is called Throat Slash, and deals more damage, also having armor.
 * Air Float: Using her fans, Kitana lifts herself up while airborne. This move is equippable in MK11 and called (Air) Fan Flutter, and Kitana can equip a Retreating and Advancing version of it, allowing her to propel herself back and forth.
 * Bounce Back: Spinning in a tornado, Kitana reflects all projectiles thrown at her back to the enemy, and they keep their original properties.
 * Assassin Strike: Kitana charges towards the opponent and once she reaches them, runs them up and impales their mouth with her fan.
 * The enhanced version is called Assassin Impale and has armor. After Kitana stabs her opponent's mouth, she takes out the fan and impales their throat.
 * Princess Parry: Going in a parry stance, Kitana will teleport over her opponent if hit, and stomps on them. She then stabs the opponent twice in their backhead, before delivering one last stab in their back.
 * Sharpen: Kitana sharpens her fans by cutting them at each other, which gives her a damage boost for all fan attacks. It also changes Assassin Strike into Assassin Impale without the need of Super Meter, but this version lacks armor.
 * The enhanced version Razor Blade has increased duration of the buff.
 * Glaive Throw: Taking Jade's glaive, Kitana throws it at her opponent. It can be thrown also in an up- and downwards arc as well as in the air. This also replaces the Fan Throw.
 * The enhanced version is called Returning Glaive, where the glaive returns and cuts the opponent again.
 * Shadow Kick: Kitana slides across the arena and kicks the opponent. This move is borrowed from Jade.
 * The enhanced version, Eclipse Kick, adds a slam with Jade's staff and has armor.
 * Staff Grab: Using Jade's staff, she grabs the opponent by the chest and slams them behind her.
 * The enhanced version is called Staff Smash and has armor. After grabbing the opponent, Kitana sticks the staff into the ground to lift them in the air and kicks them away with an upwards kick.
 * Edenian Razor: Kitana summons three fans that swirls around her, and each fans can strike her opponent when they come into direct contact. Equipping this replaces her Fan Lift.
 * Half-Blood Stance: Kitana pulls out Mileena's Sai, which gives her three follow up attacks.
 * Seeking Sai: Kitana throws Mileena's Sai into the air and it flies down at the opponent. The basic attack is homing and will find the opponent where they are standing, but the Sai can also be thrown closer or further away, by holding down Back or Forward.
 * Gutted: Kitana quickly stabs the opponent in the gut, before lodging the Sai into their Head, and slashes their abdomen with her fan in an upward motion.
 * If Kitana connects three Seeking Sais during the match, the attack is turned into a Krushing Blow, where Kitana's fan slash causes major bloodloss, dealing increased damage and sending the opponent high in the air for a juggle..
 * Dive Kick: Like Mileena, Kitana will teleport and appear above her enemy, kicking them in the head.
 * Amplfying the move has Kitana toss a fan towards the opponent.
 * Quick Execution: Kitana slashes her opponent's neck and teleports behind them to slash their gut.
 * If the move is part of an 8-hit (or more) combo, the attack is turned into a Krushing Blow, where Kitana's slice causes major bloodloss, dealing increased damage.
 * Piercing Dagger: While airborne, Kitana throws her fan down towards the opponent. If the opponent is launched in the air, this move can juggle them.
 * Edenian Fade: Kitana teleports above her enemy, which leaves her with 2 follow up attacks.
 * Arcing Sai: Kitana throws three of Mileena's Sais in in a downward arc.
 * Dark Plunge: Kitana dives at the opponent while spinning. This move has a far and close version and is similar to Tanya's Blade Dive.
 * Dancing Fans: Kitana throws both of her Fans in an arc that hit the opponent. It can be performed at close, mid and far range.
 * Amplifying the move creates a small tornado on hit to lift the opponent in the air.
 * Edenian Twist: Kitana spins forward and hits the opponent with two overhead swings. It replaces Square Wave and like it, can only be performed airborne unless Ground War is equipped.
 * If Kitana does not connect with her Fatal Blow and the move connects during the cooldown period, the attack is turned into a Krushing Blow, where Kitana's fan shatters the top of the opponent's skull, dealing increased damage, and sending the opponent high in the air for a juggle.
 * Royal Protection: Kitana shakes her fans and absorbs any projectile incoming, which gives the fans also a damage buff.
 * X-Ray Move - Fan-Tastic: Kitana throws her fans. If they hit the opponent, she teleports behind them and lodges the fans into their skull dealing damage to it and the neck. She teleports again in front of her opponent and grabs the fans. Then she lodges them in her opponents eyes damaging them and the skull.
 * X-Ray Move - Slice and Dice: Kitana uses her fans to slice the opponent before lifting them up with an uppercut from it. While in the air, Kitana throws both of her fans straight into their neck, piercing halfway through it. She then jumps and slams them onto the ground, making the already lodged fans to go all the way through the neck, and then letting them back upright. She pulls out her fans, which propels the opponent forward, and proceeds to knee the opponent in the head, shattering part of their skull.
 * Fatal Blow - Deadly Game: Kitana clashes her fans together, blinding the opponent. She proceeds to run up and throw her fans into her opponents chest and delivers a dropkick, burying them deeper into their chest. The opponent bounces back due to the kick delivered, bouncing into the air where Kitana jumps up and stabs them in the neck with both her closed fans. After the stabs, she throws them to the ground and drives her closed fans one final time into the back of the opponent's head.

Other Moves

 * Throw: Kitana jumps above her opponent and stomps on their head.
 * Free-Fall Super Move: Kitana throws one of her fans at her opponent, which cuts into their body as they fall.
 * Throw: Kitana grabs her opponent, flip over his/her shoulder and slice him/her on the back with her fans (Backward Throw) or hold his/her arm, kick his/her face and throw his/her forward (Forward Throw).
 * Frankensteiner: Kitana does a handstand Frankensteiner in which she head-scissors her opponent and slams him/her from a handstand.
 * Bridging German Suplex: Kitana grabs her opponent by the waist, lifts him/her up and slams him/her backwards while bridging. This move is shared with Mileena.
 * Throw: Kitana grabs her opponent, takes out one of her daggers and stabs her opponent in his/her chest, then takes out her other fan and slices him/her vertically.
 * Throw (Forward): Kitana grabs her opponent and stabs them with her closed fans four times before knocking them away with a fan swipe.
 * Throw (Backwards): Kitana grabs her opponent, steps behind them, slashing their knees, and throws a folded fan at their head, summoning it back afterwards.
 * Dark Deception: Kitana swipes horizontally with her fans, kicks forward twice and ends with a powerful palm strike.
 * If this combo is performed on an opponent as a Kounter or Punish, the attack is turned into a Krushing Blow, with the palm strike shattering the opponent's ribs and dealing increased damage.
 * Dark Empress: Kitana swipes vertically with her fans, follow up with a low sweep, steps forward with two fan swings and leaps forward, driving the folded fans downwards in an overhead strike.
 * If the last hit is the only one that actually connects, the attack is turned into a Krushing Blow, where Kitana plunges the fans deep into the opponent's skull, dealing damage over time.
 * Follow the Leader: Kitana swipes vertically with her fans, follow up with a low spin kick and brings her foot downwards in an handstand kick.
 * If the opponent is blocking low while the combo connect, the attack is turned into a Krushing Blow, it shatters the entire top of the opponent's skull, dealing increased damage, and sending the opponent high in the air for a juggle.

Fatalities

 * Kiss of Death: Kitana removes her mask and kisses her opponent on the cheek, who expands like a huge balloon before exploding into pieces. In the Arcade and Saturn versions of UMK3, the opponent stretches to enormous size before exploding to pieces, while in SNES and Sega Genesis versions, only their head will inflate and they will fly off screen, after an explosion his bones and blood fall to the ground. In Deadly Alliance, the victim inflated several times (vomiting blood in between) before exploding, while in the Game Boy version, the opponent simply falls down and dies before vomiting blood and organs fall out. In Shaolin Monks, the opponent explodes without inflating. In vs DC Universe, the opponent swells up, and only their flesh explodes as their skeleton falls down on the ground. Kitana doesn't remove the mask before kissing since MK:DA. In MK 11, this is a Brutality.
 * Fan Slice: Kitana decapitates her opponent with her fan. In MK11, this is a Brutality.
 * In MKX, this Fatality is renamed as Decapitation.
 * Scissor Split: A secret Fatality copied wholesale from Sonya. Kitana performs Sonya's trademark leg grab move and grabs her opponent with her legs, holding them high momentarily before ripping the body apart by splitting her legs. Since Kitana can be used only in the N64 and PC versions of the game via cheat devices, this Fatality is exclusive for these versions.
 * Torso Rip: Another secret Fatality, this time copied from Johnny Cage. Kitana grabs her enemy around the torso and rips their torso off, and throws it to the ground. As above, this is only available in the N64 and PC version of the game.
 * Fan Impalement: Kitana throws both fans at the foe's torso, killing them.
 * Fan Opener: Kitana uses her fans to chop off the opponent's arms before slicing their head off at the jaw line as they drop to the ground.
 * Splitting Headache: Kitana drives one of her fans into her opponent's body and opens it up, slicing through the front. She then does the same to the head, whereby the opponent collapses.
 * Dark Fan-Tasy: Kitana throws her two fans, closed, into the opponent's head and chest. She opens both fans from a distance, slicing off their fingers, the top of their head, and horizontally bisecting them. Using her "Fan Lift" she then lifts the opponent's remains and scatters their body parts off screen, leaving behind only their fingerless hands and scalp.
 * Splitting Hairs: Kitana opens her fans and uses them to cut off the opponent's hands. The opponent frantically looks at their missing hands while Kitana jumps on them, wrapping her legs around their midsection and knocking them on their back. She drives both her open fans into the opponent's open mouth and skull and leaves them as their head slowly splits into 3 pieces.
 * Royal Execution: Kitana tosses her fans at the opponent, spinning like saws where they cut and float at the opponent's neck and waist, severing the opponent's lower half from their body while keeping the head and upper body afloat. As Kitana keeps the fans spinning, she calls back the fan from the opponent's now severed waist, causing the opponent's upper body to fall while the second fan keeps their head still afloat. As the fan returns, Kitana kicks the closed fan back to the opponent's head, where it pierces their forehead.
 * Gore-Nado: Kitana throws her spinning fan into her opponent's chest laterally, creating a huge wound. She then performs a protracted version of her tornado move, creating a vortex which sucks out their guts. Kitana finishes by striking a pose in mid-air, scattering her opponent's viscera.

Brutalities

 * Brutality #1 - Off the Top: Kitana jumps on her opponent with a Throat Slice and slices their neck by opening her fans, decapitating them.
 * Brutality #2 - Biggest Fan: Kitana performs Rising Blades, slicing her opponent upwards four times. The fourth slice splits the opponent completely in half.
 * Brutality #3 - Back That Up: Kitana jumps and does a Square Boost, venting herself right into the opponent with enough power to blow their upper half apart.
 * Brutality #4 - Lost Girl: Kitana lunges at her opponent with an Assassin Impale, stabbing their mouth and then the neck. She then violently pulls out the lodged fan, which decapitates the opponent.
 * Brutality #5 - All is On: Kitana does a Glaive Throw aimed at the opponent's head, lodging it in their forehead.
 * Brutality #6 - Right Back At Ya: Kitana uses Bounce Back to reflect an enemy projectile back to them and mimic one of their brutalities.


 * The Klassic: Kitana uppercuts the opponents head off along with their spine. This brutality is shared will every character.
 * Must not block an attack for the entirety of the final round.
 * A button must be held.
 * Will not trigger on Krushing Blow, if it has not been activated during the match.


 * Sister's Strength: Grabbing her opponent, Kitana performs a short version of Mileena's Sai Stabs fatality, followed by her own Fan Slice fatality.
 * Requires Kitana to be at a certain health level.
 * A button must be held.


 * Deadly Lips: An updated version of the classic fatality, Kitana grabs the opponent and performs her Kiss of Death. While the opponent does not inflate, they will still explode. Kitana will not remove the mask to deliver the kiss.
 * Mercy must be performed beforehand.
 * Throat Slit: A straightforward reproduction of the classic fatality, Kitana performs her Fan Slice and decapitates the opponent.
 * Gutted: Kitana performs her Edenian Dance combo and slices a hole through her opponent's torso.
 * Must connect a 12-hit combo during the match.
 * Punished: Kitana jumps and flies towards the opponent using Square Wave, with enough force, she obliterates the opponent's upper half. This is taken from MKX, where it was entitled Back That Up.
 * Requires Kitana to be at a certain health level.
 * Wind Tunnel: Kitana uses a Fan-Nado, which dismembers the opponent.
 * A number of Fan-Nados must be performed.
 * Peeling Away: Kitana performs her Leave Now combo and slices the opponent in half.
 * Requires Kitana to be at a certain health level.
 * A button must be held.
 * Corn on the Cob: Kitana performs the Gutted move, but instead of slicing the opponent, lodges a her closed fan into their head and tears it off, similar to Mileena's Face Feast fatality.
 * A number of Half-Blood Stances must be performed.

Other Finishers

 * Friendship #1: Birthday Cake: Kitana makes her opponent a cake.
 * Friendship #2: Soap Bubbles: Kitana blows bubbles.
 * Animality: Nasty Bunny: Kitana turns into a bunny, hops onto her opponent, and mauls them off of the screen.
 * Babality: Kitana turns into a baby and takes out her bladed fans. She flaps them causing her to fly and then lets go of them, falling on the ground with the fans falling right next to her.

Trivia

 * Kitana's name is a combination of Japanese words Kitsune ("Fox") and Katana.
 * In her MK vs. DC Universe ending, Kitana was given Shang Tsung's abandoned island as a base of operations for her Edenian Resistance fighters. She had it changed to a "Bastion of Beauty and Light" and named it Argus Island, essentially the Themyscira of Edenia.
 * Kitana's body can be seen in the introduction of Mortal Kombat: Deception, located on the stairs leading to the Soulnado.
 * Kitana has a history of being repeatedly deceived and/or manipulated by villains throughout the series. She, during Mortal Kombat II, falsely believed Shao Kahn to be her father; in Deception, she was under the control of Onaga; in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Kitana was manipulated by both the rage sent by Dark Kahn, and then by Quan Chi; and in Shaolin Monks, Mileena and Jade put her under Shao Kahn's spell.
 * Kitana's second color in MKII is gray. This color was recycled for MK Trilogy's Khameleon.
 * Kitana has a "Kiss of Death" Fatality in every game but Mortal Kombat (2011) and Mortal Kombat X.
 * Kitana is the most-seen female character in Mortal Kombat (2011)'s Story Mode. She appears in all chapters but three: Chapter 12, Chapter 13, and Chapter 14.
 * When Kitana performs her X-Ray Move in MK (2011) on female characters, her fan's blades will go through the skull, but when she performs it on males, the blades will not go through the skull. However, when her X-Ray Move is performed on Goro, Kintaro, or Shao Kahn, the blades will go through the skull.
 * WWE Diva AJ Lee dressed as Kitana during a Halloween Costume Battle Royal as a homage to the character.
 * Kitana's costume from the Samurai Pack DLC for MKX, called Jingu Kitana, is probably based on Empress Jingū, a legendary Japanese Empress and onna bugeisha-- a female warrior who commonly fought alongside samurai.
 * In the mobile version of MKX, she is one of the few characters to receive an exclusive reskin not featured in the main game.
 * In MKX, Kitana has a chance to appear twice in the Mortal Kombat II Premier Tower, appearing as herself in a variationless form, and the second in a secret fight as her Mournful variation to represent Jade.
 * Kitana will mention Kintaro during an interaction with Goro in MKX.
 * In one interaction with D'Vorah in MK11, Kitana claims she views the revenant version of herself to be even worse than Mileena.
 * In an interaction with Kung Lao in MK11 suggests that she is now willing to call Mileena her sister. This may be due to her policy of accepting all Outworld races.
 * Kitana is mentioned in Injustice 2 by Raiden who is featured as a playable guest character alongside Sub-Zero. He only mentions her in a mirror match, referencing her current status as ruler of the Netherrealm, while the duplicate Raiden states she rules Edenia with Liu Kang in his timeline.
 * In a technical sense, she is one of the few characters to be dead in both the original and current timelines.
 * Kitana's Klassic card in the mobile game is the only Klassic card to be Silver while the others are are either Gold or Diamond.
 * Kitana is one of two characters to receive two Revenant outfits in MKX. The other is Liu Kang.
 * Kitana's arcade outfit in MKX is never seen in the Story Mode. This is also the same for Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Sub-Zero and Scorpion.
 * Kitana holds the distinction of being the only character to be the ruler of two un-merged realms at once (albeit very briefly and in two different forms): Empress of the Netherrealm and Kitana Kahn of Outworld.
 * Not counting Sonya Blade and Raiden, due to the death of their future counterparts prior Kronika’s Time Merger completion in Chapter 2 (Kotal Kahn’s Chapter) of MK11, Kitana is the only playable character in that storyline who never encountered and fought her future counterpart in her own chapter.
 * When performing the Throat Slit brutality in Mortal Kombat 11, the opponent will stand taller than Kitana after they are decapitated and before falling. This error is most evident when using the brutality against characters shorter than her (for example Jade and Skarlet).
 * Kitana and Erron Black are the only characters who only have one encounter between past and present-selves in one Story Mode cutscene on one certain chapters, unlike both iterations of Kano.