Description
Mileena is a fictional 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, and raised alongside her "sister". Following the time- travelling actions of Raiden in Mortal Kombat 9 (2011), Mileena's background as a Tarkatan clone of Kitana remains the same, although she was only recently awoken, rather than raised alongside Kitana. Mortal Kombat X (2015) depicts her attempts to regain her throne as Empress of Outworld, following her overthrow by Kotal Kahn.
In a third timeline, created by Liu Kang and depicted in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), significant changes were made to Mileena's character and background. Rather than a clone, Mileena is instead portrayed as the biological twin sister of Kitana and daughter of Sindel, and heir to the throne. However, she was infected with the Tarkatan virus—as Baraka and other victims—resulting in her developing the deformed facial features of the Tarkatan, which she conceals with a veil.
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, Mileena 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.
