I only really have one thing to say about Reptile.

I think he should go back to being a secret character.

It looks like everything having to do with him has been exhausted right now, but I don't believe he deserves to be "killed" at this point...He should just go back to being a seldom seen, lurker behind the scenes.

It'd be perfect to have to "find" him all over again. lol

If Reptile is coming back, I would like all his previous costumes and forms.

An idea is to bring Reptile back, and in Konquest mode perhaps the further you progress the more reptilelike OR less human his costume becomes based on the costumes selectable for arcade mode.

Storyline wise all Reptile seems to do is serve, serve and serve, oh and then be a puppet. If Reptile is to be a passive serving character then I agree that he should revert back to his MK1 hidden character style appearance as it will give him far more potential for when he is unlocked, yeah he should be playable.

I am hoping Reptile finally gets a break and his Armageddon ending was at least half true and he becomes king of Zaterra
hopefully he does return in MK8 perhaps he will not be playable but maybe just a character of the story
I know what you're about to tackle me about "if he's in the story then he should be playable"
but maybe he will just be in the background like some characters have in the past

If Reptile is coming back, I would like all his previous costumes and forms.

Don't ask for much, do ya? :S

I would like to c a up date of his mksm fit

Time to switch characters, let's go with Kitana.

I say that Kitana's chances of return are more favoring than her not returning. A likely path is for Sindel to die and for Kitana to take over as Queen of Edenia, which I wouldn't like as it would make Sindel a waste of potential, and I don't think Kitana will want to deal with such a responsibility.

I'm not sure whether I want her to return or not. If she does, her story needs to take a different and interesting route. I did have some ideas before, but I can't seem to remember them. If she doesn't return, she should live, but she shouldn't be the Queen of Edenia. She can have some NPC role as a diplomat or something.

Gameplay-wise, I feel she needs to be fast, agile, and fluid. I like her with Ying Jow Pai (Eagle Claw), though I do see Ba Gua Zhang fitting her as well. Her Steel Fans need some touch-ups.

In terms of special moves, I'm glad she was improved in that department in MKA, but I do hope that she can have the ability to do her projectile in the air if she returns. Also, a couple new specials would be nice to see. I want her Pixie Dust Teleport to be taken out as the name is stupid and the effect is a copy of Jade's Vanishing Winds. I guess her throw should stay.

Look-wise, she needs to get away from the swimsuit-like costumes and go for that royal battle armor look. She also needs to not wear high-heeled footwear as that's bad too. In addition, her hair shouldn't be that long, so it needs a slight trim.

Overall, I do like Kitana, but it doesn't matter to me whether she returns or not as long as it's done well.

If you asked me before Unchained came out, I would say Kitana HAD to go. But I really like her Unchained story and she is one of the most popular characters. She's sick of the fighting so she has a sense of awareness and it's possible that she, along with quite a few other characters (Jax, Sonya, Cage, Kung, Li Mei) are still tainted by their brief tenures as Onaga's slaves. Liu Kang needs to die and I'd like to see her be more distanced from Mileena. That right there wipes out her two biggest character interactions. Still, there are others.

Shao Kahn/Mileena - There's a good chance that he's returning, so she needs to continue her war against Kahn. I'd like to see Kitana, Sindel, and Mileena work together to kill him. After that Mileena and Kitana should be distanced.

Sindel - I don't think Sindel should die just so Kitana becomes queen. What's wrong with being princess anyway? I'm unsure if Sindel should return as a playable character, but she should stay in the story.

Jade - Jade needs a bit more independence, but it's obvious they would continue to work together to defeat any threat to Edenia.

Goro - Not many want Goro to return, but if he does I'd like to see Kitana disgusted that she ever trusted him and maybe fight with him.

Taven/Rain/Tanya - All Edenians. Therefore there's a great chance that Kitana would interact with.

Liu Kang - If he does return he should side with Raiden, while Kitana would not. This would cause a much-needed conflict between the heroes.

Onaga - Like I said, it's possible that Kitana carries Onaga's taint. If he returns, it's possible for a feud.

Blaze - I doubt Blaze returns, but if he does, I see them aligning based on her Unchained bio.

Others less likely include Kung Lao, Raiden, Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Jax, Daegon, Baraka, Bo Rai Cho, Shinnok, Quan Chi, and Shang Tsung.

Kitana's an important character in the MK universe so it's quite obvious she shouldn't die. Nor should she appear in every game. But she should wrap up her feud with Kahn and Mileena soon and then move on.

Kitana.. I think her character is worn out.. I never find myself looking forward to playing her... HOWEVER.. I think Tavens story line is canon, and altho they are wiping the slate clean and taking the story in a new direction, i think it will start where armageddon left off and take it from there... THAT being said, I think the story will mostly take place in Edenia, and because of that, I think theres a good chance that Kitana will be in the game...

IF she is, i want a good story for her... im SOOO tired of her feud with Mileena... She should become Queen of Edenia.. i dunno.. SOMETHING

Kitana's story has not been about Mileena since MKG.

I think Kitana has a decent shot at returning. Even though...going along with the "end of the current gen" thing...she should theoretically be up there in the characters likely to be retired along with most of the other old characters, she is popular enough and can be considered one of those "iconic" characters the MK team will never let go perminantly. Far as Kitana's concerned, I guess it'll depend on how commited to "NEW generation" the MK team is.

For Armageddon, I would like to see Kitana be the one to take down Shao Kahn (assuming they plan on offing him). It makes the most sense story-wise, and finally destroying Shao Kahn once and for all is proper closure her current storyline (I think Mileena and Sindel should also be involved, but that's another subject).

Afterward, I can see her becoming Queen of Edenia and retiring. Key word there: RETIRING. Becoming Queen of Edenia is the END of Kitana's story. IF Kitana is to return in the next gen games, she must not...must NOT...be Queen. Aside from the predictability of the situation, a complaint that has been cropping up around Kitana in recent games is that her role as Edenia's heroic Princess who defends the realm has gotten old. Promoting her to Queen is not going to solve this problem...it will make it worse. Further tying Kitana down in an authoritive role will only further limit her story and only lead to even more of this circling routine of "Edenia's in danger...Kitana defends."

Furthermore, it is my opinion that Kitana sheds the royal status all together. Aside from it becoming redundant...personally speaking as a Kitana fan, if she's to return in the next gen games, I want her to remain a lead protagonist of her own. She doesn't have to be the main heroine, but I don't want to see her downgraded to a secondary character. Now, from the looks of things, if Taven doesn't become the "main hero," he might at least become the main Edenian character. And I don't want to see Kitana get reduced because of that. I dread scenerios like Kitana being held hostage or taken prisoner by Rain or Daegon and Taven having to rescue her. I'd rather she not come back at all than see something like that happen to her.

On a similar note, lately, it's starting to feel like Kitana's title as "Princess" is overshadowing her character. And sadly, when some hear the word "princess," images of Snow White spring to mind. This is a stigma that I think should be eliminated before it gets any worse. Like I said, I'd rather she not come back at all than to see that happen to her.

Which brings me to what I think should be done with Kitana is she returns: wreck her life. Have something so horrible happen to her that she abandons Edenia and renounces her royal title. Consider Kitana's life; she grew up believing she was Shao Kahn's daughter and serving him was her place. Suddenly she found out that was all a lie. Somehow, she manages to pick up the pieces and builds a new life for herself as Princess of Edenia...coming just within reach of being able to live there in peace tra-la-la-la. Now say that life goes down the shitter.

Opens new possibilites. Where would Kitana go after having her life wrecked for the second time? What would she do? We could also see a new side of her personality...say the ordeal leaves her more bitter, cynical, and pessimistic. Fighting-wise, maybe she reverts back more towards her more assassin-like ways, as opposed to how she currently is; more diplomatic and such. She adopts more of a "fuck it" attitude towards everything. Could create friction between her and Jade and/or Sindel (depending on who, if either, returns).

The ball may already be rolling in that direction. They been mentioning in MK:DA and Unchained that Kitana is growing more and more frustrated with her responsibilities and getting tired of constantly fighting. A lot of bad things have been happening to her in the past few games and she's going through a lot of stress. All it might take is one more incident to push her to the breaking point where she just says "Fuck this, I don't care anymore." She could also just as easily snap and go insane...but I'd rather not see Kitana flip-flop into being evil again.

We could then catch up on Kitana at the beginning of MK8, bitter and stewing...but then the coming tournament/battle/big evil or whatever MK8 will be about forces her to fight once again; even if she doesn't really want to. That's how I'd like to see Kitana's direction go in the next gen games.

Forced to fight again, we could see some interesting interactions with other characters...depending on who returns. Like I said, there could be friction between Kitana and Jade/Sindel. Them upset that she abandoned Edenia and doesn't care anymore.
As some may know, I've always been a fan of the idea of Rain having some sort of crush on Kitana. Now he's running around claiming he's a Prince of Edenia and the rightful heir to throne. Could be amusing.
Suppose they don't off Shao Kahn in Armageddon. A chance to address some unanswered questions about their bizarre father/daughter love/hate relationtionship. On the chance that Goro happens to return, I doubt she'd be pleased he betrayed her and sided with Kahn again.
There's also Taven, though to be honest, I couldn't care less about him.
And even though I don't want him back, there's a chance Liu Kang could return. Like I said in post about him, if he's to return, I'd rather they have no further interaction. I am not a fan of the Liu/Kitana relationship. As I said, the only way I'd accept Kitana getting involved with that potential story is if Liu (or his zombie) sides with Raiden and Kitana's the one to take him down.

And finally there's Mileena. If both happen to return, they should not interact. Their feud was great, but it's time for both of them to move on. Some think Mileena's Armageddon ending should happen and that should be the horrible thing to happen to Kitana...but personally, I'm not big on that idea. The feud should END. Having Kitana get Mileena's face and Mileena taking her place leaves a sense of hanging. I have more reasons, but they tie more into Mileena; so I'll hold off for when we discuss her. I want closure for their rivalry in Armageddon and they go their seperate ways.


Now special moves, I'd like to see Kitana get some new ones. Keep the Fan Throw, Fan Lift, and Pretty Kick. Lose the Pixie Dust Teleport (I agree with Sub-Zero_7th on this). I'd like to see them do more with her fans. The fans really are a cool and unique weapon...they should try to find ways of exploiting that in more than just a throw and slice. I can't think of moves for shit, but I'd like to see what else can be done with the fans in her moves and Fatalities.


As for appearance, I think Kitana can use some variation from the old bathing suit. The popular thing to say is she should dress more regal or take a more royal look...but I'm not with that shit. Even if Kitana doesn't renounce her title and abandon Edenia like I hope, I've no interest in seeing her dress like a "traditional" princess or whatever. I'd rather not too skanky though. While Kitana has never dressed conservitively, I don't think she should start dressing like Mileena or something. I think she should keep the long-ass hair though. I like Kitana's absurdly long hair. Just no more hair-buns. They suck.


Overall, I think Kitana has a good shot at returning. She's popular enough and is also one of MK's best developed characters. And while as an older character, she might be considered due for retirement...as a Kitana fan, I can't say I'd be that upset if she returned (as long as they don't screw her up). She just needs to return to her roots, and lose some of the excess baggage that's started to hold her down. I think having her abandon Edenia and renounce her title is a good direction to take her.

Yep. I was gonna say, that it's something about her title as "princess" that's taking away from her character.

My thing, however, is I think that the very title "princess" is bogging her image down. For this being a fighting game, I think alot of people don't respect a "fighting princess" the way that idea might appeal in the conceptual stage. This is a "stigma", as you put it, that I wish for our leading "beautiful female" character to be rid of....or at least to step far enough away from for awhile. So, yea even more lately I've been wondering what would happen if she said: "Fuck all the royalty", or was plagued with dis-honor for a while and went against the general players' perception of her.

I don't have that many ideas for this character because of the above paragraph, but I don't think it would hurt to involve Jade, and make it so "they got hurt" instead of just Katana by herself. Maybe Katana looses Jade somehow and returns, mentally, to her knowings of being a professional killer? I couldn't image her "seeking revenge" on any-one person in this state, but moreso, having a vendetta towards a whole group.

I think this kind of scenario has the potential to isolate her as a (1)woman character" on the roster, that is (2)exceptional because she is an assassin first, and then she happens to be royalty. This all has to (3)separate her from "just the pretty chick with the fans". She's a killer at the bottom line and that's not how she's been portrayed in the past. Visually and story-wise, she's been portrayed as the nice woman who "can" kill you, but remains taken back from doing so.

Now days, I don't think people fear that possibility more than ever, and wanna see how "dirty", and proactive about that side of her life she can be. However defensive about it mind you, so that there is absolutely a complexity there. You know? Because she is royalty, there should really only be a fineness about how she does what she does....a sort of "strictness" about formal "royal martial arts training" can be. The character Trinity, when you saw her for the first time in the Matrix is an example of how "exceptional // high level women", can kick your ass and still be intelligent, and a warm and loving person when all the fighting is over.
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I wouldn't radically change her look to accomplish stepping her away from the "flower" look, but I think it should change to accommodate//reflect a drastic change in her life // lifestyle. She doesn't need to look more revealing, she doesn't need to be "more sexy" really either. I kinda think she needs to look more "hurt" than anything....Not so much "damsel in distress" hurt...But she was an assassin right? Assassins get fucked up sometimes.
Show us what she looks like when she suits up and goes to kill someone.
She should look cold blooded....but we should know better from understanding her story.

Moves? I haven't the slightest for regular moves or fatalities....maybe a reflections of what she's lost and the style she uses to fight? idk.

Bringing out "assassin" in her style would be appreciated however. Lean her towads some of these movie women killers though. The Matrix, Underworld, Aeon Flux, Electra, Ultra Violet, The Fith Element, ect..

That's a type of Kitana I wanna see.

See back in during MKII and UMK3, Kitana had that...."edge," I guess one could call it. Back in MK2, no one questioned Kitana was a bad ass warrior who could fuck anybody up. She was...as you described...a assassin who happened to be royalty.
It was after UMK3 that Kitana started to be better known as "the princess." What was good about this is that it showed Kitana was evolving and developing through the story....growing into the more heroic leader she is now. It illustrates her depth and complexity in that she is more than one thing.
What was bad is that in doing this, she seemed to somehow lose her "killer's edge." And that's something you want to hold on to about a character...especially in a fighting game.

That's why I say if Kitana returns in the next game, she should return to her roots. Remind everyone that she is still, at her core, the same bad ass assassin warrior she always has been. I believe the way to do that is separate her from her royal title and in the process...assuming they do something similar to the scenerio I suggested...show us a new, darker sider of Kitana we haven't seen yet.



When I say something horrible happens to Kitana, I mean that in a broad way. Said "horrible incident" could be the death of Jade. Or Sindel. I've suggested the complete decimation of Edenia in the past. Just something that would finally push Kitana to the breaking point of asking herself whether playing the hero is really worth it.

And that could be her journey in the next generation...

I agree with XiahouDun84, Kitana has lost her "killer's edge". She definitely needs to break away from the "princess" role and venture out on her own. They could go farther with the story they started in unchained; she struggles to come to terms with the atrosities she commited while under Onaga's control. She would be involved with eliminating the main villian, allthewhile contemplating if somewhere deep down she's still a heartless killer. If she returns, I'd like her trademark moves to return as well: fan throw, fan lift, pretty kick; with a few new ones thrown in. As for outfits I'd pick her classic blue ninja look and maybe a new dark/stealth look.

Hm. How about putting Kitana through the ringer of "circumstantial mis fortune" or something like that? To where, since Liu Kang died, she just gets shit on for a game or two?

Like, what about her alliance with the Shokan? Isn't that cannon for Kitana?
What if she dis-honored herself someway according to their customs? Maybe she helps Motaro get his ass back (lol!) or something and the the Shokan people find out...

Also, isn't she now the one with Liu Kangs soul attatched to her own? What would happen if she kills off the corpse? That'd be an interesting conflict with Raiden for the time being.

What about her, and the soul of Liu Kang having issues? "Inner strength // turmoil, and all that?

How about a cliche? Kitana and Jade fall out, and Jade gets killed?

Sindels' dead already...she's gonna have to lay back down one of these days...how do you bring her to her demise in a way that challenges Kitana's judgement?

Now what do we got? Mom dies...again, regret, turmoil with the spirit, the Shokan don't like her anymore...what else can you do? Politics? Assassins aren't usually politicians. Maybe she gets sick of all the "order"...

idk, just some ideas.

That's already been happening. Even before Liu Kang's death. Her war on Shao Kahn's forces hit a stalemate, which led to Goro's "death." She had considered Goro a friend, so that was a bad loss for her. Just when she thinks her war is over, she finds out about the Deadly Alliance and has to fight again. This is immediatly followed by news of Liu's death. Now since then...she's been killed by Quan Chi, enslaved by Onaga, Mileena's usurped her identity, Shao Kahn is STILL alive, Liu's a zombie, and Goro is not only alive but joined Kahn again. And on top of all of this, apparently, Armageddon is happening right in her home realm.

It could just take one more thing to push Kitana to the breaking point. During Deception, I had frequently recommended that while under Onaga's control, Kitana does something unforgivable. Suppose...tying into the whole "if Shao Kahn dies, everyone who pledged their soul to him dies" thing...Kitana does finally destroy Kahn; and then it turns out Jade or Sindel had pledged their souls to him. Thus dying right along with him? That would be a kick in the nuts...something that should have been a grand moment of triumph only comes with a very heavy cost? Like I mentioned earlier...the decimation of Edenia; since Armageddon seems to be happening there.

Kitana's had a world of shit dumped on her already. Her Unchained bios and ending showed she's already getting sick of it. Hopefully, in Armageddon we'll get the pay-off of that and it'll lead to new stroyy directions in the next generation.



I agree. That's another thing I hope they acknowledge. Perhaps because of the ordeal under Onaga's control, Kitana realizes that a part of her even missed "the old days." That's another thing I'd like to see haunt her.

Now discussing Mileena.

I think Mileena's chances of returning may either be around 50-50 or closer to her favor. The thing with her character is that she recently stepped up, and even with going back to Shao Kahn, she's no longer satisfied with that and still wants power. Thankfully she's got a bit more going for her that makes it interesting to have her want to take power.

Personally, I want to see Mileena return. The likely path she'll take is trying to get power again, especially in Edenia. Of course she'll have to deal with the likes of Kitana, Sindel, and/or Jade, depending on which of the three live. Maybe if Shao Kahn and Onaga were to die, Mileena would try her luck getting control of Outworld. It'd be kind of interesting to see.

I don't want to see things like Mileena and Kitana switching bodies or Mileena becoming fully beautiful just yet. Another thing is that I don't want her to do anything with Baraka as I feel that Baraka should be wiped out for good, and I'll get to that when the discussion focuses on him. She doesn't need him at all, and she should move on to better things. One possible idea is to have an "alliance" between her and Rain, both of whom want control of Edenia. They could try to usurp the throne and rule Edenia as its King and Queen.

There is the issue of her rivalry with Kitana. The thing is, Mileena wants power and I'm sure she still wants to rule Edenia, so there has to be some kind of thing going on between them, even if it's something small. Their rivalry should not be the focus of each others' stories, and if they are still going to have their rivalry, it should have some nice dynamics to it, particularly with Mileena really getting to Kitana on a psychological level. In a way, we may need to kind of see a bit of growth in Mileena's character for her to do such. What I mean is that she should feel Kitana is the one to be pitied as she is trying to be good and make up for what she's done and all that. Mileena could really act as that antithesis to Kitana.

Gameplay-wise, well, she's the best in MK2, terrible in UMK3 and MKT from what I heard. In MKD, she's pretty good, and in MKA, she's pretty decent. So overall, she's been a mixed bag in that department. One thing I hate is that she hasn't really had any new special moves since her debut. She's only had the same three specials, and I would've liked her projectile to be able to be done in the air. That would've been cool and a nice throwback to the old MKs.

I think her style choices are fine. Another style choice I think would be great for Mileena would be Tam Tuie, which is basically the Southern Eagle style of Kung Fu, which uses striking, poking, and gripping techniques with very few kicks. I would've liked the stance for her Sai to be like in that teaser. Again, I'd like to see new special moves for her, at least one.

Look-wise, it's kind of fitting for her to dress rather skimpy, but they don't need to go to the extreme that they did with her MKD/MKA alt costume. Her primary costume is also rather skimpy along with her MKSM costume, but I don't mind those. I do like the Arabic touches with veil, and I like the hairstyle. I just don't want to see anything too skimpy, and I don't want to see swimsuit costumes and high-heeled footwear.

For things like get up animations and victory poses, as well as voice, which I didn't really get into much or at all when discussing other characters, hers are fine as they are.

Overall, I do like Mileena, and I've grown to appreciate her much more than before, which I didn't so much back then. I do hope to see her return and that she'll do something worthwhile.

Gah, sorry I haven't been around for Rep and Kitana ='( ... Been extra-busy. I'll stop by in the coming day or two with my views on the next step for Mileena in next-gen MKs.

people are probably going to strongly dissagree with me BUT... I think Mileena has like a 5% chance of returning.. yes shes a cool character.. and yes..she still has potential.. BUT she will never be a leading lady, the story could go on and leave her behind, she doesnt advance the story, she has always just been a character to branch out other peoples stories. Im sorry but thats true.. With them wiping the slate clean, I just dont see Mileena as being an essential character to bring back.

Uh...what? What about her story in MK: Deception, where she assumes Kitana's identity and takes control of the Edenian/Outworld aligned forces? With her thirst for power, she has potential for greater things, and she doesn't need to be a high-level villain either.

I think her chances of returning are a hell of a lot better than 5%.

Dude, all im saying is that she is not needed anymore. Shes probably gunna be a casualty of armageddon. If they are going to take the story in a new direction i highly doubt Mileena will be needed to advance that story.

And yeah, in deception she impersonated Kitana... but oh well, because they just fed us another Mileena wants what Kitana has story line... that story is over..done...

I dont hate Mileena at all, infact i like her and enjoy playing as her... but she doesnt have a good chance of being in the next game

Name: Mileena
Likelihood to Return: 60%
Most Probable Path: Power-Hungry Villain

I love Mileena and would love even more for her to return.

Mileena's unique amid all the other Mortal Kombat characters. There's something mysterious, seductive, and yet repulsive and psychotic about her. She is a character with a great mix of having a deceptive nature and an intriguing female fighter. I think she's definitely a character worth bringing back in MK: 8 and beyond; one that just too different and lovable in a strange way to let go just yet.


===============================================

~ Storyline ~



During the events of MK: Deception, Mileena was given a "taste" of ultimate power, so to say, and it has left her wanting more, as we saw in her MK: A Bio. I do like this new focus for Mileena. It gives her both an edge and the possibility to really become that full-blown, psycopath-bitch that I want to see her as.

Storyline-wise, I want Mileena wanting to do everything to have power. I want her to realize that it's a much better deal for her to just take that power to herself rather than trying to usurp it from Kitana. She should become obsessed with being an independent ruler, feared throughout the realms, and willing to do whatever she can and risk everything to get it.

In the Shao Khan VS. Onaga Civil War scenario I want to see (and am basing my suggestions for stories off of), I, of course, see Mileena back as an ally to Khan. She offered herself to him in MK:A, and it would be horrible for her to switch sides again. But I don't want Mileena as a "lackey" yet again. I want her to start off on the right track, a track that is parallel with her new persona and her motives. Mileena should start off MK:8 with power over part of Outworld. Khan should realize her usefulness and, to ensure completely loyalty in a time when all could be lost due to betrayal, give her what she hungers for. I'm not saying Mileena should be anything close to the female Shao Khan: she could be given a certain civilization of Outworld, small in comparison to Khan's empire, just so that her thirst for power can be satiated very slightly, leaving her wanting more, more, and more. As a show of gratitude, she could take up the role of "messenger" for Khan, traveling to the surrounding realms and recruiting the worlds' best fighters to his cause in exchange for their lives and the safety of their people.

But of course, she wouldn't be content with this. Onaga targeting Edenia for aid and actually invading it to ensure results should send up a red flag in Mileena's mind. I think she would serve Khan, but work behinds the scenes to get more than he would ever allow her to have. She could have someone she could trust in Edenia to report to her the details of Onaga's actions: Rain, for example. When she sees that Edenia's defenses are crushed and Onaga has the realm in the palm of his hands, she would act and steal this authority from him by force, claiming Edenia as hers. There would be no better time for Mileena to do this, since Kitana, Sindel and the like would be "out of comission" until they can find a way to stop Onaga's forces.



===============================================


~ Opening Sequence ~

IMAGE #1:
Mileena stands atop a lofty mound, hands to her hips, looking down hungrily at an expansive stretch of civilization before her resembling an endless town.

"War was inevitable. The Dragon King had returned to Outworld with no plans of letting it fall from his grasp, and Shao Khan's iron will would defy Onaga's desire until his last breath. Given my essential aid during the events leading up to the recent, chaotic battle, Khan wanted me to remain at his side and swear never-ending loyalty during the war. He knew just how to persuade me, and placed a number of Outworld's opressed townships under my control, making me somewhat of a partial empress to the world I once ruled... all by myself. I accepted with no regrets, but Khan underestimates my thirst for more."

IMAGE #2:
We see Rain walking down a granite pathway cutting through a dark forest enshrouded by nighttime. He appears startled and stopped dead in his tracks as Mileena emerges forth from the darkness among the flora.

"By now, I knew about Rain's crushed goals of claiming Argus's godlike powers. Sindel planned to exile him from Edenia, but Onaga became the realm's sole concern before long. I had heard he had pledged servitude to the Dragon King under threat of death... but his cunning could not have died so easily. I secretly journeyed into Edenia through its weakened barriers and located Rain with a most tempting proposition."

IMAGE #3:
An image of Edenia, gleaming in the blackness of its surroundings. Through that darkness we see Mileena's hungry eyes staring down at it, and her long fingernails sliding across the surface of the realm.

"Rain will provide me with valuable information regarding Onaga's actions in Edenia. I will patiently wait as the Dragon King crushes their defenses and leaves the realm entirely weakened. Then Rain and I will strike, along with our ambitious allies, and we will finish off Onaga once and for all. All will hail Empress Mileena, queen of Edenia!"





===============================================
~ Ending ~

Having Mileena somehow succeed and take over Edenia would be surprising and interesting, but might not make for the best continuation of this storyline. If that's not the case, then I think Mileena's risky plot would spell out her demise, and she would have to return in a future game with renewed goals and motives.





===============================================
~ Moves ~

I've played a lot with Mileena in Deception and Armageddon. She's pretty good, though her special moves are kind of getting stale, not to mention they're very risky to use.

I think her moves need to be flashier and more devastating than they are now. Right now, Mileena is most efficient in her combos, which is not fair to the girl.

My suggestions for "flashier" versions of her more well-known old moves:

Teleport Kick: A gust of magenta fog materializes beneath Mileena's boots, and she sinks into them feet-first, vanishing into the ground. She reappears on the opposite side of her opponent, plumetting from the sky, leaving a track of the magenta fog as she flies diagonally at her victim with a series of spinning kicks. Her victim can suffer a total of three hits from her kicks if they all hit. If blocked, Mileena should just jump back and away instead of being set up for punishment.

Soaring Sais: Mileena swings her arms forward and crosses them, simultaneously releasing her Sais. They fly at her opponent while leaving behind tiny, magenta orbs that fall to the floor above the area where they soar. If they hit, they burrow into the opponent and knock them down.

I don't think her "Rolling" special is too "special", if you know what I mean. Mileena's cooler than rolling at her victim's feet.

Coming Through: Magenta fog surrounds Mileena and propels her forward while she twirls her Sais in every direction, continuously, in hopes of slashing her victim with up to four consecutive hits.

Hunger Strike: When performed, Mileena's hands become enshrouded by the same fog temporarily. If her opponent attacks her while she is in this state, she will grab the attacking limb, bring it up to beneath her veil, and take a bite out of it before kicking the poor victim away. If Mileena is not attacked while in this state, she will slash at the air with her hands in an "X" motion, causing the fog to disappear - during this very rapid action, she is free to be hit.

Throw - Lunchtime: Mileena grabs her opponent's shoulders and pushes herself slightly upward. She begins biting away at the victim's neck and, at the same time, knees his/her stomach continuously. She tops it off by spinning backward and knocking the victim across the arena with a strike from both boots.

SPECIAL MOVE:
Suspenseful Death: Mileena sinks into the floor through her magenta fog, similar to her Teleport Kick, during which time the other play can evade damage. If failed, her opponent searches for her fearfully, while the screen follows. Mileena eventually appears right behind her adversary; we hear her yell out, in a growling voice: "Surprise!" The victim spins around and sends a left and a right hook her way. Mileena grabs both of his/her arms and bites each one, her veil popping up and showing us her mouth for a split second. As the victim yells out and stumbles backward, arms bleeding, Mileena whips out her Sais and begins to perform a complex dance routine like a ballet, each step allowing her to cut an area of her opponent's body. With a Teleport Kick, she finishes her special move. If her opponent successfully evaded damage, he/she will not turn when Mileena yells out "Surprise!", but instead will quickly smack her square in the face with the back of his/her fist, ending her special.



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~ Fatalities ~

Last Scare: Mileena drives her Sais through both of the victim's arms. She then pulls the handles back, ripping out the arm in the process. She brings the arms up to her mouth (beneath the veil). We now hear loud chewing sounds and an occasional, raspy "YUM!", while blood flies everywhere from under the veil and fragments of the arm fall to the floor. The armless victim screams in horror while watching Mileena chow down, then turns back to try and escape. Mileena grabs the victim's shoulder before he/she can take a single step, spins him/her around, and sinks her teeth into his/her neck. Finally, Mileena yanks her head back (ripping out the head) and spits it out while the corpse falls to the floor. She does her "sexy" pose and the orgasmic-sounding evil laugh.

='( I would burst into tears of joy if she had this fatality for MK:8.

Sanguine Shower: Mileena withdraws her Sais and crouches down before her opponent. She begins slicing at their legs with her weapons in an incredibly-fast pace, so that we can't even make out her arms as they swing the blades (blood flies out, but the victim remains whole). She stands, but never stops slicing away, and eventually reaches their head, still slicing. She jumps and flips over her opponent, but again, never stops slicing. During her flip, her Sais cut at the top of the victim's head, back of his/her neck, and back. Mileena only stops her slicing when her feet touch the ground behind the victim. She ducks, then spins around and back into a standing position with one last, powerful slice. During this last slice, the victim's body bursts into very tiny pieces which rain all over the arena.

Hara-Kiri: Mileena flings her Sais into the air, then jumps and begins to flip backward. She is unable to flip all the way, however, because the Sais fall back and sink into each of her breasts mid-flip. Mileena falls with her back to the ground, blood pools beneath her body.



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Bottom line, I want and truly believe Mileena should return for future MKs. She is unique not only physically (no, only Baraka's MOUTH is like her), but in her personality as well. Psychotic and bloodthirsty, cunning and malevolent... she's beautiful in a twisted kind of way, and brings something to MK that should not disaposed of so soon. I see a lot of potential in Mileena's new motives and they should be explored in MK:8 and, depending on which direction it takes, beyond it. I'm all for our crazed Kitana clone!

I'd rather not have Shao Kahn and Onaga return. The idea of Mileena having power in at least a region of Outworld sounds like an interesting idea. I do like the idea of Rain and Mileena teaming up as I stated before.

I really don't have much to say about Mileena. I don't think she should come back though...and the cloning thing never quite interested me. It just seemed like an "excuse" to have more than one of the same thing. Should probably happen with the male ninjas too, but eh.

The rivalry is old, and I can't see the clone "finding more purpose" than that in the future so, axe Mileena.