Here come my two cents. The poster and all other users who replied may choose to consider it or ignore it.

The way I see it, this thread raises and boils down to two main questions. First, was the MK team wrong in how they "constructed" Kitana in this game? Second, does Kitana deserve more than what she's getting? I'll attempt to answer these questions from a broad point of view that considers all factors (including Xia's position), presenting an input that, I hope and believe, is going to be a solid contribution regardless of who agrees and who disagrees.

1. Was the MK Team wrong in how they "constructed" Kitana in this game?

No one's would-be response is 100% correct. Any answer to this question depends almost entirely upon the person's point of view on Kitana's character, and how much emotion is being invested in her. I will tell you this, though: Kitana belongs to the MK Team. She belongs to Ed Boon, his writers, and whomever else has a position in determining the storylines. This is fact, regardless of personal opinions. And I would say it's clear that the MK Team does not perceive Kitana as a vessel for the countless qualities her biggest fans give her.

Xia would describe Kitana as a profound character with a torrent of potential, a character whose aforementioned qualities make her more than deserving to be one of the "top characters" of Mortal Kombat in every game. I honestly admire such devotion despite the fact that I only share in it sparingly. Now, based on the latest games and especially the current installment, I daresay the MK team views Kitana as a solid character and worthy of being recognized as iconic due to her past, but nevertheless, a bland character who has lost her MKII charm and whose purpose and standing within the MK world is dwindling with time as compared to the current "top characters" (yes, including Sonya, please let that end here). Furthermore, I'd say they feel that Kitana is best suited for the image she attained during MK4 and in the media: a strong and fearless fighter who is simultaneously weaker in comparison to the current main heroes and leans more toward "damsel in distress" than "active protagonist".

Of course Xia disagrees with the MK Team. But unfortunately, as I said, Kitana doesn't belong to her fans, she belongs to the MK Team, and as Xia himself stated, what they say goes. Some of Kitana's big fans might wish THEY could be in charge of their favorite character, but stop to think about how chaotic it would be if every MK character was controlled by their biggest fan. How could we have a proper story when the MK characters are suddenly fighting for camera time? What I'm getting at is that, IMO, Xia and any other hardcore Kitana fan needs to come to terms with the understandably disappointing fact that the MK Team appears to have not chosen Kitana as a top character. You may and have the right to complain, to manifest your disappointment, but it won't do anything to change how things are. I think that instead of writing letters to Midway, Xia and all others who feel as strongly should opt between A: continuing to be a hardcore Kitana fan by ACCEPTING the state she is currently in and going on with supporting her in all of her appearences, or B: turn your back on Kitana (or the franchise, if you feel that strongly) and find an alternative mark for your devotion.

2. Does Kitana deserve more than what she's getting?

Xia says "without a doubt". I say Kitana DOES deserve more than what she's getting, but not as much as Xia and Co. wish.

Believe it or don't, but I used to be a big Kitana fan back in the day. MKII, it was all Kitana and Mileena for me. But from thereon, it was all downhill. Mileena continued to play the evil psycho-bitch role I love so much, and went on to be a true star in Deception, where all of her potential was tapped into. I became a stronger Mileena fan with time because of it. Kitana, unfortunately, is the exact opposite. She went from being the conflicted assassin I was so intrigued by, into being a strong but easily-affected fighter who often finds herself incapable of overcoming a large part of the villainous cast from MK4 onward. To top it all off, she became an overly sentimental woman (my stomach still turns at her MK Unchained ending), which pretty much stamped a big, red "DAMSEL IN DISTRESS" sign right on her forehead. This isn't the type of female character I like.

My devotion for Kitana clearly isn't as strong as Xia's and Co., so I don't feel excruciating disappointment with Kitana's current standing within the MK universe. Xia does, so I understand her frustration. Xia believes Kitana deserves a lot more because she used to be a great character and still retains that potential. I say Kitana used to be a great character but the road thereafter has already been carved for her by the MK Team a good while ago; she has been deemed a character worthy only of what she's getting. Sad, it's true, but again, it goes back to what I said a while ago: there's nothing that can be done about it. Kitana doesn't belong to her fans, and her creator has picked her place. You could be optimistic and hang onto the hope that this might change in future installments; it's a long shot, but it's possible. Judging by this game, it doesn't look likely, so the choice of where to invest your devotion is hereby clearly presented.

Anyone can feel free to reply to this post, but I will say one thing. If you do choose to reply to it, make sure you don't cross a line. You all know what line I'm talking about: the one that, if you cross it, flame wars begin, and I already saw a flicker of the fire light up and out again in one of the previous post.

I'm gonna be very specific for the sake of mutual respect: you have your favorites, and other people have theirs. I'd like to not see any post bashing Sonya if this discussion does indeed continue! Leave all bitterness out of this thread (because I've seen it floating around very occasionally as of late) and I will, in return, maintain a level of courtesy when and if I'm asked to reply again. It is NOT the fault of Sonya fans that she's being elevated. Her fans are happy that she's been given an enormous amount of attention, that her position as female protagonist of the franchise has been concretized, and guess what, all Kitana fans would've been just as happy if this was currently the case with Kitana. Let's try to keep a certain amount of peace in here, cuz i see the potential for rudeness lurking in every corner of these posts.

First, I'd like to compliment you on what has to be one of the most involved responses (in terms of length, thought and HTML) in the history of MKO.

Second, Yes, I am into a vengeful Scorpion... but not a stupid one. Revenge is a timeless theme in literature that can be approached from many different creative and even thought provoking angles...

I wish the guys at Midway could see that.

I'm confused.

The story in MK vs DC is non-canon. It's not meant to be taking seriously.

Why would anyone get upset about it?

I can partly see where you're coming from XD, but In all honesty, I think some of the stuff about Kitana being 'screwed' are being a bit over-dramatised in my own opinion (not jsut by you but by a few people).

Sure, Kitana isnt perfect in MK vs DC, but there is NO character who is.

Kitana still remains one of the most well liked characters by the fans in MK. Its been proven on message board polls, by her inclusion into addons and spin offs and the fact that shes recognisable to most casual gamers (unlike other MK characters).

Ive completed the MK side and most of the DC side of MKvsDC, and in all honesty, even though Kitana doesnt get her own chapter, she gets enough screen time, and probably more screen time time than certain other characters who did get their own chapter.

The kidnapping and spell thing is a bit cheesy, but overall it doesnt really irritate me that much, since its fairly well explained in story mode why Quan Chi did that, it was actually partly because of Kitana's power and the way the rage was affecting her. And shes only under the spell for all of five minutes anyway, until she is purged of the Rage.
Unlike MKSM, this 'spell' doesnt really affect the overall character of Kitana IMO. Like I said shes under it for all of five minutes, and it is one of MKs strongest characters who does it, and he is weakend by it in the end. The Shoalin Monkeys spell was just stupid, but its never been confirmed as cannon, nor is it likely to ever be.

Someone mentioned Kitana being scared, well Kitana being scared and emotional isnt a bad thing IMO. Part of the character of Kitana has always been that she WAS emotional. If she wasnt, then she wouldnt have felt so betrayed by Kahn, wouldnt have wanted to lead Outworlds troops against Kahn, she wouldnt have cared if her life-long friend Jade was still under the illusion that Kahn was a great guy, and, among other things, she wouldnt have wanted to stop the DC characters taking over Earthrealm - a realm from which she doesnt even originate. Additionally, we've seen in MKU that Kitana was growing somewhat tired of the constant fighting etc, so Kitana has always been a truley emotional character. Its part of who she is. Fear actually isnt something negative, its something human. In a way it brings a bit of humanity to the character. Why wouldnt she be feareful of a new powerful threat that is merging multiple worlds? (Comparisons to Kitana and Xena ahve been made, well, Xena was not afraid of fear. In fact, i think she would embrace it).

As for her being portrayed as weak in MKvsDC, I think thats a bit much too. Kitana is beaten in story mode just as much as any of the other characters. Green Lantern is fought loads of times, as is Captain Marvel. Additionally, Kitana was the one chosen to take on Wonder Woman. That must say something. Wonder Woman is one of DC's big three, so somebody somewhere obviously thinks Kitana is worthy of taking on WW. This pairing must have been based on more than them just being princesses, since some of the other pairing dont really share much similarity, yet they are still paired off together. (Also, going back to the spell thing, IMO surely some part of the reason why Quan Chi felt it necessary to stop Kitana was because of how strong she was and the affect she could have on others while in the Raged state).

I also think 'stealing' Mileenas roll is looked into too much too. Kitana has enough of her own moves to make her unique, but yes the move sharing is unecessary, but its not like she's stolen the ability to throw lightning bolts, or absorb someones soul. Its a forward roll. Her and Sonya's square wave punches are different, finally, in MKvsDC, and at least her other move sharings are by characters that it would make sense for her to share moves with, she could have learned them in training with Mileena/Jade, so again, although unecessary, its not the end of the world since she has her own unique moves too.

The one big way I think Kitana has been let down, is in her costumes. Although fairly different each time, yes she has only ever have the leotard/swim-suit type thing. As much as it may not be a good thing, Kitana is known for her ninja attire, and in a game that claims to be giving 'iconic' things, then its what you would expect Kitana to wear. And again although not the best design, she got as much of an upgrade as most of the characters did, with really on Shang Tsung getting a 'new' look. That aside, I do agree she's been screwed in costume department overall, but no more than most in MKvsDC.

So overall yeah i see where youre coming from on things you've said, but I think the NON-CANON storylines are being looked into too much IMO. Sure theres aspects of MKvsDC that I would personally change in regards to Kitana, but overall I dont think the negative things outweigh the other hugely vast and varying aspects of Kitana that make her the great character she is. She will always be one of the great characters of MK and video gaming regardless.

But anyway thats just my own personal opinion.

It is extremely important because even though the story is not canon, the characters:

* Personalities
* Representations
* Looks / Designs
* Roles
* Reactions
* Attention
* Promotion
* Overall result

in this game are “very canon” as stated by Ed and the MK Team countless of times.

“Canon” in the sense that this is exactly how they are perceived, viewed and considered in importance and depth for the game and series.

They mentioned a hundred times that even though the story is not canon, Scorpion (for example) is pretty much Scorpion and the way he should be and is for the MK world and story. So, you wouldn't see him dancing around with a flower, same as you wouldn't see Sonya acting like a slutty Catwoman.

And it is very important, because this is a game that was based and self-proclaimed to be for the most important and iconic characters. This game revolved around the iconic and giving power, light and attention to the most iconic and important of the lot.

It's also the first game ever, in MK history, that gives us so much depth of how characters will react in certain situations and how their personalities are really presented, even if some are already known by fans, implied, or theorized.

If this is going to turn into another Kitana vs Sonya/Mileena/Whomever thread I will happily close this because I'm not dealing with the volley of arguments. It's a video game and nothing more. People need to relax a little.

There's some interesting reads here.

Personally, I agree primarily with what Leo has written. Kitana was a great character and has the potential to be a great character but ever since MKII it's all just gone downhill.

I don't think it's possible for MKO to have a thread about Kitana without it being a Kitana Vs *insert other female character here* argument.

^ Then keep your eyes peeled, PK, because the potential for this most annoying of disasters is very present, especially in a time like this.

You're 100% right. It's bothersome because nothing ever comes of it except more frustration, and it's not worth it in the slightest. I'm just not interested in the mud slinging. It's old and tired.

Not true. That has happened in the past and its gone well.

So far, so good, no stupid nothing. So it should just be dropped and let the conversation continue as nicely as it has.

Btw, Keith, how is sexy Lara treating you? I can't wait to grab that one either!

I think your absolutley right. I am a huge Kitana fan since day one and played her in every game and i liked it. But things have gotten flat. I would say more but I would just be re-writing your letter. I hope MK team considers some things for future games.

Hey, I only mentioned Sonya because she was brought up to me...then I quickly dropped the subject. I'm not looking to draw my guns.


One thing I want to start with is there's nothing necessarily wrong with Kitana feeling fear or stress. Self-reliance does not mean the protagonist feels no fear or has no flaws. Often flaws are considered a good thing in protagonists. But what's important, what self-reliance is, is said protagonist has to be able to overcome said fears and flaws to achieve their goals. There's nothing wrong with Kitana being stressed out and upset Liu Kang and Goro died in MK:DA...because she persevered and went on to fight Quan Chi at the end. She didn't win, but neither did her allies.

What's wrong is that since MK:DA, Kitana's had seemingly no say in what's been happening to her. In Deception, we learn after she was killed, she was enslaved by Onaga, tossed around by Jade & later Ermac, before being rescued by Liu Kang. Degrading, but forgivable I suppose, as the same thing happened to the other heroes.
But then we got Shaolin Monks, where.....let's face it, they all but jammed her in the proverbial refrigerator.
Then we got Unchained, where she contributed absolutely nothing except reveal the stress is starting to break down. As said, nothing wrong with a character feeling fear or weakness, but what's important is said character carries on despite it. We've yet to see if Kitana does.
Which brings me to Armageddon, where she had no story save for a laughably ridiculous ending. And now we've got MK vs. DC where we're "treated" to seeing Kitana making gooey eyes towards Liu Kang, going nutty and panicking at the sight of Dark Kahn, and basically being reduced to a dog on a leash by Quan Chi.

Canon games or not, this consistent type of portrayal takes it's toll. And her lackluster gameplay and redundant design isn't helping matters any.


Now Leo, one thing you mention that I describe Kitana in all these profound ways and so on...as though, she's only as good as I make her out to be. I suppose there's truth in that, but what's so profound about basic storytelling principle? I don't see what's so complex about the logic that "protagonists with conflict and development are more interesting than those without." And further, I don't see how accentuating the more interesting protagonists of your franchise seems like an odd concept.

See I understand what you're saying about how chaotic it would be if the team tried to cater to every character's every fan...but this is why I point again to the principles of storytelling. Obviously not every character can be a star and not every fan can be pleased...but there are ways of narrowing down who should be at the top or near the top. I mean it's not like I'm suggesting Meat be the next main hero. And obviously, it's not just story. Design and moves are factor.

You'll never see me begrudge Sub-Zero for being pushed as one of the faces of Mortal Kombat for this very reason. Much like Kitana, they stumbled onto this good and effective character. But unlike Kitana, with Sub-Zero they've taken advantage of it and pushed him to the moon. It's rare to catch lightning in a bottle, and if you can, it can take you far. But only so far...the rest is up to you. And like I said, there's no reason Kitana should not be at the top unless the MK team doesn't want her to be.

Now this is something you've mentioned. The possibility that the MK team has decreed Kitana will only ever go so high as a glass ceiling, no more. And that all Kitana fans can do is accept it or move on. Well, as a paying costumer, I think I at least have the right to express my disdain before considering those options. And if they're not going to take full advantage of what Kitana can do, then I would have express my hope they simply get rid of her rather than continuing to mock her fans.

Speaking personally, I would probably drop the franchise altogether. I suppose that may sound odd, considering Kitana is just one character and I am still attached to Sareena. However, looking at what's been done with Kitana, I suddenly have to ask myself: why should I continue to be attached to Sareena? If they buried Kitana, what's to stop them from burying Sareena? If they don't care what Kitana's fans think about their favorite character, why will they care what Sareena fans think?

Sareena has everything she needs to be a star. But she'll only go as far as the MK team will let her.
EDIT:
Oh yeah, and one last thing...


When did I become a girl?
I'm a dude...so that's what you call me. Dude, Duder, his Dudeness, El Duderino if you're no into the whole brevity thing...

I think what I said was misunderstood.. or I possibly said it wrong.

When I mentioned her being scared and that it shouldn't be a trait in Kitana.. I didn't mean that she shouldn't feel fear.. More like she should't SHOW it, or let it affect her in such a way that it hinders her from doing what she needs to do.

An example:

Her fear shouldn't be on display like that. Kitana struck me as the type of character that could feel fear in a situation..but at the same time keep her wits about her and do what she needs to do. I don't think she was depicted that way.

And as for being easy to control, well, I wasn't just talking about Quan Chi's spell.

For Kitana to totally turn on Kahn as well as save her mother, her best friend and her realm... one would have to think that Kitana must have a very strong will. To put aside everything she was raised for (for most of her life) and stand up to the Tyrant that destroyed her realm... regardless of what the possible consequences could be if she failed... she would have to be far from weak willed. Yet:

Her will, IMO, should have been stronger than that. However, that's only my opinion.

Erm, first post on the boards, hope it's a good one!

Allow me to preface my response to this thread with a sentence or two on my background and natural biases as a fan of the Mortal Kombat franchise since MKII. I love Kitana; she was the first female character I ever used in a video game and I have not looked back since (XD mentioned earlier that the image of Kitana wielding her fans is rather striking...the image can still sometimes send shivers down my spine). As I matured, I recognized that Kitana's cannonical story made her equal parts complex and intriguing--there was a brilliant pathos there that rarely (if ever) exists in a fighting game character.

We don't have to get into the merits of her characterization. I think I'm right in assuming that even the most ardent Kitana "hater" will admit that the groundwork for her character and story as introduced in MKII was excellent. She spent the better part of 10,000 years as a cold, brutal, "personal assassin" of Shao Kahn (I emphasize the "personal" because it demonstrates how fearsome of a warrior she is: the most terrifying and powerful emperor Outworld has ever seen "personally" picked her to rid Outworld of his most dangerous foes). Though the official storyline does not reveal to us when, how, and why Kitana made the decision to stand against her step father, logic and the basic tenets of storytelling dictate that the catharsis must have been shattering.

Since Mortal Kombat II, however, Midway has portrayed Kitana in various other mediums, the most well-known being her depiction in the two Mortal Kombat motion pictures, where she occupied the damsel in distress role and time constrictions meant cutting out all the complexities that made her character so intriguing. What remained, much to my chagrin, was her image as Liu Kang's love interest and DiD. It's what general fans of the franchise have come to recognize her as, ignoring the groundwork of her character as established in MKII: cold blooded assassins do not need protecting.

See, what XD is trying to point out (at least, I think he is), is that there is a huge disconnect between the canonical storyline introduced in MKII and the path the MK Team set her on from MK4 onwards. Call it retconning, call it shameless retconning, bottom line is: a woman does not transform into a goody-two-shoes princess after 10,000 years of ruthless killing tempered by an even more devastating catharsis. It doesn't make sense. The MK staff messed up. As I am not privvy to their intentions, I do not know if they didn't like Kitana, if they just didn't care, if they somehow managed to forget the foundations established by MKII. Their intentions are irrelevant. What isn't irrelevant, however, is the fact that they are taking a complex and beautiful character and (quite frankly) destroying what made her so great. It doesn't make sense.

It is not the fault of Kitana fans that we were given such a wondrous video game creation only for the MK Team to turn their backs on Kitana's entire premise as a character and replace her with someone entirely different. We have every right to be indignant of what's been done, what's being done, and what (with all likelihood) will continue being done to a character that fell guilty to shameless mischaracterization and poor storytelling. Like it or not, Kitana is a perfect candidate for "main event" status, if you will. The themes of a great fighting game protagonist are all there: inner conflict, betrayal, quest for redemption, etc. And as paying consumers, we have every right to inform the MK Team of our concerns. I applaud XD for writing. He recognized in his first post that he's not trying to control the storyline writers, he just wants to remind them to set Kitana back on the logical development path she was on during her glory days.

As for Kitana's gameplay, there's no denying that she was mega top tier in MKII. Though I have no problem with her not being as great a fighter gameplay wise in her appearances (from what I've heard, she kicks major ass in MK vs. DCU, and there's enough storyline evidence to prove that Kitana could decimate most fighters from Earthrealm and a hell of a lot from Outworld), a character's fighting ability in-game should reflect their prowess as dictated by storylines. It's incongruous that Shao Kahn's top assassin with 10,000 years of experience of killing beezies is not near the top tier (if not just top tier) in most of her appearances.

Who knows? Maybe XD's letter will reach the higher-ups and prompt a discussion or dialogue. I'd like to think that the MK Team got so caught up in the movie storyline where Kitana's Liu Kang's love interest and not much else that they forgot the foundations they laid for the character in MKII. Though I don't like to speak for all Kitana fans, we're just asking for consistent characterization. And I don't think that's too much to ask for.

I'm going to throw some thoughts out there in regards to some of the points that have come up in this thread:

Should Kitana be treated better?

Regardless of whether you like or dislike the character, I don't think you can argue that her presence in MK vs. DC implies that she is one of the "icons" of the series, and that her screen-time, influence within the story and her number of appearances should imply that she is, indeed, a major protagonist in the story. She's banging Liu Kang, who is the central figure of the story, so that puts her pretty high as far as dramatic importance goes.

I'd like everyone to keep in mind for a moment that Mortal Kombat is primarily a fighting series. It's playable characters are masters of martial arts, weaponry and magical powers. To me, I cannot see the benefit in making a major protagonist in this storyline powerless, regardless of what was intended for her. If Kitana was always meant to be a helpless bitch, then fine, but I don't think it can be classed as "good" storytelling.

As a major protagonist, Kitana should be very skilled, mentally strong and able to hold her own as a character. She shouldn't need "saving." Turning her into a McGuffin that Liu Kang always needs to save isn't ideal for someone in her position. Kitana should have her own gravity in the story. That being said, though...

As a fighting game, does there really need to be a hierarchy of characters?

Not a really serious thought, but given that every character can feasibly defeat any other character while under the control of a player, does there really need to be a "major protagonist?" Can't we have every character's story be developed and important enough to justify them being the protagonist of their own story?

I disagree with what Xia said about Kano. I really think he is a fascinating character. There could almost be something Joker-esque to Kano's character if you look at it through the rose-coloured glasses. You may consider him just a thug, but the motives behind his character really fascinate me. Why can't Kano's story be just as important as Kitana's? Yes, I know good stories have a main character, and then the primary supporting cast, but I think the fighting genre of video games could be argued as being a bit different. Each character is fighting for their life. That puts the stakes dramatically pretty high for every single character. My suggestion is that each of them be treated with respect.

On Kitana using Mileena's move

Admit it, part of Kitana's original charm was having her seemingly twin sister there fighting alongside (or against her). Mileena herself is not exactly an unpopular character in the Mortal Kombat universe. Is it possible that Kitana was just given one of Mileena's moves as a way of saying "Hey, just so you know, we haven't forgotten how important Mileena is to you guys"?

It makes no real sense to include both Kitana and Mileena in the game, because both are so similar in their imagery. That being said, including one of Mileena's moves in Kitana's move-set is a great way to throw some of the "purple ninja girl" in there. From storyline perspective, it's not hard to imagine Kitana and Mileena being similar in styles, because of their implied symmetrical training.

Sweet Lucifer.....

All this pointless debate and nitpicking. Why is it that some of the Kitana fans here are NEVER satisfied and hold her up to some idealized image that will only ever exist in their own heads? I'm sure it happens with some other characters, but some of the Kitana fans on this site....seek help.

This makes me ask an important question. If some of you guys are so disappointed with each incarnation of Kitana, then what the hell made you a fan in the first place and why do you still call yourself a fan if you're so disenchanted?

I swear it's like you guys set aside time to proactively look for shit to complain about and hold Kitana up as some sort of martyr!

I like Jade, for example. Jade has only appeared in UMK3/MKT, Deception, and Armageddon. Obviously, she's not on the MK team's priority list. And her appearance in Deception wasn't exactly as I thought it would be. But do I bitch about it and list every possible thing I found that deviated from what I imagined? Do I whine about how she doesn't have that many appearances? NO! Why? Because the world ain't perfect. Things will pretty much never be as you imagine them.

I know I'm probably going to receive some hate from some of the obsessive fans on here, and frankly, I don't give a shit.

I'm sorry if this fans the flames and gets this thread closed, Pink Ranger, but this issue has been bothering me for a while.

I understand how I might come off sounding too emotional or obsessive. But I repeat, we aren't asking for much. Decent, consistent characterization for starters.



The difference here is that Jade's characterization has been consistent throughout the series (as a fan of Jade myself, the only time I felt discontented with the character was during the dreaded Annihilation movie, but no character survived a good literary thwomping during that god-forsaken movie). I would not be writing if I was unhappy with simply Kitana's cosmetic changes, or if she was given a special move that I wasn't happy with, etc. But you have to admit that huge, inconsistent changes have been done to her character that do not follow with logical storyline progressions. Ruthless assassins do not damsel-in-distresses make.



It's pretty clear why we became attached to the character in the first place. She's an absolute beast in Mortal Kombat II. Her design was interesting, she had a great storyline which continued onto UMK3. She's inspired plenty of fan-related works (if you're looking for a great MK fanfic on Kitana, look no further than Victar's "The Blood on My Hands"). We just want the aspects of her character that made her so great to be retained (as logic and reason would dictate) and not replaced with bizarre storylines or situations where Kitana appears as weak as a kitten (no offense to kittens).

I know you'll agree with me when I say that much (almost all) of what makes an MK character maintain a lasting level of appeal are the qualities bestowed upon these characters by their fans. Fighting games like these always introduce a large cast. The makers of the game set up a basic storyline, a basic persona to each of the characters. The players then come and pick their favorite character, and what follows are years and years of devotion to that character, which more often than not manifests itself through idolization that, in essence, is little more than the fan's "personal addition" to the given basis of his/her favorite. Kitana's biggest fans glorify her as a conflicted heroine who boasts exceptional depth, a complex personality, and a uniqueness that makes her worthy of being on top of the "MK food chain". But really, all the MK Team (her creators and owners) said to you was that Kitana used to be an assassin for the main villain and how she's repented and joined the good guys. Do you see where I'm going with this? As of right now, Kitana fans are disappointed with the fact that she Kitana's status within the MK world has diminished and diminished and gotten to the point where she is no longer being treated like she deserves. Kitana's creators have a different story: it's the story of a girl who used to be an assassin to the main villain, repented and joined the good guys, and turns out to be more emotional and fragile (as compared to other characters) than one would think.

Basically what it boils down to is that Kitana's big fans and the MK Team see her in a very different light, based on what we've seen. IMHO, the MK Team shouldn't be seen as these evil-doers who totally fucked up an awesome character. Why? Because they never GAVE Kitana all this depth, all these qualities that her fans granted her. What the MK Team is doing with Kitana is, honestly, what they want to do with her; what they have planned for her or had planned for her for who-knows how long; they're staying true to the character they created, and unfortunately, this character isn't the same character her biggest fans know.

I know what you're saying about logical story structure, etc. I understand that you and Co. believe Kitana should be treading a very different path right now because of her origin. Hey, maybe THAT'S where the MK team fucked up; maybe they gave Kitana the wrong introduction. Maybe they should have, right from the beginning, said: "Hey, we got this new girl on Mortal Kombat, but she's a bit more emotionally-fragile than the other fighters and that's what we're bringing her in for! Feel free to like her if that's your type of character!" If the MK Team should be blamed for anything, I think this is it.

Take me as an example, and you'll see that this is true for any fan regardless of differences. Do I think Sonya is a big, full vessel of excellent qualities, potential, and has everything to continue to be a protagonist for the remainder of MK's lifetime? Yes. Did the MK Team establish most of said qualities that make her so deserving? No. All they did was introduce an attractive female with a tough personality and strength that doesn't match her looks and render her capable of defeating the most unlikely of adversaries. What I've done, and what Sonya's fans have done, is continuously build upon that "basis" with our own perception and our own points of view. Luckily, the MK Team seems to share our perception and our point of view. It all goes back to what I said before: how devoted a fan is to his/her favorite character, how much potential that fan sees in his/her character, none of this has a significant effect on that character's portrayal. If the MK Team suddenly decided to discard Sonya and turn her into some kind of Sareena, there's nothing we could do about it.



You DO have that right, I think I mentioned that in my first post. Hey, you're one of Kitana's biggest fans, you've devoted an awful lot to her. Your disappointment is understandable, and there's no reason why you should be denied your right to express that disappointment when so many other immature whiners bitch about Scorpion's costume being more orange than yellow.

All I'm saying is... those things up there.



True. You'll find hardcore fans for every MK character, some characters just have a lot more of those than others. A strong fan base can sometimes influence a character's portrayal but, as it seems, that's not something to be continuously expected.



Gah, I dropped the ball on that one. That's what I get for typing "Xia" all the time.

One might argue that a detached game of no consequence is exactly the time a character like Kitana should be embellished. Once liberated, Edenia could quite easily be pushed aside, particularly if connective tissue like the Liu Kang/Kitana relationship is cut-off (via rejection, or death).

Y'know, assuming MK ever gets back to Earthrealm.

The irony here is that I do appreciate characters who shy away from the typical fighting game persona. An emotionally-loaded princess who has a tendency to get kidnapped a lot makes a cool video game character in only that she's unconventional and her presence is iconoclastic in a way (that's part of what makes Princess Peach or Zelda so appealing to play as in Super Smash Bros., but that's neither here nor there).

And if they had established her as a DiD character right from the beginning, then I wouldn't be typing up paragraphs in her defense. But as there is such a huge disconnect from the character they established and the character gracing our platforms now, why shouldn't we be upset about this? We've been duped.

I understand your point about fans giving their favorite characters depth (as you can tell in my prior post above, I did a lot of close reading of Kitana's biographies and arrived at a conclusion the MK Team didn't seem to reach). However, watering down Kitana to "assassin-turned-good-guy" and ignoring all the complexities involved in such a transformation and the subsequent ramifications such a transformation would have is lazy, pure and simple. It's lazy; it's poor storytelling; and as paying consumers, why shouldn't we demand more of the writers? It's as if Kitana jumped from point A down to point M down to point Z in the canonical time span of a year.

I am not even going to respond to anyone in this thread. Because at
this point my anger meter is full and I'm ready to go off. All I'm going to
say is I agree with XD 100%. Kitana should have been left out of this
game. Her story sucks, her ending sucks, and her appearance sucks.
And until the MK team sees fit to fix these things and portray her the way
she should be portrayed, I'd rather not see her at all. This is ridiculous.

Leo, I see what you're saying, but I think your point further proves why Kitana fans such as myself should make our complaints known.

If what you say truly is indeed the case, then what Kitana's fans want/see about her and what the MK team wants/see about her are far away from each other on the map. And all the more, that should be rectified. Because one thing I've found in my years wasting time in fiction...and this is just as true of any medium, be it TV shows, comics, pro wrestling, etc...when creators not only lose touch with what the fans want/love about their characters or property, but actively resist it, it often doesn't lead to anything good.

I mentioned earlier with Scorpion, there was a divide amongst Scorpion's fanbase as to which one was better...and for better or worse, the team chose the revenge-bent one. Now who's to say the chose was based on what they believed the fans wanted, but nonetheless, at least one part of the fanbase was pleased.
In regards to Kitana, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a fan who thinks her being a damsel in distress is better than being redemptive conflicted assassin. Now maybe the MK team didn't intend for her to be that way...which I honestly don't buy, because there's far too much evidence to prove they mostly make the story up as they go along without much forethought...but, guess what, that's how fans came to see her and for the most part, appears to be what they love(d) about her. I don't see any reason to resist that.
How the fans see characters rarely makes a difference, but in this instance, maybe the team should take note or re-evaluate what they think the fans want from Kitana.

I don't see what the MK team has to lose by pleasing fans in this particular instance.

That's debatable.
MK strikes me as a prime example where a little conviction would go a long way. Since MK3 they've dedicated shocking amounts of time to pandering to those within the fanbase who become increasingly obsessed with the familiar.

I don't think this disagrees with your sentiments overall, but it strikes me that the strong influence the fans have had is one of the major detriments to the series. Vivid and cohesive creative vision is something I think MK would benefit greatly from, and was hinted at in MKDA (crossing in to MKD).

Very true.

I don't mean what I said there to be an absolute, black & white statement, because you're right...a lot of what's gone wrong in Mortal Kombat is overly catering to the whims of some fans who apparently want them to remake MK2 over and over again.

But that's why I emphasize in this instance, regarding Kitana, I think it would behoove the team to take into account what the fanbase wants.

Didn't everyone get screwed over in MKSM? btw, if you finish Kitana's Kombo Challenge, the achievement you get is called "Outworld's Princess." yeah....