As Arnold Schwarzenegger would say... "Quit your whining!"

Dudes, seriously, it's just a game. I was there from the beginning too and am not always thrilled with aspects, but you can't let the portrayal of a video game character upset you. There's so much other stuff going on in this world. You should be grateful you were able to use your girl. My favorites didn't even make the cut. But if they did, I'd throw some razor sharp hats and do some nut punches and just smile. If you want amazing character development, read a book, or see a play or movie.

Ya'll take this game waaay to seriously.

Keep this antagonizing crap to yourself. if you don't have
anything remotely constructive to say then keep your mouth
shut because the only thing a post like yours does in add fire
to the flames and the last thing we need is for another thread
to get closed because certain people don't know to shut up!

The nerve to say we should be grateful she's in the game.
Please! this is the prime example of people just accepting
whatever shitty scraps they are thrown. Kitana being in the
game doesn't make a difference. I could care less, but the
fact of the matter is if you're going to include her, portray her
the correct way. Her portrayal in MK vs DC, even if it is non
canon, is a complete bastardization of her character. And
everyone can sit there and say we are whining to the cows
come home, when in fact had your fave MK character made
the cut and then was completely and utterly given the shaft,
you'd be doing the same. So do not tell me or anyone else
to stop voicing our concerns. If you don't like the topic of
discussion in this thread, by all means LEAVE! there are
plenty of other threads full of the scrap eaters to enjoy.

Regarding those that have come in and bashed this thread:

This is a discussion forum. I don't see the problem in discussing something. The issue of whether Kitana has been treated fairly is being discussed, and I find it quite interesting. Certainly one of the more interesting threads on this board. Whether Kitana has or hasn't been treated properly cannot be answered with "Dude, chillax. It doesn't matter." If it doesn't matter to you, I don't know why you clicked on a thread that was obviously going to be a negative thread about the Kitana character.

I'm not trying to insult people with this, but just because some people have "had enough of people going on about Kitana" doesn't mean that others haven't. Please don't close this thread just because some people don't want to discuss the topic, which is their choice, and is fine. Others do, and I cannot see why that is not fine, as well.

phishstix17, I do not see why the story in a fighting game cannot be as interesting as one in a movie, TV show or book. I really don't. Good storytelling is good storytelling, wherever you find it. If I want to play a mindless fighting game, I'll probably play one like Virtua Fighter, which focuses so much on the depth of the gameplay in place of things like story (or so I am led to believe).

Back to the topic at hand:

I agree with what The X said about the MK Team perhaps listening to the fans on this. These people are the bread and butter of the Mortal Kombat series. Kitana is one of the series' most recognisable and marketable characters. If the fans are sick and tired of her, then Boon and co. really need to look at what went wrong. It's better to do that now before things get any worse -- which is a scary thought to entertain.

And Mick-Lucifer does not go without his own fair point: A series run by the fans would crash into the ground. You obviously cannot go by fans 100% of the time. You need to introduce them to new concepts, take some chances, and push some characters in different directions. That being said, The X is right again, and having a pussified Princess Kitana is perhaps not the wisest direction to go. You've taken her fans, and turned them into anti-fans. I've actually yet to see anyone come in here and say "I like Kitana being such a weak character." It's all been straw-man type stuff like "Well, the MK Team can do what they want -- get over it" and "Well, I have a favourite character, too!"

MK fans have rejected the idea of Kitana being the series' answer to Princess Peach. They have chosen the earlier concept of Kitana, and sure, the MK Team can ignore that, but it is not smart to. They should really try and salvage it with a new look for Kitana (something more bad-ass or regal could be nice...with a new colour scheme), and by either ignoring what MK vs. DC did to her, or explaining it somehow in an apologetic statement: Maybe Kitana was so easily controlled by the Rage (I still don't completely understand this concept as I am yet to play the game) because there is part of her that wanted to be taken over? Who knows. There may be ways to save Kitana; I don't think she needs to be scrapped just yet.

XiahouDun, I have to ask (hoping you read this), you mentioned that Kitana may not be the very best character in Mortal Kombat, but she is right up there. I'd like to see your list of these very best characters, and which you ultimately consider the very best. You're one of the best posters here, so I'd like to see what your thoughts are.

To all those Kitana fans that are upset and insulted about how she's been portrayed the last few games, I say this....be thankful you're not a Smoke fan.

Smoke fans deserve to be disappointed. They all just want to see him as a boring human ninja copying off Scorpion again.

So here's a question: Those of you who are so butthurt over Kitana's (or really anyone's) storyline, do you even play the fighting game with said character or just read about them?

Kitana isn't awesome or lame based on her paper-thin motivations or relations. She's (more often than not) awesome due to the cool stuff she can do in-game.

Throwing fans in someone's face and air punches > "Must fight Khan cause he's evil and stuff also Mileena is my clone I heart Liu Kang."

ummmmm, no. I'm of the opinion that taking smoke back to a human state would be a waste of time and would more or less screw him up even further. But thanks for telling me what I want though.

Out of respect for the Kitana fans, I won't post on Smoke anymore. Please forgive the deviation.

If you're not interested in the story, don't involve yourself in discussions about the story.

No offense intended, sir. You're a rare breed is all.

Too late. Also, you didn't answer my question. Also some kind of gay joke.

I'm not the one who can answer your question, because I like Kitana in the game.

I just hate people who go "Who cares about the story, it's just a fighting game".

Also, something derogatory about your mother.

But the story really doesn't matter. Except for Jax. I thought his quest for revenge against Kano for stealing his fried chicken and grape soda was compelling melodrama at it's finest.

Also, something about erectile dysfunction.

The story does matter to us and there's nothing you can do about that but be an annoying troll, which isn't going to change anyone's mind or make you particularly popular, and what's the point of posting on a message board if no one wants to talk to you?

man, you REALLY like Kitana!!!


anyway, I feel the same about a few characters in the MK universe. Although I'm mainly a Scorpion fan (since playing MK1 at the arcade in Chicago back in 1992), I am bummed about the way Shang Tsung was played out. I mean he ALMOST got cool again after killing Liu Kang ( I am glad they brought Liu Kang back though), then it was all taken away by the time Deception came about. And while I haven't played the new game yet, I think every character should have a seperate chapter defining their reasoning to be in the situation.Maybe it'd make the game a bit long, but Final Fantasy games are generally over 15 hours to play, and people RAVE about those on a consistant basis.

Seems, I've strayed away from my beginning point though....
I woulda sent the e-mail to specific storyline developers at Midway instead of the company as a whole. You plan on posting the responce if you get it?

DrCube:
Frankly, at this point I'm surprised there are still people who are shocked a lot of MK fans value the story as much as anything else. Where have you been?

Now me, when I engage myself in any form of entertainment...be it watching a movie, reading a book, or even playing a video game...I have this crazy thing where I actually want to care about the character I'm watching or playing as. There's really no magic to it...usually, an audience wants to like the protagonist they're being presented with or being asked to use. And in Mortal Kombat, which is notorious for it's shallow gameplay, tendency to recycle moves, and pretty gimmicky character design, one of the things a player latches onto when selecting a character is said character's story/personality.

If all I needed to be satisfied from my video gaming experience was to press buttons and look at pretty colors, I can certainly do better than Mortal fucking Kombat.
And besides, Kitana hasn't even excelled in those categories either. Supposedly, she plays really good in MK vs. DC. Fantastic, it's the first time in years...so we were thrown a bone. Too bad she still looks the same, still has unimaginative fatalities, and has been reduced to stealing moves. I yammer on about the story the most because that's what I know....but those things matter a great deal, too.

Ideally, what I would like is a whole package and not an afterthought thrown in to fill the quota.



Anyway, back to Kitana, I think the key thing that's been going wrong with her story-wise is the...how should I put this...the core root or essence of what made her character appealing has been lost. Whenever a filmmaker tries to adapt a novel or comic book or something into a movie...the ones that work...usually if you read interviews or whatever, at least one person will say that when making the movie they tried to stay true to the original essence of the story/character. You can make changes and take characters in difference directions, but that single core defining thing should never really change or go away. And this goes for any character really.

See don't get me wrong, it's good that Kitana's evolved over the course of the story. Like I mention in my letter, it's good that we've seen her evolve from this mysterious assassin into a leader of her people and so on. Personally, I like the stress angle they've introduced. I like that as strong as Kitana is, even she has limit. But I think the problem is that somewhere along the way, that core defining thing has been lost. When she lost it? Different people probably have different answers...but regardless, for me, MK vs. DC confirmed that it has been lost.

I'm not saying the way to fix Kitana is to make her serve Shao Kahn again or to completely disregard everything that's happened from MK3-Armageddon. Backtracking and story regression is not good. She just needs that core essence to be remembered.

Now for me...and from the looks of it, the majority of fans feel the same way...that core thing for Kitana is that she was a self-reliant warrior struggling to make things right in spite of her horrible past (at least that's as best as I can describe it).
If they keep her around for future games, they can take in many directions, but that single defining thing should always remain constant. If the MK team defines her as this pretty princess who needs her heroes to help her...then yeah, you've got what's essentially Mortal Kombat's Princess Peach.

And who the hell wants Peach in a game that prides itself on blood and death?


Ooof...I'll have to get back to you on that. That's a tough question with a complicated answer. I'm going to have to work on that.

Thanks queve.

Still wondering why Kitana fans are so shocked though. I and a few others on this board have been pointing the finger at Kitana for years, saying "Look, she's just a damsel little princess" and it seems Kitana fans have barely realized that just now.

She's been portrayed the exact same way since MK4 and her ridiculous portrayal barely makes an impact now? It seems you Kitana fans are a little late, cuz I started my share of bitching a long time ago, and I know Xia knows that.

As for her story, I think it's been pretty stale since MK4 where it became as linear as Sonya's: Just stop the bad guys. Her inner conflicts finished there and on. She was written as a strong warrior in MKDA, but come on, when she looks and acts like a flower, it just doesn't make it believable.

Well, anyway. It seems I've been right about her all along, and it took 5 whole installments for some people to realize it. Stubborn.... stubborn... stubborn...

I've lost all hope for her, btw. With each new game, I always hope she'll return looking regal or militaristic (as she should) and acting as strong as she is written as, and I always end up disappointed.

Her strong MK2/MK3 aura has fully deteriorated. She's just a typical princess now. Just a romantic figure for guy gamers to get stupid butterflies over. She'll never be anything more, I'm sure. But hopefully future games will prove me wrong. And since she's MK's #2 female, I'm sure there will be many chances to do so.

Great opinion there. That's your's. Can you maybe accept that to some people's are different, and that the story is just as, if not more important than the actual gameplay. Explosions in movies = boring. An interesting character effected by an explosion = interesting.

But that's just my opinion. You have your own, but it doesn't make it right.

That maybe the case for some, but me ... I have not been satisfied with
Kitana since MK4 onward. After MK3 her story just got more horrible
with time and slowly but surely she turned in the "damsel in distress"
and I absolutely hate it. And then they go and doll her up into some
pretty pretty princess with the same tired and played out bodysuit she's
worn since UMK3. While her MK: SM portrayal was just as much a total
bastardization as her presence in MK vs DC, I don't think anyone will
argue that she was at her most bad ass look wise and moves wise in
that particular game. She looked dangerous and her specials and
combos were insanely good. Too bad they fucked up her story again.

Appearance wise, Kitana just needs to lose the Princess appeal all
together. Cut her damn hair for gods sake! Get rid of all that flowing
hair ribbon crap, and subtle flowery detailed ensembles. Give her an
angled bob, perhaps with a steak of blue. Smokey, eyeshadow that
would bring out the color of her brown eyes. An interesting mask
design for once. If you're going to have Kitana wearing the mask, at
the very least try to do something worthwhile with it. Heck if Scorpions
mask can continue to get all these cool updates, so can Kitana's.

I found this Kitana concept on deviantart. I really like it, and it actually
features the very type of hair style I think Kitana should get.

... Wow!...

If you ask me, design-wise, Kitana is one of the few MK characters I'd like to see get the level of embellishment some Soul Calibur charactes do. Something layered with robes and intricate pattern designs and accessories. Something graceful, pretty and expected.

More bland bathing suits and contrived blow drying, not so much.

I don't understand why Kitana continues to wear a mask. It made sense in MK2, and even MK3, to an extent. After that, there was no real purpose to the mask design. I'm sure she wore on in MK:DA. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't understand why.

I think she needs to lose the blue colour scheme, and go for something completely different. The blue seems like an outfit picked out by Shao Kahn. Why continue that? Shang Tsung seemed to be stuck to green for the longest time, but then they gave him a red costume, and it worked. I say give Kitana something with gold on it. It seems like a regal-enough concept for a Princess.

Also, she should be Queen, already. Sindel adds nothing to the story now that her purpose has been served. Where has she been during all this stuff Kitana has been dealing with, anyway?

As for that costume design that was posted -- I must say it is very cool. It adds a sexier, angrier, more dangerous edge to Kitana, which is something that would at least freshen her up. I'm not sure if she should move away from "sexy" into "classy," though.

Far as Kitana's looks go, I think the majority can also agree that we've seen the extent of what can be done with the blue/black bathing suit. Beyond that, it's more a matter of personal taste and maybe where her story goes.

Personally, as I think her story and character should move away from her station as Edenia's royalty...as in, it's destroyed and/or she renounces it...I would like to see Kitana wear something a little more beat up or haphazard; giving the sense that she cares very little for her appearance anymore. Something to reflect her bitterness, I suppose.

This is how I described her in a small fan fic story I wrote depicting her after Armageddon:

Kind of a broad description, but something in that general direction I think would be a nice change of pace.

This is an old pic..and since she's still pretty much wearing a bathing suit in it, I can't say this is what she should look like...but this type of look is, I guess for lack of a better word, the "feel" I would like to get.

I want Kitana to keep her absurdly long hair, but ideally, I would like to see the MK team figure out how to animate hair properly so it doesn't look like she's wearing a plastic lump on her head. Just no more hair buns.
I'm not a fan of her being forced into something "regal" or "decent." Not saying she should start dressing like Mileena or anything, but...unless you're Ashrah, decency is for losers.

Yeah, her hair sucks in MK vs DC. Looks like the tail of a horse.
And its badly animated. The MK team seemingly doesn't know
how to create realistic hair textures or movements. WW's hair
was horrid as well, with those two pieces just hanging over her
shoulder looking more like squid tentacles than hair.

Haha..."butthurt".

Seriously though, I can actually say yes to that. Top 100 online right now ("ranked matches" on 360).

Raiden got raped a few ways too storywise, and character portrayal-wise. At this point though, he doesn't, and has never really had it as bad as Kitana though.

I've played with Kitana and she's really pretty solid gameplay-wise. Once you start tieing her moves and stuff together, I think she has potential to be top 5 tier. I have more problems with a good Kitana player, as opposed to a good Flash.

How... common.

Didn't say I think that's exactly how she should look. Just a feel...not sure how else to describe. Sleek and elegant, I suppose is what I'm aiming for. The outfit described in the story excerpt is closer to what I'd really go for.
But I never claimed to be an expert on design.
EDIT:
Come to think of it, sleek/elegant and beat-up/haphazard contradict each other. You know what, just ignore the pic I posted.

I thank you sir.