Mileena was among the last of the additions to Mortal Kombat 11's cast as she joined the roster on November 17, 2020 as part of Kombat Pack 2.
A corrupted clone of Kitana created by Shang Tsung using the Tarkatan blood, Mileena first joined the MK franchise via Mortal Kombat 2, which dropped in arcades in late 1993.
Though she's got more than a few costumes now, Mileena still dons very recognizable magenta outfit. It's definitely evolved over the years to be more and now less revealing, but we don't need to look twice at Mileena's MK11 model to know exactly whom we're dealing with.
Though her origins set her out on a path to be a mere pawn, Mileena has very much garnered her own unique identity with her own unique goals over the years, and amassed a very large fan base as a result. Her vicious Tarkatan fangs exemplify how dangerous and able she is, though her attractive, womanly physique still tends to lower defenses.
Mileena is primarily about mauling foes with her shorter ranged, up close and personal attacks. She uses her claws to mix foes up when she's near, often putting them into high/low mix ups and shimmying about to get them to narrowly miss her with attacks of their own. Playing from this distance, she naturally will mix in a lot of grabs to keep opponents juggling as many potential options as possible. She also has her trademark sais that she can throw from a distance to aid her from farther out, though she really can't rely on these too heavily.
Though very popular, Mileena just isn't very strong, tier-wise, in Mortal Kombat 11. Many pro players place her in the bottom 10, and sometimes the bottom 5, of tier charts due to her poor range of attack. She can be zoned out by many other members of the cast, and isn't usually safe even when she does get in and go for a mix up.
This character, beloved by so many, was a welcome (see: demanded) addition to Mortal Kombat 11. She effectively portrays the voracious and violent aspects of her design while still retaining a sense of smarmy intelligence and control that deepens her personality. It would have been nice to see this translate into her in-game effectiveness as well, but non-competitive fans will surely love Mileena's excellent MK11 portrayal.
