Mileena from the Mortal Kombat series
Mileena is one of the most recognizable and fastest identifiable characters from Mortal Kombat, having evolved significantly since her first appearance in Mortal Kombat II (1993).
Due to all the different timelines in Mortal Kombat lore, presenting a clear backstory of the fighter is not easy, but certain themes are consistently present in various versions:
Mileena has a close connection to Kitana, with whom she is either a twin sister in some timelines or a created clone in others. They share a very similar DNA, with a small catch that makes Mileena a candidate for this list: she is not a pure Edenian (the humanoid species from Edenia) like Kitana, but half Tarkatan, a cannibalistic species of warriors that are particularly bloodthirsty and brutal. And this half is neither inconspicuous nor quiet.
Mileena is almost a complete mirror of her “sister”, except for her eyes and a mouth that she usually hides behind a mask or veil. For the Tarkata influence cannot be hidden. Her eyes are yellow with narrow slits, and her mouth is a large maw full of sharp teeth, which Mileena is also fond of using in combat (and which frequently serve as the active “tool” for her famous fatalities in the game).
In most of the games in the series, Mileena is an antagonist who holds no love for Kitana and has no problem mowing down or devouring anything and anyone that stands in her way.
In the latest Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), which takes advantage of a new timeline, she remains a mix of woman and beast, but a new, altered version of her old self.
Here too, she must conceal her monstrous nature, which is based on a disease and breaks free when she loses control. In this timeline, however, she can rely on her twin sister with whom she now has a significantly better relationship.
