Kitana

Out-of-universe: Kitana was developed by the creators of the Mortal Kombat franchise; an early concept name was 'Kitsune' and the final name was coined as a portmanteau of 'Kitsune' and 'Katana' to produce a name that the designers considered to sound generically Asian. Design history notes she originally used sai in early concept art before being finalized with steel/war fans; live-action promotional footage for Mortal Kombat II used fans constructed from reflective paper material. In-universe: Kitana is introduced in Mortal Kombat II (1993) as a royal of the realm Edenia presented initially as the (step)daughter of Outworld ruler Shao Kahn and later revealed to be the biological daughter of King Jerrod of Edenia; she is narratively connected to characters such as Mileena (a clone/palette-swap counterpart), Liu Kang (ally/love interest in portions of the series), and other roster characters of the franchise.

Sources depict Kitana as a human (warm-blooded) female royal warrior from Edenia whose signature equipment is a pair of steel/war fans used as weapons. Development notes record an original outfitting with sai that was replaced by fans in the finalized design. The character has been represented across media (games, films, comics, promotional footage), with live-action filming for Mortal Kombat II using fans made from reflective paper material. Beyond the fans and her presentation as an Edenian royal female warrior, provided sources do not give a consistent detailed physical description such as precise height or full clothing specifics.

In-universe and gameplay portrayals center on fan-based combat: her special moves use fans as melee weapons, as thrown projectiles, and to lift opponents airborne (fan-based lifts). Signature moves noted in sources include 'Fan Throw' and recurring finishing moves such as the 'Kiss of Death' Fatality (first seen in Mortal Kombat II) and fan-based decapitation finishers (expanded in later entries). The 'Kiss of Death' Fatality was cited by creator Ed Boon as inspired by a cinematic death in the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die. Gameplay characterizations across reviews and guides describe her as having quick attacks, powerful projectile options, fast throws and sweeps, strong corner combos, and — in later entries like Mortal Kombat X and onward — multiple fighting variations that alter move sets.