Tanya is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. A treacherous and deceiving Edenian, Tanya has served as a minor antagonist in the series, siding with many of the major villains in the series. She serves as a major ally to the half-Tarkatan Mileena.
Tanya made her playable debut in Mortal Kombat 4 and appeared in a few games after until being one of the many characters in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
Tanya returned in Mortal Kombat X as a non-playable fightable character while also serving as a minor antagonist in the game's Story Mode. She later appeared as a DLC character, being the second available through DLC as part of the Kombat Pack.
Tanya is a slender, gloomy woman from Edenia. Originally introduced as an ostensible innocent, she was quickly revealed to be corrupted by evil, a worshiper of Shinnok and an ally to the Brotherhood of Shadow. After Shinnok's defeat, she later served Shao Kahn, the Deadly Alliance, and Onaga. Tanya seems to view herself as a survivor more than anything else, justifying her choices as being the "right decisions". She is one of the few henchwomen from the Mortal Kombat series, and prides herself on her superior knowledge of magic and diplomacy. Because of her frequent betrayal of the Edenian cause, she has earned the rivalry and bitter hatred of Jade.
A new version of Tanya returns in Mortal Kombat 1 as a playable character and serving as an antagonist & supporting role in the game's Story Mode. In the new timeline, Tanya becomes a leader of the Umgadi, an order of warrior priestesses selected from the firstborn daughters of Outworld and tasked with protecting the royal family. Her traitorous tendencies have completely vanished, though her relationship with Mileena and her family remains.
Mortal Kombat: Shinnok's Uprising[]
Tanya functioned as Shinnok's own spy, as she and her "father" met up with Queen Sindel and the two offered a gem under the guise as refugees from one of the so-called new realms, Triche. Caught off guard, Shinnok congratulated her on his successful escape from the Netherrealm as established by her and Quan Chi! Since then, Tanya had been established as one of Shinnok's esteemed spies and generals to his demonic cause.
Tanya met up with Liu Kang inside the Tomb soon after Kai was apprehended by Reiko. She sympathized with Liu's predicament being vulnerable and alone, and she escaped from Quan Chi's hold over the Edenian Palace. She assured him she's known as a survivor and tactician, despite having superficial characteristics. She then led Liu thru one of the subterranean prison tunnels leading to the Palace as they needed to go in discreetly to save Kitana and the other prisoners. But little did the Champion knew that it was a trap rigged by her. Luckily, the doors shut, and Jade triggered it! Tanya was furious she broke her cover, and the traitor was soon slain by Jade and her lethal staff! Jade then assured Liu that everyone used to be deceived by the Edenian rebel, even when she was impersonating Jade and framing her. Jade mentioned Liu's not the only one to fall prey to Tanya's deception.
Return of the Dragon King[]
Tanya made her wrathful return as she ambushed Jade, Sindel and half of the royal guard inside the Lost Tomb. She was also allied with Kitana, corrupted by Onaga. The two vicious Edenians made their marks, although Jade was able to mop the floor with her easily, utilizing the same tactics she used before.
Final Kombat[]
Tanya was part of the Forces of Darkness during the Battle of Armageddon and was bested by Jade. She was actually knocked back severely by Kahn's Hammer before she was incinerated in the fatal firestorm.
Trivia[]
- It was easy to pick an ideal VA for Tanya during Shinnok's Uprising as Lia Montelongo played the role.
- An interaction between Tanya and Kung Jin would have Jin rejecting Tanya. This, followed by a scene in the Story Mode between Raiden and Kung Jin would lead to the speculation that Kung Jin was the first homosexual character in the Mortal Kombat series. This was later confirmed on Twitter by creator Dominic Cianciolo that Jin is indeed homosexual.
- Tanya later appears in Mileena's Arcade ending in MK11 with their own daughter. Only to betray and kill them later!
- Her source code description in MK1 is Protection.
Gallery[]
_skin_-MK1.webp "Tanya (MK4) skin -MK1.webp (7 KB)")
