Tanya

"I have lived for thousands of years because I make the right decisions, I will live a thousand years more an eventually a millennia and then an eon."

- Tanya

Tanya is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. She made her debut in Mortal Kombat 4.

Info
Tanya first appears during the events of Mortal Kombat 4. As the daughter of Edenia's ambassador to new planets and an older sister to Jade, she invites a group of 'refugees' fleeing their own world into the peaceful planet of Edenia. However, the refugees are actually a disguised Shinnok, along with Quan Chi and their sinister Never Never Land forces. Though Tanya pretends this was a tragic accident, she has in fact been working with Shinnok all along.

Thanks to Tanya's treachery, Shinnok is free to wage war against the gods who banished him to the Never Never Land. During this time, she attempts to lure Liu Kang into a deadly trap, but fails. Shinnok's power base is soon destroyed, and with her master gone Tanya - now revealed to be the Traitor of Edenia - flees to Outworld. She helps Kahn's Army briefly imprison Queen Sindel, but is defeated by Shujinko, who was there to free Sindel by the orders of Princess Kitana.

Years later, Tanya is captured by Baraka, who gives her a choice: serve the newly resurrected Dragon King or die. She joins the Dragon King's Army, becoming an adviser to Onaga as he searches for ancient incantations to fuse the Kamidogus into one. Believing that such information still exists in Edenia, Tanya brings Onaga to her native planet.

In Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Tanya is present at the final battle within the craters of the Edenian Southlands. She fights for the Forces of Darkness and dies alongside the rest of the combatants.

Alternative timeline
Tanya is an Edenian who helped the deposed Mileena escape from imprisonment at the hands of the usurper, Kotal Kahn.

During the rebel attack in Gand, when Kotal tries to kill a traitorous Kano, Tanya leaps into the fray to stop him. Kotal warns Tanya that he will never forget those who helped Mileena escape imprisonment, but Tanya protests that Mileena is willing to free Edenia from Outworld, whereas Kotal refuses to do so. Kotal argues that Outworld is strongest when united, but Tanya replies that it will never be united under his rule. The Emperor defeats Tanya, but before he can kill her, he is attacked by Tarkatan soldiers, Tanya escaped while he was distracted.

When D'Vorah and Cassie Cage team up to retrieve Shinnok's Amulet from Mileena's camp in the Kuatan Jungle, Rain explains that he has set up Mileena to kill herself by using the amulet, whereupon he will assume power. While he is speaking, Tanya sneaks up on Cassie from behind and attacks her while D'Vorah battles Rain. Tanya is victorious against Cassie and - after D'Vorah defeats Rain - turns to attack her too. She says D'Vorah's people, the Kytinn, believed they were left alone out of respect for their solitary nature; in fact, they were simply disliked.

D'Vorah then defeats Tanya, and is about to kill both Tanya and Rain with her stings when Cassie demands she spare them. D'Vorah reluctantly obeys, allowing the two Edenians to live for no obvious reasons.

Quotes

 * "The Tarkatans are in position. We await your order."
 * "I'm pleased you remember me, Ko'atal."
 * "She vowed to create a free Edenia. Something you refuse to do."
 * "It will never be united under your rule."
 * "Leaving without your friend, D'Vorah?"
 * "Your people believe we avoided your island out of respect for your solitary nature; we just didn't like you."
 * "I had been called an enforcer of Onaga. I preferred the term "ambassador". It was my duty to impose the will of the Dragon King upon the denizens of Outworld. Onaga was aware of Shao Kahn's invasion of Edenia so many years ago. Apparently the Dragon King had been watching Shao from beyond death. Whatever the late emperor had been attempting, Onaga was determined to complete it. He was looking for lost information, ancient spells that would fuse the Gods' six Kamidogus into one and therefore make it possible for him to wield their combined might. I have brought him to Edenia, where I believed that information still existed."

Powers and abilities
Tanya is a skilled fighter and has a number of special attacks. She is able to shoot a fireball from her hands and lunge forward in a corkscrew style attack with her feet covered in flame aimed at the opponent. Tanya can also perform kicks that have her feet charged with fire and she can also disappear in flaming haze, turning invisible.

Personality and traits
Tanya seems to view her self as a survivor more than anything else, justifying her choices as being the "right decisions". Though she is skilled combatant, Tanya prefers more subtle means of achieving her goals.

Journal Entry
Like Kitana and Rain, Tanya is an Edenian, a native of a planet conquered by Shao Kahn and merged with Outworld millennia ago. The Edenians have been fighting for independence ever since. Though she's a skilled combatant, Tanya prefers more subtle means of achieving her goals. More recently she and Rain have allied with the ousted former Outworld empress, Mileena. Tanya and Rain will help Mileena regain her throne in exchange for the creation of a new Edenia. What will become of Tanya's relationship with Mileena thereafter, none can say for certain...

Trivia

 * It was very hard to tell that she was evil at first, since she seemed very innocent. However her ending in MK4 showed her truly malicious nature.
 * Tanya is considered one of the most untrustworthy characters, since she constantly double-crosses people, like Eric Borlinghathen.
 * In MKX story mode, she told Kotal Kahn that she wanted to help Mileena because Mileena vowed to create a free Edenia. This is quite baffling because Tanya always betrays her planet.