Prior to launch, some Mortal Kombat 11 fans were upset when they came to the realization that Mileena wouldn't be in the game. The clone of Kitana has proven to be quite popular with Mortal Kombat fans over the years, and it seems many were sad to see her go.

Mileena doesn't even get a cameo appearance in Mortal Kombat 11. Some other missing characters, like Reptile, for instance, appear in the Krypt. Others still are seen at the end of certain characters' Towers. However, Mileena is nowhere to be seen in Mortal Kombat 11, and while it's unfortunate for her fans, there is a storyline reason why Mileena isn't in the game.

Please note that to discuss why Mileena isn't in Mortal Kombat 11, we have to touch on spoilers for Mortal Kombat X.

Why Isn't Mileena in Mortal Kombat 11?

The storyline reason why Mileena isn't in Mortal Kombat 11 is a simple one: she's dead. During the events of Mortal Kombat X, D'Vorah kills Mileena in a rather gruesome way, which can be seen in the above video. Mileena's death is referenced by Kitana and Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 11's story mode, but otherwise that's all we get of her in the new game.

Of course, some fans will point out that the time-traveling nature of Mortal Kombat 11's story means that there's not a real excuse for Mileena not to be in the game, beyond NetherRealm simply choosing to exclude her. After all, other dead characters appear in Mortal Kombat 11 thanks to the time-traveling gimmick, so why not Mileena?

Time-traveling or no, Mileena is not in the Mortal Kombat 11 base game, but some may be wondering if there's hope to see her added as DLC.

Will There Be Mileena DLC for Mortal Kombat 11?

Since we don't know almost any of the Mortal Kombat 11 DLC characters at the time of this writing, it's certainly possible Mileena could be added as DLC. And even if Mileena wasn't being planned for DLC, perhaps the fan uproar over the character can convince NetherRealm to add her to the game. However, we wouldn't hold our breath.

Ed Boon has teased Mileena fans on Twitter, poking fun at how some conspiracy theorists have looked too deep into his tweets for DLC character clues. Furthermore, Kitana inherited Mileena's sais and some of her attacks for one of her variations, which makes it seem even less likely that Mileena herself will be added to the roster, as she would be somewhat redundant at this point.

Mileena coming to Mortal Kombat 11 could still happen, but fans will just have to wait for the rest of the DLC characters to be announced to know for sure.

Mortal Kombat 11 is out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.