Skarlet was originally a rumored character in Mortal Kombat II, a rumor that has since been debunked as a color glitch in which Kitana was wearing all red instead of blue. However, that doesn't mean Ed Boon and his cronies weren't paying attention to the rumors. Now they've given us the real thing to play with in the newestMortal Kombat. Skarlet is a creation of Shao Khan, the main antagonist of the new, and most of the older, Mortal Kombat games. She was created by gathering the blood of numerous warriors and the generous application of sorcery. She is Shao Khan's best enforcer, and one of the only beings he trusts, since he made her himself.

In play, Skarlet is a lot like Mileena with a bit of Kitana thrown in. Skarlet carries two short ninja swords and a quartet of kunai on her thigh. All of these are used in combat. She has upward and downward slashing moves using the swords as well as kunai throws that resemble Mileena's sai throws, but faster. Her other moves are all based around blood. As a being made of blood, she has certain blood sorcery powers. She has a teleport move similar to Mileena's in which she turns to blood, then teleports above and behind the opponent, slashing downward as she falls. She can also cut her own leg and throw a ball of blood as a projectile, though at the cost of some of her own health. In the story, she is strengthened by blood, making for some of the most disgusting fatalities as she liberally bathes in her opponents' blood.

The addition of Skarlet is a welcome one in a roster that is traditionally a bit light on women, though why that new woman had to be yet another ninja (to add to the three already on the roster) is beyond me. Nevertheless, her move set is balanced and fun, making for a quick, light character in the same vein as the other female ninjas. The blood ball maneuver adds an element of risk not seen in other Mortal Kombat characters, using some of your own health in order to inflict significant damage in a projectile. If blocked, you've spent more than you've inflicted. If unblocked, it's one of the most powerful projectiles in the game. 

Overall, Skarlet is a fun, nasty character in the traditional Mortal Kombat style. While similar to other female ninjas, her story is fun and her moves are just different enough to make her stand out as her own character. Skarlet makes a bloody and fun addition to the new Mortal Kombat.