Greetings vaunted denizens of the MKO lair! Your humble host, Garlador the mad and powerful, is here with yet another wondrous rabble of ramblings and rousing rants. Are you prepared?

We've tackled Sheeva, Nightwolf, Mileena, Smoke, Shang Tsung, Stryker, Reptile, and Sonya's boobs, and now it's time to tackle one of MK's most iconic and popular female heroines.

Admin Edit: Please be encouraged to direct new replies to this thread.

You hear that? It's time. And what time exactly is it?


Damn straight, Sonya.

WHO IS SONYA BLADE?
*ahem* That's LIEUTENANT Sonya Blade to you, buckos!

(Like most ladies, Sonya is an emotional woman... but the only emotions she experiences are PURE RAGE and a PASSIONATE LOVE of snapping necks)

Lt. Sonya Blade is a soldier in the US government's elite Special Forces, later forming the Outer World Investigation Agency, the partner of Jackson Briggs, and MK's all-round ass-kicking Golden Girl.


(Sorry, Bea Arthur, but Sonya's the only Golden Girl for me)

Sonya's largely defined by both her professionalism, dedication to her teammates, and her burning desire to bring gang leader Kano to justice.

("Justice" basically amounting to violating every rule of the Geneva Convention... and not caring because Kano has it coming and because, screw you, she's SONYA BLADE.)

In a game dominated by men, in a time when the most popular female game girl was Princess Peach, Sonya was there on the front-lines of turning the tide against the helpless damsel in distress and throwing down with the big boys.

(I'd rather face Goro than Sonya on a bad day)

While her and Chun-Li were the First Ladies of fighting games, they proved themselves just as competent and deadly as their male counterparts, and in fact flourished in popularity to surpass many of the other fighters. Fighting game creators quickly realized that strong female fighters could be just as appealing, if not more so, than the male fighters, and some fighting games even started basing their entire premise around strong female fighters.

(And they certainly carried the torch of progressive, respectful female fighters and ran with it... oh, no, no wait. They didn't. They drove it into the mud. Literally.)

Well, at the very least, Sonya and Chun-Li's simultaneous success propelled more games, even outside of fighting games, to take gambles on strong, self-reliant, empowered female heroines.

("Empowered female heroines" eventually got lost in translation and replaced with "slutty teenage girls with breast implants"...)

Still, Sonya Blade is not only one of Mortal Kombat's most lasting and iconic fighters, she's easily one of the toughest chicks in the entire medium as well as being a trailblazer that paved the way for the likes of heroines such as Lara Croft, Alyx Vance, and even Anya Stroud.

(Sorry, Anya, but there's only room for one tank-top wearing, monster-killing, tough-as-nails military broad, and that's Sonya. Besides, she kills monsters with her BARE DAMN HANDS!)

WHY IS SONYA IN THE SERIES?
As we've covered in Stryker's thread, MK1 was originally going to be an all-dude affair (oh my), but when the team realized the lack of curves and the overabundance of Y-chromosomes, they decided to change things up to keep it from being a total sausage fest.

(it would have been a terrible tournament, but a delicious party)

Because the Mortal Kombat team wasn't exactly the most, well, original group of people on the planet, they based many characters on pre-existing characters, and Sonya was no different. Just taking a wild guess, I'm only about 516% sure she was based on 80's karate darling, Cynthia Rothrock.

(With a -0.35% chance of error)

Also, because MK really isn't that great at coming up with names (unless you consider "Reptile", "Smoke", and "Noob Saibot" to be the epitome of cleverness), Ed Boon just named her after his sister.

(Try not to think about the inspiration for what Ed Boon named "Meat" after...)

Thus Sonya was created, the first of many hardcore, fighting-game-centric, kick-happy blondes in ponytails wearing super-tight outfits and often, improbably, high-heels.

(Make a blonde joke. Go on, I dare you)

Since then, Sonya's role in the story, and her popularity, have kept her coming back time and time again. After her absence in MK2, Sonya was the FIRST confirmed character of MK3, if only to assuage her sizable militia of fans from burning their studio to the ground in a stunning display of proto-feminist outrage.

("There is only one woman this nation endorses, and she hails from the Special Forces! We will shout, from arcade to arcade, that we demand our Sonya Blade!")

But Sonya did return in MK3, was given some new duds to wear, some new moves, and...

...Sweet merciful Elder Gods, she was portrayed by Kerri Hoskins, notable for making it into the Guiness Book of World Records by surpassing the previous record holder, the Sun, as the HOTTEST THING IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

("If I bat my eyelashes, I turn gay men straight and straight women into raging lesbians.")

After this, Sonya became a mainstay in the series and one of its most dependable roster candidates, and she is routinely acknowledged as not just one of Mortal Kombat's most prominent fighters, but also as one of the strongest and most awesome female fighters in the entire gaming genre.

(Sonya's got sugar, spice, and everything nice, but she never needed "Chemical X" to kick some ass)

SONYA'S STORY-
So Sonya began as the gender-swapped military Stryker who chased Kano down to Shang Tsung's island, where her teammates were captured and she was blackmailed into fighting in the tournament to save Earthrealm.


Sonya was mainly there to capture Kano, and depending on when, where, and who you ask, the reasons for this aren't exactly clear. In the movies, comics, cartoons, toys, and some game-tie-ins, it was said he killed her partner, yet in the new game he's stated to be an informant that was playing them for fools, of which Sonya cryptically states "but I was the one he USED". I think I read somewhere that the partner Kano may have killed was also her fiance, which sounded interesting to me. The waters have been muddied a bit, but the short end of the story is "Sonya REALLY hates his guts."

(His crimes against comfy footwear are well documented)

So Sonya fought in the MK1 tournament against her will. However, unlike, well, all the other heroes (Nightwolf, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, etc.), we never see Sonya lose a fight and get disqualified, but it can be assumed she DID lose since only Liu Kang made it to the final match to save Earthrealm.

(When asked, Johnny Cage confessed "I don't remember who won... but the fight was AWESOME.")

After MK1 wrapped up, Shao Kahn decided to be a sore loser and demand a rematch, and to show the heroes he meant business, he attacked them in their homes and kidnapped Sonya to lure them into Outworld.

(Sure the realms wouldn't "merge', but when you have portals that transport you anywhere you want between dimensions, that's like complaining you can't merge your front lawn into your bedroom)

So, somewhat disappointingly, Sonya sat out pretty much all of Mortal Kombat 2, and, even worse, became that token damsel in distress that needed to be rescued. It kinda sucked, unless you're into Sonya bondage, which made it kind of hot.

(Which may explain why they got rid of Kano in the update and replaced him with more half-naked girls.)

Of course, she made a triumphant return in Mortal Kombat 3, where Deadly Alliance later filled us in that she and Kano had an epic battle on the rooftops that resulted in Kano yanking out some of her hair as he fell off a building to his supposed death (only to return later with her hair around his neck as a trophy).

(You really don't want to know how often Kano smells it when he's feeling lonesome)

She joined the heroes yet again to fight off Shinnok's invasion and hunt down the rest of the Black Dragon clan (which was basically just the one Kano-clone, Jarek). Since a hero is only as good as the villain they face, MK4 was a bit of a disappointment for Sonya if only because Jarek was a bit of a disappointment in everything else.

(Giving Sonya Jarek as a main rival is like Lex Luthor deciding Aquaman is his new arch-nemesis)

Still, Sonya pulled her weight, helped organize the new Outer World Investigation Agency, and was doing a pretty good job policing the realms when Raiden came calling yet again for Deadly Alliance. Only problem, however, was Raiden's genius plan of "let's run at them head on and see what happens" kinda failed miserably.

(And Raiden's poor leadership never got anyone killed ever again....)

At this point, Deception rolled around and Sonya was resurrected by Onaga along with the rest of her fallen comrades and enslaved to serve him under a powerful spell. So, great, she's alive again. Can we play as her?


The team apparently decided to give Sonya a break and fill the Sonya-shaped void in our hearts with a move-stealing clone character in her place that was basically just Sonya with red hair.

(And, no, I only WISH we'd gotten this red-headed Sonya instead)

But by the power of deus ex machina, Sonya and the others were restored to normal by the end by the ghost of zombie Liu Kang and the magic bright eyes of Ermac. Thus Sonya was alive again for Armageddon. She was alive, and strong, and ready for round 2!

(Or... kill her and everyone off in two consecutive games in a row...)

Okay, people, you know the drill. What happens when a once-popular series becomes terrible, ground into the dirt through meaningless spin-offs, and made irrelevant with time? You reboot the damn thing and inject it with genuine QUALITY again.

(A lesson learned)

After a rather solid appearance in the goofy DC crossover, which even had her and Kano teaming up and in her ending had her acquiring the weapon of ultimate power...

... it was time to go back to where it all began with MK2011.

So here we are with a new Mortal Kombat game that takes a fresh look back at Sonya and her misadventures through the MK1-3 era. The story for her is pretty much exactly the same, except tweaked a bit to make Jax's rescue the reason for her being in MK1 and that, at the end of the game, she's one of only two Earthrealm heroes that lucked their way into not being slaughtered by Sindel when Raiden screwed up the timeline.

("It's okay, Raiden. Contrived story reasons spared US, so we forgive you for screwing up the timeline, leading our friends to their grisly demise, and outright killing Liu Kang as he tried to save the world...")

Digging further, Sonya's ending has her quitting the Special Forces, roaming the country in a deep depression, suffering a psychotic break, and suddenly being haunted by the apparent ghost of her long-lost father. I'm sure I'm not alone here in going, "um, that's nice, but that's more than a little... RANDOM..."

("So, I see the ghost of my missing father now. Whatever happened to my dead brother? Is that still canon? You'd think the ghost of Jax haunting me would make more sense. No? We're really giving me father issues now? Ooookay... whatever you say, NRS...")

Maybe it's just me, but it seems odd that suddenly Sonya turned into the kid from The 6th Sense.

(Okay, so long as the next MK is more "Unbreakable" and less "The Happening", we'll be good.)

SONYA'S FUTURE-
Practically all the heroes bit the dust in MK2011, with the exception of Johnny Cage, Sonya, and Raiden, and the actions of one of those survivors made me a tad disappointed he wasn't counted among the dead (hint: it wasn't Johnny Cage).

Still, I'm glad SOMEONE survived, and I'm glad it was one of the better MK characters to boot. Sonya's a shoe-in for a return.

Sadly, Kano's also still around, so I'm hoping against hope that the next game doesn't have Sonya going after Kano... again... for the 10th time... in over 17 years...

(Actually, no, we didn't miss you. Let's give Sonya something new to do...)

The sequel has plenty of elbow-room to do something new, whether it's explore her handling the fallout of losing her friends, her dealing with her sanity and seeing ghosts, or even about the much more open, blunt, and honest attraction the new games have shown between her and Johnny Cage.

(So long as they don't turn it into a typical Julia Roberts/Sandra Bullock rom-com, I'm okay with it)

But there is ONE thing I'd like them to fix for the future games.

Sonya's wardrobe. It's... it's just...

(It's just a little bit stupid on a Lady Gaga level)

Now, I'm a healthy, heterosexual man that enjoys attractive women and attractive body parts of attractive women located in attractive areas genetically designed to attract my interest, but I also don't like being pandered to and I DO happen to like using my imagination, but Sonya's more recent ensemble attires don't leave much room for that.

That wouldn't be such a big deal, except Sonya's outfit, unlike most of the cast, does not reinforce either her personality, her background, or her military discipline.

(In the movie "Down Periscope", the female military officer's bras are stolen, forcing her to shamefully endure the humiliation of appearing under-dressed and out of uniform... In MK2011, Sonya wears a "military" outfit 98% more revealing and doesn't bat an eyelash)

This has been beaten to death in other topics both here and on other forums, and, yes, sex sells, but I put my foot down when a great, strong, professional character like Sonya starts wearing LESS than the hookers parading down my street.

(Pictured: The hookers parading down my street)

Or maybe I'm just overreacting and in the MK universe it's perfectly logical to shun supportive undergarments while wearing the latest Victoria's Secret thongs into combat.

("You see, nothing helps me concentrate more during a fierce battle than picking the wedgies out of my crack after every high kick!")

Thong and belly-button piercing notwithstanding, my personal favorite Sonya outfit was Shaolin Monks because, hey hey, she looks like an honest-to-god SOLDIER instead of a stripper hired to cosplay as one.

(Boon: "This is terrible. TERRIBLE! Nobody could ever fap to this! How could anyone ever consider THIS sexy? For the next game, get rid of, like, 80% of those clothes... and put her in high-heels!")

Okay, that little rant aside, let me close this puppy up.

Sonya Blade is quite nearly the very heart and soul of the Mortal Kombat universe. She's always been that constant, headstrong heroine, flawed with single-minded ambition and devotion to duty at the expense of her personal happiness and well-being, yet time and time again has come through when the need arises. She's tough, but the games are not afraid to show her vulnerabilities, her soft and tender side, and that makes her far more than a stereotypical action heroine. She's cut from the same cloth as cinema greats such as Ripley from "Aliens" and Sarah Connor from "Terminator 2". She is a fascinating woman who is made more appealing, more enduring, and even more attractive due to the fact she's one of the most believable and human characters in the series. She's not a super-powered demon or god, she's not a rich and famous celebrity, she's not a Mary Sue-princess or a Christ-like chosen one. She's not a mindless minion, a mystical and supernatural warrior, or a cybernetically-augmented super soldier.

Sort of like Stryker, at the end of the day, Sonya Blade is just a very real woman (er, not like Stryker) facing down overwhelming odds with uncertainty and courage.

But that's what's so great about her. Sonya is the one that jumped into the fray to fight with the big boys, spanked them silly, and sent them crying home to their mommas. She's the diva of destruction with the legendary legs whose neck-snapping capabilities are storied and widely known. She's the militant minx with the kiss of death that can pull off being as tough as a Tonka truck yet still be as irresistible as chocolate frosting on your birthday cake. She's got the beauty to make the men gape, the brains to give them the run-around, and the brawn to ensure they won't get the chance to underestimate her twice.

That's a well-rounded, strongly-written, and highly-appreciated character in the MK mythos... and the fact that her gameplay is just as compelling and her moves and finishers just as memorable only sweetens the entire package.

Sonya, baby, glad to see you in this game, glad you survived, and I'm glad you'll be returning in future installments.


Okay everyone. So, how do you feel about Lt. Sonya Blade? How do you like her story? Tired of Kano, or do you consider him essential to her? What about the loose ends of her ending? Glad she's coming back for more, or perhaps you'd wish she died with the others? Do you like her outfits in the games or do you find them ill-fitting? What's your favorite? Did she rock in this game, or do you consider her incomplete without a standard bicycle kick or a classic Kiss of Death fatality?

Sound off, and let me know who gets covered next!

*whew* Thanks everyone. It's been fun. Garlador out.