I definitely appreciate how much you support this look and this design for Sonya. Like I said before: I honestly agree that its fitting and really nice.

I still think that the way it looks now is just too simple and uncreative to stand a chance against all her other designs, however, just like you, I'm also picturing the additions that I would make to spice her up and make her look interesting. I think it could work.

So, I'm actually really curious to know what you think about this Sonya:



This pretty much borrows from the base of that costume and look that you love and support. However, this one takes her further and added tons of creative and unique elements that makes her overall design stand out. The decorations instantly made her far more impressive, imo.

Is this something you like and support? Does this Sonya-costume resemble the basic ideas you have for the black costume that Garlador did?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts.




Sonya IS a fashion queen. It's unintentional, though.

She really can't help it that she looks smokin-hot while being a total badass. It's really not her fault.



I agree that they look great. But, I also agree with you that the "all-over camo" is not something I'm particularly crazy about this design. As awesome as the edit looks, I think the camo kills the main essence of the design.

Hopefully Garlador will tackle this because it really is an amazing costume.

Just picture it using any of the following colors instead of the camo theme:

1) Red + Silver/White
2) Red + Glowing green
3) Bright glowing Green + Silver/white



I think it's the hair. BTW, I miss you. I hope you are doing well.



1) I'm very happy you addressed the boobs issue! They DID look insanely huge! LOL. You know how I said before that I don't mind big boobs? Well, these were definitely as big as Ivy's, so, yes, I didn't like them either. They made her look ugly.

2) Those are some badass boots! I'm sure Garlador will tackle all of our requests as soon as he gets the chance. I hear the Mr. has been very busy with a certain "Arkahm City" videogame.

But I'm right here, sweety. ^^ *huggles*

Well, here's a bevy of alternates (all with your preferred hairstyle. Guess the Portio de Rossi look doesn't work as well for Sonya). I'm sure ONE of them will suit your fancy.

Boobs still too big. And red and green don't look good together (ever lol).

Okay, now she definately look like Nina Williams! XD
Not that it's a bad thing, she one of my favourite Tekken characters. ^^

Well, then they're too big in her original model then. I made sure I traced the contours of her breasts exactly to match the new version. :P You'd have to convince the official Sonya to get a breast-reduction.

And the red and green was Queve's request. :P Can't say I like neon green with crimson red either, unless she's dressing for the holidays.

Speaking of Queve, I was asked to be "bolder", and to adhere less to normal military outfits.

Well, here's probably my most "different" outfit yet.

Now THAT's a cool futuristic outfit. ^^

Ooh, la la. Me gusta.

I'm getting some Kenshi-esque vibes from this outfit. That weird cyber-Metal Gear look.
Definitely different, but I like it.

Well done!

I actually did reference Special Forces-version of Kenshi for this design. He was running around in a sort of high-tech bodysuit, so I figured, why not Sonya?

That last one looks like armour from World of Warcraft.

Wow :O

I'm sure you know this isn't exactly the most "Sonya" outfit, but all in all, FANTASTIC bit of designing there.

Really.

It'd be a great day for MK if someone with as much thought and attention to detail as you got the job

After that futuristic spin, I did another Sonya concept, this time with a more "undercover street enforcer" spin that is a bit more down and dirty in the underworld criminal element she supposedly hunts so effectively.



Hopefully she still looks sexy and tough, which is always that hard balance to find without skewing to far into either direction.

Look at that!

Seriously we are spoiled :( I'm going to get so sad when these stop coming.



I quite like this one, even the tattoo... if she's undercover it can be a falsey can't it? Hehe.

I really like how much of a departure this is, but one that would make sense for an off-duty or undercover girl from Texas (speaking of, why doesn't she have an accent?)

As always, great render and nice thoughtful additions. Love the jeans on her

Does her tattoo say Johnny? Pfft. It should say Sareena or Skarlet or something, haha . ^_~

HOLY F....!!!!!!
*Angelic Chorus from the bright Heavens*

She looks beautiful! Hands down your most fantastic Sonya edit. Excellent job Garlador!

It's perfect.

You made a glorious design and you managed to incorporate the proper colors into it flawlessly. Seriously, you took that "be bolder" suggestion I gave you and dived into it like a pro. Like I said before, you nailed the design in that previous edit you created, but, not so much the colors. In this one, however, you nailed them both!

Your approach for this design and its colors is super bold and it would have been understandable if you would have failed at something, but, you succeeded! Its very futuristic, very different, she doesn't have any of her known primary colors (green, camo-military, etc), yet, she still looks like Sonya. We all approve!

This could easily be Sonya Blade in MK10. Wait...scratch that, this should be Sonya.

I don't know where to begin to praise your edit: The attention to details is more impressive than before. The fine lines, colors, and decorations in her suit really make this costume one of my all-time favorite Sonya costumes ever (and its not even official but I don't care 'cause you should be working for NRS!). The red, white, blueish-gray and that gorgeous blonde hair all work together to make her quite delicious.

I hope you realize that every time there is a discussion about Sonya's costumes I'll be using your glorious render edits as examples of how she should be handled.

The belt's design is very cool and fitting (nicely done!) and the pockets strapped around her legs are a smart fine addition that help to remind us who she is. I'm also loving the "glowing" red stripes around her suit. Very nice.

My favorite thing is that crazy design in her top, in her stomach area. What exactly where you thinking when you drew those scale-like things (and btw you haven't answered my questions and comments in my last post above *points up*)? It's got an "organic" touch to it, though its clearly metal armor or something like that. Whatever it is, it looks very cool.

That's something else that I really love about your costume: she looks futuristic, but, she doesn't look robotic. Sonya is supposed to be sleek, fast, agile, a kind of acrobat, and a human, so, I don't think that a "Robotic Costume" that looks heavy and way into the realm of the Cyber assassins/Aliens would work for her.

You really did manage to make a perfect balance between the "new" and the "old" with this one. It's something we've never seen Sonya wear, but, we don't even need to double check it to accept it as something that she could (more like "should") be wearing. It's that good.

I'm loving all those "separation lines" that you drew around and over her suit that help to separate or define the areas of her body. It makes the costume even more badass and it helps to make it feel "complicated" and quite official. Excellent Excellent job!

It's so perfect that I actually don't even mind the controversial "lack of a shirt" business under that suit. It works for this costume. Unlike her MK9 primary, it actually looks cool here. Almost as if it made sense....almost.

So, what do you think? A sexy v-shaped shirt under that suit to cover the unnecessary parts of her Rosetta and Derek Tickle-Muffins? Or a "turtle-like" shirt that covers everything all the way up till the neck?

I honestly think she would look more appropriate (and sexier) with a shirt than as she is right now.

I think it would be awesome if you edited a sexy shirt in there, just to have an idea. After all, this IS Sonya Blade: wether she is kicking butt dressed in a classic SF costume or a badass futuristic-fantasy like suit, she should still be decently covered, that means no unnecessary showing of her privates (any of them! lol). A shirt would benefit this design, imo, and it would feel even more like Sonya.

I honestly have no constructive criticism for this one (unless you count the "add a shirt" suggestion as one). It's absolutely flawless.

I'd probably just work on the hands because they do kind of look like you just painted over them. Maybe a hint of the black gloves in them wouldn't hurt? That red doesn't make them look like there's something over them. It kind of looks like they were just painted red. Could be better, but, no big deal.

Finally, glorious job with her hair. Really fitting and sexy. She looks gorgeous. I've always loved Sonya with long loose hair:



If NRS ever manages to make the long hair animation and design look pretty in-game, then, Sonya should definitely have a go at it with her hair loose. But, if it continues to look like giant centipedes as it does today (*shudders*), than no.

Flawless Victory Garlador. Amazing amazing edit.

My favorite so far.



I LOL'ed at your "Ooh, la la". It was exactly what I was thinking when I first saw it!

And yes, the Kenshi-ish vibe and CMG look definitely works.

Sonya never looked so different, and still, she's never looked better!.....almost.



Interesting and good choice.

You did a great job balancing her though. Kenshi's costume does look and feel heavy, imo. But that heavy look suits him well.

Sonya shouldn't look or feel heavy, and this costume definitely doesn't feel that way. Maybe its because its body tight? Whatever it was, well done!

OH! Garlador, whenever you feel inspired to keep taking Sonya even further, please have a "futuristic go" at her with these costumes in mind:













I know you recognize them.

That's kind of the "futuristic body suit" I picture for her. Can you give it a go?

It's pretty much a perfect look for Sonya. Without that collar though (I know she has it in MK9 but its too "alien" for her, imo), and definitely without the boobs popping out like that. A shirt and no silly high heels are a must, but, you know that already.

Whenever I look at Jill like that, I definitely picture Sonya. As for the other "mystery" chick, just add a shirt and combat boots and it could easily be Sonya. Don't you think?

Purrrrr.

Please surprise us.



Exactly my thoughts.

Get to them before MK10 starts production, Garlador! Save us from another unnecessary boob fest, high heels fest, and uncreative predictable boring designs fest.

Will get back to the other new one and posts asap.

Wicked Cool!

This is definitely a refreshing spin.

You are really talented, man. Excellent job with the edit of this costume and the attention to details.

I really love the jean/street jacket and the long ripped jeans look. I think my favorite thing about this costume is the jacket and the teared black shirt. I like the little references to her SF job (such as the designs on her arms and the necklace) and that Johnny Cage tattoo is just adorable.

I think you've gotten much better editing things over her breasts because this jacket looks much better edited (in her) than the one you did for her MKDA costume. This looks more professional and proportional.

Good job with the bandages, gloves (loving the metallic knuckles), and those black straps look really nice in that arm. I'm also really digging those chains. If it wasn't already a "Jade thing" (which is awesome, imo), I'd definitely suggest it for Sonya. Chains like that look nice on her.

This is almost like a super updated version of Lara Croft's "Angel of Darkness" Denis outfit. Your's is a gazillion times better, of course.

Also, it is absolutely worth to mention what a fantastic editing job you did with the bangs coming out of her head like that. Unlike your gorgeous MKvsDC render (the one without the hat or beret), the hair here looks natural and like its part of her head. Remember that constructive criticism I gave you? You applied it here. Good job! And talking about hair, I like the long hair you've made for her, though I feel that a pony-tail suits this costume much much better than that long hair you gave her. Still good, though.

I think its safe to say that you succeeded with the "sexy but very tough" idea.She looks sexy, but, she actually looks more tough imo. When I see this render, I think "badass tough chick" first. That was my first impression. And then I think "hmmm, she's actually hot", almost as if that didn't matter because she looks so badass.

Overall, this is a look and a costume that I really like and I have no constructive criticisms for you. It's flawless. I'm definitely a bigger fan of her other costumes and looks that you did for her, but, this one would make a fun and cool alternate, specially if she was wearing jean-shorts instead of long (I guess its a little too "human" for my taste...does that even make sense?).

Anyway, to begin an important note:

I really really like the colors. I always praise you for doing such a great job making your edits look like realistic and professional works. The colors don't look like they were just pasted and painted over. They have some kind of "texture" that makes the costumes look "alive". The way you color almost all of your edits is really great. I look at the costumes and they do look like "clothes". Not just pasted or sprayed color.

Maybe I'm seeing things, but, the way I see it, there's a kind of texture, some kind of "granulated" addition on top of the clothes that make them look real. Does this make sense to you? Does it sound familiar?

I hope so, because that takes me back to this fantastic design of yours:



Those three are great color choices and I will use them as an example. I like those ideas much better than the camo-colors of your original.

That being said, the colors look, well, to be honest, ugly. Why is that? I think its got to do with what I was saying above. Take a look at the original render:



Even though I like the other color choices you did, I actually think this render still looks superior. I think that's got to do with the quality.

In this render (and all your other renders except the recent variations of this one, actually), the clothes of your Sonyas have a "realistic vibe", a nice "texture" that makes them feel real and alive. The coloring job is fantastic!

But, the variations you created up there don't have that, and they don't look as awesome, professional, and nice. They actually do look fan-made (very unlike you, I must add).

What technique or what "effect" are you using to give the clothes that realistic look? I think that you should give those 3 examples I used above a shot. Make that red and that green look like real clothes. Give them that awesome texture that makes the renders stand out. The "glowing painted look" feels out of place.

Not even those lines in her pants and stomach stand out. They look like they were paint-drawn (specially when compared to that new futuristic Sonya you did). Play around with them or even add something to her chest if the breasts-area looks too empty. You'll know better.

The way its now, it just looks like glowing paint, which is a shame because the colors could work nicely for Sonya. the green costumes colors are a different take for her, but, if done nicely, I think it would be interesting to see.

This is just my humble constructive criticism for you. We've all seen you can do better and I think its good that you know for your future jobs.

Can't wait to hear and see your thoughts. Keep them coming, Garlador!



Blasphemy!

They will NEVER stop coming.

*eerie stare at a particular user*



Well, if she is working undercover she better hide that badge! She can take it out later.

And yes, I too like how much of a departure this is even if its not my favorite costume. Very untraditional for Sonya, but, it still works for her because its something she could wear and that she probably already has. It's got a very badass and tough edge to it. That's pretty neat.

Oh, as for the Texas accent comment, lol, well, I'm assuming she grew up and trained somewhere else that made her either loose it or just not have it. I'm actually not a fan of the exaggerated Texan-accent that you see in films and TV for authority figures, so, I'm glad she doesn't have it.



Yes!



You are both wrong....it should say "Queve".













LOL, the red and green was just an innocent suggestion in order to take a bolder approach. But, yes, that chosen shade of neon-green definitely doesn't work with that red.

Also, Sonya's boobs looks fine to me. Not like gigantic watermelons like the previous one (Ivy-like).



We beg to differ!

Oooh boy.



Well, Sonya is all ABOUT being "pretty" AND "badass", so being "pretty badass" seems like the right spot to aim for.


It's actually mostly from my head, though I did reference and take inspiration from the outfits worn by Stephanie Brown's Batgirl


and a little bit of inspiration from Jax's alternate.

The rest was just a matter of eyeflow, design variation, and practicality.


The black padding/armored bits she has on both serve as protection, but form a visual stand-point, I placed them on her body to guide the eye down her body. Along with the straps, you notice the entire design is basically an arrow flowing down her figure, even with the shape of her top and the V-neck she has on. The point, hopefully, is you start at her face before moving down to admire the rest of her, but your eye keeps flowing down.

Also, I confess I'm not THAT familiar with Lara Croft, having never played any of her games (for shame, I know), so most of the resemblance is coincidental, or at least a shared taste in fashion and aesthetics (which I hope is a good thing).


Thanks. I know you're still gunning for more of that Catwoman/Battlesuit Jill look (and it's coming...)


Yeah, I scrapped another idea I had worked on because I slipped in some camo before realizing I was overdoing it.

Camo is just a very blunt and effective military pattern and coloring that instantly tells you what she's about, and used sparingly can offer up some nice designs and pattern variation. Used too much and it becomes a crutch to lean on, and I've endeavored to do some designs without camo in them for that very reason.


Well, I'm not totally sure about that. Some of my coloring inspiration was from future soldiers that still kept those basic military color schemes even in the future. The soldiers and designs of Metal Gear, Halo, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfare, and even Dead Space were used as references, and camo is used in at least some of their designs. Again, though, as a design choice, it should be used sparingly.


If you're referring to camo, yeah, but every last one of those designs takes heavy inspiration from military themes and coloration. All those designs retain elements of military "olive green" in some way, or include military symbols, badgets, and other military-esque clothing and accessories. One of her primary outfits in MK4 is that traditional olive green, as was the color of her jacket in MKDA, as was the color of her beret and pants in MKvsDC, and her vest in MK9 is a very dark olive green as well.

The only time I think I've EVER seen Sonya wear genuine camouflage was in Shaolin Monks.


Well, one of the reasons I had the camo, and "her" color scheme, was to separate the design from all the other futuristic bodysuits that so many blondes in gaming wear. Even WITH the blaring reminder of who she is, what she does, and where she came from, one of the first responses I got on the outfit was "she looks like Nina Williams", which was what I DIDN'T want the outfit to convey. That's even why I changed her hair (Nina and Jill have the same type of ponytails with bangs look). But I guess those designs are popular for a reason... though I wished to avoid having folks mistake her for someone else, hence the more overt design choices.


I didn't wish to make the outfit TOO futuristic. In fact, nearly everything in this outfit can be made from currently-existing materials, unlike the latter designs I did which are quite a bit more hi-tech in nature. Compared to the cyborgs and Jax's primary with his metal arms and tubes, even this design looks very "modern" by comparison... and the choice for modern colors was intentionally, if not altogether successful.


I hope the alterations I've made and the new outfits answered this request...


Again, I hope I answered that request.


While I genuinely agree, I do understand their reason for NOT having a bright glowing green color. Right now, her color choice is muted, along with the entire rest of the cast's. Many of her big scenes in the game even take place at night or in dark dungeons and cathedrals. A bright color would've made her stand out like a Christmas tree at night and draw attention away from everyone else.

I wouldn't have minded it being a tad brighter, if only to pay homage to her early MK colors, but too bright and it starts to look unrealistic, and not in a cool fantasy way. It's the same struggle I had trying to fulfill your requests to use these very colors. They came across as unnatural, and only by throwing in a lot of "texture" to rough up the colors and spread them out more evenly does it start to work. It CAN work, but I think the NRS team just felt it was more trouble than it was worth with the time that they had.

Though, honestly, the color was the LEAST of my concerns on that design (you know the rest).


It kinda did. Lol. One of the reasons the camo worked originally was the patterns created a variation of design that prevented the eye from focusing on large, empty spaces and shapes. Again, removing that pattern just meant I had to go back in and rough it up with another pattern, so "adding extra" was necessary, though I churned out the original versions very quickly (I was a tad rushed) and only just now fixed some of those issues.


Yep. And there-in lies a designer's greatest challenge; adding too much, or too little. Being too obvious, or too vague.

I'll be the first to say this: Sonya has had one of the least consistent designs in the franchise. Sub-Zero is always a blue ninja, Raiden and Kung Lao (usually) wear their trademark hats, Baraka's trademark fangs and claws are always visible, Shao Kahn always wears a skull helmet, Jax's metal arms are now essential to his character, etc.

But Sonya? What's her "trademark"? Being blonde? Having some military icons on her clothes? What "look" does Sonya have that is just undeniably "Sonya"?

There's a reason a character like Chun-Li can be drawn and identified by anyone. Her trademark colors (blue with gold lining), hairstyle (ox horn buns), and even body size (thighs!) all make her an icon, even if she's wearing an alternate costume (like in Alpha) where all of those things are still there. Say what you will about Ivy in Soul Calibur, she's consistent. Her hairstyle (white haired emo bangs), outfit (skimpy tight purple/lavender leather), body size (boobs!), and weapon of choice are with her in every game.

There's very little consistent about Sonya, which is why my designs aren't so much even me showing NRS that you can be sexy without shoving cleavage in our faces, but also an attempt to figure out what makes Sonya who she is, so that if you stripped away everything else, got rid of the extras and fanservice, what would we have left? If one were to describe "Sonya Blade", the two things that linger and stay consistent are "blonde hair" (in a variety of styles) and "military". The blonde hair HAS to stay blonde, but the military side of her is what I've explored, through logos, tattoos, face paint, camouflage, belts, buckles, badges, patches, pouches, dogtags, color choices, and accessories. So long as it is identifiable as "military", then it should work, but that's harder than it sounds. Nearly all of Sonya's outfits would be incredibly bland without those "little touches".


Taken care of.

Again, I was trying to avoid Jill and Nina comparisons, and based her pulled back hairstyle off of some references of Portia de Rossi and Carmen Elektra, as well as real-life women soldiers who are required to keep bangs OUT of their faces. It's a battle of realism vs. fantasy aesthetics, and, once again, it's hard to find a balance.


Done and doen.



Also done.

Here's that future outfit 2 version with a shirt on, btw.


Either way, glad you're enjoying my work. NRS, here I come...

Still sticking with the fact that Sonya should be the one female character that is fully clothed, and can still look sexy for the guys.

That futuristic army suit, I'm not requoting, nails the spot.

But, since Sonya is going in a new direction with the story and her arcade, this comes to my attention in, "What will she wear for next game?"

In the arcade we know that she's just walking away by herself and in story she's partnering up with Cage and Raiden... That is if they're siding with Raiden.

Could she wear something that isn't military like? Such as Claire's secondary outfit in RE2?

Garlador, don't get any ideas from what I just said.

Awesome!

Thanks for your responses Garlador, I will get back to you asap. Right now I'm in a hurry getting ready to go to work.

I have time for this though:



PERFECTION!

Now that's Sonya Blade at her finest!

The shirt really improves the whole design. She still looks great without it, though. It somehow fits the whole design. But, I feel this is more appropriate for Miss Blade.

I really like this alternate color you used for her, btw. Pretty neat choice of silver/gray.

That being said, can you please give your original one a shirt too?



I actually prefer (and super love) the original colors you used for this fantastic design, so, it would be really nice of you if you gave that one a matching shirt too. I find those colors more attractive and interesting (but that doesn't mean that the gray/silver alt doesn't look awesome, because it does!).

Thanks man. Ttys.

Finally I get a chance to respond. Thanks Garlador!

It's actually mostly from my head, though I did reference and take inspiration from the outfits worn by Stephanie Brown's Batgirl and a little bit of inspiration from Jax's alternate....The rest was just a matter of eyeflow, design variation, and practicality.

Awesome!

And I notice the "arrow look" that you did guiding the eyes from the top all the way down. Cool.

Also, I confess I'm not THAT familiar with Lara Croft, having never played any of her games (for shame, I know), so most of the resemblance is coincidental, or at least a shared taste in fashion and aesthetics (which I hope is a good thing).

1) Definitely shame on you for not playing with Lara.
2) Definitely a good thing (fashion/aesthetics)!

Thanks. I know you're still gunning for more of that Catwoman/Battlesuit Jill look (and it's coming...)

Sooo looking forward to those! Bring them on!

If you're referring to camo, yeah, but every last one of those designs takes heavy inspiration from military themes and coloration. All those designs retain elements of military "olive green" in some way, or include military symbols, badgets, and other military-esque clothing and accessories. One of her primary outfits in MK4 is that traditional olive green, as was the color of her jacket in MKDA, as was the color of her beret and pants in MKvsDC, and her vest in MK9 is a very dark olive green as well. The only time I think I've EVER seen Sonya wear genuine camouflage was in Shaolin Monks.

That's true. You are correct.

As for the camouflage, well, she has a hint of it in her alternate color of her alternate costume in MK9 (shorts and pants).

I hope the alterations I've made and the new outfits answered this request...

Absolutely! That looks more ilk your good work. I like that texture-effect color in the costumes. Definitely looks more professional and real. Good job and thanks!

But Sonya? What's her "trademark"? Being blonde? Having some military icons on her clothes? What "look" does Sonya have that is just undeniably "Sonya"?

Very good questions. Sonya is definitely hard to "diagnose" because, like you said, she's one of those characters who always keep getting fresh new updated looks that are vastly different from her previous ones. She's always had different costumes and after MK4 her iconic colors are never consistent in "predominance" (does this sentence make any sense?).

This is something I personally love and support, however, I DO agree with you that there has to be some iconic consistency in SOMETHING that truly identifies her as Sonya.

In MK, I definitely feel like its all about her blonde hair and military colors and accessories (whether its in the form of an obvious badge or in the form of badass combat boots). By colors, I mean the black, dark green, and even white. Before MKDA, I think it was pretty clear what her main colors were and how they looked, But, ever since MKDA its been pretty mixed and varied. From dark greens to whites and even full blacks and even full cream, its always changing.

I think Sonya = blonde + mixture of military-based colors + at least 1 military accessory. Out of all of those, I think "blonde" is definitely her biggest thing. For good or worse, I can't say.

There's a reason a character like Chun-Li can be drawn and identified by anyone. Her trademark colors (blue with gold lining), hairstyle (ox horn buns), and even body size (thighs!) all make her an icon, even if she's wearing an alternate costume (like in Alpha) where all of those things are still there. Say what you will about Ivy in Soul Calibur, she's consistent. Her hairstyle (white haired emo bangs), outfit (skimpy tight purple/lavender leather), body size (boobs!), and weapon of choice are with her in every game. There's very little consistent about Sonya, which is why my designs aren't so much even me showing NRS that you can be sexy without shoving cleavage in our faces, but also an attempt to figure out what makes Sonya who she is, so that if you stripped away everything else, got rid of the extras and fanservice, what would we have left?

Very well said!

If one were to describe "Sonya Blade", the two things that linger and stay consistent are "blonde hair" (in a variety of styles) and "military". The blonde hair HAS to stay blonde, but the military side of her is what I've explored, through logos, tattoos, face paint, camouflage, belts, buckles, badges, patches, pouches, dogtags, color choices, and accessories.

And according to, well, just about everyone, you've done that quite flawlessly and you've been pretty successful.

So long as it is identifiable as "military", then it should work, but that's harder than it sounds. Nearly all of Sonya's outfits would be incredibly bland without those "little touches".

I absolutely agree! That is one of the main reasons why I do not support a "realistic military/soldier" approach for Sonya. I get what some fans want when they ask for a more "modern realistic tough military girl", but, the overall concept bores me. It works great with those girls we've seen in war games or even RE, but, this is MK where FASHION is, whether you like to accept it or not, just as important as your gameplay (lol).

I definitely support the idea of there being a balance between the "fantasy" and the "realistic", but, I lean more towards the fantastic side of Sonya's character. The girl can defy gravity, shoot energy orbs, create fire, conjure toxic mist, leg grab you to death, etc, she has to look more than just your average every-day soldier or special agent.

Garlador, I'm so looking forward to your remaining edits.

Both of these go out to Queve.

Here's Sonya with a shirt with her blue outfit.


And here's a new bodysuit concept that took liberally from the Catwoman/Jill Valentine battlesuits Queve wanted me to draw inspiration from, though modified to avoid the cleavage and with a healthy dose of my own tweaks, twists, and touches.

This is where Quevey and I strongly disagree... One of the few, in fact...

I don't see any rhyme or reason to Sonya wearing an outfit like that. It's TOO far fetched for a military chick who has always been grounded in some basis of reality for her entire run...

It would look so out of place for both her as a character and among the rest of the roster...

I was uber p-oed when they did it to Jill Valentine too... It's not sexy (unless you're Catwoman or that Kate Beckinsale vampire chick), it's not practical and it's infinitely less sensible than even her simple tanki top and shorts look.

Good render as always, but it's my personal no-no for Sonya.

I said the same about Jax's MK VS DC outfit (which Quevey will also disagree with)... They're not X-Men! :P

Yeah, I'll throw in my own two cents.

I prefer the grounded realism Sonya has shown in the past. Using Jill Valentine as an example, I will pick RE1, RE3, and pre-brainwashed Jill over RE5 battlesuit Jill any day.

Queve has particular tastes, and when creating anything you always cater to the "client's" demands, whether you agree or not. I'm not adverse to Queve's "future soldier" look, one that's more of a bodysuit or hi-tech futuristic armor...

... But people forget the setting of MK1 was in our real-world 1995 or 1996 era, and Sonya's birth date was actually listed as 1969. We're sort of throwing that out now, apparently, but for a "future solider", she's actually from an era that's now nearly 15 years into our past.

I personally prefer Sonya to be far more grounded. Clutter her up with tech and armor and you can't let Sonya's more human elements shine through. She's not an armored soldier (like Gray Fox, Master Chief, or any other futuristic warrior), she's just a military girl who learned some kick-ass Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo along the way.

Again, this is my personal preferences, but I struggle to put Sonya in anything other than a shade of green. It doesn't have to be bright lime green (MK3), but for any designs I'd do for her, officially, I'd have to include her wearing green in a primary. Maybe not as a dominant color, but it needs to be on her somewhere (a hat, boots, gloves, shirt); barring that, at least another military color or motif (camo, military grays and tans).

These are Queve's requests, but my next batch is less sci-fi and more like my first original render, which was, for the most part, all currently available military gear and clothing that was available in 1996.

It's a weird hybrid, with cyborg ninjas and Jax and his metal arms, but that's one reason I wish to keep Sonya out of skin-tight tech suits... because, well, she doesn't NEED high-tech bodygear to kick ass in. The girl could throw on a wife-beater, some boots, and either hiking shorts or leather pants and that'd be all she needed.

Again, I don't wish to belittle Queve's tastes, but my personal view of Sonya veers more towards my first few designs than towards the more recent, techno ones.

If we're going for a futuristic look for Sonya, I'd go for a non-stereotype... That means no bodysuits! Her MKvsDCU look and her current MK look are quite fitting for a more futuristic/modern soldier look... though, again, lose the heels and put on a white shirt under that vest. ^^

I like your earlier edits, like the one with the brown camo jacket and black shorts and I also like the blue jeans, torn shirt and jacket edit.

The body suits in my view have never been appealing to me on human characters, it just seems like something a cyborg or Gray Fox would wear.

I disliked them on Jill Valentine too(her regular gear with the blue and cap was awesome).

Sonya's costumes I prefer to be standard, inspired by current military looks, but taking some liberties with it, like the exposed belly.

Oh and of course this:

I would adore her MK9 costume if there was no heels and an undershirt, such a perfect costume thrown out of whack by something.