Sonya Blade



"I guess I'll have to do this the hard way!"

- Sonya Blade's Mortal Kombat (2011) Battle Cry

Lieutenant Sonya Blade, (USA) or Lt. Sonya Blade, (USA), is a female soldier who is a member of Earthrealm's Special Forces unit known as Outer World Investigation Agency (OIA) in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. She is one of the few original Mortal Kombat characters, debuting in the first Mortal Kombat arcade game.

About Sonya
A member of a top United States Special Forces unit, Sonya Blade is a beautiful, stern, tough-as-nails lieutenant. Her impulsiveness is catalyzed by her superior and good friend Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs. Sonya represents a very emancipated and headstrong woman, but for all her stubbornness and pride, she deeply cares about the lives of her friends and comrades. She has a long-standing enmity with the thug Kano, who had murdered a former partner of hers, and stands for everything Sonya despises.

Powers and abilities
Sonya has the power to fire and manipulate pink-colored energy, as well as gain temporary flight (or at the very least the ability to maneuver in air). Her abilities are vast, mostly based on agility, as well as deadly and impressive due to her Special Forces training. She is very fast in combat, using quick and effective kicks and strikes.

She is also, along with Liu Kang, Nightwolf, Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Smoke, Kabal and Stryker, one of Raiden's Chosen Warriors, being the only female with the honor and, thus, one of the strongest fighters not only in Earthrealm, but all the realms.

Signature moves

 * Energy Rings: Clanging her wrists together, she sends out ring-like fireballs that would hit the opponent. (MK, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MKvsDCU, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Rings Of Justice and fires two rings, one at normal height and the other at a lower level.
 * Leg Grab: Sonya does a handstand and grabs her opponent with her feet, then slams them to the ground. (MK, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MKvsDCU, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Krazy Legs. After the opponent is slammed onto the ground, they bounce over Sonya, who grabs them and slams them back down.
 * Air Leg Throw: Using her legs she tosses the opponent to the ground from thHead_sonya.png air. (MK4, MKG, MK 2011)
 * Face Planter: She takes off into the air and flies across the screen with a punch to anyone who is in the air. (MK, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MKA, MKvsDCU)
 * Inverted Bicycle Kick: Like Liu Kang, Sonya rises into the air with a series of kicks to the opponent. This can turn into Bike Assault after doing a Bicycle Kick - Sonya does another Bicycle Kick to the ground. The inverted bicycle kick slightly returns in MK 2011, but Sonya can only perform it during her X-Ray Move. (MK3, UMK3, MKT, MK4, MKG, MKvsDCU)
 * Kartwheel: Sonya performs a cartwheel at her opponent, kicking them on impact. (MK4, MKG, MKvsDCU, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Kartwheel Bash and increases damage.
 * Flying Kick: Sonya flies across the screen with a kick to the opponent's torso. (MK:DA, MK:A)
 * Kiss: Sonya blows a kiss that stuns the opponent by irritating their eyes. Note that this move won't work on Kenshi, due to the fact that he is blind. (MK:DA, MK:A, MKvsDCU, MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Deadly Kiss and hits the opponent at a further distance. This can be charged as well, but doesn't change the distance.
 * Armed Forces: Sonya crouches down and releases a purplish pink projectile from her hands at the opponent. (MK:A)
 * Arc Kick: Sonya performs a kick that arcs through the air, enabling her to hit the opponent in the air or on the ground. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Arc Wave and travels at a faster speed, as well having increased damage.
 * Air Drop: Sonya can do a kick straight down after jumping in the air. (MK 2011)
 * The enhanced version is called Air Strikes and will do multiple kicks on the way down.
 * thumb|250px|rightX-Ray Move - SF Beat Down: Sonya initiates her X-ray Move with a series of punches and kicks (four to be exact), which if any one of them lands, she then performs a leg grab on the opponent's neck, snaps it, then she uses the inverted bicycle kick and slams him/her on the ground head first, breaking their skull and neck. (MK 2011)

Fatalities

 * Flame Kiss: This fatality has been Sonya's trademark fatality ever since MK. She would blow a flaming kiss in the direction of her opponent, burning him/her alive. (MK, MK3, UMK3, MKT, MKvsDCU)
 * Pulse Kiss: Another variation of this fatality was found in Mortal Kombat 3 in which she would once again blow a kiss and an amazing purple, glowing orb would be hurled towards an opponent, thus crushing the opponent and leaving behind a pile of blood and bones. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Slice Kiss: The kiss returns with a different style. She conjures an energy ball that destroys the opponent's upper torso once it makes contact. (MK4, MKG)
 * Scissor Split: Sonya performs her leg grab trademark move and grabs her opponent with her legs, holding them high momentarily before ripping the body apart by splitting her legs. (MK4, MKG, MK 2011)
 * Intoxicating Kiss: The kiss once again returns and this time, with a sadistic new style. Sonya exhales a mystical poisonous mist at her opponent, causing him/her to choke and vomit food twice and blood once. While the opponent is distracted by the vomiting, Sonya then jumps in the air and crushes her opponent's head with her feet. (MK:DA)
 * Airborne Blade: Sonya grabs the opponent by the neck, stands upside-down while doing so and snaps their neck. In Mortal Kombat 4, she uses this as her Grab attack, doing the very same thing but it is not used as a Fatal Blow. (MKvsDCU)
 * Kut-Throat: Sonya gets a garrote wire, puts it at her opponent's throat and flips over their head. She then slowly slices through their neck, and their head comes off. (MK 2011)

Other finishers

 * Friendship #1: Sonya moves her hands in front of her face, changing her expression each time. (MK3)
 * Friendship #2: Sonya would salute and flowers would grow all over the floor. (UMK3, MKT)
 * Animality: Hawk Rip: Sonya turns into a giant hawk and carries the opponent into the air and dices them to pieces. (MK3, UMK3, MKT)
 * Babality: Sonya does her Inverted Bicycle Kick and lands on her side. She spins around throwing a tantrum. (MK 2011)

Mortal Kombat
In the first Mortal Kombat feature film, Lieutenant Sonya Blade is portrayed by actress Bridgette Wilson. In the film, Sonya's pursuit of Kano leads her into the Mortal Kombat tournament, where she meets Liu Kang and Johnny Cage. The three of them are chosen by Raiden to represent Earthrealm in the tournament, and it is there that Sonya encounters Kano and defeats him, avenging the murder of her former partner by Kano's hands. Later in the film, Sonya is taken prisoner by Shang Tsung and challenged by him to Mortal Kombat. Sonya is rescued by Liu Kang, Johnny Cage and Princess Kitana. Liu Kang takes Sonya's place and defeats Shang Tsung, winning the tournament.

Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm
Sonya Blade appears in Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm which is an animated cartoon series based on the Mortal Kombat franchise. In the series, Sonya Blade is voiced by Olivia d'Abo.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
In the second Mortal Kombat feature film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Sonya Blade is portrayed by actress Sandra Hess. In the opening sequence, Sonya is taken hostage by Shao Kahn, but is subsequently saved by Johnny Cage, but at the cost of his life. Despite her sorrow over Cage's death, Sonya continues to aid her fellow Earthrealm warriors and Raiden in bringing an end to Shao Kahn's rule, and saves her parter and friend, Jax, from an extermination squad lead by Cyrax. Afterwards, she successfully fends off an assassination attempt on her life by Mileena, and is saved from being killed by one of Shao Kahn's monsters by Jax. In the final battle between the Earthrealm warriors and Shao Kahn's combatants, Sonya engages and defeats Ermac. The Earthrealm warriors are victorious in the battle and Earthrealm is restored to its normality.

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth is a short film directed by Kevin Tancharoen. In the film. Sonya Blade is portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan. She informs assassin Hanzo Hasashi about Sub-Zero in Shang Tsung's underground tournament.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy
In this webseries Jeri Ryan reprises her role as Sonya Blade. In "Jax, Sonya and Kano" she is seen spying on a Black Dragon warehouse. Sonya attempts to transmit a report to Jax but Kano found her and delayed its transmission for two days, enough time for the Black Dragon's "Cyber Initiative" shipment to take place. When Jax, Stryker and the rest of the Special Forces ambush the warehouse, a grenade misfired from a grenade launcher during Jax and Kano's fight dislodged her chains, being below the ceiling, allowing Sonya to break free. She then flees to find Jax, taking out a henchman, but not before he launches a grenade at Jax. Jax then runs to Sonya, protecting her from the blast with his arms. Both survive but are hospitalized, and Jax's arms were blown off, though Stryker "has a plan for him", referring to the installment of Jax's cybernetic arms.

Movies

 * Partner of Jax in both the first and second movies.
 * Arch nemesis of Kano in the first movie.
 * Friend and ally of Liu Kang and Johnny Cage.
 * Defeated and killed Kano in the first movie.
 * Taken captive by Shang Tsung.
 * Freed by Cage, Liu Kang, and Kitana before the final battle.
 * Saved from death at the hands of Shao Kahn by Cage, who in turn was killed in the second movie.
 * Recruited Jax to help in the battle against Shao Kahn in the second movie.
 * Defeated an extermination squad lead by Cyrax.
 * Killed Cyrax.
 * Defeated and killed Mileena.
 * Saved from an unearthly creature by Jax.
 * Defeated and killed Ermac in the final battle.

Comics

 * Hypnotized by Reptile into becoming the bride of Shao Kahn.
 * Shared a relationship with Johnny Cage.

Mortal Kombat Legacy

 * Lieutenant of the Deacon City Police Department.
 * Sneaked into the Black Dragon's warehouse to investigate the "Cyber Initiative".
 * Captured by the Black Dragon and imprisoned in a room where she was taunted by Kano, the leader of the Black Dragon, who had murdered her old partner, until the DCPD broke into the warehouse.
 * Saved by Jax from a grenade explosion, but the two were badly injured.
 * Awakened in a intensive care unit one week later, where Stryker told her that the Department of Defense has a "plan" to save Jax.

Stage Relationships

 * Arctika: After taking out Sektor's warship, Sonya hacks into the Tekunin tracking system whilst Taven has one of their tracking devices on him. Sonya attempts to get information from him, only to be defeated. (MK:A)
 * Dark Prison: The possessed Sonya is kept here until Onaga requires her for his sinister tasks. (MK:D)
 * Kahn's Arena: Sonya and Kano were both captured by Outworld forces and chained up, forced to watch as Shao Kahn attempted to destroy her friends. (MKII)
 * Subway: An Earthrealm location where the Special Forces advertise recruitment (MK3, MK:A)
 * Warrior Shrine: Sonya is one of the warriors honored here by way of a statue in her likeness. (MK)

Trivia

 * The character Sonya was inspired by the karate champion and movie actress Cynthia Rothrock.
 * Sonya was named after one of Boon's sisters. He confirms this in a video interview in the special edition of Deception.
 * Her known relatives are Major Herman Blade (father, deceased), Erica Blade (mother, unknown), and Daniel Blade (twin brother, deceased).
 * Sonya almost didn't make it into Mortal Kombat. Originally, Kurtis Stryker, who later debuted in MK3 (although, at the time, the name was given to the character who would eventually be called Jax in MKII) used her storyline, but he was dropped and Sonya created to add a female character to an otherwise all-male cast.
 * Sonya was revealed to be one of Ed Boon's favorite characters during an interview around the time MK3 came out. Boon stated that she was not only one of the strongest, but also one of the most popular characters of the series.
 * Sonya and Kano were the first MK3 characters to be confirmed.
 * Sonya's body can be seen in the introduction of Mortal Kombat Deception, located on the stairs leading to the Shang Tsung's palace.
 * Originally, Mortal Kombat: Special Forces was to have both Jax and Sonya as playable characters; however, Sonya's part was dropped due to deadline issues. In early shots of Special Forces at the time when Sonya was still in the game, it listed her code name as "Panther".
 * Sonya was originally going to fight Jade during the first movie in a secret arena, but the scene was cut from the shooting script and never filmed.
 * In Malibu Comics' non-canon Mortal Kombat comic book series, Sonya was kidnapped, and hypnotized by Reptile into marrying Shao Kahn. Their marriage would have opened the barriers of the two worlds (Outworld and Earth) and Kahn would had been able to take Earth as his own (as well as Sonya becoming his Queen). The wedding was stopped during a battle involving the entire cast of the first two games. The comics also suggested a love interest between Sonya and Johnny Cage.
 * A false rumor that spread among many players in the first Mortal Kombat was the existence of a code that would make Sonya appear naked in the game (referred to as the "Nudeality" or "Nudality"). Various reports told of its existence only appearing in the Sega version, only in the arcade version, and so on.
 * Sonya's partner who was killed by Kano was named Cliff LoDolce in Jeff Rovin's MK novel, Bill van Hoven in the MK movie novelization, and Wexler in the cartoon show, Defenders of the Realm.
 * Sonya is the first character used in the Challenge Tower in MK 2011.
 * One of the only two survivors of the Earthrealm fighters in the MK 2011 story mode, the other being Johnny Cage.
 * Sonya has the longest X-Ray Move, with up to 11 hits. It also easily earns the player an achievement/trophy "Block This!".
 * Sonya is the second character to swear in the entire series, the first being Scorpion.
 * Sonya, Frost and Kira are the only female characters from Earthrealm.
 * Along with Nightwolf, Quan Chi and Kabal, Sonya never appears in Mortal Kombat (2011)´s Story Mode in her alternate costume.
 * Her alternate costume in Mortal Kombat (2011) is the same as the outfit she wore in the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, with gloves, a hat, and sunglasses.
 * In Mortal Kombat (2011), if the player picks Sonya, it says "Sonya Blade", but the announcer just says "Sonya".
 * Sonya is the only female character that is blonde.
 * In a Screwattacks.com Top 20, Sonya was place at #13 of manliest men in gaming (mainly because she killed the second manliest man in the Mortal Kombat film, Kano.)