RELATED: Mortal Kombat Theory: 's Death Sets Up Liu Kang's Video Game Destiny Choosing to add some emotional reasoning to her hating Kano would make room for audiences to learn more about Sonya's past, her work in the military and honestly care for her vendetta against Kano. Even if audiences had to wait on Sonya receiving her marker until the end, 2021's Mortal Kombat could have allotted time to show Sonya's emotional connection to those she lost to Kano.
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While the Mortal Kombat video game series hasn't always been the clearest about why Sonya hates Kano, the easiest answer comes from Mortal Kombat 11, where it's revealed that Kano killed her and Jax's special-ops comrades. Unfortunately, it ends up murky as to why she holds a vendetta against him. It seems like screenwriter Greg Russo wanted to avoid the capture-like-trap scene that 1995's Mortal Kombat set up by already having Kano under Sonya's control. While Sonya is shown as the superior fighter to Kano, their entire backstory is hedged under the idea that the fandom already knows why they are mortal enemies. RELATED: Mortal Kombat Actor Hiroyuki Sanada Is Becoming Japan’s Sean Bean
Even if the film is aware that Kano is a problematic character, it skirts an uncomfortable line of spending too much time depicting all the ways he is, which robs other characters of precious screen time. More upsettingly, audiences hear a four-minute-long racist diatribe of anger from Kano against Liu Kang and Kung Lao to show what inspired his laser-eye power to be unlocked. In lieu of showing Sonya's connection to her potential powers, audiences are treated to Kano reminding Sonya of her unworthiness again and again. As Cole and Kano are unlocking their special powers in the ring, Raiden literally tells Sonya to stay away from the training grounds as she's not been chosen to save Earth.
For over two hours, Sonya doesn't participate in training. RELATED: Mortal Kombat Theory: Why Kitana Is Missing From the RebootĪlthough Mortal Kombat fans could argue that Sonya taking Kano's marker, aka his worthiness to defend Earthrealm, was a satisfying way to show Kano and Sonya's iconic hatred of each other, the payoff comes too late. While she is depicted as extremely knowledgable about Mortal Kombat and otherworldly realms - having a red-string room connecting decades of research - she has to earn her marking through an onscreen battle with her nemesis Kano. Unlike the other Earthrealm warriors, Sonya Blade doesn't have a marking at the start of the film. However, the way the film chooses to use this marking plotline is questionable. While Cole was born with his mark - thanks to his Hasashi lineage - everyone else earned theirs by winning a fatal battle with someone who had a mark. It's a pretty sexist move.Ĭentral to the Mortal Kombat reboot's plot is the idea that Earthrealm's chosen ones have a dragon marking on their skin, qualifying them to defend their realm. Two, the only woman Earthrealm fighter is depicted as unworthy of Mortal Kombat and has to prove herself to men. Unlike the other Earthrealm fighters, Sonya doesn't gain a marker until Mortal Kombat's conclusion, limiting her training time, fight sequences and use of her energy ring powers. One, Kano, the racist, sexist we love to hate receives more screen time than Sonya's motivation to defeat him. While some see Sonya's revenge against Kano as equivalent to a hero's arc, it still leaves two problematic truths in its wake. WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Mortal Kombat, now in theaters and on HBO Max now.Ģ021's Mortal Kombat sidelines Sonya Blade in service of a thin revenge plot against Kano.
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