Mortal Kombat’s Sonya is the first female fighter to appear in the franchise and the only woman to make it onto the original Mortal Kombat roster. It’s a fact that’s not as well-known as you might think, with some people thinking Kitana and Mileena were present in the first game. As the OG female fighter, Sonya Blade is important to the history of Mortal Kombat, though she also remains quite prominent due to her popularity.
So, we’ve got a guide to answer that all-important question: who is Mortal Kombat’s Sonya Blade? We’ll go into how old she is, the games she appears in, her role in the story, and more. Head below for that, or check out our Mortal Kombat Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat Mileena, Mortal Kombat 1 characters, and Mortal Kombat Scorpion guides to learn more about some of the other combatants that call this franchise home.
Here’s everything you need to know about Mortal Kombat’s Sonya Blade:
Who is Mortal Kombat’s Sonya Blade?
Apparently, Cynthia Rothrock, an American mixed martial artist known for movies like China O’Brien serves as the inspiration for Sonya Blade. A really interesting fact is that the original Mortal Kombat didn’t always feature a “girl fighter.” Instead, the team decided to create Sonya when given an additional six weeks of development time, and we’re forever thankful they did.
In the first game, she and her team hunt for Black Dragon founder Kano, following him to a remote island where Sonya is forced to participate in a fighting tournament to save the lives of her team. And so, we have the set-up for why all these folks are fighting each other.
From there, she teams up with Kano to take down the big bad after her unit is killed anyway, and as the tournament island crumbles, they both get sent down to the Outworld. After they escape, Kano flees, and encounters between the two make up the majority of Sonya’s story.
Family
As the games progress and time goes on, Sonya forms a relationship with fellow Earthrealm fighter Johnny Cage. In fact, come the events of Mortal Kombat X, herself and Johnny are divorced, sharing an adult daughter called Cassie Cage.
It appears as though her work ethic and dedication to the Special Forces are what eventually tears her and Johnny apart while also putting some emotional distance between her and Cassie, with the young Sergeant feeling as though she has something to prove to her mom.
There’s certainly plenty of history and drama with the Blade/ Cage family, and it can be interesting to watch the interactions between all three of them in MKX and MK11.
How old is Mortal Kombat’s Sonya Blade?
Sonya Blade was born on June 21, 1967, according to her special forces file in Mortal Kombat 11, while the early MK comics say that she’s 26 years old during the events of the first game, and luckily a clever Redditor has done some maths for us.
As Sonya Blade is 26 in the first game, the first three games are set in 1993, while Mortal Kombat 4 is set in 1995. Then, we get a time jump, with MKX set in 2015 and MK11 in 2017. This means Sonya Blade is 50 years old in Mortal Kombat 11. However, given the world reboots in MK1, it’s safe to assume she’s back to being 26 years old – boy, we wish we could cut back a few years as she has, though we imagine meeting your fully grown daughter at that age might be a bit of a mind boggle.
What games does Mortal Kombat’s Sonya Blade appear in?
Here are all the games Sonya Blade appears in:
- Mortal Kombat (1992)
- Mortal Kombat II (1993)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
- Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)
- Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)
- Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)
- MK: Shaolin Monks (2005)
- Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2006)
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)
- Mortal Kombat (2011)
- Mortal Kombat X (2015)
- Mortal Kombat Mobile (2015)
- Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
- Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
- Mortal Kombat: Onslaught (2023)
Is Sonya in Mortal Kombat 1?
The short answer is yes, Sonya Blade is in Mortal Kombat 1. However, she has no role in the story whatsoever and is merely present as a Kameo fighter. That’s not to say that NetherRealm won’t bring her back in a more prominent role in the future. After all, how can you start things all over again and not include an original cast member who’s had a huge role over the years?
What films does Mortal Kombat’s Sonya Blade appear in?
There are three live-action Mortal Kombat movies, and Sonya Blade features in them all:
- Mortal Kombat (1995)
- Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
- Mortal Kombat (2021)
Sonya Blade also features in various animated movies, such as Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge and Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms, and TV shows for the series, as well as a short film and web series directed by Kevin Tancharoen.
Who is Sonya Blade’s voice actor?
Sonya Blade has been around for a long time, so it comes as no surprise that numerous voice actors have lent their talents to the roles over the years. To give them all the credit they deserve for portraying such an iconic character, we have a list of both the actors and the games they appear in:
Games
- Peg Burr (Mortal Kombat–MK4)
- Beth Melewski (MK: Shaolin Monks)
- Chrissie Rios (MK: Armageddon)
- Dana Lyn Baron (MKvsDCU, MK 2011)
- S.G. Willie (MKvsDCU)
- Tricia Helfer (MKX)
- Ronda Rousey (MK11)
- Jennifer Carpenter (2020–present)
As for the live-action movies, three different actresses have portrayed the character:
Films
- Bridgette Wilson (Mortal Kombat, 1995)
- Sandra Hess (Mortal Kombat: Annihilation)
- Jessica McNamee (Mortal Kombat, 2021)
There you have it, folks, all the Mortal Kombat Sonya Blade deets you could ever need. For even more, check out our Mortal Kombat 1 characters guide or our Street Fighter characters guide for more fighting game classics.