This is a thing I keep wondering since I watched MKX storyline. Sonya’s hatred for Kano is well known in almost - if not all - sources. Beside the fact that Kano was part of dangerous criminal group that Special Forces tried to eliminate, Sonya always had personal reason to hate him. As far as I know, it usually revolved around Kano killing Sonya’s partner. She was hurt by the lost of someone close to her, someone she trusted. She wanted revenge, but it wasn’t just about her. It was about someone who selflessly put life in danger for the sake of their country, who didn’t deserve to be killed in a horrible way.



But the newest games changed dynamic between those characters. Sonya still had a personal reason to hate Kano, yet it was more focused on her.



In new timeline, Kano was a leader of Black Dragon, a criminal organization selling weapons, but he managed to deceive Special Forces. I don’t have an idea how long Kano pretended to be their informant. Weeks? Months? Years? However long it took, Jax and Sonya (and probably few other soldiers) trusted Kano to be on their side - no one knew about his true intentions; no one suspected him. And when Kano betrayed Special Forces, many good people died. At the same time MK9 made clear that Kano’s betrayal hurted Sonya much more than anyone else; she felt personally responsible for everything that went wrong with Kano, because - quoting MK9!Sonya - he used her.



That’s why I wonder what actually happened between them before Kano’s betrayal.



I don’t really know how Special Forces and Kano contacted each other during that time. Were they meeting in person or via telephone or computer or Sonya was working as undercover agent? I tend to think that Sonya (being so familiar - and later obsessed - with Kano) had personal contact with him and they probably spent enough time together for him to gain her trust.

That brings me to my musing:



Were they in sort of “romantic” relationship? Or more precisely: did Sonya thought there was something special between them? I mean, as much as Kano is scum, I’m sure he can be charming when he wants. And looking at Sonya’s mistrustful nature there must be reason why she trusted him in the first place.



Kano could gained her trust by any means really, but I have feeling it’s somehow related to twisted romantical/sexual attraction. Since I remember Kano always had a habit of calling Sonya “babe” (which is usually used as an affectionate form of address, typically for someone with whom one has a sexual or romantic relationship, right?) and MKX!Sonya despited this word even - or especially! - when it was Johnny who called her that (What did I say about calling me “baby”?). Which makes me thinks that the word alone is triggering her because she associated it which Kano.



About Johnny I will take a bit later, let’s stick right now to the main topic.

Kano romantically / sexually seduced Sonya only to manipulate her feelings for his and Black Dragon’s benefits - what ended with death of her collegues - so there is no room for forgiveness. Especially since Kano never showed any remorse. Worse, when he tortured Sonya [MK9: Johnny Cage’s chapter] he called her “gullible bitch“ and kept talking how he “just had to point her into wrong direction” at the same admitting he couldn’t “done it without her” and basicly putting all the blame on her.



But then years later his attitude toward Sonya changed. In both main story and their intross, he kept calling Sonya by pet names (babe, love) like he had right to do so (or used to do?) or talked about them like they were still friends or creepy family. I’m not saying that Kano really had any romantic interest in her - if anything it could be just sexual desire - and for all I know he simply liked to screw with Sonya’s mind. But for me there was always something unsettling about Kano’s behaviour toward Blade, especially in Mortal Kombat X. In truth that can be said for his intros with almost all women. For me the most disturbing was intro between him and Jacqui:

Kano: Your mouth says Kano, but your eyes say Ka-yes.

I’m not sure if this “pun” was supposed to be funny at all, but the same as Jacqui, I don’t like it. Kano practically told a young woman that he knows better what she is thinking. That her supposed “no” meant “yes” which is a creepy as hell because many men is using that kind of manipulation. Ignoring woman’s worded opinion because her eyes (or body in general) say otherwise and in their creepy minds that is an “excuse” for their sexual harrasment.



Kano is manipulative bastard who thinks only about himself, there is no other way to call him. He kills for joy and money, has a bad habit of talking in creepy, disturbing way to attractive women and he betrays one person after another because he doesn’t care about anyone at all. He may be mercenery but then again, there are also merceneries like Erron Black - a man with questionable morals but who still actually showed some kind of loyalty for his employer.



Kano used Sonya for his own benefits. Looking at how Sonya wanted to kill him with bare hands, whatever happened between them had an awful effect on her.



Just look at her fight against Quan Chi and compare it to fight with Kano. The sorcerer not only invaded Earthrealm, he also was responsible for death of Sonya’s friends and comrades. He used souls of fallen Earth’s champions and turned them into evil, mind controlled revenants. He almost killed a man she loved and at her eyes tried to capture & enslave Johnny’s soul. Still, Sonya kept a cool head during fight and only at Raiden’s words (”the link with Quan Chi is not completely severed”) she became more "cruel” and did this:

As much as it was pleasure for her to hurt Quan Chi in that direct way, she controlled herself. Sonya didn’t try to kill him though she had a plenty reason to hate the sorcerer.

And then is the fight with Kano (after he threatened Cassie). Even after beating him down Sonya was still not satisfied.



Sonya wanted to kill Kano; she lost herself in anger and hate that was building in her by many years. She ignored everyone around her - all the Outworld’s refugees who tried to find a safe place from war and here is Earthrealm Champion basicly choking a man by her bare hands. She didn’t care what people will think about her nor about consequences (after all Kano knew important stuff that could help to end Outworld’s civil war). If not for Johnny, Sonya would definitely kill Kano.

And don’t forget Sonya’s MKX’s ending, when she dreamed about Kano forcing her to chose between Cassie and Jax - two people she always considered her family. He made her powerless, he took someone important from her and she could only watching. Sonya woke up screaming. How many people managed to haunt, to scare Sonya to that point?

So yeah, whatever happened between them in past had an awful effect on her even years later.



Sonya’s obsession with Kano is something more than revenge of used and dumped woman. He abused her trust, he (emotionally?) manipulated her so he could kill her comrades, he screwed with her mind by calling her pet names (to remind her about their past? That he had her once??), haunted her in reality and in dreams, he threatened her loved ones, he scared her more than demons or dark magic or fucking evil god. She wanted to be sure that Kano doesn’t have any power over her anymore. She wanted make sure he will never again hurt anyone. Because seriously, Kano is the only one person that really managed to push her that far from her own sanity and self-control.





Side note comment: earlier I mentioned Johnny and yes, Sonya’s relationship with Cage also gives me a reason to think that she and Kano had sort of twisted relationship in past. I’m thinking about the scene, when Li Mei commented how Johnny reminds her of an Earthrealmer who crossed with them and “found humor in everything”. She was a total neutral stranger to Sonya and Kano past and she knew Cage for what? A few minutes? And her first thought was how he was similar to Kano.



I wonder if Sonya noticed similarity between both men too or if she unconsciously was attracted to Johnny because he (the same as Kano?) was in her type? Which one big, important difference - Johnny really loved her and was willing to die to save her when Kano only manipulated and abused her.

Seriously, my analysis turn out much darker than I expected and now I can’t shake the bad feelings about Kano and his awful comebacks…

