Since 1992, Mortal Kombat has featured some of gaming's greatest rivalries. Fans usually look to Scorpion and Sub-Zero as an example of a perfect feud, but they aren't the only duo. For even longer than the two ninjas, Sonya Blade and Kano spent years trying to take each other down, but the latter always escaped in the nick of time.
Their story began sometime before the events of the first Mortal Kombat. Sonya was still a part of the Special Forces and worked on eliminating the Black Dragon clan, a crime cartel of thugs and mercenaries that Kano was a part of. Sonya's attempts to stop them took a tragic turn when Kano murdered her partner in cold blood. That was the moment that everything changed for her. Kano already had a problem with the Special Forces because the metal plate over his eye was given to him following a fight with Jax. Ever since then, he has shown no remorse for any of its members, specifically Sonya.
Kano's opportunistic tendencies have taken him worldwide and even to new realms where he met Shao Kahn and worked as one of his generals. He loves nothing more than to make a profit while tormenting the heroes of the series. Sonya's desire to bring Kano to justice and avenge her partner brought her to the Mortal Kombat tournament. Both characters grew with each new entry in the series, yet the two were still at each other's throats even in the reset timeline. As Sonya expanded her family, Kano made sure to set his sights on every member. He has taken on Sonya's husband, Johnny Cage, and threatened their daughter Cassandra. However, attacking her family would be the catalyst that ended the feud between them.
Mortal Kombat 11 introduced time-displaced versions of the original game's fighters, including a younger Kano and Sonya. The main timeline's Sonya sacrificed herself at the beginning of the game, leaving her past version to contend with both Kanos. The fight leaves her in a stand-off where she has beaten the younger Kano, but his older version has Johnny Cage hostage. All hope seemed lost until Sonya was reminded of the rules of time travel, shooting the younger Kano in the head. This also killed his present-day counterpart and ended their feud once and for all.
Sonya Blade is considered a hero because she vowed to stop evil in all forms. Kano personified everything she was fighting against. When her younger self was able to eliminate both versions of the mercenary, she finally found justice for her partner and her future self. Their rivalry's conclusion met a happy end for Sonya and put to rest decades of fighting that lasted more than 11 games.