Sonya Blade's Best Mortal Kombat II Moment Was A Last-Minute Addition [Exclusive]

This article contains light spoilers for "Mortal Kombat II."

Why did "Techno Syndrome," the 1993 song by Belgian techno duo The Immortals, become such a mega hit? The fact that it was part of the official soundtrack album for the "Mortal Kombat" game (and 1995 movie) certainly had something to do with it. Beyond that, a catchy synth hook, and a hopelessly '90s techno beat, the song has an additional earworm: vocal samples from the "Mortal Kombat" games, specifically of the phrases which are shouted during gameplay. The song helped turn those phrases into catchphrases, making things like "Finish him!" and "Test your might" into veritable chants. Arguably the most popular catchphrase of the song, and the games themselves, is a single word which just about sums up the entire appeal of the franchise: "Fight!"

It's a line that, similar to Scorpion's "Get over here!" and some other memorable sayings, carries with it a lot of weight, especially in a "Mortal Kombat" movie. In this week's "Mortal Kombat II," the line is given even more emotional heft thanks to it being uttered at a crucial moment during the climactic battle between Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) and Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford). The honor of saying it goes to none other than Sonya Blade, played once again by Jessica McNamee, who first appeared as the character in the previous 2021 film. In that movie, Sonya was a bit of a misfit, an ex-Special Forces officer who discovered the existence of the Mortal Kombat fighting tournament for the survival of Earthrealm, but who was kept in the dark about her own destiny until the very end. In this sequel, Sonya is far more self-assured and empowered. That moment of saying "Fight!" was, as McNamee told me herself, a huge highlight for the actress and her character — yet, ironically, it nearly didn't happen.

Throughout "Mortal Kombat II," Sonya Blade is generally more self-assured in her role as one of the champions of Earthrealm. In fact, one of the earliest fights in the film involves her battle with a revenant Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen), which she handily wins. Yet as cool as that match is, the moment where Sonya says "Fight!" while freeing Kitana from captivity so that the latter can switch allegiances to Earthrealm and save the day is her best bit in the film. As Jessica McNamee explained, the moment was pitched at the last possible second on set:

"Actually, that was a last minute addition, that 'Fight!' Our producer, Todd [Garner], came up to me and said, 'I want you to say, 'Fight.' And I was like, 'Oh yes, I would love to' [...] which was an addition. Thank God, what a missed opportunity otherwise."

For McNamee, this addition was a culmination of her "Mortal Kombat II" experience. She explained why it summed up how this sequel allowed her to feel more integrated with the movie's ensemble:

"Yeah, it was great. Now I'm one of the crew. I was always on the [outside] with the boys in the first one. I was always kind of being left out and I'd have to do my little fights by myself. But this time, I got to hang with the guys. Yeah, it was really fun."

As Ludi Lin, who plays Liu Kang, exclaimed about Sonya's big moment: "Oh, that gives me the goosebumps." For any "Mortal Kombat" fans, which includes these actors, the bit should similarly get the blood pumping.

"Mortal Kombat II" is in theaters everywhere.