That is why Defenders of the Realm deserves a Tony’s Superhero Saturdays™ spotlight. Not because it was the best version of Mortal Kombat ever made, but because it dared to look at these fighters as superheroes. It took Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Jax, Sub-Zero, Kitana, Nightwolf, Stryker and Raiden and placed them inside a mission-driven framework. Every episode reminded viewers that Earthrealm was under attack and that these warriors had a duty bigger than themselves.