Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)

"Vengeance will be mine!"

- Scorpion's Battle Cry in Mortal Kombat (2011).

Scorpion is a specter from the Netherrealm and an anti-hero from the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games.

Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero
Scorpion was once the human, Hanzo Hanashi, and a member of the ninja clan, the Shirai Ryu, who were rivals with the Lin Kuei. His father forbade him to join the clan, but he wanted to provide a good life for his son and wife. At one point, Hanzo was sent on a mission to retrieve a sacred map leading to the temple containing Shinnok’s amulet after being hired by Quan Chi.

He met up with the elder Sub-Zero, who had also been hired by the sorcerer and was killed in the ensuing fight. Due to the crimes he had performed in life, Hanzo was sent to Netherrealm, where he was reborn as the specter, Scorpion. When Sub-Zero went to Netherrealm to retrieve Shinnok’s amulet for Raiden, he ran into Scorpion, who wanted vengeance on him. They fought, but the ice ninja drove him off.

Mortal Kombat
Two years later, Scorpion returned to Earth and took part in Shang Tsung’s Mortal Kombat tournament. After Liu Kang defeated Goro, the specter caught Sub-Zero off-guard and had his vengeance, incinerating his enemy and returned to Netherrealm.

Mortal Kombat 2
In the Netherrealm, Scorpion found out about the tournament held by Shao Kahn in Outworld and that Sub-Zero would be participating. The specter was shocked and infuriated that his old enemy had somehow come back and went to Outworld to take part in the tournament. But during one of Sub-Zero’s fights, Scorpion saw him spare the life of his opponent and soon found out that this one was the younger brother of the one he had killed. To atone for killing the ice ninja’s brother, he vowed to protect the new Sub-Zero, but without his knowledge.

Mortal Kombat 3
After Shao Kahn’s invasion of Earhtrealm, he attempted to unsuccessfully conquer Netherrealm as well. This released Scorpion and began walking the Earth once again, having allegiance to no one. Shao Kahn recognized his warrior skills and recruited the specter, but his allegiance with the emperor was ended when he found out that Sub-Zero was one of the warriors fighting against Shao Kahn. Scorpion joined the Chosen warriors and aided them in their final showdown with the emperor, returning to the Netherrealm after his defeat, as Earth was restored.

Mortal Kombat 4
Afterwards, Scorpion found out that his family had been slain and was told by Quan Chi that Sub-Zero was responsible. Enraged, the specter swore to slay the ice ninja and managed to hunt him down and defeat him. But Sub-Zero told Scorpion that he was not the one responsible and Quan Chi appeared, revealing that he was the one the specter sought and that he had lied so as to trick Scorpion into getting rid of Sub-Zero for him. The sorcerer attempted to send him back to the Netherrealm, but the specter grabbed onto Quan Chi at the last minute, pulling him down to the Netherrealm along with him.

Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance
Scorpion began pursuing, brutalizing, and tormenting Quan Chi, who had little chance to escape him, since his powers were weakened in the fifth plane of the Netherrealm where they were, while the specter’s increased there. But Quan Chi struck a deal with a pair of oni, Drahmin and Moloch, who protected him from Scorpion. When the sorcerer escaped from the Netherrealm, the specter pursued him, but did not end up in the same place as Quan Chi. He hounded the sorcerer until he found his way to Shang Tsung’s palace, where Drahmin and Moloch attacked him, who had escaped from Netherrealm as well. Scorpion was defeated by the two oni, who threw him into the Soulnado, believing that it would destroy him.

Mortal Kombat Deception
Scorpion managed to escape into the Void before being torn apart by the Soulnado, where he met the Elder Gods. Forever changed by this encounter, the specter watched Raiden sacrifice himself in an attempt to destroy Onaga and the Dragon King beginning his return to power. Sensing his presence, the Elder Gods enhanced Scorpion’s abilities to make him their champion and gave him a new mission, hunt down and defeat Onaga before he bonded all realms with Outworld. The specter returned from the Void and joined the battle against the Dragon King. In Konquest Mode, Scorpion went to challenge Shujinko after he retrieved the last of the Kamidogu and fought him in the name of the Elder Gods, but was defeated.

Mortal Kombat Armageddon
Scorpion had made a bargain with the Elder Gods, if he acted as their champion, they would resurrect the Shirai Ryu and his family. But while they did so, they resurrected them as specters like Scorpion, who was enraged at what he saw as a betrayal. The specter vowed to have his revenge by getting rid of Taven and Daegon, who were integral to their plans to prevent Armageddon.

While Taven was heading to the final showdown with his brother, Scorpion sent his clan to attack him and when they failed, used his powers of the nether to summon giant flaming skulls to attack the demigod. Taven defeated those as well and eventually Scorpion fought him, but was defeated. In his ending, the power of Blaze fully resurrected the Shirai Ryu along with Scorpion’s wife and son. However Quan Chi appeared and took the specter’s son, escaping into the Netherrealm and Scorpion ordered the clan to hunt him down. He would not rest until he had his son back.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
When Liu Kang and Sub-Zero where fighting each other, Scorpion appeared and battled the shaolin monk. After the fight, he switched places with the Flash and was captured by Batman. The specter escaped and brought Sub-Zero to Netherrealm, where they battled, freeing Quan Chi. The sorcerer sent the ice ninja back to warn Raiden that alliances needed to be formed to stop the universes from bonding. Scorpion was then sent to find Kitana and went to Gotham City first, where he got into a fight with the Joker. The specter went to Wonder Woman’s island next and Wonder Woman refused to let him wander around the island. Scorpion defeated her and went to Metropolis next, where he had an encounter with Superman.

Annoyed by the Man of Steel bothering him, Scorpion took him on and won rather easily thanks to his weakness to magic. Afterwards a rage consumed Kitana appeared and Scorpion was forced to beat her into unconsciousness. Quan Chi appeared and told the specter to bring her to Raiden, where she told all of the Mortal Kombat universe warriors about Dark Kahn and the fusion of the two universes. Scorpion teamed up with Sub-Zero and went to the Wu Shi Academy, where they confronted Lex Luthor and Catwoman, but Luthor defeated the two.

Afterwards, the specter accompanied the rest of the Mortal Kombat universe warriors to the fusion of Outworld and Apokolips where they faced off against the DC universe fighters. In the battle, Scorpion defeated the Flash before being beaten himself. In his ending, Dark Kahn’s consciousness found its way into Scorpion’s body, a perfect host for it. Despite his agony, the specter knew that the resulting transformation would make him the most powerful being in the universe if he survived.

Mortal Kombat (2011)
Scorpion went to the Mortal Kombat Tournament under Quan Chi's command to avenge his death. He also sought to kill the elder Sub-Zero, who Quan Chi had told him, had helped to kill his clan the Shirai Ryu. Scorpion demanded to fight Sub-Zero, but instead took on Kung Lao, who'd come to compete without permission, noting the monk would regret his impulsiveness. The specter beat him and said he was not yet a warrior, before demanding that Shang Tsung give him Sub-Zero. However the sorcerer had Scorpion fight Nightwolf instead and the shaman told him his aggression was misplaced, that his people too had been victimized. He went on to say he did not dwell on the past, but Scorpion said that Nightwolf dishonored his kind by not seeking vengeance and he would honor the memory of his fallen comrades. After the specter won, Raiden approached him to try and sway him from slaying Sub-Zero (having seen a glimpse of the future where Scorpion killing the ice ninja created Noob Saibot).

The specter didn't listen, even when Raiden told him Sub-Zero's demise would result in a worse foe. However the thunder god promised Scorpion that if he didn't kill the ice ninja, he would have the Elder Gods bring the Shirai Ryu back to the mortal realm. The specter agreed and later had a confrontation with the two Lin Kuei members, Sektor and Cyrax, who he fought and defeated. Scorpion declared that he would not kill Sub-Zero, but then the ice ninja appeared, asking if he would not or could not.

The specter said that Sub-Zero would suffer as his clan had, then brought the two of them to Netherrealm. The two fought and Scorpion won, but wasn't going to kill Sub-Zero until Quan Chi appeared and showed him images of the Lin Kuei slaying the Shirai Ryu with the ice ninja killing the specter's wife and child. Enraged, Scorpion incinerated Sub-Zero, despite the Lin Kuei telling him that image wasn't him. Later on, Scorpion fought Liu Kang alongside Quan Chi, but was defeated by the Shaolin monk.

During Shao Kahn's tournament in Outworld, Scorpion was summoned to fight against the younger brother of Sub-Zero, who'd assumed his brother's code name and come to avenge him. The specter was defeated, but before the ice ninja could finish him, Lin Kuei cyborgs appeared to capture him, allowing him to escape. After Raiden came to Netherrealm to gain Quan Chi's help in fighting off Shao Kahn, Scorpion confronted him. The thunder god demanded to see the sorcerer, but the specter said he could address him and he'd inform his master. Raiden asked if Scorpion chose to avoid saving his family and clan to retain his place at Quan Chi's feet, but he commanded the thunder god not to talk of his family. Raiden demanded that the specter bring the sorcerer before him, but Scorpion refused and fought the thunder god, though he was defeated.

In his ending, Scorpion's defeat of Shao Khan brought him no relief from the pain of losing his kin. He somehow found himself drawn to the home of Shirai Ryu and there, he found himself visited by the spirits of his fallen clan. They revealed to Scorpion that Quan Chi was the one who masterminded their deaths and in a rage, he went to Netherealm. While his clan's spirits immobilized the sorcerer, Scorpion slew him, avenging the Shirai Ryu.

Powers
Scorpion is an extremely strong fighter and possess command over hellfire, as well as inability to die, thanks to the vengeful bonds on his soul, that allows him to pursue his targets until their demise. Scorpion is able to teleport and his mask, as well as the flesh behind it, hides the flaming skull that is his true face, from which he can spew lethal blasts of hellfire. The strength of his power depends on how long he stays in the Netherrealm.

Scorpion's signature attack is to send out his spear, a kunai on a long rope, that can be empowered with hellfire and impale it in his foes, then pull them in with it. Scorpion can also swing the spear around to lash at his opponents, in a slightly whip like fashion. As his alternate weapon fighting style, he uses a katana called the Mugai Ryu and in Mortal Kombat 2011, he wields a pair of short swords with more jagged blades.

Trivia

 * Scorpion is one of the most popular characters in the Mortal Kombat series, partially thanks to his having the most human-like personality (along with Raiden, Sub-Zero, Cryax, Kobra and Kabal) as opposed to the all noble and good ones of the good characters and the all evil and cruel ones of the evil characters. Scorpion was even voted number 1 on Screwattacks Top 10 Mortal Kombat Kharacters list.


 * Scorpion says his catch phrases, “Get over here!” and “Come here!”, ever time he pulls someone in with his spear attack.


 * During his boss battle in Shaolin Monks, if the player dodges his spear too many times, Scorpion will scream “GET THE FUCK OVER HERE!” or “GET OVER HERE BITCH!” Also when he is dragged into lava at the end of the battle, he gives a thumbs up, a reference to Termiantor 2, where the T-800 gave a thumbs up to John Connor as it submerged itself in molten metal.


 * Scorpion's fatality from Deadly Alliance, where he sent out his spear into the opponent's head then yanked it off, was listed fourth on Screwattack's list of Top 10 Mortal Kombat Fatalities.


 * Scorpion appears in every generation of Mortal Kombat games.


 * He has the only Hara-Kiri that does not generate blood.


 * Ed Boon has admitted in various interviews that Scorpion is his favorite character and that any game without him feels incomplete. Boon also voices him.


 * His fighting stance in the earlier games is a reference to his name with his up raised arm acting as his “scorpion tail”.


 * Scorpion’s real name may be a reference to Hanzo Hattori, an actual samurai and possible ninja.