Scorpion is one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in video games. He's essentially the poster boy for Mortal Kombat, along with his perpetual rival, Sub Zero. Over the last thirty years, the Mortal Kombat franchise has been thriving and going from strength to strength, and Scorpion has followed suit.
Regardless of the quality of the game and his place in the story, Scorpion has always been an important character with riveting storylines, incredible voice acting and design. And most of all, Scorpion is always fun to play, whether with his signature "GET OVER HERE" spear move, his aerial offense, or recently, his strike and throw game. Scorpion is always relevant and always important. The leader of the Shirai Ryu has had countless different iterations, and these are some of the best ones.
7 Mortal Kombat: Deception
Scorpion has a badass design in Deception. Gameplay-wise, this is also the best he's ever played in the MidWay Mortal Kombat games. Scorpion in this game picks up from his storyline in Deadly Alliance. While he isn't a major character, he always seems to find himself in some huge story moments. Scorpion witnesses the battle between Raiden and Onaga. He's also chosen by the Elder Gods as their champion.
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Beyond this selection, Scorpion plays a cursory role in this game. While there's nothing wrong with that, Deception Scorpion being ranked so low speaks volumes about how good some of his other versions are.
6 Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
Deadly Alliance has one of the coolest iterations of Scorpion out there, so much so that players are excited about the new Deadly Allianceskin in Mortal Kombat 1 as well. This Scorpion has a cool design, and some really fun gameplay to complement it. In terms of the character, however, it isn't that black or white.
Scorpion doesn't have a huge role in the story, but the spirit of vengeance is at his angry peak regardless. Scorpion spends the lion's share of the game chasing Quan Chi, to avenge his family and clan. Scorpion is incredibly powerful in this game, easily a match for both Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. However, his ending where he gets ambushed and beaten by Drahmin and Moloch is a bit comical. Moreover, the character can be a little one-dimensional.
5 Mortal Kombat: Armageddon
Armageddon is a return to form for the vengeful, infuriated Hanzo Hasashi that fans love. Scorpion gets betrayed by the Elder Gods. In some twisted joke, his family and clan are returned to him, but there's a problem: they're all undead specters. Enraged by this betrayal, Scorpion joins the bad guys and nearly succeeds before being bested by Sub Zero. He has a notable tower ending as well.
The only thing that lets down this version of Scorpion is that his design and costumes are a bit iffy compared to the other iterations featured here. While MK11 does an incredible job at the Armageddon inspired redesign, it looked a bit goofy in this game.
4 Mortal Kombat 9
Mortal Kombat 9 was Netherrealm Studios pulling out all the stops to save the franchise. Coincidentally, this involved a ton of focus on the Mortal Kombat ninjas, particularly Scorpion.
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This game basically goes over the entire Scorpion story arc at once. He's portrayed partly as an anti-hero and partly as a foolish villain. His decision to align himself with Quan Chi was especially questionable. Regardless, Scorpion in this game has an exciting new design, leaning into imagery related to his namesake. He also has tons of fun combos.
3 Mortal Kombat 1
Mortal Kombat 1 Standard Edition
- Platforms
- PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
- Publishers
- Warner Bros. Games
Each of these other iterations is incredible, and it's hard to pick the number one version of Scorpion. The Mortal Kombat 1 version is a little different. Scorpion is a member of the Lin Kuei, and is actually everyone's favorite stoic grandmaster Kuai Liang. This Scorpion is a calm and compassionate hero. He also has some badass fights in the story mode and his ending is very exciting. It remains to be seen whether Kuai Liang remains Scorpion or not, but it is definitely an interesting notion.
Scorpion has an incredible design in this game. The costumes are slick, and the color pallettes are breathtaking. His gameplay is a bit harder now, focusing more on a strike/throw and footsies play style. He doesn't have any mix-ups and can't spam teleport. Mortal Kombat 1 Scorpion is an interesting new take on the character, but it remains to be seen what Netherrealm do with him.
2 Mortal Kombat X
MKX picks up nicely from the timeline reset in MK9. This game focuses less on Hanzo's quest for revenge and more on him as a mature man building up his family and acting as a mentor for Takeda. Players are also given a treat when they see Hanzo and Kuai Liang having tea together without stabbing each other.
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Scorpion learns of Quan Chi's plotting and the truth behind the Cyber Initiative. He's grown into a mature, yet somewhat hot-headed character, but he never crosses the line anymore. Protecting Earthrealm, and his clan is clearly his priority. Hanzo also has access to a ton of amazing designs in this game, including the retro look, the new design, and the more 'human' version. Overall this is one of the best versions of Scorpion and blends in well with both MK9 and MKX.
1 Mortal Kombat 11
Mortal Kombat 11
- Platform(s)
- Stadia , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , PC , Switch
- Released
- April 23, 2019
- Developer(s)
- NetherRealm Studios
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
There is contention about whether MK11 is better than MK1. However, Mortal Kombat 11 has the best design for Scorpion in the series. From the incredible costumes, to the gear to the visceral special moves, everything works so well and fits Scorpion to a tee. Even discarding the gear system, his base design is exceptional. He also has tons of flashy moves and cool Fatalities.
Hanzo in the story is a lot more calm and composed. His friendship with Kuai Liang is endearing. Two rivals turning into brothers in arms is super fun to see. His entire character arc of rebuilding the Shirai Ryu, his relationship with Sub Zero, and in particular his younger self is great to see. This is one of the best character in fighting games history, and he gets his dues in this game. It is a shame about the ending though.