Anyone who's heard of Mortal Kombat will most likely imagine the yellow-garbed Scorpion and his fire-themed attacks. Scorpion set his mark as one of gaming's most recognizable characters. After all, no fighting game ever had a ninja as iconic as Scorpion. At most, Scorpion's Mortal Kombat rival Sub-Zero is almost nearly as iconic as him.
Scorpion has more to show than just his sleek moves and his brutal "Get over here!" taunt. Aside from his flashy techniques and gory fatalities, Scorpion has had quite an interesting tale, from his character design all the way to the tropes and trends his character has helped set.
Updated on November 20 2021 by Rhenn Taguiam: Being the mascot of Mortal Kombat, Scorpion remains one of the most iconic characters in gaming today. Gaming’s best yellow ninja boasts his signature “Get over here!” line on top of his swath of fiery Fatalities. However, beneath his signature yellow garb is a wraith hell-bent on revenge, as Sub-Zero killed his entire clan. As his adventures in the Mortal Kombat franchise would show, there seems a lot more to Scorpion’s revenge than meets the eye. Aside from the Shirai Ryu Clan having a deeper connection with Sub-Zero’s Lin Kuei, Scorpion’s design and lore have more secrets that any hardcore fan would appreciate.
15 Yellow Has Meaning
When the first Mortal Kombat game introduced rivals Scorpio and Sub-Zero, they shared the same costume design with different color palettes. It made sense at the time to use yellow for fiery Scorpion to contrast the chill blue of Sub-Zero. And it's only in later titles that designs finally showed more unique details for each costume. This time, Scorpion's garb showcased the huge influence of Japanese shinobi on his costume, whereas Sub-Zero went for a more Chinese warrior vibe.
The color yellow also has a huge relation to the lore of both the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei. When Takeda traveled to Japan after defecting from the Lin Kuei, he brought their teachings with him. And when Takeda's splinter clan became the Shirai Ryu, he chose yellow as its color to mock both the Lin Kuei and its Sub-Zero title.
14 Power Depends On Hatred
Similar to Sub-Zero and his control over ice, Scorpion also showcases a fair degree of authority over fire. However, as lore reveals, Sub-Zero obtained his chilling powers courtesy of being a Cryomancer or a race of natural ice controllers and manipulators. In the meantime, Scorpion is actually controlling hellfire given his status as a Wraith.
As fans might remember, Quan Chi resurrected the dead Hanzo Hasashi as Scorpion. Being a Wraith, Scorpion can control the very fires of Hell himself, limited only by his rage. It’s due to his monstrous nature that the unmasked Scorpion becomes the Inferno Scorpion, with a skull capable of unleashing hellfire. After his resurrection, it’s observed that Scorpion can still control fire but not from the Netherrealm.
13 Vengeful, With A Dash Of Caring
Despite being depicted as a villainous character, Scorpion’s character growth throughout the franchise turned him into more of an antihero. Scorpion is extremely honorable and subtly caring, hinting that his status as a Wraith is simply a facet of his character. In the original timeline, Scorpion vows to protect Kuai Liang, the younger Sub-Zero, to atone for killing his brother. In the second timeline, Scorpion would’ve actually spared Bi-Han’s life but still killed him as per Quan Chi’s goading. However, Scorpion would show regret for this action later on.
Perhaps the best demonstration of Scorpion’s hidden kindness is in the comics. Scorpion took in survivors and victims of the Netherrealm War and welcomed them in his reformed Shirai Ryu. Here, he trained them as warriors to protect Earthrealm. It’s in this reformed group where Scorpion personally trained Takeda Takahashi, the son of Kenshi, and even raised him as his own.
12 In The Forces Of Darkness, Officially Neutral
Scorpion’s character development remains one of the most interesting character arcs throughout the Mortal Kombat series. Of all the characters in the franchise, it’s Scorpion that perhaps sees the most growth throughout the series. After all, he eventually reconciles with the reality that Quan Chi – the very sorcerer who transformed him into a Wraith – was the one who killed his clan after all.
However, if that’s the case, why is Scorpion still alongside the forces of darkness in Mortal Kombat Armageddon? In the game, both the forces of Light and Darkness have to face each other in a fight to the death to attain ultimate power from Blaze. It’s interesting to see a character on a path of reformation like Scorpion still be attached to the likes of darkness. However, it’s perhaps due to the fact that he’s become an anti-hero – and therefore not necessarily prioritizing the side of good inasmuch as he hates Quan Chi – in his process of redemption.
11 Not The Same Scorpion Anymore
Gamers familiar with Scorpion might remember one of two individuals. First was the more recognizable Scorpion. Second would be the reformed Scorpion, the ninja that saw through Quan Chi’s machinations and freed himself from his control. The second one is the reflection of Scorpion’s current character development, in that he’s transformed into an anti-hero that is willing to protect Earthrealm but puts the Shirai Ryu first.
Unfortunately, this second Scorpion dies in Mortal Kombat 11 while convincing his younger self to get away from Quan Chi’s control. This introduces fans to a third Scorpion – a younger Wraith that will learn the error of his ways much earlier, and reforms the Shirai Ryu perhaps much earlier than anticipated. In the new timeline, perhaps it’s this Scorpion that can help Earthrealm’s forces have more formidable warriors in times of need.
10 Ed Boon's Favorite
Series co-creator Ed Boon considers Scorpion as his favorite character. In fact, Boon even voiced Scorpion's two iconic taunts – "Get over here!" and "Come here!". According to Boon, including these lines might make Scorpion "funny" in the process, which prompted him to get to the studio and record the lines.
The co-creator also added that Scorpion will always "complete" a Mortal Kombat game. This might explain the reason why, whereas Scorpion is absent in MK 3, the team did add him to the Ultimate MK 3 release.
9 The Original Ninja Trio
Despite his iconic status, Scorpion actually serves as one of three "OG" ninjas in the original Mortal Kombat game. Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Reptile arrived in the first game as three palette-swapped ninjas with various abilities. The developers took the palette-swapped concept to heart as this would drastically save memory and still allow them to introduce new playable characters.
Of the OG ninjas, Reptile serves as the last one added to the set. Reptile was made to be "cooler" than Scorpion and even had the specter's spear and Sub-Zero's freeze as his abilities.
8 The Iconic Relationship With Sub-Zero
Fans of Scorpion will remember his iconic rivalry with Sub-Zero. Interestingly, even then, MK co-creator John Tobias already had stories planned out for the two of them even in their design stage. In released "behind-the-scenes" sketches, it seems Tobias first described the palette-swapped ninjas as "a hunter and the hunted." Additionally, Tobias also considered the two of them as part of a "revenge story" involving rival clans.
To recall, Scorpion held a grudge against Bi-Han, the original Sub-Zero, as the latter killed him and his family. Scorpion made a deal with Quan Chi to become a specter to exact his revenge. However, there's no direct indication that Scorpion killed Bi-Han at the end of the first game. In fact, it's only thanks to the MK 2 comics, Shaolin Monks, and MK 2011 that fans finally discovered that Scorpion had, indeed, killed Bi-Han.
7 The Scorpion Ninja Motif
Thanks to improved graphics systems, MK 4 and subsequent games gave the team the opportunity to add personality to the ninjas. In the case of Scorpion, the team managed to add unique paraphernalia as two katanas strapped to his back as well as his spear attached to his belt. Even MK 2011 changed Scorpion's design to fit his namesake. In that game, Scorpion has stinger-handled swords on his back, and even an exoskeleton pattern placed on his face mask.
As a result, Scorpion always ended up having a weapons-master shinobi look in contrast to his other ninja palette swaps. This design motif does match his story, as the Shirai Ryu seemed to be the most "faithful" to the shinobi concept unlike other clans such as the Lin Kuei.
6 Defining Fatalities, Special Moves
Scorpion's Fatalities and special moves remain part of the reasons why fans love playing his character. Players claim that while Scorpion has a straightforward kit, he almost always has the means to remain useful in matches. For instance, Scorpion's spear remains an ever-present move in the series, as this harpoon-like kunai can hit the opponent and, thanks to its rope, pull enemies closer for a combo. In fact, Scorpion's spear became a classic move he almost always showed even in his movie appearances.
Additionally, Scorpion's signature moves include a teleportation punch and even his Fire Breath Fatality. In the case of the latter, Scorpion will reveal a skull after removing his mask, right before breathing hellfire that kills his enemies.
5 A Briggs In The Shirai Ryu
In MK X, it's revealed that Scorpion himself mentored Takeda Takahashi, the son of the blind swordsman Kenshi Takahashi. However, in the MK X comics, it's revealed that Kenshi entrusted Takeda to Hanzo to train him and to protect him against assassins from the Red Dragon syndicate who killed Takeda's mother. By the time of MK X's story, Takeda has been training with Scorpion for five years. Hanzo would have deemed Takeda ready to join Johnny Cage's special forces team to help protect Earthrealm from threats.
Dialogue in the games would further reveal some Shirai Ryu traditions. For instance, in an interaction with Jacqui Briggs, Scorpion reveals that by the time she marries her fiancé Takeda, Jax's daughter will be considered a part of the Shirai Ryu.
4 The Empowered Hellspawn
Scorpion's story is one of revenge and redemption. Despite Kuai Liang revealing in MK 2 that it was his brother Bi Han that killed Scorpion's family, the hellspawn or Revenant would keep a rivalry against the Lin Kuei ninja. Thankfully, by the time Scorpion discovers Quan Chi's deception, he's long returned to being Hanzo Hasashi, his human self.
This makes him one of three characters who have returned to being humans after becoming a Revenant. The others who have done this include Jax Briggs and Sub-Zero himself. In addition, Scorpion is also the only former Revenant who retained his abilities even as a human. These abilities include his manipulation of hellfire and even teleportation.
3 Batman Is Not Sub-Zero
Back in the 2010s, fans of the DC Universe had no Injustice to play to see their favorite heroes and villains fight each other. However, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe did exist. In that game, Sub-Zero serves as Batman's rival; furthermore, Scorpion even mistakes the Dark knight for Sub-Zero in disguise during their first time meeting together.
However, Scorpion seems to carry a grudge against Batman in the first Injustice game. In one of their clashes, Scorpion would say "You are no Sub-Zero!" against Batman, possibly to reference the Caped Crusader's rivalry with Kuai Liang in MKvDCU.
2 The Hellspawn Connection
In his time being a specter, Scorpion is also considered a hellspawn. Al Simmons, the antihero Spawn, is also considered a Hellspawn in his universe. Courtesy of MK 11, both Hellspawns got to fight one another. In their dialogues, both Scorpion and Spawn reference previous games they became DLC characters for.
For instance, Scorpion references fighting with DC Universe's heroes and villains in Injustice. Likewise, Spawn declares his "soul still burns" as a reference to his guest appearance in Soulcalibur II. Even Scorpion shows knowledge of the demon Malebolgia, the demon that transformed Simmons into a Hellspawn. This may be a simple Easter Egg, or this may imply that the Netherrealm of Mortal Kombat is somehow connected with Spawn's Hell.
1 The Mascot Parodies
Funnily enough, since Scorpion practically serves as the mascot of the MK series, it makes sense for parodies of the character to appear in both quotes and spoof formats. For instance, the Adventure Quest Worlds MMO has a yellow ninja shinobi named Scorpion.
Additionally, the "Get over here!" and "Come here!" phrases appear as Easter Eggs in various franchises. For instance, Dante in DmC: Devil May Cry yells "Get over here!" the first time he uses the Ophion Demon Pull. Likewise, Nathan Spencer (Bionic Commando) in MvC3 yells "Get over here!" when he uses his Wire Grapple move.
Mortal Kombat 11 was released on April 22, 2019, and is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.