Anger, sadness, and murderous fury fuel the character known as Scorpion. A beacon of fear and terror this anti-hero is one of the coolest things to ever come out of the ’90s. He’s arguably the most iconic character in the Mortal Kombat fighting series. The mere sighting of his image invokes the thought of his signature quote “GET OVER HERE” even by people who don’t consider themselves fans of the series. But, just what makes him so amazingly perfect? Is it the combination of radical 90s adjectives we can attribute to him in a single sentence? The brutality of his combat and outstanding move set? Who knows? It could have just been that Ninja, Zombie, Assasins who speak actual phrases in the early 90s are just inherently great. One thing is certain Scorpion cemented himself as one of the most iconic characters of his decade.

Early Life

Born to a former assassin of the Shirai Ryu Ninja clan, Hanzo Hisashi is Scorpion. Originally, Hanzo’s father did not want his son to join the seedy organization. However, something as minuscule as his dad’s disapproval was not about to stop him. Joining the clan, proved to be the correct decision for the young man as he was able to provide his family a good life. As well as becoming the top champion of his clan, earning him the moniker of Scorpion.

However, this decision inevitably cost Hanzo much more than he bargained. Under the employ of the Necromancer Quan Chi, Hanzo encounters the rival faction ninja Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) a member of the Lin Kuei. Bi-Han proves to be a fierce foe, killing Hanzo while on a mission to retrieve the same Map of Elements as Scorpion.

Little did either of these men know, that behind the scenes, Quan Chi orchestrated this fateful encounter. All so he could obtain another pawn for his machinations. But, Quan Chi wouldn’t stop there, as a reward for Sub-Zero’s success, he destroyed the Shirai Ryu clan. Pinning the blame on Sub-Zero for the demise of the clan, and resurrecting Scorpion for the sole purpose of killing Bi-Han.

Undead Hell-Spawn

Now, as a newly resurrected hell-spawned specter, and taking on the Scorpion moniker as his persona, Hanzo sets off to kill his mortal enemy in the Netherrealm. Taking place during the Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero game Scorpion futilely fights Bi-Han a second time. However, Hanzo’s revenge would have to wait, as Sub-Zero once again defeated the warrior. Yet, seeing as you can’t get more dead than already a ghost, all Bi-Han did was slow down Scorpion’s vengeance. Biding his time until the first Mortal Kombat tournament, Hanzo waited patiently.

Early in the tournament, Scorpion fought and defeated numerous combatants. A few of them trying to dissuade Hanzo from his current wrathful path of self-destruction. However, the one who got closest to convincing Scorpion of changing his mind was Raiden the god of thunder, and Eathrealm’s protector. 

After surviving through several more rounds of the deadly tournament, Hanzo’s rematch with Bi-Han was finally at hand! Encountering Sub-Zero inside Shang Tsung’s Palace, he dragged his enemy to the Netherealm after his opponent taunted him with the words “To hell with your clan!”. Fueled by vengeance and powered by his resolve, his will to kill gave him the strength necessary to overpower Sub-Zero. With revenge finally at hand, Scorpion’s thoughts traced back to Raiden.

The god of thunder promised Hanzo he would ask the Elder Gods to revive his clan if he spared Bi-Han. However, Quan Chi’s influence proved to be too great over Scorpion. By goading the ghostly warrior with the images of the destruction of his clan, and an illusion of Sub-Zero murdering Scorpion’s family, the necromance ensured Hanzo’s rage blinded him to the repercussion of his actions. Thus, Scorpion got his revenge, thereby creating the demonic Noob Saibot after ignoring Raiden’s warnings.

People tend to act irrationally in moments of high emotion. Yet, our actions inevitably speak louder than words, and Scorpion’s deeds talk volumes regarding his character. Hanzo is a man who’s accomplishments have shaped the multiple worlds around him. For those reasons listed above, his achievement and failures deserve further analysis.

The Man The Myth The Legend

Scorpion is a nuanced character. From an early life as a defiant young man rebelling from the expectations of his father (something that is extremely shameful in Japanese society). To a devoted husband and parent who was looking to provide his family with a better life. Finally becoming a hellish entity hell-bent on revenge for the loss of both his former and ghostly lives, after two crippling defeats at the hands of his rival. 

Hanzo’s skills have been both a blessing and a curse throughout his existence. During his early years with the Shirai Ryu, Hanzo’s talents ensured a happy life for his family and the respect of his peers. Even the grandmaster of his clan gave him the moniker of Scorpion for his abilities. Marking him as the champion of their people, but inadvertently ensuring his demise at the hands of Sub-Zero. This death became the catalyst for his life as a spirit of revenge as not even death could stop the great warrior from getting his vengeance. 

Yet, power alone does not make a person infallible or immune to the manipulation of others. Due to a lack of information, and partly because he was dead at the time, Scorpion fell victim to the plans of Quan Chi. The malevolent necromancer disguised himself as a member of the Lin Kuei while massacring the Shirai, using this information to mislead Scorpion after resurrecting him. After showing Scorpion an illusion of the events that transpired on his village; he set him off to intercept Bi-Han once more in the Netherealm. This particular event would mark the first time Scorpion was being used for ulterior purposes without his knowledge, but it wouldn’t be the last. 

A collection of separate, yet connected events would eventually mark Hanzo for an even greater destiny. We’ll learn more about that in the next installment of “Undead Ninja Herald Assasin Scorpion’s (Hanzo Hasashi) History.

Dash The Bomber

Dash The Bomber is a sailor is his 20's with a penchant for goofy, yet deep thoughts. An avid gamer for generations he has played everything from the Atari 2600 to the PC in which he writes his work on. He currently lives in the middle of the ocean and appreciates donations in order to buy goodies from Amazon while deployed (makes his life slightly better). You can help the guy out by donating here: paypal.me/dashthebomber.