Over the last 31 years, theMortal Kombatfranchise has had several different mascots, but by far the most enduring is Scorpion, the yellow-suited undead ninja equipped with a spear and literal hellfire. While Liu Kang may technically be theMortal Kombatseries' central protagonist, and Sub-Zero could be considered equally iconic and important, Scorpion’s face has been plastered all overMortal Kombat’s marketing since its inception, and it seems as though he’ll remain one of the main players in the upcomingMortal Kombat 1.
Following the events ofMortal Kombat 11’s Aftermath DLC,Mortal Kombat 1picks up right after Fire God Liu Kang has created his own version of theMortal Kombatuniverse, and has restarted the timeline right before the events of the original trilogy. With Liu Kang at the helm, this thirdMortal Kombatcontinuity is going to be a little different from those before it, but even in spite of that, a few canon events may still take place in Scorpion’s rebooted life.
RELATED:Mortal Kombat 1: Where is Noob Saibot in Fire God Liu Kang’s New Era?
What Scorpion’s Canon Events Could Be In Mortal Kombat 1
Inthe originalMortal Kombatcontinuity, Scorpion’s entire character revolves around the notion of revenge. Before the trilogy starts, Scorpion is killed by Sub-Zero, along with the rest of his Shirai Ryu clan. Years later, Scorpion is resurrected, albeit as an undead version of himself, and he immediately sets off to hunt down Sub-Zero.
However, after seeing Sub-Zero spare a Kombatant during a tournament, Scorpion realizes that someone else has taken the mantle, Bi-Han’s younger brother Kuai Liang. Rather than continue to seek revenge, Scorpion instead decides to put the past behind him, and becomes Sub-Zero’s mentor, allying himself with Earthrealm in the battle against Shao Kahn.
InMortal Kombat 4, Scorpion discovers that it was actually Quan Chi who was responsible for his clan’s decimation, with him being the one that sent Sub-Zero to destroy the Shirai Ryu village. Upon hearing this, Scorpion once again vows revenge. After Quan Chi narrowly slips through his fingers, Scorpion finds himself working as the Elder Gods' servant, protecting Earthrealm for them during the events ofMortal Kombat: Deception.
After Shao Kahn gains the power of a god inMortal Kombat: Armageddonand begins to bring about the end of the world, Scorpion is one of the many who die during the final battle, though soon after Raiden manages to send a warning to his past self, which causes the start ofa new timeline inMortal Kombat2011. Despite being a rebooted timeline, Scorpion’s life turns out pretty much the same, with him being killed by Sub-Zero along with the rest of the Shirai Ryu, getting resurrected, and seeking his revenge.
The only difference in this early part of the timeline is thatScorpion kills Sub-Zeroa little before he’s meant to, resulting in Kuai Liang taking over the mantle a bit earlier. InMortal Kombat X, things start to diverge a bit more. Scorpion rebuilds the Shirai Ryu and becomes protector of Earthrealm again, working alongside the new Sub-Zero after realizing Quan Chi was behind the massacre, and the two hunt him down together.
Mortal Kombat 1is making some pretty big changes across the board, but Scorpion is one of the few characters seemingly getting a completely new backstory. InMortal Kombat 1, Scorpion is no longer a member of the Shirai Ryu clan, but a member of the Lin Kuei and Bi-Han’s biological brother. From what fans have seen so far, it seems as though Scorpion’s defining trait—his desperate need for revenge—is no longer going to be such a prominent aspect of his character.
Scorpion’s canon event has always been the loss of his family. But while that might not be his wife and son this time around, it could end up being a member of his new family (perhaps his father’s passing), or possibly someone like Smoke or maybe even Sub-Zero, flipping the usualMortal Kombatstory on its head.
Mortal Kombat 1releases September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:In Mortal Kombat 1’s New Universe, What Could be Kenshi’s Canon Events?
