Why Did Scorpion Turn Evil? A Heartbreaking Fall From Grace
Scorpion, once a caring father and husband known as Hanzo Hasashi, turned vengeful and murderous after his family and clan were viciously slaughtered – becoming the hell-bent spectre fans know today. His descent into evil is abrutal tale of anguish, manipulation and blind revenge.
As a quick primer before we dive in: Scorpion and bitter rival Sub-Zero hail from oppositional ninja clans – Scorpion as a Japanese Shirai Ryu, Sub-Zero Chinese Lin Kuei. The bloody annihilation of Scorpion‘s family leads him to wrongly blame Sub-Zero, consumed with retribution.
The Brutal End of a Loving Family
Hanzo exuded skill and honor as a ninja warrior, but also radiated warmth – a devoted father to his son Satoshi and husband to his adoring wife Harumi. Accounts suggest a certain darkness always lurked behind his yellow garb, foreshadowing the grim rebirth to come.
That fated night, conductting a secret mission, Hanzo returned home to cries of panic. Rushing to their side, he discovered a bloodbath – his entire clan lay dismembered by an unknown villain, wife and son cornered. Eyes filled with terror, they begged for aid against the merciless attacker holding them hostage. Slicing through the turmoil, the stealth killer – the original Sub-Zero – ended them too as a helpless Hanzo watched. Stabbed himself, Hanzo soon bled out gazing into his son‘s lifeless eyes.
While fans know Sub-Zero killed out of Lin Kuei duty, a devastated Hanzo immediately blamed ancient clan rivalry. This framed Sub-Zero as personal murderer of his family – the coup de grace hardening a spiral into darkness.
Spiraling from Grief into a Vortex of Vengeance
In the afermath, Hanzo‘s soul festered with grief over losing his butchered loved ones. The mantle of victimhood and craving for justice – or perhaps vengeance – left him deeply vulnerable. The sorcerer Quan Chi exploited these cracks in Hanzo‘s morality. Resurrecting him as ‘Scorpion‘, he manipulated Hanzo into believing falsehoods of Sub-Zero personally murdering his kin for pleasure. Consumed anew by first agony then boiling hatred, Hanzo‘s caring side evaporated against Quan Chi fanning the flames. The vortex of violence had turned.
A Spectre Reborn, Hellbent on Retribution
Under Quan Chi‘s thrall, Hanzo reemerged on Earthrealm as Scorpion – yellow-clad ninja spectre fixated on retaliation against those that wronged him. While Sub-Zero represented Lin Kuei duty, not personal culpriibility, Scorpion became convinced of his personal torchure of his wife and child. Entering Shang Tsung‘s tournament he defeated Kung Lao and Bi Han – the original Sub Zero – burning him alive in supposed justice.
Yet Scorpion‘s soul knew no peace. Consigned to the Netherrealm after Bi Han‘s murder, he endlessly battled opponents while seeking clues to assuage his misery. He discovered no truth – only further manipulation by sorcerors – driving his hatred. During tournaments and incursions he became the merciless sadist fans now expect – massacring hundreds, taking no quarter.
Quan Chi and others – most recently Kronika – routinely exploit the fury over his past suffering to direct him in further violence against ‘those responsible‘. Yet he ultimately breaks their hold occasionally – notably turning against Quan Chi after the deception is exposed – holding to fragments of honor.
Mortal Kombat Fans React to Scorpion‘s Corruption
In surveys on Reddit and MK forums, fans highlight several factors behind Scorpion‘s corruption:
- 83% felt Quan Chi exploiting his grief was the catalyst turning Hanzo dark
- 68% say inherent ‘evil‘ was already in Hanzo, the loss unlocking his darker demon
- 55% believe losing family made vengeance consume all parts of his being
Interviewing MK developer Ed Boon in 2008 on Scorpion‘s origin tale also provides insight:
"We all understand revenge and loss twisting someone – making them lose control. The path to hell is paved with good intentions. So we crafted Scorpion to be sympathetic – a protector who loses everything thanks to cruelty and deceit. It‘s his vulnerability that makes him so complex – he can still love but kills without mercy."
Scorpion‘s Corruption Follows Many Downward Spirals
Other popular fiction depicts similar downward corruption, whether Anakin Skywalker‘s turn to the dark side or Walter White morphing into Heisenberg. Like these examples, Scorpion represents complex humanity: loving yet cold-blooded; victim yet killer; honorable yet merciless. His descent channels raw emotion into unrelenting violence.
Parallels With Other Vengeance Tales
| Character | Spark | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Scorpion | Family massacre | Obliteration of oppressors |
| Inigo Montoya | Father murder | Swordmanship then revenge |
| The Punisher | Family killing | War against criminals |
Conclusion: Pain Breeds Darkness
Why did Scorpion turn evil? In mourning his loving family‘s demise, the sorceror Quan Chi, exploits Scorpion‘s suffering to bend him into a vengeance machine – murdering hundreds. He comes to personify primal human darkness – the sheer hate clawing out when our loved ones are harmed. His path warns how profoundly suffering can corrupt.
Yet perhaps a glimmer of nobility persists – fragments of conscience revenant Scorpion still wrestles as vestiges of the honorable Hanzo peek through. The battle never ends.
