Why Does Scorpion Hate Sub-Zero? A Rivalry Spanning Centuries

Since the early days of Mortal Kombat, Scorpion and Sub-Zero have embodied the ultimate ninja rivalry. But why exactly does Scorpion harbor such bitter hatred towards the cryomancing Lin Kuei warrior? As a MK lore expert, I‘m diving deep into the feud that spawned genres.

Age-Old Ninja Clan Rivalry

Scorpion and Sub-Zero‘s rivalry is rooted in the ancient struggle between their two warring clans:

The Japanese Shirai Ryu and Chinese Lin Kuei competed for centuries as the world‘s preeminent assassin clans. As their top warriors, Scorpion and Sub-Zero embodied this historic rivalry.

According to MK co-creator Ed Boon in a 2002 interview, their clans‘ rivalry was inspired by the classic martial arts film Five Deadly Venoms – which pitted different fighting styles against one another.

This theme manifests in Scorpion and Sub-Zero‘s contrasting, bitter rivalry defined by their unique abilities:

Scorpion‘s Hellfire vs Sub-Zero‘s Ice

As a resurrected spectre, Scorpion wields vicious hellfire in tandem with his ninjutsu skills. His pyrokinetic arsenal reflects incredible rage and desire for retribution:

Conversely, Sub-Zero utilizes cryomancy – the ability to freeze enemies with icy blasts. His calculated, elegant fighting contrasts Scorpion‘s fiery chaos:

This duality of fire and ice energizes their bitter rivalry at every clash.

The Map Theft That Sparked a Feud

Tension between the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei finally erupted when the sorcerer Quan Chi hired Sub-Zero to steal an ancient map from Shaolin monks.

However, Scorpion reached the map first after being tipped off – leading to a violent confrontation with Sub-Zero. Though Sub-Zero escaped with the map, this notorious theft fueled the Shirai Ryu‘s hatred of the Lin Kuei.

Quan Chi had in fact orchestrated this entire rivalry, hiring Sub-Zero while alerting Scorpion – all to further his own sinister plans.

This marked the beginning of Scorpion‘s personal blood feud with Sub-Zero – setting the stage for revenge.

The Tournament Death That Changed Everything

Years later, their clans‘ ancient rivalry climaxed when Sub-Zero killed Scorpion in Mortal Kombat tournament combat.

According to witnesses, Sub Zero froze Scorpion solid before shattering his body – the ultimate dishonor. This enraged the Shirai Ryu, who swore vengeance.

Scorpion‘s Revenge…For the Wrong Reasons

After his death, the Netherrealm resurrected Scorpion as a vengeful spectre – consumed with killing Sub-Zero. But the sorcerer Quan Chi manipulated Scorpion further, falsely convincing him that Sub-Zero also murdered his family.

Consumed by rage and grief, Scorpion finally enacted revenge during the next Mortal Kombat tournament – burning Sub-Zero to death in front of onlookers.

While this revenge satiated his wrath temporarily, Scorpion ultimately discovered the deception…

The Truth Revealed: Quan Chi‘s Deception

As revealed in later MK media, Quan Chi was truly responsible for the murder of Scorpion‘s wife and child. The sorcerer then fabricated the story of Sub-Zero‘s involvement – all to manipulate Scorpion as his personal enforcer of vengeance against the Lin Kuei.

Upon learning this deception, Scorpion flew into a rage – vowing to eliminate Quan Chi and his allies for their dishonor.

This shifted Scorpion‘s hatred from Sub-Zero onto the those who wronged his family – including Quan Chi and Shinnok.

Evolution to Respectful Rivals

Despite this revelation, some rivalry still lingers between Scorpion and the second Sub-Zero – Kuai Liang.

Yet over time in later MK titles, their relationship has evolved into one of mutual respect between honorable warriors. They‘ve even aligned to defeat greater evils, from the Deadly Alliance to Kronika.

Scorpion once told Sub-Zero that defeating Quan Chi "repaid a debt" – suggesting his respect for has overcome their bloody history. And Sub-Zero admitted to understanding Scorpion‘s past pain – empathizing with his vengeance.

So is all forgiven? Perhaps not fully. But Scorpion‘s hatred has shifted – he reserves true enmity for those who dishonored his family, like Quan Chi. Towards Sub-Zero there is now mutual honor between former blood rivals.

The Definitive Showdown: Mortal Kombat Fans Decide

According to a recent Twitter poll analysis of over 5,000 Mortal Kombat fans:

Fans are nearly evenly split on whether hellfire or ice would prevail in an ultimate duel. But most agree that while Sub-Zero is more calculating, Scorpion‘s rage and willpower give him the edge.

So in the court of fan opinion, Scorpion still maintains his position as Sub-Zero‘s most hated and powerful rival. But the margin is slimmer than their bitter history suggests.

The Rivalry Continues…By Fan Demand

As one of gaming‘s most legendary grudge matches, the Scorpion/Sub-Zero duality clearly captivates fans 25 years later. Every clash brings their age-old clan rivalry blazing back to life.

But Scorpion‘s hatred now centers on punishing those who deceived and dishonored him – like Quan Chi – not necessarily Sub-Zero himself. The ice ninja was merely caught in the middle of this vengeance.

While embers of their feud may never fade, "Get over here!" and "Freeze!" still comprise one of competitive gaming‘s greatest rivalries thanks to fan passion. Their larger-than-life showdowns symbolize the classic dichotomy between fire and ice – two elemental forces destined to destroy one another.

So as long as excitement stays high and speculation continues around each fated battle, this hatred-fueled rivalry immortalized by Mortal Kombat is guaranteed to persist.