Scorpion is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. An undead ninja, he is principally defined by his quest to avenge the deaths of himself, his family, and his clan. His primary weapon is a kunai-rope dart, which he uses to harpoon opponents, while his trademark fatality is the "Fire Breath" in which he removes his mask to reveal a skull right before immolating his opponent. Debuting in the original 1992 game, Scorpion has appeared in every main installment of the series (including updates) alongside Raiden. The character's backstory establishes him as Hanzo Hasashi (), a warrior from the fictional Shirai Ryu clan who was killed by the elder Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) of the rival Lin Kuei clan. Subsequent games reveal that his family and clan were murdered by the sorcerer Quan Chi, who becomes Scorpion's primary target for vengeance. Depicted as a neutral party in most games, Scorpion generally forgoes the franchise's main conflicts to pursue his personal missions, which sometimes results in him taking the side that will help his objective. Scorpion is also both a rival and ally of the younger Sub-Zero (Kuai Liang). Scorpion has received critical acclaim since his debut and frequently appears in media outside of the games. He is regarded as Mortal Kombat most iconic fighter; series co-creator Ed Boon cites Scorpion as his favorite character. Appearances and character background In Mortal Kombat (1992), it is established that a series of Mortal Kombat tournaments are being held to determine if the forces of Outworld will be permitted by the Elder Gods to invade and conquer the dimension of Earthrealm. The game takes place during the tenth and final tournament, hosted by the shape-shifter sorcerer Shang Tsung, who is a servant of the Outworld emperor Shao Kahn. In the original game, it is implied Scorpion has enmity towards Sub-Zero due to rivalry between their opposing warrior clans (Scorpion's Japanese clan is unnamed, while the game names Sub-Zero's Chinese clan "Lin Kuei"). Scorpion's ending reveals he is actually an undead specter, a warrior who was killed by Sub-Zero, survived by a wife and child, and allowed to return to the physical realms in order to have his revenge. The same ending implies that the curse of Scorpion's supernatural existence means he can have revenge but cannot reunite with his still-living family. Canonically, after the tenth tournament is