The most popular character in the Mortal Kombat franchise, Scorpion is not only one of the most powerful fighters in the series, but a little bit of a wild card too. Throughout the games, movies and multiple timelines, Hanzo Hashashi has been considered evil, good and neutral. His shifting alignment is a big part of his appeal so to that point, we're going to list off the four most evil actions the Shirai Ryu ninja has done in his life (and afterlife).
At the same time we're going to list off the six most heroic things Scorpion has ever done. Just as much as he's been an agent for chaos, he's helped the forces of light too.
10 Heroic: Shut Down Cyber Lin Kuei (New Timeline)
Mortal Kombat 11's story mode has a lot of moving parts in it, but one of the most awesome moments in it was seeing Sub Zero & Scorpion become the fearsome duo fans knew they could have been all along if the forces of evil would stop mucking about in their lives. As a united front, the fire and ice warriors stormed the Cyber Lin Kuei assembly plant in Earthrealm.
Battling Cyrax & Sektor, they fought their hearts out and were successful in stopping a supply of cyber ninjas from being used by Kronika. Now please, more Scorpion and Sub Zero team-ups!
9 Evil: Killed Sub Zero (New Timeline)
It goes without saying that the original Sub Zero (Bi-Han) was not as kind-hearted as his younger brother. Even so, Scorpion's brutal murder of the Cryomancer warrior was not only a stupid move on the Hellspawn Spectre's part, but would give birth to the powerful Noob Saibot.
For those who need a refresher, Scorpion was promised by Raiden that the Thunder God would speak to the Elder Gods about bringing the Shirai Ryu clan back to life if he spared Bi-Han's life in Mortal Kombat (2011). However, Scorpion was shown a false vision of how his clan was slaughtered which showed Bi-Han slaying his wife and child. In a fit of rage, he killed Sub-Zero. Giving in to this rage, this still serves as the biggest mistake of Scorpion's life.
8 Heroic: Became Elder Gods' Champion (Original Timeline)
At the end of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, it seemed unclear what the future of Scorpion's existence would be. In his hunt for Quan Chi, Scorpion would be ambushed by the Netherrealm Oni Moloch & Drahmin. Not only that, but he would also be hurled into Shang Tsung's tornado of souls which ripped his body and spirit apart... or so we thought.
It's made clear in Mortal Kombat: Deception that not only did he survive, but was given new purpose by the Elder Gods; slay The Dragon King Onaga, save the realms and his clan would be returned to life. Scorpion wouldn't be the one to defeat Onaga, but the realms were indeed saved. The Elder Gods did hold up their end of the deal however, but we'll come back to that later.
7 Evil: Served Quan Chi (New Timeline)
Simply by looking at Quan Chi, one could tell that this guy is probably not someone you can trust. However, our favorite raging hellspawn put his faith in this sorcerer after his death to pursue who he thought was his killer, Sub Zero.
While under Quan Chi's command, he did the sorcerer's bidding at every turn. Now while the games don't show too much of a what Scorpion did, we do know he assisted in the invasion of Earthrealm at the start of MKX and was still at Quan Chi's side by the end of Mortal Kombat (2011). For the evil committed in Quan Chi's name, Scorpion deserves scorn.
6 Heroic: Vowed To Protect Kuai Liang (Original Timeline)
After killing Bi Han in Mortal Kombat 1, Scorpion was quite surprised to see another Sub-Zero appearing in Shang Tsung's MK2 tournament. Enraged, Scorpion enters the tournament to kill Sub Zero once again. However, it's revealed that once Scorpion discovers that this isn't the same Cryomancer he killed one tournament ago, he has a change of heart.
Instead of murdering Kuai-Liang, Scorpion vows to protect this younger warrior from harm. We'll see later on that he doesn't exactly stick to this entirely, but his commitment to saving a life instead of taking one is a step in the right direction for Hanzo Hashashi.
5 Evil: Served Shang Tsung/Shao Kahn (Movies)
Anyone who has seen the original two Mortal Kombat movies back in the 1990s will tell you that while they nailed the aesthetic of Scorpion perfectly, his personality was virtually non-existent. With no significant lines to speak of, he mostly served as a pawn of the villains. Which brings us to this point on the list.
In the first movie, Scorpion is under Shang Tsung's control to fight Johnny Cage where he seems to meet his demise. However, you can't kill what's already dead and thus he returns in much maligned Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. In this one, it's not clear whether he's still under the control of the villains or if he's simply helping Shao Kahn of his own free will, but nonetheless he kidnaps Kitana and battles the heroes.
4 Heroic: Trained Takeda
Mortal Kombat X introduced an entirely new generation of fighters to the franchise. Not only did we get the fan-favorite Cassie Cage, but we also got a warrior with some of the coolest weapons in the franchise, Takeda Takahashi. The son of Kenshi, he was left in the care of the Shirai Ryu by his biological father, leaving Scorpion to become a father in a sense once again.
Not only did he raise Takeda into being a noble young man, but also a fearsome warrior who aided in saving Earthrealm back in MKX. Takeda serves as one of the best things Scorpion has done in his life.
3 Evil: Tried To Cause Armageddon
Think back to the entry where we discussed Scorpion's time as the Champion Of The Elder Gods. Now fast forward to Mortal Kombat: Armageddon where the Elder Gods have fulfilled their end of the deal by bringing the Shirai Ryu back to life. However, they bring them back as hellspawn warriors like Scorpion himself. Enraged by this betrayal, Scorpion decides screw it, he's just going to mess with the Elder Gods right back.
Unfortunately, this involves spoiling their plans to save the realms from complete destruction. Siding himself with the Forces of Darkness, he tries to kill Taven and Daegon. Fortunately, he fails and is defeated by Taven. While we completely understand where Scorpion is coming from with this, it remains an entirely selfish and senseless act that threatened the existence of all living things.
2 Heroic: Killed Quan Chi
Now this is a selfish action that we can get behind. About halfway through MKX's story mode, the Special Forces of Earthrealm have successfully captured Quan Chi and seek to bring him in for the threat he poses. However, Scorpion is not having any of that and barges into the refugee camp where he's being held. Inside, he finally enacts the revenge that MK fans had been waiting for since the 1990s and slays the sorcerer.
Not only is this one of the most satisfying moments in the franchise, but is the right call. Quan Chi is entirely too dangerous to be kept alive and needs to be killed on site, not placed in jail. Scorpion did the realms a favor here.
1 Heroic: Trapped Quan Chi In Netherrealm
A true turning point in Scorpion's life came in Mortal Kombat 4. In the original series timeline, Scorpion's wife and son were only slain after Hanzo died in battle with Sub Zero. However, Quan Chi deceived Scorpion into thinking that the Sub Zero he had sworn to protect was the murderer. Once Scorpion had dealt with Sub Zero, Quan Chi planned to banish Scorpion to the Netherrealm but something happened.
Instead of going alone, Scorpion dragged Quan Chi with him. Even better is that in this realm, the sorcerer's power decreases while Scorpion grows. The ninja would haunt Quan Chi for years in this hell and that's a-ok with us.