But that's what the fans are clamoring for! Damn that Ed Boon for not giving the people what they want.

IMO, the elder gods chose warrior function was a really good fit for Scorpion. MKA made the Elders look like jackasses because of the backhanded deal regarding his clan, but I attribute that more to the bad writing of MKA. In Deception, it was implied Scorpion bore the servitude of the elder gods because it meant defeating Onaga and saving the realms, which was much more interesting for the character.

And anyway, why would Scorpion even need the incentive? Does someone need a reason to save the realms? Can't Scorpion just want to do the right thing? That fact that Scorpion needed a deal at all was dumb and kind of made him the asshole.
For all we know about the elder gods, it may not have even been in their capacity to fully resurrect the Shirai Ryu.

Despite Scorpion devolving back to his revenge seeking self, the Scorpion we saw in MK9 was actually much more rational than what we've seen in the past. Before Quan Chi twisted his mind, Scorpion was just going to defeat Sub-Zero and let it go. Instead of Scorpion learning that it was in fact Quan Chi that killed his family and clan, I'd actually like to see Scorpion toy with the idea of forgiveness. He's killed Bi Han, and it doesn't seem to have brought him happiness, why not find a higher purpose and help bring down the neatherrealm invasion? He does some good and inadvertently brings down the true murderer. That's peace, two fold.

As far as his looks go, minimalist suits Scorpion very well. One of his best looks to date. I'd really like to see his alt. break down some walls and toy with the design some, but I doubt that'll go down.

I really hadn't thought about his gameplay much as I've been concentrating on the newbies, but it looks like they're trying to round Scorpion out a bit, which...feels odd, but its long overdue. The fact that they're giving him minions kinda sucks. It bites off Noob Saibot, whom I would've liked to see return, but, you know.

So far, I'm very excited to see where MKX takes one of the series oldest characters. Hopefully they can shut up some of the naysayers and justify his inclusion.

This is so on the money I'd be surprised if this isn't what actually happens, and would give further validation to the rumors that Sub-Zero and Scorpion team up in this game for a likeminded cause, killing the bastard Quan Chi. Granted, it's still a revenge plot, but there still hasn't been justice, and allying with Sub-Zero would at least create a fresher dynamic between the two. I feel like Sub-Zero saying "I tire of maintaining our innocence" is code from the writers meaning "It's time to get this show on the road." They realize how stale it is now, and it's about to change.

Ok so here is what I think would be a good change to Scorpion. If we use the MK9 story as the basis of his current trajectory, we see that Scorpion seemed kinda sad after his fight with Raiden. He "found" peace, but something felt different, and now he is seen as Quan Chi's lapdog, he was once the Leader of Shirai Ryu and he was feared and respected. He begins to grow disgruntled and starts to hate Quan Chi, cause the guy is a total dick. Already at the point of hating him, he finds out that Quan Chi orchestrated the whole thing and he tries to kill him, but Shinnok intervenes and Scorpion is killed and sent to the lowest region of the Netherrealm where he reforms. Meanwhile, Sub-Zero has been brought back and he is pissed that Quan Chi used him as a slave. Kuai Liang would also find out that Quan Chi framed his brother and had him killed by scorpion and then turned him into Noob. Kuai kills Quan Chi stealing Scorpion's chance at revenge. Meanwhile Shinnok has been banished to the lower pits of Netherrealm as well where our old pal Scorpion is. It takes him a while but he slays the Fallen Elder God, who tells him that Sub-Zero took his revenge. Enraged at Sub-Zero he now tries to kill him for taking his one true chance at revenge. The two are then forced to work together with Fujin and the forces of light when the new big bad takes over. Then that's all I've got so far.

We both know it won't happen because Scorpion makes bank for NRS and WB. It's not just Boon, you're kidding yourself if you think it's only him.



I could get on board with this, or at the very least having him come back, fully human, and reinventing himself as a mentor character.



They basically tried this in MKD. I know, I know, your idea isn't exactly the same as what they did, but if I'm Scorpion there's no way in hell I'm joining up with the moronic alternate timeline Raiden. As far as Nightwolf goes, you'd need to come up with some way for him to cross back over to the side of the living, which I imagine wouldn't be too tough to do.



I'd be alright with this only if it were an alternate costume. Fire is his thing and he should keep it, imo.



Again, he basically did this in MKD.



Challenge accepted, though you're taking this very personally considering I began addressing your post by referencing how often people in general have expressed their displeasure without offering any solutions. Which reminds me:



Well, bitching about something without suggesting alternatives doesn't help anyone, and that's not a matter of opinion.



That's bullshit and you know it.



Except they haven't. The feud with Sub-Zero ended for good in MK4, and that's only because Quan Chi tried to turn Scorpion against Sub-Zero again. Scorpion took a break from hunting Quan Chi in MKD and was back at it at the end of MKA (non-canon though). In the alternate timeline, he doesn't know that Quan Chi was the one who murdered his clan and family (if that's even still the case in this timeline, for now we'll assume it is), so tell me, who does he have to get revenge against right now? Because I sure as hell don't see anyone.




Props for being honest, but if the majority of people hated Scorpion they'd change him up or (heaven forbid) wouldn't make him such a prominent character all the time.



MK has always been about tropes, where have you been?

This is the same guy whose entire existence for unbeing is driven solely by his need for vengeance. To say he's somewhat petty and self centered is an understatement.

I don't necessarily mind the revenge story Scorpion has going for him, but I figured by now he'd be more of a Ghost Rider "Spirit of Vengeance" type of character that wasn't necessarily tied to his own revenge.

He's top dog thanks to Ed Boon. He is Ed's favorite in MK history. It's not because he is immortal.

What did Boon do to make that the case?

If it was just his clan, I'd somewhat agree, but it's his family too. When your family dies (especially your kid), it changes your perspective.

Plus, we've seen Scorpion be reasonable. Not only did he spare Kuai-Liang in MK2, he vowed to protect him after being such an asshole. He buried the same hatchet in MK4.

And remember, Quan has not one but two strikes on his record: he's responsible for the death of Scorp's family/clan AND he used him to try to kill Sub-Zero. This isn't just a "for my honor!" kind of thing; Quan genuinely deserves to be hunted down and speared in every orifice.

If Scorpion has any faults, I don't think it's that he's petty or selfish. I just think he's kind of an idiot.

Nailed it.

nothing would please me more then to have Scorpion realize or shown some dam proof about what really went down, and then seek out Sub-Zero bury the hatchet ( again) and just team up for the greater good and bring down Quan chi, oh and they should make him suffer. Both men have been wronged pretty badly by him.

He's been an idiot for over 20 years; it gets old.

He needs to either quit being an idiot and kill Quan Chi already (My baby! NOOOOOOOOOOO!), or just get the fuck over it. Like Nightwolf said, he's not the only one whose people have been victimized. In fact, just about everyone's family has been victimized, one way or another. Most of them are as guilty as they are innocent. There are very few people pure of heart in this series.

Thing is, after Quan Chi bit it in MKD, he did get over it. We even see him lending his powers to Shujinko in the endings. The fact is that Scorpion is a roid-rage specter because that's what NRS wants him to be. That's the real problem here, and I wish the team would have stayed the course and kept him as the elder god's champion.


It's true that Scorpion isn't innocent. No doubts about that. However, Nightwolf's comparison is completely unfair. You can't compare losing your wife and kids to having your ethnicity historically oppressed. Nightwolf should count himself lucky that Scorpion didn't kill his ass after that comment.

The Elder Gods Champion story was probably the best thing that could happen to this character. And of course it goes right back to this dreaded story. I want it to return, I really do.

I really don't want Scorpion to be the Champion of the Elder Gods... I mean, come on. He doesn't deserve that position.

Whether or not he does, I'd rather have a different story than go back to the whole avenging/revenging character.

That we can agree on.

The Elder Gods do not give a damn about wether he is deserving or not. They chose him in MKD for two reasons:

1. He just popped in thanks to the Oni.
2. He had the necessary combat potential.

in short, morality means jack shit to the Elder Gods. They needed a weapon, they got one.

I'd argue he deserved it at the time. Scorpion used to be about, like, trying to get his honor back and keeping vows and shit. He was more hero than villain for a good long while there.

It's really Shaolin Monks, Armageddon, and MK9 that have painted him as repetitive and retarded.



That's actually a dumber moment than you realize. See...original recipe MK3 Nightwolf was just a historian who was trying to keep his ancestors' culture alive and shit. But MK9 retconned it so that he's super old and doesn't age 'cause of shaman magic, which means he was actually AROUND when America was colonized, to see his people have their land stolen and be slaughtered by the English and such firsthand.

'Course, that doesn't SOUND stupid just saying it, it sounds like typical MK magic shit. The reason it's stupid is because it's not the first time Nightwolf has been characterized that way. That was his bio from the ANNIHILATION script. They borrowed an idea from the fucking second movie.
(It doesn't help that it takes away his legit real world job to make him even more of a stereotypical fighting game indian. I mean I dunno about you, but the only thing that ever made Nightwolf unique or interesting to me compared to Chief Thunder or T.Hawk was imagining that he only wears the warpaint to do magic at invading monsters, and when that's not happening, he actually puts on street clothes and joins us in modern society to teach at a school or museum or something. The thought that he actually just lives that way 24/7 because he's from olden times and he's used to it is kinda weak.)

Simplified, he is less like a Japanese person who is trying to avenge his and his clan's death, but more like the Ultimate Warrior who haunts Hul Hogan's asshole.


TVtropes has a good trope for focusing on one trait of a character, it's Flanderization.

I'm glad you brought up the part about Nightwolf, Razor. I had completely forgotten that they had borrowed from Annihilation (I'd love to completely erase the memory of THAT Nightwolf, but alas, you brought it back) and I agree that it was extremely dumb in that particular scene.

Just to follow up on that point, even if Scorpion were petty and selfish, why would that be a problem? MK has never really been Moral High Ground: The Series.

Story:

I find it funny and ironic how Scorpion call Subzero a "Murderer", when he himself used to be one in his past life when he was alive. It was never said that he ever killed anyone, but I'm sure he's taken out a few Lin Kuei rivalries. After all what kind of ninja doesn't kill? Don't tell me all he did when he was alive and human, that all he did was steal stuff and get info for his clan.

Anyway, there's never really a better story for Scorpion besides revenge, and we seem to never get tired of it. Quan Chi was the one behind his family and clans death, but Subzero (Bi Han) did in fact kill him. If Scorpion kills Quan Chi for good, maybe he can find peace and then what? Maybe he can roam freely in Earthrealm and just be an anti-hero. If anyone is in trouble, he kills the bad guys off and continues about his business, being a neutral state character, but just kinda fighting for those who are helpless in certain situations. Perhaps he can fight off large crime organizations like the Red / Black Dragons?


Appearance:

He's never looked better. This look takes MK2 and hints of Assassin's Creed main character designs, and merges them into one. I really loved his design for Injustice, but I don't think it would be a good idea to use that in MKX with the tone it's going for, it would be a bit of overkill. Loved his main MK9 look as well, but honestly, trying to incorporate the scorpion insect into his costume just doesn't work all too well all the time. I'm glad they went for a simpler look this time around.


Gameplay:

Everything looks great so far. His punches have a lot more reach than they did in MK9 and Injustice, where he seemed kinda short handed. Not sure if I like that he has a fireball, but hey it's in there so we'll have to deal with it. Glad the leg take down is back. His X-ray looks to be easily predictable.

Why haven't Scorpion and Noon Saibot feuded or did they? I mean he did kill Bi Han...