How Scorpion And Sub-Zero Became Friends

The rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero is as much a part of gaming culture as other legendry adversaries like Mario and Bowser, and Mega Man and Dr. Wily. For those old enough to remember the Early 90s, Scorpion and Sub-Zero were the definition of Yin and Yang – fire and ice – whose sole purpose seemed to be vengeance against one another. So, when the two men finally buried the hatchet in “Mortal Kombat X,” it felt like the end of an era in video games.



But!! Seeing as the rival ninjas are now working side-by-side after decades of animosity, we’re really excited to see where this storyline goes next. Perhaps a buddy-buddy cop adventure, a. la. the “Lethal Weapon” series, where Subs and Scorps team up to take down a city full of criminals under the moniker “Fire and Ice?” Hey… we can dream can’t we?





But, things weren’t always so cordial between the two iconic fighters, so let’s rewind time for a second… Their beef began when the sorcerer Quan Chi hired both men to find a sacred map, leading them to clash in a battle where Sub-Zero of the Lin Kuei (at this point represented by Bi-Han) killed Hanzo Hasashi of the Shirai Ryu. Hasashi’s soul was then sent to the Netherrealm, where Quan Chi resurrected him and told him that Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei killed his family and wiped out the Shirai Ryu. Eventually Bi-Han found himself in the Netherrealm in pursuit of Quan Chi, where he was confronted by the specter of Hasashi, now known as Scorpion. Bi-Han tried to explain that he had no role in the murder of his family but driven by rage the specter would not listen. Sub-Zero managed to defeat Scorpion again, but given that he was now a ghost he wouldn’t stay down for long.





Sub-Zero was able to stop Quan Chi from resurrecting Shinnok, and his actions caught the attention of Shang Tsung who invited him to participate in the first Mortal Kombat tournament. Quan Chi in turn brought Scorpion back to Earthrealm and instructed him to track down Sub-Zero at the tournament. Scorpion eventually confronted Bi-Han and killed him in cold blood.



After the first tournament, Kuai Liang (the younger brother of the deceased Bi-Han) took up the identity of Sub-Zero after learning of his brother’s death and entered the second MK tournament seeking revenge. And, thus, one of the biggest feuds in all of video games was born.





With such a deeply rooted rivalry based on murder and revenge, it’s no wonder that fans of the series often gravitated to either Sub-Zero or Scorpion, as their storylines were two of the most interesting in the entire franchise. But, looking back with hindsight, there were a few clues in the original storyline that PERHAPS suggested that the bitter feud between these two warriors wasn’t planned to last forever.



First off, in “Mortal Kombat 2” – when Kuai Liang entered the tournament looking for revenge for his brother’s death – Scorpion not only doesn’t fight him, but he instead decides to become the younger Sub-Zero’s protector after witnessing the Ice Warrior spare the life of an opponent. While they don’t hug it out exactly, it’s still an early sign that peace may eventually win out in the end. The second hint comes in “MK 4” where – oddly enough – the relationship between Scorpion and Sub-Zero has fallen apart again, as Quan Chi had managed to convince Scorpion that the younger Sub-Zero also played a part in his family and clan’s demise. With Sub-Zero defeated at the feet of a furious Scorpion, however, Quan Chi appeared and let the cat out of the bag: he was the one who orchestrated the death of Scorpion’s family and clan, not Sub-Zero. Obviously, at this point, Scorpion forgets about Sub-Zero and chases after Quan Chi, dragging him into the Netherrealm while vowing deadly revenge.



Seeing as the entire history between Sub-Zero and Scorpion was nothing more than manipulation at the hands of the Evil Sorcerer Quan Chi, gamers’ imaginations became fired up with thoughts of, “when the hell are these two going to team up and kick some serious ass?!” Despite the fact that both Scorpion and Sub-Zero went their separate ways after “MK 4,” fans were already envisioning the day when the Yellow and Blue Warriors would fight side-by-side against the forces of evil. But, it wasn’t going to happen in the original timeline.





So, when 2011’s “Mortal Kombat” rebooted the timeline back to the events of the first tournament, the feud between Scorpion and Sub-Zero was on full display for the audience. The outcome for Bi-Han's demise remained the same as the original timeline, but Kuai Liang’s story took a darker twist. Given the chance to confront his brother’s killer in Shao Kahn’s arena, their battle is interrupted by cyborg soldiers from the Lin Kuei, who capture Kuai Liang and bring him back to their temple to convert into the machine: Cyber Sub-Zero. This time Kuai Liang met his demise not by Scorpion, but by Sindel, along with many other Earthrealm warriors. All of whom became Quan Chi’s revenant slaves.



In the events of the “Mortal Kombat X” prequel graphic novel, Quan Chi removed Sub-Zero’s soul from his cybernetic husk and created a new organic body for him so that he may fight as one of his revenants at his full potential … alongside Scorpion. During the Neatherrealm war, Raiden was able to free both Sub-Zero and Scorpion from Quan Chi’s power just as Johnny Cage was able to seal away Shinnok.



Now onto the events of “Mortal Kombat X” itself, both Sub-Zero and Scorpion are presented as a little older and a little wiser having being freed from Quan Chi’s manipulation. During this time, they have reformed their respective clans to be more merciful and just. And, out of nowhere, Sub-Zero invites Scorpion to discuss their past and potentially make peace between the Lin Kuei & the Shirai Ryu. Scorpion, obviously suspicious of anyone from the Lin Kuei (and especially Sub-Zero), agrees to the meeting, but he’s attacked by Sub-Zero’s protégé Frost who refuses an alliance between the two clans.



Thinking it was all a set up, Scorpion defeats Frost and is about to kill Sub-Zero, but Frost suddenly attacks Scorpion out of desperation and Sub-Zero is forced to subdue his pupil in ice (showing Scorpion that his intentions for peace are real). As a further gesture of his sincerity, Sub-Zero presents Scorpion with Sektor’s severed head that contains a digital memory outlining how Quan Chi used the Lin Kuei to kill Scorpion’s family without either Bi-Han or Kuai Liang’s knowledge. Kuai Liang apologizes to Scorpion for his clan’s involvement in the death of his family, and says that if he had known this; he would never have sought revenge for Bi-Han’s death.



Scorpion then admits that the only reason he killed Bi-Han was because he thought Han was responsible for the death of his family and clan members. With the truth finally revealed – that both men were manipulated by Quan Chi –and since he had held both of them under his control; the Fire Demon and the Ice Master realized they were merely puppets in his game and finally agree to become allies. Excuse us if we become a little emotional here, but it’s been such a roller-coaster ride for these two warriors that we’re a little chocked up at the sight of the most ardent of sworn enemies finally become friends. It’s like Shakespeare or something… Ed Boon-ian Shakespeare!





And that’s how we’ve arrived at the current moment of friendship between Scorpion and Sub-Zero in “MK 11,” where they are seemingly buddy-buddy while infiltrating the Lin Kuei Cyber factory in the game’s fourth chapter. We won’t spoil anything here, so if you’re all hyped up by the drama surrounding this infamous feud from this video, go play that latest Mortal Kombat and check out its awesome storyline. You won’t be disappointed!