Mortal Kombat 2 Can Make Cole’s Scorpion Link Mean More Than The Original

Mortal Kombat 2 Can Make Cole's Scorpion Link Mean More Than The Original

Mortal Kombat introduced Cole Young as a descendant of Scorpion, and Mortal Kombat 2 should bring Cole and Scorpion together again for a few reasons.

Mortal Kombat established Cole Young as having ties to Scorpion, and Mortal Kombat 2 could deepen their connection. 2021’s big-screen reboot of Mortal Kombat was anchored by Lewis Tan as the original character Cole Young, an MMA fighter. Despite his seemingly normal life, Cole soon finds himself training alongside other fighters in preparation for a martial arts tournament to decide the fate of Earthrealm— Mortal Kombat.

With Cole not deriving from the Mortal Kombat games, the film linked him to Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada) by setting him up as the descendant of the Shirai-Ryu warrior. Scorpion himself had a relatively minor role in Mortal Kombat, appearing in the prologue opposite Bi-Han (Joe Taslim), who later becomes Sub-Zero. In the final battle of Mortal Kombat, Hanzo returned in the form of Scorpion, teaming with Cole to defeat Sub-Zero before departing.

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Cole’s lineage tying him to Scorpion was a smart way to work him into the Mortal Kombat mythos. Even still, the film didn’t have much of a chance to explore their connection or their relationship, with the two only on-screen together in the finale. With Mortal Kombat 2 on the way, the sequel can incorporate more of the franchise’s world-building by not just bringing Scorpion back, but teaming him and Cole up once more.

Cole Still Has Much To Learn (& Scorpion Could Teach Him)

Mortal Kombat threw Cole Young and his family into the deep end right from the start when Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) arrived to assassinate him. From there, Cole was taken through a crash course on the different realms, the impending Mortal Kombat tournament, and him being one of Earthrealm’s chosen warriors. Cole also finally unlocked his “arcana” of tonfas and a golden armor suit in his fight with the four-armed beast Goro, but while he’s been brought up to speed, the whole experience is still very new to him.

Cole’s training and learning of what Mortal Kombat entails was quite overwhelming for him. His arcana, while making him more formidable against opponents like Goro and Sub-Zero, is something Cole is also still getting used to. The assistance he received from Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) and the other Earthrealm warriors helped him a great deal; still, it was the intervention of his ancestor Scorpion that was the greatest help to Cole stepping into his role as a defender of Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat. With Mortal Kombat ending on his and Scorpion’s two-on-one duel with Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat 2 would be wise to continue exploring this dynamic.

Cole & Scorpion’s Team-up Can Explore More Mortal Kombat Lore

Mortal Kombat Cole young Scorpion

Mortal Kombat didn’t feature the famed tournament the franchise is known for, but rather acted as more of a preparation for it. With Cole heading to recruit Johnny Cage to fight for Earthrealm, the tournament is bound to be a major focus of Mortal Kombat 2. Bringing Scorpion back as an active participant and pairing him up with Cole again could be the sequel’s key to taking him and the audience into a deep dive of Mortal Kombat lore.

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The fact that Scorpion’s role in Mortal Kombat was as brief but memorable as it was could be an advantage to Mortal Kombat 2. Since being killed by Bi-Han, Hanzo Hasashi has spent centuries as an immortal wraith in the Netherrealm. In that time, Scorpion has likely seen or experienced many Mortal Kombat elements not seen in the film. Scorpion’s surely met characters like Quan Chi and possibly Shao Khan, and is intimately familiar with the hierarchy of the realms. Whether he’s taken part in the tournament at any point or been sent on assassin missions, Scorpion’s backstory since his death as Hanzo Hasashi could be how Mortal Kombat 2 explores the franchise’s deep lore. By having him impart these stories to Cole, it could also deepen their connection and further prepare Cole to fight for Earthrealm. Scorpion’s return as a mentoring ally of Cole’s would further facilitate one of the best marketing points Mortal Kombat 2 could have.

The Two Can Face Bi-Han Again (As Noob Saibot)

Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Scorpion and Joe Taslim as Bi Han Sub Zero in Mortal Kombat

Many characters in Mortal Kombat have gone through varying levels of re-invention since the franchise started, and Sub-Zero is one of the prime examples. Bi-Han made his debut as Sub-Zero in the original Mortal Kombat game, but that role has since been occupied by his younger brother, Kuai Liang. Mortal Kombat: Deception would reveal Bi-Han as the identity of the character Noob Saibot. With Bi-Han as Mortal Kombat’s final antagonist against the fighters of Earthrealm, the film plays up his significance greatly, even making him the final boss in the showdown with Cole and Scorpion. Bi-Han may have died, but no one stays dead forever in Mortal Kombat, making Bi-Han’s return as Noob Saibot perfectly plausible, either in Mortal Kombat 2 or beyond.

After the final battle, the arrival of Noob Saibot could set up a bigger rematch between Bi-Han, Hanzo, and Cole. With Cole having sharpened his skills and strengthened his arcana with the help of Scorpion, such a rematch could be the ideal way to pay-off both the beginning and ending of 2021’s Mortal Kombat. Bi-Han returning as Noob Saibot would also necessarily set up the arrival of Kuai Liang as the new Sub-Zero, which would continue to build on the Mortal Kombat lore Cole and Scorpion’s relationship could unveil. Joe Taslim teased Noob Saibot before Mortal Kombat, and with the ending of the movie freeing Bi-Han up for that transformation, this could further develop in the context of Cole’s relationship with Scorpion.

The Mortal Kombat character roster is a vast one, and Mortal Kombat 2 is bound to expand upon those seen in its predecessor. Johnny Cage is already a given, but others on both sides of the fight for Earthrealm will join up, as well. Still, the connection set up between Cole and Scorpion was a compelling mechanism to integrate a completely new character into the franchise. Mortal Kombat 2 would be very wise indeed to capitalize on that, not just by bringing Scorpion back, but by uniting him and Cole for a team-up that reveals more about their connection and the battle of the realms.

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About The Author

Brad Curran
(705 Articles Published)

Growing up, Brad developed an innate love of movies and storytelling, and was instantly enamored with the world of adventure while following the exploits of Indiana Jones, Japanese kaiju, and superheroes. Today, Brad channels his thoughts on all manner of movies, from comic book films, sci-fi thrillers, comedies, and everything in between through his writings on Screen Rant. Brad also offers philosophical musings on martial arts and the filmographies of everyone from Jackie Chan to Donnie Yen on Kung Fu Kingdom, where he’s also had the privilege of interviewing many of the world’s great stunt professionals, and hearing plenty of gripping stories on injuries incurred in their line of work and the intricacies of designing the acts of death defiance he first thrilled to as a youngster. When he’s not writing, Brad enjoys going on a ride with the latest action hit or Netflix original, though he’s also known to just pop in “The Room” from time to time. Follow Brad on Twitter @BradCurran.

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