Hanzo Hasashi - also known as Scorpion - is a minor character in the 2021 martial arts film Mortal Kombat. Although marketed as a major character in the film's promotional material, he ultimately has very little screentime, appearing in the film's prologue and in the final battle towards the end of the movie. In spite of his lack of screentime, Scorpion's appearance in the movie does bare importance as he is revealed to be the ancestor of the film's main protagonist, Cole Young.
Death[]
In 1617, Hanzo Hasashi had apparently retired from the life of a mercenary assassin and had settled down in the Japanese countryside with his wife and children. However, destiny had determined that Hanzo was to represent Earthrealm in Mortal Kombat, a fighting tournament held once a generation to determine the fate of the world. Hanzo's body had been branded with the Mark of the Dragon, labelling him as a chosen contender for the tournament.
Hanzo would never have the chance to fight for Earthrealm as the Shirai Ryu compund was attacked by their longtime enemies: the Lin Kuei. While fetching water from the stream, Hanzo overheard the screams of his wife Harumi, running back to the compound to find his clansmen slain and his wife and eldest son encased in ice, literally frozen in death. Hanzo knew that his family had been slain by the hand of his sworn nemesis, Bi-Han.
After killing multiple Lin Kuei assassins, Hanzo called out to Bi-Han, finding him sat in quiet contemplation upon a stone. Bi-Han gloated over the Shirai Ryu's extermination before engaging Hanzo in kombat. Though they appeared to be evenly matched in strength and talent, Hanzo was overcome by vengeful rage, causing him to fight carelessly and without discipline. Bi-Han exploited this fully, managing to seize Hanzo's kunai and stab in multiple places, leaving deep wounds. Convinced that his opponent could not survive his injuries, Bi-Han walked away as Hanzo lay upon the ground.
Hanzo was still barely alive, but was rapidly bleeding out. Hearing a faint cry coming from the house, he realised that Harumi had hidden their baby daughter away before being killed. He vainly crawled towards the house, but ultimately succumbed to blood loss and perished. Upon his passing, Hanzo's body was mysteriously wrapped in ethereal flames and disappeared completely, leaving behind only a scorched indentation in the grass where he once lay.
Resurrection[]
Over five hundred years following his death, Hanzo would emerge from the depths of the Netherrealm as the infernal spectre Scorpion. This resurrection was accomplished when Cole Young, the last descendant of the Hasashi bloodline, had unlocked his arcana in preparation for the final Mortal Kombat tournament. He had also been granted Hanzo's old kunai by Lord Raiden, still covered with his ancestor's blood.
When confronted by Sub-Zero, Cole had cut himself with the kunai. Through Cole's arcana and the blood of a Hasashi, Scorpion emerged from the Netherrealm and assisted Cole in battle against Sub-Zero, allowing Cole to save his family. After the two managed to critically wound Sub-Zero, Scorpion finally took his revenge and incinerated the cryomancer with a blast of hellfire. His vengeance complete, he thanked Cole for freeing him from his damnation before departing, disappearing into flames.