Hello and welcome to Wasted Plotential, the show where we discuss the wasted potential
of our favourite plotlines.
It's funny, really, that Sub-Zero and Scorpion are seen as this iconic, all-time classic
fighting game rivalry, but they're not really. A lot of MK fans have commented on my MKX
critique that they really enjoyed seeing Scorpion and Sub-Zero finally bury the hatchet and
become friends. And I'm just thinking, yeah, I really liked that moment too. Back in 1993.
I guess that's how you can tell an old fan from a new fan: whether they think the rivalry
ended in '93 or 2015.
It all goes back to MK1, where it was always planned for there to be these two rival ninjas,
even before any specific details were conceived for either of them. Sub-Zero (Bi-Han) killed
Scorpion two years ago and Scorpion is back from the dead to seek revenge through the
tournament, while Sub-Zero is trying to assassinate Shang Tsung. After the tournament concludes,
Scorpion kills him and goes back to hell.
In MKII, Sub-Zero's younger brother, Kuai Liang, heads to Outworld to finish his brother's
mission. Not to seek revenge, but to restore the honour of his brother, the Sub-Zero name
and the Lin Kuei clan. Scorpion hears about Sub-Zero's return and believes that Bi-Han
has returned from the dead like he did. He heads to Outworld and, depending on the source,
either witnesses Sub-Zero uncharacteristically spare an opponent in the tournament, or just
kinda figures it out before then. Feeling remorse for taking this man's brother from
him and for attempting to kill an innocent, Scorpion vows to become Kuai Liang's protector.
He even goes so far as to defect from Shao Kahn's forces in MK3 upon learning that Sub-Zero
is on Earthrealm's side.
It's a real problem with fighting game rivalries, that they either stagnate with no progression
because one of them dying would remove them from the series, leaving two contract assassins
without a single successful kill between them; or the rivalry just stops for poorly-considered
reasons, such as a man out to avenge his murdered clan giving up and going home because his
sword ran out of batteries. The MK team had already set up the idea that Bi-Han had just
come back from the dead as a spectre like Scorpion did, which could have been used to
keep the rivalry going forever as every game sees the two return and we're left to wonder
which one will die this time. But they didn't do that, because that would be horrifically
boring. Instead, they advanced the storyline, created a new dynamic where Scorpion got his
revenge and now protects his murderer's younger brother, while the brother is somewhat conflicted
about being aligned with his brother's killer.
After Quan Chi manipulated Scorpion into thinking that Kuai Liang killed his family in MK4 and
that got cleared up, the two didn't even meet again until the intro of Armageddon, because
their respective plotlines went in totally different directions: Scorpion was out for
revenge on Quan Chi, then working for the Elder Gods, then out for revenge on the Elder
Gods; and Sub-Zero was rebuilding the Lin Kuei, travelling Outworld and trying to restore
his brother. They could have just had Kuai Liang be out for revenge for his brother's
death and Scorpion transfer the rivalry over to Kuai Liang after killing Bi-Han, but those
are stupid, generic ideas and the team were absolutely right to avoid them.
But then, they did it anyway. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, the retelling of MK2, has Kuai
Liang arrive in Outworld explicitly to hunt down the one responsible for his brother's
death with no mention of finishing his mission. This was one of the elements from Shaolin
Monks that then made their way over into MK2011 for its retelling of MK1 and 2. Here, Kuai
Liang is out for revenge again, and doesn't even know who killed his brother, making one
wonder whether it was Sektor not telling the Grandmaster, or the Grandmaster not telling
Kuai Liang. Of course, the finishing his mission motive was basically unusable here, thanks
to Bi-Han's MK1 motive being inverted. Kuai Liang goes to the coliseum to demand a fight
with Scorpion, who just decides to fight Kuai Liang on the grounds that he's Sub-Zero now,
so fuck that guy.
While it was nice to see them become allies in MKX, and them going on missions together
in MK11 was one of that story's highlights, I really don't think their relationship was
improved over the old timeline by having the rivalry transfer over. The only thing I think
could have improved their old dynamic would be Scorpion helping Kuai Liang to track down
and restore Bi-Han and Smoke during Armageddon, with Hanzo feeling responsible for his old
nemesis suffering this fate worse than death and wanting to help reunite the brothers.
Then, you could have the two confront Quan Chi during Armageddon, Bi-Han avenging his
corruption and Hanzo avenging his family.
Hanzo and Kuai Liang burying the hatchet after years of feuding is a solid concept that does
require the rivalry transfer, but it's definitely inferior to the far more interesting dynamic
we had originally, and that's the dynamic I'd love to see fleshed out in a cinematic
story mode. Hopefully, the next reboot can give us that. And hopefully, without Quan
Chi's direct involvement this time. Originally, Quan Chi was inserted into the rivalry in
Mythologies, only to explain why both characters were in the same place at the same time for
their fight to the death, and lay the foundation for MK4's plot. Then, DCU claimed that Quan
Chi is the one who revived Scorpion as a spectre, which carried over to 2011, which also established
him as the one who brought back fucking everyone, including Bi-Han; and it's presented in such
a way as to imply Scorpion's revival was just a means to get Bi-Han as a minion, leaving
Hanzo twiddling his thumbs in the Netherrealm until Bi-Han dies again.
Hey, uh, Liu Kang? Can- Can you do me a favour and leave Quan Chi out of this timeline? I'd
really appreciate it. ...Hello?
If you liked this video, why not subscribe and support me on Patreon like these fine
people here? If not, then make sure to share it with your enemies so they can suffer along
with you.