Formerly a human ninja and member of the Shirai Ryu clan, Scorpion is now a black and yellow garbed, hell-spawned spectre, inexorably seeking vengeance against those responsible for the destruction of his clan and the death of his family. Despite the fact that Scorpion has previously allied himself with the forces of evil (when promised either a means of resurrection on Earth or the chance to inflict his wrath against those who butchered his clan), he is not inherently evil.

In fact, Scorpion has, at times, indirectly assisted the game's protagonists, although his reasons for doing so always ultimately serve to benefit his own motives. Fans of the series often perceive Scorpion as the title's foremost anti-hero, due to his tendency to undertake actions which serve to benefit good, albeit in his own gruesome, self-serving and vigilante manner. Scorpion's demeanor, characteristics, persona and self-reliance have all contributed to his popularity, with Scorpion ironically appearing as the most human in nature and choice when compared to the purely virtuous "good guys" and the diabolically evil "bad guys."

Scorpion was once manipulated by Quan Chi, who promised him life in exchange for his impressive combat abilities in order to defeat Sub-Zero the elder. Despite such actions, Scorpion is not entirely merciless, as he once spared the life of Sub-Zero's younger brother after defeating him in battle. As Scorpion is a spectre, he is almost impossible to actually destroy, certainly in a physical sense, although sorcery and supernatural anomalies have previously proven slightly more successful in vanquishing Scorpion in combat. Despite this, none have ever succeeded in destroying him in an absolute sense. When masked, Scorpion appears human, although this is merely an illusion. When revealing his true self, only Scorpion's skull remains, which sometimes appears on fire. Scorpion's most popular and recognised skill is his famous spear attack, which is used to draw an opponent toward him. Scorpion will shout "Get over here!" or "Come here!" whilst attempting this technique.

Although Scorpion is featured alongside the forces of evil in the opening scene of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, he remains neutral, due to his fierce hatred of Quan Chi. In Mortal Kombat: Deception, Scorpion is a force for good since he was chosen as the champion of the Elder Gods to defeat Onaga, the Dragon King.