The story director of Mortal Kombat 1 explains why Kuai Liang is Scorpion

Dominic Cianciolo, the story director of Mortal Kombat 1, confirmed in a recent interview that in Liu Kang's new timeline, Kuai Liang is indeed Scorpion. He explained that this change was made to "refresh" the relationship that everyone is familiar with.

Since its initial reveal, one of the biggest mysteries surrounding Mortal Kombat 1 has been the identity of Scorpion. The game's reveal trailer quickly made it clear that this time everything would be different, as Sub-Zero and Scorpion are portrayed as brothers rather than rivals. However, things became even more complicated when it was revealed that Bi-Han would become Sub-Zero in this timeline.

This, combined with the fact that Sub-Zero and Scorpion are portrayed as brothers in this version, led fans to speculate that in this timeline, Scorpion is actually Kuai Liang and not Hanzo Hasashi, as it has been in every other Mortal Kombat game. This theory originated as a fan theory but seemed to be confirmed by Dominic Cianciolo, the story director of Mortal Kombat 1, during an interview with IGN at the Summer Game Fest.

After NetherRealm kept it under wraps for a long time, it seems they have stopped hiding Scorpion's identity in Mortal Kombat 1, as Cianciolo was recently asked directly about the change during a Gamescom interview with IGN. During the interview, IGN asked Cianciolo why such a significant alteration was made to both Scorpion and Kuai Liang, noting that it was one of the most discussed elements of Mortal Kombat 1's story.

In response, Cianciolo stated that the goal was to refresh the relationship between Scorpion and Sub-Zero from something familiar to something new and full of drama. This wouldn't have been possible if it had maintained the same rivalry between Bi-Han and Hanzo Hasashi as in the original Mortal Kombat.

Cianciolo said, "On one hand, we wondered how we could refresh this relationship that everyone knows. And how can we amplify the drama between the two characters? The idea of Scorpion and Sub-Zero being brothers goes way back, even (co-creator John Tobias)... it was his idea from the beginning, it was a way to resolve the tension. And the decision of whether to continue with Hanzo and make him a blood brother or an adopted brother, or if Kuai Liang is the blood brother?"

Cianciolo also pointed out that Mortal Kombat 1 should be considered as a "starting point" for a new universe, and that the characters in this game are just beginning their storylines and narratives. This not only suggests that more will come from this new timeline in the future, but also that we may eventually see these characters getting closer to the versions from the other timelines.