Who Are Mortal Kombat's Shirai Ryu: Scorpion's Ninja Origin Explained
Who areMortal Kombat's Shirai Ryu? 2021's Mortal Kombat reboot opens with Lin Kuei clan assassin Sub Zero (Bi Han) slaughtering Scorpion (Hanzo Hasashi) and his family over a Shirai Ryu/Lin Kuei clan feud, sending the Shirai Ryu's leader Scorpion to an afterlife from which he plots revenge for millennia. This led to questions on what Shirai Ryu actually means, for both the story and the franchise at large. The clans at the center of this dispute have a long and storied past that can give us some hints as to which characters might make a future appearance. The intro is a highlight of the movie for many, showcasing the brutality of the reboot and giving the film more of an emotional core than a Mortal Kombat movie ever really warranted.
In the lore of Mortal Kombat, the titular tournaments occur to solve disputes between different Realms of the universe – Mortal Kombat's heroes fight to defend Earthrealm against brutal sluggers and stabbers from less-than-ideal vacation spots like Netherrealm, Outworld, and Chaosrealm. But the characters' affiliations are also divided by warring ninja clans that have beef going back thousands of years. By the most recent installment of the games, Mortal Kombat 11, Hanzo has become Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu clan but ended up dying in the arms of a past version of himself, so the Shirai Ryu is without a leader.
Related: Mortal Kombat 2021: Every Character’s Powers Explained
The Shirai Ryu used to be part of the Lin Kuei clan, before a warrior named Takeda left their ranks to start ninjutsu in Japan, selling his services as a mercenary. His followers became the Shirai Ryu. The Lin Kuei punish desertion by death, and, on top of this, don't take kindly to ex-members trading their
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