Mortal Kombat protagonist Cole Young (Lewis Tan) is a descendant of Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada), but which of the two characters is actually stronger? Because of their blood connection and shared vendetta against villain Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Cole only ever team up in the movie, leaving the question of who would win in a duel between them unanswered. However, after looking at the powers they display in the movies and the video games, there’s a clear winner.
Cole spends most of Goro.
So how do those powers stack up against Scorpion? Before he died, Hanzo Hasashi was one of the most skilled and feared warriors on Earth – so much so that the Lin Kuei sent an entire squad of assassins just to take him out. Those natural fighting skills only became amplified after Scorpion’s trip to the Netherrealm, where he mastered the fires of Hell as a form of magical weaponry. That boost made Scorpion not just an expert in both hand-to-hand and weapon-based combat, but also a dangerous sorcerer with the flames of the Netherrealm itself at his disposal.
While Cole is certainly strong and a skilled warrior, he can’t really match up against Scorpion’s power. His physical fighting abilities aren’t as strong as Hanzo’s, and his arcana, while powerful, can’t compete with Scorpion’s Hell magic either. Fortunately for Cole, the two end up on the same side, and together they’re able to enact some familial vengeance on Sub-Zero. If it wasn't for Scorpion's arrival, it's doubtful Cole on his own would have won the bout.
Of course, Cole may become much stronger in future Mortal Kombat films. The prophecy surrounding him says he may win the actual Mortal Kombat Tournament, which suggests there’s a lot more power hidden within him waiting to be unlocked. He may not have Scorpion’s warrior training or his pyromancy skills, but he could become a much larger threat in Mortal Kombat 2 and beyond.