How to draw Scorpion

This lesson will show you how to draw Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, the yellow-clad ninja known for his iconic spear and fiery breath.

He first appeared in the original Mortal Kombat game in 1992 and has been included in nearly every entry in the series. His real name is Hanzo Hasashi, and he was killed by Sub-Zero (Bi-Han).

Scorpion traditionally wears a black-and-yellow ninja outfit, and his mask conceals a bare – sometimes flaming – skull.

Over the years, many different versions of his costume have appeared. In this lesson, we will draw Scorpion in the suit he wore in the first Mortal Kombat movie.

Even though we chose the version from the 1990s movie, this lesson can be used to draw Scorpion from any game or later films – you simply need to adjust the specific parts of the costume as needed.

How to draw Scorpion from Mortal Kombat

Step 1: Sketch the stick figure in a fighting stance

As in all our tutorials, begin by drawing a stickman figure. Scorpion is shown in a fighting stance, preparing to throw his spear (get over here). His legs are slightly bent, and his arms are heavily bent, which may make them appear shorter at this stage. Use light strokes for the guidelines and avoid pressing too hard on the pencil.

Step 2: Add volume to the ninja’s torso and arms

Add volume to the figure by sketching the contours of Scorpion’s torso and limbs over the stickman. Outline the torso as a cylinder, then sketch the arms and the palms. His right hand is open, while the left hand is positioned under the right elbow. Lightly outline the feet and move on.

Step 3: Draw the legs of Scorpion

Add volume to the legs by starting with the upper parts and drawing them as wide cylinders that taper slightly toward the knees. Then mark the knees as simple spheres. Continue shaping the legs by outlining the lower parts as cylinders that narrow toward the ankles. Finish building the leg structure by sketching the basic shapes of the feet. Make sure to keep the leg anatomy in mind as you draw each part so the ninja’s body looks convincing and well-constructed.

Step 4: Sketch the facial guidelines and kataginu

Begin adding details, starting with the facial guidelines. Draw a vertical centerline and a horizontal line for eye placement. Then sketch the upper part of the kataginu – two fabric strips starting from the waist, running over the shoulders, and ending at the lower back. Add the arm outlines and arm protectors. Erase extra guidelines from the torso and arms.

Step 5: Draw the lower kataginu and refine the legs

Draw Scorpion’s legs in more detail. Add the lower section of the kataginu as a rectangular shape. Show the structure of the legs beneath the pants by indicating the thigh and calf muscles. Erase unnecessary guidelines and add folds to the fabric.

Step 6: Sketch the mask and begin shaping the eyes

Continue adding details to the Scorpion drawing. Sketch the mask and start drawing the eyes using the guidelines. Also in this step, add some folds to the suit. Pay attention to the folds of the parts of the suit that are on the torso – these folds are formed due to the bent arms and turn of the torso. After that add folds at the waist, knees, and ankles.

Step 7: Sketch the pelvic, knee and ankle folds

Now begin adding details to the lower part of the Mortal Kombat ninja’s body. Start by placing folds around the pelvic area and the knees. Then sketch a few folds around the ankles and the shoes. After that, move to the arms and draw the combat bracers with more detail.

Step 8: Draw the head of Scorpion in detail

Starting from this step, we’ll begin adding the final details to the Scorpion drawing. First, carefully draw the eyes and the outlines of the eyebrows. Do not add pupils, as this is one of the character’s signature features. Then refine the details of the mask, depicting it either in the style of the 1995 movie version shown in our example or giving it a different shape if you prefer. Finish this stage by carefully outlining the head and erasing all unnecessary construction lines in this area.

Step 9: Detail the arms of Hanzo Hasashi

Now move to the upper part of the body and carefully draw the hands with all the folds and contours. Then add the intricate details to the bracers and place folds in the areas of compression and stretching, such as the elbows and near the shoulders. After that, refine the kataginu, adding more folds and stitching, that emphasize and define the character’s pose.

Step 10: Draw in detail the lower legs of Scorpion

Now it’s time to repeat the same process for the lower part of the ninja’s body. Draw the remaining folds on the upper and lower legs, making sure to emphasize the directions in which the fabric compresses and stretches. Then carefully draw the ankle wraps, which securely hold the lower part of the pants – this is a very recognizable feature of ninja outfits in popular media. Erase all remaining construction lines, check the proportions of your ninja drawing, and move on to the next step.

Step 11: Add shadows to the ninja

Draw shadows to create the illusion of volume on paper. We recommend you add shadows using simple hatching. At first hatch the dark parts of the suit. Then determine where the light source is located. In our example, it is in the upper right part of the picture. Once you have identified the source of the light, start to draw shadows in those areas where the light does not fall.

Mortal Kombat is one of the most popular games on the planet and unquestionably one of the most beloved fighting franchises across multiple generations of players.

Scorpion, in turn, is among the most iconic and widely favored characters – a member of the series’ well-known group of color-coded ninjas.

As you already know, most ninjas in Mortal Kombat are drawn in a similar way, but each has distinctive features that allow you to recognize them even in black-and-white artworks.

To explore other well-known ninjas from the series, you can try drawing Sub-Zero, Scorpion’s primary rival. You can also draw Reptile, the green ninja.

And if you want to study the general principles of drawing a shinobi – principles that apply to nearly any similar character from games, films, or comics – make sure to visit our ninja drawing lesson, where we demonstrate several versions for a deeper and more complete understanding of the topic.