Scorpionates represent one of the most versatile types of tridentate ligand that can coordinate to a wide variety of elements, e.g. from early to late transition metals, and the coordination chemistry of these systems has developed greatly in recent years. This Perspective gives an account of studies on the following aspects: (1) the preparative methods for a new class of heteroscorpionate [RR'C(pz)2] ligand derived from bis(pyrazol-1-yl)methane and (2) the description of metal complexes containing these ligands, examples of which incorporate a range of different metals from the Periodic Table.