diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/scale.py b/lib/matplotlib/scale.py
index 44fbe5209c4d..3126c2c82095 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/scale.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/scale.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 
 import inspect
 import textwrap
+from functools import wraps
 
 import numpy as np
 
@@ -103,6 +104,49 @@ def limit_range_for_scale(self, vmin, vmax, minpos):
         return vmin, vmax
 
 
+def handle_axis_parameter(init_func):
+    """
+    Decorator to handle the optional *axis* parameter in scale constructors.
+
+    This decorator ensures backward compatibility for scale classes that
+    previously required an *axis* parameter. It allows constructors to work
+    seamlessly with or without the *axis* parameter.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    init_func : callable
+        The original __init__ method of a scale class.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    callable
+        A wrapped version of *init_func* that handles the optional *axis*.
+
+    Notes
+    -----
+    If the wrapped constructor defines *axis* as its first argument, the
+    parameter is preserved when present. Otherwise, the value `None` is injected
+    as the first argument.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> from matplotlib.scale import ScaleBase
+    >>> class CustomScale(ScaleBase):
+    ...     @handle_axis_parameter
+    ...     def __init__(self, axis, custom_param=1):
+    ...         self.custom_param = custom_param
+    """
+    @wraps(init_func)
+    def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        if args and isinstance(args[0], mpl.axis.Axis):
+            return init_func(self, *args, **kwargs)
+        else:
+            # Remove 'axis' from kwargs to avoid double assignment
+            kwargs.pop('axis', None)
+            return init_func(self, None, *args, **kwargs)
+    return wrapper
+
+
 class LinearScale(ScaleBase):
     """
     The default linear scale.
@@ -110,7 +154,8 @@ class LinearScale(ScaleBase):
 
     name = 'linear'
 
-    def __init__(self, axis):
+    @handle_axis_parameter
+    def __init__(self, axis=None):
         # This method is present only to prevent inheritance of the base class'
         # constructor docstring, which would otherwise end up interpolated into
         # the docstring of Axis.set_scale.
@@ -180,6 +225,7 @@ class FuncScale(ScaleBase):
 
     name = 'function'
 
+    @handle_axis_parameter
     def __init__(self, axis, functions):
         """
         Parameters
@@ -279,7 +325,8 @@ class LogScale(ScaleBase):
     """
     name = 'log'
 
-    def __init__(self, axis, *, base=10, subs=None, nonpositive="clip"):
+    @handle_axis_parameter
+    def __init__(self, axis=None, *, base=10, subs=None, nonpositive="clip"):
         """
         Parameters
         ----------
@@ -330,6 +377,7 @@ class FuncScaleLog(LogScale):
 
     name = 'functionlog'
 
+    @handle_axis_parameter
     def __init__(self, axis, functions, base=10):
         """
         Parameters
@@ -455,7 +503,8 @@ class SymmetricalLogScale(ScaleBase):
     """
     name = 'symlog'
 
-    def __init__(self, axis, *, base=10, linthresh=2, subs=None, linscale=1):
+    @handle_axis_parameter
+    def __init__(self, axis=None, *, base=10, linthresh=2, subs=None, linscale=1):
         self._transform = SymmetricalLogTransform(base, linthresh, linscale)
         self.subs = subs
 
@@ -547,7 +596,8 @@ class AsinhScale(ScaleBase):
         1024: (256, 512)
     }
 
-    def __init__(self, axis, *, linear_width=1.0,
+    @handle_axis_parameter
+    def __init__(self, axis=None, *, linear_width=1.0,
                  base=10, subs='auto', **kwargs):
         """
         Parameters
@@ -645,7 +695,8 @@ class LogitScale(ScaleBase):
     """
     name = 'logit'
 
-    def __init__(self, axis, nonpositive='mask', *,
+    @handle_axis_parameter
+    def __init__(self, axis=None, nonpositive='mask', *,
                  one_half=r"\frac{1}{2}", use_overline=False):
         r"""
         Parameters
@@ -725,7 +776,12 @@ def scale_factory(scale, axis, **kwargs):
     axis : `~matplotlib.axis.Axis`
     """
     scale_cls = _api.check_getitem(_scale_mapping, scale=scale)
-    return scale_cls(axis, **kwargs)
+    try:
+        return scale_cls(axis, **kwargs)
+    except TypeError as e:
+        if 'unexpected keyword argument' in str(e) or 'positional argument' in str(e):
+            return scale_cls(**kwargs)
+        raise
 
 
 if scale_factory.__doc__:
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/scale.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/scale.pyi
index 7fec8e68cc5a..d7f34457ad4f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/scale.pyi
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/scale.pyi
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from matplotlib.axis import Axis
 from matplotlib.transforms import Transform
 
 from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable
-from typing import Literal
+from typing import Literal, Union
 from numpy.typing import ArrayLike
 
 class ScaleBase:
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class ScaleBase:
 
 class LinearScale(ScaleBase):
     name: str
+    def __init__(self: ScaleBase, axis: Union[Axis, None] = None) -> None: ...
 
 class FuncTransform(Transform):
     input_dims: int
@@ -56,12 +57,12 @@ class LogScale(ScaleBase):
     name: str
     subs: Iterable[int] | None
     def __init__(
-        self,
-        axis: Axis | None,
+        self: LogScale,
+        axis: Union[Axis, None] = None,
         *,
-        base: float = ...,
-        subs: Iterable[int] | None = ...,
-        nonpositive: Literal["clip", "mask"] = ...
+        base: float = 10,
+        subs: Union[Iterable[int], None] = None,
+        nonpositive: Union[Literal['clip'], Literal['mask']] = 'clip'
     ) -> None: ...
     @property
     def base(self) -> float: ...
@@ -103,13 +104,13 @@ class SymmetricalLogScale(ScaleBase):
     name: str
     subs: Iterable[int] | None
     def __init__(
-        self,
-        axis: Axis | None,
+        self: SymmetricalLogScale,
+        axis: Union[Axis, None] = None,
         *,
-        base: float = ...,
-        linthresh: float = ...,
-        subs: Iterable[int] | None = ...,
-        linscale: float = ...
+        base: float = 10,
+        linthresh: float = 2,
+        subs: Union[Iterable[int], None] = None,
+        linscale: float = 1
     ) -> None: ...
     @property
     def base(self) -> float: ...
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ class AsinhScale(ScaleBase):
     auto_tick_multipliers: dict[int, tuple[int, ...]]
     def __init__(
         self,
-        axis: Axis | None,
+        axis: Union[Axis, None] = None,
         *,
         linear_width: float = ...,
         base: float = ...,
@@ -164,15 +165,16 @@ class LogisticTransform(Transform):
 class LogitScale(ScaleBase):
     name: str
     def __init__(
-        self,
-        axis: Axis | None,
-        nonpositive: Literal["mask", "clip"] = ...,
+        self: LogitScale,
+        axis: Union[Axis, None] = None,
+        nonpositive: Union[Literal['mask'], Literal['clip']] = 'mask',
         *,
-        one_half: str = ...,
-        use_overline: bool = ...
+        one_half: str = '\\frac{1}{2}',
+        use_overline: bool = False
     ) -> None: ...
     def get_transform(self) -> LogitTransform: ...
 
 def get_scale_names() -> list[str]: ...
 def scale_factory(scale: str, axis: Axis, **kwargs) -> ScaleBase: ...
 def register_scale(scale_class: type[ScaleBase]) -> None: ...
+def handle_axis_parameter(init_func: Callable[..., None]) -> Callable[..., None]: ...